An Imperfect Spectrum

De Novo

"Sakura! Wake up. It's your first day at the academy." Mebuki's voice echoed through Sakura's room. She groaned and lifted herself from her bed, the sun streaming through her curtains and brightening her room to obnoxious levels. She swung her legs from underneath her blankets and placed them on the cold floor.

She had bought all her things the week before, so, when she opened her closet to grab clothes, she wasn't surprised by the sea of red clothes. She shuffled through the countless qipao dresses her mother insisted on buying her, looking for one specific outfit. It was a pair of black pants, and a shirt that was reminiscent of her chunin days. It was practically designed for good mobility. She slipped on her clothes and reached for her kunai pouch. Her hand grasped the strap before she stopped herself.

Her mom came into view as she reached the top of the staircase. The house smelled of eggs and toast, making Sakura's stomach growl from hunger.

"There you are." Mebuki walked to her daughter, pushing her to the table. "Hurry up and eat so we're not late."

After sitting at the table, and thanking her mother for the food, she began shoveling eggs into her mouth at ridiculous speeds. In just three minutes, she had finished her plate, and gotten up to wash it and put it away. Her mom was surprised when she raced to the front door to put on her shoes, only five minutes after she began eating. She slipped out the door, quickly followed by her mom.

The crowd of students to be filled the front lot of the academy, the sea of children surrounded by their parents and future instructors. The Hokage stood on a platform, welcoming everybody to the academy. Sakura watched the crowd, looking for promising students that could be competition. She followed them as they moved inside, students following their respective teachers into the building.

Her Sensei stood at the front of the room, staring about as the rest of the class chatted quietly to one another. "How about you all introduce yourself and say your dream for the future." No one looked at him, save Sakura herself. "Alright, we'll go by number."

She waited for the teacher to call out her name, preparing her dream for the future. Once, in a past like, she would've said to marry Sasuke. But that dream faded years ago, after he betrayed the village and left her for dead. The next dream she had was to keep her friends alive, as she only had a few that remained in the realm of the living. But this was a new life, a new start, and she was going to change the future for everybody. She heard her name, pulling her from her thoughts.

"My name is Haruno Sakura, and my dream is to keep my people safe and save the lives of as many as possible." It was wishful thinking, she knew, but the world she had seen, the people she had lost... she didn't want to experience it again. Not when it could be avoided. Several people whispered about her, about her hair, her dream, her name, but they ceased as the teacher called out the next person's name.

"Uchiha Itachi."

He stood and walked to the front of the room, Sakura gazing at him with her piercing green eyes. "I'm Uchiha Itachi. My dream is..." His voice faltered, attracting the gaze of his teacher.

"It's alright. Go on," The teacher urged, and Sakura watched as he began again.

"I want to be the greatest ninja ever, great enough that I can erase all the fighting from this world." Sakura let out a sad sigh as she watched Itachi retreat to his seat while the mechanic applause of their peers filled the room. If only it were possible, she thought, for the world to be at peace.

"Alright, now that we all know each other," he began a quick overview of the course. "You'll be learning about all the aspects of being a ninja at this academy." Sakura laughed in her head, thinking of all the things she should've learned but didn't until she was in the field.