Sakura Introduces Her Two Friends to Each Other (PRIVATE - SAKURA ONLY)

The 7 year old Ryuumaru stood in front of the Yamanaka Flower Shop patiently as he straightened his silk silver battle kimono out to get rid of wrinkles that might be in it and crossed his arms as he looked at the door that Sakura just went into. She told him to wait outside because she wanted him to meet some a friend of hers.

Sakura soon walked out of the shop, with Ino in tow. The blonde looked at Sakura in confusion before glancing at Ryuumaru. "Heyyy! Is this the guy you were talking about?" Sakura nodded. "Mhm. Ino, this is Ryuumaru. Ryuumaru, this is my friend Ino I've been telling you about," She smiled widely and stepped aside so they could both get a good look at each other.

Ryuumaru waved to Sakura with a bright smile on his face as Sakura introduced the blonde-haired girl to him, who he found out was the Ino girl that has been helping Sakura with her confidence issues. He pulled his long flowing silver hair back into a ponytail that revealed to Ino his pointy ears and his facial tattoos as he looked over her form with his golden, snake pupilled eyes and smiled brightly as he gave her an elegant, gentlemanly bow. "Hello to you fair Ino. Sakura has told me a bit about you" he said in a kind, warm tone.

Ino raised an eyebrow then nudged Sakura lightly. "Hey, he's quite the charmer aint he?" She winked at Sakura, causing the pink haired girl to blush since she knew exactly what Ino was insinuating. "And you too, Ryuu-San. It's a pleasure to finally be able to meet the guy that Sakura won't stop talking about," She smirked, nodding and holding out her hand to him.

He smiled brightly and grabbed her hand with his, shaking it in a soft, friendly manner. "She talks about you a lot as well, Ino-San. She has told me you have been helping her a lot with her confidence issues and I must thank you deeply for that" he said as he let go of her hand and let his arm drop back to his side as he reached into his kimono and pulled out a Cherry Blossom, holding it out for Sakura to take.

Sakura smiled brightly, gently taking the blossom from him and tucking it behind her ear as she always did. Ino looked down at Sakura since she was already taller and ruffled the girls hair in affection before looking back at Ryuumaru. "She's such a clutz, she wouldn't survive without me," She joked, laughing before patting Sakura on the back. "Likewise, Ryuu-San. It's good to see Sakura open up to somebody else besides me,"

"I can say the same. Although, considering Cherry Blossom here" here he waved a hand in Sakura's direction "told me that she was inspired by my mother to get stronger, I doubt she'll need for us to stick up for her for very long. Then again, I think any woman would be inspired by my mother if they saw her kick a full-grown tree down to the ground as it's roots were ripped out of the soil" he said with a chuckle as he crossed his arms, sweatdropping a bit as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Ino blinked, then looked at Sakura again before covering her mouth so she wouldn't burst out laughing. "Sorry, Sakura, but I can't see you kicking down a tree. You just look too innocent for that," She grinned, pinching Sakuras cheeks like a parent would do to ones child. Sakura pouted, folding her arms. "You're not better, Ino! All you've done is arrange flowers!" Ino laughed, nodding. "Hai hai, I'll try not to embarrass you any further in front of your boyfriend," Sakura flushed red, glaring up at her friend. "Whats THAT supposed to mean!?" Ino just laughed again, wondering what Ryuumaru thought of this whole spectacle.

Ryuumaru chuckled softly as he listened to the two trade friendly comments between each other. "I don't know Ino-San, you never know what could happen. In the world of a ninja, anything is possible. Then again, my mother is a Shimazu Devil so it comes as no surprise she's as powerful as she is. From what I know, the only kunoichi who's physically stronger then my mother would be Lady Tsunade Senju" he said with a grin on his face when Ino said he was Sakura's boyfriend.

"Ehhh?" Ino's eyes widened. "Sakura, you never told me your boyfriend was gonna grow up to be a powerhouse like that," Sakura pouted, her cheeks blazing red. "Will you STOP saying that?!" "What, that he's your BOYFRIEND?" "Ino, cut it out!" "Awww, Sakura-Chan's getting all shyyy!" "Stop it!" The two bickered on and on, in a good nature of course, but Sakura managed to shoot an apologetic glance at Ryuumaru, as if apologising for Ino's teasing and insinuating that they were together.

He laughed in a good-natured way as he watched the two bickered. "We Shimazu are all powerful, most of us are frightening as well" he said with a chuckled before his ears start twitching. "Do you hear that?" he asked as he looked around.

(I'm sorry but I just have to do this so Ino and Sakura can see what a Shimazu is usually like XDD)

The sound Ryuumaru was talking about was a guy screaming as he flew back through a wall of a nearby bar and made a nice dent in the wall of the flower shop. He grunted in pain as he slid down to the ground. Kimi appeared in front of him, clutched the back of his head and pulled him up to her eye-level with one arm. "Filthy perv. I'll teach you to try and grope me. I'm going to pop your head like a pimple" she growled at the guy as she brutally slammed the guy face-first into the pavement with one arm, forming a small crater her incredibly large muscled arms pushing and grinding his face into the pavement. "Hi Ryuu-Chan, Sakura-Chan, Yamanaka-San" she said in a warm, motherly tone of voice as she smiled at them kindly before her beautiful facial features twisted into an expression of snarling rage. "Stupid pervert. Next time you try to grope me, I'll castrate you with a plastic spork" she hissed into the pervert's ear as she had one of the ANBU take the man to the hospital as she waved goodbye to the three before heading back into the bar.

(LOL, that was funny)

Ryuumaru stared at the spot his mother was in for a few seconds with a slightly shocked expression on his face.

Sakura paused for a moment, stopping to stare at where Ryuu's mother had been before cautiously stepping forward and softly tugging on his sleeve.
"Ne, Ryuu-Kun?" She murmured in that tiny voice of hers. "Uhh...If you grow up to be like your mom, do me a favour and try not to 'pop peoples heads like a pimple' when I'm around,"
She smiled nervously, although her eyes showed a great deal of respect for his mother. That much was startlingly easy to see.

Ino, rather than take it on the chin like Sakura had, stared at the woman before she left like a goldfish with her jaw unhinged as she gaped at the scene in comic shock. She turned to her pink-haired friend and pointed stupidly in the direction of the bar.
"Sakura..Did you...Did you see--"
"Yup," Sakura cut in.
"She...She threw him and--"
"Uh huh,"
"..."
It appeared that Ino, for the first and probably the last time, was at a loss for words.

"Erm, sorry about that you two. My mother tends to get angry rather quickly and when she gets angry, she gets rather violent" he said with a sweatdrop as he chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck. Though his mother's tendency to resort to violence quickly was always exasperating, it never ceased to amaze him how utterly dominant she was.

"N-No! No need to apologise!" Sakura was quick to pipe up, waving her hands frantically. "It was scary, sure, but it was amazing to watch!"
She touched at the sakura blossom behind her ear, giggling quietly.
"Besides, she's my role model. Even more so after that, actually!"

Ino scoffed and elbowed her friend lightly in the ribs.
"Way to suck up to the boyfriend, Sakura,"
"Am not!"
"Oh, you are too!"
"Ino, stop it!"
"Fine, fine!" Ino looked over at Ryuumaru. "Your mom is pretty amazing though, in all seriousness,"

"Yes, thank you and she has taught me quite a bit. I try my very best to live up to her expectatations" he said with a large smile as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind Sakura's ear, mostly just to get a perfect view of her features, though to Sakura it was probably just a friendly gesture. Ino could plainly see that Ryuumaru held quite a bit of affection for her pink-haired friend, perhaps more affection then as a simple friend but Sakura seemed unaware of his feelings.

Sakura smiled gratefully as Ryuumaru tucked the hair behind her ear. She was about to get it, but he beat her to it. He was always looking out for her and she was hoping that was the way it would stay.
"Thanks, Ryuu-Kun!" She beamed, standing up on her toes to kiss him lightly on the forehead.

Ino indeed caught Ryuumaru's expression quite quickly. She stepped forward, murmuring quietly so Sakura couldn't hear.
"You take care of her because you like her, don't you?"

Ryuumaru looked at Ino, having heard perfectly what she said, and nodded his head vertically to show that he did like her. "Like is a huge understatement as to what I feel for her" he said just as quietly to Ino as he gave Sakura an affectionate smile and kissed her back on her forehead with an affectionately, featherlight kiss.

Sakura blushed, a similar shade of pink to her hair dusting her pale cheeks. She tried smiling back but she thought it looked quite goofy on top of her pink cheeks.

Ino blinked in surprise before smiling gently, nodding to show that she understood.
"I see. Love, huh?" She whispered.
She noticed how the two acted around one another and chuckled softly before she spoke again.
"She feels the same way, she just doesn't know it. Trust me,"

He looked at Ino with a raised eyebrow in question and turned to look at Sakura, wondering if her words could be true. "You seem a little flustered Cherry Blossom. Are you alright?" he asked her with a concerned expression on his face, though he had a feeling he knew why she was so flustered.

She jumped slightly upon being questioned and shuffled her feet, nodding rapidly. Her heart was pounding and she didn't know why. Her cheeks were phasing from candy pink to beet red.
"U-Uh huh, I'm fine, Ryuu-Kun!" She stuttered. "Just fine!"

Ino chuckled and elbowed Ryuumaru lightly to get his attention.
"See what I mean? She just needs a nudge in the right direction is all,"

Ryuumaru looked at Ino and nodded his subtly as he turned and smiled at Sakura. "OK then Cherry Blossom but do tell me if you start to feel unwell as because I would hate for such a beautiful flower to wilt from illness" he said romantically as he gently squeezed Sakura's hands with his own, not noticing the jealous glances that some of the older women would send Sakura.

If it was at all possible, Sakura's blush darkened some more as she looked down at their hands. Her heart was absolutely pouding at this point and it was slowly dawning on her as to why it was beating as fast as it was. She tried to ignore the looks from the other women as she squeezed Ryuumaru's hands softly in return.
"H-Hai...Thanks, Ryuu-Kun,"

Ino smirked, glancing at Ryuumaru thoughtfully.
"Should I leave you two be for a while? I could come back later,"

Ryuumaru's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink as Ino broke him out of his daze as he stared affectionately at the green-eyed girl that secretly had his heart and turned to stare at Sakura's pale-blonde friend and shook his head. "No, there's no need to leave. I would not want to be rude as my mother taught me better then that" he said as he gave the Yamanaka Clan Heiress an apologetic smile.

Sakura glanced at Ino, whining in embarrassment when her friend shot her a wide grin. She clasped onto Ryuumaru's hands ever so slightly tighter, as if it would help matters at all. Her cheeks were cooling slightly now, her heartbeat slowing as Ryuumaru's attention was directed away from her.

Ino smirked up at Ryuumaru, shrugging.
"No worries, Ryuu-San. It's just not often you see someone so...I dunno, 'interested' in someone else. You were staring at her for a looong time,"
Since she was merely a child, Ino didn't quite know what the connotations of that word 'interested' meant. She was merely poking fun at Ryuumaru's daze.

"I cannot help it. The Cherry Blossom's beauty is so radiant that it is hypnotizing" he said to Ino as he turned to give Sakura a slightly wider affectionate smile, his ears twitching slightly as he heard all the women around the three of them sigh when they heard the silver-haired, silk wearing Shimazu Devil be so romantic and affectionate to Sakura. Hearing this, Ryuu's ego was boosted very slightly, knowing that his open, warm, gentlemanly personality was no doubt something desirable to the female population, though he personally only had eyes for Sakura.