Disclaimer: Naruto -own it I do not.

Author's Notes: For the reviewer who asked, the romantic manga that I've been reading lately have mostly been written by Mitsuru Adachi. Look for titles such as "Touch", "Rough", "H2", "Nine", "Miyuki", "Katsu!" and "Hiatari Ryoukou". Lovely stories, all of them, if you don't mind the artwork.

Apologies for cutting the development of the romance short in the last two chapters. To tell the truth, I'm getting a little tired of this tale, so I wanted to end it quickly. Perhaps one day, I'll write an "Omake" that is set between "Shut Up Idate" and "Falling in Love" to portray more of the romantic tension between Rei, Idateand Ibiki. This is the second last chapter, and it contains the last trick up my sleeve. Enjoy:-)

Meet the Family

"I'm still unsure about this," Ibiki grumbled. He was guiding Rei, who had now linked her arm in his, along the road back to Konoha Village.

"Oh, don't be silly," she chided. "I had to take special leave from Jirocho-oyabun in order to bring you to meet my family. We need their permission, anyway, so you might as well put on a cheerful face."

"I don't do cheerful faces," Ibiki growled. "Besides, how could you tell whether I was frowning or not?"

"It comes out in your voice," she smiled, and drew her arm tighter around his. Rei had been a lot more vocal and sunny-tempered ever since that conversation in the marketplace. It was as though she had let down all of the barriers she had built up over the course of her profession and allowed Ibiki to see her inner soul. Ibiki sometimes shuddered at the level of trust she was placing in him. It was not good to be so open. She could get hurt so easily, by anyone who was callous enough to take advantage of that trust. Of course, he mused, if anyone did do something like that, I would find a suitable way to repay them quite easily.

That frightened him. Somehow, he had come to the point where he knew that he was no longer in control of his own destiny. It had, in some mysterious way, been transferred into the hands of the beautiful blind girl by his side. For Ibiki, who excelled in the precise control of every condition of the human mind and body, it was a scary thought to face. And yet…

"Smile for me, Ibiki," Rei's gentle voice interrupted his thoughts. "I need to hear you smile when we're together." Ibiki glanced down to see her unseeing face with a half-wistful expression looking up at him. "Smile, and chase our fears away."

He took a deep breath and let all his worries fade. That was another thing that amazed him about Rei. She always knew what he was thinking and feeling. As long as she could hear him or touch him, she was unerringly sensitive to his changes of mood. He had never come across a person like that. And never realised how much joy could come from just having someone who understood completely what he felt – even better than he did. That thought alone brought the desired smile to his face.

"You're right!" he said. "There's nothing to be afraid of. We'll meet your parents, get their permission, and then…" Ibiki trailed off, awed at his audacity in thinking of such a grand thing. It was fascinating how such a simple act as marriage looked so different from an insider's perspective. He had only seen it from the outside before, such as Gai and Anko's wedding.

"Actually," Rei hesitated. "We'll most likely have to ask my elder brother instead. My parents passed away about two years ago, so he's the head of the family now." There was an odd note in her voice that Ibiki picked up.

"Oh?" he inquired. "Do I know him?" They had almost arrived. He could see the gates of Konoha in the distance, and anticipation started to quicken his footsteps.

"You have met him," she said, teasingly. "In fact, he has quite a good opinion of you. He occasionally wrote me letters that mentioned you, but I wanted to surprise him, so I didn't mention your name to him yet. I only told him that I was bringing a man that I wanted to be with back to Konoha to meet him."

"And what did he say?" Ibiki felt a stab of nervousness. What if the brother disapproved of him? Professional admiration for a ninja's work – Ibiki did admit that he was very very good – was one thing, but the qualities required for the husband of one's younger sister was another.

"He sounded very happy that I had met someone," she smiled. "It looks like he's so looking forward to meeting you that he said he would be waiting at the gates to greet us."

Ibiki looked at the entrance to Konoha, and the small group of figures waiting there. One was jumping up and down in excitement as he spotted them. He was clad all in green.

"Rei! Welcome home!" Maito Gai's voice boomed out across the intervening distance.

Ibiki's stunned brain tried to comprehend the situation as Rei's free hand waved in the direction of Gai's voice. "Onii-san! I'm back, and I've brought him!"

Ibiki viewed the rapid approach of his prospective brother-in-law in a horrified stupor.

Gai looked grim and folded his arms. "Morino-san. You realise that you are asking for my permission to court the most precious flower of my family," he stated. They were all gathered together in the family room, with Gai seated at the head of the table and Ibiki and Rei kneeling in front of him.

"Yes, Maito-san," Ibiki gritted his teeth and replied formally. "As head of the household, we ask for your permission and your blessing." Rei laid an arm on his slowly-clenching fist and turned a smile to her brother.

"Onii-san, you always told me about how wonderful it was to have Anko-san as your wife, and how grateful you were to Ibiki-kun," she reminded him. "I just happened to see how good a man he was for myself. Won't you let us be together?"

Gai looked pained. "Rei, you know what Ibiki does for a living. Our parents, if they were still with us, would not be happy about it."

"Onii-san, that's not fair!" Rei protested. "Father and Mother were both ninjas, and onii-san and Anko-san are too. Why not Ibiki?"

"It's not that, Rei," Gai sighed. "Being a shinobi is part of one's duty to the village, and it is a glorious thing! But Ibiki also has to inflict a lot more pain on others, because of his role as Torture and Interrogation Captain. I don't know how that will affect his mind, and you are the most precious thing in our family. I don't know if I can allow you to put yourself at risk like that."

"Look here, Maito –" Ibiki began, but was cut off by a small nudge in the ribs. He sighed. "You're right. It is dangerous for me. That's why I need Rei. She keeps me sane, in ways that I never knew."

"Oh, that's so sweet…" Anko and Lee both exclaimed simultaneously, tearing up. Gai's rounded eyes were glistening too.

"And you did say that you will help me find a match," Ibiki pressed the attack. Gai looked uncertain. "It just happens that the one I want is Rei." Rei's smile was soft as she drew closer to his side.

"But- But, Rei… our precious family flower Rei… my dear sister," Gai spluttered, half-torn between the desire to let Love Have Its Course and his familial obligations. He wavered for a while, then straightened up. "All right, yosh! I will allow it under one condition, Morino Ibiki! You must promise me, with all of your life, that you will take care of Rei and never hurt her!"

Ibiki was startled. Does that mean that I have to-. Rei nudged him again. "Do it," she whispered. Ibiki fumed inwardly, but he had no choice.

Slowly, his hand went up, thumb pointing upwards.

Slowly, his mouth opened, in a rather vicious smile. His teeth caught the sunlight.

"It's the promise of a lifetime!" Ibiki announced.