Author's note: So I am very proud to say that I have a new Beta who is awesome by the way. This means that Storm Blade Rebellion is about to get a whole more amazing. Thank you Blaserjohn. So this is chapter 21, enjoy. Don't forget to review.
Chapter 21
Kakashi looked at the Sandaime and Kari with a look that was clearly begging them to handle this situation; the look on the boy's faces hit far too close to home for him. It reminded him of the reasons he avoided looking at himself in the mirror while he was in ANBU. When you go on one too many S-class black ops missions they tend to take a piece of your soul away, ones you can never get back. But of course they left him high and dry, Kari was actually expecting him to handle the boys.
'This is why I hate this job...okay how do I do this?' thought Kakashi
Standing up Kakashi walked over to the boys and knelt in front of them, looking at their dead and pained eyes, eyes that were so much like his before he left ANBU. Those eyes...he understood what they were going through...damn did he understand.
"You're angry" Kakashi stated.
The statement made everyone look at him like he was crazy. Of all the emotions, anger was the last thing that they expected the boys to feel, but they decided to give Kakashi time to explain his theory and hopefully pull the boys back together. In three weeks, the Chunin exams would start and they could not afford to have the boys off their game.
"You are angry at the demons for what they did, you are angry at yourselves for not being able to stop it, you are angry that the people you love were not there to protect you, to help you through it and you are angry that you were even involved in this matter for reasons that you are aware of. But most of all you are mad at whoever hired the men who came after you and what he wants you to become.
The truth is no enemy or place can make you into someone that you are not. I was in ANBU before I became Hokage and I saw things, was forced to do things, for which I felt there was no forgiveness. It messed me up badly, but I found my core problems and came to terms with them. With the help of people who cared about me, I was able to pull through; because I realized that I was important to them. They were there for me when I was happy (celebrating my joy) or when I was sad (helping to lessen my pain).
As shinobi we face darkness for a living, but the best of us realize that regardless of how much darkness enters into our lives, we are allowed to be happy and to overcome it; it's expected of us. No amount of analysis is going to cancel out the fact that fifty people are now dead and there is a measure of blame to go around; and not just to the three of you. We honour the dead by fighting, we learn from our mistakes and move on, but we never stop fighting.
Three weeks from now the three of you will be entering the Chunin exams held here in Konoha and if the way the winds are blowing means anything then this is going to be one hell of a clusterfuck. Now I plan to fight for the sake of my home and all those who have died protecting it, as will everyone present in this village and those away on missions. I know you three believe in fighting to protect those who are precious to you, well that includes fighting against the darkness and fighting for your happiness because seeing you smile will make those precious to you happy. So what do you guys say? Ready to pick yourselves up and get back into the game?"
Hiruzen watched with pride and joy as the determination that the boys were known for roared back into their eyes as they replied to Kakashi's call. He would have to admit, it felt good to be right. He knew Kakashi would make an excellent Hokage and this was confirmation that the next generation will be just fine.
He was not the only one who was happy with the way things turned out.
"YOSH! MY STUDENTS' FLAMES OF YOUTH IS TRULY AMAZING! IT INSPIRES ME TO GIVE YOU A GIFT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FLAMES OF YOUTH REMAIN BURNING HOT AND STRONG!"
Gai, out of nowhere, produced three green spandex suits and presented them to the boys with the same smile a midwife has as she hands a mother her child. When Kari saw it and the image of her grandsons wearing that hideous thing, she decided to do the only logical thing a grandmother could do in this situation: she chucked Gai out the window, burned the suits and threatened to maim her boys if she even suspected that they were thinking of wearing that abomination.
"Well I think that is enough excitement for one day why don't you boys go home, you have more than earned your rest." said Hiruzen
"Damn straight, my little brothers just finished their first A-ranked mission. I am so proud of you three!" said Anko as she bear-hugged the boys.
Their blue faces brought amusement to those present, but Itachi knew that if he did not step in soon Anko will go overboard with her hugging. The woman had once used her snakes, venomous ones at that, to hug the boys because her hands were too small.
"Alright Anko how about we let them rest, you can abuse them later after a shower at least"
"Mou" pouted Anko but she let go of the boys, causing them to breath in sharply "Oh sorry you three!"
"Like hell I would believe that crazy snake lady" said Naruto.
Anko twitched and then she smiled sweetly.
"I am sorry what did you call me brat?"
"I called you a-mmrrrp"
Sai had grabbed his brother's mouth before he pissed off Anko…again
"I would like to have a shower without watching my back, okay?"
After Kari took her grandkids away, Anko, Itachi and Kakashi turned to the Sandaime:
"Well your help was much appreciated" Kakashi drawled
"Your sarcasm hurts Kakashi; I simply had full faith in your ability to turn the situation around. Besides you are the Hokage, not to mention you were a child prodigy who has seen far more than his share of pain and darkness and pulled through. Nothing Kari or I would have said would have been able to reach the boys because we cannot truly understand what they are going through."
"I really hate how you backup your bullshit with logical responses"
"Why do you think I am called the Professor?" said Hiruzen with a smirk.
Gai came up then with a bruise of his face "YOSH I survived!…MY SUITS!"
When the two Hokages saw Gai pitifully crying over his burnt suits, they decided to do the right thing… they immediately left the office. They dealt with enough craziness in their lives, they were not stupid enough to willing add to the scars they already had.
That night, just before the boys went to sleep, Kyuubi told Naruto come to the mindscape and to bring his brothers along with him. So on his instructions Naruto fist bumped his brothers and Kyuubi pulled them into the mindscape.
"Fascinating, so this is your mindscape." said Sai as he looked around.
"Not bad for someone with a single digit IQ" said Sasuke with a hidden smirk.
"Thanks guys!" exclaimed Naruto
5..
4..
3..
2..
1..
"What the hell do you mean by single digit IQ asshole?!"
"The fact that it took you five seconds to register what he said proves it"
The boys turned around to see the nine-tailed fox in all his glory. Naruto's brothers saw the huge and scary fox, and realizing Naruto held this creature inside of him, had just one thought: Damn.
"Hey Kyu so what's up?" asked Naruto
"You three need to sit down for this" said Kyuubi with a very serious look on his face.
"Is everything okay Kyuubi-san?" asked Sai as they sat down on the surprisingly soft grass.
"The fight that you three had today has changed your DNA and you need to know about the resulting consequences. As you already know, killing a C-class demon augments everything about you. But you three already have your weapons' energy running through you, not mention the time that I sent my chakra into your networks. All these different energies have now merged with the demonic essence inside of you, with critical drawbacks.
Sasuke you were able to unlock your Mangekeyou Sharingan without the consequences of going blind and eventually you may be able to unlock something far stronger than the Sharingan: the eyes of the Sage of Six Paths, the Rinnegan. But every time you use your eyes, you will start to lose your humanity little by little and eventually, you will lose it completely. You will become a real demon, incapable of feeling anything but hatred and rage; even the chakra cost of using your abilities will be limiting.
Sai, as of now, any bloodline limit using earth as a base will be accessible to you; wood, sand, crystal, rock, lava, even metal. The chakra cost will be minimal because according to what I can see, you will be able to use nature energy like the First Hokage. But what you won't pay in chakra, you will pay for with something far worse. Like Sasuke you will pay for these abilities with your humanity. However, instead of becoming a demon, you will lose your identity and merge with the earth. Eventually your very self will be lost and replaced with that of a tree, if you are lucky, and a rock if you are not."
Kyuubi sighed as he looked at Naruto, a child who was just starting to gain his respect; life can be cruel even to the innocent ones.
"Naruto the combination of me, Arashi, your Uzumaki genes and the demonic essence that you absorbed formed something that I thought extinct. Long ago, there was a man who had the ability to not just copy but improve any technique or bloodline limit that he saw. He had what people called the Dragon Eye, a Doujustu that allowed him utilize any bloodline. He was the only one capable of being the Rikudou Sennin's equal, but his ability came at a great cost. He had what the medics now call Chakra Poisoning: a rare disease that acts like a virulent cancer in not just your chakra network but in any children you have. It killed him slowly and painfully, slowing stripping away his ability to use his chakra and then his body until he became a vegetable. He died in severe agony and now you have his bloodline limit."
The boys were stunned into silence; even Naruto could not open his mouth to say a word at this point. What do you say when someone says 'you have the potential to be the most powerful ninja in history but the cost is either physical or mental death'. I mean the consequences far outweighed the benefits but they were being targeted by some very powerful people who wanted them dead. They would need all the help they can get in order to protect themselves and the ones they love, but the sheer cost was incalculable.
However, smashing through incalculable odds is what Naruto does best:.
"I don't care what the consequences are, they will not happen to us." Said Naruto resolutely.
Sai knew that Naruto liked to believe that anything could be accomplished through hard work and never giving up but this was different. He told him so, but of course Naruto refused:
"I said I don't care what the odds are, we are not about to be beaten by some stupid speculations." turning to Kyuubi he said "Sasuke will never succumb to hatred or else I will kick the crap out of him until he comes back to his senses. Sai will never become some stupid rock; he will be the best damn earth user in history. And if you think I am going to let some century old disease stop me from becoming the greatest Hokage ever, then you don't know me at all. We are the grandsons of Sozen Kari and we never give up no matter what ttebayo."
Kyuubi saw Naruto's confidence strengthened his brothers and he scoffed
"You will never change, will you brat?"
"Now where is the fun in that ttebayo?" Said Naruto.
Sasuke smirked, "Typical idiot"
3..
2..
1..
"What did you say to me assface?" shouted Naruto as he grabbed Sasuke by his shirt, lifting him up.
"Well you don't waste anytime Naruto-kun, not even going to ask me out first."
"Like hell I would ever ask your ugly ass out!" shouted Naruto
Sai decided to join in the fun
"How did you know his ass is ugly? First-hand observation?"
As Kyuubi watched Naruto argue with his brothers, he could not help but see an image of the Sage in him. The brat was not the sharpest kunai in the pouch but if there's one thing he knew, Naruto never gives up. The boy was like a bright ray of sunshine that never went dim; it was impressive.
'Tch of all the containers, I start to respect a ten year old. The guys will never let me live this down if they find out. Oh well, I guess time will tell if the brat is all talk or not.'
Next day
Ino had decided she was going to harass Anko into taking them to see the boys; especially Naruto. Seeing him yesterday, so broken and tired, twisted something in her heart. She had never liked Naruto because thinking about him always gave her a headache; like there was something she was supposed to know about him but couldn't remember. But after yesterday, she needed to make sure that he was okay, if for no other reason than to stop this ache in her heart.
Thinking back she realized it was definitely strange for her to get headaches just from thinking deeply about someone. She was the heir to the Yamanaka clan and she knew something like that could only happen if her brain had either been forced or compelled to forget something for her mental stability. But Naruto came from a rare breed of lovable idiots so there was no way something relating to him would have caused her that kind of trauma (at least according to her slightly expert opinion).
Thankfully when she got downstairs, her father was around and if anyone could figure out what was wrong with her, it was him. Of course being his little princess, he would do anything to make her happy. Finally, she could remember and not suffer headaches whenever her mind went to Naruto; her life would be much easier.
"Hey princess, is everything okay?" asked Inoichi
"No daddy, everything is definitely not okay. I keep getting headaches whenever I think about someone from my class" said Ino
The comment caused both Inoichi and Mito to stiffen; they had hoped this issue would never come up. Hopefully, they could change topics and avoid this subject without their daughter noticing. Unfortunately Ino is a student of Konoha's Genjutsu Mistress and a Yamanaka; picking up non-verbal cues had become second nature to her.
Ino was immediately suspicious, her parents were suddenly uncomfortable with her line of questioning (she hadn't even mentioned Naruto, only saying it was a classmate). Well Anko always said 'if you think someone is keeping a secret from you, it is your obligation to make them sweat until they pour out everything and then make them suffer for hiding it from you in the first place'.
"His name is Uzumaki Naruto" continued Ino; now with keen eyes.
She saw their reaction to the name and, despite a tendril of fear crawling up her back, she decided to follow Anko's instruction to the letter. Her parents were keeping a big secret from her, one that was affecting her quite seriously, and that was justification enough.
"He is a nice guy, a little loud, but nice. I don't really know why I get these headaches when I think about him. It is possible he just aggravates me."
She gave them hope, lowering their defences; she needed to ensure her parents told her, instead of just clamming up. She waited a moment, just a beat, then:
"But when the headaches start, it feels like there is something about Naruto that I should know, but just can't remember."
Adopting a thinking pose she continued, "but the only way for something like that to happen is if my brain was trying to protect me from a traumatic experience."
"Perhaps that is it, you should leave it be and move on" said Mito resolutely.
She didn't notice her husband cringe, but she saw Ino smirk.
'Rookie mistake mom, rookie mistake...'
"Hmm… maybe I should, but a part of me feels like someone purposely wanted me to not remember something about him."
Ino then looked dead into her parent's eyes and said, "That is just crazy though, right?"
Inoichi knew the gig was up and it was time to come clean. Times like these, he was both proud and sad at his daughter's skill. Turning to Mito, he gave her a solemn look and her shoulders drooped in defeat. She knew it was time and she gave him a nod in return.
"Ino…" Inoichi started.
"Save it dad, I already know you suppressed my memories, just undo it." Ino demanded
"No" he said without hesitation.
Ino's eyes narrowed,
"What?" she hissed.
Inoichi knew he was possibly destroying his relationship with his daughter but she was not strong enough to handle those memories. He could not bear to see her go through that again; she needed to be stronger.
He kept his face calm, his voice strong:
"I suppressed your memories for a good reason; you were slowly losing your mind. You barely slept, you rarely ate and you refused to shop for anything even when offered. I can't watch my daughter go through that again and neither can your mother, so until we feel you are ready your memories will stay suppressed."
Ino was stunned into silence, but that didn't last long, "What the fuck do you think gives you the right to do that?!"
"My blood running through your veins" said Inoichi resolutely "and while you live under my roof, you will watch your tongue!"
Ino could do nothing but gape at her father, she was seriously considering slapping herself just to check if she was dreaming or under a genjutsu. Her father had never talked to her like this and he was denying her access to her own memories. Her rage skyrocketed.
"Let me give you the run-down father, I am not a child. Your blood may be running through my veins but my hands are already stained with blood: innocent blood. So don't you dare tell me what I can or can't handle because you know nothing about me" Ino shouted.
Inoichi's heart twisted from hearing the venom in his little princess' voice.
"Regardless, until you become a full-fledged shinobi you are still under my authority and you will respect me, is that clear young lady?"
Blood started leaking from Ino's clenched fists, you could practically hear her teeth grinding together and she had murder in her eyes.
"Whatever you say, Yamanaka-sama" She spat.
The formal and cold title almost broke Inoichi's resolve but he held strong, this was for her own good.
"Now your mother has made breakfast, let's eat." His voice, by some miracle, didn't waver.
"Thank you for your kind request, but I need to meet my team. May I be excused, Yamanaka-sama?" She did not wait for a reply to her cold words, she just left.
Once Ino was out of the room, Mito started crying.
"Inoichi, what have we done? Our daughter hates us! M-maybe we should have just told her."
"Can you go through Ino's obsession with Uzumaki Naruto again? She was a robot Mito you saw her; at least now she is in touch with her emotions."
"You know her Inoichi, she is like a dog with a bone. This won't stop until she finds out the truth and it will happen all over again. I just want my daughter to be my daughter Inoichi she is too young to be so cold and matured."
"I want her to be my little princess too Mito, but what would you have me do?" Inoichi asked.
Holding her head in her hands, Mito sighed
"I don't know Inoichi-kun; I don't know anything anymore."
Meanwhile
To say Ino was livid would be an understatement. It was bad enough her father treated her like a child, but to suppress her memories… she was being treated like a criminal. While most clans would frown on using their abilities on their own members, the Yamanakas took the matter far more seriously. When your clan specializes in mind manipulation, even the most innocently used techniques can cause significant damage. As such, there were severe punishments in place for those who abuse their skills; memory suppression being the most prominent amongst them.
From what her father had said, Ino hadn't committed any crimes; before or during her traumatized state. So, even being the clan head, Inoichi had no right to suppress her memories. He could've taken her to therapy, forbidden her from becoming a shinobi, or even taken her out of the village, but instead he violated her mind and her rights as a Yamanaka. Ino seriously considered going to the Hokage, but being an internal matter, she knew that would take her no where.
'I could invoke the forum...I am a clan heir after all.'
The forum was something the Yamanaka, Naras and Akimichi clan had set up long ago. If one clan had serious internal strife (contesting a new clan head, charges of incompetence against the leaders, or the clan head abusing his skills like on his daughter) and there was no good way to resolve the issue internally without bloodshed or serious lingering resentment, a forum could be called. The forum could include up to 5 members, 2 from the non-contested clans, and 1 from the contested one. The idea was to have the issue seriously considered, instead of having the clan head merely suppress the issue.
Since Ino was the clan heir and she was accusing her father, the clan head, she could call the forum, especially since internally it would most likely look like Ino was just throwing a tantrum or worse, she would be taken seriously and Inoichi would be stripped of his power. And while Ino would love to see that happen, she wants her memories and her father being summarily punished wouldn't get her what she wanted. Also, the issue was clearly quite secretive and opening it clan wide may not be the best course of action.
'I could ask for a mediation with just Shikaku-sama and Choza-sama; this way I keep things small but there can be no risk of father pulling some clan secret nonsense. Also as long as I keep the forum small, I'll be taken seriously, but not the risk the clan. Problem is, the accusation would stay on his head for quite some time… using memory suppression on your own child is no small offense.'
As Ino approached her team meeting, being the last to arrive, she decided that getting her answers were worth the damage to her father. After all, she had just given him a chance to undo his crime but he had refused. Maybe she would give him one more chance, if the threat of the forum didn't make him come to his senses, then she would not be to blame.
"Took you long enough chickadee what did you get lost on the way or something?" said Anko.
Normally Ino would have replied in kind, but today was not the day,
"I need you to take me and the girls to see Naruto and his team." said Ino in a no-nonsense voice.
Anko raised an eyebrow as did Kurenai.
"And just out of curiosity, why would I do that?" Anko asked, her tone unchanged.
"Because I asked nicely and I will not do so again." Ino said tersely.
Anko looked at Kurenai in surprise. Ino was gusty, yes, but this was something else. Kurenai tried to reason with her student or at least find out what got her into such a bad mood.
"Ino perhaps you could take a breath and tell us what is going on?"
You know how they say sometimes people hear you say something but their brain interprets it to mean something else entirely? Well Ino heard her sensei but her brain immediately concluded that her Sensei thought of her same way her father did: like a little child.
"I don't remember talking to you Yuhi-sensei. Anko-sensei, are you going to take me to them or do I have to find them myself?" Ino's voice was stiff, bordering on frigid.
Normally Anko's response would have been a clear 'no', but she knew first-hand what anger does to you. She saw her student lash out and knew Ino was really mad about something else. Right now Ino was not asking for longitude and latitude, she was asking for trust and that was a pain. Anko knew all too well.
"Sure squirrel, let's go." Anko decided this day would be a pain either way, at least now she had control; her trust in Ino had bought her sway.
Sakura and Hinata were glad that they would be able to see the boys and make sure that they were okay, but Ino's mood had them worried. They had seen her angry before, given her personality and Anko's, but this level of rage was new and they had no idea what caused it. Well maybe after seeing the boys she would calm down and tell them what was going on with her.
Sozen Household
After breakfast, the boys sat Kari down and explained to her what Kyuubi had told them last night about their new abilities and the cost of using them. It was quite the conversation, especially when Naruto reaffirmed to Kari his resolution to never give in to some stupid costs; they were road bumps, not insurmountable walls.
"I have always admired your courage and determination Naruto-kun. But don't be foolish and simply disregard Kyuubi's warnings, he would not have warned you if he wasn't worried." said Kari
Naruto folded his arms in defiance.
"I know that, but I am not going to quit until I become Hokage and that is that."
Sighing, Kari said "Naruto this is serious and-"
"I know that Baa-chan but I refuse to let my life be governed by a what-if. I am going to live my life to the fullest and if a century old disease doesn't like that well then, tough." stated Naruto.
Kari knew that nothing she said will change Naruto's mind; the boy was as stubborn as his mother… and every other Uzumaki she knew. Oh well, he will not go through it alone. If she had to, she would drag Tsunade's ass back to the village to help him.
Knock. Knock.
Sai groaned, "Please tell me that that it is not Gai-sensei. I am tired damn it."
"I will go check, but just to be safe, why don't you boys go to your room?" said Kari.
Gai is a wonderful Jounin and a loyal friend, but his brand of craziness needed to be taken in small doses and after yesterday the boys needed a break.
When she opened the door however, it was not Gai. She was surprised to see it was Anko and Kurenai with three young girls.
'Well this is certainly interesting' she thought.
"Yo Kari-baa-chan" greeted Anko causing Kurenai to flinch.
'Why oh why can't she be more respectful?' thought Kurenai but what she heard next made her sweatdrop.
"Hello to you too Skank-chan" replied Kari.
"Mou, you are so mean Baa-chan" Anko said with a mock pout.
"If you too old broads are done catching up, we came here with a reason" said Ino making herself known.
"And you are?" asked Kari with a dismissive tone. She knew who the girl was of course, but the brat was on her front yard and, while she gave Anko and Naruto a pass to be themselves, this girl had not done anything to earn that yet.
"You know who I am, now are you going to let us in or not?" Ino demanded.
Everyone was shocked to their core; sure Ino was confident and sometimes cocky, it was part of her charm, but this level of arrogance and petulence was not like her at all. Kari however was impressed, the girl had guts she would give her that.
'Hmm I know Anko enough to know that she wouldn't have brought her here without a good reason and the boys do need more friends their age. At least they are not fangirls, oh well this should be interesting at least'
"Very well, come in" said Kari "Why don't you have a seat while I get the boys?"
Said boys were in their room about to start playing cards when Kari walked in.
"Is it Gai-sensei?" asked Sasuke (his voice definitely didn't waver with fear).
"No, you three have visitors. Come on; let us not keep them waiting."
The boys quickly put their cards away and followed their grandmother with varying expressions of confusion and apprehension. They had the same question on their mind: who in the world was at the door? And more importantly why did their grandmother have that look on her face?
Naruto knew that look meant she knew something they did not and she was going to enjoy whatever was coming and they wouldn't. But Kari did not have that look before she opened the door and there was no way that anything serious could have happened in the few minutes since they left, right? Looking at his brothers he noticed that they also had the same train of thought, well they were going to find out soon anyway. Although just in case he instructed his brothers to get ready to teleport out of the house if they did not like what they met.
When the boys got to the living room, they only saw Anko and Kurenai so clearly they were missing something here. That was until they checked their surroundings and saw the girls sitting on their couch.
'What in the world are they doing here?' thought Sasuke 'last time I checked they were fangirls; well Sakura and Ino are but since when are they friends with a Hyuuga?
Naruto of course was more vocal with his questioning "Okay what are they doing here? Shouldn't they be in school or something?"
Immediately, Sai could tell it was the wrong thing to say, and the events that immediately followed confirmed his suspicious.
Hinata's head dropped in shame at the fact that the person she looked up to the most could not even see that she was getting stronger. Sakura couldn't care less what he thought of them she only had eyes for Sasuke anyway and she was sure he could see that she was training to get stronger. Ino on the other hand saw yet another person that did not believe in her and she snapped.
"I am going to kill you for that" growled Ino. She turned to Kari and said, "do you have a training area here?"
Kari suspected exactly what the girl's problem was and thought perhaps a fight would do her good "follow me"
Naruto was officially confused, "What did I say?"
Sasuke just sighed and followed Kari, although given how Sakura kept looking at him made him wish he was not here. Fangirls always gave him the creeps, between the look in their eyes and the sounds of their voices, his skin was always crawling. That being said, the blue-haired one didn't look like a fangirl, which already won her points in his opinion. She did not look like she could fight though, probably making her as weak as her friends.
Sasuke had to physically stop himself from sighing again. Was it so hard for him to find a girl in his generation that was not a weak air-head? Did something poison the water the female population drank after Anko's generation? While the crazy woman was as hyperactive as Naruto, she had earned her Jounin promotion just like Kurenai. This time he was not able to stop himself from sighing.
'Women'
When they got outside, Sasuke was sure that the fight would end in seconds; after all, there was no way that these girls would be able to even touch him or his brothers. Sai on the other hand was not as sure; he could tell from the way the girls were moving and their chakra signatures that they had some training, certainly not as much as they had, but enough for them not to be dismissed out of hand. Naruto however was just plain confused, he had no idea why Ino wanted to fight him so badly. Was it something he said? They really should be in school, Iruka-sensei was not a fan of his students skipping school.
"You really are an idiot." said Kyuubi
'What the hell is that supposed to mean?' thought Naruto angrily
Kyuubi shook his head "Just get ready."
Sure enough, they had gotten to their training area and Ino was in front of him with eyes that wanted blood. He had seen that same look in Anko's eyes enough times and knew not to lower his guard and prepare for the worst. Although he did not want to fight her, he would never turn down a spar with a new opponent; even though he knew he would have to hold back a lot.
Kari looked at the two of them; she knew that her grandson was far stronger than his opponent but it looked like the girl had something to prove. Oh well like she thought this was going to be interesting regardless.
"Ready, set, Hajime"
Ino refused to give Naruto time to breathe as she attacked him in full force. She knew that he was underestimating her and she would make him suffer for it. Speed was her forte and she was going to use it to get the asshole back for everything.
Naruto was impressed and a little scared. The girl was fierce with fast hands and light feet; she was nowhere near as fast as him or Sasuke (maybe when they were five the girl could have given him a hard time) but she fought like she had nothing to lose. He could admit to having fun watching her go at him, being so ahead of someone was a new feeling for him, and boy was he enjoying it. This must be how Kari felt when they sparred.
Ino knew that now was the time, she had managed to manoeuvre him into a position where he would only have one option and she was ready for it. It was time to wipe the smirk that was forming on his handsome face…wait what? Shaking her head she got ready:
A low sweeping kick sent Naruto to her left, so she quickly drew a kunai that was then hurled at Naruto, forcing him bend sideways. Ino, using her right hand as a base, drove both her feet towards his face and, like she suspected because of the lack of trees and the overhanging root behind him, he would either have to block her kick or duck. Naruto, unfortunately, was too experienced to duck instinctively, since doing so would blind him to her hands for too long, and this cost him dearly.
Like Ino wanted, Naruto blocked her kick by grabbing both of her legs in his hands, his first mistake. To say what came next stunned him, would be like saying Jiraiya was only a little bit into peeping. Ino displayed incredible upper body strength by lifting herself up and attempted to drive a kunai into his eye. But Naruto was sharp enough to push her away from him, unfortunately the shock made him forget about the root, leaving him to lose his centre.
This was Ino's plan all along and she took advantage of his loss of balance by going through hand signs for a technique she had mastered recently:
"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower"
Multiple fireballs and his lack of a centre forced Naruto to drop to the ground and roll away, but before he knew it his danger senses went off again. Ino had used the technique as part of her plan; with Naruto distracted and down it was easy to jump him and place a kunai an inch from his throat.
"Still think I should be in school or something?" said Ino with a dangerous look in her eyes.
Naruto's mind took a few seconds to process what had just happened.
"You planned this from the start." said Naruto
Narrowing her eyes she bent down till her face was just a few inches from his and the blade cut into his neck.
"Never underestimate me again." said Ino coldly.
Everyone witnessed the scene and even Sasuke had to admit to being impressed. If Naruto had gone all out, he would have outclassed her in everything, but he hadn't and from now on, he wouldn't make that mistake again.
As for Naruto, looking into Ino's eyes was turning out to be very distracting; the anger and pain was bare for anyone to see.
"I am sorry, you beat me fair and square" said Naruto calmly.
His honest admission threw Ino off a bit, but looking in his eyes-his beautiful eyes-she knew that he was sincerely sorry… 'where did that come from?'
Anko saw the chance to mess with two people at the same time and jumped at it:
"Are you two comfortable there? Would you like some privacy?" said Anko, leering at the 2 kids, smiling suggestively.
Ino was about to ask her what she meant, when she realized exactly where she was: straddling a boy with his face inches from hers. Once that fact settled in, she jumped off him quickly, with a light blush on her cheeks.
"Well it seemed like we ended a very nice moment." said Kari "Don't worry kids, I'm sure there will be others."
Naruto groaned, he knew that neither Anko nor Kari would ever let him live this down. As he got up, he felt as though his body was cold or lacking something since Ino jumped off him.
'That is just crazy, but man that fight was something else!'
"We came here to see if you boys were okay and since you are, we need to go and get some things done" said Ino.
Still embarrassed by what she did, she was nonetheless proud of the fact that she was able to best a prodigy. But if she wanted to keep that up, she would have to step up her training; Naruto and his brothers are too smart to let her play them like that again.
Unfortunately Kurenai was not about to let her off that easy: it was payback time,
"Actually we have a free day, so why don't we stay?" Kurenai said, smiling at Ino.
"Well you guys are free to do what you want, I have something I need to do at home." Ino said quickly, trying to get away.
"No, you don't." countered Kurenai.
Ino felt her eye twitch. She was trying to save face here and make the boys think she was too cool for them and her stupid sensei was ruining it by bluffing her; well two can play at that game.
"I am surprised that you can pay attention to my home life since you've been very occupied with that new boyfriend."
Kurenai, thrown by the sudden change, let slip a slight blush; causing three sharks to smell blood. And when a shark smelt blood:
"So who is this mystery boyfriend, Nai-chan?" asked Anko sidling up to Kurenai.
"Yes who is the lucky guy?" asked Kari.
Ino smirked, she knew that there was no way Kurenai would want to stay now, not with all the eyes trained on her. Two wins in one day, it felt good to be Yamanaka Ino.
Unfortunately for the blond, Kari was not about to let her off that easy. While they were fighting, Anko had given her the rundown about Ino's behavior and asked her to help the girl out. Kari had to get the girl one on one so that they could deal with her issues; she loved her boys, but they and Anko were absolutely useless when it came to subtle matters of the heart.
"Well how about we go into the house? That fight made me hungry" said Kari.
"Heck yeah, ramen time!" Naruto cheered.
"Actually, you boys have to go to the grocery store to pick up some things."
"Wait why us?" asked Naruto
Sasuke on the other hand was more than happy to leave, the thought of staying here with Sakura one minute longer was out of the question
"Sure let's go" said Sasuke, already dragging Naruto out.
Now Naruto was really confused, Kari never let them shop for groceries by themselves, given their tendencies to pick their favourite foods and ignore everything else, and now Sasuke (who hated shopping) was eager? What the hell?
"Naruto there is a list on the table, Kurenai will go with you to ensure that you follow the list and yes you can buy some instant ramen."
Well that did it, so long as he got ramen Naruto was not interested in what was going on with his family today, besides ramen made everything better.
"You got it, Baa-chan"
When the boys and Kurenai left, Kari turned to Anko: "Take Sakura and Hinata to the kitchen."
"Mou, why do I have to?" Anko knew what Kari was doing but that did not mean she liked the thought of doing kitchen duty.
Kari rolled her eyes "Anko take the girls and start making snacks and drinks for everyone."
"Tch fine, come on minions" said Anko, leading her 'minions' inside the house.
Once that was out of the way, Kari turned to Ino, who was beginning to look like a cornered animal.
"Relax, I am not going to hurt you" Kari stated calmly.
"Yeah sure, you just happen to dismiss any witnesses, leaving me alone with you in your backyard. How stupid do you think I am?" said Ino
"And what makes you so sure that I am going to hurt you?"
"You are close friends with Anko and that bitch is crazy" said Ino with finality.
"Just because I get along with Anko doesn't make me as hyperactive as her" said Kari. "Look, why don't we take a seat under that tree over there?"
Ino still did not trust the old lady, she knew first-hand how vindictive Anko could be, and somehow she knew that Kari was worse. Nonetheless, she sat down and though she would never admit it, that fight had pushed her past her limit.
"Okay so what do you want to talk about?" asked Ino warily.
Kari did not know whether to be amused or proud of how afraid the young girl was of her. Anko had done a good job of beating naivety of her students, but this fear was not productive.
Adopting a serious face, Kari said "Perhaps you will like to tell me why you are being so bitchy today?"
Ino flinched under Kari's stern eyes, Kurenai and her father had nothing on this woman,
"What do you mean?" asked Ino, hoping to avoid the issue. Kari only had to raise an eyebrow, before:
"My father suppressed my memories and refuses to restore them because he thinks I will break. But I am not some weak child he needs to protect. If I could take the Genin exams right now, I would pass with flying colours, making me an adult. Also, I would not be some green genin, I have already stained my hands with blood. I am tough enough and I am angry because I don't think that my father believes in me; I doubt he ever did." Ino looked down, her fists clenched tight.
Kari waited a minute, letting Ino's anger dissipate a little.
"Ino," Kari started, "I want you to do something for me. Picture someone, anyone, that you love very deeply."
Ino was understandably confused, but did as she was instructed. When Kari saw the small smile on Ino's face, she continued: "Now I want you to imagine willing harming that person. Can you do that?"
Ino, having imagined her mother, flinched at the thought of harming her.
"What the hell are you playing at? I could never hurt someone I love." shouted Ino.
Kari just nodded her head, "Yet you're asking someone else to torture the one they hold most dear."
At first Ino did not understand what Kari was talking about, she was doing no such thing. But, as she thought about it, it started to make sense. Her parents had seen her go through something terrible (something that had made her a shell of herself) and they couldn't bear to see it, so they put an end to it.
"Okay, I get why they suppressed my memories and I might be able to forgive them. But I'm not the same person I was back then, and they have no right to keep my memories from me." said Ino still confident that her father was wrong.
Kari looked towards the house and said,
"The day you have a child, or even a little sibling, you will understand. You see, no matter how much time passes, your baby will always be your baby. Now don't get me wrong, your father should have restored your memories the second you told him about it. But I want you to understand the real reasons behind his actions."
Ino looked away, her anger dissipating. Regardless of his flaws and faults, her father was still her father and she should not have reacted the way she did. Ino's eyes glittered with unshed tears as she thought about some of the things she'd said unthinkingly.
"I should probably apologize huh?" Ino asked, her voice soft.
"Yes, you probably should." said Kari.
For a while they sat there, Kari letting Ino think with a clear mind, as she clearly hadn't before hand. Ino meanwhile was thinking about what she had planned on doing to her father. She wasn't exactly ashamed, what her father had done was serious, but Ino couldn't believe how little trust she had in him.
They sat there until the boys returned.
"BAA-CHAN WE ARE BACK!"
Ino jolted out of her thoughts at the shout. Then she scoffed,
"He really can't help himself, can he?"
Kari giggled,
"Afraid not. Come on he is impulsive enough to rush out here."
And sure enough, they had barely gotten up before Naruto ran up to them,
"What are you guys doing? I am hungry ttebayo" said/whined Naruto.
"Baka Naruto." said Ino.
Naruto's eye twitched,
"What the hell did you just call me?"
"Hmm, I can't remember" said Ino in an 'innocent' tone. Then shrugging she said, "Let's eat, kicking your ass made me hungry."
"Yeah let's… hey what the fuck do you mean kicking my ass?" shouted Naruto, pointing a finger at Ino.
"I could have sworn I beat you or did something else happen?" said Ino, still innocently, but with a smirk playing on her lips.
"You got lucky." ground out Naruto.
"But I did kick your ass, right Kari-san?"
"She did kick your ass Naruto-kun." said Kari, nodding sagely.
Ino threw a smirk at Naruto, flipped her hair and went inside the house. Naruto followed her, fuming and arguing one-sidedly while Kari hung back a little. As she watched the kids go inside, certain plots and thoughts came to mind and Kari smiled thinking/planning for the future.
'Hmm… those two will either be the cutest couple ever or they will kill each other. Oh well it'll be fun for me either way.'