Disclaimer: OMG! I CAN'T BELIEVE I FORGOT THIS TWICE! I FAIL AT LIFE! AND I FORGOT TO DESCRIBE WHAT ISANO AND CHOUKICHI LOOK LIKE! I FEEL LIKE SUCH A DUMBASS! SORRY EVERYONE! Ahem. I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto does.
(BTW Isano is pale with black hair and brown eyes while Choukichi has a slight tan with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Sorry. Love- The Asshole named JinchuurikiKyuubi)
Isano patiently waited while Sasuke was away in the Land of Waves. Choukichi kept crawling around, calling out for Sasuke as if he were hiding. It was a little lonely not having someone to talk to. She loved Choukichi, but she needed a person who could hold a conversation.
This person came to being while she was wandering around Konoha looking for someone who might give her a job. She had decided she couldn't go on surviving off of Sasuke. But, the search had not been going so well when they saw that she had Choukichi. As she passed a window, she was drawn in by the lovely flower arrangements. Isano entered and saw a girl her age with light blond hair and blue eyes working on an arrangement.
"Pardon me..."
The girl looked up and smiled.
"Hi, may I help you?"
Isano shifted on her feet a bit.
"My name is Oyama Isano and I was wondering if you were hiring. I see this is a flower shop and I am very good with ikebana and I know a lot about plants."
The girl studied her.
"Won't it be hard since you have a baby? How old are you? How old is he?"
"I'm thirteen and he's five months..."
"WHAT?!"
Isano blushed.
"He isn't my baby! He's my sister's! My sister and her husband died and I was the only one left in our family," Isano said, not wanting to go into detail. The girl nodded.
"I'm really sorry. My name is Yamanaka Ino by the way. My mother does need a pair of extra hands since I'm a kunoichi now... Let me get her," said Ino, heading into another room.
Isano was relieved that Mrs. Yamanaka was understanding of her situation. Of course, Isano had to show the woman her skills in ikebana and go through a series of questions about various plants. She passed with flying colors, in fact, Mrs. Yamanaka like her arrangement so much, she placed it in the window. It was settled; Isano would be paid minimum wage and would work from 9 AM to 3 PM with a break at 12 PM and was allowed to bring Choukichi to the shop so she wouldn't have to look for a babysitter.
"I'll see you around!" called Ino as Isano left the shop. Isano smiled and waved.
"Bye, Ino-chan!"
When Isano approached Sasuke's house, she was surprised to find a light on. She entered and saw Sasuke's shoes by the door. Overjoyed, she took her shoes off and rushed into the house. She saw Sasuke from behind, reading a book. Isano, using her shinobi skills to suprise him, walked over quietly and tapped his shoulder. Sasuke jumped.
"I didn't know you could be quiet, Isano."
Isano gasped when she saw the cuts and bandages on his face and neck. She gently touched a bandage on his cheek.
"Sasuke-kun... what happend?"
Isano sat down as Sasuke relayed the events in the Land of Waves. When he finished, she looked like she was going to cry.
"Isano?"
Isano looked down at Choukichi.
"We almost lost you..."
Sasuke sighed. She was being so meldramatic
"I'm here now."
"Yes... you are... You're hurt but still here."
"Where were you?" asked Sasuke, changing the subject. Isano smiled.
"I was looking for a job."
'Did you find one?"
"Yeah! At the Yamanaka Flower Shop!"
Sasuke's eye twitched.
"Yamanaka?"
"Yes! There's a girl there our age..."
"Ino..."
"Yes! She's really nice and her mother is letting me take Choukichi to work!"
"Did you tell Ino you were living with me?"
"No..."
"Thank kami-sama," sighed Sasuke. Isano raised an eyebrow.
"What's wrong?"
"Ino, like Sakura, has a crush on me. I don't know who's more annoying, Ino or Sakura. The two of them together are insufferable," he said. Isano shrugged.
"She seemed nice to me."
"Watch out. If she finds out that you're staying with me, she'll use you to get to me."
"You're so negative."
"Hn."
The rest of the night passed without a word besides 'good night'. Isano could tell that Sasuke didn't want to hear her talking about how worried she was. She didn't want to aggravate Sasuke at all; she was scared he would write her off as annoying.
The household began to take on a sort of routine. Isano woke up with Choukichi before Sasuke, got everything ready, ate, Sasuke woke up, got ready, ate, left, and then Isano and Choukichi would leave. Sometimes, if Isano and Sasuke had gotten along the previous day, Isano would make Sasuke lunch. On days where they were being particularly close, Isano would bring him (and the others so they wouldn't be jealous) lunch during her breaks. Isano told Sasuke all about "The Land of the Rising Sun", village, and family while Sasuke would sometimes talk about his clan or what happend that day. One day, when she was going with Choukichi to bring lunch to Team Seven, Ino came bursting in.
"Isa-chan! Look! Our sensei gave us forms to enter the Chuunin Exams!"
Isano smiled.
"Congratulations, Ino-chan! Do you know if the rest of the rookies got them?"
Ino shrugged.
"I don't know. Why?"
"Just so I know whether or not Sasuke-kun will be around."
Ino rose an eyebrow. Her body screamed annoyance.
"Sasuke-kun? You know him? What do you mean by being around."
Isano blushed.
"When Choukichi and I got here, Hokage-sama placed us with Sasuke-kun because he had room to spare..."
Ino crossed her arms.
"Oh? And you and Sasuke-kun... Do you have feelings for him?"
Isano rose an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Do you like Sasuke-kun?"
"Of course I like Sasuke-kun. He is the closest thing to a best friend I have here besides you, Naruto, and Sakura. If anything happend to him, I wouldn't know what to do."
Ino looked annoyed.
"That's not what I mean, Isano," she said, her voice beginning to rise. It took Isano by surprise.
"Do you have feelings for Sasuke-kun? Like... romantic feelings."
Isano tilted her head.
"I never thought about him that way... Sasuke isn't one for a relationship," she said. Ino sighed in relief.
"What's Sasuke-kun like to you?"
Isano smiled.
"Well... he was very cold at first, but once he got used to Choukichi and I, he opened up more. He's mostly just quiet. Choukichi loves him. Sasuke is never rough with him and he's a really good listener when he wants to be," she rambled. Ino began daydreaming. Isano cleared her throat.
"Your mother told me I can have the rest of the day off because it's a really slow day. I think I'll be leaving now..."
"Isa-chan! Do you think Sasuke-kun would like me?"
Isano bit her lip. Honestly, Sasuke would have no interest whatsoever in girls like Sakura and Ino. He said they were annoying. Isano didn't know what to say.
"Umm... I don't know, Ino-chan. I have to go now! I'll see you around," she said, waving to Ino as she left the store.
Choukichi babbled as they made their way to the bridge where Team Seven usually met. She was lost in her own thoughts. Ino had brought up a question that she had never even considered before.
Do you have feelings for Sasuke?
Well, she certainly cared for Sasuke. She didn't know what she would do without him. She felt like she would be lost. While lost in thought, she bumped into Sasuke's back. Choukichi let out a cry of shock. Isano bounced him.
"I'm sorry, Choukichi! I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun!"
"Hn," was Sasuke's reply. Isano studied his face. She could tell he was thinking.
"Did you get the form for the Chuunin Exams?"
Sasuke nodded. Isano looked around.
"Where is everybody?"
"They left. Kakashi dismissed us, but I knew you would come here today and decided to wait for you. I didn't want to go to the shop in case Ino was there."
Isano blushed.
"You wanted to wait for me?"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. Last night we talked a lot and I know that usually when we are open like that, you come here."
"Sasuke-kun, do you like talking to me like that? I don't get too personal, do I?"
Sasuke looked at her confused. She was never like this.
"Isano... you're the only person in this whole village who will listen to me without judging me. I mean, you don't tell me what I should do unless I ask for you to. If you annoyed me, I would treat you like Ino and Sakura."
Isano nodded. Choukichi reached for Sasuke.
"Sa! Sa!"
Sasuke took Choukichi and Choukichi squealed in delight. Isano looked at the ground.
"Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke placed his hand on her cheek.
"Thank you, Isano."
Isano blushed. Sasuke began walking away. She ran after him.
"Way to wait for me, Sasuke-kun!"
"Well, you're too slow!"
"Meanie!"