I Do Not Own Naruto

Chapter 36

Ino walked with Ibiki through the village, it was a day off and she was enjoying the bustling life of Konoha. Everyone was getting ready for the Rinne Festival, and everything was so festive, she enjoyed it, though the festival wasn't for three weeks.

"Kami, it's so alive!" Ino chuckled as she hurried through the crowded streets with Ibiki.

"Too many visitors for this year's festival, huge security breaches," Ibiki grouched.

"Oh come on Ibiki, we're not in Security, we're in T&I, and we're off for the festival," Ino pointed out.

"Ino, let this be a lesson for you, as a member of T&I, or rather Intelligence as those pussies have renamed us, we're never off duty," Ibiki said. "We are some of the most valuable members of the ANBU forces and Shinobi ranks, never let your guard down."

"We're not in bingo books Ibiki," she pointed out. Not because she didn't believe her mentor but rather because she did not think that Konoha was operating as if they were at war anymore. Besides, with the forming of the Shinobi Union they apparently had to share intel, and that was making the nations more friendly. However, she knew this did not make them friends with their rival shinobi villages, and what intel was selected to be shared could not harm Konohagakura, or Konoha shinobi, or Konoha interests.

"No, but make no mistake Ino, there is a price on your head, and as the up and coming princess of Intelligence they will try to come after you," Ibiki said. "Festivals like this, where the shinobi put their guards down in their village, is a fast way to be snatched. Especially with the village gates being opened to all civilians and foreign shinobi, do not let your guard down. You are very valuable in the wrong hands."

"Understood," she nodded and they continued through the throng of people, she chuckled and spoted Sakura leaving the library.

"Sakura!" she called out, the pinkette turned and she and Ibiki hurried towards her.

"Hey Ino, good afternoon Morino," Sakura smiled.

"Dr. Haruno, I did not think you left the hospital," Ibiki chuckled.

"No, I leave, for a moment a day, mostly so they don't evict me from my apartment," Sakura chuckled. Ibiki barked a laugh and Ino smiled.

"Hey, I was wondering, how would you like to celebrate Christmas with me, Ibiki and invite your family; I was also thinking to invite Temari, Kiba, and Sai," Ino smiled.

"That sounds lovely, I have a surgery on the twenty-third but if all goes well then I will be happy to join you for Christmas." Sakura said tiredly. Ibiki waved her off, and she waved her mentor off as she walked with Sakura.

"Surgery?" she asked.

"Yes, I am performing Tenten's C-section," Sakura filled in and Ino nodded.

"Right, we're having her baby shower next week," Ino said.

"I will be there," Sakura said.

"So is that why you have all these books?" Ino asked.

"Yes, I've been studying everything I can about pregnancies and the C-section, I've been practicing even, though I don't think Dr. Yuno likes me being on his service after he tried to tell Tenten to have a termination of the baby," Sakura sighed.

"He's a dick anyway," Ino dismissed as she remembered the insufferable Dr. Yuno from her time being an apprentice for Tsunade. "He thought I was a nurse and I should sleep with him; even threatened me for if I didn't. I don't think he much liked me in his head."

"He got what he was asking for," Sakura waved off.

"Has he propositioned you?" Ino asked with a wicked amusement.

"Mmm, no, but everyone in this village knows I can break mountains, so imagine what I could do the human skeletal structured if pissed?" she dryly chuckled and Ino giggled.

"That's a good point. Have you seen Sai recently?"

"Yeah, about two weeks ago, why?" she asked.

"No reason, I just hadn't seen him for a bit and was wondering if he was on a mission," Ino admitted.

"Ah, well, no, he has a date for the Rinne Festival, he's been worrying about that, and Kakashi sent him on a short mission to catch an arsonist to take his mind off the date," Sakura said casually.

There was a stab in Ino's gut at those words, Sai had a date, and it hurt her. She had encouraged him to try dating, but to hear he actually had a date… it was something which had her wanting to go commit murder!

"Have you met his date?" Ino asked; she was pretty sure Sai had asked the art shop girl out but wanted to confirm with Sakura.

"No, but from what he's told me, Asami doesn't seem that bad, I'll be meeting her at the Rinne Festival," Sakura shrugged.

"Oh," Ino said lamely. She didn't know what to say, she had briefly met the art shop girl and had thought her sweet but there was the thought of Sai being with another woman which hurt. It also infuriated her and had her wanting to go and torture poor Asami; which was something she wasn't doing. "Do you have a date for the Rinne Festival?"

"No, I think I'm going with Kakasih or Naruto again this year though, if I go, I have a lot of work to do," Sakura sighed.

"I thought you went with Sai," Ino pointed out.

"Last year I did, and it wasn't really planned, Naruto manipulated him and I just went with him. when Naruto was gone I went with Kakashi, and when Naruto and Sasuke were here I went with them, so I will probably be doing the same this year, and Sai has a date, I'm not going with him," Sakura said as they walked down the street.

"I'm going with Kiba," Ino smiled.

"Really!?"

"Yeah, I've been meaning to tell you, we're dating," Ino admitted.

"Tell me everything!" Sakura demanded eagerly as they walked into a café.

"Well…"

Sai was sitting at Ichiraku's with Naruto, eating ramen and wondering what the hell he was supposed to do for his date and the Rinne Festival.

"And they refuse to act until spring! Spring!" Naruto griped as he filled Sai in on this new terror cell, Ryuha Armed Alliance.

"Well, the snow is blowing in from the north, no one is traveling anywhere any time soon, I've heard that some of the mountain passes are already blocked," Sai said as he slurped his warm noodles and tried to think about how to handle Asami; he would probably ask Beautiful for advice. Ugly was useless in this front; probably, since she never dated, he would have a better time for advice from Beautiful. And he liked the idea of having a reason to talk to her so her homicidal boyfriend didn't kill him; and he missed having her to talk to.

"It's just… they threatened to bomb Konoha during the Rinne Festival," Naruto said lowly. Sai stiffened when there was a click and flash as he and Naruto looked up and saw a group of girls giggling and holding up an odd device, they were from Kumo according to their headprotectors and he frowned.

"Hey… so are you… are you really the man who saved the world!?" the giggling blondes ask and Sai sighed. He just wanted a lunch with his friend.

"Yes, but I saved the world with the help of my friends, and Uchiha Sasuke," Naruto said. Sai pulled out his money and paid for his ramen seeing that he was about to lose his friend to fangirls. They were quite irritating.

"Where are you going Sai?"

"I have training to get to," he lied.

"Wait, I'll come with!" Naruto said as he paid and they started walking through the hordes of people towards the Team 7 training field.

"What do you expect them to do about the threat?" Sai asked as he picked up his conversation with dickless.

"I don't know! I just! I guess I want them to take it seriously, maybe even cancel the festival!" Naruto sighed.

"Cancelling the festival would be bowing to the terrorist will and letting them win though," Sai pointed out.

"Yeah, but look around us Sai, the festival is in three weeks and we're filled to the brim with people from the civilian life, and other shinobi, and visiting foreigners, what about them!? Don't they deserve to know that there is the possibility that being here could get them killed!?" Naruto snapped.

"No, telling the general public would only create mass panic and get more people hurt than it would prevent. Besides, the terrorist aim for chaos and fear, to tell the public would feed them power and create a senseless panic, it is not worth it," Sai said calmly. In Root that was their basic lesson, never give their enemy power. And terrorists were the enemy who wanted power, to tell the general public would create a fear, fear created panic, and panic created chaos which made it easier for terrorists to strike and hurt more people.

"Yes but if this does happen!?" Naruto argued.

"Then it happens, but there are a lot of shinobi in this village on security detail, and it will not happen," Sai said firmly because that was what he had to believe. He had worked the Kage summit when it had been held in this village in October and he remembered the sheer amount security and work that had been involved with that assignment. No doubt there would be just as much, if not a little more, security for the Rinne Festival.

"That's a depressing thing to say," Naruto snapped.

"Perhaps, but dickless, the security of Konoha is some of the best," he pointed out blandly.

"I am not dickless!" Naruto roared. "And that is true, but according to Kakashi there haven't ever been this many people here for the Rinne Festival," he argued.

"Perhaps, but I think that this is not a matter that either the Fifth or Sixth Hokage would take lightly, and right now they are both the acting Hokage," Sai said pointedly. It was something that was confusing to everyone, but it was also something that had the village at ease.

"Argh! I hate waiting for the bad stuff to happen!" Naruto growled as they walked onto the training field.

"Nothing bad will happen," Sai said confidently. He had worked with the security teams and had no doubt that they would see to the village safety until after the holiday season was over. These were shinobi who specialized in their tasks, and they took their job very seriously.

"I hope you're right," Naruto admitted.

"I am, and I have a date to the Rinne Festival," he informed dickless smugly.

"Really? You? the social retard has a date?" Naruto asked dubiously and Sai smiled then.

"Yes," he said confidently.

"Holy shit," Naruto blinked.

"Have you obtained a date yet?" he asked in a cheerful tone.

"No, I'm going with Sakura though," Naruto said smugly.

"Really, is she aware of this?" Sai asked; recalling Sakura saying she didn't know if she was going to the Rinne Festival this year because of the hospital.

"Yes, I was going to ask her tonight," Naruto said and Sai nodded.

"Ugly will be pleased that you are being a good friend," Sai predicted.

"Um… I'm… I'm not asking her as a… a friend," Naruto blushed.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I'm asking her as my date," he admitted.

"Oh, but I thought Ugly was in love with the traitor," Sai said in confussion.

"I'm not too sure she's in love," Naruto growled and Sai shrugged. He knew nothing of love, or the complexities of what it was, he was just starting to grasp the basics of attraction and friendships so he was not going to question Naruto further in this matter as they started sparring. Naruto was better in his sign weaving, but still produced dud clones.

Sai chuckled at the attempts.

That's all for now folks!

Enjoy Until the Day I stumble! =)