Chapter 16: The Flower and Bud Together Again

The arrow went straight through her heart.

But it wasn't Sakura's.

"Ino..."

Blonde hair was now on the floor, a few strands stained with blood when they landed at the large wound in her heart. The place where the arrow now is. Sakura quickly removed the weapon and threw it aside.

Sakura's head was hung low. The arrow was powerful. Very powerful. And Ino was quick enough to get in front of Sakura before it hit her.

There was just silence after the attack.

And even Yakaru knew it wasn't a tense or an uncomfortable silence.

It was the one that had a killing intent all over it.

He could sense the blood lust coming from the pink haired kunoichi.

Fire always was the worst temered, Lightning was just the short tempered.

But what came next he did not expect it from the girl.

From the kunoichi.

From the reincarnation of the Fire goddess.

From the shinobi.

Tears came down her face.

She broke a ninja rule. She showed emotion.

He frowned Why is she crying? Was the blonde not the girl she despises most?

Sakura faced the blonde girl, oblivious to the male in front of her that was confused.

"Why did you do it?"

Ino spoke in a quiet tone "It just shows you still need me to save your butt every time danger comes. I am getting quite sick of it."

Sakura glared at her "You didn't have to save me."

"Wouldn't you have done the same? Besides my body just acted on its own, and... truth be told. I hated you."

Sakura noticed the -ed "And you don't think I feel the same way?"

Ino just gave a small smile.

"You didn't have to save me... if you were going to die... Why did it have to be protecting me?! I don't want to be saved by you anymore! I'm sick of being the weak one! Why else do you think I ended our friendship?!"

No response.

"Ino-pig! Say something!"

Ino's eyes closed.

More tears streamed down her face.

"You god damn pig. How stupid are you? You didn't have to save me."

Flashback

"Here." Ino said handing her the red headband.

Sakura looked up at her then took it gratefully.

Sakura wore that until the day they graduated.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ino slammed her head on the table.

"... Maybe I can h-help you." Sakura offered.

Ino looked up at her then nodded "I guess."

Sakura smiled then taught her about the large history of Konoha.

Ino thanked her "I'm not used to people helping me."

Ino only let Sakura help her and no one else.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

"You're still a bud that hasn't bloomed yet." Ino told her.

"A bud?"

"And I'm sure you'll grow into a beautiful flower."

Sakura always used that statement to make her strive harder.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ino sighed.

"Something wrong Ino-chan?"

"Otoosan got back from another mission and had to stay in the hospital for about... another two months."

"Oh..." But then Sakura smiled "Then we better become ninja quick and help him in those hard missions!"

Ino actually did help Inoichi when it came to simple missions, only becasue Sakura advised her about it.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sakura sobbed into Ino's shirt, Ino patted her on the back "... I'm here for you Sakura-chan."

Sakura sobbed harder "I just don't want Otoosan and Okaasan to fight anymore! After they do, Otoosan always leaves for a few days, and Okaasan gets really sad... I just want them to be a loving family!"

"You do have a loving family. Sooner or later everything will be okay."

Sakura remembered that everytime her parents quarreled.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ino squealed "Isn't he cute!"

Sakura covered her ears "Who is? And please stop screaming."

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sakura frowned "Oh."

Sakura secretly didn't like Sasuke for stealing the attention of her best friend.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Sakura sighed as she saw Ino, along with a few other girls, follow Sasuke.

How was she supposed to bloom if the best flower was always there for her?

Sakura wasn't going to bloom if Ino was always there for her. She knew that now.

She had to be independant for once. She had to show her that she will finally grow up, that she will finally step out of her shadow.

All Sakura had to do was break their bond.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Ino's eyes widened.

"From now on we're rivals." Then Sakura walked away.

Ino just sat there and tears almost came down, but she quickly forced them back.

They were rivals from then on.

And they were never friends again.

But Sakura knew it wasn't just Sasuke they were competing over.

It was her.

To see if she was actually a late bloomer or an ugly flower.

End Flashback

"... You didn't have to save me..." She said for the fourth time.

Yakaru just watched the scene unfold between them... and he was jealous for his own personal reasons on how close, yet so far apart, the two girls really were.

But then Sakura got up and glared at the blonde male. Tears were still evident, and her eyes were red. But no sob was able to escape. She had to kill him before she would start crying for real.

Red chakra emitted from her, you could even see it around her body.

It looked like that even the jutsu had it's limits for strong and powerful chakra. It wasn't able to contain it.

And that was not a good sign.

Yakaru quickly got another arrow, but before he was able to do anything else Sakura already appeared in front of him and gave him a sharp blow in the stomach. One blow that was surrounded with fire.

He winced at the burn in his stomach then faced his opponent and his eyes widened.

It wasn't chakra that he saw around her.

It was fire. Real flames. Real heat.

He already felt like he was near the sun. Madoto jumped up and disappeared before Sakura could do anything.

The fire around her disappeared.

She realized that she couldn't get her revenge right there and now.

Sakura looked back at Ino, and dropped to her knees next to the blonde. A sob escaped her throat "Ino-pig..." Sakura hugged Ino, as if though hoping she'll react to the weight... the tears came even quicker.

The others came after hearing the commotion in the area and saw the two girls.

Sakura kept crying.

"... I-Ino." Hinata simply muttered.

Tenten just looked down.

Temari looked the other way, but then her eyes widened.

There, a few feet away, was the lightning bolt necklace given to Ino.

She walked towards it and grabbed it then returned to the others "She isn't dead." Temari simply said.

"Forehead." Ino simply muttered.

Sakura's eyes widened.

"You're heavy... and you call me the pig."

Sakura bit her lip hoping to not cry again.

But she failed miserably.

Temari held up the necklace "Remember what sensei said?"

Flashback

"I'm sure you all are wondering what those necklaces are for." Melane started.

"As you know, you are the reincarnations of the goddesses. They made life. So of course they are very powerful. They have the greatest chakra of all. And they were given bodies to help control the vast amounts of chakra.

"But you five aren't the real goddesses. You don't have the same bodies. Those necklaces are to suppress all the chakra you have. Even a sealing jutsu that I can create won't be able to suppress all of your chakra. So, never remove your necklaces."

"Never?" Ino asked.

"... If you do, the chakra will start to leak through, first if there are any wounds it automatically heals them. But once they are healed you will receive tremendous power. But after that, the chakra will harm you. Your bodies are to weak and young for that chakra. Once it becomes to much... you die.

"But not only you, the rest of the chakra still there will have an effect on the surroundings... My father was given some chakra from the goddesses and when he died the excess chakra affected the area he fought the Higure in. The Forest of Life is what we now call it."

"Where did you get these anyway?" Temari asked.

"Those are small fragments of the heart crystal that suddenly stayed in the Heart pillar and changed shape."

"... Do we have that much chakra?" Hinata asked.

"More than you could imagine."

End Flashback

Temari quickly put the necklace around Ino when yellow chakra started surrounding her, then sighed "My god Ino. You are just too much."

She smirked then sat up then put her hands to her heart "It doesn't hurt much anymore..."

"Thats good to know, Melane-sesei also said when it comes to the wounds, the chakra can only heal it if the wound appeared after the necklace was gone. You had good timing." Tenten told her.

Hinata smiled "At least you're okay."

Sakura just bonked her on the head "What the hell was that for, forehead?!" Ino exclaimed.

"You scared the shit out of me! And for what? You were perfectly fine!"

Ino just smiled "Yeah well..." She put a hand to her heart "It still kinda hurts. Not to mention the impact, it really felt like I was at death's doorstep."

"Even though you knew you weren't?" Hinata asked.

"Right when the arrow hit me I removed my necklace, so I don't know which came first. It was a fifty fifty on wether I was going to heal or not... Oh! And forehead?"

"What?"

Ino smiled "Good to know you still care."

Sakura smiled back.

"But you have got to stop crying so much."

Sakura was about to retort but then stopped and just sighed "Good to have you back Ino-pig, even though you never really left."

"Puh-leese. Like I'll leave you while you're still a bud. I have to see the result of all my hard work on you."

"..."

"I mean come on! I told you that when we were like what? Seven? And you still aren't a flower?"

"..."

Ino stood up "Anyway, lets get that damn heart piece! My chest hurts like hell. And Sakura?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow Not forehead?

"Sasuke-kun is still mine no matter what you're going to do."

"I'd like to see you try and get him Ino!"

"..."

"Lets just use our real names instead." Sakura suggested.

"Sure thing forehead. But you still won't stand a chance against me."

"Yeah right! Like I'm going to lose to you Ino-pig!"

The three watching sweat dropped Real names?

At least things were back to normal.

They were rivals again.

They were never friends again.

They were much more deeper than that.

They were sisters.

But this time, with an addition of three more people.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

did u people think i would not put any inosak?

among all the femle characters, their friendship was emphasized the most

and i really wanted to use a naru sas scene and replace it with ino sak

but anyway, how was this chap? good or bad?