*I still don't own Naruto Kishimoto does.

Coming Home

Why he was there Shikamaru didn't know but the intimidating man seemed to be waiting for his female companion. Ibiki motioned for Ino to come to him, she was quickly broken out of her trance and tried to give Shikamaru a small smile. Anything to lie and let him think that she was okay. "This is my stop... Tell aunty I love her and that I'll be here for her if she needs anything." She let go of his hand, "I'll see you later. Bye Shika." She walked towards Ibiki. Funny how as a genin he terrified her and gave her the chills. Now she knew better, he was one of her father's oldest and trusted friend not to mention family. His expression or face didn't give anything away as usual but his shoulders were slightly slumped and his face seemed just a bit older. No, she thought this isn't a good look on him, it made her feel even more uneasy. As if that was even more possible. "Hey kid." He put a heavy hand on her shoulder and gave a small nod to Shikamaru. A silent statement that he'd take it from here and would take care of her. With that Shikamaru left towards the Nara Forest. When she could no longer see him she turned to Ibiki. Why is he the one to greet me and not mom. Ibiki seemed out of place in front of the flower shop, not that she would tell him. He slowly pulled out two scrolls from his trench coat and stared at them with such intensity she didn't know what to say. "Kid lets go inside, there are somethings you need to know." Still looking at the scrolls he turned around and walked towards the entrance of the flower shop. Wouldn't mom be uncomfortable with him here? She never liked when he would come over with dad… Then again she didn't like many things about dad's work. Not that I can blame her seeing as she married into a Clan coming from a civilian family. Shinobi Law just didn't allow us to tell her much of anything we did. HOLD ON. Since when does he have a key to the shop?! She didn't dare say anything as she followed him up the stairs to her home. When she wasn't immediately greeted by her mother she started to worry a little. And since WHEN has he had a key to the apartment?! Okay this is getting really strange and weird. Where's mom? She was broken out of her thoughts as they both entered and took off their sandals. She kept an eye out for her mother, Ibiki had gone to sit at the kitchen table and watched as his colleague and best friend's daughter, helplessly search from room to room with fear growing on her face. He couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up before she entered her parents room, "Kid sit down."

Ino looked to him on the verge of tears but did as she was told and sat across from him. This is not going to be easy. He'd been through war and hell and back but that definitely didn't prepare him for the conversation he was about to have. War was never easy… "Where is she?" He heard her struggle to ask, fighting to keep the tears and fear out of her voice. He sighed, stayed very still, then finally looked her in the eyes. "Your parents, they loved you. Though I'm sure you know that. They never were afraid to show it or tell anyone about what a beautiful family they had. War… It takes people in many ways. I know you know what I mean. War is never fair and completely unforgiving. Your father was a strong and caring man that always put both you and your mother ahead of himself. He was incredibly smart, though people usually tended to overlook that aspect of him. Granted as a teammate with any Nara it usually happens. You know this probably better that most seeing as your Shikaku's brat kid's teammate." He paused and smiles thinking back about how Inoichi would sometimes complain to him about it. The smile faded as he saw tears spill from Inoichi's carbon copy and pride and joy. War really wasn't fair. "Your father came to me before the war asking to look after you, incase anything happened." By now huge droplets shamelessly falling down Ino's eyes, she wasn't embarrassed to cry in front of this man. "He relayed a message to your mother, Nara Yoshino, and myself moments before he perished. He had said he felt something horrible was going to happen." Her eyes widened in shock. Mom and aunty knew?! Then where's mom at? "After he told us how proud he was to fight and die along his friends and family he made me promise. Promise to look after you and your mother but I… I couldn't believe that he had truly died. I honestly didn't want to believe it. After a week and getting news that the war was truly over I asked my connections to confirm everything. Sure enough, it was true… I went to go check on your mother shortly after, to see how she was holding up. I came to the shop only to find it closed, I looked through it but didn't see her. Finally, I decided to come up here, the door was ajar. I looked everywhere, once I came to their bedroom's bathroom I found her. She-" He stopped, reliving everything all over again. The lump in his throat only seemed to grow and the tightness in his chest was becoming unbearable.

"She WHAT?!" Ino asked knowing where this was going but hoping, praying that deep down she wasn't right. She could no longer bare the hurt on his face and stood up. Running to her parent's room she was caught by the stench of hard industry cleaners. She opened the bathroom door and the potency of the hazardous stench almost caused her to gag. It was clean, sterile clean. Nothing of her parents was there. It was vacant of any of her parent's hygiene products and knickknacks, it looked as if it had never been lived in, too new. "What the hell?" she whispered. She turned when a hand was on her shoulder and looked at a remorseful and somber Ibiki. "Jiji?" He heard her whisper, it reminded him of when she was a toddler and would follow him everywhere and call out to him in her sweet innocent voice. Fuck, war wasn't fair! "Ino I found her here, dying. She had slit her wrists in the bathtub, I tried to stop the bleeding and take her to the hospital. She begged me to give you this." He looked at the scroll then to her broken face. "She died by the time I got her to the hospital." He handed her the scroll. With trembling fingers and an already blurry vision she opened and read the contents of said scroll.