Uchiha Sasuke; 5 Years Later

Age 17

-My Final Decision-

Ino and I had taken the jounin exam together and succeeded in the jounin exam together.

We had done a lot together.

I wish I had known that Ino's companionship could be this reassuring years ago when I really did need her.

I stood outside the Shikamaru's office right next to her. We were the only people waiting outside the room so I could only assume that she and I had been the only ones to pass the exam. I don't know why the Hokage bothered to pretend as though it wasn't obvious that we had passed by trying to keep us in suspense, but I suppose there's always that voice in the back of my head that's telling me that she wants to see me about SOMETHING ELSE and will simply pretend as though the jounin exam wasn't even on her radar.

Even though it was.

I looked down at Ino. She was pleating her shirt in her fingers.

I reached down and took one of her hands to keep her from doing so. But maybe it was just for reassurance. She seemed nervous, but there was nothing to be nervous about.

I wanted to say something to her, but I couldn't find any words, so I kept eye contact out of the question by pretending to be interested in something across the room.

The door to the Shikamaru's office opened. Ino grabbed my hand and squeezed it hard. Obviously she wasn't aware of her own strength because it did hurt, but I was far too preoccupied with Shikamaru who had just emerged from his office. In his hands was a bag that clearly contained two vests.

"Hey Shikamaru!" Ino said cheerfully. I didn't say anything, I just wanted him to give me my vest.

"I have to make this quick." Shikamaru said, pulling to vests out of the bag and handing us each one. "Congratulations. The both of you have been promoted to the chuunin rank."

CHUUNIN?

CHUUNIN?

I am no CHUUNIN.

"Chuunin?" I questioned his sanity.

"Jounin." Said Shikamaru as if it was something he could mess up and just act as though it meant absolutely nothing when it was a few years of my life. Sure, he might have easily been able to juggle the two titles whenever he wished, but some of us had to work hard to attain them. "Sorry I can't stay."

Shikamaru left, but I didn't mind myself with him anymore. I immediately put the vest on.

It was a little big…

"It looks great!" Ino said as she put hers on and spun around. I didn't know whether she was talking about her own vest or mine, but either way I guess she was right. "I knew you'd get yours."

"Yeah, I was pretty confident about it." I agreed as I found the means of tightening the vest.

"You know this means we have to go on harder missions." Ino said. Of course we would.

I noticed she was having a bit of trouble reaching the strap like I had, so I spun her around to do it for her. She seemed giddy in her own skin now that she had a new vest on, even though they looked remarkably similar to our old ones.

I let go of her when I was done and she turned around and kissed me.

I was going to kiss her back, but she started talking instead.

"Should we celebrate?" She said, twiddling with the hair on the back of my neck, a particularly ticklish part of my body.

"Probably." I said. She didn't look like she was going to say anything more, so that was my opportunity to make up for that lost chance of returning her kiss, but suddenly the door swung open.

"Seriously though…training in the mountains is going to be great." Came Kiba's voice. I let go of Ino and turned around to see Kiba, Naruto and Chouji making no attempt to respect our moment.

"Imagine the three of us getting on the same team!" Naruto announced.

"I wonder who our teacher will be." Wondered Chouji.

"What are you three doing here?" Ino asked Chouji.

"Consolidation." Chouji replied. "We were put on a team and told to come here to meet our teacher."

Consolidation? Oh right. That's where they put all the failure ninjas.

"Naruto, I knew you'd end up on the Consolidation team."

"What's that supposed to mean, Sasuke?!" Naruto demanded. Obviously he had convinced himself that Consolidation wasn't anything to be ashamed of when, in fact, it was the most shameful aspect of being a bad ninja.

"That always seems to be your retort when you have nothing better to say." I said, making sure he got a good look at my jounin vest.

I could tell he saw it because his eyes flickered with a hint of jealousy.

"Just you wait, Sasuke!" he said. "Once I get back from training in the mountains, I'll show you what I'm made out of!"

"Naruto, you just have a few token moves but if you don't know how to use them correctly then you can't hope to succeed in a battle." I said.

Before Naruto could reply, the door to Shikamaru's office swung open and the teacher I recognized as Gai was standing there. "Welcome students of mine!" he exclaimed. "I am your new consolidation teacher. MAITO GAI!"

He posed and waited for us all to be in awe, but I certainly wasn't.

"Five students?" he asked questioningly. "I was told that I was to be assigned THREE but if that is the number then so be it!"

Wasn't it apparent to him that I was of the JOUNIN level?

"Time to go now." Ino said, grabbing my hand and giving it a tug. I followed after her and caught one last look at Naruto, Chouji and Kiba talking with Gai. That was the last I was going to see of them for an entire year.

"I'm kind of glad I was able to become a chuunin before Consolidation!" Ino said.

I guess it hadn't processed to her yet, but we were JOUNINS.

"Jounin." I corrected her.

"I know that, Sasuke." She said as she playfully gave me a shove.

I didn't know if she was taking me seriously. "I worked hard for this vest." I said, grabbing a hold of the collar. "I want it to be acknowledged."

"I know." Ino smiled.

If I had a jounin vest, the next time I met Itachi he would take me much more seriously than that day when I was only twelve years old and had nothing to show off.

"Can't kill Itachi as a chuunin…"

I bit my lip slightly and quickly withdrew from the rest of that comment. I tried not to talk about Itachi around Ino because she was so patient, I didn't want to have to burden her. Itachi had caused ENOUGH grief to the world.

"So…" Ino began, taking my hand.

Oh right, celebration! What were we to do?

"Sasuke!!" came a voice behind me. A suddenly got a blast from the past as I turned around to see Sakura there. I certainly didn't see much of her these days, ever since she quit being a ninja.

"Sakura…" I said, feeling slightly uncomfortable around her. After all, I knew she still loved me, and here I was with her former best friend.

"I heard the good news!" she said, stopping in front of us even though I think we ALL would have been a lot better off if she had left. "You can let go of him now, Ino."

"I don't want to." Ino said, getting closer to me.

I tried not to look like it bothered me, but that was a rude comment on Sakura's part.

"I say we go out and celebrate you becoming a jounin." Said Sakura. "As a team of course. Just for old time's sake."

I thought of the fact that Naruto was about to head off into the mountains for Consolidation. Therefore, we could not have a 'team' party. "Naruto's busy." I said.

"He is?" Sakura said, absentmindedly twirling her hair around her finger. "Then I guess it'll just have to be you and me!"

She smirked.

"Sakura, I'M going out with Sasuke to celebrate." Ino said.

"That is SO like you Ino." Sakura said. "Wanting to steal Sasuke all to yourself."

This sure was getting annoying…

"We're celebrating TOGETHER because we were BOTH promoted." Ino argued.

"I've never heard of someone work SO hard to get a guy." Sakura went on. "You trained to become a jounin just so that you could win Sasuke's heart?"

I looked at Ino, and she seemed to simultaneously look at me.

"Sakura…" Ino said. "You know that's not true…"

"Do I?" Sakura said, grabbing my hand. "Come on, Sasuke. Let's go…"

I easily pulled my hand from hers.

"Sasuke…?" she asked, slowly.

It may have been true that Ino tried to win me by working hard as a ninja.

But…

It had worked.

"Sakura, I want you to leave me alone." I said to her, trying to make the blow soft, but meaningful.

"What, you want to celebrate with HER first?" Sakura said. Obviously it was too soft for her.

"I don't want to celebrate with you at all." I said in a final tone. I couldn't have been any more clear with her. I had Ino and the fact that she came over here and tried to belittle her while I was right here just had disgusted me. It was the last straw. Sakura had to know her place.

Sakura looked at me with a betrayed expression, as if she was the victim around here. But Ino was the victim, having done nothing to provoke this sort of treatment from Sakura. And I never heard a single word of disparage come from Ino about Sakura, so I think it's about time Sakura returned the favor.

Her eyes welded with tears.

I was hardened to a girl's tears.

I held Ino's hand as Sakura left. I wanted to prove to Ino that there wasn't an ounce of me that cared for Sakura's love.

Ino watched Sakura leave with intent.

They had been friends when they were younger, but Sakura had easily handed over that friendship for something that had seemed important at the time.

Me.

Now what was Sakura left with?

I wanted to say something to Ino. She looked sad. I don't think Ino could ever really turn away from Sakura. Something inside of her still wanted to protect the crying girl who had needed her help so many years ago.

So I only stood there next to her with my hand cupped in hers.

Had I done the right thing?

What was Ino thinking?

Her sad expression slowly transformed into a smile.

I knew everything would turn out all right. I could see it in her smile.