Rising of the Cherry Blossom Prologue
By Ryu no Satsu

Ryu stoodon the cliff, his headband flipping in the wind, he was tired, tired from running.

"Is she gone?" - Ryu. Ryu looked around frantically. Out the corner of his eye he saw what he was running from. "No!" - Ryu Ryu ran down the cliff, hoping to finally escape the close to demonic annoyance that hunted him down.

"Stop!" - Girl.

The girl somehow managed to use Ryu's fatigue against him and leaped in front of our Shotokan friend, blocking his path.

"Listen, I'm not as good as you think, just leave me alone, Okay?" - Ryu.

Ryu was 17 years old and the last thing he needed right now was a desperate schoolgirl chasing him down and wanting him to train her.

"But, But... Waaaaaah!" - Sakura.

Sakura fell to her knees and started crying gallons of water. Ryu simply stood there having no Idea of what to do next. "Umm.. Shh, Okay, Okay! But please don't cry, it's just so annoying!" - Ryu.

Despite what Ryu said about her Sakura leapt to her feet with excitement. "Really?" - Sakura.

Ryu slapped himself on the forehead hard, regreting what he said over the last few moments, Ryu slowly walked to the closest park, Sakura not far behind.

"Yay! Yay!" - Sakura.

"Anyway, what about your family?" - Ryu.

"Ummmm..." - Sakura.

Sakura struggled with the question.

"Well you see... I...." - Sakura.

Ryu stopped in his tracks and turned around realising the commitment of what he had just done.

"You didn't!?" - Ryu.

"Well I was gonna leave anyways!" - Sakura.

"Oh jeeze!" - Ryu.

Ryu turned around trying not to panic.

"S***!" - Ryu.

"Oh well, nothing we can do about it now." - Sakura.

Sakura happily sat down with a big smile, Ryu looked ahead, rather annoyed, seeing the park not to far away.

"So where are we staying?" - Sakura.

Ryu was still rather unhappy.

"In the park!" - Ryu

A sadistic smile spread across Ryu's face. Sakura eyed Ryu knowing his intentions. He knew Osaka park in japan was fairly dangerous at night, especially for young school girls.

"Oh No you don't!" - Sakura.

"What?" - Ryu.

Ryu tried his best to make an innocent looking face, and ended up with something that looked like a horror movie mask. Sakura walked into the park unhappily.

"So we're staying here tonight?" - Sakura.

Ryu didn't have to answer.

"We have to eat!" - Sakura.

Ryu suddenly noticing his stomache rumbling, reached into his pocket, pulled out alot of money and threw it to Sakura. Sakura caught the money in one hand and put on a cheeky grin.

"Be back soon!" - Sakura.

Sakura ran of toward a shop.

thought Sakura as she ran towards the shop. As Sakura rounded a bush 3 men stood in her way.

"Watcha doin' 'ere girly, ya know it's dangerous here, someone could mug you.... it could even happen at this very moment......" - First guy.

Sakura narrowed her eyes.

"If you have enough money we might even spare you worthless life!" - Second Guy.

As the men said that they began to circle Sakura.

thought Sakura.

Sakura went into her fighting stance prepared to mow these men down.

"AHHHHHHH!" - First guy.

The first guy recklessly charged at Sakura, she quickly moved aside while doing a sweeping kick and tripping the guy head over heels into a thorn bush.

"Woah, lil' missy has some moves, Oh please show me more!" - Second Guy.

Sakura smiled, she shifted her stance to that similar to a ballerina.

"Shun-Puu-Kyakuu!"

With this Sakura leaped into the air, thrusted out her foot and began to spin rapidly, smashing her foot into his head numerous times. The final blow hit him in the back of the head and sent him flailing backwards, Sakura quickly landed, lowered her fist and.....

"Sho-o-ken!!" Sakura lifted her fist into the third thug's chest, jaw, face and sent him flying backwards in inexplicable pain. Sakura slightly arched in the air and landed on the ground. While landing on her knees she looked up to see the thug still standing. Sakura slowly lifted herself up and put her hand on her hip.

"Now why don't you play dead and save me the trouble of thumping you." - Sakura.

"I'll be damned if a little girl is gonna beat me!" - Thug.

The thug pulled out a gun and stood close to Sakura, sweetdrops started appearing on her forehead.

"Yeah, little girl is worried now aren't ya?!" - Thug.

Sakura had but one chance. She quickly lifted her foot and slammed it into the side of the thug's head, knocking the gun away in the process. Sakura looked around, her roughly tied bandana moved in the night breeze. Sakura slowly walked out of the park knowing this was the first of many, with a determined look on her face she ran down the street disappearing in the darkness of the cool night.