Gratitude.
Chapter 6.
Itachi had been moody the rest of the night. They were jumping from tree to tree trying to leave the Land of Fire as quickly as they could. The Uchiha's face never betrayed his emotions but Kisame had known him long enough to just know.
"That bloody bite on your neck." Itachi said as he ran in front of Kisame, jumping from branch to branch. "I wonder..did you force yourself on her? Or are you so fascinated by her because she's the first Kunoichi who's shown you any genuine interest?"
Kisame scowled as his words cut deep.
"Just because I don't play the gentleman doesn't mean I don't know how."
"Ahh..so she's accepted you. What do you think is going to happen when we kill Shinobi from her village..her friends, perhaps? What would she think of you if she knew your previous tactics to bed women? The countless lives we took?" Itachi stopped to turn and face him.
"Would she still accept you, then?"
Kisame's face twisted into a look of rage hating that Itachi was right. Of course he'd done terrible things. Look who they were. Itachi being the one to wipe out almost his whole clan from existence in a single night and himself..'The Monster of the Hidden Mist'. Ino didn't need to know any of it.
"What are you saying? Are you going to tell her?" Kisame growled and reached for his sword hilt..just in case. Itachi's eyes remained black and unreadable.
"If you don't focus on the mission..I might." Itachi threatened. "I haven't used Mangekyo Sharingan for some time."
Kisame released his sword and Itachi kept moving. He's bluffing..he would never waste that on a Kunoichi like Ino unless it was just to spite Kisame.
"We have company." Itachi snapped and suddenly jumped straight up in the air in time to dodge a kunai. Kisame shifted his body two inches to the right and the same knife also flew past him into the shadows.
"Seems so." Kisame grinned. Suddenly a large flying shape flew towards Kisame, swiping at him with sharpened claws. Kisame followed the movement with his eyes easily before snatching the person by the jacket and hurtling them down with all of his strength.
They hit the ground so hard a crater of smashed rock burst around and beneath him like a cracked mirror. A sudden puff of smoke in the middle of the crater materialized leaving a large piece of wood in its place. Substitution.
"Now, Akamaru!" A yell from the trees came suddenly. Kisame growled..not particularly in the mood. A large dog shot from the trees aiming to bite Kisames throat out. He swung Samehada and caught the dog around the ribs. His sword made direct contact. It yelped and dropped roughly to the ground.
The boy took a few swipes at Itachi but of course he managed to dodge them all.
Snap!
The boys screams of pain could be heard and Kisame took his eyes off the dog to see Itachi had broken the boys finger. He was toying with him. The dog jumped up and growled but Kisame growled back.
"Stay down..unless you want another jab to those ribs of yours." The thrill of a potential fight coursed through his veins. It suddenly reminded him why he was with Itachi and the Akatsuki. It made him feel alive..like he had a purpose. His thoughts wandered to Ino tonight..he had felt alive then, too.
She had asked when she would see him again. Not if. When. As though it were already a done deal. Itachi had been right. Kisame enjoyed that just the sight of him made her wet. He had never experienced that before. Her scent would wrap around him and he would know whenever she wanted him to fuck her. All he could think of after that was how many ways he could get her undressed and under him. It was the complete opposite of his previous tactics and he didn't mind in the slightest.
Ino was fragile. Mentally and physically. She was a Shinobi but she just wasn't as strong or fast as they were..the thought worried him.
The dog whimpered and watched his master try and fail to hit Itachi. Kid should've kept moving and ignored seeing them..
Another more powerful snap could be heard and the boys scream worsened..sounded like a wrist this time..not quite broken but slightly fractured for sure.
The large dog leapt up suddenly and barked but he placed the tip of Samehada against the dogs ribs until he yelped and laid back down.
"Just stay out of it..it's not our fight." More running footsteps reached both Kisame and the dogs ears first. The dog barked happily.
This was going to complicate things..he knew that scent..
An abnormally moving shadow had stretched out reaching towards Itachi like shadow fingers. His companion jumped back at the last moment and landed next to Kisame. The Shadow Kid ran up next to the dogs owner before glaring at the two of them. The dog jumped up and Kisame knocked him back down.
He glanced down at the shaking dog.
They would need leverage..nothing personal, puppy.
"Let him go." Itachi suddenly spoke. "This will be quick."
Kisame was surprised..of course Itachi knew he needed leverage so they could be on their way.. otherwise the leaf ninja would continuously pursue them.
Kisame took his sword away from the dog and let him pass. He bounded to the two boys in a blur.
Akamaru nudged the boy cradling his injured hand to his chest and he got onto the dogs back.
"Get him to the hospital, Akamaru." Shadow kid commanded still crouched down on one knee. Kisame felt his chakra starting to build..they were at the disadvantage of night with all the shadows this Shinobi could wield.
Kisame leaped forward and swung his sword through the boys building chakra effectively stealing it. His eyes widened in shock and Kisame didn't hesitate to drive the hilt of his sword into the boys stomach.
Shadow kid grunted and landed roughly on his back. Kisame flipped the sword in the air, grabbing the hilt and touched Samehada to his arm, draining most of his chakra. Kisame then jumped back to stand next to Itachi all in under twenty seconds.
Itachi walked silent as the night itself to stand over the boy.
"If you try to come after us or encourage your friends to fight. I will kill the Kunoichi."
His words reached Kisame..so even without the puppy he had leverage. Ino. Kisame understood why he was doing this..hell, if the roles had been reversed Kisame would have done the same. Him from a few weeks ago would say to just buy some pussy from one of the unmarked businesses in some outer towns..or snatch a female walking alone at night. Easier and preferable. But that was a few weeks ago.
Now..he stared at Itachi's back. Debating on taking a swing at him with Samehada while he taunted Ino's teammate. Kisame's chest constricted at that moment..let Itachi think he would kill her. Kisame would never let him.
"Did you take her again?" Shadow kid snapped at Kisame, eyes wide as he misunderstood what Itachi said. Ino is safe..for now.
"Knock him out, Itachi. We have to go. We've wasted too much time already. They'll be bringing more Shinobi soon." Her teammate glared daggers at Kisame.
"No." Itachi said. "That would be a mercy." The Shadow kid glared up at Itachi. Kisame couldn't see what Itachi was doing with his back turned but he could see the boys face. The kid yelled out with wide eyes..and Itachi hadn't even touched him. If Kisame wasn't careful..he'd end up on the other side of those eyes.
Itachi stepped back and the kid went still..blankly staring at the sky.
"Now we can go. Come Kisame. The sky is going to lighten soon."
The Uchiha jumped back and landed on a branch in a tree. Kisame glanced at the boy one last time..what did he show him? Kisame followed..not daring to say a word just yet.
...
Ino woke at the crack of dawn to knocking on her door. She pulled herself out of bed and opened it, not even halfway awake yet.
Her father was standing there in his pajamas and with a solemn face.
"Shizune and Choji are downstairs. Tsunade sent for you two." Ino was instantly awake. Something had happened..
"One minute." She closed her door and pulled on her clothes..not even bothering to tie her hair back. She yanked her shuriken out of her bedside table and then she was downstairs.
"We need both of you at the hospital." Shizune said and they followed her quickly. Choji looked at her and mouthed silently behind Shizune.
'"What's going on?"'
Ino shrugged. Wait. Why weren't they picking up Shikamaru on the way there? They were a team. Ino's heart suddenly felt like it cracked..her chest hurt.. she just knew.
"It's Shikamaru, isn't it?" She gasped and didn't wait for an answer. She ran to the hospital, leaving Choji and Shizune with shocked looks on their faces. Ino burst through the hospital doors, gasping. The nurse working the desk gasped in shock at her entrance but Ino didn't give her time to recover.
"Shikamaru Nara! What room?"
"217. Up the stairs..fourth door on the right."
Ino ran up the stairs and stopped outside the door..taking a few breaths to steady her rolling stomach. She had just seen him hours ago..he had been fine! Ino opened the door. A nurse was checking him over with her medical jutsu and turned when she heard the door open.
"He's going to be alright. His chakra is nearly gone and he's had quite a shock. We won't know fully until the Hokage comes to get the full story. The other one is still unconscious as well."
Ino's mind was reeling.
"Who else got hurt last night?"
"Kiba Inuzuka and Akamaru." The nurse walked out..leaving her alone with him. He wasn't bandaged or bruised just sleeping..
She walked up to him and sat on the little stool for guests. Ino grabbed his hand and it was ice cold. What did you see? She wondered if this was all her fault.
...
"What did you show him?" Kisame asked Itachi mid morning once they decided to rest. "To the kid."
"You worry too much, Kisame. He'll be fine once he sees I didn't brutally murder his teammates right in front of him."
Hearing him say he killed Ino even in a form of Genjutsu sent hot fiery chills down his body. He'd never wanted to wrap his hands around Itachi's throat and squeeze the life out of him more than now.
"Hm." Kisame grunted and refused to reveal his thoughts.
...
After a little while Ino walked into Kiba's room across the hall. The nurse had said he had a broken finger, a fractured wrist and poor Akamaru had three cracked ribs. Ino wasn't sure if she could pull what she did in the forest again. Shikamaru didn't have any external injuries they were all mental so maybe she would try on Kiba first..
Ino took a deep breath and put her hands over Kiba's hand. She focused her chakra on those specific points of damage on his hand and the blue lazy energy materialized. Now to take it up a notch..she pushed harder onto her chakra willing it to move..change and grow. The light layer of sweat appeared on her forehead and suddenly her hands flared with energy.
Kiba's finger and wrist suddenly snapped fully back into place. He woke with a yell and pulled his hand back but it had already been done. Ino felt a wave of drowsiness hit her. Not yet..gotta get to Akamaru next.
"Ino?" Kiba asked from the bed. "What did you? How did you?" He flexed his finger and wrist. "I'm completely fine." Ino couldn't talk yet..she moved over to Akamaru on his bed.
She placed her hands over him and fired up her chakra enough to flare with the sudden energy. Akamaru yelped once and then hopped up walking as though he were fine again.
"I did it." Ino whispered, wiping away the sweat now running down her face. Her insides suddenly felt like they were twisting inside of her making her feel like she took an intense punch to the stomach! She was on her hands and knees and something inside of her body was..wrong. Ino puked suddenly.
"Hey." Kiba was suddenly next to her. "Are you okay, Ino?"
"What happened to you last night?" She whispered, feeling weak.
"It was the Akatsuki..Shikamaru saved our asses but..what happened to him? Is he here?" Kiba stood and looked down at Ino. Her stomach twisted further..they kept hurting her friends. What else did she expect? A sudden hot rage flared inside her. More importantly, what was she going to do about it?
"Can you stand?" She took a shaky breath and nodded. Ino took his offered hand and let him help her up.
"He's across the hall." She managed to say. "With Choji, Shizune and Tsunade."
Ino stood and her vision suddenly blurred. She squeezed her eyes closed for a moment and when she opened them again they were clear. She was hot and tired. Kiba walked out of his room with Akamaru at his side and right into Shikamaru's room.
"What the hell?! How are you two just walking around?!" She heard Tsunade yell from across the hall. They were here last night because of her so it was the least she could do. Ino smiled suddenly feeling lightheaded and then her vision went dark..
...
Shikamaru felt like throwing up all over again. He tried to block out the gut wrenching images of his team..and Uchiha's voice.
'"If you try to come after us or encourage your friends to fight. I will kill the Kunoichi."'
He squeezed his eyes shut tighter against the light mumbling around him..not quite ready to face all the questions. Shikamaru tried but the images were burned into his mind. Choji being sliced across the throat..blood spilling in all directions. His wide eyes held the terror of knowing that he was going to die as he clutched at his bleeding throat. Ino..he took his time with Ino. Her agony filled screams still echoed in his mind..making the urge to vomit a little stronger. Clear your mind...clear..
"What the hell!? How are you two just walking around?!" Tsunade's yelling boom snapped through all of his thoughts and he jerked his eyes open. Kiba and Akamaru walked in unhurt.
At the same moment Choji realized he was awake and Shikamaru saw him clutching his throat again..trying to stop the flow of blood.
"What's wrong, Shikamaru?" Choji asked. "What happened last night?"
Ino wasn't there. The image of her dying one cut at a time forced it's way through..her screams..
"Where's Ino?" He swung his legs to the ground and stood. They hadn't taken her again, had they?
"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Kiba snapped and Akamaru barked once. "She's across the hall. She's not doing so good." His voice lost it's sharp edge.
Shikamaru's heart began to pound and he pushed through everyone to get across the hall. She was lying on the floor, unconscious but her skin was fine..not a cut on her. Shikamaru lifted her and carried her to the bed. She opened her eyes as he was setting her down.
"You're ok." She smiled and it took him a moment to smile back..how long until these images fade away? How could he convince her to stay away from them? Why else would they be so close to the village so early in the morning? It was a good thing he was having trouble sleeping lately that's why he was wandering around so late in the first place.
...
His eyes looked haunted. Ino sat up.
"I'm okay..just a headache."
"You healed Kiba and Akamaru, didn't you?"
Ino nodded.
That's when everyone came into the room.
"Kiba just told me you healed them?" Tsunade looked down at Ino. "And he said it was the Akatsuki who attacked. Is that correct, Shikamaru?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Everyone out. I need to speak with Ino a moment." Shikamaru gave her a last look over and then they all filed out.
"How long have you been able to do this?"
Ino heart raced..not wanting to rat out Shikamaru and his report.
"Yesterday. I sprained my ankle pretty bad and healed myself completely. Quickly. It makes me tired and sick." Ino never looked away from her hazel eyes.
"It's..exceptional." Tsunade looked her over. "Do you need medical attention?"
Ino shook her head no.
"Maybe just some breakfast."
...
"I can't believe they just let you leave the hospital." Choji said as they walked to the barbeque place..he insisted they needed the protein from the meat for breakfast this one time. Neither Ino or Shikamaru wanted to argue. Even Ino figured she could use a giant plate this one time.
"I didn't have any real injuries." Shikamaru replied. "Just a Genjutsu."
"What did you see?" Choji asked and Ino listened closely, curious herself. Before he could answer though they had walked into the restaurant and was shown to their usual table..
...
That early evening Ino was lying in bed and staring at her walls. She was angry..going through the last week to save her friends and get them home safe just to have those bastards turn back and attack them..again.
'Tap Tap'
The noise at her window had her turning over. She saw Shikamaru on her ledge again. Ino got up and unlocked it to let him in. He crawled in like before and locked it behind him never making a noise.
"Is that staying the night invitation still open?" He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.
"Of course it is." Ino went to her closet and placed an extra pillow and blanket along the lounge chair. He sat on it and looked at her strangely..like he was far away in his mind.
"What happened Shikamaru? You didn't talk all through breakfast and then disappeared the rest of the day." Ino sank down onto the edge of her bed facing him.
"I couldn't sleep..after I left here. I was up for hours so I decided to go patrol the village. I found Kiba and Akamaru fighting..them..and losing. Turns out he was taking Akamaru on his daily morning walk and spotted them running by." He stopped talking.
"And?" She urged but he still didn't speak just looked at her with those haunted eyes.
"Shikamaru. Me and Choji are your best friends. If you can't talk to Choji, then you can talk to me." She meant that.
He smirked suddenly. "If I tell you how my night went you have to tell me how yours went. There's blood on your sheets. Did he hurt you?"
She glanced at her sheets. After this morning she had completely forgotten to change them..and her twisted mind wanted to still smell him while she slept. It filled her with guilt.
"Yours first and then we can get to mine." Shikamaru said.
Ino hesitated, feeling her cheeks turn pink thinking of how intensely Kisame had made her feel last night. He hadn't judged her yet..even the first time she told him in the forest.
"It was after you left last night. I woke up hours later to a noise and he was just here..in my room. We..had sex and I bit him during. That's his blood and he never hurt me. After we were done he left and I went back to sleep."
"Is this going to be continuous, Ino? More people are going to get hurt if they both ever come back."
"I wanted it to be..but now I'm not so sure. I can't sit back and just let that happen to you..to Kiba..Choji. Anybody!" She said fiercely. "What are we going to do about it? We have to see if Tsunade will let us go after them and,"
"No." He cut her off suddenly with serious eyes. "You're not going anywhere near them!"
She didn't fail to realize he said she couldn't go not we couldn't go.
"What did you see? What happened?" She urged again.
...
Shikamaru swallowed hard.
"Once I got Akamaru to take Kiba away..I was going to Shadow Posses them both but Kisame swung his sword through my chakra and knocked me to the ground. His sword ate more and then Itachi was standing over me." He paused.
"He told me if anyone followed them or tried to fight them..he would kill you."
"And..Kisame didn't say anything?" Her heart wrenched a little..maybe it was just sex.
"No. He didn't do or say anything." She tried to hide her wet eyes but Shikamaru didn't miss them.
"Then he showed me..you and Choji being killed." He paused and looked back into her eyes.
"I can handle it, Shikamaru. Tell me." He sighed.
"He cut Choji's throat and was quick about it. It was horrifying. Then he moved to you. You were tied down in your..underclothes." He felt too awkward to say bra and panties. "Itachi was just slicing into you..long, deep Kunai cuts. One at a time. Bleeding you to death. I'll never get your screams out of my head, Ino."
He looked back up and she was openly crying now. For himself or for her he wasn't sure.
...
"Calm down, Ino." Shikamaru sat next to her on the bed and put a hand over hers. "It didn't really happen. It's just going to take me a little while to get it out of my head."
She calmed down after a few minutes and he got up to take his seat back on the lounge chair.
"No, I don't want to tell Choji. He's too innocent. I don't want to tell anyone else."
Ino pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them like she used to do back in the academy days.
"We were too. Once upon a time. You want to go downstairs and I'll make us some hot tea?"
Shikamaru smiled. "I'd love that."
It wasn't too late yet but they had the kitchen to themselves. Ino made some chamomile tea with honey and they sat at the table.
"We can't just let them get away with this." Ino started.
"What do you suggest we do? Follow them and get ourselves killed?" Shikamaru shook his head. "Even if we did send other people besides us and Itachi comes out alive..it still means death for you. You honestly think Kisame is going to stop him? Because I don't."
His words cut deeper than a knife.
"So we just let them go? Until they decide to come back?"
"Yes."
Ino wasn't okay with that. First thing in the morning she was going to Tsunade to request a retaliation squad.
