'I've got to get out.' Ino thought, looking pensively at the door. She put on her shoes, and headed out into konoha.
"Spring Fever Sale! Weather changes are on its way, and ROMANCE is in the air." The poster outside the flower shop read. Sure romance was in the air, but not for her.
'Not for me.' she thought sadly
Ino sighed, and locked the door. She was free to go for the night, and all she needed was to lock up the store. It seemed to last forever, but she still got it done.
Today was the hardest day of her life, she had cut the long blonde locks that she has grown to love. Customers and employees alike, they all complimented her on the new style she had chosen.
She had once grown her hair out because she had loved Sasuke, but decided to grow it out long after the childhood crush for the Uchiha had faded...She had grown to fall in love with her fellow teammate and comrade, Shikamaru.
Cheeks flushed red, she remembered the day that she realized she liked him.
Ino's Flashback:
"You know, its strange...Out of all the girls I know, I care for you the most. Though we have our major differences, I realized that we do have very much in common. I find myself constantly thinking about you during the day, and I don't know...Its strange" Shikamaru confessed, looking disdainfully at the cloudless sky. There were no clouds to distract him today.
" Nani?" Ino asked, blue eyes going wide and a blush forming on the apples of her cheeks.
"-I am glad to have you as a friend." he smiled, quite amused at her reaction.He wasn't ready to tell her yet.
' Wow...Does that mean he likes me?? Demo, things have been changing in our friendship. Gah! Why am I so gosh darn red?!?!?! I thought the blusher in the group was Hinata! Why am I so nervous????...I like him too' she thought, panicking inwardly
Looking at her comrade, she noticed things that she had never noticed before. Dark eyes fringed with tiny black lashes, a tan muscular body beneath mesh, and the expression of such concentration that had once looked like an old man's, but now it seemed so comforting.
"-I'm glad for it too." she said flashing her biggest smile, and thinking of ways to get rid of the blush on her face.
Not knowing where she was going, she accidently tripped...Into a river. Splashing around and watching villagers pass by, she had never felt so embarassed. Shikamaru, knowing her embarassment jumped in as well.
After pulling her out, he sighed.
'Great...He probably thinks I'm an even bigger idiot.'she thought
Instead of the usual " How troublesome", he smiled and looked at himself " You know...now we both look like wet rats!" he laughed and grabbed her by the hand. " We need to go change."
He dropped her off at her house, and then said finally " Your hair looks pretty long...It'd be a shame if you cut it."
-End Flashback-
She walked over the bridge where Shikamaru and her talked that day. Looking into the water, she saw another face...Not her former self, but the person she was now.
Her long blonde hair was layered so that it fell right below her chin in soft layers. She was wearing a white outfit insead of her usual purple, and her eyes looked...Sad.
I'd be a shame if you cut it.'
Her eyes filled with tears, and she let them fall into the calm river below. They landed with a little 'plop' and she watched the ripples in the water.
That night, Shikamaru had come home from a party in the Sand Village.It was a party celebrating Gaara's birthday, and she couldn't go because she was on a mission with Sakura and Hinata. As soon as she got home, she saw that she had a missed call from Shikamaru.
Feeling giddy, she picked up the phone and dialed his number.
"So my lazy bum, how did it go?" she teased, unaware of the envents to come.
" A lot different than I expected... I met a girl, danced, broke up fights, and didn't sleep at all" he said breathlessly.
"Oh..So what about the girl?" she asked, her heart sinking.
"Her name is Temari. She is really pretty, and wow...She is super nice. I thought she was a whore at first and I still dunno, but shes awesome. We had a wonderful time just dancing...I think I might ask her out soon, but for now I'm not making and decisions." he said happily
"I-I'm glad you had fun.." Ino managed to say without sounding how she felt...-Like utter crap
" I couldn't sleep on the way back...I just couldn't help but think about her. I know it sounds cheesy, but I cannot forget her smile." on the other line, he sounded genuinely happy.. "I must sound like...I forgot the word" he finished, his voice trailing off and going into deep thought.
"A lovesick puppy." she finished for him
"YES! Exactly." he exclaimed "So how was your weekend?" he asked
"I got to go...Somebody at the shop is going insane because we don't have a certain flower.
"Okay! Goodbye." he said, hanging up
She once remebered an old japanese legend. They say that if you your hair after a break up or when your heart was broken, it meant saying goodbye to your old self and moving on...It was also supossed to bring good luck in the future.
She slammed the phone on the reciever and went to the beauty salon. When she walked through, all of the other clients were staring at her in amazement. Why would somebody with such beautiful hair want to cut it?
"Give me your best shot. I want it short, and something completely different." Ino said, holding back tears.
Without question, the hairstylist put Ino's hair in a loose ponytail and began to snip away. Using a razor to layer the tips, he looked upon her face.
Tears silently streamed down her face, and fell on the long blonde ponytail sitting on the floor.
She shook her head at the memory. Crying her last few tears, she felt her short hair tickle her chin.
'Its time to move on...I need to move ahead and think of the future, not dwell in the past.' Wiping away the last tear, she smiled and looked into the moon.
' Its time to change. After I heal, I'll make sure that I will have changed in some way for the better..' She thought to herself and smiled, this will take some time.
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A/N: My first one shot!!! It is not the greatest thing ever, but I just had the sudden idea and decided to go with it, you know? Please read and review!!!