A/N: This chapter was way too long originally so it will be divided into parts. One from Neji's perspective, one from Ino's, then one involving both of them. Because of this, the timeline of these events may be confusing. They don't all happen in order but by the end it will come together. Enjoy
Sorry for errors, only proofread once
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
The wedding-not-wedding was already two weeks ago even though Tenten remembers every sound and smell like it was yesterday. This also meant that Lee and Tenten have been together for two weeks. Yep, two weeks. It was a pretty significant milestone for the pair therefore…
Lee and Tenten decided to celebrate their two-week anniversary with a day of no training and only an amazingly planned date. It was an exciting day and Tenten couldn't be happier, Neji never celebrated their anniversaries! Her happiness was quickly shattered however once she arrived at her boyfriend's apartment and found him with hefty, dark bags under his eyes and an overbearing odor in his home.
"My beautiful Tenten, I am afraid we will have to reschedule." Lee looked remorseful.
"But…" Tenten started, "you can't reschedule an anniversary. I mean, I know it's silly but tomorrow won't be our anniversary anymore."
Lee looked pained before sighing, "It's Ino, she's sick again."
"Oh…" Tenten's shoulders slumped.
"It's the third time now so I'm taking her to see Sakura today." Lee hoped his girlfriend would understand.
"That's fine," Tenten muttered before bidding him farewell. She wasn't angry; she knew the pregnant girl's health was important. However, she did wish Lee would send her back to the Hyuugas already.
Ino had become the center of Lee's life in a way. She never left the apartment and Lee stayed home more than usual now. And when he did go out, it somehow ended up tying into Ino.
Their date to the sweet shop? He had to bring home biscuits for Ino. Their trip to the boutique on Main Street to buy her something nice for their date? He only chose that particular shop because he had to buy Ino a new shirt after he shrunk her original in the wash. Even during that particular date at the Imperial? He ordered something to-go so Ino wouldn't have to cook that night.
It was becoming unbearable! She loved Lee and she was happy to be in a new, fresh relationship with him but she just couldn't shake the feelings.
Even with her new boyfriend, she was still second to Yamanaka Ino.
xXxXxXx
You, Me, Her, and It
Chapter 10: Her Circumstances
Day One
Ino felt cold. That was the only sensation she could register. Looking around, she realized Lee had led her to Konoha Hospital. This made her rather upset. She was a medic! She didn't need to see any doctor! Especially if it was–
"You're late, Ino-pig." Especially if it was a certain notorious assistant head medic with a mop of pink hair.
"Shut up, forehead-girl. Lee didn't even tell me we were coming here," Ino countered, Lee behind her let out a nervous chuckle.
Sakura sighed. "You look like crap." The jounin led her friends into a room before going fetch Ino's medical records. She sincerely hoped this visit wasn't Neji-related like the previous one two and a half months ago.
Lee observed the pinkette with extreme interest as she took Ino's vital signs and asked questions about any symptoms she was experiencing. The girl frowned a bit before finally giving an explanation.
"I'll need some tests to confirm it but," Sakura looked hesitant, "I think it's preeclampsia, Ino." Lee had a look of curiosity while Ino's face turned to shock.
"Well, I mean," Ino addressed the medic, "that's not a big deal, right? It's not that uncommon."
Emerald eyes filled with pity, she knew the blonde understood the implications. "It's not that big of a deal but it is something to worry about since you're only in your second trimester."
"Give me two weeks and I'll be in my third!" Ino looked at her pleadingly. She was bargaining, another sign of denial.
Sakura began scanning papers on her clipboard before flipping the page and scribbling something. "I'm going to prescribe you some medications to control your blood pressure. That should improve a lot of your symptoms. It just really sucks you have this so early in your pregnancy. If we can't stop it from worsening then…" Sakura looked at her friend.
"I know what it means," Ino mumbled. "Go order the meds or whatever so I can leave."
"Are you still holed up in Lee's apartment?"
"Duh, I can't go home-home because my dad will ask questions and I refuse to go back to the Compound." Ino was persistent about that topic.
"Yeah, yeah, Neji is a jerk. I know. You're on bed rest, pig." Sakura stood before walking towards the door, making a hand motion for the silent young man in green to follow her.
Lee quickly jumped up and met the pinkette in the hall. "What's prelampsa?" He butchered the word beyond recognition.
"Ai yi yi," Sakura slapped her forehead with her clipboard, "she's so damn stubborn."
"Sakura-chan…" Lee prompted his friend to give him an explanation.
"It's something a lot of women develop during pregnancy." Sakura straightened up to become professional. "The biggest clue is her high as hell blood pressure. You also say she's been vomiting, right?"
Lee nodded. "It happens out of nowhere."
"That worries me. It's severe." Sakura ran her fingers through her hair. "It wouldn't be a problem if she was farther along in her pregnancy. Like I said, it is common. But this early…"
"So what does it mean?" The male was getting impatient. He needed to know what was wrong with his roommate.
"There's a good risk the baby may not survive this pregnancy. If Ino's condition worsens, she'll be at risk for organ failure. Her and the baby will die unless we intervene, Lee." Sakura was grim.
Lee looked distraught. "I do not understand. Why is this happening?"
"The cause is mostly unknown. There is a chance everything will turn out fine but we have to prepare for the worst. If her condition deteriorates, I will be forced to induce labor and stabilize Ino. The hospital staff is equipped to handle a premature baby but right now, it's too soon. The baby isn't viable; it's not ready to live outside of the womb. The baby will die."
"Then…we just have to wait, right?" Lee looked afraid. "Wait until the baby is viable?" He appreciated the fact Sakura wasn't sugarcoating the situation.
"Lee…Ino is only about 22 weeks along. About 5 and a half months. A baby will not be viable until at least 26 weeks and even then that's high-risk and the baby could still die. We can treat her to the best of our abilities but I don't know if Ino's condition will hold for an entire month." Sakura was worried for her friend's health.
"That can't happen…" Lee's voice trailed off.
"Take Ino home. I'll bring over her prescriptions. If her condition worsens, take her to the Hyuugas. I can instruct their home medics on proper care." She was flipping through the clipboard again.
"You think I can't take care of her?"
"Lee, you have to get back to your life. I know you've been turning down missions. Ino isn't your responsibility." Sakura was giving her comrade genuine advice. "She won't stay in the hospital, you know how stubborn she is. The Hyuuga home medics are the best choice. For you and her."
Lee did something very uncharacteristic, he became angry. "She won't go there! You think I haven't tried? It's been two weeks and I brought it up at least thirty times."
"She needs to be monitored, Lee," Sakura urged, "and you need to go back to your life. Be with Tenten. Make her happy. I don't know why you have this chivalry-like attachment to Ino but you can't take care of her. She isn't your res–"
"Responsibility," Lee finished for her, suddenly becoming melancholy. Sakura gave him a weak smile before waving and walking off. She had to make sure the pharmacy workers weren't slacking off.
And for the first time in months, Lee let a few tears fall down his face. Not his "Gai-sensei!" tears, but tears of utter and complete frustration.
xXxXxXx
Lee ended up walking Ino to the Konohagakure Intelligence Division since the building was near the hospital before making a mad dash to the Hyuuga Compound. He decided to bypass talking to Neji and requested an audience with the Clan Head himself.
Hiashi had a contemplative look on his face, "I do agree, this situation is dire." He tapped his fingers on his desk.
"Ino will not return willingly and I will not force her," Lee explained.
"Well then…we will have to convince the young lady," Hiashi called for the Hyuuga messenger.
Lee looked defeated, "Ino will not be convinced easily even if it is for her health."
"You say her pregnancy more than likely will not reach full-term, correct?" Hiashi was looking down as he wrote something on paper in perfect calligraphy.
"Yes, Hiashi-sama."
The Clan Head folded the parchment and handed it to the Hyuuga messenger. "Bring this to the elder Hitomi. Tell her it is priority." Lee watched curiously as Tokuma bowed before leaving.
"Lee-san, thank you for bringing this to the attention of my clan," Hiashi was dismissing him, "return Yamanaka to your care. You will hear from us very soon."
Lee looked disappointed, he was hoping the Hyuugas would do something about it today. "Yes, Hiashi-sama." The jounin bowed before leaving.
He still had a few more things to do before returning home. He had to find and apologize to Tenten.
xXxXxXx
"I already know it's a boy," Inoichi had his head on his daughter's belly, "he's so anxious in there."
Ino had an embarrassed look on her face. "I'll find out soon, dad."
"I guess he'll have white eyes, won't he?" Inoichi stood and smiled after his daughter nodded, "Speaking of white eyes, I ran into Neji recently. His hair really does grow fast."
Ibiki, who was sitting at a desk nearby, noticed the way his pupil suddenly stiffened. "Inoichi, it would appear your daughter does not like the topic of this Neji."
"Whaaaat?" The blonde male had his hands on his hips. "He's the father of her child, don't you know?" Ibiki did in fact know since Inoichi brings up his daughter, her fiancé, and their child so much around the building.
"I know I personally don't like the topic." Ibiki smirked while his coworker slumped over in defeat.
Inoichi motioned for the young Yamanaka to sit before returning to his own corner of the room. His daughter's face was a pleasant surprise but he still had work to do. Ino looked around the office, noticing the abnormal amount of papers littering the walls.
"Do you have a prisoner?" The girl inquired.
Ibiki was the first to look up. "A missing-nin, we think. Found him just outside the gates."
"There has to be more to it than that." Ino looked at him with one eyebrow raised.
"Nothing you have to worry about, Ino," Inoichi was speaking now, "just focus on making my grandchild as healthy as possible."
Ino looked at her dad with a quivering lip, "I want to work."
"You're on maternity leave," Inoichi said without looking up again. The male's head did snap up, however, after his daughter burst into tears. He immediately jumped up and ran to comfort her. "Ino! What is it? Are you hurting?"
This only caused Ino to cry even harder, prompting Inoichi to tear up himself. Ibiki watched the scene with a neutral face. The hardened man was immune to tears. His partner was just too soft when it came to his only child.
"If it'll make you feel better," Ibiki had to speak loudly, "you can go poke around in the guy's head. He spat in my face earlier. Give him hell, kid." Ino's face promptly lit up as she grabbed the man's file and ran out of the room.
Inoichi stood and crossed his arms. "That's unethical."
"A grown man crying is unethical," Ibiki muttered before speaking clearly, "I think a hormonal Yamanaka might just be what we need to get this guy to crack."
The blonde's face suddenly had a look of realization. "He has a pregnant wife. You're trying to play mind games with him."
"That's my job." Ibiki let out one of his twisted laughs.
xXxXxXx
Ino was already dressed for bed once Lee finally made it back to his apartment. The blonde silently offered him some of the dinner she cooked before retiring to the bedroom. Today was a good day in her opinion. Well, if you don't include the news she received during her hospital trip.
"I think Tenten enjoyed our date!" Lee called from the bathroom. Even though it was a few hours late, he was still able to squeeze in LeeTen time.
"I got to interrogate a prisoner!" Ino yelled to make sure he could hear her through the door and over the running shower.
Lee walked into the bedroom, drying his hair with a towel. "What happened?"
"He so cracked," Ino laughed at the memory, "he took one look at me and was ready to spill his guts out. He was pleading for them to just let him go home to his wife. Poor guy."
"Wow," Lee looked impressed, "you're incredible."
"Yes, I know," she placed her head on the pillow, "I think I want to visit Choji and Shikamaru tomorrow."
Lee smiled. "I am happy you have an interest in the outside world." The blonde simply rolled her eyes and tried to get some sleep. Lee, on the other hand, sat up a while longer and stared at the wall in front of him.
He had to think of a way to keep Ino as healthy as possible until the Hyuuga clan found a way to get her to the Compound and under the care of their family medics.
xXxXxXx
Chapter Ten: His Circumstances
Day One
"Neji."
"Tenten." The Hyuuga wasn't surprised when he noticed his teammate approaching, he knew she and her boyfriend would crack on their 'no-training' pledge for the day.
Tenten crossed her arms and straightened her back before speaking. "You need to go to Lee's apartment and make Ino go back to the Compound."
"Ino does not take well to demands." Neji tried to walk around the girl in his way, surprised when she took a step to the left to further block his path.
"Then ask her," Tenten proposed.
"I am not Ino's favorite person right now," he leaned in and smirked "ask Lee."
Tenten grew frustrated at the male's antics. "You're so annoying."
"You're cynical."
"You're pretentious."
"You're unlikeable."
The brunette girl's jaw dropped. "You're hateable."
"That isn't a word. You're senseless."
"You're lonely." Tenten looked smug.
Neji felt the need to one-up his ex. "You're desperate." He immediately regretted this after Tenten furiously pulled out her hidden kunai and began their long overdue death match.
xXxXxXx
Naruto and Kiba were on their way to Ichiraku's when they passed training ground 12. The sound of an explosive made them stop in their tracks.
"Woah!" Naruto took and few steps back, "explosive tags aren't even allowed this close to town!" The blonde couldn't believe someone was being even more reckless than him.
Kiba had his hand over his face as a visor. "Looks like Neji and Tenten are going at it pretty hardcore." The boy began to laugh once he noticed Neji was forced to use rotation to get his ex off of him.
"I have an idea," Naruto looked devious before standing on top of a nearby bench, "COME ONE, COME ALL! COME AND WITNESS THE GREATEST BATTLE OF OUR GENERATION!" Many villagers stopped in curiosity.
"Man, you're evil," Kiba was looking at his buddy in amusement. Naruto began leading a line of people in the direction of the fighting couple.
xXxXxXx
"You're insufferable," Tenten jumped into the air and tried to land a drop kick on her opponent, only for him to dodge it with quick movements.
"You're boring," Neji attempted to bombard her with his palms. The pair were very conscious of the group watching them but they didn't care. They were only civilians.
"You're not even that cute!" Tenten yelled. The crowd immediately erupted with cheers and some boos.
Kiba covered his mouth to laugh. "That was low, Tenten." Naruto was practically dying of laughter next to him.
"I don't like brunettes." Neji grew even more irritated.
"Well….well…neither do I!" Tenten had stopped her attack after she ran out of comebacks. The crowd grumbled at her lackluster performance.
Neji stood up from his stance and crossed his arms, "I can't tell looking at your dating record."
"Ooooooh burn!"
"Mommy, what's a brunette?"
"Brunettes are hot, 'ttebayo!"
"Is pink a brunette?"
Everyone turned to look at Kiba after he asked his question. He simply sweat-dropped and scratched the back of his head. The unruly shinobi would ask Shino his opinion later. Shino knew everything.
Tenten glared at Neji. "You know what I just realized?"
"What would that be?" Neji asked.
"I think we needed this," the girl tilted her head slightly as her expression softened.
Neji was silent. He agreed with the girl but at the same time he didn't. He had been satisfied with the way things ended. Unfortunately, fresh wounds were easy to open.
"Neji?"
"You're right." He looked at her before looking away again.
"You're yielding," Tenten said softly.
"You're empathetic."
"You're…misunderstood."
"You're in love." He was looking at her now.
"So are you." The girl smiled. Neji looked vaguely surprised but otherwise showed no emotion.
Naruto grinned at the scene while Kiba rolled his eyes. The crowd dispersed after the intense battle turned into mush. They wanted action. A very confused looking Lee then arrived on the scene.
"Did I miss something?" Lee addressed the two males next to him.
"Not much," Naruto folded his arms behind his head, "just a youthful battle of youth!"
"The lotus of Konoha does bloom twice, after all." Kiba played along.
Lee shrugged and walked towards his teammates. "Tenten, I see you've been training." His eyes held hints of sadness.
Tenten looked apologetic while Neji responded to his friend. "It's not her fault. It is mine."
"Well then," Lee extended a hand to his girlfriend, "let's go celebrate our anniversary!" Tenten smiled before joining hands with the boy and bidding the other three farewell.
Naruto's eyes widened. "They've been together a whole year already!?"
"No," Neji's eyebrow twitched, "it's their two week anniversary." The group of males stood in silence for some time, shifting awkwardly.
"Yeah, I don't want a girlfriend."
"Good thing Hinata isn't like that."
xXxXxXx
Her Circumstances
Day Two
Two weeks had gone by and Ino was now officially six months pregnant. She felt like she was getting bigger every single day but that was just her imagination again more than likely. The young Yamanaka was the happiest she had ever been in months.
Ino reluctantly woke up around 7 because of the rays of light coming in through the window. Lee made a point to pull open the curtains every morning before he left for 5AM training. After groggily getting out of bed and closing the curtains, the kunoichi suddenly had a headache.
A really bad headache.
"Not again." Ino sighed as she walked over to the dresser and pulled out a bottle of pills. She tried to follow her prescribed regimen but the girl had a habit of not taking her meds until symptoms came on.
After her morning routine, the blonde was about to get back in bed before a knock came from the door. With a sigh, she made her way to answer it.
"Rock Lee's resi– " she stopped short. "What the hell do you want?"
It was the Hyuuga messenger. "Hiashi-sama has requested Lee-san's presence at the Compound." He handed her a letter with the Hyuuga crest, which she then took and threw across the room.
"Did you seriously have to come this early?" Ino's eyebrow twitched in irritation.
"This is Hiashi-sama's request," the young man said in defense.
"I'll tell him you stopped by or you can check the training fields yourself." Ino promptly shut the door and spun around to go back to bed. That quick movement, however, proved to be detrimental after the girl's head suddenly went light, causing her to hit the ground.
BOOM.
Tokuma turned back towards the residence after he heard the suspicious sound. He put his ear to the door before knocking lightly, "Yamanaka-san?" Silence. He knocked louder. "Yamanaka-san, are you there?" More silence.
After waiting a few more seconds for a furious blonde to open the door telling him to go away, the shinobi immediately figured something must be wrong. Activating his byakugan, his mouth opened in horror at the sight of Ino's crumpled body. He had to help the girl but he couldn't just knock Lee's door down.
The man went around to the back of the apartment building, hopped the fence, jumped up on a conveniently placed cinder block, scaled the wall a few feet, forcibly opened a window he hoped was Rock Lee's, and climbed in.
"Yamanaka-san!" The man quickly ran to the body lying on the ground, "Yama– Ino! Ino, wake up." Realizing the girl was out cold, he realized he had no choice but to get her medical attention.
Without bothering to shut the door all the way, the messenger took off in the direction of the Compound, unconscious blonde in his arms. It was funny the way history tends to repeat itself.
xXxXxXx
Ino awoke with a damp towel on her forehead and a blanket pulled all the way up to her neck. She groaned slightly and shut her eyes tightly, not very fond of the lighting around her.
"Lee…" She began, "close the curtains or I'll kill you."
"I hope you aren't hallucinating." An unfamiliar voice suddenly said, causing Ino to snap up.
"Who are you!?" She practically screeched.
The middle-aged man sighed, "I told them you would want a female medic."
"Where am I?" Ino relaxed a bit after seeing the man had white eyes.
"The Hyuuga Compound," the man answered, "don't tell me you don't recognize your own room."
Ino blinked before looking around. She noticed the familiar white vanity set with a pink robe draped over the seat and the white, stuffed teddy bear lying next to her with a purple ribbon around its neck.
The girl picked up the object, "Pouf…" She stared at the bear before turning to the man, noticing he was packing up his supplies.
"Welcome home, Ino-san," he stood and took his leave. Ino subconsciously hugged the stuffed animal in her arms before lying down on the mat.
"Stupid Hyuugas…kidnapping me like this," Ino mumbled, "Hyuugas are so stupid, aren't they Pouf?" She made the bear nod it's head.
Making no real effort to discern how she even got here, Ino decided to go back to sleep.
xXxXxXx
Ino had been 'home' for a couple hours before finally leaving her room. The maid brought her a change of outfit, an orange maternity dress with the kanji for 'boar' on it and Ino couldn't help but wonder when and why it was even made.
Turning towards the center of the Compound, Ino immediately realized the building was much more lively than usually. Much more.
"Hey, Ino-san!"
"Ino-san, we missed you!"
"Ino-san, I still want that shougi rematch."
The blonde couldn't help but smile at all the greetings she was receiving. She was perfectly content with eating with the Branch members before Hinata showed up.
"Ino-chan!" The lavender-eyed girl hugged her. "I'm so happy you're actually here. Hanabi was betting you wouldn't show up."
"Oh, um…" Ino wasn't entirely sure what the kunoichi in front of her was talking about. "I probably wouldn't have come on my own, to be honest."
Hinata blinked in surprise. "Ino-chan… This is all for you."
Before Ino could ask the heiress for an explanation, the door to main hall suddenly slid open, revealing a room full of Hyuugas.
"Surprise!" Dozens of Hyuugas greeted the young woman as she entered the hall.
"Wha-What is all this?" Ino turned towards Hinata who was still smiling.
"Your surprise baby shower!" Hinata grabbed Ino's hand and pulled her towards the center of the room. "Father sent the messenger to tell Lee-san today was the day but I guess he chose not to come.
Ino was still taking in everything going on around her. "I mean, why would he want to come anyway? It's a baby…shower." The blonde turned around to further inspect the hall. "My baby shower."
"Exactly, it's your baby shower!" A familiar voice caught Ino's attention. "So of course Lee would crash even if it was girls only."
"Tenten?" Ino blinked in disbelief. "Are you okay with being here? I mean, well."
"Don't make things awkward, pig."
"Sa-Sakura?" Ino's eyes widened at the sight of her best friend walking in with several gift bags."
Hinata addressed the blonde. "Ino-chan, you don't have to be so surprised. Of course everyone would be here."
Ino smiled warmly before joining in the festivities herself. That cake looked utterly delicious
xXxXxXx
Ino was enjoying herself. She almost thought that joy would be ruined when Hiashi suddenly appeared to discuss something with her. However, not to her surprise, he was simply extending her an invitation to officially move back into the Compound. Her response was brief.
"I'll think about."
With that being said, the blonde walked over to her designated seat and plopped down. Perhaps it was due to all the baby related festivities going on but she was really tired.
"Ino," Tenten approached her from who knows where, standing over her semi-awkwardly, "can I talk to you?"
"Yeah, sure." Ino decided to stand again to put an end to the way Tenten was looking down on her. No one looked down on Yamanaka Ino.
"I hope I'm not out of place to ask this but, what will happen to the baby?" She truly sounded curious.
"I…don't know," Ino looked contemplative, "adoption to a Hyuuga couple more than likely. Well, after we re-establish it's Neji's baby and not Lee's."
"Ino…thank you," Tenten smiled, "I know it was you who gave Lee the courage to act on his feelings. To 'follow his heart' or whatever that was. It won't really make for a good wedding story though. Well, I mean, it is a wedding story techni—"
"Well, Tenten," Ino smiled and interrupted, "not every love story is perfect." Another woman suddenly joined them. It was Hitomi.
"Not every love story is perfect but love is love," she spoke in that typical romantic tone. "Congratulations, girls. Consider this your Etiquette School graduation." She kissed them both on the cheek before walking off again.
Both girls unconsciously placed a hand over where the woman's lips brushed them and gave each other warm smiles. Circumstances aside, the girls were truly friends now.
"Ino! Tenten!" Lee, a surge of green among all the pink and white decorations, suddenly appeared. Suddenly beaming, Tenten held out her hands for Lee to take hold of.
"What on earth are you doing here?" Tenten asked still with a smile.
"Yeah…what are you doing here?" Ino repeated the question with her arms folded, looking over Lee's shoulder for anyone else that may appear.
As if reading her mind, Lee began to speak. "He isn't here."
"Oh." The blonde was neither surprised nor upset. Okay, maybe a little upset. "Did he even know about this?"
"Neji…had a stressful day," Lee said slowly. Ino looked at him expectantly.
It better be a good reason.
xXxXxXx
His Circumstances
Day Two
Much earlier.
"Lee!" Maito Gai geared up to punch his protégé in the face. "Pay attention!" His fist naturally connected with the boy's jaw, sending him flying.
Ignoring the pain, Lee quickly got back up and walked over to his master. "I apologize, Gai-sensei."
"Well," the hot-blooded male crossed his arms, "I suppose some things can't be helped. I assume you're distracted thinking about your youthful teammate and partner, Tenten."
"Not exactly. I'm thinking about Ino," Lee said casually, causing Gai to frown.
"Lee, I know I never gave you 'the talk' but it should be obvious," he put a hand on the side of his mouth and leaned in, prompting Lee to lean in as well, "you can't think about other women when you are in a relationship."
Lee's face turned red, "G-Gai-sensei, who do you think I am?"
"Hopefully not Neji," the man said with no hesitation.
"I heard that," Neji, pounding a nearby training post, said through his teeth.
Gai simply laughed, causing Lee to nervously chuckle and Neji to start pounding his palms even harder.
"Gai-sensei," Lee regained his composure, "you have it all wrong. I am not thinking about Ino in that way. I am more so concerned about her health." This caused Gai to frown and Neji to stop training.
"Ino is a youthful flower. What could possibly be amiss?" Gai questioned.
"Complications with her pregnancy," Lee said in a sad tone, "I am gone for long hours everyday leaving her unattended. I feel so guilty just thinking about it. I need to run one hundred laps to repent for this!"
Before the boy could take off, Gai gripped him by the shoulder and pulled him back, "my student, this is not a burden you should be carrying."
"It is not a burden," Lee urged, "I simply–"
"What's wrong with Ino?" Neji suddenly cut him off.
Caught off guard by the fact Neji called the girl by her first name, Lee stumbled a bit before speaking, "I, uh…she has prelampsia."
"Prelashia?" Gai put his hands on his hips, "is that an STD?"
Neji looked at the man in surprise. "What? Should I...get tested?" Gai nodded his head.
"No!" Lee yelled. "It's just something really bad!" He couldn't believe his sensei thought Ino had some kind of venereal disease.
"Sooo…" Gai began casually, "should Neji get tested or–"
"No!" Lee yelled even louder, "I have to go." The male shook his head and began to leave the training field, only to get stopped by his teammate.
Neji looked like he had a million things to say. "Lee, tell me what's wrong. Please." His friend gave him a sympathetic look.
"Sakura-chan says Ino will get sicker and she'll be forced to induce labor even though the baby isn't viable," Lee said quickly, "she doesn't want to but from a medical standpoint, she can't put Ino's life on the line to save the baby."
"Why didn't anyone tell me this?" The Hyuuga looked furious.
"Ino didn't want you to know. She thinks you wouldn't care. I wanted to respect her wishes but now—"
"Why wouldn't I care about her life? About my child's life?" Neji gave the boy a look of disbelief.
Lee looked nervous. "Well, if you truly wish for me to give you an answer…"
"Lee…" the male was losing patience.
"Okay," Lee straightened up and began to count on his fingers, "you had her as mistress for almost a year making her feel like she wasn't good enough for you, you told her 'you're the one pregnant', you stood her up when she asked you to meet her father, you said right in front of her you wanted to marry Tenten as soon as possible, you weren't there for her when she collapsed from hyperventilating."
"….are you finished?" Neji was giving him a death glare as the male opened his mouth again.
"You never visit her, you have yet to accompany her to any appointment, you said 'no' to that pregnancy class I suggested."
"No one goes to those things!"
Gai jumped in, "Kurenai asked me to accompany her to one once. It was very enlightening."
"No one goes to those things!" The jounin reinforced, ignoring Gai's statement.
Lee sighed, "I am almost out of fingers."
"She wants me to visit? Fine, let's go," Neji turned to leave, not bothering to wait for his companion.
Gai turned to his student. "Sooo…about that…"
"No!"
xXxXxXx
"She's not here," Lee was looking around his apartment frantically, "the door was open and she's not here! Neji, what if she got kidnapped?"
The Hyuuga tried to mask his worry. "That's highly unlikely." He walked behind the sofa, "There's no sign of a struggle."
"But she didn't take anything with her," Lee was searching the bedroom again for clues, "even her money baggy is still here!"
"Maybe she didn't need money," Neji was trying to be reasonable as Lee snapped open the object in his hands.
"Oh no…" His legs began to shake, "oh no…"
Neji walked over to his teammate in slight panic. "What? What is it?"
"Her Hyuuga ID!" The green beast was holding up a card, "she wouldn't go anywhere without this! She loves charging the Hyuuga account for everything!"
Neji snatched the object out of his hands, "I'm confiscating this."
"Oh, right. 'Not helping her financially' is something else I should add to the list," Lee smiled triumphantly after Neji reluctantly returned the card to him, grumbling in displeasure.
"Let's just go find her," Neji led the way out of the apartment. Lee quickly followed, leaving the door unlocked in case the blonde returned.
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"There's no way she's at the Compound." Neji continued to reinforce to his teammate as they hastily made their way towards said place.
"Ayame-san said today is Ino's baby shower! Of course she would be in attendance."
"Lee…it's Ino."
"Ii it truly so hard to believe Ino may enjoy things typical of a woman with child?"
Neji knew there was a jab somewhere in that statement. "Mistake me if I'm wrong but isn't a baby shower usually closer to the due date?"
Lee suddenly stopped in his tracked and lifted a finger matter-of-factly.
"I do believe that this event serves two purposes. One is of course so Ino can have a baby shower sooner than later in case she does not carry to full-term and two is that Hiashi-sama has probably strategically used this as a way to lure Ino back to the Compound under Hyuuga care."
"Then I won't be going," Neji said.
Lee looked shocked. "Why?"
"Because it is a baby shower, a woman's social event."
"You are the father! Some things may be expected of you," Lee said convincingly.
"Aren't you the father now technically?" Neji thought back to the events of the wedding. "You can go."
Lee thought long and hard about pursuing his parting teammate and forcing him to come along but then he realized something of importance.
She probably didn't want him there anyway.
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Chapter Ten:
His & Her Circumstances
Day Two
"Ino is gone." It was three simple words. Lee and Tenten left the baby shower and Lee was now walking her home.
Tenten looked at her boyfriend with no discernable expression before going back to looking at her feet as the pair walked the dark streets of Konoha. "You look upset."
"No…" Lee looked up at the sky as he walked next to his beloved. "But my apartment will feel lonely now."
"How sad." Tenten closed her eyes momentarily and smiled.
"You could always sleepover." Lee felt nervous now. "You can use my shower and you can borrow one of Ino's nightgowns and I can give you leftover curry and…" The boy's face was red.
Tenten started laughing. "Okay, Lee." She grinned at the way his face lit up. The couple then took a sharp turn in the direction of Lee's apartment.
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The party died down around 9 that night with still no show of Neji. The Hyuugas had put out two chairs for the gift opening ceremony before stealthily removing one. Lee did his best to fill in the role of 'baby's father' by posing for endless pictures with his hand on Ino's tummy. It was a very odd evening for all parties involved.
Ino removed her mom-to-be sash and sighed at the pile of gifts she received. The baby didn't even have a room yet. Where the hell were they going to put all this stuff?
The thought of the baby having its own room made Ino feel uneasy. A baby nursery? Whose baby is it anyway? She had no idea who the new adoptive parents would be since Tenten pulled out. At least her and Lee's relationship was flourishing.
Lee.
"I guess we aren't roommates anymore," Ino said solemnly. She was once again a resident of the Hyuugas and she had no idea how to feel about it.
Ino decided to take a walk outside of the Complex, it was the only time she could truly be alone. The walls of the Hyuuga Complex really did have eyes.
A lone figure on a bench caught the blue-eyed girl's attention. She immediately stopped in her tracks. He probably already noticed her and was waiting for her to turn around.
She almost did.
Ino's brows furrowed and she cursed herself for caring so much. She would walk by that bench like no one was there. Not even a look.
What reason did she have to look at Hyuuga Neji?
"Yamanaka."
Dammit.
"Neji," the girl said stoically as she continued to walk.
"You shouldn't be out here so late." He jumped up and stepped in line with her.
"Now you care?" She shot at him.
"Me choosing not to attend an idiotic social event does not mean I don't care about you or our child. But you are carrying a child with the byakugan which is dangerous in itself."
"Byakugan? This is Lee's baby, remember?"
"No one in their right mind believes that. But you and Lee are keeping the child away from the Hyuugas, protecting it with your family names. This situation can only end badly. Hiashi has even been treating me coldly for some reason."
"Well I'm sorry about your clan troubles, Neji-sama. But from the looks of things in there, the Hyuugas still like me and want me to move back in."
"…Will you?"
"If you would've came to my baby shower then you would know I already said yes," Ino said in a desolate voice.
Neji looked thoughtful. "If you move in then the baby would be considered mine again. Me and you will have to mar—"
"Seriously, Neji?" She cut him off. "You're suggesting marrying me just to get your stupid title as heir? No. One day you're so pressed to marry Tenten and the next you're a jerk."
Neji gave her no reply.
Ino became flustered and practically yelled, "Just go, Neji! I want to be alone. If you want to talk about anything we can talk about it tomorrow."
Taking a hint, Neji spared her one sad look before turning back home. He didn't mean for what he said to come out that way. At this rate, it would take a significant event to repair the rift between him and his child's mother.
"NEJI!" A loud voice boomed that could only come from one person. It was then accompanied by more screaming. The young man panicked for a second before realizing what was going on.
"Get away!" Ino was struggling with a masked assailant who was trying for a chokehold. "You don't know who you're messing wit—AHHHH" The man hit her in the stomach.
"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!" Neji, veins around his eyes bulging, quickly gave the masked man a hit straight to the chest before using his other arm to catch Ino from falling. The girl was still swinging her arms in panic.
The strange man stood, obviously half-incapacitated, and assessed the situation. Blood from his mouth was beginning to soak through the cotton mask.
"Gentle Fist!" A voice came from behind the man. It was Hanabi. The man went flying towards a wall before having his fall broken by another masked man. A third man then appeared as well.
"Ino-nee!" Hanabi almost ran towards the blonde before realizing one of the masked men was coming straight for her.
"Rasengan!" Konohamaru suddenly jumped between Hanabi and her assailant, landing a perfect hit.
"Make it a double!" Another Konohamaru appeared behind the man and slammed a rasengan into his back as well.
Neji, still holding on to Ino, scanned the forest with his byakugan. There was still one more shinobi in hiding, meaning in total there were still two.
The hidden man jumped down from a tree and landed next to his partner. "Now, it ends!" He said in a slimy voice as he and the other man beganpowering up for some dual attack.
Ino pushed away from Neji and formed her hand and fingers into a rectangle aimed at the two men, "Mind Disturbance Jutsu!"
The men suddenly went still before looking at each other and attacking.
"I'll kill you!" "Not if I kill you first!" It was a brawl.
Hanabi and Konohamaru quickly moved to Neji's side.
"What the hell was that about?" Hanabi demanded.
"Isn't it obvious," Neji said mildly annoyed, "someone is targeting Ino."
Panting and sweating, Ino finally released her jutsu. The men had beaten themselves up enough. If the jutsu lasted any longer it would've fried their brains.
"We need to tie these guys up and alert the Hokage," Konohamaru said.
Hanabi looked towards him, "I'll go run to the Compound and get the medics."
"I guess I'll stay here then," Neji murmured as the other two jumped away into different directions.
Ino began grimacing in pain and clutching her stomach. Instinctively, she grabbed onto Neji's arm as her body doubled over.
"Ino?" The Hyuuga was getting anxious.
"N-Neji…" The girl seemingly lost consciousness. Luckily, the Hyuuga medics showed up within the next minute.
The head medic assessed Ino's body before turning to Neji. "Pre-term labor."
Neji looked mortified. "She can't have the baby now. It would die." It was something that's been in the back of his mind ever since Lee said it earlier today.
"Sakura-chan says Ino will get sicker and she'll be forced to induce labor even though the baby isn't viable," Lee said quickly, "she doesn't want to but from a medical standpoint, she can't put Ino's life on the line to save the baby."
The head medic barely gave an expression. "We'll send her to Konoha Hospital. There are ways to postpone it."
Within a few moments, the Hyuuga medical team had Ino on a stretcher and in route to the hospital. Neji could only pray that Haruno was on duty. She's really the only one he can trust to care for Ino properly.
Neji had no real idea on why four shinobi were sent to target a pregnant woman but in the back of his mind he did know. It brought back memories of Hinata-sama's kidnapping and the consequences for the entire family.
He won't let that happen again.
Someone will pay.
End Chapter 10
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Yes, this is super late, I know. Sorry guys. I also updated Succumb to me though so I'm on a roll.
This chapter was…all over the place. I have so many ideas but I don't think they'll all fit into the story. This chapter would've been 10,000 words with most being fluff so I had to cut. Plot progression is important to me and I want the plot to move along. Thanks for sticking with me guys. My writing has improved so much
Your reviews feed my creativity really, it does