DISCLAIMER! Don't own Naruto.

AN: Chapter One is not a continuation of the prologue. The events in the prologue could have been a scene taken from the future or past or just a dream.

Chapter One

She watched, fascinated. Wide jade eyes were unblinking as they followed the graceful moves of the pair dancing a Viennese waltz to the song Love in Your Soul by Celeste Buckingham.

A step of the left foot, a step of the right, then the silver-haired man lift one arm to spin the beautiful blond-haired woman…her long white gown following her gracefully.

She was entranced, not only by the beauty of the woman, but most of all, by the dance danced by the pair.

"Sakura-chan?" Her mother called. She was leaning against the doorframe and got worried when her almost four-year old daughter stayed unresponsive. She sat on the floor where Sakura was and was surprised to see tears. She looked back to the television and gave an understanding smile. She wiped her daughter's cheeks with soft thumbs. "They are beautiful, yes?"

Sakura blinked, her eyes finally cleared and focused on her mother's kind face. "Yes," she whispered, "beautiful."

Really beautiful, her young mind supplied. It was the first time she saw something beautiful that moved her to tears. Then there was an indescribable feeling in her chest, something so strong about wanting something that she wasn't sure what exactly was. But since she felt it while watching the video, maybe she could find the answer by doing the same?

"Mom?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan?"

Her mother raised a brow when she saw the serious expression of her child. She found it almost funny but couldn't laugh because she knew Sakura was really serious, however, her chubby cheeks, furrowing eyebrows, and pouty lips were affecting the supposed to be serious face. God, her daughter was so cute!

But then Sakura started to nibble on her lower lip and shifted her eyes to everywhere but her mother. What she was about to say was making her nervous. Another bite to her lower lip before she slowly released it. "I want to be like her." Her voice was so soft her mother almost did not hear it. She swallowed and added in a stronger and louder voice, "I want to dance like her."

Similar jade but older eyes widened slightly. She saw the determination reflected in her child's eyes and almost gave a sad smile. She was indeed her daughter. Then she smiled warmly and held Sakura closer. "Do you?"

The child nodded determinedly.

"I see. Then dance."

Young Sakura smiled brightly at her mother. She was about to say something when they heard the door opened and the greeting 'I'm home' from her father. She quickly stood up and ran to the door.

"Dad!" She greeted and hopped into his father waiting hands. She was lifted to air before she was caught again and was kissed on the forehead. "Know what, Dad? Mom said I can dance!"

"Sakura-chan, where's your greeting first?" Her mother approached them and gave a chaste kiss to her husband. "Welcome back, Anata."

"Oh right! Welcome back, Dad!" She kissed her father in the cheek.

"Right," his father chuckled and put the child down while his wife took his things from him. They sat on the couch in the living room. "You were saying?"

"Right," Sakura imitated his dad, earning a double snort from both her parents. Then Sakura animatedly talked about the video and her conversation with her mom to the man.

"You think I can do it?"

Her father looked amused as he glanced at his wife who shared the look. "Yes, you can. You can do anything as long as you put your heart into it."

Sakura beamed at her parents. "Really?!"

"Yes, really."

"Then if I dance in front of a very biiiiig audience," little Sakura gestured both her arms into a large circle as to emphasize the word big, "will you and Mom come and watch?"

"Of course, Sakura-chan. We will always be there to watch and support you."

"Promise?" Sakura held her little pinky out to his father.

The father laughed and twined his first big pinky with Sakura's. "Promise."

The child giggled while her mother and father laughed softly.

Long eyelashes fluttered as her eyelids slowly opened, revealing glazed jade eyes staring at the wide blue sky. She blinked twice and felt a tear leaked at the side of her face. She immediately wiped it and sat up, looking around to remember where exactly she was. Right, the rooftop.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" The 'clang' made by the opening of the metal door was almost lost to the loud call of a certain blond. Sakura closed her eyes and jerk her head away from the noise. "SAKURA-CHAN!"

The rosette sighed. If she stayed hidden from the sight of the blond longer, her ears would go deaf. She just stood up and dusted the dirt off her simple attire—black tank top covered by a bit large but thin gray hoodie, black leggings, and pastel pink sneakers. It was not as cold when the spring started last March but once in awhile, a chilly wind would passed them.

Suddenly, she was tackled to the ground again.

"Sakura-chan! It really is you!" Naruto exclaimed as he looked at the girl he was pinning to the ground with his weight.

"Naruto. Off!" She gritted through clenched teeth but couldn't stop the smile from surfacing on her face when she saw that infectious grin of Naruto.

The boy stood and helped Sakura to get on her feet before he hugged her again, lifting her easily off the ground. "I missed you, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura laughed and hugged him back. "Missed you too, Naruto!"

He set her down and frowned at her. "Why didn't you tell me you were going to enter this university, too? Ero-jiji kept teasing me about it this morning just because I was clueless!" He then adopted a thinking pose, his right hand was in a closed fist, thumb out as he rubbed his chin with it. "But really, I should have known. I mean, this school is known for producing well-known and talented artists! The Faculty of Performing Arts is really great!"

Sakura simply smiled as her boy best friend kept talking. She was glad that he has never changed since the first time they met when they were five, personality-wise. Right, even his childishness appeared to have not changed, too. She raised a brow at his long sleeved v-neck orange top. She looked down, orange rubber shoes, too. She snorted before tuning back to his friend's chatter.

"Naruto, I am not joining the Faculty of Performing Arts." She said after awhile. Though she liked teasing Naruto a lot, she couldn't make him hope then disappoint him later. Especially when the boy had a hopeful look when he started to talk about what they would do together in the Dance Section.

The blond suddenly stopped and gawked at her. "W-why not?!"

Sakura wanted to laugh at his friend's expression. "No big reason, really. I entered the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery."

"But Sakura-chan, dancing—"

She gave a blank expression and looked up at the sky. A cold breeze passed them, ruffling their hairs and clothes. "I already stopped dancing."

Naruto's expression turned solemn. "I thought you've come back that's why you entered this school."

Sakura turned her head and looked back at Naruto. A bright (albeit a fake one, Naruto knew) smile was on her face. "I like my life now. I am planning to become a doctor just like Dad."

"I see." Naruto pouted. He would not argue. He knew she wouldn't budge just because he said so. His therapy speech also would not work on her, he already tried five years ago. And continuously tried the following two years. She heard him but did not listen. Or maybe she was already immune because they were always together before. Still, he wouldn't give up. He knew Sakura would be back someday. She belonged with them, to their world.

She whacked him lightly on the head when she noticed his silence and faraway look. "Don't think. You don't want to be injured on the first day of school." Sakura started to walk away from him and toward the door.

Naruto crossed his arms and gave a supposed-to-be serious look, eyebrows furrowed and turned down corners of the mouth. It would have worked if not for the pout instead of frown. Following Sakura inside the building, he said, "What are you talking about? Thinking is a specialty of a genius!"

"Which you are not."

Naruto flushed and sputtered. "I-I am!"

"Yeah, yeah." She quickly dismissed. "Aren't you supposed to be in the Entrance Ceremony?"

"Well, aren't you?"

"I arrived too early and fell asleep at the roof while waiting."

Naruto snorted. "Right."

The two continued to talk, catching up to the events that happened to their lives for the past several months that they haven't seen each other. They walked along the path covered by the Sakura petals that fell from the trees that were in full bloom, with other students that were going to the pavilion where the entrance ceremony was being held.

When they were children, they always thought that they were going to enter the Konoha University. They were going to be together as they enrolled under the Faculty of Performing Arts. They were going to walk together and join the lines of the students on the right side of the pavilion, where they will meet new friends with the same passion as them. Well, Naruto still thought or rather hoped so until Sakura separated away from him after entering the pavilion as she walked towards the left side—the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery could be found, and he to the right—College of Arts where the Faculty of Performing Arts belonged. As for Sakura, she already knew that things would not always go the way they once dreamed.