Neither Shisui nor Ino could have been ready for it. It happened across town, in a separate clan quarter. At the time, Ino was trying to ignore the glares of the Hyuuga ghosts.

"C'mon, you can do it! This time you'll get it," Shisui coaxed, like a liar. And despite his earnest expression, he didn't look like he believed it himself. She wouldn't blame him.

"Why did you choose the Hyuuga clan compound anyway?" Ino said as she floated uncontrollably for the thousandth time. She turned a glare towards Shisui, who gave her a crooked grin back, one that looked like he was about to do something silly. It was hard not to smile back, but she tried.

"The Hyuuga always say they can see everything, but they can't see us." Shisui's smile dimmed. He took interest in the ANBU hopping across the rooftops. "I had a…friend, Hyuuga Hayami, who always joked about how I could never slip anything past her." His eyes flashed, gone and there and gone again. He forced his smile back in place. "But enough about that. You're on the road to becoming the fastest onibi anyone's ever seen."

Liar.

First, she floated upwards. Shisui almost lost her once she went out of his reach. Then, she flew faster, but oddly enough, only toward the Uchiha compound. Ino wasn't sure why. It wasn't as if she had ever visited the Uchiha Compound before. But the moment she lost focus, she was jetting towards the Compound, only stopped by a bemused Shisui guiding her back to the Hyuuga houses.

Hours had passed, and she thought some of the Hyuuga ghosts looked amused at her attempts. But her annoyance was interrupted by the oddest sensation; Ino's vision split in two.

She was with Shisui, trying and failing to learn how to fly outside the Hyuga compound. Except she was also floating in midair, staring up at a woman with chin length black hair and warm brown eyes.

Ino loved this woman, the way she did her hair, the way she walked her to the park. How she would push her on the swings and make dorayaki if she was good. Ino wanted to be just like her when she grew up.

Mama, a part of her with no name whispered. But… Ino's mother didn't look the same. Her eyes were brown as well, but her skin wasn't as pale. She never made dorayaki. The two conflicting images warred with each other.

The woman's arms reached for her, matched with a bright, warm smile. Come, Nami, She mouthed.

Nami's mouth opened, but she didn't say anything. All she could do was giggle. She hadn't felt so warm in so long. The world broke out in a thousand colours.

"Uh, Ino?" a voice called. Shisui looked up at her, alarmed. When had she flown above him? Shisui held a hand on her tether, which was flashing oddly iridescent colors, along with the rest of her.

"Please tell me this is another weird Yamanaka thing."

She continued giggling. And ascending. And ascending.

The sky looked so pretty. She'd have to tell Mama.

"Shit. Shit shit shit come back!"

And someone was pulling her. Someone was pulling her and she couldn't see Mama. Why won't they let her see Mama? She's been good, she knows she's been good. Daddy told her everyday.

Mama's face and little smile faded away. Nami stopped laughing.

"Ino?"

She made a face. Familiar, but that wasn't her name. Nami looked at Shisui, holding a golden chain that kept her from rising, betrayed.

He looked frightened, like the time she hid under the floorboards during hide and seek and he couldn't find her for ages.

"I'm Chinami," she corrected. "Duh." Shisui's eyes go wide, and look very very worried.

"Okay, I can deal with this. I can totally deal with this. We just need to get you back to your body—"

Her lip wobbled. "But I want Daddy—"

"Shisui!"

A dark blur collided with Shisui, who let out a quiet noise of surprise. Nami's chain jerked awkwardly with him. When Shisui stepped back, she saw Aimi, with black hair collected in a high bun. The white nightdress she wore flashed with blood, spilling red across her belly.

"You gotta help me with Fusao! His eyes are disappearing and yesterday his nose disappeared and it was really—"

The girl cut off, seeming to just notice Nami floating nearby. She raised a dark eyebrow.

"Why are you hanging out with an onibi?"

"Aimi-san?" Why doesn't Aimi recognize her?

The girl blinked at Nami. "How do you know my name?"

Shisui gave the girl a tight smile. "Hey, Aimi." He ruffled her hair, and the girl batted his hands away. "It's kinda late for you to be out of the compound."

The girl rolled her eyes. When they refocused, Nami saw they were a dark, weighty black. "What's the worst that can happen? I die?" Shisui flinched, but Aimi did not seem to notice, or care. She waved a hand at Nami.

"So, onibi?"

Nami wished her body would agree with her. She turned to her clan member, who had suddenly forgotten her and become a jerk.

"My name is—"

"Onibi-san is still developing, and was having trouble flying, so I decided to help," Shisui cut in, shooting Nami a look she didn't understand. Why did he look panicked? "I owed her a favor."

"Well, what's more important?" Aimi asked bluntly. "An onibi or the clan?"

Rude, she was part of the clan. Nami made a face. "I'm right here."

Shisui shot Aimi a Look, the same Look Mama got when she didn't clean up her toys.

The girl stared at Nami impatiently, but after a moment appeared to shrug inwardly. Her legs disappeared, and she lifted off the Hyuuga compound roof. "It's not that hard," she concluded with a smug grin. "With a little practice."

"Well, you try doing it without legs!"

The Uchiha raised an eyebrow, and looked down at her legs, which were now wispy, like a tail. "Not my fault you haven't formed yet. What's taking you so long?"

Ino bristled. "I've been here for less time than you have!"

"Nuh-uh!"

"Yeah-huh!"

"Well, you—"

"Girls!" Shisui interrupted, exasperated. Ino turned back to him, while Aimi sighed loudly. He muttered something under his breath, something that sounded like how do I end up in these situations, before ruffling his hair.

"Aimi, I can't help with Fusao right now. But during the afternoon, come find me, okay?" Shisui grimaced, an expression that didn't fit his face nearly as well as a smile. "I'm a bit tied up at the moment." He had been doing a lot of frowning since Ino had met him, but at least he didn't have to worry about frown lines.

The Hyuuga ghosts no longer looked amused with their presence. Maybe Shisui could feel the pressing glares, because he grabbed hold of Ino's tether once more, and slowly began flying away. Aimi followed silently.

It would be daylight in an hour or so.

Aimi looked off to the side. When her voice re-emerged, it was quiet. "I've been talking to some of the other ghosts outside the compound, and I'm—" she cut herself off with a harsh, inhuman noise. It scraped at Ino's ears, and she flinched back on the roof. "I don't want Fusao to disappear, Shisui-san. And Sasuke can't really help because of Mikoto-sama. So I'm counting on you."

How could Sasuke even help a ghost? Ino thought. Aimi didn't wait for Shisui's response, jetting off into the sky.

"Your family's disappearing?" Ino asked. "Why?"

"What's your name?"

"Huh?"

He kneeled in front of her, searching her face. "What's your name? What do people call you?"

The last few minutes caught up with her, and she grimaced. It was so hard to separate herself from the Uchiha. Would she just forget who she was all the time? "….Ino?"

She wasn't expecting him to sigh in transparent relief. "Okay, good. We're going back to your house for the night. You should rest…I think."

What? "We have to find Hitomi! All we've been doing is flying."

"You forgot who you were, Ino." He kept shaking his head, already flying towards the Yamanaka houses. "You probably shouldn't have been out here in the first place. Gods, this was a mistake. This is probably hurting you. I should—"

Touching her tether always felt strange, like reaching under her skin, but she did it anyway. She took pride in the Shisui's shock as she yanked the tether out of his grip. A piece of the chain fell off, but she didn't care.

"I can't sleep anymore." She started. A lump was building in her throat. "I can't sleep, and I can't dream, and everyone's worried and I can't talk to anyone and Itachi and the masked man haven't killed me yet but he probably will and I just want normal!" Ino didn't know she could cry, but here she is, shedding translucent tears that drop out of sight on the clan roof "Nothing is normal, and I can't get normal back even though I'm really trying, but I can find Hitomi and she can help, I know she can."

She glared at him, wishing she could pin him in place with a look the way Uncle Fuji could with his students. "If you don't want to help me, fine, but I'll find someone who will, or I'll teach myself how to fly and find Hitomi on my own."

She didn't know if she could, but she'd figure it out. There was no other option. She still felt tense as she tried to will her body away.

….No such luck. She remained in place. She closed her eyes, and tried again.

(To put in more effort. Not to avoid Shisui's wrecked expression.)

"You don't understand how strange this is," Shisui said quietly. "I can't think of any jutsu like this across the five nations. Communication with the dead is one thing, but becoming one yourself as you sleep? Being able to share memories and emotions with ghosts? There's no history. I don't know what happens when things go wrong." He let out a short, hysterical laugh. "I'm not sure what we're going to come back to when we get to your house, to be honest."

"That's why we gotta find Hitomi," she pleaded. "You promised—"

He sighed. "And we will. We will. But I need to ask around, figure out what the hell is happening and if there's anything I can do to actually help you." Shisui looked frazzled in the early morning light. "Please, just for tonight, let's stop early."

It wasn't fair. It was never fair. They'd barely even started searching. Ino's body and mind no longer made sense. Every second they put it off was another second Ino had of being constantly aware at all times.

Every day spilled into the other. Whether she was with Shisui or locked in her body, searching for answers, there was no break. She didn't realize how much of a break sleep gave you until it was gone. Ino needed to get it back, any means necessary.

And that's why she stuck out her pinky, staring at the bridge of his nose. "Promise," she said.

Shisui looked from the pinkie to her face, and back again. "You're not serious."

Somehow, her body and mind snapped into place, as if the need to prove him wrong superceded all rules about her own new reality. She charged forward with a hand powered with yin chakra, grabbing Shisui's hand.

"Ow! Jeez, fine." He shook his hand out of her grip like it burned him. Shisui looked to the heavens, as if they could provide an answer to his predicament, and then back down. Thankfully, he had no eyes. He wrapped his pinky around hers.

Maybe Shisui forgot, because she could feel a sliver of alarm before her vision changed.

"I'll look after you!" He ruffled the small boy's hair, and Itachi, normally so quiet, so composed, squawked. Clan genius, his ass. Itachi was just a kid, just like him. "It'll be like having a little brother."

Itachi's eyes went wide. He looked off to the side, where the Naka burbled in the distance. "I always wanted a big brother…Shisui-nii."

Shisui ripped his pinky away. "Alrighty, let's not do that again and get you back to your body!"

He began tugging her tether the rest of the way towards the Yamanaka houses, before giving her a small smile. "Well, I guess we have Aimi to thank."

Aimi? The snobby Uchiha? "What do we have to thank her for?"

Shisui looked at her and laughed, startling the nearby yurei. "Don't be like that, Aimi's usually nice, and you guys are actually similar." His smile flickered, before it brightened again. "When you weren't sure of who you were, arguing with her brought you back."

Ino made a face. She'd seen Aimi during recess before, or talking with Sasuke and another Uchiha boy after classes. Ino hadn't know how prickly she could be. Sakura would never—

She pushed the thought away. "We don't have anything in common." And since she recognized Shisui changing the subject, she did the same. "Where did you say your family was going to?"

But the moment she'd said it, she wished she could take it back. Shisui could be annoying, but he hadn't ever actually tried to hurt her. That was ma-nip-you-lat-ive, Daddy would say, and it wasn't even for a good reason. A pit settled in her stomach.

Shisui looked off to the side, but she still caught his grimace. "It's hard to say. I've been trying to find people, but I think they're either passing on or—" he swallowed. "Whatever happens after ending up here."

"What do you think happens?"

"….Nothing good."

They had made it back to Ino's bedroom. She hadn't noticed. She noticed how Shisui was watching closely, probably to make sure her body was still breathing. It was, and in her new pajamas no less. She was fine.

Unlike before, Shisui helped her all the way back into her body, rather than letting her go when she was close to her sleeping form. She looked at him, confused, but his expression radiated concern as he watched each breath she took. She didn't realize how much she worried him.

"I'm fine."

"You're not," Shisui said quietly. "But you will be, like you said. We just need to find your clan member...Oh I'm stupid."

She paused in front of her body, where she was about to fall back inside herself. "Huh?"

"I have some ideas on who to ask about helping you." he gave her a grin. "We'll get you back to something like normal as soon as we can. I just need to check the Compound first."

And this time, she couldn't help smiling back. "See you later, Shisui!"

Closing her eyes, Ino fell back into her body.

"You missed it!"

"Missed what?" Shisui said, flicking his eyes to him and then away, towards the civilian houses. "And have you seen Nami anywhere?"

Sasuke put his shakuhachi case in the closet before putting his backpack on by the door. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. We threw a fire dance! I played shakuhachi and the clan played their parts and Nami ascended! I think if we keep doing fire dances more members of the clan can ascend and they won't be stuck—"

"Nami's gone?" Both of Shisui's eyes had gone wide. "She's not here anymore?"

Sasuke turned, crossing his arms, as if he could protect himself from the way his heart ached. "You didn't want her to ascend?"

Shisui waved his hands. "No, it's great, Sasuke, it's fantastic." It certainly didn't look like it. He looked like someone had kicked him in the chest. "I'm glad you're helping the ghosts ascend, that's a great goal."

"It doesn't seem like it."

"I was just surprised, is all—"

"Whatever." Shisui could pretend to go out and find his family all he wanted. He was probably going off to look for Itachi. "I'm going to class. Don't follow me."

"Sasuke, listen to me—"

"I'm serious." He shut the door a bit too loudly. He knew it didn't matter, but he wanted Shiui to get the message. He began his walk towards the Academy.

He can do this without Shisui's help. He needs to practice his instruments more, arrange Fire Dances and start carrying out last wishes, but he could definitely help them ascend on his own.

At least he had Aimi looking for ghosts on his side.

"Ino? Are you sure you're okay? We can go home—"

She's pretty sure that she's only half inside her body, and the rest of her is still floating around Konoha. She's pretty sure her heart shouldn't be beating like this. She's perfect. "Yes, Mama. Look! There's Sakura."

Ino kissed her mother's face quickly before running off to meet her friends. A few meters in front of Sakura, she grabbed the nearest girl, Honoka, and began talking about her inside knowledge on Ichiko's secret crush on Kiba. She avoided Sakura, the way she always did, before sitting down at the front.

It was getting closer to the time when Sakura blossoms rained down on the Yamanaka houses, and the clan threw their annual Hanami parties. Members of the clan had already been asking if Sakura was going to be coming. All she could do was smile, or pretend she had a headache, turn their curiosity into choking concern.

Ino wondered if Sakura ever noticed the way the clan looked at her, as if she was growing the flowers with a wave of her hand. She's sure a good portion of the clan believed Sakura had the ability already.

From her hair to her eyes to her surname, she was a flower in human form. The clan's love of Sakuya carried them to InoShikaCho, then to the village. For the clan heiress to be friends with the walking personification of the sacred flower of the clan…everyone loved that.

It would be normal of Ino to hang out with Sakura, bring her to the greenhouses as she usually did. She knew it would make her parents worry less, make Shika stop looking at her with those worried-not-worried eyes and Choji stop leaving chips on her seat. And so she may or may not have lied, told her parents that of course Sakura would come to the Hanami parties! She's just busy with classes and extra credit work. You saw her always lugging those books around, she loves doing more work!

But Sakura left her in the meadow. Roo-mi-nation didn't help anyone, Daddy always said. Ino had other friends and she didn't need Sakura in her life.

(Even if she missed her. Every day. )

Ino had taken to bringing an extra sweater to the Academy. Between the weather and the ghosts, her usual outfits weren't as comfortable. She bundled herself in a long sleeve shirt her cousin drew clematis flowers on, a gift while she was in the hospital. As she sat down, she pulled it around herself.

It was chilly. It was always chilly.

The day slid by. Not because it was borng, but because Ino hadn't found a way to stuff herself back into her body. She knew she was in her body, some part of her was walking and talking and laughing, but everything was distant and cold and cloudy. She couldn't hear well. Her vision was starting to tunnel on her math work—Math work?

"—'ve gone through most of the multiplication exercises while you both were out, and moved onto division. I want to see where you both are currently." Iruka-sensei smiled at both of them. "You can work together, if you'd like."

Ino took a look at the clock and nearly choked. The entire school day had gone by. In her mind, she was still being guided back to her body by Shisui, expecting to feel grounded and instead still flying.

So she missed the entire math lesson during the day (and the entire day, at that) and then the makeup math lesson. That was fine, her family owned a flower shop. She could do these calculations as long as she kept tapping her left hand to keep herself on Earth.

Robotically, Ino stared at the sheet. She'd already done most of them, and theexercises were mainly straightforward:

13. If Itsuko has five sunflowers in her bouquet, and each sunflower has ten petals, how many sunflower petals does she have?

14. There are four seasons in a year. How many seasons are in six years?

15. A weapons pouch holds 5 kunai. There are 3 genin on a team. How many kunai does the team have all together?

Iruka-sensei didn't focus on them as they worked, instead forced to focus on a Naruto in detention for another prank. Ino didn't pay attention. She didn't have any energy or ability too. She could only focus on her tapping, another skill from Mayu-san, and her questions.

But she was forced to look at Sasuke because Sasuke…was acting weird.

It started when they began their silent work. Sasuke sighed at the window, where all Ino could see was Hashirama trees in the distance. Then, Sasuke, jumped, and hissed as his thigh hit the desk. Then, Sasuke glared at the sheet, whispering under his breath.

"Are you done?" flew out of her mouth before she could stop it. Sasuke glared. Ino was finishing out her problems. Sasuke had barely started. "You're louder than Naruto."

"You're the one that keeps tapping."

"It's a focusing technique."

"It's annoying."

How had she liked him? How? And why was every Uchiha she met so annoying? "Whatever."

She dropped her pencil, turning to past Naruto swinging his feet at the window. Sunlight darted through the trees, and she could see two birds pecking at a Hashirama tree. She'd have to remember the sight for later, so she could continue drawing it at home or with Mayu-san. She stared at the window as she waited for Iruka-sensei.

She wondered how many ghosts were out there. It was a gift from Sakuya-hime that she could only see them during the nighttime. If she saw them while she was in her body, she'd never get anything done, or even be able to watch the birds chirp on the trees without a distraction.

It was beautiful, all those trees, so tall…so pretty…so……

"Where to after this, Benjiro?" A translucent woman said. Hair the color of blood fell down to her waist, and Ino could see the points of senbon she threaded through her hair. She was dressed for war, in soft shades of white and blue. Black markings curled up and down her forearms. A crown circled her head. Naruto frowned at his papers before bunching them carelessly in his bag. Ino saw him shove half a tomato in his bag and nearly gagged.

"Uh, the playground by the Inuzuka compound, I think?" A man next to her said. He touched down on the floor, ghostly armor settling around him in shades of white and blue. He must have also been fighting at the time of his death. "Kid's been hanging around there lately."

"Think we could get him to stumble on the mask temple one day?" A third man said. His bright red hair was collected in a bun, and he wore similar armor.

"I don't think there's anything really left of the temple." The woman murmured. "My baby sister didn't maintain the upkeep." She stared at Naruto, a bitter smile on her face. "I don't blame her for that. Much."

What in the world—

"Ino!"

Her head smacked into the desk, and the room went quiet. Pain shot through her skull, but she tried to tell herself it could be worse. She could be dying. She could be running from certain death. She could be in the hospital.

But Naruto's howling with laughter in the background, and when she picked her head up, even Sasuke had a little smirk on his face. Ino wanted to rip it off.

"Ino, are you okay?" Iruka-sensei materialized in front of her somehow. "Let's go to the nurse—"

Helooked at her mussed sleeve, where her yang bracelets should be, and frowned. Deeply. "Where are your bracelets."

Uh oh. Sasuke's brow rose. Ino wanted to sink into the floor. "I…I don't have them, Sensei. Sorry." She made her eyes wide as possible, tried to make herself look embarrassed instead of enraged. "I forgot them at home." She left them under her pillow for areason.

Iruka sensei rounded his desk and brought out another ugly pair of Uncle Shikaku's bracelets. "You need to wear the bracelets for your health, Ino. Your father was very clear."

She looks down, pit in her stomach going deeper and deeper. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to cry. But if Iruka-sensei told her parents, they'd be back to monitoring her sleep. Or put her back in the hospital. She'd never get to try and learn to dream again. She'd be further away from finding Hitomi, finding out what happened to her, and sleeping again.

Tears pricked at her eyes. "I'm sorry Iruka-sensei, I'm really s-sorry." Embarrassment burned her cheeks. "I won't do it again, I'm sorry."

Iruka-sensei immediately stood up and grabbed a box of tissues and an ice pack, moving them outside of the classroom, where the halls had long been emptied. He shot a warning look at Sasuke and Naruto before turning to her. He pressed the ice pack to her forehead while she wiped her eyes.

"What's going on, Ino?"

"I'm just really t-tired Iruka-sensei." And she was. Every day bled into the next. There was no stop, no break in between. She'd started writing dates in her sketchbook to keep track. "I normally don't forget, but I've just been tired." She grabbed another tissue, blowing loudly.

Iruka-sensei's voice softened. "I can't imagine what you've been through, and you've been so brave coming back here. I'm sorry you've been through so much. I know it's unimaginable, it will take time, and work, but you will be just fine, okay Ino?"

Ice dripped into her eyes. Daddy and Mama had said the same thing, but it was only when Shisui said it that she could believe it. "Yes, Sensei."

Sensei paused. "Tell you what. If you can promise me that after this you won't take off your bracelets, I won't tell your parents." He gave her a crooked grin, almost like Shisui's. "Deal?" He held his hand out teasingly.

The yang bracelets were the bane of her existence. She'd take hours and hours out there with ghosts than another day of wearing those all day. But for this, she'd lie. Gladly.

With a snotty, teary hand, she shook it. Iruka-sensei squeaked.

—-

After she promised she didn't need the hospital, really, they went back into the class. Surprisingly, the classroom wasn't destroyed in their abscence. Sasuke sulked in his part of the room, eyes darting towards the window and scowling. Naruto was winding up to throw something at Sasuke's head when Iruka sensei caught him.

One mini lecture later, Sensei brought out another copy of the problems. "Alright. I'll go through the problems. Call out the answer you came up with."

She wasn't sure when, but it had become a competition, with Naruto as their lone, confused spectator. Even Sensei was confused. So was Ino, to an extent. But underneath not wanting to feel stupid after injuring herself daydreaming, there was something more poisonous, something bitter. Something that said, something awful happened and it changed me and I need to show it didn't with everything I have.

Ino was the best at math in her cohort. Naturally, it showed: She got the first eight right, while Sasuke missed problems three and seven, but she was quickly humbled when she missed eleven and twelve. She could see Sasuke gripping his pencil tightly.

"Good job, you two!" Iruka-sensei called innocently with a bright smile. "Okay, number 13. If Itsuko has five sunflowers, how many petals are there in total?"

"Fifty," they chorused. Sensei nodded.

"And for 14, how many seasons are in six years?"

"Twenty four."

"Great work! It's like neither of you missed anything at all." And here Ino could feel grounded, like she could finally settle back in her skin, This was normal and she was fine.

"Last one: how many kunai does the team have all together?"

"Twenty," said Ino.

"Fifteen," said Sasuke.

They both paused. She could feel Sasuke's eye on her. He was probably doing that eyebrow thing too. Ino hadn't looked away from her paper, but she frowned at the problem. She opened her mouth, but decided proving Sasuke wrong wasn't worth talking, so it snapped shut.

"Okay." Iruka-sensei had a crooked smile on his face, but not like Shisui's. It reminded Ino of Naruto, smug and sure right before another prank. "Okay, so you had a difference. Sasuke, can you explain to Ino how you reached your answer?"

She could feel his gaze on the side of her head. "There are five kunai to a person, and three on a team. Three groups of five make fifteen."

Sensei nodded slowly. "That is true. Ino, how did you get your answer?"

There was a pause. Ino continued to look down at her paper, twirling her pencil. "They're on a genin team. Genin—"

"Can you look at Sasuke, Ino?"

Ino liked Iruka-sensei's classes. He was the nicest sensei in the Academy. Now, Ino would rather have Demon Kiyomi-sensei.

She breathed in for a count of four, held for a count of seven, and released on a count of eight.

You're Yamanaka Ino and you can do this.

She looked up and towards his cheekbone, taking in his narrowed eyes in her peripherals. "They're on a genin team. Genin always have a sensei, so there would be four people on the team all together. Four pouches of five kunai would make twenty."

She immediately looked back to Iruka-sensei, who hadn't let go of that little smile. "Technically, you're both right. But Ino has the correct answer. It's a trick question."

Naruto cheered in the background, and Ino resisted the urge to flip her hair. She'd let Sasuke's fuming silence keep her satisfied. Iruka-sensei corralled their attention back to the board. "The three genin would have fifteen kunai between them, but because they are genin, they also always have a leader—either a jonin sensei or a chunin leading them. So they would have twenty all together as a team." Iruka-sensei clapped his hands together.

"I think that's enough for today. I'll walk you three out."

Ino and Sasuke packed up their books, and began their walk to the front of the school. Naruto was still cheering her "win" as they walked down the hall.

"And Naruto, if you pull another prank, you'll have detention for the month."

Naruto groaned next to Ino, who had unfortunately ended up next to Sasuke. "Fine, Sensei! I'm glad I got detention and saw the bastard lose!"

Ino watched Sasuke's fingers clench his books tightly, and for the first time in months, she grinned and meant it.