The cold crept into my bones as I waited for the huge castle gate to open. The steel iron bars were pulled up, squeaking and painfully slowly, just high enough for me to rush into them. "Good morning Sakura-chan", called the peasant women who were here hours before me in the castle courtyard to sell their goods. "Good morning," I called, waving my wicker basket in greeting. The air was filled with voices and the smell of pastries, meat, and other delicacies. Every day the traders, farmers and others from far away gathered here to barter and haggle, even those who wanted to bring a request to the queen. I loved these were some of the few enjoyable things in a maid's life. Especially if you were serving Princess Ino. Yes, that's it. My parents died when I was 7 years old in a fire down in the village. Since then I have served in the king's house. First as a kitchen maid and somehow by a stupid coincidence, the princess began to like me and since then I have been her personal, yes, we say maid, but it is more likely to be a slave. I meandered through the stalls and crowds until I came to the main entrance of the castle. A loud metallic clatter approached from behind. I didn't even have to turn around to know who it is. "Hey, hey Sakura! Wait a minute!". I turned around laughing and Naruto fell lengthways at my feet because he was wearing full armor. "Take care of Naru a bit," I helped him up and looked at his battered palms. "Oh, that's okay! I just wanted to tell you something, I thought that would make another day at Ino a little easier for you," he grinned. "What about?" "Today Prince Sasuke from the neighboring kingdom is coming to visit!". My heart skipped a few beats and I felt myself blush. "Thanks Naru", I said and made my way to Ino.


I gathered my dress and knocked on the massive wooden door. "Come in," snarled an authoritative voice from within. I slipped in and saw Ino on her large four-poster bed. "Good morning mistress, I hope you had a restful night," I greeted her in a voice that was as humble as possible. "Well, thanks for asking, but now to the essentials. Today Sasuke-kun is coming to visit and I have to look gorgeous! So come on, get to work Sakura," she ordered and rose gracefully from the bed and sat on an artfully stools decorated with carvings. Then I worked on her hair for hours, had to try new hairstyles it felt like a thousand times because she never liked them. So actually everything was always the same as always. "Sakura, you can go now," she finally announced in the afternoon. "I expect you in the evening properly prepared for the Lord's Supper and, above all, understood on time?" "Yes," I replied and left her room. As soon as the door closed behind me, everything became more bearable again. I hurried through the corridors with the vaulted ceilings and tapestries that always gave me the feeling of being small and inconspicuous.It was definitely the same with Sasuke. Why should he pay attention to a maid like me? Oh Sakura, stop it! I pinched my cheek and wondered what to do now. I could pick up Naruto, maybe he was already done with his work, then we could go to Kakashi together. Yes, I thought that was a good idea.


Naruto had actually already finished his work and was sitting with his legs apart on a hay bale behind the horse stables. "Ah Sakura-chan already finished with the ordeal?" He called and hopped down. "Yes, it seems like that. Tonight I'm supposed to go back to the castle for dinner," I said and tried not to listen excitedly, but Naruto of course saw through me immediately. He smiled and shook his head and ruffled my hair. "I thought we were going to visit Kakashi right?" I suggested. "Good idea, let's go," he said and pulled me with him towards the forest.


Kakashi was the court magician. He lived in a clearing in the forest. You have to imagine that the whole kingdom is surrounded by this forest. In the heart was the village and the castle. In the north was the kingdom of the Uchihas, in the west that of the Inuzukas and in the south unknown land. Well, I don't think you want to know what's in the west, but I'll tell you anyway. There are shady characters led by Lord Orochimaru. This kingdom once flourished like the others, but when Orochimaru turned 16, he killed his father and everyone else in his family in order to ascend the throne himself. Since then this kingdom has become the home of darkness, whoever gets lost there never returns…. No way . But there was one exception: the only person who ever got there and back was Kakashi-san. He never said anything about it, but I wasn't particularly surprised either. Well, anyway, Kakashi lived in the forest and rarely anyone got lost there, apart from Naruto and me.

You can imagine his house as follows: A rundown shed that literally had it in itself. In front of the house there were some small beds in which the weeds grew rampant, the paint was peeling from the walls and the roof had seen better days. When I and Naruto got lost here for the first time, we thought an old, little witch lives here who eats children. Well we were wrong about that. When we reached the house the door opened by itself and we entered another world. On every wall there were overflowing bookshelves, from the walls there were strange herbs and other things that we don't want to go into more detail. Kakashi was sitting at a massive table and was studying a book, when he noticed us he raised his hand without looking up from his book. So we sat on his bed and waited. "Nice that you come by, Sakura, I have something for you," said Kakashi and then disappeared into the back room. When he returned he was holding a bow and quiver in one hand and arrows in the other. "I made it myself for you and the bow with its own magical extras," he winked as he handed me the things.But Kakashi never does anything without an ulterior motive. So I got ready for some demands to come in the near future. "Thanks," I said, examining the bow. It was really good and was comfortable to hold. "Prince Sasuke is coming tonight," I blurted out, paying close attention to Kakashi's reaction. But he didn't show anything and just shrugged his shoulders. "Do you know why?" He asked me. "Well visiting, right?" I said. "He is to be married to Ino," he explained. My world collapsed ... my beloved Sasuke should be married to this trample Ino ?! That couldn't be done, it was mine! Oh no why? "Sakura are you okay?" Naruto asked worriedly. Only then did I realize that I was hyperventilating. "Um, of course," I said and stormed outside.


When I got to my humble home down in the village, I was breathless and my sides were stinging so hard that I dropped to my knees. I hated Ino, I hated her with all my heart. That booger princess with bad posture and crooked front tooth! I would love to give her one, but that was natural and would always be a dream. After a while I calmed down, got ready and went to the castle. Everything was festively arranged and smells wafted from the castle kitchen that made my stomach growl. Shaking my head, I kept running to be on time, but of course I wasn't. Ino was already sitting at the table with the others and gave me an angry look that I simply overlooked. "Good evening," I said politely and tried not to look nonstop at the door, because Sasuke would not get there any faster. Minutes, hours passed, and gradually everyone began to wonder where the rule was. I started gnawing the inside of my cheek which I always did when I was nervous, a very bad habit I know.

The king got up to announce something when suddenly the doors were thrown open and a blood-covered man ran in or rather limped: "Prince Sasuke ... Orochimaru carried off to ...", he got no further because he fell forward and lay there. There he was lying in a huge pool of blood and his last words were in the air. Somehow I had the feeling that those he couldn't pronounce were worse. Everyone was shocked, including me. Sasuke had been kidnapped by Oro! Nobody knew where to go! Calling together a rescue team could take at least 2 days and by then he might be dead ... if he wasn't already. No, think positively, Sakura positively, I told myself, and stormed off for the second time that day.

I was right Naruto was still with Kakashi. They both dueled with swords in front of his hut. "Ah Sakura are you coming to get your bow and then storm off again?" Naruto smirked. I knew he hated Sasuke, but I didn't know why. "No," I called and told them what had happened. "That is critical," said Kakashi finally. "Orochimaru probably wants to use him to start a war or to blackmail us.""We have to save him, please, a command takes time ... time we don't have, every second counts!" I cried. "I'll help you," Naruto said bravely to me. Oh my Naru, in the end he was always there for me. I fell on his neck and kissed his cheek. We looked at Kakashi expectantly. "If I let you go alone, you will surely perish. There are many creatures and dangers lurking in the forest and in the lord's realm anyway ... I have no choice but to accompany you," he sighed. "Hooray," I called, grabbed my bow and shortly afterwards Kakashi came out of his house with three bundles.
From her window of the castle Ino could see how three figures disappeared into the depths of the forest.


So folks thats it: D