Unveiled

Disclaimer:

The author does not own Naruto nor its comprising characters.

Notes:

This fanfic is rated M for Mature. Rating derived from romantic encounters, not violence (Lemons). I will not announce the mature scenes nor will I provide a way for you to skip them.

This fanfic is a Naruto x Hinata x Ino centric story (NaruHina, NaruIno, InoHina). Any other parings are incidental or unintentional. Except for maybe some Kakashi x Sakura (KakaSaku) because I just can't help myself.

All reviews of any caliber or opinion are welcomed. Nay, encouraged.

Chapter 1 – Rivalry's End

I knew this is how it would turn out, so why am I still so upset? Why did I think that after all these years anything would have changed for her? Yes, we had repaired our friendship and it was no longer just because I was a strong protector and role-model. We are more like equals now, or rather she is even stronger than me.

Why couldn't I just leave well enough alone? I had kept it bottled up for so long and it finally just came pouring out. It was like I had vomited my inner soul right in her lap. No warning, no "hold my hair", just straight to the point. No wonder she ran.

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Today started innocuously enough. Sakura and I were lounging on a rooftop near Ichiraku's stand, gossiping and talking about nothing in particular. I told her my latest tidbit; how Kiba had used the lamest pickup line in history on Ayame: "How about I make the ramen tonight, and you let me have you for dessert." And it worked. Apparently, the prospect of a man cooking her dinner was all the motivation Ayame needed.

Sakura laughed for a good minute over that one. When her laughing subsided she looked at me and smiled. It was a genuine smile, the ones that were rare now after all that had happened to her team. Ones that could melt away all of the shrouds I hid behind and make me want to be who I really am.

The serene contentment in her expression may have triggered it. Or it may have been the deep, warm reflection of the sun in her eyes. I don't really know. Regardless, my heart began to feel like it was trying to escape the confines of my chest. A pressure was building in me and I had to do something, anything to relieve it. And so I did.

"I love you... Sakura."

Her smile faltered for a second, but quickly returned.

"I love you too, Ino."

Giggles accompanied her reply, and while they were normally intoxicating, this time they felt sharp and piercing. She didn't understand. She was laughing at how serious I was being, as if I had momentarily slipped into a state of nostalgia. I should have stopped. She had replied with the words I wanted to hear, but not with the meaning I dreamed of. It should have been enough, but it wasn't.

"No. I love you, Sakura."

The tears had already begun to roll down my cheeks as the words escaped me. I knew what was coming. Her smile faltered again, but this time it wasn't coming back. She understood. And suddenly, the tiles on the roof beneath us were more interesting than my broken and tear stained facade.

"Oh..."

She stayed still for several minutes, and I dumbly looked on in terror. What had I done? I wished I could take it back.

"How long?"

The tears that had been subsiding renewed as she looked at me with sympathy. It was like I had delivered bad news. The warm friendly atmosphere was gone, replaced with an oppressive cold that was prickling at my skin.

"For... as long as... I can remember."

I was struggling to win the fight against my sobs when I saw her hand reach out for my shoulder to comfort me. But it stopped. It was something she would have done before, but now it was different. Now she slowly pulled her hand back and looked away at the sky in defeat.

"Ino..."

My sobs won. They became wails with the occasional "no" and "I'm so sorry" blended in. I could tell she was searching for the right words, some kind of response. But there was nothing. She couldn't return my love, she couldn't console me without making it worse, she couldn't just pretend that she didn't know. I had made her feel helpless, trapped with no way to keep from losing her closest friend. And I hated myself for it. I had written another page in the disastrous log of her relationships.

She gave me one last saddened smile before she slowly stood and closed the distance between her and the roof's edge.

"I have to go, Ino. I'll... see you around."

And with that she was gone.

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And now, here I am. Crying in the alley beside my family's flower shop because I chased away the person I cared about the most. I'm supposed to be running the store for the afternoon, but I don't really want to talk to anyone right now and I doubt customers would appreciate my bawling. Sitting on a stack of palettes wishing for a second chance is infinitely preferable to being asked why I was crying.

As if on cue, a rather energetic voice called out to me from the end of the alley.

"Oi, Ino. I need some flow... are you crying?"

The orange-clad figure walked further down the alley toward me and leaned over to get a better look at my face.

"No, Naruto. I just sprayed a little water on my face to help my skin grow."

"Oh... wait, why would you want your skin to grow?"

I brought my sleeves up to my eyes in an attempt to clean away the tears and groaned into the fabric. This was going to be a long day.

Next Chapter: The Invitation

Suggestions welcome, I'm not afraid to deviate.