Year 4

It is another cloudless summer day in Konohagakure no Sato. This is not unexpected because it only rains two or three times a year here in the Land of Fire. However, the great number of large bushy trees keeps the temperature to a comfortable range year round even at the height of summer or the depths of winter. With this constant perfect weather and every day being in the light, it is no wonder that other ninja villages incorrectly think Konoha is the softest village.

"Ano… Can I play too?" A cute little girl with bright pink hair and bright green eyes asks nicely.

"Hum?" a little boy with a clean face, brown hair, brown shirt, and dark blue shorts turns to look at this girl with bright clothes, bright hair, bright everything about her that screams, 'Ninja! Kill me!'

"No!" he shouts, "What kind of ninja is pink! Pink! I bet you will be completely useless! And you're a girl too! That's even worse!"

At that he runs over to play ninja with his friends leaving Sakura alone, her bright green eyes looking down and dimming at the rejection.

After a while she eventually continues to play by herself. At this park there is plenty for a little girl to do even if she is alone. There are trees and flowers and even a jungle gym and slide. However, after a while, she ends up on the swings swinging slightly back and forth slowly while watching the other kids play ninja.

However, she is not watching them in depression or jealously but instead is watching them play with bright serious eyes. She is trying to know the rules as well as trying to understand what they are doing and more importantly why they are doing it. If she is not allowed to play because they think her useless then she will just have to become to good to deny.

-=-=-=-=- -=-=-l=l-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-​​

"Mom, Dad, I want to become a ninja." Sakura tells her parents seriously after much thought.

Her mom and dad share a quick look between each other. Then her dad gets on one knee in front of her, holds her shoulders, looks at her with a worried look, and says, "Sakura… being a ninja is too dangerous, especially for a civilian. Neither you mom or I wish for you to become a ninja."

'… being a civilian is also dangerous.' She secretly thinks but does not say.

-=-=-=-=- -=-=-l=l-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-​​

"Ha! I got you!" A little bright pink everything girl unexpectedly jumps out of a bush catching a boy in brown with two brown face markings and dark brown hair.

"What!" the boy yells out. He cannot believe he was caught by this… Pink.

"No way! I couldn't have been caught by you!" He denies shaking his head.

"What! I caught you fair and square!" Sakura's eyes widen in shocked at his denial.

"Nu uh!" He continues to shake his head and crosses his arms.

At that the cute little bright pinket glares at him with cute angry green eyes.

"Yuh Huh!" She points at him and nods her head vehemently.

"Nu uh!"

"Yuh Huh!"

"Nu uh!"

"Yuh Huh!"

"Nu- OW!" His next denial is cut short by a fist hammering him on the head and he falls backwards on his butt.

"Yuh Huh! I caught you fair and square and there is nothing you can do about it!" She yells, crosses her arms, and then on top of that even sticks her tongue out at him, a very serious insult for four year olds.

At that tears accumulate in the little boys eyes but refuse to fall. He jumps up and runs away with his arm over his eyes and yells behind him. "You-you p-pink girl!"

Like being called a pink girl is the height of all insults.

Sakura watches him run away in badly concealed tears in confusion. There is no need for denial and tears, it was only a game. She shrugs her shoulders and goes back to playing ninja with the other kids.

-=-=-=-=- -=-=-l=l-=-= -=-=-=-=-=-​​

"Mom, Dad, I want to become a ninja." Sakura tells her parents with serious green eyes.

Sakura's dad looks at his cute serious little girl and says, "Sakura we already told you. We don't want you to become a ninja… it is too dangerous." Then he ruffles her pink hair to her displeasure.

He then smiles at her and says, "Dinner is almost ready. Why don't you draw a picture while you wait?"

This distracts Sakura and she happily runs up to her room upstairs to draw a picture with her crayons.

After thinking a bit she decides to draws a picture of her house and family.

Just when she was finishing she heard her mom call, "Sakura! Dinner!"

She runs downstairs to the dining table and yells "Mom! Dad! Look! Look!" With her drawing in hand waving above her head. She then puts it down on the table for them to see.

Her mom is delivering a plate of food to the table gives it a quick look but notices that it looks surprisingly good and puts down the plate to give the picture a better look.

"Wow, Sakura! That is very good." She softly pets Sakura's head in praise causing Sakura to beam.

"Hum?" Her dad comes in to see the picture himself. "Whoa! It looks like we have a little artist on our hands." He tells her mother, praising Sakura.

Sakura does a little hop at the praise and continues smiling widely.

The picture is a simple stick figure picture. However, it looks surprisingly good.

What Sakura's parents don't know is that the reason it looks so good, even as a stick figure picture, is that somehow all the circles are perfect without flaw or error, all boxes and triangles are perfect lengths and angles. Even the windows drawn on the house are all exactly the same size. All lines are perfectly straight. Even the sunlight beams are perfectly equidistant around the perfect circle of the sun. Not a single error shows in any of these shapes.

"Mom, Dad, this is the house and this is us and this-this is the sun!" Sakura points excitedly at the picture.

"This is so good Sakura!" Her dad praises her and ruffles her hair to her displeasure. "I am hanging this up on the fridge, so we can see it everyday."

Sakura hops in excitement and her dad tapes it to the fridge in the kitchen.

Her mom smiles fondly at them and then says, "Let's eat then."

Sakura then looks at the food for the first time and notices something... Something horrible! Broccoli! Broccoli! On HER plate! But she knows better than to complain and simply cutely pouts unhappily at them.