Twenty Truths: Yamanaka Ino and Hyuuga Neji

One. To prove to her mother that she was mature enough to run the store unattended, the fourteen year old Chuunin decided to hold flower arranging classes every Sunday and Friday afternoon for anyone who wished to attend.

Two. Ino's Ikebana lessons were a hit (as she expected). What she didn't anticipate was that her best student wasn't Haruno Sakura, Chouji, or even Hinata. It was the silently passionate Hyuuga Neji.

Three. Neji had only intended to stay for one of the Yamanka's lessons, so he could make an appropriate arrangement as an apology for 'forgetting' Tenten's Sweet Sixteen birthday party.

Four. The truth was, Neji didn't 'forget' to attend the party. He chose to skip it so he could continue his intense meditation. He chose to tell Tenten that he forgot, because he knew telling her the truth would get him killed.

Five. The only reason why Neji continued to attend Ino's lessons was because Ino explicitly asked him to stay, because his first arrangement had been 'breathtakingly beautiful' (Ino's words, not his. Neji never used such flowery language).

Six. Chouji and Lee had once considered teasing Neji about Ino's favoritism, but then remembered that this was Hyuuga Neji they were talking about and decided they just weren't that stupid.

Seven. Ino found out from her mother that Neji's mother, Hyuuga Sango, used to work with her at the Ikebana when Ino was just a baby. Her mother insisted that that was why Hyuuga Neji was so good at arranging flowers.

Eight. Ino believed that Neji had talent. You can't inherit the Way of the Flower.

Nine. Hyuuga Neji had to admit that Yamanaka Ino was attractive (after losing a game of Shogi to Shikamaru). He had thought so since they had fought against each other in their second appearance at the Chuunin exam. They had fought each other in the opening round where Ino put a special emphasis on the fight. She made it a hair vs. hair battle: whoever won got to cut the other's hair.

Ten. It was a stupid bet to make, Ino decided, after Neji defeated her. Somehow she wasn't surprised when Hyuuga Neji decided not to claim his prize. It did surprise her when Neji made her admit he had better hair than her instead.

Eleven. Ino was easily distracted by a pretty face (which she attributed to her losing to Neji in the first place). It was also why she couldn't commit to dating Sai, it seemed no matter where they went together that somehow Hyuuga Neji was there and he always managed to take her attention.

Twelve. Strangely enough, whenever she was in Hyuuga Neji's company, Ino couldn't see anyone else.

Thirteen. Their first date was the result of a plot by Sakura, Naruto and Lee, to satisfy several desires for revenge directed at the long haired ninjas. The sannin hadn't expected Ino and Neji to hit it off so well.

Fourteen. Sakura would latter force Ino, after Neji and Ino had been dating for nearly a year, to not only give her the details of a relationship with number one cool headed guy, Hyuuga Neji, but also tell her exactly what Neji's hair care regimen consisted of.

Fifteen. One Haruno Sakura would feel thoroughly cheated when she found out that Neji used Floral Green as well. Of course this was a lie, for not even Ino had ever seen the labels of Neji's hair care products or even empty bottles, which lead Ino to believe that Neji was simply a Perfect Hair God.

Sixteen. After four years of dating, Yamanaka Ino refused Hyuuga Neji's marriage proposal. Neji attributed the rejection to Uchiha Sasuke's return to Konoha. In truth, Ino didn't believe she could handle having a child from her body marked with the Hyuuga's Cursed Seal.

Seventeen. Ino would later marry Inuzuka Kiba after Hyuuga Neji married his cousin Aizu. She would realize what a mistake she had made in leaving Neji the first time she saw his twin daughters: Hikari and Hikaru, whose bodies were free of any curses thanks to the Rokudaime. Ino had never seen a man happier than Neji when he walked through the village with his beautiful children. Kiba wasn't even as happy when Ino gave birth to Inokawa.

Eighteen. Ino would tell Neji that she made a mistake when Neji became a widower after the birth of his son: Naoto.

Nineteen. Neji decided it was a mistake they both would have to live with. He would raise his son and daughters alone regardless if Ino was willing to leave Kiba and allow Neji to help raise Inokawa as his own.

Twenty. Ino stayed married to Kiba and had another litter with him. Neji raised his children wonderfully, each of them surprisingly sensitive to the Way of the Flower. Inokawa, Hikari and Hikaru were eventually placed into the same genin squad and the genin sannin didn't understand the uneasiness it forced upon their parents. Hikari and Hikaru's Father and Inokawa's mother usually only said a single phrase to each other: Nice Hair.