✓ 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚 ≡ sakura haruno

20 | dark shadows

↪ 𝘜𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳
𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘐 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘴𝘰 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬? ↩

Sakura walked out while clutching the ninja headband in her hands. She let out a small puff of air outside, inhaling slightly she raised the corner of her lips forming a smile as if she was happy that she had passed her exams.

But the truth was far from it, she knew that she was going to pass the exam, it was far too easy.

Just a simple clone jutsu and you pass? 

Being a genin, a ninja, wasn't some walk in a garden, it was way darker and deeper; to stain one's hand with blood and to be ready to give up your life at any point for the village.

To her, staining her hands with blood was inevitable for the career she chose was something that required fighting and bloodshed. Deaths were normal, fighting was normal, everything was normal.

Ready to give up her life? For the village?

She wasn't some pushover who would allow herself to be pushed to a suicide mission nor she was a fool who was loyal to the village to the point where she would be ready to give up her life.

Give up her life for someone else? Hah, how laughable.

The village was idiotic, the village council was selfish and the current Hokage was probably the worst Hokage, allowing stupid things to happen and then letting the young ninjas pay for their mistakes.

She had all the proof of all the shit that had happened. Out of all the hidden villages, Konoha may look like the most peaceful village but it was not. She knew what happened in the dark, all the lives which were sacrificed, by the ROOT.

And Hiruzen acted like a blind fool letting all of these happen right under his nose.

Walking towards the exit of the academy, she moved out. 

"Sakura!"

She immediately recognised Ino's voice, she looked towards the direction where the voice came from and noticed that Ino's mother was also there.

Quickly faking a perfect smile, she replied, "Ino, Yamanaka-san,"

"You passed as well right?" Ino asked eyeing the forehead protector the pinkette was gripping in her hands.

"Uh-huh," Sakura nodded her head in response before putting her hand in front of Ino, "Congratulations Ino,"

Ino looked at the hand stretched in front of her before grasping that hand with her own as they both shook their hands.

"Congratulations to you too, Sakura."

After chatting with Ino and her mother for a while, they bid each other goodbyes as they walked to their separate destinations and that's when she heard those whispers.

"You see him? It's that boy, he's the only one who failed." One lady with brown hair whispered.

"Well, serves him right." The other lady scoffed.

"Just imagine what would happen if he became a ninja." The brown-haired woman glared at the blonde boy sitting on the swing.

"I mean he's the boy who-"

"Shh." The woman stopped the brown-haired woman from continuing on any further, "We're not allowed to talk about that."

But Sakura heard every single word, she wasn't surprised with how the villagers treated Naruto, then she glanced at him and noticed someone else, Mizuki-sensei.

Sakura narrowed her eyes at the sight, it looked like Mizuki said something to Naruto. And then Mizuki held his hand in front of Naruto which he grabbed before they disappeared from the spot, leaving the swing moving due to the force.

'Shunshin no Jutsu' She thought to herself.

She looked away, without glancing back at the empty spot on the swing.

Naruto and Sakura were quite similar in one way, they both lived in the shadow of someone else.

While Naruto was outcasted and hated by everyone in the villagers except for a few, he was blamed for something he did not do. 

He lived in the shadow of the nine-tailed fox.

Sakura, on the other hand, was never loved or liked for who she was, she pretended to be someone else who she was to be liked.

She became a perfect mould for everyone, they could change her according to their preferences and unless she gave up all her hard work, she'd forever be forced to be like this.

She lived in the shadow she herself had created.

― Currently editing my previous chapters so I'm wondering if this type is boring for you.