Blowin' Away: Hey! I did not write this. I'm not a big SasuIno fan. . My friend wrote this for a contest on NF and she asked me to post it in my account 'cause she doesn't have one here. So yeah…


Ino was the picture-perfect Barbie doll. Everyone knew that. Her enemies knew; her parents knew; her friends knew; everyone.

In many ways she was. She constantly cared about her looks and how her hair felt in between her elegant fingers. Ino would constantly compare girls to each other and see who was prettier than she and compete with them. She would yell at her teammate for being too fat. Ino also graduated the academy top kunoichi.

Everyone knew she got everything she wanted. She got all the new clothes and all of the suitable boys in the village. She always completed her missions with grace and ease. Obedient, skilled, beautiful and happy: four qualities that Ino always was. Everyone knew that.

Everyone thought they knew that.

Every time Ino looks at a skirt she's distracting herself. Every time her perfectly formed lips curved themselves into a smile was a lie. A new tune she shows the world instead of sad sobs. Every time her sapphire blue eyes twinkle in delight from the success of a mission; a cover up from all the nights she cried herself to sleep.

Every night she would wait until moon was high up in the velvet-black sky. Her cerulean eyes would reflect the small twinkling diamonds in the sky as her blanket would lay heavily on her body cloaking her from the cold from the open window. Every night the blonde's hands would be placed in front of her face as her blonde hair spilled across her pillow.

Once Ino was sure everyone was asleep, every night she would slowly she would stand up allowing the blanket to slip off from her body. With her bare feet she would walk towards the window as quiet as dawn.

Without even thinking about it, she would sit on the edge of the window with her back pressed against the wall, like she did every night.

No silent tears fell down her face as she fumbled with the hem of her night gown. With a small gentle movement her hand outstretched itself into the air as a soft wind blew through her golden hair.

Closing her eyes she could feel the goose bumps spread across her body like water rushing through a river. But like every night she made no movement of bringing her blanket over her body.

Images flashed in her mind. Every night it was the same person. A raven haired boy with spiky hair with a haunting smile pressed against his face. The Konoha head band was missing from his forehead and was replaced with markings, almost like paint, splattered across on his façade. The boy's eyes were crimson red like blood and were hungry for revenge and power.

Every night the memory of what happened in the Forest of Death played over and over in her head.

But tonight was different.

Tonight was Christmas.

She had a very different memory playing in her mind.


"Hello! How may I help you?" asked a middle-aged blonde as she heard the soft jingle from the front door.

Ino didn't bother looking up to greet the costumer. She was too preoccupied with rearranging flowers. Her tongue was pressed against her upper lip as her stubby eight-year-old fingers tried to place flowers in their right places.

"Whatcha doing?" asked the curious voice of a boy.

Ino's fingers stopped working on the flower as she tore her pretty blue eyes from the flowers.

"Sasuke-kun?" asked the blonde shocked that the Uchiha would be at her parent's flower shop.

Embarrassed and shocked all at the same time she quickly stood up from the tile floor and brought her hands up to her lips.

"What are you doing here?" continued the eight-year old girl a bit too loud.

"Ino-chan! That's no way to treat a costumer!" snapped Ino's mother from the counter.

"Gomensai," mumbled the blonde as she glanced over her shoulder.

Her mother was leaning over the counter as she had two bouquets for the costumer – Sasuke's mother probably – to pick out.

"Kids these days," added the Yamanka woman rolling her eyes in a hushed voice.

"I'm here for last minute Christmas shopping," answered Sasuke looking up from the ground.

"Oh," went Ino not sure what exactly to say.

Well…what could she say? Her best friend's crush was right there in front of her! In truth, Ino never had a crush on Sasuke. Yes she thought he was cute and was impressed with his ninja skills but that was it.

After a moment or two Ino kneeled back next to her classmate and allowed her fingers to play with the soft petals of the flowers. Completely ignoring Sasuke's lingering eyes Ino allowed her eyes to judge where the flower should go.

Once she was finished Ino looked at her finished work. The blue and pink flowers matched each other perfect and seemed to blend together naturally.

"You have a nice smile," complimented Sasuke.

"Huh?" went Ino shocked as she looked at Sasuke – a blush sprinkled across her face.

"While you were doing that," started Sasuke hugging his knees with one arm and using his free hand to point at the flowers she had just arranged. "You were smiling the entire time,"

"I…I…" stammered Ino not sure what to say. "Arigato…?"

Seeing Ino's embarrassing state, Sasuke shyly looked away. He was also embarrassed.

"Um…What do you want for Christmas?" asked Ino hoping to break the awkward silence.

The Uchiha boy timidly looked towards the blonde girl. "Dunno," he answered as he used the arm that was tightly wrapped around his leg to scratch his back. "What do you want Ino-chan?"

"A white Christmas," answered the blonde without a moment hesitation.

Sasuke stopped scratching as he looked at Ino interested. He dropped his arm from his head and landed on his lap.

"That's a silly wish," he said as he looked up at the ceiling.

"No it's not!" defended Ino in a loud tone.

"Ino!" scolded her mother causing both Sasuke and Ino to look over towards their parents.

"Gomensai," apologized Ino as she turned towards Sasuke. "No it's not," she repeated in a whisper.

"Yes it is," countered Sasuke with one fist up.

"No it's not," went Ino once more. Swiftly she turned her body so she was facing the Uchiha. With her index finger up she said "Every Christmas I stay up and wait for Santa Clause. And then, one night it snowed!"

"SHH!"

"It snowed," whispered Ino again.

Sasuke looked at Ino with wide-eyes. He was debating whether to believe her or not. Technically it was impossible for it to snow in the Land of Fire. But Ino said she saw snow so passionately that the eight year old couldn't help but want to agree with her.

"You do that too?" asked Sasuke. This time, Ino was the shocked one. "I do that too! That's why it's a silly wish! Because during Christmas night it snows!-"

"Sasuke! Quiet!"

"Gomensai," mumbled Sasuke weakly before going back into his story in a hushed tone. "Because during Christmas night it snows. But then it melts," he added glumly. Crossing his arms the eight year old looked at the happy Ino with a sad smile. "But no one believes me when I tell them,"

Ino's smile turned into a frown. She knew what Sasuke was going through. No one believed her when she said it snowed. Not even Sakura!

"So it will be our little secret," stated Sasuke breaking Ino's train of thought.

"Huh?"

Sasuke edged closer to the blonde. So close that their foreheads almost touched.

"About it snowing. It will be our little secret,"


Opening her eyes slightly Ino gazed onto her hand. A soft white blur fell gingerly on top of it.

After that day Sasuke would always come to the flower shop with his mom whenever he could. And at school, they would slip little notes and always placed a snow flake sticker on each note. Slowly, Ino figured out she was part of Sasuke large number of advisers.

And once the Uchiha massacre Ino did everything she could to help him only to be coldly turned down. She didn't stop believing though. She always thought that eight year old boy was in their somewhere until.

Until she saw him at the Forest of Death that is.

"I love you Sasuke," whispered Ino as another snow flake fell onto her hand.

Every body thought Ino's love for Sasuke was fake. Everybody thought it was just a phase and that she had moved on. Every body didn't know that every night she cried herself to sleep because she lost the boy who she once played with; the boy which used to place snowflake stickers on their letters.

Every body thought every Christmas Ino went to bed with a bed with a smile.

No body knew that every Christmas Ino waited for the snow to fall down wondering Sasuke was doing the same.