"I'm glad to be mistaken about you."

Itachi snorted. She had been nothing like he had been told, what he thought she would be like. There was another knock at the door.

"You need to go now,"

Ino shook her head no and jump hanging around his neck. The hug was powerful but short.

"You've been an excellent prison guard. Take care."

The only sound hear in the room was her steps as she walked towards the door, to her death. She couldn't help but to notice the empty casket by the door. It was in a light oak. Ino thought it beautiful and some part of her couldn't wait to be placed in it.

On the outside the sun was still shining. It hit Ino in the face blurring her vision but she could make out the red haired fellow that had come for Itachi.

They were about to start walking when someone flung open the doors behind them. Ino turned around only to receive another hug from Hinata.

"Thank you for making my dreams come true," she whispered.

Ino smiled. She was happy to help.

"You have a beautiful voice; you should use it more often."

There were several people who had gathered to see her capitated. She recognized most of them from court. In the very back she was certain she spotted pink, but it must have all been in her mind.

With lights steps and a light heart she walked up on the scaffold. There was hey on the ground around a rock to soak up her blood.

The executioner reminded her of Sasuke, just paler and an even more expressionless face.

Ino gave him a pouch with his payment. He too had a family too provide for. He had come from far away.

Ino then turned against the crowd. She decided against trying to recognize faces. She also decided against trying to claim her innocence again as it might be used against her children in the future. She wanted only the best for them.

"Good Christian people, I have not come here to preach a sermon; I have come here to die. For according to the law and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak of that whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the King and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never, and to me he was ever a good, a gentle, and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me."

She certainly didn't want to defy Sasuke and say something to upset him. She bent down in the hay. She was calm, even on the inside. She had died the moment she had her child ripped out of her hands. She had been in theory been dead since the moment Sakura crawled into the King's bed.

The executioner asked for her forgiveness in French. She was happy to forgive him. He was following orders, not giving them.

She bent down on the rock. The sun had heated up to the point where it was comfortable. She kept looking behind her to see the executioner to see what he was doing. He started moving and she closed her eyes trying to say her last prayer. "O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul. To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu receive my soul."

"Where's my sward?" asked the executioner. Thinking she still had a few seconds she looked up into the eyes of Itachi. While they had eye contact the executioner raised the sword he had had in his hand the whole time. With one swift blow it was done.

Ino's head fell with a heavy thud. People in the crowd started praying for her dearly departed soul and a few were crying. Ino had been well liked at court and had many friends. They executioner cleaned his sword and left signaling for the others that there was nothing more to see.

Itachi was soon the only one left. He stood frozen. She hadn't been sad, there was no desperation in her eyes, there was only serenity and calm. She had wanted it to be over with, she was happy to finally die. It didn't make it any better, to Itachi it made it all so much worse.

He climbed the scaffold. He had told Kiba and Hinata to leave the Tower. It was supposed to be a happy day for them. They weren't supposed to be part of Ino's death, but he hadn't seen them leave the chapel.

Itachi wrapped Ino in white cloth. Even with her body missing her face looked calm. It was the most heart wreathing and beautiful thing Itachi had seen.

He carried her bridal style into the chapel and gently placed her in her casket. She was slowly bleeding through the linen he had wrapped her in. Sasori and Deidara was the first to come to the casket and started praying for her.

Kiba and Hinata eventually also found a spot around the casket. Itachi had known they were there the whole time.

"I'm going to bring Sasuke down," it wasn't said in the heat of the moment. When he had answered Ino that he still had unfinished business this was what he had in mind. He didn't want to speak loud about it, but he trusted every single person in the room with his life.

Deidara shook his head. He couldn't believe it. Even saying the King should be dead was punishable by death. Sasori on the other hand nodded yes. Kiba and Hinata grabbed each other's hands.

Itachi could not sit idly by while a man who did this to Ino ruled their country. Itachi clutched the crown that had fallen off Ino's head. He was keeping it as a reminder. Ino would be placed in a nameless grave inside the chapel; she was stamped as a traitor of the country. Itachi could end up the same way. He was going to claim the throne that was rightfully his.

He knew he wouldn't have to do it alone.