I open my eyes
I try to see but I'm blinded by the white light
I can't remember how
I can't remember why
I'm lying here tonight

Sakura awoke the next morning, sore everywhere. She soundlessly stepped out of bed, wincing at every creak in the floorboards. She passed her father's room, he was sleeping off a hangover. She grabbed her bag and left the house before her father woke up. She could go to the school, but then Sasuke and his group would just have more time to hurt her. She went to the park, and walked up the tree with her chakra concentrated in her feet. She sat up there and healed heself, she would have time to regain her chakra before she needed it. She sighed and looked up at the sky, this was the same park where the only happy memory of Sakura's mother took place.

.:11 Years Ago:.

A five-year-old Sakura smiled brightly as she walked next to her mother in the bright sunshine. Mr. Haruno was on a buisness trip, so her mother's smile was genuine. "Mommy, how long will Daddy be gone this time?"

Mrs. Haruno gave a smile, forced this time, "He'll be back tomorrow, but that's not today." She gave a real smile this time, and a few heads turned. Sakura smiled proudly, her mother was so beautiful. She voiced this to her mother, who frowned sadly, "No Sakura, I am not beautiful."

And I can't stand the pain
And I can't make it go away
No I can't stand the pain

"Yes you are Mommy! Everyone says so."

Mrs. Haruno looked down, "My hair is a soft shade of pink that inspires comfort, my eyes are a sparkling blue like the sky, my figure is one models dream of having, but I am not beautiful." Mrs. Haruno looked to her confused daughter and continued, "Your father hurts me, but more importantly hurts you. I never stop him, I only watch. If woman is not strong, she is not beautiful." Sakura's mother gave her an encouraging smile, "Sakura, one day I will be beautiful. We will run away, and your beauty will surpass mine. You will become a strong woman."

Sakura opened her eyes, they were streaming with tears. You lied, Mother. You said we'd escape, but you abandoned me and got killed in the process. I'm not beautiful, I'm not strong, and I'm not happy. She looked down and saw the children too young to go to school, playing with their families, They will be happy, they will be strong, because they don't live with that bastard. Their mother's won't run away and leave them behind. They will be loved by their classmates, and they will raise many generations to do the same. While I die alone, ugly, and weak. Another tear slid down Sakura's cheek, ... it isn't fair. She wiped the tears, and used a genjitsu to make her puffy eyes appear normal. She jumped down from the tree and walked through the gates, ony to walk right into Sasuke, Neji, Shikamaru, and Naruto. "You can't escape this time," Shikamaru said with a smirk, "not like yesterday." Sakura closed her eyes when his punch landed on her exposed cheek. She bit her tounge, but never let out a cry. It didn't hurt as much as hitting one of her father's bruises, but her lack of chakra weakened her body.

How could this happen to me
I made my mistakes
Got no where to run
The night goes on

Sasuke punched Sakura in the gut, and a necklace was exposed on her neck from under her red jacket. Sasuke looked surprised for a second when he saw it, but he hardened before anyone noticed. I was a simple silver chain, but the charm on it was not simple. There was a crystal, blood red, held by three silver snakes. Each of the snakes had silver feathered wings, and bright red gemsones for eyes. "Nice necklace, mind if I take it?" he sneered as he broke the chain and held it. No! Sakura mentally screamed. That necklace and Patches were her only treasures, the only proof that someone at one point of her lafe cared about her.

8 Years Ago

Sakura was 8, and crying hard as she ran down the deserted part of town. Her father's abuse today was worse then ever before. She collapsed, blood and tears staining the ground. A shadow fell upon her, but Sakura never looked up. A bandaged hand reached for her own, "Are you okay?" Sakura looked up, it was a boy, about her age. His face and arms were wrapped with bandages, but his eyes only showed concern for her. Sakura just kept crying, and the boy grabbed her hand and pulled her up to her feet, "Are you lost?" Sakura was till crying so hard that she couldn't speak, so she nodded her head. The boy still held he hand and lead her out of that part of town to a restraunt that had people that knew everyone there. Sakura still cried, and the boy took off his necklace, it was glowing. Sakura watched the glow, and her tears started to stop flowing.

As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me

Sakura watched the glowing until she stopped crying. The boy put the necklace around Sakura's neck, and she held the stone in her hands. It stopped glowing now, "Why does it glow like that?"

"It glows when you're strong." and the boy walked off, Sakura still wondering who he was.

Sakura was being held back b Naruto as Neji and Shikamaru continued to puch her while Sasuke walked off, the necklace still in his hands. Sakura watched him, and nevr even noticed the pain. She shut her eyes to try to keep herself from crying, then cried out, "Stop! Please!" Shikamaru and Neji stopped punching her, interested in what she'd say. Sasuke stopped too, and Naruto dropped Sakura to the ground, "Please, I'm begging you." Sakura shook as she spoke, "I do anything, just please give it back to me!" Sasuke watched her, amused. What could she give him as valuable as that necklace. He turned and walked off, and Sakura felt a renewed strength in her, how dare he ignore her like that! Though she was weak, she stood up quickly and ran after Sasuke. She ran soudlessly, so Sasuke never knew she was coming until she took the necklace from his hands. He glared at her angrily, then noticed the gem glowing. He still glared at her, but it was obvious that he wasn't thinking about anything other that that stone. He was about to punch her, but then he noticed tat Kakashi was coming closer and closer. He gave Sakura a death glare, and sulked as he walked off.

Everybody's screaming
I try to make a sound but no one hears me

Sakura looked down at the necklace, it was still glowing. It glows when you're strong. Sakura smiled, a warmth spread through her body whenever she saw it glow, which never happened since she saw the bandaged boy. She felt her chakra return to her body, and she pocketed the necklace. She turned to go to class, and walked right into Gaara. Sakura gave a small gasp in surprise, "How long have you been there?" The maroon-haired youth didn't answer her, but gave her a note and walked off. Puzzled, Sakura read the note.

The plant is fine. Sakura gave a smile, Gaara wrote about as much as he talked. Sakura walked to strategy, the effects of the gem's glow still spreading through her, even if the necklace stopped glowing. Classes flew b, until luch arrived. Sakura scanned the lunchroom for an empty table, and saw one. Sakura walked there, only to be tripped by Kankuro, "Sorry, my bad," he smirked as his friends laughed. Sakura stood up and went to the table, only to see that someone was stiiting at it now, Gaara and his collection of fangirls. It wasn't as large as Sasuke's collection, but it was still larger than Shikamaru's, Neji's, or any other popular boy. Sakura knew that table was the closest one to empty in the lunch room. She held her head up and sat down at the table, right across from Gaara since it was on the end and closest one to her.

I'm slipping off the edge
I'm hanging by a thread
I wanna start this over again

The girls were obviously unhappy about the unpopular girl now sitting at their table near their Gaara. One of the girls, named Persephone, sneered at Sakura, "Look, a disgusting bug wants to be at our table. Someone better squish it before it infects out food." Sakura pinkened lightly and Persephone continued, "We don't want you her Haruno, go eat in the bathroom, if the cockroaches don't kick you out." The table filled with laughter and Sakura blushed a deeper red, she was vulnerable since them gem stopped glowing. Persephone smile, she was on a roll here. Just one more thing to finish the deal and win the favor of her clique. She stood up and walked next to Sakura, whose head was still down in embarassment. Persephone noticed Gaara watching her, and she took Sakura's milk and poured it on her head, and pushed her out of her seat. Not only the table, but the entire lunch room was filled with the laughter of the students. Sakura turned a deeper shade of pink then her hair and looked only at the ground ashamed.

So I try to hold onto a time when nothing mattered
And I can't explain what happened
And I can't erase the things that I've done
No I can't

Persephone flipped her hair and smiled, giving a laughter filled with malice. She turned to Gaara and her smile slid off her face, he was obviously displeased. She gave him a look of confusion as he suddenly stood up and bent down to inspect Sakura. Persephone wasn't the only one confused, the lunchroom was filled with a shocked silence. Gaara lifted up Sakura's chin and she looked into his eyes. His face was as emotionless as always, but she could sense tat he wanted to know, "I'm fine."

Gaara stood up and walked to the table, picked up his tray, and walked off. Sakura knew he wanted her to follow him, and she did. Persephone shook herself and ran over to them, "Gaara!" she cried out, "What's gotten into you? This is so unlike you!"

How could this happen to me
I made my mistakes
Got no where to run
The night goes on

Gaara gave him a cold glare, "You do not know what I'm like." Sakura was silent, more from shock that Gaara actually said more than 3 words at once than anything else. Persephone took a step back, and ran into the bathroom, crying. Her friends ran in after her to help her with her mascara when the tears stopped flowing.

Sakura turned to Gaara, milk still dripping from her hair, "You didn't need to to that."

"I know."

The rest of the school day went by uneventfuly, other than the fact that No one seemed as eager to beat her up now. Sakura waked off the school grounds, pondering not about Gaara, but about why Sasuke wanted the necklace, did he know the truth about its power? Speak of the devil, Sasuke appeared in front of Sakura. She shied away, but he appeared in front of her. She bit her bottom lip, he was too fast for her. Sasuke pushed Sakura too the ground, "Your guard-dog is gone, just saw him leave. I've wanted to do this all day." Sakura felt his fist make contact with her shoulder and realized why no one harassed her today, they didn't want the wrath of Gaara upon them. Sakura stood up, only to be push facedown in the dirt. She felt Sasuke gab a small clump of her hair, "You seem awfully pproud of your hair Sakura, wonder what would happen if someone accidently cut it off." Sakura heard a ripping sound as Sasuke cut off the hair with his jacknife. Sakura sat up quickly and turned to Sasuke, who threw the pink hari in her face. Sasuke scoffed and left Sakura, still bewildered. She shook herself and stood up, sitting there wouldn't do anything.

As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream
How could this happen to me

Sakura bit her lip and took out a knife of her own, kept hidden from the teachers. She bit her lip and cut the hair off. It wasn't a smooth haircut, but she could fix it at home with scissors. Sha walked down the sidewalk, and saw Sasuke. Shit! Sakura ran in the opposite direction, the Uchiha on her tail. Little did Sakura know, that wasn't Sasuke, it was just his clone. The real Sasuke watched from the rooftops and ran alongside her. Sakura ran into a dark alleyway, and evaded the clone. Sasuke watched her with a smirk, he'd wait until Sakura relaxed to scare her again.

A man walked into the alley behind Sakura, and Sasuke frowned, he'd have to wait until the man left to beat up Sakura. Sakura turned to the man quickly and gasped, "Father?" Sasuke cursed under his breath, he wouldn't be able to lay a finger on her now. Sasuke was surprised when the man slapped Sakura with the back of his hand, heavily studded with rings. Sasuke noticed that this hurt more than when he or the others hit Sakura, this man must have more brute force.

"Please, please, I'm sorry, just don't-"

I made my mistakes
Got no where to run
The night goes on

"Shut up dirty slut!" Sasuke saw tears streaming from Sakura's eyes as she begged, something she never did at school.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't!" Mr. Haruno punshed Sakura and she landed on her back.

The man crawled on top of her and pinned her to the ground. "Please Father, not again! Please don't!"

As I'm fading away
I'm sick of this life
I just wanna scream

"Listen up! I've been a devoted father. I've devoted myself to you and only you, and what do you do! You spend all of your time complaining and putting out!" Sasuke atched and wondered if he was mistaking Sakura for someone else, perhaps a twin? Sakura looked up in the air, though not at Sasuke, and he froze. Her eyes were open wide and glazed over, tears never ceasing. "Do you want to know what happened to your mother?" Sakura shook her head furiously, tears still falling. "She left, she was going to betray me. She went to that damn mother of hers. I followed her in my car, until she reached that damn house. I went in there and did to her what I'm about to do to you. I then killed her mother, chopped her into little pieces, and threw her in the river. I then stuck you mother in the car and hit it with mine near the outskirts. She betrayed me, just like you! And now you'll suffer the same as her." Sasuke heard a ripping sound and watched Sakura struggle under the man. The man swore loudly and grabbed her shoulder and hit her head against the pavement. Sakura coughed up blood and fell unconcious. Tears still fell. Sasuke watched her face, she looked so much like his mother when he did the same thing to her. Those same pleading, dead eyes. Rage rippled through Sasuke, and he saw red and heard anger.

How could this happen to me?

A/N:Oooooh Clifflie! I'm so evil to my loyal readers! XD luv u all! (hands out cookies)