Sunrise and Sunset
Sasuke sat in a tree above the main shopping area of Konoha. He sat with his head hung low, swinging a kunai around his finger.
Naruto, Ino and Sakura were walking through the shopping center.
"Why do I have to carry your bags? I'm the village hero not your personal mule." Naruto whined to Ino and Sakura who were walking on either side of him.
"This is great for your image. Sure you're the village hero but you're not better than any other villager." Ino wagged her finger in Naruto's face.
"If the villagers see you helping out, they will think highly of your character." Sakura smirked.
"So saving all of your lives wasn't enough?" Naruto mumbled.
"Listen here Naruto if you don't carry these bags-" Sakura growled shaking her fist at Naruto.
"Hey! Isn't that Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he looked behind Sakura.
Ino and Sakura turned at the same time.
"Why's he just sitting there?" Ino whispered in a small voice almost afraid to ask.
"He's been like that ever since he came back to Konoha." Sakura responded loud enough for Sasuke to hear. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and stabbed the kunai into the branch of the tree.
"Are you ok Sasuke?" Ino asked sweetly.
He frowned at them and disappeared in a poof of smoke.
Sakura turned away. "At least he's back in the village." She announced cutting through the air of tension Sasuke left behind and started walking.
"Come on Naruto, Ino. We're almost to my house!" She called behind her.
Later that evening
Ino watched the sunset from her back porch. When the sun had gone down completely, she walked down the stairs of the porch and into a secluded spot in her backyard. This spot was located through a path of overgrown rose bushes.
The bushes of red and yellow roses lead to a small clearing with a stream trickling through. Ino sat by the tiny stream and put her hands in. When Ino first discovered the secret area, both of her hands could fit in the small stream, but now only her fingers could fit in her stream.
Ino laid on her back looking up at the stars and put her toes in the cool water. She let down her golden hair and thought of Sasuke. She didn't think of anything specific about him, just pondered about him generally. It was odd having him back in the village after so many years. She couldn't figure out if he was filling a space he left behind, or occupying a space that disappeared a long time ago.
It seemed that not even Sakura was very pleased that he was back. In fact, no one seemed to be.
Ino heard a rustling in the bushes and jumped up. She put her hair back in a ponytail and pulled her kunai out of its pouch. She held the kunai ready in her right hand and her left ready to make chakra signs.
Ino stood up slowly ready to charge at the person advancing towards her.
An anbu mask appeared in front of her, and Ino charged towards the mysterious person.
The raven faced anbu grabbed her wrist tightly. Ino broke the hold and jumped back. She quickly begun weaving hand signs.
"Ino! Stop!" The anbu yelled.
Ino hesitated, and then continued to make the last hand sign. The anbu ripped off his mask and Ino's eyes widened.
"Why are you here?" Ino's arms fell to her sides and she froze.
"I don't know where I am."
"You're lying." Ino stepped back as the anbu stepped toward her.
The anbu looked down at the ground and frowned. He sat and washed his face in the stream.
"You can calm down I'm not going to do anything to you." He looked annoyed with her, and turned to some small flowers. He picked them, and handed them to her.
She took them slowly and sat next to him.
"I just needed someone to talk to, and I saw you here." He looked at her shyly, and then looked up at the stars.
"Why not talk to your teammates? After all this time that's what you need to do." Ino said sharply.
"What would I say?"
Ino sat with the anbu and they talked all night. When the sun rose the next morning, the anbu opened his eyes and looked at the beautiful blonde laying in his arms. She held tightly to the flowers he gave her the night before. He kissed her on the cheek, and stroke her hair which shone beautifully in the bright morning sun.
"Thank you." He whispered, and disappeared.
