Well, hello again. Here is the new chapter for "Whatever it takes". I don´t know where I wanted to go with this one. I just wrote down what came to my mind. This time I wanted to show Narutos thoughts a little more, since in the last chapters I had my focus on Ino.
I don´t really know if this turned out to be as good as the last two chapters but it was all that came to my mind
For the next chapter I plan on a little time skip (one or two weeks) inside the story since I have already planed out most of it.
Oh and if you want to leave me a review, just do it. I like reviews.
Now have fun with the chapter.
„You know, if you would´ve listened to me you´d be fine now."
„Shut up. How was I supposed to know that this would happen, huh?"
„Because I told you."
„Just shut up and keep walking Naruto."
Ino could feel the smirk the blond idiot had on his face right now. Even if she couldn´t see it because he carried her on his back, it just had to be there. The one time in his life Naruto had been the one to tell somebody that their idea was stupid and now he enjoyed being right about it.
So what if she had used to much of her chakra after he had taught her the Kage Bushin? It wasn´t her fault that the stupid boy had more chakra than everyone else and made the jutsu seem fucking easy. How was she to know that ten Kage Bushin were her limit?
Well maybe because he told her something like that before she used the jutsu, but that was beside the point. It was NOT her fault that he had to carry her now. It was his for teaching her the stupid Jutsu in first place. He should´ve just said no when Ino had first asked him.
„Hey, don´t be grumpy. You learned a Jounin level Jutsu today AND managed to make five clones. I didn´t even manage to create a single Bushin in the academy." Naruto said and brought Ino out of her inner monologue.
„How many Clones did you create the first time you used the Kage Bushin?"
„Something around a few hundreds." he admitted to her.
„And you say TEN is a good number compared to that?" she asked irritated.
„Uhm maybe Im not the best example. I don´t even know how many clones Kakashi-sensei can do before using to much chakra. Anyway now it will be easier for you to master the water element, wont it? I mean if you only create five clones you should still have enough chakra to fight. If you ask me that is impressive enough."
„Its something I suppose" Ino agreed. Mastering elemental Chakra was a pain. While Ino could already use one of the water jutsu Jiraiya had shown Naruto it wasn´t nearly as strong as it should be. Therefore she had to improve her control over the element, which wasn´t as easy as she had thought. Naruto didn´t do much better, but in the end he could use Kage Bushin to fasten the process.
That was why Ino had wanted to learn the Jutsu, that had exhausted her so much, in first place.
The two of them had started too train before noon, after they had gotten all the things they needed and had spend almost all day on the training grounds.
Sometimes they had taken a break and discussed the things they had learned so far and what they thought would be useful for the other. In the end Ino had forced them to finish by creating to many Kage Bushin and draining most of her chakra.
Now Naruto had to carry her on his back because she could walk on her own anymore. As useful as the boy trademark Jutsu was, Ino knew she would never be able to use it like Naruto. Five clones was her limit if she wanted to use them properly, which meant she could learn five times as fast as normal. Spending one day of training seemed to be a small price for such an improvement to her. Afterall she HAD learned a jounin level Jutsu today. Maybe she should see the positive side, just like her blond friend did.
„SO..." Naruto started again. „Tommorow we go to the Hokage tower and ask for those stupid D-Rank missions?"
Ino smiled to herself. Honestly she didn´t want to go with her original plan anymore. Doing D-Ranks to improve their teamwork sounded good first, but after today she thought that they would be able to also do that while they were training. And the blond girl really wasn´t to thrilled to do chores when she could train skills that were actually useful.
„ I don´t know, maybe we should just train like we did today. With your clones as enemies we can set up a lot of scenarios to improve our teamwork AND train our jutsus by using the clones as targets." She told Naruto. „Sounds like more fun then catching that Tora again, doesn´t it?"
„Hell yeah." Naruto agreed.
„Then its settled. Now bring me home. I am tired and tonight I plan on actually getting some rest."
„HEY! I am not your slave!"
„You´re right. Slave is such a bad word. I prefer to call you my servant whiskers." Ino teased him.
„I should just drop you right here for that comment, but Iruka would lecture me again how that´s no way to treat a lady."
„Too bad isn´t it?" Ino smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder, eyes closed. „See the good thing foxy, the faster you get me home the faster we can cuddle again. You liked that didn´t you?"
„ I uh..I...you..." Naruto tried to conter with a red face, but the words just didn´t come out.
„See whiskers, I win. And as my prize I demand you as my pillow again." the blond girl whispered in Narutos ear. „Now get me home, please. If I am still awake when we arrive I´ll even cook something for you as payment okay?"
„Ok...Okay" Naruto answered still red.
If anybody could´ve seen and heard what just happened would think the two of them were a couple. Ino didn't really care about that though. Naruto and her worked good together and those little quarrels between them were fun. Not to mention their situation was special. Afterall there were perfectly good reasons she lived with Naruto, trained with him, shared a bed with him, felt comfortable and safe around him, liked to be near him, lie in his arms and wanted to ki...
Anyway there were a lot of reasons for the way she felt towards him. If people didn´t see that and assumed they were in love it was their own damn fault!
The two genin were only a few corners away from Narutos place when the boy suddenly stopped. Before Ino could ask what was up with that, or even open her eyes she heard a familiar voice yell:
„THAT can´t be right. I have to be dreaming."
The voice had a mocking tone and belonged to a gril Ino knew all to well. Opening her eyes she could see three girls in front of her and Naruto, all of them former classmates. The one in the middle, Ami, had been the one speaking but all of them had those expressions like christmas had come earliy this year. Ino knew what was going to happen now. These three had been the biggest bullies back in the academy and were always waiting to make someones live miserable. There was no way they would let this chance to get revenge on her and Naruto go.
Ino had more than once protected people like Sakura from them and Naruto had played a lot of pranks with them as targets. Also all three of them had failed the „real" genin test. Before Ino could think more about it Ami began to speak again.
„What do we have here? The great Ino Yamanaka and the dead-last all lovey dovey together. Isn´t it cute?"
Her friends both snickered at the girls remark before Ami went on:
„ Really I never thought id see the day that the loser over there would find a girl that would stoop so low as to be with him. Anyway it´s kind of fitting that the gets an ungly pig like you Yamanaka."
Ino face became red from anger and she shouted at the stupid bitch in front of her:
„Oh so if hes a loser and Im an ugly pig what are you then? Unlike Naruto you didn´t become genin. Instead when Suna attacked you cried your little eyes out and I had to carry you to the shelter, while Naruto fought Gaara of the Sand! If Naruto is a loser than you´re not even worth to be looked at Ami, which is better anyway because your face looks just like a horse!"
The civilian girl became just as red as Ino and started to shout back. Since she couldn´t insult Naruto with the way things were she decided to focus on Ino. That would be enough revenge for her. So Ami choose the topic she knew it riled Ino up every time in the past.
„Ha you´re just jealous because Sasuke-kun wont ever notice you! Thats why you choose to be with Uzumaki, because no one else would want you!"
„Even if Naruto and I were a couple I would choose him over Sasuke anytime. At least he is nice to the people around him. You wouldn´t get a guy even if you paid him to be with you horse-face!"
Naruto and Amis friends both were watching the scene between the two girls, without knowing what to say. Before they could do anything Ami choose to say the one thing she knew it would hurt Ino.
„Well at least my parents love me and don´t throw me out. Yours instead only see you as a failure and want to have nothing to do with you anymore!"
The insult did exactly what Ami had planned. Though it was nothing but a lie, it hurt Ino to hear those words. She hadn´t talked with her parents ever since she ran away, because she didn't know what they would say to her. Amis words hit just the point Ino was really emotional about. No matter if it was true or not, hearing those words hurt more than any kick Anko had dealt her during their training sessions. Tears swelled in Inos eyes and she began to sob.
„Aawww, did I find a sore spot, little crybaby? Do want to run home to mommy and cry your eyes out? Too bad you can´t huh?" Ami continued.
Sadly in her anger and hate towards Ino, she had forgotten about Naruto even if he carried Ino.
Amis friends had been smarter than said girl and had already silently left the street to go home. Afterall they had seen Narutos face when Ami had insulted Ino and worse when the blond girl had started sobbing. Both had know that it was better to leave now.
The blond demon vessel started to move slowly. He went to one of the benches that stood at the sideway and gently placed the now sobbing and crying Ino on in. Then he knelt down so he was face to face with the girl.
„Hey, don´t cry. What would Anko think of you? You´re way better than to cry over something as simple as stupid words Ino" he said in calm and gentle voice. Sadly Inos sobs and tears went on. Also it didn´t help that Ami decided to taunt the girl again.
„Stop lying to her! She is nothing but a failure! Even a loser like you is too good for her!"
This however was the last straw for Naruto. He took Ino face in his hands and forced her to look at him.
„Wait here okay? I´ll be right back."
Then he stood up and turned to Ami. Without him noticing his eyes flashed and became red. Slowly he went to the stupid bitch that had made his friend and roommate cry. Seeing his face said girl began to shiver and looked for her friends who had left her long ago. Now Ami was afraid, because the boy in front of her looked absolutely angry and willing to make her suffer.
She couldn´t even move in fear till Naruto stood right in front of her. That wasn´t the loudmouth from the academy Ami knew. This Naruto was a Ninja who could kill and was angry with her.
When he spoke his voice was calm, deadly and nearly demonic.
„You have exactly five seconds to leave. If you don´t I´ll show you how much of a failure YOU are and how painful it can´t be to fail in the false situation. And if you ever make Ino cry again or sprout any rumors or lies about and her parents, I promise that you will regret it. Understood?"
The girl just nodded dumbfounded.
„Good. NOW LEAVE!"
And with that Ami ran home as fast as she could. Whatever just had happened it had scared her shitless and she would make sure to never come near Ino Yamanaka or Naruto Uzumaki again.
Meanwhile Naruto had gone back to where Ino was sitting and had picked the still crying girl up in his arms. The last few minutes had ruined the good day the two teens had been having so far.
Ino just curled against Naruto, not caring about anything anymore. She just wanted to lie down and have him near her, no matter what.
Naruto reached their place pretty fast. They went inside, Ino still in his arms, but not crying anymore and the boy put her into the bed. Then he left for a moment so she could put on her sleeping clothes and to get them some water. When he returned Ino had curled herself into a ball under the blankets and didn´t move. Naruto undressed and laid down right behind her. He turned Ino around and embraced her, making her head rest onto his chest and one of his hands was drawing circles onto her back.
He knew that Ino was still upset and he didn´t really know what to say or to do. He just did what he thought was right and would help her. Both of them lay there for the next half hour before Ino was kind of calm again. Then Naruto spoke:
„You know that Ami was just spitting bullshit right? Im sure your parents love you more than anything else. No matter what they have done, it surely was because they thought it was best for you. And they know you love them too."
Ino said nothing and just nodded against his chest. She couldn´t say anything and she didn´t want to think about anything right now either.
„Oh and thank you for defending me in front of Ami. I would´ve never know how to get back at that stupid girl." Naruto told her truthfully.
He didn´t know why but when Ino had defended him it had mad him feel happy in a way he never knew was possible.
„I was just saying the truth." Ino mumbled into his chest.
„Still, thank you Ino. Now lets sleep and forget about everything that happened tonight. We still want to train tomorrow and you wanted to actually get some rest tonight."
Reminding her of their earlier conversation made Ino smile a little bit again.
„Well I would sleep if my pillow wouldn´t talk so much." she joke half heartily.
„Then I will shut up my lady." Naruto retorted
„Night foxy."
„Night Ino-Hime"
/
While Ino snored on his chest, something he had a hard time not to laugh at, Naruto thought about what had made her cry. The situation with her parents was something that hurt his friend a lot, as was proven by Ami tonight. The blond boy knew he would have to do something about it soon. Something besides making Ami suffer the worst series of pranks he had up his sleeve.
Said girl would be humiliated in front of the whole village as often as he would find the time to prank her, just so Ino could laugh at her. Anyway that wouldn´t solve the real problem. He had to fix the relationship between the Yamanak family. It would make Ino happy again and in the time since the girl lived with him Naruto had found nothing that made him feel more lighthearted than a happy Ino.
The only question was how he could fix the rift between Ino and her parents. He needed to talk to Inoichi and his wife, but without Ino knowing about it. Only if both sides knew how important they were to each other it could and in a happy reunited family.
Naruto knew he liked Ino a lot. Even more than Sakura-chan and Iruka had told him that if you liked someone that way you had to do everything to make that person happy. Even if Ino didn´like him back he still intended to make her happy.
He had to plan this as good as possible, that much he knew. It wouldn´t just do to put both parties in the same room and lock them inside with one of his seals. Though that would have to be plan B.
Absently his hand went to Ino hair and started to stroke over it as gently as possible. Somehow it was a lot easier for him to be close to Ino since they had spent the last night together. During their small training breaks today Ino and him had always been close, both somehow resting comfortable with the other.
Honestly Naruto didn´t know what to make of this whole situation he was in. Not that it was bad, the opposite in fact, but being close made these new feelings he had for Ino way harder to figure out. He didn´t know if they were just close because they had to or if Ino enjoyed it just as much as he did.
Of course he wouldn´t tell her about his feelings till he was sure she liked him back. Sakura had been one tough lesson when it came to proclaim his feelings for a girl. A lesson he did not want to repeat.
While he thought about those things Ino snuggled a little bit closer to his warmth and a content sigh escaped her mouth.
He loved those small gestures Ino made without know. It was nice to see how comfortable she was with him and gave him hope.
Also he found the way Ino licked her lips whenever she had something tasty in front of her down right sexy. Or the way her eyes lit up every time she talked about her training with Anko-sensei.
He loved those small things and if he had known how good it was to be around Ino a few years ago he would've never wasted his time on Sakura-chan. Not that it was possible to turn the time back. You had to focus on the now and what was to come.
And that was his talk with Inos parents. With that his brain focused again on how to unite the Yamanakas again and make Ino happy. Sleep could wait a few hours more and that way he could enjoy laying in one bed with Ino even more.
