AN: My first real chapter fic! After realizing there are so few Ino/Sasu stories out there, I decided to write my own. Depending on how motivated I am, this story may be done in a week or in a year. I plan on having at least seven chapters, so keep the reviews coming and I'll keep writing!

Warning: Ino/Sasu, possible Saku/Lee and Naru/Hina in later chapters. Don't like it, don't review. Flames are given to Lee and Gai's Flames of YOUTH! Rated for angst and probable swearing.

The boy stumbled through the trees, tripping over tree roots in the oncoming darkness. He looked up at the darkening sky and squinted, trying to find out where he was. Blood covered most of his face and his legs were cut from stumbling through the underbrush. A deep wound dripped the crimson liquid down his side, the deep pain making his breaths come in short, quick gasps. His face was pale and his bare chest was covered in black and blue marks, the deep bruising covering most of his back as well. His legs were beginning to shake and he could tell they were about to give out any second. The strange mark on his neck throbbed dully, adding to his already pounding headache. He couldn't remember where he was or where he had been, but most importantly, he had no idea who he was. The dark black hair that hung in front of his eyes was unfamiliar to him, every line on his hands something new and alien. He had no idea how he had gotten so badly hurt, and that mark was bothering him more and more as the night wore on…

He just wanted to sleep… Just for a moment so the pain would go away for just a short while… Maybe he would find something in the morning…

But there were dim lights through the trees now. Maybe they were from a city or at least a group of travelers who could direct him to one. He was completely lost in this seemingly endless forest, and all he could do was urge himself to keep walking in hopes that somehow, he'd find someone. If only he could remember something about where or who he was…

Voices could now be heard and the boy strained to hear what they were saying. There were three different voices, and it sounded as if one of them had wandered ahead and was coming closer and closer…

His knees buckled and he quickly sat down against a tree, his head pounding painfully. His battered form had decided it couldn't keep going, and that was really a shame, since he was so close to being rescued… or at least given directions…

His eyes began to close as he now combated exhaustion. He wasn't really sure how long he had been wandering around in this forest, but he knew it was a long time. It probably wouldn't be bad for him to just fall asleep and rest for a while…

At that moment, he saw the dim outline of a person and slowly looked up. A young woman with pale blonde hair and light blue eyes was looking down at him, an expression of shock on her face. He looked back at her, trying to figure out if he could expect her to attack him or help him out. She looked like she was probably a pretty strong girl and even possibly a ninja… But then again…

He looked at her, staring at her pale face in the oncoming twilight. She looked so familiar but he couldn't remember why. Those eyes were blue enough to drown in, like a lake on a clear summer's day…

"Sasuke?" she gasped.

"Who?" the boy asked, looking at her in confusion.

"Sasuke? You've come home?"

"I'm sorry, I don't know what you're talking about-"

She knelt in front of him, gently reaching out a hand to touch his face with long slim fingers. "Sasuke, it's me. Ino. Don't you remember?"

He stared at her blankly. "No."

The girl, Ino, turned around. "Shikamaru! Chouji! Come, quick!" She looked back at the wounded teenager. "Just hang on Sasuke, Shikamaru and Chouji are coming. We can get you back to the village!"

"Who are-" he was about to ask before the mark on his shoulder burned with white hot pain, forcing him to cry out, grabbing it and shaking with pain and exhaustion. The girl called Ino jumped forward, trying to help him.

"You'll be okay, I promise," she said, taking one of his hands in hers. The boy looked at her, coal black eyes glazed over with pain.

"Who are you?" he whispered hoarsely, still trembling. "You look… So familiar."

"I'm Ino!" she said desperately, squeezing his hand. "Yamanaka Ino! Don't you remember me, Sasuke? I was at the academy with you as a child! My best friend Sakura was on your squad! Now do you remember-"

"No…" he coughed, blood suddenly spilling from his mouth. The girl, Ino's, eyes widened in fear, watching in horror as his body started to give into exhaustion.

"Shikamaru! Chouji! Hurry!" she yelled into the trees. As his vision stared to go, he heard her whisper "You're home now. It'll be okay."

But where was home?

"Shikamaru! DAMN IT RUN!"

Shikamaru sighed in annoyance as he and Chouji ran through the trees towards Ino's desperate yells. He rolled his eyes, wondering dimly what the girl had gotten herself into this time. It was just so troublesome, her trying to get them to be her virtual slaves… Who made her the boss anyway?

"What do you think is wrong with Ino?" Chouji said as he struggled to keep up with his swifter teammate.

"I don't know," Shikamaru sighed, sounding bored and sloth-like as usual. "She probably just wants us to go on ahead so if we get ambushed, we'll be the first to go…" That made Chouji laugh.

As the two boys came upon their teammate, both gasped. Ino was helping support a barely conscious Sasuke, who was covered in blood and bruises. Ino had quite a bit of blood on herself as well. .

"Holy Crap!" Chouji said loudly.

"That's Sasuke!" Shikamaru said, sounding shocked.

"Help me carry him," Ino said, carefully lifting the boy into her arms. Shikamaru helped her pull him onto her back, trying not to move any of his injuries too much. Sasuke stirred slightly, the cruse seal giving out another painful throb. Chouji looked at him, frowning.

"He doesn't look so good, Ino," he said.

"Of course not, bonehead, we need to get him to a doctor!" she said sharply as the wounded teen let out a groan of pain. "Let's get back to Asuma-sensei, he can help us." They ran off through the trees, Ino running slightly ahead of her teammates. Hang on just a little longer, Sasuke, she thought, feeling his thin form shuddering with pain against her. We're going to get you help…

As they exited the forest, Ino nearly crashed into Asuma. "Hey, Ino, slow down!" he said, looking at her. His eyes widened and his cigarette nearly fell out of his mouth with shock as he saw Sasuke's limp form. "Is that-"

"We need to get him to the Hokage," she said as the boy let out a whimper of pain. "He's hurt really bad, Asuma-sensei, and he doesn't remember anything!"

"Calm down! He'll be okay! Here, I'll take him to the hospital," the jounin said, quickly grabbing the boy in his arms. Shikamaru and Chouji caught up to Ino just as Asuma gathered his chakra and disappeared in a puff of smoke. Shikamaru looked at Ino.

"He'll be fine," he said, noticing her worried expression. "Whatever he's been through, Tsunade-sama is capable of making sure he's well cared for."

"I know Shikamaru," she said, for once without her usual bite in her voice. "I know."

AN: So there you have it.

Next chapter: Sakura and Naruto find out about Sasuke's return...