I wish you here tonight with me to see the northern lights
I wish you were here tonight with me
I wish I could have you by my side tonight when the sky is burning
I wish I could have you by my side

Sakura felt someone prodding her awake, she groaned and sat up. She realized two things when she woke up, she was in an alleyway, and she was cold. She shook herself and saw the masked face of an ANBU in front of her, "Wha?" Sakura looked around her and saw more ANBU's, inspecting trash cans and such. Sakura put her hands to her face to rub her eyes, and saw them covered with blood. She gasped and loked down at her body, everything was covered in blood, but otherwise inact. Except the bottom of her jacket, her father ripped it last night when- her father! "What happened?"

The ANBU shook his head, "I was about to ask the same thing." The man stood up and led Sakura to a blood-stained blanket covering something. "Do you know this man?" The man took off the blanket and Sakura gasped. (Aren't you glad the cliffie wasn't there)

It was her father, he was lying facedown with 13 shuriken sticking out of his back. His eyes were open wide, the eyeballs torn out. Sakura watched the body, but didn't cry. She still believed that she was dreaming, but she shook none the less. The ANBU spoke, "This man was found on top of you, in this condition, and you were covered in his blood. We need to know, did you kill him?"

"Father..." Sakura murmured, now another member of her family was dead. Sakura had often wished her father dead, and she hated him with her whole heart, but he was still her father. A single tear slid down her cheek, but not over his life, the loss of a life in general. The ANBU took a note, and led her inside a police car. He was going to take her to Tsunade, the Hokage of Konoha.

Cause I've been down and I've been crawling
Won't back down no more

Can't you stop the lies, falling from the skies
Down on me, I'm still standing
Can't you roll the dice, I might be surprised
Conscience clear, I'm still standing here

Sakura sat in a chair in front of Tsunade, refusing to speak. She had been told when she was little to never tell anyone of what her father did to her, but she also knew that she couldn't lie to members of the government. Father's dead, I can tell people now. Sakura kept telling herself that, but she still was unable to tell anyone what happened, so silence filled the room. Tsunade sighed, "Alright, just tell me your name." Tsunade was asking Sakura questions all day, but she never got anything. Sakura relaxed, she could tell them her name, so she did. Tsunade nodded, and called in an ANBU. The man walked in and Tsunade ordered, "Find any information on Sakura Haruno that you can, school records, family trees, anything." Sakura still didn't move, what was she supposed to do? She didn't have any idea what heppened, so she couldn't tell them anything.

Tsunade turned back to Sakura, "Did you kill that man?"

"He's my father..." Sakura barely spoke louder than a whisper, but Tsunade heard her. "I didn't kill him. One second I'm with him, then your ANBU's are waking me up and I'm covered in blood." Sakura felt herself relax, she told the truth without betraying her father. Tsunade raised an eyebrow, Sakura wasn't telling the whole truth. Tsunade then sighed, this was all she was going to get. Then smoke puffed, and Kakashi-sensei appeared. Tsunade turned to him, "Can you confirm that this is Sakura Haruno?" Kakashi didn't even need to look at Sakura to know it was her, she always had a aura about her that no one could ever mistake. Tsunade nodded and spoke again, "Sakura, you will go to school today, but first.." Tsunade motioned to the door, where three teens stepped in, "you need to meet your new bodyguards, Hinata, Shino, and Kiba." The girl, Hinata, had short, dark blue hair and pale blue eyes, she wore the uniform of a private school, a blue shirt with a white blouse. She gave Sakura a small smile, but remained silent in the presence of the Hokage. One boy, Shino, had dark brown hair and wore black sunglasses as well as a blue shirt with the collar over his jaw. He also remained silent, but could have smiled for all Sakura knew. The other boy wore a thick jacket and had red markings under his eyes, Sakura wasn't sure of his hair color due to the fact that the hood was up on his jacket, he was silent, as well as the small dog sitting on top of his head. "Kiba will attned your school with you, when he passes the Entrance Exam that is. Shino and Hinata both go to a private school known as Kane High. All three of them will be living with you, to make sure thar whoever murdered your father won't come for you." Sakura nodded, and followed the three to her house.

burns like a thousand stars, though you are light years away
burns like a thousand stars or more

All four of them were still silent, until they left the building, then Kiba turned to Sakura, "I'm following yout o school until I can get in, you know that right?"

Sakura shook her head, "That isn't nescessary, my school's only a few blocks away."

"Too bad, I'm going." Sakura sighed, this boy was stubborn. When they reached the house, Kiba froze while the dog on his head growled, "This house stinks."

"Kiba!" A surprised Hinata exclaimed, "That's rude!"

"It smells like blood, beer, and..."

Sakura looked at Kiba, "And?"

"...rape."

you're up there, you're always with me
smiling down on me

Sakura looked at Kiba curiously, "Rape has a scent?"

Kiba nodded, "Humans can't smell it, but Akamaru and I can. It's the worse scent ever, it doesn't compare to anything." Sakura took a key out of her pocket and unlocked the door, letting them all in. Kiba growled, the smell was stronger inside the house. He and Shino would sleep in the living room, Hinata would be Sakura's roomate. Sakura went up to her room and changed into fresh clothes. She wordlessly stepped out of the house, Kiba at her heels. There silence between them, until Kiba snuck closer to Sakura and yelled in her ear.

Sakura turned to Kiba angrily, "Be a little more sensitive! My father just died!"

can't you stop the lies, falling from the skies
down on me, I'm still standing
can't you roll the dice, I might be surprised
conscience clear, I'm still standing here

"But you aren't sad about it.I can smell it."Sakura turned angrily away and sped up her pace. Kiba walked behind her, she needed to cheer up. Kiba then grinnned and snuck closer to Sakura again. She ws too angry to notice Kiba's hands creeping to her side. Kiba tickled her sides, and she leapt away with a small yelp of surprise. Sakura glared at Kiba, "What? Are you really that ticklish?" Sakura looked uneasy, and Kiba gave a wicked smile, "Well that's an interesting bit of information." He lunged at Sakure to tickle her again, but she dodged and started running to the school.

Sakura ran as fast as she could, but Kiba was steadily gaining on her. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to run faster, and ran into someone. Blushing she looked up and saw it was Gaara, who looked down on her in mild surprise. He looked up and saw Kiba, and but up a sand barrier around his feet to trip him. The dog ninja was a lot of things, but graceful wasn't one. of them. He fell on his face and looked up angrily at Gaara, "What's the big idea!"

Gaara looked down on Kiba, "Give me one reason."

Sakura turned to Gaara quickly, "Kiba didn't do anything!"

It's something sacred, something so beautiful
something quiet to ease my mind
when the pressure's taking me over and over

Gaara looked at Sakura, "You were running." Sakura blushed deeply, He was trying to tickle me! Even in her head it, sounded stupid. Sakura shook her head to show that Kiba wasn't harassing her. Gaara narrowed his eyes at Kiba, still untrustfull, and turned back to Sakura, "Try to avoid Ino." Sakura looke at Gaara surprised, Ino was the current girlfriend of Sasuke, but she wasn't a threat. She wasn't really smart enough. Gaara walked in the school gates, and Sakura followed. Kiba watched, still on the ground.

Sakura stayed close to Gaara, and noticed whispers, but didn't say anything. She and Gaara seperated at a fork, and Sakura went to her locker. She still had time before class, so she went to the girls' room to check her makeup. She looked in the mirror and saw that her cheeks were still flushed. She decided that it wasn't anything to worry about, and walked out of the room, only to walk into Ino, Temari, and Tenten. Ino was Sasuke's girlfriend, Temari was Shikamaru's, and Tenten was Neji's. Ino glared angrily at Sakura, "We know your plan Billboard-brow. You think that we'll all just leave you alone because you found some way to make Gaara your boyfriend?"

"Gaara's not my boyfriend." Sakura spoke somewhat timidly, she wasn't used to talking to anyone in school like that.

cause I've been down and I've been crawling
pushed around and always falling
you're up there, you're always with me
smiling down on me

"Oh? And he just helped you of his own accord? That's a laugh!"

Sakura ran as the bell rang, now she knew why there was so much whispering, but it would blow over soon. Or, not. Sakura sat alone at at a table today, and Persephone approached her, "You slut, you think you can go around stealing men! Gaara was mine! Or at least, he was until you came and stole him from me!" Persephone left the table in tears, and Sakura knew this was gong to last a long time, but what she didn't know was if they were right. What if Gaara really did like her? Maybe she liked him too. How in the world are people supposed to know these things? Sakura shook her head and left the room, her luch uneaten.

Sakura walked out and saw Gaara alone under a tree, reading a book. Sakura never noiced before, but Gaara was a very attractive man. His maroon hair stuck up everywhere, giving an emphasis to his eyes. He had a fragile peace about him, one that could shatter so easily. Sakura took a deep breath and sat next to Gaara, "I heard the rumors." Gaara looked at her, but said nothing. "Gaara... um... I have a question. But you can't answer it! I mean, um..." Sakura felt very akward, "Um.. you see... can you close your eyes?" Gaara looked at Sakura skeptically, but he trusted her. He closed his eyes. Sakura felt herself blush deeply, and heart beat faster, she was awfully nervous. She took a deep breath, and leaned in towards Gaara. Her lips touched his, and he opened his eyes in surpise. Neither pulled away, but the kiss didn't deepen. Finally, Sakura leaned back and broke the kiss. She looked at Gaara, "Did you feel anything?" Sakura didn't feel anything special with the kiss, she could have kissed anyone and it would've been the same. Gaara was silent, but Sakura kenw him well enough to know it was the same for him. She only knew him for three days, but they established a connection. However, that connection did not involve love. The bell rang and the two got up and went to their classes, all akwardness gone.

cause I've been down and I've been crawling
pushed around and always falling
you're up there, you're always with me
smiling down on me

The classes flew by for Sakura until the school bell rang. There were still whispers when she and Gaara walked in the halls, but it didn't matter. She knew how she felt, and what they thought wasn't important to her or Gaara. The two stayed behind on the empty schoolgrounds to train for their chakra control project. The two of them stood about 3 yards away from each other, both concentrating their chakra into forms. Sakura formed her chakra into invisible tentacles, while Gaara concentrated his with his sand. With the sand, he picked up a dozen kunai. He threw them, one by one, and Sakura used her tantacle-like chakra to grab each kunai as it came to her, while her eyes were closed. Then she threw them back to Gaara, all at once. Gaara made a large shield with his sand and the kunai bounced off and landed on the ground harmlessly. The two repeated the process until the sky got dark. Then they seperated and Sakura walked home. She saw the light on, and walked in. There was Hinata at the stove, and Sakura panicked, "Oh, I'm sorry Hinata! I didn't mean for you to have to cook!"

Hinata, "I don't mind, I like doing housework. Beside, at home I did this kind of thing all the time." Hinata smiled and handed Sakura a plate, on it was spegetti, hot piping soup in a bowl, and a dinner roll on the side. Sakura smiled at Hinata to show her gratitude, and the two boys came into the room.

"Oh no, Hinata cooked."

"Shino!" Hinata hit the boy in the back of the head playfully.

can't you stop the lies, falling from the skies
down on me, I'm still standing
can't you roll the dice, I might be surprised
conscience clear, I'm still standing here

"It may be poison. Sakura, as your bodyguard, I cannot allow you to eat this!" Hinata hit Kiba in the back of the head, and everyone laughed. Sakura smiled, it was like being in a family for once in her life. The four of them ate the dinner (with Kiba getting hit in the head more than once in a while), and Sakura stood up suddenly. She told the three she was going to bed, and Hinata promised not to wake her up when she came in. Sakura looked out the window and realized something, no one bullied her today, but she still saw most of them. But Sasuke wasn't there, not in the classes or halls. Sakura thought about it, and everyone else wa there, and Sasuke never got sick. No wonder Ino-pig was so angry. Sakura mentally sighed, what did it matter to her? But still, she could not shake off the feeling that something was wrong, and Sasuke caused it.

can't you stop the lies, falling from the skies
down on me, I'm still standing here
can't you roll the dice, I might be surprised
conscience clear, I'm still standing here

AN: I so wish I could have gotten "something sacred, something so beautiful..." before Gaara and Sakura kissed. Don't think this story will be cheesy with Gaara protecting Sakura, there will still be Sakura getting beat up, it will just be less out in the open. It was hard to choose a song for this chapter, so I just chose one randomly. Hope it suits.