Special : Ino
By: Kokoro Kakera HP ^^
Disclaimer: Naruto, (Manga, anime, products, etc.), belongs to Kishimoto Masashi
Author's Notes:
YES! Finally! I'm sorry... It's been a LONG time, I know, but... you know, stuff gets in the way. And... You were all expecting Naruto's part, right? Well... I decided to try something new by squeezing this little tidbit in. Kind of unexpected I guess, since Ino's never been mentioned even once in this fic so far. Don't worry though, it won't feel like an unwelcome intrusion in the fic. It'll just add more filling to the story. (It's not, of course, because I didn't know what to write for Naruto's part yet). ...It's a little awkward. This chapter was extremely hard to write! I don't know much about Ino unfortunately -.-;
...Sorry. ;_;
...And just in case there are people here who are wondering, no, there is no shoujo-ai intended to be in this chapter. Maybe another fic and another time, but not now.
Other warnings: This is probably the most dullest chapter I've ever written. It's the longest too! But... it NEEDS to be here. Next chapter will be better, promise!
Saw the Matrix Reloaded yesterday! *_* It is a gift from the heavens to the film industry, I swear.
Genjutsu - Illusion
"What am I doing here?"
It had been a while since they last talked.
"It's for old times' sake." She said under her breath.
Why had that excuse seemed much better while she was thinking of it at home than it did now that she was actually going?
She just wanted to see how she was doing.
Ino stopped in front of the door to Sakura's house, wondering just what to say when she came face to face with her again. Hardly anything that wasn't an insult or battle stategy had been spoken between them since they became rivals. It was ridiculous, keeping such a simple feud burning so strongly after all this time, but Ino didn't want to be the one to step down and surrender. To Sakura, it was just for Sasuke that they fought so spitefully against each other. To her, it was much more than that.
It had always bothered her.
"Guess what? I like someone now!" Sakura announced. She had never looked happier.
"Don't tell me it's Sasuke-kun."
"Ah! How did you know?"
Sakura was cute, popular, smart, strong and perhaps happy.
She hadn't been like that when they first met. When they first met... Sakura was a small, bashful and depressed child. She'd suffered much bullying then and taken so much of it that she no longer fought against it. Just sat and cried helplessly while she accepted the cruel onslaught of words from the kids that made fun of her.
Ino really couldn't explain why she'd befriended Sakura. Maybe it was pity. Maybe it was the small tug she'd felt at her heart when she saw Sakura crying by herself on the deserted path. She didn't know.
All she could remember was that she'd seen the type of person Sakura could become, not what she was. Wanting to see that person - wanting to see Sakura bloom from the small, neglected bud she had begun as - she had taken care of her and given her all the love and attention only a friend could give.
"Wah... I've never seen Sakura look so cheerful... Since she found out she loves Sasuke-kun, she's always smiling." One of her friends commented. Ino frowned.
"She's just hiding her feelings!"
Yet... just for a boy Sakura claimed she loved - for someone that hadn't even shown the slightest interest in her, Sakura had forgotten her.
"Ino... I heard that you like Sasuke-kun too." Sakura's gaze was detached. Gone was the warm look of adoration she used to give her.
Sasuke really hadn't started out as a serious interest. It was just that if Sakura was willing to do such a thing for him, perhaps he was truly worthwhile betraying a friend's trust and love for. Sakura was extremely smart, and she always respected her for that trait. If she could get Sasuke, perhaps she could understand why for Sasuke - for a boy that she had only begun to love without truly knowing-
"From now on, we're rivals." Sakura left her standing alone in the park.
Sakura tore down their friendship and turned it into a rivalry.
She knocked on the door. A pink haired woman opened the door.
Ah, Ino-chan!" Ino nodded politely.
"Is Sakura home?"
"Yes she is. Come in!" The woman smiled. "Sakura should be in her room right now. If she isn't, then check the bathroom. The last time I checked on her, she was cleaning it up. Knowing how much of a perfectionist she is, she still might be in there." Sakura's mother looked at a clock situated on the hallway wall. "Ah, Ino-chan, can you tell Sakura that I've left if she asks? I have an important appointment to get to."
"Okay. Goodbye, Haruno-san." The woman left, shutting the door and locking it behind her.
Ino sighed. She looked up the long set of stairs before her, wondering if by the time she reached the end of them, she would know what to say.
Sakura stared at the splotches on the floor, on the wall, on and around the sink. She couldn't move. If she did, then she would make the mess worse. The blood pooled and sunk into the fabric of her clothes on her lap.
"What do I do?" She whimpered. "I can't... I can't do anything..."
The circle symbol on her skirt flap slowly faded into the moist red that crawled through the fabric.
"Sakura?" Ino called. She went to her room and looked inside. No one. "Sakura?" She sighed.
'Are you really still in there?' She wondered, staring at the door of the washroom. "Sakura? You there? Stop cleaning up, it's rude to keep a guest waiting!"
"Ino?" A quiet voice murmured from the other side of the door.
"Sakura?" Ino talked a bit less loudly, suddenly feeling uneasy. "Sakura, what are you doing in there?"
"Ino... I..." She heard a small sob reverberate from the room. "I'm..."
"Sakura? Open the door!" She tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. "Sakura! Open the door!" She was really worried now. She had always known that Sakura wasn't the happiest person in the world, but for her to actually be crying like this...
"Don't..." A small voice pleaded. "Don't, Ino... Don't look at me..."
"I don't care about how you look, if you don't open the door right now, then I'll break it down!" Ino yelled. "Open the door, Sakura!" It was quiet. Ino tensed. "...Sakura? Sakura? Sakura!? Sakura!!" She cursed and stepped back, planning to ram the door.
At the exact moment, the doorbell rang. Ino stopped what she was doing. Maybe whoever was there could help. That meant leaving Sakura for a little while - even longer without help if it wasn't someone who could help right away. She shot a quick look at the door, then back downstairs. It would only take a few seconds. She sprinted down the stairs and threw open the door. A look of surprise crossed her face, her state of hurry faltering. "Y-you're Sakura's-"
"Teacher." Kakashi answered. "Where's Sakura?" Ino blinked, remembering why she was there.
"There's something wrong with her!" She burst out. "She doesn't want..." Ino looked at the ground.
"Don't, Ino... Don't look at me..."
"Ino." She looked up. Kakashi looked very serious then. "Where is Sakura?"
"Upstairs." She said. "She locked herself in a room upstairs." The two rushed upstairs to where Sakura had locked herself.
"Sakura? It's Kakashi." The teacher called. He gripped the doorknob. "Sakura?"
"...Kakashi-sensei?" There was a small whimper from the washroom.
"Yes. Open the door, Sakura."
"But..." Ino's expression tightened. She couldn't stand it anymore.
"Open it!" Ino yelled. "Or else it'll be broken down! Did you make a mess or something? Well if you're so upset about it, then you'd better open this door, otherwise an even bigger mess will be made and it'll be your fault!" She felt Sakura's teacher look at her and she forced herself to keep a level gaze on the door. She didn't think that she would be able to stand meeting his look. She had after all, hit Sakura where she knew would hurt.
'It's just because I'm worried.'
A small click signaled that the door was unlocked. Kakashi stepped forward and pushed it open slowly, lest Sakura not be far away enough from the door to avoid getting hit.
Ino's eyes widened when the room was revealed.
It was everywhere - the blood was - in the sink, around it and on the floor. It wasn't like it was pooling, all the stains were just smudges or dots, but the shock of seeing so much everywhere- She fell to her knees.
"S-sakura...how..." She wanted to take back what she said before. The guilt of making the comment seemed to fester inside of her.
'I feel sick.'
She turned her eyes to Kakashi, not wanting to see Sakura anymore. It was the first time she had ever seen him look shocked.
A small sob brought her attention back to her friend. Ino bit her lip, not wanting to cry along with her. It just didn't seem like the right time for her to do so when everything that was wrong was with Sakura. The pink-haired ninja looked absolutely miserable. She wouldn't even bring her head up to face them. She looked so ashamed, so unhappy.
'It's like-'
A little girl cried by herself on an empty path. She hated herself. She wasn't cute like the other girls, because her forehead took up her entire face, and she wasn't strong enough to be respected by anyone. She was an ugly thing. Little ugly forehead thing.
It was then when Ino noticed her.
"Sakura, what happened?" Kakashi approached her - not quickly - and crouched by her. He carefully reached forward and tried to get a hold of her wounded arm, but the second he touched it, Sakura yanked herself away. Spots of blood rained on the sleeve of his clothes.
"I...I failed the mission. This is my fault. I can't..." She buried her face into her hands.
"So..." Ino squatted in front of the sobbing girl. "Everyone makes fun of your forehead huh?" The pink-haired girl sniffled.
"Who are you?" Her tears seemed to subside a little as curiosity ebbed forward.
"Yamanako Ino. What about you?"
"I'm... Sakura." The words had been barely audible to Ino.
"Sakura..." Ino said quietly, crawling forward slowly. Sakura cringed away from her, but there was nowhere else to go. The wall was behind her and Kakashi was beside.
'Sakura... huh?' She looked over the girl. 'She's afraid to say her own name...'
"I can't hear you! Say it louder!" She insisted.
'Show that there's nothing to be afraid to say.
"Haruno Sakura!" She burst out. She winced, shutting her eyes tightly. She prepared herself for ridicule.
"Stop acting like a coward, Sakura. Isn't that what... you hate most?"
"Hn... I see... So this is the big forehead!" She lightly pressed her pointer finger to it, making Sakura look up. Ino flicked her finger forward gently. Sakura's hair had been messily combed over her forehead into long bangs that practically covered her eyes. Ino slid her hand under the unruly bangs and pushed them back. "So you try to hide it with your hair - like a ghost." Sakura's eyes began to fill up with tears again. Everything Ino said was right on target.
"You have to show yourself proudly!" Ino said, voice growing louder. "Didn't I teach you that? If you hide, then everyone will know that there's a reason for it. That's why you'll be made fun of."
"It's Sakura, right?" The girl nodded, making a small choked sound of affirmation. "Come here again tomorrow. I'll give you something nice!" Ino said as she got up to leave.
'Come here tomorrow, and I'll show you how to make those tears go away.'
Sakura looked up, eyes wide with surprise. An... invitation?Her tears had stopped.
Ino's face relaxed slightly as Sakura looked up.
"See Sakura, you're much cuter this way!" Her bangs had been combed to the sides of her face so that her forehead was exposed. A bow was tied into her hair to keep it from falling back into her eyes. "You can keep the ribbon."
"Thank you... but..."
"But what?" Ino frowned.
"My forehead..."
"Remember, Sakura? What I said before?"
"You have to show it off confidently! Confidently! It's not as ugly as you think."
"You may have started out as a small unnoticed and unappreciated bud..."
Sakura's eyes widened with surprise at Ino's words.
'Ino...
A tiny smile crept onto her lips.
Ino's eyes filled with tears.
"But when you bloomed, you became a beautiful flower!"
Sakura stared at Ino for a second, before dropping her head down. Her shoulders shook with slight sobs.
"Thank you... Ino." She began to wipe away her tears. Ino sighed and leaned on her haunches.
Kakashi, who had been silent and still for a while, chose that moment to speak.
"Sakura, your arm-" He held out his hand. Sakura nodded and placed her arm into his hand. She looked away as he placed his other hand over it to start the spell. "You shouldn't have left so quickly. This jutsu needs to be replaced everyday."
"Every-?"
"Ah. Otherwise, it wears off."
"O-oh..." Ino noticed Sakura cringe with embarassment. She would probably feel the same way too, if she made such a big deal out of something that could have been solved so easily.
It was quiet while Kakashi redid the jutsu, until Ino gasped, remembering something.
"Sakura, what's wrong with your mother!?" She demanded.
"Is Sakura home?"
"Yes she is. Come in!" The woman smiled. "Sakura should be in her room right now. If she isn't, then check the bathroom. The last time I checked on her, she was cleaning it up. Knowing how much of a perfectionist she is, she still might be in there."
"When I asked her about you, she was smiling when she mentioned you!"
"No..." Sakura shook her head. "No, she didn't know. She didn't see. I used a small genjutsu so that she wouldn't."
"Oh..." Ino blinked. When had Sakura become skilled enough to use such a genjutsu?
Kakashi finished rewrapped up Sakura's arm quickly and neatly. He looked at her levelly.
"Are you okay?" Sakura nodded.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." Kakashi smiled and patted her head in an affectionate manner. Sakura was the only one of his students who still let him do so. Naruto had made it clear long ago that he didn't want to be treated like a kid anymore and Sasuke... Sasuke was Sasuke.
"Don't leave before I renew the jutsu next time." He said.
"Sorry..." Sakura murmured. "I just..." She trailed off.
'Was too scared to show anyone that you were hurt?' Ino honestly wondered if Sakura should get her head checked one day. Her obsession with looking perfect in everyone else's eyes was becoming too much.
Sometimes she wondered, fearfully, if Sakura would die for that obsession.
It was only a tiny paranoid thought.
Kakashi stood up, knowing that Sakura wouldn't finish her statement.
"Well, since my business is done here..." He opened the door and stepped out of the washroom. "Be present for tomorrow's mission, Sakura." Sakura nodded as Kakashi left.
Ino sighed as the jounen instructor left. She looked back at Sakura who seemed to be surveying the mess.
"I'll help you clean up."
"Okay. I'll go get some sponges." Sakura stood up to go.
"...Sakura?" Ino called out hesitantly. She wondered why it was so hard to ask such a simple thing - No, why it had become so hard to ask...
"Ya?" Sakura stopped and looked back at Ino.
"Are you..." She bit her tongue, hoping that it would motivate it to move. "Are you okay?" Sakura's bewildered look was priceless. Then it melted into a warm expression of gratitude. Something within Ino softened, while another part of her became cold. That expression, the one that Sakura used to give her while they were friends- but accompanying it...
'There you go again...Sakura.' Ino badly wanted to shake the pink-haired girl then.
Sakura's smile had always been pretty, like a plastic doll's.
'Hiding your feelings like that.'