Royalty Meets Reality
Chapter 1: A New Friend
"Princess Sakura! What are you doing, don't you know who's downstairs?!" Ino cried running into Sakura's bedroom.
"I know! I know! That stupid Sasuke, right?" Sakura replied while brushing her short, pink hair.
"He's not stupid, you know you like him! Go down there and sweep him off his feet!" Ino insisted.
"Heck no! I won't lie, I did like him before. After trying to confess to him for the sixth hundred and a millionth time, he keeps refusing me. So, I've decided to forget him, I don't need him in my life. Besides, you like him, don't you? Well, here's your chance!" Sakura convinced her while trying to push her out of her room.
"Well…as much as I want to, I can't. You know how King Ryouga is with girls trying to flirt with his daughter's fiancée. Besides, he doesn't associate with peasants like me…"
"Well, that good for nothing bas-"
"Princess, watch your language!"
"Wow, since when did you care about cursing?"
"Since Queen Amai told me that I had to make sure you were ladylike twenty four/ seven or else I'd have to help Kiba clean after Akamaru for the next three years!"
"Mother….she's always like this"
"Anyway, let's just go! Sasuke-Kun is waiting!"
"Fine, you tell my parents I'll be done in a minute."
"Okay, but hurry up!" Ino rushed out of the room as Sakura heard her footsteps getting softer and fainter. Finally, Ino was gone.
"Boy, I thought she'd never leave!" Sakura thought. A devious smile crawled upon her face as she stared at the empty balcony outside her bedroom. Then, she grabbed her coat and jumped out from the balcony. Instead of breaking her bones while being crushed into the ground, she landed in a bush, leaving grass all over her. "Maybe it would've been smarter to just climb down that vine next to my window!" She eventually found her way out of the bush and sneaked out the back doors of the light pink palace. Fortunately, the guards were taking their afternoon nap so Sakura was able to slide right passed them.
"Hm, where should I go…?" Sakura never went outside the castle walls before. She wandered around the village looking at clothes, eating unfamiliar foods and taking in the daily life of the Land of Blossoms. Then, she saw the five hokages faces carved into a huge mountain. "Uh oh…this can't be good." Sakura went into the ramen shop near her.
"Excuse me, exactly which village am I in?" She asked the cook.
"Oh, you're in Konoha, Miss," he answered.
"Thank you," Sakura left the shop. "Oh my god, not only am I in the wrong village, I'm in the wrong country! Oh well, might as well take in the place while I'm here." Sakura looked around some more until she heard screaming.
"HELP!!! SOMEBODY!! HELP ME!!!" Sakura ran to the source of the sound and saw a gang of ninjas beating up a little girl.
"Hey! Pick on someone your own size! You call yourself ninjas while beating up an innocent little girl, pathetic!" Sakura yelled. The four ninjas turned around, all of them wearing ANBU masks. They took out their kunai knives and started coming closer to Sakura. The little girl took this chance to run away. "I hope that little girl's running away to find help," Sakura , that girl never came back. "I'm screwed!"
Luckily, Sakura's dad thought a thing or two on self defense in a crisis situation. She remembered her father telling her to kick her opponent in the place they don't want to be kicked, so Sakura aimed her foot in between one of the guys' legs and they fell in agony. Then Sakura punched the next guy in the stomach while shoving her elbow into the third guys' face. She looked for the fourth ANBU ninja, but he was nowhere in sight.
No later than a second passed when someone grabbed Sakura and held a knife against her throat. "You got guts, kid, but not enough to mess with me! Next time, don't butt into other people. Oh yeah, sadly, there won't be a next time for you!" He threatened.
"Or maybe there won't be a next time for you!" A mysterious voice called out. The ANBU turned around, grabbing Sakura with him and saw a dark, shadow-like figure in the corner of the ally. Suddenly, it disappeared, but the ANBU fell to the ground, dead. Sakura fell too and looked around, seeing everyone else dead. "Hey, are you alright," asked the same mysterious voice. It came out of the shadows and Sakura saw a yellow headed guy with eyes as blue as the sea wearing orange and black clothes, but what really caught her attention was the marks on his face that were similar to whiskers.
"Oh, yeah, are ANBU ninjas always like this?!" Sakura asked as the guy leaned over and took off one of the dead man's mask.
"Hm, figures. These ninjas work for Orochimaru," the boy explained, "Wait, you not from around here, are you?"
"Yeah, how did you know?"
"Everyone in this village would get scared and run away the moment they saw me."
"Really, why would I run away from someone who just saved my life?"
"Because," he leaned closer to Sakura's ear, "The nine tailed fox is sealed within me."
"Oh…but you seem really nice, don't worry, I won't run away."
"Wow, other than Granny Tsunade, you're like the first person who isn't afraid of me."
"Trust me, the scariest thing that'll make me run away is seeing my dad catwalk on the dining table in his kitty cat boxers, so since he isn't here, I'm not scared." The boy laughed and Sakura smiled.
"Oh yeah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Uzumaki Naruto!"
"Oh, I'm Prin- Haruno Sakura. Nice to meet you Naruto," Sakura saved herself before she told Naruto she was royalty.
"Damn- you're bleeding!" Sakura looked around herself and saw blood dripping on her sleeve. She felt her neck and found the place she was bleeding from.
"Oh, I must've been cut from that knife. No worries, it's just a scratch," Sakura assured.
"That's not just any scratch! Come with me, my house is nearby; you need to get cleaned up!" Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and quickly led her to his house. He signaled her to sit down on his couch while he went in search of his first aid kit. Seconds later, he came back with the white box in his hand. Sakura took off her bloody jacket as he began wiping the cut. Then he placed a bandage on it.
"Ok, since you lost a lot of blood, you need some food in you!" Before Sakura said anything Naruto was gone and reappeared with two bowls of instant ramen. He gave one to Sakura and saved one for himself.
"This isn't fair. You saved my life, treated my wounds and now giving me food. How can I repay you?"
"It's the least I could do for a princess." Sakura almost choked on her noodles when she heard his words.
"H-how did you know I was a princes?!"
"Every night before I go to sleep, I see you counting the stars on her palace balcony. Good thing I live near the border line of our two countries. Also you're a Haruno like King Haruno Ryouga, so it's easy to tell."
"Oh, speaking of which, where's your parents?"
"They died when I was a baby." Shock filled Sakura's mind.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't-"
"It's okay, it happened sixteen years ago. Besides, I was more concerned about pooping and drinking milk at that time. By the way, how come you're not at the palace?"
"Oh, I snuck out. My parents wanted me to meet this guy they want me to marry so I ditched them while they were waiting for me."
"Interesting. Sadly, you bumped into some goons and almost got yourself killed."
"But happily, I met you." Sakura smiled and looked out the window at the setting sun. "Oh no- Naruto, it's getting late, I have to get back home!"
"I'll drop you by the border line." Both of them ran out of the house and stopped in front of the palace, which was right beside the line.
"I guess this is goodbye. Thanks, once again, for saving me today. I'm going to make sure to come again and meet you, Naruto."
"That'd be great Princess-"
"Just call me Sakura."
"Ok, Sakura, I'd really like to meet you again." Sakura smiled and leaned closer to give Naruto a light kiss on the cheek. Then she ran away, blushing. She turned back and waved, seeing Naruto's cheek bright red, waving back.
"Until next time, Uzumaki Naruto." She smiled.
"Until then, Haruno Sakura." Naruto jumped in joy. Sakura skipped home with such a huge grin on her face. Unfortunately, she didn't expect the breath taking news that awaited her back in the palace.