A Chance at Redemption

-:|Relentless Hope|:-

Posted on: 17/05/16

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Kit_Katzzz, who comes by to read this story even in her busy schedule. She is one of my inspirations here on wattpad. Thank you so much for your support...:)

"Bowing before despair

is way too easy.

But rebelling with hope

is much more difficult."

-Tenten

Chapter: 6

Ino sighed tiredly when she felt no living presence inside the room. Scanning all the four directions for one last time, she jumped out of the only window in Sakura's Hospital Office. She used her chakra to balance her feet on the vertical wall and ran down, landing with a thud on the stone sidewalk of the village. Her face saddened at not being able to find her childhood best friend. Why did you leave? She thought to herself.

The minute Ino realised that Sakura was gone, she closed her parent's flower shop and started looking for her extremely vulnerable friend. She checked Sakura's small apartment, her favourite drinking bar, her hospital room. Heck! She even went as far as to check for Sakura's presence at the Hyuga Compounds but no, she did not find her in any of these places. For a split second, the thought of asking Sakura's parents popped in her head but she pushed it away when she recalled that in Mr. and Mrs. Haruno's eyes, Sakura is a missing ninja. Another thought entered suggestively in her mind. A very terrifying thought to be specific- what if Sakura accidentally bumped-into Suigetsu and Juugo and got forcefully dragged to Sasuke's Place? No, that won't happen. Ino shook those bad thoughts aside. Sakura is strong enough to handle two rogue shinobi, right? She wondered.

"Hey" a soft voice called from behind and she pounced at the speaker in fright.

"You!" She yelled at the person but stopped when she realised who it was.

A blush crept on Ino's face when she saw a completely surprised Sai's lean-muscular built pinned beneath her slender frame. She heard the voice and took it to be one of those damned rogue ninjas, so she attacked. But on seeing Sai right below her form, she felt the mortification of her stupid blunder. When she looked down at him, she saw the appearance of a faint blush across his cheeks as well. They kept staring at each-other when all of a sudden she heard some giggling voices. Both of them turned their heads towards their left and saw a group of pre-teens staring at them with a knowing look, which made them realise that they were in a really awkward position in a public place.

Immediately Ino pulled herself up and away from Sai and he stood up. They both started dusting-off fake dirt from their clothes to distract their minds and heard the teens giggle even more.

"Eh_hem!" Ino coughed and asked Sai, "What are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "I am an anbu. I have been assigned to scout these parts. I was just doing my job when I saw you. So I thought I might as well say Hi."

"By the way, you seem to be...worried." Sai spoke, comparing Ino's frown to one such similar expression in a book of Human Body Language.

When Ino didn't answer, he asked directly, "What is worrying you?"