:Disclaimer again… I don't own Naruto… you guys already know that…

: So…chapter 15… get ready for some character depression...

Chapter 15: Turquoise Tears

"You know, I've been jealous of you since we fought at the Chunin exams Sakura." Ino said as she put daffodils on the table next to Sakura's hospital bed. The pink-haired kunoichi still hasn't woken up. Ino didn't know why she kept talking to Sakura even if she knew she wouldn't even hear a reply, it must be her sociable nature, or the fact that she just needed someone to talk to.

"You were smarter, now you're the Hokage-sama's favorite apprentice, no one can top you when it comes to medical-jutsu." She said with a sigh. Tears started rolling down her face. "I know I'll never be as good as you." She stared at her best friend's unmoving body. "But, I'll never give up. Asuma-sensei told me never to let you beat me, in ninjutsu, or in love." A sad smile drew on her face. "Oh Sakura, why don't you wake up already?! It's been a month!" more tears rolled down her cheeks. "We couldn't save Asuma sensei! Maybe… maybe if you were awake… you could've saved him!" She said between sobs. "Kurenai-sensei has his child you know… it's always been obvious… they were so close." Ino said, trying to cheer herself up. She just drowned in a pool of her own turquoise tears.

"I wish Kiba was here…" she said, trying to wipe the tears from her face. "I miss him so much…"

A week ago, in the Yamanaka flower shop…

"I'm back babe!" Kiba had just returned from his mission in the land of the waterfall.

"Oh Kiba!" Ino said with a faint smile, "I'm so glad you're back." And she gave him a hug.

Kiba handed her a bouquet of lavenders, "I missed you too." He said with a smile.

"Lavenders?" Ino said.

"They reminded me of you." He replied, as he stroked her long blonde hair.

"Kiba." She said softly.

"Wait, I have one more thing for you." And he handed her a stuffed toy dog.

"Now this reminds me of you." She said with a small smile.

"Not so fast, take a look at his pocket." Kiba said with a cocky grin.

Ino did, and she pulled out a beautiful diamond ring.

"Now, don't you think I'm cuter than that thing?" He said with a smirk, and got down on his knees.

"Will you marry me?"

Ino burst into tears. "Oh Kiba."

"Now, I know we're still young, but we are shinobi… and, there's risks, you know?" Kiba saw the expression on her face, and began thinking quickly of what he might have said wrong. "Baby, what I mean is, I know we have our misunderstandings, but, now is as good a time as any, I'm so sure… I want to spend my life with you."

Ino didn't answer, and Kiba was worried. "Oh no…" Kiba thought.

"Kiba, I-" Ino was stuttering. "I don't know what to say." Tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

"Just say yes…" Kiba said softly, wiping the tears of Ino's face.

"But-" Ino said. Kiba moved them toward the wall, and began to kiss her. Her tears wet both their cheeks, and Ino didn't stop him. Kiba kept kissing her for a good number of minutes, but she didn't kiss back. She just kept crying.

Inoichi, her father, suddenly came in the room, and saw the tears on his daughter's eyes.

"Get off my daughter… now!" He said.

Kiba stepped back hastily, "S-sorry sir." He said in a sad, low voice. "I'll be leaving now." He said as he made his way towards the door.

Ino fell on her knees, and clutched Kiba's hand, "Kiba…wait I-" she said, her sad blue eyes piercing Kiba's heart like a freshly-sharpened katana.

"I'm very sorry Ino. I... I understand." He said, as he let her go and closed the door behind him. He had some of his own tears in his eyes, and wiped them with his jacket. "Come on Akamaru, we're going home." He said to his dog, who was left outside, and they made their way home in silence.

"I told you that Inuzuka boy was trouble!" Inoichi said to his daughter.

"No dad! You're wrong!" Ino said with sobs. "He's the best guy I've ever met…" and her father hugged her as she cried on his chest. "…why can't I even say yes…" she cried. "he asked me… to…to… marry him!"

"Do you truly love him Ino?" her father said.

"More than anything." She said, wiping the tears off her own face.

"So why didn't you… I thought you would be happy…" he said with a look of mixed confuseion and worry on his face.

"I…I just got news that Asuma-sensei got killed by another one of the Akatsuki…" she said, trying to hold back more tears. "I just… I just couldn't take it… I… I wasn't ready…" Asuma was after all like a second father to her, and losing him, Ino couldn't make such a big decision so soon.

Back in the present…

"You just can't let me win at anything can you?"she said, looking again at her pink-haired friend. "I thought I finally found something I was better at than you… I had Kiba. He was always there for me, he comforted me, he made me laugh… But now, I haven't even talked to him. I love him so much… I just needed time…" Ino cried. "Oh god, why didn't I just say yes!? I knew I would anyway!" She said, frustrated with herself. She finally wiped all the tears form her face, and stopped crying.

"Anyway, enough about me. I'm sorry I haven't been a good friend. I'm sure Sasuke will be very happy when he finds out his clan is restored." She said with a kind smile. "That's right! You're gonna be a mom, forehead!" she said. "I guess you didn't get the chance to tell me what's been going on with you two. I mean, I always thought Kiba and me were held together by passion, you know… I never knew you guys were like that!" She said jokingly. "Well, that's none of my business anymore, is it?" she stood from her chair and looked directly at Sakura. "So I need you to wake up… for your kid, and I desperately need someone to talk to." She fixed up the daffodils on her table again. "You love these flowers don't you? Well, I gotta go now. I need to get something to eat." She said with a smile, and made her way out of the hospital.

On the way, she bumps into, who else, but Shino Aburame. Kiba's best friend.

"Hey Shino! Can I talk to you for a minute?" Ino called out. "I'll pay for dinner."

"Okay then." He replied.

They went to a sushi bar near Ichiraku's…

"So, this is about Kiba." He said, after they ordered.

"How did you know?" she said.

"He told me… he proposed…" he said in his usual mysterious voice.

"Well, he did. About a week ago… but… oh Shino." She said as she fought back tears.

"He's killing himself training." He said. "Why didn't you say yes?"

"I-I just found out about Asuma-sensei's death when he proposed. I just couldn't take it."

"I see."

"Could you tell him? Please Shino. I really love him, and… I want to be with him"

"You can tell him yourself… he's right over there." Shino pointed out a dark figure next to a huge dog standing near Ichiraku's Ramen Bar.

"Will he even talk to me?" Ino said.

"You won't know unless you try."

"Thank you so much Shino!" she said as she hugged a confused and surprised Aburame, and headed for Ichiraku's Ramen Bar.

"Kiba! Kiba!" Ino called out.

Kiba didn't move.

"Oh, don't be like that." She said and pouted.

"Baby…" he said, as he clutched Ino's waist.

"Kiba… you're… you're drunk!" She said as she smelled the alcohol in his breath.

"So what if I am…" he said with a cocky grin, and tried to kiss her.

"Kiba… no!" Ino pulled back. "What happened to you?" she cried out.

"You… you left me." He said.

"I-I didn't… you're drunk Kiba!" she said.

"Why the heck do you think I'm drunk!?" he growled.

Ino couldn't answer, she cried, and fell to her knees on the street.

"Pull yourself together Kiba!" Shino then appeared, helping Ino stand up.

"Leave her alone Shino! She's mine!" Kiba growled. People began to stare.

"I'm not taking anything from you. Just calm down." He said.

"Akamaru! Let's take him!" Kiba was angry, and drunk. Not a good mix.

The dog, surprisingly did not follow. He just sat there, staring like he knew what was better for his master.

"I hate you! All of you… you turned Akamaru against me!" Kiba said, but he fell down, drunk.

"Now Ino, go home. I'll take care of this one." Shino said.

"O-okay Shino." Ino said, stuttering. "What have I done?" She thought, as she cried her way home.

"Now Akamaru, I know I'm not your master, but you need to help me take him home." Shino said to the dog.

Akamaru let Shino put Kiba on his back, and they soon reached the Inuzuka residence.

"Kiba! Oh my god!" Hana, Kiba's older sister cried out. "What happened?"

"He's drunk." Shino said.

"He's been like this all week!" Hana said. "Shino, you're his best friend, right? Help him, please."

"He'll be fine… they… they just need to talk…" Shino said.

"I hope so." Hana said with a sigh.

:Was it too emotional? Well, I promise more action in the next chapter… and we will be seeing Sasuke again! Now doesn't that sound like fun?

:Yes, Sakura is pregnant with Sasuke's kid, the Uchiha clan now has hope. The thing happened somewhere in the middle of the previous chapters… I'll leave the imagining to you guys... oh, Sasuke thinks Sakura's dead, so he doesn't even have a clue that he's got a kid.

:So… thanks for all the reviews, and for reading this chapter… please continue!