A/N: I just want all my readers to know, I'm going on a week long vacation to the beach. So don't expect an update for awhile. We won't have any computer access the entire time, and honestly as much as I love writing who would want to sit inside on the computer when they're at the beach?

A Promise Made On A Sakura Tree

Chapter 7

While Sasuke and Naruto had their little adventure, Sakura made her way to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. As usual a bell rang when Sakura opened the door, signaling the arrival of a customer.

"Ino-san? Are you there?" Sakura called as she looked around the empty shop.

"In the back, Sakura-san!" Ino called out, her voice muffled. Sakura walked to where Ino's voice was coming from and found herself in the storage room. That was were Ino's parents kept flowers, mulch, and seeds that weren't needed up front in the shop yet.

They were stacked on metal shelves in rows across the room. Sakura looked at the cement walls and floor and was reminded of a creepy basement.

"Ino-san? Hello?" Sakura yelled again, quickening her pace.

'This place is giving me the creeps!' Sakura thought with a shudder. The lights overhead flickered off, and Sakura nearly bumped into the wall.

"Ino-san? Where are you?" Sakura raised her voice and tried not to sound afraid. She heard a cackle of laughter and the slamming of a door.

'Something tells me Ino-san is still mad…' Sakura realized with worry. Her body froze when she heard the wheezy chuckle of a man somewhere in the darkness. While the pinkette was busy being locked in the storage room, the said Yamanaka girl was laughing evilly up front.

"My plan is working perfectly! Once Sasuke-kun hears that Sakura-san is in trouble, he'll come running to save her. But then I'll come in with my awesome jutsu, and Sasuke-kun will realize he loves me! Nothing can go wrong!" Ino muttered to herself before running out of the flower shop.

Sasuke, who had needed some quiet time to think, was walking aimlessly through the streets of Konoha. It didn't take long for Ino to find him; she had gotten quite good at spotting his head among a crowd.

"Oh Sasuke-kun~" Ino yelled as she ran up behind the Uchiha and jumped on his back. Sasuke grunted and cocked his head to the side. He found himself face to face with a troubled looking Ino.

"Yamanaka-san, get off my back." Sasuke hissed, his arms reaching up to pull the annoying fangirl off.

"Oh Sasuke-kun, you just have to help me!" Ino said dramatically after she was back on her own feet. She leaned on his arm and blinked her blue eyes up at him. He said nothing, but his answer was clear from the cold glare in his eyes.

"PLEASE Sasuke-kun?" Ino purred as she leaned closer to him. Sasuke's lower lip quivered for a second as he heard the first three words from chapter one. Those words brought back a lot of unpleasant feelings.

"W-What is it?" Sasuke muttered, quickly coughing to cover up his stutter.

"It's Sakura-san; she's in trouble!" Ino cried, her grip moving from Sasuke's arm to the front of his shirt. Before anyone could see and spread rumors, Sasuke pulled Ino's hands away from his shirt.

'OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE'S HOLDING MY HANDS!!!!!!!!!' Ino thought with as much gusto as if she was screaming. With her body pumping with adrenaline Ino leaned forward and stuck her lips out. But Sasuke wasn't fooled; in fact he thrust her hands away and pulled out a kunai.

"Where's Sakura-san?" Sasuke demanded to know, not liking the idea of his darling pink haired teammate being in harm's way.

"Come, I'll explain on the way." Ino uttered, her shoulders slumped in a pout.

'Humph. Next time I'll sink my hook into you Sasuke-kun, and you won't give that annoying forehead brat the time of day!' Ino growled to herself as she and Sasuke took off.

"What happened?" Sasuke questioned while they ran, his grip on the kunai extra hard.

"I-I don't know, exactly," Ino made sure her voice sounded just right, to avoid letting Sasuke get suspicious.

"I wanted to hang out with Sakura-san today, you know, to make up for how mean I was to her. But she came with some creepy older guy; they had their arms wrapped around each other's waist. I was scared, but didn't say anything. After all, Sakura-san's responsible enough to know who to trust and who not to.

Well, after we talked, they wanted some alone time. I hesitated, because I didn't think it was a good idea for that guy to be alone with Sakura-san. She remembered the shop's storage room, and they raced off inside and locked the door. I heard them giggling at first, but then it sounded like Sakura-san was scared…

I didn't know whom to tell, so I ran until I found somebody I knew. Please, Sasuke-kun, we have to help Sakura-san!" Ino ended her story with a fake sob, and let a few convincing tears escape her eyes. Sasuke was shocked to hear such a thing, but he was determined not to let it show in his face.

'Why would Sakura-san go out with somebody like that? If what Yamanaka-san said is true, then she could be in serious danger!' Sasuke's jaw clenched as he imagined what terrible things could be happening to his childhood friend. Another thought struck him, one that Sasuke didn't like one bit.

'Since when was Sakura-san dating?' The Uchiha boy's black eyes narrowed in dislike.

'I guess Naruto-baka was wrong after all…' Ino watched him out of the corner of her eye as they neared the flower shop.

'I've got to make sure my timing is perfect!' Ino thought with a shiver in anticipation. Yamanaka Flower Shop came into view, and Sasuke all but kicked the door down in his hurry to get inside.

"Where's the storage room?" Sasuke barked, not in the mood for being nice. Ino told him and Sasuke tugged on the door. While he was opening it Ino walked away and hid behind a giant flower growing out of a pot. She aimed her hands carefully, and when Sasuke opened the door Ino smirked.

She was locked on Sakura's face when Ino muttered the name of her famous jutsu. The lights turned back on, and Sasuke gasped when he saw the sight before him. Sakura was pinned against the wall, her arms being held above her head by a stranger Sasuke had never seen before.

Ino had been right; the guy was freaky looking. His dark hair was matted down with dirt and his teeth were yellow and rotted. He wore dirty, holed clothes and no shoes. Sakura's eyes were shut tight, every feature of her face screaming for help.

Ino's psyche collided with Sakura's body, and before the Uchiha or anyone else could move a possessed Sakura was leaning forward to kiss the stranger. Upon the Haruno's lips meeting with the hobo's, he dropped her arms and wrapped his own around her waist. A smirking Sakura put her own arms around his neck and they stayed like that until Sasuke's kunai found itself inches from the stranger's neck.

"Get away from her!" Sasuke snarled, his eyes bright with Sharingan. The stranger instantly pushed Sakura away and held his hands up innocently.

"Sasuke-san? What are you doing here?" Sakura cocked her head to the side innocently, while Ino enjoyed the look of Sasuke's anger.

"WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE HOKAGE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" Sasuke roared, his famous red eyes boring into Sakura's like a thousand knives. Sakura gulped before standing straight.

"I was enjoying a private moment with my boyfriend, something I know you don't understand." She uttered, glaring at the Uchiha. Sasuke took several deep breathes in attempt to get a hold of his feelings.

"Sakura-san, has this man hurt you? Did he do something bad to you, to make you act like this? If he's threatening you Sakura-san-!" Sasuke tried to say, volumes of anger echoing in his tone. Sakura cut him off by slapping him across the cheek.

"Who do you think you are, waltzing in here and attacking my boyfriend? I hate you Uchiha-teme! My family always has, and I always will. Why don't you go bother someone who actually cares, like Ino-san? She's a lot prettier then I am anyway." Sakura snapped. Sasuke didn't know what to say. Instead he just stood there, staring and feeling the sting of her slap.

'Can this be? I would have thought she had some childhood feelings left in her…I suppose I was wrong as well.' Sasuke realized, his heart breaking in two. Ino felt her psyche itching to return to its proper body, and knew it was time to wrap this up.

"Don't talk to me ever again, Uchiha-teme. Don't help me, don't look at me, and don't think about me. Go back to your weak, sniveling family where you belong." Sakura huffed as she turned away. Sasuke dropped the kunai and flexed his fingers.

"Fine. I merely thought I could assist my teammate. Clearly I was mistaken. I will not bother you again unless Kakashi-sensei says otherwise." Sasuke stated, his voice stiff and his eyes back to their cold, hard black selves.

Sasuke turned and marched away, hiding all traces of hurt and betrayal from his face. Sakura giggled in delight before Ino's mind was forced back into her own body. Sakura blinked a few times and looked at the man who was holding her.

"YOU PERVE! GET AWAY FROM ME!" Sakura yelled as she face palmed the stranger.

"GYA!!!!!!!! Crazy chick on the loose!" The man yelled before running off. Before he left the flower shop he called over his shoulder

"Thanks for the money hun!" Then he was gone, and not a moment too soon. Ino stood up and stretched, and then noticed Sakura staring at her.

"What?" Ino questioned faultlessly.

"Ino-san, did you use your jutsu to get in my head?" Sakura hissed as she stood to pick up Sasuke's fallen kunai.

"No! Of course not! Don't be silly." Ino laughed nervously.

"What did you do Ino-san?" Sakura growled as she twirled the kunai threateningly.

'Oh, crap. This wasn't part of the plan!' Ino thought nervously.

"I did nothing, okay? So if you can't prove I did, then get out of my flower shop." Ino demanded as she pointed at the door. Sakura death glared the blond haired girl.

"When I find out what you did Ino-pig, I'm going to cut your hair in your sleep!" Sakura denounced as she waved the kunai. The Haruno girl then quickly left Ino's flower shop.

'I've got to figure out what Ino-san did to me while she was in control…' Sakura thought as she walked by a black beetle.

A/N: There was a lot of yelling in this chapter, huh? Anyway, I know I previously stated that I would sweeten up the tension between Sakura and Ino in a later chapter. Well, don't worry anti Ino bashers, I'm still going to try and squeeze that in. But I had to write it; after all, it is something she would do. At least I think she would. I do hope this will fill your update cravings for at least a week; I tried to make it really good!