✔ Book 1:Sakura's New Beginning

Chapter 16: Sakura's New Beginning

I floated endlessly in darkness as my pink hair moved around me with my eyes looking up at the light. The warm bright light calling me. "Sakura dear! Come back to us." My eyes widened when I saw my mother smiling down at me, wearing her white dress. "Come on princess! Come back home!" My eyes began to fill with tears as I saw my parents there, after so long I saw them again.

"I'm coming home!" I shouted as I raised my hand into the light. Sakura stop! I paused as I looked down to see Mia reaching up towards me with an urgent look.

Sakura you can't die!

But my parents, I can be with my parents again!

I pointed up to see my parents gone, and the light started to fade away. No Kaa-chan! Tou-chan! As I tried to reach back up, Mia grabbed a hold of my ankle keeping me put. Let me go! I struggled to get myself out of her tight grip and my chakra wasn't working.

Sakura what about your friends! What about Sasuke, Naruto and Hinata!

My eyes widened as the memories began to rush through my mind. My friends. I stopped fighting Mia as she pulled me back down. I gave one last look at the bright light to see my parents waging and giving me sad smiles. But, I was able to hear them say one last thing.

We love you Sakura

I felt a huge amount of pressure on my stomach as I felt my senses coming back. "Why is it that everyone I care for ends up leaving me?" I heard a familiar voice say as he continued to cry. "We lost you once Sakura-chan! We can't lose you again!" Another voice shouted more loudly than the other.

"Please come back!" My eyes slowly opened to see a mop of onyx hair crying on top of my stomach. "Sasuke-kun?" His eyes snapped open before he smiled in relief. "Sakura! You're alive!" He gently hugged me, to avoid further injuring me. "Sakura-chan!" I saw Naruto giving me a huge grin while wiping away his tears.

"Good to see you guys too!" I looked behind them to see Haku laying on the ground with a hole where his heart should be. "What happened to Haku?" I asked as Sasuke helped me up. "Kakashi struck him with his Chidori and killed him. Haku had jumped in to protect Zabuza."

"Gatō, I don't understand. What is all this? Why are you here? And who are these thugs you've brought with you?" Zabuza asked drawing the attention of Team 7.

"Well you see there's been a slight change in plans, you're going to die on this bridge right here right now" Gatō said with a tap of his walking stick, a smug smile on his face.

"What?"

"You're too expensive, so I've decided to take you off the payroll. Of course even these thugs I brought with me cost something. So if you could manage to slaughter a few of them before they take you down I'd appreciate it. Think you can manage that Demon Ninja of the Mist?" Gatō chuckled sarcastically.

Instinctively Sakura glanced at Tazuna, surely after the men were finished with Zabuza they would come for the bridge builder.

Would Kakashi stay with Zabuza or would the whole team run? Sakura's brain was in overdrive as she tried to imagine all the possible scenarios of getting the bridge builder to safety. Unfortunately none of them were looking good.

"Well well Kakashi, it would seem our fight is at an end. Since I'm no longer Gatō's employee, Tazuna is safe. We have no quarrel." Zabuza said, fixing Gatō with an angry glare.

"Yeah I suppose you're right" Kakashi said quietly, also looking at Gatō 'and his men. Noticing Haku on the ground in front of him, Gatō walked forward with malice in his eyes.