Promise
Summary: With all his heart did Sasuke love Ino, he'd verbally admit it too--anytime anywhere. So what made him do what he did to her? What made him break his promise to never leave her? Either way, Ino is taken into interrogation for it.
Chapter one: The Betrayal
Sasuke let out a staggered breath, he was standing tall, a giant in comparison to the pink haired teenager in front of him. He wasn't more than three or four inches taller, but his shoes gave him a couple inches to him. He looked changed from when she last saw him. He lost that spark that initiated every challenge that Naruto and he dualed against, like ramen eating, or tree climbing. He had grown in muscles and was toned underneath his open white shirt, he wore a purple sash, purple baggy pants that were cut off by purple and blue sandals, his hair was a deeper color of raven, and even his face seemed to know the battle field well. Sakura took a deep breath also, but hers was strained and worried, she had forgotten to grip her kunai, but her hand wasn't far enough away not to reach it in time if Sasuke risked to try anything. Sakura let a proud smile come to her face, she had almost mastered the kunai, her hands, and chakra, she was Sasuke's match in her mind. Sasuke looked at her unchanged by her sudden boast of the eyes, and simply allowed a small gleam of knowing something Sakura doesn't come to his eye. She had slowly made her way over him, and now was making sure that every inch of his head was real. Over time he brought his hand up to release her grip on his hair. She wanted to tell him it was standard precaution, but they both knew it was a lie. Sasuke had soft, lush hair that tried to be scary and bold by its spikes, but if felt would prove that to be deceiving. Sakura still felt a small bit of hope for him to return and an even bigger crush fall back in place. She hadn't seen him in years, but she could tell he was in no way ready or here for catching up. She saw that he looked serious and the previous feelings of caution and worry crept back in, but her crush on him still remained. Until her mind thought of Ino and how he had left her, she made up her mind that he was not leaving until he had answered every question. Sasuke looked not in the mood to have small talk, but out of politeness he allowed it. Sakura lost track of her thoughts and began to let her body feel warm from old times.
"What are you doing here Sasuke? If Tsunade finds out or Ino--gasp--Ino! Ino is in big trouble, the Hokage has half a mind to prosecute her, do you know the penalty for treason?" Sakura exploded grabbing his wrists and pulling them outside the door. Sasuke stood there with no intention of saving who he once called "love". Sakura looked at his cluelessly with a hint of curiosity shining in her eyes before it dawned on her that Sasuke wasn't there to help.
"You aren't going to do a thing, are you?" Sakura asked looking at the floor in a daze before looking Sasuke in the eyes. "Are you?" Sakura asked breathlessly with tears forming in her eyes.
"No, but I do have information about Ino." Sasuke said as if he were a man of business, Sakura stared at him as if she'd never met him a day in her life.
"She will be leaving Konoha," He began and a clear and deep voice, Sakura almost broke into tears. "No, no, no." She said heading for the door. Then it came to her...Why would Sasuke have told her if Ino hadn't already have left? She pushed the thought out, begging she still had a chance. She ran as fast as she could, shouldering her way through crowded areas and not even stopping at the water fountain where she usually stops on her morning runs to get a drink, she was furious at Ino for risking her life like that, but if she could just catch Ino before she left...
Sakura opened the steel cold doors to the ANBU facility, the sirens were blaring loud on the inside, people were scrambling to find their stations and Tsunade was yelling for everyone's attention.
"I want Ino back now! If anyone should find the traitor, allow nothing but brute force to bring her back. The highest preferrable way is to simply kill her without mercy, the lowest preferrable way is to disarm her. Don't give me those faces! Do not accept benefit of the doubt! Ino worked in the Interrogation and Torture Unit for some good enough time to get real Konohan secrets, I want her dead or alive right now!" Tsunade shouted fron the balcony of the interrogation room. Shikamaru looked more upset than anyone, his face was distraught with streaks of red going all over his face as if he were beaten, and tears dared to flow from his eyes, he was thinking and Sakura could tell it was about Ino. She reached out to comfort him, but a hand gripped her wrist and yanked her to the side.
"Sakura you can't do that, Shikamaru is a suspect too! He was last to be seen with Ino, Tsuande thinks he gave her an oppurtune time to leave." Naruto informed her; Sakura knew he was telling her because he cared, and didn't want her to get into trouble, but a pang of betrayal swayed inside her making her sick of him. Shikamaru was their friend, suspect or not, and he needs their comfort and support.
"Sakura!" Called Tsunade, she had never said Sakura's name like that before. With trust and authority, it almost resembled how Tsunade use to talk to Ino. Which meant Sakura was now in her place, and so therefore she had to act like Ino and be in control. She took the long way up the stairs and toured the place where Ino had been. Everything looked almost exactly the same except for the toothbrush was gone, the 5 bars of metal that barred the window was now gone and the bed looked unusually well kept. Sakura so very much wanted to go to the bed and smell every scent left of Ino, to search for any memorabilia of Ino to have as a keepsake, but she had left nothing. Sakura hurried up the stairs to account for lost time spent thinking of Ino.
"I'm ordering you to lead Squad 4 dash 5 section A into a search for Ino. You know of whom that consists of, Sand is also here to help so count on Temari joining your group. I know you work best with Naruto as well, so he will occasionally be checking on you for help now and again. Dismissed." Tsunade said, Sakura felt hurt. Whenever Tsunade gave she and Ino an assignment she always ended with, "Be careful, and come back alive please." Sakura had always felt like a child for it, but know she was beginning to think it was only for Ino, or the situation had changed.
Torishino Cave Castle, 3 days journey southwest of Konoha, but if secret tunnel used a 3 hour walk from Konoha.
"Ino, what did I tell you about watching your step?" Sasuke said as he lifted Ino's foot from stepping on a hidden bomb. Ino gripped his arm and brought her body close to him, he sighed at her clingy behavior and had half a mind to let her go once they entered out of the tunnel. It had only been an hour so no one said anything, Ino's mind was still wondering if she should let him have it, or just let it go back to how it use to be. Karin walked with a fierce swing of her hips as she moved ahead of them.
"Why did you bring her with us?" Karin hissed, she had earlier teased about Ino being a baby for how she had grabbed unto Sasuke from the front of his body and jumped on as they went under water to the tunnel. Sasuke didn't answer her, he only kept walking and removed Ino's arm from him, but Ino latched back on to see if he would let her, and he did. The tunnel was ill lighted, and Sasuke was ahead of them previously to light the torches but Karin began to have an attitude and moved forward. Juugo stayed behind in case anyone was following them. The tunnel was an intricate pathway filled with many doors, but no obstacles. It was meant to be that way for travelers to have a safe voyage, but also if they weren't allowed for them to get lost.
Ino payed close attention to where they were going and didn't complain that when Juugo sometimes walked to fast his foot landed right on the back of her sandals. Sending her forward and causing Karin to snicker at her. Juugo was walking fast again, but he wasn't purposely trying to aim for Ino. Either way, Ino manuvered against it and walked ahead in between Karin and Sasuke. Her stomach was filled with worry and it was tightened in fear. In the back of her mind she knew that she shouldn't have left, but it made no sense to her to turn around now.
It was only ten minutes later that they heard footsteps coming from another direction. Sasuke drew his sword, and Karin and Juugo assumed fighting positions. Ino thought about the other two's stance, it was wild and uncontrolled. Karin had a trained and contained stance, but it lacked professional and correctness, Juugo was just freestlye Ino thought and so she didn't say anything. Sasuke stopped and the other two followed, Ino caught on and stopped just in time to see who it was that was coming their way. It was a family of travelers, harmless by the looks of it. They all moved on, Ino waited for Sasuke to catch up in foot with her and she laced their fingers. Sasuke clamed on surprisingly, but it didn't look willingly, Ino thought about that for a moment, but waved off the notion that Sasuke was using her.
The rest of the two hours went by slowly, no one spoke much and they all seemed to be united going the same way, but seperate in thoughts and actions. Karin remained ahead with an unrelentless walk of passion and show-offy moves every now and again. Juugo stopped speeding up, earlier it was because he was bored and wanted to reconnect with the people ahead but then he remembered why he was there and let himself wait. Ino and Sasuke spoked not too often, but Ino would ask something, Sasuke would answer and that would be that, they held hands but tension on Ino's side was there. She was about to open her mouth to ask how close they were, but the end of the tunnel was drawing near. The light was bright and almost warm and inviting. She rushed ahead, heard karin tsk at her, but didn't care, she wanted to see it.
It wasn't a disappointment either, the place was sunny and bright, the castle looked modern and in actuality was simply a mansion with many houses linked to it, it had broad clean hills with short light green grass and a foresty area that wasn't too far behind it. The smell of fresh air invaded her nose so well, that nature pushed into her mouth. She exhaled and turned around to see Sasuke coming towards her.
"Limit your behavior." He said in a strict, but not so strict voice at the same time. Karin rolled her eyes at her, and she knew it was she that requested Sasuke to say that.
"Who's place is this?" Ino asked gasping when she saw what looked to be sand from a very far distance. She wanted to climb the tree, but didn't want to risk Sasuke thinking she was an uncontrollable baby who never saw a big house before.
"Youshino Torishino. He's still quite young, 25 or so. He inherited it from his father about 3 years ago. But, wanted to join the ANBU and moved away, so we come here every so often to lose a trail." Sasuke explained. Karin went inside and laid upon the couch and invited Sasuke to join her. Sasuke moved forward without second thought and sat next to her. Karin let a smug smile come to her face; Ino so badly wanted to make a face right back, but didn't want to seem babyish again so she let it slide. Ino let out a breath and resumed looking around. Karin whispered something to Sasuke, Ino took it as a complaint until Sasuke stood up and announced that Karin and he would be going for a walk and they would be back soon. Ino nearly bit her lip in anguish.
"What?" Karin snapped with a movement of her head that was full of attitude. Ino sneered at her and looked to Sasuke.
"We haven't spent any alone time together, before we always tried to get as much together as possible." Ino said softly, Karin rolled her eyes and put her arm around Sasuke.
"Fine." Sasuke said walking towards her, Karin yelled in anger.
"Sasuke-kun!" She argued, Sasuke gave her a look that made her advert her eyes and grip her arm. Ino smiled and kissed his lips. Sasuke didn't mind, in fact he was without clear emotion on his face. Ino wasn't one to be willingly acting girlish, she had a plan, one that called for pretending to be on Sasuke's side, one that needed her to seem as clueless as possible. For but a moment she allowed herself to look at him with her suspicious teal eyes and peer at him in seething anger, then allowed it to subside and smiled it off. Sasuke wasn't going anywhere, even if it meant risking her for Konoha.