Author's Note: I forgot to mention that the rating might go up to T later.

Reviews:

Pinaygrrl: Yup, Syaoran's gonna be mean for awhile.

tomiki: Hehe…seeing chibi Sakura and Syaoran playing together is always kawaii! Thanks for the review!

Nanie-san: Thanks for reviewing twice! I had to write something with Syaoran being cold 'cux I can't imagine Sakura being mean.

ff-girl07: Thanks for the review! Here's chapter 3.

Under the Cherry Blossom Tree

Chapter III

--New Year's—

"After Christmas time, I thought I wouldn't have to deal with that girl anymore until next year, but noooo…she still comes to bug me!" Syaoran complained to Eriol. Sakura had visited them once every week after Christmas was over.

"Maybe it's because she considers us friends…" Eriol commented slyly.

"What! Why would I want to be friends with her? Who said I wanted to be her friend?" he shouted.

"She did," the navy hair boy replied simply. "You know, Mr. Kinomoto said that his wife just died so it probably has affected Sakura a lot just like when your parents died. You shouldn't be so mean to her," he added.

"Yeah, well I bet she never saw her mom die right in front of her," he argued back, remembering that day that he longed to forget.

"You two can relate," Eriol stated.

"I don't care! She's so annoying!" Syaoran said for the millionth time that day.

"BOO!" someone shouted, popping out of nowhere.

"AH!" Syaoran screamed, but then realized it was only a person. When he saw who it was, he glared at her. "It's only you," he said harshly, his hand placed over his heart. "Don't ever do that again!"

"Sorry," Sakura apologized with a very sincere face.

Syaoran gave her a grunt, which Sakura was use to now.

"So Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?" Eriol politely asked.

"My brother wanted to meet you. He kept on asking me why I kept on coming over here," Sakura explained.

"And why do you?" Syaoran asked sharply.

"Because you two are my friends. I don't really have friends other than you two," Sakura whispered, looking at her feet.

"Well, you're our friend too, right Syaoran?" Eriol asked, giving Syaoran a nudge.

Syaoran didn't say anything.

Sakura gave a loud 'yay' and grabbed Syaoran's and Eriol's hand to lead them to somewhere, but Syaoran jerked his hand away from her hold.

"Listen, girl, who said you could touch me? And who said I was ever your friend? I'm not. I don't like you so stop bugging me!" Syaoran growled at her.

Sakura's bright emerald eyes sadden. Big, wet tears formed and started falling from her face. She dropped Eriol's hand and ran downstairs, crying.

"Look what you did," Eriol shook his head, disapproving.

"I don't care. Serves her right," he snarled.

"You're lucky I can take any of your comments or else you'd be all alone," the glasses wearing boy commented.

"I'd rather be alone," he argued.

"Do you really?" Eriol asked, before leaving him alone.

Syaoran tried to ignore the question, but it kept repeating itself over and over in his head.

Just as he thought the day couldn't it get any worse; he felt his legs in the air.

"Is he the gaki that made you cry, Sakura?" he heard an older boy asked. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura appear and nodding slightly.

"Listen gaki. I don't know what you did to my sister, but if you do anything like that again, I'll kill you. No one messes with my sister and gets away with it," the black hair older boy hissed, tightening his grasp on Syaoran's shirt.

Luckily for Syaoran, his father taught him martial arts when he was four years old. Syaoran managed to break free and landed behind him.

Touya wasn't expecting this, but quickly turned around. "Fine gaki. Do you want a fight? I'll give you a fight," his black eyes met Syaoran's eyes.

Both got in their stances and were about to punch each other, but Sakura jumped in the way.

"NOO!" she screamed.

Touya and Syaoran stopped in mid-air and fell on their butts.

"What was that for? You could've gotten hurt!" Touya yelled.

"I could've taken him on! Stupid girl!" Syaoran bellowed.

"Don't call my sister stupid, gaki!" Touya argued.

"STOP!" Sakura's tiny voice echoed the hall. Both boys stopped and looked at her.

"Onii-chan (big brother), you're not supposed to pick fights here. I don't care if he calls me stupid, I'm used to it," Sakura stated.

"Fine, but he still made you cry," Touya said, glaring at Syaoran.

"That was her fault for assuming that we are friends," Syaoran argued.

"You're friends with this gaki?" Touya shouted. "That's it. Letting you come here was one thing, but being friends with the gaki, it's not happening," Touya said, carrying Sakura out the orphanage.

"But Onii-chan!" Syaoran heard Sakura whine.

"Good ridden," Syaoran mumbled. He thought no one held him, but Eriol saw the whole episode.

In a few days, it would be New Year's. The orphanage didn't really make a big deal out of this holiday as they did for Christmas.

The few days past by quickly. Syaoran felt a lot happier knowing that he didn't have to see Sakura again.

'Maybe her brother wasn't so bad after all,' the amber-eyed boy told himself. He was beginning to like the quiet.

"Hey Syaoran, there you are!" Eriol shouted.

"What do you want?" Syaoran barked.

"Nothing. Just wanted to ask you want you want to do for today since it's New Year's. Mrs. Ewina always lets the older children go anywhere in the city and takes the little ones to go see the fireworks near here," Eriol told him early in the morning.

"Well…I'm guessing we're in the little group so we're going to see fireworks?" Syaoran said with annoyance as if a one-year-old couldn't answer.

"So you want to go see fireworks?" Eriol said with a meaningful look.

"We don't have a choice," he said firmly.

"OK then, that's all I needed," Eriol smiled and hurried back downstairs.

"Eriol!" Syaoran called out, trying to get him back here. "What was that look?"

A few hours later, Mrs. Ewina was calling everyone to the living room and told him or her that they were getting ready to leave.

Everyone cheered except for you-know-who.

Everyone hurried outside, and there were two buses and a limousine parked. One was for the younger group and was heading for the nearby park. The other was for the older ones to head to town. The older kids had until ten to return to the bus and head back home.

"Hiiragizawa, Li, come over here!" Mrs. Ewina shouted when the kids were getting toward their respective bus.

Syaoran was confused and gave Eriol a look, but Eriol avoided his eyes.

"Since Sakura-san has volunteered for you two to join her and her brother and friends, you will be going with them," Mrs. Ewina refreshed their memories (more like told Syaoran).

"We'll have them back at nine," Touya told the owner while glaring at Syaoran.

"What? You told me that we were going to be in the kids' group," Syaoran growled.

"Well…you said that. I just asked you if you wanted to see fireworks and you said 'we had no choice' so I took it as a yes," Eriol smirked.

"You and your sleazy, smart aleck…" Syaoran's nails dug into his hand.

"Come on. We can't be rude and make them wait for us any longer." Eriol hopped into the limo, dragging Syaoran with him.

"Hiya, Li-kun, Hiiragizawa-kun!" Sakura yelled.

"Hello Sakura-chan. Thank you for inviting us," Eriol said politely, jabbing Syaoran on the side.

"Huh? What…I mean…yeah, thanks," Syaoran griped, feeling Touya's glare on him. His eyes observed the limousine and found out that they (Sakura, Touya, Eriol, and him) weren't alone.

A raven hair girl about Sakura's age leaned over and whispered something in Sakura's ear.

Sakura eyes widen as she started panicking. "I'm so sorry. I forgot to make introductions. This is Daidouji Tomoyo, my best friend AKA cousin. You've already met my brother, Touya. And that's Touya's friend, Tsukishiro Yukito." Sakura pointed to each one.

"Tomoyo, Yukito, this is Hiiragizawa Eriol and Li Syaoran," Sakura introduced them.

"Hello, Sakura does nothing, but talk about you two," Tomoyo said politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you two," the silver hair man nodded.

"It's nice to meet you two too," Eriol smiled.

Syaoran didn't say anything, but slump in his seat.

"Syaoran," Eriol hissed, "don't be rude, say something."

"It's nice to meet you too," Syaoran said in a robot voice.

"Sakura, why did we have to invite the gaki? The weird kid is OK, but the gaki?" Touya started a conversation.

"Onii-chan! What did Otou-san (father) tell you?" Sakura glared at her brother.

"All right, but it was just a question," Touya said innocently.

"I have to agree with him," Syaoran spoke up, which surprised everyone. "Why did you invite me after what happened?"

"To apologize for my brother's behavior," Sakura said plainly. "But that doesn't mean I forgive you."

"Wah? Then why did you invite me if you didn't forgive me?" Syaoran asked harshly now confused.

"Because I'll make you be my friend. I'll keep on bugging you until you die!" Sakura threatened.

"What? Sakura, I forbid you to have any contact him," Touya ordered.

"You can't make me!" Sakura argued. Seconds later, there was a sibling rivalry.

"I'm telling Dad!"

"Not unless I get there first and tell me what kind of gaki he is!"

"GRR! We'll see about that!"

"What are you going to do, kaijuu (monster)?" Touya grinned.

"I'm not a monster!" Sakura yelled and somehow was able to step on Touya's foot in the limousine.

"OW! Why you…"

"Does this happen often?" Eriol whispered to Tomoyo.

The amethyst color eye girl nodded. "Every day."

In the middle of their argument, the door suddenly opened.

"Oh…I'm sorry to interrupted," the driver said flustered as he heard the siblings fight.

Sakura and Touya stopped and turned their head at the same time to the driver.

"He…he…" Sakura managed to say.

"What is it?" Touya barked, angry that the driver interrupted them, especially when he was winning.

"We're here."

"Oh, OK. Thanks," Touya gave a small cough, and they got out of the limo.

The gang had arrived at the New Year's Festival. Bright lights were hung around trees and booths. There was a nice banner at the entrance welcoming people. You could smell the aroma of the various foods.

Tomoyo pulled out a camcorder and started taping them. Eriol was happily enjoying his time out, especially watching a raven hair girl. Something about her intrigued him.

Sakura was acting her normal self as Tomoyo taped her. She was used to this now.

Syaoran was practically drooling over the smell of the delicious food and gawking at the booths.

"Let's go to that one first!" Sakura ran off to the booth that she was pointing at.

You had to get make coin land on a lily pad, and by the number of coins in the water, it was hard. The prize of this game was a real live goldfish.

"I want a fishie!" Sakura exclaimed. Everyone else was watching her, and Tomoyo was determined to get it all on tape.

Sakura paid the man, and he gave her three coins. Sakura used all three coins, but couldn't make it land on the lily pad. It hit it once, but it rolled off.

After she used all her coins, she pouted. "Onii-chan, win me a fish, please," Sakura begged.

Touya gave a deep sigh, but did so. He missed all three times. Yukito gave it a shot, but once again, lost.

Sakura was now disappointed. She really wanted a fish, but knew it was impossible for anyone to win at that game.

After a couple of hours, they were getting hungry from all the walking and playing they did.

"Onii-chan, get some food for us!" Sakura commanded.

Touya grumbled. "I'll help him," Yukito said, following his dark hair friend.

"We'll be by the pond, K?" the auburn girl shouted. The four walked to the pond and patiently waited for the food.

"I heard that if you throw a yen in here and wish for something on New Year's, it'll come true," Tomoyo spoke up.

"Really?" Sakura said excitedly. "I wanna try!"

"Why don't we all try?" Eriol suggested.

Syaoran unwillingly took part and took out a yen he had. The four were standing in a line, facing the water.

"Let's do it at the same time," Sakura proposed. "1…2…3…" At the count of three, all four threw their yen and made their wish. Four splashes could be heard in the silent evening.

'I wish that Sakura and Li-kun could be happily together. They would make a kawaii (cute) couple!' Tomoyo thought as a 'hohoho' escaped her mouth.

'I wish to know Daidouji-chan more,' Eriol thought as his face turned red. 'And maybe we'll fall in love with each other?'

'I wish for this stupid girl to stop being annoying,' Syaoran thought, knowing that this wish would probably never come true, and the rumor was just a hoax to loose money.

'I wish that Li-kun and I to be bestest friends,' Sakura thought sincerely, clasping her hands together. 'Oh, but Tomoyo will always be number one. He can be number two.'

Tomoyo was the first to speak as she gave them a wide grin. "We can't tell anyone about what we wished for until it comes true, even if it's in a hundred years, we can't tell."

"Yo squirt, where are you?" They heard Touya shout.

Sakura ran closer to her brother and Yukito and waved at them. "We're over here!"

"What are you doing there?" Touya asked.

"We each made a wish," Sakura told him.

"That's right. I've heard that all wishes you make here come true. If you make it during New Year's of course," Yukito thought aloud as they passed out the food. Touya was a little rough with Syaoran when he handed Syaoran his drink.

"What do you want to do before we go see the fireworks?" Yukito asked them.

Eriol and Syaoran didn't care. They were the guests after all.

"I wanted to look around some more," Sakura told him.

"Oh, but Sakura, I wanted to go listen to the music that are playing," Tomoyo said timidly. "We can still look around if you want though."

"I have an idea," Yukito brought up. "Why don't we split into two groups? Touya can take Sakura and one of you boys can look around some more, and I can take Tomoyo and whoever's left."

"All right." Touya agreed. "So who's with who?"

"I wouldn't mind listening to some music," the navy hair boy quickly spoke up. Eriol volunteered to go with Tomoyo and Yukito, leaving Syaoran with Sakura and her brother.

"What? I'm stuck with the gaki?" Touya yelled.

"Come on, Touya. It's only few an hour or so," Yukito calmed him down. "Relax. We could trade if you want?"

Touya took a few deep breaths until it finally clicked what Yukito just said. "Are you joking? I don't know what the gaki's going to do to my little sister. I'm keeping all eyes on him." Touya scowled, his eyes glaring into Syaoran's.

Yukito chuckled. "Brotherly complex."

"Shut up."

Once everyone finished their dinner, the group split up.

Touya was watching Syaoran like a hawk, making sure he didn't do anything to Sakura. For a split second, Touya had to look at something Sakura pointed out and lost his gaze on Syaoran. When he looked back at the spot where Syaoran was, he was gone.

"Dang it! Where did the twerp go?" Touya shouted as he frantically searched for the boy, dragging Sakura along.

Meanwhile, Syaoran noticed that Touya had finally stopped glaring at him and was looking something that Sakura was pointing at. Amber eyes met something familiar. It was a perfect time to get away and go do it…

"GAKI! Where are you?" Touya kept on yelling, grasping Sakura's tiny hand tightly. People were now staring at the young black hair boy.

"Excuse me, young man, but could you please tone it down? You're disturbing the other people here," a gray hair man asked politely.

"Sorry, sir. I'm looking for someone," Touya explained in a calmer manner.

"Oh, I see. Then, you should go check the lost and found," the old man suggest.

Touya gave him a weird look. He was looking for someone, not something. "Thanks…I'll go there," Touya replied, nodding his head slowly.

Just as Touya turned around so he wouldn't have to face the old man anymore, he found Syaoran standing there with something in his hand.

Touya nearly got a heart attack when he saw Syaoran standing there, looking innocent as if he didn't do anything wrong.

"Li-kun, there you are!" Sakura said with relief.

"Where were you?" Touya snapped.

"I was playing a game," he said innocently, but still had a cold tone.

"You could've told me. I would've been in trouble if I lost you! What was so important that you had to go by yourself?" Touya yelled.

Syaoran showed them a bag with a goldfish swimming in the water.

"Wow! Did you win it yourself?" Sakura said as she gawked at the fish.

Syaoran nodded. "Here." He handed her the bag.

"Hoe? It's for me?" Sakura said as she squealed in delight.

Syaoran nodded again. "It's for taking Eriol and me here NOT because we're friends," Syaoran emphasized. "I don't like being in debt."

"OK," the girl nodded, enjoying her new fish. "Touya, I can keep it, right?"

Touya was a little hesitant from receiving something from the twerp, but he saw Sakura's big emerald eyes begging him to say yes as she gave him her puppy face.

"All right!" Touya gave in. "But don't ever do that again," the older boy growled, ruffling his sister's hair. He had told her that some many times all ready, but she would always use it against him.

With Yukito's group, they were enjoying the music that was being performed. Yukito was sitting on the soft grass, giving Tomoyo and Eriol some space to talk so it wouldn't feel like he was intruding.

"How long have you meet Sakura-chan?" Eriol asked, starting a conversation.

"Ever since we were in diapers," Tomoyo told him. "Don't you think Sakura and Li-kun would make a good couple," the girl smiled.

"Uh…sure…" Eriol said hesitantly. He wanted to know more about her, not about Sakura and Syaoran, but it was better than nothing. "I don't think Syaoran will fall in love with Sakura-chan that easily."

"I know, but just think, ten years later, they could. Sakura is very adorable and can make friends easily, just you wait," Tomoyo commented.

Eriol gave a chuckle.

"So how long have you live at the orphanage?" the raven hair girl asked.

"About four years," Eriol replied, showing no emotion now.

Tomoyo noticed this and didn't push it. "I love this song!"

Eriol gave her a huge grin. "In that case, can I have the honor dancing with you, milady?" Eriol gave her a small bow and offered her a hand.

"Hohoho. Aren't you a gentleman?" Tomoyo remarked, agreeing to a dance.

About an hour later, Touya, Sakura, and Syaoran were at the area where Yukito, Tomoyo, and Eriol were. The fireworks were going to be shown any second now as the area got crowded.

Seconds later, a boom could be heard. It caught everyone's attention as his or her eyes linger to the sky.

Fireworks of various colors brightened up the sky. Some of the fireworks were rigged so that when it would explode, a recognizable figure or shape could be seen.

"It's so pretty," Sakura commented, stretching her arms to the sky.

Tomoyo smiled as she taped everyone (Sakura, Syaoran, Eriol, Yukito and Touya) and occasionally taping the fireworks.

Once the fireworks ended, people started to leave. The booths were closing and packing up to leave.

The gang got into the limo as they drove back to the orphanage first.

"Good-bye Sakura-chan. It was nice to meet you, Daidouji-chan, Tsukishiro-san, and nice to see you again, Kinomoto-san," Eriol uttered before hopping out of the limo.

Syaoran was in an awkward position. He didn't know what to say exactly so he got out of the limousine first. "Um…err…Yeah, nice meeting you two. Thanks for taking me to the festival, but stop bugging me, girl. Hope to never see you again," the brown hair boy said harshly and quickly before closing the door and running to the house.

"Why you…!" Syaoran heard Touya roared, but he guessed Yukito was holding him back.

XXXXX

Author's Note: Another chapter finished! Hehe…Syaoran got Sakura something…Of course Touya hates Syaoran a bit…but things are only going to make Touya angrier.

Hope you like it!

I know that I haven't made a name for myself like other authors, but it would make me very happy if you review! (Getting over 200 hits on this story total is a lot and I would like to know what you think)