At 7, Sakura Haruno is sitting behind an abandoned pair of swings, her body shaking with sobs.Her air is tangled and snagged, similar to the edge of her dress. Dark colored bruises decorate her pale skin as she curls her knees closer into her chest.

When she is sure the others are gone, Sakura picks up her ruined bento and hurries home to her parents.

No one greets her when she enters and no one kisses her goodnight, instead she lies on her bed listening to the screams and yells erupting from the living room.

At 7, Sakura Haruno wonders what love really is.

. . .

At 10, Sakura Haruno meets Sasuke and proclaims her love for him. Really, she has no idea what love is but for the sake of survival, she does what the other girls do-mix in.

When Sakura walks home, she sees a small lonely boy sitting on the swings-he looks up and she gapes at his ( beautiful ) cerulean blue eyes, eyes like hers ( full of so much pain and heartache) it scares her so she turns around and runs far, far away.

At 10, Sakura befriends Ino, a girl with bright blue eyes , eyes that glow with happiness Sakura has never felt, eyes that make her jealous.

. . .

At 14, they are genin and selected for teams, Sakura looks around at her teammates, the lonely boy ( Naruto), Sasuke and a masked man with a sad smile ( or she could tell by the creases in his mask and the crinkle of his one eyes)

They are not really a team, she muses silently, they are just a bunch of broken people paired off.

Outcasts.

They tell a but about themselves, sasuke talks about his revenge and Naruto smiles when he talks about Ramen and becoming Rokodaime ( Sakura has never, ever smiled so she looks away just like the others. He is a happy they will never be)

" My name is Sakura Haruno ) she says at her turn " I like training and dango, I dislike arrogance and stupidity. My goal is-to be someone who can be acknowledged one day"

At 14, Sakura learns the meaning of the word comrade. ( She also meets a boy whose eyes are rimmed with coal and his forehead reads 'love' "Do you know what it means ?" She asks quite bluntly, feeling his cold eyes slide from Sasuke to hers, " The kanji " She elaborates but he only turns around and never looks back)

. . .

At 15, Sakura realizes that she has come to love the cold boy who wants to be known as an avenger. She still doesn't know what it means, but she feels the way her heart beats faster when he comes close, or when their hands brush during training. Though she knows she will never tell him, after all. Everyone she loves end up leaving her and Sakura doesn't want this to happen with Sasuke.

At 15, Sakura wishes she could bring him back, but she knows that her love was never strong enough. And he will never come to acknowledge her.

. . .

At 16, Sakura Haruno hears the sound of a thousand birds screaming and her heart cracks. She wasn't able to stop him that night two years ago and she can only watch him lung for Naruto now. It is futile really, he is not the Sasuke they knew-that Sasuke died the minute he left the gates of Konohagakure.

" There is no such thing as hope " and Sakura can't help but agree with him on this, because would they really be in this situation of there was ?

When Naruto falls, Sakura is left the last one standing and Sasuke stares at her with an expressionless look.

" Aren't you going to fight ?" She shows the notion of thinking on it a bit before shrugging " This is not between you and I. We both know it was always Naruto" He gives her a short cold laugh devoid of any humor

" Do you think it could've been different ?"

Sakura walks to Naruto and hauls him over her shoulder, turning around to give the man she thought she loved one final look " Yes, but haven't we all "

At 16, Sakura Haruno hardens her heart and never looks back at the mistakes she's made but looks forward to he ones she can still avoid.

. . .

At 17, Sakura Haruno is suffocating. Her feet have stopped moving and she can only stand there frozen.

The spear pierces his body directly over his heart, and the look of shock on his face never fades out. She knows she will have nightmares of this moment for the rest of her life.

" Naruto!"  She screams but it is far too late and she watches in horror as his body hits the ground.

It's all over.

 Sakura stumbles towards her teammate and drops on top of his chest, tears threatening to break out.

Someone slumps down beside her and she turns to meet hollow and haunted eyes that have lost their light. So much like hers.

Sasuke reaches out and grasps her hand, which is wrapped around Naruto's.

" It's not fair " She chokes out " I want him back " She claws at her face and finally lets herself cry " I loved him "

Sasuke only holds her closer and whispers " Me too "

At 17, Sakura learns that the only way to love is to feel pain

. . .

At 23, Sakura Haruno realizes that they are like pieces of a puzzle and naruto had been their map.

Without him, they were disconnected and lost, drowning in their sorrow and madness. Sakura visits him every day-sometimes she will find Sasuke sitting silently or Kakashi reading his icha icha paradise, or sometimes, she's all alone.

" I think there's more ramen on his grave than flowers " Comments Kakashi one day as the three -Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi -of them stand in front of his stone.

Sakura smiles ( Naruto always seemed to be able to make her smile wherever he was " a little and Sasuke's eyes light up in amusement. They are they still hollow and lifeless but they are edging towards the land of living again. When she asked him, he replied " Naruto would want it" and they lost themselves in memories.

Team 8 is the first to appear and then team 6 makes it way into the clearing right after, the rest of Konoha ll on their tail.It stays quiet for awhile before Hinata steps forward and bows towards his grave, Baruto at her heels. The rest of them follow and even though it's been 6 years since his death, Sakura still feels the pain as fresh as ever.

Sakura watches Baruto, smiling at how much he resembles his father, and steps forward to crouch down in front of the boy. She raises her hand and strokes his cheek, smoothing his hair back and leaning forward to press a soft kiss to his forehead.

Baruto watches her as aptly as the rest of them, and then he giggles and pats her crown of pink " It's okay Aunt Sakura.You don't have to be sad anymore "

At 23 Sakura learns not  just to fight and to heal but also to forgive herself.

. . .

At 25, Sakura Haruno is sitting in her house drinking tea with Sasuke.

" Will you marry me ?"

She chokes in mid-sip and sputters out an incoherent " what? "

Sasuke looks at her as if this is the most normal they have had. " So, will you ?"

" Umm. . . No ?" It is a bit awkward after all-and she knows that that at their age, love is to be taken seriously. Her childish days of proclaiming her affections are over.

Sasuke's face changes into a scowl" Why ?"

Maybe I should get him a dictionary, she thinks silently, it will help me understand him more-especially if he wants us married.

" Because we are still young. We have our entire lives ahead of us and this is not to be taken lightly. You have to choose someone you acknowledge, Sasuke. You can't have everything you want"

For a second-he looks as if he is going to throw a tantrum, but he stops and whispers quietly " I do. I do acknowledge you " and then he smirks, to her surprise ( and suspicion ) and nods " We'll see "

In two years of time, Sakure Haruno will now be known as Sakura Uchiha.

At 25, Sakura learns that Sasuke does in fact, get everything he asks for ( jerk )

. . .

At 47, Sakura Uchiha is a woman with two children and a loving husband. They have been through so much things and have gotten through to this point. She knows that their love will never fade and that their bonds will strengthen.

The war has robbed them of many things, but they will rebuild and cling on to hope. Just like the people before them. This is what Konoha is made of, sweat and tears.

Someday, Baruto will grow up and continue the legacy of his father, the future he was robbed of. Naruto is not here anymore but Sakura knows she will meet him again someday. Along with Sasuke and the rest of Konoha 11.

At 47, Sakura learns of a love that does not make her heart hurt. They have had a painful and unforgettable past but Sasuke's shadow will always stand beside hers and Naruto will always be watching from another place. It is not her time yet, Sakura knows, but it will be-and Team 7 will finally be together again.

~~~

Guest Writer - Refracted