Hi everybody! The notes are going to be in every chapter for your benefit. Haha, even I'm getting confused. But if I do make a mistake please tell me. ;).

Notes:

Genin: Sanhao

Chuunin:Erhao

Jounin:Yihao

Special Jounin: Te Yihao

Anbu: MinZao

Shinobi: FeiZha

Kunoichi: ZhaNu

Medic-nin (on the field) (unisex) -MinBao - highly trained medic nin. - Tsunade

If the medic is not Tsunade, use of chakra to execute lower level medical techniques is called Erminbao. Or SanMinBao.

Healers (an exception because they do not go on field and some of the women are allowed to learn the technique. Lol in case you haven't noticed its a male world here.) - MinWu

People with only chakra / energy no speed or knowledge of martial art or destructive usage of chakra/energy) - Baowu (unisex)

This was not happening.

This was so NOT happening...

How on earth had she managed to forget today was matchmaker day? She had thought it was tomorrow.. Ridiculous! She had even bought the pigs blood to fake her wound.

It would have happened beautifully. She would slip from the tree, onto the rock where she would whip out the fake blood and then fall to the floor. Her father was even going to meet their leader tomorrow so she could have cast an illusion.

Why couldn't she have stayed fifteen.. Then she wouldn't have to deal with this.. She hung her head. So many things to.. Too many people to please.. And far too many lecherous nobles to stay away from. At least if he were a noble bloodlined clan she would be alright, because they used chakra. Unlike common noble civilian clans they would be that tad bit more understanding. She sighed.. But she knew that she, a civilian noble would not be permitted to marry a bloodlined noble..

Considering her father was not bloodlined and was one of the first Shensi since many many generations ago.. She could just cry. But no. She would not. Never show weakness in the face of fear! Even if that current face was her mothers.

Sighing, she walked to the bathroom and disrobed. She sat down on the wooden stool and began to wash away the filth on her body. Fingers running over breasts that grew out of nowhere even with her constant tying of bindings, a taut stomach and lean legs.

She shivered. The water was very cold. Sakura got up and used a wind technique to dry her hair. She perfumed her body with the winter blossom oils all the while wishing that their clan was not a silk exports clan. For if they were not, they would all be living together and her female cousins could easily take her place to get married and have a boring life.

She came out of the bathroom in her bindings and mesh net with a pair of shorts made from blinding cloth sewn together with steel ends to keep everything together easily.

"Sakura! You still want to wear those?" Her mother looked rather comical as did the three other women behind her.

"Of course mother.. It is for my own safety."

"Yes yes, alright, do hurry. We do not have much time."

"*Sigh*"

"Now Sakura, this is Minoka and Haruka." She pointed to two very thin waif-like women. "They will be helping you dress."

She couldn't dress herself?

"I will be applying your makeup and Yamai," a short woman with greying but beautifully knotted hair, "Shall be fixing that hair of yours." Sakura sighed heavily. Would she at least rise to heaven after this?

A silk hakama came first. Tied ridiculously tight around her already small waist. Next came the printed nagajuban -or what she liked to call as "troublesome underwear"- that was tied tightly around her. And then a heavy extremely wide-sleeved furisode was placed on her. She had to admit though, it was very pretty. But would be a hassle to walk in. A lovely light pink and blue gradient with snowy white blurs around it. Shimmering dark blue and gold flowers made it perfect. Her obi was an almost yellow green with dark green and silver patterns on it.

She struggled not to wince as that Yamai lady knotted and reknotted and knotted her hair somemore. Was she sticking pins in her hair? Meanwhile, her mother was painting her face quite gleefully.

Something relatively heavy on her face, a fine spraying of powder making her cough. And then some nasty pulling at her eyebrows. Darn it.. She needed those, what was this now? Her eyelashes were feeling heavy and sticky. She could barely keep them open now.

Her lips were being scrubbed gently and her mother was applying a soft slightly dense powder and liquid to her lips.

"Alright! We are finished. Look at how pretty you are!"

And a mirror was thrust in front of her.

Sakura stared at herself. Well.. She looked alright... 'I suppose..' Her face was a shade paler than usual and a faint rosiness was on her cheeks. Her eyebrows were well defined and her mother probably plucked them as well.

That would explain the pain we felt earlier.

You are a such a wuss Inner..

Tch whatever.

Continuing on, her eyes were bright with some pearlescent powder and her mother had lined her eyes with black and purple. Her lips were a soft red, drawing the eye to their poutiness.

Her hair she decided, looked nice. Braided tightly and woven to sit on the crown of her head and beaded at the ends. A small array of white orchids and kanzashi were set in her hair and enhanced the gentle pink of her hair.

A pair of snowy white tabi were on her feet and she held back a groan when she saw the Geta -Japanese sandals- she had to wear. The were high with a tiny base for her to use to walk. Thank the heavens she had amazing chakra control. How else would she be able to walk in a furisode complete set and bloody high sandals?

"Come Sakura." She walked to her mother and smiled slightly as the older woman reached around her, "A gold bangle for luck and a jade pendant for youth-AAAAAAAHHHH!"

Oops. Well it wasn't her fault. Kigechu had not wanted to stay behind...

"Sakura! That snake of yours can't go!"

"Well if you can get her out of there then go ahead."

Her mother grumbled as she walked out of the house and gestured for Sakura to do the same. Sakura swirled her chakra as discretely as possible. Masking it while sending it onto the Geta at the same time.

"Take the bag dear, it holds charms and prayers from the temple and a fan if you feel warm."

"Yes mama."

"And keep your mouth shut and do not argue with any girls okay?"

"Okay."

"Now hurry up and go."

"Hai!"

Sakura leapt into the air before her mother could tell her to walk.

"Haruno-sama. Is she gone so soon?"

"Indeed. Her quick mastery of the Geta is admirable. Took me a whole moon to be able to move as quickly."

Her mother merely smiled weakly.

Sakura landed lightly behind the bushes and walked out into the crowd where all the young ladies of sixteen and seventeen stood. Her 'arch-rival' as Ino called herself sauntered up to her looking quite silly as she did. She could not walk on the geta properly and had to take short and tiny steps to reach Sakura.

Ino and Sakura had been friends until the day before the incident Ino had told Sakura that she wanted Uchiha Sasuke and after the incident Sakura had stopped talking to her. She had assumed that Sakura wanted him as well, like most of the other girls in the village. Noble bloodlined or civilian nobles be damned.

Unlike Sakura, although Ino was permitted to learn chakra usage and the other arts of the Shensi, she did not work hard at it. She was quite able at transferring her mind but that was about all she could do.

Right now Ino looked quite pretty, she supposed. Heavily painted face, hair in a flower, or was it the other way around? The kimono was very pretty. A light purple gradient with a dark green and contrasting colored flowers. A pity Ino could not carry a kimono the way Sakura did and had the grace of an elephant. She stared enviously as Sakura smiled at her and walked in long but quick graceful steps to the crowd of females.

"I bet today Tsunade will take me as an apprentice!" Sakura nodded.

"'Cause you see, I am from a noble bloodline clan, not to mention I fight better than you and I am much prettier. Plus, is that all you have on you?"

"My flowers are also much bigger and they have jewels on them not to mention that my kimono has gold threads in it which would indeed make them much more expensive than yours and...softer hair...skin...paler... Such small breasts!... So unwomanly...proper..."

Sakura was getting annoyed, it stemmed, as determined as she was to tune Ino out, the blonde haired girl was determined to make her listen. Well... Mother only said no talking... She never said don't use Kigechu...

She smirked a little and let her feelings flow to her little snake. It was quite a beauty. Emerald green with black and gold patterns.

Smaller... Tinier than my finger... Tougher than a rock.

Sakura let her sleeves touch the ground a little, letting Kigechu out.

She felt someone's eyes on her and her own nearly popped out when she realized that it was Uchiha Itachi. How much had he seen? Had he seen her jump in? Oh dear how was she to explain it. Wait.. She tried sensing his life-force although he had tried cloaking it. A feat that so far, only she had achieved. But as far as anyone knew, none had anyway... Where was he?

Ah.. He was in a tree! A tree that did not overlook where she had landed earlier.

She smirked. Ino wanted Uchiha Sasuke? Then she would take Uchiha Itachi.

She would leave a deep impression of her in his mind, keep him on his toes and interested in her. She smiled once again. This would be most fun.

Uchiha Itachi was well-known for being the prodigy of the village. A minzao at the age of thirteen and a reputation for being so fast, that not even the top martial artist who concentrated on speed, could beat him. He was the eldest son of one of the most highly sought after clans and had a mastery over his bloodline technique that no other Uchiha could compare to.

But Uchiha Itachi had a problem. He was also very handsome. Handsome to the point that he had received more than a thousand wedding proposals from matchmakers from all over the land of Huo, some of them from the matchmakers themselves. Right now, one of the women in that group would be married to him and his father knew that Itachi would not marry willingly. Even if it was his duty to the clan. Seeing as Itachi disliked Noble Bloodlined girls so much, and refused to look at a single Uchiha girl. he told him to have a look around and decide on a different type of girl. No matter if she was of noble blood or not.

He had been sitting in that tree for over thirty minutes and had scrutinized each of the girls with a very picky eye. He had even sent chakra to his ear to listen to what they said. As far as he could tell, only some of the girls had developed enough chakra coils to barely meet the minimum standard for a Sanhao, or an Erhao. How very disappointing. And all of them, save for the Hyuuga girl -Neji's cousin- were speaking of who they wanted to marry and how they would lie about themselves just to get married to a high up clan. It was either him, or his little brother, or Hyuuga Neji. Not to mention they were all covered in makeup and had too many flowers in their hair.

He had been prepared to give up. Until she arrived. She walked right out of a fenced area that lead to a dead end. Itachi had examined her chakra coils to see if she had any training whatsoever in Martial Artistry or in Shensi chakra usage. From the amount of development her chakra coils seemed to have, he felt it only reached the level of a Sanhao. The only female in that vicinity with Erhao chakra coils was the Hyuuga heiress. This was most interesting, just how had she come from that dead end? He dismissed the thought of her cloaking her chakra, because in order to do that, one had to learn how to pull the different sides of their life-force and only the Yihao air Minzao could do that. And not very well either.

She looked very ladylike and beautiful. Unlike how he had seen her in the Hyuuga house. She often wore a hakama and a kimono that tied the way a hippori did And more often than not, the ko-uchigi she wore would be somewhere on the floor next to her and Hinata. In contrast, she would always be holding a very ornate mirror. She looked a little funny and he had found his eye on her a few times.

She carried herself with the air of a woman who knew what she wanted and he suspected she had had some martial art training. Either that or she had very good reflexes. He noted that once, she had been drinking tea with Hinata in the courtyard when a dagger was misfired and went away. She merely tilted her head to the side and moved her hand downwards by a fraction. Letting the dagger hit the wall behind her. When she noticed what she had done by reflex. She had dared to say it was reflex. No in had said anything, considering she was on good terms with the Hyuuga heiress. Since then, she had peaked his had seen her a few times on horseback out in the fields. Wearing what he suspected was a loose hippori that she couldn't be bothered to tie properly and a hakama that was not tied high enough. The slivers of skin he had seen from her had been enough to draw his attention away from the stressful work of being the eldest son.

Now as he looked at her, he noticed her nodding and smiling at the Yamanaka girl, to the untrained eye, she appeared to be listening and very attentive. But he noticed the way she smirked at different times and the way her eyes would narrow glaze over slightly. When she deliberately let her hand down and allowed the sleeve to touch the floor, he did not notice himself moving forward to see what was happening.

He felt rather disappointed when all he saw was a black and gold sliver no bigger than his last finger slither out. Until he saw Sakura barely twitch a finger, and then it literally flew into the Yamanaka's dress from under her skirt. He could hear her screaming and yelling for help. And was that something under her skirt bigger? He could not tell. Kimonos were thick enough as it was.

True enough, Kigechu had made himself bigger and was quite happy slithering around in her kimono. Biting a few seams here and there. Tearing at some of the lovely silk.. It tasted fairly decent.. But he preferred Sakura's grilled cod. Much better texture. He thinned himself to the point where he was as thin as thread and coiled around her ankles. The Yamanaka never had a chance.

Itachi gazed on amusedly as he saw something bind itself around the Yamanaka's legs. He nearly chuckled as the girl flopped onto the mud. It seemed that she had angered the Haruno girl, if the laughter and satisfaction in her eyes were anything to go by. And then her name was called.

"Haruno Sakura!"

She surprised him by turning to him a little and making eye contact with him. Smirking as she moved quickly while looking at him and the Yamanaka consecutively. Almost as if she were telling him to look at her handiwork. He smirked slightly when the sliver of black and gold darted up Sakura's skirt and bunched up ever so slightly under her sleeves.

He was interested in her.

"Haruno Sakura!" And that was her cue. She would love to stay and watch Ino in distress but she had to go. She turned her head slightly to catch the elder Uchiha's eye. His chakra had a lovely sky blue emotion to it. So the guy was interested in her huh?

She praised Kigechu inwardly as the little thing slithered up her legs and onto her arm. Settling itself there and flattening its scales. She could have sworn she felt it preening.

Inside the matchmakers home was a lovely spicy scent and her pet pig, Tonton, came running up to her. Used to the scent of Kigechu.

"Sakura. Come and sit."

"Haii Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade was a most renowned healer and was the first woman with the privilege of being officially trained past the Yihao level. However, tradition was tradition and rules were rules. She was still female and was only called upon when the country was in grave danger and the last time that had happened was ten years ago.

Her home had two sides to it and Sakura was the second person ever to be fortunate enough to see both of them. Double-leveled with a barely there gentle illusion cast on it to induce the person into being a lot more cooperative. Sakura being the only one other than Shizune to ever pass it unaffected had been welcomed into Tsunade's good graces. Not to mention she had a good sense of humor and a sharp wit that Tsunade found refreshing. Smart and intelligent she had happily taught Sakura as much as she could and had passed her scrolls she had written by herself to study. Unlike many of the proper girls, she had no qualms with drinking Sake and had in fact, sniffed out her Sake room that was hidden in the walls.

After a good four years of Tsunade's thrice weekly company, Sakura could finish over fifty bottles of sixty percent alcohol and ten bottles of Tsunade's homemade wine distiller from corn. For special uses and purposes only, this ninety percent alcoholic drink has sent both Sakura and Tsunade to the floor. So far, Sakura still hasn't managed to our drink Tsunafe on her homemade drink. She is down by half a bottle. And this is while Sakura does not circulate her chakra to remove the effects of alcohol. Of couse, Tsunade had beat it into her that when she woke up in the morning after a night of wine to remove all the toxins no matter how painful it was. Or she would cut her open and do it herself. Sakura never wanted to try it that way.

Tsunade-sama was well-known within HuoShensi as well as many of the other hidden villages for her prowess within the Art of Healing as well as the mountain-crushing strength she held. However, the rules of HuoShensi were tough on an ambitious woman. The lack of women who were willing to go against the law to train in the Shensi arts were minimal too. Therefore, when Sakura had asked to be taken as an apprentice, Tsunade had gladly complied, muttering that thank goodness some girl was willing to learn and was not afraid of some hardwork.

It pained Tsunade to see so many able-bodied women refuse to become MinWu. If enough women were willing to try, she would happily train them all even if it would tire her ridiculously. However... That chauvinist orientated Danzo had complained to the council elders often enough that t had reached a point where unless the woman was within a bloodlined family, no chakra molding or any sort was to be told. Therefore, only a few women had learnt the Art of Healing, and even then, they were too busy succumbing to their husbands wishes...

Back to Tsunade's home. Double-leveled. Upstairs was where she slept and conducted medical experiments, sometimes, to Shizune's chargrin, poisons. The ground level for when she needed to heal anyone and where she received clients and the underground was where she trained to keep fit. The upper floor was where she kept her alcohol and other 'nice things'. Sakura had trained with Tsunade numerous times on the stone floors of her underground room and had learnt a thing or two about dodging and smashing someone's bones. But her strength without chakra was crazy enough.

On the ground floor, past the front doors were a screen with a large painting of a fairy and a huge life-size vase on either side of the painting. Past the screen was a table with two levels stuffed with scrolls, ink and brushes. It was large and marbled with black and white. On each end were a few cushions and on each end of the room were bamboo cabinets wth seals on them. At a corner of the room was a marble stand with wood shavings that were used for brewing tea. Or as when Sakura was here, heating up cold Sake for a cold winter.

Past the spacious table were a huge set of curtains, one a dark red and one a pale orange. The dark red was sectioned into three sections. One for diagnosing people, one for operating people, and one extra large section with a few curtains in between when people decided to stay over for observations after a surgery. Tsunade kept her ready-made medicines in a rattan cabinet that was sealed and locked. Tsunade was in her fifties but still resembled a young woman in her twenties. Honey-blonde hair and slightly thinning lips that often broke into a mischievous smile. She wore a white vest that tied to the side, a green Haori and dark black pants. A necklace made from the rare jewel kesshoseki coincided with the seal on her forehead.

Her amber eyes glinted mischievously. "Sakura, pour me a cup of tea will you?"

Oh so she wanted it that way huh? Wouldn't even take it herself. Sakura smiled. "Hai Tsunade-Ojou-sama!"

"Yamete!"

"Hehehe, gomen gomen."

Sakura walked over to the marble stand and turned off the kettle. She acted as though she was busy with adding tea leaves while focusing and searching for a nearby Sake bottle, inhaling, she converted the sake and the tea into their airy forms. Focusing, she swept the air out of the little hole in the cork of the sake bottle and replaced it with tea, then placing the sake's air form into the kettle. She released their airy forms and winced when she heard a splash.

'Going to have to correct that.'

Eversince Tsunade had found out that Sakura had the ability to convert air to water and water to ice so to say, she had been poking holes in her sake bottles and telling Sakura to pour her 'tea' every time they met. Tsunade claimed it was good practice. Sakura knew better.

"Hai Tsunade-sama. Enjoy." Sakura smiled at her shishou.

"Tch. I am not so old.."

"Ah.. That's true. I should be calling you shishou ne?"

"Bah! I have taught you everything. You've practically surpassed me now. Four years and I'm becoming an old lady... Pfft.." She was muttering under her breath while sipping her sake."

"Shishou! You know I can hear you just fine." She received a smirk from her. "Besides.. There is one thing.. Or two that you haven't taught me."

Tsunade raised a brow, and then she frowned. "No Sakura. Kami-sama knows you will use it on the first almost dead person you meet. Forget it. It's not happening Sakura. You hear me? NO!"

Sakura just looked down. "D-datte.. Shishou..."

"You.. How long have you been pestering me for this?"

"I believe it has already been a year."

"Aahh... Alright. I will teach you the Yin seal. But no more! You got it? I will never, EVER teach you that forbidden jutsu!"

"E-ehh.. B-but, why?"

"Because I know you will use it on the first person you see almost dying."

"Mmph.." Sakura just looked away.

Tsunade smiled. "Alright, let's get this matchmaker business over with and I can teach you the technique."

"Aah.. Okay."

"Now, have a sip of tea, Haruno Sakura, and lie about everything you are going to say to me."

Sakura giggled. "Ahem, of-of course Matchmaker-san.. Kekekekke.."

"MmmHerrmm, now, Haruno Sakura, do you -" She couldn't do it. She sighed and cleared her throat again. "Now, Haruno Sakura, do- okay that is it! I can't do this! Not to you at least!"

She shoved the paper and board into Sakura's hands. "Read it."

Requirements of a bride-to-be

1. She has to be able to bear as many children as her husband wishes.

2. She must understand that she is to always cook, clean and sew for any member of the main house. This includes her husband's mother and father, her husband and their children. But this is only a requirement for those who will marry bloodlined clan sons. Should she marry into any clabunt is however not in training to be a matriarch, she has to be prepared to clean and cook as well as do any other chores based on her ranking in the family.

3. She must dress as her husband wishes and must fulfil his needs no matter what or how bizarre they may be.

4. She must understand that her husband is permitted to have as many concubines and women as he wishes. He may visit the flower houses should he wish and she is not allowed to complain because he is providing for her.

5. If she has any improper relationship with any man she will be flogged in public and if she is impregnated both mother and child are o be drowned. However, if her husband does not wish her dead, she may be allowed to live but the child is to be drowned.

6. Should she have any training or outings going on whatsoever, she should be prepared to cancel them all when she gets married. It is possible that she may have to completely give up her past lifestyle to accommodate her new husbands lifestyle. After all, he is now providing for more than one person.

7. She must have a cheerful, demure and gentle demeanor and must be able to look pretty beside her husband as his arm's gold.

These are just the basic requirements for any bride-to-be and should she not answer in accordance to this paper I am most sorry to say she will not be a good wife for any man.

Should she agree to all of these she must then understand her husbands social standing. Intellect is important when entertaining but she must remember to keep silent and know her place. Now, every bride-to-be will have their forms sent to each and every noble bloodlined or civilian clan. They may be certain requirements in different houses and should the bride-to-be be unable to fulfil them she will not be considered.

"You say you can't do this to me. And all the other girls?"

"Sakura, none of the girls have your spirit or fire. If you were to marry a man merely for social standing, you will be broken down. In an age where we women have no rights, it is not easy to survive Sakura."

"But shishou!"

"Sakura. All the other girls have been groomday from day one. They can play music, entertain, look pretty and know their 'place'. They can adapt to a lifestyle like that. To some girls, being able to marry into a family is good enough. But you cannot do that."

"Sakura, marry for love. Marry for who you are. I was in an arranged marriage once. It did not go well."

"Shishou.."

"I will send your profile to the different clans And the-"

"Eh? Why them? I don't want to marry the Uchiha brat!"

"Hahaha... Now Sakura, listen. I will send them your profile, but it will be honest. Write what you truly love and write about who you are. Chances are the snobby ones will reject it and the clans who want an actual daughter-in-law will not."

"Also..."

"Huh?"

"I have heard that the eldest Uchiha refuses to marry an Uchiha girl. Claims they are too pompous. Give him a chance eh Sakura? He is hardly arrogant and is a good man. Anti-social. But good."

Sakura smiled slightly. "Hai, I know shishou. I know."

Tsunade just gazed her with a naughty smile, "But Sakura.." "Hmm?" "I don't care how much you like him.. Don't jump into bed with him yet okay?"

"SHISHOU!"

"Hahahahahaha, stop faking it! I've seen you ogle more than a dozen sweaty men a number of times already. Shy my foot! Okay here's the scroll. Remember the steps and don't forget to do a reverse turn of chakra and concentrate it where you want the seal to be. Your body will build it slowly with any access chakra. Or if you can harness any store it. Once you have enough chakra to match your life force the seal will make an appearance."

"Thank you shishou!"

"Yeah-yeah. Now get outta here."

"Haii!"

And she walked out smiling and happy.

You like you like? I do! I think it's pretty good. You? I'm going to be writing the s'more exciting parts soon so be patient.

:D cheers reviews please!