The Alternate PathIV

By Inner Self

I'm so glad (and easy to please, no offense) that I have two faithful viewers! TT Gai-sensei, art thou proud?? So, what I did with the last chapter was I cut it like they do in the anime. It was fun. And its also sleepy time. I'm having so much fun with this story so you know I'd update soon if I could, but it'll probably be next week at the most. I swear, this is the toughest school year I have ever faced. (I typed this the night I updated ch. 3)

Her equals Sakura, who Ino is possessing/Ino's current body

Disclaimer: I am not Masashi Kishimoto (?), so um, so I don't own this! Yeah! (Shannaro!) (Does Kishimoto-san own this or is he a slave to the editor?)

Number Four: Anger Managing and the Rivals in Love!

Ino succeeded in launching her attack as well as preventing Inner Sakura's. 'Daisenko…nani?!' Ino became cold almost instantly, and felt a throbbing pain in her, um, head? Ino clutched her head and gritted her teeth. Then she felt another presence behind within Sakura's mind. Sakura grabbed and pinned Ino, and then knocked the wind out her, having no help from her sleeping inner self.

'No time to lose!'

'Oh know!' Ino could accurately guess what Sakura planned to do.

Sakura ran like a drunken woman towards Ino's body. The pain of keeping control was excruciating. Ino's parasitism was causing a migraine. At any moment she could regain control. Sakura picked up Ino's body, feeling almost ready to recede, concentrated all thoughts onto her right fist, and gave Ino a good smack. Instead of smashing, the punch only threw Ino, which was enough her body to fly back approximately five feet. It did a flop that landed Ino's body onto the stomach. Sakura felt a momentary chill and lost control. Ino, pissed as hell, need a good scream.

"Aah! Now, Sakura, you better thank me for being so generous…!" But really, Ino couldn't bare to kill her ex-best friend. "I, Haruno Sakura, withdraw from this…!"

"Sakura!!!" Naruto had given many good cheers, but had been too absorbed through the fight since Ino's jutsu to commentate. "Sakura! Wake up, damnit! You almost had her! Don't give up, dattebayo!! If you can't beat her… then… You're not a woman!"

Ino raised her hand, 'That won't work Naruto—ah!' Her hand wavered.

Sakura heard the voice. Little by little, she started moving within the depths of her mind. 'Naruto's right. The promise and my hair. I promised I would not lose.' With the sudden switch of Sakura's psyches, Sakura had barely become dormant and woke up to take place of her lightly sleeping second psyche.

'Sakura! This is impossible! This is all just a bad dream!'

With a cough, the examiner inquires, "Yes, as you were saying?"

Ino's bickering stirred Inner Sakura and gave her a rude awakening. 'Then I suggest you leave Ino. You're not welcome!' Inner Sakura fully gained control over her territory once again. The 'guest' suddenly felt very small. Inner Sakura grew to an overwhelming stature and trapped Ino within the palms of her hands. 'Get out or I swear I'll crush you!'

To which Sakura struggled with one of the simplest replies, "No! I... mustn't give... up!"

Ino knew she had lost all her chances of success. The Sakuras obliged Ino, and she undid the technique, "Kai!" All of her psycho-energy shot into her body.

Sakura was gasping for air, silently rejoicing her perseverance through the extensive mental assault. Ino rolled over and sat up, coughing, and recently feeling the aftermath of smacking the floor. She grabbed her bruised cheek.

"Cough, I didn't know you had two psyches!"

"There's a lot the world needs to learn of me. I'm going to be the world's most appreciated kunoichi, shannaro!" Kakashi smiled at this and turned to look at Naruto.

"Oh? You don't want to play rivals anymore?" Ino antagonized Sakura, but with exponentially less hate than there was before. You like Sakuke-kun too, don't you Ino? Then from this moment on, we are rivals in love!

"I'm always going to be your rival, as long as you don't lag behind." You are a bud. I am a flower, of course, but you're still just a bud... oh stop crying... It's not like its a bad thing, really!

Meanwhile, a flashback of Ino and Sakura picking flowers runs through Ino's mind and her eyes smile, "I've already bloomed. It's you I'm worried about. This fight is only about Sasuke-kun to you."

Sakura, what I meant was, you may just be a flower bud right now, but I can garentee that a late-bloomer like you will surpass a spring flower, just you wait!

This time, both charged.

"Ino... why did you give me this ribbon?"

"That's easy, to hold your hair away from your face. After all, it would be such a shame for a bud to wilt."

'Ino, gomen-nasai. It was all my fault. I started that fight.'

...rivals in love... 'I bet you thought way more about matters other than Sasuke-kun.'

Sasuke-kun and I got onto the same team. Ino, now there's no way I can lose to you.

'I didn't realize it then, but that day, right after those words, there was hurt in your eyes.'

...rivals in love... Ino never consulted Sakura about the fight, and felt guilty about that at least. She thought the dark clouds would pass, but then it began to rain. The realization that they were now enemies...

It was over before either of them noticed. Ino looked from her hand to Sakura's face, and then from Sakura's to hers. Sakura had enough fatigue to evade and counter, but knew she shouldn't. She believed she had deserved what she got, and held no regret.

What then came out of Sakura's mouth was but a whispered apology, "Ino, I am so sorry... about that day."

Ino was more mature than her, and deserved to win. She would make a great kunoichi, and one of the most beautiful blossoms among them.

Sakura felt peaceful as she fell backwards...

"I quit!"

"What?!"

The rushed words came before Sakura hit the ground and with less time to spare before her friend passed out. (Did I say that? Yay!)

Hayate coughed again and said, "Yamanaka Ino has withdrawn from the competition, cough, therefore the winner is Haruno Sakura."

Chouji was dumb-founded with his her decision, but Asuma-sensei couldn't see much wrong within it. In fact, he thought that due to the circumstances it was the right one, for Ino. Of course, Shikamaru was the only one who saw it coming, not like the sound or sand-nin cared or anything... much. How troublesome, ey?

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Ever since my writer's block took a hike (I hope its dead and gone, yeah.) I've been doing great. This story'll and up and down if its on your favorites list. Some chapters will suit you better than others. The good parts seem far, but that only because of school. School sux and needs to be blown to pieces. Btw, a poll: Which would be better to try: NaruSaku or GaaSaku? (Maybe a mix. Or she could go boy-crazy like Hachi in 'Nana.')

Please Read and Review! Tell people about this story cuz not many people like action fiction! (Hey, that rhymed!...ja ne!)