The Hidden Tragedy that is Sakura Haruno

(I don't own Naruto.)

Chapter 1

*Sakura is 5 and a half years old. Almost 3 years before joining the ninja academy. *

The sunlight was her alarm clock. She imagined what other children woke up to. Loving words, soft touches, gentle kisses. Sakura could only dream of those thing.

She rolled over in bed and hopped down onto the floor. Silvering at the cold tempt of her small bedroom. Small but independent she made her way into the bathroom and pulled out the small steps that helped her in reaching the sink. She brushed her teeth in silence as she looked at herself in the mirror. She didn't hear much movement downstairs and went down there next to check on her mother.

Sakura didn't have a father. At least that's what her mother told her. She was worried at first that she was half 'pig' because of the way her mother talked about him.

She made her way quietly down the steps and into the kitchen, pulled up a chair, and grabbed the bread off the table top. She shoved two pieces into the toaster and pushed down the lever on the side. She jumped off the chair and took a quick glance around the kitchen, looking for signs of her mother.

Her coat was thrown onto the back of a chair and her purse on the floor. Sakura walked over and picked it up, placing it on the chair with her coat. She glanced into the living room and there found her mother.

Lumped half on and half off the couch, gripping a bottle of some adult drink in her hand. Sakura walked over and tried to get her completely on the couch. Failed when her mother tossed, turned, and groaned at the small girl pushing her sleeping form. Instead Sakura jut grabbed a blanket from the corner of the living room and draped it over her. Before running back into the kitchen to butter her breakfast.

This was Sakura's normal life. Her mother wasn't around very much. She didn't really tell her where she was going but she would just leave. Sakura had to learn to take care of herself at a very young age. When her mother was home, and awake, she was always sick. Sakura would see her many times giving herself shots like Sakura would get at the doctor's office. She even had scary looking men come to the house sometimes and deliver her medicine to her. Sakura noticed her mother was never herself after she took her medicine, she didn't like what it did to her mother.

Sakura preferred when her mother was home with her alone. Her mother would bring home men sometimes. They must also be sick like her mom because they also needed to take a shot. Her mother would tell her to go to her room and not come out for the rest of the night. Sakura had no problems with this, she spent a lot of time in her room anyways. It was when the men would come up into her room that she hated. They would try and touch her. Touch her in ways that would make her want to cry and hide away. When she would fight back or refuse they would hit her. Smack her and punch her in ways that people wouldn't see if she went out into public.

Sakura cried to her mother about it. Telling her what the bad men would do to her after her mother would fall asleep but she wouldn't listen. She didn't believe her. She thought she was just being dramatic. Trusted the random men more than her own child.

Sakura finished her toast. She was sick of imaging what a better family is like. She didn't want any of those men to touch her ever again. Sakura was grown enough to take care of herself. She walked back up the stairs and packed her tiny unicorn suitcase with her doll, her toothbrush, and a few changes of clothes.

Today this 5 and a half year old girl, grew up.

Sakura didn't have to work very hard to leave her home. No one even noticed when the very small girl walked out the front door and onto the streets completely unattended.

'Well if I'm gonna be a grown up now, I need a place to live.'

She thought to herself as she walked through the neighborhood. But she didn't dare knock on any of the doors, worried they would take her right back to her mother.

She went to the first place she could think of that made her feel warm and happy. The playground! When the big red slide came into view Sakura started to run to it. A smile cracking her lips when she reaches the soft turf that surrounds the area. She looks around for the perfect place to live.

There!

She quickly climbs the slide and places her bag down at the very top. It was a small enclosure just before the enclosed slide's entrance.

'I'll have to share my home with kids who want to use the slide but that's okay. I won't hog it.'

Sakura hugged herself and smiled warmly as she unpacked her bag at the top of the slide. Pleased with herself and the choices she made today.

She played in the park for a while, no other children had come through yet and Sakura could stay hydrated by the nearby water fountain but alas Sakura noticed she forgot to bring food! Her stomach began to rumble when the first group of children made their way to the park. The children were accompanied by an adult so Sakura tried her hardest to hide from the women. She was very pretty with midnight black hair and just as black eyes.

"Sasuke, Sarah, stay close and don't go to far."

She called to the pair of children now running straight for the park. She sat down on a nearby bench and pulled out a book. The boy looked to be about Sakura's age with strange black hair that looked like a duck's butt. Sakura snickered to herself at the thought but was quickly thrown out of her mind when the other child, a small girl who was even younger then Sakura, started to climb the ladder for the slide.

She was smiling and excited until she saw Sakura. Sakura just looked at the girl unsure what to say or do.

"You can use the slide if you want."

"Don't you want to go down it?"

Sakura puffed out her chest and motioned to the small pile of clothes in the corner.

"No. I live here."

The small girl looked around the small play area and then back at Sakura.

"You live here? Why? Where is your mommy and daddy?"

"I don't have a daddy."

Sakura said quickly. The girl looked away embarrassed. But sat herself down next to Sakura to look at her doll.

"What about your mommy? How is she gonna tuck you in at night?"

Sakura was holding back tears thinking about her mother. She couldn't help loving her mother even after everything she had done. Sakura kept hoping that at some point in time her mother would start to love her if Sakura could just prove that she was worth loving. Giving up on that dream was really hard on her so she simply said,

"My mommy doesn't want me anymore."

The little girl looked shocked, and then puzzled for a moment, but her train of thought was broken when Sakura's stomach let out a growl.

"Are you hungry? Do you have any snacks?"

Sakura blushed at the question. She was extremely embarrassed that she had forgotten to pack food when she left her house. It was very foolish of her to do and she still wasn't sure about what she was going to do about that.

"No. I forgot to bring food."

"Hold on, I'm sure my Auntie has some!"

She went to rush down the slide but Sakura grabbed her arm.

"Can you…can you not tell her that I'm here."

The little girl looked at her confused.

"I don't want her to take me back to my mom."

Understanding the girl smiled and nodded her head as she went down the slide. Sakura sat in the slide and listened as the girl approached the grown up.

"Auntie can I have a snack? I'm Suuuuuuper hungry."

The women looked over the top of her book down at the girl.

"Didn't you eat anything for lunch? I'd hate to soil your dinner."

"No. I missed lunch today. I was helping my brother today!"

The women quickly dug into her hand bag and pulled out three cookies.

"I want a cookie too!"

Yelled the duck butt boy who was still swinging on the swing.

"Fine, fine, but you only get one Sasuke because you had lunch today."

She hands two cookies to the small dark haired girl who bows her head in thanks and quickly runs back off to the slide.

She shoves the cookies into her pocket and quickly climb the ladder. As soon as Sakura comes into her line of sight she shoves both cookies into her hands.

"There you go! They are homemade and Auntie is a Great cook!"

Sakura thanked the girl and quickly started to eat one but handed the other back to the little girl who just smiled at Sakura as she accepted the other cookie. They sat there in silence, eating their respected cookie. The little girl looked Sakura over and then decided that as fun as the park was, it was no place to live.

"Do you wanna live with me? I'm sure my mommy won't mind! I'll feed you and take care of you!"

Sakura looked at the girl bewildered. She was offering to take care of her. The first person that has ever offered to take care of her instead of her taking care of herself. Sakura smiled at the girl but frowned when she started to think the idea through a bit more.

"I don't think your mommy will let me. She will just send me back to my mom."

"Then I won't tell her! There is a tent in my room that I sent up with my brother! You can stay in there! It's warm and I can bring you food after meals! What do you say?"

Sakura wanted to cry but held herself strong. She had never had someone offer her anything. This small girl was able to make Sakura feel feelings that she wasn't sure she was capable of anymore.

Sakura nodded in agreement. Sarah told her exactly how to get to the Uchiha District and where to meet her.

"I'm Sarah, by the way. Sarah Uchiha! I'm gonna be a great strong ninja someday!"

"I'm Sakura."

Sarah smiled up at her and helped Sakura pack her clothes back into her bag as they talked about what it was like to live in the Uchiha compound.

Sakura was going to finally have a real home.

Sakura rushed to the front gate of the Uchiha district after dark. Sarah had left her a hoodie of hers with the Uchiha symbol of a fan on the back and a hood to cover her hair. She just kept her head down and went to the house that Sarah had mentioned. Holding her bag to her tightly.

"I'm gonna go outside and play mom!"

Sakura heard from inside the house. She smiled when she realized the voice. Sakura was excited to see Sarah again.

"Sarah, what are you doing outside?"

Sakura jumped when the voice came from behind her. She turned and looked up at the teenage boy who was now approaching her.

Frozen in her spot she just stood there and stared as he looked her over.

"Who are-"

"Shisui!"

Sarah yelled as she ran out of the house towards Sakura. She quickly moved in front of the girl and blocked her from his view.

"Who is that Sarah?"

"A friend."

He started to circle the two children. Eyeing Sakura up and down. He couldn't recall ever seeing his little sister with a girl that had pink hair before.

"Does your friend have a name?"

Sakura didn't like to be circled by older men. It reminded her too much of what the men would do when they first make their way into her bedroom. She kept quiet and her head down.

"Her name is Sakura. Didn't you say you were leaving on a mission?"

Sarah quickly changed the topic. Sakura looked back up at the teenage boy. 'A mission? So he was a ninja too?'

"I forgot a scroll."

Sarah ran inside and Sakura panicked at the sudden absence of her. Before Shisui could ask her any more questions Sarah was running back out the door with a scroll in her hand.

"You left it on the table. Mom said you might come back for it."

"Ah."

He nodded at the girl before putting the scroll into his bag and looking Sakura over one more time.

Then he disappeared without a trace. Leaving the girls alone in the backyard and Sakura completely in shock. What was this new world she was getting introduced to?

Without another word Sarah showed Sakura the window to her room and helped her climb up the vines on the side of the house to get to it. She gave Sakura a pillow and warm blanket as she showed her the tent she had set up on the bedroom floor.

Sarah ran downstairs to get some left over food from dinner for her new secret friend. Sakura couldn't help the tears that were leaving her eyes. She was finally somewhere she could be happy and safe. Somewhere she could trust someone and take care of them as much as they take care of her. The tears, for the first time, were not of sadness and grief but of joy and happiness.

End.