Naruto 1. Memories of Pursuits

**Hi everyone, Under konoha's sky here. This is our first fan fiction, so bear with us. Any and all criticisms are welcome.**

**-Disclaimer- We don't own these characters, just some of the ideas! Masashi's credit where it's due.**

Ino gazed at the full moon. In all its uncomplicated beauty, it was so_ unlike_ her conflicting heart and all the mixed up feelings emanating from them.

Her conscience wouldn't leave her be, constantly replaying that scene she witnessed not too long ago.

Her inner Ino Yamanaka, which had been dormant suspiciously for some time now, took over in the driver's seat. "How could she fall in love with Sasuke? What does he have that _I_ don't? He is** so** arrogant and self-centred._ I hate him_."

Ino started breathing heavily, exhausted with the predicament she was quickly finding herself in.

"No, control yourself. These feelings you have are an illusion….you're not in love with Sakura. NO, YOU AREN'T. You're just angry that she is in love with Sasuke. Because…because..he is meant for you..yes I'm upset with my best friend for falling for the boy that I love."

Oh who was she fooling? She was already consciously aware of these feelings she had for Sakura. They weren't just love for her best childhood gal pal.

Ino sighed. Her feelings for Sakura had only been growing, and although she'd been able to keep it under wraps for some time now, she was starting to grow sceptical about her inner strength.

If she was admitting all this to herself now, how long before she openly started admitting it to others? Ino prided herself on her inner confidence. She loved that unlike others, her passion for independence and doing what it took to get what she wanted would always come through for her.

They provided for her intrinsically as well.

Which is why it bothered her that she was even experiencing this inner turmoil. Inner turmoil was for chumps. Plus, until now she'd never been so conflicted about any of the feelings she had or afraid of them.

She always thought it was because of the competition, and the growing chances of Sakura besting her at winning the heart of Sasuke.

However, as she watched her best friend fall for this enigma of a human being, she felt the jealousy inside of her kicking to take hold of this dilemma. To affectively end, these feelings of self-pity.

Her jealousy was going about it wrong but it had the right idea. She had to openly accept them, instead of throwing them scraps of mere tolerance.

She couldn't even think of the last time her mind wasn't lost in the curiosity, of how Sakura always managed to capture Ino's being in her_ mesmerizing _deep jade iris's, and then that being would be shook to the core from the realization that Sakura's beautiful iris's only held love for HIM.

In her heart of hearts she despised Sasuke's_ being_, his stupid vengeance, and especially his very existence in Sakura's heart.

She contemplated on whether or not she should keep her distance.

It irritated her that every time she was with Sakura the conversations would always, without fail, be confined to the latest gossip on Sasuke. _Sasuke._ She couldn't repeat that name in her head without the venom that was entailed.

"Why is Sasuke in my thoughts, even if they're negative? Maybe I really am just in love with Sasuke and I'm jealous over Sakura wanting him!" Ino thought to herself.

"HA!" Her inner Ino spat. "Keep indulging yourself, my dear Ino. These delusions will only get you so far."

That cackling was the last thing Ino had heard before drifting off into the restless sleep that was sure to take over.

She woke up the next morning with puffy eyes. She slowly got up, hoisted herself off of her comfy bed, put on her slippers and stumbled to the bathroom.

"Thank Kami I have a bathroom connected to my room, what if Sakura ever saw me in this state, my morning breath and my bed hair-wait-why-what? Ugh. I just need to shut my brain off. I think I'll just work for a few hours at the shop and then spend the rest of the morning at the spa. My sanity depends on it."

She shook her head in frustration and tried to clear her thoughts.

When she was done, she flew down the stairs to get some breakfast. "Ino! Stop eating so fast it isn't healthy!" Her mother lectured. Ino simply rolled her eyes, took the key to the shop and made her way over. "At least some things never change" She smirked.

Of course by this time, she'd tried numerous times to steer her brain away from thoughts about Sakura, so she decided to give in to them and felt herself remembering the days when Sasuke first caught her eye. "Beats the inner turmoil." she joked.

It was 3 years ago. Ino was dominating with an iron first when it came to the latest fashions, gossip and adolescent romance. She kept herself in great shape, she had Sakura by her side who held more than enough respect for the two of them, and most guys had already noticed her by then.

One day, she was sitting by the window, watching a sparrow fly over to its nest when she heard female voices 'oohing' over some guy.

She decided to look over at the source, when she saw Sasuke. "OH MY KAMI! The summer has been great to him!" she thought.

She went back to thinking about her calculated popularity and ways to improve on it, when she realized she was missing the key element. She needed** arm candy**!** ALL** of the latest celebs had somebody to show off, and it was Ino's duty to emulate them as an example to her naive classmates.

Sasuke! Sasuke was the answer! He was the latest finest piece of boy, and she had a nagging suspicion that he was going to stay that way for a _long _time.

He was the first in his class both academically and physically, and he was so,_ icy_. She loved iciness in men, she thought it was classy.

"Him!" she thought. "I have to get him to be my boyfriend! We would look _so_ great together and my place on top would be guaranteed! Why hasn't this genius hit me before? Wait what am I talking about? I had to have been operating on genius to get this far."

She hmphed, and walked over to where Sasuke was sitting to lay her charm on the guy. "Poor boy won't even know what he's dealing with," she smirked.

She was about to open her mouth when a girl, none other than Sakura had actually grabbed Sasuke's hand and started asking him to help her with her math.

"**That little hussy**!" Ino nearly screamed. "How dare she? Has this been happening right under my nose this_ entire_ time? She could've_ told_ me she was going to talk to the guy. Wait. She knows how I get with this sort of thing. She must've realized I haven't seen Sasuke yet, and wanted to sink her teeth in before I could. Well dear billboard brow, you've got another thing coming if you think you can pull one over this fox."

She smirked again and decided it was time to catch his attention. She pulled her scrunchy out of her hair, put some hair behind her ear to let her earing glisten in the light, and cleared her throat.

"Hey there, Sasuke." She said, in the huskiest voice she could muster. "I just came by to say hi. We haven't seen each other **all **summer and frankly I was beginning to miss your presence. How have you been?" She laughed musically.

By this time, Sakura had noticed Ino and was burning up from the confrontation. It was evident that Ino's presence had bothered her, and it was also evident to Sakura that this meant war.

She left Ino with Sasuke, went to her desk, pulled out the ribbon Ino had gave her so long ago, and cut it in half. Unbeknownst to Sakura, Ino had watched her do it.

Ino remembered that image well. She felt something inside her soul die. For a split second she even questioned her actions, and the reasons for why she walked up to Sasuke and did what she did.

However, the feeling was gone as fast as it came, and she finished talking to Sasuke. She walked over to where she was previously seated and sat down.

Ino remembered that from that point onward, nothing was the same between the two. Ino lost a confidante, a best friend and a counsellor all in one.

She never shed a tear but her soul did cry. She didn't realize until later that it wasn't anger that she felt but regret for the circumstances.

It was a year ago when she finally realized that her feelings for Sakura were more than friendship.

After they had been assigned to their three man squads, Ino and Sakura never saw each other much.

Ino was stuck with Shika and Choji a lot of the time. So when the confrontation at the Chunin exams happened, it was much needed between the two as the distance had helped build tension.

When they settled what they felt out on the battlefield, Sakura and Ino actually started having conversations, decent, full conversations without any tension. Ino loved that they could speak again.

At first, things were a little awkward as they had spent the better half of three years, 'hating' each other. Soon though, they had warmed up to each other like old times and were already sharing secrets.

The friendship was balanced as well, Sakura never yielding to Ino's demands as she used to, and Ino never expecting her to. Those were the most blissful days Ino had ever experienced in her young life.

She had never felt so happy about the reconciliation, until a little green demon named jealousy reared its ugly head.

Sakura and Ino had never really discussed Sasuke much, as it had been the reason Ino and Sakura stopped talking in the first was taboo and neither was willing to break the peace.

It happened on Valentine's Day, ironically. Sakura and Ino decided they would just watch a few chick flicks and call it a night, when suddenly Sakura broke the dam.

She had started crying after watching a scene happening between two lovers, one angry that the other was letting revenge take a hold of their soul, the other frustrated that they couldn't understand.

Sakura decided to take a leap, and confide in Ino about her feelings for Sasuke. Ino, of course didn't refuse her. She listened patiently while Sakura went on and on about Sasuke and his ignorance to her presence.

By the end, Ino was cradling Sakura, cooling her down. Ino was happy that this had all happened without much fuss or awkwardness, but a foreign feeling was tying her stomach up in knots.

After that day, Ino started noticing how much Sakura had changed when it came to _Sasuke_, the light in her eyes when he came into her line of vision, and the swelling in her_ heart_ when Sakura smiled at her.

Back then, she didn't dislike Sasuke_ that_ much, but she did at one point think he was getting in the way of her friendship.

All the signs of jealousy were there, but Ino denied them until last night, when that beast of a man had knocked Sakura out and left her on the cold concrete.

Ino bit her lip. She looked over at the clock and realized she was due for some spa time soon. She locked up shop and made her way over to the spa, a bittersweet look on her face.

**A:N/ Kami - God in japanese**


	2. The Night Before

**Ino's POV (Continued)**

***FLASHBACK* (THE NIGHT BEFORE)**

"Welcome! What brings you in so late at night? Oh, Sakura? Hey…how is everything?" Ino said, confused at what Sakura was doing there so late at night.

"Mom said to get some flowers." Sakura said, voice unstable.

"Oh! Okay, what kind of flowers did your mom want? The usual?" Ino's puzzling look was more evident with every word spoken. She could see clearly the despair in Sakura's eyes.

Sakura answered, "Yes, mom said to put it on the store credit. Can you make it quick? I'm in a hurry."

Why was she in a hurry? Why did she look so down? What was going on? She didn't look so good.

She wasn't even looking her in the eye when she responded, and her tone of voice was low, as if to conceal whatever she was feeling.

Something was up and she had to know what is was. Maybe she should ask.

"Is everything ok lately? How's your team doing?" as Ino said this, Sakura looked up and replied, "My team?" Sakura had a crazed look on her face.

"Yeah, how are Naruto and Sasuke? I heard they fought each other on top of the hospital, what spurred that on? Is everything fine?" Ino replied.

Ino sensed that something had happened to alter the peace in the group.

"Can you please hurry up?" Sakura huffed, impatiently tapping her foot on the concrete. Ino returned to her thoughts.

Something was definitely wrong with her.

Why did she have a feeling these flowers weren't for her mom? Maybe_ Sasuke_ got injured from that fight earlier and she was giving him flowers. Maybe she was just using her mom as an excuse.

Why would she lie about that? Was she still playing these little games with her? Did she think Ino was an idiot? Flowers for her mom? HA! What was she his girlfriend now?

Ino quickly prepared the flowers and handed them to Sakura. Sakura still never looked at Ino, leaving the shop in a panic.

Ino couldn't bear the thought of Sakura lying to her face. Isn't _that_ why she wouldn't even look at her?

"Mom!" She yelled, "I'm going out! Take care of the front. I'll be back in a bit!"

Ino ran out of the store, wondering why she would want to follow Sakura in the first place. However, She knew it was because she couldn't watch her run off like that.

_'There she is! The hospital is in the opposite direction though. Where is this girl going?'_ Ino continued following Sakura, carefully treading behind so as not to make her presence known.

_'Is she leaving the village? Why is she walking towards the exit?'_

Sakura placed the flowers she bought on a bench near the walkway and just stood there as if she was waiting for somebody to arrive.

_'Who could she possibly be meeting up with at this time of night? Oh Kami don't tell me she's about to confess to Sasuke with flowers? As if he would actually show up.'_

Ino clenched her fists, almost making a sound but quickly pulled herself together and started walking away. She _had_ to stop letting herself get carried away with these cursed feelings. Then she heard his voice.

"What are you doing down here so late at night? Just out for a stroll?" Sasuke said, knowing full well there was no avoiding this. Ino quickly turned around. '_Sasuke showed up but it looks like he wasn't expecting to bump into Sakura. It seems like he's about to leave the village. but why would he?'_

Ino knew now for sure something was going on. She couldn't bring herself to leave, she was too curious with where all this was headed. She allowed herself to get drawn in.

She listened intently to the conversation between Sakura and Sasuke, realizing quickly that it wouldn't end on a happy note. Then she saw a tear roll down Sakura's cheek.

It shocked and hurt Ino to see Sakura so emotional around_ Sasuke_. She hadn't realized her petty crush had grown to that extent.

"Why won't you say anything to me?" Sakura pleaded, trembling like she was about to lose a part of herself.

Ino looked over at Sakura hearing those words, and felt a tornado start twisting in her heart.

_'Why do I feel this way? Why does Sakura want to be so close to him? He doesn't even care that she's crying for him.'_ Ino suddenly had the urge to sink into her chest, but decided to keep watching the two.

Sasuke had sensed Sakura's chakra before arriving at the place where he and Sakura crossed paths, and he also sensed Ino's.

He knew she was watching them from afar, but he decided not to bother declaring her presence since he wanted to leave without a scene.

"Why do I have to tell you anything? I'm telling you that you meddle too much. Stop bothering me all the time."

Hearing those words coming from Sasuke's mouth crushed Sakura.

Ino was too caught up with how Sakura was feeling. She couldn't bear to watch Sakura getting torn apart from the inside.

Sasuke leaving didn't even touch base with her, all she could think about was how much Sakura loved him, and how far Sakura would go for him.

Watching her cry for him made Ino's heart sink even deeper. Ino suddenly felt tears emerge from her eyes and felt them fall down her cheek.

She caught her tear as it fell and examined it on her palm.

_'Why am I crying? How does any of this affect me? Why do I feel this way?'_

Sakura couldn't believe what Sasuke had just said.

"You always act like you hate me, Sasuke". Sakura uttered.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke and started reminiscing on the moments when they became genin. Sakura had upset Sasuke with what she said about Naruto.

She truly believed that Sasuke has disliked her from that moment. Sasuke immediately replied with, "I don't remember".

Ino couldn't stand the cold attitude Sasuke had around Sakura, she couldn't stand it yet she couldn't stop the tears from falling, or turn away.

She wanted to go and comfort Sakura, but she knew it was impossible for her to do so in that moment.

"I have family and friends but if you leave, for me, to me it's the same thing as being alone!" Sakura yelled, hoping Sasuke was in some way affected by what she had confessed.

The moment those words came out of Sakura's mouth, Ino felt herself losing grip on reality.

She felt panicked, sick and terrorized all at the same time._ '_

_'How could he mean so much to her? If he leaves and I'm here she wouldn't even care because her mind would be so distracted by thoughts of him. Why do I care if I cross her mind? Why does it matter if she doesn't care for me? Why do I feel like a part of me is being crushed to bits by every word she is saying to him? WHY?'_

As Ino continued to scream internally to the lord Kami for some answers, she started feeling paralyzed.

She didn't want to hear anymore. She wanted to run away. She tried to keep quiet but she couldn't stop crying, listening to Sakura vow to give her all to Sasuke.

"I love you more than anything!" Sakura screamed, hoping it would make him stay.

"Sakura, I don't know if I could even explain this well enough to you. You lack the ability to understand. I have a purpose, and I also have the drive to carry out what has been on my mind for the past near decade. You, Sakura, you have been living this vain, self-consumed life where you indulge yourself, believing that there was actually a tad bit of friendship between us. I have no friends, only acquaintances. Your selfish love has blinded you to the reality of my predicament, which hasn't changed in the least since and before I met you. Now please, MOVE."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing him say to her. She just couldn't wrap her head around it.

"I would do** anything** for you! That's why I beg of you! Please stay here!" she pleaded.

Sasuke sighed. "After all this, you're still annoying." Sasuke started to walk away. Sakura immediately started to yell.

Sasuke turned his heel and started walking towards Sakura.

Ino couldn't stand what she was hearing. Seeing Sasuke walking towards her, she felt that maybe, Sakura had finally gotten through to him, that he accepted her confession.

Ino breathlessly watched Sasuke walk up to Sakura and without a word knock her out cold. It snapped Ino out of her frozen state.

Sasuke left Sakura on the floor and immediately left for the gate.

In that moment, Ino ran towards Sakura, so clustered in her own thoughts. Her eyes were swollen red and all the rampant emotions were making her head spin.

She picked Sakura up delicately and laid her on the bench where she placed the flowers earlier.

Ino assumed Sasuke, at this point had left the village. However Sasuke wanted to see Ino's purpose for following Sakura out here in the first place. He watched from a safe distance, as she placed Sakura on the bench.

He smiled, walking away as if he knew something about the two that they hadn't yet realized.

Ino stared at Sakura's face and begin to wipe the tears off._ 'Her skin is so soft and pale.'_

Ino immediately pulled her hand away from Sakura's face.

_ 'Should I take her home? Wait, I can't. I wouldn't know how to explain why Sakura was unconscious. Should I book a room at the lodge for her? But they'll ask questions as well, this IS Konoha and everyone's always extra careful here.'_

she began to chew on a strand of hair, wracking her brain for a quick solution.

After a few minutes, she decided to leave Sakura on the bench, figuring that the sun would rise in a couple of hours.

She felt horrible for leaving her there, but it was all she felt could do at the time without involving anybody.

She took a flower embedded in her hair bun and placed it behind Sakura's ear.

_'You might not know who it's from but maybe your heart ache will ease a bit when you see this flower, and the bench you're lying on.' _

Ino let out a long, deep sigh before heading home. She was going to be finishing off a tub of ice cream tonight, no doubt.

***END OF FLASHBACK***

Ino felt sick to her stomach, recalling all of that after such a relaxing few hours at the spa.

She was running late for the emergency meeting with all the other Geniins. She had a sneaking suspicion about why they were called on so suddenly.

"Shit!" she thought. "Shika and Choji probably didn't wait up."

When she arrived, she saw Sakura and exhaled in relief.

"Looks like something turned out right at least," she thought. She took her place near Shika and Choji. She took a good look at both.

Shika had the look of indifference. As usual Choji was scarfing down a bag of pork rinds before the meeting was to start. Ino rolled her eyes. "Pig," she thought.

The two noticed her presence when she scoffed.

"Hey Ino, where were you? I coulda finished of this bag of pork rinds earlier if you hadn't been so late!" exclaimed Choji.

"Yeah Ino, how troublesome" Shikamaru sighed. Ino scoffed again, not even bothering to reply.

She felt her mood grow dark. '_This is probably about Sasuke's disappearance, the scumbag. I bet this is tearing Sakura apart as we stand here.'_

Her heart went out to Sakura, her stomach twisting in the agony the memories the night before had brought. She was so caught up in herself that she failed to realize that all eyes were on her

. "Hey Ino, do we have your attention? You don't look so good, you look like you're about to start crying," Asuma said to her.

He lay a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You don't have to be here if you don't feel mentally fit." he said.

Ino, growing nervous by the second, gave her sensei a shaky smile. "No sensei, I'm fine. I was just recalling something. It's nothing big."

She wiped away a few tears, never allowing them to trickle down her cheek.

Shikamaru and Choji had worried looks on their faces, while the rest of the 9 Geniin were looking at her with some level of concern.

Even Sakura's curiosity was peeked.

'_Shit! I can't let her think anything is wrong with me. She might even connect the two if I'm too inconspicuous!'_

She finished wiping at her eyes, and turned her full attention to her sensei. Asuma, sensing that Ino had put herself together, continued with what he was saying.

It was just as Ino guessed, the meeting was about Sasuke's disappearance.

She watched as most of the geniins gasped at the news, all of them wondering aloud what would possess Sasuke to leave his home.

They started to console Naruto and Sakura, both of whom had shut themselves off immediately. Ino looked on, feelings of angst returning in tenfold. She wanted to yell out in agony to the almighty Kami.

_'Why in Kami's name did it have to be Sakura's heart torn in two? WHY?!'_

She felt her emotions best her again, as she began to tremble in grief. Then she felt an arm fall on her shoulders.

She looked up, to see Asuma, Choji and Shika looking at her with growing concern. She hated that she couldn't just tell them outright what was going on with her.

Sure, they weren't female and they never have discussed any of that mushy stuff men liked to cower away from if it was the last thing they could do before death, but they cared for her, which was more than she could say for anybody else at the time.

She was so popular at school, but the other females kept some distance from her when it came to their friendship.

Sakura was the only person she could ever open up to. At Sakura's mention, she felt a fresh batch of tears begin to escape down her cheek.

It was safe to say that the group has never seen Ino this emotional before, she was always the most guarded about her feelings.

They tried their best to comfort her; all the while wracking their brains for what could have shook Ino like this.

Ino felt like her heart was breaking in two. It made no sense to her. She knew she was in love with Sakura, that much was for certain.

Why was she crying so much? Was it because of the possibility that Sakura could never get the closure she needed? Was it because her emotions for Sasuke were so intense, as intense as Ino's feelings for her? The empathy of it all?

She could keep asking these questions all day, but she had to fix this. For her own wellbeing if anything.

It was in that moment she made her resolve.

Assuming that Sakura's heart could never belong to her, she would do everything in her power to help Sakura attain the closure she so dearly needed. She would be there for as a friend, a confidante, and as a counsellor.

She would be everything Sakura was for her in her own time of need.

Ino felt a new light enter her. Her friends noticed a change in her mood, and let out their own sighs of relief.

Ino wiped her own tears, as she should.

She walked up to Sakura, a smile bright enough for the two of them plastered on her face. She put a hand on Sakura's shoulder.

"Sakura," she declared, with all the confidence she could muster. "Sakura, no need to worry. I couldn't even begin to relate to what you are feeling right now, but I want you to know that I'm here if you ever need an ear and if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, you can count on me."

She smiled the warmest smile she ever could conjure up, and both Naruto and Sakura turned to Ino, surprise blatant across their face.

Sakura smiled at Ino for the first time that day. It was the saddest smile Ino had ever seen, but it melted her heart to know Sakura had smiled like that to put her at ease. She understood what Ino was trying to relay.

Sakura put a hand over Ino's, and said, "Ino, I'm so glad you said that. I really need a friend right now, a friend that I know will hear me out to the very end and I know you can be that person."

She turned to Ino and hugged her.

Ino hadn't been that happy in a while, not since Sakura and she had finally become proper friends a year ago.

She felt someone watching her, and looked over to meet eyes with the deep blue's associated with Naruto. He was smiling warmly at her, communicating that he was thankful Ino was taking the position, one Naruto was aware he could never fill.

She smiled back, feeling sorry for him. Sasuke was his best friend, and somebody he considered family. Ino felt herself clenching her fists._ That repulsive imp!_ He really was cold to the core.

She sighed, ready to head home when she heard Naruto announce that he was leaving.

Naruto, it seemed was determined to leave Konoha this very moment to retrieve Sasuke's sorry arse as soon as possible.

Not too long after, a team was assembled for this mission.

Ino sighed again, watching Naruto promise Sakura that he would do whatever he could to bring Sasuke back, that she had his word, and his ninja way depended on it. Sakura kept nodding, a shaky smile on her face.

Ino could tell that Sakura had her utmost faith in Naruto. He had never let her OR the team down before, why start now?

Ino guessed Sakura was thinking something along those lines.

She walked over to Sakura. She slipped her hand in Sakura's, reveling in the perfect fit of their palms.

Sakura looked over to Ino, smiled, and rested her head on Ino's shoulder. "Tell me if your shoulder ever tires." Sakura murmured, eyes closing in exhaustion. "Wouldn't dream to." Ino whispered.


	3. Oh My Dumplings!

**INO'S POV (CONTINUED)**

It felt like an eternity. Ino had never felt so at peace, with Sakura's head nestled in the crane of her neck. "I wish I could stay like this forever." she thought.

Sakura noticed her long sigh, and asked Ino if she was getting tired. Ino quickly reassured Sakura that she's just had so much on her mind lately. Then she immediately wanted to kick herself for saying that. Now Sakura would remember Ino's little debacle during the meeting. "Shit!" she muttered. She guaranteed herself a swift kick to the behind, when she was alone.

"Ino, if there's anything wrong you know you can tell me right?" Sakura declared.

Ino wanted to melt into a pool of goop and spill down the drain. Sakura's voice, the sincerity pouring out, it was much too raw for Ino to take. She felt weak in the knees, thought herself a cliché and decided to crouch. "I won't be reduced to a stupid love sick puppy!" She muttered to herself.

Sakura looked down at her, curious. "What's she doing down there? Is it cramps?" she thought to herself. Sakura knew Ino could be a little quirky at times, but randomly crouching was definitely in her top ten of Ino's weird moments.

She decided to crouch down too, and as a result her face was much closer to Ino's. Ino didn't realize this at first, as she was too busy staring at the ground scolding herself. So you can imagine her, _surprise_, when she almost knocked foreheads with Sakura.

There she was, staring at Ino with those elusive jade iris's. Ino felt blood rushing down her nose. "INO! Ino! What's wrong? What happened? Did we bump our foreheads too hard?" Sakura yelled, anxiety blatant.

Ino shook her head viciously, assuring Sakura that she was okay. Sakura got the message and sighed, thinking to herself that Ino only got weirder every year.

Ino got up, remembering she had some flowers to deliver. Sakura followed suit. "Hey, Sakura?" Ino sputtered. "I actually have to deliver some flowers to a client in the hospital, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with."

Sakura looked up at Ino, curious as to why Ino would even look nervous asking about something so casual.

"Uh sure, yeah I'll go with you Ino." Sakura said, mild curiosity tainting her voice. Ino nodded her head, and decided to lead the way.

Once they got there, Ino went to the receptionist desk to find out which room the client was staying in. Afterwards, she walked over to Sakura, only to find her staring sadly at the bouquet of flowers Ino was to deliver.

"Sakura.." Ino half whispered. Sakura snapped out of her daze, to find Ino staring at her with concern etched on her face. "Hey Ino, I'm fine. These flowers just reminded me of something that happened last night." Sakura said, not realizing that Ino would ask. Which she did. "What are you talking about Sakura? ... You don't need to tell me if you aren't ready. It looks like a big deal though." Ino said.

Sakura slowly turned to meet Ino face to face, and told her she'd talk about it later. Ino suddenly remembered that Sakura was staring at the _bouquet of flowers. _"Shit!" she muttered. "She's probably thinking about that flower she found behind her ear."

"Who are you speaking to?" Sakura asked. "Ohh.. I was just uhh..Ican'tbelieveIforgotToGetaCardWit hThisbouquet!" Ino quickly spat. Sakura shrugged, following Ino to the client's room.

The walk there was short but silent. Sakura stayed outside while Ino delivered the bouquet. She giggled when she heard the client haggling down the price with Ino.

It was Ino's quick temper that had her laughing like a crazed hyena. She was clutching her stomach in pain by the time Ino joined her outside.

"What's so funny?" Ino demanded. "Oh.. it's nothing... it's just that client.. your temper! Ino you're too much when you get angry, your colourful lang-pffft" She exploded into probably her fiftieth fit of giggles.

Ino waited for Sakura to settle down, happy that her spirits had gone up. She let out a happy sigh and started walking.

Soon, she found herself on the rooftop of the hospital. She looked over at Sakura, who had a wistful look on her face. "What's wrong, Sakura?" Ino asked. Ino was getting bad vibes from this rooftop. Come to think of it, wasn't this where Naruto and Sasuke fought not too long ago?

Sakura sighed. "I think I'm ready to talk to you about what I was in a daze about a little while ago." Ino, upon hearing that flinched. Would her heart make it through this conversation?

"Sakura, I'm all ears" Ino declared. Sakura, sensing the warmth possessing Ino's voice smiled and continued.

"You see, it's about what happened last night. I... I knew Sasuke was gone before the emergency meeting. I...I confronted him and he **still left!" **Sakura cried, now sobbing.

"Ohh Sakura... my heart breaks for you.." Ino thought. She fled to Sakura's side before the poor girl could keel over. She spent the next few minutes holding Sakura, patting her back and whispering reassurances in her ear.

Soon, Sakura felt well enough to continue. She spoke about how she declared her love, how Sasuke flat out refused without even considering _what she_ could be feeling, and about knocking her out.

However, what really shook Ino was when Sakura started talking about the _flower_. She didn't know whether to feel repulsed or disheartened, by Sakura's love sick retelling of what happened that night. Especially when she started reminiscing on how she felt the next morning, finding herself on a bench with a flower in her hair.

"Ino I couldn't believe it! He _blatantly_ confesses his hatred for me, with _all_ of the contempt he could muster might I add, and then, _after_ knocking me out, probably to shut me up, he leaves me on a bench, with this **flower?!** The guy's got a split personality!" She proclaimed.

Ino could tell that to Sakura, this was a breakthrough. It meant she could sleep easy at night. It meant she could sleep easy at night because she was now under the misguided impression that _Sasuke, _the scum not even worthy of gracing the back of her shoe, actually felt some sort of, _guilt_. **GUILT**! As if he had any sort of conscience.

Ino shuddered in disgust. Sakura noticed and asked if Ino was getting cold. "Oh uh.. yeah I have some sort of cold.. nothing big." Ino sighed in relief when Sakura bought the lie.

As Sakura continued to speak about her _confusion,_ her _misguided love, _and her _mental anguish,_ Ino felt she's just about had her fill of teenage angst for the day.

Ino sighed and decided to ask, "Hey, uhh.. Sakura? I was wondering, did you wanna grab a bite to eat later? I have a few errands to run, and I wanted to lighten the mood with a yummy dinner. I _have_ been watching my carbs lately, but for _you, _Sakura, I think cheating wouldn't be so bad." She winked for emphasis.

"Woah.. uh, yeah! Sure Ino, where at?" Sakura exclaimed. She was a little embarrassed for realizing she was monologuing, but she figured Ino didn't mind so much.

"I actually know this great place, right smack in the middle of town. They serve the best dumplings and teriyaki balls I've ever had. I was thinking of going again, except with a human being this time." Ino said, chuckling.

Before Sakura could answer, she realized something. Ino noticed she had an evil grin on her face. "Why Ino, do you mean to say you go there, _all the time?_ I knew I wasn't imagining those extra few pounds you seemed to have put on over the last couple weeks. Carbs, HA! You still have an affinity for junk food don't you?" Sakura finished.

By this time, Ino's face was red. "Dammit! "she thought. "I should've KNOWN Sakura would pick up on something like that! Wait! She **noticed** I put on a few pounds?" Ino's face was even more red, if that were even possible.

"Oh Sakura, darling. I won't talk about _your_ blemishes if you don't speak about mine." She rebuked. She laughed, and watched Sakura pretend to get angry. Then Sakura said something that caught Ino off guard.

"There's the Ino I know and love. To be honest, you haven't exactly been yourself lately. I guess we all have our downs though." Sakura said.

Ino grew thoughtful. "What does she mean, **I haven't been myself lately**? Dammit was I too obvious? I need to stop being so careless with my emotions, yeesh."

Ino sighed. She noted she's been doing that a lot lately, before replying to Sakura. "Yeah well, my cramps haven't exactly lifted my spirits, if you catch my drift Sakura. Anyway, I'll jot down the address on your hand, so don't wipe it off before you get home okay? Oh, and wear something flashy, eye-catching." She joked.

Ino quickly grabbed Sakura's hand, wrote down the address, and just as quickly let go. "Woah Ino what's the hurry? How did you write it down so quickly? I barely felt the pen on my palm!" Sakura exclaimed.

The truth was, Ino wasn't sure she could keep her composure if she held onto that hand for more than 10 seconds.

Ino gulped, putting one hand behind her head and chuckling. Her Inner Ino was seething, probably at Ino's stupidity.

"Well Sakura, you have the address so I have to get going. Meet me there around supper time that should give me enough time to freshen up." Ino said.

Sakura nodded. They bid each other farewell and went their separate ways.

***SAKURA'S POV***

Sakura twirled a stray hair around her finger. She was currently laying in her bed, thinking back to everything earlier.

She was feeling a little better. She had faith that Naruto would bring Sasuke back, or at least that's what she was going to keep telling herself. She was sort of happy. She was looking forward to the little meet up with her friend Ino tonight.

"Ino said to dress flashy tonight. I should start getting ready, don't want to disappoint her!" Sakura said aloud. She started to go through her wardrobe.

"It's been awhile since I actually dressed up for something. I wonder what I should wear. Maybe this one. I _do_ like the colour. I don't think it would match my headband though. Oh! What about this?"

After a few minutes of going through practically everything, Sakura decided to take a little break. "Ahhh! Why do I have nothing to wear!? This is so frustrating! I want to look good, not stick out like a sore thumb! Ino _did_ say this place had the finest dumplings. It must be packed full of people."

Sakura flung herself onto her bed. She couldn't help but wonder what must be going on with Naruto and the others and if they were on their way back yet with Sasuke. Sakura shook her head vigorously "No! Stop thinking about this! I've got to get ready. Yeah, I like this! I wonder if Ino would think it looks good. Huh? Why am I getting flustered over what Ino might think? It's just Ino." Sakura smirked to herself and decided to enjoy this break from worry for the moment. A few moments later she left to meet Ino.

** *BACK TO INO'S POV***

"Oh man! I'm so hungry. I can't wait to eat!" Ino _was_ eager to eat, but it was really because she was looking forward to seeing Sakura.

"I should freshen up before I head out to meet her." Ino said aloud. Ino glanced at herself through the reflection in the door, as she closed up shop. "It's like a date," she muttered.

"A date?" Turns out her mom had snuck up behind her. "Is she really _just_ a civilian?" Ino pondered.

"Ino you're going on a date? Who is it? Is it one of those nice boys in your team Ino?" giggled her mom. Mother always WAS a sucker for romance.

Ino rolled her eyes. "OMG mom it's _not_ a date! I'm just getting something to eat with Sakura ok? I'm going to go get ready. Be back soon." Ino started blushing and ran to her room. Her mom chuckled and hoped she would have fun.

"I told her to dress flashy. I wonder if she really will. Would she? Nah, I doubt it. She wouldn't dress up for me. I shouldn't bother dressing up either, it's just a dumpling spot. Wait, it's not a date! Why am I thinking like it is? Oh man, I need to get a hold of myself." Ino continued to stare at herself in her vanity's mirror, so confused but so happy.

She started staring at her lips, wondering if she should decorate them. She hasn't used lipstick in so long, not even lip balm come to think of it. "I think I'll pick a shade of violet. I love this colour, and seeing as how I haven't used lipstick in so long, I may as well stick to a pleasant colour.

Ino knew the colour was sort of outlandish. However, her spirits were too high to let this sort of thing get her down. "I better head out she must be waiting for me." The mere thought of Sakura standing in front of the restaurant, hands in in front of her, bending over slightly like a geisha... Ino couldn't help burning up at the image. She snapped out of her daze, causing her to almost trip and fall. "That was definitely called for." Ino sighed.

The second Ino was out the door, she practically ran to the place where Sakura was expecting her. "Wait, I shouldn't show up so early. She might think that's weird or something. But I'm already here!" Ino huffed, blowing some strands of hair out of her face.

She decided to wait behind a tree for Sakura to show up. "Why does it matter that I'm here early? It's not like I have anything to hide.. if anything, I could even scold her for coming late. She would then joke that I came early just to show her up. BECAUSE WE'RE FRIENDS. So she wouldn't see it as abnormal."

"Woah!" her inner Ino roared. "You really are thinking everything through aren't you? Analyzing how the night will go, in detail? Like you're nervous for a_ date_?"

"Shut it! I'm nervous, that a crime now? I think I deserve to have sweaty palms at the very _least._ Cut me some slack!" She yelled.

Then she felt eyes on her, only to see nearly everyone within a 5 foot radius staring at her like she'd just been released from the loony bin and was getting herself adjusted to society.

"Shitt!" she thought. She decided to shut her brain off for the time being. Clearly this wasn't her day.

Ino sat behind the tree nervously, eagerly awaiting the arrival of her dear **Sakura**. She started tracing a group of hearts in the ground. "What the heck am I doing? I think all this excitement has gone to my head." Ino murmured to herself, immediately brushing away the little hearts her fingers shaped in the ground.

"I wonder if Ino's running late. She's never exactly been recognized for her punctuality." Sakura spoke, loud enough for Ino to hear.

"She's here, time to make my entrance!" Ino smirked to herself. She turned around and took one glance at Sakura. She was blown away by Sakura's outfit and how well she wore it.

"She took what I said about dressing flashy seriously. She looks beautiful." Ino said to herself breathlessly. She really couldn't take her eyes off of her. Sakura noticed Ino approaching and gave her a warm smile and a light wave. Ino immediately started blushing. Sakura noticed she wasn't dressed up at all.

"Ohh no, Ino did I overdress? I knew I was going overboard. I overdressed. You wait right here, I'll go change into something more casual! I'm so sorry! I thought when you meant flashy you wanted me to dress up more than usual. I'm so embarrassed!" Sakura quickly turned her heal.

Ino grabbed Sakura's hand, looking her square in the eye. "You look beautiful Sakura." She confessed. "Please don't change. I love your look tonight." Ino gave her a smile and Sakura started blushing. Ino let go of Sakura's hand and noticed her hair was a bit out of place. Ino was about to reach over to fix it, when she noticed Sakura growing nervous.

Sakura felt the atmosphere wasn't that of just friends. "Oh Kami, I let myself get careless with my feelings. Why is my self-control at its all-time low?" Ino thought to herself, eyebrow's scrunched in frustration.

Opting to forget about Sakura's out of place strand of hair, she turned around quickly and said, "Let's go eat, Sakura. Unless you want to sit here all day and get hit on by old creepy men I suggest you get moving." Ino giggled and started to lead the way.

"I'm right behind you Ino." Sakura declared. She watched Ino in astonishment. Ino was walking like a delusional maniac. It made Sakura laugh.

"What are you laughing at? What's so funny? You don't like the way I walk? I think I walk like a model don't you think?" Ino was trying to play off her disoriented walking. She was afraid that Sakura may have sensed something off about her behaviour. Ino walked the rest of the pathway strutting and cat-walking to the restaurant.

"Haha! Ino, I think you would make a wonderful model but your attitude would piss the other models off! You would probably scare your competition away. You should totally go for it." Sakura couldn't stop laughing at her. Ino sighed with relief "That was a close call! I need to contain myself!" Ino thought to herself.

"Well here we are, Miss. Sakura Chan. It's the famous dumpling shop! I can't wait." Ino announced.

Ino, feeling like she was on top of the world, pulled Sakura in. "Wow, it smells amazing! I can't wait!" Sakura said, glancing at Ino.

"Oh Kami I'm holding her hand again!" Ino thought to herself. She immediately let go and took a seat at a nearby table, motioning for Sakura to sit. "Would you like to try one of my favourite dishes, Sakura?" Ino covered her face with the menu while saying this.

"Yeah sure, you're the boss tonight. Whatever you say goes." Sakura replied, in a flirty manner. Ino started to blush again. Sakura noticed her turning red.

"Ino are you sick or something? You keep turning red." Before Ino had any say, Sakura placed her hand on Ino's forehead.

Ino, who had previously been squinting from embarrassment, opened her eyes all the way.

She found herself staring directly into those jade iris's. The very pair she fantasized about all day at the shop. Of course, this prompted more blood to rush to her face.

"Ino I think you have a fever." Sakura declared, moving her hand from Ino's forehead, only to place it on Ino's cheek.

Reaching her boiling point, Ino felt it was time to regain control of her pheromones. She forcefully snapped out of her daze and removed Sakura's hand from her face.

"HEY!" Ino yelled. "I WANT 2 ORDERS OF YOUR HOUSE SPECIAL DUMPLINGS AND TERIYAKI BALLS." She was beyond exhausted. "Are you okay Ino?" Sakura said, looking very worried.

Ino felt she wasn't ready to look her in the face just yet. "Yeah I'm fine, just a little tired and hungry! Let's eat." Sakura looked relieved to hear that, so Ino knew she had said the right thing.

The next few moments were passed in awkward silence, as they waited for their order to be brought to them. "Ah, this looks so delicious! I don't know what to try first!" Sakura announced. Ino couldn't help but notice how cute Sakura looked when she was excited.

"Try the dumpling dipped in the sauce first, they taste like heaven." Ino suggested.

Sakura, upon trying them looked satisfied. "Ino," Sakura remarked, "you were spot on about this place, it might just become one of my favourite places to dine at!"

"Of course, I'm always right. When am I ever wrong about something?" Ino boasted, snickering at Sakura.

They quickly dug into their meals and would only stop to comment on how good the food was. Sakura finished hers before Ino and tried to steal a dumpling.

"HEY SAKURA THAT'S MINE!" Ino protested, pretending to be upset.

"Oh, if you say so. Open wide." Sakura responded, a mischievous smile strewn across her face.

It was then that Sakura noticed Ino was wearing lipstick. "Ino you're wearing lipstick today? And it's your favourite colour too, must be a special occasion" teased Sakura.

"It looks beautiful Ino." continued Sakura.

"Oh Kami is she flirting with me?" Ino asked herself.

Ino decided to let Sakura feed her the dumpling she stole.

"Awe, look at how cute those girls are. They must be close friends! The beauty of friendship everyone!" declared the chef to his wife, giggling. Sakura started to laugh and responded saying "Of course, Ino is one of my closest friend!"

Sakura smiled at Ino. Ino looked away immediately and started to indulge herself in the mouth-watering food.

Hearing the word _friend_ didn't really sit well with her. She wanted to be more than that, however she knew she should be more than happy with the friendship she had now. She believed it was a treasure to be cherished. Sakura was also happier than she had been in a good while. It _had_ been awhile since they went out together. Both girls decided to order another round of dumplings. The marvelous food and the laughter they shared would always be etched in their memories.


	4. The Spirit of Jade

**INO'S POV**

The evening was almost over. Ino never wanted to leave this shop. She knew she was enjoying it, _way too much_ frankly. Sakura noticed that Ino had zoned out, and looked over at the sun.

"Looks like the sun's about to set. Time really does _fly by_ when you're enjoying yourself." Sakura murmured.

Ino was about to suggest that they head over to the secret gardens, when Konohamaru burst in. He was panting heavily. "Little twerp probably ran here!" Ino thought, mildly irritated.

"Sakura! Sakura it's urgent! Naruto's back! He's at the hospital!" Then, he noticed Ino's presence addressed her as well. "Oh, Ino! Shikamaru and Choji are also at the hospital. Choji's in bad shape, but Shikamaru's fine."

Ino sighed, realizing that dinner was definitely over. Sakura was conflicted over whether or not she should leave Ino to foot the bill. Ino, noting this shot Sakura a look that said, "Go! I got this." Ino figured that she would go and check on the two after she was finished handling things here. Sakura gave her a thankful look, and fled.

"I hope they're okay, for her sake." Ino thought. She went to the clerk, paid the bill and walked out. As she was approaching the hospital, she noticed two men, one quite old and the other middle aged.

They were wearing some sort of feather and horned hat. There was all this scented fog everywhere, which appeared to be coming from the plants. The elder was chanting in a different language, while the younger man was sweating profusely. They were both painted with ink.

Ino walked over to examine what was happening. The younger man seemed to have been given some mind altering drugs, she noted. He seemed to be in a sort of trance, as was the older man. They then started smoking from a pipe. She also noticed a pole.

Ino had never seen something like this before. She watched the two men carry on, fascinated. After a minute or so, one finally noticed her presence. He stood up and informed the other guy of their audience. The old man looked over at Ino, and smiled.

Ino was taken back by the smile. Was she in for some trouble? She couldn't sense any malicious intent from him, so she decided to relax and ask them about what they were doing.

"Hello. I was actually heading over to the hospital, but what you guys were doing caught my eye. What was it exactly?" She asked. She felt like kicking herself for sounding so curious.

The younger man decided to respond. "This dear, was a healing ceremony. This man here, my elder, was smudging. It's a practice which involves cleansing a place or person with the smoke of sacred plants. It can be used to bring about an altered state of consciousness and sensitivity, making a person more open to the healing techniques. Because some illnesses are believed to come from angry spirits, healers may also invoke the healing powers of spirits. They may also use special rituals to try to appease the angered spirits." He sighed, then continued. "I am in some serious need of this healing. I believe an angry spirit is terrorizing me, so I decided to pay a visit to my local elder."

Ino was very intrigued. She'd never even _heard_ of this method of healing! It was all so new and interesting. She wanted to know more.

"I was wondering, would it be okay if I paid you guys a visit one of these days? I'm very interested in this, _method of healing_." She asked. She felt like she'd only witnessed the tip of the iceberg.

The younger man spoke up. "Why yes! You certainly may come to us for knowledge. My elder here doesn't know you very well, and wouldn't be able to explain it efficiently. I'll set you up with a modern spiritualist. If she sees you fit to continue learning, who knows? Maybe you might even be able to hold a healing ceremony yourself." He finished.

Upon hearing that, Ino felt giddy. _Her_? She decided to stop and think for a minute. Lately, she'd been feeling she was lacking in something. Something she could have a passion for, really let herself get lost in. She wanted to make a few changes in her life. Why not start now?

Mind firmly hitting earth, she turned her head to the younger man. "I'll take you up on this! Jot down the address on the back of this receipt please." She handed him the receipt, and watched him quickly write it down. He handed it back, and she put it in her pocket.

"It's always nice to see a young person so interested in something. It reminds me of my days as a young boy, I wanted to learn everything and anything!" The younger man exclaimed.

"By the way," The man continued, "I want to leave you with a parting gift. It would mark the day you first came across this new ideology. I know it sounds a bit cheesy, but I feel this should be commemorated somehow." He rubbed the back of his head and chuckled, handing Ino a green jade bracelet with a feather hanging from it.

"The green jade is a stone of healing, hope and balance. It promotes self-sufficiency, alleviating anxiety and fear based on emotions. The Native Indian Feather, is worn by one to symbolize their courage, conviction and strength. The two Pyrite stones provide good luck, power and protection."

Ino couldn't believe her luck. The bracelet sounded amazing! Especially the green jade, it reminded her so much of Sakura's eye's. In fact, it felt like whole bracelet was an embodiment of Sakura's spirit. "Is this destiny?" She thought. "Nah, who I am fooling? Get back on track Ino!" she scolded herself internally.

She turned to the man again, with the most grateful look in her eyes. "Thank you **so** much. You have no idea how much meaning this bracelet already holds for me. Thank you for the knowledge as well. I have to get going, it was great meeting you. I'm sorry, I never caught your name?"

The man smiled. "I'm of the Alexis Nakota Sioux nation, of the Nakota first nations. My name is Sitting Bull. I was named after a Hunkapa Lakota Sioux holy man, living in the 19th century."

Ino smiled. The name sounded funny but, it also sounded like it was more than just a name. She bid her new friend farewell, and made her way over to the hospital.

By the time Ino had reached her destination, her mind was back on Sakura. "Why is she on my mind again? I just stumbled across the most intriguing thing in my life!" she quipped internally. She was _definitely _ heading to the library after this. She went to see Choji first. He was still unconscious, so she left him a card wishing him well. Then she left to go look for Shikamaru. She found him in the lounge. "Probably wanting to be at home." She sighed.

Ino walked over to Shikamaru. He appeared to be sleeping. "Hmph, of course. I'm going to have to blow into his ear." she thought. Right when she was about to blow, Shikamaru spoke. "Ino, You've already tried this around 50 times." Ino sighed; irritated that she was caught yet again. There was just no winning with him!

Ino asked Shikamaru about the details of the battle. He, of course gave her the short version. She was fine with that for now. She asked about his wellbeing and he seemed fine enough. She bid him farewell and decided to head to the library. It was already late but she wanted to pick up a book for the night.

On her way out, she bumped into Sakura. After she hoisted herself off of the floor, she got up and studied Sakura. She was still crouching on the floor.

Saying Sakura was distraught? That was an understatement. She looked like a shell shock victim.

Ino quickly ran over to Sakura, helping her up. Sakura seemed inconsolable with her loud sobbing.

Ino decided to carry her. She knew it was a bit of a stretch, doing this but the girl was clearly out of commission! She took her to the gardens she was already planning on taking her after the dinner.

When they got there, Ino gently set Sakura on one of the benches. The girl had stopped crying, and was now just sitting there quietly. Ino sat down next to her, patiently waiting for Sakura to open up. She felt she could have all the patience in the world for this girl. It was one of the many effects Sakura had on her.

While waiting, Ino looked down at her bracelet. The sun set a few hours ago, but the bracelet was glistening. Ino couldn't help but feel a connection to this bracelet. It wasn't just that it strongly resembled Sakura. It was a symbol of rebirth for her. It was like Sakura herself, was welcoming her to this new world. Or her spirit anyway, Ino chuckled. She felt the bracelet would bring her strength in her time of need. She felt it would remind her of what was important, and keep her on the right path, the path she was heading down now. This was only the beginning, and this bracelet would be the reminder of a horizon for her.

She must've been so lost in thought, that she didn't even notice Sakura staring at her in awe. When Ino realized this, she felt her face turn red. "At least it's night time!" Ino thought.

"What is it Sakura? Is there something on my face?" Ino asked. She hoped not.

"No, it's just I've never seen you like this before, so completely taken with a bracelet. It was like you were pouring your soul into it or something! Seriously though, it felt like I could feel your spirit just then, it was so strong." Sakura exclaimed.

Ino was taken back by Sakura's proclamation. She looked down at her bracelet, in all its raw wonder. She had to admit, that feeling of hope she had earlier, she didn't remember having in her whole life. Ino always got what she wanted, very quickly and with no questions asked minus Sasuke. However, she believed she's never really wanted him in the first place, as Sakura moved into her line of vision. Effectively taking away any attention she _could_ give to Sasuke.

In fact, the only thing she's ever truly wanted but felt she couldn't have, was Sakura. She was never familiar with feelings of helplessness and hopelessness before then, so she believed there was never a reason for her to truly hope for something. This was the first thing. Which is why that bracelet must have worked some sort of magic on her, to feel the way she was feeling at the moment; balanced and hopeful.

"Sakura, you're so silly! Maybe all that crying's got your head all woozy or something, I was just examining it, and it's new." Ino answered.

Ino immediately regretted what she said. Why couldn't she just talk about the bracelet? She looked over at Sakura, expecting her to burst into tears again. Instead though, she kept staring at the bracelet.

"What is it Sakura? Did you want to try it on?" Ino asked.

"No Ino, it's just very enchanting. That bracelet could pull you into a trance!" She said. "Anyway," she continued, "I'm sorry for pulling us out here Ino. I just couldn't control myself at the hospital. You know they couldn't bring Sasuke back? Naruto told me they searched long and hard, and even fought off a group of villains under Orachimaru's rule! They were so close! But Choji was too injured for them to continue, and Shino's bugs suddenly lost Sasuke's scent so they decided to head home. It was the only logical thing to do." Sakura finished.

Ino had a sneaking suspicion that wasn't the whole story. They had only left this morning, so chances were Naruto had actually found Sasuke, but couldn't bring him back through battle. Naruto _did_ return unconscious. She figured that either Sakura already knew that, but decided to alter the truth for her own sake, or that she was told one story and then overheard a different version, probably the truth. She also figured it was more the second one.

Ino sighed, then patted Sakura's back softly. She knew Sakura was about to lodge into one of her soul sucking monologues, and clutched her bracelet for support.

She was right. She listened to Sakura whimper, cry, vow, declare, squeal and even articulate her feelings for Sasuke and the hold he had on her. The descriptions of the bulldozer he was driving through her heart made quite the image in Ino's mind, she had to admit.

Sakura finally moved on from the topic of Sasuke, moving on to Nauto. Ino decided to listen this time, she was genuinely concerned about Naruto too. Wasn't he one of the many people Sasuke decided to screw over? Poor guy. Sakura told her that Naruto was upset about the promise. He was distraught over the results he's returned with and said that he was eternally sorry for not making good on his promise. Apparently it took Sakura a good 10 minutes to calm Naruto down.

In the end, Sakura managed to reassure Naruto that she didn't blame him. Ino knew that Naruto would continue to feel like it was his fault, but didn't voice her opinion on that. It was between Naruto and Sakura.

Sakura quickly changed the subject. She talked about Tsunade-sama, one of the three legendary Saniins of the village. Ino wondered why she would bring her up. Then Sakura broke the news to her.

"Guess what Ino! I'm going to be training under her now! By the end of the training I'll be a Medicniin! I've decided to become that. Tsunade-sama said she was fine with taking me on as a student, and since I'm not really doing much right now with everything going on, I decided I may as well learn something new."

Ino smirked. Of course the little nerd would find something school-oriented to preoccupy herself with. Why couldn't she just pick up poetry like a normal person, instead of a full-fledged occupation?

Sakura noticed the smirk, immediately reading Ino's thoughts. "Ino, I know it seems like something heavy to take on but I really just want to consume myself in something! This will take up all of my time, including the free time. It will need all of my attention, which is just what I need to take my mind off of things!" Sakura exclaimed.

Ino just laughed, and stood up. Sakura stood up too. They walked out of the gardens, and into town with no general direction.

After an hour or so, they decided to call it a night and head home.

Ino couldn't believe the day she just had. It was so...awesome. She's never taken so much from a single day. She couldn't even believe it's only been a whole day.

She looked down at her bracelet and smiled.

It was a few days, before Ino saw Sakura or anyone for that matter. She'd been confined to the shop for most of the day, and would go to the library for the remainder. Her mother never hesitated to comment on this new routine of Ino's.

It happened the night before. Ino and her family were all seated around the dinner table, eating and talking about their day. Ino brought a book with her to dinner, something she rarely, if ever did.

"Ino!" Her mother exclaimed, an irritated look on her face. Similar to Ino's own irritated face might I add. "Ino, it's disrespectful to read at the dinner table!" She complained.

"Oh leave the girl alone, this has to be one of her more productive hobbies. It beats the credit I owe to all those cosmetic stores!" Ino's father bellowed. However Ino's mother wasn't done yet.

"Ino, I've noticed that lately you've only been tending to the shop and confining yourself to the library. Your sensei came by the other day, mentioning that you haven't even stopped by the training field to say hi! Is anything the matter? I'm not saying it doesn't beat your prancing around town but why the sudden interest in books?"

Ino wasn't sure what to tell her mother. This was something she wanted to keep to herself, this new, strange ideology. She wanted to embrace it completely first, not to mention know a little more before she could even start speaking about it. After a few minutes, she chose what to say.

"Oh mother, apparently all of the latest celebs have decided to print their magazines in book form. I don't like it one bit, but I need to know what's going on in the world if I'm to be anything right?" She asked.

Ino's mother just sighed. She thought for a second that her daughter had abandoned her time consuming interests in pop culture. When was she going to grow up and join the rest of society in the real world?

Ino, sensing that her mother had bought her lie, smirked. That was handled well. For now anyway.

A few more days passed with Ino following the same routine, when she bumped into Naruto and Sakura at the Ramen shop. Sakura spotted her first.

"Hey there Ino! It's been so long, where have you been? I was beginning to think you fell off of a cliff." Sakura joked.

"How morbid." The cook and shop owner muttered.

Ino, over hearing them repeated their words. "Yes, how morbid Sakura! Did you subconsciously want that, for you to be joking about it?" She asked, smirking.

Sakura decided to play along. "Oh Ino!" she declared, "You know I'm above petty accidental deaths. You underestimate just how creative I can get." She said, smirking herself.

Ino, taken back by Sakura playing along, thought about what was happening. Was Sakura flirting with her?

When Ino snapped out of her thoughts, she realized Sakura had went back to conversing with Naruto. Ino was glad Sakura didn't wait around for a response, it would've been embarrassing to watch her in a daze like that for a couple of minutes.

Ino took a seat next to Sakura and started asking about her day. Sakura recounted her training with Tsunade-sama, emphasizing how difficult it was. Ino almost wanted to scream I TOLD YOU SO! In her face, however she was a grown woman.

When Sakura was done, she asked Ino about what she'd been so preoccupied with in the last few days. Ino told her that she would explain to her in detail what she'd been studying, when she had a firm grasp on the main concepts.

It was like all time stood still, the way Sakura and Naruto started gaping at Ino.

"Is there something on my face?" Ino asked, mildly panicked.

"No..it's just.. Ino, I've never even heard you say anything like that in my entire life! Studying? Concepts! Grasping them? Who are you and what have you done with my Ino!" Sakura yelped.

Ino started blushing. "Did Sakura just say **_My_** Ino?" Ino screamed internally. She didn't know why this was affecting her so much. They were both female and it wasn't unheard of between close friends.

When Ino finally returned her attention to Sakura (boy she sure has been spacing out a lot lately) she heard Naruto put his most unwanted two cents in as well.

"Yeah Ino... you've never exactly been the studying type.. what, didja find out about a celebrity that enjoyed reading or something?"

"I suppose he thinks he's a regular Akashiya Sanma." Ino thought.

She didn't hesitate to leave two swelling bruises on his head either.

"Owwiie owwwiiee owww!" Naruto whimpered. He regretted putting his thoughts into words.

"You shoulda seen _that_ one coming Naruto." Sakura commented, rolling her eyes.

"Anyway," Sakura continued "you're going to have to explain it to me well. It sounds interesting, if you're already so wrapped up in it. Say, Ino? Does that bracelet have any significant meaning? I've been curious about it since I first saw it."

"Kami." Thought Ino. "She seems to be hung up over this bracelet. I never realized it would draw her in like this."

"As a matter of fact, it does. The green jade is a stone of healing, hope and balance. It promotes self-sufficiency, alleviating anxiety and fear based on emotions. The Native Indian Feather, is worn by one to symbolize their courage, conviction and strength. The two Pyrite stones provide good luck, power and protection." She explained.

When she was done her explanation, she was surprised to find both Sakura and Naruto looking at her in awe.

"What?" She asked, for the umpteenth time that day. She was starting to feel exasperated.

Naruto was the one to speak up, surprisingly.

"Kami! What happened to you Ino? When did _you _start giving meaning to your jewellery? I thought you only wore them to make yourself loo-" Ino initiated a swift kick to his behind before he could finish the sentence. She should have known he wouldn't have anything of value to say.

"Naruto has a point Ino. I've never seen so much meaning given to a piece of jewelry you own. Although I do have to admit, its an amazing bracelet. Still, you seem to have taken your time picking it out." Sakura observed.

"Actually," Ino confessed "on that day when Naruto and everybody else arrived, I was on my way to the hospital when I bumped into these two men. They were holding some sort of purifying ceremony near the hospital. I was curious so I went over and asked them about what they were doing. They told me a little about it, and directed me to somebody who could explain it better. When we were done talking, one of them gave me this bracelet. To commemorate my embarking on a new journey, he said."

"Woah Ino. Sounds like some heavy stuff. You entering a new religion or something?" Sakura joked.

"On a serious note" she continued, "is that what you've been so preoccupied with lately? This new, _ideology_? I will admit that it's got a certain, mystique to it. It seems to be having a great effect on you though, in my opinion. You owe me a full, detailed explanation on what those concepts are. You know how I am with details too, so I expect them to be of great quality." Sakura finished, smirking.

Ino sighed. She never intended for anybody to know about this yet. She made peace with fate and decided to respond to Sakura.

"Yeah Sakura. I can see what you mean. I never really thought I'd be standing here, telling you guys about this either. I've just never been captivated like this by anything before. It's a whole other world for me, to explore and understand, make sense of. It's nothing like the ninja's world. It's almost the exact opposite actually, since they put importance on different things." Ino said, thoughtful.

Once again, Sakura and Naruto were staring at Ino like she gave birth only a second ago.

"Sorry, it'll take some time getting used to this new, _wistful Ino_." Sakura said, realizing Ino was getting irritated.

Meanwhile, Naruto was wondering what it was that spurred Ino's change. "Did she eat a bad mushroom or something?" He thought. His fox decided to respond. "No Naruto, she's merely found her _calling_. Whether demon_ or_ human, it calls for celebration when an individual finds something they can see themselves devoted to for the rest of their lives. She probably won't ever lose interest in what she's just discovered, and it will probably never lose its wonder for her. A whole new world, indeed." The fox concluded.

Hearing this, Naruto sat back and pondered what it was_ he_ was supposed to be doing for the rest of his life. Then he wanted to punch himself for asking such a stupid question. "That's obvious!" he thought. "It's to be the ruling Hokage until I die! How's_ that_ for acalling, fox?" Naruto smirked, feeling he's won the argument. "I suppose that could pass for a calling, as well." The fox sighed.

Sakura, noticing both Ino and Naruto zoning out decided to snap them out of their daze.

"So Ino," Sakura started "Naruto was telling me about a journey he's embarking on himself, for the next few years."

Ino raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Naruto, where are you headed for that long?"

Naruto smiled his goofy smile, only too happy to be telling one more person about his happy news.

"Yeah Ino, I'm going with that _pervy sage_ Jiraiya to train! He says he's going to teach me everything he knows! I'm going to be as strong as him when I get back!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Well when are you leaving?" Ino asked.

"Tomorrow!" both Sakura and Naruto answered at the same time.

"Seriously?" yelped Ino. "that's so soon!"

"Yeah I know Ino, I only just found out before you got here." Sakura said, growing quiet.

It suddenly occurred to Ino that Naruto was probably leaving mainly to get stronger, for _Sasuke_.

"Kami." Ino thought. "Sakura must have realized that too. She's super sensitive to underlying notions."

Ino, out of habit immediately started rubbing Sakura's back. If Sakura felt uncomfortable by the unannounced back rub, she never showed it.

Naruto noticed this, and raised his eyebrow. The he shrugged and went back to slurping his everlasting Ramen.

When Sakura's mood seemed to have changed, she started conversing with the two again. They reminisced on old times, before they had been assigned to their three team squads.

After about an hour, they decided to go their separate ways, each having something to go do. Ino and Sakura silently agreed to get something for Naruto. They turned to Naruto and bid him farewell.

Ino walked Sakura home, but the walk was quiet. Neither said a word. When they finally reached Sakura's home, Sakura turned to Ino with a sad smile on her face.

"It's been fun Ino." she said. "We should hang out more, the three of us. You two are the only people that can make me laugh that hard you know?"

Ino shrugged, for lack of an appropriate response.

Sakura and she agreed to meet at the gate the next day for Naruto's departure.

The next day arrived, faster than Ino could have anticipated. She decided to settle on a Juniper branch for Naruto's farewell gift. The Interior Salish and Northwest Coast tribes used Juniper to banish evil spirits and protect themselves from witchcraft. She thought it was perfect, since Naruto had a knack for pissing the _wrong_ people off. Alive, or dead. She smirked.

Ino made her over to the gates to join her fellow Geniin. Upon her arrival, she spotted Sakura and walked over to her.

"Hey Sakura! How are you?" Ino asked. Surprisingly, Sakura was in high spirits.

"I'm fine, Ino! For a while I was down about Naruto leaving, but last night I was watching this action flick, and it suddenly occurred to me that this could be an adventure for Naruto. Then I got jealous." Sakura joked.

"So what'd you get Naruto?" Ino asked.

"Oh nothing too grand, just wallet sized photos of me and the rest of our squad. It'll be easier for him to remember our faces, two years is a long time in my opinion." Sakura answered.

"What'd you get Naruto? That bag looks sort of big." Sakura observed.

"Oh, just a Juniper branch that's supposed to help protect Naruto from evil spirits. The Interior Salish and Northwest Coast tribes used it banish them." Ino answered.

Sakura had a thoughtful look on her face. "It's finally starting to sink in that you're taking this ideology seriously." She confessed.

Either Sakura had said that too loud or the rest of the 9 Geniin had stopped talking, because they seemed to have overheard what she said.

"What idealogy Sakura?" asked Lee. Neji seemed indifferent, but there was an eyebrow raised indicating his curiosity.

"Yeah Ino, I wasn't aware you were into_ ideologies_ now. What, did some hot shot_ celeb_ announce his interest in them or something?" Kiba quipped.

Naruto laughed at that one. "Great minds think alike!" he thought.

Soon, all eyes were on Ino, waiting for a proper response. Luckily, Sakura came to her rescue.

"Back off guys! Ino found something new that she's interested in, if she doesn't feel like sharing yet then back off!" Sakura yelled.

Soon, everyone was back to what they were doing previous to Sakura's comment. Then Jiraiya finally arrived.

This signalled Naruto's departure. In all the hub Ino actually forgot to hand Naruto his gift.

She quickly walked over to him and tapped on his shoulder. He turned around, curious.

She brought out the branch and handed it to him. She saw his expression so she quickly explained what it was before. He had a spooked look on his face at first but then he thanked her, seeming genuinely grateful for the gift. He was already somewhat used to this new Ino.

He went around to give everybody a farewell hug. Hinata fainted, as usual. Naruto also didn't understand why, which caused everybody to laugh. At him of course.

Ino watched him embrace Sakura, and then whisper something in her ear. She nodded, a shaky smile on her face.

It irritated Ino that Sakura could never seem to stay happy for more than a few moments lately. Ino was more irritated at herself though for letting it get to her. She clutched her bracelet, hoping it would help her ward off her negativity. (Another thing she was trying to change)

When Naruto finally got to Ino, he hugged her and then paused, to whisper in her ear. "Take good care of her Ino, I think you're the _only one_ that can. Aside from me, of course." He joked. Ino rolled her eyes. He never _could_ keep a serious face for too long. She nodded her head and hugged him back, whispering that she had this under control.

He gave her one more smile, and walked towards his second sensei. He waved once more to everybody, and left.

Everybody watched his disappearing back for a few more seconds, and then dispersed.

Ino returned to Sakura and immediately grasped her hand. She knew the water works were coming and she wanted to comfort her so the girl wouldn't cry _too_ much. It tore Ino apart to see Sakura shook up, didn't she realize that?

Ino looked deep into Sakura's deep jade irises, and said, "Everything, is going to be fine."

It wasn't much, but the meaning it held was great.

Sakura, sensing this felt reassured by Ino's words. She noted that Ino's words always had a profound effect on her.

They both decided to go get some ice cream.

**A/N: We decided to incorporate the traditions and customs of the Native Indians, as well as their beliefs into the story. We think it's the perfect thing to help Ino battle her inner demons. We're going to clarify that she -will not- become a Native Indian herself, she is and will only be a student of these philosophies, and she will come to share most of the same values that the Native Indians hold. It's their values and methods of healing that attract Ino in the first place. We mention everything in this chapter related to the Native Indians with great respect. We hold the philosophies the Native Indians follow in high regard. Everything mentioned so far we gathered from various websites, and everything is for the most part true except for maybe the description given for the green jade bracelet. That IS actually an item and that description given is the same as the bracelet's actual description, but we honestly can't say if it was made up for marketing purposes or not. If you need the link to the bracelet, feel free to pm us. **

**Akashiya Sanma: A famous Japanese comedian. **


	5. Three Peas in a Pod

**SAKURA'S POV**

Sakura finished checking off more tasks on her to-do list. She sighed, noticing that she hadn't even sifted through more than half of the tasks. What's worse, she could just _picture_ Ino sneering in delight, whispering "I TOLD YOU SO!" in her head. She shuddered.

Maybe she shouldn't have been such an eager beaver about it all. She barely had time to get out of bed and brush her teeth half-assed, the way Tsunade-_sama_ had been working her. Was there some impromptu surgery she wasn't aware of performed on her the night before her first day with Tsunade? She seemed to have just **morphed** into some _mule_ overnight.

She washed her hands and made her way over to the canteen. There was this tapioca pudding that had caught her eye at lunch, but she had no time to snatch and devour it before duty called. She was already smacking her lips when she heard the very _voice_ that had been hosting every single one of her nightmares.

"Sakura-chaaaan!" Tsunade's voice bellowed, in all its_ commandeering glory_. "Sakura-chan it's a good thing I caught you before your little break, there's something I'd like you to do for me. I was called on so_ suddenly_ by the elders, so I need you to take on my next patient. You don't have to go to the cabinet for files, I have a clipboard right here with the patient's medical records. It also says which room the patient is staying in, so you don't have to page reception. Hurry! I was supposed to be over there 5 minutes ago." With that last sentence, Tsunade poof'd into thin air before the opposition could state their case.

To say Sakura was infuriated was the understatement of the century. She was denied the highlight of her day, the heavenly gold-coloured tapioca pudding believed to have been delivered to her by Kami_ himself_. Exaggerate as she may, that tapioca pudding was supposed to have been her de-stressor! It melted all her troubles from the first half of the day and renewed her strength for the second.

Then she grew repulsed by the reality of how a simple _dessert treat _could have such a strong effect on how she performed for the day. She was a _ninja_ for Kami's sake! She rolled her eyes in disgust and started gearing herself up for her next challen-_err, _patient.

Her eyes flashed in surprise as she read the patient's name. **HINATA HYUGA**?! What was Hinata's name doing on this clipboard, was she okay? She quickened her pace.

When she arrived, she heard some loud snoring, loud enough to shake the walls to their core even. She checked to see if the room number matched the number on the clipboard. _This _was the room Hinata was staying in?

She was about to start laughing, when she realized that snoring meant Hinata was _asleep._

She made sure to enter the room quietly, putting her ninja skills to some good use. She waited patiently for Hinata to wake up. The clipboard indicated that this was supposed to be the estimated time for Hinata to awaken.

She gazed in wonder at Hinata, as her lotus white's slowly began to come into sight from underneath her eyelids. She was glad the clipboard had _estimated_ right.

**HINATA'S POV**

Hinata felt herself entering a state of consciousness. Her eyelids fluttered as she adjusted to the fluorescent ceiling lights. However, everything was still a bit too blurry for her liking.

"You're awake! How are you feeling?"

"Who _is_ that? Her voice sounds familiar..." Hinata pondered. She appeared to still be under the influence of the medication. That's how she rationalized her sense of disorientation anyway. She also felt numb.

After a few seconds, she felt feeling return to her veins. She quickly propped herself up on the bed to take a proper look at the concerned person. She hoped it was a family member.

Recognition dawning on her, she sighed. It was _just_ Sakura. A girl could dream right?

Getting back to the task at hand, she knew she had to keep her wits about her. She could not afford to disclose how her injuries came into being.

_'Of all the people working here, Sakura is the one in charge of taking care me? This can't be good.'_

_"I'll have to be extra careful with my wording and my story cannot have any loopholes."_ Hinata inferred. She began to feel uneasy. She hated lying; she avoided it when she could help it.

"What's wrong? Are you still in pain Hinata?" Sakura observed.

"Ah..um.. n-no I'm fine, S-sakura-chan. T-thank you f-for asking." Hinata murmured.

"That's good! Don't worry; you should be completely healed soon enough. Just try to relax. You're lucky these injuries weren't too serious! What have you been doing to get so beaten up, Hinata?" Sakura inquired, as she examined the bandaged wounds.

Sakura appeared to be a little nervous. She took care to record any of the details absorbed from the examination. Hinata wondered briefly if she was Sakura's first patient. She sure was _acting_ that way.

Hinata's thoughts quickly re-directed to the answers she was supposed to be supplying Sakura with. She couldn't afford to keep Sakura waiting any longer, as it would arouse suspicion. She decided to tell her she got them from training. It wasn't entirely a lie either.

"It's j-just from t-training S-sakura-chan." Hinata stuttered.

Sakura cut in before Hinata could continue stuttering. "Training with Kiba and Shino? After their** horrible** run in with Orachimaru's goons, with the state they're in now, _I _would want to get stronger as well. So I can relate. However, they shouldn't be working you so hard!"

Pardon me? _'Working me so hard?'_

Hinata sighed. She always _was_ seen as the runt of Team 8. However, remarks like those still cut her deep. Especially with her new nindo, the one her beloved Naruto and she now shared.

It was no mystery to any Tom, Dick and Harry actually, that she was seriously lacking in self-confidence.

Conversations were short and to the point between herself and her classmates, it had always been that way. She always let other people have their way and rarely voiced her opinions. She was the poster child for avoidance, accommodation and apathy. _Scratch that_, the position of apathetic adolescent belonged to _Shikamaru_.

However, this never came as much of a surprise to her. Her own disgust in her self-pity would stop her from ever approaching anybody, or holding a steady conversation with them. She was too much of a package deal for anybody to put up with. Plus, a lot of her issues were _familial_. She was sure the Hyuga clan would _not _appreciate Hinata having a confidante to complain to, or lift her spirits either.

Unfortunately, the Chunin exam was the most attention she had ever received and it was the negative kind as well. She was blessed with the opportunity of having her insecurities blatantly strewn across the battle field for the Geniin to see, courtesy of her dear cousin **Neji.** _Everybody_ got to watch as Hinata was beaten to a pulp, further strengthening their image of Hinata's "helpless child" persona.

"_Ohh poor Hinata_," they must have thought, _"She never had a chance, but everybody deserves an ego boost every once in a while right, even Konoha's very own throw-pillow!"_

However she had to admit, Naruto's cheering from the sidelines made the whole experience less sufferable. Through adopting his nindo, she was able to fight on. She had never felt that way, fighting like there was a purpose. Of course, _her father_ thought differently. He, most certainly was convinced she would stay a loser. How else would he be able to keep putting her down?

Speaking of which, it had struck Hinata as odd that her father had been training her to the point of collapse every day since Naruto's departure.

At one point, Hinata thought that the intense training was due to the disappearance of their fellow geniin, Sasuke. _"Maybe he wants me to join the others on their next mission?"_ She thought.

However, considering how little faith her father had in her, it made no sense for him to be expecting her to be a part of that mission.

His true motives were unclear.

Her father has also made it very clear that _no one_ should know about this training with her sister. She didn't bother questioning him. The other day, when her sister was finally too exhausted to continue, Hinata conjured up the last of her strength for a trip to the hospital. Kami only knew her _father_ wouldn't take her.

The moment her feet touched the concrete of the lounge, she collapsed.

"Y-yes." Hinata replied, snapping out of her thoughts.

Hinata clenched the rims of her blanket. "Y-yes, thank y-you very m-much for caring for me and t-treating my injuries S-sakura-chan." She replied.

Sakura began rubbing the back of her head and smiling at Hinata. "Don't thank me, this is all part of the job description Hinata. I'm almost done, so just let me know if you feel any discomfort. It's getting pretty late, so you're more than welcome to spend the night here."

"Yes I w-would like that S-sakura cha-"

"Hinata you have burn marks on your back! What kind of training are you guys doing? These are pretty serious!" Sakura exclaimed, once again cutting in.

Here, was another problem Hinata had with herself. Due to her own inability to speak up, people had begun assuming that her blatant insecurities stemmed from a weak mind. She believed they weren't entirely wrong, but she also believed her timid nature didn't help the matter.

She didn't mind if people saw her as shy, but she did mind when people thought she couldn't handle difficult situations, just because she let others have their way. She acted the way she did so that people didn't focus on _her_ and she was also a pacifist. Not so that they could worry for her like a new born child and hurl sympathies her way, like she had exhausted every fibre of her being only to fail.

It never occurred to any of them that she might have the potential to become strong. She knew that she had nobody to blame but herself, but wasn't anybody going to reach out to her and reassure her with words of positivity, instead of to offer their condolences?

She wished that for once, someone could see beyond her timid nature, actually try to get to know her and discover that she wasn't as weak minded as she appeared.

From the look on Sakura's face, she was one of those people. She could already tell that Sakura pitied her and it made Hinata angry. Sakura was the object of Naruto's affections. She had a loving family, friends that cared for her and a strong sense of awareness. She was everything Hinata wasn't, _that_ she knew for sure. However, it felt like Sakura was rubbing salt in her wounds. If she were anybody else, she wouldn't be lecturing her like that. She felt Sakura had no right. They weren't even close friends.

Hinata sometimes felt she had a bone to pick with Sakura. The girl had so much, but sometimes it never seemed like enough. She always had somebody to lean on in her own times of weakness, so she was never truly alone. Her ego was always boosted, not only did Naruto profess his love for her but so did Rock Lee. People actually believed she could make something of herself.

However, she believed that was no excuse for Sakura's poor sense of perception. The girl was so blind sometimes, it infuriated Hinata to no end. It wasn't that she believed Sakura's problems were inferior to hers. However, as somebody who had declared publicly many times that she felt useless in helping Naruto or Sasuke, it sure was _hypocritical_ of her to pity Hinata.

Sakura had declared all of that out of a wounded pride; didn't she realize that Hinata had pride as well? Did she think Hinata wouldn't notice when she slighted her like that, just because she never showed it? Hinata hated feeling like this, these emotions were poisonous and it seemed only Sakura could invoke them in her.

It also didn't help that it was Sakura standing before her, witnessing Hinata in her time of weakness, making her feely less than adequate, while trying to comfort her.

"Oh no...I thought she was done.. If I stay quiet she'll jump to her own conclusions." Hinata reasoned.

"P-pardon?"

"Those burn marks Hinata! What happened? I know Kiba could be kind of reckless but Shino? How did he allow this? I should give them a piece of my mind, stringing you along like this because of your soft nature. Ugh who do they think they are?" Sakura roared.

Then, Hinata had a better idea.

"NO YOU DON'T NEED TO DO THAT!" Hinata yelled, startling Sakura in the process.

"I'm s-orry S-sakura chan. I m-mean if you ask them, t-they might be upset and think you u-underestimate them. I w-will just rest f-for a few days and regain my s-strength. You d-don't need to t-trouble yourself with my i-injuries. T-thank you though." Hinata replied, hoping it would satisfy Sakura's hopelessly insatiable curiosity.

Sakura seemed to have accepted Hinata's reasoning. Her previously raised pink eyebrow was now levelled.

"Alright Hinata, just be careful. I have to get going, my shift is about to end and I still have a few more errands to run. Since you're staying the night, I'll come see you in the morning ok?" with that, Sakura left Hinata to rest.

Hinata sighed.

**INO'S POV**

_'_"I thought this day would _never _end_._" Ino said aloud. She stretched her arms out, then grabbed the keys and proceeded to head out the door.

The shop hadn't been so busy since around May, and that was months ago! She just couldn't _understand_ what prompted people to buy flowers all at once and at the same _Kami forsaken time._

It was like they all conspired with each other; Mission: Who can break that cashier's_ back_ the fastest? Winner gets to feel an unnatural, incomprehensible sense of accomplishment and purpose. Courtesy of **Ino's spinal cord!**

Ino knew one thing for a fact; it was only a matter of minutes before she got to see Sakura. She knew it was one of the cheesiest thoughts that her brain ever did process. However, she couldn't help but feel better, especially with the day she's had.

Why was she so excited, you wonder? As it turned out, Ino hadn't seen Sakura all week. The both of them had allowed themselves to get consumed in their busy lives and neither had the energy to call the other and make plans. Until yesterday, anyway.

Between handling the shop and going to the library, Ino was drained when she got home. The shop was only getting busier and the books she was studying were getting more complex. She found herself hunched over some dictionary after reading every few sentences and she was tired. Tired of the regret she held for not paying close enough attention in class! Her sense of respect for Sakura was everlasting as it stood.

Although Ino was always busy, Sakura was never far from her thoughts. It didn't help either that the more time she spent away from her, the more she missed her. Finally, after work yesterday she dug her nails into her arms, sucked her teeth and bucked up. At last, she had the energy to call Sakura and make plans.

Ino couldn't believe she even had to resort to something so, _drastic seeming_ to get the job done. It was like everything she was taught in school about Chakra control had trickled down the drain.

She shrugged and opened the hospital door. On her way to reception, she spotted Sakura walking down the steps to the lounge. She looked agitated.

_'That's never a good sign.'_

However it was like a breath of fresh air, seeing Sakura's face. Her inner Ino Yamanaka squealed in delight as she _casually_ walked over.

Sakura's face lit up upon seeing Ino. This never went unnoticed by Ino either, but she kept her hormones in check and decided to greet her long-time pal.

"Hey Sakura! How is everything, the training? Is dear Tsunade-_baa-sama _working you to the bone yet?" She said, a smirk gracing her face.

"Hey there Ino! I'm doing great. I've been getting myself adjusted to life as a medicniin. I see nothing's changed with you, even as tired as you are you never seem to hesitate in making a crack at my expense! Don't lose sleep over it but that too is a talent in its own right." She sneered.

The both of them continued to intensify the mock-tension for a few more seconds, before embracing each other.

To be more _accurate, _Sakura initiated the hug while Ino worked her nerves harder than she believed Tsunade would ever work Sakura.

After what felt like a decade or a dozen, Sakura finally let go and turned to Ino.

Ino resisted the urge to fan herself, feeling immediate sweat trickle down her forehead. Sakura noticed this and asked Ino if she was feeling dehydrated.

"No Sakura! I just, uh... my body just overheated, it's nothing out of the ordinary. I'll just drink some water." Ino replied.

What was _wrong_ with her? Her inner Ino Yamanaka took it upon itself to answer that question. "_It's because your idiocy knows no bounds!_" It leered. Ino wondered when her self-deprecating inner-self would quit with the pessimism and turned her attention back to Sakura.

Clearing her throat, she asked, "Sakura do you want to head over to the dumpling spot now? I suggested that place for a reason; I have something to tell you."

This definitely caught Sakura's attention. "What is it Ino? Good or bad? If bad, why would you suggest the dumpling spot?" Sakura questioned, immediately sceptical.

"It's good and I'm sort of hungry too, for your information. Can we be on our way now?" Ino huffed.

"Alright, okay. Grouchy much?" Sakura spat. Ino chuckled, taking delight in ruffling a few of Sakura's feathers.

The rest of the walk was silent, but pleasantly so. As soon as they got there, Ino sat at the nearest table in that moment (she hated having to choose where to sit) and hollered for Sakura to join her.

Sakura, still getting over Ino's latest display of tomfoolery, guffawed. She quickly made her way over and seated herself. She wanted to know what it was that was making Ino act so weird. Correction, _weirder than usual_.

Just like their previous visit, Ino yammered for the waiter to fetch them the 2 house specials, attracting most unwanted attention as per usual. Sakura covered her face in her hands, feeling she's reached her limit of embarrassment. Courtesy of _Ino Yamanaka_.

Ino, turning her attention back to Sakura, noticed that she was cradling her face in her hands while appearing agitated.

She couldn't help but feel a bit disheartened._ 'Has Sakura felt this way more than once around me? Do I go too far sometimes? I should start taking note. Although to be fair, I've only been like this lately because I'm trying to hide a major, friendship-destroying secret!'_

Ino cleared her throat again. She was going to tell Sakura about what she's been meaning to say all day and then she was going to head home, respectively! If she couldn't even do _that, _then when in the heck was she ever going to accomplish anything of _actual importance?_

Sakura glanced up into Ino's eyes, her jade iris's clearer than a cloudless sky. It was also apparent that she was waiting, albeit impatiently for Ino to cough up whatever it was that was clogging her throat.

"I'm leaving for two days after tomorrow to meet a spiritual counsellor. I want to convince her to become my mentor, show her I'm worthy by displaying the knowledge I got from all those books I've been reading. She lives about 5 miles outside of Konoha, so I won't need to travel far. I was wondering, did you want to have a picnic with me tomorrow? Around mid-day? Since I'm sort of going on a journey and all." Ino blurted. She felt out of breath.

Sakura blinked. Ino could tell that she was trying to make sense of what Ino had just told her, and from the baffled look on her face, Ino was just going to have to dig in to her meal before it got cold.

After about 10 minutes, it seemed Sakura had finally gotten the gist of what Ino had told her. She flicked Ino's forehead to capture her attention, landing Ino against the wall on the other side of the restaurant in the process.

Ino, lying on the floor with a glass of orange juice oozing down her face, could **not** understand why that evening kept getting worse. However, she understood that it was her own fault for dragging everything out.

She sighed, and tried to get up. Then she felt 2 pairs of arms helping her up, the owners asking if she was alright. She smiled and nodded, standing up and limping over to Sakura.

As she sat down, she heard Sakura mumble that she was sorry, that she hadn't realized how much chakra she put into the flick.

Ino slowly craned her neck in Sakura's direction and started to glare at her. To Sakura, it looked like Ino was about to explode in rage and flip the table over.

However, Ino was _really _more focused on Sakura's voice when she apologized, how soft and sincere she managed to make it sound. She forgot_ all about_ the wall she was thrown against the second she heard it.

'Oh Ino, you're changing into a buffoon before my very _eyes!_ Wipe that dribble of drool off your chin before _Sakura_ does it _for you!' _ her Inner Ino jeered.

Ino quickly snapped out of it and readied herself for an appropriate response to the situation.

"KAMI SAKURA WHAT IS _WRONG_ WITH YOU? SINCE WHEN DID YOU HAVE THAT KIND OF POWER? YOU_ ARE_ JUST A MEDICNIIN AREN'T YOU? I KNOW I SHOULDN'TA TAKEN A MILLION YEARS TO SAY WHAT I NEEDED TO BUT YA DIDN'T HAVE TO HURL ME INTO A_WALL!" _

Ino accentuated her exclamation with a loud huff.

Meanwhile, Sakura looked ashamed, as if she'd been hiding something. She looked over at Ino and said, "Um actually, Tsunade-sama is also teaching me some of her specialty jutsus. I'm still trying to get a handle on some of those jutsus." She rubbed the back of her head, blushing and chuckling in embarrassment.

Ino just shook her head at the explanation and laughed. Sakura joined her and before either of them had realized, they were clutching their stomachs in pain as the ridiculousness of the mishap became even more apparent to them.

They both decided to finish eating and get the heck out of there.

As soon as they were outside, Ino let out a deep sigh and walked over to a nearby tree, opting to sit beneath it. Sakura followed suit.

When they were both settled, Sakura decided to break the silence. "Hey Ino, so about this picnic.. I think it sounds like a great idea! We'll have all our favourite foods and maybe we could even order from that restaurant over there and eat it at the picnic?" She suggested, pointing at the dumpling spot.

Ino laughed. "When did you get the time to think _that_ over? It took like, a dozen hundred years for you to even understand what I was trying to ask you."

"Actually," Sakura began "You gave me plenty of time, during that little fall on your buttocks. Not to mention the prolonged periods of time it took you to get up off it and limp over." She finished smoothly.

Ino merely raised an eyebrow. "So the picnics on, great. Order some food from the dumpling spot? Hmm.. I guess we could, but just the dumplings, not the teriyaki. How does that sound?" She questioned.

Sakura looked over at Ino in awe. "Hey, Ino? You _never _let me win an argument! Are all those_ concepts_ killing your competitive spirit or something? Speaking of which, you're going to be gone for _two days_? To convince some spiritual counsellor of your _worth? _Doesn't sound like the Ino I know..." She confessed.

Ino knew that Sakura had a point. It _was_ a little out of character for her, all things considered.

"I'm actually really nervous. I don't what she'll be expecting. How will I even _know_ if I impress her? But I really want to do this. I don't think I've ever tried this hard at something that wasn't related to my outer appearance so it's definitely a challenge. The material itself is a huge motivation for me too. It's all so interesting, especially because it has, _substance_.

Sakura nodded in understanding, empathizing with her friend. "So Ino, how do you know that the counsellor's female? You've never met this person before, right?" She observed.

"You're right, I haven't. But from what I've read, females are preferred for a counsellor if the seeker is female, and the same goes for men. It's preferred is all." She explained.

"Ohh." Sakura said.

After about 5 minutes, they both stood up and stretched. The sun had set a few hours ago and they were both very tired. They agreed upon a place to hold the picnic (The Secret Gardens) and bid each other farewell. Both were too tired to walk the other home, so they figured leaving by themselves would get them into their beds quicker.

**SAKURA'S POV**

**-THE NEXT MORNING-**

Sakura was exhausted. She was only going to be working that morning, with her afternoon and evening free. She was _so_ grateful for the half day, Kami only knew she needed it.

She examined herself in the mirror, as she untangled her bubble-gum coloured locks. She combed them until she could run her fingers through them. She applied some hair concoction to make it look soft and shiny, and then put on her forehead protector. She sighed, realizing that she needed to find a different location to wear it. It ruffled a few hairs.

After she got dressed, she fled down the stairs to the kitchen. Just as she was about to start eating, she looked over at the clock. She was late! She quickly packed her breakfast and sped over to the hospital.

Tsunade found her, as usual. Retribution _was_ what kept Tsunade going. It was like a cup of coffee for her, it helped start the day.

She was just about to start lecturing Sakura, when she was paged by reception. Sakura, who had been holding her breath, couldn't believe her luck. After studying under two very gentle senseis her entire life, Tsunade's style of teaching was much harsher than Sakura could have anticipated. She knew Tsunade meant well, but Sakura often wondered if she could ever live up to her mentor's standards.

Sakura was just about to head over to the staff office, when she remembered that she had to check on Hinata. She was going to assume that Hinata stayed the night. The girl was more exhausted than anything.

When she finally reached the room, she knocked on the door, to be sure that Hinata _was,_ in fact in there.

She heard Hinata reply, "Yes, come in please." Sakura let herself in.

"Good morning Hinata. How are you feeling?" Sakura inquired. From what Sakura could see, she looked better. Her face was no longer a pale blue.

"I'm f-feeling better, Sakura-chan. T-thank you for a-asking." Hinata murmured. She didn't appear as tense as she did the night before either.

_'Maybe all she needed was bed rest.'_ Sakura pondered. She mentally checked off a few things in her head, before turning to Hinata again.

"Hinata, as a patient you're welcome to some breakfast in the canteen. Feel free to have some before leaving." She informed, a professional smile plastered on her face.

Hinata nodded and gave her thanks, before getting up and excusing herself to visit the restroom.

Sakura couldn't tell if her mind was playing tricks on her, but in her gut she felt that something wasn't right with Hinata. She opted to dismiss those thoughts, as she didn't think it was right to pry. Especially since her gut wasn't exactly producing any proof.

She left a note for Hinata, informing her that everything was fine as well as advising her to visit for check-ups.

She let herself out. She was just about to enter the office when she heard Tsunade's voice.

"Halt, Sakura-chaaaan!"

Sakura sighed, already feeling slighted. Did Tsunade still remember Sakura's tardiness that morning?

"I need you to follow me to my office, Sakura. There's something I'd like to speak to you about." Tsunade spoke, cautiously.

Sakura followed wordlessly.

When they got to the Saniin's office, Tsunade sound-proofed the room.

"What's going on, Tsunade-sensei?" Sakura asked.

"It's about this medical report.. you say Hinata told you she was training, that she acquired those bruises and burns from training too hard and using extreme jutsus?"

Sakura was puzzled. "Yes.. have I made a mistake sensei?"

"You see," Tsunade continued "This report _also_ mentions that she had 3 charka points on her chest closed off, to halt chakra flow. Do you think her teammates even _possess_ the ability to accurately place these points and close them off? Also, suppose they did. Why would they _want_ to? It would only cause Hinata to fall back, preventing her from sparring. In other words, it's purposeless."

Sakura couldn't believe she missed all of that. She was usually so precise about the details! She'd never felt so embarrassed in her life.

"Tsunade-sensei," she began "I apologize for missing that. I was very exhausted that day an-"

"Ap-pap-pap. No excuses. If I hadn't taken a look at this report, who _knows_ what would've happened to Hinata in the future? It was quite reckless and frankly out of character for you to let this happen, Sakura. You will _not_ repeat this grave mistake; do I make myself clear Sakura-chan?" Tsunade finished.

"Y-yes, Ts-tsunade-sama. I understand." Sakura stuttered, crest fallen.

"Now, since that's out of the way, we have to figure out why Hinata would want to keep silent about this. We know Hinata is aware of everything. Her report indicated no memory loss or tampering with memories. Also, I checked in with her teammates. Turns out, they were out on a mission that evening. Hinata was to join them but her father had pardoned her, explaining that there was a family meeting Hinata was to be present for. I also sent one of my ANBU ninjas over to the Hyuga compound to look through the surveillance. They reported back, informing me that Hinata was indeed in the compound the entire afternoon until her drop in at the hospital." As Tsunade recounted everything, her face grew grim with every word spoken.

Sakura was repulsed. "Now Sensei, you can't seriously be suggesting that her own _family_ inflicted those wounds on her can you? I know the Hyuga's have a reputation for being-"

Tsunade cut her off before Sakura could finish. "Yes, that is exactly what I am_ insinuating_, dear Sakura. It's quite plausible, based on the report. To be frank, her own sensei was telling me only a week ago that Hinata had become noticeably more withdrawn. She stopped joining them on missions, and surprisingly it was always because her father would pardon her, telling them that she was to be present for one meeting or another. She also mentioned that every time Hinata and she had sparred, which was not often, Hinata was always out of breath after the first few minutes. She would be too weak to continue and she would head home before Kurenai could ask her what was wrong. I'm not saying I know _exactly_ **who** is inflicting these wounds on her but, clearly there is something going on behind those doors." Tsunade concluded.

"If that's the case Tsunade-sama, why tell me all this? Shouldn't the ANBU be the ones to handle this sort of issue?" Sakura inquired. She couldn't think of any reason for why Hinata's own flesh and blood would want to harm her.

"Well Sakura, she's in _your_ care. She's _your_ patient, so as her physician it's _your_ job to keep tabs on anything that could possibly ail Hinata's health; be it addictions, domestic abuse, self-harm or a chronic illness!" Tsunade exclaimed.

Sakura wanted to run herself into a brick a wall. She should have remembered this from the handbook Tsunade had handed her. It was one of the first things a physician had to take care to remember when taking on a new patient.

"Sakura," she continued "I know Hinata is somebody you know personally. I understand that it may make it hard to take an unbiased approach on this whole issue. However, I'm informing you of this _not_ so you can pry into her personal business; because the patient has to be willing and comfortable enough to open up. It's because as one of the only people with this knowledge, I want you to use it to keep an eye out for anything that could hurt Hinata. You don't have to be her bodyguard, but she doesn't have many people to fall back on for support either, emotionally _or_ physically. You, as somebody her own age _could_ be that person. You're also female. It would make it easier for the two of you to bond. Now let me make it _clear,_ Sakura. I'm asking you not to pass any judgment, but to be there for her whenever she needs somebody to lean on. It could very well save her life to have that sort of friend, with a scornful family like that." She sniffed.

Sakura nodded, understanding what Tsunade was implying. Shortly after, Tsunade dismissed her and as soon as she did, Sakura fled to the room she had previously left Hinata in.

Luckily, Hinata was folding the blanket she had slept in when Sakura barged in.

"Sakura...chan?" Hinata exclaimed, in a meek voice.

"Hinata...Hi. I was wondering, are you doing anything this afternoon?" Sakura inquired.

"No Sakura-chan, n-not that I am aw-ware of. W-why, was there s-something the m-matter?" Hinata asked.

"No Hinata that's not it at all, I was actually wondering if you'd like to join me and Ino for a picnic this afternoon. Ino is leaving the next day for some_ personal journey, _and we're holding the picnic in the Secret Gardens. I know it sounds out of the blue, but we haven't really seen each other in a while and I realized, the more the merrier! Plus, I don't actually talk to anyone aside from Ino since Naruto embarked on his _own_ journey." She explained.

At Naruto's name, Hinata started burning up. Sakura began to wonder if she had been wrong in mentioning him.

"Umm..I-I'd, like that S-Sakura-chan...very much. H-how many hours from now s-should I b-be there?" Hinata stuttered, staring down at her blanket.

"I'd say about 3 hours from now, Hinata. Don't worry about dressing formally, it's supposed to be completely casual, as casual as a picnic can get anyway." She joked.

"Okay...I'll t-take my l-leave than, S-Sakura-chan. Th-thank you again f-for the inv-vite." Hinata said, bowing slightly before dissapearing.

_'She's so refined, that Hinata. Ino and I could learn a thing or two from her.' _Sakura thought.

She looked up at clock and felt her face light up. Her day was almost over!

She skipped merrily back to her office.

**INO POV (HER MORNING)**

"Ughhhhh this is so heavy! _"Let's order from the dumping spot" _she says, the least she could've done was to help me carry everything! The nerve of this girl I swear... I'm too much of a sucker for her."

Ino sighed, frightfully aware of the hold the girl had on her.

Ino had decided not to come in for work that morning, so that she could pack for her trip and plan for the picnic. Of course Ino slept in, barely making it in time to pick up the food Sakura ordered the night before.

"INO CHAN!" shrieked an annoying voice you wouldn't want to hear if your day was kicking off to a bad start.

Ino turned around, bloodlust possessing her as she set out to locate the source of the _infuriating_ pitch.

After a few minutes, she located the source. It was Konohamaru.

"What do you want you brat?" She snarled. She had decided to sneak up on him. It was the least she could do, after having to hear his voice so early in the morning.

"_Kami!_ What are you doing Ino? Are you _trying_ to scare the crap out of me!?... What's wrong with your face?" Konohamara started poking fun at Ino's look of death, beginning to mimick it.

"Konahamaru what do you want!" Ino yelled. Time was of the essence.

"Jeepers Ino! I just wanted to say hi! Ooooh whatchu' got there Ino chaaaaan?!" Konahamaru began to tug on the bags in Ino's hand.

"It's just food for a picnic." sighed Ino, opting to give up on getting rid of the kid's presence.

"Sounds like a date, hehe." Konahamaru teased.

Ino started turning red. "Oh kami it is like a date" Ino thought to herself.

"Ohhh, who's your boyfriend Ino? Is he good looking? I hope he is, _for your sake!_ At least your _better_ half should look presentable hehehe!"

"Why you little!" Ino boxed Konahamaru square in the jaw.

"Ouchh I was just joking! gosh Ino. I gotta go, have fun." Konohamaru whimpered, rubbing his jaw and running off to whatever hole he crawled out of.

"Oh kami, I swear that kid could double as one Naruto's 'kage bun shin' clones." Ino thought to herself.

_'Wai-wai-wait! Picnic with just me and Sakura…. Oh my god that's like a total date. I'm being too obvious! At this rate she'll catch on in no time!'_

Ino spent the rest of the walk to the Secret Gardens sulking and scolding herself.

_"If she figured out that this was like a date and she accepted, that means she wanted to come right?... I'm not making any sense." _She continued on with her delusional thinking.

_'So, if Sakura said yes, would it be safe to assume that she returns my feelings, to some lesser extent? ..ugh.. she most likely doesn't see this as a date… SINCE WHEN DID I START THINKING THIS WAS A DATE! DAMN KONAHAMARU!... I shouldn't think too much of it, she's probably on her way here in a bit. If I start acting all weird she's going to sense it and freak out. I better finish preparing.'_

Ino spent the next half hour pacing back and forth, waiting for Sakura to show up. She continued to debate with herself on whether this could be classified as date, or just a casual hang out between friends.

_"Me and her alone here…"_ Ino began to blush_. "This could be a good thing. Something might just happen. Ugh... I'm getting in over my head with this."_

"Ino! There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!" Sakura's voice rang.

_"OMG SHE'S HERE!"_ her inner Ino roared playfully.

Ino turned around and gave Sakura a huge smile, followed by an idiotic wave.

"Sakura, I thought you'd never come. For having such an expansive forehead, you sure don't have a lot of brain in there do you ?" teased Ino. "You know how hard it was to carry all of this? Sakur-" Ino finally noticed Hinata.

"I invited Hinata to join us. It was sort of on a whim actually, the more the merrier right?" explained Sakura, chuckling.

_"I knew she didn't think of this as a date.." _her inner Ino began to sulk. She couldn't understand where the disappointment was coming from. She supposed she let herself get carried away.

"Yeah Sakura, I agree completely!" Ino spoke, a strained smile making its way on her face. "Hey Hinata! How are you? Thank _kami_ you showed up, I wouldn't have been able to stand Sakura for more than 5 minutes." She confessed.

"O-oh I am thankful for S-Sakura chan's in-invite." Hinata spoke, almost startled at being addressed.

"Pfffft. Ino, you can't stand me? Then next time don't come by to walk me home after work, if it's such a burden." teased Sakura

"Oh trust me darling, there are _other_ reasons for why I came pick you up from the hospital."

"AHA! I _knew_ you had your eyes on that new _medicniin_. Being Ino, and all..." Sakura said.

"You mean _he_ couldn't keep his eyes off _me_, Sakura darling. I'm a work of art and its feels wonderful to be appreciated, not that _you_ would ever understand that feeling." Ino boasted.

Hinata stood there for the next few moments, watching in awe as Ino and Sakura went back and forth throwing insults at each other.. or were they even really insults? To any outsider, it looked like they were flirting with each other.

"HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA!" Hinata couldn't contain herself, the way those two were acting.

"WHAT'S SO FUNNNY?!" They both snapped. They stopped arguing long enough to notice that Hinata was clutching her stomach, her eyes squinting in amusement.

"I-It's n-nothing Sakura chan and Ino chan…I'm s-sorry" Hinata immediately apologized.

_'Oh boy...she makes it look like we're going to punish her or something.'_ Ino hated it when anyone felt uncomfortable around her. Mostly because she herself began to feel uncomfortable.

"Hey Hinata, listen up. You have _got_ to throw away those formalities! You're with friends! Stop calling us Sakura _chan_ and Ino _chan_ ok?" Ino proclaimed.

"I-I'm sorry..." Hinata stuttered, staring at the ground.

"And stop apologizing!" Sakura added.

Sakura gently set her hand on Hinata's shoulder and walked her over to the picnic spot that Ino spent so long setting up.

"Sakura's walking Hinata to the table without me.. .and she never even commented on how the place looked! HER HAND'S ON HER SHOULDER!... Oh kami... get a hold of yourself, it's just Hinata." Ino muttered. She couldn't understand why her fuse kept blowing up. Why couldn't she contain herself? Her jealousy was having a field day.

"Are you going to just stand there, or are you going to come over and eat!?" Sakura hollered.

"_No_, I carried all this food so that I could watch _you two_ eat." Ino muttered, rolling her eyes. To Sakura, Ino appeared upset.

Sakura turned to Hinata and whispered in her ear. "Looks like we'll have to reel Ino over, or she might start crying like a baby."

Sakura got up and ran over to Ino, pulling her up to carry her in her arms. This automatically set Ino's pheromones into overdrive. Pardon the pun but she was experiencing a 'Hinata'.

"I could be buried in her arms forever.." Ino sighed, content. "Wai-wait whattt?" Ino hoisted herself out of Sakura's arms, but Sakura had a tight grip on her hand.

"LET GO OF ME YOU BILLBOARD BROW! HOW DARE YOU VIOLATE MY PERSONAL SPACE?" Ino yelled. She couldn't have been more obvious with her feelings in that moment.

"OH INO PIG ARE THOSE LITTLE NINJAS ATTACKING YOUR UTERUS MERCILESSLY? You seem to be menstruating all the time. Just come and enjoy the food okay? Or else I'll have to be forced to feed you myself.." Sakura declared.

"Sakura feeding me.." Ino said to herself. The thought sent her into a daze. She pictured herself on a high chair, wearing a blue bib as Sakura bent over, wearing a tight-fitting apron with bare arms and almost nothing underneath. Her cleavage was spilling out, as she continued to bend foreword to feed Ino dumplings. She began to burn up again, disgusted with herself at even picturing a scenario like that. _'That's one weird cosplay.'_ her inner Ino snickered.

Ino began to pry her hand from Sakura's clutches. Her palms were sweatier than ever.

"I can eat by _myself_ OK?" Ino spat.

"That's the best you can come up with? Really Ino? REALLY? I think you've deprived yourself long enough." Sakura declared.

Ino heard laughter. She looked over at the source, who was giggling behind her fingers.

With one great pull, she shook Sakura's hand off and sat down. "So you think I'm funny, eh Hinata?" Ino replied, her voice turning serious.

"I-I'm s-sorry…" Hinata stuttered.

"Hinata lighten up! I'm just teasing you! You have to try these dumplings they are **_so_** good!" Ino proclaimed.

Finally, all three began to dig in. They were thankful that there was so much to spare, since each arrived on an empty stomach.

After about 30 minutes, they stopped eating.

"OISHIIIIIIIII!" all three proclaimed. They were so full they couldn't even move!

"Thank you Ino-chan and Sakura-chan for the food and company." Hinata said.

"OMK did you _catch_ that Sakura?" Ino exclaimed.

Hinata and Sakura both looked over at Ino.

"What?" Sakura questioned.

"Hinata you didn't stutter! This means you don't have a speech impediment!" Ino yelped.

"Oh Ino, you're so insensitive sometimes. Hinata, how come you didn't stutter?" Sakura inquired. The irony did not escape Ino.

"W-well I'm not sure-"

"I KNOW WHY!" Ino blurted "It's cause we made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside right?"

"Ino you're so stupid, keep your thoughts to yourself." sighed Sakura.

Hinata finally spoke up. "In all honestly, I have never spent time w-with others like this before. I b-believe I stutter around people I'm not so comfortable with. You both made me feel welcomed; I guess this is what having friends feel like. The friendship you both share is envious and I hope that we can spend time together more often..if that is ok?"

Ino stood up, feeling dramatically emotional_. 'Who could have thought that this sheltered girl was only craving some company this entire time?'_

Ino went over to where Hinata was seated and gave her a hug.

"From now on, _we'll_ be the ones you can count on. This means you can come to us for anything okay? We will all spend more together, so drop the formalities" Ino concluded.

Hinata giggled. " I will, Ino ch- INO." She said.

"Well guys, I actually have to get going. I haven't packed yet and I still need to work for a few hours at the shop. I'm leaving before sunset and I couldn't even pack because Miss. _Billboard brow_ here had to order food to be picked up!"

"Ino.. just go already!" Sakura exclaimed, pretending to be angry.

The girls spent the next few minutes packing up, and then proceeding to the gates of the Secret Gardens where they were to part ways.

"Well I guess this is it, see you guys in 2 days' time!" Ino declared.

"You're leaving just like _that_?" Sakura questioned.

"What, was there something I forgot to say?" Ino inquired. She was going to avoid another intimate embrace if she could help it, for obvious reasons.

"Ino, you're going on this _all important, life changing_ journey and you can't even give your best friend an 'I'll be safe' hug?" Sakura teased.

"That is the _dumbest_ hug I have ever heard of Sakura—"

Sakura wrapped her in a full bodied embrace. The kind that made Ino _never_ want to unwrap herself.

Before Ino could untangle herself, albeit hesitantly, Sakura quickly grasped her arm and leaned in.

"You better be careful. I can't afford to lose one more person, _especially _not the one person that understands me from the depths of soul. Please, be very careful." She whispered.

Ino felt her breath get caught in her throat. She was tongue-tied and paralyzed.

She had _never_ heard Sakura speak so earnestly. However, she knew that Sakura meant that phrase to be interpreted as strictly platonic. After everything she'd been through, it was only natural for her to be extra cautious about the few people she could lean on.

Ino sighed, as the reality of that thought began to sink in. Platonic… _there's_ a word that would be haunting her in her dreams that night.

Ino quickly composed herself, whispering back with "Trust me, I couldn't be able to do that to you, even if I tried. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted."

Sakura let out a breath that one could assume she had been holding for the last decade, and let Ino go. One could even say she was hesitant in moving away from the girl.

Ino exhaled, turning to the both of them. She said her last good bye and left.

**SAKURA'S POV**

_'I hope Ino has a safe journey.' _

Sakura sighed, feeling irritated by Ino's absence. She wasn't sure why either, just that she felt the girl had left at the wrong time.

Sakura turned to Hinata, realizing it was just the two of them. She remembered how Hinata had lied right to her _face_ about what had really happened.

Tsunade's scolding aside; Sakura was feeling very uneasy about the whole dilemma. She didn't know when and how she would be approaching Hinata about it all, let alone expecting her to be honest.

The girl had already lied once. Why wouldn't she lie again?

_"Why wouldn't she just tell me what really happened? More importantly, who closed off her chakra points? The only person I could think that would do such a thing is Neji, but his hatred towards Hinata and the family in general is publicly known. She knows that, so she wouldn't have lied. This whole predicament reeks of foul play. It's got an ominous aura. I must be careful.'_

Sakura felt she had to be extra cautious. If she was going to find out what really happened, she had to make sure there _were_ no loose ends; in other words, nobody got hurt, she included. Tsunade's grave warning was proof that this situation was of a delicate nature.

Right now, her main priority was to figure out what happened, as soon as possible. Time was of the essence and if what Tsunade was insinuating had any truth, then she couldn't afford to return Hinata to her family before learning it.

Sakura made her resolve and turned to Hinata, a plan already formulating in her head.

"Hey, Hinata? I have nothing planned for the rest of the day, so I'm going to head over to the library for a bit and probably get some ramen later. Care to join?" Sakura asked, smiling.

She had never felt so tense about anything before, as she watched herself moving into territory she had virtually no knowledge about. She hoped to _Kami_ Hinata would accept.

Wait. Who was she _kidding_? Even if Hinata didn't _want_ to accept, she still would out of politeness. She had to hand it to herself. Hinata's manners had swooped in and saved the day.

"I-I don't have anything else to do either, so I'll join you. Th-thank you f-for the i-invite, Sakura." Hinata replied, emulating her soft-spoken nature.

Her Inner Sakura jumped up in the air, ecstatic about their success. _'Yyyyyes! That's the way to do it! Reel her in dammit!'_ It roared excitedly.

A few hours had gone by, when Sakura heard Hinata's stomach growl. Upon noticing, she found herself chuckling. Realizing this, she slapped her hand over her mouth.

How impolite could she get? She barely knew the girl!

However with Hinata being the aristocrat that she was, Sakura could never even imagine her being un-ladylike in _any_ way, stomach growls included. It reminded her of Hinata's snoring. Something _else _Sakura could never really picture.

"U-uh, sorry. I never meant to laugh. Anyway, I think it's about time we head over to the ramen shop. I've worked up an appetite as well."

Hinata's face was flushed. "It's okay, Sakura. I guess we should." She replied meekly.

As they both made their way out, Sakura was wracking her brain for locations of ramen shops within a mile radius.

She was _so_ caught up in her thoughts that she hadn't even realized her feet had led her to Ichiraku Ramens, the very ramen stand Naruto was known for eating all his meals.

She decided to settle for _this_ restaurant. It was as good as _any_ and time was running out.

Sakura turned to Hinata. "Do you think it's fine if we eat ramen here, Hinata? This place is as good as any."

"Umm, yes this place is good." Hinata responded.

If Sakura hadn't known any better, she could have _sworn_ that she saw a look of uneasiness flash across the girl's face. She had to be quick about this.

She sighed, relieved that Hinata had once again accepted. Her confidence was growing. At this rate, she would obtain the information in no time.

She sat down, motioning for Hinata to do the same. She ordered, then asked Hinata what she preferred.

"Um, Sakura. I can pay on my own." Hinata informed politely.

"Oh, it's on me Hinata. To commemorate our budding friendship! I'm in a generous mood anyway, that picnic left me feeling really good." She countered.

It wasn't a complete lie either. The picnic may not have been ideal, but with Ino there she felt it went infinitely better than it should have. As if Ino's presence was crucial to how good of a time Sakura would have.

_'Duly noted.'_ Her Inner Sakura cackled.

The food arrived and they both dug in. It was apparent that they had both been starving, which struck Sakura as strange.

After about 5 minutes, Sakura inhaled, and then exhaled. The atmosphere was calm, welcoming even.

Now was as good a time as any to tackle this predicament head on. The sooner, the better.

She squared her shoulders and looked up at Hinata.

She had to be _careful. _Her mistake from earlier was playing itself out in her head. She couldn't afford to mess up!

"Hey, Hinata?" She casually declared. "The other day, you mentioned you were training with Kiba and Shino. How are they?"

"T-they're doing well. Thanks for asking." Hinata replied. She was eating at a noticeably faster rate.

_'She isn't going to make this easy, is she?'_

She decided to tackle this from a different angle.

"So, I heard Kiba and Shino went on this mission with Kurenai yesterday, what was this mission ranked?" Sakura inquired.

"I-It was a B-r-rank m-mission." Hinata stuttered.

_'Her stutter is back. She's nervous, but she answered the question truthfully.' _ Sakura noted. Suddenly she felt a weird feeling in her stomach. It felt like the guilt that was collecting, at how simple it was to fool Hinata into answering the questions.

_'For her own good.'_ Sakura reasoned.

_"AHAA! She admits they left for a mission! I caught her in her own lie!" _Her inner Sakura howled.

Hinata began choking on her food.

"Whoa slow down Hinata! The food's good but you don't have to eat so fast!" Sakura lectured, patting Hinatas back.

"It's j-just, I have to get h-home soon." Hinata responded.

Huh. So Hinata could be cunning after _all_.

"Oh alright, one quick question though.. the day Shino and Kiba left for a mission, was that not the same day you entered the hospital? You said you were training with them, right?" Sakura pressed.

She was just going to have to be frank. She had no clue as to how she would trick Hinata into providing her with information she didn't already have.

_'How will she react to a direct confrontation?'_ Sakura wondered.

All she learned that day was just how diplomatic Hinata could be. She had been tricked by Hinata's meek and polite nature. She forgot that the girl was raised by the noblest of clans.

She watched in awe as Hinata quickly wiped her lips in one clean swipe, called for the bill and paid the chef.

"Thank you for today, Sakura-chan. I am very grateful, and hope to see you soon. Unfortunately, it's past my curfew and I am expected at home. I thank you once again for a fine evening, and I hope you make it home safe and sound. I shall be on my way now." She finished with a bow.

The formalities were back. This was _not_ good.

However, she knew how to pick and choose her battles. She was outclassed. Her only other option was to keep the girl there by _force_. Not something she was opting for any time soon.

Hinata got up and poof'd into thin air.

Sakura was frustrated. She let out a long sigh and paid the bill.

_'She probably won't even agree to hang out with me __**ever again**__. I should have waited for the most opportune time! Where is my tact today? For now, I should focus on cultivating this friendship. I may have lost today, but I must wear her down. It's the only way.'_

Sakura knew she was hard pressed for time, but she didn't think she could figure out how the broken bond could be mended. On her own, anyway.

Against her better judgement, she decided to wait for Ino's return. She had to keep her wits about her, which meant _no reckless behaviour_. Time was running out but she _had_ to be more cautious. Ino would know what to do. She was more intuitive than Sakura, and Sakura felt she needed another brain if she wanted Hinata's to crack.

She stretched her arms and began to head home. Her sleep was going to be very fitful.

**A/N: OISHII - GOOD**


End file.

Naruto, Romance, Spiritual