Chapter Text
Last thing Sakura’s heard from her parents were some letters and a couple of thousand of ryo for her to live off of for the next month, maybe 2 months if Sakura uses it wisely. The last letters came 2 months ago. Her parents told her that they’d be gone for 3 months max.
It’s been 5 months.
No letter, no money.
I’m going to starve at this point.
Maybe something took a long time, maybe some road work.
Inner Sakura tried to comfort her, but they both know something bad has happened to their parents. They’ve never gone this long without sending letters back to her. But maybe they’re just really far away and the letter is taking a long time to arrive!
I doubt it would take 2 months for a single letter to arrive.
Oh shush Inner! Don’t be so negative all the time. Have some positivity!
Ew, I’m just saying the most logical outcome.
Well, even if we think something’s happened to them, we can’t really just go on and tell anyone. The Uchiha police force won’t really start a full investigation just cause 2 merchants haven't been home for a few months.
Yeah, you do have a point, but you do know that leaving a 5 year old kid for 5 months is basically child neglect right?
Hey! I’m reaching 6 this month!
Yeah yeah, it’s still the same thing.
“Sakura, pay attention!”
Right, she was still in class. Mizuki sensei had been glaring at her for the past 5 minutes because she was zoning out. He has some kind of grudge against her for some reason, always getting her into detentions, singling her out on questions, it’s so annoying. And it’s not like she could complain to her parents, they’d been gone for half her life anyways. She could deal with this on her own!
“Sorry, Mizuki-sensei!”
Scribbling down notes, she just tuned out Mizuki-sensei’s lecture as she got back to the conversation between Inner and herself in her head.
So, what do we even do? If we don’t get another letter and money, we’re gonna starve. Thank god Mom and Dad pays for the house, electricity and the water.
Well, if we don’t get money, we could probably go fishing and foraging in the forest.
Yeah, we could do that, I think we still have Dad’s old fishing rod.
We’ll go after class, you can easily finish your homework anyways.
That works.
For the rest of the class, she looked out the window, still writing down notes so Mizuki sensei won’t scold her. The class was loud, kids yelling and Mizuki sensei yelling over them in an attempt to quiet down the class. Things were going as it always did until Sakura felt a pair of eyes settling down on her. It wasn’t threatening or anything according to Inner. But it was the loud blond kid in the class who always caused trouble. It was Naruto. There’s a rumour about him living with a powerful shinobi, and maybe that’s why he never gets caught.
Inner, who’s staring at me?
It’s Naruto. He looks kinda cute when he’s quiet actually.
I mean, if he quiets down, I might actually talk to him, but he always yells and attracts attention.
But he looks lonely, and I heard he gets bullied as well, why not stick up for him.
…I’ll do that, I’ll help him. Thanks Inner. And yeah you’re right, he’s cute.
Looking back, emerald green eyes are met with sky blue eyes. They held each other's gaze for promptly 5 seconds before Mizuki sensei snapped at them to pay attention. Also they both ended up in detention, well more opportunities for Sakura to befriend Naruto.
The class time ends and Sakura and Naruto stays seated because they were in after school detention now. Kids excitedly pack up their books, chattering with their friends and walk out the classroom one by one until it’s only Sakura, Naruto and Mizuki sensei left in the quiet classroom.
“Alright you brats, you two have not been paying attention to classwork all day today! Because of this, write 10 lines in your notebooks and stay for 40 minutes.”
And Mizuki sensei just leaves the classroom. Slowly, Sakura gets up from her seat and moves behind to sit next to Naruto, who was groaning at having to write lines. Sakura sits down and Naruto stares at her quietly but curiously.
“Hi, my name is Sakura, you’re Naruto right?”
The blond boy looked nervous for some reason, blue eyes darting away from the emerald greens, struggling to make out a sentence to the pinkette. Then he grits his teeth, smiling so brightly at her, his whiskers making him look more like a playful little fox than a child.
“Yeah! I’m Naruto Uzumaki! D-Do you wanna be friends?”
His smile was so warm, and Inner was instantly cooing and rolling around in their shared headspace, not unlike Inner, her heart started to beat a little faster and she could feel her face getting hotter. Pushing aside the weird reactions to Naruto’s cute smile, she lends out her hand, calloused since she spends half her time climbing trees to try to escape from her bullies.
“Sure, If you’ll have me as your friend?”
Naruto actually looked a bit surprised at the fact that Sakura accepted his friendship offering, not many people have ever thought of him as their friend, with a peach coloured cheeks he grins and holds unto Sakura’s hand.
“Of course! We’re gonna be the bestest of friends! Dattebayo!”
Sakura chuckles, the fluttering feeling in her stomach growing even more. Inner ran around their dull headspace, giggling with contentment. Just then, it seemed like her headspace had more colour and shades to it. Before it was just pitch black, empty, cold and damp. She smiles back and grips his hand more firmly in return and just as she was about to say something back to the blondie, Mizuki sensei returns with an angry screech.
“I told you two to get started in your lines!”
Two twin groans echo throughout the classroom and the kids giggle at their synchronised groan before getting back to their detention. They finish writing, and spend the 40 minutes staring outside the windows or scribbling in their notebooks until their time ends and Mizuki sensei kicks them out of the classroom.
Slinging on her red back pack, she waits patiently for Naruto to finish packing, tapping her little feet on the ground every 3 second.
“Hey, umm Naruto, did you want to hang out tomorrow during recess and lunch? I sit alone but it’s ok if you don’t want to!”
She could feel her face getting more redder and redder by the minute Naruto spends staring at her face like she killed his pet hamster or something. Then two strong arms clamp around her torso, blond hair nuzzling into her face as the smaller figure hugging her shakes as of he’s crying.
Way to go Outer, you made him cry! Now he probably thinks we’re a weirdo or something.
I don’t think someone who thinks I’m a weirdo would hug me so tightly Inner.
Her hand slowly shaking itself free from Naruto’s grip, starts to pat him with comfort and warmth, which just makes him cry more. Panicking, she turns to Inner for help.
Inner! Help me! I don’t know what to do!
How would I know what to do then! I’m you! We’re the same person! I’m just as clueless as you, shannaro!
“H-hey, Naruto, why’re you crying? Did I do something to offend you? If so, then I’m SUPER sorry!”
The boy sniffles, raising his head to look up at Sakura, wiping his teary eyes with his bright orange sleeve, he smiles at Sakura, which makes her calm down a little bit. She’s still nervous though.
“I-I’m fine Sakura-chan! It’s just nobody e-ever asked me to sit with them at lunch or recess…I-I sit alone too! Thank you Sakura-chan! I’m gonna sit with you from now on!..I-if you want m-me to..”
“Of course Naruto! I’ll sit with you whenever.”
She links their arms together and guides them outside of the classroom. They walk in contentment for a few minutes until they reach the Academy gates. Slowly releasing her hold, she smiles at Naruto and points to the left, where she knows is the closest route to the Forest of Death.
“That’s the path I take to go home! What path do you take Naruto?”
“I’m going to the left to go to Ichiraku’s! I’ll see you tomorrow right..?”
Sakura’s and Inner’s heart hurt at the nervous small voice emitting from the usually loud blond. And there she swore to never make him ever sound like that! She didn’t know what possessed her but, she was certain she was going to protect this boy for all her life. (Maybe a bit excessive but she couldn’t really care less.)
“Yeah! See you tomorrow then Naruto! Byee!”
Waving goodbye, Sakura walked towards the Forest of Death.
The Forest of Death was a weird place. She never really found it scary, in fact, she thought it was a relaxing place. She’s overheard all about the scary animals and monstrous insects in the forest, but strangely they never attacked her, even if she’s been in close contact with one. Inner thinks it’s because of her own presence in Sakura’s mind, she theorizes that the animals could sense her and thought to stay away. Nevertheless, she didn’t really want to find out why they never got near her, it just made her day easier.
Inner, how many days do you think this much fish would feed me?
Counting all the fish she caught in the stream today. She’d caught 3 trout and 2 walleyes. She’d already gutted them and had put the intestines back into the stream.
Maybe 2 weeks?
Yeah that’ll be fine then, it’s getting colder and darker here anyways.
With that, she packs her things up and quickly makes her way to her house. Her house was a pretty big house, having to store a bunch of goods and a few ox, horses and carts. Opening her house, she took off her shoes and immediately went to turn the kitchen lights on. Getting a cutting board out and the fishes, she quickly chops them into big pieces and puts them in a container to ration them.
Whew, finally! I can go to sleep now.
Her little feet carry her to her bedroom on the second floor, where she changes into her pajamas and gets ready for bed.
I locked the doors, closed the windows, turned off all the lights, and activated the security system…yeah I’m all good. Night, Inner.
Bye Outer.
Then she finally closes her eyes the second her head hits the pillow.