"Living a day without you would mean having no life at all. But if losing you is the best thing to make you happy, then I must live without a life."

"I'm glad for you two. If I'm not mistaken, your monthsary will be next week"
"..Yes, Ino." Sakura sadly answered. "Why are you sad Sakura? You should be happy because you and Sasuke will be married someday"
"We know," Sasuke sadly replied.
"I... I just want you to know that I'm already okay. Besides, Shino and I are having some dates these days. And... I just want to say I'm sorry." Ino smiled.
"It's okay. Well, I'm happy for you." Sasuke smiled.
Shino suddenly approached Ino. "Ino, let's go. Naruto and Hinata are waiting outside. Oh, I'm happy for you two"
"Yeah, same here." Sasuke said.

After Ino and Shino have left, Sakura hugged Sasuke and cried. "Ino... I'm sorry." Sasuke hugged Sakura. "It's not your fault. You're the one I love. Don't worry, I think your friendship will not be broken." he told her.
"I hope so," Sakura said, then Sasuke wiped her tears.

That night, Sasuke and Sakura cannot sleep. Sakura cannot forget the moments she and Ino were fighting because of Sasuke.

"I will not let you take him away from me," Sakura said to Ino.
"Me too, Sakura. Remember this, I will not lose. Sasuke is only mine!" Ino said. Sakura smile as she remembered these lines they said during their childhood. "Ino, you're a liar. You said that you're not going to lose, but..." again she cried. She feels guilty for what happened. Meanwhile, Sasuke cannot sleep so he went to Sakura's house. He stopped on the roof, then watched Sakura from the terrace. He thought that Sakura was already sleeping, but he heard her crying.

"..Sakura?" Sasuke asked. "Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here? Can't you sleep too?" she asked.
"Yeah, so I thought you're feeling the same way. Now you're crying. Are you still thinking of what happened between me. you and Ino?" "Yes, and I can't stop thinking about it." Sakura sadly replied. They both recalled that sad events. Well, this is the story behind these:

"Ino, there's Uchiha-sempai!" Ino's friend told her.
"Yeah, go for it Ino! Give him your gift! I bet he'll like it." another girl said.
"But I'm nervous! I'm shy!" Ino replied, but when she saw Sakura also holding a present for Sasuke, she immediately followed Sasuke and gave the gift. "Sasuke-kun, wait!" Ino shouted. "Arrggh, darn you Ino! (Grr! Always trying to take Sasuke-kun away from me!)" Sakura was very furious. When Ino gave the gift to Sasuke, Sasuke just smiled then said "Thanks," and went inside the room like there's nothing happened. Ino was very disappointed, and so she blamed Sakura. "If it's not because of you, Sasuke would be happy of my gift!" Ino and her 2 bastard friends already went inside the classroom. "... I guess I will just give this to him later," Sakura thought.

After their horrible class, Sakura saw Sasuke sitting on the roof of the building. She followed him. "What are you doing in here?" Sasuke asked.
"Uhm, I-I just want to give you these. Happy Birthday Sasuke-kun." she smiled then she gave the gift.
Sakura became happy when she saw Sasuke quickly opening her present. "... Is this me?" Sasuke asked.
"Yes, Sasuke-kun. I didn't sleep last night just to finish it." Sakura replied.
"Thank you Sakura-chan. This is very cute. I like it"
"I'm glad you liked it. Teehee." Sakura blushed. (I cannot believe he didn't ignore me! Gwahaha)
"Uhm... where do you want to go?" Sasuke shyly replied.
"(Am I dreaming or what? Anyway... YAHOO!) What did you say Sasuke-kun?" "Where do you want to go? Do you want to eat at Ichiraku"
"Okay! Let's go! (Hihihi... I'm so lucky.)"

What they didn't know is that Ino was listening to them in secret. Ino was hurt, but anger filled her heart that she wanted to get rid of Sakura. "Darn you Sakura. Next time, you'll see me being embraced by Sasuke.. and you'll be very very sorry!" she thought.

At the Ichiraku Ramen shop, Sakura and Sasuke saw Naruto, Hinata and Shino, but Shino was sitting on a separate table. They sat on the table where Shino is. They don't want to disturb Naruto and Hinata anyway.

"Hi Shino. Why are you alone? Where's Kiba?" Sakura asked the lonely boy.
".. He's busy training Akamaru. There will be a super dog race tomorrow, and Akamaru is one of the contestants." he answered.
"Oh ok. Hey can we eat with you?" again she asked.
"Okay. Besides, I need to talk to you.. and it's about Yamanaka-san," he explained.
"... Ino"
"Yes"
Sasuke finally sat beside Sakura and listened to their conversation. "So you like Ino?" he asked Shino.
"You got it, birthday boy. Oh, sorry if I don't have any gift for you, pal." "Don't mind it. So... what are you planning to do about Ino?" Sasuke asked.
"I don't know. Besides, it's the first time my heart was struck by a cupid's arrow." Shino chuckled. "Oh by the way, is Sakura your girlfriend already?" he curiously asked Sasuke.
Sasuke and Sakura both blushed. (Uhm... hello? Girlfriend you said? ... Not yet! Huhuhuhu...) Inner Sakura thought. ".. Not yet." Sasuke replied. So meaning, Sasuke wants Sakura to be her girlfriend when the time comes! "Oh ok... Maybe someday." Shino said. "Yeah... someday." Sasuke replied, then looked at Sakura. Sakura blushed more and more! "Uhm, excuse me for a moment, I'm just going outside." Sakura immediately ate her ramen then ran outside.
"Hehe.. she's nervous," Shino laughed.
"I think so." Sasuke also laughed.
"You know I hate you"
"... Why do you hate me?" "Because Ino likes you"
"So"
"Yeah, right. You don't like her." Shino laughed.
".. No one has ever made me happy, except Sakura," "Oh, okay. So you like her?" Shino was intrigued of what Sasuke said.
"... I think so. Hehehe." Sasuke giggled.

Outside, Sakura was sitting on a bench, trying to relax because her heart was beating so fast. (Did he say "Someday"? Oh yeah! I got him now! Hahaha!) Suddenly, Ino came and gave Sakura a furious stare but then smiled. Ino entered the ramen shop then. Sakura was very curious of Ino's smile. (She's gonna do something.) she thought. Inside the ramen shop: "Hi there Sasuke-kun!" Ino sat beside Sasuke, but Sasuke slightly sat away from her. (Why is she here?) Shino thought. (Did she follow us?) Sasuke thought, then he quickly stood and said, "Goodbye. You two, have a good time." he did it because he wants Ino and Shino to become close. Then he quickly ran outside to look for Sakura. Shino noticed the sadness in Ino's eyes, so finally he made a move. "Can we eat ramen together?" he asked her. "Uhm, okay." Ino smiled, but Shino knew it was a fake smile. Ino just want to hide the sadness she felt at that time.

Sasuke saw Sakura sitting on the bench, with some worry in her face. "What's wrong?" he asked her. "What did Ino do inside"
"She sat beside me"
".. And then"
"Oh you ask too many questions. I left them." the boy replied.
".. Ino and Shino?" Sakura asked again.
"Who else? Okay, it's already dark. Let's go home."

After Ino and Shino finished their ramens, Shino didn't miss the chance to talk with the one he loves. They went to the park. There, Shino confessed his feelings towards Ino.

"What do you want to say, Aburame-san?" Ino wondered.
".. I never knew you 'til I did and when I finally did, you were like someone I've known for a very long time, and then I remembered... you are the one my heart always talks about." Shino confessed.
Ino's heart was beating fast, but she didn't know what to do. (D-did he say he likes me? What will I do? I will just hurt him by saying...) "... I-Im sorry Shino, but you're not the one my heart talks about." Ino replied.
Shino's heart was almost broken. "Somewhere in your heart please find a place for me. Somewhere in your heart I won't care where it would be. One little corner may not mean so much to you, but one little corner is all I ask of you." Shino said, then he went away, leaving Ino behind.

Another day has come. Sasuke saw Shino sitting on the roof. "What are you doing here?" Sasuke asked.
"Trying to forget what happened last night," Shino replied.
"... You already confessed, right"
"Yup, and I knew it was wrong"
"If you didn't tell her earlier, she wouldn't say sorry"
"Yeah"
"Hmp. Stupid"
"Hehe.. Are you calling me 'stupid'?" Shino giggled.
"And if I say 'yes'?" "Well, I'm gonna kick your ass," Shino took out a kunai from his pocket.
"Okay... No." "Fine." Then the two laughed.

Meanwhile, there's something happening between Ino and Sakura. Sakura was sitting on the desk with Naruto, while Ino was looking at her with fury in her eyes. (What's the matter with her!) Sakura thought. (Why is she looking at me like that!) Then Ino stood up then in front of Sakura. "Hey, what's the matter, Ino?" Sakura angrily asked. "You ask me what's the matter? Well, I'm just mad because you're trying to flirt Sasuke-kun!" she shouted it that the whole class heard it. All the girls got mad at Sakura, then they surrounded the poor girl. "What the hell did you say Yamanaka-san? This girl is trying to flirt Uchiha-sempai!" the girls were very annoyed. They almost want to kick, punch or slap Sakura. An overacting girl took out a kunai then tried to hit Sakura but Sasuke just came in time and caught the flying kunai towards Sakura.

"What the hell are you doing! Are you trying to kill her!" he yelled.
"I-Ino said Sakura is just flirting you! We're just worried about you!" the girl said, almost burst with tears.
"Yeah, she's just trying to flirt you!" the other girls insisted.
"It's not true!" Sakura shouted.
"But...but"
"You have any problem?" Sasuke asked the girls angrily.
"...No.." the girls replied.
"You know, you girls are annoying," Sasuke told them. All the girls were shocked and 'broken-hearted' when Sasuke told them that word... 'annoying'. Sasuke grabbed Sakura's hand then they went outside the room. Ino cannot believe what she saw, then she cried because of anger she felt. Shino tried to comfort her, but... "Let go of me! I don't like you, so please leave me in peace!" Ino told Shino then ran away with great sadness and jealousy.

Meanwhile.
"Why did you take me here? What are we going to do here!" Sakura wondered why did Sasuke took her on the roof.
"You know I hate girls who always ask questions," Sasuke said. Sakura just shut up. "Uhm"
"I took you here because I want to say something very important." Sasuke told her very seriously. "W-what is it?" she replied. Just as Sasuke was about to say that very important matter, Ino showed up, holding a kunai towards her chest. "Ino! What are you trying to do? Drop that kunai please!" Sakura pleaded. "Shut up! I-I don't need your sympathy! Please don't pretend that you're worried about me because the truth is you just want me to disappear in your sight so that you can have Sasuke-kun!" (What a long line)
"It's not true!" "It's true! I knew it from the very beginning!" "Don't do it!" Shino showed up and tried to stop Ino from committing suicide.
"You can't stop me! I'm desperate to die! I'm nothing to this world. Sasuke already belongs to Sakura, and I can't accept it." she said while she was crying. "Ino..." "Hmp.. I just can't accept the fact that you really like my bestfriend, I mean my rival... I.. I lost." Ino smiled. As she was about to stab herself, Shino had the time to stop her. He took the kunai away from Ino, then he slapped her. "What are you trying to do! You'll just kill yourself because of Sasuke? What about your friends? Your family? ... What about me?" Shino almost cried but he's angry.
"I-I'm sorry, Shino. Please forgive me, I don't know what to do. I can't stop loving him. I just ignored your feelings. You must not love a person like me. I'm useless," Ino said.
"Your wrong. I love you the way you are," Shino replied. Ino burst with tears, then she hugged Shino.
"I'm so sorry.. I'm sorry." she cried and cried. "It's okay.. It's okay." Shino finally have her in his arms.

Then one day...

One day... "I'm glad for you two. If I'm not mistaken, your monthsary will be next week..." That's it. Did you like my story? Is it good? Is it bad? Are you satisfied or not? Please submit a review. Thank you very much. Scarlet Tanager