Arrangements
Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto. If so, Sakura would be the star!
And if Sakura seems OOC well...She's supposed to be. Duh!
"Ino…" The girl began hesitantly, only to be silenced by a scathing reply.
"No. Sakura…you know how I feel about you. Hell, you've experienced it! I just can't….I just…" A deep sigh floated out of the blonde's lips. "I just can't stand seeing you be so indecisive about this relationship." A delicate, pale hand slammed onto the wooden counter with determined strength. "It's frustrating!" The statement was all but screamed as navy eyes watched the petite, pink haired kunoichi with determination and… a savage type of hunger. "Sakura, you have to understand where I'm coming from. I love you so much…and I want you so much! Without all these…barriers." Ino finished, the previous fire and anger diminished into a weary sense of…something very akin to sadness, but so much more.
A pregnant pause stretched for what seemed like decades to Sakura, whose eyes were full of sadness herself, until, "I just want to be with you. Without any of this tip-toeing around it. In stores, restaurants, in front of people! Not just in my apartment, at night…" The pregnant silence stretched on yet again, misty emerald staring helplessly into the weary navy.
"Ino…it's…it's hard for me too!" The voice was quivering with suppressed tears, and the normally fiery emerald eyes were watery and hollowed. A small pink tongue darted out to wet pouty, coral lips nervously. "What…what if they don't accept me? My teammates, they mean everything to me! I just can't…stand their rejection…"
"And you can stand mine?" The voice was cold, chilling, and sent freezing shivers up and down the smaller kunoichi's spine. A small sob the petal-haired kunoichi had been trying to choke back broke through the barrier of her lips, and finally the cascade of tears fell.
"NO! Ino…I-" She was scrabbling to make it up. How could she have sounded so damn chilling? She hadn't meant it that way at all!
But she was cut off with an abrupt bark, harsh yet yearning at the same time. "Just leave, Sakura. I can't take this…" The blonde turned away, and now her eyes, too, were misted over with unwept tears. "Just understand," She whispered finally, slowly bringing her eyes back up to meet with Sakura's. "I'll be here." And with that, she summoned her chakra to her feet and bounded away, over treetops and rooftops, leaving the petite kunoichi to fall to her knees, sobs wracking her slight body.
"Ino…damnit…I'm such a fool..."
'I love you...'
A Month Later…
Team 7 looked over at their smallest member with concern. Ever since a month ago, the fiery and perky pink-haired kunoichi had fallen into disarray. Under her eyes, dark circles formed from seemingly sleepless nights. She had become skinnier, her complexion almost always pale and drawn. Her eyes held a haunted look, and her lips were usually a frown. None of the previous spark and fire that had made up the small kunoichi existed.
It was obvious to the men that the kunoichi was in great emotional pain, and it was also obvious it had something to do with them. It tore Naruto's heart, almost as much as it tore Kakashi's, who, over the years, had become something akin to a father to her. Sasuke's emotions on the subject, however, were quite different. Ever since being returned from Orochimaru's deadly and perverted grasp by Konoha's very own ANBU officers, had turned even colder. He was just as handsome as he had been when he left, handsomer, but also colder. It was as if his demeanor was locked in ice. His concern for the jaunted girl went beyond nothing beyond his selfish wondering if she would still be healthy enough to bear his children. He had had planned on asking her to be his wife for some time, ever since she had become one of the strongest ninja he knew, and more then a formidable opponent.
As Naruto and Kakashi fretted over the girl for the upteenth time that day, he slipped silently away from their incessant squabble. The girl had better become happy, he thought to himself; because today was the day he had decided to ask her.
He figured Sakura would appreciate flowers enough to draw her out of her shell and bring her back to her normal state of mind and being, and he sped through Konoha towards the one and only flower shop known in Konoha.
"Ino," He acknowledged the shopkeepers presence with a nod of his head as he stepped through the door, the welcoming bell tinkling. Even though he was in no way close to the yellow haired kunoichi, he was forced to acknowledge her as a very strong and competent ninja, for she proved her strength over and over again with her teammates, and even over them. So it was then that he noticed Ino herself had acquired something close to the same look as Sakura, though perhaps her face had a bit more of that haunted look in her eyes. He brushed it aside, not truly caring anyway. Besides, who was this kunoichi to him? It was not his issue.
"Sasuke," She nodded her head back in his direction, but did not bother to turn around to start a conversation, as her childhood self would've no doubt have done.
The silence stretched between the two, as Sasuke awkwardly shuffled his feet, waiting for the woman to attend to him. As the silence stretched even longer, Sasuke felt his patience stretching thin. He cleared his throat subtly, and tapped his finger against the desk.
"A moment, Sasuke," Ino finally said, realizing he had dropped in to buy something, and mentally kicked herself for the lapse of her brain cells. "I just need to finish watering these."
He nodded silently, and allowed his eyes to roam over the colourful arrays of flowers, each one in prefect position. He rolled his eyes in obvious contempt, not having the warmth in his heart to appreciate such delicate beauty.
"Alright, Sasuke, what can I do for you?" Ino's tone was listless and monotone, something that momentarily puzzled Sasuke. She was usually so annoying, her constant chatter bringing him to the brink. But today…it seemed as if she was tired. Of him? He snorted mentally. As if.
"I would like to buy some flowers." He stated easily, nodding his head. His awkwardness vanished, replaced by his signature aloofness.
The girl nodded at him, and he began to think her dim witted until the arching of her eyebrow stated that she was the one who thought him slow. He practically snarled when she said, slowly and condescendingly, "What kind of flowers, Sasuke?"
He allowed his eyes to drift away from her for a moment, regaining his composure, and cleared his throat. What kind of flowers did Sakura like, anyway? It wasn't like it was important enough for him to bother with it.
"I'm not sure. In fact, you'd probably know." He said coolly, regaining his posture easily yet again. What was the harm of asking Sakura's best friend what kind of flowers she liked? It wasn't as if that stupid rivalry between the two still hung.
"Oh?" Her eyebrow arched even farther, and she crossed her arms over her apron. "Well then, you're lucky I'm not out on a mission today." Though Sasuke was sure it was meant to be said light-heartedly, he failed to pick out the lightness in her voice. In fact, her voice seemed to hang over him like draped velvet. It was beginning to have the same effect Sakura's voice nowadays had over him.
Shaking his head, he cleared his throat with something akin to nervousness. "You're still friends with Sakura, right?" He didn't bother to notice the tenseness that seeped into the blonde's shoulders at the mention of the pink-haired kunoichi's name. "I need to know what her favourite kind of flower is." He felt his face heat up momentarily, before he mentally slapped himself, and the blush seeped out of his face quickly. What was he doing blushing? He was an Uchiha, after all.
"What?" Momentary shock seeped into her words, before her eyes narrowed. "Why do you need to know what kind of flower Sakura likes?"
His cold eyes met her own shockingly cold ones, before answering with a chill in his voice, "I wish to ask her to marry me soon. I figured flowers would be a good way to begin my proposal."
"THE HELL?"
Yay! Here's my second Naruto Yuri story! Okay, here's how it goes. I'll update this fic, then the second chap for Sand Blossoms, then the second chap for this one, and so on. Oh! And there will defiantly be more NC- 17 in later chapters! Just being safe with this one! My penname is Nao Nao Neko-chan on aff. Love and victory!