(Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto other wise Gaara and Ino would have been a couple by now ! )
Chapter One
It had been 10 days since the third portion of the Chunin Selection Exams.The next part would be held in only 20 days. Most of the ninja stayed at their homes, save for those from different countries who had to rent apartments or inns for their team.
Ino and her group were walking home in the hot summer weather.Shikamaru and Ino had left Chouji at his place and were walking together to Shikamarus's place.
"Oh man, today's training was a total waste of time" Ino complained "It was more suited towards food boy than you and I"
"Do women always complain this much?" Shikamaru asked obviously annoyed by Ino's constant complaining about their training.
After leaving Shikamaru at his place, Ino walked home alone. She walked as slow as she could, trying to enjoy the sunset. ANBU teams were all over Konoha streets, because of the news of Orochimaru and his minions. Rumors were even spreading that the Sound village was going to attack the Leaf village any day now. All of the teachers said to stick with the buddy system, but Ino had to walk home alone since Shikamaru and Chouji had to be there by their curfews.
It was already dark out when she came within three blocks of her house. She was sort of frightened now that she was in the dark all by herself. Ino wished that Sasuke or even Sakura were here to keep her company. She came up by the river two blocks away from her house when she heard the sound of running feet. She turned to her right to see Dosu and the boy from the Sand (Gaara) fighting by the water's edge. Dosu looked like he was enjoying himself, repeatedly blowing away all the sand with his "magical" sound waves. The waves of invisible sound had gotten so large, that Gaara was blasted back into the water, and didn't have time to focus his chakra so that he could stand a top the waves.
Dosu laughed maniacally "this is your end boy, your stupid Sand won't move fast enough in the water to save you now!" He laughed again and threw several hundred Kunai into the water aimed at Gaara.
Ino saw red emit from the waters surface and she took off running toward the water. As son as she felt the cold liquid at her feet, she dove in, making out the shape of a body in the water impaled by Kunai knives she pulled him by the collar of him shirt and they soon broke throught threw the waters surface.
"What the hell do you think you are doing!" She yelled at the sound ninja while dragging the nearly unconscious Sand shinobi onto the shore.
"Oh so he's still alive" Dosu said sarcastically "Well lets change that"
He then threw more Kunai and shuriken at them. Ino had no time to block them so she just shut her eyes and prepared herself for the pain, but all of a sudden she felt that her arms were empty .She opened her eyes and saw Gaara standing in front of her, with sand stopping the weapons.
"Apparently he wasn't knocked out" Ino thought
"Gaara!" Temari, Kankouro, and their Sensei's voices were heard coming toward them.