Hey everyone. Thank you for your support! :) Sorry to leave you hanging on that last chapter! These next few chapters are a bit of back story. I hope you enjoy them! Please don't hate on me! I'll get back to the present soon. I received a review about how Ino lacked character and depth, so I decided it may be time for some back story. Thanks for putting up with my stuff.

I DO NOT OWN NARUTO

Internal Affairs

Chapter 12: The Past- Part 1


Ino woke up in her comfortable queen sized bed and stretched out with a loud yawn. Her 18th birthday party had left her rather exhausted and she couldn't hardly bring herself to get out of bed. Guess I'll have to get up sooner or later. She thought as she sat up and stretched once more.

Standing up, she smiled to herself, recalling the day before. It had been just wonderful. Her father had gotten her her very own car, and the boy she had her eye on for quite some time had finally asked her out.

She sat across from the dark haired boy in a dim-lit restaurant surrounded by their friends. But the only one she was focused on was him. Neji Hyuga. He had been the most popular boy at their high school, and he and Ino had only recently become friends after graduating. She was drawn to his quiet and somber personality, and he was apparently drawn to her sweet and bubbly one.

They stared at each other longingly across the table without saying a word as their friends carried on happily without them. Ino's heart fluttered a bit as he studied her, but then he stood up.

"Come with me."

She looked at him confused for a moment, before standing to her own feet and the two of them stepped outside together. Ino had dated guys all throughout high school. She wasn't a stranger to sex, and she didn't have the best reputation around town. Somehow, despite all this, Neji hadn't seemed to care, and Ino felt different around him. He wasn't just some guy she was trying to get to, and she felt like the feeling was mutual for him.

"So what did you bring me out here for? Did ya wanna talk or something?" She inquired, while clasping her hands behind her back as the two strolled down the sidewalk.

The autumn air was cool and brisk, stinging their cheeks as they walked. Despite all that, it was more than just a beautiful night. It was gorgeous. The sky was so clear, all the stars were visible and shining brightly over top of them. Even the moon was bright and low, illuminating the streets that they walked upon.

"I got you something." He stated plainly as his walking came to an abrupt halt.

"Oh, Neji." Ino started as she stopped along side him. "You didn't have to." She lied, truthfully she was more than elated that Neji had been so thoughtful as to get her a gift. She was so excited that she felt she could burst into giggles at any moment, but she held back fearful Neji would think she was acting childish.

"I know, but I wanted to." He smiled, though it was hardly noticed by Ino. The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a rectangular velvet box and handed it to her.

Ino delicately took the box and smiled gratefully at him. Upon looking at the box, Ino could tell that it was a piece of jewelry, and knowing the Hyuga boy's family fortune, she knew it wouldn't be cheap by any means.

"Open it." He urged.

Ino squealed in excitement and opened the small box up. Inside the box lay a beautiful silver bracelet with small and delicate charms hanging off the edges. One was a tiny heart with a beautiful blue sapphire in the center. Another charm had a tiny star with a sparkling red ruby in the center. The third charm was an 'x' paired with an 'o' and the fourth spelled out her name, all in diamonds.

Her jaw dropped and she let out a gasp of shock as she stared at the gorgeous and ornate piece of jewelry. "N-Neji... It..it..."

Smiling, the boy gently took her wrist in one hand, and the bracelet in the other. "It suits you." He said after fastening it and closing the box.

"Oh," she whispered as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. "Thank you." She managed.

"You're welcome." He said before kissing her forehead softly. "Happy birthday, Ino."

She smiled at the piece of jewelry on her dresser, recalling his kindness made her heart jump.

"Ino! Breakfast!" Hollered her father from the kitchen downstairs, breaking Ino away from her warm memories of last night.

Giggling, Ino pulled her hair up into a sloppy bun atop her head and dashed downstairs, eager to devour any cooking that her father had done. Mornings had become her favorite part of the day. Everyday her father would rise early and make the two of them breakfast and coffee and they would watch the sunrise together and talk.

Most teenage girls didn't like spending time with their fathers, but Ino did. After her mother died of leukemia when Ino was just twelve, she and her father became nearly insuperable.

"How'd you sleep?" He asked as he placed her coffee on the table for her next to her plate of breakfast.

"Oh pretty good." She smiled, obviously still giddy from the night before.

Inoichi chuckled at his daughter and shook his head. This was bittersweet for him. One one hand, his daughter would be working for him and his company, and on the other hand, his daughter was growing up. She wasn't his little girl anymore. As much as he would like to keep her with him in their small town, he wanted her to peruse her dream of becoming a writer.


"Do it again!" Boomed her father's voice as he held the punching bag in place. His daughters knuckles were already bloody and she was panting trying to catch her breath.

"Dad, I can't... I'm too tired." Tenten whined, looking at her father with pleading eyes.

Zabuza let out a sigh and walked around the punching bag and to his daughter. "You will never be great if you give up. And no daughter of mine is going to be weak." He instructed.

Tenten hated the fact that her father pushed her so hard. He made sure that she was prepared for anything life had to throw at her, especially when it came to self defense. It had been this way from the time she was a small child. She couldn't remember a day that they didn't train. She worked hard to be strong like he asked, but that didn't mean she didn't long to be normal for once. But because of who her father was, there was never to be normalcy for her.

Being in and out of jail, Zabuza worried for his daughter's safety. He was determined that she be able to hold her own at the age of 18 and she did. She was the toughest girl he knew, and he had made her that way. Crying wasn't acceptable, even when she was hurt, and they always had a plan should he return to prison. Being a highly respected Yakuza member, his child was always at risk. So from a young age he had Tenten training and fighting in order to keep her safe.

Catching a second wind, the young girl continued to swing at the bag with surprising force. Zabuza quickly took his place behind it to steady it for her as she continued to pound into it.

"Good, you're doing well." He encouraged. "But I know you've got more power behind those strikes so let me see it! Give it all you've got!"

Tenten continued training until she couldn't curl her fingers into fists anymore. That's when Zabuza knew it was time to call it quits for the day. They were gathering up their things and about to exit the gym when a tall and fair man with raven colored hair that reached his shoulders walked in and approached the two.

Tenten stepped behind her father instinctually, like he had always instructed her to do.

Zabuza looked at the man and have him a nod. "Ah, Fugaku. How can I be of service to you?"

"I need to speak to you regarding your daughter..."


Her first day on the job was actually rather easy. She answered the phones and greeted customers as they came in to visit her father for insurance purposes. She enjoyed getting to know each one as they came in, and from the looks of things, the customers did as well.

She received multiple compliments about her beauty, and her kindness. Many of them mentioned what a nice change of pace it was for the normally drab place. Ino brightened up the place with that killer smile of hers.

"Have a great day!" She chimed as the last customer left their building and her father locked the doors behind them.

"Well, you did great." He said with an assuring and proud smile.

"Thanks, dad!" She smiled back. "This is pretty easy." She admitted, folding her arms across her chest cutely.

"Yeah, well being cute and friendly comes naturally to you, I suppose." He said with a hearty chuckle. "You know, Ino." He started, as he approached the desk she sat behind. "I stumbled across a short story you wrote in high school. You know, the one about the young girl who ends up blinded from an accident who falls in love with a doctor..."

Ino rolled her eyes and let out a sigh. "Dad, that story is terrible."

"I'm trying to make a point here, Ino." He said, leaning on the counter.

"Okay, and your point is?"

"Well, I know you're passionate about writing, and I think you should pursue it."

"How do I go about doing that, dad? I'm helping you out here."

"Well, for starters, you go to college. And helping me out here will give you job experience. You'll want a job while you get your writing career going. So something in the office should be well suited to you."

"Hmm.." She said tapping her chin. "Okay. So what about college?"

"You can take a few courses on line, and attend some classes at night." He replied with a smile.

"You've really thought this through, haven't you, dad?"

"Yes, I have actually.'' He said with a chuckle. He patted her blonde head. "Come on, let's go home, I've got a roast in the oven."


"My daughter?" Zabuza asked the man in front of him.

The man known as Fugaku nodded. "Yes." He replied. "My son has taken quite an interest in her."

"And your son is?" Zabuza asked, defensively. He crossed his arms over his chest and glared intensely at the man now.

Tenten couldn't help but grow anxious in the strange situation. She'd been around her father long enough to know who was Yakuza, and who was not. This man was obviously not, but he was certainly intimidating and scary. She wasn't sure what he could possibly mean when he mentioned that his son was 'interested' in her. However, she did know who his son was. He was notorious around Konoha for graduating high school at age 13. He had attended business school and was starting his very own company at age 22.

"Itachi Uchiha." Fugaku replied.

Why would he be interested in me? Tenten wondered to herself. It flustered her a bit, she wasn't anything special, at least not in her own opinion.

"Lets continue this conversation in private." Zabuza suggested.

"Certainly. We can meet in my office." The man replied.

Tenten was highly disappointed that they didn't want her around to hear the rest of what they had to say. But upon her father's urgings, she gathered her things and headed home quickly.