The Wanderers
Chapter 27 – Ino – Baby Blue
A/N: I suppose I should mention that this story does have its grim-dark moments. I mean the last chapter was evidence of that, but I can guarantee it never gets all consuming. I've written depressing material and it's just not fun. Depression plays a part in this story, but ultimately this is about entertainment.
Also just to address something a reviewer said from last week but I couldn't respond. Several of the characters have multiple element types, meaning they can use them individually, but cannot combine them together, as that would be a Kekkei Genkai like Haku's Ice Element.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, Ino wouldn't be a stereotyped female character.
***Previously-On***
After escaping the Hidden Village of Sound, the group was accosted by a warrior covered in white armour, bearing a frightening resemblance to the warrior from Kakashi's memories. After a short monologue, in which he confessed to compliance in the destruction of Konoha, the warrior dispersed the Konoha shinobi under orders from a mysterious leader, causing all of them to be sent to different parts of the world. Now, separated from their friends and comrades, each of the surviving Konoha shinobi are struggling to find each other again before they are found again by the group that had caused them so much grief.
After spending four months within a monstrous insect-covered forest, Shino had finally found a place that catered to his personality, though he still had an interest in finding his companions. However that had to be put on hold, since he had been frequently forced to destroy intruders that entered the forest. He didn't know what their motivations were or why they kept sending men into the death-trap that was his home. After the capture and interrogation of a group leader, who was clearly not a shinobi, Shino learnt of a darker plot, one that he didn't quite fully understand. Resolved to escape the forest, Shino found a large group of invaders at the entrance, a red-haired woman clearly directing the others. Before he could do anything a masked woman in the group, who had been called Iceheart, directed a companion to set the forest ablaze. Shino sent out a message in an attempt to convey his information to anyone outside of the forest, but the dragonfly carrying the message was intercepted and destroyed. Within the burning forest Shino slaughtered five of the robed invaders with several techniques he had developed within the forest, but was brought to his knees by the Iceheart woman. Their blades cut into him but Shino's last act was to spit into his murderer's masked face. With that, the Aburame clan was no more.
***End Summary***
***Two Weeks after Separation***
Ino attached the notepad paper next to the light and let out a slow sigh. The café was dying down for the night, but even without that much work to do Ino still hated working there. The customers were barely tolerable and the other staff clearly resented her. She leaned back onto the wall and straightened out her black stockings for the hundredth time that day. Nobody said it, but she was convinced that the café she was working in was popular because of the waiting staff's outfits. Her black maid dress barely covered her backside, and was cut down the front to show her cleavage.
If Ino hadn't been desperate for money, she would never have considered working at such a place, but when she had appeared in the town her bag had been destroyed in the transition. While initially she was angrier about the destruction of her clothes, some of which had belonged to her mother, Ino realised that she had no money for food or housing.
Looking over at the last customer leaving the café, Ino simply shook her head and rubbed her sore arms. A part of her thought she should have just stolen some money and moved on from there, but even despite her shinobi experience she couldn't bring herself to diminish the others in the town for her own gain.
She already had a plan worked out on where she wanted to go, the town she had landed in was to the southern region of the Land of Fire. It would take her a few weeks, but Ino couldn't think of any other place that the others could meet her. It wasn't even a consideration in her mind; Ino knew that the others were fine.
Ino grabbed a handtowel and began to clean the tables, her two fellow waitresses doing the same. They had been working there for a long time and weren't sure what to make of the shinobi, but Ino didn't pay them any heed. She had worked in her mother's flower shop before its destruction, so Ino had no problems with customers, but every time one of them tried to look up her skirt she had to supress the urge to enter their minds and break their souls into tiny pieces.
From within the kitchen a heavy-set man wearing an apron came out to the main area of the café. It had gotten dark quickly that night, and with her last pay check Ino planned on leaving the next morning. He barked orders at them and re-entered the kitchen with a scowl. The others waitresses did their jobs and left once the area was clean, but Ino stayed behind. If she didn't press him for it, her boss wouldn't give her pay until the next day.
He came back out into the café, and upon seeing Ino patiently waiting he shrugged and indicated for her to sit down at one of the tables. Ino did as he asked and crossed her legs, placing her arms on her thighs respectively, she didn't want to come off as prudish considering he was temperamental at the best of times. Her boss sat down opposite her while wiping his hands on his apron. She saw him look at her legs for a little bit longer than she was comfortable with, but made no comment when she saw him pull out a small envelope that inevitably contained her pay.
"Before I give you your money, I wanted to talk to you."
Ino frowned but motioned for him to continue. "Is something wrong?" She didn't want to give him any indication that she was leaving in the morning.
Her boss grinned with a smug smile, one she had seen several times before. "You are an excellent waitress, Ino." She initially didn't want to use her real name, but she figured if one of her friends heard about her then it was worth the risk.
Despite herself Ino felt a small measure of pride at the compliment. She knew she wasn't the nicest person in the world at times, but she knew how to make people feel important, a key facet of hospitality.
She smiled as genuinely as she could. "Thank you. I'm happy to be here."
"That, is why I wanted to talk. Since you came here two weeks ago you have been an asset to my café. There are many customers who come here just for your…service."
Ino smiled again, it wasn't something she should've taken pride in, but she knew she was probably the prettiest girl on staff. "I like helping people."
"Hmm…" Her boss edged his chair closer to her, to the point that their knees were almost touching. "I was talking to your roommate, and she said that you have been packing your effects for the past two days."
Ino didn't flinch at all; she wasn't particularly surprised that her fellow waitress and roommate had sold her out. They hadn't been particularly close, and if Ino didn't pay her part of the rent then she was sure the girl would be happy to see her gone. "And this is a problem?"
"On the surface, no. You are free to do what you will." He fingered the envelope between his chubby fingers. "However, I don't think you've worked hard enough for this money."
"What?" Ino didn't launch out of her chair like she wanted to, but the comment still caused her arms to clench up in anger. "I work just as hard as anyone else here."
He grinned slyly; he knew that despite everything Ino had a weakness for pride. "Perhaps. But you don't seem to understand how things work between me and the other waitresses."
Ino frowned and crossed her arms. She didn't like the dirty look in his eyes, and something about his overly confident demeanour made her try and close her legs even more. "Then maybe you can explain it to me."
"You are leaving this town tomorrow. Don't try to deny it. And the only reason you stayed behind is that you need this last pay-check, otherwise you won't be able to get where you need to go."
"Get to the point" said Ino angrily. It was clear he wanted to extort something from her, and considering his position directly opposite her, she suspected it wasn't going to be something she would want to give away.
Is he an ally of that warrior? No, he's not smart enough for that. It's something else.
Her boss placed the envelope on the table next to them and leaned forward, resting his large belly on his legs. "If you are going to leave, then you need to do what all the other waitresses have done after they work here for over a fortnight."
Without any warning he reached down and ran a hand up her black stocking. Ino was so surprised by the move that it wasn't until his hand touched the ruffles of her mini-skirt that she was able to react.
After a minute Ino let out a slow breath and picked up a nearby cloth, wiping her bloody hands on the white material slowly. With a quick glance she picked up the envelope and opened it to count the cash inside.
It was three times what her pay should have been, causing her to slam a high heel into the disfigured body of her body boss in disgust. "You bastard. Think you can just feel up any girl that works for you because you have money?"
As she walked out of the dark café she took a look at the empty streets of the town. She had no interest in staying there any longer than necessary, and she would now draw attention to herself if she did. Ino quickly made her way to her temporary living quarters and paused with her hand on the door.
I shouldn't blame her. If I wasn't a shinobi I would have been intimidated by him as well. And he did pay very well for the staff, though if he did that to all of them…Maybe I should have beaten him worse.
She opened the door slowly with a grin on her face.
Well he won't be able to cook for a long time. Not with ten broken fingers.
***One Month after Separation***
Two weeks of trudging through the grasslands of the Land of Fire left Ino with a bad mood to accompany her messy hair. At first she wanted to take the roads, perhaps stop at a few towns on the way to keep herself going. However a sight at the first town to her destination had forced her to change her path of travel.
During her stay in the café town Ino had heard rumours of strange groups moving through the Land of Fire. They had anticipated that, with the demise of Konoha, other shinobi villages would attempt to move onto their old territory. However the robed figures that were accosting the town occupants gave even someone like her pause. She decided it was in her best interest to avoid detection by such groups, she had no interest in becoming a prisoner of another shinobi village, particularly if any Sound shinobi were to find her.
She slowly climbed a tall hill, padding her forehead with a cloth to keep the sweat from falling onto her face. Ino never considered herself to have that much stamina, she had always fought from a distance, but Ino didn't realise that the two weeks of waitressing had put her so out of shape.
If I don't find a hot springs before I meet them, I think I would die of embarrassment. Besides, I smell like the inside of a shoe.
At the top of the hill Ino breathed out a sigh in relief. It was good to see the town again. She thought about it for a moment before smiling. It had been over two months since she had been to the town, and despite herself she had missed the small but homely town.
Oh, little Airi must have gotten bigger. I wonder how she looks now.
She looked up at the sky, figuring it to be sometime in the afternoon. Looking back down at the town Ino took note of how little had changed since they had come to the town before. Ino went to move towards the town, but stopped herself after a strange shiver came up her spine. It caused her to stop completely and nearly drop her small pack to the ground.
That…was strange. I've never felt that before.
She secured her pack on her waist and looked back at the town, noticing with a flick of her hair to get it out of her face that there was something slightly off about the image that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
The Yamanaka heir shook her head in attempt to disrupt the feeling and quickly moved down towards the town. Normally Ino would have been more cautious, but two weeks without contact with any other person had left a bad taste in her mouth, one she desperately wanted to get rid of.
She had never quite had the connection with her teacher that Shikamaru and Chouji had, but the last time she had been to the town she had felt a connection with the genjutsu-user. But regardless of those facts, she looked forward to speaking with the two Jounin, two people who would be able to give her some indication of what she should do next. Ino didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was terrified. Each night she ran through the situation that had sent her to that village, and thought to herself what more she could have done. It wasn't like her to question her own actions; Ino took pride in being a confident young woman, so questioning her decisions was inherently alien.
oOoOoOo
Once she had reached the town limits, Ino knew that something was wrong. It wasn't so much the fact that people were running all around screaming, which was alarming in its own right considering she hadn't heard them on her way to the town. But once she had turned a corner into the main view of the village, she saw a small plume of grey smoke rising slowly in the distance.
That's strange. Isn't that…
Deciding to pick up her pace, Ino moved quickly through the village, noticing with rising alarm that the surrounding villagers seemed to be fleeing in the opposite direction that she was running to. Ino tried to put it out of her mind, moving as fast as she could while trying to remember which direction the house was in. It was with a grim realisation that the smoke was in the same direction as she was heading, though Ino couldn't see any of the figures she had observed from the other towns.
She turned another and deftly avoided being bowled over by a fleeing villager, steadying herself as she looked down the street that was all too familiar. What she saw confirmed what she had been afraid of, but nonetheless Ino sped down the street and skidded to a halt in front of the house she had been looking forward to coming to since she thought of it.
"No…"
The two-story house that had looked slightly out of place with those around it was covered in flames. The green-brown roof that looked like it had just got a new coat of paint was falling apart as its foundations burnt away. Ino noticed immediately that the flames were only isolated to the house itself, it seemed like the blaze wasn't even trying to spread to the grass below or the nearby houses.
Ino placed up her hands instantly in preparation to douse the house with torrents of water, but before she could summon up the chakra a terrible notion came into her mind.
This fire must have been deliberate. The villagers are panicking far more than a common house fire requires. What if those figures did this intentionally? If I put it out, that'll only draw attention to myself.
She put down her hands and glared at the burning house. While it made sense, and she trusted the two Jounin to be able to look after themselves, Ino couldn't shake the overwhelming sense of dread in her stomach. Making a difficult decision in an instant, the Yamanaka heir placed her hands together and concentrated. After moulding the chakra required she ran through the handseals and activated the technique.
"Suiton: Mizutama" (Water Element: Water Sphere)
Spreading out in a four foot bubble around her, Ino strengthened the water shield with extra chakra before moving to enter the house. She trusted that her shield would prevent any part of her from the fire and would limit smoke inhalation, but she had modified the technique so that if she needed to it could be expanded to accommodate extra people.
Ino took a deep breath and kicked the door in, jumping over the splintered remains with her hands at the ready to blast any enemies with bullets of concentrated water.
The inside of the house was even more of a mess than the outside, the flames seemingly happy to destroy everything they touched. Melted pictures and furniture littered the main living room, but that wasn't what put Ino on even more of an edge. The walls of the room were covered in long slashes and broken personal objects, the pattern of which Ino recognised instantly.
Above her a lick of flame reached out and bounced off of the top of her water shield. The green-eyed kunoichi looked up with concern; the roof was barely hanging on as it was. Swallowing the fear that had gripped her since entering the town, Ino moved quickly into the next room, the kitchen.
The moment Ino entered the room she dropped to her knees and vomited onto the floor. Even though she was covered by a thick veil of water the stench was overwhelming. She wiped her mouth with a gasp and looked back up at the burning room, immediately feeling the urge to throw up again at what she saw.
Sitting with their backs to the cupboard on the other side of kitchen were Asuma and Kurenai. The two of them were holding hands and had strangely serene smiles on their faces as they had cuddled up next to each other. With a quick inspection Ino could tell that they were both dead. Their throats had been slashed from ear to ear, and beside the slash marks in the living room it looked like they had been executed and left to die.
Ino knew when she saw the house on fire that something like this might have happened, but seeing it right in front of her was like a tight vice around her heart. Within her shield she walked over to the two of them, kneeling down and touching Kurenai's face lightly. It seemed almost too horrific to be real, but Ino knew that she wasn't dreaming.
A large chunk of wood slammed into the ground next to her, causing her to jump in fright before realising it was just the roof burning through. Ino looked back down at the two dead Jounin, realising that she only had a few minutes before the house collapsed on itself.
With a heavy heart she reached down and removed their wedding rings from their hands, placing them in her pocket. She knew she wasn't going to be able to take their bodies out of the house before it collapsed, and she felt they would want someone to have something of theirs to remember them by.
She stood up and turned her back to the bodies, wiping her face with a grim expression. She could hear the house creaking as more chunks of wood fell to the ground, but when she walked over the threshold to the burning living room Ino froze in place.
She mentally kicked herself for not thinking of it earlier, quickly looking around the room before seeing her goal. She ducked under a fallen timber and bolted up the nearby staircase, being forced to jump the last few steps as the staircase collapsed. She frantically moved down the long corridor on the second level of the house, using her shoulder to bash down the door and entering the room with a terrified look on her face.
She saw the crib immediately, moving with intense speed to stand over it. To her amazement, inside the small bed was the sleeping form of a four month old little girl, wrapped carefully in a blanket. When she saw the baby's face time seemed to freeze for Ino, it seemed miraculous that not only had the child been spared her parent's fate, which was clearly an intentional attack, but that even with her world physically collapsing around her she still slept with a peaceful look on her face.
A loud crash above the two of them brought Ino screaming back to reality. In a single fluid motion she reached down and pulled the little girl out of the crib as carefully but as quick as possible, jumping back as the entire middle section of the roof collapsed straight down into the now-empty crib.
Ino clutched the still-sleeping baby tightly to her chest, staring in awe at the destroyed room.
It's almost like someone was waiting for me to pick her up.
The house quickly fell to pieces after that, the mysterious fire burning through the foundations with almost directed aggression. Seeing nothing else to retrieve in the house, and with young Airi in her arms, Ino leapt out of a destroyed window and landed on the opposite side of the house. She softened her landing as much as possible, and to her continued amazement the baby in her hands still hadn't woken up. She knew Airi was still alive because she was breathing softly into her shirt, but Ino still wanted to examine her for smoke inhalation.
She gripped the young girl tightly to her chest and fell slowly to her knees onto the grass below, forcing herself to watch as the house burnt down. She didn't want to believe it, it seemed too horrifying to imagine, as she had thought earlier. But as Airi squirmed slightly in her sleep and pawed at her shirt lightly, Ino forced herself to swallow her own grief.
She looked down at the sleeping baby and forced a smile onto her face, even as tears slowly fell from her face.
"I…I'm really sorry. But it'll be okay. I promise…it'll be okay."
Ino couldn't do anything but continue lying to the sleeping baby. She didn't know what else to do.
An hour later Ino found her way to an inn in town, Airi still fast asleep in her arms as the villagers were slowly recovering and going back to their day. Some of the villagers had tried to put out the fire with water buckets, but after making sure that the fire wasn't going to spread they gave up and let it run its course.
The large woman behind the counter smiled at her sweetly, seemingly undeterred by the fire on the other side of the town. "Hello dear. Would you like a room this afternoon?"
Ino smiled weakly, she may not have exerted that much physically, but emotionally she was exhausted. "That…would be good. How much are they? I'll need a room for a week, maybe two."
The woman nodded in acknowledgement and flipped through a notebook on the counter. She flicked a pen between her fingers, occasionally glancing up at the young girl before turning back to her notes. After a minute she wrote on a piece of paper and placed it on the counter facing the kunoichi. "We have a lovely room at the end of the hall, one that had facilities for new mothers."
Ino frowned for a split second before regaining her composure and nodding slowly. The figure on the piece of paper was very generous, and Ino quickly accepted. She was essentially going by instinct at the moment; Ino had no idea how to continue beyond basic survival instincts.
Ino handed over the money for a room for two weeks, she figured that would be enough for her to get her bearings and figure out what to do next. It was more than half of her remaining money, but Ino wasn't thinking about that at the moment.
"Can I get your names, dear?" asked the large woman. "For book-keeping."
Ino smiled awkwardly, "Of course. My name is Ino…Haruno. This is my daughter…Sakura."
The woman smiled sweetly, "Your daughter has a beautiful name."
It wasn't Ino's intention to use her closest friend's name, but when she was trying to construct the lie it was the only one that came to mind. Since the woman didn't recognise Airi, Ino figured that the Jounin hadn't shown the villagers their newborn, though it bothered her that the woman didn't seem bothered at all by the apparent fifteen year-old new mother, as if it implied that she was the type to have a child that early in life.
The moment Ino placed Airi in the double bed in the room the tiny baby began to stir. Ino stood back and frowned, realising she had just assumed a massive responsibility. She had wondered what it would be like to be a mother, and in a few short hours she had become one.
It never occurred to Ino that she could give Airi away for adoption. While she didn't think she was the best choice, Ino vowed that she would do everything in her power to keep the little girl safe. If that meant becoming her mother, then Ino resolved to do so.
She watched the little girl move slowly, still continuing to sleep without a care in the world. She considered what she would need to do; all other agendas were swept away in the face of such responsibility.
"Oh god, you are going to need feeding" she said with alarm.
She looked down at her chest, suddenly wishing she had gotten the same chest that Hinata had begun to grow into. As part of their medical training Shizune had given them a crash course in maternity, the medical-user had been very thorough in teaching them.
On the bed Airi slowly opened her giant pale blue eyes, stretching her little arms for a second. Ino hesitated; she wasn't sure how to approach Airi at that time. She knew that she would be looking for comfort, and likely a source of food, but Ino wasn't sure how she would react to someone who wasn't her mother or father.
I could transform into Kurenai, ease the transition.
That plan went out the window the moment Airi turned on the bed and looked directly at her. Ino froze, unsure on what to do. The little girl stared at her for a few seconds before yawning slowly and smiling at the young kunoichi. Ino still wasn't sure how to interpret the little girl, but figured that it couldn't be so bad so she sat on the bed slowly. She stretched out a hand cautiously, but discovered all her fears were for naught when Airi gripped her hand tightly and tried to pull herself towards her.
"I guess I'll have to do this then."
With a smile she reached out and picked Airi up before placing her back down so that she was sitting comfortably. After sleeping for so long Ino knew there was only one thing she would need at that time.
The Yamanaka heir wracked her brain before understanding what she would need to do. Ino wasn't as good as the others when it came to medical ninjutsu, but she took pride in her chakra control and ability to adapt her abilities to different situations.
It can't be that hard. It's just changing one part of the body; all the facilities are already there.
She looked down again at her chest. "Nothing to do but try, I guess."
Ino breathed out slowly and removed her top, taking a few seconds before placing it on the bed and adding her bra on top. She placed her hands together and concentrated, feeling the change come about relatively quickly, though it was difficult to concentrate as Airi tried to grab at her arms.
Once Ino was relatively confident that her technique had worked she reached out and picked up the four month old, who had been strangely quiet despite clearly being quite hungry. Ino wasn't particularly sure how she was meant to proceed, but clearly Airi knew what she was doing because the little baby seemed to have no problem at all going straight for it.
Ino jumped slightly but once she saw that Airi was feeding properly she calmed herself down.
She used one hand to keep Airi steady, while using her other to stroke the baby's hair. "This…is a very strange situation. I can only imagine what Sakura would think."
It was a strange sensation to say the least, but after the little baby was done and had fallen back asleep Ino found herself watching the girl sleep with a wide smile on her face. She had gone to place her shirt back on, but after looking down she realised that she had performed the technique too effectively.
"Oookay…this'll take some getting used to."
BREAK
***Two Months after Separation***
It hadn't been her intention, but Ino had stayed a full two weeks longer than she wanted to. At first she had been petrified that a villager would recognise Airi, but it had quickly become clear when she asked that Asuma and Kurenai had kept mostly to themselves. Ino considered that a good thing, particularly if they had been murdered for a reason. Even so, Ino had grown exceedingly uncomfortable with living in the town. Seeing the burnt remains of her adopted daughter's home was like a dagger in the chest every time, and it had gotten to the point that Ino actively avoided going to that area of the town.
She watched the countryside trudge by, bouncing the giggling baby on her knee from the back of the wagon. Most of her time had been spent with the little girl, but when Airi had been asleep she had made some 'home remedies' that had earned her enough money for their trip out of the Land of Fire. Ino wasn't particularly sure where to go, but she knew it wasn't safe to stay in any one place for a long period of time.
It was to her amazement that Airi didn't even seem to notice that Ino wasn't Kurenai. The new-mother figured that the baby was either too young to realise, or knew what had happened on a subconscious level and had accepted Ino into her life. Regardless, Ino felt an overwhelming need to protect Airi and swore to raise her like she was her own daughter.
Looking down at the giggling baby Ino had a strange thought pop into her head.
I've never even been on a date, and now I'm a mother. I feel like I've skipped a whole part of my life.
She didn't regret any of her actions, but Ino did feel like when she was reunited with the others she would give herself the chance to fall for someone.
Chouji was always nice to me, even when I was awful to him. And then there is that idiot, Kiba.
She shook her head and stared back out at the grasslands around them.
Thoughts for another time, I suppose.
In her arms Airi yawned softly and turned around, rubbing her head into the kunoichi's arms. It wasn't long at all before the little girl was fast asleep again. Ino wasn't sure if all babies around five months old were like that, but Airi seemed to almost make a point of being completely adorable all the time.
Rocking her daughter in her arms, Ino turned around slowly. "How much further until the next town?"
The old man driving the wagon took a long draught from his whiskey bottle and wiped his beard before turning back to look at the young mother. "Few days probably. We just passed the border."
Their horse-drawn wagon practically drove itself, and despite being a drunk and a bit of a pervert, the driver was decent enough company. After paying him a reasonable fee he had promised to take the two of them to a small town in the River Country, where she had heard of a small house that was vacant.
"Okay, thanks." She placed Airi onto a collection of blankets and pulled out the Yamanaka scroll she had kept on her person at all times since being separated from the others. Since adopting Airi she hadn't had any stamina to do any shinobi training, but nonetheless she had familiarised herself with her father's writings. He had written extensively on personal psychology and how to exploit certain emotions in subjects to elicit information. Ino refused to risk herself in combat besides defence, since if she died than Airi wouldn't have anyone left.
I need to find a way to fight without risking myself.
oOoOoOo
Ino had nowhere near enough money to buy the house in the town, but a quick technique later and she had been handed the keys and the deed to the small country-house. She felt it should bother her to manipulate people with her clan's techniques, but Ino decided that since it was for Airi's benefit her actions were justified.
The old man that had taken her there was sad to see her stay, she suspected he was a pretty lonely person, but Ino had reminded him that she needed to settle down for her daughter. Having the adorable baby went a long way in convincing the villagers to accept her into the fold.
Ino was extremely daunted by the task, but any time she felt like the pressure was too much Airi would do something new and it would inspire Ino to work harder.
She told herself that when she was old enough she would tell Airi what happened to her parents, but for the moment she told the baby that she was her mother, and even though Airi didn't respond she could tell the affection the young girl had for her in her pale blue eyes.
The house was reasonable enough to accommodate her and Airi's needs, the previous owner had died in her sleep and left no heirs to claim it, so it was perfect for Ino. Upon reaching the town Ino had found an opportunity to work in the local flower shop, one that was reminiscent of her family's before the destruction of Konoha. Her boss found Airi adorable and let Ino have the baby in store while she worked, after a few days they had found that the baby itself seemed to draw customers to the shop.
For one of the first times since the destruction of her home, Ino could see herself staying in one place for a reasonable amount of time. Unlike the last village, these people didn't give her any grief for being a teenage mother, they didn't even ask where the father was. Ino still claimed to be a Haruno, she figured it was too risky to claim to be a Yamanaka in case someone recognised the clan name, but she kept Airi's name the same.
I'll keep my ear to the ground for any news about the others, but I'll have to wait until Airi is a little bit older before looking myself. They can look after themselves, this I know.
After feeding Airi for the night and putting her down, Ino collapsed onto her couch and stared out at the dark sky outside her window. The village around her was relatively peaceful, and Ino found herself able to relax for the first time in a while. Only now did she really understand why their teachers had decided to retire, there was a nice feeling to not being in constant peril, but Ino wasn't going to relax completely. Whoever murdered Asuma and Kurenai might have realised that they had missed one, though the information she had gleaned from the villagers in the other town was that a small contingent of robed figures had marched into the town, entered the house and that was all they knew.
"For now…"
She never finished her statement to herself, collapsing onto her side into a deep sleep.
***Eight Months after Separation***
When the last customer left the store, Ino counted up the till and handed the money to her boss. The small woman smiled and pocketed the money; she kept the savings off the premises.
"Thanks Ino. You can go home for the day."
The blonde kunoichi smiled and bowed respectively. In the six months of living in the town she had felt she had matured over a dozen years. She still kept her blonde hair in a long ponytail, but instead of shinobi fatigues she wore civilian clothes that were both comfortable and accommodating to her still growing form.
"Will I see you tomorrow?" asked her boss, going around the shop and placing the remaining flowers in the back room.
Ino shook her head slowly. "It's her first birthday tomorrow. So I want to have a day off and take her to the springs."
"Of course! Take as much time as you need dear. You work so hard for such a young girl."
The Yamanaka heir smiled in response, glancing over at the next room. "I've got a lot to work for."
Walking into the room Ino sighed when she saw her little daughter sitting in a small pen, playing with a set of plush toys Ino had bought her on her six month birthday.
Sensing her mother's presence, Airi turned around and pushed herself up onto her feet with a tiny stool beside her. She reached out with her little arms towards the blonde kunoichi. "Home?"
Her voice was tiny, but Ino paid no heed. Despite who her parents were, Airi had grown a full head of blonde hair that practically mimicked Ino's, though thankfully for her she had started to act more like how Ino remembered the Jounin used to act. She was quiet like both of her parents, and didn't say things that weren't necessary. It was strange for a nearly one year-old to be acting that way, but after her first night with Airi she knew that the little girl was very different than other babies she had met.
On their way back to their house Ino walked along with Airi's arms around her neck. "Would you like a cake for your birthday?"
Cake?
"Yeah. It's a nice tasting food. We can have it on the way."
Yay! Mummy giving cake!
She wasn't quite at full sentences yet, but every time she learnt a new word Ino felt a swell of pride. It had taken her a little while to get used to how she spoke most of the time, but Ino pinned that down to who her parents were. She could do without the silent crying though; being woken up by it was an exercise in patience and pure horror.
Her father used to talk to her about some genjutsu users that had developed the ability to speak directly into other's minds, but Ino had simply dismissed it as the drunken ramblings of a father trying to connect with his bored daughter. Ino figured it must be a natural talent that she couldn't control. To her knowledge she was the only one Airi talked to in such a manner, and it was so random that she had just gotten used to answering questions that Airi had never spoken aloud.
When they got home she put Airi on the ground, letting the nearly one year-old crawl to the couch and pull herself up. She knew the little girl could walk, but when Ino was talking with another mother and was told that infants that crawl for longer are generally smarter, it was almost as if Airi was intentionally crawling.
Ino leaned down and kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I'm going to go pack our things. We don't want to be doing that in the morning, do we?"
Mummy my stomach hurts.
"I know honey, I know." Ino couldn't find a reason for her stomach to hurt beside perhaps growing pains, and her medical analysis of the young girl hadn't turned up anything. "Do you want something to drink?"
The girl clapped her little hands with a giggle. "I want juice!"
Ino grinned and nodded in acknowledgement. She was pretty easy to distract, particularly when it came to food or drink, but the continuing stomach ache had Ino partially concerned. After giving the young girl her juice, Ino sat down at the table and pulled out the newspaper from the previous week, the one that had caused her to want to move.
The front picture had a wide shot of the front of a shinobi village, one bordering the River Country. The article talked about the recently appointed youngest Kage in history, but that wasn't what had caused Ino to smile uncontrollably. Standing beside the red haired robed leader was the extremely uninspired face of her old Nara companion. It confused her a little to see a Suna forehead protector on him, but despite the dull expression she knew Shikamaru well enough to see that he wasn't there under duress.
He always did have a thing for that blonde girl from Suna. It makes sense that he would end up there.
She wasn't sure how long it would take them to get to Suna, but if Shikamaru could find a place there then she certainly felt like she and Airi could. She knew she should send a message to the shadow-user, but the idea of surprising him by turning up with a one year-old was far too entertaining for her not to do.
They had enough money to make the trip, and while travelling with Airi wasn't Ino's first choice, the fact that they could be safe there was enough to justify the risk. From the table she could hear soft snoring from the couch. With a roll of her eyes, Ino walked over and simply shook her head at the sight. Lying asleep on the couch, Airi had drained the juice box clean, but the liquid had dribbled down her pink shirt.
Ino pulled out a bib that every mother kept on their person and wiped the juice from her daughter's chin, standing back with a proud smile. She placed a hand to the girl's forehead, a frown coming across her face. It wasn't burning hot, but it was a little bit hotter than her mother would have liked.
"I'll have a talk to the doctor before we leave."
Standing in the kitchen in her apron, Ino stared at the metal bowl and stack of ingredients in front of her. Even after six months, Ino still wasn't very good at cooking. Her culinary skills were passable, and Airi seemed to love her food, though Ino suspected that was because she had cooked it herself.
An hour later Ino found herself staring at a black square that she could probably kill someone with if she hit them with it. Throwing her hands up in defeat the kunoichi removed her apron and looked out the window. It was dark, but the bakery near their house was still open.
She won't notice. Maybe I can just make some icing or something.
oOoOoOo
At eight o'clock in the morning Ino reached up and slammed a fist into the wooden door. She kept knocking frantically until a sleepy-looking man opened the door and stared at her with a deadpan expression.
"What…is it?" he stuttered, rubbing his eyes slowly.
Ino didn't waste any time, showing him the heavy breathing infant in her arms. His eyes widened immediately when he saw the blood red forehead on the little girl, as if the wheezing wasn't enough to alarm him.
He motioned for her to come into his house and flew to get his medicines, Ino trying and failing to keep herself calm as she lay her daughter down onto the bench.
He moved past her and began examining Airi, while firing off questions to the young mother. She had already established herself as knowledgeable in medicine, and likely knew more than he did, but in her current state of panic she couldn't think straight.
After a few minutes of examination he stood up from the little girl's side and shook his head slowly. "I…"
Ino reached out and grabbed him by the scruff of his pyjamas. "Don't you dare say it!"
He looked her straight in the eyes, which was a task in of itself most of the time, keeping a solemn expression on his face. "I don't know what it is. She's got a high fever, an infected cough, and her lungs aren't coping with the pressure."
She shoved him backwards, fully aware that it wasn't his fault, but that didn't stop her from being angry. "You can't help her."
"Look, I don't even know what she's got. But she's failing fast. I've never seen anything like it."
"She was complaining of a sore stomach…but I…" Ino sunk to her knees and began to hyperventilate. The doctor gave her a bag to breathe into and moved back to his infant patient. After a minute Ino recovered and thanked the doctor for the help. This wasn't a time to panic, that didn't help anyone.
"So…what can I do?" she asked quietly. The tears on her face had begun to dry, and Ino's fear was slowly being replaced with a calm tenacity.
The doctor placed a hand on his chin cautiously, "It pains me to see a child in such a condition, but this is beyond my skills. Although there is…" He let the sentence run off.
"What is it? I'll take anything! I refuse to let her be like this any longer."
He shook his head slowly. "The town directly north of us has a hospital attached to it, but that is over a day away. I don't think she'd make it that long."
Ino glared at him through her green eyes. "North on the dirt road?"
The doctor nodded, "Yes, but as I said…"
She pushed past him and gathered up the pained form of her daughter, wrapping her in a blanket and placing her head into her shoulder. Airi groaned in pain and cried out into Ino's mind, causing the mother's heart to break even further.
She moved to leave the house, but the doctor placed an arm up to stop her. "You'll never…"
His voice trailed off at the stare Ino gave him. Though she was just a teenage girl, the doctor felt that if he didn't move she would kill him to get past. Seeing no other option he moved out of the way and let her run out of the village. He shook his head and placed his hands behind it.
On foot, at a sprint, the journey to the hospital would have taken a full day without breaks.
Ino did it in an hour.
She panted heavily as she came crashing into the hospital waiting room. Airi hadn't moved for the past ten minutes, and despite Ino consistently telling her that it was going to be okay she hadn't heard anything in response.
At first nobody paid her any heed, which was odd considering she had entered the waiting room at a full sprint, but the moment she screamed out for a doctor and indicated that she had an infant five nurses immediately rushed to her side.
They fired off an assault of questions as they led her down a corridor, Ino refusing to give Airi to anyone until they could find a room for the two of them. She laid the little girl on a small cot in a free room and began explaining her symptoms to the closest nurse. She had to repeat several things however since she was winded to the point of collapse. One nurse asked her if she wanted to sit down and the glare that Ino gave her in response caused to nearly fall to the ground in fear.
The nurse checking Airi's pulse took the stethoscope out of her ears and began barking orders at the other nurses. With her adrenaline at an unhealthy level Ino could barely hear them over the beating of her heart, though she did hear something about a head doctor and a bunch of medicines she didn't recognise.
She tried to ask one of the nurses if her daughter was going to be okay, but everything she said came out as a shout. Through the thundering noise in her ears she could hear one the nurses trying to calm her down while the nurse giving orders said something in the realm of its going to be okay.
Ino figured that it was only a matter of time before she would be sedated, but that point became moot as she was overwhelmed with exhaustion and crashed into the ground.
oOoOoOo
Mummy?
Even in a deep sleep Ino was immediately awoken by the voice in her head, her eyes snapping open to see her daughter lying in a cot beside her. Ino could feel a feathered bed beneath her hands but ignoring all pre-text she leapt off the bed and reached out to grab Airi's hand.
The little girl giggled at how dramatic her mother looked. "You silly, Mummy."
Seeing that there was nothing attached to her daughter, Ino pulled up and hugged her fiercely, tears falling onto her daughter's blonde hair. "I was so scared…I thought I was going to lose you."
Mummy, I'm hungry.
Ino laughed through her tears and rubbed her daughter's head affectionately. "So am I."
"This is a strange scene to be sure."
Ino looked up in search of the speaker, her eyes actually looking around her environment for the first time. The two of them were in a small hospital room that was different to the one she had brought the little girl into; it had a window looking out onto the town proper and appeared to be on the second floor.
Her green eyes rested on the doorway and widened in surprise upon seeing the figure leaning on the wooden frame. She had replaced her black kimono with doctor fatigues and had her dark hair tied up into a ponytail, but despite the bottle of sake in her hand it was a face that Ino was relieved to see.
Shizune took a swig from her bottle and walked into the room, stumbling slightly before taking a seat opposite the bed that the mother and daughter sat on. It was strange seeing the normally strict medical shinobi drunk to the point that Ino could smell it from ten feet away, but nevertheless she smiled in relief at the sight of her medical teacher.
"Shizune-sensei! What are you doing here?"
The female doctor sighed and leaned back in her chair, dangling the sake bottle between her fingers skilfully. "I have a better question. Where did you get a one-year old baby?"
Ino looked down at her adopted daughter, smiling as she saw that the little girl had fallen asleep in her arms. "You've met her before. This is Airi Sarutobi."
Shizune frowned and leaned forward on her chair. "And…why pray tell are you so attached to Asuma and Kurenai's baby?"
Ino placed her daughter carefully down onto the bed so that her head was on the pillow, but refused to let go of the young girl's hand, like if she let go she would float away. The Yamanaka heir propped herself up and looked at the swaying doctor. "Where should I begin?"
oOoOoOo
After she had finished her story, Shizune had drained her bottle of sake completely dry, but despite that she asked pointed questions that drew out more information than Ino had thought she knew.
"That's…quite a story. I'm impressed you were able to do so much."
It had bothered her for a while now, but having finished her tale she saw the perfect opportunity to ask. "Ano…Shizune-sensei…why are you drinking so much? I thought you hated drinking?"
"What this?" remarked Shizune, waving the empty bottle in her hands. "That's pretty simple actually. I finally understand why Tsunade-sama used to drink."
Placing the empty bottle on a nearby table, Shizune leaned forward and placed her hands together like she was praying. Ino could tell she was trying to keep her mind straight.
After a few minutes of silence Ino took a closer look at her old teacher. She sighed with a tired expression and leaned over to shake the sleeping kunoichi.
Shizune woke up with a snort, shaking her head before looking at Ino with a smile. "Sorry, had to get rid of the alcohol. I never thought I'd do that again anytime soon."
Ino waved it off. "What happened to you, Shizune-sensei?"
"It's…difficult to describe."
Ino let out a small laugh and indicated to the peacefully sleeping girl by her side. "I'm a sixteen year-old single mother. I think I've got you beat."
Her old teacher smiled slowly, "I guess you do."
The head doctor of the hospital stood up from her chair and walked slowly to the window in the hospital room, staring out at the bustling town beneath.
Ino turned around to look at the older kunoichi, "Sensei?"
"I thought you guys were dead."
Ino winced as she heard the pain in Shizune's voice. It was hard to move around on the bed with her arm attached to her daughter, but Ino made it work.
Shizune turned back around and leaned on the windowsill. "I woke up in…well let's just say it wasn't a very pleasant place."
"And you assumed we hadn't survived?" asked Ino carefully. She knew what it was like to lose someone, but Shizune had been hurt before many times.
"What else was I to think? All I can remember is nearly getting killed by those Sound shinobi, and I wake up all by myself? Unable to sense any of my friends or allies anywhere near me? Is it so hard to imagine that I assumed your fate was the same as my master?"
She doesn't know about the white-armoured warrior that separated us. There was never a doubt in my mind that the others had survived, but a part of me certainly understands her course of action.
"I suppose not. But that doesn't explain how you got here, or why you were drunk."
Shizune indicated to the room with a wide gesture, a proud smile on her face despite still maintaining a morose expression. "During our travels Tsunade-sama and I established several large scale hospitals, in the hope that it would prevent more deaths in the evitable wars."
Ino nodded slowly, it made sense for Shizune to go to a place of comfort and work if she thought there was no one to help her.
"And the drinking?"
"Ah, that…" Despite herself Shizune found herself blushing slightly under the green gaze of her old student. "Like master like student, I suppose. You'd be surprised what people do when they've got nothing else to do with themselves."
Ino gave her old teacher her best you've-got-to-be-kidding-me look. "They let you perform medicine under the influence of alcohol?"
Quite uncharacteristically for the reserved Jounin, Shizune smiled slyly. "Alcohol only affects the mind when you let it. For us medical shinobi, we can choose to be in that state or not."
"I never thought of that." Ino yawned loudly and rubbed her eyes slowly.
Shizune smiled and walked around towards the doorway. "You should get some more sleep. That level of exhaustion isn't good for anyone, even shinobi."
"What about Airi?" Ino asked sleepily.
The head doctor went to answer, but thought about it and smiled when she thought of a better response. "Your daughter will be fine. She's a strong girl that one, especially considering what she's been through."
"My daughter? I would think you might be more appropriate to raise her, since you are older." It wasn't what Ino wanted at all, but she knew that if she didn't voice it then it would be much harder if the older kunoichi suggested it.
It was Shizune's turn to give the shifty look. After a few seconds she turned around and gave the pair of them a casual wave. "She is as much your daughter as she was Kurenai's. I don't think any force in this world could separate the two of you."
oOoOoOo
"So there are others out there as well?"
They were eating in the mess hall when Ino mentioned her plan to travel to Suna. Shizune nearly dropped her fork onto her plate in surprise at hearing what had occurred in the Land of Wind.
"Shikamaru is the only one I've heard about so far. But I'm sure there are others, just laying low."
The kunoichi smiled with surprise. "How about that? I guess I should've actually looked."
Ino nodded and continued eating her meal. It had been difficult at first, but she let Airi play with some of the other infants at the hospital visiting family members, giving the Yamanaka heir time to take a breather and consider her situation.
"So you are still thinking of going to Suna?"
Ino nodded, "If Shikamaru is being shown like that, he's inviting us to come join him."
Having finished her meal, Shizune clasped her hands together in thought. "Considering your situation, that may not be the wisest action."
"What do you mean? Surely we couldn't be safer than in a shinobi village."
"I wonder about that." The head doctor looked around at the resting nurses and patients alike in the mess hall. With a slow shake of her head she turned back to her old student. "It's been on my nerves for a while, but something is changing in the world, and not for the better."
"Do you mean the people who murdered Asuma and Kurenai-sensei?" It had been on Ino's mind as well, but it never occurred to her that their influence might have spread beyond the Land of Fire.
Shizune nodded but indicated for Ino to keep her voice down. She didn't think anyone was listening in, but it didn't hurt to be cautious. "I just wonder if you might stay here for a little bit, maybe help out here at the hospital?"
Ino thought about what would be practical, but every time she did all she could think of is the safety of her young daughter. "I don't want to bow out of the fight though. If there are people against us, then I need to be there to help our friends."
"And who will look after your daughter if you were to die in battle?" Shizune didn't intend it but she couldn't hold back the anger in her voice. "Do not throw away your life so quickly."
In turn Ino placed a clenched fist on the table, resisting the urge to slam it into the wood. "I would do anything for that little girl, and you know that. I just…I don't want to abandon my friends."
"And you assume you need to be on the frontlines because of some well-meaning but misplaced sense of duty?" Shizune reached out and placed her hands over Ino's. "Do what you can, but recognise your personal responsibilities."
An hour later the two of them sat in Shizune's office, the head doctor sifting through a large stack of papers on her neat desk. Ino sat with her legs crossed opposite her old teacher. "So…what should I do then?"
Even while sorting through the mess of paper Shizune made a point of acting as civilized as possible. "I won't lie to you Ino; you were the least of my students."
While the words seemed harsh, it was an opinion both master and student shared several times. Out of the three of her students, Ino was the worst medic, but the best fighter that wasn't using taijutsu. It still stung slightly to hear them in such a manner though; it made Ino wonder how much the medical shinobi had changed over the past eight months.
"Please, do go on."
Shizune stared at her over her paperwork. "It doesn't bode well to be snippy. I meant it as a general observation, nothing more."
"Sorry."
Her old teacher waved it away and ahhed as she pulled out the piece of paper she had been looking for. "This could definitely work."
She pushed the paper across the desk and indicated for Ino to look at it. Picking it up a slow smile came across Ino's face, "That could work indeed."
"And when the times comes…"
The Yamanaka heir leant back on the chair, a strange thought coming across her mind. She looked at her newly decided boss with a sly grin.
"Are there any cute doctors working here?"
Author's Note:
For the moment that is all from these three women, at least for a while. A part of me feels I shouldn't have written the breast-feeding scene at all, but I wanted to establish Ino as a mother to Airi, and forcing herself to provide breast-milk was the most emphatic way I could think of. I don't know why, but this chapter was much easier to write than some others. Much quicker too.
Next up is a Naruto/Hinata chapter. It takes a bit of a lighter tone than the past few chapters, for most of it at least.
Please review and tell me what you think. I try to reply to each review, and believe me I read them all. Tell me what can be improved, what you liked, what you didn't, everything. I'm a writer so I'm always open to criticism.