*Note: This chapter has been edited and there may be revisions from the original posting. :D

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Chapter 6: Tears of Good Bye

"Ino!"

"INO!"

Shikamaru and Chouji stopped and quickly jumped from their branches, running back to their fallen, literally, friend's aide.

"Ino! Are you okay?" Shikamaru asked seriously as he crouched in front of her.

Ino just stared off into space, shocked at the experience her bunshin had brought back to her after it had dispelled. Deidara had... so he tricked her too? She felt the tears well up, overflowing. Well, at least she wasn't the only one to get a surprise.

"Ino... are you hurt? That was quite a fall." Chouji asked as he looked up at the branch. He wouldn't ask what had caused her to fall.

She let her mind fast forward to the present. At the shock of the experience from her clone she had miss-stepped and fell. She was fine as far as injuries went but her heart, to say the least, felt broken. "I'm fine."

Shikamaru frowned as he watched her. Something was up but he wouldn't ask. He had noticed her distracted state last night and figured it had something to do with 'Mr. Interesting'. Ino didn't seem to want to talk about it, so he let it go. She wasn't the type to talk if she didn't want to but he didn't worry. He knew she would when she was ready. Ino really was more like the delicate petals of a rose... no matter how many thorns she pretended to have. Looking to Chouji he nodded.

"Well, let's continue." He said as he took Ino by the arm and led her to climb onto Chouji's back. He was relieved when she didn't argue.

As they made their way back home Shikamaru pretended not to see how good the two looked together while Chouji pretended he couldn't feel Ino crying softly into his back and Ino pretended that from the storm she felt inside the sun would shine again, even if she didn't really believe it at the moment. It was the only comfort she had.

* * *

Deidara paused in his step as the experience from his dispelled bunshin hit him. So... she had tried to take him out too? How like her to catch on to what he was going to do. Or perhaps she had heard him... Either way... she had been the one taken out. She probably didn't even feel a thing.

He felt cold drops hit his face, mixing with the warm stream that had begun to flow from his eyes. How like it to start to rain when the sun no longer shined. Pulling his hat low over his eyes so the soft music of bells tinkled around his head for a few seconds, he continued on his way. After about an hour he met up with a lone figure.

"Deidara... you're late. You know how I hate to wait."

"Sorry Sasori-danna. Where to, un?"

"Suna. For the Ichibi Jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara."

-For You, A Flower End-

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A/N: Ah... the end. I feel better now that it's all been edited. Lol, but who cares about that, huh?

So, as you can see this story could follow the story line since it's before the events in Shippuuden. I actually like that about the story. I also remember someone commenting on how I needed to have Deidara say "un" more. I don't think he uses it like EVERY sentence, but I could be wrong. I am not a total fantard of his so I don't really pay attention to his speech, but I DID add some more "un"s in there. 8D As I have said before I am not really sure what Deidara's technical eye color is, so I just kind of... chose the closest I could to the anime color.

Also... some people have been asking for a sequel. Well, I am here to say... I PLAN TO DO A SEQUEL. 8D Really. I just don't know when it will be. I don't know if it will be chaptered or just a one-shot. You can always check with my profile for that information!!~

Thanks to all who have read this story! Thanks for all of the reviews! It makes me happy that at least one person appreciated this story! -hearts-