A Pure Soul

"Look at the next photo," Kakashi says as he pours himself another drink. We have spent hours looking through old records and photos he has. I look into the box and see more pictures I pick them all up. Then next one also surprises me.

"Sakura and Kiba?" Kiba has his arm around her and she's leaning against him smiling. "Are they close friends?" I look through more photos and see most of them are Kiba and Sakura together.

"They're married"

I snap my head in his direction. "What? But I didn't see anything about them being married in her file..."

"Not surprising, but they did have a ceremony" he stands up and walks to me. He takes the photo and flips through them until he comes across their wedding photo. There it is. Clear as day. Her in a wedding dress and him in a tux.

"How did you get all this?"

"Like I said she was my best dancer. We were close. I took care of her a lot. Hell, they even had their wedding ceremony here"

"What happened?"

He sighs and stands up to walk to the other couch again. "I wish I knew. They got married and they both changed. Before I knew it she was coming into work high or beaten up. I still let her keep her job but the end came when I found out she had been stealing from me. After that, I fired her and I haven't seen her since"

"But if Kiba and Sakura are married why would she want to sell him out?"

"To save herself. Sakura only cares about herself Sasuke. Its the way she's always been."

I sigh, although I know more now. I'm even more confused than I was before. None of this is making sense.

"Police work isn't as simple as they make it seem, you still need evidence and..." I look up at him. He takes another drink, "Even if you build a whole case against Sakura and Kiba your still missing the key factor"

"And what's that?"

"Naruto."

"What are you staring at?" I whisper teasingly to Sai. Were both laid in bed together. He pushes a blonde streak out of my face. "My favorite masterpiece..." he whispers gently.

I giggle, "your so cheesy Sai," I say as I sit up to get out of bed. But he grabs my hand and pulls me back to him. "That's okay. I'm a very emotional person" I laugh.

"We better stop before Deidara comes in," I say. He lets me go immediately. I giggle again. He stands up and stretches I look at his pale back as he does. He walks into the adjoining bathroom and soon I hear the shower begin to run.

I stand up and also stretch. I hear my phone ring and pick it up.

"Hello"

"...Ino It's me..."

"Neji? You sound bad." I whisper and walk to the other side of the room away from the bathroom.

"Ino I need to see you... Please..."

"Neji I can't-"

"Please just this once. Listen I know you love Sai but..."

"But what?"

"Just come meet me at the cafe we always go to with Hinata. I'll be waiting" the line clicks. I look down at my phone. He sounded so desperate. I have been ignoring him because I don't know what to say to him.

"Is something wrong?" I turn to the doorway of the bathroom and see Sai. My heart begins to race. Did he hear me talking to Neji?

"Who was it?" he asks and begins to walk to me. "It was a friend. She wants me to go see her" I lie. He stops when he's standing right in front of me. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know"

"Hanabi you have to get up," I say in a stern voice. She's laying on the ground. An empty bottle of vodka is next to her. I don't even remember when was the last time I've seen her sober.

"Hanabi!" I lose my patience. "Leave me alone! Leave Itachi! I don't want you here!" she yells. It stings. "Hanabi, come on, I can't leave you on the floor," I say and begin to pick her up despite her protest. But she pushes me away.

I take a step back. "Go! No one wants you here!" she yells. "Hanabi-"

"Why are you here Itachi?" she whispers in a hopeless tone. "I-I don't even love you but your still here..."

"...I love you Hanabi... Even if you don't feel the same way..."

She begins to cry and shakes her head. "I don't deserve someone like you. I'm a terrible person. All I do is cause you pain..." Suddenly before I can comprehend what's happening I see her begin to throw up.

"Shit" I quickly go to her and put her on her side instead of back. I try to sit her up slowly. When she's done I carry her to the bathroom and set her down in the tub.

I help her take off her vomit-covered clothes. "I'm sorry Itachi..." she whispers as she begins to close her eyes. I quickly turn on the water and she wakes up again.

After shes clean, I put fresh clothes on her and take her to bed. "I should have been there..." I look up at her. She seems soberer now. "I should have been there to help Hinata... She's always been helpless since we were kids" she chuckles.

"Too kind and too trusting in this cruel world. A pure soul so is enticing to those that thrive in chaos... " Her voice breaks. "S-She was swallowed up... No chance for her to fight..."

"Hanabi..." I say gently and begin to pet her hair. She shuts her eyes as her tears begin to stream down her cheeks. "We fed her to the big bad wolf... Without any care in the world. We ignored her cries. And now... She's gone..."

As I walk into the cafe I see Neji sitting in the back table. I take a deep breath and begin to walk over. I sit across from him. I take him in. He looks so fucked up.

"You look good" he starts. "I wish I could say the same to you. You've been drinking again haven't you?" I say smelling the alcohol. He chuckles, the waitress comes over and brings us coffee. Already knowing our order by memory.

"What did you want to talk about?" I ask hesitantly. He takes my hands in his, part of me wants to shrug him off but I don't. "Ino... truthfully. I want to beg you to stay with me..." I open my mouth to say something but he beats me to it.

"But I know you won't... Nothing I say will make you stay..." he looks down at our hands. "Right?"

I look down at our hands too. How perfectly molded they are together. In one instant I break them apart. He looks up at me sadly. I shake my head, "I can't Neji..." I whisper.

"You know I had loved you since we were teenagers"

I feel my eyes widen in surprise. He chuckles, "Hinata brought you home and I looked into your clear blue eyes and couldn't help but fall for you... I only wish I had the balls to tell you before you met him..."

"Neji-"

"I know we will never be together. And I know that you won't leave him for me. I know that... no words I conjure up will make your feelings toward me change... But I just want you to know that even if it was just for a night or two I was happy. And I hope you were too..."

Before I can say anything else he grabs my face in his hands and he kisses me. I push him away. He chuckles again and stands up. "One day you will see all the things that I could have given you" he turns and leaves me there.

"I'm sorry Neji" I whisper knowing that he will no longer hear me.

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