The Pendant Around Her Neck

As far as you know, this is my 24th fanfic.

SakuraxIno, Yuri, Later on there may/probably will be lemon.

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, this wouldn't be a fanfic. It'd be canon. Just so we're clear, I do NOT own Naruto or any of the Naruto characters. In fact, I don't really own anything. I have like 12 dollars in the bank.

Note: This chapter has been edited and extended since it was first published.

Chapter 1

"Huhh…." I let out a big breath of air, sighing. Things are so boring lately. Nothing ever happens in Konoha. I swear it's the most boring city in Japan. Not that it can be truly called a city. It's more like a large town.

My name's Yamanaka Ino. I'm seventeen and bored. Usually teenagers tend to have a lot of fun, but I'm just bored out of my mind. Everything's been dull since she left.

I'm a normal teenager, I think. I attend high school, I go out on nights that I don't have school the next day, sometimes I even go out on nights I do have school the next day, and I try to relax and have a good time. I work in my mom's flower shop on occasion after school. It doesn't help that it seems that everything's become constant for the past few months. Nothing has changed in anyone's lives in Konoha in so long. Same old school, same old people, nothing new. It's driving me insane.

It makes me long for her to come back.

We met when we were so young. So, so young. I was just a little girl looking to make friends back then.

School had just started, and I didn't have any real friends. There were other girls I had played with but never really talked to much. A lot of them were all the same, like some factory had made them. What I really wanted was one genuine friend.

I walked into class and saw a bunch of girls in a circle. They were chanting and jeering at something or someone in the center. When I went to investigate, I found they were picking on a pink-haired girl who was crouched on the ground holding her knees. She was crying. I couldn't believe that these girls could be so mean. Oddly enough, they weren't making fun of her hair, they were making fun of her forehead!

I don't know what is was about her, but something struck a chord in me. She was different, she was unique. It's hard to explain, but I knew then that she was a genuinely good person. But more importantly, I could see she needed my help.

I decided to defend her. "Guys! Stop making fun of her. You know, you guys aren't perfect either. Isn't that right, Miss Bedwetter?" I said to the ringleader of the girls. I knew she wet the bed because her mom mentioned it (subsequently embarrassing her) once when she was talking to my mother at the playground.

The girl shrieked and ran away flustered with the others chasing after her. I helped the pink haired girl up. She was trying to hold back tears and dirt had gotten on her dress. I introduced myself.

"Hi! My name's Yamanaka Ino. What's yours?" I asked cheerfully.

"Uhh…my name is Haruno Sakura," she replied.

"Ooohh that's such a pretty name," I told her. She seemed so innocent and sweet. "Wanna be friends?"

"Uh, ok. I've never had a friend before…"

"Really? Never?!" I asked in surprise. I had never heard of a person who had never had a friend before. Even now I still understand why I said what I said next. "Ok then… from here on out we're best friends!!"

"Uhhh…"

From then on Sakura and I were best friends. She was always very shy, but I brought her everywhere with me. Somehow I knew there was a flower in there, waiting to bloom. I was waiting to see it. I knew it would be so pretty!

We did everything together. We sat next to each other in class, where I'd pass funny notes to her. I took her to my favorite spot in Konoha, this beautiful field full of wild flowers where we'd pick them and make necklaces and bracelets. We even went clothes shopping together. I had her pick out some red clothes to match her beautiful pink hair.

I can't think of any time when I was truly happier. It's strange, people don't usually consider the happiest time of their life a time when they were as young as I was. I mean I have new friends, but there was something about Sakura that I could never pinpoint that just kept me liking her. We were always getting into interesting situations together.

Like the day we were chased by a monster.

You see, Sakura and I were walking down the street one afternoon when we passed an alleyway. As we passed it, we heard a menacingly growl. We looked down the alley to see what it might be and out of nowhere, a great beast appeared!

We took off running and screaming down the sidewalk as the monster chased us. The hair stood up on the back of my neck as I felt sheer terror vibrate down my spine. We were just little girls, though, and couldn't run very fast. The beast gained on us and I felt its warm but threatening breath on my back. It made grunting sounds with each step, each more terrifying than the last.

We turned the corner and ran onto a grassy knoll. The monster tackled me to the ground.

"Ino!" Sakura yelled as she tried to help me up.

"Go on without me! Save yourself!" I shrieked.

"No…I mean… Ino, look!" she explained.

I turned over and it turned out the monster that had terrorized us was just a playful puppy!

"Aw, it's so cute," I commented.

"He likes you," Sakura observed.

We played with the dog for a little while when an older girl approached us.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, pointing at the puppy. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Oh, is this your dog?" I asked.

"Yeah…well, it belongs to the Inuzuka clan, anyway. It seems like he's taken quite a liking to you two girls," she said. "Thanks for taking such good care of him. He can be quite a handful sometimes!"

"You're welcome," Sakura and I said in unison.

"Tell you what…" she said, "I'll give you two something for the trouble this guy gave you." She rummaged through her bag and took out some candy. "Here you are. Thanks again!" she gave us the candy and left.

What a day that was.

----------------------------------------------

One day, while we were walking home from school, Sakura asked me a question.

"Ino, why are we friends?" she asked.

"Whaddoyou mean? Cause we like each other so much and have so much fun together, that's why!" I replied.

"But…why did you choose me? I mean everyone else made fun of me but you were real nice…"

"Oh, well I don't know. I guess I just liked you is all! Why are you asking me this, anyway?"

"Um…well…"

"C'mon already!"

She stopped walking. She was no longer looking at me. Her fists were clenched and her head was down. Something was wrong. Then, all of a sudden:

"I'msorryInobutmydadgotanewjobandweremovingawaytomorrow!"

Sakura burst into tears. I was dumbstruck. Speechless. I didn't even know what to think. And then, I was angry. I couldn't believe she was moving away! The anger was followed by sadness. I mean, she was my best friend and I'd never see her again!! (1)

Still lost for words, I went over and hugged her. She was still sobbing when I said:

"Hey, Sakura, it's ok. We.. we know how to read and write now so we'll write every week!" I reassured her, although it didn't reassure me.

I couldn't believe it! I was 8 years old, and already I was losing my best friend. I wasn't sure if I could ever have a friend as close as Sakura was to me. That night, I cried for a long time.

The next day, I went to Sakura's house to say goodbye. Her father had already loaded the moving van. I sat next to Sakura, but neither of us said anything for a long time. Finally, her father called.

"Sakura, it's time to go! Say goodbye to Ino then we have to leave!"

"Ino…" she started.

I interrupted, "Sakura, I want you to have this!"

I held out the present I had brought for her. It was a necklace with a small, shiny emerald pendant.

"My grandmother gave this to me when I was a little girl. I want you to have it, to remember me by! It'd look so pretty with your green eyes, too," I told her.

"Ino…" she said timidly, "Ino, you're my best friend and I love you and we'll be friends forever no matter what!"

I was surprised at what she said. After all this time, she was starting to grow bold!

"You're right! Friends, no matter what, Sakura!"

We hugged, and she left.

(1) Three of the five stages of grief in this one paragraph. This paragraph, which was edited in after I wrote Chapter 10, gave me a great idea for chapter 11.

A/N: I submitted this chapter with the second chapter so anyone who was to read this wouldn't have to wait to get to a half decent part. I know everyone just loves reading sole exposition, but I just couldn't wait. I don't really care if you review, or even if you read this story. I do this solely to cure my own boredom.

Edited A/N: I ran through this story and found an accidental use of an exclamation point. That bothered me. Also, if you want to review the updated version, I encourage it now.