Possible

Possible

Chapter Ten: A Swim

Author's Note: I can finish this, yes I can!

"Ino, I'm… a Jinchuuriki," said Ichiro, with a tense look on his face. The blonde stared at Ichiro for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "What has that got to do with anything?" she said, sounding slightly sad. She didn't want him to use this as an excuse just to go back without hurting her. He took her hand and squeezed it. His expression fell to sadness as he said, "I can't stay here. I'm too dangerous." Ino felt her throat tighten as she tried to hold back her tears. "I don't care. So what if you are? I still love you!" she said. Ichiro shook his head and glared at her intensely. She had asked for this, he thought. "Ino, I'm going to kill you one day before the both of us know it! I can't stay here!" He stood up and turned around. Ino was shocked at his sudden anger. She wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, "I can handle it. I don't mind." He sighed. "You don't understand," growled Ichiro. He sounded as hopeless as he looked. "The Akatsuki are after me now. They know what I am."

Ino fought back her tears. She didn't want to let him go now, not when she knew there could be something more. "Please," she whispered. Ichiro pried away her arms and turned around, his glare still on his face. He seemed intent on leaving. "Don't go. Not when I'm so in love," she said her voice shaky. Ichiro gritted his teeth. As much as he didn't want to go, he had to. The Akatsuki would perhaps even appear right now… He closed his eyes. He wanted to stay a little bit longer. If the Akatsuki had come, it would be because of him. If they came… he would give himself up.

"At least, a while longer," she said, slightly exasperated. He looked at her silently with his dark eyes. "Please?" Her voice just made him melt on the inside. If there was a last thing he'd do for her, well, this was probably it. Ichiro's lips twitched into a crooked smile. "Alright," he said. "Only a while longer." Ino smiled too, and it seemed that her sadness had disappeared almost immediately. They sat there for a long while, only concentrating on each other. Ichiro didn't realize he would, one day, be sitting here, in front of the love of his life. It was quite overwhelming for him. Ino, however, was calm. She had finally got it right. After all those years of dating idiots and assholes had paid off, she thought with a smile.

Right now, Takahashi Ichiro was all that mattered to her. She didn't know what to do. She had so little time left with him. Maybe if she had spent more time with him, he wouldn't go after all, she guessed. Ichiro seemed to be trying to read her thoughts through her face, but all he could see was a beautiful smile on that beautiful face. "What are you thinking about?" asked Ino, slightly curious to know what was behind that rough, handsome face.

He shrugged, as if he was trying to tease her. "Come on," she said, "we only have so much time left on our hands." Ichiro smiled. "True," he said. He leaned forward and could almost hear Ino's heartbeat intensify as he brushed his lips across her cheeks, down to her neck and her shoulder. She smelled so sweet, so wonderfully perfect. He could feel her trembling slightly, and he smirked at that. Ino seemed to notice her heartbeat increasing in speed as Ichiro had leaned forward towards her. He felt so wonderful, even as his lips trailed down to her shoulder. "Ichiro," she whispered, as he straightened himself and touched her face with his hand. "Yes?" he whispered back. Without waiting for an answer, Ichiro leaned forward again to press his lips delicately against Ino's. She felt blood rushing to her face as she turned extremely red, something that never happened when all the other boys had kissed her before.

It felt just as good as the first kiss they had, and Ichiro soon felt weak in her presence. He felt her break away, almost too reluctantly as he opened his eyes. "You are my entire life," she said, her blue eyes piercing into his. "And so you are," he replied, smiling weakly. He felt like he could just faint with her here. She was so intoxicating, so perfect. "You don't know how much I love you." Ichiro shrugged again. "Yeah, I wouldn't," he teased. Ino smacked him playfully on the shoulder and laughed. "I'm sorry for the emotional rollercoaster I put you on," he said, his tone softening slightly. Ino shook her head. "It was worth it. Besides, you're the one being on it now," she said with a warm smile.

"Right," he said.

"So when are you going to tell the others?"

"About what?" he asked.

"You being a Jinchuuriki, of course," she answered, startled that he didn't even think about telling the others.

Ichiro frowned. "Why should I tell them?" Ino merely sighed. "Because, silly," she said, "They're your friends."

He scratched his head. "Oh," said Ichiro. "I don't know. I don't think telling them would be of much use."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Come on, it'll help a lot. They'll be more aware of it. Naruto's a Jinchuuriki too."

"I know, I know," he said, sounding a little frustrated. "But the only thing I want them to worry about last is me."

Ino leaned against him and sighed loudly. Sometimes he was just too caring towards others than she could give him credit for. "Look, we're all friends for a reason, Ichiro. And I'm more than a friend, so how much do you think I'd care?"

Ichiro laughed. "A whole lot, sweetheart," he replied. Ino closed her eyes and felt him kiss her forehead tenderly. "Okay, I'll listen," he admitted. "I'll tell them when the time comes." Ino glared up at him. "You'd better." There was a long silence after that, and Ino figured that they would probably speak again after an hour or so.

"You know what?" said Ichiro suddenly.

"What?"

"I never wanted anything the way that I want you now." Oh my God, he did not just say that!

Damn, where did that come from? Ichiro was slightly embarrassed. "T-Thanks."

"Anytime," he said, scratching his head. "So, let's go for a walk for something. I don't want my ass to ache." Ino laughed; he still had his sense of humor, even though it was very faint at times like this. They stood up and walked along the path back into the village, and Ino suggested that they go somewhere else that was much quieter. Ichiro agreed; he hated the noise as much as she probably did right now. Konoha may be an excellent village, but its noise level is way beyond the Demon Country's. His country was a silent one, people going about their businesses quietly, and whispering to each other. It could have been because of Shion, and they had probably feared that if she had come down one day because of their noise, she would have a prediction about one of them…

"Ichiro!" yelled Ino for the second time since they had left the business district. He left his train of thought and looked at her with a slightly flushed look on his face. "Sorry," he apologized sheepishly. "I was thinking about home." Ino glanced sideways at him. "Home, huh?" she mumbled. A thought flashed across her mind, and heck, if it would keep him talking, why not? "Tell me about your home, then," she said with a smile on her face. Ichiro pursed his lips and thought for a while. "Oh, right, sure," he said. "Well, honestly, I don't know where to start about my home." She laughed and shook her head. "Anywhere's fine," she replied. Ichiro shrugged. He would just rush in… probably. "Okay… I guess, well, my country's not like this at all. You know, the Demon Country? Yeah, it's a really quiet and serene place, but the skies are always grey there. I only see the sun once in a long while, you know? But I always stay with the Priestess… we're sort of like siblings. The people are as afraid of me as they are afraid of her, because they know I'm a Jinchuuriki. And you probably have to know, the Bijuu was sealed in me in that country." Ino let out a small gasp.

"But I don't hate them. They're not the men and women that agreed to my fate," he continued. "Those people are all dead…" Ino nodded slowly, trying to absorb as much of his history as possible. They had probably died a long time ago, she thought, but she had not expected what Ichiro was about to say though. "… Thanks to me," he finished. Ino was shocked, but she did not show it on her face or anywhere else at all. Ichiro frowned darkly. "I was furious… agitated. They had taken away half of my humanity just to seal the Bijuu in me. I went insane for a while, and ran away from the Demon Country for a while. Shion found me one day, and we became real close. She told me I could stay with her, and by the time she had found me, I was already fourteen, and no one really recognized me or remembered that there ever was a Jinchuuriki in their country at all." He broke into a small smile. "I owe Shion everything." Ino forced an understanding smile on her face as she realized the reason why he had wanted to go back. The Akatsuki were after him, and the second one was because he had owed Shion his life. Without her, he would probably become a poor beggar in the streets.

"Honestly, are you worrying?" asked Ichiro, his mood seemingly lightened for the day. Ino shook her head and smiled. "Not at all, I'd like to see your country one day." Ichiro frowned again. "You wouldn't like it," he said simply. "It looks worse than Konoha, but it's a little elegant in its own way. But overall, still worse than Konoha." Ino didn't know whether he was joking or not, but she still wanted to go, if it was the only thing that could keep them together for a longer time.

She stuck out her tongue at him. "I don't care. I'm still going," she said with authority in her voice. Ichiro let out a chuckle, something that made Ino's heart beat faster for a moment. His voice was like honey, she thought. "Maybe one day," he replied.

Ino folded her arms and pretended to pout. Ichiro threw his hands up in pure ignorance and scoffed. "Not my problem," he said plainly. Ino glared at him and deliberately pushed him off the dock that they had been walking past. "Hey!" he yelled. Ino laughed so hard at that, and she didn't realize that Ichiro was slowly sinking…

"INO, I CAN'T SWIM!!" he yelled again. She opened her eyes in horror and quickly rushed to the dock. She reached for his hand and before she knew it, she was pulled down into the water as well. Ichiro pulled her up and laughed. "Right back at you," he said, still laughing as hard as she had been before. Ino scowled. "My hair's wet! Look at what you did!"

Ichiro winked at her before swimming over to her. "I'm no better than you are, Ino," he murmured. She blushed wildly as he put his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. She was shivering; the water was cold, and Ichiro's lips were also as cold. Being submerged in water of this temperature could freeze someone to death. "You're so lucky it isn't raining," she whispered. "Whatever," said Ichiro, "We'll get dry sooner or later, but it's healthy to have a swim once in a while." She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down underwater.

"You know how much I hate water," complained Ookami with a low growl. Ichiro was quite amused. He opened his eyes and reached for Ino again, ignoring the Ookami's comments on the cold, freezing water. He kissed Ino on the lips again. The sensation was amazing; they were floating underwater, and it felt as good as cloud nine right now. After a long while, Ichiro pulled Ino up and they were lifted up to the surface again, only to be greeted by Kakashi and Naruto. "Hey kids, having fun?" asked the Jounin, a smile able to be seen under his mask. Ichiro and Ino blushed; there was never a moment where they would not be interrupted.

"Right, I guess now's the time," mumbled Ichiro to Ino.

Chapter 10, complete! I'm back, baby!!