Emerging from her little box the next morning Sakura stretched as her little tummy rumbled in hunger, a whole new set of problems cropped up as she wondered how to go about acquiring food for herself, all while she wandered slowly through the village.
A delicious aroma wafted into her nose as she walked by several food stalls, but Sakura wouldn't stoop so low as to steal, she wouldn't do that even if someone begged her to do it, she had some morals and pride as well.
Finally as Sakura was about to give up, she wandered into a back alley connecting to a restaurant, the owner stepped out and his eyes flitted to the adorable little girl "Hey what's a kid like you doing back here" he knelt down and Sakura jumped back in fright.
Hunched against the wall, Sakura stared at the stranger with rounded eyes full of mistrust and fear "I'm hungry, I struck out on my own" she slapped her hands over her mouth, obviously her brain to mouth filter wasn't working as she blurted out the truth.
The man tossed his head back and let out a guttural laugh "Here kid, they are just scraps, but if you come by every morning, and possibly the evening, I can give them to you along with a cup of water" he gave the box he held in his hands to the little girl.
Sakura licked her lips, even if the food was just scraps, it was delicious looking scraps and soon the food was gobbled down, Sakura ate so fast she was certain she hadn't tasted a thing, next a little cup of water was thrust into her hand and Sakura drank that slowly as not to upset her stomach.
"Thank you mister" Sakura smiled sweetly before politely throwing her trash away, the man was decidedly confused by her actions, though didn't ask as the tiny pinkette left the alley and headed back to her shelter for the afternoon.
With a shake of his head, the owner of the restaurant stepped back into his shop, if the girl did come back later in the evening, he would make sure to leave a cup of water for her and scraps, never mind how she had come to be on her own.
Sakura was extremely wary as her eyes darted from person to person, everyone was so huge and she was so tiny, Sakura feared being trampled on so hurried her steps and quickly climbed into her shelter wrapping her blanket about her little body and covering the opening.
This was so that anyone passing by would be none the wiser about her presence, Sakura wouldn't risk being found and taken back to the devil of an orphanage, she shuddered to think of the punishment she would receive and also having to endure all the jibes and taunts again would kill her.
When lunch rolled around Sakura shuffled from her alley again and took off in the opposite direction, looking for other restaurants that would possibly give her scraps or even a cup of water, she was unlucky as they all refused and Sakura trudged back to the one place she knew she could get food.
Her eyes lit up upon spotting the box and little cup and quickly sat down on a wooden crate to eat, this time though Sakura ate slowly savoring the taste, before drinking her water down, like before she tossed her trash away and went back to her alley.
The next few weeks passed by slowly for the little girl as every morning and every evening she ate scraps, sometimes going without as she missed the times, Sakura was slowly adding to her little fort by gathering more items.
By the time the first month rolled around Sakura had even acquired an old tea kettle along with a little fire place, she would sneak from the village every morning to gather wood and bring it back to hide under blankets and then in the afternoons she would collect water where ever she could.
It wasn't much but Sakura was satisfied, the only problem was what she would do for food during the lunch hours, but still she had found nothing that would indicate how she could solve that little problem until a week later.
The minute Sakura stepped into the alley that connected to the restaurant she got scraps from she knew something was different "Ah there you are kid, I've got a special surprise for ya, I've taken the day off and packed us a nice, breakfast, lunch and dinner" the owner spoke.
Sakura was shocked to her very core "Where are we going Mister" she tilted her head to the side and her heavy pink hair nearly touched the ground with it's length the man laughed and ruffled her hair despite the grime that had built up in it over the weeks.
"I'm going to teach you how to hunt kid, so that you don't always have to rely on me for food, your a growing kid, so you need more than just what I give ya" he teased and led the way from the village, though at the gates Sakura hesitated.
Taking a deep breath, she scurried to her trusted friends side, though Sakura was uncertain if she could even call this man a friend and followed him deep into the forest to a little river "Wow it's so pretty" Sakura exclaimed with her child like awe.
It was a first for the restaurant owner as he watched the little pinkette take off her tiny shoes and wade into the shallow part of the river, not caring if her tan pants got wet, Sakura dipped her hands underneath the water and squealed in delight.
Chuckling Luka sat down and prepared the poles, the little one is what he would gift to Sakura, if no one else was watching the kid, then he would take it upon himself to make sure the girl was prepared for the long road she was journeying on all by her lonesome little self.
Luka watched her play for twenty minutes before calling her to his side, it occurred to him then that he didn't even know her name "So what's your name kid" Luka asked nonchalantly, chuckling once again as the pinkette swung her head around so fast, to stare at him in surprise.
Sakura pushed her fingers together shyly "Sakura" she mumbled, "Will you tell me your name" she asked avoiding looking in the mans direction only to get a pat on the head, Sakura turned her head to gaze at him afterwards.
"It's Luka kid and don't forget it, now I'm going to teach you how to fish" Luka picked up the child fishing pole, he had gotten it for his own child but the boy had never shown an interest, like Luka thought she would, Sakura green eyes lit up and sparkled in happiness.
Taking the rod she scanned her eyes over it completely before nodding "Thank you Luka-san" Sakura nodded politely once again, it was that strange politeness that had Luka even bothering with the girl in the first place and he wanted to see how far she would go.
"Alright first thing you need to do kid is ta..." Luka trailed off when Sakura's stomach growled loudly, he grimaced in realization "Okay then how about we eat breakfast first then get to the lessons" Luka pulled out a blanket and set some sandwiches down on a plate.
Sakura's mouth salivated at the sight, it had been more weeks than she could count since the last time she had gotten a decent meal and the innocent looking sandwiches were more than Sakura could have ever hoped for on her own.
Instead of thanking Luka again, Sakura merely picked up the sandwich with all the finesse a mere child like her could manage and daintily ate the food, taking small bites to Luka's amusement and when Sakura was finished she dabbed at her mouth with an old handkerchief.
Luka handed over a cup of apple juice and Sakura took small sips before polishing it off "I'm ready to learn how to fish Luka-san" Sakura picked up her fishing pole again, Luka put away the blanket and did the same before facing the river.
"Ok then the first thing you need to know about fishing is how to set up the rod" Luka deftly undid all of his work and let Sakura watch as he threaded the fishing line through the little holes until it got to the end, then Luka tied the bobber and hook onto the end of the string.
Sakura's eyes were wide in awe once again, and wanting to try it herself, copied Luka's previous actions and tried to redo her own pole, it took Sakura several minutes before finally getting it right and Luka patted her on the back proud she had gotten it right so quickly.
"That was so cool Luka-san, what else are you going to teach me" Sakura asked, Luka remained silent as he gazed elsewhere, Sakura followed his eyes to the river before Luka stood and she followed him there was no way she was going to miss out on anything.
Luka hooked a worm onto the end of his hook, and then handed one to Sakura who promptly did the same, she was a quick study that was for sure, which made this all the easier for him "Okay kid watch" Luka smirked and sent his line into the water.
Sakura's tiny little mind absorbed the knowledge she was learning like an eager little sponge, casting her own line out onto the water, Sakura sat down and waited, patience was a virtue and it should be treasured instead of despised.
Luka cocked his brow at the child at his side, "Your different than other kids" he noted absently, wondering what unique thing Sakura would say in response, Sakura leaned her head onto her hand and turned her head to face him.
"Yeah, I learned to talk properly way before the others, I couldn't stay there any longer, I felt like I would wilt away, such is the life of a flower" Sakura sighed fiddling with some grass as she waited, her bobber had been moving slightly for a few seconds now.
Snorting Luka shook his head and sat down "Your weird but good" he stated and Sakura giggled softly before lightly tensing her hand around her rod, her gaze was focused intently on the water and incidentally her bobber that was moving around much more than before.
Sakura snatched up her fishing pole swiftly as the bobber finally went under and reeled her line in as quickly as she could, on the end of the string and coincidentally the hook, was Sakura's first catch and Luka applauded her for a job well done.
"And thank you Luka-san, you know for the comment, I like being weird it makes me unique to my own self" Sakura smiled brightly at Luka, before looking at her fish in confusion "So what comes next" she asked sheepishly.
Luka rubbed his temples "Unbelievable, getting showed up by a little girl" he winked to let Sakura know he was teasing, before gesturing to Sakura to sit down, it was unlikely he would get lucky so Luka reeled in his own line and set the pole on the ground.
Sakura smiled cheekily before doing as Luka bid and folded her hands neatly in her lap waiting for Luka's further instruction to her little lesson on gathering her own food when he wasn't able to give her what she needed.
Clearing his throat Luka was nervous, most girls didn't like this little part and thought it was gross "Well to put it bluntly, you have to scale, gut and remove the bones from your fish" Luka delivered his instructions, he didn't sugar coat his words.
Sakura's eyes went impossibly wide, so wide that the whites of her eyes were showing before glancing down at the unassuming little fish lying between them "Okay" Sakura gulped before bravely taking the skinning knife Luka handed her and began her meticulous task.
Luka watched Sakura as she worked tirelessly on her fish to do as he had asked, little beads of sweat glistened on her forehead and slid down her cheeks as Sakura concentrated on fulfilling her task to the best of her current abilities.
Finally after thirty or so minutes, Sakura finished her arduous task and sat back on her knee's presenting her skinned, gutted and deboned fish with pride "How did I do Luka-san" Sakura asked nervously, her heart was pounding in her chest as the first tendrils of fear reached it.
To put it bluntly Sakura was afraid that she hadn't done a good enough job and that Luka would reject it all together and make her catch another fish just to do it all again, Sakura bit her lip and chewed on it as she waited for Luka to speak.
Luka scanned the fish over several times before tapping his lip, he could tell Sakura was anxious, then finally Luka nodded "You did very good Sakura-chan" he rubbed her stiff hair and held back a grimace, the pink hair was absolutely disgusting.
Sakura's reaction made Luka smile, her little face lit up and her eyes sparkled like the emeralds they resembled, despite the current odds against the girl, Sakura was still as happy a child as she could be, even though she was living on the streets.
"I did it, I did it" Sakura jumped to her feet and did a little victory dance "So awesome-sauce" she grinned pumping her arm, Sakura's cheeks flushed a moment later in embarrassment as Luka gave her a strange look, she sat down and gazed at the grass.
Rolling his eyes Luka chuckled "Is there something interesting about that particular patch of grass" he asked suddenly and Sakura swung her head up so fast Luka was surprised she didn't get whiplash from it, she stammered for a moment then shook her head.
"No Luka-san, so what next, surely there's more to learn right" Sakura once again chewed on her lip, if she wasn't careful it could become a bad habit, though despite her inner scolding, Sakura continued worrying her lip between her teeth until it was red and raw from the abuse.
Considering her words for a moment Luka contemplated on taking the lesson further than he had planned, Sakura could eat the fish raw that was for sure, but it would taste a lot better if she knew how to cook it and collect herbs to make it taste a thousand times better than it would be if it was plain.
"Yes, there is plenty more to learn" Luka pulled out an old scroll that held the names and pictures of simple herbs, "Here, go into the forest and collect two of each" Luka ordered gently handing the scroll to Sakura as another gift.
Sakura swallowed thickly as her heart swelled with happiness, Luka had been so kind her from the very beginning, and doing as he asked, Sakura traipsed out of the clearing and into the forest to gather the herbs that were shown on the scroll.
When she returned, the scroll was safely tucked away into her trousers, while Sakura gently clutched the herbs in her hands to her chest "Luka-san, I got them like you asked" she smiled proud of herself for the moment and once again sat down.
It was tiring work but Sakura would do it all again if it meant she could survive just a bit longer in this difficult world, "Alright then take this sharp rock and this flat one and grind the herbs up together" Luka held out the two aforementioned rocks.
Sakura though massively confused did as asked, when she was finished and the herbs had been ground into a thick paste, it smelled heavenly, Luka taught her how to make a roasting stick and how to prevent it from being burned and then had her build a fire.
Before Sakura knew it, she was lathing her fish in the herb paste, and spearing her fish to set up over the fire, she watched as the skin cracked and peeled, her stomach rumbling in hunger as the delightful aroma drifted into her nose.
Luka chuckled, Sakura would do good so long as she remembered this lesson "Luka-san, do you think I'll ever find out where I belong" Sakura pulled Luka from his thoughts and he stared down at her in surprise, didn't she already belong to the Leaf Village.
Instead of pondering over his internal question, Luka outwardly asked Sakura what she meant "What do you mean find where you belong aren't you a part of the Leaf Village" Luka quirked his brow as Sakura let out a weary sigh.
"Besides that, I mean like my family, I'm an orphan you see, and no one knows where I came from or who I really am" Sakura scowled fiercely at the grass and ripped a few blades from the earth to twirl in her fingers as she waited for her fish to finish cooking.
Luka deflated at that, he didn't have an answer for the tiny pink haired child "Your fish is done" he pointed out to get Sakura's attention off such morose thoughts, Luka watched as she gently blew on her fish before biting down.
Sakura blinked when a soft crunch met her ears, and then a taste like never before teased her senses, she munched happily on her fish after that, little squeals of merriment escaping her from time to time causing Luka to chuckle and sit back eating another sandwich.
When Sakura was finished, she licked the juices from her fingers then headed to the river to wash her hands "That was the bestest fish I've ever had" Sakura spun around on her heel when she was done and nearly wrapped her arms around Luka for a hug.
Luka blinked when Sakura just froze and remained unmoving like a statue for several minutes, apparently she was having an internal debate with herself about something, eventually though Sakura lowered her foot and stayed in her place.
"Here Sakura, I've packed some things in here for you, I can only do so much as my hands are tied" Luka handed over a little bag, it was filled with a couple of books for Sakura to read and expand on her knowledge if she so chose, and the fishing rod, that was able to be folded.
Along with that was a plain storage scroll with instructions on how to use it, the sheath to the knife she carried in her hand the two rocks she had used to grind up her herbs, and several plastic bags to store herbs in if she wanted to stock up.
Sakura scuffed her shoe and hesitantly took the bag, only to be surprised when Luka also handed her a cooler to chill anything she wanted in "This is to much Luka-san" Sakura looked down to her feet, it's not that she wasn't grateful, its just that Luka was being way to kind to her.
"Nonsense kid" Luka put the little cooler in Sakura's hands "And if your ever in need of ice, just use this" he held up the little ice cube maker "The cooler will naturally turn it to ice for you due to chakra" Luka explained.
Upon hearing the unfamiliar word, Sakura's interest peaked "What's chakra, it sounds so cool" Sakura leaned forward eagerly waiting to hear more about this chakra, Luka sighed before going into as detailed an explanation as he could.
"It's what ninja use to fuel their jutsu's, there's a book in that bag that will tell you more, basically, a ninja used his chakra to make this cooler here stay chilly so that he didn't have to fight with it and put more ice in it when it all melted" Luka scratched his head awkwardly.
That was it Sakura was irrevocably stuck on the idea "Someday, I'm going to be a ninja and I'll make this world a better place for everyone, no matter what I have to go through to do it" she vowed, her first vow as a future shinobi of the Leaf Village.
Luka thought, that no truer words had been spoken and gave Sakura one last pat on the head, gave her, her dinner for later and led the girl back to the village, at the gates Luka and Sakura parted, Luka headed to his shop and Sakura to her alley.
Later on after eating the two sandwiches and having a cup of a water to fill her stomach, Sakura curled up in her box after making sure the opening was covered like always, Sakura slowly fell to sleep, dreaming sweet dreams of the future she wanted as her own someday.