SASUINO WEEK DAY 1: FIRST TIMES PROMPT
At a very young age, Ino felt what it was like to love.
To love someone aside from her friends and family. A different love. A romantic love. Her first love, Sasuke Uchiha, took her world by storm. She should hate him, she thinks when Sakura declares that they are rivals instead of best friends.
And yet... her heart still aches for him.
Her daddy was happy when his dear daughter discovered what it felt like to have a romantic love and his heart was broken when his daughter's tears wouldn't stop flowing that fateful night.
Sasuke left Konoha with a farewell gift just like his brother. Neji and Chouji were almost dead when they arrived at Konoha; Naruto was gravely injured; and Kiba, Lee, and Shika were saved thanks to the Sand Siblings.
Ino catches Sakura's eyes, offering her a small smile because both their hearts are broken by the same traitor who almost killed their friends.
The years go by, yet Sasuke's existence continues to torment them.
In particular, Sakura and Naruto, who never stopped searching.
She, on the other hand, has long abandoned that hope.
The bush clover, her clan's symbol, can also mean unrequited love.
But her love for Sasuke is like a ghost, she thinks when she meets the new member of Team 7.
Sai. He reminds her of Sasuke, but he's not Sasuke.
Her mind tells her to stop pining after him, yet her traitorous heart continues to do so.
So when Sasuke came back to fight with them in the 4th Ninja War,
And when he decided to stay for good after being pardoned for his crimes,
And when she gained his respect and admiration for her abilities after the countless missions they'd been thrown together, Ino thought that maybe... maybe there's still a chance afterall.
Who says that bush clover can only mean unrequited love?