I don't own naruto.


Her footsteps made small thuds as she ran through the castle hallways in her dress. "Where's Sasuke?" she shouted. Rumors were heard that right after day he was supposed to be let out of his cell, he escaped through the tiny window and ran off. Stopping at the front of the guards near the cells she asked, "Where's Sasuke?" she rose an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.

One of them bowed at the twelve year old princess in front of them. "Dear Princess, we are sorry. He has escaped last night." The other one bowed a few seconds later as Ino began to slowly walk away. 'I guess it was expected …chasing after his older brother…'

Ino woke up slowly, realizing the dream she had just had she sat up on her bed, running her fingers through her hair several times before sighing. 'He left me …three years ago and father won't even tell me updates on where he's been sighted…' Looking at the clock she thought, 'Midnight …when Sasuke and I would take walks down at the garden…' she stood up onto her carpeted room, her dress falling to it's full length, a little above her knee.

She made her way toward the balcony, sliding the door open to see four knights standing still, aware of her presence but making no movement. "Can you all go inside and guard my room? Except for Neji." She pulled at the knight's hand as she pulled him near the bed they had set outside her balcony.

"Couldn't sleep again?" he asked, not a hint of a caring tone in his voice as he said it.

"Yeah…" she laid down onto the bed, still holding Neji's hand close to her. "It's midnight again…" she closed her eyes, trying to forget about the dream.

Feeling his other hand gently rest on top of her blonde hair he said, "You're fifteen now, it's been three years. You should forget about it right now." He adjusted the weapon next to him. "Rest," he said, saying the last words that Ino heard.


"Hm…?" she moved in the bed she was sleeping on, and looked at the hand she was still holding, tracing it back to the owner. "Oh, good morning, Kiba." She yawned, covering her mouth and then stood up. "What happened to Neji?"

Kiba moved his hand and placed it onto the handle of his sword. "He's downstairs eating breakfast." He bit his bottom lip as Ino walked toward the balcony doors, sliding them open and walking back in. "You get dressed. I heard something downstairs." He looked down against the horizon.

Ino didn't say anything but return in at least an hour, fixing her hair into a high ponytail. "Hm? Now tell me, what did you hear?" she smiled up at him. Kiba told her everything outside of the castle and what was happening.

"So I heard, Sasuke is back. He was seen around several kilometers from here, heading in our direction. I heard it yesterday but by now, he should be near the area. There was also sightings of several other people with him." His eyes scanned over Ino's face, searching for some kind of emotion. "That probably means that Itachi is dead."

Looking at Ino, he noticed her eyes wide, one of her hands covering her mouth in shock. "Really? He's coming back?" she stood up quickly and immediately noticing the sudden change of noise outside her room. Looking down on the balcony, the streets were full of people, running, walking, or shouting. "That …that might be him!" she looked at the crowd, finding Sasuke's face quickly. "It is! Let's go!" she shouted, grabbing onto Kiba's sleeve and running.

Her new personal knight made no objections as she ran down the grand staircase, running out of the castle and down onto the streets. Hinata and Sakura were already down near the scene, both nervous and uncertain of what to do. Inoichi stood before the kneeling Sasuke, deciding what to do.

Ino push through the people, hearing the words from Sasuke mouth, "Here to protect Ino, again." Her eyes widened as she saw Sasuke, his stared at her.

Noticing where Sasuke was staring at, Inoichi also looked behind him, noticing Ino standing behind him. "Ino, I thought you were still asleep …and didn't someone come to your room, locked the doors and stopped you from any kind of escape?" he furrowed his eyebrows and looked at her. "I didn't want you to come and see," he pointed at Sasuke, "this."

She opened her mouth, not finding anything to say except, "I climbed down the balcony …and he's …Sasuke. Not this." She said, making quotes with her fingers. Looking over Sasuke's shoulder, she noticed three other kneeling members behind him.

"Then what should we do with him?" Inoichi let his hands pass slightly over Sasuke's head, and looked at Ino.

Biting her bottom lip nervously, noticing Hinata and Sakura stare at her, she said, "You can …position him as my knight again…" she whispered it as low as she could, hoping that only her father would hear it.

Ino looked up at Sasuke's face, feeling his dark eyes stare through her. 'He …changed. Much more handsome …and dangerous I guess I can say…' she looked away from him and twisted her body toward Hinata and Sakura, seeing them whisper something among themselves.

The king raised his hand, making them all knights of the kingdom and said something to each one of them before he sent them away toward the castle. "Ino, come on now." He waved his hand.

Twirling a piece of her white-blonde hair around her finger she said, "Can I stay out here with Hinata and Sakura for a while? Please Daddy…" she looked up at his face, seeing him nod and then walk away.

"Are you sure?" she immediately heard Sakura say toward her as they both made their way back to Hinata's house. "Your knight? He was doing chi back in the forest …every body saw."

Noticing Neji following behind them, either guarding Ino or just walking back to his house with Hinata, Ino didn't say anything. "Um …what's so bad about it?" she turned toward the other girls, brushing her hair behind her ear to look at them. "I can trust him…" she looked at Hinata, noticing that she hadn't said a single word.

Sakura nudged Hinata. "Hinata, what's your opinion on this? Should Ino even consider it?" Hinata knocked on the door of the family house.

She nudged her again, a small squeak leaving Hinata's lips. "Well …If she trusted him before so much …she should be able to trust him now. It's not like he did anything bad to the kingdom…" she walked inside the house, dropping her hair pin she had in her hands when she noticed who was in the house.

Kiba stood in the house, giving Hinata's father a bag of something, probably from his family. "Oh, Hey Hinata, Neji," he said, bowing and then giving a smile as he ran his hands through his hair. "So, you got it settled Ino?" Hanabi behind him frowned.

Ino nodded. "Yes …he's back to my knight so you can take a break for a while …I know how hard it has been for you all these three years." She closed her eyes and looked behind her, seeing Neji and Naruto behind her. "When did you arrive, Naruto?"

Naruto, not behind himself gave a chuckle. "You can still sense me …no matter how quiet I try to be." He had a white dog behind him. "Kiba, I was passing by your house when your sister told me to tell you that you need to walk Akamaru." Kiba rolled at the message and then patted Akamaru's head before waving and walking away, a wide grin on his face.

Looking down, Ino noticed Sakura's hands tense and Hinata beginning to calm down, her breath becoming steady again. "We'll be in Hinata's room." 'Looks like I have something to use against them …Sakura's love for Naruto and Hinata's love for Kiba!' she smiled, dragging her other friends away.


"Hi …Sasuke." She waved a hand uncertainly at the male that followed her around the minute she stepped foot onto the castle grounds. No response. Ino turned her, her blonde ponytail slightly swinging. "You can at least talk a bit …you talked a lot more when you were younger …you at least said "hello"…" she smiled, seeing that there was no change in his facial expression. 'Cute…' a small giggle left her lips, as she took a hold of a rose, taking a small sniff of it before walking inside of the castle, toward the throne room.

Without a single word the doors opened for her as she walked into the direction, walking directly inside. "Ino, I'll be leaving to one of your suppose fiancé for a while, I'll send a letter when I want you to come to visit. You'll be spending some time together and then we'll decide if you're going to marry him, alright?" he looked into her direction, after receiving a nod, he left the room, satisfied.

Sasuke studied Ino from behind. 'Certainly have matured ' he closed his eyes, trying not to think about it. 'matured greatly …and beautifully…' he shook his head of the thoughts and frowned at himself. 'Kiba was right all this time…' Looking away he noticed Naruto nearby, slightly giving a foxy smile, either from the fact that he was back or the fact that he was having a hard time just trying to gain self-controlled. Carefully studying the way he was smiling it was certain that it was there for the fact that he was amused about the fact that Sasuke was struggling for self-control.

Ino turned around quickly, her hair swinging in its ponytail. One of her hands rose to feel over the cloths he was wearing, feeling his muscles before moving toward his back and such. "Why don't you change into the outfit for the knights? Maybe you'll look a little more decent…" she looked up at his face, only to find him staring down at her. She raised an eyebrow, still waiting for an answer.

"Fine," he said, already knowing who to ask for one of them. Without a bow like all the other knights he just left through the doors. 'Annoying…'

Turning around toward one of the knights she fixed the tiara on top of her head and walked toward Naruto, fixing the edges of the wrinkles of the outfit he was wearing. "Maybe I should have showed Sasuke …though it doesn't suit him too much," she said, looking up at Naruto's face before turning away and waving her hand.

Naruto faked a cough, immediately catching Ino's attention. "Hm? What, Naruto?" she pursed her lips. Holding both of her hands behind her, she winked, already knowing what the topic was.

"Um …you do know where my chambers are, right? I have …um …uh …I have a bouquet in my room …for Sakura …and I was wonder-" Ino cut him off, stopping him from continuing she nodded.

"Oh, I know what you're talking about. You're wondering if I would pass them on to her?" she let a small giggle leave her lips. "Alright. It'll be quick, and she might give you a response…!" she twirled around toward the doors and left quickly.

Ino made her way toward the knight's chambers. Finding Naruto's was easier since he was towards the back. She entered the room, noticing the bouquet near the window, by the sun. 'For Sakura…' she smiled.

Delivering things were easy enough for her, leaving them on the most noticeable place of Sakura's room. Yes, she had to trespass. Ino slowly walked back toward the knight's chambers, finding Sasuke's easily since it was the second to last one. She pushed the door open, catching Sasuke studying himself in the outfit. "What are you doing here?" he asked, turning around toward him.

With hands behind her back, Ino made her way toward Sasuke, wrapping two hands around him to give a hug before she pulled away. "I wanted to see how you looked like …but I don't think it suits you too much…" she fixed the skirt of her dress before looking at him.

"I don't mind. If it's your request." He slowly began to tie his katana to his back.

Ino placed a hand over his when he was tying it. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I really don't mind." She placed a hand on one of his broad shoulders. "As long as you're there …I'll be fine." She turned away, avoiding his face, and began to walk out of the room, making Sasuke wonder if this was really the Ino he had once known.


'Maybe it was a mistake to even let myself develop feelings for him even after he left…?' she sat up on her bed in midnight, thinking. 'It was a mistake …maybe I won't be acting this way then…' she looked at the middle of her room, Sasuke stood there, standing. He didn't move at all. "Can you get me a glass of water, Sasuke?" she reached her hand out as he walked away toward the kitchen downstairs.

A few minutes later, returning faster than Ino thought he would, she stood up, taking several steps toward him. Sasuke dipped the glass toward her mouth as it parted slightly. After drinking a small sip she gulped it down and then wrapped both of her hand around Sasuke's neck. Pushing her mouth slightly toward him, a few seconds later she noticed Sasuke's slowly moving towards hers, just when they were mere centimeters from each other Sasuke placed the glass of water down onto the table nearby, pushing. "I'm not allowed to this, Ino," he said, and ducked his head slightly so her arms would fall from around his neck. "I was never allowed to." He placed a hand on the handle of his katana once more before walking out of her room, slowly.

Ino looked at him. 'He resisted…? He could resist? Not a single look of any feelings for me in his eyes at all …At least I know he doesn't like me, nor love…' she looked at the glass of water that he had placed to the side, picked it up to take a second sip before placing it back into place.

Walking out of the room, he looked around, noticing the knights standing straight near the door. He began to walk away slowly, his footsteps barely making any noise. 'I wonder how Suigetsu and the rest are doing.' he looked toward the side, noticing Suigetsu sitting outside, near the pond, sleeping. 'Moron,' he thought, letting his hand slide his katana out, swinging it to the side before walking toward his chambers 'What an idiot…'

For some reason, the castle seemed to be at peace for once. Maybe it was the fact that Inoichi was away, or it was the fact that Sasuke was back. The princess didn't seem to bother too much about waking up in the middle of the night. He swung the door open to his room, slamming it back into place before casting his dark eyes over the items in the room. 'Someone came in to dust several times …other than that …no one's ever really been here,' he thought, 'like they knew I was going to come back for her.' he walked toward the couch that faced toward a open window. He sat down onto it, staring up at the stars rather than sleeping.

Ino looked out toward the balcony and then turned her head toward big window. 'If I'm not going out to the gardens and I can't sleep …I'll just stare at the stars …they're looking beautiful tonight anyway…' she smiled as she moved toward a comfy couch. 'The night sky …so dark and mysterious …like Sasuke…'


Well... I like stars but you can't seem them in the city -_-''

so yeah.. I noticed the story was too popular so I decided to skip a huge part that you would have been bored to death on. The whole story of what happened will come later on, okay?

Thank you beautifulgeek11 and SasuIno! T-T thank you soo much! I hope you two enjoy this chapter ...and please review for me? I would loove to know what you thought of this chapp!