Title: A Turning of the Tides
Author: lustoflostlove
Summary: In the beginning, I was there for you. In the end, you were there for me.
Centric Character (P.O.V.): Ino
Rating: K+
Genres: Angst/Spiritual
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, dubs wouldn't exist.
Warnings: There will be spoilers for Chapter 328.
Italics are for emphasis.
(Italics with parenthesis are my author notes, because, they obviously say, A/N.)
Bold are for headings.
A Turning of the Tides
She was a rather dejected little thing. Haruno Sakura. Her self-confidence and value was fading away at the hands of others. I pitied her.
At the Academy, she seldom spoke with the fear of not gaining acceptance from her peers. Eventually, I befriended her. I gave her the ribbon and helped her tie our friendship together with it. That fateful day changed our lives forever.
In a few weeks time, she had become my best friend. Like a child and a faithful pet, she would look up to me, be there for me, and tag along wherever I would go. I managed to gain her a permanent place in my circle of friends, and she shed her protective shell she donned every time she stepped in the classroom. I never noticed the fact that I had lost some of my companions' adoration and loyalty, as more of them became friendly with her. My creation. I was enthralled at her success as I continued leading her with the ribbon, first dragging her along, and then having her walk side by side next to me without a struggle.
The moment I noticed the shift of power, it was too late. I can recall the details of that day so clearly. Her sudden announcement of attachment to Uchiha Sasuke made the group giggle. A chosen few had already known about my infatuation with the boy, but they said nothing to discourage her.
Two years had passed with my secret successfully kept, until…
"Here. From now on, we're rivals."
I looked up from the ribbon in my hands to see her blazing eyes and set jaw. One of my trusted comrades had finally told her about my secret crush on Sasuke-kun, and after a month of feuding, we ended our long history. I forced a smirk on my face and we parted our ways. As the long hair I had encouraged so long ago swung in the breeze, I clenched the red ribbon. From then on, all that we did was a fierce competition. The thin piece of cloth that we had furiously been playing tug-o-war with for the past year had finally snapped in two.
We got separated into our three-man cells, but the conditions did not change. She had gotten Sasuke on her team and I was stuck with lazy old Shikamaru and chunky Chouji. It wasn't long before my team took the Chuunin Exams, and I wasn't surprised to see her there.
In the Forest of Death, she had jumped on top of the Sound nin and had desperately bit his arm. Rock Lee had already fallen at the nins' hands and I watched from the bushes as the Sound nin hit her head with such force that it cracked open. As I saw the blood ooze out, I didn't know what to do until Shikamaru urged me to help them. After we left the forest, I faced her in the Chuunin Exams, tied with her, and was dropped out. It was then that she declared she would become better than me and it was then that I acknowledged her.
Things continued on that way. First, she had managed to capture the hearts of Uzumaki Naruto and Rock Lee. They bombarded her with compliments and each swore to protect her at the cost of their lives. The only admirers I had gathered were from the Academy and had long since gone.
Next, Sasuke-kun left, and she became a medical nin. The Fifth herself taught her and her progress was phenomenal. She possessed a precise chakra control that I never had and soon learned to heal others and wield a monstrous strength that only the Fifth and her had. She had surpassed me, and I knew it from the moment her green chakra poured into my arm during mission to save Gaara's student.
With the absence of Sasuke-kun, I realized I didn't love him anymore, but Sakura still did. Instead of losing hope, she doubled her efforts to do better and used her abilities selflessly to help the ones she loves. I wondered why his departure wasn't spurring me on like her, and then, I understood. My crush on Sasuke had ended quite some time ago. It wasn't love. It was obsession. I had hopelessly tried to win a competition against Sakura, even though I knew I would lose, like I had lost all the rest. Frenziedly, I had went to her and begged for what she had. The ability to heal others. I pleaded with her to ask the Fifth for lessons like her, and she did not respond with the coldness I had expected, but warmth and understanding. I felt ashamed.
This, eventually became another competition to me. I wanted to outshine her at healing, but failed. After fighting Akatsuki, I frantically tried to revive my dying teacher, but I knew there was no hope. His last words to me were to not lose to Sakura in ninjutsu and in love. I agreed with him tearfully, but I knew deep in my heart that that was nearly impossible. I'm sorry I can't keep my promise to Asuma-sensei. I wonder if Sakura was there at the battle instead of me, would she have been able to heal him? Could she have made it possible for my teacher to be here today…
"Hurry up, Ino-pig," Sakura turned around and said. I snapped out of my thoughts and saw her gazing at me worriedly.
"Are you okay? Is something wrong, Ino?" she asked, dropping the nickname. I stared at her vivid green eyes filled with reassurance and kindness.
"No," I said with a fake smile. "I'm alright. I was just thinking."
"Oh. Okay," she replied, smiling back. With that, she turned around and continued walking down the path in front of me.
I reached into my pocket. Inside, there it was… the ribbon. I fingered it as I watched her retreating figure and felt like she was leaving me behind.
I lowered my eyes. Suddenly, Sakura swiveled around and gave me a big grin.
"What?" I said with a raised eyebrow.
"SOMEBODY'S thinking about their boyfriend!"
"Hey!" I snarled and she laughed.
"Come on. They're expecting us," she said and I smiled genuinely at her this time and we began to walk again, this time, side by side.
The whole time, I thought I was there for her. It looks like all along, she was there for me, offering guidance and waiting for me when I stumble. But she can't wait for me forever, so until the tides turn once more, I will continue to fall farther and farther behind.
(A/N: Just to tell you, this fic wasn't supposed to be SasuSaku, because I despise that pairing. I don't really like Sakura that much either because of her blatant Sasuke adoration, but after the timeskip, she gets a lot cooler. I just wanted to put their friendship in Ino's point of view. Reviews would be nice!)