Possible
Possible
Chapter Nine: White Chakra
Author's Note: No, he doesn't get engaged. Haha, but that'd be a swell idea! I'll consider that for another story, shall I? The 'priest lady' is Shion, a character from the Naruto Shippuuden movie. I've taken a liking to her, and paired her up with Naruto (watch the ending of the Shippuuden movie to find out why). HA! But I won't make it into some bestseller or something showing their romance over the years. That'd be longwinded. So I won't. It's for you guys to imagine the rest. Thanks for the wonderful reviews! This chapter was inspired by reading Twilight halfway, and hell, enjoy it!
Ino didn't know how long she had been awake, but all she remembered was that she had been thinking about Takahashi Ichiro ever since she returned to her room. She looked up at the ceiling, somehow expecting him to appear again, so that she would see him, as much as she could, knowing that he was to leave for his village soon. She had remembered how silent their mission was to the Rain Village, but as the days passed, her feelings soon started to bug her greatly. At first, she didn't want to fall for a guy like Ichiro. He was far too serious and emotionless for her, she assumed. Then she saw the other side of Ichiro. Then, when they had gone to the old Kage building, a part of Ino wanted to hold onto Ichiro as tightly as she could, and yet, another part wanted him to know that she could protect herself. Ino found herself falling unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him at the last minute, when the fight ensued. Then, she got knocked out. When she came to, she had found herself leaning against a wall, and had noticed that everything around her was a mess. She got up, and went to find Ichiro. As soon as she had found him fighting the Akatsuki members, she recalled jumping in front of him, taking a sharp blow to her stomach, and the last thing that she had seen was his eyes, filled with fury and regret at the same time. That was when she realized that she had fallen for him completely.
All she could think about was Ichiro. Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro. Why couldn't she just go to sleep and dream about him? Then again, Ino wanted to stay awake and save every second he had in this village. Ino knew that he had to leave the village, and had reluctantly accepted the fact that even if she begged him, he would have no choice but to return to where he rightfully belonged. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and she breathed in and out hard to prevent herself from breaking down in her own room.
This is so selfish of me, she thought crudely, why can't I just let him go on his own? Why do I have to want to interfere in his every affair? I really want him to stay, but even he acknowledges the fact that he can't! Why did I even meet him in the first place? Why did he even come here? Even after all that thinking, Ino knew that she was really trying to make an excuse for falling for Ichiro. A part of her knew that perhaps, he had fallen as deeply in love as she had, and maybe, just maybe, he also wanted to stay. But her hope was washed away when she realized that his loyalties had lay where he had come from, and she could understand that fully. She just didn't want it that way. Ino found herself crying silently in the middle of the night, clutching at her blanket as if it was Takahashi Ichiro himself.
Soon, Ino drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
The next morning, she awoke, yawning frequently on her way to the bathroom. She hadn't slept much last night, she recalled. She even had a strange dream about Ichiro that he had told her the reason why he was leaving. He had said, "I'm leaving because it's too dangerous for us to be together. I know you wouldn't understand, but… if I told you I was someone dangerous, like a Jinchuuriki… well, I think it'd be best for me to get away for a while." Ino felt that it was quite foolish to have even dreamt of him saying something as stupid as that. How could he have been a Jinchuuriki? She certainly hadn't heard of a Jinchuuriki that wasn't caught by the Akatsuki other than Naruto, so she brushed the thought away. Sometimes, Ino realized that Ichiro had intimidated her quite a lot of times, with his intense glares from time to time, but gradually, she noticed that his glares had softened by the days. It's not like I'll see it any longer after he leaves, she thought sadly.
She decided to head down to meet Shikamaru and Chouji, in order to take her mind off the dilemma that both she and Ichiro were probably facing together. Together, she thought again, are we even considered together now? Another voice popped into her head that sounded real enough for her to know that it was her inner-self talking to her. What do you think? He kissed you last night!
Oh shut up. That didn't mean anything. In reality, Ino knew it meant so many things at once. It could have been a goodbye kiss, she assumed to herself. A goodbye kiss for her to know that it wasn't possible between Ichiro and her. Yes, that was it. A goodbye kiss, one that was so passionate and heartbreaking at the same time. She didn't want a goodbye, though. Sighing, Ino turned a corner within a fraction of a second; she had walked a bit too fast and crashed into the very guy that her heart had so sadly desired. Ichiro smiled at her and said, "I was just about to come over to your house." Ino couldn't help but to blush, and smile timidly at that. "Why?" she asked, her voice showing obvious curiosity and a hint of eagerness at the same time. "I wanted to take you out for… just a walk. Are you free?" Ichiro's smile faded slightly when hers did completely, and muttered, "Oh. You have something on?" Ino shook her head and beamed at him, surprising Ichiro. "No, I'm totally free. It's ten in the morning, why wouldn't I be free?" She winked at him and took his hand gently. "Where to?" she asked.
"I was thinking just outside Konoha. You know… a quiet place."
"Oh, alright then," said Ino, feeling excited and elated at the same time that he was here with her again. In the past, she would have considered every other walk, meal or outing with a guy to be a date. To be in front of Ichiro now, and so happy that he had asked her out for a walk, left her clueless on whether he had considered this a proper date or not. Ichiro seemed to have read her mind, and said, "I think this is what I call a quiet date." Ino felt his grip tighten on her hand, but it wasn't too tight, and it didn't hurt. He was especially gentle with her as they strolled out the entrance gate of Konoha. "So, Ino," he said, looking strangely amused today, "How do you like this?" She knew he meant the moment right now, as they were walking through the forests. "It's great. I haven't had a date like this at all," she replied, slightly worried that she had mentioned 'date' too casually. "Me too, and in fact, I haven't had a date at all, until I met you, that is." Ino turned a darker shade of scarlet red and let out a tiny chuckle. She felt honored to be his first, well, if it was safe to say, date, or… whatever it his that he used to describe his girlfriend.
"Oh. Sounds odd," she mumbled. Ichiro seemed to have caught that and asked, "Why?"
"Well," she replied, narrowing her eyes slightly with suspicion, "I assumed you had many girlfriends before, given your looks." Ichiro laughed and shook his head. "In my village, all the girls go for guys that drive them on edge, if you know what I mean," he said, winking at her. Ino smiled. "I suppose you don't assume you drive me on edge?"
He raised his eyebrows. "Do I?"
"Frequently," she said, in a teasing tone. Ichiro smirked. Then, Ino added, "Do I drive you on edge?" Ichiro pursed his lips for a while before looking at her again, replying, "Yes," with a grin on his face.
Deidara sat on his chair, wincing with pain as Konan tended to his wounds. "I hate that Jinchuuriki. Never seen an ass like him, other than Naruto, of course," he hissed, looking at Konan. She looked up at him and tilted her head to the side, as if she didn't understand him. "Jinchuuriki? I thought the remaining one was Naruto?" she said, her eyes narrowing. Deidara shook his head. "Apparently, there's another one we didn't notice until now. And there, the most peculiar thing happened. The Jinchuuriki had—"
Kisame groaned, when Pein stepped in to interrupt them. "—white chakra," he finished; looking at Deidara's shocked expression on his face. "He had white chakra, didn't he?" asked Pein curiously. Deidara and Kisame both turned to look at their leader. The blonde piped, "Hey, how did you know? You weren't there when it happened, were you?" The auburn-haired man nodded with an unreadable expression on his face. "I spent some time researching on the Bijuu with white chakra, and found out that, well, it was a Bijuu far older than the Kyuubi itself."
"Something more powerful than the Kyuubi?" asked Konan, as if trying to clarify her doubts about such a Bijuu. Pein nodded again. "It has been out of our knowledge for centuries, and it is said that the Ookami existed when the first shinobi appeared on the earth." Deidara seemed skeptical at that, but Kisame was smirking at the thought of such a powerful Bijuu under the Akatsuki's belt. Konan, however, seemed cautious, as she predicted that Pein was already forming a plan to snatch the Ookami from the boy that had fought Deidara and Kisame. "Be extremely careful," she warned, her stare piercing Pein. "It already broke Deidara's left leg and arm."
"I can handle more than just broken bones, Konan," retorted Pein, scratching his chin lightly. "And I believe I can conquer this Jinchuuriki. It all takes time."
"I hope you're right, then," said Konan. Something in her voice told Pein that she was still wary of the Bijuu and its container. She knew that the Jinchuuriki was far stronger than Uzumaki Naruto, and it was a cold, hard fact. They had spent the next few hours pondering over how the Ookami had gotten sealed into the boy in the first place. Deidara, however, seemed bored to the bone. Konan seemed to be slightly worried that Pein was obsessing over the Jinchuuriki, like he had over Naruto, but made no point that he should stop right now. "If there was only a weakness… something that could…"
"Lure him?" added Kisame, slightly hopeful that he'd get another chance at revenge. Pein smiled devilishly as he said, "Yes… to lure the Jinchuuriki out into the open, and then we'll catch him, and his Bijuu. But first, we need to observe, like we always have, for Naruto-kun…"
"What do you suggest we do, in the meantime, while you send people to watch the boy?" asked Konan, folding her paper cranes again. Pein thought about it for a while, before replying, "I suggest… you prepare."
"Of course," said Konan. Deidara merely grimaced at the thought of attempting to nab such a dangerous Jinchuuriki. He would be out of action for at least a few months, no thanks to that guy. He remembered hearing the blonde girl calling him Ichiro, so that was probably the asshole's name. "Ichiro…" he murmured, his lips curving upward into a dark smile. "I'll remember you. And I'll get you."
For the next few days, Ino realized Ichiro's absence. He hadn't been seen for a while, and she was beginning to think that he had left without a proper goodbye, or probably, he had assumed that the last kiss he gave her was good enough. The last kiss he gave her was still the same one, after dinner a week ago. She hadn't dared to kiss him at all, fearing that he might push her away, outraged that she did not get the gesture that he had intended to make her understand. Ino had been on an emotional rollercoaster every single night, and sometimes, she had even gotten angry at Ichiro for not being as sensitive to her feelings as she thought he would be. Even though he had treated her so well, the fact that he didn't seem to be affected like that night had made Ino irksome.
"Ino." The familiar voice was as soothing to her ears as it could ever get. She turned around to face Takahashi Ichiro, who this time, held a dark expression on his face. He didn't sound too happy, either. Had he gotten angry at her over the days that he was gone? She smiled nervously at him as he sighed and led her over to the bench. He looked messed up, literally. It was as if he had gone on a grueling mission while he was gone, and had returned, completely out of energy. "What happened?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. Ichiro shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"What's wrong, then?"
There was a long period of silence as Ichiro looked – well, it was more like one of his intense glares he hadn't gave her in months – at her. He finally spoke after a few minutes. "I realize I haven't been very sensitive to you all this while," he said, his glare softening to some sort of a remorseful look. There was a hint of grey in his pupil, and Ino began to worry if he had contracted some disease or something. "And I know you don't want me to go."
"No – it's alright," she cut in, reaching for his hand. As she held into his hand, Ichiro looked down at their hands, and sighed. "I don't want to go as well," he continued, making Ino feel hopeful that he had pleaded to Tsunade to let him stay. "But you have to forgive me," he whispered. "I have to go. I'm too…"
Before he had even finished his sentence, Ino knew what he was about to say. "…dangerous?" she tried, trying to sound slightly more curious than certain that he was about to say that. Apparently, Ichiro had suddenly grew suspicious. "How did you know?" he asked.
"I … it was a guess," she replied sheepishly. Ichiro bit his lower lip and looked away from her, as if he was embarrassed about something. "And I haven't been very honest with you, either." Ino looked sad at that point; it was partly true. He seemed as if he had been hiding something from her all this while, but she never bothered to anger him that way. He suddenly took her hand with his free hand and looked at her in the eyes so intensely again that she had blushed again. "I'll tell you. Everything. Now." He had emphasized every word with seriousness, and Ino was beginning to think that he was trying to make good of the time he had left with her in Konoha.
"Okay," she said, smiling. "I'll listen." Her anger had faded immediately.
Chapter nine, done! Do read and review!