Until We All Fall Down Chapter 11, Formidable, a naruto fanfic

Until We All Fall Down

XxMookinexX

I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, I only wish I did. Any and all unrecognisable characters and situations belong solely to me and are not to be touched without permission. I am not making any money off of this and I write with the soul purpose to entertain.

This story takes place when our characters are 18/19 and takes account of everything up to chapter 337 of the manga. Written in Ino's POV.

Guys… I seriously almost had a heart attack whilst writing this chapter. How awful is that? You would have never known the end of the story. It would have just… stopped! For more info read the various rants at the bottom of this chapter.

Special thanks to Kawaii-Gaara-Chan, Cheese Maiden, Katar and tomboy-girl21 who all reviewed last chapter. THANKIES!! Here are your marshmallows, s'mores and other assorted campfire goodies.

– Chapter Eleven –

Formidable

Never before have I ever been so very scared of my mother as I was this morning. The worst of it is that I'm not even going to see her – I'm writing her a letter. One simple, single sheet of parchment to say that I'm pregnant with a man she's never met 's child and I'm not coming home again other than to collect my stuff and say goodbye. Oh yes, and PS, I'm currently wanted by the psycho who killed the Hokage since he wants revenge on the father of my unborn child.

It's one of those things I never expected to do in my life time. I think it would be better if I could tell her all this face to face – but it's just not feasible for me to leave Sunagakure right now, not with Kotaio still on the loose. Gaara would kill me for even suggesting the idea, and I won't risk asking her to come up here. It's just too dangerous a journey for one who isn't a shinobi to conquer it.

I'll admit that I'm a little worried dad might come and kidnap me to drag me back home again for a dressing down – but if such a thing were to happen I'm sure simply telling the truth that I love Gaara and explaining how happy I am with him will easily iron out any problems. I've tried to make that clear in the letter. It isn't nearly so blunt as I've implied it is although the general gist of it is still the same.

I'm going to ask Shika to take the letter to her since he's taking Temari back to Konohagakure soon. He doesn't want her in any unnecessary danger. Chouji's going with them since he's still recovering from his injuries and he… well… might become a burden.

I'm a little scared at the prospect of being left all alone here. I mean… actually they still don't know I'm not coming with them – the subject's just never come up with me and Gaara as to how we should do it and I don't want to be completely tactless considering… well… stuff. To do with Chouji.

But back to the point: it hadn't quite struck me yet that when Shika left Temari would be going with him (and Chouji, obviously) – this narrows my list of people in Suna of whom I'm on good terms with from three or four to one. Of course, there's Kankurou, but I still don't know him all that well. I guess this is something I'm going to have to work on.

Aside from that, everything's fine. It's still so ridiculously early that I feel absolutely fine – I'm looking forward to missing the first couple of periods for the next few months. I mean – I get awful cramps sometimes. It'll be nice to take a break from them for a while. Of course, when I'm about six weeks in the morning sickness will start and then I won't be so happy. Till then everything's good.

Temari's only about three weeks along, so it's likely our due dates will coincide quite neatly. I hope it won't cause problems later down the line – but we live and learn as my mum delights in saying… well as she used to say every time I made my mind up about something absolutely ridiculous. Actually, I'm almost positive she said the same thing when I told her I was in love with Sasuke all those years ago. It's a novel world when you think about it.

Other than that… I'm just trying to look after myself, obviously. And I'm a little worried about Kotaio. I mean, he hasn't done anything yet – which probably means he's planning something really disgustingly evil. I can't stand to think that he's out there. The thought makes my skin crawl.

It's not so much that I've suddenly decided he's the scum of the earth for no good reason. Nothing like that at all. It's just… I've become quite attatched to the idea of becoming a mother – if only because of how happy Gaara seems to be as a result. I mean he was certainly very… affectionate last night. It's only been a week since… so I think that's alright if you get my meaning.

Yeah…

Anyway I just mean that if he's threatening my baby I have no choice but to hate and resent him. Not only because he or she is only a baby – too fragile to defend themselves – my one isn't even born yet and they're getting death threats! But because they're my baby. Mine and Gaara's and we deserve this happiness. He deserves all the happiness in the world.

Slowly, gradually we've been filling one another in on the important events of our lives over the last few days – though mostly we already knew it all through our friends it's nice to hear someone confirm something for themselves even if it is something horribly similar to a nightmare I've once had…

I think Gaara's been sleeping better recently. He seems much happier. Not just due to the baby. He just seems well rested and I rather expected him to be the opposite considering how worried I am about Kotaio, never mind the fact that I'm unintentionally making him relive his worst memories for me.

But he's fine… better than fine. Maybe it's the weight of carrying that burden for so long slowly releasing itself. Maybe he just needed to tell someone – since I don't think he's ever told anyone all of it himself.

I feel like I know him better than anyone else in the world – it makes me happy. I love him so.

It's like even though I knew this all before we're becoming closer. Sometimes it feels like it's just us in our own world and there's nobody else left to interfere…

But… that's a bad thing to be thinking at this time what with Kotaio out to deliberately break our happiness and everything. I guess we simply have to deal with our current time and make the most of it – and be indulgent when the threat's gone down. I think I ought to tell the others today… I think Gaara will want me to as well.

Even so… I'm a little bit nervous. All they know is that I'm under threat as well, but they think it's 'cos I interfered before… it's weird… I've never really kept secrets from Shika and Chouji before. But I guess I don't feel guilty 'cos I know I'm going to tell them eventually… there just never seems to be the right time. I don't want to seem insensitive… it's probably going to come as a big surprise.

I think that might be quite amusing actually – if there's one thing that I find totally hysterical it's Shika whenever he's completely gob-smacked. Seriously, he's such a smart boy – child genius and the like – and he gives off this air of being constantly analytical and knowledgeable that it's simply hilarious when he's totally out of his depth. I saw him like that not too long ago, actually – when Temari told him she was pregnant.

Chouji… I hope that he'll be happy for me. I mean, I know he will be… but I hope he doesn't hate me for it. I know deep down there'll be some small part of him that resents me… and quite a lot of him that resents Gaara… and really there isn't anything either of us can do about that – but I don't want to break his heart. I really don't. He's such a kind, lovely person I can't stand to know that I'm the reason he's upset.

I feel like such a monster sometimes.

In other news Matsuri seems to have backed off a bit in that she isn't glaring at me suspiciously anymore. Maybe Gaara said something to her? Maybe she's just preoccupied with making arrangements for Gaara's safety? Who knows. I think Gaara has a lot of people's respect now-a-days. Apparently right back at the beginning there was a lot of opposition to his becoming Kazekage, but… the children here seem to love him. They adore him. I don't think he realises it but walking down the street it's so obvious since I've seen many young girls blush or young boys grin when he walks by. The general populous hasn't caught on to my relationship with him, but I suspect when they do I'll be glowered at from all sides by those young girls… who knows what the boys may do.

To be honest, I don't really even want to have to think about it.

The door opened and Gaara walked in. I fought to keep the grin from my face and simply smiled at him as there were murmured greetings from everyone else in the room. For the most part he seemed to ignore them, however, greatly disturbing my peace of mind.

Gaara makes a point of acknowledging people when he enters a room – a process that is made painstakingly obvious to anyone that really knows him since we know why he does it. I know why he does it.

For the simple reason that he knows what it's like to be ignored.

For the simple reason that whatever else he may be, Gaara is still rather boyish inside. (I'm still not entirely positive that he's let go of the past – and he's never tried to actually convince me of it – but perhaps he's accepted that it happened and he takes pride in his work… and he is loved. By so many, many people.) He cares about respect, and he doesn't like to be misconceived as a monster anymore. Some times have come to pass.

So it was with more than a little trepidation that I watched him cross the room to me. When he was little more than five paces away the full wrongness of the situation finally hit me and, reacting far too late to it – or so it could be preserved in relation to any who knew him well – I threw myself backwards off the chair to increase the distance between our parties again.

Gaara doesn't walk like that. He… how do I put it. To the casual observer he walks with purpose. To the more attentive individual he seems almost hesitant whilst very deliberately walking along – he likes to walk in straight lines. To one who had a short but intensive session to sit down and simply watch him they might form the idea from these impressions that he was somewhat like a tiger – and that would make sense. After all, Suna is his village and he owns the damn village… the stride would appear powerful yet cautious, he would seem wild yet somehow perfectly contained. Such is the way tigers walk.

Of course, if you're like me… and you… well… you know him then you'll know this idea is rubbish. Gaara sort of drifts. That's the best way to describe it in a word. It's not so much that he isn't powerful or deliberate… he's just intense. He's a very intense sort of person. But he doesn't set out to be intimidating, so he tries to move almost absentmindedly and shields most of his intensity inside himself – behind the sand.

It makes him seem approachable. It makes enemies let their guard down. Even if it's only by just the tiniest fraction of an inch.

Sometimes even the smallest amount of lee-way gives you the edge.

"Stop right there," I commanded, and felt the guards that had been ordered to protect me (much to my chagrin – but Gaara insisted and I can't refuse him anything it seems) stiffen. Whether it was because they became aware of my suspicions, or whether they were merely taking insult at my verbal attack on the Kazekage I'll never know.

It took less than a second. One instant they were standing or rising from their seats… the next they were on the ground, cries of pain on their lips and blood spilling from open wounds in their guts. Gaara - Kotaio stood there, smirking unpleasantly, blood-stained kunais in hands.

"How did you know?" he questioned, his face twisting into malice. I backed away to gain some distance between the two of us whilst my hands found their way into my pouch behind my back.

"You walk wrong," I replied, drawing out my own weapons, and noticing the flicker of surprise upon his face as I did so.

"You're planning to fight in your condition?"

I rolled my eyes – please. I'm less than one week pregnant. Most people don't even know till they're at least five weeks along. The baby's barely formed yet.

The wind was knocked from my lungs and I fell to my knees, clutching my stomach. My kunai spread on the ground at my feet.

STUPID! I should've known better than to be distracted by small talk in this situation. I gasped for breath, temporarily unable to focus on anything else, but hoping against hell he wasn't about to kick me in the back of the head. I could hear him laughing and my hands clenched into fists ahead of me as I shook with rage. Damn him. I'm supposed to be stronger than this. I promised I wouldn't become a burden… but I matter to a little more than just myself these days.

My gaze focused on the bracelet on my wrist. It's funny, if I don't do this Gaara will be pissed, but I know I'll hate myself if something happens to him. I don't want my baby to grow up without a father… I guess this is where people will tell you to have faith in others. Well, if I'm going to have faith in anyone – I'm going to have faith in Gaara.

So thinking, I brought my hand up and smashed the glass-like band that encased my wrist against the wooden flooring, watching as it dissolved to sand and rapidly flew away even as I felt Kotaio's fingers knotting into my hair, yanking me upright and unleashing a wave of pain inside my head. I screamed.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he snarled, gripping my wrist and then tightening till he was cutting off my blood supply. "What does that do?" he questioned, and I noticed he'd forced his expression to remain neutral. Although his eyes still blazed in malevolent fury. "Oh I see," and his mouth became a malicious smile. "You call and your boyfriend comes running?"

I chuckled mirthlessly.

"You're going to die, you know," I whispered, somewhat viciously. "I hope I live to see it happen."

The expression of disgust should have forewarned me, but I had little time to defend myself as he back-handed me across the face. I shook my head to dispel my dizziness, then wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of my lips knowing that the damage was self-inflicted when I bit the inside of my mouth.

I forced myself to face him, glaring in hostility.

He smiled, as if satisfied with my contempt.

"I told you," he murmured. "I'm going to make him watch you die… That will be most… liberating."

The cruelty in that gaze almost undid me.

"You're thick if you think you could simply take me without a fight," I hissed dispassionately.

But he merely smiled and I frowned, annoyed that the corners of my vision were still hazy.

"I see I overestimated your intelligence," he said somewhat remorsefully. I saw him laugh slightly in satisfaction but whether it was because of my ire or whether I was getting tired, the sound seemed slightly dulled to my ears.

"What's so funny?" I snarled, reaching for another kunai.

His laughter stopped abruptly, although the air of self-satisfaction did not fade.

"Haven't you worked it out yet? I thought you, being a medic ninja, were trained to observe and take care of yourself?"

There was a chill in the pit of my stomach. I glanced down and saw one small, almost insignificant needle embedded in my chest, just below my rib-cage.

"When…?" But I did not need an answer as my mind went into over-drive and arrived at the logical conclusion before he could even open his mouth.

It must have been when the bastard punched me. But how did I not notice it for so long?

He crouched before me, smiling almost gently.

"It's a sedative, but there was a mild numbing draught within the tip. It's no surprise you did not notice it."

Which explained both my obliviousness and my poor reaction speeds to date. By rights he should be dead by now, but I haven't had the chance to lunge and land a hit. The body is such a weakness to the spirit. Even now, when I'm trying to hold on. Trying to retain my consciousness I can feel the darkness rapidly closing in. I can tell that it's a losing battle I am fighting.

In the dimness, as I drifted off to sleep and felt myself falling forwards towards the floor there were sensations that I just managed to detect – on the very edge of my senses.

A pair of hands caught me before I hit. A smell of him. A swirl of sand. The doors crashed open. Voices raised in alarm. One voice cut through the din and I smiled on the edge of the abyss.

"Ino… Well done. Now you can rest."

Chapter eleven… So. There is one more chapter to go and then an epilogue to go and then we're done! Scary, isn't it? Now… first of all I must apologise for the lateness that is this chapter. I was in Bristol yesterday and the train was delayed due to lightning on the tracks so I sat there for three hours twiddling my thumbs and getting bored out of my mind. I only just got back from Reading today since I've been doing this chemistry Spectroscopy workshop. So yeah – there are legitimate reasons. It doesn't help that my net has crashed so I'm forced to steal my dad's computer.

Secondly… I'm forewarning you that there won't be the big battle you're probably expecting… I'm not good at writing those scenes. I mean YES, there is a definite element else this entire piece of work would be completely shoddy, but I'll probably jump back and forth in the time lines a little bit. Perversely I'd already written the epilogue before I wrote this or the next chapter, mainly 'cos I only know the gist of what's to happen but it's turning out okay so far. At least I hope you'll agree.

Final Chapter release date: Monday 9th July

Epilogue release date: Saturday 14th July

After that I'm going on holiday for a month - but I absolutely will do review replies for everything once I'm back. The end is in sight people! WHOOP!

Please review people! I love knowing what you think.

Luv ya

XxMookinexX