Inu: Dude.
Disclaimer: Don't own.
Summary: "Even though she smiled constantly, I…I could tell she was in pain. And I felt just as helpless at her."
Ino x Sakura…Girl on Girl love. Don't like, don't read.
When people look at Haruno Sakura, they tend to think that she's very happy. They tend to think that she's a matured medic-nin, who finally got over Uchiha Sasuke, and married someone just as good for her, if not better, Rock Lee.
And then, on a mission, Rock Lee perished, leaving Sakura behind.
At the funeral, no one was surprised to see her standing beside his corpse with empty eyes. No one was surprised to see Maito Gai standing next to her, crying quietly. No one was surprised to see me on her other side, holding her gently, and trying to get her to open up.
And then, Sakura smiled. Everyone was taken aback, but left anyway when she ushered everyone but me out.
"What's with that look, Ino? You look like you've seen a ghost…" she'd say, smiling that damned smile.
Sakura looked beautiful when she smiled, anyone would agree, even Sasuke-kun.
"But then," Sasuke-kun would say, "When her smiles are fake," he'd hold Naruto's hand tightly, "It hurts."
And it'd be hard to believe something like that would come from Sasuke-kun, who was happily married to Naruto.
When Naruto and Sasuke-kun had come out of the closet, it was one hell of a shock, to say the least. Especially because Sasuke-kun was more eagar to tell the world, whilst Naruto was shy about it, so no one believed it until Sasuke-kun trapped Naruto in the middle of town and gave him a mind-blowing kiss.
Naruto suddenly didn't care who knew.
Sakura was actually the first to congratulate them. Sakura, who had a die-hard crush on Sasuke-kun, had told them that she knew. Somehow, she could see the love in between their fights.
One day, Sasuke and Naruto had a horrid fight, and broke up. It hurt them both, everyone could see that.
Sakura was the only one who came up with an idea to help them. Sakura's idea was funny, but it worked. She had suggested that if Naruto wanted to prove his love to Sasuke, then to bear his children.
"What the! How! I'm a guy if you haven't noticed!" Naruto screeched.
"No, I haven't, because you're the uke," Naruto bristled, but Sakura plowed on, "And you can bear his children. It looks like that sexy-no-jutsu isn't as useless as we all thought," she hinted.
After much convincing, and enough ramen to feed a small country, Naruto had turned into a girl, stayed in that form for nine months, and had had Sasuke's first and only child, named ever so affectionately after Haku, the ninja that had changed Naruto's and Sasuke-kun's life forever.
Haku was a beautiful child that took after Sasuke-kun, besides the bright, shining blue eyes full of wisdom beyond his years. He had his father's intelligence. Not Naruto's, Sasuke-kun's, but he had Naruto's determination and heart.
Sakura immediately fell in love with the idea of children, and slowly, fell in love with Rock Lee.
They married shortly after Haku's 6th birthday, and were relieved of all work so they could enjoy their honeymoon.
I had to admit…I was jealous…but not of Sakura.
Eventually, Sakura gave up on children, knowing for sure it wouldn't work with her erratic schedule. But she was still happy with Lee.
Lee made her smile more than anyone ever could. Lee picked her up when she was down. Lee defended her no matter what. Lee was always there. Lee completed her.
And then, Lee died.
We were told that he was ambushed, and his two team members were being held hostage. He didn't have the time to come back for reinforcement, so he went on ahead. He was able to save them, but at the cost of his life. He opened all eight doors, and there was no medic-nin on the team.
Sakura smiled to everyone and everything, just one day after the funeral. Gai-sensei, never one to be sad, had promised he would be happy for Lee's sake, and he'd try to move on. Sakura claimed that's what she was doing.
"Sakura-chan sucks at lying, then," Naruto commented off-handedly.
"Can you blame her? I'd probably be the same as her if I lost you, just more…broody," Sasuke-kun shrugged.
Naruto smiled at him, and snuggled closer to his husband.
I smiled at the both of them. "How is Haku?"
"Ah! Haku graduated at the top of his class at ONLY age 7! How great is that! And Sasuke-bastard here says that even though I'm his dad—"
"Mom," Sasuke-kun corrected, smirking at the glare.
"—That even with me being his parent, that the sharingan in him should awaken easily, and that's its strong!" Naruto finished excitedly.
"Haku…has no problem with you both being males and being his parents?" I asked cautiously.
"Of course not, Ino-chan. He loves us. And child would love their parents, no matter what. It doesn't matter the gender, what matters is that we took care of him and loved him with all our hearts, right Sasuke?"
Sasuke-kun nodded, smiling softly.
I smiled back sadly, "I see."
"Why do you ask, Ino?" Sasuke-kun asked.
"Sakura is pregnant…" I informed.
"She is! Who's gonna help her take care of the baby?" Naruto inquired good-naturedly.
I smiled. Of couse Naruto would want to help out Sakura. Naruto had finally become Hokage, and Sasuke-kun had taken Shizune's place and become the Hokage's assistant.
To me, fuck-buddy was a better term.
I digress. Naruto, being the Hokage finally, always made sure that he helped everyone. Sasuke-kun made sure, when Naruto wasn't looking of course, that no one complained and helped wherever necessary.
"Can I tell you guys a secret?" I whispered to them.
"If it's about you being in love with Sakura, it's no secret to us," Sasuke-kun droned casually.
I gawked at him, "How!"
"Ino-chan, we're gay. We can sense other gay people. Call it gay-dar," Naruto said matter-of-factly.
Sasuke nodded, "Which is why we weren't surprised like you guys when Iruka and Kakashi came out."
I sighed. "Then help me out here…I dunno what to do."
Naruto glanced to the right, where Sakura was walking across the street, smiling at everyone, and heading towards them, with a bright grin on her face.
"Tell her. She's….Sakura-chan is… well…" Naruto tried.
"What he means to say is that Sakura is just like Naruto and I. She's hiding her sadness behind a mask. And that's not good for her…but you…you are," he sighed, holding Naruto's hand, "Sakura is beautiful when she smiles, and it reminds me of…of a flower that's finally bloomed."
You're a bud…but you may bloom into something more beautiful than a cosmos.
Good job Sakura…you bloomed into a beautiful flower.
"But then…when her smiles are fake," he looked at Naruto, who'd look broken, "It hurts."
"Ino-chan…" Naruto began.
"Hey guys!" Sakura smiled, and sat with us.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled, and gave her a tight hug.
She giggled and returned it, "Hey Naruto!"
"Sakura," was usually Saskue-kun's only greeting, but today, he stood, and gave her a hug, and when he pulled away and smiled slightly, he said, "Hello, Sakura."
Sakura blinked, obviously surprised, before smiling, "Hello Sasuke-kun."
Then she turned to me and hugged me tightly, "Hey Ino-pig!"
"Hello yourself, Sakura-big-forehead!" I'd laugh, and hug her back.
Naruto stood, holding Sasuke-kun's hand in his, "We gotta go now, but we'll be right back. Just gotta check up Haku."
Sasuke nodded, pointing to the park nearby, where Haku was playing with the other kids.
"Alright," Sakura said, and watched them as they walked away, "That's so cute! Naruto and Sasuke-kun make the cutest couple ever."
"Yeah…they do," I said, distant.
"Ino? Is something wrong?"
"Sakura…do you know…do you know how much it hurts to see you smile now?"
Sakura blinked, looking taken aback, "What?"
"Do you know how often I think to myself, 'Even though she smiles constantly, I could tell she was in pain and…I…I felt just as helpless as her,'? Do you know how much…how much I cry inside when I see your smile?"
"W-Why?"
"Because Sakura, it's fake! It's not real! Sakura, it's a mask…and…I don't like the show you're putting on. I want the real Sakura. I know it's hard Sakura…but…please, trust me…I'd to anything to see you smile again…"
"I-Ino…why now?"
"Because you were with Lee…you fell in love with Lee…and…and I never got the chance to say that I loved you too," I bit my lip, holding back my tears.
This was it. She was going to reject me. She was going to stand up, walk away, and I'd never even see her fake smiles again.
As expected, I heard her stand, but then, small arms encircled my torso.
"Sa-Sakura?"
"I…I cried so much that night. I cried, because…because I knew I loved Lee…but…even when I was with him…I felt empty. And I started to stare at you…"
I blinked the tears away, and pulled back, looking at her face. She was smiling.
For real.
"I...I didn't want to tell you...because I thought it'd be mean to Lee…I thought it'd disrespect his memory…"
"Not at all, Sakura-chan!" we heard from behind us, and we both turned to see Naruto, Sasuke-kun, and Haku standing there.
"Sakura…there was part of the will that Naruto and I both agreed you shouldn't hear until you came to terms with your feelings," Sasuke-kun said.
"What's that?" she asked, pulling away completely, and sitting down. I found myself missing the warmth.
Sasuke smiled slightly, and read the rest of Lee's will, "'If Sakura ends up turning to Ino, tell her I'm not surprised, and that I'm not angry. I loved her no matter what, and I know she loved me. She just didn't love me as much as her first love, Ino, but the fact that she cared about me is enough. Sakura…if you're reading this, be happy with Ino, and that alone will make me happy.'"
"He..knew?" Sakura asked.
"Pfft. Of course. I told you guys. All gay people can sense other gay people. Lee sensed it, because he was gay too. He had a thing for Neji, if you didn't notice," Naruto grinned.
"No wonder he obsessed over him…" I laughed.
"We'll leave you guys be, then. C'mon Haku, Naruto, we're going home," Sasuke-kun smiled softly, and winked at me, before leading his family away to Ichiraku's.
I smiled back, already knowing what the wink meant.
Bring her smile back for me, would you? Naruto-chan misses it.
I could practically hear him saying that, then turned to Sakura.
"Sakura…I love you. Let's start over. This time, there's nothing to get in our way."
Sakura smiled genuinely at me, and I felt butterflies in my stomach.
"I'd love to, Ino."
She took my hand, and dragged me to who knows where, smiling, and brightening up everything. Lee had taught her something after all. I know I had a love-sick smile on my face, but I didn't care. Sakura…my Sakura was back. Lee taught me something too…
The flames of youth…
The flames of the spirits of the ninja in Konoha…
The flames of love…
They never die.
Yay! My first SakuIno! Tell me what you think!