Just For Now
Summary: Ino's going home for Christmas, and along the way discovers a coffee shop with the most intriguing employees. Can she make her parents and friends understand her need to be with them? With him? Especially when they're trying to set her up with someone else? Tobino SakuSui HinaHida
A Fork In The Road
I no's feet were propped on her desk, leaned back in her chair, magazine over her face, snoring, drooling. Sleeping.
Sakura giggled when she walked into her best friend's office and took the blonde's four inch high heels off her feet and took the magazine off of her face. She was about tickle her when something glittery caught her eye.
She reached for the table and picked up a ridiculously glittered envelope. Curious, Sakura ripped open the letter and ignored the pretty Christmas tree on the front of the card and began to read.
A couple of minutes later, Sakura groaned and took off her suit's jacket, her shoes, her earrings, and put her hair in a ponytail.
When Ino and her family, specifically her mother, saw each other, or made any kind of communication, things got crazy.
Down right fucking crazy.
Sakura took off her knee-high socks and proceeded to tie Ino hands together and then to the chair itself.
Taking a deep breathe, she shook Ino a little, and the blonde woke up and yawned,
"Sakura?"
"Hey Ino."
Ino made an attempted to stretch, but found herself in an odd predicament.
"Sakura, why am I tied to my chair…?"
Sakura sat on Ino's desk, "Hear me out, Ino…"
"Sakura."
"I mean, you have a good heart, so you know…"
"Sakura!"
"You have to promise to not freak out…"
"Sakura!"
Sakura sighed and said, "Fine."
She took the card from the desk and opened it, taking a deep breath, and read aloud,
"Dear Ino,
We haven't seen each other since you moved out, even though I am your mother. This year we are having a reunion at my house, that will also double as a Christmas celebration. The whole family has requested that you come home for the holidays. We know that even though you may be a big business woman in New York, you will come home.
Love,
Mom
PS. In the envelope is a list of flight departures from New York to Japan."
Sakura looked up at Ino.
She was bright red in the face and looked downright pissed. Her shoulders were tense and she could see a vein popping out of her neck.
"Sakura," She said softly, "Untie me please. And then leave for a couple of minutes and
comeback."
Sakura, knowing very well what would occur in those small minutes, shrugged, "I know, Ino, I know."
She untied Ino and walked out of her best friend's office.
A couple of seconds later, Sakura found herself in her own office, watching the news on her mini plasma.
Clicking through the channel absentmindedly, she didn't notice Hinata until the dark haired girl was sitting at her desk, wondering why she looked so utterly pathetic. And missing clothes.
"Sakura?"
Sakura stared at her other best friend, shoving a Cheeto that she had no idea how old it was, or where it came from, into her mouth.
When she, Ino, and herself were in high school in Japan, they decided to pursue a career in fashion, and since then have become one of the most famous clothe line name in America, as well in Europe and Asia.
Even through the fame though, each had retained their personalities.
Hinata, shy and helpful, to nice of a person to manipulate anyone.
Sakura, strong and powerful, but very lady-like and poised.
Ino, witty, cunning, sarcastic and sharp-tongued, but had a soft side as well.
Sakura looked back at her TV and began counting to five out loud.
"One."
Hinata immediately understood the unfortunate scenario. She sighed as she listened to Sakura count and she finally got to five.
"Five."
A completely hideous scream erupted from the office next to Sakura's. Hinata watched in sympathy as an innocent girl jumped in surprise and spilled coffee all over herself.
She then watched as the girl ran into the girls bathroom, but not before running into a blonde man.
The trio of girls had met the man when they were going to school in the states, and with his help they built there business from scratch.
As far as his sexual preferences, it was pretty damn hard to guess that he was gay. You either had to know or you didn't.
Naruto noticed Hinata, and with a very confused look on face, pointed to Ino's office and shrugged.
He winced as he heard a loud crash from Ino's office and walked briskly to Sakura's office in search of answers.
As he entered the office, he said, "Ino talking to her mother again?"
Naruto had been witness to many screaming matches that Ino and her mom had via cell phone.
"Worse." Sakura replied, waving to him as he came in.
Another screech and judging by the loud 'thunk', something had been thrown.
Sakura spun around in her chair, so that she could see both Naruto and Hinata.
"Mimi, Ino's mom, sent Ino a Christmas card…requesting that she come home for the holidays."
Hinata gasped and Naruto made a gagging noise.
"Are you serious?" Naruto whispered, "They're going to rip each other apart and then some!"
Hinata nodded viscously and then said, "But what can we do?"
The three sat in silence as they thought. Then Sakura and Hinata looked at each other.
"What are we doing? I live down the street from her mom, and you live right next door!" Sakura exclaimed, jumping up.
"Of course!" Hinata agreed. She turned to Naruto. "Should you tag along?"
Sakura patted Naruto's shoulder, "I think it'd be best. Bring all your war gear. Your gonna need it."
Naruto gulped.
The three friends stood in front of the door. Not exactly scared, but not willing to go in.
Sakura grabbed the doorknob, "Well, here it goes…" She turned the doorknob and walked in.
Hinata gasped while Naruto suppressed laughter.
There, in the middle of the office, was a chair. Around the chair was mass chaos. Books everywhere, the desk's legs were missing. Every painting was haphazardly thrown about.
Sakura held her breath as the chair spun around.
And there, in the chair, sat Yamanaka Ino, daughter of Yamanaka Inoichi and Takeda Mimi. Completely untouched, not a hair out of place, not even a crease in her navy blue suit.
As if she didn't just destroy her office.
A wave of exhausted seemed to sweep over Ino, but a spark of determination still shown in her pupiless eyes.
"I am the CEO of 'Haphazardly Loved', one the most beloved brand names out there. I can do this. I will do this."
"Ino, listen up." Sakura said, before Ino could say anything more, "Naruto, Hinata, and I are going with you."
Ino eyes widened. "Are you serious?"
Naruto nodded enthusiastically.
Ino jumped up and yelled at the top of her lungs, "There is a god up there!"
Ino fumbled for her keys and shoved the key into the keyhole. She opened the door and dropped her bags on the floor and flopped herself on the living room couch.
Ino lived in a three story house for no damn reason. Well, actually, it was probably because her mom hated big houses.
Ino mostly lived on the first floor, that consisted of a living room, a back porch, three bedrooms, two bedroom sized closets, four bathrooms, a ridiculously high ceiling, two kitchens, a dining room, five nooks (Ino didn't even no what the hell a nook was), and ten TVs.
Most of Ino's things were blue, for the exception of her main bathroom and kitchen, which were both orange.
Ino rolled onto the floor and hoisted herself up, energy completely drained.
" My mother…" Ino thought in distained, "This Christmas will be awesome. Fucking awesome."
Ino slipped on her slippers and pulled out her plain ticket from her jacket's pocket, observing it.
"December 1st, return flight, December 30th," Ino read aloud, "I can deal…its only thirty days."
Ino sat the ticket down.
"Only thirty days of pure unadulterated hell."
Ino groaned and walk quickly into her pantry. Mumbling to herself, she shifted all the items on the shelf and her eyes gleamed in delight as she found what she was looking for.
"Oh yes, my darling baby." Ino produced a can of pineapples.
One of Ino's pure loves was pineapples. And she took great joy in eating it from the can.
And one thing that Ino's mom hated more than almost anything was when Ino ate pineapples out of the can, because according to Mimi, it was 'unsanitary'.
"Unsanitary my scrawny ass." Ino said sinisterly.
Ino looked at the can.
And with a sigh of unexplainable guilt ,she set the can down, walked into the living room, flopped on the couch, and covered her face with her hands.
"Why Yamanaka? Your mom brings out the worst in you…"
Ino sighed for the umpteenth time.
Ino rolled over and switched on the TV and Spongebob Squarepants's annoying laugh filled the empty living room.
And as she watched Spongebob hug his mother, Ino was suddenly happy that she put her mom through hours of labor pain.
End Chapter One: A fork in the Road
The Queen of Ramen
Ramenism
This bowl of Ramen is addicted to crack pairings…so if you enjoy cannon, please click the pretty little back buttoned located on the upper left corner of your screen. Thank you.
Anywhos…This will be my first semi serious fanfiction I have written up to date….that has chapters anyway. And also, the other chapters will be longer than this…this was kind of a prologue, and I hoped to be finished with this by Christmas…but probably not.
Um, pairings will be every where but Tobi and Ino will be the main subject, considering the fact that this story evolves around Ino…
And I'm off to work on my other fic, Haphazardly loved…so TTFN!!
And I do not Own Naruto. Other wise, Tobi, badass or not, would meander to Konoha for no damn reason, meet Ino, fall in love, and have five kids.