"Flashbang kunai," Naruto said before using the Shunshin to flawlessly travel out of the vicinity. Creating a shadow clone to go look for more game, he used henge to resemble a small rat, the shinobi trodded through the poverty stricken town and looked around for clues as to where exactly Gato was living. For an egomaniac who flaunted his wealth and power, the man went to great lengths to keep himself hidden from the people. Maybe he feared that one day the people would have enough, pick up their pitchforks, stones, and other pointy things that made living creatures bleed and storm his abode. The rat scurried around listening to conversations, tailing a few of Gato's men, almost getting speared by a few girls and what not.
It was not fun being a shinobi.
Ino sat and watched as the workers did their best to get the bridge running as quickly as possible, though they were still days away from such a thing. She and her team had been here for two days now and much to her disappointment, she couldn't get any closer to charming Sasuke.
The young man was ice, and her fire wasn't strong enough to melt it yet. Oddly enough, she'd seen Sasuke talk more than he ever did at the Academy. He spoke to his sensei, his teammates and even her AND Sakura. That was weird! However, what really bothered her was the way Sasuke would sometimes glance at her sensei.
The very first time they entered the house, Sasuke and Naruto had a stare down, sort of; the young Uchiha prodigy gave him a stare that would no doubt scare anyone, but her sensei couldn't give one shit about it when he walked right past Sasuke, as if he was never there. Nothing ever seemed to faze the man. Nothing.
Well, she thought naughtily, maybe sex. God, Ino. You shouldn't even be thinking about it. She tried hard to forget about what she'd seen, what she'd dreamed, but it was no use. The dream kept coming back with her and him.
"You're dazing off," Sai's voice brought her back and she saw the pale, handsome young man was standing close to her. "Work's almost done here for the day."
"I know."
"You didn't help," he said with a smile that frankly didn't charm her this time. Sai was pretty, very pretty and that made her become attracted to him during a phase in her life. However, the fact that sometimes he so brazenly insulted her, anyone, for that matter sometimes got under her skin. "You were just sitting there and enjoying the view."
"Sorry, I'm tired from chopping wood," Ino said and smiled back, clenching her fist. "I could break a few bones in your face if you want."
"Calm down," Sai put his hands up. "It was a joke."
She blinked a bit. "You joke?"
"You'd be surprised, blondie," the rowdy voice of a girl almost made Ino roll her eyes. Kibara Inuzuka, or Kiba as she liked to be called, strolled in like the tomboy she was. Though from what she heard Sakura say, the girl had more curves than the two of them combined, and was on Sasuke's team. Just her fucking luck. "Even Elite boy over there cracks a joke or two."
Ino narrowed her eyes, in anger and jealousy. Sasuke talked…a lot with his teammates, sure he just shot them down and made them the butt-end of his wits, but it was still something! Now he was talking with Kakashi with the everlasting scowl on his face, however it softened after a few words from the jōnin of Team Seven. Kakashi Hatake was a lot like her sensei; laidback, one-eyed, and very much a pain in the ass. Apparently this man liked to appear late as well, judging from the amount of time Kakashi and Naruto spent hanging out they were friends. They had to be! Demons both of them.
"Hey!" Kiba got in her face. "Earth to Blondie, I've been asking you for five minutes."
"What?" Ino asked, honestly a bit embarrassed she phased out that much.
"About your sensei, how'd he become a jōnin? I remember him being loud as me and he wore freaking orange!"
"How should I know?"
"Don't you talk to your team leader?" Sai asked her that. "Our lazy ass sensei told us quite the bit about him. And from what Barky here mentioned, your sensei used to be in your class. Then he disappeared for a few years and now here he is, a jōnin. Quite bizarre if I'm to be honest."
"Wow, Sai," Kiba stroked her chin. "Never seen you that interested in anyone."
"Brilliance always interests me," Sai explained himself, putting on a smile that made Ino remember how handsome the young teen was. "Especially more since his team is filled with a bunch of useless burdens."
Ino had heard enough and was going to give him a piece of her mind, and the backside of her hand, until a new voice spoke.
"Enough," Sasuke's voice was deep and arresting. His face carved by gods themselves was masked with annoyance and vigil. His coal eyes looked at her and Ino felt almost afraid. The Uchiha looked around before speaking to her. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to help," Ino smiled. Her face was prettier than any flower in the Yamanaka shop, that she knew. Sasuke, however, wasn't impressed. "Since the bridge needs to be done quicker I thought you guys could use an extra hand."
"You did nothing," Sasuke's words made her cringe a bit. He took another look at her. "Where's your sensei?"
"Back at the house," it was all she said before Sasuke walked off. Wasn't the first time he did it. Something told her it wouldn't be the last time. She clenched her fist. Why was he always so damn cold? Sure it made him look cool, but sometimes it felt so…asshole-ish.
"Calm down, Blondie," Kiba patted her on the back. "He'll warm up to everyone eventually." Sai she noticed was already ahead of them. Walking a few feet behind Sasuke. She and Kiba were trailing them, with Kakashi keeping an eye on them as he walked.
"He's been like this way for years," Ino said wistfully. "I'm starting to think I should change if I can't get him to like me."
"That's just stupid!" Kiba loudly ranted at her. "You're stupid! Stop saying stupid things!"
"Bold words coming from you, Barky." Sai said just enough that Kiba was going after him and giving him a piece of her mind. Loudly.
"You shouldn't worry too much," Kakashi Hatake, leader of Team Seven told her. He like her sensei, carried that obscene orange book, and smiled at her. Well she assumed he was smiling. "It takes a fair bit of time to get Sasuke to talk to you."
"I've known him for years."
Kakashi hummed a bit in thought, looking up in the sky sagely. "True, but do you actually know him?"
"What?" Ino found the question to be irate. Of course she knew him! She, Sakura and a few others used to follow him around to understand his behavior, psychological responses and reactions to things that would come up in his life. "Of course I know him! We've known each other for kids."
"Maybe you misunderstood my words," the one-eyed jōnin kept speaking in circles. "What I'm saying is, do you know what his hobbies are? His favorite food? Why he chose to keep that ridiculous hairdo?"
Ino couldn't answer. She had no answer and Kakashi Hatake seemed to realize that.
"Give it time."
...
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