REVISED 1-7-10
With a quick smile, the blonde kunoichi thanked the messenger-nin for the bright green envelope he had just handed her. "Straight from Konoha." He'd said. She grinned as she saw the familiar handwriting that spelled out her name.
Suddenly, she felt a pair of strong arms wrap around her small waist, and a whiskered cheek rub against her smooth one, causing her to jump in surprise.
"Who's it from?" A low, masculine voice asked, his breath heavy in her ear. Ino loved his voice. It was calm, and smooth, and fitted his personality.
And, obviously, it was sexy.
When anyone heard his voice, they pictured a tall, dark, handsome man; many women's' dream. He was her dream, and her man.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!" She scolded, even though they both knew that he hadn't really frightened her. She was a kunoichi, after all, maybe not one of the best, but she still knew what she was doing.
"I'll do whatever I damn please." He growled, a grin playing across his thin lips, which were buried in her neck, and hidden in her long blonde hair.
"And it's from Sakura." She explained. The smell of smoke passed under her nose, and she frowned. "YOU!" She scowled, saying the last part with extra emphasis. "Have GOT to quit smoking these." She scolded, pulling the ever present cigarette from between his lips. "I can't have you dying on me, now can I?" She asked, placing the cigarette between her own lips.
"You are a hypocrite Yamanaka." He said, shaking his head.
"Uh-uh. I can quit anytime, unlike YOU." She said. As if she was trying to prove her statement, she took a puff, and then threw the cancer stick to the ground and smushed it with her sandaled foot. With a smirk, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him to her.
She loved taunting him.
He could feel her breath against his lips as she whispered a faint, "Heh, I love you..."
"Hey!" A voice interrupted their interaction, and they both turned simultaneously to see a jounin walking hurriedly towards them. "I'm glad I caught you before you two got started, Asuma, you're to report to Anko as soon as possible." He said, the thin needle in his mouth bouncing up and down with his every word. "She needs to speak with you, alone."
The said man sighed, and pecked the blonde kunoichi on the cheek and mumbled, "This won't take too long."
"Okay, you know where I'll be. Hurry."
She watched as the two men darted out of sight towards the main tent, and then frowned to herself. She hated that bitch Anko. She wanted Asuma, and she wasn't trying to hide it.
Ino had been at the border for almost four months now, and as soon as the new groups arrived, herself, Asuma, and Shino would begin to make their way back to Konoha.
She walked back to her tent silently, pondering her thoughts until she was safely inside. Then, taking a seat on her forest green sleeping bag, she opened up the envelope and unfolded the letter with care. As expected, it was not lengthy, only a few sentences. Sakura had never been one to write long letters.
-Dear Ino-
I'm so sorry it took so long for me to write back, I've been kinda busy. I was suprised to hear about you and Asuma-sensei. I think you two would make a great couple, although the age difference might make it a bit difficult, but I think if you really love each other as you say, you can work past it. Although, I'm in no position to give love advice. Everything is fine in Konoha, everything is pretty much the same. Oh! I've just decided to take some brush up training from Kakashi-sensei. Sasuke is going to be in the next group arriving there, so you should see him before you leave. Tsunade has told me that you're most likely going to stay another week or two. I'll admit that I'm disappointed, but I can't really do anything about it. Tsunade has also told me that I'm going to be coming down in the group after this one, the one in the winter.
Miss you-
Sakura
Ino's brow furrowed slightly in confusion.
Stay down here? What does she mean by that?
She'd had enough of the border. These border assignments could either be seen as a curse, or a blessing. To some, it was a gift, a chance to get away from the daily life in Konoha, or to get away from their not-so-perfect lives. They could escape their problems, and escape reality for a while. To others, it was a curse, tearing them away from their families for four, long months.
AND it was so boring.
She recalled a conversation she had had with a foreigner she'd been escorting to someplace or other. He'd tried to explain to her the concept of jury duty, that peole had to do in his home country. He'd said it was similar to it because everyone had to do it, there were only few exceptions. She'd agreed, still not understanding what this "jury duty" was.
After another invasion of Konoha with the combined forces of the Sound, Rock, and Mist countries, Tsunade had decided that she would send shin obi in intervals for four months, or longer if they so desired, to the border. New groups came every two months, and the oldest group would return home. There were many camps along the border, and each part of the Hidden Leaf went to a different camp.
"Ino?" A sweet voice floated through the nylon material of the tent, as she watched the zipper being un-zipped from the outside.
"What did Anko want?" She asked, frowning as Asuma zipped the flap back up.
"Don't worry about her. She's harmless."
She gave him a look, and raised her eyebrow.
"OKAY. Maybe not harmless, but I don't want her." He said, grabbing her hand, and pulling her onto his lap. He wrapped his big arms around her, and she felt secure. "Well, they want me to stay behind for a week so I can help instruct the new group." He sighed unhappily, automatically lighting a cigarette.
"Don't smoke in here, it's too hot." She scolded, taking it away and putting it out in the half full ashtray that sat on a box beside their sleeping bag, which served as a sort of night stand. "If you're staying, I'm staying." She said, relaxing, and leaning back into his chest.
"Are you sure?" He asked, unsure, and feeling a bit guilty for asking her to endure another week in this place.
"Of course I'm sure, I'm not leaving you here alone." She grinned, tunring herself around on his lap, and unzipping his vest. 'And you can't make me go home alone, it wouldn't feel right.'
"Okay, if you say so." He said with a slight smirk as his hands crawled beneath her shirt.
