Good evening dear reader. This is the first chapter of, and also the introduction to, my rather improvised Sakura-centered fanfiction story. I do hope you will enjoy it! In the future there will most likely be some rather deep digging into Konohas culture, and therby also japans, most certaly though, there will be a number of times when they will merge quite freely. Oh well. Do enjoy :)

Ms. Sakura had always been a flower's kind of girl. Even the name kind of said it. But it also said that she was more than just that, a flower, for she was also a tree that stood solid in the ground, on which the petals could blossom. If she got a chance to grow, that was. And with the careful love of her parents, her family and her friends, she had got the courage and strength needed to survive the storms in her life. So she was there. Ever blooming, ever growing, ever standing her ground. Though right now, she was shopping.

It was a rather cold spring day, the snow had just melted away, and the hills of Konoha were slowly turning a fresh green again. A lazy wind, with promises of warmth to come, swept across the landscape and into the streets and alleyways of the town. It made Sakura shiver a little before she closed the shops door behind her.

She was on the hunt for a kimono, preferably red, but she didn't have a closed mind. She was only in her own company, not wanting to have to compromise on the time she spent trying clothes on. So at least she didn't have to hurry.

As she walked along the racks of kimonos, there was a tiny tap on her shoulder. Naturally, she had heard the shopkeeper approaching, but she was too polite to be a ninja in an old man's store, so to speak. And so, she turned to face him. But it wasn't him, and Sakura shouted inside over never having any bloody privacy. Of course one of her friends had to be there. Darned. And why had she masked her chakra? Typical Ino, trying to scare her like that. But then, she had to smile.

"Hi Ino", she greeted, smiling a genuine smile. Darn that Ino. She really had to stop that habit of spreading good mood around her.

"Hi Sakura. Shopping?" She asked, nodding towards Sakuras stuffed handbag. She simply nodded. "Nice. I'm just here to pick up my kimono, and I know you like to shop alone, so I won't bother you for long." Sakura stared at her. What an unlike Ino thing to say.

"Alright…" She answered. "Hey, are you going to the temple this evening?" She asked, looking through some purple yukatas. Ino nodded.

"Yeah. You praying for Neji and Hina too then?" She asked with a lower tone of voice. Sakura nodded. "Right then. Pick you up at eight?" She smiled a half-hearted smile.

"Sure." Sakura looked up from the kimonos. Ino seemed bothered by something. "Um, do you want to stay over at my place tonight? I've got some cake left over from my birthday that needs to be eaten pretty badly…" She tried. Ino shone up like a happy kid.

"I'd love it! I'll bring drinks or something. Well, I've got to leave now, see ya at eight!" And with that, Ino Yamanaka picked her kimono up and left the building, and Sakura was left to her kimonos.

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They were standing in silence before the statue of Lao Tzu, portrayed as an old man sitting smiling on an ox. There were eight men dancing behind him, and one on a crutch, slightly behind him, ever smiling. In ways Sakura could not understand, and though they were made of bronze and not flesh, they seemed utterly alive to her. They lit incense before them, said their prayers, gave their offerings of flowers and went on their way back home again. It was evening now, and her dark purple kimono seemed nearly black in the darkness. The silver flowers however, shone with the pale moon light. Both she and Ino had stayed quiet for what seemed like ages. Then Ino lifted her head.

"You suppose they will recover?" She asked, more to the heavens than to anyone in particular.

"I hope so", Sakura answered quietly, lost in her own thought again. Risking your own life on missions was one thing; getting your friends back in awful conditions was a completely different one.

She sighed to herself. She'd seen many at the templegrouds. Naruto, Shikamaru, Choji and many of the Hyuugaclan. Kakashi hadn't been there. He didn't believe in those kind of things, he said. Sakura shook her head. It seemed that he didn't believe in anything. And then, suddenly, they were already at her front door.

"Come on. Let's think of something else. Here, eat cake." She said, putting a plate in front of Ino, who still hadn't said anything.

"Okay", she replied, looking at the cake as if it was a bomb ready to explode. Sakura laughed.

"What?" She asked, trying to start some conversation.

"Well, there's just so much chocolate! How can I ever thank you?!" Ino laughed as well.

"You can eat it?" She said, and then, with a smile, just like that, it was all back to normal again. As normal as they could act when they were alone, that was.

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Sakura woke up with a kick in the face. Not a very hard kick, but it was from a smelly foot and it was hardly pleasant. Why was there a foot in her face again? She looked over her bed. Oh yeah. Ino was there. Asleep. In her bed.

Sakura took a few seconds to contemplate upon this… fact. Because there was a strange feeling in her gut that she rather liked Ino in her bed. Minus the foot in the face. Now she was laying there all peaceful, eyes closed, face relaxed, and some glow on her sleeprested skin. Sakura shook her head in disbelief to herself. 'Wake up' she said to herself in her mind. But something told her that this was as awake as she would ever get.

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Me: Yay, authors notes!!!

Sakura: What are you doing to my character?

Me: Developing...?

Sakura: It's just the first chapter! No naughty business! Yet....

Me: What was that?

Sakura: Nothing! You know, you made her kick me in the face!

Me: Oh yeah, about that...

Sakura: Yes?

Me: Get back into the story!!!

Sakura: Fine... You just like to see me get hurt... sob.

Me: There there.

Sakura: See you in the next chapter...

Me: Yeah. See you all there :D