AN: (WARNING SPOILERS- not many but they are there) Alright, so this is my first fan fiction. It's set from the last day in July and onwards, months after Sakura has turned 20. I think that makes Ino and Shikamaru 20 aswell, and Kakashi is 34. It is coming up to Tsunade's 56th birthday (August 2nd) and she has decided to have some fun. I don't watch it that much so nearly all of the info I've got is from other fan fics so if it's wrong, please let me know. I like to be as technically accurate as possible. Just to clarify, I have decided that Sasuke is dead, killed by Sakura when she tracks him down for good. Of course, with this being a humor-romance, and being centered on Ino and Sakura, this is never formally acknowledged in the story. I say this to put an explanation to his absence in the "possibilities" discussion in chapter five. This is also set after Asuma's death so that explains why he is also not included in chapter five.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in it (and therefore in this story…so far). I do however own this plot. It's all from my sick imagination.
700 words exactly in this chapter
Missing in Action
Chapter one- Exhaustion
Waves of exhaustion worked their way through Sakura's body as she returned from a hard days work at the hospital.
There had been nothing but minor ailments and hypochondriacs to deal with all day so she could honestly say that she felt it would have no additional effect on her medic training except a pointless test of endurance.
Tsunade had been keeping her in every day for the last 4 months, leaving no time for holidays or missions. She decided that she should probably just rest tonight and take a long bath to get rid of that horrible smell of bedpans and dried blood, but it seemed that Ino had other ideas.
Ino had also been working very hard lately, practicing her jutsu to the point of exhaustion aswell as working full time at the Yamanaka's flower shop. She however, had decided that tonight, they were going out.
She had said that if she spent one more night alone with her diary, she was probably going to develop another personality, just to give her something more interesting to write.
So that was it, decided. Sakura still had no idea what her friend had planned for tonight but she knew one thing. It wasn't going to be a book club. So she pulled on a pair of jeans that hugged her hips nicely enough so that Ino wouldn't force her into a skirt, and threw on a tight-fitting printed white and pink t-shirt.
She pulled her candy-pink hair up into a long ponytail and fastened it with a white band while she searched through her cupboard for any shoes that would be appropriate. All she seemed to have at the moment were trainers and soft sandals that she wore to work and train in. there wasn't much point with anything else, seen as she never left her apartment for much else.
She eventually managed the grab hold of some misty-pink ballerina-style pumps and had just pulled them onto her tired feet when the doorbell rang. She ran over to the front door with a sigh.
"Hey forehead-girl" Ino beamed as she stepped through the door, pushing passed her in her haste.
"Oi! Watch it Ino-pig. I won't come with you if you keep pushing about like that" Sakura spat, closing the door.
She turned to glare at Sakura, look of frustration on her face "PMS forehead-girl? I was in a good mood before you went all troublesome on me"
"You've been spending too much time with Shikamaru if you ask me" Sakura laughed
"What?" Ino snapped
"Troublesome?"
"Well… seen as you asked so rudely, you may as well know that I haven't seen him for almost eight months now. He's all locked up with ANBU missions and things."
"So why exactly are you picking up on his habits?"
"I don't know. I guess I'm just so used to them, you know? You must surely get that with Naruto or Sasuke." The last name was said with a bitter edge.
"Not really. I mean, Sasuke never said or did anything if he didn't have to and Naruto… well I haven't got rid of him yet"
"I thought he was ANBU aswell."
"Yeah, but it's Naruto we're talking about. He's almost as bad as Kakashi-sensei for forgetting to turn up to meetings and things. I doubt they even bother asking him to come anymore."
"Oh yeah. I remember Shika saying something like that. When he's not in those meetings himself he spends most of his time explaining them to Naruto."
"Can't we just leave all that alone tonight Ino-pig? I spend enough of my time dealing wit those idiots without them invading my downtime aswell. I can't remember the last time I haven't been treating one of them for one stupid injury or another."
"Ok. Let's not talk about Shika or Naruto or Sasuke or Chouji or Sai or the sensei for the rest of the night. Are you ready to go?"
"Sure. Where are we going?"
"To a bar" Ino smirked
"A bar! Seriously? But we're only…"
"Twenty years old?" Ino interrupted, laughing "Have you seriously been working so long you've forgotten how old you are?
"I suppose I must have been"