44. Two Roads
(Sequel to theme n°7 heaven)
Ino was leaving him.
He couldn't believe it. The teme had done it again.
First Sakura and now Ino. Why couldn't he win for once and be happy. Why is always him who's left to suffer at the hands of fate.
Sasuke had a family, a clan to back him up. He was genuinely happy. The stupid asshole had everything he's ever wanted, he was a prodigy, not quite like his brother Itachi was or Kakashi, but he was the rookie of the year in their academy class. He was the best, all the girls loved him.
And Naruto was ignored by everyone. He'd had to fight for every little thing that is now his. His reputation, his rank, his love.
But now everything is lost. She was going to marry the bastard by the end of the month.
He needed to think a solution and now!.
He told himself to think something, anything… but the only conclusion that he could make was to leave. To flee to another land and start over as civilians. Preferably an island near Nami no kuni. And become a fisher and Ino a healer. Or they could become part of the local police or something.
As Ino sobbed and cried in his arms, he thought of a plan. He had many connections and knew many people, they could live well and be free. But they would be hunted and followed, and that sense of paranoia that every missing nin seems to possessed would inevitably destroy their relationship.
The other only option was to marry now. If she was already married, they couldn't do a thing. They would be frowned by everyone. But they would be together and that was all that mattered.
Prying the girl off his arms, and looking straight into her eyes he questioned her.
"Ino, love… look at me. We have two options. I wont let the bastard take you away from me. And if that means leaving the village and becoming missing nins then so be it!. I wont lose you. We can either marry right now or run away tonight. It's your choice babe. So what's going to be?".
Ino looked into the determined eyes of her lover, and saw the length he would go just to be with her, and it floored her. She knew he loved her, enough to want to spend the rest of his life beside her. But this… to forsake his dream of being the leader of the village, of leaving his home, and leave the people the fought to protect every day just so they could have a life together. All the hope and happiness she'd lost after her talk with her father returned with those spoken words.
"But… what about your dream? What about being Hokage? I cant let you do this!, it's what you've wanted to be for as long as I know you" she said as new tears formed in her eyes.
"Of course I want to be Hokage, but if that means I wont have by my side then I don't want it. Ino you mean so much more than a stupid title. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, have a family with you and call you mine, but if I cant do that here, than I don't want to stay here. So what's going to be Ino? Do we stay or do we leave?".
Ino thought about her options, and reach to the same conclusion as her love. They could get married now and so she couldn't agree to the marriage with Sasuke, or they could leave, and a find a new place to call home.
She knew she couldn't and wouldn't leave Naruto, she loved him and she would go until the end of the world for him. She would give her life for him. And if that meant leaving everything else behind, or be talked and frowned upon then so be it!. She could deal with the glares and gossiping. But she would be happy, and with the man she loved more than life.
"I don't care where we go, as long as I'm with you". she said smiling up to him.
"do you think you could stand being thought about as the lover of a monster?" he knew it hurt to think like this, it was his reality, and he wouldn't let her live the same he had to when he was younger.
"Of course I do silly, I know the truth even if they don't see it, you're a great person koi, and if it bothers you, then we leave and start in some place else".
"Ok, go pack and meet me in Tsunade's office in an hour" he said and then kissed her, and left with a much cleared head than when he first arrived in the clearing.
Ino was smiling too as she departed for her home. She was sure that Tsunade wouldn't send for hunter nin after them. She would understand and hopefully let them leave in peace.
She quickly entered her home and begin packing all that was precious to her. All the pictures hidden of her and Naruto, the letters they wrote when they went on missions, the necessary items for a mission such as clothes, weapons, medical kits, food, money, etc and put them all into sealing scrolls. She then wrote a letter to her mom, explaining her reasons for leaving, and hopefully she would understand.
She took one last look into her tiny apartment and left jumping trough the rooftops.
Naruto mean while send a clone to retrieve all his possessions and went to see Tsunade. Hopefully she would understand what he needed, and wouldn't hold it against him. If she did, then he would remind her of her little roaming through the elemental countries for twenty some years.
He knocked on the aged wooden door. As the blond waited for the blond Hokage to give her permission to enter, Naruto gathered all his courage and took a deep breath. Determined eyes glared at the closed door.
Nothing was going to stop him from making the woman of his life his once and for all. Come heaven or hell Yamanaka Ino was going to leave this office as Uzumaki Ino, or so help kami it would be a war!.
"Enter" came the slurred voice of the blond Senju.
"Tsunade-sama I have a request to make" said a solemn whiskered male.
The puzzled look that the Godaime sport after hearing that statement was schooled very quickly. But the other occupant in the office couldn't seem to pick up her jaw from the floor.
Uchiha Sakura knew that her teammate was being serious but about what she didn't have a clue. She was very curious about what matters her teammate had to say. And she became insanely more curious when she saw another blond enter the office in the same moment her jaw clapped shut.
"Ino?" asked a confused pink haired woman.
"hey forehead. Hokage-sama" saluted a now slightly winded Ino.
"Gaki, what's the meaning of this? What the hell are you doing with a backpack if you don't have any missions assigned? That goes for you two Yamanaka" asked the blond Hokage.
Naruto determined eyes met Tsunade's and in a clam voice said "Tsunade-sama I want you, as the leader of this village that you officiate a wedding".
"And who's getting married?" Tsunade eyed suspiciously at the two blonds. She knew Naruto was seeing a girl for years now, but it never occurred to her that the girl was actually the recent Uchiha heir fiancé.
Naruto just raise an eyebrow at that question, and Tsunade realized what Naruto was asking. The blond wanted to keep the young mind reader as his own, but to do so, he needed to marry the girl before the Uchiha. And the backpacks probably meant that they would leave right after that.
Tsunade sighed. Damn gaki always making trouble for her. Now she needed a new successor. It seem Kakashi wasn't off the hook as he thought he would be.
"Will you ever come back?".
"I don't know".
"hmm" murmured the blond Hokage as she rummaged through some papers to find the one she was looking for.
After an intense silence Sakura couldn't help but feel like she didn't understand a thing. What was Ino doing here with Naruto of all people, and who was marring who? Could it be that Sasuke had change the wedding date and had asked Naruto to bring the papers to his house?, but that didn't add the fact that both blonds had packs with them. And as Tsunade had said they didn't have any mission assigned.
"Well I totally didn't see this one coming. But I wish you both the best. Ino, sign here and here" Tsunade said as she passed the pen to the blond girl a fond smile on her face. "Gaki you too need to sign here and here. Hmm. Good. By the power invested in me as the Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato and declare you husband and wife. Naruto you may kiss your bride" she said smiling as she stamped the seal on the paper to make it official.
Ino smiled up to his love now husband and threw herself at him kissing him.
Sakura just had a melt down right there.
"Thanks Baa-chan, you're the best"
"Yeah yeah gaki just be safe and I want pictures of you honeymoon and all the babies you're going to make for me to spoil" Tsunade said as she dismissed them with a wave.
Sakura finally regain her voice once the blond duo bolted into the night towards a new life together, she asked her mentor if she knew just what she had done.
And Tsunade looking out into the night responded "Sakura life has too many roads for people to walk on through the course of their lives, and Naruto is someone who has always walked the same path, even if sometimes he wish he would have take that tempting turn. He deserves to be happy for once, and if Ino is his happiness then so be it. Sasuke will just have to find another girl willing to be a baby factory for him".
Sakura gave an amused snort and shook her head. Gazing out into the night, she wished the best for both her friends and their future.
