Naruto's Betrayal: "You Thought Sasuke Was Bad?"

Ino P.O.V.

3 MONTHS AFTER NARUTO LEAVING
. . .
"Good morning Lady Hokage, here to check on your friends as usual?"

I slowly nodded my head, still barely awake from yet another restless night of pretending to sleep. I calmly walked past the reception desk of the infirmary, and made my way to my first stop. I gently knocked on the door before opening it slowly. Inside was Sakura, sitting up in her bed and reading a book. I smiled a bit, admiring how far she'd come since she was admitted so long ago. The cuts covering her body were fading more and more each day, and her strength and spirit were returning as well. She looked over to me, then back at her book, not saying a word. I made my way over to her bed, sitting down next to her. We sat silently for a moment, before she surprisingly spoke first.

"Need something, Ino-Pig?"

I laughed a bit, looking at her and just barely catching a smirk on her face before she took it away. I shook my head in response to her question.

"Not really. Just checking on you. From what I hear, you're getting released soon. What's your... What's your plan?"

She paused for a moment after my question, before shutting her book and putting it down on the bed beside her. She looked at me then out the window, obviously deep in thought.

"I... I don't know. After talking with Sasuke over the past couple of weeks... And seeing all of the destruction and pain the Akatsuki and I have caused I... I'm not sure I have a place here anymore... Even if I wanted one."

A tinge of pain attacked my heart at the sound of her remorse and sadness. I was glad she was feeling better after reconciling things with Sasuke... But I knew she was going to punish herself greatly for the things she did while she was away from the Leaf. I shook my head, turning to face her.

"You're not the only person in this village who has made mistakes, Sakura. Sasuke did some pretty messed up things too, and he was welcomed back... You know that better than anyone. Besides, I... I mean we would love to have you back."

She couldn't help but smile for a second at that.

"We'll see. I... I'm just not sure yet."

I smiled softly at her and nodded.

"Take your time. There's no rush."

I slowly stood up from her bed, pushing a piece of hair behind my ear.

"If you need anything, you know where to find me."

She nodded, picking up her book before looking at me with a small, gentle smile.

"Thanks for... For everything. I didn't deserve your kindness when they brought me back here..."

I shook my head. Gently placing my hand on top of hers.

"You did. Trust me."

After a moment of silence, I moved my hand and made my way out of Sakura's room to the room directly across the hall. I knocked on the door, and heard Hinata's voice on the other side inviting me inside.

I slowly opened the door, smiling at Hinata, who was playing Shogi with Konohamaru, who was sitting up from his hospital bed for the first time in weeks. Hinata looked at me with a soft smile, standing as I walked into the room.

"Good morning, Lady Hokage. How are you feeling? Gotten any sleep recently?"

I shook my head with a chuckle.

"With all the time I waste trying to sleep, I could be running two villages."

Konohamaru, frowned a bit, crossing his arms and turning his head to me.

"Lady Hokage I'm worried about you. It's been months since Naruto left... Why aren't you still able to sleep?"

I laughed a bit, sitting in a chair next to Hinata while looking at Konohamaru.

"It amazes me that, even after you nearly died a few months ago, you still worry about other people more than yourself."

Konohamaru smirked, returning his attention to his game of Shogi as we continued to speak.

"Anyway, how's Sakura doing? And Gaara?"

I smiled a bit, crossing my arms and looking at the floor.

"Sakura is doing really well. As for Gaara... I'm not sure. We talked on the phone this morning... But he still sounds really upset about Kankurō."

Konohamaru looked down at his stomach, placing a hand over his bandages at the sound of the puppeteers name. Hinata took hold of his hand for a moment, almost as if to pull him back to the present, and away from the terrorizing memory of his fight with Kankurō. Konohamaru squeezed Hinata's hand gently, trying his best to hold back tears as he spoke.

"I... I wish Sasuke hadn't... I mean maybe there was a way to..."

Hinata shook her head, obviously upset at the sight of Konohamaru's anguish.

"Sasuke had no choice. Kankurō would have stopped at nothing to kill Gaara... Even if it meant killing you too."

As she spoke, Sasuke gently knocked on the door to the room where we were talking. He stood in the doorway, crossing his arms as he leaned on the door frame. He spoke in a lifeless, emotionless tone, not looking up from the floor as he did so.

"Lady Hokage... Can I talk to you?"

I nodded, slowly standing up from my chair. I have a quick smile to Konohamaru and Hinata before following Sasuke, who closed the door behind us. Sasuke and I slowly made our way out of the infirmary and back onto the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village, the citizens blissfully unaware of just what was going on behind the scenes. I couldn't help but envy them. Sasuke's voice snapped me out of my deep train of thought.

"Ino... It's almost been 3 months since we were out looking for Naruto... What's the plan? Do you even have one?"

I noted and understood his impatience. But, to be honest, at that moment I hadn't the slightest clue what I was going to do in terms of finding Naruto.

"I haven't settled on a plan yet... But as soon as Sakura and Konohamaru are feeling better... I'll make a decision."

Sasuke stopped, clenching his fists at his sides.

"I... I think I'd like to go after him myself... Even if nobody else is willing to come I... I need to do something. I'm losing my mind doing all of this waiting around. I know from personal experience that the longer it takes, the more hatred will build in Naruto's heart."

Before I could respond, a shriek could be heard from inside the infirmary, and I recognized the voice immediately... Sakura.