Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

"Talking"

Thoughts

-Flashbacks-

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Demons Dawn Chapter Eight: Bloom

The sun filtered thru her widow and onto her eyes. She groaned as she realized that it was time to get up. The room was slightly chilly as she tossed off the warm and comfortable covers. Her room was neat and devoid of personality except for a beautiful painting of flowers and on a much closer inspection a beautiful Shinobi with odd pink hair hidden in and among the flowers.

She stretched her arms and legs sleepily. She was especially slow today. She had studied all last night for the written test that would be on today. She made her bed neatly but still in a hurry.

She looked at herself in the mirror and frowned slightly. Her hair was very pretty bubblegum pink but that she saw as sometimes rather awful, her dark hade eyes were momentarily closed from exhaustion. She was pretty if not beautiful. That was Haruno Sakura a female Shinobi, a kunoichi.

Sakura pinned her hair to the back and left her long bangs fall to the side of her face. She decided against makeup, besides her mother would bust her for it if she dared to wear that stuff in public. She put on her sandals, decided on some short black shorts and a small and a small sleeveless black shirt with her usual insignia over on her back, and a modest black mesh shirt over it. She looker herself over and almost cursed herself as she saw that she had almost forgotten her shuriken pouch, some kunoichi she was turning out to be.

Everything done she rushed out contented with her own flightily mind. She wasn't late, she never was in fact. She merely liked to take a detour once in a while to one of her favorite places in Konoha.

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The field was strung with beautiful violet and blood red flowers on a mass of green. Hardly anyone came here and Sakura was grateful for that. It was true that soon the flowers would freeze over and due and the autumn leaves would cover them, but hey would also be reborn soon enough.

She was loath to leave the place, but before she left she took one of the smallest of flowers that looked a deep violet that it was almost black. She placed it carefully in her hair.

She ducked instinctively as soon as she heard voices. Male voices. This was not what she wanted, this was her place! They had no right to come here!

She was too close for comfort and she could here them well. But they had probably already noticed her, she was after all dressed in black with pink hair among a field of red, violet, and green. Sakura carefully thought all this over.

What if they find me here, on the ground?! God! I'll look like an idiot! She thought, as she was about to get up. Thinking about it she only pressed herself closer to the ground, since she had heard nothing to indicate she was there. Not even the flow of conversation was interrupted.

She thought she recognized one of the voices, but only vaguely. The other voice she immediately recognized as Sasuke, one of the surliest guys she knew! She didn't like him much and couldn't quite understand his fan girls, she just didn't get it at all and in her opinion they needed to get over him quick and fast.

As she dared to peek up above the flowers she saw who it was for sure. It was definitely Sasuke and the outsider, she wasn't sure of his name. She lowered her head as the fear of being discovered overtook her curiosity. Her ears perked up as she heard them taking. It was the blond who spoke first.

"It wasn't my fault!?"

"You idiot! Were at least a mile off!" that definitely had to be Sasuke.

"How was I to know!?"

"Did even think to ask?"

"Would you have bothered to tell me!?"

Silence, then. "No."

Silence. "Well at least your honest."

"Whatever."

Slightly timidly. "What do we do now?"

"Get to school."

Sarcastically. "No kidding."

"Stop talking and let's go."

"Race ya?" There was a definite silence.

"So you can loose us again? I don't think so dimwit! Or do you know the exact direction of the school? Damn you lost even me and I've lived here for ever!" Sakura was listening to all this with some interest. But it was starting to get late. Suddenly she felt something on her leg, very cold and slimy.

She looked apprehensively on it. On her leg was a greenish gray slug, a colorless shell on its back its eyes toward her. She tried to hold it in. She couldn't take it.

"AIYEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" She screamed and screamed until suddenly the slimy coolness just slipped off her leg. She hadn't realized that she had stood up.

The two boys were looking at her, one with something like disgust on his look and the other surprised amusement. Her face was flushed crimson as the two stared on at her. The one with the blond hair made move toward her, Sakura shuffled slightly in her place.

"Hey watch it," the blond on said. She froze in place.

He was heading in toward her. He bent down and picked something up, walking a bit way more placed something on the floor. Looking down Sakura saw that the slug was gone. Eiweeeeeeeee.

"Lets go Naruto, were late already," Sasuke said gruffly.

"Alright lets go," Naruto said as he made his way back to Sasuke's side. Sakura spoke up.

"Hey. Um. I know a shortcut," Sakura said shyly.

"Really!? Can you show us?" Naruto said excitedly.

"Sure," Sakura said her arms to her chest shyly. Thought she had a feeling that Sasuke didn't want her near him or Naruto.

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The boys were much faster than her, she felt the difference painfully as they sometimes got ahead of her unintentionally. There were no words between them as they traveled.

As soon as they spotted the Academy Sasuke burst ahead of her and almost out of sight. Sakura let out a little breath, it figured that Sasuke would leave her so soon. Naruto was probably going to leave her as well. As she jumped especially high over the building a shadow was there right opposite her. It was the outsider, Naruto.

"It fell off when you jumped," he said before he fell to the ground and continued running on. Sasuke slowed down for him and they continued to head in the direction of the school.

Naruto had thrown an object in the air. She reflexively extended her hands to catch it. Which made for a rough landing without being able to keep her balance.

She opened her hands slowly. Could it be the slug? She smiled as she saw what it was. It was then flower she had picked up from the field, slightly bruised now. She hugged it to her chest, smiling slightly.

What am I doing!? She thought suddenly as she dropped the now crushed flower and made her way to the Academy without a second look back. She didn't notice a stranger pick it up and tuck it into the many folds of a robe.

End Chapter Eight

Next Chapter:??? I am so brain dead right now.

Chapter Eight is done, thought I am beginning to doubt anyone reads. Maybe it's the summary? But more then likely it's me... Maybe it's too soon to tell how bad the story is. I am so depressed right now (cries silently in the corner). Oh well (grins). Any suggestions would be helpful. So please review!!!