True Feelings

Note: Major flashbacks will be separated by a ***. *---------* indicates a timeskip.

WIP, so who knows how long it will take for the full story to go up. Anyways, on with the story:

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Tiny pillars of soft yellow light penetrated the curtains, giving a sort of heavenly glow to small room. Miniscule particles of dust danced beautifully about in the golden rays of apollo's warmth. Buried beneath her pink, soft, angelic sheets, the young blonde gently ran her left hand down her torso. Slowly, she slid her ring finger into her virgin vagina, and began to slide it in and out tentatively. She moaned softly as she inserted her middle finger and became more forceful and rapid with the movements of her fingers.

The blonde, Yamanaka Ino, jolted upright suddenly. This was the third night in a row she'd dreamt about having sex with Sakura. This was the third night she had fingered herself in her sleep. As she climbed out of bed, she could not help but wonder why she was having these dreams. Her relationship with Sakura had ended years ago, hadn't it? She shook her head. Now wasn't the time for this. She had to go meet Asuma-sensei and the rest of her team in little less than an hour for breakfast followed by some training.

After slipping on a pair of panties, Ino strode over to her dresser and tied her hair up loosely and quickly, creating a very weak knot in the hair. She then opened the topmost drawer looking for a ribbon, and gasped, half in surprise, half in fear at its sole contents. The only ribbon in the drawer that was usually overflowing with them was the one ribbon Ino had never wanted to see again. Inside, was a relatively short, thin red ribbon.

"Th-This ribbon...it's...Sa...ku...ra..."

***

A weak breeze passed over the park. Water from the fountain trickled gently in the fading evening light. A young blonde girl, around age seven or so, stood talking happily with two of her friends from the academy, occasionally laughing at a small joke or two. Suddenly, their pink-haired friend, Haruno Sakura, came running down the cobblestone path, laughing cheerily.

"Hey!" She called as she came running.

"Hey Sakura, what's up?" Ino asked.

"Everyone! Listen, I have someone that I like! Wanna know who it is?" Sakura said excitedly.

"Tell us all about it." One of her fellow students replied.

"Please don't say Sasuke-kun." Another said sarcastically.

Ino's heart sank. Was it really true that she liked Sasuke? So then, even after all the time they had spent together, after all they had done, she felt nothing for Ino? The angelic blonde lowered her gaze, trying to convince herself what Sakura said was a joke.

And then, before she knew what she was doing, she muttered, "Y-You can't..."

"Why not!?" Sakura demanded, sounding more curious than annoyed.

"B-Because...I...I..."

Why couldn't she bring herself to say it? It was just four simple words. All she had to say was "Because I like you". And yet she could not bring herself to say it. Try as she might, all she could do was stammer and stutter and choke on her words.

"Because I like Sasuke!" She finally cried.

A lie. A complete and total lie. She never had any feelings for Sasuke, yet she had said it. Why? Did she maybe hope that Sakura would then expose her joke? Or was she really just so afraid of telling the truth that she blurted out the name of the first man to come to mind?

***

"Sakura...why...?" Ino muttered as she stared down at the ribbon in her hands.

Why couldn't I tell you the truth? I wish...I wish that would look at me the way you used to...with that face now only for Sasuke. Why? Ino thought as she tied her hair up using the red ribbon. Why can't I get over you?

*---------*

Ino sighed as she leaned against the counter of her family's flower shop. Business was as slow as ever. Sometimes it was enough to make her wonder just how the hell they kept the place running. The door of the shop creaked open slowly and the little bells tied to the top of the door rang gently. Ino immediately lifted her head up and stared at the customer. For a moment, her heart froze. It was Sakura. The woman who had been haunting Ino's dreams for the past month and a half. The woman who she had been trying so hard to hate, but just somehow couldn't get over. Her anxieties quickly cleared, however, and she smiled at the pink-haired kunoichi.

"Yo, forehead! What brings you here?" She asked half-tauntingly.

"Hey, Ino...We need to talk..."

"O-Oh?"

Ino stood, awaiting Sakura to say something, but her old friend simply stood there, staring at the floor, seemingly lost in her thoughts. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Ino spoke up.

"So, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"R-Right." Sakura looked up slowly, tears welling up in her eyes. "Ino...the truth is...Maybe I just made myself like Sasuke-kun because....because I really...like you."

"Me? Listen, if you think I'm just gonna hand you over to Sasuke -- I mean, hand Sasuke over to you, forget it!"

"Ino...no...that's not...I..."

Suddenly, Sakura flung herself around Ino. The hug was more the sort two lovers would give than two friends, startling Ino greatly. If Sakura's hands had not been there, she probably would have fallen over.

"I don't want us to fight anymore!"

Before Ino had time to react, Sakura's hands grabbed firm hold of her ass and the young pink-haired girl kissed her tenderly on the lips. She pulled away from Sakura's advance, startled and a little frightened by the sudden revelation. And yet...And yet somewhere deep inside, Ino was the happiest she had ever been in her life.

"Ino...Oh, I'm...I'm sorry." Sakura muttered as she raised her hand in front of her mouth.

Ino shook her head. "Don't be." She leaned in and kissed Sakura passionately. "I like you, too."

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Sorry folks, but that's all for now. I'm tapped out. I promise I'll continue this ASAP.