Ino silently followed Neji down a tree-lined path, the dusty ground raising clouds of dirt. It was surprising that his white robes were still immaculate, while she could already feel her legs itch.
Preliminary Ino imagined that the meeting with team seven earlier would be uncomfortable and awkward, but it had been relatively better than expected, almost casual.
Sakura approached with an arched brow, questioning why she was with Neji, the malice and suspicion dripping into her voice was so evident that Ino blushed at the accusation, realizing too late that her cheeks burned red, an unkind note from Naruto about her looking like Hinata.
Ino recovered with an aggressive response for Sakura to get into her own business, which generated an argument of smart shots between the two women that was only interrupted with a displaced comment from Naruto, which readjusted Sakura's route of anger towards him.
She was happy about it, but a little sympathetic to Naruto's agony as he was thrown away by a punch to the stomach.
At that time Ino was very aware of the dark Uchiha Sasuke figure near them, but not for a second did she look away or express her recognition, choosing to ignore his presence entirely.
She didn't want to be too comfortable or receptive to the Uchiha.
The brief conversation was interrupted with an impatient - and unexpected - comment from Neji, who bluntly dismissed the meeting and practically led the way out, leaving a confused Naruto, a stoic Uchiha and a Sakura with enough subject to make Ino miserable later.
She and Neji were ... familiar with each other. They were neither close friends nor strangers. More like co-workers.
In fact, Neji was a captain Anbu with honors and historical merit long before Ino even considered taking the entrance exam. If she were going to be honest with herself, there was a whole new level between the two in terms of skill, and her pride was hurt in admitting that it had taken her more than two months to realize that the Hyuuga who was repeatedly paired with her on missions, was Neji.
It was just another topic added to the list of humiliations between them over the years, just below the disaster in an attempt to seduce him in the Chunnin exams.
In her defense, the identity within Anbu was highly valued and something totally classified, she could die working alongside Sai, and never find out. That is why, as much as it would make Ino very happy to subtly rub her rating on Sakura's face, she had to be quiet, because the risk of being downgraded or condemned to downtime in the Anbu ranks was not worth the price.
To this day, the only ones who had full knowledge of the mask resting in her closet were Shikamaru and Naruto, for their top management positions in the village - and because, well, she was sleeping with one of them and the other was a master at figuring out tiny things about Ino. - and the elders of her clan. And there was Neji, who knew this from the first second, on the first mission when he led his three-man killer squad.
It was ridiculous that she had found out about Neji by an insightful analysis of the smell of the shampoo on his hair, and not something super smart and thorough as he probably figured it out.
It had been embarrassing, when she noticed during Hinata's birthday, after a mission, that Neji's hair smelled like herbs in exactly the same way as her captain the other day.
It turns out that in the end, it seemed that the skills of the two were composing favorably, and the Hyuuga-Yamanaka pairing became recurrent in high-ranking murder or reconnaissance missions, the positive active indices being a major influence on the success of the two.
Beside that, they did not interact socially, not for lack of will, but Neji was always very busy with his things and she with hers.
So when Sakura asked what the hell she was doing with Neji, she didn't quite know what to say.
And minutes later when he led her by the wrist through the streets of Konoha, she also didn't know what to do, or how to deal with the curious looks.
Not that she had many options, she didn't want to cause a scene - bigger - and in the end she also wanted to know what it was all about, if Ino could trust her life with him, she could certainly go on to see what was going on.
Even though it was boring, they were already far from the center, and she had other things to do.
"What is the problem?" She asked impatiently when he sat down on the grass after an abrupt halt. They were on an isolated training ground, and Ino studied her surroundings for some time before sitting down next to him, eyebrows raised.
She had never been here, but Ino knew that the Hyuuga compound was only a few kilometers away, it was probably some kind of private field, the lawn was in impeccable condition, which was unusual.
Neji looked serious, but again he was always like that, nothing new.
"Ino, you're going to be nominated for a special mission." He said and Ino frowned.
"So what? I always do special missions."
Neji remained imperturbable, not a muscle moving, and if it weren't for the intrinsic professionalism that he always treated everything, Ino would think it was some joke, or he was doing some prank to have some time alone with her.
As much as they did recurring missions in pairs, it was not something definitive, they had their own solo missions.
"You will be nominated for a special mission with Uchiha Sasuke for behavioral analysis. I want you to decline."
He was succinct and Ino almost had to lean over to be sure of what Neji had said, her dismayed expression wavering a little before settling down in shock, wide blue eyes.
"What?"
"You were not the first nominee. Your cousin was, and two more Anbus sealing specialists, but they all refused under the premise of unavoidable danger. The Konoha council indicates that the Uchiha heir is active again for the benefit of the village, our ninja coefficient. is far below average, and Uchiha Sasuke passed all health tests and received approval from Ibiki. He will be presenting for an Anbu position. "
"Ibiki didn't say anything to me." She spoke, finding it inevitable to show her surprise in the tone of her voice. "This is ridiculous, the man is a state traitor."
"I know."
"Giving someone of this type an opportunity in high office is setting a precedent for dozens of sociopaths, it's irresponsibility."
"I know."
"And I am not indicated to go on a mission with Uchiha Sasuke, I cannot agree with that, and I will end up compromising the mission by trying to kill the last Uchiha in the world."
Ino blinked out of her daze when she felt Neji hold her wrist again, this time much more gently, his dull eyes staring at her with a tension that was usually not there.
"I know, Yamanaka. That's why I need you to resign. It's a dangerous mission to test the Uchiha's skills, test his momentum. The death rate is extreme, 76%. If you refuse I will be next in line . "
Ino narrowed her eyes, pulling her wrist back.
"Do you want me to resign because it goes against your values or because you think I'm not capable, Hyuuga?"
This seems to have confused Neji, a puzzled look that Ino would have found comical in any other situation where she was not controlling the anger that threatened to boil.
"It's not safe, Ino. If I thought your skills were not satisfactory, I would have waived your assistance on classified missions more than a year ago. That is not the case."
"Wave my assistance?" She hissed, rising quickly as if the ground was on fire, staggering a little as she stumbled over a spare tree root.
"That is not what I meant. It is an unnecessary risk, Yamanaka, regardless of who is the shinobi who accompanies him. They want to push the limit on Uchiha actions ... I'm just concerned about your life!"
"It's an unnecessary risk unless the ninja is you Neji !? To hell with my ninja ethic, after all maybe I will accompany Uchiha, apparently I am very used to going on missions with arrogant prodigies and doing very well with that."
Ino snarled between her teeth, her eyes icy on Neji's face. Noting that the uncomfortable silence was getting thicker, she made a hand signal too quickly to be natural, her body crumbling into a bunch of lilac flower petals.
Neji fisted his hands, finding it very difficult to contain his anger without punching anything. He hadn't planned it, although Yamanaka had an unpredictable temperament, he didn't think it was so ... childish.
Ino was his mate, and although they didn't have as close ties as he did with Tenten and Lee, he still didn't want to lose anyone else by stinginess. Uchiha's mission was a suicide mission, and he didn't mean that she wasn't capable, just that the level of difficulty was not compatible.
Shit, his verbal ease had implied things he didn't mean.
And yes, in the potential of death, he preferred that he was the guy who would die. It was not a hero complex, but he had less to lose, and his role had already been played.
And now Yamankaa's misunderstanding was going to lead her into a potentially murderous trap and he had unconsciously helped push that.
Folding his legs, his face upset in an expression of measured anger, Neji closed his eyes, thinking it was a good opportunity to meditate and avoid hurting anyone. Really hard.
.
.
.
Ino hit the hard bark of the tree repeatedly, alternating between kicks and strong punches, taking care not to use any chakra, the taijutsu skills kicking in, while the knots of the hand burned with the cuts in the skin.
Eventually the tree trunk broke, falling in the opposite direction, heavy breathing coming out between her cracked lips, feeling tired but not satisfied. The chakra burned inside her stomach, and she felt an incredible urge to put Tsunade's training back into action and create some holes in the ground, just to get rid of the sting.
Sliding to the floor, she rested her head on her palms, the salt of sweat reacting with the wounds, swallowing the dry lump in her throat.
Perhaps she had exaggerated and put on more drama than necessary. She understood Neji, it wasn't like she could really compare her skills with a Uchiha prodigy, not like she didn't know that there was a reason why Neji was a captain since he was eighteen, indicated for that since he was sixteen.
Ino was a great ninja, with exceptional skills, at a young age she had already entered history, she was a daughter of fire - if that was worth anything - and had impressive marks since the ninja academy. These were not things she resented, although she was watching for constant evolution.
Still, Sasuke and Neji were still at a high level, and maybe one day she would be able to catch up with them, though, not now.
But to have it thrown in your face was irritating to say the least, and Neji should have known it when he practically put her as a sidekick. A naked truth, therefore, was difficult to swallow.
Damn, she was so stressed.
Maybe that was why Uchiha looked at her so strangely earlier. What a sucker.
Sliding her finger through her pants pocket, hands still trembling reasonably from the aggression of the blows and the open bruises, she took out the parchment scroll and small book.
It was not a training camp, or some minimally safe place, but she felt it was ideal.
She didn't care much about the rules, but she felt that she needed to abide by them before leaving for the scrolls. Scraping her fingernail on the book cover to feel the roughness, Ino opened it, seeing the small but widely spaced letters fill the yellowed leaves.
The first ten pages told a complete story of the Yamanaka clan, something she had grown up listening to, but found herself reading anyway, afraid that she might miss something important there.
She needed to know where she was going and what she was playing with.
The last page was an explanatory list with rules and Ino found herself taking a finger to her mouth, taking it off quickly when she noticed the involuntary movement, the nail biting addiction a horrible habit developed recently that she detested with disgust.
1. The heterogeneity of the lineage must remain pure. Chief Yamanaka can never mix his homogeneity. Marriage with a passable pole is essential. Marriage between persons of the same family may be permitted only to the degree of cousins.
2. The most powerful figure within the clan is that of the Chief or Leader, and his power can only be vetoed in the event of unanimity of all elder members and internal voting with all general members of the clan.
A. Only members born of at least one pure-blooded Yamanaka are considered to be a general member of the clan.
3. The death of a chief without direct hereditary succession, must be transferred to the next living family member who demonstrates an interest and ability that meets the criteria imposed by the elders.
4. The elders will be the oldest members of the clan, who have guaranteed and documented historical records.
5. All children born to the Yamanaka clan must have Shinobi initiation.
6. For the Chief's heirs, Shinobi training must begin at 5 years of age or earlier.
7. Betrayal of the clan, regardless of who it is, must be avenged by death.
Ino looked away from the paper a little, biting the inside of her cheeks as she thought.
There were still more than twenty continuous lists of administrative and legislative rules, behavioral rules - from 'how to behave the first night after the wedding' to 'how to name your children'.
The first seven had already made her frown so many times that she thought her skin was crying at the possibility of wrinkles.
It's not like she's planning her wedding in a little while, but knowing that she had a limited choice in every mediocre aspect of her life was ridiculous.
Ino didn't even know that she actually had no option of being shinobi or not, her father hadn't been clear about it, but she only assumed that he would be clean if she just wanted to work at the store and get away from kunais.
So if one day she wanted to have children, there was no choice between placing the child in the ninja world or not.
It took her a few more minutes to finish legislative duties, an even bigger headache. When she took the jutsu scroll in her hand, she wondered if she would be able to end it with proper mental health.
"None left." Murmured with a shrug.
Ino felt the chakra dance around her body, letting some of it slide into her palm.
She knew it was a common function for classified scrolls, which would only open up to the specific identification of the wearer's chakra.
When the parchment unfolded smoothly she noticed the golden broaches, five sheets rolled together with practical illustrations of hand signs and body positions.
The first page was a manuscript in what appeared to be made of charcoal, and looking for the signature on the first page, she recognized the name of Yamanaka Ino. Well, not her, but as, the first living Yamanaka who had given birth to her own name.
Yamanaka Ino, the original. From centuries, almost millennia past.
Looking around just to make sure she was in an inhospitable place in the forest of death, Ino turned her eyes to the words on the paper. Well, the guy Ino had a horrible handwriting, and she thanked her father for teaching her how to decipher the ancient runes in order to understand all that.
"If you are reading this, it is because the Yamanaka clan still runs on my blood, and I have succeeded in keeping us alive through it all.
Life as I know it is very difficult, and every day we fight tireless battles to be able to continue doing this. I have three lovely wives and eleven children who depend on me.
Inoia, my eldest son, I hope you are the one who received these scrolls. I know that for years you looked at me as a personal hero, and I'm sorry that I couldn't teach you everything I know.
I am the first Yamanaka. For years I dedicated everything to studying only the power of the mind. And I did it. I unlocked ninety-eight percent of my mental capacity. "
Ino's eyes widened, surprised by this. She had only thirty-four percent of her mental capacity released, and her father, who was one of the greatest shinobi she knew in the area, was thirty-six, and that was a lot. It was impossible to reach such a high number.
She wouldn't be so surprised with fifty percent, she expected it from a big guy like the original Ino, but ninety-eight percent was absurd. Almost unbelievable.
"Inoia, I couldn't have taught you this way before. You need to learn it yourself, but, I leave you the map so you can follow the road to this full knowledge.
I'm sorry, son, for not being able to dedicate myself to this family. I plan a grand future for our name, a future in which we can spread our technique for the sake of peace between our worlds.
The power you will learn is extreme, incredible, but dangerous, like everything around us, Inoia.
I will give you a technique that will make you a powerful man. This is a gift that no one should ever know. This technique, unlike everything I taught you, must be secret, even for ours.
Only the heir of pure lineage can carry this in his hands.
Now, the fullness of the mind, my son, you must be prepared to know, and I cannot say that I will succeed.
Have you ever imagined being able to play with people's minds? I'm not saying to control your conscience, as we do with all of our other jutsu. I'm saying to be able to totally possess it, create illusions, cause pain without touching someone's body. "
It's a new world.
You must be responsible and good. A Yamanaka destroys with the mind, but works with a clean heart and soul. "
This for Ino was totally unbelievable. I mean, she could believe it, it was believable, she had already seen a lot of power within her few years of life. Naruto was a formidable shinobi, Uchiha Sasuke despite a donkey, too. All she lived through in the ninja war was a combination of powers from inhuman levels.
But the power that old Ino spoke of was tangible and it left her static for long minutes, just looking once and twice at the ancient symbols on the page.
Ino was comfortable with her clans' practice of jutsu, and as much as the perpetuation was mind possession, she knew that was not what they were doing. She knew, she had learned in the introductions before she even entered the academy.
The Yamanakas seized the conscience of other people, exchanging for their own, as in the case of Shintenshin, or as the Shinranshin that attacked the opponent's nerve endings.
She used this in T&I, and the most she had ever managed to do in someone's mind, was to capture memories of the unconscious when there was no resistance, or the transmission of thoughts as in war.
It was the most she could do about someone's mind. They could only reach a shallow edge, which was more than any other would ever reach, but it was still little.
They were very good readers who had found a way to manipulate through the chakra a confused consciousness of people, and a malleable part of the human mind.
Like in her battle with Sakura in the Chunnin exams. If she really had access to the girl's mind, she would have shut down her body long before she started to travel in the delicate past that destabilized Ino.
By God, Sakura was brilliant but she was a mediocre ninja back in those years, with no specialization in any matter, no taijutsu, no genjutsu, nothing! No lineage advance!
She didn't like to think about these things.
Feeling a corner of her lips pull up in an easy smile, Ino let her body shudder with excitement.
Learning techniques was always fun, and she could admit that she had a good facility with learning anything from her clan. Now the deadline notice that the elders had imposed didn't seem that scary.
Unrolling the next sheet, Ino saw that the technique was passed on as if it were a manual with steps by steps.
The first line was clear.
Get a considerable intelligence animal for training.
Wait, what?
Ino looked around stunned. Well, she was in a forest, the forest of death above all, surely there were thousands of weird specimens defying biology here, but of considerable intelligence? She didn't think so.
"Oh well, I have Karatsukoya!" Ino exclaimed realized with the idea.
Karatsukoya was an invocation that Ino had signed the contract after joining Anbu. If she was going to be honest, she had done it just because Sakura had it with the Sannin slug and Ino was so jealous, and even though Tsunade later offered her the contract too, Ino vehemently denied, knowing it was just a Hokage's crude way of demonstrating non-existent impartiality.
When Ino ran into Karatsukoya, a petulant and intelligent crow, she shone.
He was smart as hell, and even though she rarely summoned him, when needed in the middle of a mission, a black raven was discreet enough not to be noticed by anyone. In addition, when depositing sufficient chakra, Karatsukyu, a huge version of the black bird was invoked ready to flap wings and carry Ino on its head. Much better than a sticky slug.
Okay, now she was just being mean to Sakura's Katsuyu.
Ino bit the tip of her thumb, bringing her five fingers to the floor for Karatsukoya's successful invocation.
"Kara!" She said happily, the crow landing in front of her.
"Yamanaka? It's daytime." He hooted miserably, looking confused.
"I need help with something classified. It is not a mission, I am learning a new technique and I need a guinea pig."
"No way. I'm an invocation of battle, for God's sake!"
"Please. I need someone smart." Ino whined.
"I know that humans are not great thinkers, but-"
Ino raised her hand, cutting off its development. She felt a hot manifestation of chakra approaching and when she saw that Karatsukoya was silent, the same hand slid to her thigh, grabbing a kunai, her body falling to a defensive position, her eyes attentive to any movement.
Karatsukoya flapped wings and landed on her shoulder, feeling Ino's muscles stiffen beneath him.
"Yamanaka Ino." A muffled voice echoed close to her, and Ino turned her body quickly, the blade in her hand stopping dangerously close to the sticking of an Anbu man standing, his expressionless mask watching her. "Hokage-Sama requires your presence."
He simply said, and Ino squinted, waiting for some time before finally relaxing her grip, nodding before the agent disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"I love how things work here in Konoha." Karatsukoya said.
"I need to go, sorry for taking your time."
"No way, I'm going with you. It smells like drama."
Ino rolled her eyes, leaning over to collect her things and put them back in her pocket, making sure the scrolls were safe and out of reach of Karatsukoya's eyes.
"Tsunade is the one with giant breasts, right?"
."You're an animal."
"That was kind of racist."
.
.
.
Ino wondered what Tsunade wanted when Anbu appeared in front of her, Neji's words hammering in the back of her head, but that didn't stop her from having to struggle to suppress the surprise when she saw Uchiha Sasuke next to Naruto and Shikamaru in the Hokage's office, a longing to have the Anbu mask to hide her emotions in those moments.
Ino stretched out her fingers and closed them again, feeling the cracking of the joints, another subtle escape habit she had created for nervousness.
For a moment she became aware that she looked like a loud and scratchy mess, and even more so from the watchful eyes of the three known men who followed her movements. Ino only returned to orbit reality again when she felt the rough touch of Kara's long nails on her shoulder.
"Tsunade-sama." She greeted, feeling her mouth dry.
"Ino, please have a seat."
"I am fine."
"Sit down."
Ino clenched her jaw and obeyed, crossing her legs. She felt Kara move on her shoulder, which caught Tsunade's attention.
"Are you walking with birds now?"
"The best kind." Kara was quick to respond.
"Why am I here, Hokage-Sama?" Ino asked, casting a pointed look at where the men remained too silent.
"Yamanaka, I will be quick with this. There is a possibility of reinstatement of Uchiha Sasuke in the konoha ninja ranks. He is the last living ninja of an exceptional kekkei genkai lineage, but Ibiki will only present formal behavioral release after monitored approval by a ninja of his trust on a high-ranking mission. "
"It is a high-grade mission compatible with the Uchiha's abilities, not yours." Shikamaru added, and Ino understood that he was as optimistic about the idea as Neji was earlier, and for some reason this prompted her more to consider the proposal.
"... thanks, Shikamaru." Tsunade hissed, not looking happy with the interruption. "You are one of Ibiki's nominations, and although it was not my first choice, you are heartily recommended by the intelligence squad, congratulations for that Ino."
"What is the tacit information about the mission and what does it imply for me?" Ino asked, ignoring the passive praise.
"The information can only be transmitted after acceptance, Ino, but you will be the leader responsible for the positive execution of the mission and will provide a daily report of Uchiha Sasuke's behavior. In the end, allied to Ibiki's reports, the decision to reintegrate of Sasuke will be evaluated. "
"Duration of the mission?"
"Two weeks, maximum."
Ino looked up at Shikamaru, who was serious, the hazel orbs looking like they wanted to say something to her. God how she missed him.
Then she ran to Naruto, who was strangely still, totally out of character.
Ino understood, by her deductive power and body language, that Naruto was avoiding becoming a turning point for her choice, too loyal to omit when his best friend needed him, but too kind to influence Ino with a dangerous responsibility.
If the roles were reversed, she would probably do the same.
And finally, she looked at Uchiha Sasuke, who did not seem embarrassed to look back, although much less aggressive than any other opportunity they had to meet.
Ino stared at him, trying to use any method of intimidation she knew, which obviously didn't work with Uchiha, looking for any flaws in the marble expression, any indication of emotion.
She had seen him this week more times than in all the years after the war. Twice.
Before that, she methodically took the opposite path of his presence, not thinking that he was worth enough effort to guarantee her warmth.
In the end she gave up, looking back at Tsunade who was waiting patiently for an answer.
"Think about it, Ino." Shikamaru appealed, an impressive urgency in his voice.
Ino was not inconsequential, or stupid by the way. Her situation was not limited to just blind anger against the Uchiha, or everything he represented in an obviously flawed system like Konoha's.
But if she went on a two-week mission, she would be sabotaging her own training. Or her own life.
She could positively find time to train in those two weeks, she was familiar enough with high-ranking missions to be able to manage her opportunities.
But if the risks were so worrying, she was playing her life on the board, and risking the welfare of her clan. Not that she doubted her cousin's management integrity to run things in case something happened to her, no, he was clean, but it should be her.
On the other hand, she really wouldn't trust anyone to perform the mission properly and be able to judge Uchiha Sasuke. As much as she was not impartial and had a deep resentment towards the man, she was still a Shinobi of Konoha, and her interests were negligible and totally ignored alongside the interests of the village, she understood that and would not allow anger to blind her principles.
Even Neji couldn't take it so seriously, the ambiguity between the geniuses of Uchiha and Hyuuga would be a dangerous conflict, and she knew that Neji was too skeptical about Konoha's intentions to make Sasuke's life a priority.
It was a losing race anyway.
The interests of the village and the interests of her clan.
Either way, she would be risking something she loved.
"I accept."
In the back of her mind, the mantra of "whatever is to be, will be" hummed in a relieving premise, as if it were loosening a suffocating knot that held her.
Ok guys, so I'm officially back.
First: I AM LOOKING FOR A BETA READER THAT CAN HELP ME IN GRAMMAR AND FANFIC AGREEMENT, so if someone qualifies, I'm here! haha ha
I need to talk about some considerations before the pathetic excuses I have for you:
This is the last introductory chapter of the fic, which I like to call "flat arc", which is necessary in every well-structured fanfic. It's where you can see how things are going, the main character's molded personality, and everything is basically an explanation with little dialogue development, as if it were the arrows that indicate the direction of the story.
In the next chapter the real action begins and I promise it is more fun than it has been so far.
I chose to write Ino with this realization that the Yamanaka are not super mutants with mental powers, but with a more real development on how they use these Jutsus. I did a lot of heavy research on their lineage, and it all refers to a use of the opponent's conscience, not the mind itself, so I brought it here, and I want to build on that.
I always read these fanfics where Ino enters people's minds, walks around them, reads thoughts and etc., and I really want to get to that point of skills with her, but I don't think that happens instantly.
So yes, Ino will be powerful, but she will have to work hard to get there. Naruto took all the anime to reach the fullness of his ability, she will not do that overnight.
NOW THE POOR EXCUSES: I'm really sorry to be gone, I was in an intense block, and I started another project to unlock my creativity. I don't LOVE this chapter of Yamanaka Complex !, but I think it's ok enough that I can proceed to a more enjoyable phase.
I really appreciate all the support, and I love how it received such great comments! I will be more diligent from now on, I promise.
It really gives me enough energy to continue.
The quarantine here is sad, and we quickly became a country infected with Covid-19, which is horrible. I'm working from home, and it gave me time to start writing a lot, which is great.
If you like this, please read: The sea we love!, a beautiful work that I started
-Gabriella
