Welcome again readers and fans! I will begin a new chapter now on Cherry Blossom. I look forward to writing this story and discovering it with you. I can't believe how long it has been since I wrote chapter 1! Anyway,

Here is Chapter 2 of Cherry Blossom

Enjoy-

xXx

Sakura gazed out at the buildings passing by. She tightened her robe around her body, hiding it from the wind and hiding her pink locks from view. Her thoughts drifted carelessly to the first time she had met Tsunade. It was the same day her mother had died.

She remembered it had been a warm and fun summer with Sasuke. They had been sitting on the large cherry blossom tree eating apples from the kitchen. That was when her mother had found them and called up for Sakura to go with her to the store. She recalled her mother had looked more frail than usual, her blonde hair was frizzled and her cheeks were pale. But Sakura didn't say anything about it and just helped her mother to the store. She remembered telling her about her day with Sasuke when her mother passed out. The look on her mothers face was one Sakura would never forget. She desperately looked for help, and that was when she found Tsunade. Tsunade later said her mother had been overworked and had suffered from being in the heat for too long.

She never wanted to be in a situation like that again. That was exactly why she had Tsunade train her in first aid. To save lives instead of watching loved ones pass by. She never wanted to feel so useless again. In the public she worked as Senju Sakura with brown hair. No one knew of her debt or that she was a Haruno, they only knew her as Tsunade's distant niece who would come to the hospital every now and than. She wasn't well known in the village, but those who knew her, knew that she took on many odd jobs.

"We're here." Tsunade said, pulling Sakura from her thoughts. It was a small and dainty house that probably wasn't suitable for someone of Tsunade's status. Nevertheless, it was the home Sakura had known for the past 8 years. Tsunade tipped the coach driver and headed into the house. As soon as she shut the door she turned towards Sakura with a fierce look on her face. "You know I can't keep buying you wigs every time you lose one."

"I'm sorry Tsunade, but I hate that thing, and it's so itchy! I swear my hair is falling out from it." Sakura removed her robe and heavily sat on a nearby chair. Tsunade shook her head.

"You're lucky I keep a small stash for these situations. I'm going to need to buy more soon." Tsunade sighed hopelessly and walked to a small closet to pull out another brown wig.

"Thank you!" Sakura said happily as Tsunade took the seat beside her and sighed tired from a long day.

"Say Sakura, I found a job you might be interested in." Sakura's ears perked up, she always made good money when Tsunade suggested jobs to her.

"What is it?" She asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. She was a little over halfway to making up for her family's debt, so any job would help.

"But you must swear to wear this damn wig!" Tsunade pointed at the new wig she held in her hand. Sakura scowled impatiently. "You wear this thing or you do not get the chance. And trust me, you want this one. The pay will be much better than the other jobs you have been taking on." Bribed Tsunade. Sakura's scowl deepened.

"How much better?" egged Sakura.

"More than you'll receive in half a year." Sakura's eyes sparkled at the thought of being done with her family debt sooner than planned.

"Fine! I'll wear the damn thing."

"Swear it." Tsunade said, placing the wig in front of Sakura.

"I swear! I'll wear it."

"Good." Tsunade smiled. "Because you can never take it off during the job,"

"What is this job?" Sakura asked getting more and more impatient.

"It is working as a maid for the ball this week."

"A ball? Where is this ball?"

"The Uchiha castle." Sakura's heart stopped and her mouth involuntarily dropped open. Her mind flooded with thoughts. She hadn't stepped foot in there since the day her mom died. She hadn't even been anywhere near that building in almost eight years, mostly due to the fact that she couldn't reveal who she was or get caught by tax and debt collectors. Yet here was Tsunade, offering her a ticket in just like that. "But you have to wear your wig." Except for that one catch.

Her mind wandered. If she took the job, would she see him? Was Sasuke still the same boy he had been before? What did he look like now? Was he coping better with his family's death? She had heard of his coronation but couldn't attend it due to her job at the time. She always wondered if they would still be friends if her mother hadn't passed away. What would have become of them? She sighed nostalgically as the memories crowded her thoughts.

"Deep in thought? I'll let you think about it." Tsunade said, standing from her chair.

"No! I'll go." Sakura replied impulsively. She wanted to see Sasuke again; she wanted to know if he was well. Even if that meant he couldn't know who she was.

"Great! I knew you'd say yes so I already referenced you in." Tsunade said with a wink. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Of course."

"The first ball is tomorrow night at 6. Just go in tomorrow morning by 10."

"Will you be there?"

"Yeah, I'll come check in with you every now and than at some of the events. But you have to be cautious at all times." Sakura nodded. "By the way, since you're helping for the full week, you'll be staying there. They have events lined up so the workers who are helping all week are staying in the working quarters." Sakura's eyes widened. Stay overnight?

"Which is exactly why you must keep your wig on! It's crucial, the only time you should remove it is NEVER." Tsunade said sternly. "You never know who you could be dorming with or who could walk in while you sleep… or shower."

"Okay." Sakura nodded, she could do that... At least she hoped she could do that. Than again, nobody had to know. She hated those damn wigs! There was no way she was going to wear a wig in the shower. Still, this would be harder than she thought.

xXx

The suns warmth spread across Sakura's face as she approached the all too familiar stone castle gates. Nothing had changed. These were the same gates that her and Sasuke would steal glances through all day, daring the other to come through first. It almost felt like she was coming home after a very long journey. If it weren't for the fact that she was older now and working for the castle. 'Just like mother…' Sakura's unhappy thoughts flashed through her head but she quickly shook them away to the back of her mind.

"Tsunade-sama, is this the girl?" an old woman approached the two as they entered the large gates. Her gray hairs were pulled back and she was adorned in colorful jewelry and a long simple kimono.

"Yes. She is a hard worker and extremely reliable, she will do well for this job." Tsunade responded. The old woman inspected Sakura closely.

"What is your name?"

"Senju Sakura."

"And why would you be valuable here?"

"I am a very hard worker, experienced in service, first aid, and cleaning. And I am a fast learner."

"Hm…" She touched Sakura's face and moved it side to side to get a good look. "Good enough, this will have to do since this is all so last minute. I will see you later tonight Tsunade-sama."

"Of course." Tsunade replied. She gave Sakura a stern look as if to say 'don't blow this,' and retreated back through the gates. Sakura's jaw was tense as she wasn't sure what to expect or who she would run into.

"My name is Utatane. I am in charge of overseeing the staff and making sure everything is presentable and proper for the events this week." The two walked through a small side entrance on the east side of the building and made their way through a skinny corridor. "This will be where you will stay for the week." She opened one of the many doors that lined the corridors to reveal a small room with a single bed, short dresser, and mirror. It was cramped and very bland, but Sakura wasn't one to be picky. Besides, one bed meant she didn't have to share a room with anyone else.

"Thank you." Sakura said as she placed her bag of belongings on the ground.

"If you go further down this hallways there is a shared bath among the workers. You will be granted two meals a day and must be ready to work by 7 every morning until nightfall or when your services aren't needed anymore."

"In here," Utatane opened one of the drawers of the dresser, "Is your uniform. You will wear this to the balls and this set to the day events this week." She said, opening a different drawer with another uniform. "Get changed into the one you will be wearing tonight and meet me outside." Sakura nodded her head at the old woman. The sound of the door shutting seemed to shake the small room. Sakura quickly unpacked a few things and pulled on her uniform.

It was a long sleeve black A-line dress that fitted her waist and fluttered out to mid thigh. She placed the black and white corset around her waist that seemed to lift her breasts higher than usual. She wondered if they designed it like that on purpose. She than tied a short white half apron around her waist and created a big bow behind her. The black socks went a little above her knees and the shoes shined as she laced them over her socks. She pulled her brown hair into a low ponytail and made sure to hide any stray pink hairs. As she exited the room Utatane was waiting for her.

"You must wear this as well." She said after examining the outfit to make sure it was on properly. Utatane placed a back and white lace headband over Sakura's head before nodding in approval.

"For tonight you will serve everyone champagne and snacks. You will clean any messes that might occur and you will keep a smile on your face even if foul words are spoken, do you understand?" Sakura nodded feverishly. "Follow me."

Sakura followed the woman into a grand ballroom. "If the king is dancing, stay out of his way, if he wants anything you will immediately serve him." Sakura wanted to scoff; she never imagined she would be in such a predicament. "You will not speak to him unless spoken to, you will ensure that each guest is properly waited on. After the ball you will help to clean this room and make it look sparkling for the next event." Sakura started tuning in and out as Utatane went on.

She was led outside to the back gardens where it was landscaped much more beautiful than she had remembered. The flowers bloomed gorgeously and sprinkled the landscape with many colors. Deep green hedges lined the stone path through the garden that led to a fountain in the middle and a gazebo further down.

"We will hold a cocktail party at the gazebo in the back over there." Sakura nodded but than tuned her out again as something pink caught the corner of her eye. She shifted her gaze slightly to view a large blooming Sakura tree. The trunk was wide and strong and the branches just as thick. Sakura flowers hung graciously over the tree like a willow, obscuring some of the branches from view. It was more gorgeous and larger than Sakura had ever remembered it to be.

"Are you paying attention?" Sakura quickly snapped her gaze to Utatane whose frightening gaze made her fear for her job.

"Yes! I am sorry, I am listening." She said quickly.

"You will have breaks every now and than, at which point you may retreat to your bedroom, use the bathroom, or eat. So long as you are out of sight. Mr. Uchiha does not like seeing his workers doing nothing, whether they are on break or not." Sakura nodded as Utatane continued touring the grounds and describing the rules and job.

A small part of Sakura wanted to run into the Uchiha as she toured the place, but she knew that was unlikely with his schedule and the size of the castle. Either way, the anxiety of just seeing him from afar was building.

xXx

The ballroom was extravagant as the night engulfed it in a magic that was almost unreal. The chandeliers lit the room brilliantly and illuminated the shiny floors that nicely dressed men and woman danced on. The glass windows overlooked the gorgeous garden that made for a romantic atmosphere and the audience was stunning. Everyone looked his or her best for the Uchiha Ball. The tables were draped in red tablecloths with silver dinnerware and snacks and drinks were against the wall.

The people buzzed excitingly as this ball was the start to Sasuke Uchiha picking his bride. Sakura's eyebrow twitched. She had no idea that this was all happening just for Sasuke to get a bride! And she had to be the one to serve him and all his potential brides. To top it off he couldn't find out who she really was. Things could not have been worse. She merely wished to have her childhood friend back. But deep inside she knew it was only wishful thinking.

"Hey! Champagne!" shouted a woman in Sakura's direction. Sakura quickly went over to her with the platter of champagne and presented it to the woman. "Finally." The woman exclaimed as she took hold of a glass. Sakura's eyebrow twitched again. 'Bear through it.' She ground her teeth and showed off a wide smile.

"Please enjoy the ball." She said before turning back to fill another glass.

Just as she had reached for the champagne bottle to fill a new glass, the ballroom became abuzz with fresh excitement. Sakura looked around eagerly at what caused the arousal. She noticed some people looking up towards the top of the grand staircase and followed their gaze. Suddenly her jade eyes connected with deep onyx ones.

"So what happens if you don't find 'the one?'" Naruto strode steadily beside Sasuke through the large lavish hallways that lead towards the ballroom.

"Then I won't marry." Sasuke said. Naruto cringed at the thought of Ino crushing him at the end of the week.

"Ne, Sasuke, you won't marry, ever?" Sasuke shrugged his shoulders in response as they finally reached the large oak double doors that led into the ballroom. Two butlers stationed at the doors opened them and bowed for the two men to enter.

Sasuke walked into the room, clad in a simple black suit with a shiny vest around his torso and a black tie. His white collared shirt was tucked beneath all his layers and into his black pants that draped nicely over his shiny black shoes. His eyes scanned the many faces to take into account how many dances he would have to do. Naruto entered after him, dressed in a fancy black on black suit only with an orange bowtie.

"You had to use an orange bowtie." Sasuke sighed.

"Duh." Laughed Naruto. "Anyway, I'm going to scout the crowd, I'll let you know if I find anyone good." With a wink Naruto disappeared in the crowd. Sasuke rubbed his aching temples. He absolutely hated the thought of dancing with every woman here and picking from them. In fact, he probably wouldn't even get the chance to dance with everyone. So he had to pick and choose. His head ached from the stress. With his luck, these girls would only be after the title of being an Uchiha.

His eyes scanned over the room until they landed on a maid hovering over the champagne table. It was brief, but it was in that exact moment that she looked up and her eyes connected with his. Bright jade eyes bore into his familiarly. He had only known one person with such bold green eyes. But that person had pink hair, not brown hair.

He shrugged it off as impossible and broke their gaze. Sasuke swiftly made his way down the steps to greet the guests of the night.

He greeted the first lucky girl who pushed her way through the crowd to meet him. For the first dance of the night, the girl was pretty, but she giggled even when he didn't say anything. It annoyed him to o end. The second dance the girl stepped on him with her high heels. Not good. Dance after dance Sasuke's feet grew heavy as he tried to concentrate.

"Mr. Uchiha," A steady voice sounded behind him. He turned to face a woman with long fire like red hair. She was dressed in a simple purple dress that sparkled under the chandelier and her eyes were a unique red color that instantly made him curious.

"What is your name?" He asked as he gently kissed the back of her outstretched hand.

"Karin," she uttered in a voice that made him want to explore this woman more. "Duchess to Sound."

He grasped her hand and pulled her in for a dance. As they danced across the floor she pushed her body closer to his, which made him oddly comfortable. Sakura watched painfully as she saw that spark in his eyes. She knew it all too well. After spending so much time watching him when they were kids, she would know that slight spark anywhere. It was the one he showed when something interested him. It was the only signal she knew he would give when no one could tell what he was thinking. Something pained her to watch Sasuke dance with this woman, and for the first time since last night, Sakura regretted that she ever took the job.

"Are you enjoying yourself, your majesty?" Karin asked with a slight smile playing across her red lips.

"You could say that." Sasuke replied, twirling Karin briefly.

"You have a strong grip." Karin smiled seductively as Sasuke smirked.

As the song came to an end he twirled Karin once more and they bowed to each other.

"Thanks for the dance." Karin whispered as she briefly stroked the side of his face before stepping away from him. His eyes followed her retreating back as she disappeared into the crowd.

Sasuke moved on from Karin to finish dancing with other girls. He finally approached a woman with her blonde hair tied in a fancy up do. She wore a strikingly gorgeous blue dress that complimented her in every way possible and had a charming smile.

"Ino Yamanaka." She introduced herself first as she held out her hand for him to grab. He smirked and took her hand into a dance that she would not forget. She calmly gazed into his eyes and pulled him in at just the right times. Everything had been practiced. She needed to stand out, and this was her one and only chance. She used Naruto as a connection between them. She pulled out all the tricks in her book and even made him grin when she said something amusing about Naruto. However, it ended just as fast as it had come and he had moved on.

Sakura sighed as she watched. She saw the way his eyebrows drew together, he looked so irritated after dancing so much.

"You are looking at Sasuke-kun?" Sakura turned to face a gorgeous blonde woman.

"Ino?"

"Yours truly." She bowed and smiled wide. "I didn't think I would see you here, let alone as a maid." Sakura scowled slightly but quickly wiped off the scowl with a smile.

"Well these are hard times to survive in."

"I hear you." Ino laughed. "But if you want to swoon the Uchiha, you'll have to do better than a maid." Sakura's eyes widened as she processed what the blonde had just said.

"I'm not here for that! I'm getting paid well here." She flushed. Ino laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Right, well I think my luck was good tonight. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow." Ino gave a slight smile and winked at Sakura as she headed back into the crowd. Sakura couldn't help but think she definitely should not have taken the job.

xXx

It was almost 2 in the morning when the ballroom was finally clean from the earlier event. Sakura gave a heavy yawn as she scrubbed the last smudged spot on the sparkling ground.

"Senju." Sakura quickly stood up to face Utatane. "These are the last of the dishes, take these to the kitchen for Teuchi to clean and after that you may go to bed." Utatane handed her a cart loaded with the last of the dirty dinnerware.

She took the cart from Utatane and headed out of the ballroom, careful not to let the stray dishes fall. She made it to the kitchen to see an exhausted Teuchi just finishing the last dish. When he spotted Sakura he glared fiercely after seeing that she came with dishes in tow.

"This is the last of it." She quickly said as she piled the dishes on top of the sink. The chef gave her an ugly eye that made her recoil slightly. "Just doing my job." Teuchi sighed.

"I know." He replied. Without another word Sakura rolled up her sleeves and began rinsing the dishes. "Young lady, you don't have to-"

"I want to, we're all tired after today." She said. Teuchi smiled and began scrubbing the dishes. Before they knew it, the dishes were sparkling in the drying racks.

"Thanks Ms."

"No problem." Sakura replied.

"You hungry? I'll heat up some ramen." Sakura smiled eagerly.

"Honestly, I'm starving. I haven't eaten anything since lunch."

"That's no good!" Teuchi said, shaking his head. "Don't worry, this will only take a few minutes." With that Teuchi began to boil water.

When he finished the noodles had an unresistable smell that made Sakura's taste buds water in anticipation. Teuchi poured the ramen into two separate bowls and brought it over to Sakura.

"Itadakimasu!" She quickly dug into her bowl of ramen eagerly, slurping every last noodle.

"You know, you have the same eyes of a girl that used to come here often." Teuchi suddenly said. Sakura froze. "Yeah, she would be about your age now." He seemed to be reminiscing in deep thought, almost as though he were speaking to himself.

"What was she like?" Sakura said daringly, she knew this was a boundary she shouldn't dwell on for too long, however her curiosity always got the best of her.

"Well you would never believe it, but she had pink hair! To be honest, I was kind of hoping she would show tonight. I have never seen Mr. Uchiha more relaxed around anyone else before." Sakura disguised her thumping heartbeat with a soft smile.

"It sounds like she was miracle worker."

"Maybe she was." Teuchi warmly smiled at Sakura. "Than again, that was eight years ago. A lot can change in that time." There was suddenly a creak as the kitchen door opened. "Ah! You're here today! I thought you would be exhausted after tonight." Teuchi laughed.

"You know how my insomnia is." A deep voice rattled Sakura's thumping heart as she slowly turned to face the person speaking. A handsome man dressed in a loose fitted black shirt and gray sweats stood leaning against the doorframe. His hair was slightly wet from just getting out of the shower. It was the one and only Sasuke Uchiha who stood expectantly waiting for Teuchi. Teuchi quickly stood and began scavenging the fridge for some ingredients to make a midnight snack. "Who are you?" Sasuke asked as he raised an eyebrow at Sakura. Of course he wouldn't recognize her without her vibrant pink hair.

"Sir." She bowed her head as he nodded and took the extra seat across from her on the counter. She quickly tried to smoothen her clothes but it was useless. After a hard days work, her clothes and her hair were a mess.

"Are you a new hire?" Sasuke asked, breaking the tense silence like a knife.

"Just for the week," Sakura replied softly. He nodded gazing intently into her eyes. Her gaze flickered as he stared into her eyes, almost as if he was searching for something familiar. She immediately broke eye contact; afraid that he would recognize her if they made eye contact for too long. She had to break the silence. "How was your night?"

"Hn." He shrugged, leaning his head against his hand in boredom. Sakura laughed softly when she realized his communication skills hadn't changed much in the past eight years. He cocked his brow at her.

"I'm sorry, I just never expected a man like you to be a man of few words." Sakura lied quickly. Sasuke shrugged absently. "Of course, I don't blame you. You didn't even get the chance to sit down tonight."

"Hn."

"Hey! Lighten up! You should be happy you get to dance with so many women. You're expression looks like you just came home from a boring funeral."

"This is my everyday look."

"If that is true I feel bad for the woman that is chosen by you." Sasuke gave her a look of defiance that made Sakura break into a broad smile. To her, any emotion out of Uchiha Sasuke was always a good sign. It didn't matter if it was good or bad. Sasuke's defiant look faltered as he stared at Sakura whose smile shined from ear to ear. He had to admit, this girl was gorgeous. Even though she didn't wear makeup and her hair was frizzy, her features were flawless and tempting to probably many men

"Here it is!" interrupted Teuchi as he set down a plate of three onigiri stuffed with small pieces of tomato. Sasuke quickly grabbed one and the three sat in silence as they finished their food. Sakura was the first to stand with her finished bowl of ramen.

"Thanks Teuchi, this was delicious."

"You're welcome! Now go to sleep, you have to wake up early." Teuchi said as he placed her dishes in the sink.

"You too!" she replied. "Mr. Uchiha." She gave a slight bow before turning on her heel and exiting the room.

"Do you find it odd?" Teuchi said suddenly.

"What?"

"She was quite friendly for a temporary maid."

"Hn."

xXx

Review please! I read every one. I promise I will update soon. Until the next chapter!

- Jaciie