Chapter 10: Born To Drown

"Yamanaka-san?"

A knock resounded in Ino's office, interrupting her thoughts. She looked up from her paperwork, a weary sigh at the tip of her lips. "Come in."

The door opened to reveal Kotetsu, who turned sheepish when she smiled tiredly at him. "Um, Hokage-sama wants you in her office at two."

"Right, of course." Ino yawned, shuffling her papers into a stack. "Is that all?"

He hesitated, his smile turning unsure. "Uh... Genma said to meet him at Ichiraku...? Are you guys dating?"

Ino paused, looking up at him warily before she resumed her work. "So what if we are?"

Kotetsu shuffled nervously. "I mean... it's just unexpected."

"Is it now?" The corner of her mouth quirked up and she ran her hand absently through her hair, mussing it as she stood up to grab her coat.

Kotetsu slumped a little. "Well, okay. Maybe not. You eye-rape each other in the hallways every other day. Just the age difference thing is a little weird."

Ino poked his cheek, ignoring his previous comment. "Age difference is lame." She pressed a kiss to the same cheek as she exited. "I'll see you."

Ino thought she heard him mutter "Lucky dog," under his breath but she couldn't be entirely sure.

It was easy to spot Genma's familiar back when she arrived at Ichiraku. He had a distinct appearance, what with the way he wore his forehead protector and the senbon he was constantly chewing. She poked his side in greeting. Genma's head turned in her direction and he grinned at the sight of her. "Yo."

"Hey," she replied, settling in the stool in front of him. "Order something yet?"

"No, I was waiting for you." His smile turned sheepish as he waved Ayame over. "Two miso ramen please."

Ayame nodded and called their order, disappearing behind the kitchen's closed door. Genma turned back to Ino, regarding her before saying, "I think Raido's onto me."

Ino snorted. "Took him long enough."

"He wants to meet you," Genma admitted with an awkward neck rub. "If you want to, of course."

Ino shrugged. "Sure. He's like, your best friend, right?"

"More or less," he agreed, relaxing back in his chair and into his familiar smirk.

"I honestly thought it was Kakashi-sensei," Ino admitted with a little shrug, watching surprise flash in Genma's brown eyes. She frowned. "Is he not?"

One of Genma's eyebrows arched up, almost inquiringly. "Kakashi? Why do you think so?"

"You two seem close. I've seen you hanging around a lot," Ino elaborated just as Ayama came back with their steaming bowls.

Genma split his chopsticks and ate a mouthful before answering. "I think..." He made a contemplative sound at the back of his throat and paused again, chopsticks at the tip of his mouth, "Well, I guess we are close. Him being my cousin and all—"

"He's your cousin?!" Ino, who was in the process of swallowing, choked on her ramen and began to cough violently, praying to god noodles didn't come shooting out of her nose.

Genma reached over and patted her back worriedly. "Jeez woman, would you swallow before you talk?"

Ino gulped down a mouthful of water, cheeks flushed. "C-cousin?" she croaked again, bewildered.

Genma sighed but his mouth twitched back into a smile. "Quite strange huh? Everyone seems to have the same reaction."

"Well, it's quite the shock," she conceded, comparing the two in her head. "You guys look nothing alike."

"Well, he takes more after his father than he does his mother," Genma agreed, taking another mouthful of noodles, half chewing half talking. "And I take more after my dad, too."

"So your mothers are sisters?" she asked, slightly awed. Not many knew much about Kakashi. It astounded her that he had relatives. She never thought he had family outside of the Hatake clan, who were all dead as far as she knew.

"Hmm," Genma confirmed, "Aunt Chihiro used to look after me when I was a kid. It's really unfortunate what happened to her."

Ino hesitated before taking the plunge, "What happened to her?"

"She got sick— blood cancer." Genma sighed. "Kakashi was only four, he wouldn't have understood, so she couldn't tell him she was dying."

Ino set her chopsticks down, suddenly feeling sick. "Oh... that's so sad."

Genma gave a grunt of agreement and sat back. "Damn. Sorry, ruined the mood. This is supposed to be a mini date."

Ino gave him a reassuring smile. "It's my fault for being nosy. It's fine. I have to meet the Hokage in ten minutes anyway. Are you still coming tonight?"

A mischievous glint entered his gaze and he arched a cocky eyebrow. "That depends on how you perform."

Ino flushed, her mouth falling open. She reached over lighting fast and smacked him across the back of his head. "Genma!" she hissed, scandalised, but then she burst into a fit of giggles. "My god, you're a horrible human being."

Genma raised both hands, palms facing up as if to say he was helpless to change that. "Oops? You should come over though. It's always me coming over to yours. My turn."

His blonde companion snorted again. "What an idiot. Fine. I'll see you tonight okay? I'm going to go now before you say anything else."

"Tsk, rude," Genma complained, but he was still smiling so Ino got up and leaned over the table to press a small kiss to the corner of his mouth, letting her lips linger there just slightly. When she pulled back he was smiling at her, eyes half-lidded and filled with a warmth that made her stomach flutter with butterflies.

"See ya!" She threw over her shoulder as she hurried out of Ichiraku, leaving behind a half full bowl of ramen. Genma sighed in resignation and pulled it closer to finish her portion.

"Hokage-sama," Ino greeted upon entering Tsunade's office. Tsunade was hunched over paperwork, a frown tugging on her brows, looking absolutely exhausted.

"Ino." Tsunade acknowledged, looking up, dark circles evident beneath her eyes. "I have a mission for you."

Ino stepped forward to stand in front of Tsunade's desk, where a map lay open. Tsunade pointed with a manicured finger at the borders of Sound. "I need you to investigate one of Orochimaru's abandoned hideouts. There have been suspicious activities buzzing around this place and I don't like it."

Ino nodded. "Anything else?"

"I want you to specifically search for any papers regarding drug development. I'm afraid this ties too closely to Sakura's and Kakashi's mission." Tsunade sighed and chewed her lip in agitation. "Take someone with you. And be careful, for all we know, that place is filled with traps and I want you back by the evening."

Ino bowed her head. "Of course. I'll have Genma accompany me."

Suspicious marigold eyes instantly regarded her and Ino felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand. She expected Tsunade to say something but then the blonde woman just smirked and sent her off.

Mystified, Ino shunshined out of the room.

The man walking behind her let out a quiet string of irritated curses as the mud squelching beneath his soles seeped into his sandals and found home between his toes. "Why'd you say we needed to do this again?" He grumbled, hurrying to catch up with her.

"Hokage's order," Ino quipped and laughed when he groaned. "It'll be quick, we just need to go through his abandoned research."

"Really? Does that sound quick to you?" Genma huffed, finally matching her pace. "That sounds like it'll take days."

"Well, we only have a few hours. Tsunade-sama said to report back by the evening." Ino shrugged and watched Genma nearly trip forward. She suppressed a giggle, quickly adding on when he shot her a dirty look. "It seems this has to do with Sakura's mission."

"Yes, but the obvious difference is Sakura's playing fake couple with Konoha's hottest bachelor in a five-star hotel and I'm wading through shit." Genma groused under his breath.

"Ew, Genma, he's your cousin," Ino teased and took pleasure in the way his jaw dropped open in horror.

"Oh my god, woman," Genma cried, nearly falling back, "Don't— literally, don't."

Ino dissolved into a fit of giggles but when she calmed down she issued, "man, you're hopeless. Come on, quit whining. Right now I'm your team captain, not your sexy, gorgeous girlfriend. Zip it."

"Hai, hai," The brunet waved her off with a sigh and ploughed on.

Orochimaru's hideout came in the form of wreckage concealed within thick layers of Genjutsu. Once in, however, the scenery changed from aged wood and hip-high grass blades to sophisticated, vast corridors and heavy metal doors.

Ino had been here before— just once, back when they first discovered the hideout and she was a sixteen year old. She more or less knew her way around it, so she led Genma to the lab where she imaged drug charts may lay alongside god-knows what other horrific stuff Orochimaru had holed up in this place.

The building still reeked of death and horror even when the surfaces of the desks were so clean they practically shined, reflecting her image back at her to see. But perhaps that's what made her slightly nauseous. The strong lingering scent of antiseptic mixed with chlorine clung to every corner and every tool, and familiar surgical instruments were placed perfectly along the trays as if lined with a ruler.

Genma rubbed uncomfortably at his nose. "Is it just me or does it feel a bit... dead in here?"

Ino grimaced and nodded, moving towards the folder cabinets. "At least he labels his work—"The blonde interrogator was interrupted by the kunai that shot down from the ceiling when she took a step towards the shelves lining the walls. In a flash, a kunai appeared in her hand, and with reflexes only a war veteran possessed, she countered the flying projectile.

"Fall back," she hissed at her partner as she jumped away and crouched down. "There's no way the only trap he has set is a poisonous kunai."

"Good point," Genma said, his neck craning up to survey the ceiling. He took a slight pause before saying, "Hey— move away for a sec."

Ino complied, watching curiously as the brown-haired man spit the senbon between his teeth at a spot on the ceiling. Something soft squeaked, so quietly if Ino had breathed that second she wouldn't have heard it.

Multiple objects came dashing their way and Genma let out a soft curse, six kunai appearing in his hands, ready to counter.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ino's hands came together in a familiar series of seals— Tiger, Hare, Boar, Dog— she slammed her hands down on the sleek ground and a massive wall of earth came shooting up to conceal her and Genma.

The brown-haired man's sigh of relief caught in his throat as the poisonous projectiles began to melt their way through the earth.

"Fall back!" Ino cried, forming the same seals again and creating another thicker wall. She followed it along with a series of complicated, long seals. The air sizzled with the powerful gathering of chakra and a piercing shriek echoed as her water dragon came to life just in time to collide with the still hurtling ninja tools.

Water splashed everywhere and Ino had to channel chakra to her feet as to not slip when she moved to manually dismantle the projectiles that managed to escape her dragon.

Both her and Genma stood, highly alert as they waited for something else to happen— anything at all to show that there was another trap waiting to be figured.

Nothing of that sort happened and Ino frowned thoughtfully. "Wouldn't Orochimaru have a more challenging trap to protect his research?"

Genma nodded from his position, eyes surveying their surroundings. "Yeah but— look, whoever was here before us weren't as discreet as they thought." The brown haired man pointed under one of the lab tables where specks of blood were left to dry over to a rusty brown colour.

"You think these are their traps?" The blond looked up at the shelves again, now wondering if something else would attack her when she approached it again.

"Probably." Genma sighed and turned to aim one last kunai straight at the files.

A rough tearing sound echoed and one of the shelves, along with its contents, came skidding down on the ground in a mess of dust and loose papers.

"That should make things easier." Genma quipped and joined her beside the endless shelves of paperwork and detailed notes. And so they started at the Drugs Section and thus began their tedious search.

It was only three hours later that Genma suddenly looked up and inquired, "You said they made ninja super humanly strong?"

"Something like that." The blond confirmed from her crouched position on the ground. Some time into the second hour of their search her legs started cramping from standing still for too long.

Genma thrust a file her way. "It says here he was developing some kind of drug to increase adrenaline levels enough to make someone thrice as strong and even faster. Sounds a little like Sasuke's old cursed seal if you ask me. Except this is a drug that could probably be sold."

Ino's eyebrows shot up as she skimmed through paragraph after the next of detailed medical text. Strengthen cardiac muscle... Higher heart rate... More blood to muscles... Fight or flee response maximised... take two hours, thirty seconds before performing a body switch… Ino's jaw dropped and she gasped, "Hey! This is the thing he used to perform the body transfer so his soul isn't lost."

Genma scrambled to her side to read over her shoulder. "What'd you think the drug looks like? Maybe if we bring Sakura samples she'll have a better idea of what this is."

"Maybe," Ino agreed and got up to search through the drawers and lockers, taking extra care to not be surprised by a hidden trap.

Genma carried on talking, brows furrowing. "What I don't get is, how does this link to Sakura's mission?"

Ino froze. Suddenly, everything made sense to her and she leaned back against one of the tables, feeling a little numb. "Whoever we're after is probably further developing this drug to have even wilder effects. But that's really dangerous —I don't need to be Tsunade-sama to know this wears away on the body, and the cardiac muscle with frequent over-exaggerated use could result in quadriplegia and eventually death."

Silence filled the air for the whole of six seconds before Genma finally asked the important question. "What's Sakura's play in all this?"

Ino slumped. "I suppose her regeneration techniques. It's not a far fetch that they're trying to eliminate the side effect of the drug. If your body heals naturally and is constantly repairing itself, wouldn't that essentially eliminate the threat of death?"

"But... isn't Sakura's technique chakra control?" The brown-haired man looked thoroughly confused, his hold slackening on the files. They went skidding down his knees.

The blonde shrugged, unsure. "I'm speculating here, but what if they just want to study her technique to get a better understanding of how the body operates? Or worse, what if they do to her what's been done to Shodaime-sama's cells? What if theirs a certain formula in her genes that could be replicated to heighten recovery rate?"

Genma ran a hand down his face, letting out a weary sigh. "Okay," he said and sucked in a steadying breath. "Okay. At least now we have a starting point or something. I'm tired of running into walls."

Ino heaved a sigh and straightened to her full height. "Yeah. Yeah, you're right."

Tsunade hadn't even asked them to explain their findings, only demanding the files and drugs and dismissing them immediately. Ino suspected she needed to mull over it in the privacy of her office and maybe break a few things so she wisely lead Genma out.

The man yawned and undid his bandanna, raking his fingers through his soft brunet strands. The sight was just a little breathtaking, especially when his lips parted and he spoke in a lazy drawl. "So... you coming over?"

Ino regarded his slightly hunched over figure and the dark circles underneath his eyes worriedly— she knew he hadn't been getting any decent sleep and that Tsunade was running him raw but she missed him. Longing and selfishness warred together inside her head for long seconds and at the end, she said, "I don't know. You look like you could use some sleep."

The corner of his mouth quirked up in one of his famous smirks. "I could use some Genma and Ino time, too."

She rolled her eyes at him, but a small knot formed in her stomach, and she found herself smiling and shaking her head ruefully. "Are you ever thinking of anything that isn't sex?"

He pouted. "I'm offended— I think about my mission reports, too."

"Yes, and how late they always are because you're always putting them off. I would think of that too." Ino poked his side letting him know she saw through his lie and turned in the direction of his house, having decided to keep her dork of a boyfriend some company. "Come on, let's go."

He grinned and jogged after her. They took the rooftops to his house that was located at the heart of the city and when they arrived, Ino rolled her eyes at Genma because he slipped in through the window. She ignored him when he motioned for her to join him and rounded the house instead, entering through the door.

She found Genma pouting at her and remarked as she pointed at the door, "This is here for a reason you know."

Genma shrugged, making for the bathroom. "Meh, real ninja take windows."

Ino's eyebrow ticked and she stalked after him. She arrived just as he shed his shirt and was momentarily distracted by the sight of his long, bare torso reflected in the mirror, marred by faint scars. "Are you implying I'm not a real ninja?"

Genma snorted and turned to face her in all his shirtless glory, just as her knee jerked up. "Please, I wouldn't dream of— ah, ah, don't! No kicking me in the balls, I need those— you need those."

Ino brought her knee back down and slumped in defeat. "Dammit, you're right."

He grinned triumphantly, displaying a row of perfectly lined teeth, his senbon absent for once, and began shimmying out of his Jounin pants. "Care to join?"

"We won't get any showering done." She pointed, although he made quite the inviting sight stripping to his birthday suit.

"Meh, we're supposed to get dirty before getting clean." He winked conspiratorially and opened the glass door leading to his shower.

"You're insufferable," she grumbled with fake displeasure and got to undress herself. Deep brown eyes turned from the shiny white tiles of the shower to fix on her semi naked figure and she shot him a half-hearted glare. "Do you have to stare?"

His intense look shifted to a sheepish one, but he didn't bother looking away. "What can I say... you make it hard not to."

Ino refused— refused- to blush, instead, she pushed past him and turned the shower on. Genma startled profoundly at the icy water that hit his back and yelped.

Ino couldn't help it, she dissolved into mirthful giggles, earning his glare. That was until something dangerous entered his gaze— she barely had time to register the coming attack but he had grabbed the shower head and aimed it straight at her face.

Ino squealed, turning her face away from him as she was assaulted by a barrage of freezing water. "Hey— Genma!— stop— stop!"

It was him laughing now as she pulled her wet blonde strands out of her eyes. She glared at him now that he wasn't spraying her anymore but it quickly turned to a pout. She wondered how ridiculous she looked, long hair sticking to her face and neck. It didn't help that he looked the perfect picture of drop dead sexy, what with water droplets trailing down his contoured body.

He cooed, probably unaware of how utterly delicious the sight of him was, and moved to help her. "Don't you look like a wet kitten?"

She punched half-heartedly at his chest as his hands settled on either side of her head and his thumbs began stroking her cheeks. He was looking at her with that rare tender expression he got sometimes when he knew no one else but she was looking. It made her stomach twist with near violent butterflies.

The playful mood suddenly shifted to something heavier but equally as pleasant, if not more. Something almost intimate settled over the small space they shared; time slowed, the shower spray quietened and the temperature steadily rose regardless of the cold spray splashing at their feet. Ino was vividly aware of the loud beating of her heart in her ears, and she wondered if he could hear it too, or if his heart was racing as fast as hers.

It wasn't fair, she decided, when his touch slowly became scalding on her skin and she was yet again hyper aware of how naked the both of them were. How he could switch her moods around like he was shuffling a deck of cards, she failed to understand.

She decided it didn't matter for he leaned down and captured her mouth in a kiss that made her toes curl and her stomach clinch pleasantly.

A near electric tingling travelled all the way up her spine to the center of her head and settled there like a dull buzz. A sort of high that was much like the feeling of being tipsy. It intensified as he slanted his mouth over hers, kissing her deeply but without any real hurry like they had all the time in the world and he planned to savour every second of it.

Her belly tightened even further and she felt like her heart was trying to squeeze its way out of her almost painfully.

She pulled back for breath, her lungs screaming and her head light, like she was floating. His face was flushed like she was sure her own was, but he was smiling— not his familiar smirk where only the corner of his mouth twitched up sexily, no, this was his real smile, the one that said he was happy and content and it had a certain shine to it that inspired another swarm of violent butterflies in her gut.

"Shower?" he asked, like he hadn't just nearly dissolved her into a puddle at his feet. "I'll wash your hair," he offered, already reaching for the shampoo before she could reply, and then he was massaging her scalp and if possible, the buzzing in her body became a constant pleasant thrumming and if she didn't know any better, she would've thought she was drunk.

It occurred to her that this was why she loved him so much— this high he gave her with a simple touch and a small smile. Whether he was trying to give her pleasure or just keep her company, being around him made her happy.

She leaned to rest her forehead on his chest, ignoring his protest on the awkward position he now had to wash her hair at— it didn't matter, cleaning could wait, her conscious argued as she pressed a feverish kiss over his pectoral, her lips straying further down.

His fingers never left her hair.

Ino was in the process of swallowing her dinner when a booming knock rattled Genma's door and sent both of them into defense mode.

They had finished with their showering —and more interesting activities— not an hour ago and decided to have take out and relax on Genma's couch.

They briefly discussed what they came across in Orochimaru's hideout and what the situation was probably like for Kakashi and Sakura, only to now be interrupted rather rudely at dinner time.

Genma hurried to the door and Ino followed, wondering what was the likelihood of an enemy deciding to announce their presence before attacking. Another worrying thought presented itself as she pondered the possibility of a serious situation occurring.

All the scenarios in her head came to a screeching halt when the door opened to reveal a hunched over, panting Kakashi with a passed out Sakura in his hold. He had a wild look in his eyes like he had just managed to escape death within an inch and he could barely catch his breath.

He didn't even glance at her, nearly falling on Genma in his hurry to pass him the rosette.

"Kaka—" Genma began, bewildered and concerned as he scrambled to support the body of her best friend, but Kakashi interrupted him.

"No time!" The copy ninja seized his shoulders in a rough grip. "I have no time to explain. Take her. Keep her safe, no matter the cost! Keep. Her. Safe... please... I... I just really need you to keep her safe. For me, okay, Genma? Can I count on you?"

The look in his eyes was now desperate, one neither Ino nor Genma had ever seen before. One that made him look like a man on the verge of falling on his knees to beg for his life. It was such a startling sight Ino almost reached over to comfort him despite the worry that was driving her crazy now.

Genma nodded at Kakashi, who then turned tail and raced into the night, leaving both of them shell shocked and with more questions to answer.

Ino recovered first, moving to check on Sakura. The rosette was burning up, her breath laboured and her forehead glistening. Her body twitched and trembled every few seconds and her fingers moved blindly over Genma's chest like she couldn't see and was unaware of her surroundings.

"Sakura?" Ino said tentatively.

Unfocused emerald eyes searched frantically for her. "I-Ino, Ino— w-where's... Kakashi, Naruto— wh-where—" The rosette grabbed onto her arm rather weakly, her fingers shaking.

"Hey," Genma shushed, but his eyes were focused on something in the distance and his face twisted into a grim look. "Kakashi will be okay. Ino... take Sakura and get her to Tsunade."

"Huh?" Ino startled as she received Sakura from his hold. "Aren't you coming too…?"

But Genma was already forming hand signs. "No. I'll hold them back. Go. As fast as you can, no stops."

It was then Ino noticed the chakra of the approaching hostile figure and she fell back immediately, worried eyes fixing on Genma. "Will you be okay…?"

"Yes." He turned to face her just for a split second, long enough to send her one of his reassuring smiles. "Go."

Ino turned tail and fled.

Well folks, we're officially half way through UTU! This will probably be the only chapter I write from Ino's point of view but let me know if you guys liked it. Also GenIno yay, I love these two so much!

Now onto some bad news... I probably won't be updating until mid-September. I'm leaving on vacation and won't have wifi. I also have exams these following two weeks. I promise to try and work out a chapter during my break but for now, let's leave it at a September update.

And for the good news: you can either expect next chapter to be twice as long or for two chapters to be released within a week of each other!

Songs:

1) Suicide - James Arthur

2) - Too Deep

Beta'd by the beautiful Denilmo.

I'll miss you all and until next time.

-Rams.