CHAPTER ONE

10 years later

Sakura was tending to the roses in front of the flower shop when her older sister, Ino, came running, out of breath.

"Sakura!" She said, smiling, clutching a large square package to her chest. "Guess who I just ran into?"

Sakura put down the pliers and looked up at the blonde ninja-in-training*. Just shy of turning 18, her unusual, long pink hair and ice-green eyes** easily made Sakura the prettiest girl in the village.

"Who, Ino?" She said a little impatiently. "You left me to deal with these poor guys-" She gestured to the wilting red flowers "-all by myself."

"I told you I was going to go for a walk around town." Ino said, still smiling. "Just guess!"

"Judging by your face, I'm guessing it was Sasuke." Sakura said, picking her pliers up again and going back to snipping away the dead parts.

Ino nodded excitedly. "He told me to give this to you." She thrust the package out to her younger sister.

Sakura eyed the package warily. Sasuke Uchiha. Konohagukare's top ninja-in-training. Not to mention the most handsome, with physical traits only the elite families carry. Any boy would love to be him. Any girl would love to be WITH him. Except for Sakura. She found him disgusting.

"He's a self-loving pig, Ino." She commented as she snipped another part away. "There is nothing interesting about him."

Ino scowled. "You are so selfish, Sakura. I would DIE to be in your position right now." She started to tear the wrapping off in anger. Sakura just ignored her until Ino was halfway through the wrapping.

"I'm sorry, Ino." She said, standing up and hugging her onii-chan. "I'm just in a bad mood today, that's all." Ino hesitated before hugging her sister back.

Sakura knew she had to be careful when it came to upsetting Ino. When Mother and Father didn't come home for weeks, months, years from their mission, it was Ino who took care of her and their family flower shop. When Sakura got old enough she began to help out to, because she owed it to her sister.

"Here." Sakura said kindly, taking the package from Ino. "I'll see what he got me." She tore off the rest of the packaging. Ino gasped at the sight - a beautiful blue necklace laid in a black velvet case. It was obviously quite expensive.

"I have no need for this." Sakura muttered to herself, but she saw Ino's anticipated face and chalked up her attitude to a 'surprised' reaction. She knew that Ino wanted her to have a good life, that's why she was so insistent on her liking Sasuke Uchiha.

"Can we actually go sketching now?" Sakura said quickly, putting the necklace away. "I wonder if there's something new in the meadow..."

"Sure." Ino smiled and skipped inside the shop. "I'll get yours as well!" She called back.

Sakura smiled back at her sister until she was out of sight, then she jammed the necklace quickly into the mud of the garden. She would need to have a talk with Sasuke soon and tell him to stay away. She had no intention of marrying anyone, or at least, this soon in her life.

She looked up at the flower shop. Ino was probably trying to find her sketchbook in the swamp she calls her room. At least Sakura kept hers clean. She looked at the dying roses. Maybe... she looked around quickly, making sure no one in the almost deserted street was looking. Then she slowly knelt down and placed her palm over one of the roses, wary of her surroundings, and concentrated. When she took her hand away, the rose was healed, and now standing up strong and proud.

She stood up quickly when Ino came out again with the sketchbooks and brushes. "I've got them." She said cheerfully. She stopped when she saw the bright red rose. "Oh!" She exclaimed. "I didn't notice that we still had a live one left."

"No, we do." Sakura said quickly. Ino looked at her curiously before Sakura grabbed her brush and sketchbook out of Ino's hands. "Let's go before it becomes too late."

Ino looked at the healthy flower before following her little sister. ***

IN THE MEADOW

"Hey, Ino! I found that orange one you were drawing yesterday!" Sakura hollered over the wind to Ino, who was searching the grass nearby.

"Thanks, Sakura!" Ino said as she came closer. "Wait -" She looked closer. "This isn't it."

Sakura sighed. "Are you sure it was in this area?" She hated it when Ino got hooked on drawing one specific flower. She had to keep drawing it and it had to be the same exact one.

"I'm sure..." Ino looked to the left, where the forest was. "Maybe it was nearby there?"

Sakura looked at where she was talking about. The darkened trees curled upon each other, and no sunlight hit that place. "In there?" She said, a little fearful.

"Not all the way - just come with me." Ino said. "Let's go." She grasped Sakura's hand and headed towards the forest.

"Ino, I really don't think you sketched an orange flower in here." Sakura said, stepping over a bubbling pit of black goo.

"Just let me think." Ino said as they continued walking through the forest-swamp. Some time passed before Sakura finally dug her shoes into the ground. "Let's go home, Ino." She said. "It's obviously not here." She looked at her sister.

Ino was staring, mouth open, at something. Sakura followed her gaze. Right there, in what seemed like the middle of nowhere, there was a colorful flower garden. Both she and Ino began walking slowly towards it until they were in a midst of color.

"It's beautiful." Ino said. Sakura nodded in agreement, astonished. She heard a rustling and looked behind her, but there was nothing. "Hey, Ino." Sakura said, coming to her senses. "Maybe we should go now. It's probably going to get dark soon-"

"Look!" Ino said, interrupting Sakura and pointing to a crystal-like flower in the middle of the garden.

"Let's go Ino." Sakura said, hearing the rustling again. Ino walked to the flower and reached out a finger to touch it. All of a sudden something big and black swooped down out of nowhere, gathering up Ino in its arms. Sakura gasped and stumbled back. The figure took out a kunai, holding it up to Ino's throat.

"You are trespassers." It said in a low voice, sneering.

Ino is in-training, Sakura is not

** Some people say her eyes are blue, but I think they're green

*** This is not explained later really, but healing is forbidden in Konohagukare if you are not licensed by the council

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