Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN NARUTO OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS! SO BACK OFF!!!! Pulls out ten pounds of c4

Ino's True Heart Chap. 2

Naruto unlocked his apartment and walked in. He saw immediately that something two things were wrong. First, a letter lay on his bed with the Hokage's seal on it. Second, he saw a figure in the corner.

"Looks like you finally came home after making out with Ino," Sasuke said stepping out of the shadows. He stood with a bandage around his head. It was slightly red at a point. His face was also swollen. "Your girlfriends assault was unexpected." He said cracking his fingers. "I have to return the favor," Sasuke said going into a lunge.

Naruto saw the attack and sidestepped. Sasuke hit the wall with a hard force. A cracking sound followed the hit. Sasuke had broken his hand in the process of trying to slug Naruto.

Naruto picked up Sasuke and went over to the window. He opened it with his free hand and threw Sasuke out into the dumpster. Sasuke fell like a rock and caused a pile of trash to shoot upwards. Two cats sleeping there were angry because their home had been disturbed. They proceeded to maul Sasuke. "A hidden attack might work better noob," Naruto said shutting the window.

He went back inside and sat down on his bed. Naruto picked up the letter. He pulled out a kunai and cut open the letter. It didn't look interesting but he read it anyway.

To: Naruto U.

Mission: Retrieve map the Sound Village from the Mist Village.

Teammate: Choose ONE person, male or female.

Starting Date: A week from this day

Tsunade, Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves

Naruto set the letter down on his nightstand and thought. Who would he pick to go with him? TenTen, because of her weapons expertise? Hinata, because of her bloodline trait? His mind drifted to Ino. Naruto twirled the kunai as he thought. She was good at fighting and thinking.

Naruto decided to ask Ino tomorrow. With that finished, he looked at the target on one wall of his room. It was a standard training target with a picture of Gaara on it. He took aim and threw his kunai. Naruto's candle, which was one of his few light sources, was in the kunai's path. The knife cut off the wick before it hit the target. Naruto rolled over and thought of Ino.

Ino sat on her bed. She had come home to find Sakura in her apartment. She wanted to attack Ino because of Ino's assault on Sasuke. Ino had shoved her outside. Ino then hit Sakura. This hit has caused Sakura to fall down the stairs.

She thought what she had done to Naruto. Why had that impulse cause her to kiss him? She then remembered something her mother had once told her. "At one time in your life, sometimes more, you will have a feeling for someone, Ether your family, village, or a person. That feeling is called "love". Most people find only one person. Some find many. When you find your person or whatever make sure they know that you love them. Also, protect them with both arms and all of your strength. I hope you find someone special."

Her mother had said that shortly before she was taken hostage by the cloud village. Ino also thought of what Naruto had running though his mind when she had kissed her. Did he like it? Did he wish it were Sakura, Hinata, or anyone else? Did he even care? Or, Ino trembled at this thought, was he gay? These things troubled her until she fell asleep. Maybe she will find out tomorrow.

Naruto woke the next morning to the sound of birds. He usually hated birds. Except for those that he had to eat. Naruto usually threw something at them to get the birds to shut up. This morning, they sounded more appealing. He walked over to the shower and turned it on cold. He had a hangover style feeling as the water hit him. "That ramen must have had a bad piece of beef or something in it." he muttered to himself.

When he got out of the shower, he tossed on another orange outfit and walked to Ino's. He thought of how he would ask her about the mission. Naruto decided to see if she wanted a ramen breakfast and if so take her to the local ramen shop.

Around eight, Ino stirred. She got up and looked at herself in the mirror. Her head was still a little swollen from Naruto's attack. She applied some ointment and put on an orange ninja outfit. She had gotten it right before the exams as a gift from her team.

Ino was about to leave and to ask Shikamaru to go spar, when she heard a small tap on her window. She went over and looked out. Naruto stood there with a few pebbles in his hand. He called out something but she couldn't hear. The problem being, the window was closed.

Ino open the window and called out, "Morning Naruto!" Naruto dropped the rocks and yelled back, "Morning Ino! You hungry?" Ino heard a growl emit from her stomach. "Yeah," she answered. "Well, come on down and we can go get some ramen," he called.

Ino jumped out the window and landed without as much as a noise. She hit the ground with a force but she somehow made it silently. Ino ran over and hugged Naruto. They set off for the ramen shop.

They walked through the curtans and Naruto called out, "Morning cook, two deluxe ramen with a plate of BBQ pork!" They took their sets at the bar. They looked at each other and smiled. Naruto looked down the bar and saw Lee.

"Lee! What's up?" Naruto called out as he moved down with Ino right behind him. Lee looked up from his ramen at the sound of his name. "Oh, hey Naruto," he said. Lee also noticed Ino. "Morning Ino," he added.

They talked till the ramen came. The group of three ate in silence. Ino decided to tell Lee the news. "Lee, I hate to tell you, but you're out of luck." Lee looked over with a questioning look on his face. "What do you mean?" Ino replied, "Sasuke finally decided to recognize Sakura. They are going out now." Lee looked heart broken. He then started up and said, "Good for Sakura."

They finished the ramen and walked to the training field. They found another thing of great importance…