A/N: Holy cow, 8 reviews for chapter two alone! Thanks so much for all of those who reviewed, I hope you all like the third chapter as much as you liked the last one.
Ino tossed a few grounded up herbs into an already simmering pot of spices in an attempt to make a decent batch of curry for her and Sakura to eat. Working at a flower shop most her life gave her a deep understanding of all plants whither it be flowers that people wanted to purchase, herbs for a quick boost of energy while on a mission or even undergrowth that could kill or intoxicate an enemy if prepared properly. But in this case the background knowledge of shrubbery helped fill the florist's craving for spicy food.
Behind her Sakura was cleaning off the kitchen table that had else wise been cluttered by scrolls, kunai, explosive tags, electric bills, some kind of important news letter (that soon found homage in the waste bin) and several other objects that didn't exactly belong their. This was usually how they worked together during the evening time. One of them would cook and the other would make the table suitable for eating off of. Even if the two girls bickered constantly and at were each others throat more times then not, it didn't necessarily mean that they couldn't work together.
"Oi Ino-chan stop hogging all the food you pig," Sakura commented after watching Ino eat a portion of the curry to see if it was ready or not.
Ino sat dinner down on the now cleansed table and retorted, "Why do you care how much I eat, it's not like you need any more mass added to your billboard of a head."
"Buta." Sakura glared from across the table
"Dekochin." Ino said returning the glower and insult.
Ok so maybe their love for insulting each other got the better of them; even while doing minor tasks that didn't require the harsh remarks. But it really is a sincere sight to bear witness to when the kunoichi actually do work together. "Itadakimasu!" Sakura and Ino chimed in unison before digging into the warm meal.
While making the dinner to her specific hot and spicy likings Ino dimly forgot that Sakura probably wasn't used to the fiery and zesty taste of Yamanaka cooking that she grew up with. So it wasn't much of a surprise to the blonde ninja when Sakura's face grew red and sweaty after consuming a small bite sized portion of curry. Immediately the medic nin grabbed her glass of water and guzzled it down as if she had swallowed a Katon jutsu instead of food.
"What're trying to do Ino-chan, kill me!" Sakura questioned, her face naturally restoring to it's pale color although a small tinge of red could still be found on her cheeks due to the slight anger directed at Ino.
"Sorry, I didn't think it was that hot," Ino said honestly taking a bite out of her dinner to see just how spicy it was. She did have to admit it was a bit hotter then she usually made it, "I can make something else if you don't like this."
"No its fine...just a little warning would be appreciated next time," Sakura replied and carefully took another bite now prepared for the zesty curry.
"Understandable." Ino commented and resumed eating as well. Their conversation then drifted to more eventful topics, such as the weather, work, rookie nine, and other such things.
"Lee-kun actually said that to you!" Ino asked flabbergasted at Sakura's previous proclamation.
"Well not exactly, his words had a bit more of a...youthful attitude to them." Sakura said remembering that Lee's simple statement had several unnecessary phrases and metaphors added to it.
Ino snorted, "I can imagine...Soooo what did you say after that." She questioned, it was obvious to most of Konoha that Lee had a crush the size of Orochimaru's tongue, on Sakura...As disturbing as that was, seeing as the thing that lashes out of that man's mouth is endless.
"Well...I..." Sakura blushed and fumbled with her chopsticks even now at the age of 16 Sakura still had trouble when dealing with boys. It wasn't that they were unpleasant it's just that when boy's, for example Lee, expressed their love towards her a feeling of insecurity would swell up in her gut. "...I said that I had...um... paperwork that needed to be filed."
"Jeez Haruno you really are something," Ino sighed and slumped down into her chair. "The guy expresses his undying love for you, in a very youthful manor mind you," Ino added to get a giggle out of Sakura. "...And you just brush him off like an annoying bug."
"Lee-san isn't an annoying bug to me," Sakura protested a little too defensively causing Ino to raise an eyebrow at her outburst. "He's not like that to me either," she said after seeing the look in Ino's eye.
"Then what is he to you?" Ino asked and listened intently for Sakura's answer.
"He's...he's one of my very important friends." Sakura replied blushing a bit, while Ino resisted the urge to laugh at the corny response. "Lee-san is like an older brother the way he's always watching out for my back. I couldn't possibly go out with him...It would be too...Awkward." Sakura said after searching for the right words to describe how she felt.
"I suppose that's a good reason, but you said the same thing about Naruto. If that loud mouth is like family too then who isn't 'related' to you that you're interested in," Ino asked.
"..." Sakura didn't reply, there was someone but she didn't dare utter their name.
Ino groaned before filling in the gap. "Sasuke," she half asked half stated, Sakura nodded her pink head in response. "Still?" she honestly asked.
"...Yeah." Sakura said in a glum tone. "He...That is Sasuke-kun...He's not like Naruto or Lee-san...He's special."
"I'll say!" Ino spat in a sarcastic tone. "Sakura that bastard knocked you out after you told him you'd do anything for him...Anything you were ready to leave Konoha and everything you had here for him. And what does he do, the jerk knocked you out cold and left you on a bench in the dead of night to catch pneumonia or something, he didn't...He doesn't care about you!" Ino protested and then clamed down after she watched Sakura's face fall at the memory. "You can do much better then Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura. I know he was your first crush and all and you want to cling on to him in hopes that he'll return your love...But...You should move on," Ino said sincerely.
"What do you know!" Sakura asked harshly, she picked up her head and pierced Ino with her intense green eyes. "What do you know about him Ino? Sasuke-kun...He is going to come back. If not then me and Naruto will go after him, we promised we would! He isn't...I can't...I won't just forget about him Sasuke-kun's my friend my teammate my..." the words died on Sakura's lips when she found that she could no longer hold back the tears any longer.
Sighing whole heartedly Ino got up from the table and walked around it to place her arms over her distressed friend. "It was all Orochimaru...Sasuke-kun would never just run off like that. It was that stupid seal that made him do it a-and th-those sound ninja's that beat him up, they must have messed with his mind...it wasn't his fault, Sasuke-kun is going to come back to us... to me."
Ino bit her lip, a habit she found herself doing often now when she had to say something that she didn't want to. "Sakura... Not only did he attack you, but he hurt Naruto as well. Those two were like brothers, they knew each others pain, they trained to help each other get stronger. Yet Sasuke still seriously wounded him. You saw him in the hospital after their encounter. Even after all our friends my teammates and yours Neji and Kiba even Lee, tried to save Sasuke from himself he continued to walk away. It was his choice; you can't change people's minds or will Sakura." Ino said tenderly trying to comfort her closest friend. When Sakura didn't calm down after her failed attempt, Ino sighed once more and said what Sakura wanted to hear.
"That's just my opinion though; I wasn't the one on his team for an entire year. I don't know his habits that well. If he's the person you think he is then he'll come back. Until then there's nothing wrong with seeing a few people here and there while he's gone." Ino said and turned Sakura around so she could look at the mess she had become.
"Mmm...Sasuke-kun dose care about his friends, he'll come back for sure. He's just using Orochimaru. Once he gets what he wants from the snake freak Sasuke-kun will come back for sure," Sakura said and smiled happily at the thought. Ino put on a fake smile and gently wiped the tears out of Sakura's eyes. 'Uchiha Sasuke, 'Ino thought. 'If you ever come back to this village and break her heart, I will murder you, slowly and painfully.'
As if the situation could get any worse the sky chose that precise moment to open up and let loose all of its contents, a great clap of thunder shook the earth and the already shaken up girl. Sakura yelped at the random earsplitting noise and nearly fell out of the chair she was sitting in.
"Come on you," Ino said and helped Sakura stand up. She then led her best friend to the couch in the living room and sat her down. Sakura looked up at Ino distantly when the taller girl left Sakura's side to go back into the kitchen and began to rummage around for something.
"...Ino-chan...What're doing?" Sakura asked the sound of her own voice shocking her; the crying she had done had made her throat raw and her voice scratchy.
Ino's blonde head popped up over the counter to reply. "Making some milk cocoa," she then submerged once more to look for a kettle. After making some kind of victory dance after she found the hidden object, Ino stuck true to her words and began to make cocoa for the two of them.
Sakura was about to object when another clap of thunder drowned out any protest she was going to make. Her mind began to drift as thoughts of Sasuke once again took control. Not a day had gone by since he walked out three years ago that she hadn't thought about him, about why he truly left, about what she could have done better to stop him, about their past...Sakura had relived every she had memory about the stoic boy trying to find a reassuring one that would help her know for sure that he'd come back. But none came to mind.
From day one he wanted to do everything alone and only used 'teamwork' when it was convenient for him to do so. Sasuke was always distant from the rest of them and didn't talk much besides insulting Naruto, or telling her to bug off. Even when it came to Kakashi-sensei, he seamed to be snobby towards the jounin not liking it when he lectured him about limits, and self control. Even so Sakura loved him. The few times he would smile at her (very few) or talk to her (about training) something would boil in her gut and a wave of giddiness would wash over her. Butterflies? Screw them! It felt like damned eagles were soaring around in her stomach every time he looked at her. When he wasn't around everything was...Normal. But while by his side a supernatural feeling swept Sakura off her feet, it was like walking on gold paved clouds or some other godly experience.
When he chose revenge, power, and Orochimaru over her, nothing...Absolutely nothing could compare to the throbbing of her heart that night. Not even the pain felt when Zaku wiped the ground of the Forest of Death with her ass could compare to when Sasuke abandoned her.
Tsunade, soon after taking her on as an apprentice diagnosed Sakura with a clinic case of depression and a few of their training sessions were not of fighting nor medical education, but that of talking. Talking about that night, her experiences with him, Tsunade even shared with her how she felt when Orochimaru left. Then again she wasn't as attached to the snake sennin as Sakura was with Sasuke, but it still proved to help her somewhat. And her friends helped her through as well. Before Naruto left to go train with Jiraiya-sama, he and her talked a lot about their lost teammate. Kakashi-sensei didn't have much to say about the matter other then team seven (what was left of it) should still stay strong...They both knew that their sensei was grieving over the Uchiha in his own way. Apparently Sasuke looked very much like one of his teammates when Kakashi was young, so when Sasuke left old memories had resurfaced making the jounin later to training sessions and mission briefings then usual. A few times the copy ninja never came, forcing Sakura and Naruto to abandon the old bridge along with any hope that either sharingan user would show up.
The pink haired girl's tears rivaled with the intensity of the rain outside as both liquids spilt harder and harder as time passed by. Foreign warmth began to spread though out Sakura's body whilst an odd looking object obscured her watery vision. Hazily she realized that Ino was done in the kitchen and had her finished product, a nice warm cup of cocoa and was offering it to Sakura, furthermore the warmth she felt came from a blanket her roommate had scrounged up for her. "Ino-chan" Sakura croaked.
"Drink up dekochin, it'll make you feel better," Ino said kindly. Shakily Sakura took hold of the cup and carefully poured the lukewarm fluid down her raw throat. "Hopefully that's not too hot for ya" she commented remembering the dinner incident earlier that evening. Sakura shook her rosy colored head and stared deeply at her cocoa, a tear or two falling in the process, deluding her chocolate drink.
"...I...You know I didn't mean to upset you when I said those things back there" Ino said cautiously trying to avoid mentioning his name. Again Sakura merely nodded as a response. "But you know...well he...That is..." Ino faltered, she was no longer confident in what she could say to make Sakura fell better. After thinking for a long while Ino said what she thought right to say at the given time. "I hope you know that everything is going to be alright, it might hurt now, and it'll probably hurt later, but you'll get over this pain. No you'll never forget about him, or the times spent with him...But eventually like all things this too will subside." Finishing her statement Ino wrapped her arms around Sakura, providing her with even more warmth, giving Sakura a comfort that no words could ever provide.
"Th...Thank you...Ino-chan" Sakura whispered and placed her head on Ino's shoulder, her best friend then rocked her back and forth in a swing rhythmic to the beating rain outside.
'Scratch that last thought...Uchiha-teme...If you ever show your backstabbing face around here again, I will personally guarantee that you'll never be able to revive your traitorous trash of a clan' Ino vowed, she would never be able to forgive Sasuke for leaving Konoha. He was going to pay dearly for what he did to Sakura.