A/N: Hi everyone! I'm back again with another chapter as promised, buuuuuuut! there's a caveat...it's incomplete.

I basically spent the entirety of last week just struggling to convert my plot into prose and it hasn't been a fun experience. I managed to put down this much and I didn't want to miss my self-assigned due-date. (There's this though: I'll be uploading the second part of this chapter hopefully by the end of today or tomorrow morning at the latest, along with a new chapter of "Death and Its Harbour")

Please enjoy and drop a review! It would be much appreciated!


Chapter 3


"Those Who Are Encouraged - Pt. 1"


Naruto was gathering the last of his things—he was supposed to meet Jiraiya at the northern gates in less than an hour—when he heard a knock at his door.

"Please tell me he didn't leave already," said a voice from the other side; it came through muffled.

He approached the door and peeked through the peephole, was surprised to see Ino standing on the other side. He winced. Didn't want to see Ino. Not right now. It was too soon since he last saw her—since she saw him cry.

He shut his eyes real tight, turned his back, and walked right back into his room, afraid to 'face the music,' so to speak.

After a few more knocks, he heard Ino's footsteps depart back down the flight of stairs that led her to his bleak, second-story apartment in the first place—though, he genuinely wondered how she found his address. Only his teammates had that information—them and Baa-chan…

He grabbed the unkempt duffel bag he had stuffed his entire closet into, and slung it over his shoulder. With his belongings in tow, he made for the balcony, electing to take the scenic route, aka, the 'rooftop-route,' where Ino wouldn't catch sight of him in case she was waiting at the bottom of the steps to ambush him.

He stubbed his toe on something, dropped his duffel bag. It crashed against the thin, linoleum floorboards in his apartment with a great, big, thud. He grabbed his foot and yelled in pain, though no sound came out of his mouth; it was a silent yowl. He stared at the object he'd stubbed his once-perfect toe on…it was a small book—The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi.

The same book Ino had read to him at the hospital that day; she'd left it there for him, with a note attached to the front cover: I really like this Naruto…reminds me of the one I know.

He winced, not in pain, but sort of cringing at the shame he felt for having mistreated a gift from one of his friends with such disregard. He never did that. What's gotten into me? he wondered.

He scooped the book from off the ground and dusted the front jacket. After deliberating for a few moments, he unzipped the duffel bag and stuffed the book inside it.

He decided to go out the front door after all—though, he wouldn't find Ino waiting at the bottom of the steps either way.


YAMANAKA HOUSEHOLD


Ino kicked her sandals off and put them aside neatly, making sure to wipe her feet on the mat before entering her home, so as not to dirty the floor; her mother was keen on things being done in a certain way.

She was sad that she had missed Naruto's departure; had something on her mind she wanted to say to him. It didn't matter anymore.

After leaving his apartment, she had gone on a walk, which eventually turned into a run. She had so much on her mind that she felt like she had to exhaust herself. She questioned her reason for being a shinobi; how and why she made it this far; what if she didn't have her family name.

Her thoughts and questions all supercharged her, magnetized her run till she became homebound.

Now, she found herself standing in the middle of her kitchen, watching her mother preparing tonights dinner, knowing that until she took the first step, until she tried, nothing would be accomplished.

"Mama," she said.

Ino's mother smiled her way, tucking a strayed lock of hair behind her ear. "Ino-chan, you're home early today."

"Hai," Ino said. Her mother's smile was an infectious sort of thing—just like Naruto's—and it wasn't long before she felt a tug at the corners of her mouth, eventually lifting upwards into a grin of her own.

"Mama, I…want to talk to you about something," she said.

Ino's mother stopped her preparations at once and was by her side in an instant. "Is something the matter, Ino-chan? You look peculiar." Then, she took on a thoughtful, almost nostalgic look, as if she already knew what was up, for it was something she, herself, had been through. "Ahh, boy troubles, Ino-chan? I remember the days."

Ino's cheeks burned and she vigorously shook her head no. "Mama, please, you're making me feel embarrassed. It's nothing like that!"

Ino's mother laughed and nodded her head, relenting to believe her despite thinking it was a lie. "Tell me then, what's on your mind?"

Ino took a deep breath, ran her fingers through her long, blonde hair. "Mama, I've been thinking lately…about my duties as a ninja…I don't really know what I'm thinking, but I think it would be best if, maybe, I took a break…?"

Ino's mother flashed great surprise. "Really?" she asked. "I thought you had wanted to follow in your father's footsteps? I still remember when you begged your father to enrol you in the Academy an entire year early."

Ino averted her gaze, reminisced about the past, recalling her own voice, higher, a little less brash, a little more timid.

"You were so upset when he refused. What changed your mind so suddenly?"

Ino shrugged her shoulders. "It's a lot of work," was all that came out. Her mother scrutinized her.

"Excuse me, young lady?" she said, crossing her arms. "I never want to hear those words come out of your mouth again."

Ino flinched. "But, Mama—"

"But nothing!" her mother shouted. "Your father would be heartbroken."

"But it's my life!" Ino rebuffed.

Ino's mother stared into her eyes and simply said, "Yamanaka's don't run from hard work. What have I taught you all your life, Ino-chan? Just 'cause the going gets tough, doesn't mean you up and quit. I raised you better than that…didn't I?"

Ino nodded her head up and down, slowly, not sure what she should say; she had already disappointed her mother by speaking out so brashly. She berated herself, told herself she should've thought before speaking up so suddenly. She still had plenty of time. She still had much to learn. She shouldn't have decided something that could potentially affect her future on a whim like that.

"I'm sorry, mama," she whispered.

Her mother pulled her in for a hug, crushing her with all her love. She pulled away and levelled with her.

"Ino-chan," she began, "I'll tell you what…why don't you speak to your father? He might be able to guide you better than I."

"B-but, mama—"

"I promise he won't say anything," she said. "He knows better."

Ino nodded. "Okay."

Her mother patted her on the head and said, "Run along, Ino-chan. You'll find him at the R&I Department right now. Don't worry, he won't be mad. He's probably filling in paperwork and boring himself to death. I think he'd appreciate a visit from his daughter."

Ino nodded. Before she left, her mother stopped her one last time.

She said, "No matter what, Ino, just remember your parents will always love you. You're a strong girl either way."

Ino nodded and said, "I love you too, mama," then left out the front door.


R&I DEPARTMENT


It reeked of floor cleaner and printer-ink in the narrow hallways of the R&I Department, and it was stocked with overdue paperwork; it lined the carpet and towered high up against the ceiling.

Ino rounded the corner and walked right into her father.

"I-Ino?!" Yamanaka Inoichi exclaimed, surprised to see his daughter without having to ask for a change.

Ino collected herself and replied, "Hi, dad."

"What brings you here, kiddo?" he asked.

"I…there's something I wanted to talk about," Ino said timidly.

Inoichi scrutinized her under his towering height and cold gaze; he could tell something was off with his daughter from the get go. She never came to visit him at work. Not after the last time when she'd caught him in the middle of an interrogation. (Yamanaka's are essentially, 'brain-hackers,' and are called in ultimately when all other methods of interrogation have been employed; they see to it that the subject's mind becomes an open book, making it easy for just about any civvy to peer inside their heads. Ino being a Yamanaka inherited some of their unorthodox psychical gifts, and that day her 'gift' ruined her completely; she accidentally peered into a broken man's mind—a traitor and a ronin who slaughtered the lives of innocent women and children simply to earn a quick buck. And it was truly then that Inoichi understood that he had no choice but to inaugurate his little girl into the Academy in order to prepare her for her inevitable life.)

"Come with me," he said. "We can talk in my office."

Ino nodded and followed him quietly.


"Tell me what's on your mind," he said, taking his seat behind a large, mahogany desk.

"Dad," Ino began, choosing a polished grain of wood to follow rather than to look her father in the eye. "I think I need a break."

Inoichi didn't say anything for a few minutes, and together they sat there, mulling over the silence that seemed to rise higher and higher in density throughout the air surrounding them, until eventually, it felt like it was at their throats.

"A break," Inoichi repeated. "Hmm. Why do you think that?"

Ino clenched her fists and dug her nails into her palms. "After everything that's happened—"

"What has happened?" Inoichi interjected.

Ino shook her head. "Nothing—just—I think…maybe I need to take some time off and consider my…options…"

Inoichi smiled weakly and nodded his head. "Ah. If you think that's the right decision, Ino-chan."

Ino flashed her father surprised. "R-really?" she asked.

Inoichi lowered his head and nodded. He placed his hands on the desk and stared at the deep lines carving through his hands. "Can I ask you why, though?"

"Sasuke," Ino said.

Inoichi smiled again, somehow even weaker this time. "Ah."

Ino chewed her bottom lip. "But it's not just him," she said. "All of my friends are on such different paths than me. They're so much stronger, and not just in body, but in mind and spirit as well. I look at Sasuke and even though what he did is wrong…it just made me think…like, he betrayed all of his friends—his home—all for the sake of his revenge…"

Inoichi observed her cooly, choosing not to interject.

"And then I look at Naruto-kun, and the way he believes in himself even though he's gotten nothing but crap from all the villagers and even us if I'm being honest. He must be in so much pain on the inside but he never ever lets it show. He's always smiling, always determined, always being a royal pain in the ass but making us all believe in ourselves a little bit more everyday."

Inoichi noted the compassion with which she spoke for the young boy and wondered if there was something more to it. "You're rambling Ino," he said, but she didn't hear him.

"I look at them all and I see reason, I see determination and willpower. Sandaime always said that all of us kids are kings, but I never understood it. He always said that each and every one of us has the Will of Fire, deep inside us, waiting for the right spark to ignite it. I don't think I'll ever understand his words, but for some reason…I feel like whatever it is he meant to say...I don't have it."

"Ino-chan," Inoichi began, "is there something you wish to tell me about Naruto?" he asked.

Ino stared at her lap. "Not really," she whispered. "I feel like I'm finally getting to know him, ya know? Just starting to scratch his surface. I went to meet him but he was already gone."

Inoichi raised a brow and Hmm'd. "I understand and I respect your privacy. Just make sure things don't escalate. In any case, I know since he's leaving today you merely wished to say goodbye. Just make sure, okay?"

Ino nodded. "O-of course, dad."

Inoichi nodded to himself and took a deep breath. He never said a word. Just wiped his desk free of clutter and extended his arms towards her, placing his hands down on the table, open-palm.

Ino stared at his hands with a curious gaze, then looked up into her father's eyes with a questioning look.

He nodded.

"Now?" she asked. He nodded again. "Are you sure?" she asked. Yet again, he simply just nodded.

Ino took a deep breath and wiped the sweat off her palms against the mesh underneath her skirt, then placed her hands neatly into her father's; they were so much bigger compared to hers, she could nearly fit both her hands in one of his.

"Deep breaths," Inoichi whispered.

Ino Hmm'd.

"Good. Now sink—"


Ino opened her eyes and found herself standing atop Hokage Tower. She could see the vast majority of the village from here:

Ichiraku's Ramen, bustling with customers as usual; Yugen Tea Shop, coveted by tea and coffee enthusiasts; The Yamanaka Flower Shop, ever beautiful in the sunlight; The Aburame Insectarium, rarely visited, though, it was simply an extension of the clan's compound; many more sightseeing attractions and food/entertainment hotspots populated the narrow streets of Konoha's inner-city.

Ino couldn't help but smile at the overflowing sense of nostalgia growing within her.

"Ino."

She heard a voice sound out from behind her. She turned and saw Shikamaru, standing against the far end of the tower, leaning on his elbow against the guardrail, smoking a cigarette with his free hand.

He looked older now, sported a kimono with clouds painted all over it, and a scruffy beard—although, his hair was still just as unkempt, even though he kept it open now (perhaps only for when he was in the comfort of his own village; it would be much to tedious to leave open during battle).

"S-shikamaru?!" she exclaimed, absolutely shocked by his new appearance.

He smiled and waved. "Yo."

"Ino-san!"

She saw Rock Lee materialize out of nowhere, one-finger saluting her from beside Shikamaru. He looked the same, except now, it seemed he had finally grown a modicum of fashion sense; he wore loose, cotton, Japanese kung-fu pants and a form fitting mandarin shirt, his cuffs folded up at the arms.

"Ohayo, Ino-san…"

Ten-ten-san, dressed in a beautiful, fiery-red kimono.

"Ino-buta-chaaaan!"

Sakura now…her hair was so long, it almost reached her ankles; it was beautiful.

One by one, every single member of the Rookie 9 materialized out of thin air and took their spot beside one another, striking a pose or simply waving hello. They all looked so strong. Ino noted Naruto wasn't among them—

"Yo!—'Tebayo!"

She turned around and saw him as if for the very first time. He was tall, his hair even longer and wilder, now tied in a ponytail, reminding her of what a younger version of Jiraiya-sensei would look like.

He wore the traditional garb of the Hokage, and she felt so proud that he had achieved his lifelong dream.

He held her hands in his and beamed at her with his eyes closed. He couldn't fool her, though. She knew his secret, recognized his masking smile...

"Stop that," she mumbled.

He stared at her funny. "What are you talking about, Ino-chan?"

"You don't have to hide anymore! Not in front of me, at least! Please…"

He held her cheek in his hand and pulled her close, staring deeply into her eyes. "I'm not," he whispered. "I never have, not since that day in the hospital. I am who I am today…and it's all because I had you by my side, Ino-chan. Thank you."

"W-what?" she whispered. Her eyesight became blurry. She blinked. Water spilled onto her cheeks. She heard her father's voice reeling her back to the surface. Rise, he said. Rise. Rise. Rise.

All because of you, Naruto said. All because of me? Ino thought. She smiled and before she could hug him her subconscious dispersed into nothingness; it didn't matter though, for she had already opened her eyes…


…Ino flickered back to life, readapting to her surroundings quickly enough. She noted the expression on her father's face and felt a tinge of embarrassment crawl onto her face.

Inoichi stared at her curiously. "Have you changed your mind?" he asked.

Ino didn't respond. Her mind was coursing through a million thoughts in an instant. Indeed, she did know her answer.

She had wanted to tell Naruto something back at his apartment…but it didn't matter.

She would simply show him; when Naruto came back to the village, she would be stronger—strong enough to be by his side so he wouldn't have to bear the weight of the world all on his own. She would become strong enough to help him achieve his dream, for she realized that she was beginning to feel something for the boy she had never known existed before yesterday.

She didn't know exactly what it was, but she knew it was powerful. It made her want to do anything to help him. Perhaps that was the Power of Naruto. He came off as a goof, a good-for-nothing knucklehead, bearing none of the qualities of a true shinobi—but in the end, it turned out he truly was the only one out of all of them who was worthy enough to bear the title in the first place, for he never went back on his word, and he never gave up on what he believed in.

She would do the same. She would put her faith in Naruto.

"Ino?" her father called out.

Ino stared into her father's eyes and nodded her head, smiling brightly at him. "Hai!" she exclaimed. "I have."

"Good," he said. He thought deeply for a moment but the words were out of his mouth before he could stop himself.

"You know, Naruto isn't actually due to leave for at least another hour. If you're fast, you might just catch him at the northern gates before he's gone."

Ino's eyebrows shot up to her temples and she sprung upwards from her seat, skipping towards the door, her destination clearly in mind.

"Thanks for the talk, dad," she said. "I'll be on my way now."

"Ino," Inoichi said, a little firmly in order to halt her procession out the door.

She stopped and turned back to look at him. "Yes?"

Inoichi arose from his chair and fumbled with his hands for a minute before asking his question.

"How would you feel about some one-on-one training with your old man?" he asked.

Ino's eyes widened a hair. "R-really?" she asked. "You're always so busy…I just never wanted to bother you…"

Inoichi shook his head. "Never for you, kiddo. So I'll assume that's a yes?"

Ino nodded.

"Good, good," he said. "Off you go now. You will still perform your team duties and exercises while off-duty. I will train you between your duties."

Ino fumbled at the door, muttering, "B-but, dad?! That'll be r-ridiculous! I won't barely have time to help mama with The Flower Shop, let alone sleep!"

Inoichi chuckled and said, "Whoever said being a shinobi was supposed to be easy?"


NARA HOUSEHOLD


Nara Shikamaru played shōgi all by himself, enacting newfound strategies and practicing counterattacks. He still had two more days left 'til he was back on active duty, as per Hokage-sama's orders. And for once, it actually bothered him to be sitting here in his room at home; he had nothing to do but watch the clouds, except he didn't even want to anymore.

Bad dreams about their last mission haunted his conscience. They'd barely made it back alive. What the hell were they thinking? They were all in over their heads, thinking they could take on Orochimaru's very own bodyguard squad; he obviously sent them to bring Sasuke and not someone else for a reason.

Sure, they'd beaten them…eventually. But at what cost? A bunch of PTSD-nightmares later, Shikamaru figured out the price of their hubris was their very innocence, and now that he had lost his own, he realized its wholesome value even more. He feared becoming a decrepit, nihilistic shinobi that lived to be a Chūnin for the rest of his life. He had always imagined a different—better—life for himself. One where he was married and had two kids—a boy and a girl. Nothing too simple—just troublesome enough.

He saw the condition his teammates had been brought back in, saw their wounds and felt them all over his own body. Those scars would never heal. This, he knew.

Naruto was the worst. He had feared his loss, for when he had arrived, there was barely any blood left in his body, and his heart had been ripped apart; it was a bloody miracle that he had even survived 'til Kakashi arrived at The Valley, and an even bigger, bloodier miracle that he had survived the journey back to Konoha.

He was a tough one, Shikamaru gave him that—But at what cost?

Strength in lieu of one's innocence didn't seem like a fair trade, not to him, and it never would.

Sasuke traded his innocence in on the ride out of Konoha gladly, tossing it aside as if it was an item of cheap clothing, something he no longer desired to house within his soul or upon his body anyway…

THAP!—

Shikamaru slammed a piece on the board and realized that the game was over. He had captured his own king. He chuckled aloud, amused at the immediate thought that struck him:

He had just defeated himself.

A knock at the door grounded him back to Earth. It slid open and Asuma walked through, barefoot.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow. "Asuma-sensei? What are you doing here?" he asked.

Asuma took a seat on the other side of the board and lit a cigarette. "Can't a proud teacher come to visit his youthful student?"

Shikamaru scoffed. "You sound like Lee," he said.

Asuma chuckled. "Hah. I suppose I do then, don't I?"

"I just wasn't under the impression that the Hokage's son paid house visits."

Asuma smiled through his teeth, his cigarette jutting out like limp flagpole. "Count yourself special, kid. 'Cause you're right. I don't."

Shikamaru Hmm'd.

"Listen," Asuma started, "I get it. You're upset. I read the mission brief."

"So you know that I failed. You shouldn't be a proud teacher, sensei."

"I'll be what I wanna be, Shika. Sound good to you?"

Shikamaru didn't answer.

Asuma sighed. "Listen, I'm not here to watch you mope. I'm here to make sure you've got your chin up, 'cause if you think this is the last time you're gonna fail, I'm sorry kid, but you're up for a shitload of disappointment."

Shika snapped to Asuma's face, his eyebrows up in surprise at his sensei's nonchalant candour.

"So you're here to tell me to get ready to fuck up all over again?" he asked.

Asuma guffawed. "I suppose I'm not too good with the words, am I?"

"No."

"That's fair. My pops is the one who's good with words."

Shikamaru Hmm'd. He was too far up in his head, recessed into the cavernous depths of his guilty conscience; well, Asuma intended to pull his head straight out of his ass, even if it took him having to shove it farther down there first.

"You made some bad calls," he said.

"Gee, thanks," Shikamaru sarcasted.

"Don't be pithy. You're a smart kid. But guess what? You're only human. Which means you're going to make plenty of mistakes, and that's okay. A life lived without a few mistakes isn't a life worth living, and definitely not a story worth telling. I'm here right now, because I want to help you, Shika. As your teacher it is my responsibility to make sure you turn out to be the finest shinobi that you can be, one that Konoha can be proud of."

"Not likely," Shika spat.

Asuma scrutinized him. "Enough with the 'poor me' bullshit, kid! You're not like this. I know who you are, so stop. Be straight with me. At the very least, be straight with yourself…"

Shika stared at his lap as he thought over Asuma's words. He had to move on somehow, had to become stronger. He knew it, deep down, for he felt this burning desire inside him to help Naruto achieve his dreams, no matter the cost—and seeing as he'd already lost his innocence this time, there wasn't much else left to lose anyways.

Asuma grabbed the king piece off the shōgi board and flicked it at Shika's head. He caught it in his fist and examined it.

"The king?" he asked.

Asuma nodded. "Mmhm. I want to ask you a question, Shika. It's something my father asked me when I was a little older than you are."

Shika looked up at the man and said, "Okay…?"

"Look at all of these pieces on the board," he said. "What if one were to look at them as the shinobi in Konoha?"

Shika listened astutely.

"I'd say you're a knight."

Shika smirked. "Oh yeah? And what are you?"

Asuma snickered. "Doesn't matter. That's not my question."

"Well, what is it, then?"

Asuma took a long puff of his cigarette. "Do you know who the king is?" he asked.

Shika raised a brow and thought for a moment, then said, "Obviously, it must be the Hokage, right?"

Asuma smirked. "Wrong," he said. "I thought the same when my father asked me, but I was wrong."

Shika fish-eyed Asuma. "Well then, who is it?" he asked.

Asuma slid the shōgi board to the side and planted his hand on Shika's head, ruffled his hair 'til it was out of its ponytail and in his face.

"Oi, cut it out!" Shika said.

Asuma pulled away and stared at him for a good, long moment, before saying, "I can't tell you the answer, kid. I'm sure you'll figure it out, though…when the time comes."

Shika fish-eyed the man and brushed his hand through his hair, slicking it back; he chose not to ponytail it, thought it would be too troublesome to do right then.

"What the hell's the point of the question if you're not going to tell me the answer?" he asked.

Asuma said, "I just wanted to check something is all."

"What's that?"

"Nothing."

Shika shot him a glare.

He chuckled and said, "All in due time, Shika…in due time."

Shika fidgeted with the king piece in his hand and thought for a moment. "Well, in that case," he began, "until then, maybe we can train..."

Asuma beamed at him and exclaimed: "That's the spirit! But I think there's something you have to do before we begin…"

Shika nodded. He knew exactly what he had to do: Say goodbye to Naruto.

He gripped the piece tight in his grip, never letting go. He would hold onto the question, and he would eventually learn that it, in fact, has many answers, not just one.


A/N: End of "Chapter 3, Pt. 1." Look forward to "Chapter 3, Pt. 2!"