Apologies for the error text the first time I uploaded, no idea what happened. Should be fixed now!
Chapter 14
I think I will not go out again
on your drifting boat
that floats
in any direction
without ever setting a course.
Ino left that morning as the sun rose.
She assured Jinsui that she would travel by herself through the Sound Village and it would be fine.
At least that's what Cee heard when he came into the office the next morning, hearing Jinsui and Lord Raikage speaking.
Cee didn't sleep at all that night, going back and forth on what to do. He resolved he'd at least try to clear things up in the morning with her if he could. Showing up to her place in the middle of the night would be inappropriate and he couldn't afford scenarios like that anymore.
The kiss shared between them, even though it was brief and innocent, made his entire body feel hot all night.
But she left. Before he could get closure. Just like she always did. He wanted to say good riddance to this troublesome woman, but he couldn't deny his own storm brewing inside that centered around her.
The raikage's office hopped right back into their work of making sense of the interrogation, giving Cee something to focus his mind on for the time being.
Darui pulled Cee aside once they convened for lunch, suggesting they go to one of their usual spots by the raikage tower.
"So, I didn't see you at all last night. That's not very like you." Darui commented.
"Yeah, I didn't see you." Cee replied. It was the truth, he didn't see Darui, but he didn't look either.
"I wanted to introduce you to someone." Darui began.
Cee watched him closely, he wasn't usually nervous like this. To strangers, he wouldn't look nervous at all, but Cee could see the subtleties in his body language after a lifetime together.
"To who?" Cee asked.
"I've been seeing someone, thought it was the time to make it official. Sounds dull but she thought so."
"And who is that?" Cee asked, surprised but not unhappy for his best friend. He was taken aback he didn't mention anything until this point. He knew these days he was disappearing more, but flings weren't uncommon things amongst ninjas.
"Jinsui." Darui rubbed the back of his head, smiling.
"Wow." Cee was surprised. Not scandalized, just surprised. "That means Yamanaka knew before me." He thought back to Ino mentioning Jinsui having a boyfriend.
"Yeah, I guess she did." Darui laughed. "She was with us at the beginning of the night but at some point drifted off."
"Did she?" Cee asked incredulously.
"I'm sure she told you, didn't she?" He asked, taking a sip of his tea.
Cee eyed Darui, not saying anything.
"Look, I'll just ask: were you with Ino-san last night?" Darui asked.
"I ran into her, I guess after she ditched you all. She was going towards the river." Cee replied vaguely.
"What happened between you two?" Darui asked.
"I feel like you have something to say, Darui. Just say it, okay?" Cee was becoming agitated at this back and forth.
"Okay. You see, Karui has been saying she saw you two by the river. Being, well, close."
Cee rested his head on the table. "Kami-sama, take me now."
"She left this morning in such a rush." Darui swished his almost empty cup.
"I'm not ready to talk about it." Cee sighed, keeping his head on the table.
"Go to her."
Cee lifted his head up, confused. "What?"
"If she's upset. You must go to her."
He shook his head, standing up and getting ready to head back to the office.
"Okay, fine. You don't want to talk about it, but others are. Karui is a big ol' gossip." Darui warned, following behind him.
Ino made no haste making her way home through the Sound Village. Though things apparently calmed down with Orochimaru, she wasn't taking any chances while being alone. People went missing here all the time and Hot Stones was perhaps hostile now. Jinsui and Ae heavily insisted that she go around it as much as possible. They offered her a guide part of the way like before but she declined feverently. Mostly knowing it would be Cee and partly because she wanted to rush home.
She tried not to think back to the night before, but truth be told, it was what her mind drifted to when she let it disrupt her focus.
She took an Akimichi energy pill she kept stashed on her just for a time like this when she needed an energy boost to do an allnighter.
In this part of the country she was edging closer to Leaf Country and the surroundings were becoming lush green in appearance. She was running in between a grassy field with not much else around her when her eye caught people appearing on the dirt road several yards ahead.
She came to an almost halt, assessing the situation. They were far from normal looking, so her guard was up instantly.
They stood there as though she was exactly the person they were waiting for. She zoned in on their swords attached to their persons.
Never coming to a complete stop, she began a walking pace as she approached. The closer she got, the more she made out just what an odd duo they were.
Before her stood someone the size of her and a big man… no that was an understatement, a man that had to be three times her own size.
"Miss Ino Yamanaka, is it?" The person her stature called to her. Their voice was like silk, carrying into the breeze.
She could not tell if they were a man or woman, they wore a white kimono with red accents and a straw hat that concealed most of their face. She took note of a long blade located on their left side, swinging in the wind, so it must have been very light in comparison.
The giant of a man stood behind them, he was silent and intimidating to gaze upon. His sword was the size of Ino herself, but he looked on, unwavering, seeming to not be the leader in this.
"And who might you be?" Her face was fierce as a hellcat but inside she was nervous. Two against one were not odds she liked. Ino also wasn't the best against kinjutsu users if they were ninja. She was a mid-range fighter while most kinjutsu users were close combat.
"I'm Yoshitsune and this is my disciple, Benkei. We heard what happened to Sasaki."
Ino ramped up her chakra, showing her intent to kill.
Yoshitsune caught onto the chakra and it made them visibly uncomfortable for only a moment.
"We're not here to fight, just talk. A warning, really."
Ino watched, unmoving.
"We see you're on the way home, are you not? I simply came to seek you out and warn you."
"To stay away from this matter?" Ino replied, never wavering.
"That's right, so you did speak with Sasaki."
"He mentioned something like that. You're after Kumo."
"Something like that." Yoshitsune replied, calmly. "It'd be wise if you stayed out of it."
Ino could run her mouth and taunt, but she decided it'd be very unwise in her situation of being alone with no backup for miles.
Ino nodded to the two. "Yoshitsune and Benkei, is it? I'll remember that and steer away."
"Sasaki, he's gone, isn't he?" The giant of a man spoke.
Ino said nothing, only watching and waiting for an attack.
"Well, there's your answer." Yoshitsune gave a small laugh.
Ino wavered in her stance, they were laughing about his death? She knew they were not to be messed with.
Without any warning they vanished just as fast as they appeared.
The whole exchange was bizarre and felt more like an apparition than anything. She didn't know what to make of that. If they had been tracking her, she didn't sense it and that worried her.