Puleeaazzzzeee don't hurt me! *covers face and hides* I'm REALLY sorry this
took so long to put out... I've been on vacation for the past two weeks to
getting this up was a bit hard. Come to think of it though... I shouldn't
even give an excuse... but I'll try to make it up to you... now... since I didn't
get many reviews to a question I wanted the answer to before I wrote the
next fic, I will remind those who actually want to make a decision. I'll be
working on another fic as well... so I'll probably have two going at once
now.
The question is: What should the next pair I do be for the next fic? SasuSaku or InoShika
Well I do hope you enjoy the last chappie! And I know it sucks but I had to do something before this writer's block continued...
***** Meanwhile at the Festival...
"Get your hands outta that dip Chouji! Seriously! I mean COME ON!!! You're already fa-" She stopped herself quickly and then gave a large sigh, "You know what? It's a festival and..." She shrugged and waddled away from the snack table. With a snort of disgust, she flopped onto one of the benches bored out of her mind. She was slightly confused, maybe the whole thing with her and Shikamaru, was a spur of the moment. What was her obsession with Sasuke? Was it just because he was hard competition? How was Sakura's love different from hers, and as soon as she gave up on Sasuke, Sakura became such a bitch and on top of that she had to go off and die? But... of course... she was upset about that too, everyone else was hurting inside, but as they learned through their years as ninja, it was best to stay strong. How she, the one and only Ino, could cry in front of people was inconceivable. Yet, as soon as she reached home, she threw herself into her mother's arms and cried her eyes out till the festival came. She was almost positive that everyone felt the same way, wanting to look strong, but really was hurting inside. Speaking of which, what really went on inside that head of Shikamaru? He always seemed to hate her, but he didn't resist her at all, actually after finally heading back to the village, he was so polite. Which was... stunning... for Shikamaru anyway. He was being overly kind and he wasn't joking. Maybe he was just so exhausted but maybe-
"Damn. Just look at Ino!" Some random shinobi around her age mumbled to a friend.
"Yeah... if she didn't open her damn mouth so much I bet she would be an easy girl to 'pick up'. I mean, just look at how she used to cling to Sasu-" Something interrupted their conversation as a loud slam came from above their heads on the wall they were leaning on.
"Damn you guys need to learn when to just shuddap. You're starting to piss me off... Don't you ever think about talking like that about Ino again!"
Ino looked up and saw Shikamaru glaring at those boys who were now pale as ghosts. She wasn't sure what exactly sure what to make of it, but she couldn't let out a faint giggle as red raised to her cheeks. Shikamaru started to walk over to Ino with his usual scowl and slouch. His eyes didn't even fall on her, not yet. He was still grumbling at the two guys.
"Hey Ino." He added almost dully. He started to turn his head to face her as if to say something, but all he could manage was,
Woah. Was the only action Shikamaru took, a mere thought. Those guys happened to be right. The pale, silk, hung loosely on Ino, her make-up added on just right. For the first time in Shikamaru's life had he ever seen Ino look so gentle... almost peaceful.
"Shikamaru?" Ino raised a playful eyeobrow and in no more then a split second she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thanks," she mumbled in a meek whisper, resting her head against his chest.
"Urk." Was all he could utter. Damn, why am I so nervous? She can feel my heart beating too... so she even knows I'm nervous! Why am I like this? Upon looking from side to side he waved his arms frantically as people started to stare at the two,
"Nothing to see here!"
Naruto was out of character as he and Hinata sheepishly held hands, both of their heads turned the opposite way... well of course that was before Kiba started to make fun out of him, therefore causing Naruto to chase him across the whole entire festival challenging him to a match. Everyone else though was almost extra supportive of Kiba, without him knowing. The festival had a little romance, and a few fun moments, but you could see in everyone's eyes that it was not the easiest festival to be happy at. As dinner was finally served, Naruto giving up on his death-match for a bowl of Ramen, Tsunade stood at the front and beamed in a loud voice,
"I would like to formally introduce the newest member to the Konohagure village, Apollo. She has claimed the title of the heroine of our village." Clapping and whistling was heard from the crowd as Apollo appeared from behind Tsunade,
"My sisters were here not just for a world domination type thing... there was actually one key thing in this village... that they wanted, yet no one knew of it... Haruno Sakura." Everyone gasped as she remained silent, "You see... I have the ability to revive those who are dead... I did revive her... so you must know that she is... living...but you will not find her... not yet..." Everyone's mouths gaped open. They were all to say the least confused. Most of them were just getting adjusted to the fact that sakura was in fact alive, and now... well this!
"Well... you see not only Sakura... but Orochimaru.... " She looked over the group carefully, her eyes scanning them, "We were all used as test subjects for his experiments of immortality... it was what was able to kill a large majority of men from our village and the only survivors were my sisters and I. At once we were regarded as the new leaders of the Michiban Islands... we originally knew he came from the Konohagure village... and Sakura's death... well Hokage-sama found out quite around the same time... but more on the topic of Sakura..." She inhaled, giving them some time to take this all in.
"Sakura has the ability to change... her form... there was a potion my sister gave her to drink and strangely Sakura has an immunity to drinks that cause sudden death. You see... Sakura... is the closest to being immortal. She can be hurt, but she cannot die or be effected by much of what would kill others.... if Orochimaru gave her the seal, she, unlike the 10% chance survivors, she would have a 99% chance of living. "
"And her sisters wanted to use me as their own test subject to complete the process as Orochimaru had done to them." Sakura appeared out of nowhere followed by Sasuke. Everyone gasped as though it was some overdone comedy gasp, but it was true. Everyone in the whole village was stunned except for Tsunade who gave a grinning smile to Apollo who winked back at her.
*****
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth... why did you just steal Sakura without telling me...?" Sasuke was still glaring suspiciously at Apollo, still barely trusting her. He separated from Sakura a bit, not wanting to make it evident that they were an official couple just yet.
"It worked out in the end... didn't it?" Apollo added, not caring really to look at him, as though she was saying it randomly.
"That's not the point!" He spat, "It must've made so many others worried... everyone thought she was dead..."
"Don't cry...."
"Huh?"
"There was no need to cry... Uchiha... don't cry again... it's so unbecoming..." With a light smile out to everyone else he continued to glare,
"How is it that you're powerful enough to revive...?"
"When Orochimaru used us as test subjects there were many new abilities that he gave us... The sun's energy can turn into a variety of things and as the last petal drops from the dying blossom thus begins a time of sleep. When the sun is renewed in energy, it sacrifices its life to save the flower." With that beings said, Apollo glided over to a group of Jounin who seemed to be fascinated with her abilities.
******
::5 months later...::
The aroma stayed strong in the air. The orange sign and curtain hangings laid effectively in the crowded village. The tables were still set, the stools all wiped down. The night flowed into the room along with a chilling breeze.
"Wow! You've come back! " A man widened his eyes as Naruto and Hinata entered the Ichiraku Noodle Bar, "You were my biggest business..." He wiped the counter and fixed his spectacles so that he could peer at Hinata who was farther behind Naruto.
"Well sorry to tell ya but you've met your match when it's made by Hinata!" Naruto gave a loud chuckle.
"Then what brings you here?" The man at the counter added as he occupied himself with making sure they counter was immaculate.
"Well... I finally convinced Hinata that I should take her out on a date and so she insisted that it should be my favorite restaurant!" Naruto happily added.
"Naruto-kun... not so loudly..." Hinata blushed as Naruto wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She fumbled with her hands. It was still hard for her to get adjusted to going on her first date. The old man gave a loud chortle as he leaned back and nodded,
"Alright, well Naruto, looks like you guys will have my specialty... how does it sound?"
Naruto and Hinata found their way to the counter. Hearing those words Naruto picked up his head,
"Yeah! And Hinata... for the last time... I'm paying..." Naruto stared at her seriously making sure she picked up on that fact.
"But..." She held her hands in fists underneath her chin, pressed against her chest, "it's nice enough that you're treating me..."
"Hinata! I'm paying and that's that. You can't make me change my mind. Just remember how stubborn I am... "
She gave a lighter smile in response. It was amazing that things turned out this way. It was amazing tat it was possible in the first place. She always stayed quiet but in her mind she was screaming at the top of her lungs. For once she was doing something for herself, spending time with Naruto, and it was not bad, and he didn't seem to mind. The word 'couple' felt kind of weird to Hinata, she wasn't quite used to the idea, even after 5 months.
*******
"Stop! Cut it out...." Shikamaru was as red as a radish, only glaring down into the bowels of his breakfast soup.
"Ino. I'm warning you that if you ever marry my son, you'll have to work your butt off to manage the family... so you must be a strong woman, otherwise they'll stay lazy bums forever... trust me... I married his father..."
"Mother!" Shikamaru growled glaring up at her as Ino grinned and simply laughed. It was late afternoon, yet Shikamaru still managed to wake up late in time for a breakfast/lunch crossover. His parents, much to his dislike, invited Ino over as well... unannounced to Shikamaru. His family hardly knew her, and they wanted to know who their son was dating. Of course, Shikamaru was still in his pajamas and was still half-asleep, even more so than usual. Ino leaned back on her chair,
"Why do you guys wear your hair... like... well... like that?" She raised a slight eyebrow as Shikamaru and Shikato both stared at each other for a few moments. Then they finally responded in chorus,
"Family tradition." Both females exchanged shakes of their heads.
After they finished eating, Ino and Shikamaru left the house and simply perused the town, and slowly made their way to the park. Shikamaru sank down onto a bench, and Ino finally understood there would be no way to get her lazy boyfriend, up out of his seat,
"Here..."Shikamaru threw a small box at her, and after a moment Ino decided to open it. Sliding off the lid she gasped, her eyes widening,
"These must've cost so much!" Inside were these dragonfly earrings Ino had always wanted.
"I saw you looking at them...in the window one day..." He added, muffling his words a bit purposely. These were the first few days that he began to realize what exactly his father was trying to tell him. To him it was a pain in the ass to save the money, but he had a strange desire to make Ino happy. He didn't know what it was, but all he did know that he was now going to need a lot more money.
Ino gave him a hug and pecked him on the cheek, "Thank-you!" She yipped loudly.
....and that was all the encouragement he needed. *******
"The Cherry Blossoms are finally in bloom everywhere." Sakura noted with a sigh. She looked up at them. She still couldn't believe it. Was it really true that if she had put her mind to it at the beginning that she could've been stronger than even Sasuke and Naruto? Her eyes were glazed with tears, no, she had not cried, but at any second she felt she could have. She felt like a monster. What did she do? Everyone was so sad that she had left. Even Ino and she had spent an evening together, like old times... Everyone gave her such a welcoming... and she didn't deserve it. If she killed Sasuke successfully, if the others had been there... she might've tried to kill them too. A monster didn't deserve such a delicate name. She didn't even deserve the luck she had. All she was acting like was a spoiled little brat.
"Are you okay?" Sasuke simply replied. He walked over to the now commonly melancholy Sakura, touching her shoulder lightly. Her heart jumped, still getting used to this was definitely odd, but after that kiss there seemed to be almost nothing in their relationship, on the contrary, it was as though they had never been together, only simple hints that put almost a mystery into their relationship.
"Can you do me a favor... can you... kiss me again..." she wanted to know it was real and as the words fell from her tongue she still couldn't help but want to pull them back, but she needed it... more than he could ever imagine.
Sasuke stood there silently and paused. There was so much confidence in her question, and he was definitely as suave as it might have seemed. There was a dead silence, and he finally noticed Sakura lower her head.
"Figures." She gave a cold, sarcastic laugh as she started to get up. He pressed against her shoulder to make her sit down straight away and kissed her with possibly more force than he should have... but he was too afraid to let her leave.
Sakura looked at him and then, when he finally pulled away she lowered her head again this time with a weak, yet truer smile.
"I think... that really helped... " Sakura muttered, "I'm sorry... I really am. I was thinking... how about... you and I... train together?" She added hopefully. She knew he would have preferred that to anything, and she needed to become stronger... her fantasies of romance could wait... Sasuke was not the romantic type as everyone thought him to be...but... she liked him just the way he was. He nodded with a cool smile, she had guessed right. And without another word, she wrapped an arm around his waist, and his hand on her shoulder as they made their way to a training area with the wind blowing at their backs...
***** Chapter 18 End
Story Completed...
The question is: What should the next pair I do be for the next fic? SasuSaku or InoShika
Well I do hope you enjoy the last chappie! And I know it sucks but I had to do something before this writer's block continued...
***** Meanwhile at the Festival...
"Get your hands outta that dip Chouji! Seriously! I mean COME ON!!! You're already fa-" She stopped herself quickly and then gave a large sigh, "You know what? It's a festival and..." She shrugged and waddled away from the snack table. With a snort of disgust, she flopped onto one of the benches bored out of her mind. She was slightly confused, maybe the whole thing with her and Shikamaru, was a spur of the moment. What was her obsession with Sasuke? Was it just because he was hard competition? How was Sakura's love different from hers, and as soon as she gave up on Sasuke, Sakura became such a bitch and on top of that she had to go off and die? But... of course... she was upset about that too, everyone else was hurting inside, but as they learned through their years as ninja, it was best to stay strong. How she, the one and only Ino, could cry in front of people was inconceivable. Yet, as soon as she reached home, she threw herself into her mother's arms and cried her eyes out till the festival came. She was almost positive that everyone felt the same way, wanting to look strong, but really was hurting inside. Speaking of which, what really went on inside that head of Shikamaru? He always seemed to hate her, but he didn't resist her at all, actually after finally heading back to the village, he was so polite. Which was... stunning... for Shikamaru anyway. He was being overly kind and he wasn't joking. Maybe he was just so exhausted but maybe-
"Damn. Just look at Ino!" Some random shinobi around her age mumbled to a friend.
"Yeah... if she didn't open her damn mouth so much I bet she would be an easy girl to 'pick up'. I mean, just look at how she used to cling to Sasu-" Something interrupted their conversation as a loud slam came from above their heads on the wall they were leaning on.
"Damn you guys need to learn when to just shuddap. You're starting to piss me off... Don't you ever think about talking like that about Ino again!"
Ino looked up and saw Shikamaru glaring at those boys who were now pale as ghosts. She wasn't sure what exactly sure what to make of it, but she couldn't let out a faint giggle as red raised to her cheeks. Shikamaru started to walk over to Ino with his usual scowl and slouch. His eyes didn't even fall on her, not yet. He was still grumbling at the two guys.
"Hey Ino." He added almost dully. He started to turn his head to face her as if to say something, but all he could manage was,
Woah. Was the only action Shikamaru took, a mere thought. Those guys happened to be right. The pale, silk, hung loosely on Ino, her make-up added on just right. For the first time in Shikamaru's life had he ever seen Ino look so gentle... almost peaceful.
"Shikamaru?" Ino raised a playful eyeobrow and in no more then a split second she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Thanks," she mumbled in a meek whisper, resting her head against his chest.
"Urk." Was all he could utter. Damn, why am I so nervous? She can feel my heart beating too... so she even knows I'm nervous! Why am I like this? Upon looking from side to side he waved his arms frantically as people started to stare at the two,
"Nothing to see here!"
Naruto was out of character as he and Hinata sheepishly held hands, both of their heads turned the opposite way... well of course that was before Kiba started to make fun out of him, therefore causing Naruto to chase him across the whole entire festival challenging him to a match. Everyone else though was almost extra supportive of Kiba, without him knowing. The festival had a little romance, and a few fun moments, but you could see in everyone's eyes that it was not the easiest festival to be happy at. As dinner was finally served, Naruto giving up on his death-match for a bowl of Ramen, Tsunade stood at the front and beamed in a loud voice,
"I would like to formally introduce the newest member to the Konohagure village, Apollo. She has claimed the title of the heroine of our village." Clapping and whistling was heard from the crowd as Apollo appeared from behind Tsunade,
"My sisters were here not just for a world domination type thing... there was actually one key thing in this village... that they wanted, yet no one knew of it... Haruno Sakura." Everyone gasped as she remained silent, "You see... I have the ability to revive those who are dead... I did revive her... so you must know that she is... living...but you will not find her... not yet..." Everyone's mouths gaped open. They were all to say the least confused. Most of them were just getting adjusted to the fact that sakura was in fact alive, and now... well this!
"Well... you see not only Sakura... but Orochimaru.... " She looked over the group carefully, her eyes scanning them, "We were all used as test subjects for his experiments of immortality... it was what was able to kill a large majority of men from our village and the only survivors were my sisters and I. At once we were regarded as the new leaders of the Michiban Islands... we originally knew he came from the Konohagure village... and Sakura's death... well Hokage-sama found out quite around the same time... but more on the topic of Sakura..." She inhaled, giving them some time to take this all in.
"Sakura has the ability to change... her form... there was a potion my sister gave her to drink and strangely Sakura has an immunity to drinks that cause sudden death. You see... Sakura... is the closest to being immortal. She can be hurt, but she cannot die or be effected by much of what would kill others.... if Orochimaru gave her the seal, she, unlike the 10% chance survivors, she would have a 99% chance of living. "
"And her sisters wanted to use me as their own test subject to complete the process as Orochimaru had done to them." Sakura appeared out of nowhere followed by Sasuke. Everyone gasped as though it was some overdone comedy gasp, but it was true. Everyone in the whole village was stunned except for Tsunade who gave a grinning smile to Apollo who winked back at her.
*****
"Why didn't you just tell me the truth... why did you just steal Sakura without telling me...?" Sasuke was still glaring suspiciously at Apollo, still barely trusting her. He separated from Sakura a bit, not wanting to make it evident that they were an official couple just yet.
"It worked out in the end... didn't it?" Apollo added, not caring really to look at him, as though she was saying it randomly.
"That's not the point!" He spat, "It must've made so many others worried... everyone thought she was dead..."
"Don't cry...."
"Huh?"
"There was no need to cry... Uchiha... don't cry again... it's so unbecoming..." With a light smile out to everyone else he continued to glare,
"How is it that you're powerful enough to revive...?"
"When Orochimaru used us as test subjects there were many new abilities that he gave us... The sun's energy can turn into a variety of things and as the last petal drops from the dying blossom thus begins a time of sleep. When the sun is renewed in energy, it sacrifices its life to save the flower." With that beings said, Apollo glided over to a group of Jounin who seemed to be fascinated with her abilities.
******
::5 months later...::
The aroma stayed strong in the air. The orange sign and curtain hangings laid effectively in the crowded village. The tables were still set, the stools all wiped down. The night flowed into the room along with a chilling breeze.
"Wow! You've come back! " A man widened his eyes as Naruto and Hinata entered the Ichiraku Noodle Bar, "You were my biggest business..." He wiped the counter and fixed his spectacles so that he could peer at Hinata who was farther behind Naruto.
"Well sorry to tell ya but you've met your match when it's made by Hinata!" Naruto gave a loud chuckle.
"Then what brings you here?" The man at the counter added as he occupied himself with making sure they counter was immaculate.
"Well... I finally convinced Hinata that I should take her out on a date and so she insisted that it should be my favorite restaurant!" Naruto happily added.
"Naruto-kun... not so loudly..." Hinata blushed as Naruto wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She fumbled with her hands. It was still hard for her to get adjusted to going on her first date. The old man gave a loud chortle as he leaned back and nodded,
"Alright, well Naruto, looks like you guys will have my specialty... how does it sound?"
Naruto and Hinata found their way to the counter. Hearing those words Naruto picked up his head,
"Yeah! And Hinata... for the last time... I'm paying..." Naruto stared at her seriously making sure she picked up on that fact.
"But..." She held her hands in fists underneath her chin, pressed against her chest, "it's nice enough that you're treating me..."
"Hinata! I'm paying and that's that. You can't make me change my mind. Just remember how stubborn I am... "
She gave a lighter smile in response. It was amazing that things turned out this way. It was amazing tat it was possible in the first place. She always stayed quiet but in her mind she was screaming at the top of her lungs. For once she was doing something for herself, spending time with Naruto, and it was not bad, and he didn't seem to mind. The word 'couple' felt kind of weird to Hinata, she wasn't quite used to the idea, even after 5 months.
*******
"Stop! Cut it out...." Shikamaru was as red as a radish, only glaring down into the bowels of his breakfast soup.
"Ino. I'm warning you that if you ever marry my son, you'll have to work your butt off to manage the family... so you must be a strong woman, otherwise they'll stay lazy bums forever... trust me... I married his father..."
"Mother!" Shikamaru growled glaring up at her as Ino grinned and simply laughed. It was late afternoon, yet Shikamaru still managed to wake up late in time for a breakfast/lunch crossover. His parents, much to his dislike, invited Ino over as well... unannounced to Shikamaru. His family hardly knew her, and they wanted to know who their son was dating. Of course, Shikamaru was still in his pajamas and was still half-asleep, even more so than usual. Ino leaned back on her chair,
"Why do you guys wear your hair... like... well... like that?" She raised a slight eyebrow as Shikamaru and Shikato both stared at each other for a few moments. Then they finally responded in chorus,
"Family tradition." Both females exchanged shakes of their heads.
After they finished eating, Ino and Shikamaru left the house and simply perused the town, and slowly made their way to the park. Shikamaru sank down onto a bench, and Ino finally understood there would be no way to get her lazy boyfriend, up out of his seat,
"Here..."Shikamaru threw a small box at her, and after a moment Ino decided to open it. Sliding off the lid she gasped, her eyes widening,
"These must've cost so much!" Inside were these dragonfly earrings Ino had always wanted.
"I saw you looking at them...in the window one day..." He added, muffling his words a bit purposely. These were the first few days that he began to realize what exactly his father was trying to tell him. To him it was a pain in the ass to save the money, but he had a strange desire to make Ino happy. He didn't know what it was, but all he did know that he was now going to need a lot more money.
Ino gave him a hug and pecked him on the cheek, "Thank-you!" She yipped loudly.
....and that was all the encouragement he needed. *******
"The Cherry Blossoms are finally in bloom everywhere." Sakura noted with a sigh. She looked up at them. She still couldn't believe it. Was it really true that if she had put her mind to it at the beginning that she could've been stronger than even Sasuke and Naruto? Her eyes were glazed with tears, no, she had not cried, but at any second she felt she could have. She felt like a monster. What did she do? Everyone was so sad that she had left. Even Ino and she had spent an evening together, like old times... Everyone gave her such a welcoming... and she didn't deserve it. If she killed Sasuke successfully, if the others had been there... she might've tried to kill them too. A monster didn't deserve such a delicate name. She didn't even deserve the luck she had. All she was acting like was a spoiled little brat.
"Are you okay?" Sasuke simply replied. He walked over to the now commonly melancholy Sakura, touching her shoulder lightly. Her heart jumped, still getting used to this was definitely odd, but after that kiss there seemed to be almost nothing in their relationship, on the contrary, it was as though they had never been together, only simple hints that put almost a mystery into their relationship.
"Can you do me a favor... can you... kiss me again..." she wanted to know it was real and as the words fell from her tongue she still couldn't help but want to pull them back, but she needed it... more than he could ever imagine.
Sasuke stood there silently and paused. There was so much confidence in her question, and he was definitely as suave as it might have seemed. There was a dead silence, and he finally noticed Sakura lower her head.
"Figures." She gave a cold, sarcastic laugh as she started to get up. He pressed against her shoulder to make her sit down straight away and kissed her with possibly more force than he should have... but he was too afraid to let her leave.
Sakura looked at him and then, when he finally pulled away she lowered her head again this time with a weak, yet truer smile.
"I think... that really helped... " Sakura muttered, "I'm sorry... I really am. I was thinking... how about... you and I... train together?" She added hopefully. She knew he would have preferred that to anything, and she needed to become stronger... her fantasies of romance could wait... Sasuke was not the romantic type as everyone thought him to be...but... she liked him just the way he was. He nodded with a cool smile, she had guessed right. And without another word, she wrapped an arm around his waist, and his hand on her shoulder as they made their way to a training area with the wind blowing at their backs...
***** Chapter 18 End
Story Completed...
