that she was going to be back at four. She'd been on her latest mission for about a week. It was twelve o'clock. Ino's mom had already gone off to bed. Inoichi tapped his foot impatiently. She was
going to get a good scolding if she didn't come through those doors by twelve-thirty. At twelve-forty five Ino stumbled in, awakening her sleeping father who had dozed off on the couch.
"Ino where have you-Ino?"
Her hair was a mess, her eyes were red like she'd been crying and she smelt like a bar. Inoichi had seen her tipsy, but never straight out drunk. She stumbled closer and collapsed. Inoichi caught
her.
"Easy there, Ino-chan." He said, any anger he felt dissapearing as she rested her head on his chest and starting sobbing like a baby. "Are you alright?"
"Do I freaking look alright?!" She snapped.
'That's my Ino.' He thought. He unconsciously stroked her hair, which had always soothed her when she was a child. It didn't work now and she continued crying.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm a failure. I'm just...I suck, okay?"
"What do you mean?" He asked. He assumed the mission had not gone well.
"We were going to seal the three-tails. I fucked it up. Akatsuki's probably got it by now."
"You can't win them all."
She pushed him away, then grabbed his shoulders as her knees buckled. He was tempted to carry her off bridal-style to her bedroom and just continue the conversation in the morning.
So, the Akatsuki had gotten the three-tails. It was bad, but not so bad. They still had a long way to go and he was certain ANBU could handle them. He knew if he picked her up she
would claw his eyes out so he didn't do that.
"It was because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough."
"How old are you again?"
She looke genuinely hurt. "You forgot how old your own daughter is? What the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Ino, it's called a rhetorical question. You're sixteen. Of course you're not going to be able to do everything."
"Look at Sakura. Look how good she is at controlling chakra. Hell, I KNOW she's a better fighter than me."
"Okay. Maybe so. But can she do the mind transfer jutsu?"
"Well, no, of course not."
"See? You are good at something."
"Yeah, but.." She paused. "Maybe I shouldn't even be a ninja anymore."
He rolled his eyes. "Remember when you were five and you failed your first spelling test? Then you decided you never wanted to go to school again?"
She blushed lightly. "Kind of..."
"Then you remember we made you go? And you passed your next test didn't you?"
"This is different. Lives are on the line now."
"You just figured that out, Ino?" Inoichi tried to keep the scolding tone out of his voice, but he knew from the ashamed look on her face that he hadn't. "Of course lives are on the line.
Everytime you go out on a mission I worry...I worry that you won't come back." Now he held back his own tears. She was staring down at her feet. "But I believe in you. The question is,
do you believe in yourself?"
"...No." She answered.
"That's a problem. Why don't you sleep on it?"
She opened her arms. "...Carry me?"
Okay, how much had she drank? He'd be surpised if she could make it to her room without falling. He picked her up. She fell asleep instantly. Or more like it went into an alcohol induced stupor.
"I love you, you crazy brat."
"I love you too, Daddy..." She mumbled.
(To be continued. Please read and review!)