The Hunt

Summary: Ino – the broken interrogator who just came back from her two-year mission in Suna. Sasuke – the former traitor who surrendered himself to Konoha a year ago. Both aren't looking for love, but love is on the hunt for them.


Dedication: This is for everyone who took their time to review the previous chapter. And I wanna thank jintoshikazu for the consecutive reviews of every chapter that has been published. Jin, you're awesome.


Honestly speaking, with Sasuke on my side, I felt a little more comfortable than I perhaps should have been. When he offered to go with me earlier, I was surprised a little. Just like everyone else was. "You didn't have to go with me, you know."

"I had to make sure you wouldn't sc-"

I cut him off because I knew damn well what he was trying to do, "By this 'screw up', you actually mean 'marry him', right?" Just like Shikamaru, he also didn't want me to marry Gaara. And for a friend, that was understandable. I looked up at him and said, "Thank you, Sasuke."

He was looking after me. Just like what a friend would do. We were friends – good friends – and it only took two weeks to build that friendship. Two freaking weeks. I smiled a little at myself, I found it quite hilarious that he and I had known each other for years – even before academy years – and we didn't have chance to be friends until two weeks ago. And truthfully, I always had wanted to become his friend.

"It's nothing." He grew on me – like some others, I never hated him. And I was happy that I never did because Uchiha Sasuke had become an amazing a person that he was now. He had low points in his life and to me, those lows had never made him a 'heartless monster' like others had believed. To me, those lows had made him so human. So utterly human who had hurt and sinned.

After that, it was a quiet walk to the Hokage Tower, where we would be meeting Gaara and Naruto. I was nervous but I figured, I wasn't as nervous as I was supposed to be because Sasuke was here. And he cared for me.

Ino, you can and will do this. Once and for all.

I gulped as Sasuke knocked on Naruto's office's door. For a minute there, I'd thought I didn't wanna do this anymore. But thankfully, I'd convinced myself that it would be for everybody's good...maybe except for Gaara's. Naruto opened the door and let us come in. And there he was, standing and looking at me.

"Why is he with you?" Gaara asked, referring to Sasuke.

"Because he doesn't hurt me like you do," I instantly retorted as his eyes met mine. "This will be quick," I paused to breathe in and out, "and concise. Gaara, I'm here to ask you..." I needed some air. "...to please completely let me and what we had go."

He didn't want that, I could see it in his eyes. "What we had is the only thing that keeps me going; so why should I?"

"Because this madness has got to stop." Facing him at this moment was as hard as I expected it to be. "Because I'm hurting so much...and your people in Suna are hurting too because they don't have you."

"Why can't you also be hurting because you don't have me?" His question hurt me because I could tell how much he loved me. He couldn't let me go because of this selfish love that he had for me. And I came to realize that this selfish love of his wasn't only destroying me, it was destroying him too.

"Because everything's changed." My love for Gaara was still there but I probably didn't love him enough to overlook what he and his village leaders did. "Coming back to you...would only kill me because I know that if I ever came back, it would lead to my self destruction." I could see his fists clenching – he was hurting, and so was I. "Tell me, Gaara, could you bear to see me killing myself each day because of you?"

He didn't answer, nor he could look at me.

"We had amazing times together – we really did. But those good times aren't enough to make me forget that I lost a life inside me because I was with you." There wouldn't be anything that could make me forget that. "You hurt me so much that I didn't even think that I could ever move on – and there was a point that I was so hurt that I had a depression and mental breakdown." My heart started clenching but it wasn't nearly as painful as the pain that he caused me. "Can't you see? This love of yours isn't for me."

"Then who...who is it for?" Finally, he spoke but his voice was breaking. "At this point, I don't think anybody would want this love."

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "But if you're given the chance to love again, treat her differently." I tried to smile but instead, my eyes ended up watering. "Go back to Suna and find her. I know you'll be able to because everyone has someone for them – it just turns out that I'm not the one for you."

"I don't want to believe that," he said, shaking his head. "No one ever loved me as much as you did."

"But many people love you unconditionally and they're in Suna," I reminded him. "Gaara, they love and respect you; and you should reciprocate that love by going back there!"

"But I lost you because I had to lead them!" I felt uncomfortable seeing someone as powerful and emotionless as him hurting so much. "Ino, if I was not the Kazekage, I would still have you right now. Everything would be different and I...I would be happy with you and my child."

"You could have prevented everything if you wanted to! If you didn't tell Temari then I would still have my baby with me! And if you only told me about that goddamned law then no one would have to kill that defenseless child in my womb!" I had lost my temper. I saw Naruto and Sasuke surprise of my sudden outburst for a moment. Sighing, I continued in a lower and calmer tone, "There are so many what if's and what could have happened instead...but this...this is what we ended up with and we can't do anything about it anymore. We can't change what's been done – so just accept that we aren't for each other."

No response came from him. But he knew...he knew what I said was the sickening truth. And he knew that I had made up mind and there wouldn't be anything in this world that could make me come back to him.

I looked at Sasuke as he nodded. "I'm done here."


When I got back to Shika's apartment with Sasuke, Karin and Sakura weren't there anymore. And I thought it was better this way because for now, I wouldn't want to be questioned about anything by anyone. Unless, of course, it was Shikamaru.

"How was it?" Shikamaru anxiously asked. Like always, he was worried about me but this time around, he was not scared to let me see how worried he was with me. I smiled at him to let him know that it ended up okay.

"Better than I anticipated." But then again, I had expected for the worst – which was, him killing me. And thankfully, it wasn't that bad. "Although, it does hurt seeing him...you know, hurt and broken." After what he'd done, I really had thought I would want to see him destroyed but I had just realized that I wouldn't be able to stand that. "He probably loved me more than he should have."

"He couldn't let you go, which means he loved himself too." Shikamaru was right. His love couldn't be more genuine, but his love also had never been selfless. Before he and I became a couple, he only cared for his villagers and comrades – never for himself. And if I thought about it, he became a mad man because of this love. This stupid but real love.

"Do you think he's going back to Suna?" It was Sasuke who asked this time. "He didn't really say that he would leave and let you go."

I nodded. I had Gaara figured out for the most part. He didn't need to say anything. I knew him too much. "And he knows it'll be for the best."

"Then that's good." Shikamaru smiled at me – and I hadn't seen that smile in a long time. "Everything will be better from here."

"Absolutely." After returning the smile Shikamaru had given me, I turned to Sasuke. "It made me really happy that you were on my side throughout this whole thing." My smile only got bigger. "Can't really thank you enough."

I couldn't, really. He'd done more than he had been paid to do. He didn't have to be my friend when I had desperately needed one. But he'd still chosen to be. Sasuke had made it easier for me this past two weeks.

In response to me, Sasuke only gave me a lopsided smirk. I'd take that as "you're welcome."


A week had passed and Sakura had informed me five days ago that Gaara had left the day after I had talked to him. This week was the best week I'd had after I lost my baby. My friends were very supportive – even Sasuke. He always came by to my apartment to check up on me, maybe because his flat was just two doors away from mine.

It wasn't like we chitchatted whenever Sasuke visited. Actually, he hardly ever talked whenever he dropped by. But I was fine with that because I was really used to that.

Knock, knock, I heard someone fiercely knocking on my door. Expecting it'd be Sasuke standing in my doorstep, I hurried to open the door to see...Naruto?

"Hokage-sama?" I said in a business-like tone voice. I gave way to let him in my apartment, "Have a seat. Should I get you anything?"

He shook his head. I studied him for a minute and I figured that something was wrong. Naruto wasn't smiling and his eyes were empty and sad. "Is there something wrong, Naruto?"

He nodded a little bit, his eyes still not on me. I could swear he was making me so nervous. While I'd hated how Naruto was when he'd butted into my business, I didn't want to see him being like this. Trying to make this less intense, I tried to joke, "Should I sit for this?"

My attempt to lighten the situation didn't work. Normally, he would just ride on my jokes but right now, he was really different. Worriedly, I told him in a much serious stone, "Look at me and tell me what the hell is happening."

My eyes met his, and then he answered hesitatingly, "Gaara's dead."


Author's note: I have an idea how horrible I have been so you don't have to remind me. I apologize. By the way, thank you so much to all who have reviewed the last chapter. I appreciate the loves! Also, I really missed writing for my favorite couple. This is second to the last chapter. Yes, next chap will be the last. Hopefully, I'll be able to update soon.

Please review! :)