Flowers For Gaara

Chapter 2: Shoujo

I wake up and roll to my side. It's another day. Before I can climb calmly out of bed a giant flash of light hits my groggy eyes. It stings and burns and I moan. It's another beautiful day in Konoha, damn it. I know there's only one person that would open my curtains so cruelly like that and I hear her familiar voice now.

"Ino-kun! Get up! Get up! What are you doing still asleep?" she yells at me.

"Ma! This is the time I'm supposed to get up!" I yell back at the old hag. Honestly, I'm 17. I've been getting up all by myself for the past 10 years. I guess she forgets sometimes that I don't need her to blind me and yell at me in order for me to get up. I resist the urge to voice my agony to her. She wouldn't listen anyway. She's just as stubborn as I am.

And she still thinks I'm a baby.

Instead of starting a fight with my mom, I wobble downstairs. It's seems that she's less likely to yell at me if I stay quiet and do what I'm supposed to. It's become almost like a habit to wobble downstairs like this and make breakfast for my dad. My mom wakes up earlier than the both of us and leaves for work before I get up, unless she decides to wake me up like she did today. After breakfast, I wash all the dishes and wipe down the counter.

I sigh.

"Ino-chan! I can't stand it when you are so sad like this!" my dad wails emotionally. I turn with an honest smile. I'm glad he cares, but it really doesn't matter how I'm feeling. I can't change anything. I can't change how other people feel about me.

"It's ok, Dad! I promise!" I smile, but a nagging feeling in the back of my head keeps me from believing my own words.

"I'm gonna get dressed so I can get some training done, ok?" I say, pounding my hand into my fist with fierce determination. You will become stronger, Ino! Yes! Even if nobody notices, I will be stronger! Then just maybe you can teach that beast, Temari, a lesson and show Sasuke how wrong he was to choose Sakura.

I run up stairs and get dressed quickly. I'm out of the door before my dad can say anything at all. I'm feeling a remarkable energy today. I want to run until I'm so exhausted I can't think.

Ten miles around Konoha later, I'm panting a little but feeling good. My speed is improving. Sakura might have the Hokage to watch over her training, but I have unbreakable spirit. I've always trained like this. Sakura never understood that respect and strength is gained with hard work and confidence. I had to teach her that by being her friend - and then by being her rival. I talked big when we were kids, but I really did have something to back it up.

I wipe some sweat off my brow and head for one of the many training areas. I kick and punch at the logs until my fists are splintered and my legs feel like jelly. In between my pants, I hear a tiny rustling sound. I quickly jump into a fighting stance.

"Who's there?" I call. A bush wiggles to reveal a small girl in a big coat. Oh. It's just Hinata. From the looks of her hands I can tell she's been training here too.

"H-Hi, I-Ino. Are y-you training here too?" She stutters. Stupid girl with her stupid questions.

"No. I was walking my dog," I reply bitterly. I wish she would just go away. I have inanimate objects to beat up.

"Oh!" she jumps nervously, "I-I'm sorry, I-Ino. I should have k-known you were t-training."

She blushes and fiddles with her fingers nervously. Jeez, some things never change. I know she trains hard too and I've grained some respect for her, but still, I can't stand her stuttering. She always seems so much braver whenever she's around a certain blonde-haired loudmouth. Stupid power of love. I spit and ram my fist hard into the wood. My breath shakes as the pieces of wood fly out.