Orochimaru never became a missing-nin. The Fourth Hokage still stood tall. There was no Uchiha Massacre. The Akatsuki never existed. Madara never became a problem. What could go wrong in such a perfect world? Sakura Haruno had always been alone, and at thirteen, she abandoned Konoha. She had to run from her past, but what exactly would wait for her in her future? @NarutoWattyAwards 2014 Third Place Winner in the General Naruto Category! *Written from 2013-2015*

Naruto, orphaned in the wake of the Kyuubi's wrath, was marked by the village as a monster. No mentor extended a hand; no peer stood by his side. As others played, he lingered in the shadows, craving the warmth of recognition. His pranks, his laughter, all mere echoes of a desperate heart reaching for fleeting glances. Sasuke lived under the same roof as his family, yet his existence was a shadow of another's brilliance. Itachi-the golden son, the perfect shinobi. Sasuke was forever in his wake. "It's Itachi's brother," they whispered, "Why can't you be like him?" The words burrowed deep, seeping into his soul. Sakura, born to a civilian family, rejected the path laid before her. When she defied the role of a dutiful bride and aspiring kunoichi, her parents' love twisted into cruelty. The bruises were not just on her skin but in her spirit. Bullied for her looks, she wondered if anyone would ever see her true beauty. Bound by shared pain and unspoken dreams, Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura turned their backs on the village. They swore to return, but only when they had become the warriors they were meant to be, and to gain the respect they always deserved