AN: Decided to try my hand at romance :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
July 17th
Ino grins, sliding the piece of paper neatly into her bag, making sure that nothing creases or smudges - it is her report. Ino has topped her academy class, with Rank 4 for most of her subjects and Rank 5 for ninjutsu and genjutsu. She is the proudest she has been in all twelve years of her life, and cannot hope glancing at Sasuke-kun. She has beaten him, but only because he achieved Rank 1 in teamwork - it is common knowledge that Sasuke-kun is the best. Hopefully he will notice her now though.
She puffs up her chest, runs her fingers through her long hair (just for Sasuke-kun!) and heads towards the scowling Uchiha.
July 26th
Sasuke-kun is flawless, she pronounces loudly to the head of the Yamanaka clan. Inoichi blinks twice, shares a look with his wife, before bending down and ruffling her hair in an uncharacteristic show of emotion.
Ino, he says quietly, sometimes you must harden your heart. Most often or not, you'll end up with the opposite of who you like.
Ino's mind immediately whirls to Naruto and she scrunches up her face. Inoichi laughs, and pats her before retiring away. Ino groans and plops herself onto the floor. Naruto-baka is the most annoying prankster in her class, and rarely passes any of their exams. Unlike Sasuke-kun, who always scores the top mark, and is still so humble and cool. Sasuke-kun would be the perfect knight in shining armour, coming to whisk her away into the sunset.
Sasuke-kun is who she wants, and Ino always get who she wants.
December 2nd
After the death of the Third, and Sakura's decision to become a powerful ninja, Ino has decided that she too will become powerful. She will hone her skills as a medic, a kunoichi and the Yamanaka of Ino-Shika-Cho. She will never give up, and bring Sasuke-kun back home.
She is thirteen, and she is unstoppable.
August 31st
The Fourth Shinobi World War has come to an end. The world is at peace, and Ino is one of the few recipients of the prestigious awards, for reasons including her efforts as a medic, her part in Ino-Shika-Cho, and her fight against the reanimated Sound Four.
Everything she wants is here, except for Sasuke-kun.
But she is sixteen, and still very young, so she thinks that maybe, perhaps, she'll grow out of this phase.
September 24th
Ino is eighteen as of yesterday. Spending her birthday drinking copious amounts of sake, making out with Kiba, and inevitably hung-over the day after her birthday, she is still strangely giddy. She is glad that she spent it with Kiba, and is glad that she has gotten over Sasuke.
Strangely, she cannot even imagine herself with a silent boyfriend like Sasuke – she wants someone who's flirty, who will get drunk with her, who won't mind her short skirts and low cleavage. She knows she is one of the prettiest girl in Konoha – many people have told her so, but she's not looking for someone to hold her back – she wants someone who'll fly with her.
Ironic, she thinks, as this is the exact opposite of what she wanted when she was twelve. She pouts as she remembers her father's words again. If Sasuke comes back, she'll give him to Sakura, and maybe her friend will heal like she has. But nevertheless, Ino doesn't think she can take another Sasuke.
Thus, Ino makes it her mission in life to avoid men like Sasuke.
June 12th
Which is why when, on June 12th, Tsunade announces that she is officially appointed guide of the Kazekage, she thinks homicidal murderer-Shukaku-bloody Kazekage-regimental commander of the Allied Shinobi Forces-MAN LIKE SASUKE.
And of course, nearly gives herself a heart attack when she comes face to face with said Kazekage, and her heart just skips a little bit.
Oh shit, she thinks, as he extends his hand in greeting.
June 29th
It is officially time. Time for what, many newly minted chuunin may wonder, but all the experienced jounin knew better. Genma was here, he had opened his house, and it was officially time for the best party of the year. As the Kazekage's official guide this season, she is disappointed that she cannot go, for no one misses a party thrown by Genma if they can help it. Nevertheless, duty calls and Ino cannot step away.
However when, on June 29th, Gaara finds his schedule free of meetings and events, and is surprisingly up for a little fun, Ino decides, what the hell - she's going to take the most honoured guest to the wildest party of the year.
The guests barely bat an eyelid at the 'Honorary Guest of the Sixth Hokage, Gaara Kazekage of Suna'. He is still in his customary ninja attire, which contrasts greatly with the copious amounts (and perhaps inappropriate for the eyes of the Kazekage) of skin. She herself has decided that hey- you only live once - so why not make the best of it? She is dressed up, and in clothes she normally wouldn't have dared wear in front of such an official figure, but strangely she has gotten close to the red-head, closer than perhaps she realised, and she doesn't mind letting go a bit in front of him.
Genma has Aoba on drinks and Ino grins - he is famous for his mix of alcohol and fruit. The Kazekage follows her to the drink table, looking strangely lost but carrying a wayward smile. She offers him a drink, and he takes a whiff of the pineapple and whisky. She takes one herself and downs it, and he takes the other one and downs it too. She actually freezes for a second as he does - she never expected the Kazekage to accept her drink. But he gives her a small smile and toasts her, and her tummy begins to do gymnastics.
She blames it on the alcohol.
July 18th
Kiba breaks up with her. She feels empty, but she thinks that perhaps, deep down somewhere, she knew it was going to happen sometime. They have not spent a lot of time together - its the annual health check season for animals, and he and Hana are working hard on all the Ninken and Inuzuka dogs. She herself has been busy with the Kazekage and his various duties, but perhaps she thinks their teenage tryst was one built two confident, attractive people at the top of the ladder flocking together, rather than any true emotional bond.
She feels empty inside, and she doesn't know why she's so upset, but her heart is broken, and it takes all her years of experience with make up to hide her crying session from the Kazekage as she turns up to escort him for his morning meeting.
Gaara swings open the door, takes one look at her wobbly, over-exaggerated smile, and steps back, lets her in, and closes the door. He asks her what's happened, listens quietly, then disappears out the door.
When he returns, he tells her that his meeting has been cancelled, and that there was a sale going on next door - coincidentally for a box of tissues, her favourite movie, and her beloved ice-cream.
She even laughs slightly as he comes in, closes the door, and plops down next to her, ice-cream and tissues in hand.
She is still heartbroken, but somehow she knows she'll get better.
July 30th
Today is the day marked in her head as the day Gaara got drunk with her on some top-quality liquor. After numerous bottles (the exact number none of them can remember), they wrecked havoc onto the poor innocent town of Konoha, participating in numerous embarrassing acts never to be mentioned again - including, but not limited to, moulding a beard on Tsunade's carving on the Hokage mountain with his sand, and causing a certain Konoha elder to walk around while constantly hitting themselves on the head (but Ino never admitted to that - it could've been any Yamanaka who knew the clan jutsu!).
Nevertheless, this is the day she realises that some people are not all they seem, and that maybe, she can have more fun with a guy like Gaara than a guy like Kiba.
July 31st
Unfortunately, the day after, she has to deal with a terrible hangover and a very angry Tsunade.
And thus, Ino is subjected to a very long speech, various spit, and 21 days of scrubbing lavatories. Gaara is given some tablets for his hangover and a nice, 'I hope you are enjoying Konoha!'.
August is the month marked in her head as the month Gaara neglected his Kazekage duties to scrub toilets with her.
August 24th
Today is the day Gaara leaves for Suna.
She sheds tears in her bedroom that night, arm over her eyes as the moon shines through her window and onto the azaleas on her bedside. They are from Gaara, and even though she knows he wanted them to mean 'take care of yourself for me', she can't help but hope he meant 'fragile passion'.
But what she doesn't know, is that a certain Kazekage some hours away is feeling very much worse for wear.
September 28th
Our mission objective is to strengthen ties with other shinobi countries amongst medic-nin. You have been chosen to leave for Suna at the start of October under this A-rank mission. It may not be dangerous, but it is very important politically. If you so wish, you may travel with Sakura, who is collecting some herbs for me on the border of the Land of River. You will meet with the Suna medic-nin you are exchanging with at the border of Wind, around three hours away from Suna. You will be present for at least six months. If you wish to extend your stay, you may do so, but remember to collect as much information as you can on their medical system. It could be very beneficial to us.
And that was what Tsunade had told her.
Arigatou, she says quietly.
She feels like she can fly.
November 12th
Naruto, Hokage-in-training, leaves for the plains of Tea, where new-found, small, but a very strong trail has been found leading to Sasuke. He departs along with Shikamaru, the strategist, and Kiba, Hinata, Shino - the tracker team. It is Shika that informs her of this new development. She stares at his scroll, and ponders all the days of Sasuke. He was a big part of her childhood, a large phase. Without him, she would not be who she was today, and yet - she doesn't know what to feel. So she puts the scroll into the deep recesses of her cupboard, and heads down to breakfast.
Temari and Kankuro do not notice anything, but Gaara is suspicious.
February 26th
It has been nearly two months, and the Sasuke fiasco has barely entered her mind since receiving Shikamaru's scroll. She has received no information, and has long settled into he routine of life at Suna. However, she cannot shake the feeling that something important has happened. But she shakes it off and continues her work at the greenhouse with the botanists of Suna.
But she was right, for today was the day Uchiha Sasuke returned to Konoha.
February 28th
Sakura's message has reached Suna. Ino opens the message at the lunch table, coffee cup in one hand, scroll in the other. Temari is engaged in a shouting match with Kankuro, Baki is rubbing his temples, and Gaara is sipping his tea.
She takes one look at the message and her mug crashes onto the table. She doesn't even realise the mess she's caused - very strange for the normal girl, but instead stands up, scroll still in her paper-white knuckles, and flees.
She spends the rest of the day locked in her room, and not even the Kazekage can get her to open it. For the rest of the day, and even the next week, she rarely leaves her room, and when she does she looks aged and tired. All Suna ninja become afraid to approach the Kazekage, who famously caused a chuunin two fractured ribs and a broken leg for commenting on Ino and the curse that is Sasuke.
Temari thinks he should just talk to the girl.
March 29th
Inoichi is worried for his baby girl. Though he acknowledges that she is no longer a baby (twenty-two and counting), he cannot help but worry. He has only heard from her twice this month - once in reply to his letter asking her if she was alright (that was the 'Sasuke period'), and one two weeks ago including a ten-age sermon on a the Kazekage of all people.
And thus, he is appropriately surprised when a certain red-head appears at his door, on a fine Sunday morning, all the way from Suna, to ask for Ino's hand in marriage. He nearly kills the offender, but manages to restrain himself (after all, this is the Kazekage), but is fully prepared to say no when his wife steps in.
She shoots him her signature shut-up-stare and promptly informs him that she has been talking a lot with Ino recently (something that she failed to mention to him), and that she would be delighted if he went ahead and took away his daughter (not in those exact words of course). But he looks at his wife, and looks and the strangely nervous Kazekage, and relents.
But you better make her happy, he warns.
April 7th
Gaara proposes at the dinner table.
Kankuro chokes on his food, and Baki hits him violently on the back while staring incredulously at the two involved.
Ino looks up, noodles stuffed in her mouth, and nods.
Then they go back to eating.
It is not the proposal Ino expected, but this is Gaara, and she accepts him for who he is, and she accepts that he is not one for grand gestures, but she knows that he loves her, and that is enough.
Kankuro, after his choking fit, just shakes his head in bemusement. The next day, he tells all of Suna that the Kazekage bought a whole garden of flowers and rearranged them inside the Kazekage Tower into a poem of undying love, after which he produced a five course menu prepared by himself and proposed.
Temari just smiles.
June 12th
June 12th is their wedding day. It is the same day that Gaara set foot in Konoha, and the same day Ino was assigned his guide.
Their wedding is in a little pavilion a few miles east of Konoha. Everyone has been invited, and everyone has shown. Naruto is thumping Gaara heartily on the back, and Sakura is torn between hitting her boyfriend (to stop him from breaking Gaara's spine) and hugging Ino. Kiba has long gotten over Ino, and has come together with Hinata, and is trying to avoid the sight of Shino and his sister being all lovey-dovey. Her father has come (and over his original misgivings), and her mother is here too. Tsunade is here, and so is Team Gai.
On the other side, Shikamaru is with Temari. Kankuro has a large plate of food, next to Chouji who also has a large plate of food. Matsuri is slightly teary and even Baki has lost his expressionless facade.
In the corner, Sasuke comes and looks up at the girl who once loved him.
But most importantly Gaara is here by her side and she is happy.
AN: Did it work? Hope you enjoyed - let me know!