"So, anymore retirements?" The sickly proctor asked before covering his mouth to let out a raspy cough. Ino bit her lower lip, eyes flickering between her two teammates and the proctor. Images of Sasuke's cursed mark flashed in her mind, swirling inks of darkness intruding on his arms and face. His canines peeking out between his lips, face twisted in a garish smile that belonged on villains, not the proud Uchiha heir. And the malicious energy that seeped out of him when the mark danced on his skin. The evil energy had sapped him of his strength such that he could barely walk to the end of the second exam.
She thought about Naruto too. He was also exhausted, it was plain to see. Between fighting the giant snake, attempting to stave off that Orochimaru freak and pretty much single handily beating the three mist genin, he looked as if he was on his last legs.
She grasped each of their arms and pulled them close, enough so she could whisper to them. "We should quit."
"What?" Sasuke barked, his right arm massaging his neck, his body was trembling under the stress his body accrued from the cursed seal. Naruto looked shocked, his eyebrows raising up and hiding behind his headband.
"Sasuke-kun, you've been so strange since that Orochimaru guy attacked you. Your mark still hurts right? Look you're trembling! And Naruto, you spent way too much chakra. We can always come back next year." Ino pleaded to her teammates, her finger gripping tighter around their wrists.
"What mark?" Naruto asked, confused. Sasuke pulled his wrist away from Ino, glaring at the girl.
"It's nothing, Naruto." Sasuke grounded out through clenched teeth.
"Guys, please, you are in no condition to fight." Ino could feel stubborn tears well up in her eyes and she rubbed them harshly. She did not want to be a cry baby. This was not about being scared or hopeless, it was about caring about her precious teammates. "Please, especially you Sasuke-kun, you've been hiding the pain from the mark this whole time, haven't you? If you don't quit, I'll tell sens-" She was cut of when Sasuke gripped her shoulder, squeezing lightly.
"Shut up about the mark." The shinobi hissed, his onyx eye's cloudy with anger. Ino felt her breath catch in her throat. She had never seen Sasuke direct such an expression at her before.
"Sasuke." Naruto warned, taking a step toward the last Uchiha. Sasuke ignored the blonde boy, his eyes trained on Ino's.
"I told you, didn't I? I am an avenger." Sasuke withdrew his hand from her shoulder, but his eyes never left hers. She was finally receiving the attention she wanted from her crush, but certainly not the way she wanted to. "Passing, failing, I don't care. Am I strong? Can I get stronger? Those are the answers I will find here." Sasuke took a step back, breathing in. "If you take that away from me…I won't forgive you."
Ino swallowed thickly, barely lubricating her dry throat.
"Sasuke, asshole, she just cares about you. Why can't you see that?" Naruto snarled, breaking his quiet and stepping into the avenger's airspace. Shockingly, instead of a retort or a glare, the young Uchiha smiled genuinely at the whiskered shinobi.
"Naruto, I want to fight you too."
Ino could see her fellow blonde's face morph from frustration to something else entirely. It makes Ino feel bitter. She feels a lump form in her throat and she does her best to ignore it.
"Alright then, let's begin the preliminaries." The baggy-eyed protector started up, breaking team seven from their huddle. As they fall in line, Ino staring at the floor in a mixture of shame and frustration, she feels the back of Naruto's hand brush against the hers.
"Thanks for worrying, Ino." The blonde whispers, his warm breath tickles her ear. Ino hums in response, but she cannot bear to look at him.
She felt Naruto stiffen under her embrace. He smelt putrid, sweat and blood mixing into a repugnant odor, but it did not bother her as much as it should. His wiry arms delicately wrap around her back and she held the hug for another moment before pulling back, smiling at the disheveled youth.
"Congratulations, Naruto! You were awesome!" Ino beamed at him. Naruto's face was flushed red, embarrassed from the hug and praise.
"Thanks, Ino, you were really cool too." Naruto offered back, a large smile plastered on his face. Ino just snorted.
"I lost."
"Nah, you tied." Naruto frowned.
"Tying with forehead is the same as losing, duh." Ino stuck her tongue out, expecting a retort from the shorter blonde defending his crush. Instead the boy laughed, mirth reaching his eyes.
"Sakura's pretty good, don't sell her short. Or yourself. You were really cool." Naruto repeated, his hand reaching out, calloused fingers accidently brushing against her soft neck forcing a gasp out of the pretty kunoichi. She blushed at her unintentional response, but did not shy away from her teammate as he finally reached her chopped hair, running his fingers through the flayed ends. She would have never believed it, just a few months ago, but she felt completely comfortable with such an intimate gesture from the class clown.
"Haaah." Ino let out a sigh of disappointment. "It looks so ugly right?"
"What?" Naruto asked, almost startled as he pulled his hand away. "You can't look ugly, Ino, c'mon."
"Uh…" Ino started, but no words came out. She could feel her neck reddening at the blatant compliment. "I-I just meant my hair, dummy." Ino mumbled, stupidly feeling shy under Naruto's gaze.
"Well, I mean it's nicer than my haircut!" Naruto joked, causing Ino to let out a small giggle erasing her embarrassment. Naruto took a moment to look around the stadium, scanning for their teacher. "Hey, where is Kakashi-sensei?"
"At the hospital, with Sasuke-kun."
"Oh right, let's go see the bastard." Naruto said wrapping his arms behind is head in his usual habit.
"I don't know Naruto, he probably needs rest, we shouldn't bother him." Ino bit her lower lip anxiously.
Naruto rolled his eyes in response, "Jeez, Ino, you know I can't go to sleep unless I've bothered him at least once a day. Time to go fill my quota." Naruto grinned impishly at kunoichi before he bounded off towards the exist.
"Ohhh, Naruto!" Her smiled cut through the effectiveness of her growl as she followed after him.
"Yow!" Naruto yelled, jumping up off the bench holding his neck where Ino had placed the ice-cold bottle against. His fellow blonde raised an eyebrow at his display and proffered the bottle toward him. Banana-flavoured milk. Naruto took it while leveling a glare at the kunoichi. Ino had enough common sense to make sure Naruto went home to pick up a spare set of clothing to wear, and he was dressed in a black t-shirt with a spiral design in the middle and another pair of orange pants.
"Don't you feel soooo much better? Nothing like a good soak in the hot springs." Ino purred as she ran a hand through her shorter, but now silky-smooth locks. She was wearing an orange top with the Yamanaka Flower Shop sign on it and white capri pants.
"I should be training right now." Naruto grumbled before ripping off the bottle cap and chugging the milk. "Good." He grunted in satisfaction.
"Are you going to die if you don't train for one day? You have a whole month to prepare, besides you smelt like shit right after finishing the third exam, how on Earth did you expect to keep training like that?"
"Wow, rude." The boy legitimately looked hurt by the remark. Ino just rolled her eyes at him. She sat down on the bench, unscrewing the cap of her strawberry milk, taking a few sips. The refreshing feeling of the fruity milk after soaking her exhausted muscles and bones in the hot springs was almost unparalleled and she let out a sigh of content. Naruto sat next to her, beginning to bounce his leg, a manifestation of his restless energy. He eventually settled down, propping an elbow against his thigh and leaning his face into his palm. He faced Ino, watching her finish up the drink.
"What?" Ino asked taking Naruto's empty bottle and throwing it away along with hers.
"I don't think I've seen you with your hair down much." Naruto responded, standing up from the bench.
"Well, I usually save my sexy look for cuter boys." Ino winked at him and fluffing her hair flamboyantly.
"You don't look sexy, you look cute." Naruto snorted, oblivious to the fact that she was making a joke and also insulted him.
Annoyingly, Ino felt her neck heating up once again. She was confused on how she should feel about the boy's blunt comment. Angry that he didn't think she was sexy, embarrassed that he could compliment her so bold-faced, flattered that he thought she was cute or maybe grossed out that he thought she was cute? Did he insult her or compliment her, or both? Before she could gather her thoughts, she saw her fellow blonde's face flush, as if he just realized what he said.
"I, um, y'know that is…boy am I hungry!" Ino watched in annoyance as the boy decided to completely avoid the issue at hand. "What about you Ino, want to get some food?"
Ino crossed her arms and glared at the blonde. "You're paying." Ino said flatly, her teammate cringing, but maintaining an awkward smile. "And no ramen, we're getting sushi."
"Haha, of course, I enjoy some raw fish every now and then." Naruto said with a fake laugh, trying to hold back his disgust. He turned almost robotically and began walking towards the exit. "Follow me."
Ino smiled and clasped her hands behind her back following the shorter blonde. When she came closer to him, she leaned over and whispered, "You know, I wasn't really mad." Her breath washed over his ear, reddening it. Naruto turned his head sharply, covering the ear and staring at his teammate.
"Wait, so does that mean I don't have to pay?"
Ino laughed in a very unfeminine way, before shoving Naruto in the back, hurrying him along.
Ino entered the shower mulling about how boring training was without a partner. Especially if that partner is as talkative, rambunctious, and maybe even a little bit funny, as Naruto was. Two weeks passed since she had last seen the loud mouth and she was starting to miss his grating presence. She spent her time after the third exam taking care of her family's shop, hanging out with Sakura, visiting Sasuke, and training.
She sent a few hours that day practicing her kunai and shuriken throwing and also worked on perfecting a new Yamanaka jutsu her father showed her, the Mind Body Disturbance Technique. Her father was reluctant to give her the information on how to perform the jutsu, no doubt he felt she was too unpolished to attempt to learn it, but a few puppy-eye looks and a few bribes of his favourite snack and she was finally able to pry the technique from him. Unlike the Mind Body Transfer, this new jutsu let her maintain her consciousness. She had made some progress with the jutsu, but it was going painfully slow. She knew, however, once she mastered it, the mileage from the jutsu would be incredible.
Lathering her hair with collagen-infused, full-bodied herbal shampoo, Ino began fantasizing about using the jutsu with her teammates.
The enemy ninja already defeated Kakashi-sensei before kicking Naruto away. Bearing down on the battered Sasuke-kun she would jump in, "Don't touch Sasuke-kun! Take this, Mind Body Disturbance jutsu!"
"Gahhh!" The shinobi would scream as his nervous system is zapped by the powerful technique. "I-I can't control myself!" Ino made the enemy club himself in the head, knocking himself out.
"S-so cool." Naruto whimpered on the ground before passing out.
Ino ran next to Sasuke-kun, reaching down to help him up, the delicate and bruised bishounen somehow looking sexy with his cuts and bruises, his blue top barely hanging onto his shoulder, exposing some perfectly porcelain skin. "See Sasuke-kun…I can help you; I can be strong just like you." She reached out a hand to help him up.
Bashfully he grasped her hand, looking up at his savior eyes fluttering in awe. "Ino-chan…I think I'm falling in love with you."
Yeah right. Ino snorted at her absurd delusion, rinsing out the shampoo before lathering her hair again, this time with strawberry-scented, high volume conditioner.
Cerulean eyes met her aquamarine orbs, his eyes were filled with pride and joy. "That was damn cool, Ino." Her hand is in his, the warmth from him radiates through her body somehow. It is unexplainably soothing. His hand is as rough as ever, and now hers is getting closer to that as well. His thumb gently slides across the back of her hand, the dragging sensation sending sparks down her spine before he flips her hand over bringing it to his face, his lips brushing against her newish callouses lovin-
"Kami!" Ino hisses out, pressing her forehead and against the cool tiles on the wall of the shower, the warm water cascading down her back and off her leg, taking with it the last remnants of the expensive conditioner. Her neck is burning as if the water was scalding rather than comfortably warm. Not seeing that idiot, doofus, obnoxious, tasteless blonde midget for a few weeks to remember what a clown he was had her going a bit looney.
She hurriedly exited the shower, drying herself off and quickly throwing on some clothes, ignoring her normal moisturizing routine, just so she can get away from the washroom and forget…whatever that was.
Ino stomped down the stairs leading toward the shop floor. Swinging the door open more aggressively than she needed, she saw a shock of pink hair as her best friend was crouching observing some flowers.
"Heyyy forehead!" Ino wrapped her arms around Sakura's neck leaning on top of her and nearly tumbling the shorter girl over, glad for a timely distraction.
"Ugh, pig, get off me!" Sakura shouted standing up and breaking Ino's grip. The blonde girl laughed at her friend's sour expression.
"Here to buy a flower huh, let me guess?"
"Yes, yes, it's for Sasuke-kun, okay." The emerald eyed girl interrupted, turning back to the flower selections on display. "Now, which one should I get?" She muttered to herself, but of course the blonde overheard.
"You should go for something simple, like a rose, it suits you." Ino remarked. Sakura turned a wary eye to her friend.
"You think so?"
"Yeah, you're really simple." The blonde's smile morphed into a smirk as Sakura let out a harrumph.
"Of course, should have seen that coming." Sakura, turned to a flower and picked it out. "I'll take a daffodil, a flower that keeps its beauty even throughout winter. A strong flower the waits for the hope of spring. With this Sasuke-kun will know I want him to recover as soon as possible!" Sakura said, running a finger along the flower's petals.
"Wow," Ino said, honestly impressed, "keep that up and you could get a job here."
Sakura peace signed in victory before plucking another flower. "I think I'll take one for Lee-san too."
Ino hesitated before speaking, "Sakura…did you hear about Lee-san?" Sakura turned toward the blonde, eyes widening slightly.
"No, what?"
"Well, I heard they said he might not be able to be a shinobi anymore…" Ino saw Sakura's face fall from the news. "Hey, c'mon, that's just what I heard. Who knows, maybe he'll make a full recovery." Ino tried to cheer up her friend.
"Yeah…" Sakura agreed, but it lacked any conviction. Anyone who saw the fight would not be surprised if Lee actually needed to quit being a shinobi.
Ino quickly picked out a flower, "Hey mom, put three flowers on my tab!" She shouted into the backroom, before any response came, she grabbed Sakura's hand and pulled her out of the store. She smiled at her friend. "What? Thought I would let you Sasuke-kun by yourself? Keep dreaming forehead." Ino joked, hoping to alleviate some of Sakura's concern.
"You are so greedy pig, you get to see him all the time and now you are even following me to see him. Quite clingy one might say." Sakura shot back with a smirk to Ino's relief. The two headed towards the hospital, gossiping as usual. "How's Naruto?" Sakura asked innocently, but Ino felt her cheek twitch at his name.
"I…don't know, haven't seen him much since the last exam ended. He's busy training." She used all her training as a Yamanaka to make sure the shower fantasy is repressed.
The two made their way to the hospital only to find out Sasuke escaped. The two kunoichi sat on a bench near the entrance of the hospital, the flowers hanging limply in their hands.
"Where could Sasuke-kun have gone?" Ino sighed, twirling her flower in her fingers.
"Do you think it has anything with that guy you fought?" Sakura asked in a hush tone.
"Absolutely not! No way Sasuke would leave us for that…freak!" Ino replied with certainty, annoyed by the question, even though it was something she secretly worried about. She would never forget the hoarse voice making promises and threats from that disgusting human.
"Well, I guess we better find Lee-san then."
The two kunoichi asked the nurse for his room, only to be shocked when he too was missing.
"Where could he have gone?!" The nurse was panicking, about to run down the hall to look for the injured boy.
"Wait look, over there." Ino pointed through the window, where the bowl-cut boy was doing pushups despite one of his arms being in a cast.
"Oh my god!" The nurse yelled before bolting out the door and toward the first floor. The two kunoichi quickly followed her. As they arrived, the genin collapsed, causing the three to rush toward him.
The nurse gently turned Lee so he was on his back. "Can you two watch him while I get a stretcher?"
"Of course." Ino replied. The pair sat next to Lee, watching the unconscious boy as the nurse left.
"Hey, Ino." Sakura broke the silence, "Why do boys push themselves so hard?" Her eyes were watering.
Ino pondered the question for a moment. She remembers all the training she does with Naruto, his tenacity, his stamina, his encouragement. "I don't know Sakura…but maybe it's not that they push themselves so hard, but that we don't push hard enough."
Sakura seemed shocked by the answer, her mouth agape. She blinked rapidly, clearing the unshed tears from her eyes. "Yeah, maybe you're right." The two sat in silence again, waiting for the nurse and the stretcher.
Naruto slept soundly, his face a picture of peace. Without his headband, his hair flopped back, unruly in nature. Without all the yelling and shouting and weird expressions, Naruto, just a tiny bit, just a minuscule amount, looked kind of cute, Ino thought.
"Here again?" Shikamaru drawled, entering the hospital room and sitting in the chair opposite to Ino. He was holding a fruit basket.
"Well, it's not like I have anything better to do." Ino shrugged, leaning back in her chair, hoping the shadow user missed her staring at the sleeping blonde, "And don't say it as if you don't pop by here every day too."
"I might as well, since I'm visiting Choji. It's more like…never mind it's too troublesome to think about." Shikamaru sighed.
"How's Choji doing anyhow?"
"He's fine, should be out tomorrow. Naruto is the real problem, if he doesn't wake up soon…"
"Don't worry about that, if he doesn't wake up by tonight, I'll slap him conscious!" Ino exclaimed, pumping a fist out.
"Jeez." Shikamaru knew that was a promise not a bluff. That is why women were so troublesome. "By the way, have you seen Sasuke? I heard he disappeared."
"No, I haven't, but I'm sure he is training with Kakashi-sensei." Ino replied, a giant yellow eye flashing in her mind for a moment.
"Then who was training Naruto?" Shikamaru asked, it was easy for his sensei to train him since he was the only one from his team to make it to the finals, but even then Shikamaru asked for more team practice rather than individual training.
Ino frowned, not considering the thought before. "I don't know. Whoever it was, Naruto must have been fine with it, or else he would have thrown a fit."
Shikamaru hummed in agreement, the blonde always let his displeasure be known to the public.
The sleeping blonde began to stir, drawing the attention of the childhood friends.
"Yo," Shikamaru smiled at the groggy blonde, "Finally awake, are ya?"
"Shikamaru? Ino?" Naruto asked looking around the room, his voice raspy. "Where am I?"
"A hospital, duh." Ino said. "You've been in here for three days now."
In an instant, the whiskered blonde bursted out of the hospital sheets, standing on the bed. The other two ninja looked at him with their mouths open.
"Three whole days?!" Naruto screeched, his hands in his hair, gripping tightly on his hair. "When are the main matches, huh?!"
"T-tomorrow." Shikamaru barely got out before Naruto grabbed him by his vest shaking the shadow user while freaking out.
Ino pulled Naruto's collar, forcing him to let go of his grip on Shikamaru, and threw him to the ground.
"Owww."
"Shut up, Naruto! Yelling at Shikamaru isn't going to do anything." She stood over him with her hands on her hips.
Naruto stood up rubbing his back. "Ouch, Ino, what are you going to do if I can't participate tomorrow coz you injured me?" He asked with a mock pout.
Ino rolled her eyes, "Well then I saved everyone some time watching you lose to Neji."
"Hey, uncalled for!" Naruto stood up and pointed agitatedly at the Yamanaka heir.
"Then stop being a wimp." Ino slapped him on his back, earing another yelp from the boy.
Shikamaru looked at Ino impressed. "Wow, you handled that loudmouth pretty well."
"He's not so bad, once you break him in a bit." Ino joked.
"Uh, I'm right here." Naruto crossed his arms, annoyed the two were mocking him. However, he was easily distracted by the fruit basket Shikamaru held. "Hey! Is that for me? I'm starving." Naruto reached out and picked up and apple, rubbing it on his shirt.
"That was for Choji, idiot!" Ino snatched the apple from Naruto, causing her fellow blonde's face to fall, his stomach beginning to growl.
"Nah, it's okay Ino. I brought it for Choji, but the doctor said he couldn't eat it anyway. Go ahead, Naruto." Shikamaru threw another apple at Naruto who caught it.
"Yatta! Thanks, Shikamaru."
"Great, now I feel like an asshole." Ino muttered.
"As long as you know it ~" Naruto sang, cleaning the apple on his shirt. "Ah!" Naruto stopped right before he took a bite of the apple.
"What's wrong?" Ino asked, the boy was making a painful face.
"We should totally go and eat these in front of Choji!" The whiskered youth snickered.
"What?" Ino asked, affronted by the boy's suggestion.
"What a drag…let's go." Ino turned to see that while the shadow user sounded reluctant, his large smirk told her he was not opposed to Naruto's prank. He rose, picking up the fruit basket, and left the room, Naruto following him. The whiskered boy stopped at the door, bouncing on his feet and beckoning Ino.
"Ugh, boys are sooo dumb!" Ino shouted, disgusted by their willingness to tease the sick Akimichi boy, yet she still followed the two shinobi.
The bloodlust rolling off the red head was palpable in the air. It paled in comparison to what Orochimaru showed her, but still, for someone so young, it was truly unimaginable. Truly frightening. She found herself behind Naruto, a hand on his shoulder, she could feel him shaking slightly, not unaffected by the Suna genin's blood lust. It was pathetic to hide like that, especially with both Naruto and Shikamaru fearing the enemy, but she felt much safer this way.
The boy, Gaara, told them his story, his loneliness, his desire to find purpose, and his thirst to kill. Ino felt her knees trembling. How could anyone survive suffering like he did?
"I was alone too." Naruto started, drawing the attention of the other three. "Why was I alive? What was the point? I was looking for answers too. In that way we are the same."
The revelation shocked Ino, she never heard about this from the normally boisterous boy. Shikamaru also displayed an equally startled expression.
"But I saw a light at the end of the tunnel. I met Iruka-sensei, who treated me like a human. I felt alive then. I got to know Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, and Ino…"
Ino gripped his shoulder tightly, not fully understanding him, however she reassured him the best she could.
"We might seem similar, but we couldn't be more different! You think you're strong because you're alone?" Naruto growled, glaring at the Suna-nin. "Come and see! The bonds I've made, there's no way in hell they'll lose to a loner like you!"
More sand started spilling out of the gourd. Raising to the ceiling swirling around, ready to drink blood.
"Naruto, Ino, get ready!" Shikamaru cried out as his Shadow Possession began to recede.
Naruto muscled were coiled, ready to pounce. Ino barely slowed her breathing and reached for her kunai pouch, cursing internally as she realized of course she did not have it with her since they were at the hospital.
"Fine, let me feel it!" The monstrous boy exclaimed, his chakra-controlled sand rushing toward the leaf genin.
"Enough!" The hospital door opened to reveal the green spandex clad figure of Might Guy. Ino was never happier in her life to see such an atrocious wardrobe choice. "There's no need to be hasty. Save it for the main matches tomorrow…unless you would like to be put in one of these beds?"
The red head glared at the jounin before grabbing his screaming in pain. The genin took a step back startled, but Might Guy did not budge. When his screaming finished, the Suna-nin seemed to calm down and withdrew his sand before walking towards the exit, looking back to make one last remark. "One day, I'll kill all of you. Just wait."
The oppressive atmosphere and blood lust lifted, Ino fell to her knees. Her breaths becoming quicker again and her heart still hammering in her chest.
"Ino!" Naruto kneeled next to her, rubbing her back soothingly. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, just give me a second." Ino gave her friend a weak smile. She wiped a few beads of sweat off her forehead that had formed due to the stress of the encounter.
"Damn, that was close. Thank you, sensei." Shikamaru let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Yeah! Thanks a lot, Bushy Brow-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed, punching his fist toward the jounin.
"I'm glad I came to check on Lee. That boy is…" Guy did not finish his sentence, staring at the exit from which Gaara left. The three genin understood implicitly what Guy was implying about the dangerous Suna genin.
"I'm going to take Ino home." Naruto told the other two before standing up and offering the kunoichi a hand. Ino took it without thinking, helping each other up after training was ingrained into her muscle memory now.
"No, Naruto, you should go home and rest." Ino protested, but from the look in his eyes, she could tell she would not win this argument. His hand gripped hers firmly, she could feel his warmth relaxing her already.
"Later, Shikamaru. I'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye Bushy Brow-sensei." Naruto nodded toward the two shinobi who returned his action before started walking toward the exit, hand-in-hand with Ino.
Ino waited until they were on the streets before she opened her mouth. "Uh, Naruto, I'm feeling better, you don't have to hold my hand anymore." She whispered lowly, maybe hoping he would not hear her.
"Oh sorry," The blonde looked at her apologetically, letting her hand go. Instantly she regretted telling him that, she could still use his comfort.
"I'm sorry, Naruto." Ino stopped walking and began fidgeting with her hands.
"Huh?" Confusion was clear on his face.
"Shikamaru and you were standing up to that guy and I was just cower-"
"Stop." Naruto expression almost reached a glare. "Don't apologize. It's not your fault that guy is such a monster. Me n' Shikamaru were scared too." He stepped forward and grabbed her hand placing it over his chest. "Feel that?" She could feel his heart hammering. "I'm still shook up…but, no matter what, I won't let him hurt you. That's a promise." Naruto stated genuinely, his eyes burning with clarity.
"I-I don't need you to protect me." Ino replied hotly, pulling her hand away, she is sure her ears are going to melt off from how hot they are. "You should worry about yourself first. You're fighting Neji, he's no slouch, either."
Naruto laughed, it used to sound like nails on a chalkboard, now Ino thinks it might just be an acquired taste, and it brings a smile to her face unintentionally.
"Don't worry, he's no match for the great Naruto-sama! I'll wipe the floor with him, then beat Sasuke and become a chunin. Then I'll ask Sakura-chan on a date and she'll have to say yes." Naruto declared proudly, pounding his chest.
This time, Naruto's smile puts ice water in Ino's belly, but she ignores it, giving him a tight smile, closing her eyes so he could not realize it did not quite reach her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure the only reason she's not dating you is because you're not a chunin, Naruto. Definitely doesn't have to do with you being short, loud, and ugly." She teased.
"Hey, I'm a growing boy, y'know!" Naruto ignoring her other two insults brought another genuine smile to her face. "Now c'mon let me get you home so I can go train some more!"
"Naruto! No training, go home and rest after this." Ino commanded as she started walking again, her fellow blonde following in line next to her, his hands hooked behind his head. They walked in silence on the way to the flower shop where she lives. Ino can tell Naruto is deep in thought about what happened and Ino cannot blame him, she's still thinking about it too, especially what Naruto said.
When they arrive at her store, Naruto gives her a thumbs up and begins to leave when Ino's hand snakes out, catching his wrist and stopping him.
Naruto's eyes blink, surprised, but he settles on a gentle smile as he meets her eyes. She's stupid for thinking this, but sometimes she feels that smile is meant just for her. "What is it, Ino?"
"You, um, you said some strange things back there. About being a monster, about not feeling alive…" Ino trailed off, not sure what more she could say. "I don't get it, Naruto." She looked at the boy, his expression was melancholic, his smile strained under some pressure she could not identify.
"Ino…you, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, even guys like Shikamaru and Choji, and Sakura-chan, Hinata, Kiba, Shino…" Naruto struggled for a second, clearly unable to find the right words. Then his expression changed again, passion seeped into his eyes. She felt his arms wrap around her suddenly and she reciprocated the action. This is the first time he hugged her, she cannot help but notice. He treats his embrace as if she is something fragile, but she grips him tightly, almost crushingly. "You're important to me, Ino." He whispers almost absentmindedly into her ear.
"You're important to me too, Naruto." Her voice cracks, feeling hoarse from the emotions stewing inside of her.
The shorter blonde pulled back, his face pink from embarrassment, a goofy grin on his face, his eyes gleaming with happiness.
"I know Ino, I know." He smiles, and she's sure this one is just for her.