So next chapter.
This one is Ino/Choji, and for those of you who are like, "WTH, I hate them, where are ShikaTema?" just chill, dudes. Those two will get their time in the spotlight, just in a different chapter.
Pretty much from here, at the bare minimum, I'm planning on having two more Shikamaru/Temari chapters, one more Ino/Chōji chapter, one or two Naruto/Hinata chapters, and an epilogue with everyone in it.
There will be other chapters with small insights into other characters feelings, not necessarily any pairings, so if there is someone you want to see appear then drop me a PM or leave a review.
I have no real schedule as to when the next chapters will be up, as they are still in the development stage, so please stick around and Follow the story for more to come.
Dawn had come. Golden light spilled over distant mountains and ran in rivers along the fractured ground. After having spent so long in absolute darkness, the light was nearly blinding for many shinobi. Waking up from the pleasant dreams of the Infinite Tsukuyomi, only to see the carnage that surrounded them in the full light of day, had driven many to their knees and many more to tears. And the sun didn't manage to drive away the thick smell of blood and death in the air. If anything, it only served to worsen it, as it hastened the decomposition of the endless bodies that littered the battlefield, letting off stench of rotting meat that only those with cast iron stomachs could stand to wade through.
While Ino didn't possess the strongest constitution, she was a skilled medical ninja, and it was her duty to administer treatment to anyone who required it. But after coughing to point where her throat burned and her lungs ached, she needed a much deserved break.
Which was why she found herself crouching in the dirt, mostly hidden behind a fragmented boulder, eyes peeled and ears straining to hear. She barely let herself breathe, and it wasn't because of the smell this time. No. It was because one of her many little fantasies was unfolding right before her very eyes.
Down in one of the little valleys that peppered the ground (and "valley" was stretching it—it was more like a crater if truth be told) stood Shikamaru and Temari, wrapped tightly around each other to the point that Ino couldn't tell whose limbs were whose.
In her head, she was doing a silly little jig. If there was at least one person that came out of this terrible war with a slight bit of happiness, then it made everything that much more bearable. And Kami, Shikamaru deserved to feel happy, especially after what had happened.
Ino only cursed the fact that she couldn't get any closer without risking the possibility of one of them noticing her presence. She so longed to know what they were saying. If they were confessing their undying love to each other at this very moment, she was going to murder that Nara, because there was no way he would ever give her a play-by-play account later on, and she and Temari weren't exactly close enough for the Suna kunoichi to confide in her…
Well, it couldn't be helped. And besides, it was extremely improbable that Shikamaru would ever do anything as logical as confessing his true feelings to the only female that would put up with his lackadaisical attitude. That would be too troublesome.
Ino was so engrossed in her inner ramblings, that she didn't notice the large, very un-stealthy shadow approaching her flank. She remained oblivious right up until the moment the dark figure clapped a hand on her shoulder, and she let out a strangled squeal.
Whipping around, her hand shot out automatically and clamped down around the mouth of one wide-eyed Akimichi Chōji.
"Shhhh!" she hissed, ignoring the startled "mmmph!" that issued from behind her hand. "What do you think you're doing? Do you want them to know we're here?"
Chōji blinked owlishly at her, and Ino somewhat reluctantly removed her hand, giving him her best "don't screw with me" glare, perfected over many years of dealing with men.
Chōji was frowning. "Who knows we're here?"
"No one yet," Ino rolled her eyes, pointing down to the tiny valley below. "That was the whole idea. And I don't want them to know."
Chōji looked over Ino's shoulder, blinked, and then looked back at her and cocked his head in question. "There's no one down there."
"What are you talking about? They're right… there…" Ino stared down at the crater, deceptively empty, as though no one had been there to begin with.
No Nara. No Sand kunoichi.
She stomped her foot petulantly and pouted. "Darn it!" she whined. "And they looked so cute together!"
Chōji looked concerned for her sanity. "Are you alright?"
Ino huffed. She probably sounded like a spoiled child, but she couldn't help herself. It wasn't every day she got to see Konoha's resident Lazy Ass hugging a girl and looking happy about it.
It was more likely that Madara would come back and try to subjugate them all again.
She seriously doubted that the manic could actually stay dead.
"Uh… Ino?"
Ino came back to reality and realized that she had never actually replied to the Akimichi. She smiled. "Yeah, Chōji. Sorry. Just lost in thought."
Chōji nodded understandingly, and began filling Ino in on the updated orders one of the Kage had issued, probably the Kazekage since he had been the Commander. But Ino wasn't really listening. It wasn't as if it actually applied to her anyway. She knew her job. She knew her place. And, Kami, she had never thought she would have to wade through the dead in order to treat the living.
Bile rose in her throat and Ino pushed those unpleasant thoughts aside. She didn't need even more things making her sick.
She unconsciously wiped her hands on her uniform, as though to wipe away the blood staining her fingers, and winced as the rough fabric caught on her skin.
Ino had always hated the Konoha shinobi uniform. It was bulky and heavy—even if did offer more protection than her usual, much skimpier outfit—and the colors didn't suit her at all. She couldn't wait to finally be rid of it. In its current state, it was unusable, which meant that no one would care when she burned the sucker. But that could wait until after she found a hot bath to wash the blood and dirt away.
Ino picked at a tear in her flak jacket. Not all of the blood on her clothes and skin was her own. Plenty was from the wounded that she had been helping to heal and move to the medical base that had been set up in the middle of the battlefield. When it was all over, she had been astonished at the sheer amount of carnage that surrounded her, despite having been in the thick of things when the fighting had been going on. The devastation was nearly unimaginable, and Ino had actually found herself pitying those who had survived. Some had lived through the battle only to come away from it with permanent damage—physical or mental or both. Some would never be able to be shinobi again. At least those who had died had died wholly themselves, untainted by the deceptions of the Infinite Tsukuyomi… they had died a shinobi death.
"Ino?"
Ino gave a violent start and blinked up at the Akimichi. Chōji gazed at her with eyes full of concern, and Ino felt a surge of guilt for her thoughts. What was wrong with her? How could she actually stand there and think that death would be better? Her father had wanted her to live.
And yet…
"Are you alright, Ino?" her friend asked her.
Ino forced a smile onto her face. "Yeah, Chōji, I'm fine."
Chōji looked unconvinced, and Ino suppressed a wince. He had given up pretending to believe her. He wasn't going to let this go, and he wasn't going to leave her alone… not unless she gave him something.
"It's just…" she hesitated, worrying her lip between her teeth. "It feels like we're just scavengers, picking through the dead bodies to find the living." Ino shivered and hugged herself. "There's so much death, Chōji. So many people dead. And I can't help wondering if it was really worth it in the end."
Chōji desperately wanted to hug Ino. She looked like a kicked kitten, all bruised and battered, yet still trying to keep up the pretext of spirit, tiny fangs barred in the semblance of a smile. But Chōji had known her nearly all her life, and he could see the deep despair in her eyes.
He hesitated replying to her, trying to word things just right so as to not make her cry. But he hesitated too long.
"Is it wrong that I kind of wish we could have stayed asleep?" Ino asked quietly, her eyes downcast.
Chōji's own eyes widened. "Wha… what do you mean, Ino?" Had she really just asked that?
Ino shook her head, and Chōji could see tears glistening in her eyes. Her bottom lip began to tremble. "I just… I was happy there. My father was still alive, and I was wanted… needed. I was important." She shook her head again. "Out here, what am I? Just another medical ninja, and not even very good at that. During the battle, Sakura was the one who was out there fighting with Naruto and Sasuke. She was the one who confronted Madara. And what could I do? Nothing. I was weak. Unnecessary."
"That's not true," Chōji said sternly. "You fought with us. You're part of Ino-Shika-Cho."
Ino let out a bitter laugh. "Don't you see? That's just it. I can't do anything by myself. I'm nothing without you and Shikamaru. Don't deny it," she said when the Akimichi opened his mouth to rebuff her thoughts. "I know what people say about me. I'm just the blond ditz who shows too much skin and is obsessed with her weight." She sighed. "You're the next head of the Akimichi clan, and Shikamaru is already in the running to be jōnin commander. Sakura's probably going to become the greatest medical ninja since Tsunade-sama, maybe even better. Naruto is a hero, and he and Hinata are going to have adorable little Hyūga babies. But I've got nothing."
Chōji blinked, thrown for a moment. "Wait, what's this about Naruto and Hinata?"
Ino waved a hand. "Never mind that. I'm talking about me." But then she deflated even more. "Maybe you're right. Maybe I'm focusing too much on myself. It could be worse. I could be dead."
Now she was just rambling. "Ino…"
The tears in her eyes finally spilled over, trailing down her cheeks and washing away streaks of dirt and grime and blood. She hastily wiped them away and gave him a sorrowful little smile. "Sorry. Guess I'm just full of myself aren't I?"
"Ino." Why couldn't he find the words?
"I gotta go, Chōji," she said, still refusing to meet his gaze. "They probably need me back in the medical camp."
She turned to leave, but Chōji caught her arm. Ino stared down at his hand for a moment, before finally raising her eyes and looking up at him.
"Ino," he began and then winced. He wasn't a counselor, and though he occasionally gave out advice, it just felt awkward without a bag of chips in his hand. "I know the things we saw in the dream world were great, and they made us happy. But they weren't real. You're real, and I'm real, and Shikamaru is real. And we need to help those that need help and not dwell on the past. We have to move on and start rebuilding, together, as Ino-Shika-Cho. And Ino, we're all together, not because we're weak as individuals, but because we're stronger as a team. We hold each other up, and you're no exception.
"So you're wrong. You are needed here. These people need you. I need you."
Ino smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You're a good friend, Chōji. But it's okay. I know what the reality is." And with that, she pulled free and walked away.
Chōji watched her go. "Friend" she had said. Was that all there was ever to be? Chōji thought about his own dream world, where he had been loved for who he was, and with no pressure to change. He had felt good while he was there, with a woman who accepted him. But just as he had told Ino, that place hadn't been real.
Listening to Ino, and seeing how sad she was, Chōji was filled with desire to protect her, to shield her from the cruel ways of the world. He wanted to show her that there were scores of people who relied on her and her and needed her.
Chōji watched her retreating figure and sighed sadly at the dejected sloop of her shoulders. Ino had a great eye for seeing how other people felt about each other, so how could she not see how much he cared for her? Or did she not care?
Chōji shook that thought aside. Ino wouldn't be that callous. He had known her all his life. But still…
How could she not see that he loved her? That he would do anything for her? That he couldn't live without her?
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