On the warm spring day, only one person could be gloomy. And that was Konoha's own, Yamanaka Ino. Her closest, and best friend had broken their friendship again. It had been a few weeks since Uchiha Sasuke had returned to the village and Sakura, again, tried to win his heart. Ino had been convinced that Sakura was over him, and Ino wasn't even going to put up a fight. Sasuke could have been hers for all she cared. She was done with him. After his betrayal, he broke many hearts, including Ino's and Sakura's. When Ino had seen him, he seemed different. As if five years changed him. His attitude was different, and he wasn't as anti-social as before. Ino had to admit that he had improved.
"Ino!" someone called. But she couldn't tell who. The crowd of the villagers made it impossible to distinguish anyone's voice. "Ino!" the voice chimed again. It was deep and dark. Ino turned the other way and walked towards the voice.
Then, Sasuke Uchiha walked up to Ino with a smile. Uchiha Sasuke? Smiling? At me?! She thought.
"Hey Yamanaka." He said looking into her cerulean eyes. Her eyes met his deep, dark onyx eyes.
"Yeah?", Ino had asked reaching for her kunai bag. She couldn't trust him all too well, and only put up a defense just in case.
"How have you be-" He was interrupted by Haruno Sakura.
"Hey Sasuke-kun! Were you looking for me?" She said abruptly and annoyingly.
"No. I was not." He spat.
"Oh. Well goodbye anyway!" And she walked away with an angry face.
"So what were you gonna say?" Ino managed to say.
"Nothing." Sasuke answered and walked away.
--
Ino had felt a little better, and was walking up the roads of Konoha. Sakura had immediately stopped her in her tracks when she walked past the Hokage tower.
"So Yamanaka." Sakura muttered.
"What do you want Haruno?" Ino asked angrily wondering what she wanted. She had a feeling she new what she was going to say. She knew her, and always put competition first.
"I thought you were done with Sasuke-kun."
"I am."
"Then why were you talking to him earlier? You're going to take him from me?" She said getting in her face.
"What? No. He walked up to me, and he was going to ask me something before you rudely interrupted!" Ino said raising her voice.
"Yeah right pig! Who would want to talk to you, when they can talk to me?!" Sakura said confidently.
"What ever Haruno. He's all yours. I don't care. At all." She said as she walked home.
--
Sakura had been acting so rude to Ino for weeks. The only friend she had was Hinata, who was the only understanding person throughout the situation. Even though she was shy, she had some great advice.
"I-Ino-chan, its only a phase. I-I'm sure S-Sakura-chan will get over it." Hinata said trying to comfort the blonde.
"Yeah well, she's not showing any sign of changing her ways Hinata. I hope she's over it soon. I don't want to lose her again. Even though she's broken our friendship twice." Ino said taking a bite of her apple.
"R-right Ino-chan. Sh-she should show s-some interest in having a good friend." Hinata agreed.
"Hey, let's go to Ichiraku's. I want some ramen!" Ino suggested.
"O-okay Ino-chan."
"I'll pay." Ino said checking her full wallet.
When they got to Ichiraku's, two familiar backs were already there. Uzumaki Naruto and Sasuke. There were two seats between the two of them. Hinata scrambled to the seat next to Naruto as Ino sat next to Sasuke who was picking at his ramen.
"Hey Hinata!" Naruto chimed.
"N-Naruto-kun, h-hi." Hinata said turning red.
"Hinata, are you alright?" Naruto questioned.
"N-N-Naruto-kun… I…"
"Hmm?" Naruto asked.
She blushed and gave up too afraid to say what she was going to say.
Ino ordered her ramen and started eating along with Hinata and began eating.
"So Ino," Sasuke said looking at her. His dark onyx eyes were intimidating. But Ino ate away at her beef ramen.
"Hmm?" Ino asked swallowing her food.
"You know that Konoha Spring Festival this Saturday?" He mentioned.
"Yeah?" Ino replied.
"You're going, right?"
"Hmm, I guess."
"I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go with m-" He was interrupted again by Sakura.
"Of COURSE I'll go with you Sasuke-kun!" Sakura yelled clinging onto his back poking her tongue out at Ino.
"Haruno, what the hell?" Sasuke said annoyed.
"I'll go with you my Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said again nuzzling her head into his neck.
"I never even asked you."
"You were about to."
"No I wasn't you fool."
"Mmm, playing hard to get I see." She said trying to sound seductive and then bit his earlobe and moaned.
"What? Get the hell away from me." Sasuke said shooing her away.
She walked away skipping and singing.
"Gosh. Haruno has been getting in the way so much right?" Ino asked slyly.
"Sure has…" Sasuke said trying to finish his ramen quickly.
"Anyway, what were you going to ask me?" Ino tried.
"I was going to ask you…" Sasuke said as his heart pounded in his chest.
"Mmhmm…?" Ino mumbled eating the remains of her ramen.
"-if you wanted to go to the..er… Konoha Spring Festival with me?" He said quickly and looked back at his ramen.
"Uh, sure Sasuke. I'll go with you." Ino agreed.
He smiled and wrapped his arm around her shoulder indicating a hug. Ino stood stiff wondering if she was going crazy. "Sasuke? Hugging me? I'm going insane!" She thought.
Later that night, Ino thought about her day. She thought about Sasuke and Sakura, the good and the bad. She smiled and went to sleep thinking of her day as an accomplishment. "At least I know I don't like him." She thought to herself reassuringly. And she drifted to sleep.
--
Today was Saturday, the day of the Konoha Spring Festival. Ino didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea, so she wore her usual apparel and her hair in her usual high ponytail. She heard a knock on the door and saw that it was Sasuke dressed in his usual apparel as well. Ino opened the door for Sasuke.
"Hey Ino." Sasuke said nervously biting his lip.
"Hi. Want to come in before we leave? I still need to get ready." Ino offered.
"Sure." He said as he stepped in.
Inoichi, Ino's father, eyed the Uchiha suspiciously. "So you want to take my little girl for a date, huh?" the head of the Yamanaka clan said.
"Hn. We're not going as a date, we're going as friends Inoichi." Sasuke said coldly staring at her father.
"I see." He said waiting for Ino to arrive.
Ino stepped into the living room. Sasuke stood up and Inoichi eyed his daughter. "Gosh dad, stop looking at me like that." She and Sasuke walked towards the door and left.
"So, Sasuke. What made you want to take me, Yamanaka Ino, to the Konoha Spring Festival, me of all people." Ino asked hoping she didn't give Sasuke the wrong message.
"You're the only one that acted normal when I came back. Sakura acted all fangirl and you were just..calm. Like I had never left." Sasuke admitted not believing he was with the most beautiful kunoichi.
"Oh." Ino said as they walked towards the festival. "Wow. This place looks amazing."
"Yeah…" he said as he stared at Ino who was gawking at the festival."Amazing…"
Ino pulled his hand towards the food stands. "Wow. I'm hungrier than I thought. I haven't eaten a thing all day." She got some food and sat at a table to eat. " Are you going to eat anything Sasuke?" Ino asked.
"Nah, I ate at home." He said watching her eat.
After she finished eating, they walked around the festival some more. There, they saw Kiba with his arm around Hinata. Ino waved and gave a thumbs up. Hinata blushed as Kiba pulled her into a deep passionate kiss. Then they saw a group of men trying to knock down pins with plastic balls trying to win prizes for their dates. Sasuke smiled and walked Ino there.
"You're gonna play?" Ino asked. Sasuke nodded his head as the man gave him three purple balls.
He threw all three of them, knocking down three pins. The man and the crowd applauded for his accomplishment. The man gave him a purple bear and almost handed it to Ino when Sakura appeared and took the bear instead.
"Thank you Sasuke-kun!" Sakura squealed.
"Haruno. What the hell are you doing here?" Ino questioned. "Are you stalking us?"
"Hey Pig. No I'm not following you. Sasuke invited me, so I came with Sasuke you dumbass!" Sakura replied out of the knowing.
"Haruno, I invited Ino. Not you. Get lost." Sasuke tried.
"Ooh? My Sasuke-kun still trying to play hard to get?" Sakura cooed. Then she pressed forward trying to kiss him. Sasuke moved aside, and she fell forward on her face into a tub of mud. Everyone in the audience laughed-including Ino. Sasuke just smirked as they walked away with Sakura keeping the muddy teddy bear.
--
It was 9:30 pm, ending their day. Sasuke was walking Ino home from the festival. They weren't that far from her house by then. Ino was still thinking about the Sakura incident back at the festival earlier that day. She thought about how he rejected her kiss and how he walked away smiling. Maybe he hadn't changed, maybe he had. He still smiled at the thought of revenge and torturing others it seemed to Ino. She just hoped he had changed for the better.
"Nice thing you did out there." Ino smiled.
"Hn. She was annoying. She needs to understand that I don't like her. That I like y-" Sasuke stopped himself before he could say something he couldn't take back.
"What was that?" Ino asked wondering what he was going to say.
"Oh nothing…" Sasuke said almost blushing. He put a hand around Ino's waist and pulled her close looking into her bright ocean eyes. Ino stared in his dark onyx ones and Sasuke embraced Ino tight.
"What was that for?" Ino asked as he let her go.
"For being you." Sasuke answered causing them both to blush. His heart pounded in his chest so loud he felt it was so loud she could hear it.
Before they knew it, they were in front of the Yamanaka household. "So I'll see you later?" Ino smiled walking towards the door.
"Yeah." He slightly smiled as she entered her house
--
Ino was half asleep when she heard a loud thud noise. She woke up and ran to the living room to see what happened. The front door had been knocked down. Ino saw a neon headed dark figure stalking around the house. She couldn't tell who it was, for that person was wearing a mask.
Ino then saw the figure appear right before her eyes as there was a sharp pain in her stomach. The figure disappeared and she looked down. She then realized she had been stabbed with a kunai.
Blood poured from her stomach forming puddles on the floor. Inoichi yelled and ran to Ino who was lying on the floor unconscious. Ino managed to open her eyes but was too much in pain to keep them open. Her mind was in shock when she remembered a piece of paper that was in her pocket after the incident at the Festival.
Dear Ino-pig,
Don't fucking lie to me. I know you love Sasuke. But he doesn't love you, he loves me. You've always won in things. When we were kids, I always knew you were prettier and stronger than I was. You're always trying to get better than me. When I joined the medical field, you had to join too, didn't you? Now that I know I have a 100% chance with Sasuke after tonight, you'll be out of my way for good.
-Sakura
She knew who stabbed her now.
