The Pack

By: Karasu Kyra

Chapter Seven: The Battle of the Pack

Sakura turned to Ino, an apron wrapped around her waist. "Neh, Ino-chan, how much fertilizer?"

A few months had passed since the Night of Dance. Sakura had taken up a job at the Yamanaka Flower Shop. She and Shikamaru had started getting along as soon as he didn't hold a grudge against her. The Sound pack hadn't been heard from thought they were constantly on high alert. Several extra patrols were sent each shift nowadays.

"Ehh, just a handful." Ino answered, tending to her own plants.

A few hours later had the two walking out of the shop. "Ino, how about we head down to the park today, and feed the ducks?" She held up a small back of popped popcorn, a lopsided smile on her face.

Ino shrugged. "Why not?"

The two headed down a few blocks to the local park. It was near a bay. Small children were running through the ducks making them fly away and flock in a different spot. Some older children were playing on the jungle gym and swings. All the parents were around the edge mingling with each other and keeping a watchful eye on their children.

Ino and Sakura walked closer to the water, Sakura grabbing a small handful of popcorn and throwing it in front of them. Just moments later a lone duck waddled over to the popcorn while the other ducks watched it warily. It picked up a piece of popcorn in its bill and ate it happily. It gave a small quack and the rest of the flock made it's way closer and began picking at the popcorn.

Suddenly something caught Ino's eye. She fell to her knees and gave the bag of popcorn to a child, directing the boy into feeding the ducks. His small grey eye's lit up and he began throwing handfuls of it out, delightedly squealing as the ducks flocked near him.

Ino grabbed Sakura's wrist and pulled her to a few lone ducks that had not followed the flock. She pulled a few pieces of popcorn from her jacket pocket and threw it down. The ducks came waddling over, hungry.

"Do you notice anything of them?" Ino asked.

Sakura looked to them, but shook her head puzzled. "No, should I?"

"Look closer, the ducks that aren't colored are female and the brightly colored ducks are male…think about that."

Sakura looked again and noticed that each duck was staying near a duck of the same color. "Well, the females seem to stay with the females and the males with the males."

"Yes, that's correct. Now why do you think their own flock would shun them for doing that?"

Sakura thought a moment, then answered sadly, a dry humour lacing her voice. "A homosexual duck?"

Ino gave a dry laugh. "Correct, love. Now think about this; If it happens in nature, what makes who you are so unnatural? It's unusual, yes. But not unnatural."

Sakura thought on that a moment. Her and Ino the other day had been at Ino's apartment and Sakura had confided in her, her fears. But in this sense, this knowledge she had learned, it placated them. Sakura smiled again and chastely kissed Ino. "You always know how to help me, love."

Ino smiled. "Let's go home, Sakura. I'm getting cold."

Sakura nodded her ascent. The two took a short-cut home through an alley. Along the way they passed a stranger. As soon as she stepped one foot passed the stranger, she froze and whirled around, Sakura just a moment later. The stranger had whirled around as well. They were all crouched, their teeth bared.

Ino side stepped to the left and the black-haired man followed it. Suddenly, another man was standing there, crouching. Ino growled. "Who are you?"

The man pulled down the collar of his shirt. "Sai Baiken of the Destati pack."

Wary puzzlement filled the blonde's eyes. "You don't smell of the Destati pack."

The dark haired man gave a dry chuckle. He reached into his coat and produced a bottle. "It's a cologne. I do a lot of undercover. Now, who are you?"

"Ino Yamanaka, Destati pack." Ino pulled her collar down, showing her mark.

The man's eye's widened marginally and he loosened his aggressive stance. "Ms. Yamanaka, I see. Oh, and who are you? I've not seen you before. I'd remember an ugly brat like you."

"Sakura Haruno of Destati." She said, baring her mark, growling at him.

Ino lunged for him and grabbed him by the throat, squeezing his windpipe. "My mate and pair bond. I'll trust that when I release you, you will apologize sincerely." Ino growled loudly in warning. She let go of his throat.

He chuckled again. "My sincerest apologies. I'll be off then."

He and the man next to him turned and began walking again. Ino growled. "I don't trust him."

"Should we speak to Tsunade-sama?"

"Yes, I think so." Ino said. She glanced around and shifted to her Werewolf form, Sakura doing the same. Discreetly they jumped to the roofs and sprinted, jumping building to building. In just minutes the arrived at Tsunade's, a lavish three-story mansion on the outskirts of town.

In front of the door, they knocked. A small brown-haired woman opened. "Shizune, we must speak with Tsunade-sama." Ino bowed.

"Of course Ino-chan." Shizune's brow furrowed in worry. She led them down the hall to the office of their alpha.

The two walked in and bowed. Ino stood quickly. "Tsunade-sama, who is Sai Baiken."

"Mm, I see you've met our newest member. He was part of Sound but has defected to Leaf. He will be assisting on patrolling. As you have informed me, we are at war with Sound." Tsunade took her time speaking, dragging her words out.

"Yes, Kabuto Yakushi, the beta of the Sound pack was caught twice on our property. Once in my room, and another time for an attempted abduction of my mate."

"Mm, serious charges those are. Definitely enough to start a war…And I heard they had been moving in small groups closer and closer. On that note it brings me to this…" Tsunade paused a moment. "Tomorrow Ino…I am stepping down as alpha." She held up her hand to silence the protests she knew were coming. "Sadly, I cannot fight against Orochimaru. I just can't. Not after…"

Ino sighed, her heart beating a mile-a-minute. She knew. She knew that the two had loved each other. But before anything really happened between them, Orochimaru left, seeking more power. But now she had Jiraiya.

The amber-eyed woman took a deep breath. "You and Sakura will be announced as alpha's at an emergency meeting. I know it's drastic, and selfish…I just…" She sighed, locking eyes with each of them.

"Forgive me…" Were her parting words.

0o0o0

Ino sighed as she lounged on the couch. She'd had a long conversation with her mother about Tsunade's words, and the responsibility that was being placed on Ino. Sakura was down the hall taking a shower. She just heard the shower head squeak to life. Ino sighed for what seemed the hundredth time that night.

There's so much going on right now…I had not expected to be pronounced alpha in such turmoil. I know I've finished my training but still…Am I ready?

Her thoughts were cut off by a knock on the door. She got up and opened the door. There stood Asuma, Kurenai, Kakashi, and Iruka. All her teachers. "May we come in?" Kakashi asked, his one visible eye curving. The other eye was covered by a piece of cloth that had a plate of metal over it, proudly showing off the Destati sigil. Anyone who didn't know just thought it was the symbol of the most popular club in town.

"Of course. Make yourselves at home. I'll be right back." She said as the all made their way to the living room.

Ino turned down the hallway and walked to the bathroom. She opened the door and clouds of steam escaped. She slid in and shut the door. "Sakura?"

"Yes, love?" The pink haired girl shut the shower off.

"We have guests."

"Who?" Sakura asked stepping out of the shower.

"Our teachers." She replied.

The blonde had a towel held out in her hands. Sakura turned her back to Ino so she could wrap the towel around her. Afterwards Ino kept her arms wrapped around Sakura. Sakura leaned her head back on Ino's shoulder. Ino leaned down and pressed her lips to Sakura's. She drew the kiss out as long as she could. "Be out soon, Sakura-chan."

She left the bathroom and walked out to the living room. Her guests looked her way. "So what were you up to?" Kakashi asked, curious as always.

"Telling my mate, who was in the shower, that we have guests." Ino answered.

"You were back there an awfully long time…" Kakashi hinted trying to get details.

Iruka blushed for his co-worker. "Kakashi-san!" He chastised.

"So who is your mate?" Kakashi asked, unfazed.

A voice came from the direction of the hallway. "Me." The green-eyed girl grinned.

"Sakura-san?!" Iruka asked, bewildered.

"Yup. Pair bonds as well." She said showing her wrist.

Now everyone's eye's widened. "Pair bonds. Really?" Kurenai's voice was laced with surprise.

Ino nodded. "Yup."

"That's pretty rare, Ino. You're quite lucky." Asuma added his two cents.

"Yeah, I know." Ino smiled fondly as Sakura sat next to her on the couch.

"So, what brought you guys here?"

"Support." They answered.

"What for?" Ino asked.

"Well…I heard you were being announced as alpha tomorrow…" Iruka answered, blushing.

Ino sobered. "Yeah…"

Now Kakashi was grinning. "We didn't know you were mated though. Goodness, Ino-chan, you never tell us anything! How long has it been?"

"Neh…a few months."

"A few months!?" They all spluttered.

"That would be what I said, right love?" Ino feigned innocence.

"YupYup." Sakura chimed in.

A crash then resounded, cutting off all other replies. It had come from Sakura and Ino's room. They sprinted down the hallway and into the room. There once again was Kabuto and several of their higher ranks. In skill, they were matched.

Kabuto smirked. "How nice to see you all again." He lied.

On Ino's mark they all shifted. Each Were in that room had gained the highest rank just below alpha. They fanned out into an equally offensive and defensive position.

"What are you doing here?" Ino asked as she crouched low and bared her teeth. She was at the head of the formation as was Kabuto on their side.

"Just a little spy work. Honestly, you guys have really weakened, I've slipped past patrol several times now." He waved his hand nonchalantly, just barely in an offensive crouch.

Then at once, all hell broke loose. Several more Sound Were's came into the room. They rushed the Konoha Were's and then it had everyone locked in a hand to hand combat. Ino was easily holding her own against Kabuto. Kakashi and Asuma were backing up Iruka and Kurenai with several of the mid-rank Were's. But Sakura was having trouble against one of the Were's working directly under Kabuto.

Ino growled when she glanced in her mate's direction. She looked back to Kabuto, who was locked hand to hand with her. She let out a predatory roar and twisted Kabuto's arms and threw him against a wall.

Sakura blinked when blonde hair filled her vision and she heard a thud. Ino stood before her. She smiled brushed a hand along her back, whispering thanks in Ino's mind. She turned to an opponent facing the small group of teachers and delivered a swift, strong punch.

Ino let out a gasp as claws tore through the fabric of her shirt and sliced open her back. She whipped around, dropping low and sweep kicking Kabuto's feet out from under him. He elegantly performed a back flip and landed on his feet. So much like a cat, Ino thought with bitter distaste.

She ran forward and slammed the heel of her palm into his chest and used his off balanced state to knock him the rest of the way by following up with her other palm and striking his abdomen. She'd learned that trick from sparring with Neji Hyuuga who's main fighting style was open palm.

As he fell to the floor she dipped and grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. His hands flew to her wrist to try and get rid of the obstacle stopping the flow of air in his system. Her hand did not budge. "What are you doing here."

Despite his predicament, Kabuto smirked. "I already told you, a bit of spy work."

Ino squeezed tighter, hearing the sounds of battle slow behind her. It sounded like her pack won. "Spying on whom?"

That smirk grew to a full out grin. "You, the soon-to-be alpha of the pack. Tomorrow's your inauguration if I'm correct."

Ino growled in frustrated anger, crushed his windpipe and threw him to the side. His back shook the wall upon collision. He scrambled up, clutching his throat and transported his men out of the room. That made Ino smirk. That was dangerous, flashing all those people out, not able to breath, and still hoping for energy left to heal his little breathing problem.

She turned and assessed her pack's injuries. Iruka was limping, and Kakashi's shoulder was bleeding profusely. Asuma and Kurenai looked a bit scratched up, but none the worse for ware. Sakura wasn't even scratched, though she looked guilty about it. Ino rolled her shoulders, the wounds on her left shoulder blade descending to her right hip, screaming in protest. She shifted back, and the rest followed suit.

"Did you find his reason for being here?" Kakashi asked, being an ex-ANBU, an assassin Were for Konoha, he was completely somber at the moment.

"Dammit! He was scouting stats on me!" Ino ground out between clenched teeth.

"Ino-san it couldn't-" Iruka was cut off as two people flashed into the room. Ino braced for an attack.

"Ino-chan! Sakura-chan! Are you guys all right?!" Naruto's voice protruded from the cloud of smoke that had risen due to the shift in energy. He stood, a frown planted on his face, his blue eyes worried.

"We came here as soon as we could, we were out of range, hunting." Sasuke added in.

"What happened?" Naruto asked.

A strange thought popped into Ino's head, and so to lighten the mood, she asked it. "…Can you read each other's minds, even when you aren't in Werewolf form?"

Naruto gave her a strange look, and then whined. "Ino-chan!"

"Yes?"

"What happened?"

The blonde haired girl sighed. "Kabuto and some of the Sound pack were spying on me, picking up stats."

Sasuke spoke up after a moment of silence. "Well, in your room they're bound to find hardly anything."

"True."

"Should we report this to Tsunade-sensei?" Sakura asked, concerned for her mate's well fare.

"No, no as you all know, I'm sure, she's giving up alpha tomorrow. I don't see the need to worry her further than she is." Ino smiled trying to reassure the Were's; her Were's really.

"Understandable." Kurenai added, her voice soft, in contrast to her sharp crimson eyes.

"Yeah," Ino said, looking at each and every Werewolf in the room, her gaze then slid to the newly waxing moon. "Now to deal with this mess."

AN: Okay, to explain something that's been brought to my attention, Ino grabs everyone's throat because that is the easiest way to disable a Were. Definitely not kill them, but disable them; They heal fast.

Also, I've got two side fics in the process of being written so keep an eye out for them! D