Author's note: I don't own any of the characters. They belong to Masaishi Kishimoto. The original characters belong to me.

Chapter 3: Friends or Foes

On the road to home, in a park

On their way home from the Academy, Nashiko and Ochinko became surprised when Inojin was standing in the middle of the road waiting for them. What was his business?

"Inojin, what on earth are you doing here? Is there something wrong? Nashiko asked politely as possible. The long-haired boy was still giving them his smug look.

"Nothing, I'm only here to have some fun. As well as cracking some bones!" he said sarcastically while cracking his knuckles. Both friends widened by hearing the tone in his voice.

"Nashiko, I think he tends to fight us!" Ochinko whispered to her, causing the pinkette to be shocked.

"Hey! What are you turtledoves whispering about!? I'm here to beat your sorry asses!" Inojin cursed while glaring at them. Ochinko stepped forward, trying to reason with his aggressive classmate.

"Inojin, if you're still upset about the remarks I said earlier, then I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to offend you, your brother or your family. I withdraw it!" Ochinko apologised to him in a very mature way. Nashiko smiled, hoping it would soften Inojin's spot. To their surprises, it didn't

"Shove it, dollface! Not only did you insult me and Shunsuke! You also insulted our mother! Nobody does that and get's away with it! Not even a son of a bisexual moron like yourself!" Inojin insulted Ochinko's father, causing him to glare back at the raven-haired boy with the ponytail. Nashiko became very concerned about this confrontation. She took a few steps forward and eyed her classmate.

"Don't be so mean, Inojin! We are your classmates! Why are you desperate to fight us, anyway?" Nashiko tried to reason with him while being friendly. He merely smirked back at her.

"What I want Nashiko Uzumaki is simple: I challenge both of you numbskulls to a fight!" he barked while preparing his fighting stance. The young girl widened at the mentioning of her full name. Her teal-haired friend became outraged about his aggressiveness.

"Are you completely out of your mind? Senseless fighting like this is strictly forbidden in the Leaf Village!" he said, but their adversary showed no remorse.

"Like hell I care! FIGHT ME, YOU PAIR OF DIMWITS!" he suddenly declared and began performing hand seals. The two friends became extremely cautious. Inojin really meant business. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" he shouted and then blew out a large fireball from his mouth. The fireball came towards Nashiko and Ochinko in full speed. Luckily, they both managed to avoid it by jumping to their sides for safety. Once the fireball was finished they both went back to the spot they had been standing on and observed the inferno he had caused. It was one heck of an attack!

"Man! That fireball nearly toasted us! I can still feel it's affect on my body, even though I wasn't hit!" Nashiko exclaimed while feeling the heat. Ochinko was watching their opponent.

"Damn it! He really means business! That attack he pulled sure took its toll. It's the least I expected from an Uchiha" he remarked while panting. Nashiko became puzzled at the mention of that name.

"Uchiha, I've heard that name before but I don't know what it really is" she said.

"The Uchihas were in the ancient days of the shinobi world among the most powerful ninja clans. Tragically, they were all massacred in the Leaf many years ago. It was during the time our parents were small children. Today, there exists only one Uchiha left or three to be more specific" Ochinko explained making his classmate interested.

"Really, who are they?" she asked while watching Inojin preparing a next attack.

"First it's their father: Sasuke Uchiha. Then comes his twin sons: Shunsuke and…" before he could say the word, Nashiko said it.

"Inojin?" she asked and her classmate nodded. Then they both returned their attentions to Inojin. Once again, he was preparing to attack them. They had to do something.

"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" he shouted and small fireballs were shot at them. The two friends became cautious.

Careful! Those fireballs are controlled by chakra!" Ochinko said while Nashiko thought about something. She got and idea and motioned her friend to follow it.

The fireballs managed to hit their targets, something which satisfied Inojin. However, when he discovered that their bodies were replaced by objects thanks to the Substitution Jutsu, he became enraged.

"Damn it! I hate that technique!" he gritted his teeth. However, he soon noticed that they were coming towards him from each their sides. Both were armed with kunais. Inojin only grinned cockily at their attempt.

"Hah! Nice try, numbskulls! But see if you can catch me!" he taunted them, as he jumped in the air. Both Nashiko and Ochinko became surprised that he just disappeared. They soon noticed their opponent coming towards them from the air. He gave each of them a kick in their faces, thus sending each of them flying towards their distances.

Nashiko stood up on her feet while groaning. She could still feel the pain, but she stood her ground like a big girl would. The pink-haired girl glared at her arrogant classmate. What kind of jerk would attack his classmates? That was the thing she asked herself. She could see Ochinko lying on the ground unconscious. This meant that she was the only one standing against Inojin.

"That's it, Inojin! If you wanna fight, then so be it!" she said confidently and she prepared a special technique she had learned from her own father. Although her mother was against it, Naruto thought that this trick could be very useful. Itachi noticed this and shrugged.

"Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!" she shouted, and many different clones appeared beside her. She then ordered her clones to charge towards Inojin, who was staring at them with interest.

"So it's true then! You know the Multi-Shadow Clone jutsu? Intriguing" he remarked and began charging towards the many clones of Nashiko.

The raven-haired boy remarkably managed to fight the clones in a hand to hand combat. All the different clones disappeared, and Nashiko understood how a guy like him was capable of handling himself when it came to taijustsu. However, Inojin was surprised when she delivered a strong punch in his arrogant face. This sent him flying towards a tree. The pink-haired konuichi stood and watched his beaten opponent with a sassy grin on her face.

"Hah! Nobody underestimates the strength of my mom!" she said confidently while thinking about the incredible strength she had inherited from her mother. However, the fight was not over yet. Inojin got back on his feet and began to cockily laugh at the confused girl. He was now smirking while staring at her.

"The strength of your mom, you say? What a load of bullcrap!" he said sarcastically and laughed cockily at his classmate once again. "Very well, Nashiko. How about I show you something really special I have inherited from my mother?" he asked while grinning. Nashiko became cautious.

The raven-haired boy did a hand seal which was very new to Nashiko's eyes. Ochinko, who had finally managed to gain consciousness, watched the commotion with shock in his eyes.

"It can't be! Don't tell me that Inojin already knows the signature ability of the Yamanaka clan!" he thought while observing Inojin's hand seal. Nashiko stood her ground, preparing to make her next move.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer…." before he could finish the technique, a strong hand suddenly grabbed Inojin's arms, thus cancelling it. He looked up angrily and saw a middle-aged man with a strong figure. His face was covered by two scars. Based on his clothes, he was none othe than Ibiki Morino, a Special Jounin. He was accompanied by two shinobi guards as well as Nashiko's mother: Sakura Haruno. The pink-haired girl widened at her mother's unexpected appearance.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" she asked her. The mature woman with a pink hair which was a little bit longer than Nashiko's approached her daughter.

"Nashiko, are you alright? You didn't suffer any dangerous injuries, right?" Sakura asked with a little bit of concern in her voice. Her daughter merely nodded her head as a yes.

"It's a few scratches, but it's nothing. However, I don't think Ochinko is feeling alright" Nashiko said while pointing her finger towards her teal-haired classmate, who was struggling to get back on his feet. Sakura decided to check on him if he was alright.

Meanwhile, Inojin was still angry at the adults for interrupting the fight.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing? This fight was between me and her, so back off!" he angrily said to the Special Jounin, but Ibiki wouldn't let go of him.

"That's enough fighting for you, son of Sasuke!" the scarred man sternly told him while eyeing the young boy with nothing but dispassion. Inojin gritted his teeth in anger.

"Thank you so much for bringing me here, Ibiki! It looks like this fight could've gotten worse" Sakura stated while healing Ochinko. The old man merely nodded while forcing himself a smile on his face.

"It was nothing, Sakura! Now that this fight's over why don't you take your daughter and this boy home?" Ibiki asked her and Sakura nodded in reply. She gathered up Nashiko and her classmate. Ibiki then turned his strict attention towards the raven-haired boy. "I will take this troublemaker back to the Yamanaka Flower Shop. His mother's not gonna like this" he said sternly while sighing. From the looks of it, Ibiki didn't look forward to speaking to Inojin's mother.

"Very well, see you around, Ibiki!" Sakura said and she walked with her daughter and Ochinko. The old man nodded at her with a smile.

"Shimon, Tonbo! Let's go!" he said to his two associates and they walked Inojin home by holding his shoulders firmly. They were treating him as if he was some prisoner. Inojin himself felt angered by the way he was treated by them, yet these adults were known to be tougher than what he is.

At the Yamanaka Flower Shop

Ino earned her living as a florist, as well as being the head of the Yamanaka clan. Of course, the two things were strong responsibilities in addition to being a mother and a houswife. With her husband almost working in the shadows, Ino often strived to keep the business going. But still, she knew that Sasuke also needed to support their family by any means necessary. Furthermore, her twin sons both helped their mother whenever they could. Ino greatly appreciated their help.

Currently, there were several customers who had visited the flower shop to buy something. Among them were Ino's old teammates: Shikamaru Nara and Chouji Akimichi. While they were conversing with each other on the counter, Shunsuke was helping out her mother by watering the flowers. He liked doing that. In fact, Shunsuke always had an attraction to gardens and plants since he was a baby. He overheard his mother's conversation with her old teammates.

"So how's the shop been since you took over?" Shikamaru asked Ino, finding it good to talk with his longtme teammate.

"Well I have to admit that keeping up the business has been a harsh test for me. And because of Sasuke working out in the fields, we don't see each other so often. Luckily, I have both Inojin and Shunsuke, who have both been very helpful" Ino said while taking a brief glance at Shunsuke.

"Oh, that's good to hear Ino. You're lucky to have helpful twins!" Shikamaru remarked while observing Ino's youngest twin son help in the shop.

"Speaking of which, Chouta has told me a lot about the boys at the Ninja Academy. I've heard that Inojin is somewhat a brainy" Chouji told Ino who merely chuckled at his statement.

"Yes, I know! But Shunsuke has been able to succeed on some tests, so he's not as bad as some people think he is. We all know that he doesn't have his brother's brain, but I still love Shunsuke, no matter what!" she said, making Shunsuke cheeks red. It felt somewhat emberrasing to hear Ino say that, yet Shunsuke appreciated his mother's praise. "However, Iruka-sensei has told me and Sasuke about Inojin's attitude at the Academy and I'm very concerned. Hopefully, he will grow up to be an understanding person" Ino said sweetly while she carried a big pot of flowers in her arms.

The door suddenly opened and in came Ibiki, Shimon and Tonbo with Inojin in front. All the customers turned their attentions towards them.

"Excuse me, Ino. But we have something to return you!" Ibiki said sternly, causing Ino to drop her pot of flower in shock. It was broken because of that.

"INOJIN!" she said hysterically while watching her former commander holding her son.

Shunsuke watched the scene with a worried look on his face. Both Shikamaru and Chouji began whispering to each other.

"I think we hit the wrong turn, Chouji" Shikamaru whispered and his friend nodded in agreement.

Ino stepped forwards towards her son and the others. She grabbed Inojin by his shoulders while reaching down to his level. The long-haired boy didn't look at his mother. He kept staring down towards the floor miserbly.

"Captain Ibiki! What did you accompany Inojin? Has he done something wrong?" Ino asked the tall and commanding shinobi in the middle.

"Yes Ino! Earlier on the way home from school, Itachi was involved in a fight with two of his classmates" he sternly answered, making Ino very shocked.

"Oh my goodness. That's terrible! Who was it!" she asked them concerned.

"He was fighting Ochinko Nakano and Nashiko Uzumaki" Tonbo answered. Ino didn't know who Ochinko was, but she knew that Nashiko was the daughter of her biggest rival.

"Are you sure that Inojin started the fight? It could have been Nashiko. You know how mischievous that little troll can be" Ino asked him, trying to change the subject, but Shimon scoffed at her.

"There is no point in shifting the blame to others, Ino! We saw it with our own eyes! Inojin was the aggressor! In fact, he used dangerous fire style jutsus to attack his classmates. We have pictures if you wanna take a closer look. Do you wanna see them?" he asked Ino in a cold voice. Ino, knowing this wouldn't work, quickly declined.

"Of course not! I fully understand the point. But I'm terribly sorry for this, Captain Ibiki! I don't know how this happened, but I swear that it won't happen again!" Ino said strictly while eyeing Inojin with a disappointed look on her face. He still didn't face her, eye to eye.

"I hope so, Ino! Because if your son keeps acting like this, he could be suspended from the Academy, regardless of his fantastic results on the tests! Promise me and the others that you will keep a tighter leash on him. You don't want him to end up like his father, would you?" Ibiki strictly reminded Ino, making Inojin glaring at them with resentment. Ino could also see her son angrily gritting his teeth in anger, given that Sasuke had been brought up in the conversation. But she answered Ibiki's question.

"No sir! There's no way I would ever allow my sons to end up like him. But that's all in the past now. Sasuke is a good husband and father" she said with her touching voice. Inojin could notice her mother feeling uncomfortable after saying this. Ibiki sighed and smiled.

"Very well, then we will leave the rest to you, Ino! Take care of your sons!" he said with a much kinder voice. He and his associates then walked out of the shop and closed the door. The customers who had been watching the whole thing, returned to their businesses as usual. Ino was still feeling uncomfortable, but Inojin tried to comfort her.

"Mom….are you..." he asked lowly. Ino suddenly took her son's hand and then walked to their living room in the building.

"Don't worry, mom! I will take care of the customers!" Shunsuke said, and he went to the counter.

In the living room

Inojin and his mother sat together on a sofa in order for them to converse with each other in private. Ino had felt completely embarrassed when every customer heard what was said in the shop. Inojin felt very sorry for her.

"I'm so sorry, mom! I didn't mean for things to go so bad" Inojin tried to apologize with a sad voice.

"Honey, why can't you behave yourself towards others? What you did to Nashiko and Ochinko was very rude!" she explained to him.

"I'm sorry, but that queer Ochinko spoke ill of you! He said you were a whore!" Inojin tried to lie in order to justify his actions.

"Inojin, I have told you plenty of times not to come up with such homophobic remarks! It's completley unacceptable! And don't you dare come up with lies to sugercoat your actions!" Ino firmly told him, yet she wanted to know something else. "But still, why did you attack Nashiko?" she asked him and wanted an answer. Inojin bit his lips

"She was annoying me and wouldn't leave me alone! Furthermore, it was because of that stupid prank of hers that I and Shunsuke got stuck at the Academy longer today" he angrily muttered, causing Ino to laugh at her son, who in turn was confused.

"But my little num-numbs! She was definitely trying to be your friend. You should be happy about this! You don't speak to anyone else besides your brother" she explained. Inojin sighed in annoyance.

"Okay, so maybe I overreacted a bit when dealing with her. But Ochinko was still acting like an asshole! You think I would just accept him badmouthing you?" Inojin asked her, but he noticed a sad look on his mother's face. "Mom….are you…." Inojin was suddenly hugged deeply by her mother. This hug made the usually cold-headed Inojin cry. Tears were streaming from his eyes. "Mother….I'm…..I'm sorry" he said sadly while hugging back Ino. The hug finished and Ino decided to head down to the shop.

"I have to return down to the counter. Shunsuke could need my assistance. You can just go to your room and rest. It must have been a hard day for you. And by the way Inojin, dad is coming to visit. He has just returned from the fields. It's Friday, you know and we will enjoy ourselves!" she smiled while saying this. But Inojin gritted angrily.

"If you see him then tell that bastard I'm out of town!" he declared and he went up to his room. Ino merely sighed at his behaviour.

"That boy, he's just like what his father was at his age" she thought annoyingly while observing her cranky son going to his room. Yes, Ino had to admit that Inojin shared some simalarities with Sasuke at his age. But still, they were living in competley different mindsets. Unlike his father, Inojin still had a family he could go to. But something else made the relations between Inojin and Sasuke strained.

To be continued…..

Author's note: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was indeed long, but touching. There will be more soon!