Chapter 2: Umbrella
"Sa—Sakura, you don't look too happy today, do you?"
During breakfast, her mother, Haruno Mebuki, looked at her daughter with concern. Sakura's brows were furrowed, her expression full of gloom.
"Heh, don't tell me our little Sakura has a crush? Ah, youth—always so turbulent!" Her father, Haruno Kizashi, laughed heartily.
"Seriously, Dad? That joke is so lame. It's not even funny." Sakura sighed. Her dad was kind-hearted, sure—but his cold jokes could freeze someone solid. "I just feel... overwhelmed, that's all."
"Huh? Overwhelmed? Why?"
Mebuki asked with a puzzled look.
"I mean, I'm just an ordinary girl, right? But somehow I've ended up being the so-called 'savior of the world'? The fate of everything is suddenly on my shoulders... It's not exactly a great feeling." Sakura rested her chin in her hands and sighed. "I used to think heroes were cool... but now that I'm one, I get it. Being a hero isn't cool. It's exhausting."
"You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking about? Protecting the world and all that—that's for Lord Hokage and the others. You're still a child. You haven't even started the Ninja Academy. Talking about saving the world is way too early for you!" Kizashi chuckled, ruffling Sakura's hair, chalking up her talk to playing too many ninja games.
"Typical... mortals will never understand me." Sakura spread her arms dramatically, feeling like a lone swordsman on a mountaintop—aloof and misunderstood.
"Ow—hey!"
The next moment, she was rubbing her forehead and teary-eyed, looking at the culprit.
"Kids should act like kids—not like some old man with a permanent scowl," Mebuki said, withdrawing her flicking finger. "Now finish your breakfast and go outside to make some friends. I want you to come home with at least a few new friends today, understand?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Sakura sat up straight, all signs of resistance gone. In this household, her mother's word was law.
After finishing breakfast and saying goodbye to her parents, Sakura stepped outside. Her plan? Find a sunny patch of grass and soak up some sun. As a proud introvert, making friends was not her forte—especially at four years old. Playing with other kids? That was a whole different universe.
"So bright..."
Lying on the grass, a nearby stream bubbled peacefully. Birds and insects chirped in the trees, and the fresh scent of soil and grass filled the air. It was the kind of natural calm that Sakura found soothing—if only the sun weren't so blinding.
"Guess it's a good time to test the Infinity Stones' power..."
She raised her right hand, a red glint flashing in her emerald eyes. Activating the Reality Stone, a paper umbrella began to take shape in her palm.
"A tool that can turn imagination into reality... Even with just a fraction of its power, making a simple umbrella is easy enough."
She planted the oil-paper umbrella into the ground beside her and laid down beneath its shadow. For a four-year-old, the umbrella made for a perfect sunshade.
In the quiet atmosphere, her thoughts grew fuzzy. Drowsiness took over—but just as she was drifting off, a noisy group of children shattered the peace.
"Ugh... where did these little brats come from?!"
Opening her eyes with a sigh, Sakura groaned. Back in her previous life, she'd often been pestered by her relatives' obnoxious kids. And now—even in a whole new world—she wasn't free from them.
"Hey, Forehead Girl! I like that umbrella—give it to me, and I'll let you play ninja with us!"
A group of kids ran over, led by a slightly older girl—maybe five or six—who immediately zeroed in on Sakura's umbrella. Her first words struck a nerve.
"Forehead... Girl?!"
So the dreaded nickname had followed her into this world too. She'd hoped she could escape it in this new life, but no such luck. Sakura felt as if the universe itself was mocking her.
"Hey! Did you hear me, Forehead? Hand over the umbrella, and I'll let you join our squad. I'll even protect you!"
The older girl stood hands on hips, clearly the ringleader.
"My big brother's already a genin, so as long as you listen to me, no one will dare mess with you!"
"..."
Sakura just stared at her, internally rolling her eyes. So young, and already forming gangs? People in this world sure matured early...
"What's that look? Are you looking down on me?!"
The girl—Koizumi Ami—was used to being admired by other kids because of her brother. Sakura's nonchalance stung her pride.
"Wow... your imagination is something else."
Sakura stood up and yanked the umbrella from the ground. She really wanted to smack this brat, but considering their age, she didn't want to accidentally go overboard.
"You trying to run away?"
Koizumi Ami panicked when she saw Sakura trying to leave. "Fine! You can go—but leave the umbrella!"
"Why are you so obsessed with my umbrella anyway?" Sakura asked, genuinely confused.
"Hmph! Because I like it!"
Ami crossed her arms. From the moment she saw it, she'd wanted it. Being the center of attention had spoiled her—and now she just expected things to be handed over.
"..."
Sakura looked at her and sighed. Typical brat. Liked it, so she had to have it.
Still, glancing up at the umbrella, Sakura couldn't blame her. The umbrella was white with a ring of cherry blossoms on the edge, and in the center were cute, chibi-style illustrations of all nine Tailed Beasts. It was the kind of design that would definitely appeal to children.
"Sorry. If you like it, you can have one custom-made at a shop. But this one? It's mine."
Sakura refused without hesitation. The umbrella wasn't just a sunshade—it was a carefully crafted item, made durable enough to rival steel. In the future, she even planned to reinforce it and turn it into her personal weapon once she became a proper ninja.
"So you won't give it up, Forehead?!"
Ami's face twisted in anger. "Then don't blame me if I take it by force!"
"I don't want to fight you guys. Don't push me."
Sakura stood firm beneath the umbrella, her expression calm. She may have looked like a four-year-old girl, but the power of six Infinity Stones flowed through her. No group of kids could defeat her.
"Hey! Stop bullying her, or I'm telling your parents!"
Just as Sakura was preparing to knock a few kids down and find a quieter spot to nap, a little blonde girl ran over and stood protectively in front of her.
"Hmph, it's you again. Let's go!"
Koizumi Ami glared furiously at the blonde-haired girl who had stepped in front of Haruno Sakura. In the end, she could only huff in frustration and storm off with the group of children. After all, her older brother might be a Genin, but he wasn't in the same league as the other girl's family—an early maturity that made her wary of provoking the wrong people.
"Hey, are you okay? I'm Yamanaka Ino. What's your name?"
Ino turned to face Sakura with a gentle smile. "I saw everything. You were really brave!"
"Uh… That counts as brave?" Sakura let out an awkward laugh. They were just some little kids—what was there to be afraid of?
"Of course! You stood your ground against someone stronger without even flinching. You're definitely going to be a great ninja someday!" Ino said with conviction.
"I'm Haruno Sakura. But you can call me Sakura," she replied with a smile. It really did feel like fate, meeting her like this.