Chouji had a bag of chips, his expression so forlorn. His red mane was lacking its usual luster, and though the strong man tried to hide it, his eyes were puffy and slightly red. He had been crying. Ino felt her heart break into a thousand tiny pieces as she took in her teammate. He wasn't the only one.
"Thought you'd quit those years ago." Ino said, as she cozied right up the Akimichi member. As if nothing was wrong. When everything was wrong.
"Yeah well, time and memories will do that to you." Chouji replied bitterly, scooting away from her.
It wasn't like Chouji to be like this, to put her at arms length. Ino's memory stretched back between them over the years. Had he ever treated her like this? Had they finally rubbed off on him in the worst of ways, that he inherited both of their pessimism? Even after Asuma had died, and the ninja war had happened, even after both Ino and Shika had lost their fathers, Chouji was still able to believe. Had this finally shaken him?
Ino sighed. No, she wouldn't believe that. But she would be honest with him. "I'm not sorry."
"I know you're not." Chouji snapped, irritated. That was the problem. She didn't care that she'd disbanded everything he had ever cared about. She made it look so damn easy.
Ino withdrew her hand, surprised at his outburst. "Its what makes this so hard. My two best friends trying to rip each other's throats out. I have to hang out with one of you at a time, can't mention anything about the other. It's a hard habit to try and learn after 26 years of teamwork." Chouji scowled.
Ino tried not to let his countenance bother her. She really did. But who the hell was she kidding. As much as she'd been a bitch to the both of them in their childhood, Chouji had and would always be her soft spot. His sensitive and gentle way of caring for people had even soothed her dramatic prone tendencies.
"Chouji, I didn't get our team disbanded. Shikamaru did by joining sand and getting engaged to Temari." Ino replied.
"He was dating you. What the hell were you doing to make him freak out like this?" Chouji accused.
He could not have hurt her more if he had physically slapped her in the face. Ino blinked back tears, stunned by this betrayal from her best friend. He's just hurting too. He doesn't understand all of this. It's too petty for someone as good as him to grasp her mind tried to justify.
"Shikamaru chose to cheat, Chou- I had nothing to do with that." Ino admitted softly. "The Hokage made the decision to disband team ten. This isn't my fault." Ino said, choking back a sob as she turned from his accusing expression.
"But here we are." Chouji replied.
Ino swallowed painfully, the dull ache acute in her heart and the pit of her stomach. "Yes. Here we are."
"Why are you really here Ino? You only come find me when you want something" Chouji retorted.
Ino winced. Chouji was throwing punches left and right over this. She took a whittling breathe and sighed.
"Neji tried to ask me to join team Gai. Apparently that green jumpsuited freak got himself hurt so bad he's been ordered on leave to recover" Ino replied. "Guess it was only a matter of time" She blew the bangs out of her eyes.
The Akimichi looked at her incredulously. Team Gai was one of the top mission taking teams in Konoha. They were given more A ranked assignments than any other team. "and? That's not so unusual." Chouji replied.
"I know, right? Well anyways, I told him no." Ino retorted with a swish of her ponytail. As if that was that. Chouji knew her better than that though. She had no team. What else was she going to do?
"Why?" Chouji asked.
"What do you mean why?" Ino punched him in the shoulder. "I'm property of team ten."
"There is no team ten. Not anymore." Chouji replied simply. Ino flinched unbelieving of the words that were coming from his mouth.
"How can you say that?" Ino exclaimed, screeching.
"Because it's true. You can't have a team, when two of the founding members refuse to be a part of it." Chouji replied sadly.
When he said it, it stung.
"Chouji..." Ino began, trying to find the words. Chouji cut her off.
"I think you should take his offer. I've just made a decision myself. I don't want to see either of you." Chouji said.
"Chouji the offer was for you too. If we both go through with it, We could still be a team again-" Ino pleaded.
"No. No there will never be another Team Ten, Ino. You can't fix this."Chouji snapped.
"I could if you would just let me try-" Ino snapped, getting angry.
"No! For years you bossed us around and told us what to do, as if we couldn't think for ourselves. As if we were stupid enough not to know what was happening! And now that Shikamaru has finally broken free from that you are realizing the damage you've done and want to control me too!" Chouji accused.
Ino's face drained of all color, the purchase of his words drawing blood deep in the pit of her soul. Is that what he really felt? Is that what he really thought about her? About who she was? She trembled, tears spilling as he turned his back from her.
"Chouji!" Ino cried chasing him down. She couldn't loose him too. Not now. "Y-you don't mean it-" She trembled trying to latch onto his arm, trying to make him look at her. He brushed off her arm, a little more harshly than necessary.
"Stay away from me Ino." He said, walking off.
And in that instant the bond from childhood, from infancy, shattered in front of her eyes, dissolving into dust. Chouji was gone with a swirl of leaves and a jutsu. Ino trembled, and sunk to her knees, cut to the very bone. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched him disappear from everything they had ever known. He didn't even look back.
