Ino ran blindly through the muddy streets.She could barely see through the storm,but it didn't matter.Nothing mattered anymore to her.She slipped on a rock and landed face first in the slushy mess that was the roads of Konoha village.She felt blood from a new cut on her shoulder running as freely down her arm as her tears fell down her face.Shuddering,she stood up and slipped again,this time onto her back.Ino cried out in pain as a hard cobblestone poked into her, but there was no one there to hear her yelp.She gave up and crawled on her hands and knees, creating fresh cuts for the mud to infect.Ino eventually found a change in texture and realised she was not on a muddy street anymore but a muddy bridge when a sharp splinter poked into her hand.She looked at it.It waas almost as big as her little finger.She had no choice but to cautiously stand up and walk over to the edge of the bridge to pick it out.When Ino was done,she leaned against the rope edge of the bridge,exhausted.A faceless person flickered through her mind for a split second.She could tell he was a boy.For some odd reason,she thought to herself: he's finally coming for me.I won't be alone much longer.She waited for half an hour,but he didn't appear.She concentrated and the image flitted through her head once more,still faceless.He looked familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on his identity.He definitely wasn't Sasuke,that was for sure.She sat,listening for her saviour's presence,but there was no one there.Sighing wearily,she let herself slide down to sit in the mud.
*I'm standing on the bridge,
I'm waitin in the dark,
I thought that you'd be here
By now.
There's nothing but the rain,
No footsteps on the ground.
I'm listening but there's
No sound.
Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night,
Trying to figure out this life.
Won't you,
Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you.*
Ino scanned the bridge hopefully for someone she knew.No one was there at all,let alone someone familiar.She would expect Sasuke to come for her if she didn't already know that he had no feelings for her at all.In fact,she wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for him...
#-#-#-Flashback-#-#-#
Ino sat in the room she was sharing with the other female Genins,twirling her hair dreamily around her finger.She had just come up from the supper she had made and Sasuke had commented upon.He had said,"Nice supper.Who made it?" which was a far better compliment than he had ever given Sakura.She stood up and looked outside.It was an almost perfect sunset;orange sky fading into purple,a magenta sun,violet clouds only minorly covering the sun.Cherry blossom petals drifted through the air on a lazy breeze.It was times like these that she thought of Sasuke.His pale,almost ivory skin,his deep brown eyes,his fine ebony hair...He was so handsome.He just needed to be broken out of his shell,is all.Couldn't Sakura see that he was out of her league? Ino loved Sasuke more than Sakura ever could! She leaned out of the window a bit and savoured the sweet smells in the air.Ino felt a drop of water on her head.She looked up.The clouds had come closer and it was raining lightly.She heard a noise and looked down.Ino gasped. There,standing on the porch,was Sasuke.But not just Sasuke.Sakura was there too.And they were kissing.Ino backed up and ran,already feeling the tears flowing down her cheeks.She knew she'd never be the same.
^~^~^End of Flashback^~^~^
Sasuke messed up my world,Ino thought miserably.I guess I came here to try to figure out where in my life I went wrong,Ino thought.Other than where I went wrong with Sasuke.I shoudn't have dedicated myself to him so much.From now on,she decided,I'm going to pay attention to becoming a ninja,instead of standing around and flirting with Sasuke.I guess I didn't go wrong anywhere else.I just made a big mistake with pretty boy.
Then she took up another train of thought.When is the guy in my head going to come save me? Even before Sasuke made his decision,every once in a while the featureless boy breifly made himself present in my mind.I sometimes had wondered if he was a real person,but I'd had always quickly dismissed the thought.Now I'm not so sure that he's make-believe.But he hasn't come to rescue me yet,so how can I be so sure? He's still leaving me alone on this bridge.
*I'm looking for a place,
Searching for a face.
Is anybody here,
I know?
Cause nothings going right,
And everything's a mess,
And no one likes to be
Alone.
Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night,
Trying to figure out this life.
Won't you,
Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you.*
I don't know what to do,Ino thought as she sat there,head in hand,still crying.I must be crazy to wait here for a knight in shining armour to come rescue me.Maybe he's someone I know. Maybe he'll be a complete stranger.I don't know.I just know that I'll know him when I see him.If he's even real.It's so cold out.He'll probably just stay inside because of the weather.
Ino looked up at the sky that almost seemed to be weeping with her.Please,she prayed,if there is any kind of God or Goddess at all,give me the time of day.Let life get better.
*Oh,
Why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind.
Yeah yeah yeah,
Yeah yeah,
Yeah yeah,
Yeah yeah,
Yeah!
It's a damn cold night,
Trying to figure out this life.
Won't you,
Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you.*
Slowly Ino gave up and decided to just keep going and get off of this bridge.She put out her hand to grab a rope tie and,for a split second,believed that whoever he was would suddenly appear and grab her hand,then take her away to unknown and exotic places where they could be happy together.She shook off the feeling,stood up,and unsteadily began to walk.
*Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you,
I'm with you.*
Ino tread carefully over the old,muddy boards.Suddenly,she lost her footing and flew over the edge of the bridge.Frantically,she reached for the edge and caught it.She didn't cry out for help,just reached her other hand up to grab the edge,and,despite what her insticts told her, glanced down.She was staring into a huge,misty chasm.She quickly looked back upwards and tried to pull herself up,but to no avail.She wasn't strong enough.She put her head against the bridge and began to sob again.First I got my heart broken,now I'm gonna get my bones broken,she thought. Guess I was wrong about someone coming to save me.She simply hung there and waited to lose her grip and fall to her death.
Five minutes she waited.Then:
"Ino? Is that you?"
She looked up,thinking it was too good to be true.He had come! But who was he? She squinted,but couldn't tell through all the rain.He helped her up."You're so wet,and bloody,and full of mud.What happened?" he asked.She didn't answer,just leaned onto him.She was sitting on his lap and he was holding her close,to comfort her.As she leaned,she suddenly knew who he was. She commenced crying again,but not of sadness or fright this time.She was crying of happiness.She knew who the boy she had been thinking of was.He was Shikamaru.She put her arms around him and settled into his warmth amid the storm around them."What happened,Ino? Are you okay?" he asked again."Yes," she said."I'm just fine,now that you're here." He was obviously shocked at this.She could feel his heart speed up.He said,"What do you mean?" She smiled."I waited and waited for you.I've thought of you for years,but I never thought it was you.And then you saved me.Thank you." Shikamaru asked again,"Why are you out here?" She told him the story about Sasuke and Sakura."And you ran out here,got all bloody and muddy and cried your heart out,just because Sasuke kissed Sakura?" She nodded,then asked,"So why are you out here?" She could feel him tighten his grip around her."Coming home from the ramen bar.But that wasn't the only reason.Listen,Ino,I,uh...I think I like you.As more than a friend." She looked up at him and whispered so that she could be just heard over the storm,
"Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you,
I'm with you.
I'm with you."
And then she kissed him.
*I'm standing on the bridge,
I'm waitin in the dark,
I thought that you'd be here
By now.
There's nothing but the rain,
No footsteps on the ground.
I'm listening but there's
No sound.
Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night,
Trying to figure out this life.
Won't you,
Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you.*
Ino scanned the bridge hopefully for someone she knew.No one was there at all,let alone someone familiar.She would expect Sasuke to come for her if she didn't already know that he had no feelings for her at all.In fact,she wouldn't be here at all if it wasn't for him...
#-#-#-Flashback-#-#-#
Ino sat in the room she was sharing with the other female Genins,twirling her hair dreamily around her finger.She had just come up from the supper she had made and Sasuke had commented upon.He had said,"Nice supper.Who made it?" which was a far better compliment than he had ever given Sakura.She stood up and looked outside.It was an almost perfect sunset;orange sky fading into purple,a magenta sun,violet clouds only minorly covering the sun.Cherry blossom petals drifted through the air on a lazy breeze.It was times like these that she thought of Sasuke.His pale,almost ivory skin,his deep brown eyes,his fine ebony hair...He was so handsome.He just needed to be broken out of his shell,is all.Couldn't Sakura see that he was out of her league? Ino loved Sasuke more than Sakura ever could! She leaned out of the window a bit and savoured the sweet smells in the air.Ino felt a drop of water on her head.She looked up.The clouds had come closer and it was raining lightly.She heard a noise and looked down.Ino gasped. There,standing on the porch,was Sasuke.But not just Sasuke.Sakura was there too.And they were kissing.Ino backed up and ran,already feeling the tears flowing down her cheeks.She knew she'd never be the same.
^~^~^End of Flashback^~^~^
Sasuke messed up my world,Ino thought miserably.I guess I came here to try to figure out where in my life I went wrong,Ino thought.Other than where I went wrong with Sasuke.I shoudn't have dedicated myself to him so much.From now on,she decided,I'm going to pay attention to becoming a ninja,instead of standing around and flirting with Sasuke.I guess I didn't go wrong anywhere else.I just made a big mistake with pretty boy.
Then she took up another train of thought.When is the guy in my head going to come save me? Even before Sasuke made his decision,every once in a while the featureless boy breifly made himself present in my mind.I sometimes had wondered if he was a real person,but I'd had always quickly dismissed the thought.Now I'm not so sure that he's make-believe.But he hasn't come to rescue me yet,so how can I be so sure? He's still leaving me alone on this bridge.
*I'm looking for a place,
Searching for a face.
Is anybody here,
I know?
Cause nothings going right,
And everything's a mess,
And no one likes to be
Alone.
Isn't anyone tryin to find me?
Won't somebody come take me home?
It's a damn cold night,
Trying to figure out this life.
Won't you,
Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you.*
I don't know what to do,Ino thought as she sat there,head in hand,still crying.I must be crazy to wait here for a knight in shining armour to come rescue me.Maybe he's someone I know. Maybe he'll be a complete stranger.I don't know.I just know that I'll know him when I see him.If he's even real.It's so cold out.He'll probably just stay inside because of the weather.
Ino looked up at the sky that almost seemed to be weeping with her.Please,she prayed,if there is any kind of God or Goddess at all,give me the time of day.Let life get better.
*Oh,
Why is everything so confusing?
Maybe I'm just out of my mind.
Yeah yeah yeah,
Yeah yeah,
Yeah yeah,
Yeah yeah,
Yeah!
It's a damn cold night,
Trying to figure out this life.
Won't you,
Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you.*
Slowly Ino gave up and decided to just keep going and get off of this bridge.She put out her hand to grab a rope tie and,for a split second,believed that whoever he was would suddenly appear and grab her hand,then take her away to unknown and exotic places where they could be happy together.She shook off the feeling,stood up,and unsteadily began to walk.
*Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you,
I'm with you.*
Ino tread carefully over the old,muddy boards.Suddenly,she lost her footing and flew over the edge of the bridge.Frantically,she reached for the edge and caught it.She didn't cry out for help,just reached her other hand up to grab the edge,and,despite what her insticts told her, glanced down.She was staring into a huge,misty chasm.She quickly looked back upwards and tried to pull herself up,but to no avail.She wasn't strong enough.She put her head against the bridge and began to sob again.First I got my heart broken,now I'm gonna get my bones broken,she thought. Guess I was wrong about someone coming to save me.She simply hung there and waited to lose her grip and fall to her death.
Five minutes she waited.Then:
"Ino? Is that you?"
She looked up,thinking it was too good to be true.He had come! But who was he? She squinted,but couldn't tell through all the rain.He helped her up."You're so wet,and bloody,and full of mud.What happened?" he asked.She didn't answer,just leaned onto him.She was sitting on his lap and he was holding her close,to comfort her.As she leaned,she suddenly knew who he was. She commenced crying again,but not of sadness or fright this time.She was crying of happiness.She knew who the boy she had been thinking of was.He was Shikamaru.She put her arms around him and settled into his warmth amid the storm around them."What happened,Ino? Are you okay?" he asked again."Yes," she said."I'm just fine,now that you're here." He was obviously shocked at this.She could feel his heart speed up.He said,"What do you mean?" She smiled."I waited and waited for you.I've thought of you for years,but I never thought it was you.And then you saved me.Thank you." Shikamaru asked again,"Why are you out here?" She told him the story about Sasuke and Sakura."And you ran out here,got all bloody and muddy and cried your heart out,just because Sasuke kissed Sakura?" She nodded,then asked,"So why are you out here?" She could feel him tighten his grip around her."Coming home from the ramen bar.But that wasn't the only reason.Listen,Ino,I,uh...I think I like you.As more than a friend." She looked up at him and whispered so that she could be just heard over the storm,
"Take me by the hand,
Take me somewhere new.
I don't know who you are,
But I,
I'm with you,
I'm with you.
I'm with you."
And then she kissed him.