Supposition: An uncertain belief.

The smell of cigarettes and liquor lingered on her clothes. A reminder of what she had done, become and had yet to do. The night sky was alive with stars that slowly moved across the never-ending black canvas, and oh how it looked like his eyes. Reminiscing was a dangerous game. That's what made it her favourite. She would get lost for hours in happier times that had never truly been. Up on her apartment buildings roof. Sixteen stories high, the breeze a comfort and a curse. She shuddered as it blew straight through her black hoodie, disrupting her game. She stood on shaky feet, still drunk, but not drunk enough. She released a sigh, long and dramatic, a metaphor for the ever-present absence of normality in her life. Normality was something she craved, craved like she craved the oxygen she choked on. She craved too much for the lifestyle she led. A ninja. A sad, lonely existence that would end at thirty-five if she was fortunate enough to be cut short. She walked down the steps to her apartment on the thirteenth floor. A small one-bedroom space. Devoid of life and certainty. Purple drapes but a red sofa, nothing matching, nothing working. She ran calloused hands through her hair, raking through the knots, feeling for the split ends. She opened the door, always unlocked for nighttime visitors. She wandered to the bedroom where she collapsed on her bed, nearly sleeping but nearly waking. No one came to visit her that night, no one to distract her from reality with hushed whispers and sweet nothings. No soft moans or a sense of being wanted. Just her and the silence she used to fill the time she didn't want. She fell asleep in quite tears. Ino didn't want to wake up in the morning. But she did. She always did.

…

The breeze blew through the window, causing a shiver to travel up her spine at light speed. It was enough to annoy her but not enough to get her to move. She sat with her tea, going cold in her hands. It wasn't the first thing to go cold in her hands that day. But she didn't dwell on it, a lesson she had been taught in the cruelest of ways. She sat and watched the stars. She watched as the thunderclouds rolled in, swallowing the stars whole, drowning them in a grey smog. She watched until the rain pored down, filling the streets with its sweet smell. She got up from her chair by the window, leaving the tea; she could deal with that later, and walked out the door. She took the elevator, like the normal person she pretended to be, and walked out of her building. He relished in the way the rain felt on her skin. It felt like a release, like the rain was washing away the mistakes she'd made, taking her back to a time before. A time before everything fell to shit. Before she caved in. Before she broke. She strolled down the alleyway, littered with trash and the occasional sleeping stranger, until she came to the intersection where she made a left, then a right, then a left, then a left and a right again. She was standing before the memorial stone. She slowly approached. Scared the names she knew would come to life and strangle her. She ghosted a finger over names until she stopped at one. Hatake Kakashi. The tears began to form behind her waterline. Her fingers continued on their trail until they found another. Inuzuka Kiba. And again. Hyuuga Hinata. Then the tears spilled. Rock Lee. Her gut twisted. Sarutobi Asuma. She looked away in haste and ran. She ran from her problems, she didn't dwell. She didn't dwell on the lost friends, the lost lover, and the lost teacher. She didn't dwell on the memories. It hurt too much. Sakura went back to her apartment and slept. She let the nightmares haunt her. Because it made her feel alive.

…..

He didn't know what to feel anymore. Splattered in the blood of his enemy. He felt empty. Dying even. The loss of a brother, the loss of a father and a mother. He felt almost alone. He looked to the sky, at the grey blanket being laid over black. And oh how it reminded him of the past. He walked back home, slowly he trudged, carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. Hiding behind an innocence he pretended to have. As a ninja, he thought he would be saving people lives, infiltrating villages and gathering information. Hero of the town. But it wasn't like that at all. All missions were classified. No one knew of his heroics. He couldn't actually say there were any. All he did was murder. All he did was kill. And he did was destroy.

Naruto was unhappy. A regular occurrence.

…..

Every one could feel the tension in the air. It was thick enough to choke on. He sat on his thrown like a King. She imagined a crown on his head, she imagined her at his side, a queen. She looked at him and she saw an escape. A way out. Karin watched him take a breath, she felt her own get caught in her throat. She saw his eyes darken, saw his shoulders straighten, saw his hair stand on end, saw his soul blacken. She saw everything. She was not stupid. She saw the signs. "What do you mean? Specifically." He was angry, she saw that. Beyond angry. Suigestu tried again, this time more clearly. She Suigetsu, draw a sharp breath, in preparation before beginning. "We just got word of a search party coming from Wind country." Sasuke was furious, she didn't miss it. "Then we need to move. Karin," She straightened, "Warn Jugo, we move now." Her heart skipped a beat, they were moving, and this was good. This was further away from Sound. Further away from the nightmares.

…..

When Naruto returned she was the first to greet him, because they were close, but closer at night. They are each other's release. They are each others best kept secret. It isn't love, but it's as close either going to get. It isn't passion, but it comes close. It isn't quite whispers or loving sighs. But it was enough. They sit on the bench and light up a cigarette, secretly wondering why she wasn't strong enough, secretly blaming. "How was it?" she asks, keeping it vague. "Tough." He answers, keeping it broad. "Why do you smoke?" he asks, getting a little too personal. "Because it feels good." She answers, giving away a little too much. "Is that all?" he asks, getting too personal. "Yes." She answers short and curt. Shutting him out. "Just asking." He mutters, "I know." She murmurs. "Ino," he says, "Do you think we'll get him back?" she pauses, blowing smoke from the corner of pink painted lips. "I don't know." She starts to walk away, slowly, silently hoping that he'll follow. That he'll keep her company. "Yes you do." He says, and turns and walks the other way.

…..

Sakura waits at Ichiraku. She slowly stirs a red powder into the drink next to her. When he arrives he sits and hands her an envelope. One she is scared to take. Because she knows what it holds, she knows it is important, she knows it is hope. "Thankyou." She whispers as he takes a sip. As she stands he falls, dead. She nods to Teuchi, who is used to his noodle bar being used as a rendezvous point and leaves. No one sees the small smile form on her face.

….

Alright, so I swear this is Sasusaku. Well it will be. There is some build up first, you know plot, character development. Things that make a STORY.

Thanks for reading xx Review if you want