"You never know when to stop do you, Ino-pig? Sasuke-kun is never going to notice you. Face it, why would someone so good looking fall for a pig like you?" Ino visibly flinched. What was Sakura talking about? A week ago, she had been a timid little girl Ino had saved from a bunch of bullies, after that. Ino thought they could be best friends

"What are you talking about Sakura? What's gotten into you? I thought we were friends..."Determined emerald eyes bore into confused blue ones. Of course, Ino had an idea of what Sakura was talking about. They both liked Sasuke, and Sakura saw her as a threat. But ending their friendship over a guy, Ino wouldn't believe it until she heard it from Sakura's own mouth.

"You are as dumb as a pig! We can't be friends anymore. We're rivals now, fighting for the affections of Sasuke-kun." So she was right. Suddenly, a new found emotion filled Ino. She felt betrayed and confused, but most importantly, she felt like shit because her best friend chose a guy over her... Ino decided she didn't like the feeling, and if this is the thanks she gets for helping someone, then she'll just never help anyone again. Blue eyes hardened in resolve.

"Fine then. If that's the way you want it to end, then so be it. Goodbye, S-" She couldn't call her that anymore...Short blonde locks swayed as she shook her head. "Forehead girl" Looking down at Sakura's still outstretched hand, Ino decided that two could be mean about this.

'SMACK'

Let it be heard by all that it was Sakura who ended their friendship, but known by no one that even though it was Ino that walked off first, it was her who would cried herself to sleep that night. And when she went back the next morning, the little red ribbon was still there, left alone, abandoned, just like her.

Thicker Than Blood

Chapter II

Distant murmurs were heard as Ino scoured the south western border looking for any signs of more reinforcements from Sound. "What are you doing here? This war doesn't involve you or Akatsuki, why can't you just leave Naruto alone!?" The word Akatsuki struck a nerve and Ino found herself moving stealthily towards the conversationalists.

"That is not something I can decide. I have my orders as you have yours."

"Itachi..." There was only one Itachi in the whole organization, and surely this was a trap of some sort, hoping to lure in pathetic fools who dared eavesdrop on the infamous Uchiha Itachi, the one behind the renowned Uchiha Massacre. However, she knew the female voice, it was Hana Inuzuka, Ino was sure of it and the fact that she was here made it seem okay to listen. "Remember back in the day, you owed me three favours? Remember my first and only favor, I asked you-"

"'Not to kill my brother because he deserved a chance at life." Itachi filled in smoothly. The reason why Itachi had left Sasuke alive but not anyone else had always been a mystery left unsolved. Sasuke had said it was because Itachi was planning something and left it at that, no more arguments, case closed. But now, the real reason was right there, and either in shock or stupor Ino takes a step back and it might've been the biggest mistake anyone in her position could have made/

'SNAP'a twig beneath her feet cracked and the world suddenly stops spinning.

"Yeah...I want my second favor now. I-" Canine senses stopped her in the middle of her sentence. Both pairs of eyes turned to the intruder whose hands flew to cover her mouth in shock. "Ino! What are you doing –"

"You shouldn't be here, Kunoichi" Closing her eyes, it took everything in her not to shake. Ino was scared beyond belief. Uchiha Itachi was standing in front of her, a long slim finger pointing at her as he spoke. If he could kill his whole clan without qualms, she couldn't begin imagine what he would do to her...When after a few minutes passed and nothing happened, Ino reluctantly opened her eyes to find Itachi half way across the field, Hana in tow.

Once she was sure they were out of sight, she turned around and headed back to try and find someone she knew, anyone, she just really wanted to see a familiar face. The war had only just begun and already she was tired of seeing all this blood and gore.

"Ino-chan! Ino-chan, wait up!" A wave of familiarity hits her and she concludes that the voice sounds an awful lot like - snapping her head back; she was greeted with pink hair and a pair of emerald eyes-Sakura. But it's been a very long time since she's been called that and Ino has a hard to remember when exactly that time was.

"Cut the crap Forehead girl, you haven't called me that in years. What do you want?" When she said anyone with a familiar face, she hadn't exactly meantanyone; Sakura was one of the people Ino did not want to see at this moment. Ino briefly considered the possibility of the woman before her being a clone. She was wearing the same attire as the Sakura that had stood at the front lines earlier today, but instead of using her forehead protector to tie back her hair, she was using the red ribbon that they had abandoned that day...

"I-Ino-chan?" Turning her head to look at her, she was met with large confused emerald eyes that started to pool with tears. Suppressing the urge to roll her eyes, Ino opted to close them instead. Surely, you'd think a kunoichi of seventeen could keep her eyes from watering in front of people...

"Sakura, I thought you went to go find Sasuke with Naruto, you know, to try and convince him to come back?" Somehow, it felt like she was talking to a child instead of a full grown adult.

"S-sasuke-kun?" A blink of an eye and a wistful sigh. "Are you feeling okay, Ino-chan? Go find Sasuke, convince him to come back? We haven't spoken about him since, you know, that day. No one has."

"Which day?"

"You know, that day Uchiha Itachi murdered his whole clan? Such a shame, I really liked Sasuke..." The next morning was when they ended their friendship, after Sakura found Ino going to comfort Sasuke... but that doesn't make sense...

"But Hana... she convinced Itachi to let Sasuke live. I just saw them!"

"Itachi? Oh Ino, are you sure you don't have a fever? Hana's scouting the borders, she won't be back until tomorrow, and why would she be with Itachi?"

"But the war..."

"Oh right! Sandaime-sama wants a meeting with all chuunins and jounins available to inform everyone exactly what's going down and what to expect"

"Sandaime...but he died during his fight with Orochimaru didn't he?"

"Ino! What are you saying? The Sandaime is still alive and breathing. What's gotten into you today? Finding Sasuke? Hana and Itachi? The Sandaime dead?" At this point, Ino was beyond confused. Taking a deep breath she goes over the facts that are given to her and compares it to hers. Sasuke died along with the rest of the Uchihas, so there was no one for them to fight over. That would explain the confusion at the beginning of their conversation. If Sasuke wasn't an option for Orochimaru to choose as a new host, then maybe Orochimaru wouldn't have been drawn back to Kohona so soon, meaning Orochimaru and the Sandaime never fought. Then full realization hit her. If the Sandaime didn't die, then the elders would have no reason to look for Jiraiya or Tsunade. If that was the case, then they would be at even greater odds in this war because now, it was a Legendary Sannin, his army, and the whole of the Akatsuki organization versus the Leaf and Sound Village. With all her might, Ino wishes this is all a sick joke.

And when Ino came back to her senses again, Sakura was running while facing her screaming "hurry Ino, there's not much time left..." and then she was gone.Hurry? What for? But before she had time to contemplate on the matter, the trees and the grass and the sky around her started to blend together, twisting and twirling until everything was a big mix of greens and blues and browns.

Then she was at the Forest of Death. Chouji was there, down on the ground unconscious, his chips spilled around him. This was their first Chuunin exam. Shikamaru was on her right, holding a jutsu she knew all too well. Following his shadow, she was met with a pale face that was only emphasized by long dark hair.

"Ino! Run! AH!" Ocean blue eyes darted back and forth between Shikamaru and the long neck of the stranger. The same eyes widened in memorization. So this was Orochimaru.

"SHIKAMARU!" A foreign voice snapped Ino out her thoughts and it was only moments later did she realize it was her own voice. As quick as he came, Orochimaru was gone; leaving with the same cryptic message he had no doubt had left Sasuke as well. Just as she was about to run to Shikamaru's side, the world around her starts to turn again. Coiling and weaving together just like the previous time.

And the next thing she knew she was at the gate, half expecting to see Sasuke with his pack, and half expecting to see Shikamaru ready to leave the village without telling her, just like Sasuke. But neither of them came. It was just her standing in the clearing, the leaves dancing around her while the wind played with her golden locks. It was just her for some reason that fact alone made her heart feel heavy. He promised to come back.

"Ino... Ino can you hear me? Wake up, Ino!" Oh great, now the winds talking to me... but it sounds an awful lot like... The world around her started to turn again mushing and mashing until Ino found herself falling into an endless abyss of darkness. And before she was consumed by the darkness that surrounded her, she could hear the name she had uttered echo...

"..Sasuke"

"SASUKE!" Her whole body bolts upright, ocean blue eyes snap open quickly scanning her surroundings, noticing she was no longer in the forest, or the gates, or anywhere outside. She was a room full of white, white walls, white tables, white floors, white chairs, everything was white. All white and white and some more white.

"Ino! Ah… it's nice to see you awake."

"Shikamaru? Shika!" She leaps off the bed and nearly jumps on him shaking hands grabbing for his neck, only to reveal nothing was there…

Nothing was there… Nothing was there… Nothing. No snake bite, no black swirls… nothing

"You're okay… you're still here…"

"Ino...calm down. What happened? You were supposed to go with the others to defend the western border, but when all the enemies were killed, the others couldn't find you until afterwards. You were lying unconscious in front of the hospital."

"I… I saw Itachi and Hana… I think…"

"You think she's a traitor?" After seeing her nod, Shikamaru continued "This is serious Ino; you're accusing her of being a traitor. She could be executed, especially now, during war. Are you sure you saw her?"

"I know, I know, but this about the fate of Kohona. We can't afford to have a traitor leak all our tactics out to the enemies. Think about it, how many people knew that we were sending most of our Anbu out of the village? Who would know when they would've gone the furthest and would be pointless to turn around to assist? Shika, you have to trust me, I know what I saw and you know what I'm saying makes sense." She was yelling now. Why wouldn't he just trust her?

"Ino, that isn't enough proof. Why don't we just keep this between you and me for now, and when you have more evidence, we'll go tell the Hokage. I know you think you're right on this, but this could all just be a huge coincidence. What you're accusing her of, it could kill her, and later, if you find out you were wrong, it could be too late."

She understood the logic behind what he was saying, but the childish part of her, the part of her that refused to leave her blurted out before the logical part of her could stop it. "So after all these years, you still don't trust me? Shikamaru, I know what I saw and I'll prove to you that I was right."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Ino. It's just… never mind Ino. Get some rest; I'll go tell the Hokage you're awake." With that he leaves her to her thoughts and the darkness of the night.