Just a small fic on Sakura and Ino, no pairing, and it takes place a few months after Sasuke leaves.

Oh, and I forgot, for the most part, how Sakura and Ino first met, I was too lazy to go look it up and watch the whole scene (X3) so I kinda made it up as I remembered it, so it might be wrong.

…xXXXx…

Haruno Sakura.

Yamanako Ino.

Their rivalry was known all throughout Konoha and villages beyond.

But today, Sakura hoped to bring it to an end.

…xXXXx…

Sakura's Konoha sandals made a small tapping sound on the concrete sidewalk as she walked into town. She had massive butterflies in her stomach as she made her way down the sidewalk, passing the training academy. Sakura looked at the kids who were all on the field, some were near the swings Naruto used to spend all his time on, others were playing simple games like jump rope, 4-square, dodge ball, etc. Although, some more serious kids were having kunai practice, throwing their knives, and senbon at trees and targets. Sakura stared at them, almost smiling, remembering her days at the academy.

Almost…

Sakura remembered that the academy years were when she was friends with Ino. They had been best friends. Sakura sighed and looked away from the academy and veered off of the sidewalk that was soon ending because the main street was up ahead. Sakura put her hands behind her back and had both of her hands cup her elbows, all resting on her lower back as she walked through the busy street. She was looking down at her feet at her ninja shoes. Shoes she probably wouldn't even have on if it weren't for Ino. Images of how they first met flashed in her mind.

A small girl with cotton candy pink hair was sitting at the base of a large tree in the park, right next to the cobblestone road. She had her hands up to her face, trying to block out the streams of tears that came from her sea foam green eyes. It was pointless to even try and hide because her sobbing was loud enough to be heard outside the park. Her cries rang out into the sky, ruining the peace of the sun setting. She probably couldn't see her own hand in front of her face because her long bangs clumsily lay over her forehead. The salty tears coming from her eyes at a never ending pace didn't help either. '

Poor Little Sakura…

"Huh? What's that noise?" asked a small little blonde girl to herself. The girl was about 5 or 6 years old. She was walking in the park along the same cobblestone road when she- like everyone else- heard the cries.

Poor Naïve Ino…

Ino finally found a small pink-haired girl crying under a large tree. Ino carefully walked up and in a calm tone said "Hey, why are you crying?" Ino was right in front of Sakura and was kneeling down so they were face-to-face. Sakura's sobs turned into a small whimper, but her tears kept streaming down. "Hey, calm down, what's your name anyway?" Ino said, a smile forming on her lips. Between sobs, Sakura managed to stutter out her name.

"Hm?" Ino asked unconsciously with a questioning look. Her face softened as realization had dawned down upon her. "Ooohhhh, you're the one everyone says has a big forehead." Ino playfully flicked Sakura on the forehead with her pointer finger, "Well, you're not making it any better by hiding behind your bangs like a sheepdog." Ino fingered Sakura's long bangs with her fingers as she playfully laughed. Sak---------

"OOF!" Sakura collided with the ground as she fell. With all the flashbacks, she had forgotten to look where she was going. 'Ouch!' was all she could think of as her butt met with cold, hard, dirt. "Oh, I'm terribly sorry little girl, are you all right?" Said an elderly voice. Although, Sakura nearly lost her head at being called little, when she looked up into the face of an old lady, withered from age, her heart immediately softened. "Oh, no, it's alright, I'm fine." Sakura said to the old lady as she stood up and dusted the dirt off the back of her skirt. (A/n: Or, skort or w/e you call those things XD)

Sakura bid the old lady farewell and headed on her way to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Are you sure you wanna do this? Yes, I'm sure; I'm the one who started this horrible rivalry with Ino, its better that I stop it. Is this just because Sasuke-kun left? Sakura bit her lower lip in frustration. Was this really because Sasuke left? Because there was nothing left to keep her and Ino apart? No. That couldn't be it. Sakura had been putting this off for long enough, and it needed to be settled. That was the only reason.

Sakura was getting closer and closer to the flower shop, and with each step her, doubt got bigger and bigger and a pit was forming in her stomach. She breathed in deeply and then exhaled a few times to calm herself down.

Sakura was right outside the flower shop now, just out of sight of the window in the front of the store. Sakura stared down pitifully at the rose and cosmos flowers in flower pots outside of the shop. The cosmos flower was what Ino was. All that seemed so long ago. Come on; just go inside, you can do it!

Sakura decided to heed her inner's words as she stepped up to the flower shop door. Her hand shook for a moment before she fully grasped the doorknob and turned it. Sakura slowly opened the door and heard the small ding of the bell as she walked in. The sound was all she was hanging on too right now.

"Well, well, if it isn't forehead girl. How are you Sakkuura?" Ino said smugly from behind the front counter, dragging out Sakura's name like she always did. Sakura almost took comfort in that, but it was short-lived. Ino was wearing a white apron with a black shirt and dark blue jeans with blue roses running down the side. Ino was smirking and had her elbows on the counter resting her head on her folded hands.

Sakura sighed deeply and took a few steps toward the counter. She stopped a few feet away and stared at Ino's grinning face. Gathering up her courage, she finally said what she came to say.

"Ino, I came here to say… I'm sorry."

Ino had a look of pure astonishment on her face. Sorry? Haruno Sakura, saying sorry to Yamanaka Ino? Had the world come to an end or what? Ino's smirk faded away to a frown. "What do you mean 'sorry' Sakura, what have you done?" "I mean, I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for our long feud, I'm sorry about all those names I called you, I'm sorry about Sasuke-kun, and I'm s----" Sakura was cut off by a sharp remark from Ino.

"Sorry for ending our friendship out of the blue over Sasuke, who I might add is no longer here." Ino's sharp voice cut the air. A long silence followed. The tension in the air was so thick you could have cut it with a butter knife. (A/n: Lolz, butter knife 8D)

Sakura had a look of shock plastered all over her face; Ino on the other hand was glaring her down. "Y-yes, I'm sorry for that too, I really want for us to be friends again Ino, I was wrong for everything that happened. I was very selfish before and I came here to apologize, I came here to ask for forgiveness, and….the hand of friendship from you." Sakura looked up at Ino, her eyes full of true and honest sorrow. They were eyes begging for forgiveness and any person could plainly see that.

Ino's gaze had lightened to a blank face, she didn't look entirely swooned by Sakura's attempts at forgiveness, but Ino soon sighed and shut her eyes for a few moments. After those moments were over she sighed again and began to smile, Sakura took this as a sign that Ino had forgiven her. Ino looked up at Sakura with joy and a small hint of relief in her aqua-tinted eyes.

"Well, okay then." Ino shrugged and then held out her hand for a shake. Sakura stared at it for a few moments, shocked that Ino was so willing to cooperate. Sakura straightened up and smiled accordingly, her sea-foam green eyes sparkling. She then reached her hand out to shake Ino's.

As soon as Sakura's hand was about to grasp Ino's, Ino pulled back her hand in a quick movement and held in front of her smirking face. Sakura quickly gasped at what Ino had done, still gazing at where their hands had been. Where they should still be now…

Sakura let another small gasp escape her lips as she looked up at Ino who was still smirking. 'I-I-Ino…" Sakura stuttered out, a sense of betrayl beginning to creep upon her conciousness. "I-I thought y-you—"

"Is that it then?!" Ino's grin had faded away completely and she was now glaring at Sakura with clear hatred in her eyes. Ino's voice was quick and crisp, asserting complete dominance over Sakura's words.

Sakura took a step back and in a flash, she tried to convince herself this was all wrong. This all couldn't be right, it just couldn't. Ino couldn't have just refused her apology. It was all so wrong. Sakura was to come to the flower shop and ask Ino for forgiveness. Ino was to accept the proposal and they were to be friends. It was supposed to go back to how it was before. Before they both liked Sasuke. Before Sakura had ended their friendship. Before Sakura had left Ino on the bench that day and started a rivalry that would last for years to come.

"I-Ino—"

"So! Now that Sasuke is gone, there is no reason for you to be my enemy, right?" Sakura cringed slightly as Ino hadn't added a '-kun' to the end of Sasuke's name. Oh, this was all so wrong.

"What is it? A perfect life? That's what all girls' want, isn't it Sakura? Isn't that what you want?" Ino leaned forward and smirked as she realized Sakura was crumbling. Ino had the palms of her hands on the counter top and still leaning forward, her smirk became wider. She was on a roll. "A nice job, a man in her life, and a best friend…" As Ino listed the benefits of a perfect life, she counted them off on her fingers. "It looks like you only have one out of three." Ino stared straight at Sakura and was now flat out grinning. Sakura's sparkle had long since disappeared and now worry, fret, humiliation, and dread were clearly reflected in her eyes. They both knew that Ino was talking about Sakura's apprentenship with the fifth Hokage and that Ino was making a perfect; direct insult by saying Sakura didn't have a best friend.

"Ino, look, I'm sorry, its just, I liked Sasuke-kun so much, and when I found out you liked him, I was so jealous. I knew I could never compete with you when it came to winning people over, after all…I hadn't even bloomed at that time…" Sakura looked at the ground to an angle, refusing to meet Ino's gaze in fear of breaking into tears at that very moment. Ino, on the other hand, let a gasp of shock escape, she knew what Sakura was referring to when Ino had claimed she was a cosmos flower and Sakura was just a bud that hadn't blossomed. (A/n: And I don't know 'bout ya'll, but until I had watched that episode, I had no idea a cosmos flower had existed D: )

"I was blinded by my emotions, a silly little girl, with a silly little crush, and I never ever should have let a boy come between us. Ino, I'm so very sorry." Sakura raised her head to see Ino, but Ino wasn't facing her. She was turned around, leaning against the countertop with her left arm draped over the counter. Ino started drumming her fingers as she looked at the shelf before her. Sakura grew worried since she couldn't see Ino's face and tell what she was thinking.

After a few minutes of silence, Ino released a small laugh, "You know Sakura, I never really liked Sasuke all that much." Sakura let out a loud gasp of complete and utter shock. Ino Yamanaka? Not liking Sasuke Uchiha? It was unheard of.

"Yeah, it was a silly little crush. As we all can see now, none of us knew a thing about Sasuke, we just liked him because he was dark, mysterious…cute, Haha." Ino had stopped drumming and was still facing the shelf, her head held up. Ino tilted her head to the right, so Sakura could see the side of her face but most of her face was still hidden behind her one long bang, "No one knew him, not even you Sakura."

The words stung. They really stung. Ino was implying that everyone who liked Sasuke had been a bunch of silly, fan girls who knew absolutely nothing about Sasuke and never would. Sakura looked at the palms of her hands as she pulled them up to her face. She was in a realization moment. She had been twelve. Twelve! And doing what? Daydreaming over some boy she would never have and would never understand. She wasting away hours, trying to get his attention, shunning the attention she was getting from other boys who were way better than Sasuke. Sakura raised clenched fists in anger and then let the fall to her sides, still clenched.

"It was a simple crush that I'd probably out grown in a matter of months. Although, the day you…left me. Well, I was mad; you were saying we couldn't be friends because we liked the same boy. Incase you didn't know, that happens all the time Sakura, best friends usually do like the same boy, but they work it out, idolize him together from a distance, stalk him when he goes to the mall on Saturdays, make evil faces and remarks about other girls who liked him, write him love notes we would never send. It's what normal girls do together. But I was mad when you just ended our friendship right then and there. You made me think you thought you were better than me, and I got really upset. So, I decided to get back at you, in the most humiliating ways possible." Ino sighed and then spun around to face Sakura, placing her palms on the countertop in the process.

Sakura looked up to see a smiling Ino, not the evil, back-stabbing kind of smile, but a smile of someone reflecting on a past cleverness. Sakura blinked a few times and straightened her posture, indicating Ino should go on with her story.

"Well, as you see, what better way than to rub your very own words in your face than to be with Sasuke myself, so, I decided to keep saying I liked Sasuke too and I challenged you and insulted you every time we saw each other. You in turn, returned my actions in the same petty acts. Well, soon it became apparent to me that Sasuke was not going to fall for any girl, let alone us. But I couldn't up and say I didn't like him anymore, you'd humiliated me every chance you got and said I was a lazy, failure. I of course couldn't have that. I was waiting for you to come to same revelation, but it never came as you believed you still had a chance at Sasuke."

Ino would have smirked had she not seen the depressed look on Sakura's face. "Well, now I have one question for you Sakura…

What if Sasuke came back…?"

Sakura gasped, once again. What if Sasuke came back? She hadn't really thought of that. What if he did come back? Would he like her? Would she still be invisible to him? And would this trigger Sakura's and Ino's rivalry back up again? Sakura truly didn't know. Sakura unclenched her fists and brought her right hand up and clutched her left elbow slowly in a habit of nervousness. Sakura started to rub her arm without eve realizing it, wondering what she should say. Sakura then came to an idea, a silly one, but it was more-or-less the truth.

Sakura walked closer and sat down next to a table, pressing her back against the cold, hard wood. She was facing the door and Sakura's butt felt odd against the floor. She had her legs crossed Indian-style and was sure Ino was wondering why she had sat down in front of the counter.

Ino made an 'Hm?' noise as Sakura sat down; Ino walked around the counter and stood to the right of Sakura, her hand lightly resting on the counter.

"I…I, really don't know." Sakura started, looking out the shop's window watching the people go about their daily lives. "If Sasuke-kun came back, it would be a miracle, and a tragedy. Ino, I was young, I was foolish, and I despise myself for ending our friendship. If I could take it all back, I swear I would. I can't, but I want to make amends. Still, even if it was a stupid childhood crush, I want Sasuke-kun to come back, I'll never stop wanting Sasuke-kun to come back, and I can't every change that. Naruto and I will find Sasuke-kun and bring him back to Konoha, no matter what it takes. But Ino, I want to promise you something; I promise to you, here and now, that I won't ever let a boy come between us ever again. Never, ever, again…" Sakura lowered her head so her bangs shadowed both her eyes. Sakura was on the brink of tears, they had actually begun to sting her eyes. Sakura didn't care what Ino would say, 'yes', 'no', it didn't matter. Once Ino spoke, Sakura would run out to of the shop crying. But, it never came to that; Sakura's running out crying that is.

"Ooooh Sakura-chan! I've waited so long for you to say that!" Ino cried as she fell to her knees and gave Sakura a crushing hug. Ino's face streamed with tears of relief and joy. Sakura was too shocked to even react for a moment. Sakura's shocked expression soon grew into a grin, and then she smiled as she started to cry with relief just like Ino. Sakura gave Ino a return hug back and whispered, "Yeah, I'm sorry I took so long." Once Ino heard her she cried even harder and started to really squeeze Sakura. The seriousness was completely gone as Ino started to have anime waterfall tears and poor Sakura could hardly breathe. "-cough- Ino, -cough- D: I can't breathe ;;!"

"INO!" Sakura shot up out of her bed and the excitement caused her to jump onto the hard floor of her bedroom. Sakura gasped at she looked down and saw that she was wearing her Hello Kitty pajamas and realize she was in her room. Sakura looked around, from her full length mirror, to the window, to her bed. Was I dreaming?

Sakura had no idea; she couldn't even remember what day it was. Was her talk with Ino real or what? Well, there was only one way to find out. Sakura had to go see Ino. Once she got ready, Sakura left the house without eating breakfast. She decided to get to the flower shop by going through the park. She used her ninja skills to jump over buildings until she was right in front of the flower shop.

Once Sakura was standing right in front of the shop, she stared at the doorknob, her hand shaking with terror as butterflies began to from in her stomach and dread was forming in the pit of her gut. Sakura slowly grasped the door, realizing everything was far too familiar. Sakura slowly opened the door…

"Well, well, if it isn't forehead girl. How are you Sakkuura?"

…xXXXx…

Well, it seemed like a fitting ending, I've always wanted to do something like this cause I was soooo pissed at Sakura for ending their friendship over something stupid (Sasuke ) So, here it is. In the manga, when Sasuke left, it seemed that Ino really didn't care or w/e, it just focused on Sakura complaining all the time over his absence.

So yeah, I didn't like Ino most of the time cause she was obsessing over Sasuke, but then I thought about how Sakura was the one who really started it all and it kinda was her fault. So, just my silly wittle fic X3 No flames pwease, just reviewwwwwww!

NOW. -.O