Yamanaka Ino walked through the streets as she always did. Angry, bitter, proud, and scary. Most citizens didn't know her, but practically lunged away as she strolled Konoha. The blonde woman wanted to smirk in a menacing way... Though Ino didn't do that anymore. She didn't do much anymore.

Her long blonde hair whipped in front of her face as the wind changed directions. Ino suddenly wanted to rip the luxury from her head; handful by handful. She refused and still stomped her way to the Hokage tower to order Tsunade to give her a new mission.

Ino reflected on why she was so hostile nowadays. In her mind she blamed it on her first love. The one who left and betrayed the village. His name like bile in the eighteen year old's throat. Ino snarled to herself and more people backed away. How did she become so hostile because of that little thing?

Meanwhile

"Uchiha Sasuke." Tsunade announced to herself, "I see Ibiki has gotten through to you."

The man grunted. Annoyed at the self-satisfaction in the woman's voice. "Yes."

Tsunade smiled, "To make sure you do behave and not leave again I'm gonna be nice. I won't put you with someone who will kill you at any chance... I'll put you with..." She frowned as she gazed through a list of people. "Ah. Yamanaka Ino."

Sasuke felt a vein throb within his temple. Remembering that annoying fangirl. "Fine."

"And you won't be able to have any missions, use any of your jutsu's, fight anyone, or train yourself."

The Uchiha rubbed his forehead as he thought of his decision to come back to Konoha instead of die a traitor. Now Sasuke was wondering if he really thought it through.

"Is that alright to you?"

"Yes." Sasuke replied quickly to the Hokage. Not looking into her eyes. He didn't want her to see what plans he had for escaping.

Tsunade suddenly became very serious, "Sasuke."

The Uchiha burried his thoughts and gazed at her levely, "Yes?"

"No revenge." She whispered. Sasuke's thoughts turned to his brother and his anger seemed to boil up. The pretty boy placed his gaze back to the floor as he continued his plans to leave.

'I don't need Konoha.' Sasuke started thinking.

'I have never needed anyone.'

'This is just a set-back. A waste of time. I'll be back soon to get more power and kill my brother.'

'Then... I'll be free.'

Sasuke stepped out of his thoughts as the door slid open and a woman stepped through. She didn't speak, though she had a distant angered look to her. Like an avenger. Like him. Sasuke was intriqued by her. She was a beautiful woman. Wore too little clothing. He noticed as he scrunched up his nose at the display. Silky long blonde hair that would get in the way of fighting. Liquid blue eyes with no pupil.

It came to Sasuke of who she was. Ino. Her name echoed in his head and his eyes scrutinized her in distaste. She mustn't be that strong. Or that bright. To go around like a tramp when she's supposed to be a ninja for the all famous Konoha. She must be a joke. Any attraction he could of had for her instantly left him.

"Ah Ino."

Ino attempted a weak smile at the Hokage. "I had come here to bug you for a new mission, but when I entered the door they said I had one. Are you mind reading my demands?"

"Oh god no. We have... a hidden village transfer of sorts."

"Really." The blonde gazed over to the other person in the room, not recognizing him.

Tsunade smiled at the girls confusion, "Yes. This is-"

"Haku." Sasuke announced. Tsunade raised her eyebrows.

Ino felt the weight of watching someone and started to get aggitated. Trying to find something to play with her fingers.

Tsunade and Sasuke both noticed this and Tsunade jumped in, "If you don't want to take this I could always give it to Sakura."

The sting hit Ino full blast. The anger came back strong and she steeled herself against any other emotion. "No. You assigned him to me, so I will take it."

"Very well. Show him around and don't keep him out of your sight. You are going to move into a two bedroom appartment and Haku is going to stay with you. When he's not with you he'll be with Ibiki or me. Any further information will come if needed, nothing else."

"How informitive." Ino replied snidely. Sasuke scoffed at her disrespect.

Tsunade smirked at the girl; leaning in to say to Ino, "This is a very top assignment. You don't know how dangerous this man is or how hated he'll be."

"Then why not someone with better qualities then a newbie jounin?"

"Because. I don't think that's what we need here. They'd just kill him at any chance they get."

Ino smirked, "And you care that he lives? Why?"

"My secret." Tsunade replied. "Now scoot. Out of here! I'm gonna enjoy a nap."

Sasuke and Ino gazed at each other in the same moment. "This way. Since I have to move out of my place I'll find one for us first and you can drop off whatever you have there. Then we can get my stuff."

"Fine."

"So Haku. Which village do you come from?" Ino asked pointedly.

Sasuke smiled, "A close one."

This was going to be a fine, interesting time.

Sasuke gazed deeply at himself in the mirror. Nothing really had changed about him, except for that annoying hair dye job Anko decided to throw in before he left the prison. Bright red. Nice.

The pretty boy scrunched up his nose at the light shining from it. Thinking back it has been a week living with Ino. A pretty quiet week... not adding today. Today Sasuke was an idiot and asked why she was bitter all the time and well the blonde told him... everything. It was just like when they were jounins, but worse. Sasuke couldn't get away from Ino or tell her she was annoying because he wasn't Uchiha Sasuke anymore. No, he was Haku.

Ino was still going on about how he ruined her life outside the door. She had been sitting against it for the past three and a half hours. Grumbling to himself, Sasuke reluctantly opened the door to the bathroom as Ino slid down it from where she was sitting. Now she was laying on the floor; both of them gazing up at each other as Sasuke stood above her.

They both quietly stared at each other. The pretty boy racked his brain to find a nicer way to tell her to 'shut- the- hell- up- for- forever,' but he still hadn't found the words.

"Wanna go get something to eat?" Ino bit her lip at him.

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. "Where?"

Ino smiled at him. It had been awhile since she had smiled out of happiness and she told Haku that, "Since I talked with you about Sasuke-kun I feel better. I think that's why I was angry all the time. You know?"

Sasuke nodded his head in silence. Once again angry that he picked the name Haku. Tsunade dug up the file on Team 7's first big mission and called him in for another secret meeting. Telling him that he'd have to behave how Haku would. Which was and still is annoying as hell to Sasuke.

Obviously he just wanted to tell her to go away, so he could train. Sasuke rolled his eyes on how he used to be. Now the pretty boy just wanted to be left alone. Alone period. He didn't have to train to do that. He had to be taught by even greater teachers to defeat Itachi. The pretty boy knew now he couldn't defeat Itachi on his own limitations.

Ino pulled Sasuke out of his thoughts. "I heard that Itachi is still alive though." Sasuke was surprised at this comment, wondering how she got this information.

"Can you stop talking about him now?" Sasuke asked the female. Ino smirked.

"Come on. Let's go get barbeque."

"...Okay."

XXX

Ino grabbed Sasuke's arm as they strolled along to the barbeque place her teammate loved so much. She waved to everyone she knew on the way there. Drawing attention to Sasuke himself, which worried him to no end that someone would recognize him.

Neji went by. Nothing.

Lee and Tenten stopped on their way to talk to Ino. Happy she was actually out of her mood. The two gave Sasuke a once over. Finally deciding he was an okay guy and asking his name.

"See you later Haku!" Tenten called as they left.

Lee replied as well, "See you in the circle of youth tonight! Both of you!!"

Shino, Kiba, and Hinata strolled by. Seeing Ino smile the group went up to Sasuke and her.

"Hey! Smiling finally, huh? Better save it in a picture for the next time your in a mood." Kiba teased, while Ino smacked him in the arm. He laughed.

"..." The Aburame just observed Sasuke. Making him uncomfortable.

Hinata embraced Ino gladly; talking to her about Neji, "He's so nice now! It's like I finally have a loving family. W-well..."

Ino nodded towards the shy girl turning around to see Naruto, "You should really ask him out, you know."

"Oh n-no! I couldn't!!"

The group smiled, minus Shino. Sasuke only smiled because he had to. Right at that point he wanted to kill himself for going through this.

Naruto ran up and nearly took Sasuke down. The pretty boy barely held back from growling. Wanting nothing more than a fight right now Sasuke took to keeping quiet. Suddenly noticing that the fox might recognize him. After all, they used to be on a team together. They used to be best friends.

"Hey! How's it going!?" The loud ninja greeted.

"..." Shino nodded towards Naruto.

"Cool. How are you?" Kiba greeted back.

"F-fine Naruto-kun!" Hinata smiled shyly.

Naruto turned to Ino, "Hey! You're finally smiling! Better tell Sakura-chan. She was worried about you."

"Thanks Naruto." Ino stated, "I'll tell her later."

The fox rubbed the back of his head, "Well you'll have to! She's out on a mission right now."

"Really when did that happen?" As Ino and Naruto conversed Hinata, Kiba, and Shino left. Sasuke just stayed where he was in the background. Paranoid of his old best friend.

He relaxed when Naruto left awhile later. Patting him on the back and saying that he once knew a cool guy with the same name of 'Haku.'

Sasuke tensed as Ino stated a fearful fact, "Huh. Sakura usually doesn't take missions away from Konoha... I wonder if Tsunade is trying to get her out of here..."

The Uchiha realized something. If Sakura ever saw him she'd know his identity. Then, he suddenly got scared. 'If Sakura would realize it's me, then the sensei's might too! They haven't been around either...'

Ino smiled at him as they entered the barbeque. "What's wrong with you? Don't like my friends?"

Sasuke attempted a weak smile back. Feeling the force it came with it, "They're all ninja's, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Then where are their teachers?"
Ino glared at him. Trying to see if she should tell him or not. "They're out of town... Why?"

"Just wondering."

The blonde forced him over to a seat. Soon after Sasuke couldn't keep a clear thought in his head with all of Ino's rambling about Konoha. After the meal the two set out to go back to their appartment.

"Haku?" Ino had gone quiet for a minute, but it seemed that she was going to start up again, much to Sasuke's dread.

"Yes?" He sighed.

"Thanks. Most guys just get sick of me talking all the time... That's why they say I'm useless. Wanna hear some advice?"

"Okay."

"I say that if you don't open up and talk about things to at least one person, then that is when you start to go insane. After all, if you're in S and A rank missions all the time all the... destruction... would kill you by keeping it inside."

A moment went by when they were silent. Sasuke figured he'd have to say something nice, but he strangely agreed with what the loudmouth girl said.

"Ino?"

"Yeah?" She turned to him.

"That's good advice."

The blonde smiled gracefully, "Thanks."

Sasuke cringed. Much more of this and he'd get attached. And detaching those attachements, Sasuke knew, would be even harder. He'd have to leave soon.

Suddenly the Uchiha thought back to the earlier realization. Everyone who could recognize him was gone... What the hell did that mean? Did Tsunade know, then, that he was already planning on not staying?

As Ino went into the appartment Sasuke stayed outside awhile longer. An ANBU dropped in front of him.

"You are requested for an audience with Tsunade."

'Great. Just Great.' Sasuke thought to himself. "What does she want now?"

"It's about your welcome back to Konoha as yourself." The ANBU seemed smug now and disapeared without a trace.

In a panic Sasuke tore into the appartment. Hunting down Ino, he asked her if she needed anything else.

"No. Why?"

"Gotta go to Tsunade..." The pretty boy mumbled as he took off outside. The empty streets were surrounding him, so he used his ninja skills to jump away on the roofs towards the Hokage's office.

Ino watched from behind her window, "I wonder what that was all about..."

XXX

Aggitated Sasuke waited for the fifth to talk to whoever and let him in. The Uchiha was hoping to have the chance to talk her out of informing everyone who he was. Almost immidiately Shizune, Tsunade's assistant, let Sasuke inside.

"Hokage-sama-" He cut himself off from the polite use of words as he spotted his old teacher, Kakashi. Gazing around the room the pretty boy saw all of the other teachers glaring at him in various degrees. Kurenai, Asuma, Gai. None of them had changed much.

Taking a breath Sasuke steeled himself and asked coldly, "What's this about? I thought we had a deal that I would remain loyal to you and stay in Konoha as long as my identity was kept secret."

"I'm not going to tell every citizen in Konoha, Sasuke." Tsunade informed, "But you need to know that the jounin teachers and every ninja with authority has a right to know. Otherwise they might kill you."

Sasuke sighed in relief before replying, "They couldn't kill me."

"Now now. Don't get a big head just because you were Orochimaru's student." Tsunade smirked at him, "Had you, didn't I?"

He nodded reluctantly; watching the teachers glare at him. "This is my welcome home?"

Tsunade nodded back, "No one else will know."

The Uchiha thought about something that bugged him earlier. Deciding to meantion it he started the new topic, "I hear that Sakura has been out of the village as much as you could get her. Is that because I'm here? Should I take it that she's the only one that can notice who I really am?"

Kakashi stiffened. Sasuke watched the four jounins as they excused themselves from the Hokage's office.

Tsunade sighed after the teachers were gone. "Yes. She was connected to you so we figured that she'd pick up on you instantly. That's why we're sending her on multiple missions. After this mission she's on now Sakura will go on a vacation for a month."

Sasuke acknowledged Tsunade's information, "Is this all you need me for?"

"Yes. You are dismissed." The Uchiha spotted her taking a deep sip from her alcohol stash. He took off towards his new home, but not before hearing some talk from Shizune and Anko.

"I can't believe Ino let him go to Orochimaru..."

"It doesn't matter. He came back on his own, didn't he?"

XXX

Kabuto was summoned into Orochimaru's private chambers. He was suspecting that this was about Sasuke and wasn't surprised when he found his master pouring over every forbidden jutsu the snake could get his hands on.

"Kabuto. I need you to go to Sasuke."

"Why? There's no point. He won't come back unless we can show him more power. Sasuke thinks we gave him all that we could."

"Exactly. Sasuke thinks that, but he doesn't know it. We'll show the boy how much power we have. Catch him off guard enough so I can use him to do the body transfer jutsu."

Kabuto readily agreed. He wasn't going to question Orochimaru, but he silently spoke for himself, 'We did teach him everything we know... It'd take something pretty big to catch the Uchiha's attention again.'

"Go!" The snake sannin hissed. Kabuto didn't hesitate on leaping away.

XXX

Sasuke walked up the appartment floors. Feeling calmer after the scare Tsunade pulled on him. He unlocked and opened the appartment he shared with Ino. For once he took the time to relax and notice his surroundings.

The blonde was sleeping on the couch, with a blanket wrapped around her torso. Sasuke observed her. She was lovely. Her hair had grown from when she cut it in the chuunin exams. It was even longer than back then... Ino's body had also grown out. She was a taller, fuller woman than that skinny little stick she used to be.

Sasuke shook his head at his attraction to her. Ino had always been a beautiful girl. But that was about all she was. The blonde could never keep up with him where it really mattered. No woman could.

Turning away from her, he memorized the appartment. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen and dining room all in one, and a mini living room. All of it was a dull blue.

The Uchiha once again pulled himself out of his thoughts. Feeling it was like he was saying goodbye to this place before he had another destination to go to. Sasuke strolled to the bathroom and closed the door.

There was a splash of female and male products on the counter. Ino and him hadn't worked out a plan on how to organize everything.

Sasuke ignored the mess and gazed at himself in the mirror. He let his hair grow to his shoulders The features on Sasuke's face became somewhat more of a mans instead of a pretty boys, but he could still see the boy girls went completely insane for. If you looked. The Uchiha didn't know why anyone in Konoha couldn't recognize him. Then again he had been gone for so long...

He sighed. Leaving the bathroom Sasuke found his way back to the couch. Ino opened her eyes as he walked closer. She sat up and gave him room to sit on the couch.

Getting comfortable Sasuke searched his mind about that little information he got from Anko and Shizune.

"Is it true you let Uchiha, Sasuke go to Orochimaru?"

Ino gave him a startled look, "How... Who told you that?"

"Does it matter?" Sasuke refused to look back at her.

"Okay... I'll be honest with you, I guess." Ino took a deep breath before continuing. "My friend Sakura was there that night that Sasuke left. She begged him to stay... Confessing that she loved him, which she really did, but... Sasuke didn't want her. He knocked her out and went on his way for power to kill his older brother."

'I already know that.' Sasuke thought, 'Tell me something I don't know.'

"I was watching in the shadows. I knew if Sasuke didn't listen to her, he wasn't going to listen to me, but everyone knew I could' ve used my families jutsu on him. So when they found out I could've stopped Sasuke, everyone treated me like an enemy too."

Startled himself now, Sasuke asked her the only question he could think of, "Why did you let him go then?"

"Like Sakura confessed. I loved him too. I knew that I'd never have him, so I let him go. Sasuke is probably better off anyway. Making his own decisions rather than following everyone else."

"So you went ahead and let him make his own mistakes?"

"Yes. He's most likely changed now, but here he would've stayed the same. In his own hole of anger and agnst. I hope he's happier now."

Smiling at Ino suddenly Sasuke raised himself from the couch before she could see, "I say he would thank you. A man needs his freedom. A person needs choice."

Ino watched Haku walk into his room and shut the door. She smiled at the closed room. "Thank you for supporting me. You're the only one."

Sasuke heard her from the other side as he slipped into his bed. Mumbling 'you're welcome' before sleeping,. For once the Uchiha didn't have nightmares.

Chapter Four:

Ino had decided to pull Haku out in the open and get to know everyone. She gathered her thoughts, 'He seemed reluctant for no reason, but that is okay with me. After all... How much do you get to go out with the hottest chick in Konoha?' The blonde scolded herself. 'Now was not time to admire myself but to treat Haku. He'll totally love it.'

"Are you ready?" She asked, popping her head into his room.

Sasuke grumbled a no as Ino giggled. The girl barged into his room and grabbed the boys wrist. Dragging him outside with her.

"Come on! You're going to enjoy the sites!"

Sasuke sighed, 'I already know them.'

It took a couple of hours for Ino to show Haku around. Sasuke was full of forced smiles and sweetness that was aching to die. He acted in awe and excitement. Just when he thought he could finally breathe... Naruto showed up.

"Eh Ino!" The fox called, which brought Sasuke and her more attention. Tenten, Temari, Shikamaru, and Lee approached them as Naruto ran up.

Temari gave a wide smirk and teased, "Oooh! Is this your new boyfriend, Ino? You're so bad! I heard you moved in with this one after only knowing him for a few short minutes... Bet he got you good!"

Tenten scolded the sand kunochi, "Temari. Ino isn't like you and Shikamaru."

"Ewe! I don't want to hear!" Ino screamed suddenly and covered her ears. "He is like a brother to me, so he has no extra parts."

Temari grossed Ino out further, "Oh. He has no extra parts, but that one part on him..."

"That is an extra part!!"

"Stop!" Tenten bursted out. Not wanting to hear anymore. The guys didn't want to hear anymore either. Sasuke almost snarled at Temari's vulgar words, but remembered he wasn't supposed to be himself and ignored the conversation.

"This is so troublesome. I'm going to head home." Shikamaru walked off, with Temari howling with laughter behind him.

"So..." Naruto started, "Are you two dating?"

"No, we aren't." Sasuke stated without emotion. He didn't really want to be dragged into something he didn't need. And he didn't need a relationship.

Lee decided to speak, "Well! For the youth of me it doesn't seem decent for a man and woman to live together without being together!"

Tenten noticed something in what Lee said and asked him, "So does that mean if they are brother and sister they'd have to be together?"

"What!? No!" Lee corrected his embarrassing remark. He excused himself and left shortly afterwards.

"I have to go too. Neji made me promise to train Hinata." The weapons mistress informed and waved herself off. Sasuke felt as if he could breathe again. Sighing he noticed Ino staring at him.

"Wha... er... Can I... help you?"

"Sorry about my friends. A few of them know no manners." Ino appologized with a sweep of her hand, turning to head to their appartment.

The ANBU appeared in front of the pair. "Haku. The Hokage requests your presence."

"Geeze. Don't you ever give the guy a break from seeing nothing but your masks?" Ino asked rudely. One of the ANBU replied back, "This has nothing to do with you, Yamanaka. Stay out of it."

"Only if someone gets to break your pretty mask in your face. Then I'll stay out of it. Until then I get to know everything in Konoha. So back off." The blonde walked away from the ninja to go home. The ANBU she was talking to was visibly distressed from what the kunochi said.

"Does she know of your identity?"

"No. Of coarse not." Sasuke informed the irritated ANBU. They 'poofed' away and the Uchiha took off through the roofs to get to the Hokage's room.

The first thing Sasuke saw when he opened the door was Tsunade's smiling face. Her smile put the pretty boy on guard and he was careful as he took the seat she offered him.

"So. I see you've been everywhere, met everyone, and got into a little missunderstanding... huh?"

Sasuke glared at her, "You're spying on me? I've proven that I wouldn' t do anything, right? You shouldn't send someone after me to watch me."

Tsunade continued to smile her overly sweet smile, "Now now, Sasuke-kun... I've found something interesting out with my... spying. You know you would make a good couple with Ino. I think you should ask her out. Have a relationship with her."

"What!? You decide I should do all these things!" The Uchiha yelled, slamming his fists on her desk he growled, "Just exactly what do you get with playing around with me and manipulating her? If I want to be in a relationship I should ask someone, not be ordered by you!"

Tsunade lost her smile and got down to business, "I know that. But as Ino told you she let you go when we could of kept you here. She could of kept you here..." Tsunade gazed into Sasuke's eyes, "I think she'd be happier if she'd settled with someone for a short time. It would get her mind off of you yourself and the villagers will think she is less likely to betray the village."

Sasuke shook his head at her. "This is wrong."

The giant breasted woman gazed away from him, "I know. It's not my choice for this one, though. We'll both have to deal with it."

Sasuke practically stomped out the door after their talk ended. Surpressing himself from a killing rage he heard a male laugh. Turning he saw Neji's uncle smiling at him. The Uchiha's anger was forgotten and replaced with suspicion. The only reason the Hyuuga would take that much effort to force two people together was if... Was Ino with Neji?

Forgetting his anger Sasuke made his way home. Walking instead of hurrying, so he could think. All the pretty boys thoughts came to an end as Sasuke made his way into the appartment. He noticed Ino wasn't in the living room, bathroom, or kitchen, so he made his way to her bed room.

Sasuke knocked on her door lightly. Hearing, "Come in!" He complied.

Ino was laying on her stomache on her bed reading a book. Sasuke waited until she put it down and looked him in the eye.

"Ino. Will you go out with me?" Seeing her surprised face he smiled at the blonde while thinking, 'I'm going to get to the bottom of this.'

"H- haku! I..." Ino started, "I can't. I'm seeing someone else."

Sasuke smirked at her, "The Hokage ordered us to go out."

The blonde pounced out of her seat, "She did what!?"

"So will you?" The pretty boy ignored her refusal and asked again. "The Hyuuga's seem to back her up on the decision."

"Those bastards!" She hissed. Sasuke continued to smile. He had Ino hooked. Now all he would have to do was figure out what everyone was planning against him.

"Does everyone know you're seeing someone?"

"No... He didn't want anyone to know..."

Sasuke sighed towards her. Acting sympathetic, "That doesn't sound like a real boyfriend."

"No. It doesn't. So Haku... I guess we're going out."

Kabuto did quick work around Konoha. He figured out from some of the drunken ninjas that Sasuke was going as a boy named Haku and that he was living with a young woman named Yamanaka Ino. From there Orochimaru's lackey had been spying on the two from their appartment windows and sometimes in the room's shadows.

Kabuto always made sure to know everything that was going on before trying to pounce, but the pony tailed traitor still wanted to know one thing. What was Konoha planning with the Uchiha?

It seemed with his calculations that Sasuke found out that something was going on and was trying to find out more... Kabuto even listened in as Sasuke asked Ino out in order to find what was going on.

Kabuto was a little troubled by the closeness with these two, but had to put it on hold in order to give Orochimaru his information directly. It would be soon that he pounced with the lure for more power to the Uchiha heir. Hopefully Sasuke would take it and not think about it first.

XXX

Sasuke and Ino took all night to agree on what they would do while in their relationship. Though they were both tired and grumpy the couple walked through Konoha holding hands and kissing.

Ino wasn't shy about public affection. She knew how to kiss and whatnot, so she had nothing to be shy about. Sasuke on the other hand was blushing everytime the blondes face came close to his. The pretty boy didn't want to admit that he hadn't ever been kissed before, let alone by one of his old fangirls.

Eventually after Ino knew everyone was gossiping about them the two went back to their appartment and went to sleep in their seperate rooms.

XXX

It was late the next night Sasuke dreamed of something other than revenge. Other than being the avenger he was.

A small blonde child laughed as the petals she picked from flowers danced in the wind."Ino..." Pink hair popped up from the top of the hill the girl was on. "Sakura..." Sasuke hid watching the two pretty girls his age talk.

"Ino. We can't be friends anymore." Sakura held the ribbon she always used to wear.

"Why Sakura?" Ino ignored the ribbon and gazed into her friends eyes.

"I heard you like Sasuke too."

The blonde snorted at her friend, "No. I don't. He's a jerk!"

"You lie!" Sakura screamed, "I saw you flirting with him! We aren't friends anymore, Ino-pig! We are rivals. So prepare to lose!" The pink haired child ran from the hill dropping the blood red ribbon to the ground.

Ino sighed. After staring at the ribbon for a long time. She walked away, but was stopped by the Hokage.

"Yamanka Ino. I heard your conversation." The third stated. Ino looked like she was about to cry. He smiled, "Do you want to do a top secret mission for me? B class."

"Yes!" Ino piped up immediatly happily to be of importance.

"I need you to act like you like Uchiha Sasuke. Fool everyone in your act. That is one of the best ways to be a ninja. Don't disappoint me."

"Okay." Ino watched the third disappear, then called to him, "Wait! Why do I have to pretend that?!"

"Simple." A snake like voice whispered through the trees, though there was no person. Sasuke's eyes widened in fear, while he was watching his classmate. "You're destined to bring Sasuke right to me! Ha ha ha ha!"

The evil laughter volted Sasuke from his hiding place to grab Ino's hand. "Let's go! Run!"

Sasuke gasped awake. Barely avoiding the scream that made its way up his throat. The pretty boy stood up from his bed to get dressed. It was barely six in the morning. A brief thought made it into Sasuke's mind as he walked out of the appartment door. 'That was quite a strange dream... It had to be. I never remembered that happening... The voice sounded so much like Orochimaru's... He must be trying to figure out how to get me back.'

The Uchiha walked around Konoha twice before he realized that the streets were busy with business. He sighed in aggitation at the noise, but window shopped for something to do. He spotted various items with Uchiha symbols.

Sasuke sneered at the shops owners for the lies they presented to anyone who passed by. Those weren't real. They did not come from his family tragedy.

Gazing up at the sky Sasuke figured he should head back to the appartment. When he lowered his head the Uchiha sighted a beautiful blue-green jewel. About the size of a coin, but rounded on a sleek silver chain.

Suddenly hit with the thought of Ino's eyes Sasuke examined the piece of jewelry more thoroughly. He took it in his hands. Thinking about it.

'Ino took me in without knowing who I was and without fighting tooth and nail with the Hokage about it. She believed me about Tsunade's plans as well. Again without hesitation or excuses... Or fear. Is Ino just naive or is she just smarter at seeing who's lying or who's telling the truth?'

Sasuke sighed. "Vendor?"

"Yes?" The man asked with eager to assist.

"I want to buy this."

"Good! Good! You won't be sorry!" As the vendor bagged the necklace he asked, "Is it for your girlfriend?"

Sasuke crinkled his nose. The Uchiha thought of the plans Ino and him made. Sasuke answered, "Yes. It's just a thank you present, though."

"Must be a nice girl. You should make sure you marry her before some other man can soon." The vendor persisted. "Have a nice day!"

It was a short trip back to the appartment. Sasuke glared at a shadow of a figure leaning up against the front door to the building. As the pretty boy came closer his glare turned into a scowl. It was Hyuuga Neji.

"Haku. Is it?" The older boy asked.

"Yes." Sasuke replied simply. Wondering why Neji was so near his and Ino's appartment.

Neji gave a cold glare. "Why are you wondering around claiming my girlfriend as your own? And why are you living with her?"