Her first love comes at the tender age of six.
It's in the form of a boy with black eyes and black hair who attracts her like the moon does the ocean. She has to fight other girls for his attention but he does not notice her. He does not notice her until they are twelve and placed on the same team and even then, he doesn't look at her. Not when they are in the Land of Waves and their sensei is trapped. Not when she perfects tree climbing faster than he does. Not when they are on the bridge and he nearly dies for Uzumaki Naruto and she's the one mourning him. He does not look at her and she thinks she just has to try harder.
She tries and tries and tries. And he does not look at her.
Not until they're taking the first test of the Chunin Exams. He points out her gift with genjutsu and she's overjoyed. He's noticed her, has looked at her. He does not look at her for the rest of the test and she thinks she just has to try harder.
They're in the Forest of Death and Orochimaru attacks. She can't fight back because how do you even begin to fight one of the legendary sannin. She ends up being the only one out of her team to be conscious. The only thing she can do is protect her two boys and she does. She protects them when Oto genin attack. She protects them when Team Ten come out to fight after she cuts her hair. She protects, protects, protects. And it's still not enough.
When he wakes with dark, evil chakra leaking out of his coils, she tries to stop him from brutalizing the Oto genin even more. He takes one look at the fear visible on her face and stops. He's noticed her, has looked at her. He does not look at her for the rest of the Exams and she thinks she just has to try harder.
He knocks her out when he leaves the village and she wakes to Uzumaki Naruto promising her he'd bring him back. His team comes back near death instead.
Fine, she thinks, I'll just have to be stronger myself to bring you back. She seeks out the Fifth Hokage. She seeks out the best medical ninja to ever exist. She seeks out Senju Tsunade and demands she teaches her. She starts training the next day.
The first she meets the boy with black eyes and black hair after two years, she doesn't hesitate in her attack. He easily defeats her with the words, "You really are annoying."
Those words haunt her all the way back to Konoha. Then as the really pretty blonde girl who used to be her friend gives her a flower, she decides on what to do.
Uchiha Sasuke may have been her first love but she was not his.
Haruno Sakura decides on a spring day that there are far better options than someone who has never noticed her.
Her second love enters her life at the age of twelve.
Uzumaki Naruto is an infuriating pest who won't stop getting in her way. But when the Chunin Exams come and he shouts his dream in the proctor's face, she can't help but admire him. She protects him when the Oto genin attack because she couldn't when Orochimaru tossed him aside like a ragdoll. She protects him because she has to, because she's seen how determined he is to live and she wants to make sure he does.
When Sasuke leaves the village, the blonde boy who looks like he ate too much sun and was drowning in it makes a promise that he ultimately cannot keep because he's seen the way she looks at Sasuke.
The sunshine boy has to leave the village so he can get stronger, she sees him off with a promise she'll be stronger than him when they meet again.
Uzumaki Naruto comes back to Konoha after two years and the first thing she does is show off her strength in a sparring match against Kakashi-sensei. She soaks in his awe. But she hears the way he calls Sasuke's name in his sleep, sees the way he goes after him every chance he gets to bring him back and she knows that Uzumaki Naruto can never be hers.
Not when he belongs to someone else.
So when a really pretty blonde girl who used to be her friend puts aside her pride and asks her to help with medical ninjutsu, she decides on what to do.
Haruno Sakura decides on a summer day, there are far better options than someone who puts her second to another person
Her third love comes into her life at the age of four and exits her life at the age of eight.
She reenters her life at the age of twelve after their match in the Chunin Exams.
Yamanaka Ino approaches her with a flower which causes an apology to spill from the pinkette's mouth. The really pretty blonde girl accepts it with a smile.
Their first kiss comes after the war.
Their marriage comes two years after.
Haruno Sakura smiles on a cold, winter day, she's found someone she can call hers and they can call her theirs.