I waved to Sakura and Sasuke who was out in the garden gardening. Sasuke had put on a hat but he was already burnt on the tip of his nose. That would be hurting when evening came. Sakura waved back and seemed to be getting up, I didn't stop but rushed to the gates.

I wasn't in the mood for Sakura's antics right now. I wasn't in the mood for anything but a bath maybe. I pulled a bottle of water out of my purse; it had already become warm under the sun. This had been an unusually hot summer and I still hadn't ruled out the theory that I had somehow killed myself without remembering and ended up in Hell.

I dropped by the flower shop to find Umeko and Chika from my clan working today. Umeko was braiding Chika's long blond hair when I entered. Oh, how I had missed that small bell that went off whenever someone entered. I had been banned from working; it was too much stress Tsunade had said. If it had been up to her I had been chained to my bed all hours of the day.

The clan had been quick to offer to help out in the shop now that I couldn't. I had mentioned closing it in one of your weekly clan meetings and it was almost a riot among the calm, cool blonds. Things had calmed down when I had said it was due to baby related health reasons.

The few who had been able to have volunteered to take shifts that fitted their schedules. Chika had been one of the first to sign up. Normally she worked in clothing store, but she had asked for Thursdays free and admitted that she had always envied me for getting to work in the flower shop. She was happy to help and so were all the others.

"Ino!"

I smiled picking up some purple and white orchids. I couldn't remember ever selling orchids and why wouldn't we?

"Oh, I hope you don't mind me ordering some!"

Umeko was quickly by my side with a guilty smile on her face. I didn't mind at all, I even decided to bring some with me home.

"No, not at all. They're beautiful."

I took in their faint smell and Umeko smiled proper smile now. She looked almost proud that I had approved of her actions.

"I love them, but mother was allergic so we could never have them growing up."

Perhaps that was why we hadn't had them either, that father was allergic. Though it hadn't been listed in his files, every allergy is listed in our files. Nothing is kept secret.

I often forgot that Umeko had lost her mother during the war. From what I had heard she was a retired shinobi but had fought when the town was attacked. I was envious of her; she had a mother that had died not only for her hometown, but also for her daughter.

I know father would have given his life to keep me safe, and in essence he had. Still it was different when a mother did it. I couldn't pin point how, and the sacrifice wasn't any less. My mother had abandoned me, she had never loved me. Must have been why I reacted so strongly to the topic.

I paid for the flowers and walked the rest of the way home. I took to less traveled streets to avoid people. I wasn't feeling like myself, and I wasn't. I would never be the old Ino again. I had changed these last couple of months and I would never be the same.

I would never be able to live like I had, my body was changing and I continued to do so. It would never be the same again either.

"What's with the gloomy face?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I had been too occupied with my own thoughts I hadn't noticed I had almost bumped into someone.

"Ibiki…"

The familiar name rolled so easily off my tongue.

He offered me a smile waiting for my response that wouldn't come. I didn't have the power to utter what was wrong. Neither did I think either of us had the time. There was so much to talk about.

"So, how is it going?"

His eyes were on my stomach but he had the sense not to try and touch me. Ibiki understood me. He knew me.

"She's kicking me, constantly."

He laughed, it was a light chuckle.

"Wouldn't expect anything less from a Yamanaka."

There. I was reminded that this man was probably the one closes to my dad beside me. They had worked together for years, talked together, laughed together, shared stories together, sought comfort and advice. He had probably heard of most my mischief as a child. Tried to comfort my father when I was acting up and crossing him, which was often. Laughed at my petty problems and consolidated my father when I learned about the opposite sex and became a teenager he couldn't control.

"I guess it's payback from what my father had to go through."

"I guess it is."

I rested my hand on my stomach that had started growing again and Sakura had warned me that it would only get worse now that I started my third trimester.

"You've always been a handful; you kept your father at his toes. He'd be proud if he was here, he was always proud of you. I know you don't agree, but once you're a mother things will change and you'll see for yourself."

He moved over to the wall and sat down on an empty crate belonging to some restaurant we were behind. I strolled over and sat down on the slightly lower one and rested my head on my fist. I had always been a handful for everyone who ever happened to cross my path.

"You're one of a kind."

"So are you."

Ibiki shook his head disagreeing. He wasn't anything special according to him but I would never meet anyone who could even compare to Ibiki. A good thing that was.

"No Ino, no matter how deep you down you go, how high or far you're tossed, you always get back up again. You always survive; you always get back on your feet."

Ibiki seemed almost touched by the moment and I could feel the baby kicking. She was probably responding to my fastened heartbeat and Ibiki's voice.

"I never understood the term survivor. Never understood what a fighter was. When I found you that day I was certain you were dead, or were going to die. I never saw it coming."

Ibiki had never uttered a word about his one visit to my old home. We had never discussed it. There had never been a reason for it. Frankly I was embarrassed to be found in that condition. I felt bad he had to experience that that he had to touch me. Yet I knew it was nothing compared to what he was used to, Ibiki wasn't faint hearted.

"I didn't see it, and I'm supposed to be able to read everyone."

He placed his arm on my shoulder, grasping it, hard.

"It had been so long, I thought you had recovered. I should have never recruited you. You were too young, too emotionally bagged."

I placed my hand on his. He was wrong about everything besides not being able to read me.

"I would have done it all over again, it gave my life purpose and it was just what I had needed. It made me feel close to him. To sit in his office with our picture on the desk and his scent on the chair. I think he would have protested, put up a fight but secretly be thrilled that I was following in his footsteps."

The grip on my shoulder became harder and I almost jerked away. I would suck it up, I needed this as did Ibiki. He had suffered so much because of me.

"… I think you're right. I still blame myself for what happened to you. I should have let you go, I should have but you were so good and I think you became my replacement for him…"

It wasn't until he was gone I really understood how many and how deep roots my father had in the town he died protecting. I never knew just how well respected and well liked. I never knew just how much. Almost every shinobi had something good to say about my father and I could never measure up to that.

"I'm a pale imitation. I'll never be anything like him."

Again Ibiki laughed, but this time it wasn't a hearty chuckle. It was a sad hollow one.

"Don't you know what they're saying about you, Ino?"

I had a feeling rubbing my swollen belly. I couldn't think they're saying anything good about me especially not after getting in this predicament. Not when I had collapsed after the war, twice. Someone in and out of the hospital and clinics. I was mad woman who tortured for information, to feel their pain, to see humanity when I had none.

"You're already in the history books at the academy."

Ibiki got back on his feet and looked down at me with a smile plastered on his face.

"I don't know where Konoha would have been without you after the war. I don't know how many lives you've saved. I told you this job was hard, but you've worked harder than anyone I've ever had the honor to work with. It's also a job that isn't given enough credit, I wish I could give you more."

He saluted me and was about to take off. I too rashly jumped to my feet.

"I'm coming back!"

Ibiki turned around with a somber face.

"I won't allow it. I saw firsthand what it did to you the first time."

"It's for my baby. It's to keep my baby. I worked out a deal with the elders, it's complicated. I couldn't give them her so I gave them me. I don't care what it'll do to me, I don't care what it'll cost me. The only reason I'm not back is that Tsunade put me on bed rest. I'll be back, and I'll pay their price, five years. I'll do it with a passion and I'll be the best at it!"

"There's no stopping a Yamanaka, is it?"

COCOCOCOCOCO

The Crystal Flame: I thought your review was good and it always makes me happy when there's a fresh "face" in the review section. So thank you for that and I'm glad to hear that you're enjoying my story.

EmoPrincess: I had so much fun writing the last chapter, I wanted to make it longer but Ino would never beg for anything so it had to be short. Haha. It seems like Ino will never really get what she wants. Poor conflicted little thing, should I insert evil laugh?

SweetLilly: Yes, I've been missing you! Glad to see that I didn't lose you somewhere along the way. Kakashi is many things, including a pervert yes, haha couldn't have changed that. The fact that he thought he had lost his child and would be losing Sasuke didn't make him any better for starters. Yes, a lot of people seem to be interested in Ino because of her child and she's aware of that. I feel that Sakura is flaking, she wants to be a good friend but she doesn't really succeed, she doesn't know what Ino needs and misses whenever she tries of offer it. That's what I feel about their relationship, and it's not like Ino is actually trying so hard herself. That's just my take on their relationship, you may have another. Interpretations are great! To be honest I haven't decided if the elders should calm down or if they'll try something. We'll see. It's Itachi so he could be both or wanting to be clueless. I'd be scared senseless in his situation. Haha, hope you don't mind the long response, I got caught up. PS: I also had a laugh at what I assume was autocorrect in your review, thought you had started reviewing for another story midways in your review before I noticed.