Sakura knew it wasn't dignified for a lady, but heck, nothing she had learned during her training with Tsunade was proper.

Tracking, manipulating, scheming, and killing was far from the spectrum of 'lady-like' behavior.

And when she was out in the street, she could always blame it on the fact that her guardian was a drunk. That excuse always worked when she had been younger, but she could never get used to those pitying looks the authorities would give her afterward.

With a shrug, Sakura brushed off her escaping thoughts as she continued tying up her vintage, leather boots before the bell rang out across the dark stadium.

This was natural for her. She was bred for this.

Scratch that, she was born for this. Both of her parents were trained fighters after all and she may have grown in this type of environment, but she'd be damn ignorant if she didn't admit that it ran in her blood.

She ducked the flying fist quick. That would have left a mighty mark.

On instinct, Sakura swung and then repeated the motion with a few jabs. It helped with the frustration bubbling in her and every step came naturally to her.

Two steps forward, one duck, on side step and another backward as she continued to throw her fists in the direction of her opponent. Oh, but when she plummeted the other girl, that's when her true colors shined through.

One right hook and another jab and she knew she had won another round. Funny how the other girl didn't even last fifteen minutes.

The crowd made up of shady gamblers and cigarette reeking punks cheered as her hands rose in the air in victory. Ino merely rolled her eyes.

Sakura, however, reveled in the hoots thrown her way until she caught the blaring red and blue lights that could only mean one thing.

They were here. Shit. How did they even find out?

Quickly, Sakura scrambled to pick up her backpack, looking for the bobbling blondie flirting with a man who had too many muscles for it to not be steroids.

Without wasting another second, Sakura squeezed Ino's arm.

"We need to go!" Sakura urged and thank the heavens, Ino got the message a few seconds before everyone else erupted in chaos. They were in deep trouble if they were caught in the underground ring again.

"Crap! Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Ino whined pulling off her stilettoes and making a run for it while the crowd also buzzed, pushing one another to the exit.

"I didn't see them Ino!" Sakura shouted, holding the blonde's hand in her own as they made a run for it to the back where the lockers were. "How was I supposed to know?"

"My dad's going to kill me for sure," Ino said, "I've been caught one too many times and all because you had an urge to get your fists bloody."

"Pull yourself together Ino! We're 22 for god's sake!" Sakura said, but she was not all to blame. "Besides, I needed this. I needed something to take my frustration out on."

"I wish that sounded like what I imaged it to mean," Ino huffed, keeping up with the pinkette's pace as they made it through the back door and onto an empty ally way, "Why can't Miss goody-two-shoes just have sex like us, regular girls? No, she has to be a badass…"

"Hah!" Sakura scoffed, releasing her hold on Ino who stumbled a little thanks to one too many drinks she accepted from testosterone filled strangers, "Dammit Ino, you're such a lightweight. Besides, you've had a taste once! Once! You shouldn't flaunt it, what if you're dad heard?"

"Oh hush! We're adults remember," Ino frowned, sticking her hand out for the backpack Sakura was holding. "You always take the fun out of things. Why can't you play nice one of these days and just choose a damn boy at a bar and let him take you home?"

"Ino!" Sakura scolded, holding the bag pack just out of reach from the blonde. "Are you that drunk that you're being a complete bitch now?"

"I'm always a bitch," Ino said matter-of-factly. "The difference is that I'm bitchy to you because I care."

"Wow. I'm so thankful," Sakura sarcastically replied, finally giving Ino what she wanted. It took her two minutes to change from her skimpy outfit and into yoga gear while Sakura simply pulled a shirt over her exposed mid-drift.

She boxed in nothing more than a sports bra, leggings, and boots. It was easy that way, but Ino preferred packing a change of party clothes.

"You should be," Ino agreed with that mature tone of voice of hers. "I know you're waiting for mister right, but you should try to loosen up a bit. You're always so tense except when you fight. That's always the most relaxed I see you."

"I'm not going to 'loosen up' with just anyone," Sakura said, "and damn right, I'm a badass fighter."

Ino laughed, shaking her head in agreement as they made their way down the ally only to be met with the strict and disapproving voice of Umino Iruka.

"Stay where you are," he shouted at them and Sakura and Ino only looked at each other with fear that they've been caught. Luckily for them, Sakura was physically and mentally light on her feet.

"We passed another alley a few seconds ago, it leads to the main street and it's nighttime," Sakura whispered pulling Ino and making a run for it as she continued explaining her plan. "Go through it, catch a cab. I'll see you at our apartment."

"Wait!" Ino asked, ready to execute Sakura's plan. They were too old to get caught like in the good old days. "What about you?"

"Someone needs to be the diversion," Sakura chuckled, her eyes twinkling as they landed on the side rail that led up to the roof of the buildings. "I'll take to the skies once I lead them far away from you. Now go!"

Ino nodded and made a run for it. It would work out, they would meet at their apartment. They wouldn't get catch acting like little kids with bad decisions again. They couldn't or they'd be doomed to office jobs forever.

How would their parents find out, you ask? Well, to put it simply, Iruka or the chief of the police academy, was a good friend of both their parents.

Parents who, lenient and negligent as they were, were the strictest when it came to punishment and anything that involved their children from possibly getting hurt.

It also didn't help that they were trying to prove that they were responsible and smart enough to take on real missions. Getting hauled into the station by Iruka wouldn't look good for either of them.

Luckily for Ino, her father was less involved as he taught in the interrogation department. He was also a lot more gullible. Years ago, she had managed to convince him that she had gone to Sakura's underground fighting rings it to become a better fighter herself and most definitely not for the leeching, grabby boys who attended.

But Sakura's guardian was in a league of her own.

Tsunade was someone no one dared to mess with or tried to outsmart. Being the leader of the leaders themselves, that lady could smell out lies.

That lady was the reason Sakura was such a horrible and one of the best liars ever. The pinkette always gave up trying to lie to Tsunade, but she had a knack for hiding the truth.

Sakura was like a well-written poetry book. Everyone could clearly read her emotions, but to figure out the 'why' and the meaning was impossible. She could hide it so well that she was better off being categorized as unreadable.