Standard Disclaimer: I don't own Glee or Naruto.

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xXx-Chapter 22-xXx

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Ino takes a moment to mentally prepare herself before entering their room. Rin was already inside, having gone to bed a little early but Ino knew she wasn't asleep. Her sister was troubled about something which meant she would lie there quietly for hours until finally drifting off into an uneasy slumber. Her parents knew what was up, that much she was certain of. Dinner had been pretty standard and they had talked about their days and things as usual. Except there was an undercurrent of tension at the table and the fact that Rin, who didn't talk much anyway was quiet about her day, even for her.

For some reason Rin had been obsessed with how Ino's day had went. She wanted every little detail, every little complaint, she wanted to know everything. So Ino had answered, and happily. Counter interrogation 101 you could learn just as much about your interrogator by the questions they ask you as they could about you by your answers. Rin wanted to know about her day and would always change the subject when asked about her own. Simple answer, Rin was worried about her for some reason and something big had happened today.

Her father was also worried as well as angry about something that had to do with Rin and her mother was anxious. Something happened to her sister today and it was time to find out what. Over the years Ino had discovered that the key to talking with Rin about anything personal was to give her space and let her brood on it on her own for a while. Once she had thought on something long enough and had the chance to at least think about it by herself, then her sister would open up. You couldn't prod her or push her though, that was the quickest way to get Rin to clam up, but if you were patient with her and you showed her that you could be trusted and that you weren't going anywhere. That you were willing to wait for her to speak, and do it on her terms, then Rin would open up to you.

Ino steps into the room and quietly closes the door behind her. Rin is in her bed, on her side and facing away from her and she is visibly tense. Ino goes over and sits by her sister and then slowly begins to pet her hair. A calming action that causes Rin to visibly relax. "So you heard all about my exciting day of grocery shopping, now what about you? What happened today?" Ino asks, her voice gentle and calm.

Rin takes a deep breath and shrugs, "Nothing really."

Ino rolls her eyes, grateful that Rin couldn't see. She doesn't say anything in return, she just continues to stroke her sister's hair. Rin had classic symptoms of severe abandonment issues, Ino couldn't for the life of her figure out why, but her sister was terrified of being abandoned. Getting her to speak was a waiting game, showing her that you weren't leaving, but it still surprised Ino that it was taking her sister as long as it was to open up. Ino could usually get her talking in about ten minutes but it was close to the half an hour mark before Rin finally rolled over to face her, finally ready to talk. Whatever was going on was really bothering her.

"I met my sensei today." Rin says quietly.

Ino frowns, she didn't like not knowing who would be training her sister. "Who is it?"

"Yugao Uzuki."

It takes a moment for the name to register but when it does Ino is shocked. "Really, the Yugao Uzuki?" Every girl in the village knew that name, next to Lady Tsunade, Yugao Uzuki was the most famous kunoichi the village had produced. Though Tsunade was the more famous and considered the stronger of the two, Ino actually though Yugao was way cooler, she hadn't abandoned the village. And while there were plenty of strong and competent kunoichi in the village to look up to, none of them had built up the reputation that Yugao had.

Rin sighs, "The very same."

There were about a billion questions that Ino wanted to ask, but she reigned herself in. Getting Rin to open up was more important than any fangirl things she wanted to talk about. "So what happened?"

"She attacked me."

Ino saw red, "I'll kill her." She snarls quietly. Idol or not, nobody messed with her sister.

Rin lets out a tiny chuckle, "No, it's fine, it was a test. She wanted to see how strong I was… I guess I impressed her."

Ino allows herself to calm down a bit. "Of course you impressed her Rin, you're really strong."

Rin shakes her head, "No… I made a complete ass of myself. Why she was impressed I have no idea, I basically did the exact opposite of what a good ninja should do."

"Why would you think that?" Ino asks curiously.

Rin gives her a rueful look, "Promise you won't get mad?"

"What- I… no, I won't promise that, what did you do?" Ino says with a scowl.

Rin sighs, giving her a guilty look that managed to tug at Ino's heart. It was a fine bit of manipulation and Ino would have laughed at how obvious it was if she didn't already know that she really wasn't going to like what she was about to hear. And she was correct in that assessment as Rin relays how she had sensed that she was being followed and instead of doing the sensible thing and going for help, she did the dangerous and reckless thing and engaged the person in an isolated area.

Ino takes a deep breath after Rin finishes her story. "Alright, I'm going to ignore the fact that you did something so stupid, this time. I'm also going to ignore the fact that if I pulled something like that you would kick my ass. What I'm not going to ignore is why you felt you should do it in the first place. So, why did you do it?"

"I was just so… angry. I just had my meeting with the psychologist and he just… it pissed me off and when an opportunity to blow off some steam presented itself… I took it. It was dumb of me, I know… I'm sorry."

It was one thing to engage an unknown enemy when you had no choice, but to seek one out was reckless and Rin knew better. However she did seem genuinely sorry and so Ino places a kiss to her sister's forehead and forgives her. Besides there was something else about this scenario that was really troubling her. "It's okay, just promise you won't do it again."

Rin nods her head.

"Now, tell me about the meeting with the psychologist. What happened, why were you so angry after you left?"

As Rin tells her about the interview Ino pays close attention, asking for specifics whenever Rin would try to just give a generalization of the interview. It really was quite personal for her sister, but if Rin was willing to share then Ino wanted answers. Rin was a skilled shinobi and she was no slouch in the subtle arts, but it was in combat where she shined. Ino was the opposite. She knew she would likely never be as powerful as her sister, but when it came to mind games and intelligence and counter intelligence there was no one better than her.

And as she listened to her sister recall the interview Ino kept coming back to one troubling conclusion, it was a set up.

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xXx-Scene Break-xXx

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The Third sat at his desk and waited patiently for the final person to arrive at the meeting. Yugao was already there, they were just waiting for one more person, a knock on the door signifying their arrival. "Enter." He calls out.

They bow to him as they enter, before shutting the door behind them. The man then says, "Forgive me. I was finishing things up."

"Were there any issues?" The Third asks.

He shakes his head before taking a seat. "No, everything went fine and no one will be any the wiser."

"I don't like this." Yugao speaks up, she hadn't said a word since her arrival nearly thirty minutes ago. "The girl… she's talented, she could be a real asset to this village. We don't need to do this."

"She's right you know. I conducted the interview as you asked and while I agree that she is clear for active duty, and if her records are accurate-"

"They're accurate." Yugao confirms. Their fight earlier confirmed that for her.

"Right, then she definitely has the skill for it, and she's more than mentally prepared to handle shinobi life. But it is my strong recommendation that she not serve in ANBU. She's not a killer. She has the resolve necessary to protect her family and the village, but to actively kill, to assassinate because she's told to and for no other reason… no, she's not capable of it. It will destroy her." The man speaking had given up his name to serve the village, these days he mostly went by his masks title, Snake. But for this last mission he had been allowed to remove his mask.

His mission had been to interview Rin Yamanaka and clear her for active duty as well as do the psyche evaluation for entry into ANBU. If she failed either evaluation he was to falsify the records. She passed for active duty, but if it weren't for the Hokage ordering it he would not currently allow her into ANBU. Though, in this girl's case, ANBU was just a means to an end, and thus her mental state wasn't as important as her physical.

"I have explained to you both why this is so important. I don't like this anymore than you do, but Rin Yamanaka has a destiny she must fulfill. She is the key to our village's future and she must be as strong as possible and it must happen as quickly as possible. This is the only way." The Third says, his voice laced with guilt. "Do not think for a moment that I do not care for the girl, I do, but I also have responsibilities to this village and all of its people, not just one girl."

"I am not questioning your orders sir, but it is my job to vet people for entry into ANBU and I would be remiss if I did not at least give you my honest opinion." Snake says. Actually, the girl was well suited for every aspect of ANBU except one, she didn't have a killer's mindset. Each death that she delivered would weigh heavily on her, too heavily.

The Third then glances over at Yugao. "And you?"

Yugao sighs, "I will train the girl. I have no problem training her. My issue is with what it's all leading to, it feels wrong, but… I accepted this mission and I'll carry it out. But I want it on record that I am doing this under protest. What's being planned, what she's being raised to do… this isn't us, this isn't what our village is about. We're better than this."

"Is it not better that one should perish than countless others?" Snake asks.

"A ninja may be asked at any time to give up their life in service of the village and its people. That is what is being asked of Rin, though she does not know it yet. And no matter how we may feel personally, do not doubt the necessity of what I am asking you to do. How many lives were lost in the last war? Rin's sacrifice will give us an edge that will prevent that from ever happening again." The Third says quietly.

"That's what was thought about the Jinchūriki, we sacrificed people to create these monsters to deter war and then distributed them to maintain a balance of power, it hasn't worked and neither will this." Yugao says with a scowl. "This is wrong. Let's not sugar coat it with some bullshit about necessity, we're serving her up as a lamb to the slaughter."

"Are you up for this?" Snake asks.

Yugao notes with some amusement that his hand had drifted casually, almost accidentally, to his weapon, as if he actually stood a chance against her. Of course this was an S-Ranked mission, if she tried to back out at this point after agreeing to it and learning all of the details that she had, he was absolutely correct to try and take her out then and there… try being the operative word.

"I said I'd do it and I will. She'll be ready in time." Yugao says, glaring at Snake and with her current foul mood enjoying watching him flinch when he senses her killing intent.

Killing Intent wasn't so much a technique, but more like a ninja removing for a brief moment the human mask they wore and letting the world see the monster within. The name was also a bit of a misnomer, because revealed monster wasn't so much a desire to kill as it was the primal, visceral, ability of the shinobi to go through with it. The mask sometimes dropped naturally during tense and violent situations, but could also be dropped on purpose and was a great tool for mind games and putting weaker shinobi in their place.

"And the preparations, how are they coming along?" the Third asks, drawing his two soldiers' attention back to him and off of each other. Yugao and Snake usually worked quite effectively with each other, but this current mission of Yugao's was really throwing her.

"On schedule." Yugao says.

"Good."

"If that's all, then I'd like to go, I have a busy day tomorrow." Yugao says.

The Third nods, "You are dismissed."

After Yugao leaves the Third looks to Snake, "Keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't waver."

"She won't, but I wouldn't expect her to continue on after this. This may very well be the mission that makes her retire from the shinobi ranks, permanently."

"If all goes according to plan, then it will be an acceptable loss. Please keep an eye on her all the same, on both of them."

"Of course, Lord Hokage. Though the girl was tricky to manipulate, her ability to sense emotions is… difficult to get around."

"Yes, yes it is."

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xXx-Scene Break-xXx

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"Ino, what are you doing up?" Inoichi asks, as his daughter silently enters his study. He was up late going over some documents, but was having a hell of a time concentrating on them. His mind was focused on Rin.

"I needed to talk to you, but I wanted to wait until Rin and mom were asleep."

Inoichi sets his files down and gives his eldest his full attention. "What's on your mind?"

"Rin, her interview with the psychologist, she told me about it and… something seems off. Rin was too close to it to notice but, the questions she said she was asked seemed really... I don't know, inflammatory, like they were trying to get a reaction out of her."

Inoichi sighs, "They probably were."

"Rin is only giving me pieces to go on but she won't give me the whole picture. You know what's wrong with her, please, tell me what's going on?"

"I'm not completely sure." Inoichi admits after a moment. "All I do know for sure right now is that she's being offered a spot in ANBU."

"What!? Are they crazy, she just freaking graduated!" Ino shrieks quietly.

"I know," Inoichi says, motioning for her to calm down. "But it isn't unheard of. It's called being fast tracked. They'll rush her through the chūnin exams and then once she passes she'll be offered a spot. Though I will admit, I find this all troubling."

"What do you mean?"

Inoichi takes a moment to study his eldest, debating on how much he wanted to share or even should share. Then he realized that if Ino felt something was wrong and it involved her sister, she would dig around anyway. It was better to give her as complete a picture as he had than to let her wander around blind. "There are a couple of things about all of this that don't add up for me. One being why all the secrecy around Rin's apprenticeship. Taking on an apprentice right out of the academy is all but unheard of, I mean, you can, but it just isn't done. Also, why did they go through such lengths to keep me uninformed about it?"

"They kept it from you?" Ino inquires.

"Yes, and quite deliberately."

"Why?"

"Because they don't want me digging in to this, at least not while I could do something about it. Before she graduated Rin was my daughter, if I didn't approve of her training or something felt wrong, as a parent, as a clan head, I could interfere. Now that she's graduated, she is a genin, and a genin, no matter how green, is first and foremost a soldier in this village. Which means I can no longer just say no when it comes to her."

"But why are people so interested in Rin in the first place, I mean, yeah I know she's strong but there are plenty of strong people in the village, and for that matter who's behind all of this. Who is so interested in Rin that they'd do all of this?"

Inoichi gives Ino an appraising look, "Before I continue I need you to be aware that what I am sharing with you is classified. You cannot share this information with anyone, my telling you could even be considered treason. So if you want to back out now, this is the time. You can just rest knowing that I am aware of what's going on and I am looking into it as are others that I trust."

"Rin is my sister, if something is wrong, if someone is after her then I'm going to find out who and stop them."

Inoichi nods his head, "Very well, before all of this, my first guess at any threat towards your sister would be from a man known as Shimura Danzo. Arguably the most dangerous person in this village. He subscribes to a much harsher shinobi philosophy than most other leaders in the village, though he does have his supporters. He believes that a shinobi is a tool to be used and discarded when it no longer serves a purpose. That they are only weapons. He has an interest in gathering unique shinobi to his side and turning them into living, emotionless weapons, and he has shown interest in you and especially your sister in the past."

Ino frowns, "Why, what's so special about us, about Rin? Does it have to do with Rin's abilities as a sensor?"

Inoichi lets out a tired sigh and Ino cannot recall a time she has ever seen her father look so beaten down and defeated. "I don't know if I should tell you this… maybe I shouldn't but… dammit… I just…"

Ino goes over to her father and wraps her arms around him. He was troubled, that much was obvious but something deeper was going on here. He was struggling, her father was her hero, he could do anything in her mind, and sometimes she forgot that he was very much a human too. "Daddy, whatever it is, whatever's wrong, you can trust me and I can handle it." She reassures him.

"What I am about to tell you, you can never tell your sister, ever."

Ino is confused and a little scared now, but she nods her head.

"I am serious Ino, your mother is going to be furious that I've told you, but if you want to understand why powerful people have shown such an interest in your sister, and she is your sister please remember that, then you need to know. Your sister doesn't know and she can't. Rin is so strong in so many ways, but in other ways she is so fragile and learning this could destroy her. Do you understand, you cannot tell her what I am about to tell you, ever."

"I understand." Ino's voice shakes.

"The simplest explanation is we don't know where Rin came from. Your uncles and I, your mother, even the Hokage to a certain degree, none of us have been able to determine where Rin came from."

"What do you mean you don't know where she came from?" Ino asks, stepping back and suddenly feeling angry.

"Rin… she wasn't conceived. You spent most of your time in your mother's womb… alone. Then one day, a powerful surge of chakra coursed through your mother. We rushed her to the hospital, scared that this might have been some kind of assassination attempt, and when we got there… she had another baby inside of her. Rin. The Fourth hypothesized and I myself, as well as Shikaku both agree that whatever that chakra source was, it took a strand of your DNA and made a copy of you."

Ino takes another step back from her father, fear and anger and anxiety storming within her, "She's not a copy, she's my sister!" Ino says, partly defiant, as if daring her father to contradict her, but also partly hysterical as she tries to process what she has just heard.

"I know she is."

"She is my sister! She's not a copy, she's my sister, she's my Rin! You… you… you don't get to just sit there and say she isn't! She's Rin, she's my sister!"

Inoichi gets up and wraps his arms around his eldest daughter who hugs him tightly in return, burying her face in his chest. "She is your sister, and she is my daughter. Full stop, end of story, period. Okay?"

Ino nods her head, her body shaking with emotion.

"However," and Inoichi places a kiss to the top of his daughters head when he feels her stiffen as says that, "however, her origins are a mystery and people have wanted to take her, study her and use her because of it."

"I don't understand, why?"

"When she was first discovered, there were those in the village who wanted to abort both of you and study you. And when that wasn't going to happen they wanted to take Rin, and either study her or turn her into a weapon, or maybe both. And while they did have cause to want to-" Inoichi pauses at the glare that Ino gives him.

"Calm down Ino." Inoichi says gently, "I only meant that I could understand the reasoning, not that I agreed with it or would ever let it happen. But understand, in any other hidden village, Rin would have likely either been taken or killed, whether I approved or not. As much as a shinobi's life deals in secrets, mysteries are abhorred and usually don't mean anything good. Rin is that one in a million exception to that rule. And from birth she has had powerful sensor abilities, she knew the kyuubi attack was going to happen before it did, she could sense the beast's chakra, even as a baby, and she tried to warn us in the only way that a baby could. And more recently, with the Uchiha massacre, do you remember the nightmare that she had a few years ago, the one where she wouldn't wake up?"

Ino nods her head, "I remember… I was so scared for her."

"Me too, well as you are aware, Rin can pick up on people's emotions through their chakra. Emotions affect the spiritual balance of chakra and she can detect that, we believe the nightmare happened because she was picking up the emotions of the scared and dying that night. Your own sensor gifts are developing quite nicely and even my own are nothing to scoff at, but Rin was born with an ability that already surpassed my own and it continues to grow. If you remove the human element from it, Rin could be a powerful weapon."

"But Rin she… she hates fighting, she just wants to protect people…"

"You Ino, she wants to protect you. She loves you, you're her sister and so she wants to do her best to protect you."

"I want to protect her too…" Ino says softly.

Inoichi nods his head, "I know, and so does she. And what better way to gain control of someone than to play on that desire, to offer them the chance to protect those they love, no matter the cost."

"So someone wants to turn Rin into a weapon?"

"Possibly, it is certainly one scenario. I think that now that she has lost some of the protection that being in this clan and being my daughter provides her, they are now making their move, whatever it is."

"Who, you said you originally thought that it was this Danzo person, but now you think it's someone else?"

Inoichi nods his head, "I do, I won't say who, but you can probably guess."

"The Hokage." Ino says, her heart racing as her mind jumps to that conclusion.

"He is certainly one possibility, he has taken an interest in Rin, he started training with her and I allowed it because for the most part I do trust him and the chance for her to learn from a shinobi of his caliber was too great an opportunity for her to pass up. And she did improve, leaps and bounds under his tutelage, but looking back I can see now that it put her in a position where he could keep a better eye on her. I don't know for sure if his motives are sinister or not, I want that to be clear, but his actions towards her of late have garnered my suspicion. Especially with how he kept me in the dark about the apprenticeship. However, he has been a powerful ally against the people in this village who just wanted to take Rin so I don't know anything for sure. And now you know as much as I know."

"So what do we do?" Ino asks, after a moment.

"Keep your eyes and ears open, don't go looking for trouble, but if you discover something I want you to tell me immediately. If you can't find me then tell your Uncle Shikaku or Uncle Chouza. You can trust them. The best thing we can do for Rin right now is get the whole picture."

Ino nods her head, her mind on her sister just upstairs. Her sister who was always so worried about her, who just wanted to protect her, who had hidden enemies that Ino could really do nothing about.

"I'm sorry to have burdened you with all of this."

Ino shakes her head, "No, I wanted to know, I needed to know. Now that I do, I can protect her, I can warn her."

"You can't tell her Ino, you can't."

"She deserves to know." Ino says softly.

"Remember how hard learning her origins was for you? Now, imagine how devastating it would be for her."

"She's strong, she could handle it…" But even as Ino says it she isn't so sure. In some ways Rin was an unbreakable mountain, she could endure anything, but in others… she was so sensitive, so hesitant and unsure. Which was protecting her, telling her everything or keeping it a secret? It was at this moment she got the sense of how much of a struggle all of this probably was for her parents.

"Maybe…" Her father says, "But that is a decision for your mother and I to make, not you, the best thing you can do for Rin right now is just be there for her. Let her know how much you love her and keep your eyes open."

Ino nods her head in agreement, afterwards she bids her father goodnight and she heads back upstairs to her room. As she steps into the room and closes the door behind her she sees Rin stir and sit up and stare at her. "Ino, are you okay?"

"Uh-huh…" Ino says quietly, studying her sister. Memories upon memories flooding her mind as she thinks of all the things they've been through together. Rin wasn't a copy, she was her sister, and she would fight anyone who ever said or even thought otherwise.

"You're really upset right now, what's wrong?" Rin asks.

Ino doesn't say anything, she just goes over to her sister and lays down next to her and curling up against her. Rin had all of these things she was dealing with and she still worried about Ino first. Rin wraps her arms around her. "Ino, whatever it is, it's okay, you can talk to me."

Ino nods, "I know… I know I can…" She croaks out, "I love you, you know that right?"

Rin gives her a gentle smile, "Of course I do."

"I mean it." Ino says, "You're my sister no matter what, and I love you okay. No matter what."

"I love you too."

"And we'll always protect each other and look out for each other, right?"

Rin nods her head, "Of course, I'll always protect you." Rin says softly, and there's a resolution in her voice, as if she's confirming something for herself.

"And I'll always protect you. You're my little sister, no matter what." Ino repeats, her voice is soft and yet strangely forceful as she desperately tries to make Rin understand without being able to tell her.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?" Rin asks gently, once more.

Ino shakes her head no, "No… I'll be fine… I just… can I sleep with you tonight?" She needed to be near her sister, to know that right now in this moment, she was here and alive and okay. Safe.

Rin doesn't say anything, instead she pulls back the blankets and Ino crawls under the covers. The two sisters not saying anything, but silently vowing to do whatever it takes to make sure that the other one is safe and protected.