The look on Ino's face told Sakura that talking was not needed at the moment. She simply wrapped her arms around Ino's small shoulders and pulled her into a hug that she did not reciprocate.

"I think you need to go home Ino. You've been in that room with no sunshine and piles of books for days." Sakura said leading her to the employee locker room where she set Ino down on a bench between the lockers and plopped down next to her.

"He's marrying her." Ino said starring at the lockers in front of her. "That stupid Suna bitch, he's running away from his village and marrying some stupid lizard."

Sakura heard the false anger in Ino's voice. This is what happened last time. Ino was too proud to admit that someone had hurt her. She was too proud to show that she was human in the same way that everyone else was, so she got angry. Rather than admitting that someone had the power to break her, she clenched her fists and filled her mind with hot hatred.

Sakura didn't know what to say. When it came to Ino it was like a minefield, you take one wrong step and you're blown to pieces. She just sat in the silence and started at the blonde hoping she would talk instead, and she did.

"I think it would be best if I took the rest of the day off, my head is not in the right spot to work."

Sakura nodded "I'll tell Shizune."

"You can't hide in there forever Ino!" Choji yelled.

He was leaning against the door leading to Ino's apartment. He had been there for ten minutes pleading for her to let him in. He wasn't really sure what to say to her but he knew he should be there so she didn't do anything stupid.

Ino opened the door all the way and gave Choji a look of something close to disappointment. She slid away from the door with no invitation but he stepped in anyway. Ino motioned absent-mindedly to a chair in the corner of the room and laid down on the coach. She lay on her side staring at Choji waiting for him to speak, but he didn't, he just stared back at her with a look of pity on his face. She despised that kind of look. She showed Choji her true sadness and he looked at her like she was a dog being put down. What was so bad about wallowing in her sadness for a couple days?

He knew her and why couldn't he see that this was all she needed. Maybe it wasn't.

"He still loves you Ino. He just can't love you the way you want him to"

"I don't love him that way anymore. I'm just sad because he left and didn't even write or anything, and now I find out my friend from when I was basically 2 is getting married. It is a lot to take in don't you think?"

She had to shut down. She had to lie to him because he couldn't see her like this. No one understood. She had to be angry in front of Sakura so she didn't loose face and now she had to be sad, but not too sad, for Choji so he wouldn't stare at her in such a pitiful way.

"What ever you say Ino. That's not what the rest of the village thinks." Choji said leaning forward and resting his hands under his chin.

"Well the village knows nothing. They don't know me. I'm happy. I'm happy with Neji. Oh shit! Neji!" Ino jumped off the couch and scrambled for her things before rushing out the door, leaving Choji to gaze after her.

"Sorry I'm late I just lost track of time you know me." Ino said as Neji got up to hug her.

"Why were you late Ino?" He asked with the puppy dog look he always gave when he knew she wasn't telling him something.

"I told you, I lost track of time." She said looking at his chest.

His large arms draped around her as he gazed down at her with a more stern look and he waited for some semblance of truth.

"Ino, I know when you're lying." Neji said tilting her chin so she would look at him in the eye.

"He's back." Neji said.

After a few moments of silence he let her chin go and sat down letting out a rush of frustrated air from his lungs.

"How did you know?"

"Come on Ino don't be silly, I wasn't in the ANBU for nothing. I know about what goes on in this village weather I like to or not." He said in a tone that provoked a feeling of anger in Ino.

"So how was the mission?" Ino asked trying to change the subject as she sat down across from him putting a smile on her somber face.

He let the subject drop because pushing her would make things worse. In time she would be able to tell him. In time she would stop omitting her pain from him.

She was so strong, but in time she would let herself be weak in front of him. At least that is what he hoped for.

FLASHBACK

" So, can we train tomorrow? I am really out of shape." Ino said grabbing for Shikamaru's arm.

"Sorry Ino but I have stuff to do tomorrow." He said turning to her.

"Oh yea I forgot tomorrow is sit-on-your-ass-and-be-lazy day." Ino crossed her arms and turned in her chair to stare at him.

"Yep, and I better get going I'm celebrating early this year." He rushed out of the ramen shop leaving Ino sitting with a sad look on her face.

"What made you think he would take his day off and train?" Ino heard deep a voice next to her.

"One of these times I just know he'll say yes with no arguing. I can just feel it in my bones." Ino joked and turned to the brown haired man sitting next to her.

He ordered a bowl of ramen and turned back to Ino.

"If you really need to train I'm free tomorrow."

"Really Neji?"

"Mhm" He replied smiling at her.

"That would be great. But you have to promise not to make fun of me, I haven't been on any missions for a while."

"Okay." Neji said. He had heard about what happened to team 10.

"I'll stop by your house at seven tomorrow. Okay?" Neji said taking his ramen from the waiter.

He smiled effortlessly at Ino and she smiled back. For the first time in months she smiled with no false pretense, no aching feeling, no guilt.