When she met him up on the roof like this, she felt like she was stumbling around in a drunken stupor. She knew she was feeding the poison in her heart but she couldn't stop. It made her euphoric just to be around him. But at night, she felt ashamed and utterly sad. She heard his footsteps echo through the stairway leading up to the roof. Then she saw his heavy black hair emerge.

"Hn," he said with the barest hint of a smile.

She loved and hated that. It had been years since he had interacted with others like this. Years since his demise. Nowadays, she was the only one who can make him smile and, sometimes, laugh. She was the only patient enough to wait out his vow of silence. And when he finally did seek comfort in someone else, she was there and she was generous with him.

She remembered that at one time – so long ago – all the girls loved him. They loved his face, they loved the sullen, tortured, bad boy persona. They loved the danger in his eyes. But now that he has been sealed and more or less castrated in terms of fighting ability, the appeal faded so quickly. His pretty face had aged rapidly with his zealous quest for vengeance. It had grown old and haggard. Once one of the most feared figures in the ninja world, his position was reduced to a shopkeeper's aid. Now all the women only looked at him with fear, disgust, or pity. She knew that he knew this. And at first glance, it seemed like he did not care. But she knew it made him hate the world so much more. Although, really, he was to blame for most of it. Naruto had been no better off, but he managed to get by.

When she saw that he wore all black, her mind jogged through all the important dates in his life. Had she forgotten that someone important to him had died on this day? No, not that I can think of…

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said sitting down on the ground next to her. He pulled out his pack of cigarettes and held it to her. She took one and so did he.

The autumn wind blew in their faces and a single lock of her platinum blonde hair danced by his face. He carefully and gracefully brushed it aside before exhaling fumes from his nose.

"How was your day?"

It had started only a year ago, but it felt like decades. It felt like decades of listening to him and sympathizing with his neuroses. Who knew that of all people, she—Ino Yamanaka, one of the most boisterous women in Konoha—would be the only to gain his trust. It was stupid, because pity was not supposed to develop into something more. It started when she finished a particularly draining mission. It technically wasn't so hard, but she had to kill a kunoichi who was exactly her age. She hated killing women.

She had come up on the roof to clear her mind and to watch the sun setting over the forest. That was when she saw him, a scowl on his face, smoking a cigarette. She had said hi, and he only gave a slight grunt in acknowledgment. She had wanted to leave, to be alone, but she marveled at the fact that this was the boy she was in love with so many years ago. She had grown to realize it was never really love. It was a girlish crush that had grown into a full-fledged fantasy. And now that boy who seemed to perfect, so beautiful, and so mysterious, sat here smoking alone. He looked so lonely, and frail, and pathetic, and pitiful. And old. In that moment, she wondered what it would be like to fall in love with him now, and whether it was possible.

"Mind if I join you?" She asked, even though most of her did not really want to.

"Whatever," he answered. And she sat next to him. And whenever she was in town it became their routine for the next year. Half an hour before sunset, they would meet there.

She was listening to him again. There were times when she would tell people about him, and they had a hard time believing her. It wasn't what she said, but it was the fact that he rarely spoke. "How could you carry a full on conversation with him," they would ask. The two of them were unlikely friends. But when he was with her, he was almost an open book. Maybe it's a reaction to years of loneliness.

But things were different now. She saw him as he was and there was no hero worship. She spoke her mind to him, whether he liked it or not. When he became too offended, he would leave. And things would continue as usual the next day. As a child, she had adored and feared him. Now she was honest with him, and she did not care so much about hurting his feelings, because she knew he did not care about hers. They would hurt each other, but she would always take care of him.

"I think I'm in love."

And her heart stopped. She knew about all his interactions. And he wasn't close to anyone. Sure, the Konoha 11 had invited often invited him to their gatherings several times out of politeness. He had only accepted twice, and that was because she had scolded him relentless for being such an antisocial weirdo. She suddenly did not want to hear.

"Who?"

Because if he loved anyone, it just had to be her because she was his only real friend. It didn't make sense otherwise.

"Hinata."

She laughed. But when she saw his face remained staid, reality kicked in and she realized he was serious. Then she was overcome with a wave of contempt.

"Why?"

She had never had a problem with Hinata. She even liked the girl usually. But at this moment, she hated the rich girl with every fiber of her being. What did Hinata have that she didn't have?

"She's beautiful, she's intelligent, and she's kind to me."

What the fuck? How would he know? They hardly ever spoke. And Hinata is nice to everyone because that's how Hyuuga women are supposed to be. How the hell can he expect everyone to understand everything about him when he barely understands others?

"A lot of people are beautiful and intelligent and kind to you." Like me, for instance, you idiot.

And what was wrong with her? She wasn't bad looking. She was just as smart as Hinata. Maybe even smarter. I did have better grades than she did back in the Academy. And what does Sasuke know about kindness? Kindness wasn't the same as politeness. Kindness was lending him an ear every day for a year even though the things he said hurt her sometimes. Kindness was giving him the time of day even during time when she wanted to die. Kindness was being strong for him when he did not deserve it.

"I love her voice. It's so pure and childlike and innocent. There's something about her I want to taint, to mark as mine. But even someone as disgraced as I am can see that she's too good for me. But it kills me that she's in love with the dobe. She's clearly too good for him"

And in that moment, something hot and furious switched on inside of her. She hated everyone. She hated Hinata, she hated Sasuke, she hated Naruto, and she hated herself for hating them. Her temples pulsed, and the tempests in her soul howled. But she put on her best poker face. She stuck her chin out and put on the sweetest smile she could manage.

"Heh. Sasuke, you're stupid. You don't know anything about love."

Then she got up and left him. She knew that he knew and that he didn't care. For someone as smart as he was, he was a total idiot. The consumed her like a matchstick being lit by a torch. Does he not see how lucky he is to have me? If it weren't for me he'd have no one. It would have been infinitely better if it had been anyone other than Hinata. Tenten, Temari, anyone—even Sakura. Hell, she wouldn't have even gotten angry if he had chosen Sakura over her. At least it would have made sense! Sakura was a better ninja than Ino was. Sakura was (even though she hated to admit it) smarter, and at one point a long time ago, her feelings for Sasuke were even more genuine than hers. But why Hinata of all people? Just because of her childish voice and her meek personality? Pure bullshit.

She jogged to the third training ground. And there she decimated several punching posts. She did not have the heart to visualize Hinata—because really, she did nothing wrong, and I'm being irrational and stupid—so she imagined punching the living daylights out of Sasuke. Her decimation of the posts was interrupted by a familiar presence…and a familiar smell.

"Man, what's gotten your panties in a bunch?"

She turned to look at the two of them. One was a young man with wild brown hair, red tribal tattoos on his cheeks, and a toothy grin; the other an enormous white dog with a similar smile as his master. They were Hinata's teammates. Seeing the two of them together somehow made her snap. And then she screamed. It was shrill and guttural at the same time.

He slowly walked toward her and put his palms up in a conciliatory gesture. "Hey, calm down, I was just joking."

Her eyes darkened and subconsciously Kiba felt her skin rise. He could sense the same in Akamaru, whose fur started to stand.

"Huh? Man…what's wrong?" he asked, his slightly enlarged canines showing.

"Put on your forehead protector," she said, glowering at him. She wanted to attack him with the ferocity of a raging fire. She wanted to destroy everything that reminded her of Hinata and Sasuke. Contempt seethed out of her every pore.

Kiba, though, was not afraid of her. He never was – he never doubted her skill and her ability to kill, but he knew of the kindness in her heart. He had seen her save her nemesis Sakura countless times. He knew this was just a girlish tantrum and not genuine hatred. "C'mon, don't. I've had two of my ribs broken already. Let's just talk, pretty please?" he said, grinning.

His smile was so bright and so warm that she felt a sense of longing for the same smile from a different person. Why can't I be in love with someone like that? But...he's probably in love with Hinata too. And then she felt like such a loser that she broke down crying. Oh gods, no wonder he loves Hinata and not me. I'm such an emotional mess. Everyone loves her more than me. She hugged her knees tightly, hoping to shield herself from the world. She would at least love herself if no one else would. And I spent all that time growing up but no one even cares…

"Hey, hey, what's this all the sudden? Where's that tough broad who tormented me growing up? He crouched next to her, tempted to hold her against him like he did Hinata when she was injured, but he decided against it. He knew a bossy girl like Ino would demand to be held when she really needed it. Right now she didn't need anyone else walking on her ego by treating her like a child.

Akamaru, though, didn't get the hint and began to lick the scrawny blonde girl's face.

'Ew (hic)! Stop it (hic)! That's so gross," she yelled, through a smile began to spread on her face. "Seriously, both of you, when was the last ime you had a bath," she cackled as Akamaru attacked her with kisses.

Good boy.