Chapter 10: NOT The Right One

Ino grumbled angrily as she adjusted her grip on her bags while struggling to keep her umbrella in the crook of her neck.

As she neared her house, she squinted through the heavy rain to peer at the strangely familiar figure sitting on the bench. Then she gasped aloud in recognition. "Forehead?"

She quickly raced over as Sakura raised her head to stare at her friend.

"Ah...Ino?" Sakura's voice was hoarse, and her eyes swollen.

Ino dropped her bags and rapidly shrugged her coat off and placed it around Sakura. She put her arm around her shoulders and hefted the bags back up with one hand. "Come on." She said grimly, and guided her friend back to her house.

Sakura stood on her friend's carpeted floor, dripping wet with a dazed look.

Ino returned with a change of clothes and helped her friend change. Once they were done, she tucked Sakura into her bed and piled layers of blankets on top.

"What the hell happened, Sakura?" She demanded as she sat cross-legged on her bed across from Sakura.

"Uhm...well…" Sakura hesitated, gripping the blankets tightly. "Daisuke and I broke up."

Ino gaped at her. "What? Why?"

Daisuke was a new intern at the hospital, and they had immediately hit it off the first time they met. He resembled Sasuke to some degree, but that stopped there, since he had a much better personality and actually made jokes.

It had been going steady for almost four weeks when...it happened.

"Well, I found him with another girl. That's why." She said curtly.

Ino groaned. "That asshole! I told you that I felt fishy about the jerk!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."

They hadn't even been going out for a whole month yet, but she had taken it hard when she found him with the other girl. He was her first boyfriend.

Ino cracked her knuckles, a glint in her eye. "That's it. First thing tomorrow, I'm sending him straight to the hospital, that lying, stinking son of a bi-"

"Ino!" Sakura laughed, cutting her friend off. "It's fine! Leave it alone."

Ino stared at her friend, wondering if she was joking. "Fine?" She echoed, incredulous. "How is this fi-"

"And how about you, Pig?" Sakura cut her off, wiggling her eyebrows. "How's it going with Shikamaru?"

Ino blushed and spluttered. "I-It's going fine. Thank you very much. Now stop changing the subject! We need a plan of action, we need to send this lowlife to-"

"Please, Ino." Sakura whispered.

Ino immediately stopped, worry washing over her anger.

"I've wasted enough energy on him tonight. Tell me about you and Shikamaru."

The blonde hesitated, before she reached over and covered Sakura's hand with her own. "It'll be fine."

Sakura nodded and smiled gratefully. She nudged her friend with her elbow. "Come on, Ino. You're never this shy! Spill it out, sister!"

Sakura covered her mouth as let out a big yawn and tears formed in her eyes.

Ugh, she so regretted staying up the whole night.

"...kura-chan!"

"...akura-chan!"

Sakura groaned.

"...SAKURA-CHAN!"

Naruto came barreling through the hospital ward straight to the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Naruto!" Sakura hissed and hit his arm with her clipboard as he came skidding to a halt in front of her. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't run in the hospital! Or yell for that matter!"

"Okay, okay, okay, but first," He grabbed her shoulders. "Is it true?! About Daisuke?!"

Sakura stared at him. "...How did you find out?"

"Ino told me! Is it true?! He…" His voice went down to a whisper, "cheated on you?" Naruto's eyes were furious.

Sakura groaned. Dammit, Pig!

She sighed as Naruto impatiently shook her shoulders. "Yes! Yes, it's true. Now leave me alone! I'm working!"

Naruto's eyes narrowed, then he simply popped out of existence.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Wha-"

A shadow clone?!

Outside the hospital, a loud commotion could be heard. Sakura shook her head slowly. No...he couldn't have…

"GIT HIM, NARUTO!" Ino cheered, followed by Tenten's loud whoop.

Sakura groaned and threw down her clipboard and raced outside.

All her friends were gathered outside in circle. Shikamaru was kneeling down and performing his Kagemane no Jutsu on Daisuke, who Naruto then proceeded to send high into the sky with a punch.

"NARUTO!"

His victorious face paled as he saw her storming towards him.

An 'oh shit', echoed throughout her friends as they moved aside to make way for her.

"I-uh-took care of him for you, S-Sakura-chan!" He stammered as he slowly backed up.

She raised her hand and he flinched away, but instead of slapping him, she gently placed it on the side of his face.

"...Baka." She said with a teary face.

All of their friends let out the breath they were holding and smirked at the two.