*Sorry folks, this chapter has just been edited. I'm renewed my efforts for finally getting the next one done.*

Well here it is, the beginning of my first multi-chaptered story. I hope everyone finds this an acceptable start and sticks around for what's coming up. The next chapters will be up as soon as I can write them, but for now, I actually have to think of a plot...

Any ideas or words of wisdom are welcome, so don't be shy! Review or PM, any way will work.

And I'd like to thank sheisthesun and Nijihime for all the help and support they've given me and for just being wonderful. Stay beautiful my darlings!

Ikebukuro had a wonderful medical program and an even better hospital. Or at least according to Sakura's Godmother, Tsunade, it did. That's why eighteen year old Sakura Haruno, a fresh graduate—and valedictorian she'd have you know—of Konoha Academy, was currently on a train heading to that very city.

Sakura, of course, was feeling a bit apprehensive about her move. She was leaving all of her friends, her family, her home and starting a new life in a new city with only Tsunade to act as an anchor for her. She trusted her Godmother's judgment; in fact she use to hang onto her Godmother's every word as a little girl. So if Tsunade said that Ikebukuro would be the best option for her…well, Sakura trusted her judgment.

Her Godmother was her idol; she was one of best, if not the best and most respected doctors in Japan. Her powerful and imposing aura made it impossible for anyone not to stare at her in awe when she entered a room. Actually, it wasn't only her commanding nature that drew stares—Sakura's Godmother was also extremely beautiful with long blonde hair usually styled into two pigtails, and sharp, intelligent honey-colored eyes. She looked like a woman decades younger than sixty, but her most noticeable feature was her rather large-'who am I kidding, those babies are enormous!'-chest. Sakura strongly suspected the use of magic and/or a great plastic surgeon responsible for her amazing figure but that was a secret she was going to take to her grave.

'I hope I can look like that when I'm her age.' Sakura thought idly while gazing at the passing scenery through the train compartment's window. With half-lidded eyes, she thought of the phone call that just about sealed her fate in Ikebukuro.

"Come to Ikebukuro when you finish high school." That simple sentence was Tsunade's reply to Sakura's plea of 'Help me Tsunade! I don't know what to do about college!' during her Junior year. Sakura had always been an uptight student, getting essays and projects done well before the due date and asking teachers for more challenging assignments; she was even elected Student Council President her Senior year.

Her best friend Ino Yamanaka often teased her for her studious ways, 'Geeze Forehead, I know that you're pretty much guaranteed a full ride to any school you want with that big brain of yours. Take a break and come to the movies with me this weekend. You'll get wrinkles if you keep stressing about school!'

"What? Ikebukuro?" Sakura, who was sprawled out on her tiny yellow couch, abruptly sat up. The pencil that was firmly grasped in her hand, ready to note the words of wisdom her Godmother was sure to give, rolled between the crack of the cushions as Sakura adjusted her position and brought her cell phone closer to her ear. "Why Ikebukuro? I didn't even know they had a university, let alone a decent medical school."

Sakura had always wondered why a world class doctor happily working at Bumrungrad Medical Center in Thailand suddenly packed her bags five years ago and moved to a place better known for manga and anime than medicine. 'Why the hell would she pick that city over one the most prestigious hospitals in Southeast Asia?'

"That's right. I think it would do you some good getting out of Konoha," came Tsunade's confident reply. "'Bukuro is a great place to live, close enough for friends visit to without any hassle and far enough for you to have your own life."

"Really? I could literally go to any school in the world I wanted with absolutely no problem, and you want me to go there?" This was not what Sakura expected. Discussing the pros and cons of staying in Japan or studying abroad? Yes. Deciding whether to embryology her second or third year? Yes. Talking about some no name, no prestige university? Hell no. "You can't be serious Tsunade."

"I'm dead serious Sakura," the older woman answered coolly from the other side of the phone. "Think about it; as the director of Ikebukuro General, I could get you working in the hospital the day you arrive if I wanted to."

That got Sakura's attention. There was nothing she loved more than volunteering at Konoha's own hospital. Her Godmother continued, "It would only be small things like covering the reception desk or assisting nurses, though. And maybe I could talk the Dean into letting you skip a couple of the basic classes and just take their exams. I know you already know all of that crap anyways."

"I don't know Tsunade, is that even allowed?"

"Sakura, trust me. You'll love it here, I know you will."

It took her a few moments of silence until Sakura finally replied, her voice weary and laced with doubt and hesitation, "...Okay, I'll come."

Sakura's head jolted up as the train pulled into Ikebukuro station. Her stiff joints popped as she stretched her sore limbs. 'I'm going to a need a hot bath when I get of this thing.' Shaking her arms one final time, Sakura gathered her belongings: a cute light blue duffel that she absolutely adored filled with her clothes; a small, polka dotted rolling suitcase containing shoes, and finally a stylish green messenger bag that Ino had given her as a graduation present. As she made her way down the aisle to the exit, she began to get nervous.

"Oh man, this is such a bad idea. I should have just gone to Tokyo U or maybe tried out America," she muttered to herself, ignoring the stares of the other passengers. "No, no, get a grip Sakura."

She abruptly stopped in the doorway of the train cart, nearly giving the old man behind her a heart attack. "If Tsunade thinks this is where I should be, then I'll trust her."

Green eyes flashed with confidence as her impromptu pep talk began to work its magic. "Think about all the perks of staying here: how many pre-med students can say that they'll be able to work in a hospital their first year of school? And Tsunade knows the Dean of the university. She obviously has connections in this city."

The iron grip Sakura had on the doorframe disappeared when her hand balled into a fist and flew upwards in the air. "Shannaro, I can do this! Get ready Ikebukuro, 'cause Sakura Haruno is here to stay!"

And with a pink head raised high, Sakura stepped off the train—

—only to be knocked to the ground.

Sprawled on the floor of the train station, Sakura contemplated her decisions in life. 'This is not how I imagined my first day to start.' She mused to herself as she slowly sat up. He head whipped from side to side to look for the perpetrator that knocked her off of her feet quite literally. "Ow...what hit me?"

"I'm so sorry Miss! I didn't see you!"

"Eh?" Rubbing the back of her head, the pink-haired girl looked up to see a black haired boy in his mid-teens in jeans and a green and white jacket, bowing deeply and sputtering out apologies. Not once did he offer to help her off of the ground—at this, she pursed her lips.

"..and I-I wasn't paying attent—"

"Hey," Sakura cut him off mid-sentence, "A little help please?" She asked, gesturing to her still seated form and scattered bags.

"Oh right! Of course." The boy leaped forward to pull her to her feet, also collecting her luggage as Sakura dusted off her shorts and red T-shirt. Once she and her bags were upright again, the boy apologized once more, "I really am sorry about knocking you over like that."

"It's no big deal. I guess it's kind of my fault too, for not paying attention to my surroundings." She shrugged. Holding out her hand as a sign of peace, she added with a grin, "My name's Sakura Haruno. I just moved here from Konohagakure."

The boy hesitated for a brief moment before firmly grasping her hand and giving her a smile. "Mikado Ryugamine. I'm new to this city too. I came here from Saitama for high school."

She choked back a laugh at the sound of his name, yet her eyes twinkled in pure amusement. 'What a weird name. He sounds like a manga character or something.'

"Oh, so you're a high school student! I just graduated a little while ago. A family friend wanted me to go to college in Ikebukuro, so here I am."

Mikado was about to add his own response, when a gray clad arm suddenly wrapped around his shoulders. "Well, well, well Mikado. Who's your pretty lady friend?"

Sakura watched with interested eyes as Mikado turned around to the newcomer and gave an excited cry of, "Masaomi?"

"Who else could it be?" The boy, Masaomi she assumed, asked. "I'll give you three hints. One: Masaomi Kida, two: Masaomi Kida, and three: Masaomi Kida!"

Sakura looked on as Mikado fawned over his blond haired friend, laughing when she saw when caught Mikado saying, "Your jokes are still as bad as ever!"

Her laughter brought the boys' attention back to her.

"So Mikado, you going to introduce me to your cute friend or not?" Masaomi asked with a wink in her direction. Sakura just rolled her eyes, used to this sort of treatment from one of her friends back home. Even though he had long since grown out of his childhood crush on her, he still flirted with her out of habit and just for fun. 'I wonder how that idiot is doing…'

"Sakura Haruno, this is Masaomi Kida. We've been best friends since elementary school. He's the one who got me to move to Ikebukuro."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Masaomi." Sakura said, extending her hand to him. Instead of just shaking her hand like she thought he would, the blonde-haired boy got down on one knee before grabbing her hand, planting a gentle kiss on the back of it. Her right eye gave a small twitch at his actions.

'Well, he certainly is…bold.' Sakura thought to herself as she resisted the urge to rip her hand out of his grip and smack the crown of his head. 'And flamboyant.' She added as an afterthought. 'You don't want to go around making enemies on your first day in a new city, do you?'

"Oh no, the pleasure is mine, all mine Miss Haruno. And that pink hair of yours suits you perfectly, nice dye job."

Ignoring Mikado's shocked yell of, 'Masaomi, don't be rude!' Sakura just sighed. "No, it's okay, I get that a lot." And before she could reply that her hair wasn't dyed, a low and familiar voice floated out from behind her.

"Masaomi, you look like a fool. Get off the floor."

Sakura spun on her heels, and there standing a few feet away from the group of teens, was Tsunade. An amused smirk danced on her face as she watched the scene, arms crossed under her massive chest.

"Tsunade!" Sakura ran to her Godmother's side and wrapped her arms around her in a tight embrace. "I didn't hear you coming, how long have you been watching us?" Just then, something occurred to her.

Her green eyes focused once again on the two boys in front of her. Mikado was looking from face to face, clearly confused about the new situation. Masaomi, however, seemed perfectly at ease with his hands in the pocket of his gray hoodie, a large grin stretched across his face.

"Why hello Tsunade, you're looking just as beautiful as ever!" He called out.

"Just how do you know each other?" Sakura was sure that her puzzled expression matched Mikado's perfectly.

"He's been around the hospital a few times," Tsunade answered easily. "Little brat always bothers me whenever he gets the chance."

"Oh come on, I know you love me." Masaomi flipped the hair out of his face, silver earrings flashing in the light. "So how do you two know each other?" Brown eyes flitted over to the two women, silently checking for similarities. "Is she your niece maybe? Daughter? Or dare I say, granddaughter?"

"Wait, granddaughter?" Mikado snapped out of his stupor and eyed Tsunade incredulously. "How is that possible? She doesn't even look old enough to have kids that age, let alone grandchildren!"

'Ah, fuck. Those two on encroaching on forbidden territory,' Sakura eyed her Godmother warily. 'Nobody—and I mean nobody—is allowed to talk about Tsunade's age. Not even me.'

Before her Godmother could lash out at the two boys, Sakura interrupted.

"I'm her goddaughter actually, but we should really get going!" A nervous laugh escaped her lips at the aura of irritation the blonde woman was letting off. She started pulling away, grasping the other woman's shoulders and steering her in a random direction. "It's getting kind of late and I'm starving. Let's go Tsunade, you promised to show me around."

She threw a grin over her shoulder towards the two boys, "It was nice meeting you both! I hope we can see each other around sometime."

"Yeah, same here."

"Nice meeting you!"

'Phew. Really dodged a bullet there.' After giving them one last wave, Sakura sighed in relief. Tsunade eventually took control and led them both in the direction to the exit, the younger of the two trailing behind and trying to keep pace with her.

"So, been here less than an hour and you already have two new friends under your belt. I knew Ikebukuro would be the right choice for you." Tsunade smiled warmly, face relaxed and eyes soft and bright. It was a smile that was reserved only for Sakura and she loved it. "I'm so glad you're here kiddo, I really missed you."

"I missed you, too." Sakura only got to see her Godmother a couple times a year. She'd fly over from whichever country she worked in at that point in time, and would spend the day with her. Now that Sakura lived in Ikebukuro, she had access to her favorite family member whenever she wanted. Well, as much as their schedules allowed, but it would still a big improvement from before.

"How did your train ride go?"

"It was gre—" A loud rumble from Sakura's stomach stopped her mid-sentence. She flushed in embarrassment.

Tsunade chuckled. "I guess you weren't bluffing when you said you were hungry. Look," she nodded her head to the top of the stairway they were climbing, "We're almost out of here. I'll get a taxi to take your bags home and then we can get some sushi. I know a place not too far from here that's pretty good. How does that sound?"

Sakura's stomach growled once again. "That sounds amazing!"

An audible gasp escaped Sakura's mouth when the duo finally made it out of the train station. Sky scrapers dotted the skyline with their lights twinkling in the twilight. People of all ages and walks of life crowded the streets—it was a sight to behold, and it was a breath of fresh air from the constant stream of high-schoolers walking around on the campus of Konoha Academy.

"This is…beautiful," Sakura breathed out. She twirled around in wonder, trying to soak in all of the different sights. 'Oh wow, look at that group of cosplayers!'

Sakura had never traveled much—excluding a few holiday trips to Okinawa with friends, she had never really been outside of her home town. Konohagakure was a small city surrounded by forest. It was filled with old—but well maintained—buildings, with most of them being over 50 years old. Although it was home to over 10,000 people, it still contained a strong sense of community. Ikebukuro, however, was like a new world just waiting to be discovered.

Sakura's trance was broken by a deep, booming voice. 'What the—I didn't even notice we were moving!'

"Ah, Tsunade! You want eat sushi? Russia Sushi is good!"

"Hello, Simon."

Standing in front of Tsunade was the largest man Sakura had ever seen. She took a step back and gulped, eyeing the tremendous man with wide, hesitant eyes. 'H-He looks like he could break me in half!' He seemed about a foot taller than Sakura's 5'3" frame, with dark brown skin and a bizarre accent, which she figured, must have been Russian. He was dressed in white and blue sushi chef's outfit and held a large stack of flyers in his hands. 'Yeah, hands that could crack my skull open!'

"Eh, who is this? Friend of yours?" Sakura hadn't even noticed she was staring until she found Simon's curious eyes meeting hers.

Tsunade jutted a thumb in her direction casually, "Oh, this is my Goddaughter, Sakura."

"U-Um nice to meet you sir." The 18-year-old managed to stutter, a shaky smile making its way to her pale features.

Simon studied her for a few seconds before smiling. "She very pretty, and pink. Here," he handed her a flyer. "Eat Russia Sushi, sushi good for you!"

Sakura let out a breath of relief when Tsunade at last made her goodbyes and lead her to the restaurant only a few dozen feet from the intimidating man. As they slid into a booth, Sakura asked "Who was that?"

"That, was Semyon Brezhnev; but everyone calls him Simon. I know he may look a little off-putting, but he's nice enough if you don't get on his bad side. He and Dennis," she gestured to the tall, gray haired man in front making sushi, "Came to Japan when the Soviet Union collapsed. They opened Russia Sushi a while back."

The aforementioned Dennis came up after a few moments to take their orders. "Hey Tsunade, what'll it be?" After a few skimming the menu for a couple of seconds, she decided on 'the usual'.

When he turned to her, Sakura realized with embarrassment that she had yet to glance at the menu. She scooped it up quickly and immediately blanched when she saw what was in it. 'What is this? Borscht sushi? Cheese sushi?'

After a moment of hesitation, she answered with a weak smile, "Um…I'll just have what she's having."

And with that, Dennis left to prepare their orders. Sakura, who noticed she had not checked her phone yet for any texts or missed calls, took out her cell, eyes focused on the bright screen. She was interrupted when the woman next to her spoke, "Sakura."

"Hmm, what is it?" She looked up from checking her messages. Tsunade's eyes were focused on her; she looked serious. "Is there something wrong?"

"I want to discuss a few things with you." She paused when Dennis brought their orders—tuna rolls and a bottle of sake, to Sakura's immense relief—and waited until they were done eating to continue.

She continued from where she left off, "When do you start your classes?"

"Next Monday." That was a week from now. Sakura had already memorized her schedule.

"My house is a couple blocks away from the hospital, and about a mile away from the university." The pink-haired girl nodded slowly, still not fully understanding why she was bringing this up now. 'What is she getting at…?"

"Now you should know Ikebukuro is a big place; and we don't have a police force like the one in Konoha. There are a few gangs that hang out around here and the usual trouble that comes with city life."

"Gangs?" She wasn't used to hearing about such dangerous things; the Uchiha's Police Force usually took care of them before they ever became an issue.

"Yes, color gangs mostly. The Blue Squares haven't been very active lately, so you don't really have to worry about them and the Yellow Scarves usually wear yellow clothing to distinguish themselves. There have also been some stabbings recently as well." Tsunade fished around her purse before handing Sakura two rectangular boxes.

Sakura's head swam, registering all the information the older woman had just told her—it took her a few moments to realize that the objects in her hand were waiting to be opened. Tilting her head to the side, she read the labels that were printed on the boxes and promptly stared. Confusion and awe riddled her features. "…Pepper spray and a Taser?"

"Keep those on you at all times." Tsunade reached over the table and rubbed the girl's hands soothingly. "I know you can take care of yourself, Sakura. Going to Konoha Academy basically guaranteed that, but I just don't what anything to happen to you. I hope you never have to use those." She gestured to her 'gifts'.

Sakura managed a weak smile, awkwardly adjusting the small boxes in her hands. "Thank you."

A loud, and rather annoying beeping sound interrupted their moment. The soft look on the older woman's face disappeared. Cursing, Tsunade dug into her bag with her slender eyebrows knitted in pure irritation.

"What do you want?" She barked into her phone. A minute passed before she gave a curt, 'I'll be there in five minutes.' Looking at Sakura, she smiled apologetically, "Those idiots at the hospital need me. It shouldn't take long, so why don't you explore the area a little? Stay close to Russia Sushi—I'll pick you up soon."

She rose and tossed some money onto the table. "Be safe." She murmured, and then kissed Sakura lightly on the forehead. He purse swung over her shoulder and shot the girl a serious look, "One last thing; stay away from Izaya Orihara."

Sakura looked up from examining the Taser, head cocked in confusion, "Izaya Orihara? Why?" 'The better question is...who the hell is he and what has he done to make Tsunade so weary of him?'

"He's bad news. I don't trust that punk further than I can throw him." Admittedly, that would be pretty far (Tsunade was very fit for someone her age), but Sakura understood what she meant and nodded—if Tsunade thought he was bad news, then she would be sure to avoid him at all costs. Tsunade sent one more look at Sakura before exiting the restaurant, blonde hair swaying with each step she took.

Once the older woman was gone, Sakura sighed and finished the sake in her cup. "Well, now what?"

Ten minutes later she was browsing manga in an enormous bookstore. 'Too bad this place sells mostly manga and anime, I was itching to read a western classic.' A few aisles away she saw a couple eagerly placing multiple volumes of some series Sakura had never heard in a duffle bag. She snorted and placed the book she was half-heartedly scanning on a nearby shelf. What in the world were they planning to do with all of that?

She had spent another 20 minutes or so browsing the comics when she decided to leave; Tsunade was probably done and on her way to pick her up and she didn't want to keep her Godmother waiting.

The pink-haired girl quietly enjoyed the city life around her once she stepped out of the store, eyes looking around in wonder, but was suddenly pulled back down to earth when something hard collided with her whole right side. A surprised yelp left her lips, but the shock was short-lived. The man who had oh-so-rudely pushed past her was already a meter away, running non-stop.

"Jerk!" Sakura yelled at him, lips twitching into a scowl. He didn't even look back at her, just continued on, sprinting and screaming the whole way. A small, 'hmph!' escaped her lips. 'Honestly, the nerve of some people these days!'

Her phone let out a small chirp, indicating a text. Pulling her phone out of her pocket, she checked the ID; it was Tsunade. 'Be there in a couple minutes.'

"Look out!"

"Take cover!"

Sakura looked up from the reply she was typing when the world around her dissolved into panic; people of all ages were running from someone or something. Her eyebrows knitted in confusion. 'Huh?' Off in the distance, she spotted an angry man running in her direction holding a large object over his head. Her eyes widened when she realized what it was. "Is that a vending machine?!"

Instinct alone saved her that night as the heavy metal snack dispenser flew through the space that her head occupied only milliseconds ago. For the second time in the span of just a couple hours, Sakura was on the ground. But she wasn't just going brush it off like the first time, oh no—this time...she was pissed. The tight leash that she usually kept her temper on snapped. It was time for this asshole to experience the infamous, 'Sakura touch'.

Whirling around, she put on the nastiest glare she could manage and snarled out, venom dripping from every single word she said, "Who the hell throws a fucking vending machine around?"

Marching right up to the guy responsible for the whole fiasco—who had stopped when Sakura began her furious rampage—she pressed her finger into his chest with indignation written all over her face.

"Are you crazy? You almost took my freaking head off!" Each word that flew out of her mouth was emphasized with a finger poke. He stared down at her wordlessly through blue tinted sunglasses. Speaking of sunglasses…"And it's nighttime, as in no sun. Why are you wearing those?"

Silence.

Infuriated by his lack of response—'He owes me an apology, dammit!'—Sakura rose on to her full height and proceeded to stare him down. Well, tried to anyways. While trying to cripple him with her glare, Sakura noticed that he was taller than her. At least a head taller than her. From there on she began to take in his full appearance: lean, but still muscular with blond hair and a black and white bartender's outfit. He was also attractive, very, very attractive.

Sakura's face heated up as she registered that fact. 'Oh, great timing body! Why do you do this every single time a cute guy walks by? You can't keep doing this when you could get hit in the face with a freaking vending machine, dammit!'

At the unwanted response of her body—'Stupid blushing and flushing, I mean, why? I can't look intimidating with my cheeks red!'—she abruptly increased the distance between their bodies, 'when did we get so close?' and stomped towards a bench. Shaking her head, she let out a growl. She didn't see the blond stranger watch her for a few beats before lighting a cigarette and walking away, apparently forgetting about the man he was so intent on maiming.

"Did you see that? That pink haired chick screamed at Shizuo Heiwajima, and survived!"

"Whoa, what just happened?"

"She has to be new; no one in their right mind from around here would do something as crazy as that."

Once she got to the bench, Sakura slumped onto it, placed her elbows on her knees, then cradled her head in her hands. Her long pink hair created a curtain around her face as she tried to drown out all the whispers and stares directed towards her. Right now, all she just wanted to do was forget about that guy—Shizuo Heiwajima, she surmised from the stupid whispers surrounding her—forget about Ikebukuro, forget about everything that happened today, and go home.

She vaguely registered the sound of a horse neighing in the distance as she patiently waited for Tsunade to pick her up. Boy, did she have a lot to tell her about.