AN: As usual I apologize for not updating as soon as I wished. I've been busy with school and work, but that doesn't mean I haven't been working on this story. I've actually been a bit scrambled with my ideas, so I have like eight million chapters and scenarios going on at once. XD Thanks for all the reviews and loves, I do appreciate the criticism and comments that are left. There are some things that I don't agree with but we just have differing opinions on how things should go and I respect that. I hope that I can continue to update sooner and hopefully finish this story by the end of the year. Oh what a big accomplishment that would be. Also, Naruto ended! And that kind of got me back into the mood to write. There are a lot of things that I didn't agree with in the last Chapters but Kishimoto had an ending all planned out from the beginning and I respect him. So enough with my personal stuff and onto this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it and Happy reading~
Rating: M for Violence, Language and Sexual Themes.
Disclaimer: Just because Naruto ended, doesn't mean I own Naruto.
Chapter Twelve: A Sense of Duty
"You look happy."
The blonde blinked in surprise before glancing over at the person speaking to her. She allowed a small smile to touch her lips and she shrugged her shoulders. "Do I really," she questioned, as they continued to walk down the hallways of the T&I Department. They had just finished a meeting about what they should do about the rogue Mist Shinobi that were planning to strike in the future. Ino had only been there in order to retell the events that took place on her mission. Shikamaru had been there for the obvious reasons, in order to strategize a plan that would lead to the least amount of conflict. The reason for the meeting being held in her Department was because she could barely get out of meetings today and since this was an important matter, they had relocated.
A frown touched her former teammates lips as he studied her. "You do and I can't help but find myself as curious as to why."
Ino raised a slender brow, knowing that this was Shikamaru's roundabout way of interrogating her. Her eyes flitted around his stature, taking in his body language. She grinned to herself and skipped down the hallway. "Can I not be in a good mood, Shikamaru? Summer is here and sun is shining! That's something to be happy about right?"
There was a roll of the eyes from her friend and he shook his head. "Look Ino, you haven't been in a good mood since before the start of your mission. For the last two months, you've been in an exceptionally good mood, what gives?"
A frown touched her lips as they neared her office and she glanced at the Nara heir. In all honesty, she hadn't expected him to catch on so quickly. Sure, she hadn't been flaunting why she was in a good mood but there were signs that she was no longer harboring ill feelings. She couldn't hide the small pep in her step nor could she hide the small smile that would find its way on her lips from time to time. Shikamaru was right, she was happy but she knew that she couldn't tell him the real reason. She motioned for him to follow her into her office.
"I think it's time, Shikamaru," she said in a low voice.
His brows furrowed before a realization hit his face. This was certainly not what he had expected to hear from her. "Do you really think that he's ready?"
Ino thought long and hard for a moment, her lower lip sucked in as she bit down on it. A slow nod came from her and she looked up at the Shadow User. "I do, I mean, this mission has been going on for almost half a year now and he has been passing all the trials with flying colors. I have been in his mind more times than I can remember and there's nothing that could lead to betrayal."
"Are you sure about this, Ino?"
"I am," she said and started moving towards her desk. "You know that no one can hide anything from me. He has my judgement." Her eyes glanced down at an object on her desk, a small smile coming to her lips.
"These aren't your emotions clouding your judgement, right?"
Looking up at him with brief anger, she noted the concern growing on his face. Shikamaru let out a sigh before he collapsed onto the chaise in her office. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, a low groan leaving him. "Please tell me I'm wrong, Ino."
"You're wrong," she replied easily, taking a seat behind her desk.
"Bullshit, I know you," Shikamaru said in a low tone. "What happened? Did he give you some pity story? He's using you, Ino." He lifted his head up, looking at her, as if searching for something. "What are you going to do if everyone finds out?"
She felt a frown tug at the corners of her lips and she looked at Shikamaru. "You know, it's not like I haven't thought of that myself. I promise this isn't something that I can't handle, I have everything under control."
"Do you really, Ino?" Shikamaru questioned. "From the way it looks, you've fallen for him. How long have you been feeling like this?"
Pressing her lips together in a thin line, her fingers twirled a pen in thought. "For a few months now. Look, I know it sounds bad but trust me on this. My judgement is unbiased, he has proven himself trustworthy to me and the village. Isn't that enough?"
"Is it worth the risk of your career? Your emotions?"
"Why are you being like this," she spat out, eyes narrowing as she looked at him.
"Because Ino, he-"
"He what? Tried to destroy our village, the whole Shinobi world because of his past, his ideals? You know, oddly enough there is someone just like that in our village, in our generation, who was let back in without so much as a blink of an eye."
"Sasuke is different and you know that Ino." Shikamaru frowned slightly as his friend slowly became riled up.
"How? He was a traitor to Konoha. He nearly killed Sakura and Naruto but we just let him back into the village without any kind of hesitation. Why? Because he helped set us free from the Infinite Tsukuyomi?" She slammed the palms of her hand on her desk. She stood up, arctic hues glared at the rivalling onyx ones across from her. "I say bullshit! Bullshit to all of that. Sasuke and Madara are no different. They both had their reasons for why they chose their paths."
"Ino…" Shikamaru started off, unsure of how to reply to her. She was making sense which meant that she had prepared herself for this argument. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried about you."
"There's no need for that, Shikamaru. Quit acting like I fall for a tragic case every time. I'm passed that stage in my life and I wish you would see that as well. I have my own reasons as to why I'm doing this."
"What about your father? You're just going to forget that he intentionally killed him?"
"On the battlefield! Christ, it's not like he knew of me prior to battle." She fell silent, trying to reason with Shikamaru's words. "It's not like I forgot about it, I could never. My father died an honorable death-"
"And he could have lived had it not been for Madara!"
"You're right!" She yelled, biting the inside of her cheek as her voice rang throughout her office. "You're so right, Shikamaru. All this time I've been living in a fantasy that I found love and that I could forgive him for everything," she hissed out, sarcasm heavily laced in her voice. "I acknowledge that my feelings are unresolved about him killing our fathers but how can I keep thinking like that? I have killed many of childrens parents for the sake of Konoha."
"No, you were doing what was right at the time, there's no way you can compare it, Ino."
"Yes I can! In the end, killing is killing and that is what we do, Shikamaru. That is all we know how to do," she replied in an exhausted manner. "You know, I've thought a lot about this. If it hadn't been for Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke would have been the same. If Madara had the same type of affection, I'm sure he could've changed. But the entire village shunned him, marking him as an outcast because no one cared to understand him aside from Hashirama."
"It's not the same, Ino." Shikamaru stated trying to reason with the blonde and with himself.
"Yes it is! Just think if Sasuke had gained more power, he would have been the one killing our comrades. Our fathers...You're smart, Shikamaru, I know you've thought about it too. And yet, just like everyone else, we turned the other cheek to all that he has done."
Shikamaru fell silent, her words sinking in.
"I'm tired of this conversation, if you don't have anything left to say then leave."
"Ino, you can't keep this up. It's not worth the risk that you're putting yourself in."
"I said get out," she hissed out, clenching her jaw tightly.
She ran her hand through her ponytail, letting his words sink in. Was doing this really worth it? Was Madara really worth it? How long would they be able to make this last? How long before he grew tired of her? They never spoke of what lay ahead of them, for now they were living in the moment. A part of her wanted to believe that she was making the right decisions and to hell with the consequences. However, the part of her that worked so hard to get where she was now, was fearful. She could lose everything. Biting on her lower lip once more, she let out a heavy breath.
Shikamaru let out a sigh before he stood up. He couldn't understand her personal reasoning but the argument she made was valid. Ino had always been like this and briefly, he thought of how nice it was to see the old Ino, prior to Inoichi's death. Even if it had been Madara who brought this side out of her, he was happy but for only a moment. He dreaded the day that things blew up in their faces, even though he knew that he should support her decisions, but he had to be her voice of reason. He always had been and he wouldn't stop now. Walking over to his blonde teammate, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"I want you to think about this more, Ino," he said softly. "I just...don't want to see you hurt again."
She shrugged off his touch, still upset with him though he looked like she was seemingly lost in thought. Once more, the light had faded from her disposition as the reality of everything slowly began to sink in. Shikamaru knew that it was his fault that she was like this once more but it was out of love and protection. Ino meant the world to him and he would do anything for her, even if it meant taking away her happiness. It was for her own good.
"I'll be around if you need me," he said while heading to leave her office.
"Thanks, Shikamaru," she called out after him, the anger and sadness in her voice was unbearable.
When he left, her eyes glanced down at her desk. Slender fingers picked up the stem of the violet clustered Bushclover. She twirled it around in her fingers before a smile touched her lips. Closing her eyes, she inhaled its natural scent and sighed. Somehow, she would figure this out.
She always did.
He made a vow to never know love again.
This was not love.
This was lust in the most pure and carnal forms. This was an attraction that needed to be addressed. This was a desire that needed to be sated before it consumed him within its flames. That was all there was to it, he needed no other explanation for what he was doing. Not like the blonde needed any other reason either. It seemed that her thoughts were similar to his own. What they were doing was being a convenience for one another. They had both felt the dark claws of desire and lust dig into their psyche and they had come to conclusion to satisfy those burning needs. It was a win-win situation. It would die out quickly and they would both enjoy it until those embers were stamped out.
However, it never ceased to surprise him that his logic differed from how he felt. Lately, the Yamanaka had been on his mind more often than not. He found himself idly wondering if he should bring her something home or something along those domestic lines. Never before had a woman so full enraptured him and he was unsure of how to handle it. In the beginning, it was just a way to find sexual release because it was the only thing that made sense but now, he was lost. Never had he felt this way.
After the months of arguing and hating one another, he had found the peace between them pleasant. He found that having her in his bed and by his side was comforting. He had always wondered why married men found that life so pleasing and now he felt like he could understand, even if it was just an inkling of the feeling. No longer was there this unholy tension between them and no longer was there this need to ruin the blonde's life. Hell, he had been so content that he even chose not to think about his freedom because his thoughts had been consumed by images of her.
It was late in the afternoon when they met. Out of the public eye, they had met in an abandoned training field, the field covered with an array of wildflowers. She smiled gently at him, taking a seat beside him, staring off into the horizon. He could tell instantly that there was something wrong with her and he studied her briefly. They stayed that way until she let out an exaggerated sigh and glanced over at him, a sheepish smile touching her lips.
"Tell me, what do you plan on doing once you're free?"
The question had caught him off guard, it had been a while since they had spoken of things like his freedom and what not. Glancing away from her intense gaze, he searched out in the field of flowers for an answer. What would he do? For so long, he had thought of reigning terror to those who had captured him during the Fourth Shinobi World War. For so long, he had only know of chaos and destruction. It was almost impossible to think of living a peaceful life. It was almost impossible that he dared think that he would have a chance of being happy.
"That is not something that I know of at this moment, for now I will simply do as I please."
She let out a slight chuckle, shaking her head. "You know, I somehow knew that you would say something like that."
Of course, she knew everything thing. There was nothing that he could hide from her because she would pick apart anything and everything that he said. That was simply how she was. He watched her wrap her arms around her knees, lost in thought.
"Do you still wish to destroy the Leaf?"
"No."
She quickly turned to face him, her eyes searching his. It was almost as if she was reading his thoughts but he felt no intrusion. So, this was how the Yamanaka's became after so long of using their family techniques. "What has changed that," she breathed out.
"There is something far more important that I wish to do," he started, carefully placing his words. "I have seen what peace has caused and I have found something that is worth keeping that peace for."
"Will you tell me what you've found?"
He knew that he wouldn't be able to deny her. Even if he tried, she would easily dive into his mind. Right now, he wasn't sure if she was doing this for the sake of her mission or for herself. He frowned slightly, as his emotions conflicted with one another, as they always did when she was involved. "I have found that my life is more precious than I gave it credit for. All those years I fought against Hashirama with no consideration of my life. It had never mattered." He glanced over at her, watching as she soaked in everything he said. "When I was revived, I still had lingering feelings of dissatisfaction and anger though through time, those feelings have faded." He paused not knowing exactly what he was saying but he figured he would allow himself this time to come clean with the confusing emotions.
"My time with you has changed me, whether it be for better or for worse, I cannot say. My mind is clouded and my judgement is not pure."
He watched as a slow, knowing smile came to her face and she nodded her head in understanding. He felt as if they had broken down some sort of barricade that was blocking them from one another. Already, they had broken down the physical barrier between them but this was on a deeper level. She tucked her bangs behind her ear, that smile never fading from the corners of her lips.
"I believe we have come to a mutual understanding," she murmured. "Our feelings are in the same place."
"I do not believe in love," he stated, denying the growing anxiety in his chest.
"Then let this not be love," she offered, a small smile on her lips as she leaned towards him. Her eyes shimmered in the sunlight and he couldn't help wish that he believed her words.
There was something about waking up next to someone that made her feel safe and warm. There was something about reaching out and feeling the body of a lover beside her that was comforting. Maybe it was because she had been alone for so long that she desired and craved someone in her life. Coming close to the ending of month three, Ino still felt elated finding someone in the bed beside her when she opened her eyes. She couldn't help the small smile that caused her lips to curl whenever she rolled over. This was something that she felt she needed in her life, even if it was not something that she would openly tell others. How could she? What she was doing was against everything that she had been taught but she cast those thoughts aside. She didn't want to fret over such matters, not while she was enjoying how things were right now. Every night for the past three months, she would crawl into bed with Madara, whether they shared intimate moments or not. She had called off the Anbu guards in order secure their privacy and keep their intimacy a secret. Instead, there were chakra signals placed all around her property, in order to alert her should anyone come while she was with him.
In all honesty, Ino felt satisfied for the first time in a while, Shikamaru had been right to say that she looked happy because she truly was. She rolled over from her spot in bed, a groan leaving her and a slight ache rolling through her body. A lazy smile came to her lips and she basked in the moments that they had shared last night.
"You are making that face again," Madara's sleep ladened voice murmured out.
Turning her face towards the voice, she looked at the half opened eyes of the man beside her. Another grin touched her lips as she continued to look at him, watching him slowly wake up. She draped herself halfway across his torso and he let out a small grunt. "I'm sorry, I just can't forget how good my body feels."
He raised a slender brow though the faint grin that touched his lips didn't go unnoticed. "So you say everytime."
A gentle laugh left her as she rested her head on his chest, listening to the steady thump of his heartbeat. "And I mean it everytime," she replied, a slight blush touching her cheeks. She sighed as he pulled her closer to him, his arm wrapping around her waist. She swatted his chest as his eyes slowly closed once more. "Hey, you can't go to sleep, we have things to do today."
This had become somewhat of a routine for them. They would laze around in the morning, sometimes snoozing until the late afternoon. They never seemed to talk about the taboos of their relationship. In public, they still made it seem that they were at odds with one another. They never expressed interest in one another because they figured that it was safer that way. Ino had filled her months with tending to the Shop and dealing with small matters at her Department. But more often than not, anyone would be able to find her idly hanging around the Archives, helping Madara fix up the messy room.
She let out another laugh as he rolled them over in bed, pinning her down. "I say we do nothing today, I grow tired of being in that awful place." His eyes narrowed slightly with mischief. "I can think of better ways to spend my time."
"No more," she cried out. "I need to recover," she pleaded though a smile played on her lips.
He chuckled slightly, his head dipping down to capture her lips with his. She sighed into the kiss as it was a slow and lazy one. She gasped as he pressed himself against her, wondering if he would ever be sated. As they lost themselves in one another, a tingling feeling jolted her in the back of her mind. She was going to brush it off when it came again, this time a stronger feeling resounding in her head. "Someone's coming," she hissed out, pushing him off her and scrabbling to get out of bed. There was a scoff of disapproval from the Uchiha but he knew it couldn't be helped. Should they be caught, the consequences would be fatal to both of them. With a heavy sigh, he retreated into the bathroom, while the blonde quickly dressed herself and headed downstairs to meet whoever was coming to see her.
She was relieved in the least to only be summoned by the Hokage. She let out a heavy breath as she closed the door, sliding down to the floor. That was too close for comfort and she cursed knowing that she was getting carried away with her time with Madara. How could she not? He gave her an escape from the reality that she faced. He gave her a challenge, even if they no longer were at one another's throats. Sighing, she picked herself up off the floor, heading back upstairs to get ready for the day.
"We have found a suitable candidate for you, Madara."
The room was silent as Tsunade stared at the two Shinobi before her. They stood there with schooled expression as she spoke to them. She clucked her tongue, slightly disappointed that there was no response from either of them. She leaned against her desk, tapping her nails on the desktop. "You shall meet with her later on and commence your final duty to the village."
"But of course, Lady Tsunade," Madara replied after a while. "I do hope that she will be compliant."
The older blonde nodded her head. "She has agreed to bearing your child. There should be no complications." Hazel eyes cut over to the Yamanaka, who had remained quiet. "Yamanaka, are you prepared to oversee that everything goes according to plan?"
"Yes, Lady Tsunade," she replied, her tone void of emotion.
"Good," Tsunade said after a few moments. "I do not expect you to conceive right away, so I expect monthly updates on your progression."
"Lady Tsunade, may I say something?" Ino asked, stepping forward, bowing her head slightly.
"What do you have in mind, Yamanaka?"
"I believe that it should no longer be my duty to oversee the Uchiha. He has proven to harbor no ill will towards the village therefore I feel it is no longer necessary that he should be under my supervision. After all, if he is willing to start a family then he should spend more quality time with his supposed spouse and not his supervisor."
The air in the room stilled and temperature steadily declined around them. Ino could feel Madara's eyes cut over towards her briefly though that feeling left her as soon as it came. She bit her lower lip, knowing full well what she was doing. She cleared her throat, signalling that she was going to continue to speak, Tsunade nodded her head giving her an approval.
"Also, I wish to further delve into my list of suitors and should I find any of them to my liking, it would be rather awkward should I try to bring them back to my home." She could sense the spike of chakra beside her. "Many still fear the Uchiha and I would hate for any of them to end their relations with me because of him." A scoff was made beside her but she refused to look at him. "As you have requested and as I have accepted, I wish to have a child of my own and I cannot with the Uchiha under my care."
"Is there anything else," Tsunade questioned, staring at her with such scrutiny that she almost felt like fidgeting.
I have been sleeping with our supposed captive and I can't stand the idea of him being with anyone but me.
"No, Lady Tsunade," she replied in a soft tone, feeling her emotions waver briefly.
"Very well, I accept your proposal." Tsunade looked back at Madara. "Uchiha Madara, from this day forward you are once again a citizen and Shinobi of the Leaf. You have regained your freedom once more, however, should you cross any line, we will not hesitate to re-instate your criminal status. Do we have an understanding?"
"Yes," he bit out between clenched teeth.
"Wonderful. Now, I expect to hear back from you within a month's time. You both are dismissed." Tsunade said, waving the two out of her room. She waited until they left before a heavy sigh left her. She rubbed her temples in a slow, circular motion and chewed on her lower lip.
This wasn't going as planned.
AN: Bum bum buuuummmm! Yes, that's right ladies and gentlemen, Tsunade is in on this! ;3 Curve ball right in the heart. I wonder, did you guys think that Tsunade was a mean Hokage for issuing all of these things of Ino? Or did you guys think that she had some hidden motive. -dances- Or maybe I just spoiled everything for all of you. Whoops. But then again, I tried to drop some hints here and there and I might not have been that good at it. XD Also, Shikamaru is only looking out for Ino! He's not trying to be mean, just realistic but Ino is too! I have ruined their happiness! RUINED IT! -ugly cries- But this is how I wanted things to go and it hurts me as much as it hurts you, I promise. Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed the twelfth installment of Within the Bush Clover! Please look forward to the next update and feedback is appreciated! Thanks for reading! - Tinyraver
