Hi everyone! It seems like I got a change of heart and decided to slip a short Sakura chapter before the Neji chapter. You know, I kinda need to know what happen between the two. By the way, thanks for everyone who has read/favorited/followed/reviewed.

ps : I did a little bit of editing on the story. Just adding more spaces, breaks, a few sentences ... and things like that hahaha.

Finally, enjoy!

"Hey." Ino greeted her as she approached the leaning pinkette. The blonde's cerulean eyes soon met emerald green and Sakura felt her resolve was shaken already. By shaken, she meant that irritation was starting to surface and the scene from earlier was brutally replayed in her mind over and over. Ino kissed Sasuke so passionately. The way his hands ever so slowly slid to her back, pulling her closer for a deeper kiss. Sakura took a deep breath.

Calm, she summoned a thought to herself. She was not going to be bitter about it, she repeated to herself for what seems like a hundred times. Ino drank a suspicious purple liquid Naruto had so 'self-handedly' made just for her (Sakura got a pink liquid that tasted like a cough syrup) before leaned herself on the wall next to her.

"Ino." She greeted back. Sakura had to admit that she was not ready for this. A part of her wanted to run away. A part of her didn't want explanations. A part of her didn't want to look at the bitter fact that the love of her life just kissed her best friend for life. There was a thick silence between them as Sakura's mind was racing. The more she thinks about this, the more irritating it gets. She fully realized that she completely had no right to be angry at her for kissing Sasuke. Sasuke could choose anyone he likes and it happened to be Ino. It happened to be not her. Also, she felt like a hypocrite by getting angry at Ino. She was so against the arranged marriage that she practically shoved Ino guys. There was no feeling in this world that could elaborate her relief when Sai told her that he was interested in Ino and her disappointment when Sai told her that his interest was apparently short-lived. And then, to watch her with a guy and then be sad about it was ... hypocritical, right? That guy was Sasuke, indeed, but still.

"I'm sorry." Ino finally broke the silence and Sakura couldn't help but not to look at her in her eyes and she felt a twinge of pain.

"I'm not angry." Sakura replied brightly, she even gave her best friend a pat on her shoulder as reassurance. Ino snorted.

"You're a bad liar." Ino folded her hands.

"Sorry." Sakura replied while averting her gaze. "I'm a little bit angry, I have to admit."

"You've promised, Ino! You've promised that Sasuke is meant for me and you're not going to stand in the way!" Sakura burst suddenly, pain was all over her words and she could tell by Ino's wince that she felt it too.

"I'm not standing in the way!" Ino retorted, hurt. "Deliberately." She added quietly.

"Are you actually blaming Sasuke for kissing you?" Sakura scoffed in disgust. Ino let out a frustrated sigh.

"Listen, Sasuke is meant to be yours and after what had happened, it didn't change anything, okay? What you have seen earlier was a mistake." Ino told her in a firm tone. Sakura didn't answer as her eyes stared blankly at the crowds before her.

"It's just that ... it seems like I can't get rid of a tiny portion of my old feelings yet." That sentence managed to stole Sakura's attention as she looked at her. Ino didn't seem to notice as she was looking at her purple drink instead.

"The only one I should love is Darui-san though, so there's no need to be jealous anymore okay?" Ino gave her a smile when she looked up. Sakura froze.

She would have launched her usual talk about how the arranged marriage was a ridiculous idea and Konoha had a lot of men worthy of Ino instead of some random men faraway amidst the mountain.

She would have if not for one big staring fact that Ino knew very well and conveniently used against her.

She no longer had the rights.

.

.

Sakura watched in silence as the events unfolded before her. Her chakra stayed still, her presence was perfectly masked. She watched Ino being brought to a quieter side of Naruto's house by Sasuke. She watched as they spoke in high tones, Sasuke was eager on winning her to his side. Her name was brought up occasionally by Ino, and it pained her how Sasuke dismissed her so easily, saying that it's them that matters. The conversation went round and round, Ino stayed firm with her opinion that Sasuke should be with her, but somehow it didn't make her happy. She felt like a villain for both of them. Ino was still in love with Sasuke, that much was obvious. But, just this once, can't she be selfish? Can't she turn blind eye to the fact that she was being in the way of their love?

Sakura loved Sasuke that much.

Sasuke had held her hand possessively in his hand the whole conversation, he was trying his best to convince her while Sakura clutched her hands tightly on the hem of her skirts.

"I have loved you since the academy days, Ino." Sasuke told her, his eyes locked on hers.

That did it. It was as if she was never in the game. It was as if her attempt to break her friendship with Ino back then was futile. Sasuke never had his eyes on her. It was always on Ino.

She could feel tears started to trickle down her eyes. She didn't stay to see what Ino said, she left.

It was too painful.

XXX

There were loud bangs on her door when she woke up the next day. She was still drowsy from last night, and she suspected that the pink liquid was what made her head pounding loudly at the moment.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm here." She answered as she dragged herself to the door. As soon as she opened the key, Shizune barged in into her room.

"Sakura! There's an emergency!" She told her with a panic edge at her voice.

"What is it?"

"It's Ino!" Shizune said.

Oh.

"Yeah, yeah. What about her?" She asked reluctantly but Shizune sunk too deep in her panic to notice. She had predicted Ino having a breakdown and going on doing stupid things, of course. She'd probably shopped herself to death in her favorite store. She did that during her first failure on chuunin exam and lost her 6-months worth of mission money over some stupid heels, wedges and tons of purple dresses. Or she probably decided to accompany Chouji on his culinary adventure for weeks and gained weights. Ino did that during a breakup with a civilian man from the Fire Country and had to train with Gai for weeks to lose her weights (Ino told Sakura everyday while eating her low-calorie porridge that it was the biggest mistake in her life).

"She requested a 5 month mission in Kumo! That's madness!"

That's madness. Indeed.

"That's stupid and rash and ridiculous." Sakura gritted her teeth. Ino and her ability to make rushed decision never stopped to faze her.

"You have to stop her, Sakura. Please."

Sakura sighed. How could she after what had happened last night?

"We could lose her forever to Kumo!" Shizune added and Sakura growled at that. Sakura loved Ino like her own sister and she truly believed that she deserved more happiness than arranged marriage. She deserved Shikamaru who always looked out to her. She deserved Kiba and all his boyish good looks. She deserved everyone.

But not Sasuke.

She gulped. How could she explained this to her? It was like 'stay here; you deserve everyone in the world but Sasuke. He's for me.' and Sakura could never bring herself to sound that selfish.

"Sakura!" Shizune called her. "She left tonight. You must do something right now." Shizune emphasized her last word. Sakura let out a frustrated sigh. Ino and her sneakiness.

"Yes, yes." She answered. "I'll find a way."

XXX

Sakura let herself into Ino's room only to be shocked. The room had been completely empty, even the mattress had no longer sheets on them. Ino's purple wallpaper had been shredded and the wall was now stark white.

She did this in a night?

"Sakura." Another voice greeted her and she found Shikamaru on the window as he jumped down to the room. From his expression, he was shocked as well.

"Whoa. Do I get the wrong room?" He looked around.

"Nuh-uh. Ino is assigned for a long mission tonight." Sakura said as she checked the bathroom. The room was the same with the bedroom; it smelled like generic bathroom cleaner, not of mango; Ino's new favorite scent. The scented candles had vanished. It was just a plain bathroom.

"And then she emptied her room?" A hint of disbelief was in Shikamaru's voice.

"5 months to Kumo."

"She just ... accepts the mission like that?" He asked hesitantly.

"She requested it, in fact." Sakura said. Shikamaru shifted uncomfortably at her response.

"So ... any chance you know where she is right now?" He asked her and Sakura solemnly shook her head.

"I wish I knew." She said. "I bet she's hiding from all of us until tonight."

"Hiding? That doesn't exactly sound like Ino."

"Requesting a long-term mission doesn't exactly sound like Ino, either." Sakura retorted. Shikamaru didn't respond and Sakura knew that Shikamaru agreed with her.

"How troublesome. And now, I have to look for her. She can't just go for that long without telling me." Shikamaru said as he hopped onto the window.

"Tell me if you found her, okay?"

"Yeah." Shikamaru said as he jumped away from the room. Sakura inhaled the stale air in that room. She had searched for Ino everywhere. The flower shop, T&I division, the Nara compound, training fields, everywhere. It was almost like Ino didn't want to be found. She decided to walk along the Tea Street and look at each of the cafe and restaurant carefully when she walked past through Genma.

"Genma-san." Sakura greeted him. Genma stopped and looked at her.

"Ah, if it isn't Sakura-chan." Genma said friendly as he approached her.

"What's up?" He asked.

"Have you seen Ino?" Sakura asked. Genma's expression was unreadable for a second before he offered her a grin.

"Yes. In fact I just have a nice brunch with her." He said.

"Where is she now?"

"Should I tell?" Genma said as he smiled childishly. Sakura had no time for the game. Ino's leaving tonight for God sake!
"Spill." She said irritably and Genma chuckled at her irritation.

"Fine, she's heading to the library." He told her. "You're not beautiful when you're frowning like that, Sakura-chan."

"Save those for other women, Genma-san." Sakura said. She didn't know how Ino could spend hours and hours with Genma while she felt offended at one flirt.

"Now if you'll excuse me." She said as she walked past through him and headed to the the went to the third floor, Ino's favorite section of the library. It is where all the books and magazines about flowers and herbs are stored. She was right this time. Ino was reading a book alone in the spacious room when she entered. Usually there would be some medic nins doing research, but well, it's Saturday.

"Found you." Sakura approached her as she sat next to her. Ino looked at her and gave her a grin. The same grin that Genma offered her just earlier. Sakura didn't dislike Genma, but she hated how he infected Ino with his ... Genma-ness.

"Oh, are we playing hide and seek?" She asked with an amused tone. There. More Genma-ness.

"No." Sakura said as she put her heads on the table. "God, I've been searching for you everywhere. Why are you in the library anyway?"

"Research." Ino hummed. "Do you know that sakurayu, a salt pickled sakura which was delved in hot water, was drunk during weddings?"

"Really?" Sakura asked as she looked at the photograph of a cup of water with sakura blooms in it. Ino nodded.

"Cool huh? I'm definitely going to drink sakurayu instead of green tea on my wedding." Ino said as she flipped the page. Sakura nodded awkwardly and then silence enveloped the room.

"When are you going to talk?" Ino chuckled as she broke the silence. "Shizune sends you, no?" Sakura was entertaining the idea of acting oblivious but she was in no mood of games. Ino always won those kinds of psychological games anyway.

"Uh-uh." Sakura said. "Said that you're making stupid decision."

"Do you think that it's stupid?" She hummed.

"Very." Sakura answered immediately.

"Really?" Ino replied in a detached tone as she flipped the pages again.

"Do you remember when you gain weights after you have a breakup with Takashi, Takeshi, or whoever that is?" Sakura asked her.

"Oh, you still remember! His name is Satoshi by the way." Ino replied brightly. The topic seems to bring her mood back.

"You told me every single day that it was the biggest mistake in your life."

"Uh-uh. Indeed." Ino said. "Life was torturous back then." She hummed.

"This is going to be an even bigger mistake if you do this. Wedding is something for a lifetime, and you shouldn't do it just because ..." Sakura's word trailed off as she looked at Ino who looked back at her with an unreadable look.

It was as if Ino dared her to say the words.

Sakura took a deep breath and decided to start anew.

"Ino, listen. If it's about last night ..."

At that, Ino let out a loud snort as she closed the book.

"You listen, Sakura." She said as she looked at her sharply. "Sometimes, life's not all about you, okay?"

Sakura's eyes widened. How dare she to say that? Everything had been always about her all the time. She thought of Ino's arranged marriage day and night, brought it up all the time to Tsunade, desperately try to find a way to hook Ino up with men and she just said that life's not all about her?

"How dare you!" Sakura yelled.

"How dare me? How dare you, Sakura. How dare you to mind my business. Going or not going, it was my business. You have no right!" Ino yelled back. Sakura's eyes widened at her replies.

" You ..." Sakura was at a loss of words. She was too hurt.

" Sasuke's for you, alright. But just ... just stop trying to put your hands in my life. I don't want you to be involved anymore."

"I won't be involved if you stop making stupid decisions after another!" Sakura yelled. Ino shook her head solemnly.

"It's not for you to decide what's stupid and what's not about my life. Even if it's stupid, it's not your job to save me, Sakura." Ino said.

Sakura looked at her best friend in disbelief. Did Ino just try to shoo her away from her life?

"How can you say that Ino! We are best friends!"

"Really? What if I submit to Sasuke last night? Will us still be best friends?" Ino shot back and Sakura froze at that.

How could she dare to submit to Sasuke? Ino had promised her!

"You ... Just rot in Kumo!" She yelled for the last time and stomped her way out of the room. Tears were falling down her eyes. Never in her life had she thought that she and Ino would drift apart once again. Over the same reason.

Over Sasuke.

Shikamaru was outside the room as they passed each other on the door. He looked confused at the tears streaming down her eyes as he took a seat next to Ino. She was already walking away but she could still his conversation with Ino for a little bit.

"Fighting with Sakura?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because it's better that way."

Tears are coming down her eyes without stopping as she left the library. Maybe Ino was right.

Maybe it's better that way.

How is it? How is it? This chapter is a short one but well ... is it good enough?

Thoughts on review!

(And thanks for all of my reviewers! You're all angels. I knew it.)