Summary: She was the new, shy and insecure girl. He was the hot, emotionless and reserved guy. He found out her hidden strength, she found out his hidden secret. Only he could break her barrier, only she could touch his heart. What happens next?
Main pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, NaruHina, ShikaIno
A/N: Thank you once again for all your wonderful reviews and I do appreciate all the support. Sorry it's taken so long to update, I just haven't had the time to update and that's why this chapter may be shorter than the others but I won't get time to write until next weekend so I thought it better to post it now. Anyway please review and don't hate me please.
Special thanks to the reviewer crimsonstripe for her wonderful review and her continuous support. This chapter is dedicated to you so thank you again for your wonderful comments.
Disclaimer: So far all my attempts have failed therefore I do not own Naruto…yet!
Previously
"I just wanted to tell you that I like you, I like you a lot and I was wondering if you would go to the dance with me" Naruto confessed as Hinata looked at him in shock before swallowing.
"Naruto I…uh I wo…would l…lo…love to bu…but I uh already um" she stammered as if she was struggling to breathe. Kiba smiled as he patted Hinata on the shoulder and when she turned to him, her face bright red he smiled at her.
"Its ok" he assured her as she looked at him.
"But Kiba"
"Don't worry I know this is what you want" he whispered as he stood up. "Well I will see you two around" he called as he left. Hinata turned to Naruto who was for one patiently awaiting her answer.
"Hinata?" she smiled as she tried to control her blush.
"Yes Naruto I will go to the dance with you" she said as Naruto grinned and kissed her on the lips making Hinata almost faint.
"Be my girlfriend" he said as Hinata coughed and stared at him. He looked at her, worried that she would actually faint before she did something more surprising. She quickly leant forward and crashed her lips against his in a short chaste kiss before pulling away with a smile, her face as red as a tomato.
"Is that a yes" he asked as she giggled.
"Yes Naruto ill be your girlfriend"
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Chapter twelve
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"Then I took her for ramen and she loved it" Naruto told his friends who only nodded, barely listening to a word he was saying. He was sitting in the so called study room, which most students used as a recreation room to talk and muck around then actually study, with Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji while the rest of the school were stuck in class. Their teacher had been absent today and so that meant that they had a spare and had decided that since it was Friday they wouldn't bother attempting any homework.
"It was my best second date ever" Naruto exclaimed.
"Dobe it was your first second date ever" Sasuke pointed out. "Since most girls dump you after the first"
"Shut up teme" Naruto growled as he crossed his arms in a sulking way. It had been over two weeks since the whole Kiba, Naruto thing and since then Naruto and Hinata had been officially dating much to everyone's happiness.
"Hn"
"Yeah well at least I have a date to the dance" Naruto continued with a grin. "You haven't yet have you?"
"Hn so"
"So teme its next Friday, as in a week away"
"Hn" Sasuke replied and refused to say anymore.
"We have that Friday afternoon off to" Neji told his friends all of a sudden. "Apparently many of the female students made a big fuss about not having enough time to get ready so the teachers agreed to let us leave at lunch" he said this with a look that showed his distaste at the per cent of the population that had made that fuss.
"Troublesome" Shikamaru muttered. "That means even more homework"
"So talking about the dance, have you guys actually asked anyone yet?" Naruto asked as all three remained silent.
"I mean everyone else has a date" Naruto continued. "Shino is taking his nerdy girlfriend, Kiba's apparently taking one of the girls from the choir and Lee is taking Tenten so…"
"Wait what?" Neji demanded, his eyes glaring dangerously at Naruto who suddenly felt that his life was in danger.
"I uh" he began, unsure of what to say.
"Is Tenten going with bushy brows" Neji asked, his voice dripping with hate and loathing.
"Ye...eah" Naruto stammered as Neji continued to glare dangerously at him. Naruto felt that a further explanation was needed and sighed inwardly.
"I was their when he asked her yesterday afternoon in math's" Naruto told him before explaining just how it came about.
Flashback
"Cheer up bushy brows" Naruto said as Lee just moaned in reply making Naruto sigh.
"Hey" Tenten greeted them as she entered the class room; Naruto looked up at her before grinning back. She had come to class early in hopes of doing her last minute homework to find Naruto also their, sitting next to a lump of green. She frowned at them both.
"What's up with Lee?" she asked.
"His sulking because Sakura turned down his proposal of going to the dance with him saying she is already going with someone else" Naruto explained.
"Really, who?"
"No idea" Naruto told her as she nodded and took a seat beside Lee.
"Come on, it's not the end of the world. One day you will find the one who you're meant to be with to, it just means that it isn't Sakura"
"But now I have no one to go to the dance with and most already have someone" Lee wailed as Tenten sighed.
"I'm sure you will find someone, I mean not everyone is taken. Me included" she added the last part with a sigh. Lee looked up at her and smiled.
"Thanks Tenten" he said as she shrugged.
'That's what friends are for" she replied as he nodded and gave her a thumbs up.
"Well in that case would you do the honors of accompanying me to the dance" he asked as she looked at him then shrugged.
"Why not" she said with a laugh as he jumped up in excitement.
"Yes now I wont have to go alone" he cheered as Tenten shook her head at him.
"Glad I could help" she said as Naruto laughed loudly.
"At least his not sulking anymore" Naruto pointed out as she nodded.
"True" she agreed with a smile.
End Flashback
"So that's what happened" Naruto finished as Neji scowled.
"Troublesome" Shikamaru muttered.
"Hey it's not like you have anyone yet" Naruto said. "When are you going to ask Ino anyway?"
"Who said I was going to ask her, it's to troublesome"
"Well it's obvious that you like her isn't it, I mean you have since forever. I just don't know why you haven't made a move before now" Naruto said as Shikamaru sighed.
"Yes I have always had strong feelings for Ino, but there was a reason I never acted on them."
"And that is?" Naruto prompted as Neji sat their still seething in anger.
"Choji also had feelings for her." Shikamaru explained. "I couldn't act on mine because it would have been unfair to him. Then when Choji did move and I could finally ask her out she developed feelings for Sasuke"
"Yeah well I still think you should ask her" Naruto said. "She hasn't got anyone yet and you don't want to be like Neji here and loose you chance"
"What's that suppose to mean" Neji asked as Naruto shrugged.
"Well it's obvious that you're jealous because bushy brows is taking Tenten and not you" Naruto told him.
"I'm not jealous" Neji argued.
"Then why are you sitting their all stiff and angry looking, like you want to punch someone" Naruto said. "Probably more so Lee than anyone else. It looks to me like your jealous" Neji looked at him but said no more before he stood up, turned away from them all and quickly left the room, his fists clenched and his eyes flashing dangerously.
"I wouldn't want to be Lee right now" Shikamaru muttered as Naruto just sat their and grinned at Neji's retreating back. Sasuke looked at his friend, wondering why he was looking so happy and raised an eyebrow at him.
"What?' he asked.
"Oh nothing" Naruto replied as Shikamaru sighed.
"What did you conveniently forget to tell Neji?" he asked.
"Well I might have accidentally left out the part of them only going as friends" Naruto informed his friends as Shikamaru nodded and Sasuke smirked. Neither felt the need to actually tell their friend about this new development.
"I'm sure he will figure it out soon enough anyway" Shikamaru added as the other two nodded amusement all easily readable in their eyes.
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Shikamaru sighed as he excited the school and walked across the grounds. He really did hate detentions, he hadn't deserved it anyway. So what if he was caught sleeping in class, so what if it hade been his fifth time. He still hadn't deserved that hour detention the teacher had given him. It defiantly wasn't his fault that his stupid dreams had been haunted by the blonde haired girl who was sitting on the bench in the distance.
Wait what?
Shikamaru looked across the yard to find Ino sitting on a bench, her schoolbag at her feet and her whole body shaking. He walked forward, looking at her and it didn't take him long to realize what was going on. She was crying. The strong determined Ino he had always known was sitting alone at school crying. What was she doing here this late in the afternoon?
He continued to approach her and without a word he sat down beside her. Ino looked up at him, a little shocked to see him there but more shocked when put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a small reassuring squeeze. She couldn't stop the tears from falling and Shikamaru felt his heart twist painfully at seeing no like this. He didn't know why but it pained him seeing her so upset.
"What's wrong?" he asked and Ino couldn't stop herself, she had been keeping this in for to long and suddenly it al came spilling out.
"She is sick Shika, she is really sick. The doctors can't help her and neither can I. Even dad knows it because his distancing himself from me, he barely looks at me and I can't even look at her. She looks so frail, so weak. So sick. I can't help but feel that she isn't my mum; she just doesn't look like her. Everyone says it will be ok, that things will get better. But I know they wont, I just do. I can't keep telling myself they will because they won't. She is sick, no one can help her." she looked up at Shikamaru, her face stained with tears, her eyes wide with fright and her next words came out in barely a whisper, as if just saying them was to painful to bear. "She is dying, she is going to die and there is nothing anyone can do. I'm going to loose her"
"Ino" he said quietly as he wrapped an arm around her, comforting her. Ino couldn't help it anymore, she broke down completely. All the feelings she had been trying to hide, all those thoughts she had that she ignored, all the tears she had held back, all the times of pretending to be strong, all those nights of crying alone with no one there for her had finally caught up. Now when someone finally offered her that comfort she didn't know she needed she broke down and allowed the tears to floe freely.
Shikamaru understood this, that she needed to let it all out so he pulled her closer, wrapping both arms around her as she cried into his chest. He stroked her blonde hair in a comforting way as she continued to sob. He didn't know what to say, how to make her feel better. Yet part of him knew that she didn't need words right now. All she needed was to know that she wasn't alone, that she had someone and that no matter what she would always have him.
Eventually her cries slowed down and soon she had stopped, her body had stopped shaking yet they didn't move. Somehow Ino didn't want to pull away just yet. She was comfortable in his arms, she felt safe, as if nothing could hurt her. She hadn't felt like this since her mum had first been diagnosed and now she just couldn't bear to leave it. Besides Shikamaru was making no move to break away either, in fact he was still holding her firmly as if he never wanted to let her go.
"Thank you Shika" she mumbled after her voice returned and she felt him chuckle.
"Anytime Ino" he replied as she lifted her head to look at him.
"Why though, I thought you hated me" she asked as he smiled and brushed some hair away from her tear stained face.
"I never hated you Ino" he told her as she blinked.
"You didn't?"
"Nope"
"But you acted like…" she broke off as he smiled guiltily at her.
"I was jealous" he admitted as she frowned.
"Jealous, why?"
"I was jealous that you liked the Uchiha" he told her. "I was jealous because that wasn't me"
"You were jealous" she repeated in amazement, her breath coming out ragged.
"Ino I like you, I like you a lot and have for years now." He gently brushed his hand down the side of her face as Ino blushed slightly.
"Shika" she mumbled, trying to speak but she couldn't seem to get the words out.
"I like you a lot Ino, more than a friend should and I can't keep denying that. I thought if I stopped being friends with you it would go away but it didn't." he breathed heavily as he gazed into her eyes. "It never will"
Ino continued to stare in disbelief, still struggling to find the words to reply. She could feel her heart thumping rapidly against her chest and she was still struggling to breathe. She wasn't aware of anything around her, she didn't care what she looked like or who saw her. Or she could think about was Shika and how he was here for her like no one else was. So she did the only thing she could think of doing, the only thing she could to tell him she felt the same.
She kissed him hard on the lips and was relieved when she felt him kiss back. Instantly her arms were around his neck as she pulled herself in, desperately trying to deepen it. Shikamaru's tongue traced her bottom lip, begging for entry which she gladly gave him. Their tongues met and fought for dominance with his achieving victory. He allowed his tongue to explore her cavern, tasting every inch of her and massaging her tongue with his own. Ino let out a small moan of pleasure which made him smirk against her lips. She tasted so good, and she felt the exact same way.
It seemed like an eternity until the pair broke off for air. They were both breathless and yet felt oddly satisfied. She looked up at him and couldn't help but smile, her first real smile in days or so it felt. Even when she had the sleepover with the girls that night her dad stayed at the hospital with her mum, even when she pretended her folks were away and laughed and giggled with her friends she still hadn't been able to smile without forcing it a little. But now she didn't have to, now she felt happiness creep into her. And it was all because of him.
"Shika I like you to" she told him. "I may have not realized it before but I always have. You were always there for me, always by my side and I guess it hurt so much when you and I fought that I hid it away by being angry with you, so I didn't have to feel that pain, that sadness at knowing you weren't by my side"
"I'm always by your side Ino" he said gently as he caressed her face. She hiccupped lightly making him smile even more.
"Thank you" she murmured as he nodded.
"Ino will you go to the dance with me" he asked as she smiled in happiness and couldn't help but sigh in glee.
"Yes Shika" she managed to say as she hugged him tightly and he returned her embrace. She pulled away after a little while, wiping her face and laughing a little at the situation she found themselves in.
"You must think I look horrible right now" she said but he just smirked and cupped her face, moving it towards his.
"No Ino, I think you look beautiful. You always have to me" he whispered before he leaned in and finished it off with a chaste kiss.
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"There you are" Sakura called as she saw Sasuke walking towards her. He had been ten minutes late to meet her and Sakura had been rather concerned. It was a daily habit to meet each other to walk home and she knew, despite what the others thought about him being an emotional barstard who didn't care for anyone but himself, he would never leave her waiting. Then again she wasn't the only one who had noticed a change in Sasuke and judging from what the others had said this was some change.
Ever since he and she had been good friends Sasuke had been a lot kinder to the others, even being a lot more sociable to. Although he didn't smile or anything, and always looked stoic and cold, his voice was a lot more gentle then it used to be, he smirked a lot more and would occasionally talk to others casually. In fact he was starting to act a lot more human like, a fact that many were rather happy about. Even if Sakura didn't believe it when the others said it was her who changed him, part of her knew this to be true.
But it wasn't just her that had made a difference to him; he had also made a major difference in her. It was Sasuke that had helped her come out of her shell, Sasuke that had helped her become more sociable with others, Sasuke who had changed her nice shy ways, Sasuke who had made her smile a lot more, Sasuke who had allowed her to see the fun side of life and Sasuke that gave her the opportunity to look forward to each new day and stop worrying about every little aspect out of her control.
Despite her family troubles, her background and her history Sakura had finally found a place where she belonged. Here she had friends, real friends for the first time who saw her for who she really was and she wasn't afraid anymore to show that person. She didn't feel the need to hide away or fight something she couldn't. She was happy now to allow them to get close to her, just like what she had taught Sasuke to do. Get close to people. I guess in that respect they had both helped each other. As for Sasuke, well he had become her best friend and she never wanted that to change.
He was the one that she had found to talk to when she needed it, confide her troubles or feelings or anything she needed to get off her chest. He was the one she went to when she needed a fried, when she needed someone to comfort her. He was the shoulder she cried on, the person who acted more of a family member than anyone else had. And although she didn't know whether her love just stopped at friends or went on towards a more romantic friendship which if he offered she would not refuse but one thing was clear. She loved Sasuke.
"Sorry I was late" Sasuke apologized. "I got cornered by admirers" he said with a low growl that made Sakura giggle. His voice, although is was not as cold around their friends was still emotionless, yet when it was just the two of them she would usually be able to detect emotion in it and knew this was the first step to melting his ice heart. She figured that when he finally was able to completely show and act with emotions around her then she would work on doing it more so in silence. She knew that no matter what he would always be a little emotionless, silent and reserved in public but that was the qualities she liked best about him.
"Aww poor you" she laughed as he frowned.
"It's not my fault, dobe let it slip that I didn't have a date for the dance yet and now there all bugging me to be theirs. It's annoying"
"Yeah well you have it better then me" Sakura muttered as Sasuke raised an eyebrow at her.
"How so?" he asked as the two left the school together. Although catching the bus was a lot faster, and they usually did in the mornings so not to be late, in the afternoon they preferred to walk home and enjoy one another's company. Even if Sakura usually went to Sasuke's afterwards and stayed there until well past eight.
"Well I kind of got begged by Lee and I didn't want to say no and he wouldn't listen anyway so I kind of lied to him and said I already have a date which I don't" Sasuke smirked at her.
"Heh you lied to someone wow I'm surprised at you Sakura"
"Yeah well now I feel guilty for lying"
"Don't be, he was hassling you and wouldn't have laid off anyway. You shouldn't feel guilty"
"I do though"
"Well don't"
"That's not going to help" she said as he shrugged.
"It's not a big deal. I'm actually proud of you"
"Thanks" she muttered rolling her eyes as he smirked again.
"No problem"
"But now what am I suppose to do?"
"Um" Sasuke began having no idea what she was on about.
"He thinks I have a date remember, which I don't. What do I do when he finds out I was lying to him?"
"Then get a date" he suggested.
"Ok and how am I supposed to do that? Who would I go with?" she asked as he shrugged.
"Me" he replied as she stared at him.
"You?"
"Well if you want we can go as friends. I mean you need a date and so do I. I don't really fancy going with any of my admirers and if I turn up without a date well ill be let's just say surrounded by fan girls all night"
"So you want me to go with you so I can save you from your fan girls" Sakura laughed as Sasuke shrugged.
"Well you need a date to don't you?" Sasuke said casually as Sakura nodded.
"True"
"So is that a yes or a no?" he asked as Sakura thought about it. She did need someone to go with and she would prefer going with Sasuke then anyone else. After all she still wasn't very good in large crowds and it would defiantly be better knowing that Sasuke was by her side.
"Well I guess, since you make a very good case, ill say yes" she replied with a smile as he smirked at her in reply.
"Hn good" he said simply as she laughed and playfully hit him on the shoulder.
"Now hurry up, I'm hungry"
A/N: Hope you enjoyed the cute little InoShika moment there because I sure did and Neji is jealous ha I find that so funny. Oh and yes I know Sasuke seemed a bit OC but hell he has to start making some progress doesn't he.
Anyway are you curious as to how the dance will go, well review and you shall find out soon.
