Ch.4 Thank-you

Ino fell flat on her side, and stared at the wall.

"Well this sucks!" Ino exclaimed. She sighed and thought, 'Shikamaru where are you when I need you?"

"So this is what it's like. Never thought it was this big," Shikamaru said while coming through the wall.

"Just go away. You're the one who put me in here!" Ino commanded. Shikamaru sighed and told her, "I'm sorry Ino, but I can help you."

"How are you going to help me!? People already think I'm crazy!" Ino snapped.

"Listen Ino, do you want me to help you or not?" Shikamaru asked impatiently.

"No thanks…" Ino replied in a sarcastic tune. 'Troublesome…' Shikamaru thought. He sighed and kissed her nose.

Sakura walked up to the door and rang the bell.

"Oh Sakura!" Inoichi said in shock.

"Hi, Mr. Yamanaka. Is Ino home?" she asked. Inoichi's eyes widened and replied, "Uh-no…"

"Well where is she?"

"I don't know…"

"Yes you do! If you didn't you wouldn't be too good of parents now would you? Now where is she?!"

"She's…away."

"Where? I want to bring her somewhere."

"Let's just say we sent her somewhere with pretty white walls." He slammed the door in her face and locked it. Sakura clenched her fist and whispered, " How dare they! She's upset; she doesn't deserve that! BASTARDS!" she ran toward the institution where she guessed she was…and she was right. She walked up to the desk in the lobby and asked, "Is Ino Yamanaka staying in this institution?"

"Uh…Yeah. She's in room 13; down the hall, to the right," the lady at the desk instructed. Sakura thanked her and went to the room. When she reached the room she saw Ino sitting down against the wall thinking.

"Ino! Hey Ino!" Sakura yelled while banging on the door. Ino looked up toward the door. "What are you doing here?" Ino asked.

"I'm going to get you out of here. I promise." Sakura replied. Ino nodded and continued looking at the wall again.

"Excuse me. Hi again; listen the patient you have, Ino Yamanaka, please I need you to le her out. She doesn't belong here." Sakura pleaded

"I'm sorry miss. We cant let anyone out with out knowing they're normal," the lady at the desk told her.

"Please, I've known her for nine years! What if I can prove it," the lady said. " Ok fine we'll get her, but if you don't prove that she doesn't belong here miss Ino will be here for a long time. You understand?!" Sakura nodded. A few hours later the lady that was at the desk brought out Ino and a young women, who Sakura assume she was the manager of the place. The desk women left and the manager sat Ino down next to Sakura; the manager sat down in a large chair across from them.

"Ok miss; you have 20 min to prove Ino doesn't belong here. Starting with the 1st question. Why do you think she belongs here?" the manager asked.

"Well Ino's depressed and confused. Her best friend just passed away, and she's always had these feelings for him," Sakura explained.

" I didn't just have feeling for him. I loved him more than anything. After he died I thought I couldn't live with out him. When ever I thought about him I'd burst my eyes out," Ino said with a depression expression.

"Wow! I'm sorry. I didn't know, your parents didn't say anything about that on the phone. I can understand, you can go. I'm very sorry about your loss miss Ino," the manager said.

"It's ok. Thank you," Ino said. Sakura and Ino walked out of the institution.

It was quiet for a while as they walked.

"Thank you," Ino finally said.

"Hey it was nothing. I still don't believe your parents did that to you," Sakura said.

"I don't want to go home. They don't understand," Ino said.

"So where do you want to go?"

A few minutes later they arrived at the doorway. Sakura rang the doorbell, and waited. As they stood in the doorway the door slowly opened. There stood Shikato. He looked like he didn't sleep for days, and his eyes looked bloodshot and dry probably from crying so much.

"M-Mr. Nara. Please, please let me stay here," Ino begged.

"Ino, why would you want to stay here?" Shikato asked.

"I need something to remind me, to see something that he can still be happy where ever he is," she replied.

"Why don't you want to go home?" Shikato questioned.

"They thought I was crazy because…I shouldn't even tell you. You wouldn't believe me," Ino said with a sad tone, almost like she wanted to drop down on the floor and cry forever.

"Ok fine you stay. Just 'cause you were Shikamaru's best friend and I know you really cared about him," he said. Ino smiled lightly; she felt like she hadn't smiled for years. It actually felt good about smiling even if it wasn't a big one. She stepped in the house and thanked Sakura again and said good bye to her.

"Shikato who is it?" Yioshi asked, "Oh Ino; why are you here?"

Yioshi looked worse than Shikato…a hell of a lot worse.

"She's going to stay here for a while. It's about…well Shikamaru," Shikato had answered for her. 'I wonder if they see him like I do..'

"Ino were just making dinner, and I would love for you to join us. Have you eaten?" Yioshi asked. Ino shook her head. Ino waited for a while at the dinner table for the food to be ready. Yioshi walked over to Ino and Shikato and placed 2 plates in front of them.

"So, what was so bad that you couldn't go back home?" Shikato asked curiously. As he looked at her, he realized that she was about to cry. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to upset you, I was just asking." After dinner Ino sat on the steps and just sat there bored for the first time. Ino's curiosity was taking the best of her again. She walked up the stairs; she knew where her legs were taking her, but she knew her mind didn't want to go there. She arrived at the door and opened it. The room was the same as it was 4 weeks ago, except there were some clothes and a towel in the corner. She stepped in the room and continued walking closer and closer to his bed. She ran her hand across the bed sheets. The sheets were still messy; she assumed that his mother hasn't touched the bed since he died. She gasped when she felt muscular arms hug around her waist and tear drops fall on her shoulder.

"Thank you…"