"Ino, please take care of Sakura-chan."
Pause.
I blinked, turning to face the boy that had been standing at the counter for the past ten minutes, watching me wordlessly as I worked on a very special arrangement that had been requested by a particularly wealthy, rather harried customer. I'd known that my unexpected visitor would speak eventually, although I was surprised that he'd held out this long. After all, Uzumaki Naruto wasn't known for being able to hold stuff in. He'd always said what was on his mind, and he usually said it very loudly, too. There had been an oddly pensive look on his face when he'd walked in, uncharacteristically quiet. If I hadn't known him any better, I'd say that he was brooding over something deep and meaningful.
In all honesty, I was more than a little disgusted with myself for thinking so little of him. Naruto was many things, but he wasn't stupid. At least, not when it came to anything that dealt with other people and their feelings. He seemed to have this innate ability to get through to anyone, to relate to them like no one ever had. I'd known him my entire life, and even though he hadn't exactly registered on my radar until we'd graduated from the Academy and he'd been placed on Team Seven with Haruno Sakura and Uchiha Sasuke, I knew that he was a surprisingly sensitive, thoughtful boy that could probably have used a small dollop of selfishness. He could make the rest of us look like shallow, inconsiderate assholes without even trying, just by flashing that sunny, heartwarming smile and making a silly, random remark that would be guaranteed to diffuse the tension immediately. I wasn't afraid to admit that I would actually miss the hyperactive blonde while he was away.
That reminds me... I knew that he was leaving soon. Hell, we all knew he was. There was some talk about him going off to train with the last of the three Sannin, Jiraiya. I couldn't say for sure if that particular rumor was true or not, but that was beside the point. Uzumaki Naruto was leaving Konohagakure, and that was all that really mattered. Honestly, it surprised me that he would even be able to make a decision like that, to leave Konoha. Everyone knew that he was about as attached to the village as all of us put together. It wasn't just that. I couldn't believe that he was about to take off and leave Sakura behind, just like that. Just like Sasuke. This thought caused me to narrow my eyes at him, searching his serious face for any stray thought or explanation I could find.
Haruno Sakura and I had a very difficult relationship. We went far back, back before the Academy, back before we became kunoichi of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. Our friendship had started out because I'd noticed her being picked on, and felt sorry for her. That's what it came down to. The thing that had brought us together was my disgustingly soft heart and her overly large forehead. I'd thought she'd looked like a sheep dog, and I told her so. I decided that I was going to be her friend, and turned her into my pet project. I remember thinking to myself that I never wanted to see such hurt in those soft jade green eyes ever again. My plan worked...perhaps a little too well. When she found out that I had a crush on the same boy that she did, she told me that we couldn't be friends anymore, that we would be rivals from that day forward. We'd been on uneven ground since then. It had taken a long time, but we were just starting to pick up the threads of our previous friendship. There was no way that things would ever be the way they were before. That was too much to ask of us, really. Too much had happened in the years since that fateful day, and too many things had changed. We had changed. But honestly, that didn't mean that I was going to sit back and watch her be hurt again. I just couldn't bear it.
"Why, Naruto?" I asked quietly, giving him a searching look, wondering just what those closed, cerulean eyes concealed. It was usually disgustingly easy to read him. Naruto was generally an open book, which was one of the things that made him so approachable. I secretly thought that it was going to be his downfall one day. His blind faith in humanity was endearing, but I knew in my heart of hearts that some people were simply too shrouded in darkness to ever hope to see the light again. The human mind was no mystery to me. I knew it's ins and outs, thanks to my family bloodline trait, and I knew that it was the ones like Naruto who attempted to carry the weight of the world on their shoulders, who tried to solve everyone's problems for them, that inevitably wound up falling the hardest.
He sighed, shifting around uneasily for a moment, before he said, "I'm going to be traveling with the Ero-sennin for a while, training and everything, and I just... I guess I just want to know that there will be someone here to watch over Sakura-chan for me."
My eyes softened as I surveyed him silently, thinking his words through. It was no secret that he felt very strongly for his female teammate, although I guess it hadn't occurred to me just how strong those feelings truly were until that moment. He'd been absolutely devastated when Sasuke left, but he'd tried to keep himself strong, just for Sakura, even go so far as to make that stupid promise to her that had wound up causing more suffering for everyone involved, directly or not. We'd all heard about their promise to each other after that failed "rescue attempt", how they had decided that they were going to bring him back together. I'd had mixed feelings about that, because in my gut I knew that such a promise could only lead to more heartbreak for the both of them. But I wasn't stupid. I knew why they felt the need to make such optimistic declarations to each other. Not only did they care deeply for each other, but they both loved their estranged teammate with all their hearts, and they simply couldn't rest until they had him back with them, by their side where he belonged. I knew because I knew that was how I would feel if something happened to Shikamaru or Chouji or even Asuma-sensei. We were one, a unit...a machine that could only work properly when all of the pieces were present and in working order. Sasuke had taken that from Naruto and Sakura. I don't think I could ever forgive him for that.
Since I knew this, I didn't comment. I didn't ask questions I already knew the answer to. I didn't ask him the question we were all dying to ask: "Why are you leaving her?" I didn't because I didn't want to hear the answer. I didn't want to hear his determination, see his love and optimism and unfailing faith in every square inch of his person. If I saw any of those things, heard any of the words I knew would accompany them, I would probably snap, and I didn't want to do that to him, couldn't do that to him. Instead, I ignored all of this, and said what he had really wanted to hear all along.
"Of course, Naruto. What, did you think that I would allow her to wallow in self-pity and bury herself behind a couple of moldy old scrolls? Please. That old Forehead won't know what hit her," I scoffed teasingly, brushing a few stray strands of hair out of my face haughtily. I knew that he would see right through my actions, just as I knew that it was relief that swelled behind those remarkable blue eyes of his, covered up by a big goofy grin and an equally teasing rendition of the "Nice Guy Pose."
He didn't stay for very long. In fact, right after I all but told him I would take care of Sakura, he turned on his heel and headed for the door. Just before he left he paused, hand on the door knob. Looking back over his shoulder with a soft, appreciative smile on his face he said simply, "Arigato, Ino-chan."
I told myself that I was definitely not blushing and promptly forgot about it. I guess there's no denying the fact that I'd never heard my name sound so appealing before.
For the record, I never claimed to be a miracle worker. Hell, I never claimed to be anything. I simply was, and that was good enough for me. No one had ever pushed me to make life altering decisions. They didn't needle me about my position in life, nagging at me with questions about what I intended to do, who I wanted to be. I was always thankful for that, because I honestly don't know what I would have told them.
I watched while everyone around me slowly grew stronger and stronger. They were all determined, for one reason or another, to achieve that elusive goal that everyone seemed to strive for these days. It seemed that my generation judged everyone and everything on it's strength, with Naruto as the measuring stick. They all wanted to say that they had earned the right to fight beside him, because he'd managed to worm his way into each and everyone of our subconscious. He was the voice that urged them on when they felt like giving up, even though none of us had seen him for nearly two years. We'd heard rumors, faint whispers, of how strong he was growing each and everyday. I knew that none of us had a chance of catching up to him, because he had his own unreachable goal. Since no one stood in front of me and urged me to step up, since no one around had ridiculously blue eyes and a sunny smile that you just couldn't say no to, I didn't even try. I don't think I could have handled the pressure. I already had enough of that.
I kept my promise, of course. What I had told Naruto was the truth. I'd promised myself that I wouldn't let Sakura get hurt again, and I'd already failed on that so many times that I couldn't even bear it. There was no way that I was going to let it happen again. I firmly reinserted myself into her life, inching my way into gaining her trust until I found myself in the position to call her my best friend again There were many subjects that we never touched on, because it was still too painful for her. There were two names that were taboo, and we stubbornly ignored them, although they hung in the air between us, having all the subtly of a large, pink elephant. Our ghosts would probably catch up to us someday, but we both preferred that day to come far, far in the future, a future we both hoped would be happy and carefree.
But it happened again, and I couldn't stop it. I failed her again. Just like I always had. I watched as her family fell apart, helpless, not knowing what to do. Her dad left and her mother cried during the day and drank herself into a stupor at night. She didn't want to go home, and it wasn't hard to see why. In her eyes, it was yet another example of how she was unable to help those around her, those that were most precious to her. No one was surprised when her mother finally slipped away one night, quietly giving in to her heartache. It was all I could do to force Sakura to see that this course of action wasn't an option for her. She'd become so strong. I was proud of her, of how well she was doing, and I didn't want to see all of it go to waste. I didn't want her to turn back into that fragile little girl that needed everyone to protect her. I stubbornly refused to acknowledge that little voice in the back of my head that asked me why she was holding on to me so tightly if she didn't need anyone to protect her, why I was allowing her to sneak into my room at night when the ghosts finally caught up with her and made it impossible for her to sleep. I told myself that I was simply doing what a friend should do and comforting her. I told myself that I was in no way her lifeline. I don't know why I thought I could fool myself.
Sakura was trying, and I was pleased. She refused to give up on her dream of bringing Sasuke back with Naruto by her side. There was no doubt in my mind that she was still thought she was in love with him. I never knew whether to admire her for this or not. I'd given up hope long ago that I could ever have a chance with the Uchiha, if I'd ever had one to begin with. I guess I knew that only two people that had ever had a hope of bringing out emotion in him were Naruto and Sakura. It hadn't hurt as much as I thought it would have, this realization. I just wanted to see my best friend happy. If that meant seeing Sasuke returning to the very people he'd hurt so much, then so be it. I knew that I wasn't alone in this. No one was particularly fond of the memory of the boy. There was too much blood and sweat and tears involved in the whole situation, and I knew perfectly well that if it weren't for Naruto and Sakura, no one would have bothered to give him any other label other than the one he most deserved: traitor. I could never forgive him for what he'd done to us all, even if he came crawling back on his hands and knees. In all honesty, I knew that the reason for these intense feelings of distaste and betrayal and anger all stemmed from the fact that I knew just how long a road the two remaining members of Team Seven had to face, all the trials that they were going to have to overcome... and I knew that they would do it despite all of this and they would automatically forgive him for everything he did to them and us and I hated it. I knew that I could never do something like that, that the were far better people than I, and I was disgusted with myself.
Still, I ignored it all in favor of cheering on Sakura. I stepped into the background and allowed her the spotlight that I knew she deserved. Seeing her studying to become a medic-nin and watching as she grew into herself, became more confidant in her abilities than ever before was a real treat. It made me realize that perhaps I, too, could find my place. I decided to follow after her on the medical path, although by then she was leaps and bounds ahead of us all, in that respect. I knew that I had no hope of catching up to her, but I was okay with that. I figured that she'd had her turn in trying to catch up to me. Now I was the one that had to look at her back, a position that I was perfectly content with taking. After all, it was the best vantage point to make sure that she was truly okay. Everything was perfect.
And then Naruto came back and my ghosts caught up to me.
I was relieved that he was home, because I knew that he would resume his old duty of taking care of Sakura. I was more than a little amused when Sakura had told me how their reunion with their old sensei went, because I knew that Naruto would have seen what I had: a girl that was once as fragile and delicately beautiful as her namesake who had improved so much...but never enough. I knew that he would look at her and see the product of one misguided boy's cruel influence, and I knew that it would only strengthen his resolve to protect her. There was no doubt in my mind that she was capable of many things that were well beyond my own skill, but I was certain that she had yet to acquire the strength that she truly needed, the strength to look after herself. I trusted that Naruto would accomplish this admirably, just as I trusted Sakura to take care of Naruto, since I knew that he wouldn't be able to do it himself. They had made themselves stronger not just to bring back Sasuke, but to make sure that neither would have to live without the other. They had made themselves a perfect whole instead of two broken, useless halves.
It didn't surprised me when I heard the bell ring as the door to my family's flower shop opened and the unmistakable, heady chakra belonging to Uzumaki Naruto touched my awareness. I'd expected him to come. He was silent, just as he had been on that day two and half years ago, although this time he was significantly more relaxed. There was no tension, no air of urgency. It was still different than I was used to, and I realized that he'd changed, although I was hardly surprised. Turning, I met his searching look with one of my own, making note of the physical differences distantly, almost without realizing that I was even doing such a thing. If I was to be honest with myself, I was more interested in that soft, warm look in his eyes that I couldn't name. I wanted desperately to name it, but I couldn't find a word that fit. When he spoke, his low, husky voice took me by surprise, just as much as his words did.
"Arigato, Ino-chan," he said simply.
Really, there was no denying it. No one said my name quite like Uzumaki Naruto.