Possible

Possible

Chapter One: Horse

Author's Note: Enjoy! The characters' personalities have changed as they turn seventeen this time.

"Did you see the new guy that just came in?"

"Yeah, he was hot," said Sakura, beaming gleefully at Ino. Ino shook her head and said, "He may just turn out to be another Shikamaru, or another Sasuke-kun." She wondered how Sakura had actually become very much like herself when she was thirteen and how she had gotten rid of her addiction over every single good-looking guy she comes across over the years. Now, being seventeen, Ino seemed much more mature than anyone else at all, except Neji, though. Her attention was directed towards the new guy as he stalked past them, as he had just come out of the Hokage's office. Ino recalled hearing Tsunade call him 'Ichiro', so she assumed that it was his name. Ichiro merely half-glanced at them and proceeded to the exit silently. Sakura looked at him leave, with a dreamy look plastered on her face. Ino nudged Sakura and said, "I remember when I was like that, over every other guy." Sakura laughed and said, "Yeah, we both were. You just grew up too fast." Ino frowned and drawled, "I'm not that old, Sakura. It was only four years ago." Her pink-haired companion smiled at her and said, "Shall we go now? Maybe we can see that guy again."

"His name is Ichiro," replied Ino, in a matter-of-fact tone. "How did you know that?" asked Sakura curiously, shooting Ino one of her suspicious looks.

"You never pay attention to your surroundings, do you?" said Ino, walking out the Hokage tower with Sakura. "I heard Tsunade calling him Ichiro, so that's probably his name; unless there's a new word for 'new guy' that Tsunade thought up of."

Before the two left the compound, however, Shizune was calling them frantically from behind. "Sakura-chan, Ino-chan, wait up!" she yelled, running towards them. Ino and Sakura turned around to greet Shizune, who was panting heavily. "I forgot… to tell you that… that guy, Takahashi Ichiro, is your new teammate, in the place of Sai, as… he's off on a… long… mission!" Ino noticed Sakura grinning from ear to ear, and realized that she was very much excited to meet her new 'hot guy'. "Okay, okay. We get it," she said, pulling her friend along with her. "Bye, Shizune-chan!" After fifteen minutes of strolling around, just as Sakura had predicted, they crossed paths with Ichiro. Sakura was the first to speak. "Hi, Ichiro-kun," she greeted, waving at him with a smile on her face. Ino waved as well, and said, "Hey."

"Hello," replied Ichiro. He was a tall shinobi, with fine features, especially his hazel brown eyes that matched his black hair. He was wearing full black, much like Naruto's jacket and pants, but it couldn't be zipped up to his neck like the blonde's. "You must be my new teammates, huh?" he said, with a small smile. "Yeah," replied Sakura. "We're pleased to meet you." Ichiro nodded in acknowledgement and said, "Yeah, same here, I guess." Ino tilted her head to the left slightly. This guy is like Sasuke, she thought with much shrewdness. But still, Sasuke was worse. She smiled at him and said, "I look forward to working with you." Ichiro looked at Ino with a small grin and nodded again. "Alright," he said, before disappearing in the middle of the street. Ino was surprised, and suddenly grew annoyed. "Can you believe that guy? He just disappeared without a goodbye! We didn't even introduce ourselves!!"

"Oh, I don't mind. He's so cool," said Sakura, still mesmerized by Ichiro's good looks and charm. "Just like Sasuke." Ino swore that she could have slapped Sakura on the face if she wasn't her best friend. "That guy is so rude," she hissed. "But I won't deny his looks." Sakura laughed and said, "Yeah, but he's mine." Ino rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Whatever, Sakura, take him for all I care," she replied dryly. "I'm not THAT desperate."

"YAMANAKA INO!" yelled Sakura.

Takahashi Ichiro appeared in Tsunade's office again, without knocking this time. "I don't like my teammates," he complained, although his face showed no irritation. Tsunade smiled and said, "That was only two out of a whole lot more, Ichiro. Take your time. You'll get used to them sooner or later." Ichiro sighed, his face finally showing some emotion. His face looked slightly disappointed as he said, "I never knew Konoha shinobi were so desperate." Tsunade raised her eyebrows in surprise and said, "Is it Ino, or Sakura?" Ichiro cursed under his breath. He had left too soon before they could introduce themselves to him, but he didn't mind. Ichiro thought for a while, before saying, "Sakura. Is she the girl with the pink hair?" Tsunade nodded grimly and said, "Be wary of her. She likes you." He scowled and shook his head. "I'm here for a mission, not a dating session, Tsunade," he growled.

"I know, I know. But take some time to know them, at least, before you leave."

"Alright, fine. Just this once," said Ichiro, with much reluctance in his voice.

Tsunade smiled. "Good. Now go forth, and mingle."

Ichiro sighed, and disappeared without a word, as usual.

Shizune didn't like him much, though. "Tsunade-sama, why is he so casual around you? He even forgot to say goodbye without leaving," she said, with an obvious frown on her face. Tsunade looked at her young assistant and said, "It's a long story, Shizune. He was like a son to me. I took care of him for a while, but had to leave to come here. I trained him, as well. So now, he's coming here to repay my kindness." Tsunade laughed and continued, "Many people don't like him for his attitude. But they just can't resist his looks, now can they? Do I see you blushing?" Shizune immediately looked down as soon as she realized that she was indeed turning red at the thought of Ichiro. "He's probably younger than me, Tsunade-sama!"

"Oh, you were considering him, I see," mocked Tsunade with a smirk on her face. Shizune opened her eyes wide in shock and said, "Please, Tsunade-sama. He may be good-looking and all, but he's definitely not my type. And, he's very much like Sasuke-kun."

"So you actually liked Sasuke? I knew it!"

Ino looked down at the still river from the bridge, staring down at her own reflection. She couldn't help but to marvel at how Sakura had so easily fallen for Takahashi Ichiro, but at the same time, she figured that Ichiro had his reasons for being so cold. Maybe it was just Sakura that scared him away, not her. "Why am I even bothering?" she muttered to herself. "That guy has issues."

"Issues, you say?" said Ichiro, as soon as he appeared behind Ino. "What issues?" Ino could sense playfulness in Ichiro's voice, something she didn't expect. She turned around and faced him with a dark look on her face. "You just disappeared on us, what do you think?" she retorted, feeling slightly annoyed at the sight of him. "Okay," he said, "I admit, I was a bit rude." A bit, thought Ino with much contempt. That was a bit? "But I'm here to say sorry, okay? Don't make a fuss over this little issue."

"You have issues, and you know it," said Ino with finality in her voice, although she sounded as if she was teasing him instead of scolding him. Ichiro, however, took it well. "Of course I do. Don't you?" he replied, edging towards her. "I can tell you don't go for guys like your friend does, Ino. And you probably know my name now, right?" Ino bit her lower lip and turned away from him. "You're like those irritating little boys that think they're so cool and all, and try to put on an act in front of girls."

"Ino," drawled Ichiro, "I'm seventeen years old."

"So what?"

"So I can't possibly be a boy," he replied, with a condescending smirk on his face. "I won't argue anyway. It's a total waste of my time."

Ino turned around and said, "Stop being so defiant, okay? It's annoying me. Only an idiot would like you."

Ichiro's smirk immediately faded at the word 'defiant'. It reminded him of a wild horse, and he didn't like being described as a wild horse at all. He looked at her with a questioning look and said, "So Sakura's an idiot? I don't really care whether I'm defiant or not, Yamanaka. I'm not a horse that is supposed to be broken in." Ino rolled her eyes and said, "It's your life."

"You're right," he said, seething with anger. "It is." With that, he disappeared.

What a coward, she thought, running away from an argument just like that.

Ichiro appeared on the other side of the field and stared at Ino quietly. He hated to argue with people, but she was bent on pissing him off. He finally decided that he could never possibly become good friends with her, let alone be a teammate at all. It was probably my fault… but I can choose not to care, anyway. She's nothing special. She can't just scream at me like that. Whatever, he mused. She'll never understand me. Turning back to the trees, Ichiro disappeared and appeared back in his apartment. He flopped onto his bed and slowly drifted off to dreamland.

"WHAT? You talked to him?!"

"Yeah," replied Ino, tearing bits of paper off a notebook. She then grabbed a pen and began to scribble something on the paper while staring at the window. "He's the worst guy I have ever met."

Sakura stared at her best friend in shock. "And you screamed at him?"

"Was I wrong? He was so damned rude."

"Oh, Ino… I wish you were like what you were four years ago. Maybe you would have been on better terms with him that way."

"Things change, Sakura. People change."

Sakura frowned and realized that her chance at Ichiro was probably over. She sighed and sat down on the couch next to Ino. "Okay. Maybe he isn't perfect at all," she said, trying to calm Ino down a little. "You bet he isn't," replied Ino, gazing absently at her torn notebook. To her surprise, she had written down Ichiro's name on the paper. She sighed. What, now I'm supposed to be obsessed over that asshole?

Ino shook off the thought and decided to calm down. Maybe he'll be better tomorrow. Guys do have mood swings, right?

A/N: Phew. Chapter Two coming soon; I think Ino and Ichiro's relationship will get better as the chapters come. They're supposed to hate each other for now. You know, those clichéd stuff you read in love stories or something. Yeah. Heck with it.