A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews, follows, and favorites! I appreciate it so much! It also lets me know that people like my stories and my writing doesn't suck (at least completely). :) So here is the next chapter! Get ready for more fluff!

I also don't think I should answer any questions about whether this is a non-mass AU or not because then it'll spoil the story. Otherwise, I would! But if you really want to know, you can PM me and I'll tell you.

Mikoto was packing Sasuke's lunch for the day when he appeared in the kitchen. There was something red poking out of his pocket, and Mikoto eyed it curiously. Could it have something to do with Sakura, the girl Sasuke mentioned yesterday?

"Good morning, Sasuke," Mikoto smiled.

"Good morning, Mother!"

"What's that in your pocket?"

"It's a ribbon! I'm going to give it to Sakura!"

"Where did you find it?"

"In Nii-san's room. It was just lying on the floor next to a box so I took it."

"Well, I think she'll like it very much," Mikoto handed him his lunch. "Here's your lunch. Have fun at school today and be careful when you're practicing."

"I'm not practicing, I'm training!"

"Either way, be careful!"

"Bye Mother!"

Sasuke ran all the way to Konoha Academy. The red ribbon, sticking out of his pocket, flapped as he ran. He made it to school and found his way to the training grounds. Sasuke always arrived at school half an hour before classes started. He knew he had to keep training to become better, so he'd be worthy in his father's eyes. He ran across the field, throwing a shuriken, and hitting the bullseye at each post. Clapping sounds made Sasuke turn his head, and he spotted Sakura, her little jade eyes gleamed, and smiled from ear to ear.

"Sakura!"

"Ohayo, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura blushed.

"You don't usually come to school this early... do you?"

"N-No. I just wanted to give you something," Sakura pulled out an onigiri shaped pouch, handing it to him. "Since you're always training, you must get tired or hurt. Not that you're bad or anything! I-I know you're good but if you get too tired-"

"Sakura, did you make this?" Sasuke took it and opened it up. "Is this?"

"Y-Yes, and it's medicine. I found some at home. Since my parents aren't shinobi anymore, I thought you might like them."

"Thank you, Sakura," Sasuke smiled. "Close your eyes."

Sakura did as he said. He pulled the ribbon out of his pocket and tied it around her hair. He told Sakura to open her eyes, and she touched the top of her head where the red ribbon now was. He poked her forehead and smiled.

"If you stop hiding your forehead and show it off instead, their teasing can't hurt you anymore."

"I-" Sakura's face was now reminiscent of a tomato.

"Are you getting sick? You're really red and hot," Sasuke put his hand on her forehead.

"I-I'm fine! You go back to training. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

"Are you sure?"

Sakura nodded quickly, and as soon as Sasuke started training again, she turned around putting her hands on her cheeks. Her little heart pounded against her chest, and its beating was all she could hear. Sakura took a few deep breaths, calming herself down. Her heartbeat slowed to their normal pace, and her cheeks returned back to their normal color.

Sakura turned back around, watching Sasuke train. There was a reason he was the star student in their class. He trained every chance he got. Sakura watched him train for as long as she could, in awe. She watched him train from afar a few times, but seeing him up close was a whole different story. She could see the way his eyes narrowed and focused on the post. When other kids started arriving at school, she quickly disappeared into the crowd. She knew Sasuke was pretty much every girl's crush at school, and if any were to find her with him, she'd have to deal with another kind of bullying. When Sasuke noticed others coming in, his eyes scanned for Sakura so they could go into class together but she was already gone. He packed his things and walked into class. He noticed Sakura sitting near the front of the class and took a seat next to her.

"Why didn't you wait for me?"

"You're going to sit next to me?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I, and you still didn't answer my question."

"The other kids will talk... They're already staring."

Sasuke turned, noticing that the other kids were in fact staring at them. It wasn't weird for Uchiha Sasuke to sit in the front, but it was weird to see him conversing with another kid, and "big forehead" no less. The thing was though, they were already staring at Sakura. She looked different today (because of the ribbon), but not only that, she radiated a newfound sense of happiness, and confidence. It was like she was a completely different person. That couldn't be the same crybaby Sakura they saw just yesterday.

Sasuke glared at them, frightening them as they quickly turned their attention away from them.

"Well, I want to sit next to you."

"Okay, I'd like that Sasuke-kun!" Sakura beamed.

Sasuke smiled right back, and they talked until class started. The other students' curiosity grew as they saw the pair conversing before class. It especially didn't go unnoticed by the other girls in the classroom. How did she get his attention when they couldn't? Whisperings occurred all throughout the class as the other students wondered what could have possibly happened between after school yesterday and today.

It was finally time for kunoichi classes to start, and Sakura waved goodbye to Sasuke as she left with the other girls. They walked over to the fields, meeting their sensei for the day, as well as girls from the other classrooms.

"As kunoichis, we must be skilled in ninjutsu, but also, possess a wide amount of knowledge and culture. Being a kunoichi spy requires you to sneak into enemy territory and pass as your average civilian woman. Today, our class agenda is on flower arrangements. Now, go find some flowers and bring them here," said Suzume.

"Hai!"

Sakura walked around by herself picking flowers. She had no idea what to choose, or what flowers would go well together. Just then, someone walked up to her.

"Those don't really go together."

"Huh?"

Sakura turned around to see a blonde girl with light blue eyes. No one had ever approached her before today. The girl presented the flowers in her hand. It was a mix of violet, magenta, and white.

"See, these Cosmos are my main attraction, and these are Fujibakama, the 'purple trousers' flower. The word 'cosmos' is actually 'harmony' so it does harmonize with almost everything. But I think I'm prettier than the Cosmos, don't you think?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"Did you hesitate?"

"I didn't mean to!"

The girl laughed, "I'm Ino by the way."

"Sakura."

"Nice to meet you Sakura!"

They continued picking out flowers for Sakura's arrangement. By the time they finished, their arrangements were perfect. The bold colors complemented each other, and she helped Sakura cut the stems into perfect angles.

"W-Wow, you really know a lot about flowers and flower arrangement."

"My parents own a flower shop. They taught me everything I know!"

"Having fun, Billboard Brow?"

Sakura and Ino turned to find three girls glaring at Sakura. Sakura cowered, not wanting to deal with bullies, but remembered what Sasuke had said and balled her hands into fists.

"You're doing a lot of primping lately! You even dare sitting next to Sasuke-kun! Or speak to him?" She got in Sakura's face. "What makes you think you're even worth his time!"

Sakura lifted her hand getting ready to strike like Sasuke taught her, when flowers flew into the girl's mouth. She fell backward and her friends rushed to her side.

"Ami!"

"My bad, you have such a straight, un-curved body shape so I thought you were a bud vase!"

"Ino! Why you!"

"That flower is a hybrid of Wolf's Bane. Lucky for you, it's not as toxic as its pure form, but it is still a poison after all. I'd be rinsing my mouth out if I were you."

"Sensei!" The girls ran away quickly worried Ami may die.

"Of course, the only part that's poisonous is the root," Ino grinned at Sakura.

Sakura looked down. She needed someone else to protect her again. She wasn't brave enough. Could she really become a kunoichi at this rate?

"If you're a cosmos Ino, then I guess I'm like purple trousers."

"What are you talking about? I don't think you're even a full-bloomed flower yet. You're still a bud, and when you finally do bloom, you'll be an even prettier flower than a cosmos!"

Sakura started to cry. She spent so much time alone, but now she was making another friend. She couldn't help feeling the warmth of happiness fill her body.

"Let's finish gathering flowers! Wait, are you crying?"

"No, I... I got something in my eye."

Sakura and Ino gathered the rest of their flowers and met back with their sensei and the rest of the class. Everyone picked flowers they thought were pretty, but most of them weren't actually complementing each other. When Suzume reached Ino and her arrangement, she praised her for an excellent job.

"Now this, is an amazing flower arrangement! Well done Ino! You truly have an eye for flowers," Suzume held up Ino's for the class to see.

"Ooo."

"Ahh."

"Oh, Sakura, yours is excellent as well!" Suzume gushed, showing her flowers to class as well. Ino grinned at Sakura, and she smiled, mouthing a "thank you".

After class was over, Ino introduced Sakura to her other friends.

"Sakura, this is Ayaka and Hana. Ayaka, Hana, this is Sakura."

"H-Hello," Sakura hid shyly behind Ino.

It took a while, but Sakura warmed up to the other girls. They asked Sakura personal questions like her favorite color and food. What they really wanted to ask about was Sasuke. When they figured Sakura felt comfortable, they began to inquire about Sasuke and her relationship with him.

"So you were talking to Sasuke-kun in class today. Are you guys friends?"

"Yeah! He gave me this ribbon!" Sakura pointed to her head grinning.

Ayaka and Hana stared at each other. Why was this girl so special? Sure, she was smart, but in terms of actual useful shinobi techniques, she didn't rank very well in class. Why would Sasuke be interested in her? They weren't sure, but becoming closer to her could be the key to becoming closer to Sasuke himself.

They walked back to the Academy in time for lunch. Sasuke stood by the door with two bags in his hand, looking toward the field. He noticed a pink blob coming closer, and straightened up, walking towards her. When Sasuke noticed Sakura wasn't alone, he stopped in his tracks. Who were these other kids?

"Sasuke-kun! This is Ino-chan and-"

Sasuke grabbed her hand, and led her away from them, leaving Ino and her friends confused, and maybe a little ticked off. Sakura grew confused as they were walking away. She turned her head back and waved at them apologetically for his actions. They finally stopped at the school's training grounds. He sat down, opened his lunch, and began eating, all without saying a word.

"Eh, Sasuke-kun? Why did we just leave them? They're really nice!"

"I told you I'd teach you how to practice using weapons. Not them."

"O-Oh. But if you got to know them, they're actually really nice! Then we can all practice together!"

"Hn," Sasuke didn't want to spend time with the other kids. He only wanted to spend time with Sakura.

With fifteen minutes of lunch left, Sasuke used the rest of their time teaching Sakura throwing shurikens. He helped with her form and how to grasp shuriken. It's a good thing no one else was around, the first few throws missed the post and could've potentially hurt someone. With every throw, she did get closer, and even managed to hit the post, but near the bottom, rather than the center of the target.

"Eh, this is another thing I'm not very good at. Guess, I won't be a good kunoichi."

"With practice, you'll get better."

"You think?"

"Of course, besides, with me as your teacher, you'll get better in no time. I did teach you how to punch in one day, didn't I?"

"Yeah! You're the best!"

Sakura grinned, and this time Sasuke's cheeks turned pink. He quickly turned away and told her to keep training. Sakura grabbed the shuriken and continued throwing them at the post. Sasuke smiled at seeing her progress, as her aim was improving little by little. Still not there yet, but she was improving faster than he thought she would. He threw shurikens at the post next to her until lunch was over.

Whistles filled the air, and groaning ensued, signaling that lunch was over and classes were resuming. They packed their things and walked to class, finding their seats. This time they, Ino accompanied on the other side of Sakura, with Ayaka, and Hana behind them. Sasuke noticed their presence and didn't like it. He didn't want to spend time with the other kids, just Sakura.

"Hello Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked at Ino for one second before turning around and staring ahead. Ino looked upset, but Sakura started talking to Ino until class started, distracting her from the rejection. Sasuke peeked over at Sakura, noticing her smile. He silently contemplated whether this meant that Sakura would split her time between Ino and her new friends, and him. Or the other option, become friends with them, or at the very least, be civil to them.

Iruka-sensei entered the classroom and they began their history lesson. Today's topic covered the previous Hokages.

"The Shodai, Senju Hashirama, specialized in Wood Release jutsu, and was the founder of Konoha along with Uchiha Madara, and the Nidaime, Senju Tobirama," Sasuke perked up when he heard Uchiha. "The Nidaime earned the acknowledgment as one of the most powerful shinobi in history. We owe our village's existence to these three shinobi. Of course, you know that our current Hokage is the Sandaime. He was appointed before the Second passed, and is revered as the 'God of Shinobi'. Then we have our previous Hokage, the Yondaime, Namikaze Minato. He was known as 'The Yellow Flash' for his impressive speed, and he earned the Hokage title for his deeds in the Third Shinobi World War. As you all know, the Yondaime gave his life to protect the village from the Kyuubi. He performed the most heroic act the village has ever known."

"Iruka-sensei! Why hasn't there been a female Hokage yet?"

"Good question. We haven't had one yet, but we may one day, might even be one of you!"

"It won't because I'm going to be the next Hokage, dattebayo!"

"Yeah right, as if someone like you could become Hokage."

"Shut up! I'll show you!"

"That's enough! Any one of you has the potential to become a great shinobi, but only the best of the best earn the title of Hokage. If you plan to become Hokage, Naruto, you better start studying harder!"

After class, Sakura said goodbye to her new friends before catching up with Sasuke, who was walking towards the forest to train. Green towered over them, with the sun barely seeping through the spaces between the leaves and branches. Chirping echoed all around them. They reached a clearing where there were multiple targets hung on different trees. Kunai and shuriken markings decorated the wooden targets. Clearly, Sasuke trained here before. Sakura stood a good distance away and watched as Sasuke positioned himself in the middle of the area. He pulled out kunai from his bag, and jumped into the air, focusing on his breathing, before he threw each one, shifting his body, aiming toward a different target. He checked each one to see where they landed, but they were off by a few inches.

Ticked off, Sasuke jumped up, trying again and again. Still, they couldn't quite hit the target. Frustration filled his body, as he remembered how easily his brother had performed the same movements and was able to hit every target precisely on the bullseye. Exhaustion hit Sasuke suddenly, and he fell to the ground. Sakura rushed over and helped him sit back up.

"Are you okay, Sasuke-kun?!"

"Y-Yeah. Just pushed too far I guess."

Sakura took the medicine out of the onigiri pouch and started applying them to his hands and knees. Sasuke winced as she applied the ointment. They stung much more than he thought they would. Sakura bandaged his wounds and bruises, checking once more whether she missed one.

"Thanks, Sakura."

When Sasuke arrived home, he slipped off his shoes, before he rushed to Itachi's room to ask him to oversee his training. Itachi could observe his movements and advise him on how to improve, then he'll be graduating in no time, and maybe even go on missions with him!

"Nii-san, will you watch me train tomorrow?"

"I'm busy Sasuke," Itachi looked over at Sasuke, noticing the discouraged look on his face. His hand signaled Sasuke to come closer. Sasuke smiled and walked closer only to be met with a poke on the forehead. "Next time, I promise."

"You always poke me on the forehead, and say 'Next time, Sasuke.'," Sasuke rubbed his forehead.

Itachi gave a small smile before heading out of the house. Sasuke smiled watching his brother go out on yet another mission for the village. Being a Chunin meant he was going on C-rank or even B-rank missions that lasted for days. Lately, it almost seemed like Itachi was never home. He had small glimpses of his brother now and again, but they hadn't spent much time together since the training in the woods. But, he knew that Itachi was working hard to keep his family and the village safe.

Itachi's a great shinobi, worthy of the Uchiha name, and Sasuke couldn't have been prouder of his big brother.

A/N: I know Ino gives Sakura the ribbon and it's a symbol of their friendship, but this is an AU where Sasuke and Sakura begin to form a friendship as kids rather than as Genin.

I do want to make Ino and Sakura friends because I already have a sequel story already in mind, and one part requires them to have been friends. I don't want to make it look like their friendship is dependent on the fact that she's close to Sasuke, so it's not. At least, not entirely...

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