Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to any of the characters mentioned in this piece unless mentioned otherwise. The events of the actual story are mine however and I will not tolerate anyone stealing the plot and or original characters added to it without expressed permission.
Author Notes: Revised completely! Gah… this is sooo much work, but oh well. The Lee and Sakura stuff has been completely removed from the story for now and will probably be out of it for a little while until the whole Hinata-Ino thing is worked out. So basically expect some romance in the next couple chapters before any serious plot twists occur. Also, be aware that along with the slight romance that is sure to rear its head a good deal of sorrow and maybe even some (cover your eyes) slight angst. I'm not fond of angst… but what is going to happen to the girls and maybe the boys later on, would for sure drive them into depression for a little while. Since I don't want to bore you for much longer, here is Chapter 3: Chitchat.
A Criss-Cross Love Affair
Characters and Original Concept by: Masashi Kishimoto
Story Written by: Joseph Ross
Chapter 3: Chitchat
"So… Hinata, what is on your mind?" Ino asked.
The two girls had been walking along a small path heading back towards the main gate of Konoha Village for nearly ten minutes in almost absolute silence. From time to time Ino would glance over in Hinata's direction to notice that the white-eyed girl was simply staring forward in such a way that made her seem deep in thought. Ino had not wanted to disturb Hinata, but the silence was slowly driving her mad, words had to be exchanged.
"Oh…" Hinata shook her head and shyly glanced over to Ino with an embarrassed smile. "S-sorry… I'm just thinking a-about Sasuke-kun…"
"Really?" Ino stopped in mid-step and turned her body to face Hinata, curiosity filling her eyes. "You never seemed to be someone to have a crush on him."
"Oh! N-no it's not that… I'll leave him to you and Sakura-san." The shy girl managed a small giggle. "I was just wondering what will happen… will they send someone after him and if they do who will go?" Hinata stopped after noticing Ino pausing in her movement.
"I'm sure Sasuke will come back on his own…I hope." Ino sighed softly. The reason why she had come out into the forest in the first place was becoming evident once more as the painful feelings began to emerge inside her once more.
"I'm sorry if I'm making you sad Ino-san. Maybe we should change the topic?" Hinata's eyes shifted to the nearly completely blue sky. "N-nice weather we are having today isn't it?" The weather was indeed, very nice. Hinata had really just begun to notice how fantastic the warm sun felt against her face as its' bright rays cut through the leafs overhead and among other things there was a pleasurable breeze flowing from time to time causing Hinata's short black hair to ruffle slightly.
"It is." Ino brought her hands up to her waist, her elbows point away from her body. "I guess we really shouldn't worry too much though. Sasuke is far from being stupid, he will come back one way or another."
The two girls simply stood where they were, looking to the sky. Each were tending to her own individual thoughts and feelings. Hinata was simply worrisome, unlike Ino who was not only worrying, but also emotionally hurt. Their thoughts were different, their worries founded on different events and experiences, but both of their hearts were in the same place. A light breeze had became more frequent as second after second ticked away, while they remained idle in the same place along the same path. The breeze was hardly noticed by either of the girls, but caused Ino to flinch slightly when the single strip of her bangs shifted enough to inhibit her right eye from viewing the sky.
"Maybe we should keep going?" Ino stated aloud as she allowed her arms to relax and fall back to her sides.
"Y-yes.." Hinata nodded after being roused from her thoughts yet again, but only after following a soft grumbling within her belly.
Ino had nearly forgotten about lunch until she noticed Hinata rubbing her small stomach slightly with one of her hands. Ino was beginning to grow hungry now as well and once she started walking her paced showed it. Ino's thoughts began to stray off into the fantastic world of food. Chicken, salad, bbq? Or maybe some ramen? Ino could not quite figure out what she wanted to eat, so her attention once again turned to Hinata, who now seemed more occupied with her grumbling stomach over the thoughts that had previously captivated her.
"Is there anything in specific that you wanted to eat?" Ino finally asked after much thought.
"…" Hinata looked to Ino and thought for a moment. "Anything is fine with me." She replied eventually. "You can decide, Ino-san. I trust your judgment… and y-you are the one taking me to lunch."
"Alright…" Ino sighed.
"S-sorry, Ino-san…" Hinata's eyes had fallen back to the ground once again after noticing the disappointment in Ino's voice.
"Don't worry about it. I was just indecisive myself." Ino stretched her arms out in front of her, tightening her muscles a bit before letting the appendages fall back to her side. "Anyways, to take my mind off food…" A small grin began to play Ino's lips. "… and since no one I know has ever noticed or asked you before, who do you like Hinata-san?"
Ino had expected Hinata to blush, but the girl turned redder than any human Ino had ever laid eyes on. Hinata's hands moved within inches of her upper chest, her index fingers extending and tapping against one another as they had previous to the scuffle between the two girls. The tapping was rather furious, the fingers tapping against one another very quickly and from what Ino could tell, they were only moving faster as each fraction of a second passed.
"U-u-umm… I-I d-don't like anyone…" She had hardly stuttered it out by the time Ino began to speak once more.
"Come on, Hinata-san! I know you have to like someone… ." Ino continued to grin mischievously. "There isn't a girl I have ever met that hasn't at least had a crush on one boy in their life." She slowly began to move a bit closer to Hinata's side as the two of them continued to walk.
"I…" Hinata sighed lightly and swallowed, her index fingers had stopped tapping, but only to be replaced by her left hand clutching at the collar of her coat. "I… like N-Naruto-kun."
"Naruto?" Ino blinked. Someone actually liked Naruto? It was something new to her, but Ino was not about to make Hinata explain why or press her into anything else. Hinata might have exploded if Ino had persisted. "It's nice to know you have your eyes set on someone." Ino smiled and turned her gaze to the trees before the two girls that were beginning to become more sparse.
"T-thank you, Ino-san." Hinata's words had faded into a complete whisper.
Ino and Hinata had broken out from the crowded trees of the forest out onto the large road leading into Konoha through the main gate. Hinata had not noticed until Ino nudged her slightly to have her stop walking forward, which would have brought the bashful girl straight into a tree. The two turned towards the open gates and headed into Konoha side by side. The town had become rather gloomy after the invasion by the Sand and Sound ninja. People did not fill the streets like usual, but instead remained in their homes afraid to venture into the outside world. Watches had been increased and the city wall repaired since the incident, but physical scars, along with the mental and emotional remained.
"Hey, Hinata-san." Ino brought both of her hands to rest behind her head, her elbows pointed outwards as she continued along the barren street. An empty can happened to in Ino's path and as such was kicked away swiftly into a small alley when it had found itself near the blonde haired girl's sandal clad foot. The other girl's white eyes followed the can's flight into the alley as she replied.
"Yes?"
"How about we go to that Ichiraku Ramen place that Naruto always eats at? I mean it can't be half bad if anyone eats there as much as he does."
"I… would love to." Hinata replied after a long pause.
Ino's eyes had turned to the small white pillar of smoke that stretched towards the heavens, it was what marked the ramen stand. Though she had never eaten there once her mind fell onto the subject of the Ichiraku Ramen place many memories flooded back to her senses. Even after the attack that had emotional damaged Konoha as a whole, the ramen stand remained open all day and all night, filling the air surrounding it with the thick aroma of freshly made noodles and finer spices and seasonings that transformed the scent, distinct to the ramen stand, into something that enticed the nose and tingled the taste buds. Ino remembered hearing about and seeing that most visitors to Konoha made sure that they tried the famous noodles that word had spread about the entirety of the Leaf Country as the best ramen in the entire world. Ino was a bit skeptical about the reputation, but it could not hurt to try, especially after revealing that her companion, Hinata, had a crush on Naruto, Ichiraku Ramen's best customer.
After trekking a good mile into the city, the rising pillar of smoke became far more apparent, yet something else distracted a certain set of blue eyes from the anticipation of a great meal. A pink haired shinobi of the Genin level (the same as Ino and Hinata) was just exiting a small grocery store with a bag in her arms. The girls light green eyes easily fell upon and recognized Ino and her companion. All three had attended the same class at the Ninja Academy. She managed a small smile and rose her voice to speak since her hands could not manage a wave while preoccupied with supporting the bottom of a paper bag.
"Hey, Ino-san!" The girl was happy to see a familiar face. Only an hour previous almost everyone she knew had left the village on a mission, one that touched very close to home with her.
"Hello, Sakura-san." Ino replied.
"So where are you and Hinata heading?" Sakura, the pink haired girl, inquired as she adjusted the bag in her arms after walking a couple yards.
"Over to Ichiraku Ramen." Ino had stopped walking as had Hinata at this point, both of the two girls' eyes were on Sakura. "You are more than welcome to come if you aren't busy."
"Oh, I wish I could, but I volunteered to do a bit of house work to take my mind off Naruto and the others, I also told Lee that I would visit with him later on." A small frown crossed Sakura's lips
"D-did something happen to Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked as a fearful gaze now honed on Sakura. Hinata was a person that worried and at that she was a person that worried even more when someone she knew was in danger or also worrying. She could not keep her feelings on the inside.
"Didn't you hear? Shikamaru is leading a team to bring Sasuke back to the village, Naruto and some others were taken along. I sure hope they all come back alright…" The words faded off as the soft green eyes hidden behind Sakura's brown paper bag looked towards the ground.
"Oh…" Ino turned away from the obviously saddened Sakura only to notice Hinata in a similar state. She could understand how each of them felt as she also had the same heart tugging feelings once again rising to the surface. Her lips formed a small frown, but only for a moment before it tightened up, her eyes gaining a certain seriousness to them. "They will be fine." Ino crossed her arms across her chest. "Shikamaru has a good head on his shoulders and Naruto is strong enough to pull them through if anything goes wrong. Of all people you should know that, Sakura-san."
Sakura sighed lightly and raised her head. The pink haired girl's lips failed to move as she adjusted the bag in her arms once more, turning slowly in the direction opposite of Ino she started off towards her home, but not before replying once more. "You're right, but still, I can't help but think about them and what could happen… they are the best friends I have." With those words Sakura hastened her steps away from the other two girls with the world blurring as a single warm stream formed upon her cheeks. 'Why did this have to happen?' was the only thought that was held within Sakura's mind. Things were definitely not the same since the invasion and the three girls on the street that afternoon were testaments to that very idea among the multitudes of various things that seemed to drag the mood ever deeper into the pits of despair.
"Hey, Hinata-san…" Ino rested a hand on the other girl's shoulder, "…let's get something to eat." The words of comfort Ino wanted to offer evaded her every attempt to grasp them, so a simple yet disturbing silence fell upon the empty air. Ino's fingers tightened ever so slightly with the passage of time and the continued silence. The situation and environment was ideal for incubating the suppressed emotions within Ino's heart. Soft words touched Ino's ears.
"Y-you're right Ino-san…" Hinata muttered out after a soft whimper, her cheek reddening from tears slightly building up in her eyes. "I'm sure Naruto wouldn't be crying like this…"
"…" Ino closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around Hinata in a warm hug. It was all she could do for as she watched the other girl beginning to break down from the recent happenings, she could feel her own fortitude began to buckle.
End Notes: Wow… I'm worn OUT. This chapter took a lot out of me for some reason, but at least it's done now. Hopefully chapter 4 comes out a bit easier than this one , not to mention all the chapters following. Things are definitely moving quite a bit different than I had originally planned, but it should go far better because of it or so I hope. Maybe sometime I will have to post the many sessions that have inspired this fan fic and possibly even any sequels or run offs. Don't forget to review the story and leave HELPFUL suggestions
