Six years later...

Sixteen year old Sakura Haruno stepped out of her car, propping her sunglasses on top of her head.

"Sissy, I don't wanna start school today." whined her little brother, Kaito, as she opened his door. "I don't know anybody here."

"I know, Buddy." said the teen soothingly. "But we've been here for more than a week now. We're lucky Anko didn't send us to school the day we got here."

"Do you promise to come get me right after school?" he asked quietly. She smiled. A small, sad smile.

"Of course I do!" she promised. "I get out of school before you do. I promise not to forget you. Like Anko did."

"Okay." Kaito lifted his arms and allowed Sakura undo the seatbelts of his car-seat.

Sakura lifted him out and grabbed his backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. Then she took his hand and lead him to the office.

"Ahem." she coughed slightly when the receptionist didn't notice her.

"Oh, hello!" said the woman, looking slightly frazzled. "How may I help you?"

"I'm Sakura Haruno and this is Kaito Haruno." she replied, lifting her brother up so he could see. "It's Kaito's first day."

"I see." muttered the woman. "I'm Kushina Uzumaki. Are you his legal guardian?"

"As of my sixteenth birthday, yes." Sakura answered icily. "Would you just tell me what room number he is so I can take him to his class?"

"Oh, sorry!" the woman typed something into her computer. "Room 103. It's just down the hall, to-"

"I know where it is." said the teen coldly. She had once been a student here, after all. "Thank you for your help."

Still carrying Kaito, she left the office and started down the hall.

She had gotten lucky. Kushina Uzumaki was her friend Naruto's mother. If the woman had recognized her...

"Saki?" Sakura looked down at her little brother. "Do you think I'll like my teacher?"

A wry smile played on Sakura's lips.

"If that old man's still teaching, you'll like him very, very much."

Sakura stopped in front of the door of room 103. The name plate still read Iruka Umnio.

She smirked and opened the door.

The class was chaos. She saw a stressed-looking Iruka at the front of the class. Noticing that he was unable to get them settled, she set Kaito down, put two fingers in her mouth and whistled. The class went silent and looked at her.

"Thank you!" Sakura chirped. "Honestly, Old Man. After all these years of being a teacher, heck after teaching Naruto, you'd think you could get a class to listen!"

"Sakura Haruno, is that you?" asked the dazed man.

"In the flesh. Of course, I'm just dropping off Kaito here before going to school myself."

"Kiss." demanded her brother, tugging on the bottom of her shirt. Sakura chuckled and bent to place a small kiss on Kaito's forehead.

"I'll see you after school, 'kay, buddy?"

"M'kay!" he said happily. She smiled and handed him his bag.

"You be good for Iruka-sensei!" she called as she walked out the door.

Sakura drove to the high school slowly, taking in the sights.

"Geez." she muttered to herself. "You leave for six years and still nothing changes."

When she finally pulled into the school parking-lot, it was halfway through first period.

"It's a damn good thing I've already got my schedule and shit." she grumbled.

She walked down the halls of the high school, still in no rush to get to class.

If not for that man six years ago, she thought. I would have been here with my old friends since day one.

Stopping in front of her first class, she sighed before pushing the door open.

"Ah, Sakura." said the teacher, not looking up from his book. "So glad you could join us."

"Oh, shut up, Kakashi." she snapped. "You know I had to drop Kaito off ths morning."

"Watch what you say, Sakura." replied Kakashi. "I'm your teacher now. I can give you detentions."

"Like you'd risk Anko's wrath for that." she said with a snort.

"Just introduce yourself." he muttered, knowing he'd lost.

"Hi!" she exclaimed, turning the face the class. "I'm Sakura Haruno. I like the colour black and yes, this is my natural hair colour."

"Just take a seat next to Uchiha and act like you're working if Tsunade comes in."

"Please." Sakura snorted. "My aunt's probably passed out on her desk by now."

"Just. Sit."

Sakura grinned at her adoptive mother's boyfriend and took her seat. It was in the far back corner of the room. Not that she was objecting. Uchiha had once been a good friend of her's, after all.

She glanced around the room, and noticed who was sitting in front of her.

Sakura's POV...

"Well, well, well." I said leaning forwards in my seat. "Look who it is! Old Ino-pig and Pineapple brain!"

"Do I know you?" snapped Ino, turning around.

"I'm offended, Pig!" I gasped, placing my hand over my heart. "I leave for six years and my own best friend doesn't remember me! Good God, kid!"

"No way!" squealed the blonde teen. "Is it really you, Forehead?"

"Well, how many other people in the world are there with natural pink hair?"

"Uh, I'm fairly certain there's just you." Ino giggled. Then she seemed to remember something. "Guys! Get over here! Before I come over there and eat you!"

"Whatever it is," replied someone near the front. "It can wait until lunch, Ino."

"Glad to see you haven't changed in six years, Hyuuga!" I snapped. "God, Ino, tell me why we put up with him?"

"Because Tennie's awesome." Ino replied, flipping her hair over her shoulder. It hit the sleeping Shikamaru in the face, making me giggle.

"Well, yes." I agreed. "But I don't see why she wouldn't let me kill him that time in third grade when he took my Barbie. Well, she did have a huge crush on him..."

"They're together now."

"Like together together?"

"Yup."

My eyes went wide and I looked around the room for my old friend. Once I found her, I leapt out of my seat and tackled her.

"Tennie! Of all the people in this God-damned school, I always thought the Hyuuga was going to end up with Uchiha!"

"Get. Off!" the bun-haired girl snarled. I giggled and flipped so I was sitting on her desk. The entire class was staring at us now.

"Really, Tennie." I said happily. "Is that any way to treat your Apocalypse Buddy? Geez, and to think my mom thought Uchiha was going to be our violent friend!"

"Who the fuck are you?"

"Hm, let's see. Things only I would know about you... Oh!" I did that little 'Eureka!' thing when I remembered. "You wet the bed until you were seven, all though elementary, your assignments were what you'd copied from us, you've always wanted to be a ninja, the gerbil that 'ran away' in fifth grade was really because you and I set it free, and your first kiss was Rock Lee in grade one!"

"Thank you so much for shouting that to the class." muttered the girl, smacking her head off the desk...er, my lap.

"But honestly, Panda-chan!" I giggled and poked Tenten in the forehead. "Who on earth do you think I am? And if you say Santa Claus, I will kill you."

"There's only one person in the world who knew my 'Santa Clause' joke..." said Tenten slowly.

"You dunce! That's because only I was there with you!"

"Haruno! You bitch!" Tenten pushed me off the desk and I landed in a graceful crouch. "Where have you been?"

"Uh, le'me think. America, Canada, Mexico, Egypt, India, China, Alaska, and, for a brief period of time, Russia."

Tenten just looked at me, dumbfounded. I giggled agin and poked her in the eye.

"Ow!" she cried, clutching her now-watering eye. "What was that for?"

"I dunno. But staring is rude."

"HARUNO!" I head my name bellowed from outside the door.

"Oh shit." I muttered. I dashed under the chair of whoever sat next to Tenten. "Uh, Sakura's not in right now!"

"Shut it Uzumaki!" my aunt snapped as she opened the door. "I'm not in- Sakura, come out from under there!"

"No!" I yelled. "Because if I do you'll make me go through that evil test again! How many time do I have to pass before you'll stop nagging me?"

"You know the rules, honey." Tsunade said softly. "And besides, I've never seen you fight. Or kill."

Oh yeah, did I forget to mention this is a town for hunters? Like, of supernatural things? We have, like, six high school's, each dedicated to hunting a different creature.

We took care of vampires.

"So? I shouldn't even be in school! My record beats yours!"

I had come out from beneath the chair now. I was standing in front of Tsunade.

"Sakura, we will talk about this on our way to the Room."

"No! I'm not doing that again! I refuse to relive that man tearing out the throats of my parents again! I know you can't truly trust me because of..." I shook my head, tears flying. "But I won't become like those we destroy! I won't!"

"I know that Sakura. But it's mandatory."

"No. It's not. You think Anko hasn't explained the rules to me? You're supposed to take that test once. I've done it seven times."

"Sakura, are you sure you want this entire class to hear this?"

"Why not?" I laughed hysterically. I could hear the footsteps of someone coming up behind me. "They have a right to know one of their fellow hunters is a monster! Is one of them. A bloodsucker."

"Sakura..." I felt someone lay their hand on my shoulder. I spun around to see Naruto standing there. I saw pity in his eyes...

And it made me sick.

"Don't feel sorry for me, Naruto." I muttered. I took a step away from him. "Please. Just...don't." I turned back to my aunt. "I'm sorry. I should have stayed away. I'll take my leave now." I stepped around my Aunt and left the room.

But I was not unaware of the footsteps behind be.