Promise

Summary: With all his heart did Sasuke love Ino, he'd verbally admit it too--anytime anywhere. So what made him do what he did to her? What made him break his promise to never leave her? Either way, Ino is taken into interrogation for it.

Prologue

Sakura's point of view:

"I don't get okay? So stop asking me these questions..." Ino said in utter frustration as she looked away from her interrogator, the Hokage herself.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes down at Ino. Those pairs of ice made me shudder, I've never seen her so cold, so unfeeling especially towards Ino. She practically fell harder than Sasuke did for her (not in a romantic way of course) when she asked to be her apprentice. I mean she really couldn't have said "yes" fast enough. Had I given her, her morning coffee she'd spit it right out in impatience and said "Yes." So you get it? Ino was like winning the lottery to her, which rarely she ever does--and even if she does its no more than a hundred bucks which in retrospect to how much she pays a year to get it would be equal. So I could tell the way Tsunade was being towards Ino hurt her, to be honest, it hurt me too.

"Don't give me that bull, Ino you know very well were he is, what he did, and why he did it don't you? Look at me number 5." Tsunade said, I almost gasped hadn't the atmosphere been so tense. Of the Genin 9, Ino was numbered number 5 of them, so Ino wasn't even a person to Tsunade anymore--she was a number. And living up to that number I saw Ino reach into her pouch to feel her kunai. I could tell then and there she felt threatened.

"I have no idea." She said like a robot, it was as if every bit of her that said she was human, her happiness was gone, that special red glow in her cheeks vanished as well. I felt like crying, sobbing really. Naruto's warm hands slipped into mine, I looked at him and he squeezed my hands tightly. I looked at him, his face was like stone, he was facing forward. I looked down the hall of the room and saw everyone else. Hinata was shaking badly, though it was hidden by the dim light, her face was pale and her lips trembling. Kiba was close to her, I suppose so her trembling and shaking wouldn't be noticed, but he himself looked shaken up and stirred.

Tsunade broke my thoughts by grunting, she furiously through half of the broken table across the room. I let out a choked sob then, Naruto hushed me immedietly. Tsunade hadn't heard because she was focus strictly on Ino. I was close to jumping up and down and begging someone to intervene. But, if I did what good would it do? None.

I chewed my lips and bit them as hard as I could not to say anything. Ino was getting close to defending herself, and Tsunade would more than easily take her down. Ino crossed her legs luxuriously, Shikamaru dove in.

"Ino all were asking for is a setting, what the missing nin said to you, if you had any contact afterwords--easily things." Shikamaru said softly, pushing Ino's hair back. He was kneeling beside her, and looked almost pleadingly at her. Ino's face didn't change.

"I forgot." She said slowly, she seemed to really have thought about it; I don't think there's anything to think about it tell the truth and you'll be set free.

"Anything you can remember." Shikamaru said, his voice nearly broke, Tsunade was going to jump in and hurt Ino I could tell, Ino could, Shikamaru could too, which meant everyone else did. But, who would stand up for a traitor?

A traitor, Tsunade forced us to not refer to Ino was "friend" or a "buddy" until she confesses everything. All my life we've been battling, and every little thing I won, whether it be to sit next to Sasuke would fine by me. But, Ino won that war already and the consequences seemed larger than any situation I've been in. Tsunade was boiling, her face was a deep crimson and her hand was shaking.

"I-I don't know." Ino said, it was the breaking point.

Tsunade grabbed her by the collar, "Don't you understand?! He's left you! Do you think your big hero's going to swoop in and save you if you cover for him?! Tell me what is love, leaving and letting your supposed "loved one" suffer for your mistake? Do you think he even cares?!" Tsunade said. Then it hit me. Tsunade didn't care if Ino knew anything, Tsunade only wanted Ino to turn him in so Ino wouldn't get in trouble for being with him, but being a loyal person Ino wanted to defend him.

Ino didn't make a sound, she only said "I have no idea where he is, he didn't even show signs of wanting to leave" I knew it was a true that she probably had no idea, but what could I have said? My thoughts were a bit calmer now that Shikamaru touched Tsunade's arm and she let Ino down.

"Fine, suppose I believe you, if you were to take a guess, and a good one where might he be?" She said slowly, the anger was withdrawling and Ino was less frightened. Ino's hair was beginning to loosen, and her face returning to its normal color.

"Kahido River, it's a rift filled valley, but navigable." Ino spoke finally after moments of thinking, she was being honest I knew her. Because she wanted Sasuke back as well.

A tear ran down my face instantly, I put my face on Naruto's shoulder before I realized he still held my hand. He looked hurt almost in tears, I couldn't tell if it was for Ino or for Sasuke.

I let my hair down from the small ponytail it was in underneath the running water. I ran my hand through it over and over again preparing to wash it. I reached for the bottle, and squirted the perfumed shampoo onto my hand. I lathered it with my palm and released it onto my hair. I took a breath in, out. I began to feel hungry its been hours since my last meal and ramen didn't sound too bad, neither did burger or fries. I laughed a bit at the last part, my good friend was in trouble and I thought of food. Had I replaced Choji? It was a joke that had been going around the ANBU, that he and I are starting to act like one another. He's more serious than he was before and he does things without eating so much. I personally think its because of the new girl Tiroh, but he insists its not. Me, its because I'm pretty much single.

I turned off the water a few minutes later and grab a towel quickly. I heard the door to my house open and shut. I grabbed my towel and put it on. I grabbed as many kunai's as my hand could fit, took my pouch off of the handle to my bathroom door and put it on. The house was quiet enough, but the breathing I was making was loud. I tried not to be. I was thinking of how I should attack, overall I decided that clothes on would work best. So I slipped into my new outfit and opened the door as fast as I could and darted to my living room.

Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha was standing in my house. I gasp and go over to touch him. He looked expectantly at me, and didn't swat my hand away. I took my hand away, I gasped a staggered breath.

A/N: So it ends there. Any clarifications needed? Well, basically Sasuke leaves Konoha, Ino is targeted not as an accomplice, but as a witness if anything. Sakura goes home only to find the person to blame in her house. That's really it. I hoped you loved it so far, because there's going to be more soon!

Love,

SnowyWolfe.