Underneath It All Chapter 1: Actions, a naruto fanfic

A/N: Yo. Wrote this as a gift for the NarutoWishlist community over at LiveJournal. Hope someone else enjoys it as much as my giftee did. :)

Thoughts - 'thoughts'

Perspective Change - -----o------o------

Scene Change - full line seperation

Flashback - -flashback-

Note: The hyphens you'll see between paragraphs denote nothing; they're just there to preserve spacing, since this site doesn't seem to support multiple lines of spacing. FYI.

Underneath it All
By: Ane S. Thesia
Beta read by: Irreverence
Dedicated to: Nextstephm

Chapter One

:ACTIONS:

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Ino gave a devilish smile and a wink at the Jounins guarding the front gates of Konoha. Her disguise was well made, but they didn't even bother stopping her when they saw that trademark 'hello'.

She continued into the main of the city, taking to the rooftops to avoid running into anyone who'd want her to stop and chat. All she really desired doing in the near future was check in with the Hokage, go home and take a long bath, then get a full night's rest for the first time in a week. Anyone who gets in the way be damned.

The two guards watched her retreating form disappear amongst the rooftops and protruding trees that adorned the inner city homes.

"What I wouldn't give to get that Yamanaka girl back at my place…"

"Ha! Good luck with that. She's cold, man..."

With hopes of an easy night ahead, she leapt down to the lower roofs, the Hokage tower coming into sight. She prattled over all the things in need of being done before she could actually settle in to her small apartment for the night. It was almost 5pm; she wanted complete and total relaxation by 7'o'clock…

Her feet suddenly connected with an unseen lump as she dashed over a rooftop, and she fell head over feet, landing on her hands and barely having enough time to push herself away before simply sliding on her face instead.

"Son of a--!"

Ino stared down at her hands, in a crouched position now, waiting for her heart to come back down from where it had retreated into her throat. She threw a dangerous glare over her shoulder at the culprit 'lump' who had just tripped her.

The man raised one hand in a cool gesture and creased his eye, smiling behind the mask that covered his lower face. "Yo, Ino." He appeared to be completely unscathed.

She bounced to her feet and turned around, pointing an accusing finger down at his lazed form. "Kakashi! What the hell are you doing?!"

He went on as if nothing had happened, presenting his copy of Icha Icha Seduction. "Just enjoying my book on this fine day. What are YOU doing?"

Eye twitching with annoyance, she placed her hands on her hips. "Being tripped by lecherous old men, apparently."

"I am certainly not an old man… And you ran into me, if I'm not mistaken."

Admitting to herself that she would have seen him had she not been so preoccupied, she opted in not arguing about it. If anyone knew Kakashi at all, they'd know that he could be found on the rooftops lounging like a cat in the sun at any given time of day...

She shook her head at the image of Kakashi sprouting cat ears and a tail. "Whatever," she spoke in a cold tone, adjusting her long pony-tailed hair for a moment, ready to continue on to her original goal.

Kakashi glanced at the girl again over the edge of his book, hitching an eyebrow. "What's with the get-up?"

"Huh? Oh… right…" She had almost forgotten after being in disguise for nearly a week now. She fiddled with her once bright blond, now coffee-colored tresses. "Just got back from another mission, info gathering and all that…"

He reverted back to his book when she made eye contact with him once again. "Hm. The hair doesn't suit you, though that gear…"

Ino let out a sigh.

Okay, so, she could admit her current attire was a bit much… but what's the option when you have to mix in with a certain crowd? Her long legs were gilded with thigh-high stockings, accompanied with knee-high stiletto boots. She wore a crimson red Cheongsam style dress that barely reached the middle of her thighs.
The man she had been sent to 'investigate' had an eye for the lavish, so she did what had to be done…

Kakashi emitted a low chuckle, garnering another sigh.

"Alright, well, if you're done…" Ino said sarcastically, winking, " I have things to do."

"Ah, yes, that reminds me…"

She stopped in mid jump, growling deep in her throat, not even sparing the man a glance as she waited.

"Sakura is looking for you, that's all. " He gave a curt wave, hiding his face amongst the pages of his dirty book.

Jumping back to the higher rooftops to avoid another possible run in with lounging men or cats, she sped towards the Hokage's offices.

The Hokage Tsunade's building was unusually busy when Ino arrived and burst through the double doors of the first floor. Usually it would be bustling with attendants, sure, but today there were throngs of ANBU milling around…

Needless to say, it made her a bit uneasy. ANBU typically meant something important was happening, or about to happen.

She eyed the many masked individuals as she made her way to the stairs ahead of her, trying to decide if alarm was stirring amidst the group. Of course, generally you can't read faces that aren't visible.

When the large frame of Morino Ibiki just about plowed her over on her way up the stairs, her blood started to run cold with fear. She took the steps at twos and threes, running to the Hokage's office on the top floor and not so gently knocking on the door.

It opened just a crack, revealing the eyes of Tsunade's assistant, Shizune. "Yes?"

"I… uh…" she found herself stammering, "Ya…Yamanaka Ino… reporting in from duty…"

Shizune's eyes widened momentarily as she studied the girl. "OH! Ino-chan! I didn't even recognize you."

Ino shifted uncomfortably. "What's going on, Shizune-san? All these ANBU and…"

The young assistant lightened the girl's anxiety with a smile. "Don't worry. It's nothing that serious- come on in…"

She was granted entry and stopped a few paces in front of the paper-covered desk before her. Giving a slight bow, she watched Tsunade pace a couple more times then reach down to pour some sake into a small engraved porcelain cup.

The woman didn't seem to notice her, taking the drink down in one shot, closing her eyes momentarily as if she had been waiting for that drink for days.

Shizune cleared her throat from the doorway.

Golden brown eyes met clear blue for a second, a wide grin spreading across the older woman's features as she studied the girl who had entered her chamber.

"Ino, I almost didn't recognize you!" she spoke briskly, plopping down in her form fitted chair to turn and look out over the city through the large bay windows behind her.

Ino let out a short laugh. "Yeah, I'm about ready to be rid of this identity."

Tsunade let out a noise of understanding, turning back to her underling. "Tell me about it…"

"Err… pardon?"

The Hokage waved the comment away dismissively, pouring herself another drink. "Ah, no worries. I'm just tired of arguing with ANBU today…"

'That explains the more than angry expression on Ibiki's face…' Ino pondered for a moment. Though what could cause the ANBU Special Interrogation Division leader to be arguing with the Hokage of all people?

Hands rested themselves on the desk with a 'thud', bringing Ino's thoughts back to the task at hand.

"Well, let's get this over with. Then you can get back to yourself, ne?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

She didn't have that interesting of a week away, she had to admit. As she handed over her mission report and reviewed the findings of her investigation, she reflected that the past week was largely spent running to and from the mission.

Her duty had been to travel into the Country of Tea and infiltrate the city of a rising-star Daimyo who was causing trade problems all throughout the region. It concluded with her using her Shintenshin no Jutsu, invading the minds of four different under-officials and then the Daimyo himself to gain all the information needed. It had been too easy, to say the least. She hadn't even had to spill any blood, not that she minded that too much.

Only a tiny fraction of her time away was invested in gaining entrance to his compound. She allowed herself to be 'wooed' by one of his minions at a local bar to come back and have drinks with his master. It only took a day to get noticed about the borough and then approached. He indeed had an eye for 'fine' looking women, and the moment she hit her mark she inwardly thanked Kurenai for lending her such an eye-catching dress. It had only taken less than an hour of her own feminine charm before she was offered loose reign of his home.

Tsunade chuckled as the story unfolded. "Yamanaka women…"

That brought a genuine smile to Ino's face. It was a well-known truth that the women of her family were especially known for their dangerous ability to wile the opposite sex in little to no time. Coupled with the ability to steal minds, they made exceptional kunoichi spies. Her father hadn't been surprised when his daughter was promoted soon after achieving Jounin status to the Intelligence Division of Konoha, no questions asked.

Ino excelled at an extreme rate due to her unshakeable drive to be the best. Over the four years of being in the I.D.K., she'd unraveled and diverted a few unmistakably caustic schemes. One so important, in fact, she ended up gracing the Bingo Book at the age of nineteen.

It happened after infiltrating a base in the bordering land of Grass and deceiving her way into the room of a man who lead a troupe of missing-nin, on the verge of establishing another Sound situation.

She'd collected a key piece of evidence and assassinated the would-be leader, though not without causing her face to be plastered in books across the numerous countries as a spy to show no mercy towards (as well as giving her a two and a half week long hospital stay). Unfortunately, now when she left Konoha she was forced to disguise herself or else face the chance of individuals who wanted her bounty.

Shikamaru had named it nothing but 'troublesome', and she'd agreed wholeheartedly.

Not to say that any ninja wouldn't feel some sense of pride at being known in every country as a force to be reckoned with, but she didn't allow it go to her head. She could be humble when she wanted to be…

Tsunade finished reading the report, placing a stamp on the upper right corner and shuffling it into a rather large stack of papers sitting next to her chair on the floor. "Well, Ino, you know the drill from here. Let me know if you'd like to take some time off, okay? There's no need to rush back out again after being gone for a week, remember that."

"Yes, Hokage-sama. Thank you for your graciousness."

Ino departed quietly, giving a nod to Shizune as she walked back out into the hall, noticing the door snapping shut with hardly a hair's width between her back and the threshold.
She decided to walk slowly to Jounin headquarters, just across the plaza from where the Hokage's office was, mulling over the possible reasons for why the amused smile had disappeared so quickly from Tsunade's face the moment she thought no one was looking.

Events unraveled at a furious pace in Konoha- there was no mistaking it. If something happened that could possibly be of interest to other people, it sailed on the wind at startling speeds, nipping at any ears open and willing to listen.

And Ino would have to admit, lest be struck down by the gods, that she had taken part in the gossip ring more than a couple of times, and not by accident.

But this time, which was a thought among many others that mingled wildly in her mind, was one of very few that she didn't hear a single word about before finding out on her own. Not one phrase or clue about the subject, a sigh or rumor… absolutely nothing. She could assume safely that there had been some kind of cap of silence on the situation when it originally happened, but now that the proverbial 'cat' was out of the 'bag', the tight-lipped act was still oddly in place.

This was one of those times she could have really used the unrelenting Konoha grapevine.

What had led her to divert into this bar as she passed by, instead of continuing home as she had planned? She wasn't sure, but perhaps another drink could help her find the answer.

This wasn't the normal place she frequented, where when you walk in all you see are hitai-ate and Chuunin or Jounin vests. The place where civilians didn't go because there was an unspoken agreement that only shinobi hang out there when the sun goes down, to unwind and speak of missions and politics.

No, as the sun slowly set this night and the temperature began to drop, Ino found herself on the complete opposite side of town in the company of strangers, nursing her second gin and tonic.

Musing. Feeling like a spy in her own village.

She smiled into her drink again.

The dangerously mysterious eyes radiating from the corner table in the dimly lit pub connected with hers again and she mechanically looked away.

It was like her own body had somehow signed her up for a mission her mind had no clue about. Somewhere between leaving the concrete basement of Jounin HQ and her decision to take the long path home, her body had signed a contract with an unknown client to do reconnaissance on a rumor she hadn't even heard about yet.

But the instant she spotted those dark, dark eyes in the corner she knew there was a mill of rumors feeding grain to the village at that very moment. She knew why the ANBU were at the Hokage tower, why Ibiki stomped down the stairs with an air of unrequited resolution about him…

Why Tsunade's smile vanished.

And why Kakashi's eyebrows had knitted together so sternly the moment their playful exchange had ended earlier on the rooftops, where cats are known to sleep and certain men come to think and keep a watchful eye.

There were a couple of ways in which this precarious situation could evolve. She could stay put at the bar counter and observe from a distance. She could simply leave now and get the information she wanted from other people… Or…

She could play the game his eyes were detailing for her, stay, and unravel the mystery herself.

It didn't take much time for her to settle on which option she liked best.

What Ino lacked when it came to brilliance was made up for ten-fold in confidence and sheer balls.

Running fingers through her ponytail, she grabbed another drink and stood from her stool. Taking a deep breath, she put on a seductive yet innocent air about herself and sauntered towards the dimly lit corner, keeping eye contact the whole way.

She would play her 'A' game now.

-----o------o------o------o------o------

He was fidgeting with his own drink in an uninterested manner when she arrived beside his table. His posture remained relaxed as always; back slightly slumped, right arm resting lazily on the wooden table top, left arm on its elbow with his chin resting on his knuckles.

If anything he looked simply bored.

But things were looking up, and the minx who had been eying him from across the bar could attest to that.

His eyes roamed her body for a moment before resting on her face. It was oddly familiar, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. She wasn't dressed like a Konoha ninja, so it wasn't that.

All he really saw was attractively long, chocolate hair. Frosty azure eyes. Mischief.

"Welcome back," she spoke coolly, making herself comfortable in the chair beside him.

Well, that was interesting, he decided. She knew who he was somehow, and still decided to approach him and then chose to invade his personal space.

It had been eight years since he left the village. Numerable things had occurred since then, events that clouded his past. Dirty deeds.

The familiarity of this situation right now made his mind feel unclear and in all reality, it bothered him.

He took another long drink from his glass, still not turning to look completely at her.

"Do I know you?"

-----o------o------o------o------o------

Ino froze at his words and fought the look that threatened to overtake her cool façade.

He didn't recognize her.

'Shit…' She was becoming too used to her new appearance.

Though, would he have recognized her even if she had glowing blond hair and still wore her old Genin uniform?

The idea made her angry. Though, there was no way that he'd know how much she'd changed over all these years. How much everything had changed…

Yamanaka Ino had grown into a powerful woman in her own right. With the support of her childhood friends and the instruction under her teacher for so many years, she easily grasped a hold of and never let go of the belief that was to become her Ninja Way. She would fight with all her power to keep her community safe, at any cost, be it at the loss of her innocence, pride, or life.

When she was twelve years old she almost lost a very important friend and teammate. There had yet to be an experience like this in her life; waiting to hear news on the fate of Chouji, and watching as the other man she held in her heart ravaged himself with guilt. They both grew in different ways that day, and when he was announced as being stable, they both wept their own kinds of tears.

The reason behind the near fatal injuries of Chouji, Neji, Naruto, Kiba, Shikamaru…

…It was Uchiha Sasuke's fault underneath it all. The boy she had been crushing on for so many years betrayed the entire village with his actions. She cried for the heartbreak behind it all that day.

It would be two and a half years later when an incredible tragedy would befall team ten - an event that changed many lives and ingrained serious lessons. Sarutobi Asuma, their Jounin Sensei, fell at the hands of Akatsuki. When she arrived with Chouji as backup, it was already too late and all she could do was watch as he gave them each his last words. They sat and wept quietly in respect, listening ever so closely to the wisdom of a dying man whom they had grown to respect on par with the Hokage herself.

-"Ino… You're very confident, and you know how to take care of yourself. Chouji and Shikamaru, they are kind of clumsy, so take care of them. And don't you lose to Sakura… in Ninjutsu, or in love…"-

Over the years after Asuma's death, she worked harder then she could have ever fathomed prior. She let go of petty issues, shed away the skin of a teenage girl and took on the exterior of a superior kunoichi.

And it was good timing, because there were dark clouds on the horizon. The Akatsuki organization was rapidly approaching their ambitious goals and the continuous menace of Orochimaru only made the situation that much more grave. She witnessed team seven breaking in the midst of it all and it was too much to watch.

She'd stepped up as a friend again for the pinked-haired girl she'd sworn as a rival just years before. Ino and Sakura would make a silent pact to become amazing kunoichi together and cast away childish infatuations.

Though it was painfully obvious that Sakura's devotion for Sasuke, not just her desire to save a comrade, was what drove her- Ino never called her on it.

It took four years, a strong bond with Sunagakure, and countless shinobi deaths to stave off the powerful Akatsuki. Ino had found herself fighting among legends during those times and building strong relationships in their wake.

But as the years drew on, less and less information regarding Orochimaru and Sasuke came to the ears of Konoha's Intelligence Division. Eventually, it was as if they had simply disappeared.

Now, at the age of twenty, she was a flower in full blossom. On the cusp of her prime years, teetering on the edge of her future…

Ino pushed her memories aside and slipped back into character. Perhaps she could benefit from this anonymity.

"I wouldn't know, Uchiha Sasuke. Do you know me?"

She literally fell out of the bed the moment she felt a cold leg draped across her own. Now on her knees on the floor, breathing heavily, she seriously questioned her own sanity.

The booze was still working it's magic, and for a few long moments she fought off nausea. In the bathroom she found a clean cup and gulped down water to quell her dehydration. What she saw in the mirror made her grimace and she attempted to fix her running eyeliner and chose to ignore the fresh hickeys and bite marks on her neck and collarbone.

All in all, she was attempting and failing miserably at blocking out what she had done. But the ache between her legs and the lightheaded cloud she walked on was her worst enemy right now.

She found as much of her clothing as was possible in the darkness and dressed faster than she had ever in her life, sweeping her matted hair into a messy ball on the top of her head and tying it in place. Anyone who may have spotted her leaving the hotel would have assumed someone was trying to murder her.

Judging by the waning moon, it was about six in the morning. The cobbled streets were starting to come to life, mainly inhabited by random shopkeepers opening for the day.

Her pace slowed once she neared her edge of town and she walked soberly along the avenue towards her apartment complex.

"Stupid! Stupid!" Ino berated out loud, smacking her forehead several times with a shaky palm.

'What the fuck is wrong with me?!'

They had sat in silence for another half hour, nursing drinks and in a bizarre way appreciating each other's company. But that was getting her nowhere fast.

"So, how long have you been back?" she finally asked him.

He shifted slightly in his chair and brushed his long bangs away from his eyes. "One month."

Her eyes widened for a second then relaxed, she turned to face him, leaning on the table and allowing herself to come closer to the man. She could recognize he was already tense from just one question.

"Hm… Where have you been staying all this time, then? I never saw you around anywhere."

Sasuke sighed inaudibly. "ANBU headquarters."

An uncomfortable silence descended upon them at his admission. The entanglements were enormous now, and Ino was finding it harder and harder to keep the growing need to open the floodgates that kept her questions at bay.

'He was under interrogation for a month at ANBU HQ?'

Her entire body tensed as her mind went through the virtual library of unusual tales she'd heard about the basement of their headquarters. To think he'd been there for a month…

The angry face of Ibiki and the crowd of ANBU in Tsunade's office crossed her mind again. The Hokage had let him leave their confinement, which explained that whole state of affairs.

The storm of questions, which rushed at her violently, caused her great momentary inner struggle. But she resigned herself that if he didn't want to talk to her he'd tell her to leave and that was that.

'Besides,'she reminded herself,' I'm here for info not for personal appearance.'

She stole a long look at him. His hair was long enough to tie back into a short tail now, which she found to be outright sexy. He was much taller and more masculine then he'd been the last time she saw him, which undoubtedly came as no surprise since that was ancient history.

He appeared strangely at ease now, perhaps because of the drinks. His gaze had softened considerably and he wasn't forcing himself to stare at the table anymore. More often then not, she found herself fighting away blushes when his onyx eyes began boring into her.

When she finally made it up the stairs to her apartment, Ino practically ran to the bathroom in a suppressed fit of panic. Upon locking the door, as if someone were following her, she sank to the ground and heaved a heavy sigh.

Her mind felt relentlessly heavy, saturated with the knowledge of the past seven hours. There was an incredible sense of guilt welling up inside her now, on top of many other emotions she really didn't feel like sorting through at the moment. Not in her semi-drunken state, not with his musky scent still tickling her senses, not with her body covered with the heady mixture of sex and sweat.

She managed to stand back up and turn the shower tap to what would soon be scalding hot. Avoiding the floor to ceiling length mirror attached to the back of the door, she stripped and divulged her body to the steaming water.

Hands bracing her, head resting against the cool tile wall, she let the water assault her back, the small scrapes she'd accrued burning like fire as she lost herself in thought…

Sasuke was taking to her question and answer session a little too pleasantly for her to not feel suspicious. Perhaps the past month had conditioned him, she wasn't sure.

But his ability to just sit there and take each of her questions in rational strides was something she hadn't expected. Not from that uncaring, semi-rude, utterly unconcerned boy she'd known all those years ago. Hell, back then it took meticulous planning to get him to simply tell her what his favorite color might have been…

Well, she'd have to take back the 'him being rude thing', though. Because, out of all the times she ran up behind him and glomped his body in hugs, he never told her to go away. Not that he returned any of them, but that was okay with her as long as she could show him some affection. And the look on Sakura's face was always priceless.

"To be totally honest with you, Sasuke, the entire village thought you were a renegade all these years. Everyone knew you left to work for Orochimaru…"

This garnered a strange 'hmph' from him, cutting her off.

For the first time in the now hours they'd been sitting there he actually looked put-off. For a moment she regretted her words.

"I never worked for that bastard."

Ino stuttered for a moment, definitely regretting her way of wording. "I… didn't mean…"

But he continued.

"He was simply a device for me. Though I kept up the belief that he'd be able to use my body some day, that I was his tool…" he took another quick sip of his drink, "When he'd taught me all he had to teach, I left. Like hell I'd hand myself over to that imbecile. He was just another stepping stone on my path to…"

Ino was hanging on his every word, savoring these explanations. When he cut himself off, she actually glared at him, annoyed.

But perhaps it was the way she was sucking everything about him up like a sponge that made him stop. He raised an eyebrow at her, donning an amused expression, and she blushed uncontrollably.

'Oh gods, since when did I start blushing?!' She felt like smacking her head against their splintering oak table.

"Why are you so interested in any of this anyway? You don't even know me."

Why, indeed.

-----o------o------o------o------o------

Little did she know, he was actually taking a bit of pleasure in talking with this girl who was oh, so interested in his survival over the past eight years. Even though he'd spent the past month going over and over the same information, for some reason it was different this time around. Perhaps it was because now he was finally free, and chose with his own desire to speak to a pretty face and not hardened, angry stares.

She seemed to ponder the correct response to his question, which in turn made him feel the slightest tinge of caution. But what did it matter anymore? He had no more secrets, not since he'd come back, so what was the point? His attitude wasn't defeatist so much as it was just simply tired.

Soon enough she seemed satisfied with whatever thoughts she had, a playful look adorning her face.

"It's just that it's not every day you get to speak with a legend, right?"

He smirked. Not because he was flattered, but because she'd gone right for the ego-stroke like a pro. And really, in Konoha, you could bump into a legend at the grocery store.

The ice in his glass jingled when he put it down, signaling its emptiness. In between suspicion and the feeling that he should humor her, he raised his hand at the waitress signaling for another drink.

If either of them weren't stumbling or possibly crawling from this establishment by the end of the night, he'd be shocked.

He wasn't planning on admitting it any time soon, but suddenly part of him was glad to be back. And the attractive girl sidling closer and closer to him as the hours wore on only proved to exacerbate that lull of familiarity.

She was absentmindedly stirring a new, rather feminine looking drink now, the redness on her cheeks showing the onset of intoxication. For a moment he wondered if he too had a matching flushed face.

With a sharp intake of air, she turned to him. "Okay, I swear this is the last question…"

Sasuke flung his arm back over his chair, shifting towards her, arranging his body in a way that allowed her closeness to invade even more.

She only faltered for a second.

"If you weren't captured, why did the Hokage let you come back?"

And with the memory spurred by that question, he grinned purely.

"When I came to the gates and requested entrance to speak with the Hokage, ANBU were automatically summoned to capture me. Of course they weren't going to let me see her face to face, but the bag I brought was more than enough of a bargaining chip."

The girl's eyes lit up with the mystery. "Bag?"

He continued. "Yes. Apparently the instant Orochimaru's head was rolling across her office floor, she new I wasn't the bearer of bad tidings…"

-----o------o------o------o------o------

Ino realized she was staring at this ever-growing enigma before her, dumbfounded. She wanted to dig and dig… There were so many things she didn't know, so many years to peal away… it literally disturbed her.

All these years…

How strong was he really?

All the once clear thoughts and questions she'd had over these hours were moving into complacent piles of mush in her brain at this point.

She found herself giggling at the idea of Tsunade chasing Orochimaru's head across the tiled floor in her office. Oh, sweet morbidity.

Meanwhile, Sasuke was giving her an inquisitive stare- half knowing what she must have been so tickled about.

Neither of them seemed to notice the moments ticking by, his arm eventually draped over the back of her chair, thoughtlessly fiddling with the tips of her hair. The way she'd been moving closer and closer…

None of this had been in Ino's original playbook. Of course, she seemed to be forgetting one very key issue, as well--

She was beyond pruned at this point. Forty-five minutes later she was still engaging the part of a confused lump in her shower.

The more and more she went over the night's events, the more she felt completely at a loss.

"He didn't even know who I was…" she spoke hoarsely, adamantly refusing to let herself surrender to tears.

The owner of the bar waved off Ino's smartass comments as he ushered his last two customers out into the cold night air. All Sasuke could manage to do was shake his head in humor at the way she behaved so put-upon by a simple last call and closing time. It was two in the morning, after all.

She leaned on him heavily in an attempt to not face plant on the side-walk, though relying on another equally drunk person for stability was like the blind leading the blind.

"So, Uchiha…" Ino drawled, placing both hands on the shoulder she leaned on, "Where are you gonna stay? Back at your old house?"

He seemed to think about it for a moment, trying his hardest not to let her added weight tip him off kilter. "I'm staying at a hotel for now. Not sure if I want to return to that place…"

Where the air might have been tense in any other circumstance, that wasn't happening here.

Ino stepped away from him, finding her own balance. "Well, guess this is it, then. It was fun catching up with you. I have a long walk to my apartment." She signed then, louder than she'd intended.

"Want me to walk you home?"

"Hmm… sure." She brightened for a moment, lacing her arm in his. "No funny business though. Haaa…"

He outwardly scoffed at her implication.

In a move that was almost comical, the two never quite made it a block before finding themselves pulled into a dark alley, the culprit of said pulling undetermined.

But that didn't matter.

The irresistible call of chemistry had lured them into a direction neither had been planning. It was one thing to flirt, but the gravitation…

Before Ino knew it, she was being violently pushed into the brick wall that acted as a haven for them against possible prying eyes. Not that she cared or even noticed the way the jagged bricks dug at her back, incensed by a literal brain-breaking rush of pheromones assaulting her.

His hands tugged and broke the rubber band in her hair, causing it to cascade in a sea of russet, tangled in his fingers. His mouth appraised her neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses that sent shivers down her spine, bringing about small gasps.

Ino sighed in appreciation, bringing one fishnet and stiletto clad leg up to rest at the top of his thigh, toes finding leverage against the wall behind him. She brought his face up to meet hers in a passionate kiss that screamed unspoken desire.

So high on the erotic situation unfolding before them, all possible inhibitions were gone, running, screaming for mercy.

Sasuke leaned more heavily into her open legs, hoisting her ever so slightly, clawing at the thigh wrapped dangerously around his waist.

His heavy, baited breaths only spurred her on more. Without even considering their location between two buildings just yards away from a main street, she found herself fumbling with the buckle of his cargo pants.

"Mou… mou…" he murmured in her ear, a throaty chuckle tickling her senses, compelling her to hum ever so slightly under her breath. "My room is across the way…"

With a smirk and common sense fueled by endorphins, Ino pulled away and stared into his lust-filled eyes, actually considering whether or not she could bear walking the width of the road. He grinned back roguishly at her obvious contemplation.

As uncharacteristically NOT like herself she could have been at this moment, the fact dawned on her that, yeah, she'd had a couple of one-night stands before. And in those cases she couldn't have cared less whether or not they knew who she was, because she was just as disinterested as they were.

So why did she care so much now? This wasn't a matter of some strange nostalgia. No. There was something biting her. Something she'd sworn would never feast on her again, not since Shikamaru had left for Suna…

It wasn't regret she was feeling. Not at all. She'd made her bed, and she'd lie in it.

It was encumbering fear. Fear that the chemistry they'd experienced was false. And fear that he wouldn't care either way. The prospect that he'd never believe it was her, even if she told him.

All those years he'd been gone. She realized she didn't really know him back then, and she didn't know him now.

She didn't know him at all.