Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or affiliated characters.
Skiprope
one two three four, shinobi's going out the door
five six seven eight, won't be home 'til way past late
And the fragment won't stop running through her mind. Ino's blood is cooling on her hands and she's shivering, staring at blank blank blue eyes. Her mouth's too dry to say sorry, and the blood is cold ice cold on her skin. Ino's throat is gaping open, and she is too frozen to cry.
nine ten `leven twelve, how many graves will we delve?
one two three four...
But that isn't how it went (is it?). She can't remember, and all she can see are blue blue eyes and red (cold) blood and pale skin so rubbery under her fingers. And Ino's not going to get buried, because there isn't time. She should stand. Should gather her chakra and turn around and face (kill) the men in the trees (kill them all for what happened).
...five six seven eight...
No one was ever as beautiful as Ino. Never as confident, as kind, as protective, as sweet as Ino. No one else had ever stood by her as faithfully as Ino (even after pushing her away). And this is how it ends, with Ino's blood on her hands.
...nine ten eleven twelve...
She still grips the stained kunai. A whisper of movement behind her is all the warning she needs, but her eyes won't leave Ino's (dead) eyes. The pain is sharp and she doesn't care, and she rises with hot blood coursing down her back and opaque green eyes staring staring.
...thirteen fourteen fifteen...
Why hasn't she tripped yet? Ino never faltered, but she always got her feet tangled and fell over. Now the blood (freezing into ice) is on her hands and yet she still stands (maybe this is falling). Ino was always better, always stronger, always always first.
...sixteen seventeen...
Feet move perfectly. She never hesitates, never makes a mistake. Not this time.
...seventeen...
But Ino's blood is on her hands.
...seventeen...
And it was all she could do (no choice). It was for Ino (everything always). It was salvation.
...seventeen...
It was mercy. It was protecting Ino because Ino protected her.
...seventeen...
So she doesn't understand why her hands are frozen. The heat on her back and now her chest and arm and cheek feels good (wrongright/hateneed). Without it she knows she'll ice over and fall down pale and stiff by Ino's corpse.
...sev...
Maybe she'll make it home.
...se...
Maybe Ino understands.
...s...
Maybe.
...
A/N: More angst. Well written? I don't know.