AN: It's Friday. You know what time it is! A new chapter! I hope you all are enjoying this story so far! There's a lot of detail and talking and world building and laying down the foundations of this story. So if it takes a while for things to pick up, I am sorry! Still trying to be consistent with updating every two weeks. I feel less pressures this way but I am not very far in writing this story, so I will try my best. I do really want to finish it at least by the end of the year. Thank you for all the support and review thus far. Please keep them coming!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
Rating: M for Language, Sexual Themes, and Violence.
Legend: Flashback
Chapter 003
"You honestly cannot expect me to believe what you are saying, Brother. It is absurd."
Hashirama leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples in a soothing manner. He knew that this would be the reaction from Tobirama but he also knew that he couldn't leave Tobirama in the dark. "Tobirama, what I have seen…" He paused trying to find proper words. "What I have seen is so complex that it is unlikely that any Shinobi would spend such time making an elaborate plan. It cannot be easily replicated nor can it be explained with what technologies we have in this time. That woman, she is innocent and I shall stand firmly beside her." He gave Tobirama a long and hard stare. "And so shall you."
Tobirama shook his head in disbelief, still trying to wrap his head around what he had been told. "What you are saying is...impossible. How could she be from the future?"
"Have you not seen with your own eyes what she is capable of? We may be skilled in our own right but what she has achieved is...is far beyond the day and age that we live in."
Tobirama fell silent, knowing that Hashirama was making sense. He knew that his brother often overlooked things such as threats and other complicated matters, but it seemed that this time, he was investing himself with this woman. He crossed his arms over his chest, gritting his teeth together. Perhaps, if the woman had shown him as well, he would be a firm believer like Hashirama. But that had not been the cause, therefore, he found the concept of her being from a far away time, hard to grasp, It defied any logic and reason that he founded himself upon. "Are you sure, Hashirama?"
"Yes, Tobirama. I am more than sure." Hashirama replied before letting out a gentle chuckle, causing Tobirama to narrow his eyes in question. "My...I have not seen you so vexed in such a long time." He leaned forward, resting his chin upon his hand. "Tell me, did her skills outmatch yours?"
"Hardly," Tobirama sneered in defense. "I shall give her credit, where it is due. She managed to make me keep my wit about me."
"Did she now? And to think that she was nearly dead with exhaustion," Hashirama chimed in with a small grin.
Tobirama opened his mouth to retort, however, he knew when Hashirama was making a joke of him. Rolling his eyes, he looked away from his brother. "Enough of these childish antics, what shall we do with the woman?"
"Naturally, she will be under your supervision." Hashirama replied, grinning at the sudden glare tossed in his direction by Tobirama. "After all, you were the one who found her, and I believe that she is 'not of my concern,' as you said. Therefore, it will be your duty to make sure she remains unharmed within and outside the Village, while she researches a way back to her time." Hashirama stood up from his seat, rolling his shoulders to stretch. "Who knows, Tobirama. It may even benefit you to learn from her."
"I do not need some child to teach me anything," Tobirama seethed out in a venomous manner.
A hearty laugh bellowed from his older brother and Tobirama scoffed at the boisterous noise. Crossing his arms over his chest, following Hashirama out of the room. Before leaving the room, Hashirama stopped, his cheery mood evaporating quickly. "I want this information about her, kept between the two of us, Tobirama."
"As if I would divulge such things to anyone else," Tobirama muttered while rolling his eyes.
A firm clap on his back caused him to jump and he glared at Hashirama, whose lighthearted mood had quickly returned. They parted ways after leaving the room, the older of the two heading back to their Compound, while Tobirama went to retrieve his unwanted charge. She had immediately fallen into a state of unconsciousness after showing Hashirama the truth that she had been desperately trying to show. Hashirama had briefly stated that she had been in the middle of a medical experiment that had backfired. He wondered what technologies they possessed in her time. He couldn't deny his growing curiosity about the woman, no matter if he thought of her as an enemy in the beginning. She had used Techniques that had yet to have been created. She could match him on levels that no other Sensor could. She was formidable despite her stature and appearance, but he assumed that was what made her deadly.
Entering the small Hospital that had been built, he walked through without acknowledging the receptionist. He had come here for one of the few patients that was within these walls. Walking through the hallways, he thought of how he should address the woman. Should he be kind to her, as Hashirama had been? Should he remain the same? It was not his forte, dealing with social interactions. It was more often than not that he relied on Hashirama to deal with people. while he sat in the background, observing quietly. He felt this strange feeling of anxiety course through him as he arrived at the room that the woman was located in. He shuffled his feet, trying to figure out his words before he decided to give up on it all together. Opening the door, he glanced over at the woman, who seemed to have been waiting for his arrival.
"Should you have not knocked? I thought you were more refined than that," she quipped, standing up from her seated position.
The words that left her mouth caused him to glare at her. "You seemed to have been waiting for my arrival, there was no need to knock." His eyes gave her appearance a once over, before averting, fearing that if he lingered too long, she would have some sort of offended remark.
Now that she was in a better lit environment, he was surprised even further at her appearance. She had a sleek angular face, those calculative eyes watching him carefully, as if peering into the very depths of his soul. Her skin still held a few minor discolorations from the bruises, but the open wounds had been closed, leaving no trace of scarring. Her complexion was a healthy color, a soft tan from what he guessed was a result from training in the wilderness. Her hair glistened, still damp from her bath, shining like freshly spun gold. There was no denying that her physical appearance was appealing, any person would be a fool to deny her that much. However, it was her choice over words that caused his ire to grow.
She let out an annoyed huff of air, making her way towards him. "Fine. However, the next time you decide to barge into a lady's room, I will be sure to give you a sight that you will not forget."
"Have you no decency, Woman?" Tobirama hissed out, taking a step back from her. "You are lucky that my brother has allowed you to survive thus far, show respect where it is given."
"How can I respect someone who tried to kill me without listening to reason," Ino snapped back, her face scrunching in mild anger. "And I do have a name, it is not Woman."
He was in a partial state of shock. No one lower than him had ever stood their ground against him, unlike this woman. He assessed her briefly, noting the fiery glint that filled her eyes. He supposed that this was her true nature showing, now that she knew that she was not to be in harm's way. He scoffed slightly, crossing his arms over his chest. How could she be so boorish? "And what name shall I call you, Woman?"
She let out an annoyed click of her tongue, before following his mannerisms of crossing her arms over her chest. "My name is Ino."
"Surname?"
"I cannot give you that, you understand that much I am sure?"
The gall of this woman! Clenching his teeth, his eyes narrowed as he stared her down. "Ino," he began, watching as she raised a brow in question. "From this point on, you will be under my supervision. That being said, you shall not leave my side nor will you act on your own, unless I have given my approval. Surely, you understand that much."
He watched as her jaw dropped at his command, her brows furrowing forward in anger. He raised a brow, wondering what sort of snide remark she would have but with a clack of her teeth, she clenched her jaw tightly. He was mildly impressed, far more amused than anything else. It seemed that there was a way for her to control that mouth of hers. With a slight huff of annoyance, she nodded her head in compliance and he felt himself become slightly disappointed. Surely, she had more fire within her than to easily back down, however he could sense that she was restraining herself.
"Just because you are overseeing me, does not mean that you can so easily order me around," she snapped out after a while.
She was jerked forward by his hand catching her chin, she stumbled slightly, feeling herself being forced to look up at him. Her wide eyes stared up into cold scarlet ones, which narrowed dangerously. She could feel his Chakra humming around him, as if to intimidate her. She felt this sense of fear roll down her spine and she knew that she had done something wrong.
"It would be wise of you to watch your tone," Tobirama seethed out. "I understand that you know who I am and what my status is." He leaned closer to her, eyeing her to gauge her reaction. She was completely still within his grasp, as if she was remembering exactly what was happening. Her fiery mood dissipating within mere seconds beneath him. "You are no longer in your time, it would be beneficial for you to remain conscious of that matter." He clenched his hand tighter around her chin, eliciting a small wince from her. "Do not forget your place, Ino."
With that he let go of her, regarding her in a silent manner. He watched as she rubbed her chin, the inkling of tears in her eyes did not go unnoticed. He allowed her a few moments to compose herself, before motioning for her to follow after him. She was slightly hesitant, as she should be, following after him but he was pleased that she did not try to defy him any more than she had tried previously.
As she walked behind him, she was fuming with anger. How dare he treat her so harshly! She knew that she had a habit of being rather abrasive, due to her temperament, but could he at least cut her some sort of slack? After all that she had been through, up until this point, she was trying to figure out how she could cope with it all. He didn't speak to her as they walked through the Village, which all seemed unreal to her. She looked at the places where certain shops and restaurants should be, but they weren't there. The Konoha she remembered, was far better lit than this place, which casted a low light within the night's air. She felt completely out of place here, as that was only natural. How was she supposed to get back home, if she wasn't even sure of how she was sent here in the first place. The Technique that was used upon her was completely out of her realm of knowledge, she wasn't even sure where she should start.
She came to a halt, as she realized that she had been aimlessly following the man before her. She glanced around, taking in the surroundings of what she assumed was the Senju Compound. Her eyes stared at the stoic man before her, who promptly turned to face her, after opening the door they were standing in front of. Pointing into the dark room, she took the hint that she was to enter. A frown touched her lips as she walked into the near bare room, save for a small futon on the ground. She turned around and looked at Tobirama, raising a brow at him.
"This room will accommodate you, during your time here." Tobirama stated, watching her carefully as she took in the layout of the room. "I will know if you even make the barest movements of fleeing the confines of this place. It will be best that you remain within these walls, until I come fetch you myself."
"So what you are saying is that I am to be here until you see fit to remove me?" She rolled her eyes, glaring at him. "You are treating me as if I am some sort of prisoner! I only have a bed in here and nothing else!" Ino exclaimed, waving her hands around the room.
A callous smirk came to his lips and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I am only here to supervise you, I care not for the likes of your comfort." He glanced away from her, maybe a sense of guilt coming to persuade him to be a bit softer on her. "I shall see you in the morning. Goodnight, Ino."
He closed the door as he turned to leave and she stomped her foot on the ground. "Goodnight my ass," she snarled out underneath her breath. She turned to stare at the vacant room before her, a frown still placed on her lips. Inhaling slightly, she took in the scent of the fresh pine wood that filled this room. She felt her eyes flutter close as a memory filled her thoughts.
The smell of smoke was nothing new to her, she knew it better than she liked to admit. This smell was familiar and comforting but she knew that this plume was different than what she normally associated it with. Staring out onto the battlefield, exhausted eyes watched warily at the combat that ensued. Would it ever end? She often thought of that question along with others, such as, how long had they been fighting? She couldn't recall when she first took a step on this wasteland of a place. She couldn't recall how many comrades had fallen beside her. She couldn't recall when the blood on her flak jacket was no longer hers but a mixture of the enemies and comrades. She couldn't recall the last time her body felt so numb from physical exertion that she wondered if she was truly still in her body. Maybe she was but her mind was drifting to different places, she blamed her fatigue.
No longer on the front lines, she used her abilities to find those who could still be saved and taken to a more secure location. She darted across the field, her Chakra seeping and milling through all of the debris and motionless bodies, searching for those who could be salvaged. Biting the inside of her cheek as she landed beside a wounded Shinobi, she prayed that things would come to an end soon. She had been on many missions where the scenes of battle had etched themselves into her closed eyelids and haunted her dreams. Faces haunted her and voices whispered to her and she knew that she would never be the same; the mission after she killed her first target. A warm green encased her hands as she only did a minimal amount of healing because time was of the essence here and she couldn't afford to empty all of her reserves into one person; no matter how much she wished she could. The threat of being attacked was far too great to risk becoming immobile while healing.
Sending out the coordinates of the fallen Shinobi, via telepathic communication, she moved on towards her next target. The ground rumbled and groaned as the battle continued on at a greater distance than she. She knew that she would have to join in once more, but not until she reached her quota of Shinobi to rescue and recover. Call her weak and she may agree for this was a time that she truly enjoyed, not being on the front lines. She knew that she could only do so much and she needed the assistance of her team in order to accomplish great attacks. Chewing on her lower lip, she knew that she was far from useless but she knew that she was not as needed as the others on the front lines. Did she feel some sort of jealousy? Perhaps she did but that never caused her to stray from the path that she had chosen in life. Being a Shinobi was her calling, it had been since a very young age. Her father would often blame his innate desires for thrill and adventure that had been passed on to her, for her mother had been a civilian. He would also blame the fact that he possessed a Bloodline Limit, that had also been passed along to her as she was sole Heir to their Clan. Not that she minded because she couldn't see living her life any other way, the experience and knowledge that she had gained over these last few years were irreplaceable.
A strange feeling came to her chest as she thought of her father, Inoichi. It felt like it had been years ago, but it had only been maybe an hour, that he had sacrificed himself for the sake of their future. She knew the feeling that was within her but she knew that this was no place or time to mourn over her loss. She would have time after this War was over, to properly grieve with her teammate, Shikamaru, as Shikaku had sacrificed himself as well. It had been so sudden and unexpected, she knew that many Shinobi would fall here today but of course, she hadn't expected it to be her father. Not even long after overcoming the grief she had felt, did Neji sacrifice himself to protect Hinata. It was all...too much. Of course, she hadn't necessarily been close to the Hyuuga prodigy, however, she felt a connection with him. They had all grown up under the title 'Konoha Eleven'; where they worked with one another from time to time and had a mutual respect within their group. She knew that it wouldn't affect her as much but the hollow feeling that went through her was undeniable.
It was all too much to take in, the loss of her father and a comrade. She knew that all Shinobi fell, whether it be from natural causes or casualties on the field, surely, she knew that she had been prepared for the casualties. Just like with Asuma, his death had affected her in more ways than one. She had grown distant with her teammates, realizing that she needed to increase her training in order to protect those she cared for. His death had caused her to become more determined with becoming a better Shinobi. It also had caused her to branch out in other areas of training, which suited her better. However, all good things come to an end, as his death had caused her to wonder if she was suited for this lifestyle. He had been a beacon of light to her, despite his ways, he had seen her for what she could become. Without that kind of tutelage, she had fallen into a dark abyss of depression. She saw others moving further away from her, moving forward in life. She had felt like she was stuck but she continued to move forward, searching for what she felt was her calling. Even now, she was still searching for a place that she felt right in.
A sudden feeling caused her attention to stray from the solemn thoughts that filled her mind. She had moved closer to the frontlines, knowing that her Team would need her soon to perform their Techniques together. She paused her movements, coming to a sudden halt, her head turning to the side, only to find a pair of eyes that were directed towards her. Once more, she found him staring at her, for across this broken plain of land, she knew that he was looking at her once more. Why? That was the only thing that she could think of. Why would he gaze at her in such a manner. The intensity of such a gaze was unnerving. She had no logical explanation for this occurrence, after all, this was the first time that they had ever met. And yet, the distance between them felt...strained. The look in his eyes was pained. The way his body tensed suggested that he wished to speak to her. But now was not the time nor was it the place. The way those eyes followed her, caused her to shiver. Uncomfortable. That was how she felt, within his line of sight. Yet, all she could do was look back, curious. Still, this was not the time nor was it the place. To ask questions. To feed that curiosity that was welling within her chest.
He looked away, as his brother came to usher him to a different location. She felt a rush of air leave her lungs, holding her breath while they had been gazing at one another. She, too, was pulled away by the insistence of her teammates. Still, the feeling of his eyes on her was felt. It continued to linger.
Even after all of these years, however, now that she had finally met him, his eyes differed from that point in time. Distrust. Hostility. That was all that she could see within those eyes of his. She wondered how she had garnered such attention from him. She was a smart woman, she was sure that she would figure it out. However, that was not her utmost priority, she needed to figure out a way home.
The night had been a sleepless event, Ino had laid on her futon for the remainder of the evening, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out how to return home. Of course, her efforts had been anything but futile, though the need for sleep had overpowered her. She found herself going in and out of consciousness, the ghosts of her past haunting her. It had been so long since she had last thought of the War. It seemed that the past had a funny way of sneaking up on her. Tired eyes continued to gaze at the ceiling, deeming it better to stare than to revisit that time period in her life. Rubbing a hand over her face, she could feel the house stirring hours ago and all she could do was wait until her guardian came to fetch her.
It felt like an eternity until there was a subtle Chakra flare before her door and she pushed herself off of the futon, sitting up as the door opened. "Did I not say that you should knock when entering a lady's room," Ino hissed out venomously.
"What lady are you speaking of?" Tobirama called out, raising a brow. "I only see a small child."
A snort left Ino, knowing it was best not to give into his insults given how exhausted she felt. "So you are here to retrieve me. How kind of you, Master," she grumbled out, slowly bringing herself to a standing position.
He bit the inside of his cheek at her remark. "I do not have time to deal with your childish antics. I have a busy schedule today therefore we will need to eat and leave. Immediately."
Ino rolled her eyes, wondering how busy one man could be in a founding Village, but she chose not to entertain the thought for too long. "Of course, I am merely a burden for you," Ino muttered once more as she headed to leave the room. She was not granted access to leave, as he blocked the door. She lifted her eyes to him, an irritated expression on her face. "What? Did you not say that you were busy? Let us leave."
Tobirama leaned closer to her, those eyes staring at her in an intense manner. She shied away slightly, disliking how easily he invaded her personal space. "I do hope that you will refine your mannerisms before my Clansmen. Despite you being under my supervision, I do expect you to be...refined, if that is possible for the likes of a woman of your..." He paused giving her a once over. "Temperament."
Ino's mouth fell open at the insult that was thrown at her, she glanced down at her appearance, unable to recover from his words. A snarl formed at her lips, her eyes narrowing at him. "I will have you know that I shall be the most resplendent woman to have within anyone's company." She huffed slightly, pushing past him to leave that stuffy room of hers. She stood waiting for him to lead the way, her arms crossed over her chest. She glanced over at him, who scoffed slightly and turned to walk down the hallway. Begrudgingly, Ino followed after him.
How dare he judge her in such a manner! Never did she expect to be treated in such a way. Had they not clarified that she was in fact an ally to the Village? How was it that he was still so hostile towards her? What had caused him to be this way? Now, Ino has read many things about Senju Tobirama. He was the creator of many Techniques, one that was a staple in the Shinobi way of life. From what she knew, he was a brilliant man, calculative on the field and within politics. Her family had studied his ways for years, as he was the most adept Sensor during his time. His range was extremely impressive, there was rumor that he could sense a person country's away. Oh how Inoichi would gush over such things, pushing not only her but himself as well, to come close to such capabilities. Not only had the Yamanaka Clan studied his prowess in the areas of Sensory but also his speed. If they could learn to be as agile as Tobirama, then their Family Techniques would land faster. They could lock onto target easier and they could capture and extract information better. In reality, she knew many things about Tobirama, things that he had yet to discover for himself. Still, the History Scrolls had never mentioned that he was such an obnoxious asshole.
The smell of food slowly filled her nostrils with its heavenly aroma. She could already feel her mouth begin to salivate. She placed a hand on her stomach, feeling it rumble angrily. Biting her lower lip with mild anticipation for a meal, she wondered if she would be introduced with any of the other Senju Clan Members. It caused her to feel slightly, anxious in that sense. She would be facing some of the members of the strongest Clans. How could she possibly compare? She was just Yamanaka Ino, there was nothing truly amazing about her. Much to her relief, as Tobirama opened the door and walked into the Dining Hall, it was only Hashirama that she was faced to deal with. It would certainly be better than being in the company of someone who didn't trust her.
"Ah, Tobirama. Ino." Hashirama greeted them with a gentle smile. He motioned for Ino to come towards him, patting the empty cushion beside him. He beamed at her when she hesitantly walked over and took a seat, feeling slightly unsure if it was proper to be sitting so close to the Hokage. She glanced over at Tobirama, who disregarded them by taking interest to the food that was placed before them.
"Tell me, Ino, was everything suitable to your tastes? Did you sleep well?" Hashirama inquired, a look of concern upon his face.
Ino almost wanted to laugh, seeing how he must not have known of Tobirama's ways. If she was a spiteful person, she would have called the younger Senju out on his poor treatment of her; however, she was not, at least not this time and she smiled gently. "I assure you that my room was very pleasant. Though it was difficult to sleep, due to my own personal faults, Lord Hashirama."
Hashirama nodded his head in understanding before he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Come now, are we not amongst friends and allies? There is no need to be so formal with one another."
Ino could hear Tobirama let out a disgruntled noise and she threw a small glare at him. Looking back at Hashirama, she nodded. "I will be sure to keep that in mind, but I ask that you be patient with me. It will feel odd to not use formalities."
A boom of laughter left Hashirama, as he claimed that she must have been an outstanding Shinobi. She grimaced at the notion, knowing that he was wrong. In her time, there were those who had accomplished far greater than she could have ever imagined. She was simply someone in the background, following the rules and regulations that came with the way of Shinobi. She was nothing special and that left a bitter taste in her mouth. She jumped as another hand touched her shoulder and she glanced over at Hashirama, a small frown on his face.
"Are you sure you are feeling well, Ino?" Hashirama asked, concern clear in his tone.
"I assure you that I am well, Lo-...Hashirama. I apologize, I was daydreaming." She lied with a sheepish grin, before she began to eat the food that was before her.
There was a reason why Sakura would call her 'Ino-pig,' despite her name literally meaning boar. The nickname had come up a long time ago, early in their friendship when it was just Ino who had a nickname for Sakura. They had been playing in the flower fields all day, coming up with different ways to surprise attack one another and simply bonding. They had arrived at Sakura's house, just before the sun had set and Mebuki had prepared a nice dinner for them to enjoy. Ino had spent so much energy that she managed to have three helpings of dinner and that was when Sakura had made the snide comment of her being gluttonous like the animal that inhabited the mountains. Of course, Mebuki had scolded her daughter, as well as Ino becoming angry in embarrassment. However, Kizashi intervened, saying it was only natural for growing children to eat a lot, due to all the activities that they did. It could have been Sakura's remarks that made Ino feel the need to diet, for her appetite had always been large.
In the later years of her growing stages, her teammates and teacher would complain that she wasn't eating enough. Due to the amount of energy her Family Techniques took from her, she needed to replenish herself more. Thanks to the insecurities that had been formed when she was younger, she found it difficult to fully indulge in the meals that she was treated to. It was just a subconscious habit that she had, one that she had been trying to overcome for some time. In this point and time, however, Ino immediately found herself devouring the food before her with unbridled enthusiasm. This was her first meal in days, everything tasted wonderful on her palette. She couldn't remember the last time she had a home cooked meal, due to the fact that it was mainly her and her late father living in the Yamanaka Household. Ino hadn't realized that she was being stared at until she placed down her bowl of soup, letting out a sound of satisfaction. Glancing to her left, she caught Hashirama watching her with mild amusement. Looking across the table, Tobirama was regarding her with an unreadable expression. She felt her face begin to heat up in embarrassment, realizing that was the least proper way of dining.
"I...apologize, I was hungrier than I expected," Ino muttered, placing her hands in her lap.
"Nonsense! I have never seen a woman eat so ferociously! It was quite amazing," Hashirama exclaimed with a smile and Ino winced slightly, knowing that Hashirama was trying to make her feel better, but the words he chose were not necessarily complimenting.
She blinked in surprise as a bowl was slid towards her from across the table. Her eyes met with Tobirama's stoic gaze and she raised a brow in question. He rolled his eyes slightly, before going back to eat his food. "I shall not have you fall due to famine under my watch." She took the bowl in her hand, a small smile touching her lips. Maybe her initial impression of him was wrong, it seemed that he was actually a nice person after all. "However, if you continue to live up to your given name, we will be in need of more resources, do you not agree, Hashirama?"
She took back what she had just previously thought as her face slowly turned red, as Hashirama began to laugh. Tobirama was a giant ass.
AN: These chapters will be long, because I have a lot of things to cover and I get carried away with details and what not. Also sorry if this chapter didn't have too much going on. It's all a part of a bigger plan. I hope that you all will find that things will continue to get interesting and hope they will hold your interest. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Look forward to the next update! Until next time - tinyraver