- -CHAPTER REVISED! - -

a/n: I realize that I made Ino a bit OOC so I revised this chapter...sorry for the trouble guys! I'm trying to get better at this stuff.

N.S.: Hello everyone. Sorry it took so long for me to update. Being a freshman is so exhausting… I'm in all honors classes, so I put up my studies and I aced a bunch of tests with flying colors.

Sorry I left it in a cliffy…Love triangles are such a pain aren't they? But exciting at the same time!

By the way, I'm kind of changing my writing style as of now, from inspiration from my closest friend.

Now I'm trying to get somewhere with his fic…Sasuke may be a bit OOC from now on and I'm sorry for that, but that's how I planned it out to be. After all, this is Fanfiction, but please don't flame me!

I'm sorry if I upset any Sakura fans, but I'm a Sasuke/Ino fan. I wanted to write something different…ya know! Okay, enough rambling on with the next chapter I suppose…Please read and review, no flames please, thanks.

I'd like to once again thank my great beta-reader –Kristine x3-

Genre: Humor, romance, angst, tragedy

Italics Flashbacks, or thoughts

Chapter 13: What a Fool I was…

It had been a few weeks after she had seen Sasuke with Sakura…Maybe it was fate that had brought them together…who really knows?

Ino placed flowers at her father's grave; he had passed away eventually. But, then again, that was life; everyone dies at one time... Ino had accepted it. She sighed and silently prayed, before getting up and heading home. She went inside her house and closed the front door behind her, locking it. She took off her shoes near the doormat and sighed. Ino stared at the living room; it was silent. No matter what, Ino wouldn't get use to it, it was too depressing. Silently, she sighed and sat on her couch. For the past few weeks, she hadn't been doing her best in training, and her teammates could see it. She thought she was a fool; to ever think Sasuke would fall for her. It was only wishful thinking on her part. She walked slowly in the kitchen and began to cook dinner…for herself…

Ino woke up the next morning and put on her usually ninja attire, except the color was off-white with a red pattern, and she put her long hair up in its usual high ponytail, the usual long strand of hair loose and hung in front of her face nicely. She looked in the mirror, her blue eyes were dull; her facial expression made her looked rather bored, or gloomy.

She sighed and left the house, locking the door behind her. She began to walk to her team's training grounds. She was walking rather slowly, deciding to take her time; the training would be useless anyway. As she walked, she glanced at Team 7. Sakura was yelling at Naruto for calling Sasuke a bastard, while Sasuke just stood there with his eyes closed and his arms crossed.

She started to feel sad again, but then the sadness quickly turned to anger. Her pride had been hurt. And Yamanaka Ino didn't stand for that. So now, she is officially mad at Sasuke Uchiha.

She then saw Sasuke's eyes open, revealing pools of onyx. He then lifted up an arm and hit Naruto on the head, calling him a baka. She then saw Sasuke glance in her direction, and her blue eyes glanced in his, making eye contact. She sent him a glare that could have burned a hole through his face, and then she turned her head slowly and jumped up into the trees, deciding it would let her reach the training grounds quicker…

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Sasuke had his eyes closed, listening to Sakura and Naruto bicker. After what had happened a few weeks ago, everything turned back to normal…at least with him and Sakura…

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Flashback-

They both just stood there in the same spot for a while…Until Sakura spoke up.

"Is there…someone else…Sasuke-kun…?" Sakura had asked him, her green eyes looking puffy.


Sasuke just stood there, a blank expression on his face. "…Yeah."

He could hear her sniffle. "Just one more question…is there still hope for me…?"

And a small smile fell on Sakura's lips.

End of flashback…

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Sasuke had told Sakura that he is starting to feel something for Ino. He trusted Sakura enough to tell her, after all Sakura was his teammate. But then he told Sakura that he felt something for her too in a way. Even though he hid it well, he cared about her and even Naruto as well. That was when she had smiled.

So here they were, Team 7.

"Don't call Sasuke-kun that Naruto!"

"But he is a bastard!" Naruto exclaimed. "I'm only telling the truth Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke smirked in amusement, and opened his eyes. He then lifted up his arm and gave Naruto one good hit on the head. "Just shut up dobe." Sasuke said and narrowed his eyes. He turned back around and saw Ino; their eyes locked. Her calm facial expression changed to an angry one. And before he knew it, she sending a glare his way. The famous Ino glare. As soon as they did make eye contact, Ino was gone. He narrowed his eyes; he didn't like the way she was acting for the past few weeks. It made him angry. When he had walked past the flower shop, she was sitting on the steps. As soon she had seen him she glared at him and walked back into the flower shop. He felt like storming in there and telling her it wasn't what it had looked like. But, he was Uchiha Sasuke; he didn't have to explain himself to anyone.

That pride of hers was a pain in the ass.

And now he felt so angry, he could feel his blood boil. He didn't like the way she looked at him, her facial expression towards him. No girl looked at him the way she did.

"Sasuke, you look angry suddenly…something wrong?"

Sasuke turned around and saw his silver-haired sensei. "No." He said simply.

"Well, you sound angry…" Kakashi said a hint of amusement in his voice.

"I'm not angry!"

"There's no one here but you and me. I told Sakura and Naruto to get started on their training…so what is wrong? Is it about a girl?"

Sasuke snarled and shoved his hands in his pockets. "No…"

The mysterious jounin chuckled. "I figured it was. You have been distracted in training lately. And I have noticed you glancing at a certain kunoichi--"

"Liar," Sasuke interrupted.

"It's Ino isn't it?"

"Shut up."

Kakashi smirked from underneath his mask. "I didn't think you would fall for Yamanaka…in fact, I didn't think you would fall for anyone."

"Shut up."

"So that is what the problem is." Kakashi said. "Are you ashamed to admit it?"

"…I said shut up damn it! I don't like Yamanaka!" Sasuke growled and turned away, his eyes having a faraway look in them.

"Well, enough of that, let's get back to training."

"Chh," Sasuke said and walked off to join Naruto and Sakura.

Kakashi watched him walk off and smiled. Maybe this little experience will be good for him…Kakashi thought…

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After training, Sasuke began to walk home. Sakura and Naruto had bid him goodbye and Sasuke immediately left. He thought back on what Kakashi said and growled.

Where did he get off in saying that he was falling for Yamanaka.

What gave him the idea that he was falling for her?

Where did he get off saying that he was distracted during training?

Sasuke couldn't disagree with his points more.

As Sasuke walked on the path to his house, he saw Ino sitting on a near-by bench. She was quietly eating, the same plain expression on her face. Her pale blonde hair draped over her shoulder and her lap.

Wasn't it good that she was avoiding him? Shouldn't it be great that she didn't want to see him anymore? Wasn't it good that she didn't talk to him or stare at him longingly with those blue eyes of hers…? Those big blue eyes of hers…

Sasuke shook his head, and snapped out of his thoughts.

Kakashi jinxed it.

Sasuke snorted and continued walking home, the blonde kunoichi never leaving his mind…

It was night, and Sasuke was in the park sitting on a bench. It was about 4 in

the morning. He had woken up extremely early that morning, and couldn't go back to sleep, so he had decided to sit in the park. He looked up at the dark sky and sighed, putting his hands in his sweater pockets, on account of it was very chilly. After a while, Sasuke decided to head home. Quietly, he stood up and began walking.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He turned around, thinking it was Ino. He was used to seeing Ino at the park after all of their encounters. Instead he saw a pink-haired kunoichi, Sakura.

"How are you feeling Sasuke-kun? You sure are up early." Sakura said and smiled softly.

"Couldn't sleep," Sasuke replied curtly and yawned, running a hand through his raven hair.

Sakura chuckled. "I see…well, I have to go get my mom some medicine, she's not feeling good. Well, see you later Sasuke-kun!" Sakura said and ran off.

Sasuke watched her run off and sighed; He could have sworn he heard Ino's voice when Sakura called his name…

Now he blamed Kakashi, for jinxing everything.

He once again began to walk home. His eyes were half-closed, and he had to repeatedly shake his head to stay focused. He then saw someone picking flowers, and he automatically knew who it was. She was wearing what looked like a white dress shirt and navy blue pants that reached a few inches above her knees. Her hair was pulled in a low ponytail, and she wore sandals. She was humming a small tune as she picked flowers carefully. She must have sensed his presence, because soon she was staring at him, a surprised expression at first, but then that same glare that she had sent him before.

It's him...Ino thought as she glared at him.

It was that look that told him that she was hurt by his actions; that look of anger and regret. As soon as she looked at him, she gathered the flowers in her arms and began to walk away, hearing a huff coming from her as she stormed away.

Sasuke growled and watched as she began walking away; she was avoiding him again. And it was making him angry; very angry. No one avoided him like that; no one…

He began following her, storming after her, not letting her get away. Soon he caught up to her and reached out for her arm. He jerked her backwards.

"What the-"

The flowers fell from her arms and scattered on the ground…

N.O.: I left it at another cliffy…I'm sorry! I just want to be sure that people are still reading! And…to leave you guys in suspense! So please read and review! See ya next update!

Editor's Note: Hmm…oh me oh my…poor Sakura, I feel so bad for her, and Ino…gosh, being a bit cowardly are we? Haha…Sasuke…oh Sasuke, that's what happens when girl's avoid you. Sigh…pathetic. (Glomps Sasuke "I won't ignore you!") -Kristine X3-