I do not own Naruto.

They stood there in the rain looking at the memorial stone. Their eyes locked on one name.

Yamanaka Ino

Naruto, Sakura, Sai, Choji, and Shikamaru stood in a line looking at it. The rest of their friends Neji, Tenten, Lee, Kiba, Hinata, Shino, Kurenai, Kakashi, Gai, Yamato, Tsunade, and Shizune stood behind them. They couldn't believe she was actually gone. Shikamaru set down an asphodel (my regrets follow you to the grave). With his asphodel he put down a sweet pea (goodbye; departure; blissful pleasure; thank you for a wonderful time). Sakura walked over and set down Sakura branch and an arbor vitae branch (true friendship). Choji set down his alstroemerias (devotion; friendship). Sai laid a daphne odora (painting a lily) and a calla lily (beauty). Naruto set down a yellow zinnia (thoughts of friend; daily remembrance).

Shikamaru thought of how it all happened. How he lost his teammate and more importantly his best friend.

Shikamaru didn't see it coming, he couldn't have. And the worst part was he couldn't move. The earth style user buried the lower half of his body and his hands under ground. And while he struggled to get free a large harpoon weapon was aimed and fired at him. Ino saw this and ran towards her teammate. The blonde girl didn't have time to do anything else. She got in the line of fire.

Shikamaru remembers the warm liquid splattering on him. Ino's high pitched scream filling the air. The fading look on her face.

The other teens stopped at the sound. They turned to see what happened. That sound was one of the last things they wanted to hear. The end of the harpoon was only a few inches away from him. It had gone all the way through Ino. She was loosing blood fast and when she coughed up blood Shikamaru was surprised, he would have thought she was loosing it all thanks to the large metal weapon. He dared to look up at her face. Her blue eyes were dull and glassy. There was some blood on the end of her bangs, yet she was smiling at him.

"Shikamaru..." She whispered before she fell to the ground.

All this happened in five seconds but it felt like an eternity to Shikamaru.

He tried not to cry but he couldn't help it. The tears poured out.

"Ino I'm so sorry. It's my fault you're dead." He mumbled. The usually lazy teen was over come with guilt.

Naruto looked at the picture of Ino that was there.

"Ino!" Came the cry from Sakura.

Naruto looked at Ino who was on the ground. His blue eyes followed the chain from the harpoon up to its firing place. He locked on to a tall smirking brunette.

"Damn missed. But at least I caught someone." He muttered. "Time to pull in my captive." He gave a hard tug on the chain to pull it in, dragging Ino along the ground. Ino gave a small cry in pain.

"You!" Naruto called. His blue eyes turned blood red. The man raised an eye brow at Naruto before he gave another tug on the chain. Ino gave another cry. Naruto's nails grew and sharpened. He scratched the chain causing it to break.

"What the hell man?" The brunette yelled. The blonde Kuuybi holder locked eyes on his prey. He leapt at him. The brunette jumped out of the way. Naruto clawed at him again. Even though he missed he knocked down three trees. "Shit!" The man cursed. This continued for less than a minute before Naruto caught the man responsible for Ino's current state. He began to beat him.

Sakura looked at the name and read it over one more time. She couldn't believe she was actually gone. Sakura thought about their friendship. How Ino helped her become the person she is. And all Sakura did in return was end their friendship over some petty rumor.

Sakura, Choji, Sai, and Kakashi, ran over to Shikamaru and Ino. Ino was unconscious most likely from blood loss. Sakura began to flow her chakra to prevent Ino from loosing anymore blood. Choji pulled out Shikamaru with some help from Kakashi. They ran over to Ino's side. Sakura pulled out the large metal weapon from Ino. They just watched silently as Sakura worked. Sakura knew it was useless to try but she still did.

"Come on Ino. Don't give up on me." Sakura said to the fading body. Naruto dropped the corpse of the brunette. And having returned to his normal self ran to Ino. He saw Sakura working hard to save the blonde. He also saw tears threatening to flow over the medic's eyes. "Please Ino. Hold on." The pink haired girl begged.

"Sakura stop." Ino's weak voice said.

"I-Ino!" Sakura stuttered causing her to stop before she picked up where she left off.

"Sakura you're wasting chakra." Ino stated. Shikamaru and Naruto couldn't speak. Choji had a lump in his throat. And Kakashi and Sai silently watched.

"N-no I'm not Ino. You're going to be fine." Sakura responded as tears began to trickle down her face.

"I thought I was the stubborn one?" Ino joked but no one laughed.

Sakura became filled with guilt, "I-I'm sorry Ino. I-If I was only stronger and better then maybe I could have s-saved you."

They stared at the stone. Tears streamed down.

"Please stop. There's nothing you can do and you and I both know it. You just won't accept it." Ino stated. Sakura didn't respond so Ino continued. "I know I'm dying and I'm ready. I knew this might happen-"

"Don't talk like that Ino. You've never been one to give up before. So why are you doing it now?"

Ino looked at the other blonde. "No matter how bad you want to you can't stop it. I'm. Dying."

Sakura bawled as she fell to her knees.

Choji wept more and harder then he had when Asuma died. Ino was his friend. She had learned how to cook for him, and he loved her cooking. He wouldn't see her again. They wouldn't be the new generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. She wouldn't be there to take him out to eat every weekend or after missions. They wouldn't be able to star gaze or cloud watch. She wouldn't be there to tell him and Shikamaru what to do. And though it was annoying at points he knew it was for the best. No, Ino was gone forever.

Ino turned to look at Choji who was on the verge of tears.

"Choji..." She began. The large man listened closely so he could hear what his dying friend was saying.

"I'm going to miss you. You're always so nice and happy. You're a great friend. And I'm sorry about all the things I said about you needing to go on a diet or being over weight. Don't change for anyone."

Choji nodded and tried to smile at his friend. Tears trickled down. Sakura stopped trying to heal Ino and began crying.

Guilt swept over the Akamichi. "If only I was there. If I would have seen it."

Ino directed her gaze to Sai, "Sai...you're an amazing artist. But you're clueless when it comes to love and emotions. You're brutally honest, but nice. And you still are cute." Ino gave a weak giggle.

Sai gave her his fake smile, which seemed harder to do than normal. "Thank you Miss Beautiful."

Something came to Sai. He turned to Naruto, "Naruto...I feel hurt but I have no injuries, and I feel sick yet I did not eat any strange foods. What is this?"

Naruto bit his lip and sighed. "It's sadness and sorrow."

Sai nodded as he felt something different than rain steam down both his cheeks as his eyes begin to sting.

"Kakashi..." The silver haired jounin's ears perked up at the sound of his name. "Thank you. You've been a wonderful sensei. And thank you for helping me and my team after Asuma-sensei died."

"You're more than welcome Ino; you've been an excellent student." The jounin responded. Ino smiled and swore that she saw sorrow in Kakashi's eye.

Sakura wrapped her hands around herself and cried as she thought about what Ino had said to her.

"Well Forehead looks like you win." Sakura didn't understand what Ino meant, but Choji and Shikamaru bit their lips thinking about it. "I'm glad we were friends. I bet you'll become head medic. And its kind of weird thinking about how much you've changed from the shy, cowardly girl then into the brave, strong, and independent kunoichi you are now. I hope you find someone who will be good to you. I'll miss you. And you are like a sister to me. Congratulations you win."

Shikamaru was shaking not from the rain and the cold, but from sadness.

"Shikamaru..." Shikamaru didn't want to look at Ino but he forced himself to. "I have to admit that when I was first assigned as yours and Choji's teammate I was more than disappointed. But now there's no one else I would rather have on my team. And I'm sorry that I've been so troublesome all these years, and thank you for being so understanding. You're the smartest person I know and without you we would have failed so many missions. I'm glad I'm dying instead of you. Konoha needs you more than me." Shikamaru wanted to tell Ino that that wasn't true. That she was an amazing teammate and his best friend. There were so many things he wanted to say but he couldn't find his voice. "You're turning out to be a great man just like Asuma. Watch out for little Hoshi for me. And tell Kurenai I'm sorry we can't go shopping like we planned. But can you do one thing for me Shika?"

Shikamaru forced his voice. "O-of course I-Ino, anything."

"Quite being so lazing and ask Temari out already." Shikamaru bit his lip and nodded as tears rolled down his cheeks.

Naruto clenched his hands into fist as he silently cried.

"Naruto..." Ino's voice was sweet and loving. "You've changed and matured so much since when I first met you. At first I doubted you would be able to pass a test and now I believe whole heartedly that you will be the world's best and most powerful Kage, I don't doubt you. You've proved everybody wrong and exceeded everyone's expectations. I'm glad to have known you. You're always there if someone's in trouble and you have the biggest heart. Thank you for all that you have done."

Shikamaru found it hard to stand. Choji was crying uncontrollably. Everyone was crying. Naruto could have sworn he saw Neji shed a tear and Kiba wipe one away. He wasn't sure if Shino was crying, though his head hung lower than usual.

Ino looked up at the sky. "I'm glad I get to die surrounded by my best friends. Maybe I'll get to see Asuma, my parents, and all the great past shinobi." Ino sucked in a deep breath. "Goodbye and thank you for everything each of you have done. I love you guys..." Ino closed her eyes for the last time. A tear slid down Ino's cheek as her head fell to the side.

"Ino?" Sakura asked feeling her heartbeat stop. "Ino!" Sakura yelled as loud as she could.

Lightning and thunder struck in unison. She was eighteen. Too young to die. She had her whole life in front of her. But that made no difference now. She was gone. Their friends left, but Naruto, Sakura, Choji, Shikamaru, Sai, and Kakashi stayed for a little longer. After a while Choji's stomach growled he hadn't eaten in two days.

"Come on Choji lets go get something to eat." Shikamaru said as he helped his friend out of the cemetery.

Kakashi walked up to Sakura. "Sakura why don't you go home." Sakura looked up at her sensei and nodded. When she tried to stand she couldn't. Kakashi and Sai helped Sakura get up. "Naruto are you coming?" The blonde nin simply nodded and slowly walked away before turning and looking at the stone one more time before he continued.

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machi-tan