Hello everyone. So I'm back again with another SasuIno story. So this one will be a long one. I just don't know how long though. But I do hope you'll enjoy to read this. Sooo here goes…

Main Pairing: SasuIno

Rating: M

Setting: Konoha (however I altered the time to an old era. So the language is kind of formal.)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I just own this Fic, though.

Chapter 1: Greetings

A little girl ran happily through the forest, holding a bouquet of assorted flowers in her small hands. Her short blonde hair bounced on her shoulders as she skipped happily, all the joys and innocence illuminated in her ocean-blue eyes. A pink blush appeared in her cheeks and a smile on her lips.

Yamanaka Ino wondered through the forests of Konoha, feeling free at last from the watchful eyes of their maids. She was the only child in the main branch of the Yamanaka clan, her mother dying of childbirth. And because of that she was protected and watched by her beloved father, Yamanaka Inoichi.

"But now, I don't have to worry about the maids finding me!" she thought happily. She came to a stop and rested under the shade of a sakura tree. "So pretty", she whispered. She felt the sudden tiredness from all the running and playing as her eyes began to feel heavy.

She awoke with a start as she felt a sudden chill come upon her. Ino looked around and noticed that it was already dark. Panic and fear began to rise within her as she thought of all the ghosts and youkai that devour little children. It was too dark to see the way from where she came from. She walked towards nowhere, still clutching her bouquet of flowers in her hands.

She was lost and nobody would find her and she would die. She soon felt the tears flow down at the thought of never seeing her father again. And as she walked further, another chill went down her spine as she felt someone following her. She turned around and saw the darkness that covered the forest.

"Hello?" she called out but no one answered. Feeling another sudden fear, she broke into a run, not looking back and unsure of where she's headed. Suddenly, she saw stars and felt her head hurt as she collided with something hard. Her vision became blurry as she felt someone carry her.

Ino opened her eyes as the faint lights of Konoha fell on her. She noticed that she was nuzzled into someone's chest and a pair of arms was carrying her. She looked up and saw the features of a handsome boy who was about her age or older. He had fine dark hair and a pair of dark obsidian eyes. His face held a stoic expression.

Ino stared at the boy carrying her. Her heart was beating so fast, it was the first time she felt that way. She couldn't help but look at the boy and she squealed slightly when he looked down at her.

"We're here," he said as he dropped her gently on her feet, steadying her small body. She turned around and noticed that he dropped her just outside the forest, near their estate. He was about to leave when Ino caught on his white uwangi. He stopped and looked at her with raised eyebrows, making Ino shy and coy all of a sudden. She picked a flower from her bouquet and handed it to the boy.

"Ah, thank you very much," she said.

He took the flower, which was a red rose, and examined it. "We'll meet again, someday," he said and started to walk away.

"Lady Ino! Lady Ino!" a voice woke her up from her deep slumber. She had that dream about that boy who helped her when she was only eight. She felt another pain in her chest as she remembered the drk eyes that studied her. There was something dark and mysterious about the boy that made her not stop think about him for the past ten years.

Ino turned to the voice that had woke her up, meeting a pair of mahogany eyes and a smile. Her lady-in-waiting, TenTen, gestured cheerily to the window of the carriage.

"We're finally here. We've arrived at Konoha," she said ecstatically. Ino smiled at the girl beside her. She was older than Ino but they had known each other ever since they were born. TenTen was born into the family that serves the Yamanakas.

"TenTen, what are you so excited about? Perhaps you're happy that you'll be seeing a certain, browned haired Hyuuga?" Ino teased. TenTen blushed at Ino's remark. She had known that her friend has the eyes for a certain Hyuuga Neji. Something that she felt happy for TenTen.

"It's not that! Aren't you happy that we are finally home? I couldn't stand being away from Konoha for so long," she replied, with a blush still present at her cheeks.

"Well, it does feel good to be back here. I can't wait to meet our friends again," Ino answered. She did miss her friends. When she was ten years old, her father had her move to Kumogakure in fear of being caught in the civil war that had broken in Konoha. She had to leave her friends behind as she was sent away and now that she is back, she wondered how her friends had been.

The carriage passed by the market place district of Konoha. The place was crowded with people and stalls also lined up the sides. Ino took in the surroundings, reminiscing her old days when she would walk with TenTen around the village and visit shops. She noticed that nothing much has changed, which was, for her, a good thing.

They soon reached the Yamanaka compound and the carriage halted to a stop. TenTen delightfully helped Ino get off the carriage and walked inside the compound. They were soon greeted by the strong and cheerful Yamanaka Inoichi, the head of the Yamanaka clan. He opened his arms as he greeted his beloved daughter and pulled her into a tight embrace.

"My beautiful daughter, I've missed you so much," he said as he hugged her.

"Same here, father," she said returning the hug. They let go of each other and TenTen bowed as she greeted Inoichi. He was grateful to her for having taken care of Ino in their absence.

"Ino, tomorrow would be your 18th birthday. I had prepared a celebration for your arrival and as well as to celebrate your birthday," Inoichi stated.

Ino squealed with delight as she hugged her father. "Thank you! Thank you! Will my friends be there? Have you told them?"

Inoichi chuckled at his daughter's response. "Of course. I already informed them of your arrival."

Ino was happy that she'd be able to see her friends soon. And as they left for her quarters, she couldn't stop herself from talking excitedly with TenTen about seeing their friends. The stayed in her quarters, discussing plans and places they would go visit and decided to invite their friends. The two girls were so excited with their plans that they didn't notice the time as it was already time for dinner.

Ino went to dine with her father. His father inquired about how her studies had gone and how she lived at Kumogakure. Ino chatted animatedly as she told her father everything she learned at Kumogakure. During their dinner, Inoichi brought up a topic that Ino knew she couldn't get away from.

"Ino, you're already turning 18 tomorrow and you're still not engaged to any gentleman. You have many suitors but why do you not choose from any of them?" he stated.

Ino knew she was of right age to be wed but she didn't want to be married to just some stranger. She was known to be very beautiful, earning the title of "Konoha's Golden Flower". She was also very talented and smart, being at the top of their class. And of course, with being a Yamanaka, she possesses one of the strong qualities passed down in their clan: the ability to see the future. Many bachelors from across Konoha and other villages had asked for her hand in marriage but she profoundly refused them. She wanted to be married to someone she that she truly loves and would truly love her back.

"I know, father. But I would like to be the one to decide who to marry," she said boldly.

Inoichi nodded. "As you wish, princess. But if you are not soon engaged, I will be the one who will find you a husband."

Ino looked sad but she couldn't defy her father's wish anymore. "Yes, father."

Ino retired into her quarters later in the evening. TenTen helped her take off her kimono and prepare for bed. Ino was sitting in front of the dresser, TenTen brushing her hair as it lay loosely. Ino couldn't stop thinking of her last conversation with her father. She wanted to find her love and wait for the right person but she was confused and pressured and wanted to make her father happy as well.

"TenTen, you really like Neji, right?" she asked staring at her own reflection.

The brunette blushed with the sudden question and sighed. "Yes, my lady."

"Then how do you know if you really do love him?" Ino asked again.

"Well…how do I put this? I get really excited when I see him and my heart beats so fast, it feels like it would fly out of my chest. I always think of him before I go to sleep and seeing his face after a tiring day makes me feel relaxed and relieved," TenTen answered, with a daze expression.

Ino giggled, "TenTen's madly, deeply, in love!"

"Hey! I bet you feel that way too towards someone," she countered.

"Perhaps. But it was a long time ago," Ino said sadly. The face of the boy came up in her mind as she said these words.

"Then, he must be a lucky man," TenTen said, putting the brush down on the dresser. "Don't worry, Ino. He will come to you soon," she said as she hug TenTen from behind. There were times when they treated each other like sisters and there were moments when they would share each others' secrets just like this one.

"I can't see it. My own future. So I am really not sure. But I can see yours and I definitely can say that you will have a very happy one," Ino smiled.

TenTen soon left Ino so the Yamanaka heiress can sleep. As she left the room, she gave one last glance to the peaceful face of her sleeping friend. Ino drifted off to sleep soon after TenTen left. She dreamed of her friends, their faces playing in her mind and mostly, she dreamed of a certain raven-haired boy with dark eyes.

As she slept soundly, a pair of red eyes watches her sleeping figure.