The grass was greener yesterday.
The petit bouncing ball of sunshine skipped along a row of waving daffodils as she hums a song, "Who's the forest stro-lling, a swe-et little flower na-med In—"
Her feet meshed itself onto the soft red earth. She shuffles behind a towering, wilting willow. She dared to peek around its leathery bark. She saw someone whom she did not expect to stumble upon, nonetheless in this situation, for as long as her blithe childish mind can handle. Sasuke Uchiha.
Whirling the film back a few months, Ino had just entered the Kinder-ninja Academy with others who will become the Rookie Nine. Unlike her late teenage years, she has always thought of Sasuke Uchiha as a cunning, yet over-sensitive boy who was as exciting as growing grass. She has never quite fathomed the odd closeness between Sasuke and his family. "An odd, but useful bunch," Inoishi had told her.
Ino was always the toughest nail in the class. Heck, she can frighten the pants out of a boy if she set her mind to it. Why, she was the hardest rock in the valley. That changed when Sasuke came. His nonchalant, yet calming cuteness stole Ino's limelight. Refusing to give in, Ino held a recalcitrant attitude toward being infatuated with the boy.
Ino felt so confused seeing her rival hugging his knees with his head in his arms. Was he really crying? Stepping in closer, Ino noticed that Sasuke's sandals were caked in mud from the river banks. Did he run for a really long time? His narrow, frail shoulders shook with tremendous force. Yep, he was crying. His pale fingers dug into his arms with such ferocity that Ino cringed.
A big "why!?" sign flashed itself in Ino's head like neon lights above Konoha's greatest toy store. In her romantic mind, she imagined herself kneeling beside Sasuke and healing him from the unknown pain. She imagined the possibility of creating a bond. Then she imagined the wrath she'll face if Sasuke discovers her presence.
Nah, what if it was no big deal after all?
Yeah, Ino, what if?
With that, Ino creeped back to whence she came. Yet, in her growing heart she felt a twang of guilt. It's okay, she promised herself, I'll make it up to him somehow.
Unfortunately for the scarce tidbit of peace left in the Academy, she chose to "make it up to him" by showering unwanted affection.
Yeah, Ino, what if?