Naruto was assigned to Team 7 once again. Tsunade had originally planned to put Hinata and Sakura on this new Team 7 together-Naruto and Hinata had gotten along well before, after all-but Hyuga Hiashi politely declined. Meanwhile, that shameless bastard Danzo had brazenly forced someone onto the team.
Sakura was a child Tsunade had happened upon by chance. For some reason, she was always sitting in the park, reading a book and crying.
Tsunade was curious about what the girl could possibly be reading to make her cry like that. Only when she drew closer did she discover that the book was Learn How to Express.
"Oh, it's you, Sakura. Why are you here all alone?" Tsunade asked with concern, but Sakura's eyes were unfocused, and she kept muttering to herself.
"Why are my eyes always filled with tears? Because my love for you runs so deep, Sasuke."
Well, would you look at that. She's pining over a boy. Ahem, this is something I know a thing or two about.
"Um, Sakura, are you missing Sasuke?"
Tsunade eased into the subject. When Sakura nodded, she continued, "Then you know he left to find a way to become stronger, right? You can't keep wallowing like this. What if he finally gets his revenge one day and decides you aren't good enough for him? That would be awful."
Sakura had still been too young back then to catch the barbs hidden in Tsunade's words.
"Lady Tsunade, what should I do?"
"Easy. Become my apprentice, and I'll whip you into-pfft, no, I mean, train you to become an outstanding ninja."
In the end, Sakura succumbed to Tsunade's sugar-coated persuasion and climbed aboard her shady ship. Meihui had kicked her out of the picture, yet a book he had given her through a twist