Year Four

Drifting Skies

The grass felt cold beneath her even if the sun was just starting to shine down on them that particular spring morning.

It was too early in the morning but he had come out without a word when he had a feeling, he knew that Ino was in his yard. Shikamaru would always know when Ino was close by. He didn't need to see her to know, he just felt it.

He was right. She was in the yard with her knees on the ground with a deer slowly approaching her. He watched the deer bend his neck and smell her face. Smell her, tongue out in the air but never touching her face. It snorted and went back to grassing.

Ino fell back, placed her butt on her heels and looked down. Shikamaru was almost afraid he'd see her collapse. She looked so frail, so weak. Everything he knew his Ino wasn't. He had seen this imposter once before and this time he wouldn't turn his back on her.

He moved over to her with fast steps. The grass was crisp under his bare feet and still moist from the night. He wrapped his coat tighter around himself. His family was still sleeping soundless in their beds, he was certain everyone in the Nara compound was sleeping besides them.

She didn't look at him when he sat down, not the deer either. They were used to him. Knew who he was and what was to come. Shikamaru extended his arm, placed it on Ino's shoulder and pulled her closer. Closer to his heart and he rested his head on hers.

She didn't need to speak. Shikamaru had seen it coming for a long time. This time he hadn't turned away from him. This time he had decided to be there, to prevent her from falling once again because this time she would fall far too deep. This time she would fall so far that she wouldn't be able to get up. He took it as his job to keep her on her legs no matter the cost.

Blank liquid was falling and making it through the fabric of his pajama pants. He didn't speak, he was so used to Ino being the one leading the conversation with a slight smile on her face, laughing and teasing like words had no consequences. Shikamaru had from early on needed to learn that her words and insults had no power, no malicious powers because she never intended for them to hurt.

Not too much.

But this time she didn't speak. She just continued to cry and as minutes must have stretched into an hour Shikamaru started to wonder if he should speak. He didn't know what to say. He had seen Ino cry countless times, but mostly because of dumb things only teen girls cried over. This was different. He knew why she was crying, because she had lost her child protecting it.

Shikamaru had access to all papers. He would have been a fool if he didn't take advantage of it. He knew about the deal, he knew how it had gone down word by word. Even when they threatened to remove her unborn child with pliers if she didn't agree with them.

Last night something strange happened though. Looking through Kakashi's papers on his desk to see if a miracle had happened and he had finished something properly he was stopped when he reached a thick stack of papers. All he could read was T&I codename: Bud.

He knew very well who Bud was, but he didn't know what was so secret not even he couldn't know. He knew everything, everything that was going on in their town and everything, almost, about the Hokage he served. Kakashi had even sent him to buy new underwear and condoms once, it had been his worst day in the office so far.

What was it that could be so secret not even he could know?

Some secret between Ino and Kakashi?

I had to be something about Inokoto? Or could it be that she had finally learned to know how Itachi had seemingly risen from the dead? Maybe he was some imposter posing as the legendary Uchiha. If something like that was to happen Shikamaru was sure Ino would be involved like she was seemingly part of every big scandal that had happened since the war.

How quiet and unexciting wouldn't things be without her?

"Thank you for making things interesting."

Ino hiked, stopping her crying to laugh. She would never understand her boys. She would never understand how they were there for her when she was at her lowest, beside the time she didn't want to think about.

"I come her crying for ages and you call me interesting?"

It seemed to have worked on her. She had a smile as she dried tears as the last few bathed in her eyes unsure whether to stay or join the rest of their brothers and sisters.

"Well, you are."

It was a statement, but it was far from a bold one. How dry and monotonous wouldn't his life be with just him and Choji. They needed Ino, they needed her more than she needed them. They were a team and in a team they were equal.

"I wonder if there are parallel universes."

They slung themselves on their backs in unison as if they had done it on cue, Ino looked into brown eyes as Shikamaru looked into blue eyes. They shared a laugh as they looked up on the sky and the clouds far on the horizon.

"Sometimes I wonder if we look up at the clouds or down at the cosmic abyss."

Ino laughed like he had no idea she was capable of just a few minutes ago. She clutched her whole body together and started rocking with the laughter. She almost asked him if he had been too deep into the forest and started eating plants no father should.

"It's a serious question and you're just laughing at me!"

To Shikamaru Ino was more beautiful than ever. It didn't matter to him that she looked frail and sick, it didn't matter to him that her eyes were red and face puffy. Ino was beautiful because she was real. She was Ino.

She reached out and grabbed his hand. His hand was so warm compared to hers. Hers so soft compared to his. It was a moment nobody and nothing could destroy.

That was before she reached out and did something she hadn't done since she had her first taste of alcohol. When Shikamaru was stuck with the mess the alcohol had created. He knew she had remembered it but they had both gone on as if never happened.

Her free hand was on his cheek as she captured his lips in a deep kiss. It had more passion that all his kisses with his wife combined. It was over quickly. Ino giggled and bit her bottom lip as she hadn't kissed her best friend, like she hadn't kissed a married man lying in front of the house his wife and child was sleeping.

"No, still nothing…"

"Ino!"

Both of them jumped haven't realized the third person standing next to them. What he had seen they didn't know, but she hoped he wouldn't tell if he had seen anything. It was just a whim she had gotten.

"Your child was pestering me and now she's bothering the Hokage!"

Ino clutched her stomach as she went back to her earlier laughing motion.

"My three year old is bothering you, is that so, Sai?"

The pale boy nodded eyes narrowed. He had a feeling children weren't allowed to bother strangers and had hoped Ino would take the matter serious. He hadn't expected her to be kissing Shikamaru either. His former girlfriend seemed to be full of surprises and even more confused about the concept of romantic relations than him.

"Yes, I think it's imperative that you teach her good manners!"

Ino snorted. She would be learning all about good manners from mister perfect.

"And I think she'll be in trouble. It's my understanding that you and her father doesn't want it to be common knowledge that she's the next wonder this town will foster."

Ino was up on her feet. If Inokoto was with Kakashi she was in the Hokage Tower, and now she was interested to know how she had been pestering Sai.

"Her showcasing herself following my trail isn't helping keeping that a secret. It's only a matter before the elders know. That child is as annoying and persistent as you and with her father's good genes I wasn't able to shake her."

Ino had already taken off running before he finished. She had to see that Inokoto was okay, she had to see her.

COCOCOCOCOCOCO

Okami: Hope that helped and you got your Ino-fix. More Ino from now on.

Goheneampong: I'm glad you found it in your heart to forgive me, and everything for my readers! Hahahahaha