"No," Sakura quickly interjects, staring at the most confident girl she's ever met with confusion. "Maybe if you look at individual actions, people can do evil. Forcibly taking another person's life is inherently evil, but if that person is a terrible criminal, we can all live with it." Her thoughts strayed to Sasuke as she quietly adds, "I'm only now realizing that the world isn't so black and white, just a lot of variations of gray."
"That's what I mean," Ino points out. "A lot of my dark gray is directed toward you-"
"Uh, don't forget braking Naruto's heart," Sakura quickly points out.
"Oh, don't even," Ino expresses. "At some point in a month, year, or decade, he was going to seriously ask you out, and the only course of action you were going to take was to seriously break his heart. Don't blame me just because I sped up the natural course of events. And don't pretend you didn't enjoy yourself. I can't remember the last time I ever saw you so dazed and euphoric. You weren't even like that when we had sex-"
"SHHHH," an incredibly embarrassed and tomato-red Sakura shushes with angry green eyes.
Looking at Sakura dumbfounded before gesturing to the warm and empty room, "we're alone, you loon."
Feeling exhausted, Sakura falls back in the bed, bemoaning, "ugh, Kami, I shouldn't have come here."
"It's not surprising that you did," Ino informs her standing up and moving the chair back to her desk. "You probably feel what's taken me a while to figure out."
Propping half her body on her elbows, a confused and curious Sakura asks Ino, "what? That I must be out of my mind for coming here or that my life is so messed up right now that you were the best option?"
"Neither," Ino answers, voicing further as she takes a kunai, and as many kunoichi do, straps it to her thigh underneath her mini skirt, "like I said, I was thinking deeply about why go so far for and against you?" Ino then walks over to Sakura and extends her hand, which Sakura hesitantly takes before lifting the pinkette to her feet.
They're close enough to feel each other's exhale and Ino continues, "out of all the other kunoichi in our class, after everything I did, why you? Thinking, thinking, thinking, I finally figured it's more than just love when we were little girls and more than just rivalry when we grew up. I was so relieved when I figured out that there's a unique bond between us that I don't feel with anyone else. You challenge me, infuriate me, inspire me, all while loving you just as much as I can hate you."
Beside Ino's bed in the purple and personal room, the blond beauty takes Sakura's other hand and holds it comfortably firm as she continues. "The only word I could think of that fully encapsulates all of that, is sisters. Obviously, we're not blood-related and much more tenderhearted sisters exist, but, you're the sister I chose before I even knew I had, and I'm the sister you chose, and I know, no matter what, I'm always going to love you, even when I hate you. I'm always going to be there to call you a brat when you need it or a genius when you're being absolutely brilliant. I'll always cheer for you, protect you, console you and everything in between for as long as we live because I love you, Forehead."
Ino takes a tearful Sakura into a firm, warm, and comforting hug before whispering, "I have to go meet my team, but I'm sorry I used my jutsu on you. I'm sorry I did those horrible things to you, and I'll never do it again." Ino takes an emotional Sakura's docile head gently by her jaw and presses her cushion pink lips against the girl's forehead. Ino then clears the single tear streaming down her cheek before leaving the pinkette in her sanctuary.
KURENAI
The walk to their home was silent but comfortable. Kurenai is relishing in her team's excitement earlier that evening and though Kiba and Shino asked many questions about Naruto, Kurenai used the moment as a training lesson to make certain her students know never to make assumptions based off of third party information. Kurenai was proud of Shino when he noted Hinata's apt comprehension of the Naruto their class only thought they knew. Even after drinks with Asuma, Kurenai's night with her team was a validating celebration for every member of Team 8.
As they enter their home. Kurenai's senses pick up on a figure in her bedroom, however, her keen senses didn't detect anything malicious or suspicious. Add to that the only person with Fūin access to her home, other than herself and Hinata, is Naruto. Knowing she's only moments away from finally connecting with him made her warm between her legs. Daydreaming about how hard he'll take her and pound his rock hard meat into her made her aroused mind work out a detailed plan on how they'll sneak out after Hinata falls asleep.
"Kurenai-sensei," Hinata starts, drawing the stunning woman's attention. Taking a deep breath to prepare herself, Hinata, with stern lilac eyes, informs her sensei, "I've only returned to grab a few things."
Nervousness doesn't show on the girl's beautiful face, however, Kurenai was wondering if her pupil sensed the man in her bed as well as deduced that the only person it could be was Naruto. Hinata seems too assertive for that to be the case, and casually asks, "what do you mean?"
Hinata answers, "I've decided to return home to undergo special training until the month is out. Father has agreed to train me and I feel that I need it."
"Oh," Kurenai sounds, managing not to let her disappointment show. With the addition of Hinata's decision, that makes the set now. Toward the end of their night out, the Aburame and the Inuzuka clan heads show up to thank her for her diligent tutelage but also to take this opportunity to train their children in clan techniques to better prepare them for the final test. If she considers that her genin may face each other in the finals, it makes sense that they are trained separately, however, Kurenai hadn't expected Hinata would also ask to return to her home for clan training.
As any dutiful sensei, Kurenai responds, "well, I'm certain this will be beneficial to your future."
"I know it will," Hinata clearly states with more confidence than she's seen in the girl. The conviction didn't last long, however, as the indigo-haired princess lightly blushes before affirming, "but I still need your training as well. I made certain father knew I couldn't have made it to the final test without you. So, I was h-hoping… W-we… c-c-could…" A steadily blushing Hinata takes a deep breath before finishing, "there was one t-tr-training m-me-method… I… Y-you… C-c-confi ence tr-t-t-t-train- ing."
"Hinata," Kurenai clearly voices with authority, drawing more attention from the overly blushing beauty. "Breath. Remember, you're always safe to speak your mind with me and are encouraged to express yourself without judgment. No matter what others might think or say, you always have the right to speak your mind, especially in our home."
Nodding, the red-faced girl gathers her courage to speak, "I wou-would like t-to continue our c-confidence tr-training."
"Confidence training," Kurenai wonders aloud, trying to recall such a training when the blushing cheeks make it click into place. "Ah, you mean Genjutsu training." When Hinata nods, Kurenai asks for clarity, "I thought you were getting along well with Naruto-kun. He even used some of the techniques you taught him." Much to Kurenai's amusement, Hinata blushes red hot at that.
"W-we do," Hinata stutters, restraining her innocent smile. "But, I- Iwanted… Hug-hugging is…"
At the girl's crippling physiological reaction to the thought of physically embracing Naruto, Kurenai became frightened Hinata might actually pass out. Though her precious student's love for the blond that Kurenai is physically intimate with should feel odd, Kurenai can't say no to such a courageous face. It's a mild unease, at best, so easily sidelined that Kurenai, instead, focuses on the warming pride she feels to know Naruto gives this beautiful girl so much strength.
She happily tells her student, "of course. Practicing physical contact, like hugging is a great way to become more comfortable, not only with that person but with yourself. And the more comfortable you are with yourself, the more confident you can be in anything you do."
Hinata nods in complete agreement, determination once again returning to the girl's eyes as Kurenai conveys, "just give me some time to properly prepare, then we can start right away."
"Thank you sensei," Hinata calls out as she hugs her, and with a happy heart, Kurenai hugs her back just as hard.
Thinking about her blond lover, Kurenai becomes both excited and scared as she answers her student, "you're always welcome, Hinata-chan."
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