My nephew left his stuffed lamb on my couch and I thought it was a screaming ghost mushroom.
...
Present day (well... Present night):
His head dropped to his hands, his fingers digging into his scalp as he let out an exasperated growl. It was a dream, dobe. Just a dream. "I should go back to bed." Silence.
"My feet are cold." He shifted in his seat. "And I need to fix the lock on my door." Silence.
He sniffed the air, wrinkling his nose in response to the putrid stench hanging in the air. "I think my fruit rotted." Silence.
Naruto raised his head to glance around the dimly lit room. In the hallway by the door sat a single chair, painted an ugly pink, the color barely perceptible in the moonlight. On it lay the next edition of his ex sensei's porn series. Directly in front of him was his long forgotten television and the coffee table he'd chosen to carve every time he was overwhelmed. Needless to say, the poor thing looked like it'd been mauled by a family of raccoons.
"I probably should find a new table." Silence.
Naruto shifted again, resting his arms on the arm rests and dropping his feet onto the table with two loud thuds. "And maybe Ino could give me some flowers so this place wouldn't look so dead," he continued, hoping she'd catch his suggestive tone. Silence greeted him yet again.
A deep sigh rattled in his lungs. Why're you ignoring me? Risking a beating, he dared to glance to his left at his worn couch and the narcissistic blonde laying on top. Thankfully she'd rolled over in a vain attempt to ignore him. Maybe it would give him a head start when she came after him. "It's none of my business, but when did you start wearing clothing to sleep?" Silence. She's going to kill me... "I thought you liked to sleep nude in case someone attacked you." Silence.
"Did you realize its really conceited to think that a ninja who's attacking you might get distracted by your body?" Silence. Come on. React. "I can't really judge too much considering I used my pervy jutsu to confuse people when I'm fighting." Silence. Talk to me, you jerk.
Naruto wasn't giving up. He really needed a distraction, and if the blond was going to randomly appear and crash on his couch, she was going to distract him so he didn't have to sleep.
He couldn't help but stare at her silky blond hair cascading over her shoulders and down the side of his couch. She was gorgeous, and he wasn't afraid to admit it. Naruto figured that if he'd had a sister, she would've looked a lot like Ino. But she'd be nicer, and I'd never let her sleep over at a guy's house, and she'd probably be smarter than me... Maybe she'd have half the Kyuubi... And maybe she'd become the hokage... No, I wouldn't let her do that... I'd never let her be ANBU either 'cause that'd ruin her sunny disposition...
He sighed again. And here I am dreaming about a family I promised myself I'd never have. Originally he had wanted to grow up, fall in love, have kids, and raise them as the proud children of the hokage. He'd give them a much better childhood than he'd had. But so many people he had known died in the last war, and many others in the years following as the villages began to repair their relations with each other. He didn't want to lose someone dear to him again, so he'd resolved to never get that close to anyone anymore.
His head fell back into his hands and he leaned his elbows on his knees. The chair below him creaked and moaned under his weight. Annoyance was written in the small girl's posture, and he knew she wasn't sleeping despite the fact that she was so obviously trying. But aren't I getting closer to Ino? She IS sleeping in my apartment... For kami's sake... Why am I so inept at life?
Drunken shouts could be heard from the street below, and he tried to focus on them in an attempt to drown out his thoughts. If he was hearing correctly... Some guy was shouting at his... Girlfriend?... Saying something about never leaving her... That he'd quit being a ninja to be with her...
Huh, he chuckled. I don't think that will work very well. Once you're in, you're stuck, buddy. Being a ninja was a way of life, and even if you wanted to quit, what was the point? Your friends would still be out there, fighting for their lives without you. It was better for your mental state to be right alongside them where you could keep them safe.
Suddenly his mood plummeted again, remembering why he couldn't sleep in the first place. Where I can protect them... Ha. What crap am I telling myself? My friends are dead regardless.
He spared a glance at Ino. She's not dead. From the little she'd told him, apparently she'd gone to a bar to celebrate Shikimaru's birthday, had taken a bet, lost, got very intoxicated, and used what was left of her better judgement to get to his house instead of going home to argue with her mother. It seemed like she did this quite often.
Are we friends though? Naruto couldn't help but wonder if Ino went to him now in situations where she would have relied on her best friend had she still been alive.
I wonder if she ever did this to Sakur- he stopped short, head snapping up and hair flipping dramatically in the process. "You shouldn't drink so much," he panicked, saying the first thing that came to his head.
Her name was taboo.
Ino was supposed to distract him from thinking about his dream; his subconscious had decided to recall the many ways he failed the pinkeye. So far she wasn't doing a very good job.
...
Blood dripped from the tips of her fingers. He watched it run down her arms and soak into her skin. She froze, he froze, but nothing around them bothered to stop. Blue met green as tears streamed down her face.
Their eyes locked onto each other, and he saw her pain and fear, and he knew who put it there. Me. I did that. That was why she was standing in front of him, bleeding from wounds he couldn't see. I couldn't bring him back. Sakura had tried to find Sasuke, and it hadn't ended well. This is my fault.
Her eyes began to flicker, and he watched the lights dim as she began to sway.
"Sa... Sakura!" He yelled, unable to catch her when she fell. Pink hair turned crimson and he screamed her name again, fearing for the broken medic who had stolen his heart so long ago. She smiled. And dammit he couldn't control the quickening beat of his heart.
"Sorry," she coughed, trying to push herself up off the ground. "I'm not good enough for him." She fell back down, her arms spasming uncontrollably. Dirt mixed with the blood caking on her body.
For a minute, Naruto's brain stopped working. When it came back on all he could think was "what?" Was she trying to say that it was her fault Sasuke hadn't come back? Or maybe that it was her fault he had left in the first place? Because she hadn't been good enough for the damn Uchiha?
"Sakura?" He called. He regained control of his limbs and knelt beside her broken form. "Sakura, it's okay. I'm here." Slowly his hands combed back her blood caked hair revealing the two clean streaks running down her face.
He started to say something but she cut him off with a series of wet, choking hiccups. His heart twisted painfully. "Stay with me, Sakura-chan." Panic laced his voice. Dammit don't you dare die on me!
She visibly flinched at his endearment and he tried to ignore the stable pain he felt at her reaction. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto," she sobbed out. He couldn't tell if she was crying from physical pain or from the betrayal she felt at the Uchiha's lack of concern for her life.
"Don't be sorry," he chided. "There's nothing to be sorry for. We'll get you home and Tsunade will heal you and everything will be alright." I love you, Sakura. Don't die. A bright smile flashed across his face, but more tears streamed down hers in response.
"It's my fault," she whispered, catching him off guard by wrapping his hand in her own and bringing it to his chest. "I let you down."
What?
He didn't have a chance to process what she had said before her body went limp in his arms. He was sure his screams could be heard for miles.
...
It was unrealistic to blame himself for her death and he knew it. Even the dream was unrealistic. She hadn't had the seal on her forehead in the dream, but it was there when she died. If she'd chosen to activate it she wouldn't be dead.
Naruto hadn't been there, and she hadn't wanted him to be. But still... If I'd brought him back before, then she wouldn't have gone after him.
And he wouldn't have killed her.
And she wouldn't have let him.
And the rest of us wouldn't have had to deal with this... whatever this is.
"Ino," he mumbled through his fingers. "Wake up."
The blond didn't respond.
"Please." It came out as a whisper-a barely audible plea. "I'm slipping."
Silence.
"Iiiiiiiiiinnnooooooooooo. Wakey wakey! The sun's coming up!" Kami knows that was a lie. It might have been midnight at the earliest.
He jumped a full foot in the air when she growled at him, "Naruto. If you don't shut the hell up, I'll rip out your tongue and shove it down your throat." Was it wrong of him to believe she would? Probably not. But he spoke anyway.
Forced enthusiasm escaped his mouth before he could think. "Well good morning sunshine!"
Ino shot up, spun around, and somehow had her hand around his throat before he could even move.
"Naruto," she snarled in his face. Wow her eyes are bloodshot. "Shut the hell up." That's when he noticed the two wet streaks running down her perfect face.
And he wisely shut the hell up.
...
That was pretty short but I'm sick so don't judge. Thanks for reading, I always love reviews. See ya later peeps.