"What happened?" Ino asked, almost inaudibly. They were eating breakfast, and her parents were unusually subdued. They exchanged glances, and nodded finally, their expressions determined.

"We weren't planning to tell you," Inoichi began slowly, "because we were worried you would take it badly. We didn't want to upset you seeing as you've barely recovered from, well…you know."

Ino nodded carefully, not wanting give her father an excuse to claim that she was incapable of handling the news. She had gotten over Sakura's betrayal for the most part, and her parents were more than relieved.

"Go on," she was proud that her voice was calm.

Ino's mother cleared her throat loudly. "Ino. A few days ago, Uchiha Itachi slaughtered his entire clan."

No…no…NO!

"Sasuke is alive," Inoichi said quickly. "He was spared, so don't you worry."

Despite herself, Ino was comforted by the fact. She reprimanded herself for being so selfish, but she couldn't help it. I-if he had been killed…!

"Who's Itachi?" Ino asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

Her parents looked at each other again, their faces composed. Then they both looked at Ino as if mentally agreeing that she had a right to know.

"Uchiha Itachi…is Sasuke's older brother."

-:-

"I'm sorry, but he can't have visitors, dear."

"But…please," Ino was close to tears, but she didn't want to break down in front of this nurse, who was looking at her funny. She didn't want to give her – or anyone for that matter – the satisfaction of seeing her crying.

"I'm sorry," she repeated mechanically, "but he can't –"

"Excuse me, miss," a voice came from behind Ino, and both she and the nurse whirled around.

"Dad!" Ino cried in relief.

"Y-yamanaka-san!" the nurse stammered, her face turning slightly red. "This is your daughter?"

"Yes," Inoichi said curtly, looking at Ino with a strange expression on his face. Then he turned to the nurse. "I'm sorry for the interference, but Ino here wants to see her friend Sasuke. Is he in critical condition?"

"I…uh…well, no," she mumbled.

Inoichi's eyes softened. "If he's not in any state to receive visitors, we understand that. But my daughter wants to visit her friend, and if anyone deserves it, she does."

Ino's face turned warm, but she felt a sudden rush of affection for her father. Despite his occasional overprotective demeanour, he always meant well. He was always on her side. Impulsively, she ran up to her father and gave him a meaningful hug. He hugged her back with one arm, looking awkward. The nurse cleared her throat noisily.

"Alright, if you will follow me, Ino-chan," she said, her voice clipped. Ino looked at her father, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. Then she followed the nurse down the hall.

"Uchiha Sasuke," she called, before sliding the door open. "You have a visitor." Then she turned to Ino and her expression was unreadable. "Five minutes."

Sasuke was lying on the hospital bed, his eyes fixed on the ceiling above. Ino walked in and closed the door gently behind her. He didn't seem to notice.

"Sasuke…?" Ino whispered uncertainly. Now that she was here, she had no idea what she should do. He turned to face her, and his black eyes bore into Ino's – sinister, angry, and hateful. Ino recoiled. What happened to him?

"What are you doing here?" he asked tonelessly, still glaring at Ino with that strange, intense expression. It scared her more than anything else, even more than the look on Sakura's face when she declared that they were rivals from then on.

"I…" Ino faltered, widening her eyes in fear. "I just wanted…to see if you were okay."

"Now you've seen," said Sasuke, his voice flat. "Anything else, or can I tell the nurse to take you away?"

Ino was at a loss for words. Sasuke had always been a bit on the rude side…but this? It was too much.

"I came here to visit you because you're my friend," Ino spat. It felt good to be retaliating, rather than standing there like an unresponsive doll. It was what broke her friendship with Sakura, her silence. "Not that you care!"

"You're no friend of mine," Sasuke's voice was calm, and the words shattered Ino's heart. "So of course, I don't care."

Ino didn't care what he'd been through. She was too angry to think rationally, to figure out why he was acting like this. She stepped forwards and punched Sasuke full in the face. Ino wanted him to react, to complain, to say something, anything. But he just stared at her, the angry look in his eyes never fading away. She wasn't even sure if he felt the physical pain anymore. Or perhaps her punch was too soft. She shook her head mechanically. It had something to do with his brother being the one behind all this, she was convinced. Something inside of him had broken permanently.

I have to be strong…as strong as my brother!

"What's wrong with you?" Ino whispered, tears starting to leak from the corners of her eyes. She wiped them away angrily. "We are friends, right?"

"We…were friends once," Sasuke said thoughtfully, his eyes clouded. "But I have become an avenger. I need no friends."

It was still nice to hear it, even though he was using the past tense. Ino couldn't understand his motive for breaking their friendship. It wasn't for something shallow like Sakura had done, and it wasn't for anything she could identify. Rage bubbled inside her chest again, causing her to lose sight of reason.

"I hate you!" she screamed, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I-I've lost both my best friends because of you, Sasuke. Why…? Why?!"

At that moment, the nurse stepped into the room. "Your five minutes is up –"

But Ino had run past her and into the hall, without bothering to wait for Sasuke's answer.

The nurse stared at her, and back at Sasuke, wondering what on earth was going on. And Sasuke lay on the bed, the angry fire dying from his dark eyes for a fleeting moment. He didn't know what she meant when Ino said that he had made her lose both of her best friends. He was only one person, wasn't he?

I-I'm sorry, Ino…

But it was something he would never say aloud, because it meant that he was admitting he was weak. And he could never be weak, if he were to avenge his clan. His face hardened with the weight of his resolve.

"I have to be strong…stronger than my brother!"