Disclaimer: Well as you all know (so I don't know why I'm writing it) I don't own Masashi Kishimoto's characters or affiliates.

Ayame

A Blossom In The Wind, Chapter 3: A Grave Decision

A small, frail looking older woman stood there, an indignant frown upon her gently wrinkled face. "What do you want?" she asked, pointing toward Sakura. "M-me? I was told you were to take me in, father and mother…" she stopped "What, what about your father and mother child?" She asked, looking as though she wanted to slam the door in their faces "Um, perhaps now would be the best time for me to interrupt, Kakashi Hatake, I'm sorry to tell you but, Mr. and Mrs. Haruno… they died in today's battle, my sincere condolences" he said, taking the woman's hand. She smiled a cynical smile at him "Do you take me for a fool? You think I'll believe my son died? He probably got some common sense and is now trying to dump this mistake of his on my doorstep" she sneered at Sakura as she said this. "No ma'm, you can see for yourself, Mr. and Mrs. Haruno died this morning on the front lines" he looked at Sakura 'I guess she was right, this woman does see her a mistake' Sakura looked back at him 'Told you so' she mentally jeered. "Well if that is true, then what business do you have at my home? Take that… thing to an orphanage, I have no need of it" she squinted at Sakura "Grandma" she said, pulling the old woman into an embrace…

"Sakura?" she asked, surprised at the girls boldness "Grandma all I've ever want was for you to accept me, to love me, is that so much to ask? I've been good, baked you cookies, remembered your birthday and yet even though you haven't sent me a birthday card since I was five I still tried to be a good granddaughter, and all you've seen me as, after all these years, is a mistake?" she cried into the woman's shoulder "I love you granny but would it kill you to love me back, even a little?" The old woman was stunned. She sympathetically smiled at the girl "I'm sorry Sakura, I've thought of you only as a granddaughter, but once you're parents put you into that academy I felt I was to blame, that you would die dreaming a foolish dream such as your parents, they were foolish to become shinobi, basically signing their wills when they signed that contract… oh child you've been more to me than anything, I refused to see you only because I felt that if I saw you I would surely die, for no granddaughter of mine, let alone the only granddaughter of mine is to die on the front lines like all the fools before you" she returned the hug warmly "Sakura, my sweet cherry blossom, how you've grown through all these years" she sighed and turned to Kakashi "Arigato…"

But Kakashi soon tapped Sakura on the shoulder, waking her from these pleasant thoughts. "Sakura" he said "you can let go now, she has agreed to let you stay, and quite reluctantly I might add" she pulled back and smiled sheepishly at Kakashi, she still didn't have the courage to look the old hag in the eyes, not yet. "Arigato Mrs. Haruno, it is so generous of you to let Sakura stay here" he said, smiling one of his awkward smiles at her. "No problem, a home for a poor delusional girl is nothing of great loss" she chuckled, looking back at the teenager. Sakura was glaring daggers at the old crones head. 'You will pay hag, for the things you have done to me, the pain you have caused' she mentally lashed out at the woman. She showed Sakura to her room "This is where you will stay, lunch is at noon, dinner at six, and you must be in bed by ten" she said "oh and tomorrow breakfast is at eight a.m. and I expect you to be quiet and courteous, your homework done, no friends and always be home by five" Sakura sneered at the woman "Yes ma'm" she said, with disrespect dripping from every syllable…

As days went by Sakura came to hate this new life more than anything but thank god for her friends. "Naruto, did you say that the sand siblings are coming to Konoha?" she asked, her voice sullen and monotone. "Uh yeah… I did…didn't I?" he stated dumbly, staring at her "What are they doing coming here? If Gaara's the Kazekage hasn't he any duties in his own country?" she smiled at the thought of outwitting Naruto's knowledge "He's here on vacation, you know, being a Kage isn't easy!" he snapped. Sakura looked down "I'm sorry to have insulted your knowledge Naruto, I didn't mean to" Naruto looked over at her "Hey it's not your fault, you're going through some rough times, I understand" he sighed "but Gaara will only be here for three days so I have to show him everything briefly" he smiled "It'll be fun though, wanna come?" she smiled "Wish I could Naruto but my grandma, gotta be home by five" she said, pointing to her wrist. He caught a glimpse of the bottom of her wrist, the red lines crisscrossing her arms "Sakura" he said worriedly, gripping her wrist "why?" he asked, tears beginning to slide from his eyes "I'm sorry Naruto" she said "But it's the only way I've found to ease the pain of…of… my parents death" she looked at him "really, truly, I'm sorry" she said, seeing Naruto cry was one thing Sakura rarely saw and when she did her heart was crushed….

Two days later and it was the last day of Gaara's visit and Sakura figured Naruto would be wrapped up in Gaara's leaving party, so he wouldn't be around to watch her. Ever since that day Naruto had watched her like a hawk, refusing to let her out of his sight for even a minute. So that night, Sakura decided, she would sneak out her window and do it, she would make sure to end her life this time, no mistakes, she would not back out… last time… Sakura had snuck out through her second story window and climbed the wall to the outside of the city. Sakura walked about a mile into the cherry orchard, equipped with the only thing she needed… her kunai, the last one she threw at Sasuke, the last time she saw him. As the blade collided with the skin of her wrists she sucked in a heavy breath and pushed down hard on the blade. If she were to live without the one she loved then she would die without him as well… she pulled the blade across the veins and capillaries, a river of red spilling along her forearm… this was it… it was all over. She closed her eyes… and let go, pulling the blade away. She couldn't go through with it, was it really worth it? She took off her hitai-ate and tied it tightly around her wrist, successfully stopping the bleeding…

This time would be different; this time would go off without a hitch. She sighed, still a few hours before she had to be home and even more before she would sneak away into the night. She decided she'd meet up with Gaara and Naruto and hang out. She wandered the streets looking for them and she found them in the most likely place Naruto would ever be, Ichiraku ramen. "Oi Gaara-kun, what's up?" she asked, extending her hand to him. He grabbed her arm "What is the meaning of this?" he asked, examining her cuts. She pulled her hand away sharply, holding her wrist "Nothing, it was uh… an accident" she explained quickly. He looked at her "Well then, hello Sakura-san" he said, looking back to the amusing sight of Naruto inhaling his ramen. Gaara looked back but the girl was gone. 'This girl she is… interesting' he thought "Naruto-kun, thanks for the treat but I have to go now" he said, walking swiftly from a totally clueless Naruto.

Sakura sat up, the clock flashing a silent midnight hour. She climbed from her bed as silently as a ghost, no sound emitting from her. She slid open the window and grabbed a kunai from the night stand. She slid out the window, falling into the bushes far below. She crawled from the bushes and brushed herself off "This is it" she whispered "goodbye cruel world" she walked silently past the rows and rows of chakra grown trees until she came to a tree with a notch in the highest branch, the spot where she had put the tire swing when her grandma began to despise her. She climbed up to the spot, a hole in the branch she pulled out a locket. She opened the locket to find 2 pictures, one of her and grandma smiling together in the rain, the blossoms shining behind them and the other of her parents, holding her as a baby, beaming proudly. She began to cry silent tears, smiling to herself. "Mommy, daddy I'll be with you soon…"

While it was not in Gaara's interests to interfere in the affairs of others he simply could not let her die, something prevented him from doing so. He frowned as she pulled a kunai form her pocket, grazing it across her index finger to make sure it was sharp enough. He watched as she proceeded to place the blade against the skin of her wrist… 'Just like last time' she thought to herself. What could make a girl go from happy to suicidal in a moment? Gaara mentally sighed and watched, entranced by her movements, swift and graceful as she tightened her grip on the kunai and pulled it swiftly across her wrists, one and then the other. He stared; he couldn't help but wonder what reason she had for trying to end her life. She smiled as her eyes closed and blood began to spill across the cherry blossoms below her. He decided now was the best time to intervene, by now she was unconscious and wouldn't notice. He picked her up and pumped the chakra into his feet, making to the hospital just minutes after she slipped into her unconscious state…

When Sakura woke up she was under the ever vigilant eyes of her grandmother. "Sakura Haruno what have you done?" she asked gravely, her face set in a grimace. Sakura tried weakly t respond but she just wasn't up for it. "Have you no idea what you've put everyone through?" she asked. Sakura just shook her head, she honestly didn't know. "I'm sorry Sakura but you have force me to make this decision, but… you are to be transferred to a boarding school in Suna" she said, tears spilling from her eyes "I really thought you had overcome this problem… and your alcoholism and … the marijuana and hallucinogens…" How did she know? Sakura was puzzled as to how her grandma had found out about her drug use… Naruto? No he didn't know, the dobe was always clueless. But who? She sighed, it was true though, she had been doing the hallucinogens so she could see her parents. Her parents… that reminded her of the locket she found… "G-grandma?" she choked out "Yes Sakura?" he asked "This locket…where?" she asked. Her grandma cried harder "I remembered you used that tree and I knew you'd go back to it one day…" she said "But now… now you are going to Suna, I can't stand to see you hurt here… and that is my final decision……"

To Be Continued…

A/N: Woo! 3 chapters in one day, but remember this is the weekend so it may take longer to get more chapters out! Reviews greatly appreciated!