4-and-a-half-year-old Yamanaka Ino was upset.
She sat on the front step of her porch, a pout on her face, as she waited for her father to come home. The two of them, as well as her mother, had been eating dinner when a clansman of theirs rushed in, sweating, long blond hair coming out of the traditional ponytail, saying things like "It happened!" and "She's here!". Ino's father had gotten up then and left with the other man quickly; by the smile on his face and the calm way her mother had continued eating, Ino knew there was no danger and she wouldn't have to hide in the back closet, like the way her parents had taught her in case of an attack, but the child still wasn't very happy at the interruption.
It was the third time that week. Honestly, why couldn't her clansmen just stop having babies? Just for a little while? If only her mother would give her a straight answer on how they were made...
Finally, after what seemed like forever, the tall form of Yamanaka Inoichi, head of Konohagakure's Yamanaka clan, came into sight. No longer willing to stay still, Ino got up and ran towards her father, jumping up when she got close enough.
Inoichi was surprised, but rather pleased, and caught his daughter with ease, swinging her around for a moment before clutching her to him.
"Well, and what have I done to deserve this?" he asked playfully. "Did you stay up just for me? I'm surprised Kaa-chan let you."
But Ino, despite enjoying being in her father's arms, was still upset. "Tou-chan," she asked, still pouting, "don't you love me?"
Her father looked down at her in shock. "Of course, Ino-chan! How could you ever doubt that? What makes you say that?"
"Then how come ya keep goin' to other babies' birthdays?" Ino cried. "I thought I was your only princess!"
Something clicked in Inoichi's head. With a chuckle, he began walking towards their home, but stopped at the porch, sitting down and arranging his daughter so she sat on his lap. "Ah, Ino-chan, I'm actually glad you asked that. Maybe you're not too young to learn about this."
Ino looked at her father curiously, a bit of her annoyance disappearing. She always liked it when he spoke to her like an adult.
"As you know," Inoichii began, "I'm the leader of our clan, Ino. That means I have a responsibility towards each and every one one of our clan members - I'm here to ensure their health, well-being, and the safety of their futures." He poked her in the stomach, making her squeal in indigination but smile at the same time. "Each and every one, even the babies. I have to make sure they're welcomed properly into the clan. I want them, as well as their parents, to know I'm glad they're a part of our family and that I will look after them."
Blue eyes met blue eyes as Inoichi gazed at his daughter and asked seriously, "Do you understand, Ino?"
Ino tilted her head, thinking. Her tou-chan's words were a little hard for her to process, but she got the point of it.
"I think so, Tou-chan," she replied eventually. Inoichi nodded, and then placed a hand on her head.
"I hope you do," he said, "because one day you'll have to do it, too, Ino-chan, when you're the clan head." Then he smiled, wider, and the seriousness left his eyes a bit. "But you'll have plenty of time to understand, because I don't plan on that happening for a while." Leaning in conspiratorially, he added. "And for the record, sweetheart, you are my only princess."
Ino grinned back at him. "I know, Tou-chan!" She leaned in and gave him a kiss. Inoichi smiled fondly, and then, his daughter still in his lap, rose and went inside, where his wife was waiting with a smile and a wink.
...
Eighteen-year-old Yamanaka Ino walked through the halls of the Konoha Interrogation Unit headquarters, having just given her witness statement for a small robbery committed against a clock shop across the street from Yamanaka Flowers - the first floor of Interrogation acted as the regular police station, ever since the Uchiha Massacre. Ino was sometimes in the deeper section of the unit, helping whenever a clan member of hers who worked there couldn't make it, but she hoped to not make it a permanent career like her father had.
Ino reached the receptionist desk when the sliding glass door that acted as the front door opened, and to her suprise, she saw Sai, a member of Team 7, enter.
"Sai!" she called, waving him over.
The pale youth looked over, and there was a small flicker of surprise in his eyes, undetectable by any who didn't know him. He walked over to Ino, altering his course slightly.
"Hello, Ino," he greeted.
"How are you?" Ino asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I have an appointment with Morino-san," he answered. There was a slight pause, then he added, "About ROOT."
"Oh, of course." Ino knew better to continue in that territory; ROOT was, to put it mildly, not one of Sai's favorite topics, nor any of his friend group's, really, so they all usually stayed away from it.
Sai tilted his head a bit, as if in thought. "Ino," he said. "Something happened recently, didn't it?"
Now it was Ino's turn to tilt her head, in confusion. "W-what do you mean?"
"I'm sure Sakura told me about it," Sai continued. "You and Shikamaru, something about family...did you two get married?"
"WHAT?!" Ino shrieked, face going as red as a tomato. "That stupid Forehead didn't actually say that, did she?! No, no, of course not! Shikamaru is like my brother, and anyway, he and Temari are obviously going to get together! No, no!"
Sai blinked. "Oh," he said, in his usual monotone. "My mistake."
Finally, as Ino's blush began to fade, it dawned on her what Sakura must have told Sai. "Oh, me and Shikamaru...we were officially made head of our clans a couple weeks ago."
"Ah!" Sai's mouth twitched at the corner, his version of a satisfied smile. "Yes. That's what Sakura told me." There was a long pause then, where neither of them said anything, and Ino was beginning to feel a little uncomfortable - not because of Sai, but how shy he made her feel sometimes. Their personalities were so different, yet she felt good being with him.
Finally Sai said, "Well, I'm glad you didn't get married.
Ino perked up at that. "O-oh, r-really?"
"Yes. Ino - "
Sai's next words were drowned out by the sound of running and a loud shout of "INO-SAMA!" The young clan head turned immediately at the sound of her name, alarmed by both the tone and the honorific — the Yamanakas were not as traditional or formal as, say, the Hyuuga, and clan leaders were rarely addressed as "-sama" except during official meetings or times of dire crisis for the clan.
Rushing towards her and Sai from the way Ino had come was a clansman of hers — a second cousin trice removed or something — Yamanaka Haruo. His shoulder length dirty blond hair swung wildly as he ran, and when he got closer, Ino could see his brown eyes were wide and a little panicked.
"Haruo, what's wrong?" Ino asked when he stopped in front of her.
"Akiko!" he replied. "She's gone into labor! My sister-in-law just called me, her water broke!"
"Oh, my," Ino replied. "Is that alright?" Akiko, Haruo's wife, was only a little more than seven months along; clearly the baby decided it couldn't wait.
Haruo shook his head. "I don't know! I'm going there now. And - and - Ino-sama, I know it's traditional to wait after the birth, but since you're here, and I know you have some medical ninjutsu training, could you - could you please come with me? At least for a little while? If it gets too long, of course you can leave and I'll find you again, but -"
"Oh, Haruo, I'm sure they won't need me there," Ino protested. "Akiko is in good hands, I'm certain of it!" But then her clansman's gaze turned pleading, and she found herself saying, "But if you really want me to, of course." Ino knew it wasn't just labor anxiety, or even the early birth - Haruo and Akiko were about ten years older than her, and this was their first child, but not from lack of trying. It was understandable that Haruo was more nervous than most expectant fathers.
"Oh, Ino-sama, thank-you!" And then Haruo grabbed her hand and dragged her away, out the doors and towards the hospital, giving Ino a chance only to wave a hurried goodbye to Sai, who watched with a small tilt of his head, as if confused.
...
Akimichi-Yamanak Akiko's labor went long into the night, and much of the next day; through it all her husband stayed with her, and for moral support, Ino stayed as well, sitting in the waiting room with more immediate family members, such as Akiko's older sister Purin, her mother Rin, and Haruo's parents, Kotoba and Sagisō.
Finally, after about 30 hours, a newborn baby's cry was heard, very loud and sharp. The waiting room erupted in applause, and the child's aunt and grandparents hurried to the door, eager for their chance to see their new member. Ino got up and stretched her legs, deciding to take another of many walks around the floor; she knew it would be a little while more before she was wanted.
She was getting something from a vending machine when Sagisō found her. "Ino-sama," the older woman said politely. "They're ready for you."
"Thank-you, Sagisō-san," Ino replied.
When she got into the hospital room, she saw Haruo seated on a chair beside the bed, where Akiko, lay, looking exhausted and sweaty, but with a smile on her face as she looked down at a bundle in her arms. When she heard Ino enter, they both looked up, and directed their smiles at her.
"Ino-sama," Akiko said pleasantly, "thank-you for coming." She lifted the baby in her arms slightly, and carefully laid it in Ino's own. "We would like to officially introduce our son, Yamanaka Ichimaru."
Ino looked at the baby. He had a few wisps of hair that were too light to know the color, though she'd bet it was brown; his eyes were the dazzling Yamanaka blue, which rarely changed in newborns in their clan. Ichimaru seemed confused about whose arms he was in now, and weakly raised a tiny, chubby fist, as if demanding to be given back to his mother. Since Akiko was born into the Akimichi clan, Ino couldn't help but wonder if this was how Choji looked like when he was born.
"Hello, Ichimaru-kun," Ino said softly. She had a vague memory, one of her earliest, of sitting on her father's lap as he explained an important duty of the clan head. "I have to make sure they're welcomed properly, Ino-chan. I want them to know that I will look after them."
She knew what to do.
"It's very nice to meet you," the young head continued. "And I'm so glad you're here! I'm Ino, and I'm the leader of our clan. What that means, little one, is that I'm always going to be here for you, no matter what. If you have a problem you can't take to anyone else, you can come to me." She kissed his litte forehead, which seemed to calm him down a bit. "Welcome to the clan, Yamanaka Ichimaru. Welcome to the family."
A.N. - So I've decided to continue this (with a little bit of Ino/Sai ship tease). Mostly what it'll be is little snapshots about the Ino-Shika-Cho clans and their traditions (some I make up and hobble together from the manga, obviously), with maybe a few other clans and the history of Konoha thrown in there. We'll see. The timeline will jump around a little and there will be skips - obviously this chapter is set after the first one by only a few weeks, but I'm thinking of doing one set before the founding of Konoha, and then one just before Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji get married, something like that.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy.
Haruo – Japanese male name meaning "spring man"
Akiko – Japanese female name meaning, among other things, "autumn child"
Purin – Japanese pronunciation of the dessert pudding
Kotoba – comes from the Japanese word hanakotoba, the Japanese language of flowers
Sagisō – Japanese name for the flower Habenaria radiata, a type of orchd found in Asia.
As you can see, I've decided the Yamanaks have a spring/flower theme naming when it's not Ino-, and the Akimichi have a food/autumn theme when not Cho-. I also liked the parallel that made for Haruo and Akiko.
