Chapter Text
Haruno Sakura was born on March 28th. She was an incredibly normal child- well if you didn’t account for her hair colour. A startling pink- she cried, ate, laughed, slept, and crawled into danger at every turn. She lived two years as that normal child. Then the night of her third birthday, as she drifted off into sleep… the nightmares started.
At only three years old she couldn’t comprehend any of what was shown to her. But she could feel emotions. They didn’t feel good either- emotions she would learn to call fear, anger, sadness, despair, regret. It hurt. It hurt so much- the nightmares held on to her for years. She learned every emotion's name. She learned about death, and war, and violence, and betrayal. She learned about people she didn’t know- ones who were loud and blond, ones with black hair and eyes of anger, ones with white hair and a mask. Even more she learned about a girl with a ponytail and bravery, a boy with black hair and a penchant for being rude to her, and a sensei with strong fists and a love of alcohol.
More she learned about genocide and healing. The more she learned the more she cried- the more she stared into space for hours. The more she became “abnormal” and the more her mother was angered. Soon she would yell and Sakura would cry again. She did not understand why her child held herself with fear- why she seemed so old and yet cried at night. Why she woke her parents up every night with screams. She didn’t understand- and so she left. She left her husband and child and did not look back.
Haruno Kizashi was much kinder to his child. He loved her despite the hours of silence and staring. He did not care for what made her “abnormal” as long as she was safe. So he did his best- gave her all of his love and wiped away her tears. Asked her what was wrong, but Sakura never had the words to tell him. She didn’t know how to tell him that she dreamed of everyone dying- and a voice that sounded just like hers saying “I’m sorry”. Instead of pushing he let her cry and held her in his arms.
When Sakura was four, a year after the nightmares started, she decided to learn again. This time by her own volition. She began reading everything she could get her hands on. Anything that could possibly connect to what happened in her dreams- she learned about the different clans, chakra, the history of Konoha, different Ninjutsu, everything. Sure she had dreams about going to the academy and being taught by a sensei, but it didn’t feel like enough. Plus she didn’t really know that it was all 100% correct. For all she knew it was made up! (everything in her dreams she learned turned out to be in books at the library)
She started meditation and training just as the nightmares showed her. She had seen so much- she saw people much older and much more powerful than her training. She couldn’t be that strong, but she could train with the knowledge she had.
Her father did not deter her about the sudden interest- a sad look in his eyes as he saw his daughter training until exhaustion. He never stopped her though- made sure she was safe and came home at an appropriate hour. But he did not stop her journey.
Sakura found she had a knack for chakra control. Of course it was nothing compared to her nightmares- but she could feel the well inside her slowly filling with reserves. She meditated for hours, spending whole days sitting still until she could feel every part of her body. Finally after 2 weeks of solely meditation, she deemed herself ready to start endurance training.
It was torture truly- but she had set a goal for herself. Become a shinobi, and become strong enough that if something like her dreams were to happen in real life- Strong enough and Mom might come back- well then she would be prepared. Sakura had decided the best way to train her body was to run. So she did that- she ran, and ran, and ran. Through the forests, through the streets of Konoha, around her home, anywhere she could. She built her endurance and stamina from the sweaty red pile she originally was into barely breaking a sweat. She became faster- fast enough to outrun the rabbits and foxes in the forest. Fast enough that if she threw a piece of wood in the rushing river by the forest- she could make it to the edge of the forest before the wood.
She was getting better- and so finally she begged her father to let her have books about training. She wanted to learn all the different ninjutsu she saw in her nightmares- And luckily he agreed. However, banning her from doing anything above an E grade skill until she was older. Despite her pouting, she didn’t put up much of a fight. She understood her father- she knew he just didn’t want her to get hurt. Her dreams made her understand- she watched too many people she’d come to love die.
Two months after turning 4, Sakura began practicing different jutsu’s- starting with what would soon be taught in the academy. (She had begged her father to let her go when she was of age- he hadn’t given an answer yet.) She started Ninjutsu and began learning to manipulate her chakra. She forced herself to memorize every hand sign she could- working as best she could to become fluent. Her one day goal was to sign with one hand, but that would be impossible as of now. She could just barely remember two handed signs.
She was most interested in Taijutsu because of the blonde sensei she remembered from her dreams. She remembers that both the sensei and her (she had begun referring to the POV of her nightmares as herself) were adept in it. Maybe the nightmares could hold a little reality- and she would be a natural at Taijutsu.
She was both right and wrong…
She was nowhere near the dream level of control- that was for sure. She had not expected it to be immediate, but you couldn’t blame her for being impatient! She was 4! She thought maybe all the training she did would be helpful, but instead she nearly passed out trying to use any chakra at all. To put it lightly she was annoyed by it. Finally after 4 months of training with Taijutsu she considered herself at least adept with it. While she had yet to punch through a tree fully (something she had seen in her dream) she managed to put a dent in it!
And finally she learned to use chakra without passing out immediately- the meditation having finally built her reserves to a manageable amount. She couldn’t help but feel smug about her abilities, what other 4 year old could do what she did?
A frown almost forced itself onto her face as she remembered the people in her dreams being rather powerful at her age. But they weren't real and she was! So she was special- her father told her so all the time anyway.
If she was so special then why did her mother leave?
Her mother said she was “abnormal”
Her first attempt at tree walking ended… well flat on the ground. It hurt, she cried- she tried again. The people in her dreams could do it so flawlessly- running through trees, up buildings, and even across water! But to get to that- she had to walk up a normal tree. A man with gray hair taught her in her nightmares, but she was having trouble figuring it out alone. Sure she understood it in theory- but really doing it was so much harder. So she went back to meditation. That was where she went everytime she got stuck- and finally she managed to put her foot on the tree and it didn’t fall off. And if she got too excited and tried running up the tree only to fall immediately? Well no one else knew. She ended up spending almost a month just walking up a tree and meditating.
Sakura quickly moved onto Genjutsu and Kenjutsu to absorb her knowledge. Once again she deployed the tactics of begging and puppy eyes to get her father to buy her a wooden training tanto. (it worked) And she began training immediately. She wasn’t that great at Kenjutsu- finding it hard to keep balance when swinging the sword- but nonetheless she improved steadily. She used tree’s as punching bags and walked across stones in the river to improve her balance.
Genjutsu was way harder than Kenjutsu. That was Sakura’s first thought after 5 days of nonstop practice and little to no improvement. She didn’t really know how to practice without someone else to be there- she couldn’t cast it on anyone nor could she practice breaking it if no one put it on her… so she was stuck- She’d thought about asking her dad, but it felt icky to involve him in her training. Especially Genjustsu training. He was busy at work all day after her mom left. She understood, really…
So she didn’t ask him about it.
Sighing, the four year old finished her last attempt at Genjutsu before cleaning up her training spot. She needed a training partner or a sensei or something! But there wasn’t much she could do about that. After all she was only four years old- who would want to train with her? They’d call her stupid! Which she is NOT! Her dad says she's incredibly intelligent.
Since then she gave up on practicing Genjutsu and started different natures of chakra. She obviously hadn’t been tested for it since she was a civilian four year old- unfair honestly! But her dream self had used earth and water natures a lot- so she assumed that was the proper affinity! So she started trying to use different earth and water jutsu. Of course with her current chakra reserves she couldn’t use anything about a C rank, but she still counted that as a win.
A few days into beginning to learn she decided to try something new, she wanted to try fire style jutsu. Specifically she remembered someone with black hair using a fireball, and that sounded sick. What four year old didn’t want to cast a fireball towards their enemy? So she set out to learn it! Sure her father would probably not let her- but what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt.
She had situated her training area by the river- because it was rather likely if she successfully casted it- well she didn’t want to start a forest fire! She’d read about the fireball as best she could- it took a lot of chakra and she probably would only be able to wield it once or twice correctly. Her training would probably be rather short today- maybe she would run a few laps, but that would be all. Humming as she finished tying her hair into a black bow (the same way a certain blonde did it) she grinned and got to work figuring out the signs for the jutsu. She’d read about them- and slowly did them one by one so as to not accidentally drain any chakra or blow up the area.
Nodding her head as she was confident in her memory of the skill she walked over to the river side and started signing.
“Katon: Gōkakyū no Jut-”
“Woah- Wait!”
Suddenly a hand grabbed the back of Sakura’s shirt and one of her arms to interrupt the signs. Instead of a full blown fireball a small fizzle of fire flew into the river as the Sakura and the stranger fell backwards. She let out a high pitched scream as she fell. Closing her eyes to brace for the impact- but it never came. She turned around to look and saw a boy that couldn’t be more than a few years older than her looked terrified.
She didn’t recognize him- black hair and black eyes that reminded her of someone from her dreams, but it wasn’t anyone she knew. She squinted her green eyes at him in confusion and fear- yanking her arm away from his grip and stumbling backwards. He looked startled- but very quickly regained his composure and smiled at the girl with a confusing grin. He had a black headband on with a metal plate that told her he was a shinobi. Wasn’t he too young to be one? He couldn’t have been more than 11 years old!
“Who are you- why did you stop me!?” Sakura nearly growled at him-
Rather than deterring the boy, the noise made him smile even wider and she swore he was suppressing some sort of laughter. He simply raised his hands as if in defense and tilted his head- as if trying to look innocent.
“You were trying to summon a fireball! I apologize for startling you, kid- but that would have kil- uh.. Hurt you!” the boy stumbled on his words trying not to upset the girl- who in turn only rolled her eyes at him.
“I know it could in theory have killed me- but I was confident! And I’m not a kid- I’m four years old! Nearly Five!” She didn’t notice how he nearly flinched at her words.
“Right- Right- you're a big girl! I get it!” She pouted at his clear sarcasm, “But fireball is incredibly dangerous for even a big girl. You could pass out from chakra exhaustion-”
“Nuh-uh! I have really good chakra control- I swear it!” She huffed.
The boy looked startled when she said that- seeming to mull it over in his head for a bit. While he thought, Sakura analyzed him trying to figure out why he seemed familiar. He wasn’t anyone from her dreams- she knew that. She’d memorized everyone who had shown up during them. And she really didn’t know a lot of people- she was only four years old after all. She only knew her parents ( she did know her mother) and she knew some of the merchants her father worked with. She didn’t even know anyone her age- let alone anyone a few years older than her. Why was he so familiar? And how was he a shinobi-
“How about this!” The boy spoke, startling her from her thoughts. A smile had found its way back to his face again, she couldn’t find it to be annoyed, “I train you, so at some point you can use the fireball jutsu without possibly passing out?”
Sakura blinked, surprise showing in her features. He wanted to train her? Why would he do that- She was about to open her mouth and ask when a thought struck her. He was clearly talented- after all he was a shinobi already! And she needed someone to be her training partner so she could get better and learn Genjutsu. So really it was a win-win for her. But did she want to train with a strange boy? She didn’t know anything about him- outside of how he looks and that he was clearly strong… But for some reason he just felt trustworthy? Oh what her father would do about this- clearly his stranger danger warnings hadn’t worked very well.
Oh well- he didn’t have to know!
“Okay! But you have to teach me Genjutsu too!” Sakura grinned.
The boy looked confused for a moment before he burst into laughter, “Alright- Alright Firefly we can get to that eventually. Firstly, what's your name?”
Sakura furrowed her brows at the name, firefly? “Firefly? My name is Haruno Sakura, my dad is Haruno Kizashi and my mo-.... Yeah- uh- and it’s rude not to tell me yours- especially if you're going to teach me!” She put her hands on her hips looking incredibly childish.
If the boy noticed her stumble he didn’t let it show, “My name is Shisui! Though you could always just call me sensei if I’m teaching you!” He laughed.
“Mmmmm okay so Shisui-Sensei?”
“Wa- No! Sorry Firefly, that was a joke- please just call me Shisui.” The boy- Shisui. Shisui waved his hands making sure she knew it wasn’t serious.
The lack of last name wasn’t lost on Sakura. She knew he was most likely from a clan- and probably wanted to keep it hidden from her. While she did want to know- reallllllyyyy badly- her dad taught her to respect boundaries!
“Fine- Shisui!” She grinned.
“Yes, Firefly?”
“Hey! Why are you calling me a Firefly?” She pouted.
Shisui took a moment to think as if wondering whether to give her a real reason or mess with her.
“Hmmmmn~ Well because I showed up and a little pretty pink girl was summoning a fireball!” He shrugged as if that made any sense to her.
Sakura just rolled her eyes at her new teacher's antics. Instead she held out her hand for him to shake. He grinned again and took her hand, shaking it lightly. Sakura took this chance to look at him even closer- but still she couldn’t place why he was so familiar to her. Shrugging internally, she let go. Looking at the sky Sakura noticed it was getting dark.
“Okay Shisui! I have to get back home- it’s almost dark and my dad is gunna be mad if I’m out late!” She waved and started running the other way, “Bye Shisuiiiiii!”
She heard a yell from behind her- Shisui saying goodbye she assumed, and continued to run all the way home. Where she decidedly didn’t tell her dad about the new boy she had met today. Finally ending her day by reading a book on Genjutsu, one she had admittedly read before, trying to freshen her knowledge on the jutsu.
Kicking her feet in excitement, Sakura hummed a tune (one she couldn’t remember the origin of, but knew it was in one of her dreams) and read until bedtime. Where her father kissed her goodnight.