Haya this is my second fiction :) R&R

It had been two years since he last saw her. He had missed her and couldn't help feeling a little excited about her return. How did she find being away for so long? Had she changed much? Did she forgive him? He thought this as he stood by the entrance gates. So saying he was feeling nervous didn't exactly explain how he was feeling. All he could do was go over the speech he had been practicing since he heard that she would be returning. Hopefully spending two years in the Grass Country gave her the space she needed to think things through and maybe, just maybe forgive him. He hoped he was lucky enough to earn her forgiveness. Glancing up he spotted his best friend. He looked just as nervous.

"I knew I would find you here. Waiting for her as well?" His cubby friend asked.

"Yeah I thought she would like to see a familiar face when she gets home"

"Somehow I don't think yours would be the one she would want to see." Choji signed "Then again she probably wouldn't want to see me either."

Shikamaru knew exactly what he meant. Two years ago he had selfishly asked his best friend to lie for him causing the pain of his other best friend. Because of his own selfish needs he had hurt the only people he had cared about. If he could go back and fix what he had done he would. But he couldn't, so all he could do was wait at the gate and pray that she wasn't mad anymore. They both sat down in silence and continued to wait. Choji nervously ate his crisps and Shikamaru went over and over the speech.

After two hours of waiting and no sign of her he started to worry. She was usually never late. Did something happen to her? Just as panic started to set in a glimpse of purple caught his attention. She was slowly strolling towards the gates. It didn't look like her at all.

Two years! It certainly didn't feel that long. It only felt like a few weeks since she had last look upon Kohona. Even after two years she could feel the same pain rising. Blaah, she didn't even want to come back yet, the stupid Hokage sent a letter saying she had been away long enough! That she had enough time to get over all the shit that happened to her. In a way Ts was right she had been away long enough. But a little longer wouldn't have hurt. She had changed since she left. She was no longer the weakest of the rookie 9 and she knew it. Her appearance had change quite a bit as well. Her long blonde hair was now in a low ponytail sweeping across her right shoulder. The side bangs remained. Her outfit was a net vest top with a deep purple boob tube over it; her arms both had net gloves going up to the top of her arm. Instead of her purple dress she now wore black shorts with fish nets on her knees. She also had put on weight so her figure was more curvaceous. She was proud of her looks now more than ever. A small smile appeared on her face as she thought of how her pink haired friend would react to seeing her. The rivalry in her eyes was now over. She had no intention of going back to being that girl. The one who spent all of her time worrying about her looks or chasing after boys that had no interest in her! She had grown up; at the tender age of twenty one she has loved and lost but also learnt to live. And now all she wanted to do was keep growing into the person her dad had always wanted her to be. And thanks to the two year break she realised that it was time to start now. She now had a focus and a direction and no one would stop her from being the best she could be.

She saw people waiting at the gate. Why where people there she told Tsunade that she didn't want anyone to know that she would be back today. What the fuck! This was not suppose to happen. Squinting her eyes she saw the last person she wanted to see. The stupid pineapple headed bastard was there along with his partner in crime. Her heart sank. Why did it have to be them? How did they find out she would be back? Fuck what was she suppose to say to either of them. She hadn't planned seeing them so soon. This wasn't fair! Choji she could forgive but the other piece of shit there was no way she could stomach to look at him let alone forgive him. Two years doesn't fix the hurt she felt. The hurt he caused. He had put a knife in her heart when she needed him the most! The memory of the day he crushed her was still fresh in her mind. Even after two years she still felt the pain run through her body. Hurt quickly turned to anger and all that she had tried to forget came rushing back. There was no way, just no way in hell she would ever forgive him. She had planned that the first thing she would do was get Ts to make sure that she would never work with him again. Even though their jetsus complemented each other the shinobi did not. She hated him with all her being! Taking a deep breath she approached the two males and slowly gazed upon them. Looking at Chojis cautious face she didn't have it in her to be mean to him. She loved him like a brother and that was a bond that even she couldn't break. As much as she wanted to walk right by him she couldn't. She had really missed her cubby friend.

"Choji" she gasped running up to him and gave him a bear hurt that he would have been proud of. Slowly he returned it. Pulling back she smiled at him softly.

"Ino you look so different! But in a good way you look amazing. How have you been? I know you probably didn't want to see me but I had to make sure you arrived safe. It's been so long and I've missed you. I'm sorry." The brown haired boy looked down in shame and regret. Ino couldn't help but feel a tug at her heart. Yes she definitely couldn't hate him. Even if she wanted too!

"Don't be silly I'm happy it's you here. I don't think I could stomach Forehead right now." Grinning from ear to ear she gazed at him. "I've missed you too Choji. I really have and don't worry I forgive you."

At that Choji looked at her. He felt a warmth he hadn't felt in a long time. Only a warmth Ino could bring. She forgave him! He couldn't believe his ears.

"Now come with me to the Hokage tower and after that we'll get some grub my treat! I've so much to tell you. You wouldn't believe the things that have happened to me while I was away." Gently taking his hand in hers she led them away from the gates not even glancing back once at the other presence that too was waiting for her arrival. There was some things time couldn't heal.

Okies so again don't forget to R&R :P And im not sure who Ino should be paired up with yet so any ideas on who you like would be cool :)