Hiraeth

“You what?” Ino yelled, slamming her book down on the table and earning some glares and shushes from the other library-goers.

Neji rolled his eyes but continued reading his book. “I was told by Lee that he asked Gaara out and he agreed. They’ve been going on dates for a few days now.”

Ino sat there in shock before pumping her fist up in the air, whisper-shouting, “Fuck yes! It was so obvious they liked each other!”

Neji’s lip twitched, like he was annoyed but also attempting to quell a growing smile. “Yes, it seems so. I think it will be good for Lee, I rarely see him this interested in someone.” Ino nodded, everyone knew Lee was a friendly guy but even he didn’t usually get attached to someone this quickly. “I think you should leave, by the way,” He murmured, nodding slightly at the furious looking librarian approaching them. “She doesn’t look happy.”

“Shit,” she cursed, pulling on her book bag. “Thanks, Nej. I owe you one.”

The boy merely nodded, turning back to his book. “I believe by now you owe me more than one.” Ino scowled but had no time to say anything else, pushing in her chair and rocketing out of the library. Thank god for track yet again.

She sighed in relief as she rounded a corner, safe from the librarians wrath. She adjusted her book bag when something very strong and very pink gripped her arm from behind.

“What do you want, Sakura?” She asked, ripping her arm away from the other girl’s bruising grasp and rubbing it.

“Is it true?” Sakura panted, clearly having ran to catch up to Ino. “Is it true that they’re dating?”

“Who?” Ino asked, looking around the hallways in search of a friend who could save her.

“The new kid and Lee. Gaara? I don’t know, the cute one.”

Ino stared down at her for a moment before rolling her eyes. “Uh yeah? Lee asked him out like a few days ago. Why?”

Sakura flushed a delicate pink, and Ino scowled when she was reminded of just how pretty the annoying girl was. “I- no reason.”

Ino looked her up and down before doubling over in laughter, much to the protest of the pink girl. “Oh- oh my god, ‘the cute one’ huh? You like him?”

Sakura’s eyes widened and she frantically shook her head. “What?! No, I mean sure he’s cute and all...” She looked around for a moment before lowering her voice. “But no.”

Ino was about to laugh again at the absurdity of the situation before a sobering thought came to her, and she stood up straight, crossing her arms and glaring at the other girl. “What happened to him being a ‘creep’ and ‘freaky’?”

Sakura looked down at her sandals and awkwardly shuffled her feet from side to side. “Well, um-”

“Oh, I get it, now that he’s all ‘Mr. Handsome’ you’re all over him huh?”

“No, I- Look, Sasuke and everyone keep talking about like... fucking him up or whatever, and it doesn’t sit well with me I guess now that I think about it. It just seems cruel now.

“It was cruel at the start, Sakura.” Ino bit out, turning to look at the other girl and pausing when she saw how conflicted and concerned she looked. “Hey-”

“Look, Ino, I know it’s fucked up and I know I was really shitty but I’m sorry okay? I feel really bad about it.”

Ino scrutinized her for a moment before sighing, slumping over slightly and placing her hands on the girl’s shoulders. “Hey, it’s whatever okay? They’re just being assholes, as long as you don’t condone it it’s fine.”

Sakura looked up at her gratefully, eyes shining with thanks. Ino’s lip twitched, and not for the first time she wondered why they stopped being friends. “It’s really okay?” The pink haired girl asked hopefully.

“...Yeah.”

“Good! Now seriously, tell me all about them.”

“Oh my god shut the fuck up, Sakura.”

——-
Talking to Sakura again was nice. Annoying at times, but nice.

At lunch she and Sakura entered the cafeteria and lost in the throw of conversation she didn’t even notice they were headed towards Sasuke’s table until Naruto’s loud laugh snapped her out of it.

“Oh,” she said, sneering down at the group she hadn’t talked to in a while, taking extra care to let her cold gaze linger on Sasuke. “It’s you guys.”

Shikamaru exhaled through his nose, lazily lifting his hand in greeting. “Sup, Ino?” he drawled as Kiba furiously chewed his food, swallowing before grunting “Of course it’s us, it’s our table.”

“Mhm, I could tell by the absolutely enticing stench of testosterone,” she said, bringing a hand close to her face to examine her now badly chipped nails. God, she still needed to get that manicure.

“Oh come on, Ino, we all know you love testosterone.” Sakura said, sliding down next to Naruto and resting her chin on her fists. Ino rolled her eyes. Of course Sakura would revert back to bitchiness as soon as she got near anything attractive with a dick. She sighed, sitting down next to Shikamaru and fixing the other girl with a calculating gaze. “Last time I checked, Sakura, I wasn’t the one who asked out eighteen guys in one month back in ninth grade.”

Sakura gasped, face flushing as she opened her mouth to retort only to be cut off by Naruto.

“Whatcha doing here anyways, Ino? Don’t you usually eat lunch with Gaara now?” His tone carried no meanness, just pure curiosity as he shoveled another bite of food into his mouth.

Ino cringed at the display of him talking with his mouth full, about to answer truthfully that she hadn’t meant to end up here and that Gaara was probably just eating lunch with Neji, Tenten, and Lee, when she caught sight of Sasuke straightening up at the mention of the redhead.

“Yeah, well honestly the librarian’s pissed at me so I can’t really hang out there, and besides Lee and Gaara are eating with each other today. Exclusively.” She lied easily, emphasizing the last word as she caught Sasuke’s gaze

The one fist he had on the table clenched, and Ino smirked, grin widening when Sakura chimed in.

“Oh yeah, apparently Lee asked Gaara on a date!” She gushed, looking off in the distance dreamily and sighing. “I wish someone would ask me out on a date.”

Naruto scowled at her, about to interject when Sasuke suddenly stood up, head down and hair hanging in his eyes. Everyone looked up at him in confused silence except for Ino who just blinked. “I’m going to the bathroom,” He said lowly, turning and exiting the cafeteria.

Ino smiled like the cat that caught the canary.

“...Weird,” Kiba snorted, shaking his head. “Dude’s acting like he did back in elementary when his parents-”

Shikamaru silenced him with a sharp look as Naruto slammed a fist on the table, puffing up in anger. “Shut up, Kiba!”

Kiba had the grace to look slightly ashamed, slouching over slightly and messing with his hood. “Yeah, okay. Sorry.” He rested his elbows on the table and propped his head in his palm. “He has been acting weird though, ever since that Gaara kid showed up.”

Naruto tensed, suddenly looking antsy, while Shikamaru nodded in agreement, looking up at the ceiling before speaking. “He really has. Wonder what Gaara did to make Sasuke so angry.”

Ino choked on her food, turning to Shikamaru and slapping his shoulder. “Why do you assume Gaara did anything? If you haven’t noticed he hasn’t attacked Sasuke like you guys attacked him.”

“Well...” Kiba said, eyes sliding over to at Ino with a smirk, “You should’ve seen how he took out Sasuke in dodgeball.” Ino’s eyes widened and she laughed, clutching at her sides.

“Oh shit, really?”

Shikamaru nodded again, looking away from everyone. “That he did. Slammed the ball so hard into Sasuke’s stomach the poor guy probably threw up a little.” He cocked his head to the side before speaking a little wistfully. “The kid might be creepy as fuck, but he’s damn good at dodgeball.”

Ino wiped a tear from her eye, finally calming down enough to speak again. “Guess Sasuke deserved it. All of you did, fucking up Gaara like that on his first day.”

Naruto, who had been uncharacteristically silent since the mention of Gaara, surprised everyone by looking up, brows furrowed in apparent worry. “But- Sasuke said that Gaara-”

“Oh my god, shut up and read between the lines for once in your fucking life Naruto,” Ino hissed, glaring at the blond. Naruto felt threatened by the redhead, it was so obvious to her now. Her eye twitched as she saw everyone look at her in confusion about her cryptic statement and she huffed in annoyance, standing up and slinging her backpack over her shoulder.

She walked away a few steps before stopping and looking over her shoulder, letting her bitchy side take over.

“Keep an eye on your mans, Naruto, ‘cause he might not be yours for long.”

And with that she continued stalking off, not once looking back at the silent table.