Sakura
Kasugano is a schoolgirl at Tamagawa Minami High in Japan who,
rather than idolize rock stars or actors like her classmates, has a
fascination with World Warriors, particularly Ryu. Surprisingly, she
has managed to duplicate many of the Shotokan techniques, even if
they are raw and less effective. She has begun to deliberately pick
fights with older, larger fighters to improve her skills. She thinks
street fighting is for fun and is not very serious about it. Her
classmate and archrival Karin Kanzuki is also into martial arts but
in a bit more serious manner.
Knowing Ryu will be in the Street Fighter tournament (she is his
number one fan!), Sakura joins the fray to meet him for the first
time, hoping he will be her master and train her. When she finally
does meet him, he defeats young Sakura, withholding his true might,
and explains that he cannot train her because he is still learning
himself. Ryu feels awkward, yet amazed, that the young girl before
him has learned so much in so short a time without help and is
tempted to guide her dangerous "hobby" to a more spiritual
end.
Sakura is crushed when Ryu dismisses her, but she still takes a
picture of Ryu for a souvenir. She is confused by what Ryu meant by
the spirit of the fight, because fighting is for fun, right?
Notes: Sakura learns the true meaning of the fight in her
guest appearance in Rival Schools: United by Fate and also stars in
the manga (comic) Sakura Ganbaru.