Pink Crush

Chapter Three

Leaving the Leaf

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"Ino! Ino, are you home? Please, it's important!" Naruto's voice washed through Ino's living room window, progressing around to the front of her apartment as he moved invisibly on the other side of the walls. His fist pounded on the wooden green door, causing it to shake as the lock turned and he flung the door open, stopping in his tracks as the scene in front of him unfolded. His mouth formed a wide 'O' under his wind-lashed blonde hair.

The last thing Naruto had expected to see first thing in the morning - on Ino's couch - was two of his best friends making out with dishevelled clothes.

Only Ino seemed to keep any semblance of calm as she quickly pulled her hand out from under Sakura's shirt, pushing the smaller girl off of her so she was hidden in her embarrassment from Naruto's gaze. Sakura hunched over behind her calm guardian, pulling her loose pyjama shirt tighter around her frame. Ino checked with her quickly, half expecting the rage prone girl to turn into a demolishing crew on the unsuspecting dobe.

"Sakura... what...?" Was all the male shinobi could mumble, earning a glare from Ino, visibly torn between yelling at Naruto for entering without waiting or seeing what was wrong with Sakura. Being walked in on was embarrassing sure, but it wasn't the end of the world. Besides, people were going to find out anyways, this wasn't the best way but you rarely get to do things the way you want.

"Will you shut the door?" Ino snapped, slipping her hand into Sakura's and squeezing reassuringly. Naruto shook his head, in an attempt to clear it, stepping inside the door and pulling it shut. His gaze flickered between Ino and trying to see past her to Sakura.

"What's so important that you couldn't knock, Naruto?" The tall blonde asked, pulling a strand of hair behind her ear as she tried to straighten her shirt; doing her best to remain calm. Only a slight blush, and annoyance flaring up her usually soft eyes, marring her appearance. When he didn't reply right away she tried again, "Naruto what's the emergency?"

Sakura had her back to the pair, pulling her nightgown shirt even tighter around herself, the fabric rippled and protested at the strength she was exerting on the fabric. In less than an hour she had been outed to her best friend, confessed her feelings, and now Naruto knew... and Naruto can't keep a secret. Sakura chewed nervously on her lip, slipping deeper into thought.

"Well I went by Sakura's house first, but she wasn't there..." He smiled, scratching the back of his head, his orange jacket opened at the front to show off his black t-shirt that stretched out over his muscled chest. Dangling in front was the silver pendant Tsunade had given him, the same one he has worn everyday since. "I was told she was here but I didn't know, I mean... uh well," he stumbled over his own tongue, obviously not sure what to say, shifting his footing, uncomfortable with the situation he had found himself in.

Ino followed his look and glanced back at Sakura who appeared lost in her own thoughts, still burning a bright crimson. She resisted the urge to comfort the girl, knowing it would only embarrass her more while Naruto was here.

"Why do you need Sakura, Naruto? Did something happen that you need a medical nin?" Ino enquired, trying to piece together the puzzle since Naruto was apparently incapable of it, starting to become angry,

'How much of an emergency could it be that he is so easily distracted?' She growled inwardly, Worry inking out from every thought in her mind to cover them in the sole thought of the girl behind her. 'I can still feel her body heat,' Ino thought inwardly, letting her eyes close for a brief second as she steadied herself.

"We have information about Sasuke," Naruto replied, remembering why he had come. His body language changed instantly from flustered and embarrassed to seriousness, his shoulders rolled back as the look on his face turned to stern. "That's right! We have firsthand information about Sasuke!" He said it again, confirming and returning to his original agenda. "Hurry, we are setting up two squads and the old hag asked for both of you, we don't have a lot of time!" He explained, looking to both of them.

"Of course, we'll be right there, but you need to wait outside," Ino answered, Sakura seemed to perk up hearing that, whether it was the information about Sasuke or about being left alone she wasn't sure.

Sakura slid her bare legs off the couch and padded quietly into Ino's room, ignoring both sets of eyes that followed her, she shut the door shortly before Naruto repeated the notion on his way out. 'Well the girl has always had a strong sense of duty,' Ino frowned, worried, she followed.

Mechanically, Sakura began to change, not even bothering to try to hide from Ino's gaze, or possibly not even noticing. Ino watched her hands as they dragged her loose shirt up, showing off toned abs and a thinness to her that worried the blonde. Right before Sakura's breasts were revealed, apparently not caring who was watching or even noticing she was being watched, Ino cleared her throat and turned away. Deciding it would be better to give the girl some form of privacy.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Ino asked over her shoulder, listening for any sort of reply. She chewed on her lip, uncertain of what to do.

"Sakura?" Ino asked again, hearing a soft curse behind her and a ruffle of clothes. She heard the sound of her bathroom door closing, instantly followed by the shower being turned on. Letting out a deep sigh, Ino decided to give her a moment to herself. As much as she liked to talk things out instantly, Sakura had always liked to think things over before approaching them.

This time, it would be better to let her do things the way she was comfortable with. Ino walked back into the kitchen, opening the cupboard that held all of her dried meals, already sitting in a prepared duffel.

Grabbing the bag, she tossed it by the front door and walked back into her room, opening the first of her two closets. Inside, organized and set up on racks and pegs covering the sides and walls, were all of her tools. Everything from scrolls, to paper bombs, kunai, and so on. She grabbed her pouch and leg straps, setting the appropriate tools onto her rumpled sheets.

Ino paused, letting her eyes linger on the messy sheets, lost in the memory of last night when Sakura had almost kissed her. She could have let it happen, there would have been no one to interrupt their quiet confessions and kisses. It just didn't seem right that they would begin that way, she had to stop her. Besides that Sakura was practically having a panic attack without any help.

Looking back at the closed door, the soft sound of running water emitted from behind the closed plank of wood, Ino let out a deep sigh.

Stepping up behind the door, she steadied herself and knocked gently, her knuckles rapping against natural wood.

"Sakura, do you have everything you will need?" She questioned, pushing aside the question she truly wanted to ask. She had decided to give the girl time, and that was what she had to do.

A moment later the water shut off and Ino heard the sound of wet feet stepping down onto the tile in her bathroom. Soon after, Sakura opened the door, looking miserable with a fluffy purple towel wrapped around her small frame.

She glanced into Ino's eyes but couldn't hold the look, pushing past the blonde to find the set of clothes she kept at her friends home. This wasn't the first time she had been called on a mission while staying with Ino. With the increasing amount of fights Sakura has been having with her parents, it seemed like she lived at Ino's more than her own home.

Usually, Sakura would unfold the couch and make it up. Last night wasn't the the same as usually, nor was this morning.

Sakura walked past Ino, pulling out the bottom drawer of Ino's dresser, the drawer that had been given to her a while ago. She pulled out the clothes she would need, a packed pouch already set beside the folded garment.

Setting the items on Ino's bed, her eyes moved to rest on the weapons Ino had already set out briefly before returning to what she was doing. Turning her back, Sakura dropped her towel and reached for her sports bra.

Ino blushed, not expecting the shamelessness Sakura would display. She noted how thin the girl looked, her ribs easily visible in the morning light. Hip bones poking out under her milky white skin, even her legs looked thin except for the hard muscle that flexed as she moved.

Ino ducked inside the bathroom door, ignoring the discarded clothes on her bathroom counter as she turned on the shower.

~o~

Shortly later, both girls raced over the rooftops of Konoha. Sakura's foot touched down briefly, her knee bending as the muscles in her thigh and calves bunched before releasing the built energy to propel her onto the next rooftop. Black spandex shorts clung to her like a second layer of skin, running up over her stomach and half way down her biceps.

Her pink skirt flapped around her waist, brushing half way down her thighs with a thick belt around her hips. The skirt partially hid the bandage wrapped around her thigh, bracing the muscle for the strenuous exertion placed on it.

Sakura's calves are covered in boots that run up to the bottom of her knee, meant to protect her shins from the brush they would be racing through. She reached forward, propelling her body as a leg shot out to catch the next step and coil under her weight, lightening the blow and reducing the shock wave of the movement. Her hands are layered in their usual black gloves, cut off about the first knuckle and at the base of her wrist.

Her vest rippled in the wind rushing past the pair, a darker red with the crest of her family clan on the back.

Ino shook her head, looking away from her friend, convincing herself the stern gaze had nothing to do about this morning. It was Sasuke, Sakura hasn't forgiven him. It was always about finding Sasuke, Sakura was just as obsessed as Naruto.

Steeling herself, she saw the front gates come into view on the horizon. Her outfit was similar to her friends, the main difference the colour and cut. Where Sakura covered her frame in the black spandex, Ino showed off her arms and stomach.

Where Sakura had pink and a dark red, Ino kept a simple dark purple. Her skirt is cut shorter than her friends, with bandages wrapped around the top of both of her thighs. A V-neck vest dipping down to show off the top of her cleavage, cut half way up her stomach.

Long, silky blonde hair flowed in the air behind her, tied back in a strong ponytail so it would stay carefully out of the way. Unlike Sakura's boots, Ino work simple black open-toed shoes, fishnets covering her knees and elbows for the protection the shoes wouldn't give.

Ino wondered, not for the first time, if she should change to something more suitable for combat instead of style. She was a long range fighter, and rarely got into hand to hand combat, so her outfit had to be versatile so she had free movement. It didn't matter, there wasn't time to change it now. (1)

The girls touched down moments later, the last to arrive at the already crowded gate. Shikamaru narrowed his eyes at them, doing a quick, silent headcount.

Beside him stood Choji, happily munching on a bag of corn nuts. The larger boy wearing the garb typical for his bloodline. Thick, long red fabric covers his muscled frame with metal plates running down his chest and thighs, shoulder guards in place, hanging down over his biceps. His legs are covered in loose black pants, leather boots tied tightly around his calves.

Neji pushed past Sakura who barely noticed his passing, refusing to move either out of stubbornness or because she didn't want to move closer to her partner. Ino frowned but didn't say anything, turning to smile brightly at Hinata who waved a hello. The two Hyuugas are dressed in the beige style typical of a Hyuuga. Neji is sporting a simple button up tunic with black shorts, his hair tied back three quarters of the way down, holding the unruly mess away from his face.

Hinata's outfit is a little more varied, a light purple making up the body of her jacket, with beige running down the arms as well as covering the hood. Dark blue pants cover the entirety of her legs, hiding all unnecessary skin from view. She smiled up at Naruto who blushed and scratched the back of his head, ruffling his blonde hair, his trademark smile brightening up the world for everyone surrounding him.

Only Kiba appeared out of place, standing alone with Akamaru sitting by his heel. The large white canine whined at his master, looking over to the two new recruits with a soft wag of his tail. Kiba folded his arms across his thick chest, muscles twisting around his taut forearms and biceps leading into wide shoulders. His skin tight, black muscle shirt ran up to his collar and half way down his biceps, fabric stretching and twisting.

His jacket is sitting on his pack on his other side, baggy black pants hanging down to his ankles, thick boots covering his feet as he glowers out the front entrance. His dark red fang tattoos looking much more fierce under angry eyes.

"Alright," Shikamaru started, letting out a deep sigh and waiting until he had everyone's attention. "Here's the plan, listen up, because I won't repeat myself."

Sakura gave the tactical ninja her full attention, ignoring the concerned look Ino had her fixed with.

Giving up, Ino turned to listen to her teammates explanation of their mission.

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1 – I've changed some outfits a little.

Alright, chapter three done. I literally deleted three quarters of this one and just rewrote it, sometimes I wonder how in the world I used to think some of my grammar was right. I'd like to address a question some of you might have.

Where Naruto said two squads was not a typo, and yes I can count, there are eight of them. During the Chuunin exam, Kakashi detailed the formation of squads. While teams normally consist of three and one leader. So while all of our ' teams ' that we follow throughout Naruto had three students, there are actually four shinobi in the team. The leader is included in the number.

As our favourites grow older, and begin to lead their own squads, there are now four of them in one squad, one of which takes up the leader role.

Anywho, until next time, -Kiravu