Hi everyone! My first fic, so be nice, ne?

Hope you enjoy! ♥

DiamondWings
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Story dedicated to all the people who're reading this fanfiction, and my friend and beta-reader, Eikuir.

Disclaimer: All bow to the creator of Naruto - Masashi Kishimoto! (bows)

Chapter 1– Prologue
Sakura completely understood and accepted the fact that Ino was her best friend, but this was simply going too far. Here she was… expecting a nice, long, one-week break Tsunade granted her, but apparently the cruel world thought otherwise.

A loud, whiny 'pleaaase?' jolted the kunoichi out of her thoughts that involved Ino, a chainsaw, and gallons of a certain red fluid.
Pulling away from the idea of making her rather gruesome images come true, Sakura sighed.

"I'll think about it."

Ino squealed at a deafening pitch, while glomping Sakura.

'Well, Ino-pig lives up to her name,' Inner-Sakura commented dryly, with her hands covering both ears.

"Thank you sooo much, forehead-girl! See you later! I'm going to tell Sasu-chan now!"

The pink haired kunoichi winced at Ino's nickname for her childhood crush, but nodded nonetheless. "See you later, Ino-pig."

Sakura weakly closed the door, but not before she saw Ino crashing through a little crowd or Genin that were lounging around the bottom of the apartment complex's stairway.

A slight frown marred Sakura's usually cheerful features as she walked into the kitchen to brew some coffee. The medic-nin allowed the current situation to whirr through her quick mind.

Normally she would've agreed to go on the mission immediately, but the reason that her help was requested this time just pissed her off.

Yes, she knew that Ino and Sasuke were in a relationship, but what really wounded her most was the fact that Sasuke thought Ino was better then her. Be it in personality, beauty, strength, skill, or even in bed…apparently Ino bested her in all.

Sakura stood up from the stool stiffly. She'd had enough memories of mocking faces from her childhood, due to her lack of talent in the battlefield.

Just the thought of such things caused more then half of the counter to splinter into little bits that settled in a variety of places around the relatively small kitchen.

With Inner-Sakura still stampeding around her mind angrily, the only thing the kunoichi could do was pick the splinters out of her hand, stopping every once in a while to release some chakra onto her self-inflicted injuries.

'That Ino,' Inner-Sakura grumbled,' she dares to appear on our doorstep begging us to help her do that damn A-rank mission for her. Like hell! What an idiotic excuse too! An overnight date with Uchiha? Why the hell would she have to give us so much information? She's mocking us! I'd say a flat out no should shut her u-'

'Perhaps we should take the mission though,' Sakura muttered to her other personality.

'Oh great, now you're turning against me?'

'Well no, just that…'

Sakura's mental argument was cut short by urgent knocking on her door.

Grudgingly she stood up from her seat to see who it was.

"Haruno-San! Tsunade-Sama has requested for you to take a trip to Suna!"

Sakura's eyes narrowed slightly, but she took the scroll the messenger was handing to her anyways.

"Thank you," she murmured.

The male nodded and jumped off the front porch to wherever his next destination was.

Sakura scanned the scroll briefly, and was about to head back into her apartment when she heard a familiar person calling out her name.

A quick glance at the person standing at the bottom of her stairs was just about enough to make her slightly negative day turn down right soiled.

"What do you want, Uchiha," she asked coldly.

The kunoichi watched as the trademark smirk formed on the arrogant Sharingan-user's face.

"Sakura-chan," he acknowledged.

"What the hell do you want," Sakura repeated, letting part of her other personality take over.

"Yamanaka-san requested that I visit. Are you willing to take the mission?"

Sakura hissed, and looked back at the scroll resting on her hand.

From what the minimal information Ino had given her, she was supposed to escort someone to Suna from Konoha.

The person, whoever he/she was, was targeted by an S-Rank criminal, though there was only a slight chance that they would attack them during time that they were traveling.

How ironic, she'd have to go to Suna anyways. Might as well make Ino happy.

"I'll do it," Sakura announced, even though Inner-Sakura rambled on about how much of a mistake it was.

Sasuke smile never reached his eyes, as he bowed mockingly.

Crimson clashed with emerald, and Sasuke's smile formed into the facial expression he used just about 24/7.

'How I loathe that smirk,' Inner-Sakura muttered, even as Sakura felt her other self melting.

"Then you will go to Ino's house in thirty minutes," the Uchiha said, successfully breaking Sakura's thoughts.

His reply was a door slamming in his face.

A sadistic chuckle later, Sasuke was gone, with a faint smell of smoke announcing he had even visited his ex-teammate at all.

End Chapter 1
Hope you enjoyed, see you next time!

DiamondWings