Survival of the Fittest

Note: *sigh* finally me updated! ^-^ hell ya! after a few...alright..ALOT of dayz...newayz...de story is kinda on de short side....itz like almost midnite here...and me parentz r gonna start bitching at me soon or l8ter...well ttyl!

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Sakura stared tensely out the window, and sighed. Things definitely weren't going the way she planned. She stared down at Ino's pale figure and choked back a sob of pain. The Ino that she'd known was strong...and loyal...although she could be a bit bitchy at times. Sakura smiled faintly, however the smile disappeared instantly when she stared at her face. Ino looked so delicate...so fragile...right now...so unlike her usual cherry self.

She reached out and gave Ino's hand a supportive squeeze. "Come on Ino...wake up.." she whispered softly, willing herself not to cry. Sakura bowed her head and stared blankly at the bed sheet before speaking, "You know what's funny?" she asked gently, "I've truly never hated you...you were my best friend...no, my first and only friend. You were so different from the rest of our classmates...so confident...so strong..."

"I admired you for that..." she said reluctantly. "...and you've always been there for me...always. When we were only kids, you were always the one I'd run to...whenever I got hurt..." Sakura's face was lit with a gentle smile. "As we got older...we began drifting apart...especially when Sasuke came into the picture. But...no matter what...nothing could tear us apart...we're friends..."

Sakura suddenly growled in frustration. "What was wrong with you?!" she ranted, lost in a whirlpool of pain and anger. "Why didn't you do anything when Shikamaru forced you? You of all people, should have known that we were right outside...and that we could have helped you..."

Her emerald green eyes narrowed with suspicion. "But...what if...Shikamaru didn't do anything to you..." she said thoughtfully. "It isn't like him...he isn't...that kind of guy." Shikamaru might be a bit too sarcastic at times, but he still had his ounce of honor. Besides...he'd always complained about women...and how they were too bitchy for his tastes. Sakura couldn't picture him as a rapist...the idea was just so farfetched...

Sakura buried her face in her hands and moaned. "Then what happened?" she mumbled through clenched teeth. "What could have been enough to throw Ino, of all people into a coma?" Painfully, she pushed herself up and sighed. It was getting late, and she needed to make get ready for dinner. Sakura rolled her eyes in disgust. The last time she'd tried to skip a meal, Sasuke and Neji had practically dragged her towards the dinning room.

She cross her arms with a harassed expression on her face. Sakura sure as hell wasn't going to have a repeat of that particular incident. She felt a light blush creep across her cheeks, it had seriously been the most embarrassing moment in her life. I mean seriously, she could still remember the expressions on everyone's face when they saw two dead gorgeous guys "escorting" her to dinner.

"Gorgeous? Where did that come from?" she whispered mutely. Sakura had known Sasuke for quite some time, and although she had to admit he was a bit handsome...she didn't think of him like that anymore. They were friends...and that was enough for her. And Neji...he was like a brother to her...always there...always sheltering her in his protective love. She couldn't love them...could she?

Sakura shook her head decisively, the stress seemed to finally be getting to her. The last past days were nothing short of a nightmare, it was almost like as if it came straight out from one of those horror movies. It was just her luck, things never what they seem to be.

When she went on this so called vacation, she'd actually expected to just chill out and hang with her friends. Sakura let out a dramatic sigh, and gestured around her. And this was what happened...Her best friend is lying dead still in a comma, her classmate Shikamaru was missing, Itachi was after her, and Sasuke and Neji were going at each other's throats. "Everything's just going great isn't it," she whispered sarcastically to herself. "We wouldn't want this vacation to end any time soon, would we?"

Sakura rolled her eyes in disgust before forcing herself towards the door. She turned around and shot Ino a sad look and murmured regretfully, "We could have been such great friends..." she said softly. "If only we weren't so foolish back then...if only we had more...time..."

"Goodbye Ino..." she whispered before turning off the lights, not noticing that Ino's eyes had just fluttered open....

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Note: sory sory de chapter is so short...and tad i haven't updated for such a long time ^^; me was like so busy w/ skewl and all...and planning me Halloween party XD it's gonna be a blast! 27 days and counting! hehe...well until next time!

Oh ya! DON"T FORGET TA CHECK OUT ME NEW FIC!

Touched by an Angel:

ShikaIno are getting married! What happens when Sakura goes off and meet the erotic stranger Sasuke, that's running from his past. What happens when they become roomates? AU! R/R