Ino knew that everyone was watching her. They weren't being obvious, but the whispers that followed her, Shikamaru flanking her wherever she went, and Choji even offering her the last bit of food the last time Asuma-sensei brought them out for barbecue gave it away well enough. Of course, she had cried when Sasuke left. It was only natural to miss and fear for someone who had been stolen away from the village, and even more so if it were someone she'd grown up with.
They were expecting more, she knew. A breakdown, self-harm, a rampage … She wasn't sure what they expected exactly, nor what they wanted. It seemed as if everyone was pushing her toward destruction. Without screaming and crying and kicking and punching, Ino wasn't handling things right. Holding in her feelings would do nothing but bring about an explosion later on that may just be too difficult to fix.
Sakura was left alone though. Naruto and Kakashi were there to comfort her, but the rest of the village ignored her. Ino was simply a girl with a crush. Ino was emotional and feminine and beautiful and well-known in the village, thanks to her father. Sakura was just the pink-haired kunoichi born of civilian parents. The girl who was lucky enough to be paired with the genius of her class, yet unlucky enough to also be stuck on the team with the biggest idiot. The girl who had failed at keeping Sasuke with them.
Ino watched. While the village was watching Ino, Ino was watching Sakura. Slowly breaking down, blaming herself for everything, Sakura was a mess. She never showed it, only crying in the privacy of abandoned training fields. Ino saw though. Eyes with shadows dark as bruises, stained a constant cherry red. Clothes that were usually pressed and clean (except after a battle of course) were wrinkled and had the appearance of being worn for days without a change. Pink hair was greasy and limp, and her hands shook no matter whether she was training or shopping or simply trekking through the village. Sakura was breaking, and Ino was the only one who noticed.
Naruto worried too, Ino saw. But Naruto had his own problems, and Naruto handled things differently. While Sakura felt she had no place but in the village, Naruto used Sasuke's abrupt departure as even more motivation to become stronger. Determined to steal Sasuke back, whether to heal Sakura or for no one but himself, Naruto devoted longer and longer hours to training. Before long, Sakura was completely and totally alone.
It was on a particularly bad day that Ino got up the nerve to approach her long-time rival. Mindlessly stabbing a tree with a kunai, Sakura was sobbing, the tears blinding her just enough to allow her to miss the tree altogether and nick her own thigh. Collapsing to the ground, bawling into her hands as she did nothing to stem the flow of blood, Sakura was approached by the worried Ino.
Ino put her mediocre healing skills (learned only from observing Sakura's lessons with Tsunade) to the test, and did just enough to stop the bleeding. Without any bandages on her, she knew she'd have to escort Sakura elsewhere. So to Ino's house they went, Sakura draped unceremoniously over Ino's deceptively strong shoulders. Both girls were aware the injury wasn't anything near life-threatening. Sakura's blade had been clean and sharp, and the cut itself wasn't deep, but that didn't stop Ino from wanting to take care of it properly.
Bandages were securely fastened over Sakura's bared leg, and even after that, tears were still flowing freely from Sakura's eyes.
"Given up trying to hide it, have you?" Ino scoffed, unable to shed her usual rough persona, no matter how badly she wanted to.
"Oh, you're one to talk!" Sakura screeched, jumping angrily to her feet and promptly slamming to the ground, her legs not yet sturdy enough after her breakdown to support her.
" …You're right. I'm sorry."
"Yeah, you, with your so-called bravery, and … What?" Bloodshot eyes widened as strong, pale arms wrapped around her middle and squeezed.
"I have been hiding, haven't I?" Ino refused to elaborate beyond that, but the girls seemed to have reached a new understanding. After that, their rivalry was no longer painful and sharp and mean. Everything was okay again. Not exactly good, not anywhere near what Ino wished it could be, but it was better. Acceptable even. Ino could work with this, make it even better, and without Sasuke around drawing Sakura's attention, Ino would have plenty of time.
It was worse when the news came about Sasuke officially being wanted dead. Once again, the village watched Ino, whispering behind their hands, wondering when the blonde daughter of Yamanaka Inoichi would finally break down.
Sakura was stronger this time, though Ino was still wary of leaving her side. Often while walking in the village, Ino would reach for her dear friend's hand, hoping that everyone around would simply think she was reaching out for the comfort of her friend after the much more permanent loss of Sasuke. Nothing would happen beyond Sakura's green eyes widening, and jerking her hand as if to snatch it away before finally calming down and allowing Ino to grasp it.
Things were slipping away from her, Ino knew. Confirming it though was the day when Sakura left the village without so much as a word to anyone. Running after Naruto, Sakura had proven once again that no matter how much Ino wished it to be otherwise, Sakura's team would always come first. For the first time in years, Ino allowed herself to break down.
Choji was there for her before she even knew that she needed anyone. He offered nothing but a strong arm to wrap around her shoulders and a few extra potato chips for her to munch on.
"Why are you helping me," Ino choked out, "when I've been nothing but rude to you?"
"I know what it feels like to never be good enough," Choji said simply.
Ino felt as if she should be offended by this comment, but at that moment, she was too appreciative of Choji's doting to dare speak against him.
After that day, Shikamaru pointedly avoided both of his two teammates for quite some time. Ino questioned Choji, but Choji's only theory was that Shikamaru felt betrayed that Choji forgave all Ino had ever done to him in barely a moment. Shikamaru couldn't understand that attitude, and felt that Ino deserved to suffer and Choji should not have helped her.
"That's only a theory though," Choji explained, a small frown adorning his face. "Since he's not talking to me either, you know."
Days later, Sakura came running back to Konoha with her team, a mysterious red-haired woman, and a haunted look in her eyes. Ino didn't know what happened, and she didn't necessarily want to. Sakura had failed in her plan, she found out later, but at the time, she refused to ask questions that she knew Sakura would shun her for. Choji was left on the sidelines again, left to Shikamaru's friendship and care, and all was right with the world.
It was that night that Ino decided her cowardice no longer had a place in the world. It had been a long time since Ino realized that when the green monster of jealousy reared its head, it was jealous not of Sakura for chasing the handsome Uchiha, but of Sasuke himself for holding the heart of the pink-haired beauty.
When Ino's lips pulled away from Sakura's at last, all Sakura could say was, "Why?"
"It's never been Sasuke," Ino shrugged. "Always you."
Ino wondered if she should feel guilty for stealing Sakura from the world in her weakest moment. Getting a shoulder to lean on was Sakura's main reason for accepting her, Ino was sure. The admiration in Ino's blue eyes was never reflected back at her from Sakura's own. Ino was the one touching, holding, caressing, kissing. Ino was the one dragging Sakura to movies, on picnics, to shops, to restaurants. Floating beside her—ever gazing off to some distant point where Ino was sure a vision of Sasuke existed—was Sakura.
Choji was always off to the side, watching anxiously, Shikamaru beside him with his hands in his pockets. Trying his best to give off a careless attitude, Shikamaru always leaned on buildings and stared at the ground. He never questioned Choji on why he was so intent on making sure Ino was okay, that Ino wouldn't be hurt, that Ino didn't need comforting anymore. Choji was blind to this, but Ino understood. Shikamaru was like her. Just like her.
It went on for months, Ino and Sakura. During this time, the war came. Sakura was expected to heal her comrades while Ino was sent to fight. Both girls never stopped looking for news on Sasuke's escapades, though for very different reasons. Both girls kept that little fact a secret from the other.
"She doesn't want you, you know," Shikamaru entered the tent without so much as a greeting. There Ino sat, head in her hands.
"I know," Ino murmured. "But if I try, who's to say she couldn't learn to settle?"
"Are you sure she'll be the one settling in the end?"
In no mood for Shikamaru's cryptic words, Ino waved him out, but he would not leave without getting in one last biting word.
"I just want you to think about what you're doing, Ino. There's no good ending to this. Someone will get hurt no matter what you do. So the question is, who do you want to see happy?"
It was the first night in a long time that Ino couldn't help but cry herself to sleep.
Seasons change, but Ino's feelings did nothing but grow stronger as the transition to winter took place. She had begged Shizune for a chance to work as a medic—just for awhile—so she could have the chance to see Sakura for more than a few seconds before having to kiss good bye and run off after her teammates. Shizune refused and rightly so. The trio was seemingly unbeatable, and removing one of the three would prove the others virtually useless on their own. Ino needed to stay right where she was, and that was that.
What Ino hadn't counted on was Sakura fighting Shizune on her behalf. Rising hopes do almost nothing but make the inevitable crash worse however, which Shikamaru was not shy on telling her.
"Just let me enjoy it while I can," was Ino's only rebuttal. Shikamaru left her to herself after that.
It wasn't until Ino got injured though that she reached the peak of hope. Eyes fighting the dreadful exhaustion a dramatic injury tends to bring on, the only things she recalled of the trip into the medical tent were the horrid screams, the sight of a short, pale, green-eyed girl shoving her way through ninja and medics alike. True fear had entered those gorgeous eyes and for a moment, Sakura was no longer a medic, but just a friend. A worried, terrified friend who would rather die herself than watch the blonde on the stretcher fade away.
Ino awoke later to a pain in her hand and a presence by her bed. Sakura released the hand she'd been squeezing the life from and instead threw her arms around Ino's shoulders, pressing a desperate kiss to her lips, mixing her own tears with Ino's as she pulled away only to dive back in, planting kisses and careful, caring whispers upon Ino's smooth skin.
"Never scare me like that again, Ino-pig!" Sakura sobbed.
"I'm sorry, Forehead. I'll try to stay away from death from now on," Ino smirked.
"God, Ino, you … You don't know how much I … I just … I can't live without you, Ino."
"I am sorry, Sakura," Ino whispered. "But thank you for all you've done. Thank you for caring for me and sitting with me and worrying about me."
"Of course I'd do all those things. I love you, you utter dope," Sakura muttered, dropping her forehead to rest on Ino's chest.
It was the first time Sakura had ever said those words. Ino's hands tightened where they had a clutching hold on the back of Sakura's shirt.
"I love you too. You know I do, Sakura. More than anything."
Sakura's crying grew in intensity, until she finally fell asleep, still stretched across Ino's tired body. She should've been ecstatic. Sakura said she loved her. That's all Ino had ever wanted.
However, Ino couldn't seem to focus on anything but the fact that her own declaration of love had seemed to bring Sakura nothing but the deepest of grief.
It was soon after that that Sasuke made his appearance. Ino personally was not privy to the fight that went down, but as everyone had predicted, Naruto had come out on top. What no one predicted though, was the fact that Naruto won without sacrificing the life of his greatest friend. Sasuke had survived too.
Ino wasn't surprised when she went to make the obligatory visit to Sasuke in the hospital and witnessed the kiss. She had brought along Choji and Shikamaru for just that reason. Sakura and Sasuke didn't pull apart until they heard the door slam.
"Ino—" Shikamaru tried to begin.
"I don't want a lecture from you, damn it!" Ino screamed. "I don't want … I don't …" Ino sunk to her knees in the middle of the marketplace.
The boys immediately went to action and grabbed her upper arms, each slinging one limb over their own shoulders and carrying the limp girl to the nearest empty bench. Choji let Ino wrap her shaking arms around his neck and wet his shirt with her tears while Shikamaru slowly rubbed a hand across her back.
"Can we talk, Ino?" The soft voice interrupted the moment, and brought both Shikamaru and Choji to a fighting stance.
"It's okay," Ino waved off her friends as she finally got a hold of herself. "Thank you, but I can take care of myself now."
Choji's glare grew hard while Shikamaru's simply faded in a weary manner as Ino stumbled off behind Sakura. Sakura reached for her hand, and for once, it was Ino who pulled away.
The girls kept their silence as they ascended the stairs to Sakura's bedroom. Ino couldn't help worrying that this would be the last time she'd ever get to see it.
"I know you saw us, Ino," Sakura began, giving what Ino perceived as the most unfair accusatory look that had ever been directed toward her. "And I know that's why you're upset, but it was just a kiss. In the heat of the moment, we just shared a kiss. It didn't mean anything, and I explained that to him, and he understands. I'm yours, Ino."
But Ino could see that though Sakura was telling the truth, it's not what Sakura wanted to believe. Sakura's gaze was still in that faraway land where Sasuke was always there for her and accepted her feelings and felt just the same.
"No you're not," Ino whispered, eyes widening.
"What?" Sakura gasped.
"As much as I've wished and wanted, as much as I've worked to make it so, I don't think you ever have been and I doubt that you ever will be."
"Ino, what are you saying?" Panic was beginning to edge into Sakura's tone.
Ino leaned forward and planted a chaste kiss on Sakura's trembling lips.
"Ino?" Sakura questioned timidly.
"You're his, Sakura. Your heart has always belonged to him. I'm setting you free. Go to him, be with him. Be happy, Sakura. I love you so much, so go be with someone you can love as well."
As Sakura rose from the bed and walked to the door in a daze, she turned to address Ino one last time.
"I really did love you, Ino."
"No, Sakura, it's okay. I know that I've always been just a shoulder to cry on."
And as the girls went their separate ways for the final time—Ino wandering back to the comforting arms of Choji and Shikamaru and Sakura bolting to the hospital and her long-awaited love—Ino knew that she had never spoken truer words. She really had always been just a shoulder to cry on.