Welcome everyone! This is a NaruIno fanfic. It's one of my favorite pairings because I think their personalities mesh so well! Let me preface things by saying that in this fic, Ino is the Jinchūriki of the Two-tails, and she gets assigned to Team 7 instead of 10. Aside from that and some other things, this fanfic will still closely resemble the main series a lot.
"Normal speaking"
"Thinking"
"Bijū speaking"
Author's note
Location
~Time Frame or Chapter Marker~
~Chapter 1 ~
Ino's Residency:
"Finally."
Ino Yamanaka had just awoken from her slumber. She was ecstatic because today was supposed to be her last day at the academy. She couldn't wait to become a genin. She exhaled loudly and frantically picked up her purple hairbrush to brush the tangles out of her long blonde hair. "Ugh, why do I keep my hair this long again?" She winced in pain as she combed through knots before finally placing her hair into her signature ponytail. "Right, because I look good as hell!" She meticulously put on her earrings and hair pin before blowing herself a kiss in the mirror.
"I wonder who my team will be," Ino thought aloud, excitedly slipping into her usual purple blouse and matching skirt humming a vague tune. She wholeheartedly expected to be paired with her close friends Chōji and Shikamaru. After all, the generational alliance of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio is not one that'd be easily broken. She was already trying to get used to Shikamaru's lack of motivation. A sharp knock on her door, presumably from her father, made her jump in surprise, ending her stupor.
"Hey Hime, hurry up! I want you to eat with us before you and I have to go."
"Okay! Just a minute, dad!" The blonde girl hurriedly began to wrap her thighs and mid-section with bandages before slipping her arm warmers on and fixing her bed. She appraised her room. Her bed was made, and everything was in order. "Good enough." She then pranced down the stairs with the enthusiasm of a child and made her way into the kitchen. As Ino's bare feet hit the cool linoleum floor, she looked to see her dad sipping coffee and reading the newspaper at the small kitchen table. She took a seat across from him.
"So, Hime, are you ready for today?" Inoichi prompted her, taking another sip from his favorite floral-patterned mug.
Ino's Mother, Haruka, came over from the stove and dumped some fluffy eggs onto her plate. "Thanks Mom! And you know I'm ready, Dad!"
"I just hope you'll be careful, Ino." Haruka walked up to Ino's and placed her hand on her chair. "You should know by now that being a ninja is a seriously dangerous job. Make sure to watch out for Shikamaru and Chōji!"
"Don't worry so much about me, Mom! I'm grown-up now. I got this! You'll see. I'll be even more powerful than Dad!"
"That's my girl!" Inoichi exclaimed before letting out a hearty chuckle and enveloping Ino, who was also laughing, in a hug. "Make us proud, Hime."
"I will, dad. Bye guys! I love you!" Ino climbed into her blue ninja sandals and ran out of the door.
Haruka Yamanaka stared dotingly at her daughter's after-image, spatula and frying pan in hand, dark brown hair splaying past her bust. She peered over at her husband and gingerly spoke. "I truly think she's going to be the greatest Kuniochi."
"Definitely. After all, she has my blood coursing through her veins!" Inoichi rolled up his newspaper and flashed Haruka a smug smile.
The Academy:
When Ino arrived at the academy and walked into her normal classroom, she was met with a packed room of would-be genin. She sauntered around the room, narrowly avoiding kids, looking for her usual seat next to Sakura. Ino finally found the pink-haired girl, but not where she thought she would.
"Hey Ino-Pig! Sorry I can't sit with you today. I finally get to sit with Sasuke-kun! Isn't it wonderful!?" Sakura only looked at Ino for 2 seconds before immediately turning back around to stare at the brooding, dark-haired Uchiha. His air of angst honestly scared Ino away, but for some reason, captivated majority of the other girls and her best friend.
Ino sighed before relaxing her face and shrugging her shoulders. "It's okay, I'll find a seat somewhere else, Billboard Brow. Enjoy your time with her, Sasuke." Sasuke let out one his routine, patented grunts and Ino giggled before leaving the two in solitude. Ino continued to look for a seat. "Dammit!" She silently cursed herself. Shika was sitting with Chōji. Hinata was sitting next to Shino. The only seat left her for was the one next to…
"Naruto-kun!?"
Naruto, the flaxen-haired girl's crush. She quickly took her seat next to him. He flashed one of his signature fox-eyed grins at her, and she rebounded with one her own small smiles. He didn't talk to her which made Ino feel somewhat dejected. However, she was aware of the fact that they weren't the closest of friends. She regretted not becoming closer to him.
"So this is the Naruto? I personally find him just a tad short of satisfactory in terms of appearances." The cat composed of of mystical blue fire spoke from within a metal cage that was intricately tied with chains within the depths of Ino's mind. Matatabi made a low rumbling noise which Ino now recognized as a laugh.
"Hey! I'll have you know that I think he's very cute!" Ino angrily thought back. She tried with all her might to not let her irritation show on her face.
"Hm." The cat's laughter ceased for a short second. Wait, Kitten. I can sense something...abnormal in Naruto." Matatabi's heterochromatic eyes narrowed a little. She focused in on Naruto's chakra signature, trying to identify something.
"Huh, what's wrong, Nibi?" Ino mentally queried. She was worried. The flaxen-haired girl could feel the apprehensive energy Matatabi was radiating.
"It's Kurama! The Kyūbi! He's been sealed inside of Naruto!" The feline was in shock! She would've never foresaw one of her siblings to be so close by, and sealed into another human as well. But she let the feelings she obtained from the new revelation simmer and decided to support Ino. "We'll make sure to converse about this later, Kitten. For now, pay attention to Iruka-sensei."
"O-okay!" Ino found it incredibly arduous to focus on Iruka. Matatabi's words left her bewildered. Another Jinchūriki? And the Kyūbi no less? The maltreatment from the villagers finally made sense to her.
Iruka eventually initiated his speech. "Alright class, as you may already know. Today is graduation day. If you pass today's exam, you will officially become genin. When I call your name, please follow me into the quiz room and perform the Substitution, Clone, and Transformation Jutsus for me." Iruka concluded his explanation. It wasn't long before Ino heard her name called and stood up. She still felt anxious despite knowing full well she could perform everything.
"Hey Ino, good luck." Naruto's scratchy voice felt like a sonorous melody to Ino's ears. Instantaneously, she felt all feelings of nervousness dissipate from within her body.
"Thanks Naruto!" She replied energetically. Full of newly-obtained confidence, the flaxen-haired girl strode behind Iruka. "It's go-time."
Hello everyone. CelestialKitty178 here. Thank you for reading my fic! Please review because I would love to see your suggestions and what I could improve on! 3