(A/N: Play music for more effect!)

"I'm home," Shikamaru called out to his mother as he slipped off his sandals.

"Welcome home, Shikamaru. You're back early," Yoshino Nara greeted her son.

"Yeah, Chōji had some clan meeting or whatever. And besides, I wanted to talk to Otou-san."

"I'm sorry, Shikamaru, your father won't be here for a while. He's probably still at the T&I building. You can search there," she suggested, going back to filling the refrigerator with groceries.

"Yeah...I think I will. Thanks, Okaa-san. I'm going out again." Shikamaru slipped his sandals on again and walked outside. How troublesome, walking. He looked up at the sky. I wonder what it would be like if I were a cloud...I could just float. I'll just go cloud watching until Otou-san comes home, I guess.

He walked to his usual spot, only to see it taken by the pink-haired girl. Sakura, was it? She had her eyes closed, and was sitting up straight, meditating. When he got closer, she opened her green eyes and nodded before closing them again. Sighing, Shikamaru sat down next to her, and lied down, not missing the way the girl next to him stiffened. She's not used to contact, or people being in close proximity, that's easy enough to understand. Finally, he said something. "What are you doing?"

Her eyes opened once again. "I am meditating."

She doesn't use contractions. She speaks formally and like she's superior to everyone else. "Why?"

"I am seeking to develop my chakra reserves." Instead of closing her eyes again, she looked at him curiously. "What is your reasoning for laying next to me and attempting to converse?"

"Mm...I just like watching the clouds here. This is my usual spot."

"I see." She lied down next to him, and looked at the clouds. "...I see shapes. Perhaps I am hallucinating or I have been drugged," Sakura reasoned, making Shikamaru snort.

"It's just your imagination. You troublesome mind plays tricks on you."

"Imagination, the part of the mind that causes one to be creative and resourceful. The human mind is complex," she said, making Shikamaru look at her. Something's off about her. I haven't seen her around the village...And she said that she doesn't actually have a name.

"Hey, what did you mean when you said you don't have a name?" Great job, being so blunt. Now she's not going to tell you anything!

"Why do you not ask your father, Shikaku Nara?" His eyes widened. "I must depart now. I am training with Gai now. Farewell." He watched as she gave a small, awkward wave before walking away. "You and your father look very similar."

"Jeez," the genius mumbled, "When did she meet Otou-san?"

:::

At dinner, after Shikamaru woke up from his hour-long nap and headed home, he asked his father a question. "Otou-san?"

"Mm?"

Yoshino elbowed him, and whisper-threatened with a, "Shikaku!"

"Do you know a girl around my age," his mother's eyes gleamed at the mention of a girl, "named Sakura?"

Shikaku only smirked and kept eating. So she is in Shikamaru's class. "All I will say, Shikamaru, is that she will be a powerful ally to have on your side." After that, he excused himself saying he still had some clan matters to attend to.

"A girl? Sakura's such a cute name!" For the rest of their dinner, Yoshino tried to get her son to open up about this girl.

:::

Sakura sneezed.

"OH NO! Sakura, are you sick?"

"I am not ill, Youth-man. Let us continue training, and then we will eat somewhere."

Gai beamed at his nickname with approval and watched Sakura punch the post again with her bare fists.

:::

"Kakashi, I am stripping you of your ANBU captain title. From now on, you are a regular chūnin training to become a jōnin."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," The grey-haired teenager said, not bothering to hide the spite.

"From now on, only Tenzou will watch Sakura. Dismissed."

Kakashi bowed, then walked out wearing his green flak jacket vest.

::: 

"Oi, Sakura-chan! Wanna eat with me?" The next day at school, Naruto invited her to eat lunch with him.

"Greetings, Ramen-boy," Sakura said, taking a seat on the stone bench. "Where is your partner?"

"Partner?"

"Yes, your partner. The one that you share physical intimacy with. Sasuke Uchiha, I believe."

The blonde gaped. "He is not my 'partner'!"

"Oh. It seems I was mistaken. You do not wish for others to have knowledge of your relationship status. Do not worry, Ramen-boy. Your confidential matter will stay with me."

"Tch, I'm not gay, and I don't like the Dobe." Sasuke jumped down from a tree.

"It is not nice to see you, Stalker #3," Sakura said, giving a small wave.

"Were you dropped as a kid, or something?" The Uchiha inspected the strange girl. 

"No. I am not—"

"SASUKE-KUN!"

"WHERE IS HE?"

Sasuke sighed, glanced at Sakura and Naruto in what looked like distaste, and then hid in the bushes, crouching. The fangirl crowd stopped in front of the two. "Hey! Where's Sasuke-kun?"

"He is—" Sakura was elbowed by Naruto.

"Teme's gone. Probably because of you girls, shamelessly chasing him around," Naruto said casually.

"No one asked you," a blonde girl snarled. "We wer—" Tok. The girl held her forehead. "Ow, who did that?" Where it had been hit was now red.

"Is this what hit you?" A girl stooped over to pick up a plum pit the size of a thumbnail.

They looked around for someone eating a plum, then spotted Sakura eating umeboshi (pickled plum) with rice in her bento. "Hey, you! The freak, wh—"

As fast as lightning, another pit was thrown with deadly accuracy, hitting the brunette that had just spoken in the forehead. Tok.

"Sakura-chan...?" Naruto mumbled, his eyes wide.

She turned slightly toward him and tilted her head. "What is the reason for why you are saying my name?"

"Is that you—"

"You bitch!" One of the rowdiest girls stepped forward, interrupting Naruto.

"What vulgar language for a young lady," Sakura said in her usual voice, turning back to their classmates. Naruto, watching Sakura closely this time, along with Sasuke still hidden in the bushes, saw Sakura separate the plum for the pit, and grip it with her chopsticks.

"Ha! I'll tell you what's vulgar! Your stupid, pink ha—" Tok. The girl fell and didn't get back up, at least, for now. My hair is truly a gift from Orochimaru, it is not vulgar.

"Oh my Kami, you killed her!" The whole group began surrounding the passed out girl, poking and prodding at her.

"She's drooling!"

"I'm telling Iruka-sensei!"

"You can tell Iruka, but I do not care. You called me a freak, and with the little force I used, the red mark will be completely gone by the time you get back to the Academy," Sakura said.

"Wow, Sakura-chan! You're so cool!"

"Pfft, I could beat you!" The blonde girl from earlier stepped over her friend's unconscious body.

"I would enjoy a...friendly spar with one from the Yamanka clan," the pinkette said, pulling out three sticks of dango, "But I wish to eat. Leave me alone."

She turned to Naruto and offered him a stick. "Would you enjoy a stick of dango?" It is like a peace offering. He will begin to stop being suspicious of me.

"Thanks, —ttebayo!"

"..." You should not thank me. I am merely collecting allies.

"H-hey!" The blonde girl protested as the other girl woke up. She shook a fist at Sakura. "I want to fight, right now!"

Immediately, Sakura pulled out a kunai, swung it on her pointer finger, then threw it at the blonde, cutting off a few strands of hair. "Did my actions speak for myself, or must I explain further? It seems you, Ino Yamanaka, did not inherit the intelligence the rest of your clan proudly boast of. Depart."

Quickly, all the girls left, scrambling away so Sakura didn't cut their hair too. After all, they had grown it out for their Sasuke-kun.

Sasuke emerged from his bush and sat on the opposite side of Sakura and Naruto, facing them. He watched discreetly as the girl ate another stick of dango as though nothing happened, then retrieve her knife that had imbedded itself in a tree.

Naruto looked at the pinkette in awe and admiration.

Tenzou raised his eyebrows but said nothing from his hiding spot.

We got to see Sakura in action! How was she?

There's a time skip coming up soon! Are you excited to see them leave the Academy?