Naruto 1. Chapter 1

Prologue

"Stop moving around..."

"I can't help it..."

"I can't get it off if you keep moving, Hinata..."

Naruto carefully observes the small, tiny bug on Hinata's shoulders, coming up with high-class strategies to get it off. Ino and Sakura are playing cards near-by, killing time while this problem is being solved. They figured it would take a while since they gave the job to Naruto, who in some cases can be reliable, but when it comes to something you have to use your head. It's not that easy to explain.

"Just let it eat her. I hear caterpillars have great taste for scared, little girls." Ino joked, picking up a card while snickering.

"Waaaahhh!"

Sakura smacks Ino's hand before she touches the deck and glares at her rival, "That's not true. The real reason bugs are here is because their attracted to stupidity, and I suppose Naruto being here explains everything."

"Don't have too much fun..." Naruto warned Sakura, "I have no part in this. I didn't even recommend us together, all I know, Tsunade said that someone within this group wanted us to be together, so if you feel like coughing up the truth right now, then do so. I would hold nothing against you." while he was saying this. His eyes was staring directly at Sakura, as if he knew who's the rat in all this.

"What are you looking at me for?! You think I recommended this? Please, if I wanted idiots I would've gotten the dogs to help me out. I might even say the dogs would've been more helpful then the three of you put together."

"That's kind of unbelievable, considering that you nearly cried when you found out Sasuke was joining the ANBU." Ino spoke, picking up one card at a time, even when you're supposed to pick only one, "That's right. I said it. How is someone like you supposed to lead a team when you're so emotionally unstable."

"I'm not emotionally unstable!" Sakura cried out.

"I'll second that Ino." Naruto agreed.

"I have to say you are sometimes a little hard to get along with when you get sad all the time." Hinata sighs.

"ME! HARD TO GET ALONG WITH! You're the one making us wait because a stupid bug is on your shoulder." Sakura stands straight up and all three of them watch her with awe. She marches directly at Hinata and slaps the bugs off, causing the poor thing to die and hit the ground.

The three watch the bug give it final breaths before staring at the criminal before them.

"I told you she was unstable..." Ino whispers and the other two nod their head in approval. In the end they buried the poor bug and continued their mission of escorting. The day is still young an there is a lot of more adventures in their way. They know this, but why would any of them want this particular group to assemble together is beyond anything they could come up with.

Who exactly wanted them to group together and why?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

The green, massive leaves, multiple tree's everywhere they looked and a slow-minded shinobi desperately trying to lead his unlikely team out of it. It all looked very wrong. Naruto was in front directing everything despite only Hinata listening to him. Hinata skipped alongside Naruto, smiling for the first time in a while. Ino and Sakura weakly followed behind them with unsatisfied looks.

"I knew we're going to get loss..." Ino admitted, loudly enough for Naruto to hear, but lowly enough for him to wonder if she really wanted him to hear it, "I called it. I said if we gave him the map we might as well walk in blindfolded." she told Sakura.

"Hey, I didn't come up with that brilliant idea. I was told that I was emotionally unstable so decided that my opinion isn't worth anything." Sakura sarcastically said, disappointed.

"Well then, not only are we baffled by whom put this team together, but we're completely dumbstruck why we put someone like Naruto to lead us."

Naruto felt a temple pop after hearing the girls conversation, but before he could say anything. He managed to find a way out of the forest and it's not by the stupid map, but by his clone searching variously around for any direction.

There's a small cabin nearby for tourist and hikers.

The four walked over to the Cabin, which was brown and traditionally made out of wood. It was directly made out of trees. Like someone took and chainsaw and piled a bunch of tree's together. It was nice. It was neat, but completely, westernized.

Which wasn't a problem. It's a lot better than living outside the woods, especially since one of them is extremely afraid of bugs.

Sakura and Hinata we're considered to have good people skills so the group decided to send them in first, leaving Naruto and Ino by themselves.

"So..." Ino looked around, a bit uncomfortable, "Do you really think Sakura did it?"

"Did what?"

"You know...put us together?"

"That would be my first thought but the advantages of always being wrong is that you notice that you're first thought is almost never the right thought."

Ino looked a bit surprised, "That's a pretty wise thing for you to say."

"I did have a life ya'know." Naruto glared at her in a friendly way, "I did live 23 years of my life and I wasn't just playing around. I did learn a thing or two during my years in training."

Sakura and Hinata came back before the two could carry on their conversation and the four of them entered the humble abode. They were greeted by two old couple, who look weirdly sweet for each other. It's like old people love, that sometimes, even if it is rare, makes you a little giddy inside. The cabin was warm, and even if the thing is made out of wood. The people here sure don't waste time burning wood so nearby.

The ancient fireplace. Dead animals all over the walls. Pictures of family and younger versions of herself. These were like fairy tales Ino would always hear about from her father. She knew about picture-perfect families, but she never expected that one really exist.

Ino has a two year relationship with Sai and for the first time in her life. She was serious about this love. She always played with people's hearts, mostly males but oddly enough there was a good amount of females too. She had that sexy predator look of her, and the more times she fooled people. The better she got at it.

Sasuke and Naruto are the only ones she never touched. Sasuke because he never took interest in anything but his own private affairs and Naruto because dating him would be like dating a wild being. She couldn't keep up with Naruto's fearless spirits.

She always expected love however, and promised herself that if she ever did fall in love she would toss all her play-time aside for that one person.

In the end.

She did fall in love and Sai was that person.

There was a lot of people who would say it's because Sai's appearance closely resembling the looks of Sasuke, but it wasn't that. It was his spirit, despite Sai holding back 99.99 percent of that spirit within his paintings. Ino was the only one to witness the other .1 percent to herself and she considered it special, more special then the world.

She really wanted to play with Sai and the more she played with him, the more she became serious. It was like a game never-ending. It was like even though she reached the top of everything. She always found a new obstacle she had to conquer and in the end. It was her who fell in love.

At first. She thought Sai felt the same. She thought that their thinking was one and just like her. She thought he had that predator look in his eyes. They never engaged in sexual intercourse during their relationship, mainly because Sai was always busy with his ANBU missions but the night-time visits he would take to her meant the world.

If it was another person. She would've found it weird, but Sai was just like that. He would always come in the night, sneak in her window and just watch her sleep. He wouldn't do anything besides that. Ino always stayed up along with him and sometimes he caught her when she was awake by not showing up at all.

At the end of the night. She would always get a rose.

Then one morning. She woke up and found nothing by her bedside, no note, no nothing. She thought he was caught up with his work and was just busy, but then the next night. No Sai.

It was an endless cycle of her waiting sleepless nights for him to return and no matter how long she waited. The pale assassin never showed up.

It's been a whole year since his nightly visits and she finally found Sai inside the ramen bar. She felt angry but more overjoyed that it masked the anger into nothing and she quickly rushed in and embraced him.

However.

Sai did not return her embrace.

He watched slowly at his ramen swirling inside the bowl and didn't move, but instead looked at the girl with a puzzled expression, "Who are you."

"It's me!" Ino would say, "It's me Ino."

the painful realization didn't kick in until a few days later. She knew in her heart but she never accepted it until then. The doctor visit was one of the most emotional moments in her life.

When the doctor explained about his condition. She promised to make him remember. She promised to make him realize what a great life he would have, but the doctor wasn't done. He explained another condition Sai had and it was a incurable disease.

In a matter of weeks.

Sai didn't remember a single thing and his body began to fade. He was dying slowly. It was like watching a rose whiter into nothing.

In the next two months.

Sai had passed away.

Ino hadn't left her room for the months to come and she didn't accept any visitors. Not that there were any. In the end. It was Tsunade who forced her out her room and into this mission, said it was some type of mission that was requested by one of the members of the Original 11.

She hadn't heard that name in years.

She almost forgot.

And now. She's here, trying to act as normal as possible when in fact. It is her who is emotionally unstable. The image of this happy couple however brought her a little happiness.

Naruto, who's watching Ino's expression knew this type of pain. It might not be the same reason that caused this pain but he knew those eyes. He never thought he would see it in someone else beside himself. He first questioned it but after coming to a resolve he couldn't help himself any longer.

When the other two weren't looking. He grabbed her hand gently, feeling the softness warm his whole body and smiled, grinning like he used to.

"It's going to be alright." he snickered, "I'm here aren't I?"

Ino looked a little shock and embarrassed at the same time, but the old smile. The old snicker. The old Naruto. This was something that brought a nice, nostalgic feeling. She grinned back, squeezing tightly on Naruto's hand. She felt like she could rely on Naruto for anything. It was like old times, "That's right Naruto..." she giggles, "I'm glad you're here with me."


End file.

Naruto, Humor, Romance