Truth Well Hidden

Ino's Experiences with Homophobia

All the while, Ino watched Sakura's lips move as she spoke. She was mesmerised by the way Sakura looked. How her eyes twinkled, how her brightly-coloured hair shone in the sunlight, how her lips twitched up slightly when she spoke of a topic she particularly liked, how her lips moved as the words flowed from them, how her voice sounded like the most beautiful piece of music accompanied by the sounds of nature and how she made little hand gestures here and the accentuate what she said. Every little thing about Sakura managed to catch Ino's attention and she could find no flaw in any of her features. Ino felt like as long as she was with Sakura, nothing would go wrong. She felt like making sure Sakura was happy was the most important thing in the world.

"You're smart," Ino breathed when she noticed Sakura stop speaking.

"I'm not smart. I just study more than the average kid," Sakura protested weakly, sporting a light blush from the easy compliment.

"Nah, you're still smart! Are you going to the Shinobi Academy?" Ino said firmly before asking, trying to confirm whether her new friend made it in.

"Yes. You?"

"Of course!" Ino huffed.

Ino noticed Sakura look up at the sky, almost panicky.

"See you then. I have to go!" Sakura said quickly, dashing off in the direction they came from.

Ino could only sit there, dazed.

When she finally snapped out of it, she squealed, "I'm friends with Haruno Sakura!"

Ino dashed back home, where her parents already were having tea.

"Tou-san! Kaa-san! I made a friend! I made friends with Sakura-chan!" Ino shouted excitedly.

"Ino-chan, calm down! You made tons of friends before!" her father Inoichi, a platinum-blond haired man, said soothingly.

"Sakura-chan is different! Sakura-chan has pretty emerald eyes, luscious cotton candy pink hair, smooth porcelain skin and a melodious voice that makes it sound like she is singing!" Ino explained.

This made both of her parents' smiles turn strained.

"I... I see... Honey, why don't you stop being this girl's friend and become friends with Sasuke-kun instead, hm?" Inoichi barely managed to say it without his voice shaking.

Ino, used to having her parents dote on her and be supportive of her decisions, was shocked. Her eyes hardened.

"Why?" Ino asked, barely restraining her rage.

Her parents, who were supposed to support her, was telling her to stop seeing the very person who made her happy. How could they call themselves her parents?!

"Obviously, this Sakura-chan is becoming a bad influence on our dear Ino-chan here! This has to stop before it becomes worse!" her mother tried to explain.

This only upset Ino further. How could she call Sakura a bad influence? If anything, her mother was the bad one here! Ino growled in anger.

"You have no right to stop me from seeing Sakura. You have no right to call her a bad influence! You have even less right to call yourselves my parents!!" Ino screamed as she tried to run to her room.

She did not expect her father to get up so quickly, she did not expect Inoichi to block her path.

"Young lady, you're going to listen to your parents! Or else..." Inoichi said, a warning tone in his voice.

"Or else what?! You'll hit me?!" Ino shouted miserably, tears leaking out of her eyes and staining her pale cheeks as she failed to hear the warning tone in her father's words.