A/N: For the record, another change is this AU is, Ino and Sakura never stop being best friends because neither of them develops a crush on Sasuke. They're BFFs for life!

Naruto's taking the long way home when he hears them.

"Where you goin', forehead?"

"Yeah, billboard brow! Running home to your mommy?"

"Why bother? You'll only shame her more!"

"Yeah, you're so ugly, I bet your mom can't stand to look at you!"

They snicker and laugh and push her down, kicking dirt at her and laughing some more as Sakura futilely tries to shield herself, curling into a ball. "L-leave me alone!" she pleads, tears already flooding her face. "W-what'd I ever—" she coughs at the dust, "—d-do to you?!"

All of it is all too familiar to Naruto, sickeningly so, and he's a split second away from rushing over and putting himself in the middle when—someone else beats him to it.

WHOOSH!

One of the girl bullies suddenly goes dead limp where she stands, and when she straightens, she immediately starts punching and kicking and biting the others, chasing them and pushing them down and throwing dirt in their faces. "How do you like it, you stupid jerks?!" The other bullies are screaming and crying by the time she's done, and when the girl finally comes to, they all head for the hills. Looks like they're not completely stupid, after all!

"Yeah, you'd better run!" the puppet master, Ino Yamanaka, a girl Naruto recognizes from their class, yells after them, running up beside Sakura and shaking her fist before leaning on her knees to catch her breath. "Don't even think of coming back here, you hear me?!"

Naruto breathes a sigh of relief before realizing he should probably hide. He's not sure what they'd think if they saw him watching them. Not that he's going to watch for long, he swears. He just wants to make sure they're both okay.

He finds a place in a matter of seconds (he's gotten good at that after all these years – has had to, for necessity's sake), and when he looks back, Ino's kneeling in front of Sakura, resting a hand on her head. Her smile and eyes are kind and soft. Naruto finds himself wondering if her hand is gentle, too, what a touch like that – one that doesn't hurt, isn't there to cause pain – would feel like. "Hey… You okay now?"

Sniffing and wiping futilely at her eyes, Sakura looks up at her best friend. "I-Ino...t-thank you so much..."

Ino softens and lightly bats Sakura's hand away to wipe her tears with her sleeve instead, tutting at her. "You're welcome, but you really do need to start standing up for yourself." She brushes the dirt from Sakura's clothes. "When we graduate and get put on ninja teams, I'm gonna be with Choji and Shikamaru. I'm not always gonna be there to help you, you know?" Not that Ino particularly likes that, but...it's the reality of their situation, and Sakura has to face it at some point.

Sakura wipes her eyes again, just in case, then nods. "M—Mm hmm." She sniffs. "I...I know... I...I want to, but..."

"They're bigger than you, stronger than you, and they say a lot of mean things that hurt your feelings, I know." Sakura looks up at her. She took the words right out of her mouth. "But still..." Ino's preoccupied gaze drifts to the side, to the tiny flowers trampled in the bullies' wake. Her voice falls. "I worry about you, you know? These bullies are basically non-lethal mini versions of enemies we'll be facing out there on missions. It scares me that you won't be able to fight back against them if these schoolyard bullies get you down..." And the idea of losing Sakura like that...it makes her clench her fists till they hurt.

Sakura's eyes widen. Ino's never told her that before... The last thing she wants to do is worry her...! Reaching out almost desperately, she latches on to Ino's wrist with both hands, fingers curling in her flower-beaded bracelet. "I won't!"

Ino's wide eyes meet hers, and she blinks at how earnest her expression is. "Won't...what, Sakura…?"

Sakura shakes her head, tightening her grip on Ino. "I-I won't worry you anymore!" She squeezes her eyes shut against new tears. "I-I don't want you to have to worry about me while you're away on missions! 'Cause—'cause what if something happens to you while you're distracted? We learned that you should never be distracted during a mission, right?"

Ino can't help but stare. She's...never seen Sakura this fired up before... "R-right..."

"Then—" taking a deep breath, Sakura opens her eyes, and it could be a trick of the sunset's light, but Ino doesn't think she's ever seen her pretty mint greens look so intense before, "—then as your best friend, it's my turn to protect you! I'll—I'll get stronger and more confident and I'll—I'll show those bullies who's boss someday! Just you watch!" She swallows the lump trying to form in her throat and takes another breath, catching on the end. "Then—then you'll be able to go on missions without worrying about me, and—" her voice has started wobbling again, but she sniffs and does her best to force it back, though tears still sting her eyes, "—and then you'll—you'll come back to me okay...!"

Ino can't tear her eyes away, and she's not the only one. From his hiding place, Naruto is staring as well, mouth agape, and he hasn't noticed it yet, but he's blushing something fierce. That was...really cool, actually...! Ino blinks, unable to help it when she feels tears smart in her own eyes. She breathes a laugh. Figures Sakura would be worried about her with all this...

Leaning forward, she presses their foreheads together, giving Sakura pause this time. "Yeah, well...how about we take it one step at a time, billboard brow?"

Given a moment, Sakura sees the sense in her words and giggles sheepishly. "Y-yeah, you're probably right..." She doesn't even question the nickname. From Ino, she knows it comes from a place of love and adoration and a deep desire for her to be better, to bloom into the beautiful flower she knows she can be. She doesn't mind when she says it. (She's the only one, though!)

After another few comfortable moments (during which Naruto wonders what it would feel like to have a moment like that with someone, someone close to you), Ino pulls back, reaching into her back pocket. "Hey, you know, as a place to start, I actually brought something for you! Close your eyes, okay?"

Sakura doesn't have to question something like this. She knows she can trust Ino, even or especially with her life (and it's important to know who you can trust like that on the battlefield, maybe life or death – that's something else they were taught). She closes her eyes without a second's hesitation, just raising an eyebrow, then both, when she feels Ino tying something around her head.

A couple seconds later, she feels Ino's hands fall away, and she announces, "Okay, all set! Take a look and tell me what'cha think?"

She can hear the bright grin in her voice, and it just makes Sakura excited to know what has her spirits so high. Knowing Ino, it must be something pretty. She's always so good at spotting pretty things—

When she opens her eyes, she sees her own reflection staring back at her, Ino's compact mirror seated in her best friend's hand. "Well? What'd'ya think?" Ino winks and sticks out her tongue. "Pretty cute, right?"

Sakura's struck speechless, eyes wide. Ino tied a beautiful red ribbon around her head, one that compliments her hair and eyes and even her skin tone nicely (all things she learned from Ino)... She's...she looks... She feels tears (happy ones this time) rush back to her eyes, but she bites her lip and pushes them back. Not now...! "I...I look..." she flushes, never thinking she'd say something like this about herself, "...c-cute...!"

Ino snorts and pokes her forehead again, a bit harder than last time. "Hey, give me some credit! You look way more than cute! You look really pretty, and don't you forget it!"

From his hiding place, a wide-eyed, gaping Naruto is blushing even more now, if that's possible. He'd say she looks even better than that! She looks beautiful! Of course, he's secretly always thought that, but especially now, wow! He doesn't know much about girls and looking pretty and stuff, but Ino must be some kind of master! She didn't even have to think, she just knew what to do! That's insane! He wonders if all confident girls are like that...

Sakura grins sheepishly, blush deepening. "R-right, that's w-what I meant! I'm—" she takes a deep breath and ignores her darkening blush, "—r-really c-cute!"

Ino barks a laugh, unable to help teasing, "Say it with some confidence, why don't ya?"

"I'm—I'm really c-cute!"

"Good! Again!"

"I'm r-really cute!"

"Great! One more time, with ultra confidence!"

"I'm—really—cute!"

A high-five. "Yeah, all right!" Ino snaps her fingers and points at her, winking again. "That's my best friend! The cutest kunoichi of 'em all!"

Sakura is beaming by now, flush be damned, and Naruto swears he's going to die if she keeps looking like this. Happily, of course, but still! She laughs. "T-thanks so much!" Then, though, remembering something, her smile falls as she reaches up. "Oh, but—Ino?"

Ino blinks at the sudden mood change, hoping she hasn't missed something. She tilts her head. "Yeah? What is it?"

Sakura frowns, slapping her palm lightly against her forehead. "It's just...my forehead's still..."

Ino breathes a sigh of relief. "Oh, is that all? You had me worried there for a second!" Sakura blinks, not sure what she means by that. Wasn't her forehead insecurity the reason for this whole thing? Another poke to her forehead, and she looks back at Ino. "Listen, billboard brow, the only way you're going to get over this insecurity of yours is if you embrace it!"

Removing her hand from her forehead, Sakura looks down at it, then back at Ino. "'Em-...-embrace it'...?"

Ino nods emphatically. "Mm hmm! Embrace it! It's something my mom taught me recently!" She holds up an index finger, head held high, and winks. "If you embrace your insecurities, eventually you'll start to gain confidence in them instead, and then you'll start gaining more confidence in yourself in turn! There's the added bonus of no one ever being able to use those insecurities against you, too! It all ties together, like a bow around a flower bouquet! See?"

It takes Sakura a minute to picture it, but once she does, she brightens. "Oh, yeah, I see! So, if I start to like and maybe eventually even love my..." she falters, but only for a moment, "...b-big forehead, then those bullies won't be able to make me cry anymore!"

Ino nods again. "That's right! They'll still be able to push you and stuff, of course," driving her fist into her palm, she smirks something fierce, "but that'll be their funeral, don't you worry!"

Sakura nods vehemently, not wanting to be left behind. "A-and you won't have to protect me much longer! I'm—I meant what I said about—g-getting stronger! I swear!"

A heartbeat, and then their foreheads are one again. "Remember what I said about baby steps, flower," Ino reminds gently, using a nickname she likes using for her best friend in moments like this. "I appreciate that you want to look out for me, too, but," sticking her tongue out, she pokes Sakura's nose with it, "let's walk before we run, okay?"

Shrieking with laughter at the grossness of the kind-of-sweet-she-guesses gesture, Sakura reels back and falls on her behind. "O-okay, but...I-Ino, that's—that's gross...!" she manages through laughs, but just barely.

Laughing herself, Ino stands up and dusts off the grass. "Oh, so gross is what you're after, huh?" Licking both of her hands and letting her tongue hang out, she lunges for Sakura in the next moment. "I'll show you gross!"

Sakura shrieks with laughter again as she dodges, Ino complimenting her on her speed through her own giggles, and soon, they're a mess of running, licked limbs and screeching, undying laughter, breathing hard and faces red with exertion, their smiles lighting up the sunset-sky.

Naruto watches them for a little while longer, wishing he knew what it was like to play with a friend – let alone a best friend – like that. But once the sun starts sinking lower, he figures he should head home before he's found and this fun, interesting afternoon turns into a beating of an evening. Slipping out of his hiding place as quietly and quickly as possible, Naruto hightails it down the road toward home, hoping he makes it before dark (he's not a big fan of the dark...).

What he doesn't realize is that Ino catches him sneaking away, and she wonders what he's been doing here this whole time. She knows he wasn't with the bullies, so... Glancing over at Sakura, she can't help but soften. It's...sweet of him, but...she wonders why he'd even care when, for all intents and purposes, despite having classes together for years, he barely knows them...doesn't he...?

(And even more curious, if she didn't know any better, she'd say he was blushing to his ears...!)

Once dusk falls, Ino takes Sakura back to the Yamanaka residence, basically Sakura's second home. She helps her clean her cuts and puts some healing ointment on her bruises, and then shoos her off to the bath after running it for her. She lets Sakura stay in as long as she wants while she takes her own quicker bath in her parents' bathroom, and it's only once they're done that they see them.

Ino's eyes widen, and she points at her best friend's forehead. "Whoa, Sakura, check it out!"

Sakura looks up, as if she can see it that way. "What? What?" Gasping quietly when she realizes what it might be, she bites her lip against tears, reaching up to cover it as a lump threatens to form in her throat. "Did they think something bad again?"

Ino's still staring, but she scoffs a little impatiently and shakes her head, taking Sakura's hands down and turning her to face the vanity mirror in her room. What she sees makes her heart skip and tears start in her eyes for real – happy ones for once.

Written across her forehead, totally replacing the usual ugly written there, is the word Beautiful.

She reaches up to touch the new word slowly, hesitantly, like she's afraid if she touches it, it'll disappear. It's...it's really there...and she isn't dreaming either… (She knows because she pinched herself on the way up.) She sniffs wetly, lower lip wobbling. Somebody really...thought this about her...maybe her forehead specifically...! A few tears find their way down her face. No one's ever...been nice about it before except Ino...well, and their other friends, but she knows it wasn't any of them... Ino wouldn't have reacted like that if it was her, and she would have told her if it was one of the others...

She's about to turn to Ino to ask who she thinks it was when her eyes catch something new on Ino's skin, too. Her eyes widen, and she gasps, taking Ino's hand in both of hers and holding it up so she can see. "Ino, look! You have one, too!"

There, written across Ino's knuckles on her right hand, is Brave.

Ino stares at it, blinks more than once. Okay, now this is weird! Humming thoughtfully, she looks between her word and Sakura's. She softens a bit at seeing Sakura get more emotional as the seconds pass, tears steadily starting to stream down her cheeks as she reads it over and over in the mirror, touching it with careful, almost reverent fingers. Ino looks down at her own word and pauses before reaching out to trace it as well. Her smile melts.

She wonders...who could have thought this about her... Most people, when they see her defending Sakura or some other kids, they think of her as loud, annoying, meddler, no-fun, Mother Hen (and not in the good way), that kind of thing. And Sakura... Ino's always thought Sakura was cute, obviously, and she really does think she'll grow to be really beautiful, but...who could think that so hard, so genuinely, that it overwrites what so many others have thought over and over in their cruel mocking? It can't be anyone they know, right? It just...seems so out of nowhere...—!

All at once, she remembers something Shikamaru told her the other day: "Naruto was there when Choji got his good word, and it was after helping Naruto in cooking that Neji found his, too."

Hmm... She wonders... But what could that have to do with—?!

Suddenly remembering something else, she snaps up. That's right! Naruto was there today! She caught a glimpse of him right at the end, running down the street (and blushing, at that)! So, maybe...?

She looks back at Sakura, her word, then her own hand, running her fingers over her new word one more time, slower and more thoughtful than the first.

Naruto Uzumaki, huh...?

A/N: Things are slowly starting to come together! Really hope you're enjoying reading the build as much as I am writing it! lol.

For the part where Ino gives Sakura her ribbon, I did my best to parallel canon while also making it mine for this AU! Hopefully I succeeded! ;D

Thanks so much for reading!