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The fresh sounds of grief were carried effortlessly through the air, to the ears of anyone nearby who was most likely grieving themselves.
The grief of an entire village (consumed by war) weighed down said village.
Parents crying out for the loss of their children. Teachers lament their beloved students dying young. Doctors were burdened with more work as more injured people were brought to the hospital in doves. Even some were crying about getting sand in their eyes. Damn Sand ninjas.
However, no one's cries were heavier than those of Sakura Haruno.
Her parents, her beloved parents were ripped away from her.
Her lovely and stern mother. Her goofy and kind father.
Both. Gone.
Why? Why did they have to die?
Why did they have to leave her? Alone alone?
It wasn't fair that her parents, her kind parents who never so much hurt anyone else died but some of the most evil people out there in the world were out and about enjoying their lives.
For all she knew, some of those bastards that attacked her home could be enjoying a very relaxing time at the beach. Damn Sand ninjas.
However, insult to injury, the last words Sakura told her parents before she left her home this morning to watch the chunin exams finals was that she hated them.
Sakura's last and final memory of her parents was her telling them she hated them. All because her parents kept bugging her all week about how cute their little Sakura looked in her old baby photos.
"I'm so sorry." Sakura cried out as her tries fell upon the dry grass of the training ground. "I, I didn't mean it." Screaming to the heavens for any chance she can get to call out to her parents, to seek forgiveness for her cruel words.
Slowly but explosively, sadness turned to hatred as Sakura screamed more viciously by the minute.
Curses to whoever killed her parents and even goes as far as to make a blood oath after drawing blood from the palm of her hand and promising to find her parents' killers and murder them herself.
Is this how Sasuke felt ever since his entire clan? Did she even have to right to compare her pain to Sasuke? She lost her parents. Sasuke lost his entire clan.
No.
It didn't matter.
All that mattered was that she killed the bastard who killed her parents.
1 Year later.
Hatred brought about a great change in Sakura.
Her former fangirlish ways were of the past as Sakura trained herself to the bone to become a Kunoichi she and others could be proud of.
The once flawless skin was now adorning scars and blemishes. Her long cute silky hair is now cut short. Her red dress was now replaced by a standard chunin's uniform, taking inspiration from her sensei Kakashi Hatake, with the dark blue long-sleeved turtleneck fitted with dark grey pants, fitted ninja pouches to carry essentials such as shurikens, Kunai amongst other weapons.
She was somehow able to carry a comically large number of weaponry in your pouches to the point it would make Tenten, the weapon mistress blush.
Sakura skills once barely beyond an academy student, now proficient in the arts of bukijutsu, taijutsu, fuinjutsu, and genjutsu. Sakura was even working on combining the latter two, showing great promise.
And most amazingly, she trained and trained enough that she learned how to do the basic three academy jutsu without the need to use hand seals. A skill that only a select Jonin-level ninja accomplish, showing very impressive and rare skill in chakra control.
Accomplishing such within a year of being a ninja had shown that Konoha had another prodigy in their hands.
One of those most impressed by Sakura's changes was Sasuke Uchiha.
He had been Sakura's teammate from day one and watching her change into just another one of his fangirls who would die on their first mission outside of the village, (ignore the fact he almost died during such a mission and only alive due to his enemy's mercy) and be an overall nuisance, to becoming a very strong and capable kunoichi.
He didn't know how and when, but Sakura was now, dare he say it, attractive. Sasuke always prided himself on power, skill, and fortitude, all things that Sakura commanded. She now became someone Sasuke was proud to call his comrade and teammate.
And when Sasuke had taken chance and asked her out, he did so to the surprise and anger of many. Not that he cared for what others thought. Also, dating a fellow Avenger was pretty hot.
As Sakura and Sasuke happily chatted away, enjoying each other's company, they didn't notice Naruto Uzumaki, their teammate, watching them.
If they did, they would've noticed the disturbing and yet joyful smile that made its way across his face.
'It's going according to keikaku. (Keikaku means plan). I knew Sakura and Sasuke wouldn't get together without me pulling the springs. So what if I was the one who murdered Sakura-chan's parents. Just as I expected, it led to Sakura and Sasuke becoming closer. Sasusaku is now canon.'
The End.
Matchmaking gone wrong, gone deadly...