Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

She joins a knitting circle. A painting class. A women's self defense course.

She drops the painting class after a week.

It's so not her thing.

But the knitting she likes.

The self defense she needs.

She lives in a slightly safer neighborhood than before, but she's tiny, and she has to walk across the street to her building's dark parking garage.

After a couple of classes where they talk about the dangers of long hair she debates on cutting hers and then decides not to.

Naruto always liked her hair.

She does too.

She starts twisting it up into a bun on work days.

She tries different recipes.

She orders take-out from new places.

They're all small things, really, but she's actually learning about herself. She had no idea that she was so flexible, for one. She blushes a bit at the very inappropriate thought that follows that one, but she's also amused with herself.

Turns out she's kind of funny.

She dreams of Naruto sometimes.

A lot of the time, actually.

She kind of wishes that she'd taken one of his shirts when she moved out.

Sometimes she's glad that she didn't.

Inoichi was right. (He usually is)

Recovery takes time.

She wakes up some nights and just cries, and if anyone asked her why she couldn't really give them a specific answer. Everything. Nothing.

It's going to take some time to figure herself out. But she's willing to put the work in.

She has to be.

Either that, or she's the biggest hypocrite on the planet.

Ino's multiple weekly visits slow down due to her own schedule, but they agree to meet on Sundays for brunch near Hanabi's where her sister can join them. Hanabi is still in college, so it's harder for her to get away.

Hinata appreciates that she makes the effort.

She tries not to rely too much on them for her sense of accomplishment, but it still feels nice when they smile at her and tell her how proud they are.

She hopes someone is doing that for Naruto.