Chapter 2 – The Past
Sakura stared at the broken branched and twigs that had once been a tree. The trunk was shattered. Sakura's eyes showed nothing but hatred. Pure hatred.
She kicked the trunk and slumped down to her knees. She looked up to the sky.
Flashback
"Mum! Dad! NO!" A younger Sakura screamed as she saw her father and mother with a kunai pointed to their necks. The man who was holding the kunai laughed.
"Say your last words to your daughter," he jeered.
"S-sakura," her mother gasped out, "I-I love y-you…"
"MUM!" Sakura screamed. The man laughed and stabbed the kunai to her mother's heart.
"NO!" Sakura screamed again, "Mum!"
Her mother's body slid to the floor, blood slowly oozing out from her wound.
"And you," the man spat, kicking his leg at her father, "Also say your last words."
"Sakura…it wasn't your fault…p-please…promise me…p-promise us…that you will…will…always…smiled…for us…" her father said sadly, "I-I love you too, Sakura…"
"DAD!" Sakura yelled. Her father's eyes closed. His was dead.
"No…No!" Sakura sobbed.
"You are so weak," the man hissed as he stepped over the parents' bodies and pointed his kunai at her, "Your parents died, you were unable to do anything. You are weak. Weaker than I had imagined."
"SHUT UP!" Sakura screamed and slammed her fist towards him. The man dodged it and laughed.
"Weak," he laughed. Sakura's eyes narrowed. She quickly made some hand signs.
"Chidori!" she shouted as a blue-electricity engulfed her hand.
"Die!" she yelled, tears running down her cheeks. She slammed her hand to the man. The man who killed her mother and father.
"Ugh…" he slumped to the floor and blood trickled from his mouth and wound. He closed his eyes. He was dead.
End of Flashback
"I was too weak…too weak to save them," Sakura whispered, she stood up, "I decided…I will go to Suna..."
She picked up her bag and walked.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In Konoha~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Around the world, getting stronger, eh?" Naruto said thoughtfully. He lied back on the grass. Sasuke sat down, his eyes confused. Kakashi flipped over a page of his Icha Icha Paradise book.
"Moving on, eh?" Kakashi mused, "She usually isn't like that."
"The death of her parents had change her," Sasuke muttered.
"But when Sakura comes back, lets give her a surprise!" Naruto grinned.
"Yea, but will she forgive us?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm…Orochimaru is gone…so is the Akatsuki," Kakashi said thoughtfully. He snapped his book shut, "So why would Sakura want to get stronger? So people will acknowledge her? To not be weak anymore…"
Naruto sat up.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"I know!" Naruto cried out.
"What?" Sasuke asked.
"Let's eat ramen!" Naruto grinned.
"…"
"…"
"Idiot…"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Back to Sakura~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sakura huffed and bent over to catch her breath. Traveling non-stop for a night and day hasn't been easy.
'Sand,' she thought as she walked over it.
"Gaara!" she gasped.
A red hair boy walked over to her.
"Kazekage," she said respectfully and dropped to one knee.
"Sakura," Gaara said. His eyes looked at her, showing no emotions.
"Gaara, I wish to train in Suna for some time," Sakura said.
Gaara nodded, "Fight me."
Sakura looked up in surprise and jumped back as she saw sand trickling out of his gourd.
Her eyes narrowed. Sakura quickly did some hand signs.
"Water serpent no justu!" she yelled, a water serpent started to form from Sakura's hands and spun around her.
Gaara's eyes widened.
'Since when did Sakura get so strong?' he thought. He started to make a shield of sand.
Too late…
A strong jet of water blasted through the sand, hitting Gaara.
Gaara staggered in surprise.
Then 5 blasts of water from the water serpent aimed towards him.
"Damn it," Gaara muttered.
"Chidori!"
'What! Two jutsus at once! How is that possible?' Gaara thought.
The Chidori came in contact with Gaara's arm. He felt himself being electrocuted.
The water serpent shot another jet of water towards him.
Sakura watched him with emotionless eyes and she deactivated the Justus.
"I won," she said as she walked over to Gaara to help him up.
She lent a hand.
Gaara hissed.
Sakura blinked.
"Whatever, you are welcome to train in Suna. Follow me," Gaara said. He turned around and began walking.
Sakura nodded and followed him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~In Konoha~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Naruto happily slurped his 18th bowl of ramen.
Sasuke's eye twitched.
Kakashi didn't bother looking up from his book…
"Done yet?" Sasuke sighed.
"Nope!" Naruto replied happily.
"Hn."
Naruto finished his ramen and sighed. He leaned back and patted his tummy.
"That was delicious!" He sighed happily.
"Hurry up and pay the bill," Sasuke grumbled.
"Okay! Cool it!" Naruto grinned. He handed over some money and left.
"So, where should we be going?" Naruto asked.
"Follow me," Kakashi said.
Sasuke and Naruto followed Kakashi to this training ground.
Sasuke's eyes widened.
"This is…" Naruto said as he looked around.
"Yup! Remember, Naruto? We had our test here," Kakashi smiled as he (finally) looked away from his book.
"And we learnt the importance or teamwork," Sasuke said quietly.
"Such memories…" Naruto sighed as he looked into the sky.
"And this is the place where Naruto also had his butt poked," Kakashi added.
"…" Naruto's expression changed.
Sasuke smirked.
"Whatever," Kakashi said, "Spend as long as you want here. Bye."
"See ya…" Naruto said. Sasuke nodded.
POOF!
Kakashi disappeared.
"Hey Sasuke…so many memories that brings me back," Naruto said softly.
"Yea…"