LAST TIME
Ino grabs her bag and starts to head off with Sasuke trailing behind.
'She seems...different now. Almost as if she had a different personality since we had last seen each other. Like she has dropped everything and became more into fighting. It's definetly certain that her techniques have improved. More than Sakura's too...this one may be hard to beat...'
NEW STORY AWAITSLove Can Happen...To Anyone
At Ichiraku's
The young 15 year old blond and raven-haired teens arrived several minutes after the big fiasco near the training ground. As Ino approached slowly, she could already see that Naruto, Shikamaru, and Choji were there. Others she knew where there too. Like Hinata, Kiba, Shino, Neji, TenTen, Lee, Sakura, and even the new ninja from the ANBU root, Sai. Surprisingly, Ino had found out that he didnt think she was pretty. Sai had said the opposite thing of what he was supposed to, and had lied to her by calling her, "Ms. Lovely."
Ino carefully seated herself inbetween Shikamaru and Sakura, who were far, far, away from Sai.
"Hey Pig! What took you so long? Naruto is, like, already on his third bowl. Man, you must have been having a good time with Sasuke."
Ino glared at her, now once again, best friend with what looked like daggers shooting out of her eyes. Ino doesnt know how to explain it, but somehow, about sometime after he had left, she and Ino had been getting along more. But still, they always call each other the ridiculous names "Pig" and "Forehead" for whatever reason they had. Ino had though that since it was such a used nickname, then it was OK.
"Shut up Forehead."
Ino ordered herself a miso ramen at the same time when Sasuke entered the little ramen shop. Ino could feel the stares of everyone in the room on her because of what they were thinking, she could tell that it wasnt good...at all.
In an instant, she gets up quickly and she pays for her ramen she hadnt even eaten and runs out of the Ichiraku's. All 12 ninja look towards the direction she runs toward in with Shikamaru sighing in the end.
'It's happening to her again. God...why does she have to do this. Women are so troublesome.'
Sakura, with sudden concern in her eyes, bolts out of the ramen shop, following after Ino.
In The Village
As Ino runs, she starts to run out of breath after running for about 30 minutes. She slowly comes to a stop and slumps down by a tree near the Konoha Academy, gasping for some air to come back into her system. Five minutes later, Sakura had gotten caught up with Ino and arrived in the park. She scouted the park and finally found Ino by the tree near their old Academy when they first came to learn about being a ninja.
Ino spots her pink-haired friend and gets ready to get up and run more, but is stopped from some aching in her leg.
Sakura carefully kneels down before Ino and looks at her.
"Ino...what are you doing?"
Ino smirks, trying to show that she is ignoring the question being asked.
"Ino! If you dont answer me, then I'll just have to bring Shikamaru over here and get you to talk."
Ino glares at Sakura for a minute.
'She wouldnt bring Shika over here, would she? Man...if she does, he would get the answer out in a split second. I dont know why...I guess Shika is kinda like my brother, even if he is a genius and stuff.'
Ino finally gave up as Sakura ready herself to call Shikamaru over.
"Fine."
Sakura immediately stops with a smile on her face.
"I thought you would say that. So? Talk."
Ino inhales deeply and then exhales as she tries to sort out everything in her mind before she starts to speak.
"I'm just sick of it all..."
Sakura flinches with confusion.
"Of what?"
"OF EVERYTHING!!" Ino screams and then cluthes her head in disbelief that she had just done that almost in tears.
Sakura slips down by the young Yamanaka and sits next to her rubbing her back for comfort.
"Come on Ino. Let's go back to Ichiraku's. I mean there's no harm to it. Annoyingly to say, you were granted to be the best kunoichi of the village and had the best chance of winning the event. Tsunade-sama even said so."
Sakura says in a huff, remembering to hit herself later for bashing herself. But it was true. Ino was granted the acknowledgement of being one of the best kunoichi of the Leaf. The Fifth even requested Ino to be a representative instead of Shikamaru or Choji.
Ino's eyes wander from flower to flower that lay in front of her, until she finally spoke.
"...Well...of course I am. But...I'm am NOT gonna go back there. I'll just go to the Shop. I need to go there anyway."
Sakura, already standing up, smiles brightly at her friend and extends a hand out to her.
"OK, Pig. Then come on. I'll walk with ya to the shop. I need to pick up an order from there today anyway, so come on."
Ino looks at her hand for a few moments and finally agrees to it and gets up. She dusts herself off and wipes away the dry tears on her face.
"OK Forhead. Would they by any chance be for Lee or something?"
Sakura starts to slightly blush.
"W-What? Shut up Pig! You dont know what you're talking about!"
Ino fires back with a smirk.
"Oh...but I do Sakura. I do know. You like him now, dont you? Dont even lie, I've seen you two help each other out and stuff at the hospital. So just admit it!"
Sakura glances around to see if there were any eavesdroppers.
"Ok...fine. I a-admit it. I do like him kinda sorta. He's become very sweet over the years and well...I guess I've fallen for him or something."
Ino squeals and throws her fist in the air with a show of glee and starts to giggles.
"I knew it!"
Sakura smirks back at her.
"You better not let anyone know Pig. I want to let him know myself."
Ino stops in her tracks from bouncing around and holds out her pinky.
"Promise."
Sakura returns it and crosses her pinky with Ino's showing their promise they had just made. Sakura then puts her hand on her hips inhaling, showing that she was about to speak.
"Ok. Now that that's taken care of, how about you? Do you really still like Sasuke?"
Ino turns her her emerald-eyed friend and glares.
"W-What are you talking about? Of course I DONT! I could care less about Sasuke Uchiha."
Sakura makes a face, -.-, showing that she wasnt believing in any of that.
"Liar! You still like him! Pig, I know you still like him."
Ino blushes slightly in disbelief to her friend's statement.
"No. I. Dont. I-I..."
Ino was cut off abruptily by Shikamaru and Choji who were standing off in the distance calling for her.
"Hey Ino! Come on. Tsunade-sama wants to see us. And Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke are looking for you. They said that they want to meet you for training."
Sakura nods telling Shikamaru that she had gotten the message. She turns to Ino and gives her a small hug.
"Well Ino...I gotta go now. Give me a call or something anything. And oh, could you come over tonight with the flowers. I kinda need them for tomorrow."
Ino nods.
"Yeah ok. Till then, Forehead."
"Later Pig."
As they departed each other and bid their goodbyes, Ino reunited with Shikamaru and Choji, on their way to the Fifth's office.
Ino trudges along looking at the ground.
"So Shika...what does the Fifth want?"
Shikamaru scratches his head.
"I dont know. She called for us while we were at Ichiraku's with the others. Troublesome woman."
Ino glare-squints at Shikamaru.
'Heh. The same as ever...Shikamaru...'
Shikamaru turns his head suspiciouslously and looks at Ino.
"What?"
Ino shakes her head.
"Huh? Oh...nothing. Just thinking. You know."
She puts on her smile, showing her pearly white teeth.
"Whatever..."
'Troublesome women...they are all the same...'
At the Hokage's Office Door
Shikamaru knocks on the large wooden doors three times and holds the doorknob. It is then he opens it when he hears Tsunade call out "Enter!"
One by one, Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji filed into Tsunade's office. Ino stepped forward waiting to speak. The blond Hokage lifts her hand slightly up in the air to tell that Ino could start speaking.
"Tsunade-sama...just what are we doing here? You know that me and Shika have to practice for the event. Along with Choji who is going to help us. In no disrespect, I would like to ask, what are we doing here?"
Tsunade groans a bit and exhales and then inhales some air.
"You three are here because I first of all need you to remember what I had said when Uchiha, Sasuke and come back."
The sound of Sasuke's name struck Ino's mind.
Flashback
Three Months Ago:
All of the once Rookie Nine, and Team Gai, excluding Sasuke, were in Tsunade's office, chatting with each other as they waited for Tsunade to come in.
After 10 minutes of waiting, the blond-haired sannin/hokage, kicked through the doors, making everyone quiet down. Tsunade sat down and put her elbows on her table like usual when discussing an important matter. She waved her hand to Naruto and Sakura to come to the front.
"OK...as you all know. Uchiha, Sasuke was brought back last night. He is currently under interrogation. I need each and everyone of you to treat him like before. It seems right now that he still wants revenge on Uchiha, Itachi, but not as much since we had captured him in Otogakure and brought him back here to Konoha. And also, Team 10: Nara, Shikamaru, Akimichi, Choji, Yamanaka, Ino, please step forward.
Sakura and Naruto step back to join the rest of the group as Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji step forward to face Tsunade.
"You three...in three months time I will be calling you three back for some important data and small missions for you to carry about within the village. Let Sasuke Uchiha know nothing of this. This is also confidential information for the rest of you. As Team 10 is starting to carry out their missions within the village. None of you must not tell Sasuke about it. For some insight, I'll tell you about it. It's several missions for these three to individually take note on the Uchiha's wearabouts. To see if anything has changed, you must hang around him as if nothing has happened in the last two and a half years. You are all dismissed..."
One by one, each of the leaf ninja file out.
End Of Flashback
Ino looks straight at Tsunade's brown eyes with her own sparkling blue ones.
"So it's about the individual missions you were to give us?"
A small smile appears on Tsunade's lips.
"Well I see you have good memory."
She says, as she looks at Shikamaru and Choji who were a bit confused still.
"Yes. It is about that. First I will assign each of you something to do for this week. Shikamaru and Choji, I want you two to hang around him like usual and get to know him better. Ino, for your job, I know it might be a little hard considering that you dont like him much anymore."
Ino looks at her blond-haired sensei.
"Huh? What are you trying to ask me to do? Like going on a date with him?!"
Ino starts to laugh at the idea.
"Well that was my idea."
Tsunade lifts her elbows onto her desk and lays her chin on her hands.
Ino stops laughing and anger starts to boil in her blood. She walks straight towards Tsunade's desk and punches it hardly.
"WHAT?! HOW DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO THAT?! ESPECIALLY WITH THE EVENT COMING UP! I CANT POSSIBLY GO OUT WITH THAT GUY AND WIN!! HE'S MY RIVAL DURING THE EVENT TOO! NOOO! I REFUSE!!! I. REFUSE!"
Tsunade sighs, looking calm still.
"I thought you might say that. Then I guess I'll just ask Sakura for her help. I mean she still likes him, right?"
Ino stops and is struck with another though.
'W-Wait...Sakura? No...she doesnt like him anymore. She likes Lee now...and after all that hard time she gave him...no...I wont let Tsunade tell Sakura to let go of Lee...B-But I dont want to date that jerk. That same guy who broke my heart. But I guess for Forehead's sake...I will have to date Sasuke Uchiha...'
Ino closes her eyes for a minute and then opens her eyes to look straight into Tsunade's.
"Fine. I'll do it. But after this week, I'm going to break up with him for good. No matter what."
"Ok ok. But you'll need to know why it is for this...uh...assignment."
Tsunade leans back in her chair and looks out her window as she starts to speak.
"You will have to be acting like you used to be with him. It seems that out of all the girls around, he liked you more than others. Or so I have heard."
Ino crosses her arms across her chest and sighs.
"Well what if he doesnt agree to date me?"
"Dont worry about that. I have already told him that he will have to, so then he could get a taste of some life. He agreed in about a hour talk. He is very stubborn..."
She says with slight delight in her voice.
'Great...cant count on that plan anymore. I'll just have to make him break up with me before the end of the week, but even if I dont, I will dump him.'
Ino sighs again.
"Fine. But what is the main reason for me to do this?"
"Well you see...we have sent ANBU and such to around with him, but they cant be around him forever you know. And besides the fact, Naruto will always be around Sasuke, so Shikamaru and Choji wont be alone. The thing I want to know is, what he does, when no one is around. And that's where you come in. You have to get close to him so then if there are any secrets he spills. But also, if he knows about our plans, with your stragetic and inteligent mind, you would be able to tell if he is lying."
A small smile appears on Ino's face, but not enough for Tsunade to see it.
She was right. Ino was able to read minds if she wanted too, and also she could tell if someone was lying just by looking at them.
"Alright. You did get me there. But about the training for the Event. How am I supposed to with him around?"
Tsunade sighs, still looking out of the windows.
"Just like you do now. That's why I have Shikamaru and Choji on this too. Everyone already knows you like to train alone. So Shikamaru, Choji, and Naruto, and whoever else will keep him busy during training sessions."
"Is that all we have to do then? I need to go to my shop."
"No. Actually not. You are dismissed from working today and are going to be sent to go to the park. Sasuke will be meeting you there in about 15 minutes."
Ino sighs deeply.
'This cant get worse can it?'
Tsunade sees that she gets the message and dismisses them.
Again, each one walks slowly out of the Fifth's Office and outside. Ino sighs indefinetly and crosses her arms.
"Why do I have to do this stupid mission?!"
Shikamaru sticks his hands into his pockets and shrugs.
"I dont know. Maybe the Hokage thinks you're the most capable. And you know you are, Ino."
Ino shrugs.
"Yeah yeah. Like I havent heard that before. Well see ya later. I have to meet the jerk. Bye..."
Ino trudges along heading for the park.
Choji, eating from a bag of chips, and Shikamaru look at her as she heads for the park.
"Hey Shikamaru, you think she can actually pull this off."
"Well if the Fifth picked her. And it's a mission. Then she'll have to. Besides...you never know what will happen. Come on, I need to go to the Main Gates. The Sand nin are coming in."
"Oh ok...so you're gonna ask that Temari out, arent ya?"
Shikamaru stops in his tracks.
"Yeah. Of course I am..."
He says sarcastically and starts walking again.
Choji sighs and follows him.
With Ino Going Towards The Park
Ino slowly walks around and gets to the park. The blond-haired teen looks around and doesnt see a soul in sight.
"Ugh...guess I'm kinda early..."
Ino keeps on walking until she sees a small meadow of flowers where she was taught along with other girls on being kunoichis. She picks up a cosmo flower, puts it in her hair, and repeats her words that she said to Sakura softly.
"What do you think? Do I look like a cosmos flower?"
"Yeah. You do."
Ino turns around and sees none other than Sasuke Uchiha and slightly blushes,
"Uh...W-what are you doing here?"
The Uchiha shrugs.
"Tsunade said to meet someone here at this time. Guess it was you."
Ino's blood starts to boil because of that.
'He didnt even know it was going to be me?? Ugh...the nerve...!'
"So...why were you saying that?"
Ino surprised by what he asked, stands up and looks at him.
"None of your business. So...wanna do something then? Go to Ichiraku's or hang around here?"
"Hn."
Ino closes her eyes and then reopens them asking the question again.
"Hello? Wanna go do something? Eat, hang around here? Something?"
The cosmos flower falls out of place from her hair.
Sasuke closes and the opens his eyes. He picks the flower off of the blond kunoichi's head and places it back into place.
Ino suddenly starts to blush lightly.
"W-What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
The mysterious Uchiha turns around and walks a few steps and then stops.
"So what do you want to do?"
Ino, again surprised, walks a few steps towards him.
"Um...let's go to Ichiraku's. Kay?"
"Hn..."
Both of the teen-aged ninja walk towards Ichiraku's.
But what will happen then?
End of Chapter 2! PLZ REVIEW!! ino4life