"Depend on me," he told her. Blue eyes met dark ones.

"I always have," she replied. She then pulled him into a hug. He held her as she whispered in his ear "You're the strongest person I know."

Her words were simple, but they expressed more than just what she had said. Ino was not the type to waste words nor did she flatter needlessly. Part of her reputation as a kunoichi came from her sharp tounge. Maybe, just maybe she felt something for him. Chouji broke from their embrace.

"If I'm so strong, why couldn't I save Sasuke all those years ago? Why couldn't I save Asuma-sensei?" He hadn't meant to ask those questions; his own doubt had gotten the better of him. Seeing the doubt reflected in his eyes, she decided to answer the best way she could.

"You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved. In my training as a medic, I was taught that the patient's will is the most important factor. Shinobi almost always want to survive to see through their missions through." She paused.

"However, working at the hospital is different, especially in the case of serious illnesses. The individual will of the patient is more important than our skill as medics. It was the same with Sasuke. He didn't want to be saved; so you could not save him." His eyes widened in awknowledgement of what she had just said.

"As for Asuma-sensei, there was nothing we could have done. He sacrificed himself to save his teammates, to save Shikamaru." Chouji nodded in agreement.

"How is it you always know what I need to hear," he asked. She smiled.

"You're one of my closest friends and my teammate. If I didn't know what to say to you after knowing you this long, it'd be unbelievable." She then whispered in his ear, "However some things are best expressed without words." She wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder once again.

In response he placed his arms around her. His only thoughts were of the woman before him. When had the girl he had known most of his life grown so much? How had he not noticed? He then decided to take another risk.

"Are we just close friends and teammates," he asked her. He could not believe he had asked the one question he should not have even thought. Ino had feelings for Sasuke. She had flirted with Sai in front of him mere months ago.

"Since when have we never been just that," she asked in reply. Instead of responding verbally, she kissed him.

He felt as if his heart was soaring like a butterfly just out of its cocoon. Without thinking, he responded with a passion that he had never known himself to be capable of before. Suddenly an answer did not seem so important anymore because she had once again told him without words.

"I don't know how we should refer to ourselves right now," Ino stated. "It's too complicated already to try to sort things out." He agreed. The path ahead of them and their fellow shinobi was too murky right now to worry about silly things; to change the nature of their relationship now was too risky.

"Just let me tell you one thing then," he told her. "I love you, Ino." She gasped at his boldness; never had she imagined he would say that of all things so abruptly. She whispered in his ear "I love you too, Chouji."