Home Is Where The Heart Is || Naruto Fanfic

Chapter Three

Art by me. 8 year old Naruko and 14 year old Naruko

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Naruko stayed in the shadows of Konoha, searching for one specific person. Where is she? The girl sighed and placed her hair over her left shoulder, ignoring the chattering of the people and the presence of shinobi jumping and running over rooftops. 

"Where was she when you first met her?" 

In the... Naruko looked around, nervously sneaking through the village in search of the area. Eventually, finding the area, the mostly-blonde-haired girl grinned. ...The park! 

The park was just that - a park. There was nothing grand about it, other than the fact that it was a very calm and serene area. With a small woody area in one part, small animals like squirrels and birds in the trees, and a small pond in one area, the park was a calm peaceful place that some Naras hung out in to cloud-watch. Otherwise, most of the park was clear with a single path and vibrant green grass that was cut short. There were small trees sprinkled here and there and a few benches lined the sides of the path. The path led to a small playground for the younger generations. Inside the small fenced area was a slide, sand pit and a few more things that would entertain the children of Konoha. 

Naruko's eyes furrowed as she tried to remember whether her target liked to play in the playground, hang out in the woody area, or by the pond. Blinking slowly, Naruko began to walk into the woody area. It was somewhere round here... 

"What did that tree look like, again?" Kurama asked slowly. 

It had some kind of marking, but I can't remember what it was. 

"You'll probably remember when you see it. Can't you just look for her chakra signature?" The Kyūbi asked slowly, as if Naruko was too dumb to understand. The latter person's eyes narrowed at the tone of voice, then sighed quietly.

I don't remember what her signature feels like. Naruko rebuked.

"There will be one signature that feels familiar, dumbass." Naruko put her hand to her chest in fake shock.

How dare you! Naruko snickered quietly, then sent a nearly undetectable coating of chakra across the woody area. There were a few familiar signatures, but one seemed to stand out. There. She thought to herself. 

Naruko took to the trees and began to jump across them in the direction of the chakra signature. A smile came onto her face when she spotted the mop of bubblegum pink hair and red ribbon.

"Sakura!" She exclaimed to get the girl's attention. Emerald green eyes turned to look at the mostly-blonde girl and a wide smile revealed itself.

Sakura Haruno was a civilian girl that had been put into the academy by her mother. She had bubblegum pink hair that used to cover her forehead, but some words from her best friend had made her move her bangs to frame her face and show her larger-than-normal forehead proudly, a dark red ribbon tying it back. Her eyes were a bright emerald green and her complexion was a healthy one. Her clothes consisted of clothes her mother had chosen for her: a red dress with a white floral pattern and blue ninja sandals that revealed her toes. 

Sakura turned around to look at Naruko and a bright smile crossed her face.

"Naruko!" She exclaimed, standing up from her spot under the tree. "I haven't seen you in a while." A pause. "What's going on?"