Author's note: Well, I know this chapter is a long time in coming, and I sincerely apologize for that. I have been very busy and I didn't want to produce slipshod work, especially for this last chapter. This is the longest chapter ever for this story and I hope you guys enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Too bad. : (
The wind was chilly. Ino shivered as she felt its cold fingers caress her smooth cheek. Her pale blonde hair blew around her face and neck, but she made no move to brush them away or to adjust her loose ponytail. No more than a while ago, the beautiful woman would have made such a big fuss over her appearance and would have been livid if her usually neat hair was even one lock out of place. Now, it didn't seem important anymore. Everything that had happened to her and to the village recently, seemed to skewer her shallow perspective on life.
Walking down the well-trodden path to the training area, she clutched at the bouquet of flowers in her embrace even tighter. The wind was growing even stronger and the howling almost drowned out the soft footsteps of the heavier man walking behind her. Stopping in her tracks, Ino looked up to see that the sky was becoming dark and gloomy. Rain clouds rolled along the blue expanse, turning it black as they swallowed the sun's golden rays. The ominous sounds of thunder rang through the forest and the occasional flash of lightning could be seen in the horizon.
"Ino." A deep voice called out. "Maybe we should head back. I'm sure he wouldn't mind for just one day."
"No." She replied. "I promised him I would and I will."
Setting her jaw, the blonde nodded adamantly, as if trying to convince herself that her effort would be appreciated by someone.
'Yes, it will.' She thought.
The man sighed wearily. He knew Ino long enough to know that arguing with her when she had her mind set was useless. Dragging his feet along the dusty path, he followed a little too reluctantly.
Ino continued to trudge along. Droplets from the sky had already begun to fall, and she shivered again as a single bead of cool liquid found its way down her back. It seemed to kiss her spine, slowly and seductively, teasing her to no end. She bit on her lip remembering the dreams she had of him.
The young woman prayed that the slight drizzle wouldn't turn into a full-fledged downpour. She heaved a sigh in relief when she arrived at her destination a little damp but at least still somewhat dry too. Stepping out of the dark forest into the clearing, she spotted the familiar three logs that the jounin senseis used for training and the unmistakeable carved stone, laid on a white, fragmented marble foundation. A long flagpole stood behind it, the cloth at its peak bearing the emblem of their village whipping wildly in the wind.
As Ino made her way to the memorial rock, the man watched her warily. For the past two weeks, the slim blonde had come here dutifully. Come rain or shine, she would turn up at the stone everyday to place a bouquet of flowers at the base in remembrance of a fallen Konoha soldier. She would place the new, fresh flowers at the base and remove the old ones, bringing them home to press and preserve.
"They are beautiful." She had said. "It would be a waste just to throw them away."
"Hi," She spoke in small, soft voice. "We meet again." Giggling a little over the prospect that she was talking to a lifeless rock, she traced her fingers over his name carefully, wiping away the minute amount of water that had collected in its crevices. The out of place playful mood soon disappeared and a wave of sadness spread across her soft features.
Leaning her head against the cool rock, Ino pressed one small hand on her heart where the all too familiar ache had returned. Tears began to well in her cerulean eyes as the events that had brought her here today flashed through her mind. She tried to press them down into the back of her consciousness but it proved stronger than her will. It was truly ironic; for the one who specializes in manipulating the minds of others was not able to control her own thoughts. The young woman had thought that she could handle the grief but it was still too painful. And though she promised herself that she would be strong for him, the memories that were burned into her soul threatened to push her over a dangerous edge.
"Oh… Shikamaru…."
And his name slipped from her lips. Painfully. Like the shattering of a delicate glass figurine whose beauty was destroyed in such a shameful way, reduced to a pile of nothingness.
Two weeks ago.
xxxxxxxxxxxxx
There was a sudden bustle about the Hokage's office. Frantic footsteps echoed throughout the usually silent hallways. Shinobis of all ages and ranks ran in and out of their leader's office, each bearing reports with different words but with the same message – the village of Hidden Rock was in an uproar. And it was all due to a quartet of foreign ninja who had allegedly spied on the Earth country and eradicated a seven-man squad consisting entirely of jounins that were sent to pursue them.
It was alleged that these four intruders were from the hidden village of the Leaf.
Tsunade drummed her manicured fingers on the table uneasily as she listened to the eighth shinobi to tell her about the news today.
The busty woman sighed in annoyance. There were too many things for her to do and she couldn't waste her time listening to news that had already passed her ears several times.
Waving her hand to dismiss the chuunin standing in her office, she called for Shizune.
The petite brunette seemed to anticipate her master's need and was already by her side before her name had fully escaped Tsunade's cherry red lips.
"Shizune, I want you to summon the village council and all the messengers you can find. Let no one else see me unless that person brings fresh news. Understood?"
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
With a flash, the medic was gone, hurrying to get her master's orders carried out.
Leaning her elbows onto the table, Tsunade held her head in her hands as she recounted the events of the morning.
An ANBU team performing their routine scout along the borders of the Leaf and Earth had heard an earth-shattering explosion. Treading as far as they dared into the other country's border without being detected, they could see the destruction well enough to discern that there had been a fierce fight in the area. However, they couldn't get close enough to determine who were involved and how many casualties there were.
Rushing back as fast as they could, the team leader had frantically reported the news to Tsunade, who became equally frantic for the sakes of her underlings.
And soon, angry messages and threats of war were making their way back and forth between the Rock and the Leaf villages.
The hokage sighed again.
'Where are they?'
Naruto had just gotten the news and was hurrying to Tsunade's office when he caught sight of a haggard figure about to reach the gates. Stopping in his tracks, the young man frowned as he watched this strange man stumble along the path. His high collared shirt obscured half his face while the other half was covered in blood. There were splotches of crimson all over his torn shirt.
Bewildered at the sight before him, Naruto rushed towards the man as the guards by the gate closed in on him. Soon, realization dawned on him and he yelled to the sentries approaching the injured man, their weapons drawn and their posture ready for battle.
"Stop! Don't harm him!"
The guards spun around in confusion, not knowing what to make of the situation unfolding before them. But when they saw that the one who spoke was the next in line to the title of the hokage, they obeyed and lowered their arms.
The dark haired man dropped to his knees and looked up at blonde man, relief washing over his face. He swayed and looked as though he couldn't retain consciousness for long.
Naruto caught him deftly before he hit the ground.
"Shino!"
"Naruto…" He rasped weakly. "Take… Take me to Tsunade-sama."
Within minutes, the man had been bundled into a hospital room where he hurriedly but painfully told the Hokage all he knew as the medics worked to heal him.
"Shit." Tsunade spat. "They're still out there."
Spinning around on her heels, Tsunade stormed out of the room that housed the wounded insect user and called for Naruto to follow her.
"Listen to me, Naruto. I want you to find Kakashi and have him look for Shikamaru and the rest. He's best suited for tracking and have him choose three others to go with him."
The whiskered blonde nodded, his face rapt with attention. He had heard of Shikamaru's mission shortly after he returned from his own and of how dangerous it was. He knitted his brow with worry.
'What is going to happen now that the information we've been waiting for is here?'
He did not have to dwell on the thought for long as Tsunade answered the question that was playing in his mind.
"Then, I want you to lead two teams of ANBU to the location that Shino reported as his hideout. When you've found him, send back a bird and I'll dispatch all of our available forces to attack the hidden Rock."
Naruto stopped in his tracks and blinked bewilderedly. Tsunade walked a good length before she realized the young man was following her anymore.
"What? Attack the Hidden Rock?" He declared incredulously.
The jounin knew that things between the two countries had deteriorated and that threats of action in these tense times were common. But to declare war? That was on an entirely different scale.
"But granny Tsunade, is war really necessary? I mean, we just regained our former strength after that bastard killed the Third. And now-"
Tsunade turned to look him in the eyes, and he saw fire and anger and something else he couldn't quite put into words in her gaze.
"War is upon us whether we like it or not. And I'd like us to be the first to make a move. I'm going to make that impostor of a kage regret that he ever crossed us."
Naruto's eyes widened at her strong words and he grinned impishly, obviously delighted at the implications of them.
"Looks like the old granny hasn't gotten soft in her old age."
And with a small wave of his hand, the jounin leapt away to undertake his duties.
Kakashi responded to the orders with amazing speed. Within five minutes, he had his team assembled and they sped towards the Earth country to attempt to save their comrades.
Not long after that, Naruto and his team had left as well, moving at an even faster speed to reach the deposed Tsuchikage before Takeshi found him.
The academy had been ordered to shut down and all available shinobi were ordered to prepare for battle. Ino had immediately jumped to report for duty but was intercepted by Tsunade as Genma was about to place her in a team. The older woman had told Ino that her talents were needed at home and soon the younger woman was helping to coordinate all the shinobis into attack squads based on their field experience and abilities. It wasn't before long that they were well organized and ready for battle.
Still, she couldn't shake the impression that Tsunade's explanation lacked credibility.
There were many others who possessed strategic abilities superior to hers. Furthermore in a war such as these, her mind manipulation techniques were vital to obtaining information. It was clear to Ino that she should be out there, yet the hokage wanted her here.
'Why's that?'
But with the frantic exchange of orders and hurried frenzy of battle preparations, all of Ino's worries had been forgotten as she rushed to perform her duties. The hustle and bustle kept her mind distracted from all that had been plaguing her thoughts in the past few days.
When everything had settled and all that was left was to wait for a small bird in the horizon, Ino's mind drifted back to a certain dark haired man.
She had vaguely remembered hearing about Shino's return without Shikamaru and of Kakashi's mission though she had been too preoccupied to fully register those words in her mind.
Now, it had come back to hit her full force.
The fact that her best friend and ex lover were still missing and were possibly dead haunted her. But the fact that Shikamaru was probably worse off made her world spiral out of control.
And she wasn't even sure who he was to her yet.
Leaning her head back against the wall and propping her feet on the table in front of her, Ino bit on her lip to stem the flow of tears that were threatening to spill from her cerulean eyes. Kakashi had left more than 16 hours ago, but there was no news yet.
Nothing to indicate if Shikamaru was dead. Or alive. No news at all.
Ino wasn't sure which was the lesser of two evils.
Knowing whether that he was dead. Or not knowing at all.
The petite blonde heard vague shouting in the distance and knew that the long awaited signal was finally here. Peering out of her office window, she watched in sorrow filled silence as the hundreds of Leaf shinobi began their march to the Rock. Watching their faces, some familiar and others not, Ino wondered if she would ever see any of them again. Some of them looked so young, so innocent. Their lives as of yet untouched by the ravages of war, and now they would understand the horrors of destinies such as theirs.
'War.' She thought. 'Where does it all bring us?'
'I think I understand you better now, Shika. I understand why you always work so hard to get through the back door. It's so others don't have to go through the front.'
Ino cried herself to sleep as the moon rose high into the sky.
She woke up with a start when a genin burst into her office yelling at the top of his lungs.
"Ino-san!"
"Ino-san!"
"What is it, Kai?" She asked sleepily while stretching to ease the ache and stiffness in her body.
"Kakashi-san has returned!"
It took Ino's sleep clouded mind a full minute before the boy's words settled in, and when it did, the young woman was on her feet. Running as fast as she could, she dashed off before she realized that she didn't even know where they were.
But she didn't have to.
As she half skidded into a long corridor, she saw Kakashi on the other end. With him stood three other shinobi she didn't recognize. Further behind them was an unmistakeable woman with shocking pink hair and an equally distinctive man with pure silver eyes. Both of them looked weary and were bloodied, but undeniably very much alive.
"Sakura! Neji!"
Ino dashed to the rosette woman's side and enveloped her into a tight hug, and both women burst into tears as relief flooded them.
"Sakura," Ino sobbed. "I'm so glad to see you."
But Sakura remained silent and held her friend closer; her own sobs beginning to crescendo.
"Ino, I… I'm sorry." She choked. "I tried, I swear I tried."
The blonde held her childhood friend as an arm's distance, staring uncomprehendingly in her friend's teary green eyes.
"What are you talking about?"
"I couldn't help him, Ino. I couldn't."
That's when Ino knew what the medic was talking about. And the air around became thick and suffocating, it choked her and her thoughts spun wildly out of control, threatening to send her over the edge.
"Where…" She stumbled on her words. "Where is he now?"
Sakura looked away, sadness washing over her pretty face. Lifting a bandaged arm, she pointed at a room down the corridor.
Pushing her way past Neji, the mind manipulator ran towards the room but when she got there, Ino couldn't bring herself to open the door. Trembling fingers reached out towards the doorknob but she found that she couldn't curl them around the metal to open the door. Bringing her other hand to clasp the hand already on the knob, she took a few shuddering breaths before swinging the door open in one quick motion.
She would never ever forget the sight that greeted her till the day she died.
There was a bed in the middle of the room and on it lay a limp and unmoving figure. Scores of white clad medics were clustered around the bed, running back and forth with scrolls, bandages and tubes of various kinds. The ghost white bed sheet was stained red, and small pools of blood had begun to form on the porcelain tiles. It flowed through the cracks, creating small rivers of crimson.
Blood that she knew was his.
Tsunade and Shizune stood at each ends of the bed, arms outstretched towards the figure, green chakra delving into the lifeless form.
Amidst the bustle, a medic noticed the woman and turned to usher Ino out of the room.
"You can't be in here. You have to leave."
But tired as she was, Ino resisted the man with surprising strength. Pushing her smaller frame against his taller one, she struggled to get past him.
"I need to see him! Please, I need to!" She shrieked. "Shika!"
The man immediately realized that this man was someone to this woman and turned to the hokage with a questioning look on his face, as if asking if he should let her pass. The busty woman nodded without a word.
Ino flung past him and moved to stand by the side of the bed, careful not to get in the way of the two women treating him. Her whole body began to shake as each step brought her closer and closer to the battered man. Tears sprang to her cornflower blues eyes again as she caught sight of him.
Shikamaru's eyes were closed to the world, his skin pale where it wasn't spotted with blood, dirt or bruises. A gash ran from the arch of his left eyebrow all the way to the bottom of his ear. His slowly rising chest was bare and covered in ugly blue-green marks. Ino could see the white bone poking through a wound on his left side, blood still seeping. She choked on the sight, and clapped her hands over her mouth in order to prevent a cry of horror. Tears poured down her ashen cheeks. She wanted to ask Tsunade if he would make it but her mouth wouldn't move, her throat refusing to open.
But the fifth hokage seemed to know what she was thinking.
"His wounds are very serious. He's lost too much blood and he might not wake up ever because of brain damage. There's a high possibility he won't even make it."
There was a tinge of sadness that colored her words and Shizune looked to her master with a look that mirrored her sorrow.
Ino choked back a cry of anguish again.
"There's nothing you can do here, Ino. Go get some rest. I'll send someone for you if his condition changes." The deceptively beautiful woman spoke again, her words firm.
Ino nodded slowly, her eyes still fixed on him, her hands still over her mouth. Even though she didn't want to leave his side, even though she wanted to hold him, she found that she couldn't bear seeing him like this. Blood soaked and broken. Pale and terribly wounded. It tore at her heart and soul to see him like this, and the strong façade she maintained shattered into pieces. Her heart felt like it was on the verge of shattering into a million pieces and there was a sense of growing grief that was forming in the pit of her belly.
Stretching out a shaking hand to brush his sweat-damped hair, Ino leaned forward to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. His skin cold and devoid of all the warmth she always felt radiated from him, and she couldn't help but shudder.
Spinning around quickly, she broke out into a sprint, as if she couldn't bear to be in the room any longer. As if everything in that space offended her. Her vision was blurry with the tears and she could barely make out the silver doors against the white walls. Nearly tripping over her own feet, she bit on her lip so hard she tasted metal.
'Shika…'
'Shika…'
"Ino! Wait!"
Ino stopped in her tracks as Tsunade called for her. Rooted to the spot, she felt her heart beating wildly till it seemed that it was going to jump out of her chest. Turning around slowly, she kept her gaze on the floor, not daring to look up, fearing the reason Tsunade called her.
"Look."
Breathing hard, she summoned her fading courage and forced her gaze upwards. Ino saw a bloodied arm reaching out weakly for her. Looking up at Shikamaru's face, she saw that his eyes were half open, the ebony orbs glazed with pain and loss of blood fixed on her.
She blinked in bewilderment. Her still trembling hands twisted nervously in the fabric of her shirt.
His arm was still reaching out to her, bloody fingers moving feebly in an attempt to signal her to him. She saw that his mouth was moving, trying to form words but no sound came. Shikamaru grunted in frustration, no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't find his voice.
Shizune reached out and laid an small hand on his throat, green chakra spilling into the damaged airway. Soon, the pain and parched feeling was gone.
"You… You aren't wearing the necklace I got you." Shikamaru whispered in a small, tired voice.
Shizune had to strain just to hear what the shadow master said but Ino heard every word clearly.
A shaky smile broke out on her pale face and her lower lip quivered with unbridled joy. The tears came again and it spilled down her cheeks, rivulets flowing into her mouth. But this time, it didn't taste bad.
"I'm waiting for you to put it on for me, you lazy bastard." She sobbed.
Shikamaru grinned weakly. Ino stepped closer to hold his hand gently in hers, careful not to jostle the broken fingers and torn nails. But the young man held her small hand in a tight, unwavering grip, not caring about the pain that coursed through his arm. All that mattered was her.
And as Tsunade watched the two, she knew that Shikamaru was going to make it.
'Looks like I know now why we fight wars, Sarutobi sensei.'
And she couldn't help but smile at the pair, their hands and their hearts locked.
"Ino?"
"Kakashi sensei? What can I do for you?"
"Well, I don't want to bother you especially since I'm sure you have more important things to do, but there's no one else I can ask-"
"What is it? I'll do anything I can to help."
"Well, I'm going off to the Earth country for a mission tomorrow. We need to help the Rock secure their village now that the rebel Tsuchikage has been defeated and I'll be there for quite a while. I was wondering if you would do me a favor."
"Sure."
"Would you visit the memorial stone once in a while for me? You know, just to keep him company. I know it's silly, but-"
"Obito-san?"
"Yes.
"Of course! It's not silly. I'll go everyday and bring some flowers from our shop as well."
"You don't have to go to so much trouble, I-"
"Oh, it's no trouble, sensei. Anything for you!"
"Anything for me just because I brought home your boyfriend? Doesn't anyone love me for me?"
"Kakashi sensei! Don't talk like that! I'm really grateful that you brought Shika home to me- I mean, you brought him home. It's not like there's anything between us, you know? But he's my teammate- ok, maybe more than just a teammate -"
"Whoa, I was just joking, Ino. You don't have to explain anything to me. But thank you for the kind gesture. "
"No sensei, thank you."
"Oh… Shikamaru…"
"Shhh…" A deep, warm voice whispered in her ear. "I'm here."
He had been standing quite a distance behind her but somehow at her voice, he had made his way immediately to her side. Cradling her slim frame in his lean arms, he guided her head to his broad shoulders, stroking her soft hair with all the gentleness he could muster.
"I'm here. Why are you crying?" He asked in a soothing voice, his fingers still playing in her white blonde hair.
"I… I… still dream of that day…" She began in a broken voice, burying her head in his strong chest, her hands fisting in the material of his shirt.
"All that blood. Your b - blood." She choked on the word, as though she couldn't bear to feel the offending word on her tongue, couldn't bear to equate it with him. He could feel the warm liquid seeping through his shirt. Warm tears were falling from her eyes, fast and furious.
"I… I was so afraid that you were dead and that the only thing I would have left of you is your name on this rock. Just like all Kakashi has of Obito-san."
More tears slid down her cheeks. More choked sobs. And she held him tighter.
Sighing, he grasped her chin with two fingers and tilted her head upwards to face him. Wet, blue eyes looked at the lopsided grin plastered on his face in confusion.
"Kakashi really made you do a troublesome thing, you know? Everyday you come here it's the same. You look at the memorial, then you remember that day and you cry." He scolded her playfully, fingers slowly tracing down her hair onto the smooth crease in her neck.
Ino frowned at his words and turned her face away from his, a blush already beginning to form on her cheeks and a pout on her lips. He had been the only one to see her cry, she knew that, yet she still hated that she would show weakness in front of him. The tears on her face hadn't even begun to dry yet and she had already forgotten the reason behind them. She gave an annoyed hiccough in protest.
"Well, he brought you home, you know." She huffed. "He carried you all the way home, trying not to make you worse off than you already were and all the while avoiding those Rock shinobi. You should be more grateful that he bothered to bring you back alive. And you should be more grateful that I would cry for you."
At that, the blonde gave a small 'hmph', muttering under her breath, "So there."
He grinned again. Leaning down to bring his face closer to hers, he kissed her right eye and his lips slowly made their way down the path the tears had left on her beautiful face. Ino shivered and her hands left his shirt to wrap around his neck, shaking fingers tracing the nape of his ebony hair. He looked at her again and flashed a crooked smile before moving to do the same to her left eye and cheek.
"Ino," He murmured against her skin, his lips tracing patterns on her face. "I don't ever want to see you cry again."
Ino let out a small whimper at his voice, shivers were running up and down her spine.
"You promised me that you would stop thinking about that day, remember?" He chided her gently, as though he was talking to a child. The emotions in his voice ran thick in the air and Ino felt the same sensations running through her soul.
"You promised me that you would be strong for me, remember?" He asked again.
She did remember. After Shikamaru's condition had improved, Tsunade had allowed Ino to see him.
He was the first to make a move, confessing his truest feelings for her and with much tears and false starts, she finally did the same. Then she had climbed into his hospital bed and laying her head gently on his shoulder, they spent the whole night in each other's arms. Every medic who saw the pair holding each other tightly, their faces basked in peaceful slumber, couldn't help but sigh in envy at their devotion for one another.
Swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat, she replied in a husky voice.
"I remember."
And now it was his turn to feel electricity coursing through his body.
Pulling her deeper into his embrace, he pressed his lips against the skin on her neck, enjoying the feel of her racing pulse on his mouth. His muscular hands moved to the small of her back, and pulled her hard against his body. But no matter what, it seemed that he couldn't get close enough to her. He wanted to get closer to her, as close as he possibly could. But even her body pressed flushed against his own, something was still missing and a small nugget of frustration began to form in the pit of his stomach. He yearned for more; he needed more.
Ino understood his frustration. Pressing her hand against the left side of his chest, she could feel his heart beating even through the cloth and bandages. And she moved to press her lips against the warm, throbbing core of him.
Instantly, he understood what she was trying to tell him through unspoken words. Their pulses, their heartbeats were one. Their souls were intertwined.
And this was as close as you could get.
The young man smiled against her neck.
"I love you, Ino." He whispered.
"I am yours. Now and forever."
And the words that had been whispered in his sleep, in his daydreams under the clouds and even when he was slipping into the dark realm of death were finally spoken to her. To the one whom it was always meant for. To the one who needed to hear it most.
And all she could do was to hold him closer and make a promise to the gods that the third time was all she needed.
Endnote: Wow, it's been a long ride and I wanna thank you guys out there who have been very supportive of this story. I really appreciate your advice, suggestions and encouragement. Arigatou! This story has become quite special to me and I would really appreciate it if you told me how you found it as a whole, if there were any parts you didn't like or any parts that needs to be corrected. I would like to grow as an author. Furthermore, I have thought of a sequel, so please tell me your thoughts on that.
Thank yous:
1.) amwong88: for always giving me sound advice and for being an inspiration. You rock!
2.) mini chobi: for all your positive words. They make me feel so gratified after every chapter.
3.) graviola: thanks for the compliment. This world needs more romantics, don't you think?
4.) hlomondodeli majoribanks: I like to write stories that hit people in the heart, those are the stories you remember.
5.) And a note to pimp troyce, shukaku-kun, invader hog, sierra lobo and all the others who left me wonderful reviews.