I know I know…look you crazy woman you've got three stories you need to be working on! I acknowledge this but hear me out a sec…I am simply flooded with ideas for new stories! They are poking at my soul and chewing on my brain like wild savages…I simply MUST upload one of them! Bear with me and I will upload new chapters for each of the other three! Not all at once for I do not possess that much energy or motivation! *pinky promise*

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

Chapter 1

"Got any plans this weekend Ino?"

I heard Kiba ask me, his hands shoved in his pockets as we walked out of our final class of the day. Thank god for the weekend. Shrugging, I adjusted my bag on my shoulder when it became too uncomfortable. "Nah, not really. I just figured I'd get some homework done then catch up on some Netflix."

He nodded as we made a left down the hall, heading towards the gym as we always did. "What about you? Got anything interesting going on." He sighed, running his hands through his tousled brown hair. "Nah, coach gave us the weekend off seeing as we won our last match."

"You don't seem too happy about it." I replied as we pushed through the large double doors of the gym, taking our usual seats on the bleachers.

He groaned and I couldn't help but smile. Resting his chin in his hand, he nodded. "I'm not. Well, boxing is my life…you know that. If I'm not training, then I feel like I'm slacking off. I'm usually so busy with training and matches that I don't know what to do with the scrap of free time I do manage to get."

"Looks like you and Sakura have a pretty boring weekend ahead huh?" I teased as he rolled his eyes. "I guess. I've been trying to get her to do stuff, she's even worse than me. At least I try to make plans but she's literally all about boxing or she just says another time."

I nodded understandingly. Kiba was a good friend of mine; even still, he had his moments when he didn't want to be bothered either. I guess that's why he was Sakura's best friend. Those two ate, slept, lived and breathed boxing. It's rare that they got any free time – maybe something interesting will come up, who knows?

I was going to suggest that maybe the three of us could catch a movie but the thought quickly dropped from my mind as the door to the training room opened. Sakura walked out, long pink hair tied into a loose ponytail, bangs framing her face. I noticed the clear sheen of sweat that covered her forehead. She strode confidently towards us, already knowing that we would be here.

Kiba was the first to stand as the two bumped fists with a soft smirk. "About time you came out." Sakura scoffed with a playful roll to her eyes, nodded at me, which I returned with a gentle smile as we all made our way to the parking lot. "Ino and me were just talking about the weekend. No plans as always. Doubt you have anything coming up."

"Well…actually I –" Sakura started before Kiba cut her off.

"Training does not count." He chuckled as Sakura huffed, the small wisp of air blowing her hair from her face. I giggled softly as we exited the doors leading to the parking lot for students. Heading over to our cars, I nearly screamed when I felt arms wrap around my waist, hoisting me up and spinning me around.

"What the actual fuck Temari! Put me down!" I was lowered to the ground immediately only to spin around and meet the grinning face of my best friend. Wrapping her arm around my shoulder, I noticed that the other members of our gang were there too.

"What are you guys all doing here?" Kiba asked a small scowl on his face. We truly loved our friends but having them all together just screamed trouble.

Temari chuckled before poking me in the cheek before moving to point at Kiba and finally – Sakura. "You, you…and you," She said with a smirk when she got to Sakura. "Party at my house tomorrow night. Nothing fancy, just some beer, snacks, music, just a little something to do."

I was the first to speak, shrugging Temari's hand off of me. "Can't, I got homework to do." Kiba shrugged and nodded, "I'm game. Beats doing shit at home." Sakura rubbed the back of her neck before shaking her head. "I think I'll pass too, probably going to work on some training."

Temari groaned and palmed her forehead. "Nuh uh, fuck that. It's all of you or no one's going." That was unfair. I might have sucked it up and gone eventually but Sakura was another case. She wasn't much of a talker and being Kiba's friend, we took her in so she'd have someone to hang with.

She liked her space, more than others oftentimes did. I thought the situation over in my head. Maybe if she did go, at least it'll be with people who she knew. Maybe she'll open up a bit. Although she kept to herself, it seemed that it was happening more and more to the point where if anyone did see Sakura, it was while she was at school.

Curiosity peaked within me at the chance to truly get to know Sakura and what she was like outside of school. With a nod, I turned to Temari, "Alright, I'll go."

The gang cheered and Kiba grinned at me as well. Everyone's immediate attention landed on Sakura who was shifting rather nervously on her feet. Temari rolled her eyes teasingly and walked over to place a hand on her shoulder.

"Look, everyone will probably end up way too drunk to go home so everyone can crash at my place. If you want you can too, if not then you can have a little bit to drink so you're not tipsy or anything and then head on home."

I watched as Sakura seemed to mull the plan over in her head. She looked at me with a pleading look to which I only returned with a smile. With a defeated sigh, she rubbed the back of her neck and nodded. "Alright, I'll go." Kiba along with the others grinned as they walked over and slapped her playfully on the back.

"Man this night is gonna be epic!" Naruto grinned and I couldn't help but smile. I turned to Sakura and my smile dropped when I noticed that she was frowning. Everyone waved and left, Kiba following when he mentioned he had to get home and walk his dog, leaving only Sakura and I.

We walked silently over to our cars, which were conveniently parked next to each other's. "You know, you didn't have to go." Sakura's eyes seemed to widen, snapping her out of whatever trance she had been in. With a sigh, she nodded. "Yeah I know, but I didn't want to ruin everyone else's time."

"I doubted that she would actually cancel the whole thing if we decided not to go." She shrugged and looked at her car before sighing. "Well, guess I'll see you tomorrow night then?" I asked, watching her reaction.

She stood there silently for a moment before looking up to meet my stare. My heart fluttered a bit when a smooth smile fell upon her lips. "Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow." I smiled at her as she climbed into her bright red Audi. Flashing me another smile, she pulled out of the parking lot and down the road.

I hopped in my light blue mustang and pulled out of the parking lot. Making my way home, I climbed out and opened the door to my house. Biting my lip nervously, I headed upstairs to get started on my homework.

It definitely wasn't the brightest idea to not take my car. All of our houses were in walking distance of one another's. It wasn't too bad a neighborhood but there had been a lot of crazy talk in the news about people being attacked by large dogs. Weird.

Anyways, it was September and not too cold but a bit of rain had started up and now was coming down a lot harder. Thankfully, I had brought a jacket anyway. Tugging the hood over my now wet hair, I rushed down the street a few blocks until I stopped outside of a large house. It wasn't a mansion or anything but it was a good size for a big family like Temari's.

Pressing the doorbell, I waited for a brief minute. I was greeted by Sasuke who leaned against the doorframe. His arms were folded across his chest with a teasing smirk. "About time you showed up your royal highness." I flicked him off and entered the house.

Kicking off my shoes by the door and hanging up my jacket, I entered the living room where everyone else was seated. I found it amusing that Temari made such a huge deal about us not showing up, and yet, everyone was already joking, drinking, eating and such before I had gotten there.

Looking around however, I noticed two people not in attendance – Kiba and Sakura. I figured Kiba would have been here by now and I had hoped Sakura would be too. She wasn't the type to be late for anything, maybe she had bailed.

Having downed my mood a bit, I walked into the living room. Sitting down beside Temari, I dragged my fingers through my wet hair with a sigh. I heard someone clear their throat in front of me. Opening my eyes, I noticed Shikamaru there, two beers in hand.

"For me?" I heard Temari pipe up beside me. Shikamaru chuckled before handing me the small can. "Actually it's for Ino." Temari scowled causing me to giggle as I stuck my tongue out at her. Shikamaru was Temari's boyfriend, we both liked to press with her buttons every now and then.

Shikamaru sat down on the other side of Temari who immediately snuggled up to him. "What's got you all down in the dumps?" She asked me, taking a long swig of her beer. Cracking open my own, I took a small sip and leaned further into the couch.

"Nothing really. Just a bit tired." Temari scoffed and I rolled my eyes at the immature behavior. "That's bullshit." I didn't get a chance to reply before I heard the doorbell ring. I saw Sasuke get up from his seat as he walked over to the door.

He stood there for a while and I heard him say something before laughing. "Well, I'll be damned." Raising my brow, I angled my head to see just who was at the door. Everyone else seemed to have noticed too as they grew quiet.

"Who's at the door Sasuke?" Temari asked, a frown settling on her lips.

Sasuke merely grinned as he stepped back. "See for yourself." I noticed Kiba walk in who grinned boyishly at everyone before stepping back to look at the door himself.

My heart raced in my chest as another person came into view. Pink hair was tossed over her shoulder and she wore a black fitted jacket and dark blue jeans with a pair of boots. She narrowed her eyes at the floor as Kiba swung his arm around her shoulder.

"Guess who I managed to drag out of their hole!" Kiba teased and I watched as Sakura shot him a dirty glare. Naruto jumped up and rushed over to her, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder as he spun her around.

"Alright! Sakura made it! It's definitely a party now!" I couldn't help the giggle that escaped as Sakura grumbled at him to put her down. She must have heard me as her eyes caught mine. I waved my fingers gently with a grin as she gave me a tired smile.

Kiba chuckled as he stopped Naruto. "Alright put her down." Naruto nodded and set her back down upon the floor. Temari grinned and reached over to pat the empty spot on the couch beside me. "Sit, have a beer and take a load off Haruno."

Sakura nodded and quietly made her way over. Sitting next to me, she fidgeted nervously. Placing my arm carefully on her shoulder, I gave her a reassuring smile. "Relax, how about a drink?" She studied me for a moment before nodding.

I started to get up before Kiba stopped me. "Nah, don't worry I got it." I nodded my thanks as he walked into the kitchen. He came back a few seconds later, tossing a beer to Sakura and cracking open his own. Sakura sighed and opened hers before taking a small swig.

She blanched at the taste and I tried to suppress a small giggle. "It takes some getting used to." I told her, she took another sip and frowned. "It's awful." Another laugh slipped out and I nodded. "It's not for everyone. Keep trying though, you'll warm up to it."

She nodded, leaning back into the couch. I smiled softly before taking another sip of my own beverage. "So what took you guys so long?" Shikamaru asked, his fingers brushing against Temari's waist. Kiba took a long chug of his beer and jutted his head in Sakura's direction.

"Because someone tried to bail on the party." He teased and Sakura shot him a dirty glare. "Aww come on Sakura, we're not that bad." Temari joked. "Live a little why don't ya. It doesn't have to happen all the time but it's okay to take a break from training every now and then."

Sakura rubbed the back of her neck, looking away in embarrassment. "Alright alright that's enough guys. It's what she likes to do so let her do what she wants. It's not that big a deal." Kiba waved his hand and nodded. "Yeah, my bad. It's all good Sakura, no worries."

She nodded and took another slow sip. I noticed that she didn't have the frown on her face from before so I guess it was starting to grow on her. Before I knew it, my own beer was finished. Standing up, I stretched and proceeded to the kitchen to get something to snack on.

Pausing, I turned to Sakura whose eyes were already on me. "You want something to eat?" She shrugged and stood to follow me in the kitchen. I lead her to the kitchen and took in the large amounts of food that covered the table.

Raising my eyebrow, I took in the different forms of nourishment that Temari had picked out. There were chicken wings, chips and dip, pizza, cookies, crackers and small finger sandwiches. Grabbing a plate, I handed one to Sakura before taking another for myself.

I decided on a few wings and a sandwich. Sakura grabbed a slice of pizza and a few chips. We stood there in the kitchen, a comfortable silence brewing as we nibbled on our snacks. Finishing, I tossed my plate in the trash. I decided not to go back for more since I had eaten dinner before I left my house.

"Want another beer?" I asked, noticing that she had finished hers not too long ago. She nodded and I grabbed two more before handing hers to her.

She thanked me and opened hers, bringing the can to her lips before I stopped her. With a grin, I held up my can to hers. She chuckled but nonetheless, clanked her beer with mine as we both a long swig. "Did you really not want to come tonight?" I couldn't help but ask.

She sloshed the beer around in her can, staring down at the floor with a frown. "It's not like I don't like you guys if that's what you were thinking." Shaking my head, I took a seat in one of the chairs. "Then why did Kiba have a hard time getting you out here?"

I hoped I wasn't pressing her, that's not what I wanted to do. I was just curious, I thought I could get her to talk, maybe explain why she didn't like to go out. She sighed, chugging the rest of her beer before sitting it down.

"Well?"

"It's…complicated Ino. I can't say why." She mumbled out, shoving her hands into her jacket pockets as she continued to direct her gaze towards the floor.

"Why not?" She groaned and I noticed her frown deepen. "I just can't. It's better if people didn't know. I train to keep my mind off of it and that way, no one has to know." A frown slipped onto my own face as I stood and walked over to the fridge.

Reaching inside for another beer, I looked at her as she shook her head. "No thanks." She mumbled as she leaned against the counter. "Sakura…" Her green eyes traveled up slowly to meet my own. Chewing my bottom lip nervously, I sipped my new beer and took a step closer.

"Is…everything okay?" I asked carefully, not wanting to upset her any further. "Everything is fine. What do you mean?" She asked and I gave a sigh of relief when her face softened.

"I mean, I never bothered to ask before but I've noticed something is up. You've always been quiet and kept to yourself but I feel like it's getting worse." She shook her head and looked away from me. "You're reading too much into things that aren't there Ino."

I frowned, finishing my third beer as I took another step closer. "If you need to talk to someone Sakura, you can talk to me. I know Kiba is your best friend but if you ever feel like you can't tell him something, you can tell me."

She turned her eyes back to me, watching me carefully. I felt my face flush but I couldn't tell if it was from her watching me or if I had pushed my limit on the beer. My vision was a bit hazy but not to the point where I couldn't see. Probably best that I didn't drive now that I thought about it.

Stepping back, I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I really didn't want to stay at Temari's tonight, not with all these people here. Looking up at Sakura, I sighed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your personal life. Just forget I said anything."

She didn't respond and for some reason I felt my heart tug painfully. Turning to leave, I heard her ask me to stop. Slowly turning around, I waited for her to continue. "Where are you going?" I smiled and tossed my empty beer cans in the trash.

"I think I'm going to call it a night."

"I didn't see your car outside. Did you walk?" I nodded slowly, not sure what she was trying to get at. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets as she stared at me intently. "Need me to walk you home?"

I blushed severely as I shook my head, waving my hands furiously. "No no! It's all right; it's only a few blocks. I can make it." She scoffed and stepped forward. "I've had enough of the party, I'm leaving too. Let me just walk you home."

"Sakura you don't –"

"Ino." She called my name sternly. With a sigh, I rubbed the back of my neck and nodded. We walked out into the living room where everyone was laughing and drinking as they watched Naruto and Sasuke wrestle.

"Guys, I think I'm going to head home." Everyone turned to me as they gave simultaneous groans. "Already? You just got here." Temari mumbled, watching me suspiciously. Ignoring her, I made my way to the door with Sakura close behind me.

"Yeah, Sakura's going to walk me home. I think I'm done for tonight." Everyone said goodbye and with that we were out the door. Walking down the steps, we turned out of Temari's yard, taking a left as we began walking.

The silence wasn't too bad with the occasional crickets chirping or the sounds of cars in the distance. We had decided to take a back road just to avoid the low streets that were sure to be flooded. I shivered at the cool raindrops as they fell, zipping up my jacket further.

Sakura eyed me carefully but didn't say anything. Swallowing down my nerves, I spoke. "Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you earlier." She stopped as I walked past her before stopping as well. "You didn't upset me Ino. I just don't want to talk about it right now."

I nodded softly, whispering a small okay. I heard her sigh behind me as she took a step forward, gripping my wrist lightly to keep me from walking off. "Ino…" Turning to face her, I noticed the internal debate she seemed to be having with herself.

"Sakura…you don't have to say anything. I was just –" I paused when I heard a low chuckle sound from behind us. Tensing, I turned around as Sakura did the same. A man stepped out of the darkness, his black hair falling messily over his head.

I noticed how his eyes gleamed with an intense golden glow. His grin was mischievous and I couldn't help but notice how sharp his teeth seemed to be. Taking a step back, I frowned. "Who are you?" I heard Sakura snap from beside me.

She didn't seem frightened in the least; her eyes were narrowed as she stood her ground. The man chuckled deeply as he took a step forward. "Who am I? That's not really important." He grinned as he took another step forward.

"What do you want then?" Sakura growled out, her tone dark. I flinched at how her voice was laced with a furious intensity. The man laughed loudly. I frowned, not finding any of this amusing as I took another step back.

"What do I want? Well, it's late and I thought I could find a little late night snack." He licked his lips as he eyed me specifically. "And I think I've found my meal." Sakura stepped in front of me causing my eyes to widen.

"Ino…leave." Standing there, I looked between the two of them and shook my head. "I'm not leaving you here to get hurt!" She gave me a hardened look, her jaw tensing. The man chuckled again, covering his face with one hand.

His eyes slowly traveled up before his body fell forward. My heart hammered in my chest as I tried to process what I had just seen. Where the man had been standing not even five seconds ago, a large black wolf stood on all fours.

Gasping, I fell back. The golden eyes of the beast locked onto me as he stepped forward slowly, I crawled backwards quickly, body trembling. Sakura jumped in front of me, throwing the wolf back as he lunged at me. Snapping her eyes to me, she growled.

"Damnit Ino! Get out of here!" I scrambled to my feet only to let out a scream as the wolf tackled Sakura to the ground. His jaws snapped in her face as Sakura held him back with her arm. "What the hell are you waiting for! Go!"

I was frozen, I couldn't feel my limbs. My eyes were locked onto the scene in front of me. This wasn't real. No fucking way this was happening. That man just turned into a damn wolf, right in front of us! That can't happen, there's no way!

I watched as Sakura struggled, throwing the wolf off of her again. She stood breathing heavily, her eyes narrowed as she tried to catch her breath. I started to take a step towards her only for something to catch my eye.

Her nails had grown rather long. They were sharp and angled in a way that similarly resembled clams. My eyes scanned up her body to rest at her face, which seemed to have undergone a rather shocking transformation as well.

Taking in quick breaths, I was able to notice her teeth. They seemed to point similar to fangs; I recalled how the man's teeth had a similar look. Finally – her eyes. They were no longer that vibrant green that she was known for. Instead, they were a bright golden color, flashing with a strange look.

I was snapped out of my thoughts as I heard the man's voice. "Well well, looks like I've found one of our own." He laughed and my eyes widened. "One of…your own?" Both he and Sakura's eyes snapped to me and I felt myself tense.

"Well what do you know? Looks like blondie over there is one of the special ones. She can hear us." My hands clenched at my sides as I narrowed my eyes. He continued another step towards me, chuckling as he dragged his tongue across his fangs. His tail flicked back and forth and before I knew it, he jumped at me again.

I fell back, my hands bracing me up. My eyes widened in fear as he closed in on me. Shutting my eyes tightly as I waited for the oncoming attack. When I heard a loud yelp, I opened one eye. Shocked, I noticed the form of a large white wolf standing in front of me.

Their teeth were bared furiously, red staining them as they lunged at the other wolf. I watched on in amazement as the two went at it. Blurs of black and white raced around as the two snapped their jaws at one another.

The white wolf jumped up, sinking its claws into the black wolf's back causing it to let out a howl. It turned around to bite the white wolf's front leg but it didn't seem to register as it snapped its jaws over the black wolf's neck. It slammed it on the ground, locking it there as the black wolf struggled before growing limp. My eyes widened further when I realized…it was dead.

The white wolf released its death grip, its tongue licking the crimson fluid from its teeth and lips. Slowly, it turned around, golden eyes boring into my own deeply. It made its way toward me and I panicked. Looking around, I found a broken bottle and pointed it at the large beast.

"D-Don't! Please…don't hurt me!" I trembled as my body crawled back further before hitting the wall. "Sakura!" I screamed, hoping that she would hear me. The wolf only drew closer as I screamed out for her again. Now sitting in front of me, the wolf's form seemed to change as it transformed.

My eyes widened for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Before me, Sakura sat there with her eyes heavy but returning back to that stunning forest green. "Ino." She breathed out, her hand clutched around her bleeding arm.

"Sakura…is…that you?" I asked, my hand reaching out slowly to touch her cheek. She flinched but nodded nonetheless.

"You need to get home Ino." I frowned as she shakily stood to her feet, her hand clutching her arm as she winced. "Sakura…what's going on?" She remained silent but continued walking. Rushing after her, I grabbed her jacket and tugged.

"Please Sakura…just tell me what's happening." She sighed and turned around to face me. She stepped forward dangerously as I took cautious steps back. I tensed when I felt my back collide with the wall. She braced her other arm against the wall, locking me in place.

"Ino, you wanted to know what was wrong…why I was acting strange." Her breath tickled my ear as I shivered. "You wanted to know why I don't let people in and why I keep to myself." Her cheek was now flush against my own and I couldn't help the gasp that slipped out when her lips touched my ear.

"Now you know." She pulled away to take a look at me. I breathed heavily, not sure of what to say. She pulled me along and before I knew it, I was standing outside my house. "Sakura…"

With a sad smile, she squeezed my shoulder as she started down my front steps. "I'll see you later Ino."

I stood outside a bit longer, watching her go before I went inside, unsure of what to make of all of this.

Whew, that was a doozy to write. I didn't plan on making it this long. I figured the shorter the chapter the easier to update. But anywho, tell me what you think. Yes? No? Maybe so? Later kiddies, read and review! ^^