Chapter 12: Konoha
Since he left his robe back at the base, he got to the gate unsuspected with Ino.
"Hey Ino!"Kotetsu greeted upon seeing the blonde hair behind the dog mask.
"Hey Kotetsu, Izumo!"Ino greeted back.
"Godaime-sama was going crazy earlier. She was pissed today!"Izumo gushed, knowing Ino loved a good gossip session as he and Kotetsu did.
"Why, un?"Deidara asked.
Kotetsu and Izumo eyed him cautiously before saying,"I don't know yet."
Ino nodded and she and Deidara continued on to her house for a pit stop. Deidara eyed the flower shop/mansion before asking.
"Why are we at a flower shop?"
"Coz I live here. My family owns it."Ino said, unlocking the door. She grabbed the mail from the flower box and threw the keys on the couch and was about to leave the room.
"Why are we here again, yeah?"
"I need a few things."Ino said, going to her room, not noticing Deidara was following her. She opened her door and looked around the familiar room she hadn't seen in about a week. The room was purple, which was her favorite color and had flowers around it. She also had a walk in closet. She threw a bag out of the closet, grabbed some clothes, stuffed them in and zipped it close. Deidara just stood there, mesmorized.
"Let's get something to eat, I'm hungry."Ino said, giving a big yawn. Deidara eyed her flat, toned stomach that showed as she stretched.
"Okay..Whatcha in the mood for?"He asked.
"We'll just stop at the Ichiraku Ramen house. but after I stop at my office."Ino said, slinging the bag over her shoulder,"Gosh this mask is so annoying sometimes!"
She turned the mask so it was slung around her neck.
"Why do we have to stop there? I hate going to the Interrogation and Torture Department. They're so boring, un!"Deidara whined playfully. Ino grinned at him and they were there in no time.
"Hey Ino! Who's the guy?"Ibiki asked, looking at them from his office. He grinned at Ino and looked over Deidara,"He looks like you..."
"thanks, yeah."Deidara said flatly, well at least he was beautiful dammit! If he looked like Ino, then he was pretty.
"Konichiwa Ibiki-sempai. This is my friend, Dei-kun."Ino said. Deidara slightly blushed. Had he heard that right? She just called him Dei-kun. A term of endearment.
"Dei-kun eh? Well Dei-san take care of Ino. If you hurt her I will personally kill you. No one messes with my protege."Ibiki warned before turning back to his magazine.
"I never said we were going out, Ibiki-sempai. Anyway, where's Anko-san? I'm gonna check up on those kids..see if they're really that innocent Anko was saying."Ino smirked. She waved Deidara to come on before grabbing a vanilla colored folder off her desk.
"She's at the entrance to the forest of Death. You know how she gets always coming early. I bet you most of the those children won't survive that portion. but you never know."Ibiki said.
"Forest of Death? What is Konoha teaching kids these days, un?"Deidara asked, smirking.
"The forest of Death was the 44th battlezone, but we nicknamed it the Forest of Death coz it sounds cool and because its where people go in and never come out."Ino explained.
--
"Most of you won't be coming out of here. The only way you can pass this exam portion is to come to the Tower in the middle of the forest with both a Heaven and Earth scroll. All teammates must be conscious, and you must never, never open the scrolls at any time until you get to the tower. Now good luck and...don't die!"Anko said before cackling.
"Alright Anko-san! Aren't you having fun!"Ino laughed, appearing on the side of the purple haired kunoichi. Deidara appeared on the left of Ino who was on the left of Ino.
"Of course I am! This is my favorite part. Some come back and some don't. I like that."Anko smirked. A few kids shivered and turned pale. but one rolled his eyes and called out.
"I'm not scared! This forest of Death will be a piece of cake!"He had the same attitude Naruto had when Ino was still part of the Rookie Nine.
"Where are the Rookie Nine this time?"Ino asked.
"Raise your hands, Team Tsubaki, Team Matsuri, and Temari Nara!"Anko commanded. 9 meek looking kids raised their hands slowly, including the one who yelled out.
"I'm still not scared! I'm not scared of anyone, especialy a fake ass ANBU ninja. Who's are trying to scare us!"He yelled.
Ino's, Anko's, and Deidara's mouths all fell open. Then Ino got a very, very, very evil glint in her eyes. Deidara had to hold her back, which was not good.
"Calm down...he's just a snot nose brat, yeah!"Deidara said. Both kunoichi's stopped before Ino said.
"I got this."With that she vanished and appeared right behind the boy. He hadn't even sensed her until his teammates stepped away from him.
"Fake ANBU member, huh? You didn't even sense me behind you, you brat! I'll make you eat your own words! Mind Destruction Jutsu!"Ino said, performing the jutsu, and taking control of his body.
"Aaaa!! Let me go!! Gomen!! I didn't mean it!"He yelled.
Ino smirked even more evilly and said,"Not yet. I'm gonna make you regret it, except not with this jutsu. I'm gonna do another one. Mind Transfer Jutsu!"
Ino's body crumpled to the ground and so did the boy's. He rose with the same evil smirk on Ino's face.
"See this is What happens when you mess with me..."She said in a very cold voice, before making the tiger hand sign. Her mind went back to its own body and she smirked and folded her hands and laughed while the boy squirmed and screamed.
"What'd you do to him?"Deidara asked. Anko laughed and all the kids around him paled about, except a redhead, a brunette, and blonde. They all seemed to be from the same team.
"She trapped him inside his mind but he feels the pain of...I forgot What it is she called it."Anko explained. The team all reminded Ino of the Sand ninja, Gaara of the Sand, Kankuro, and Temari. Gaara was the kazekage now, Kankuro the chief of the Poison and Puppetry Unit, and Temari was a jonnin and a sensei just as Ino and Shikamaru were.
"Just the pain of people around..."Ino said, turning to them for second before going back to the screaming boy,"I guess that's enough for you...listen well young grasshopper and don't piss me off again."
Anko, Deidara, Ino, and the sand ninja wannabes snickered.
"Alright...so who are you anyway? Boyfriend? You look like the type Ino goes for too."Anko blurted out.
All the teams waiting just stood there, it was like a gossip session was in the face and they were forgotten about. Some stood impatiently while a few looked quite scared enough to piss their pants.
"No, Anko, he's just a friend. You're the second person to ask that today."Ino said. Deidara got slightly blushed, but Anko caught it while Ino was completely oblivious to it. Her back was turned to him.
"Ino, are we still gonna get some lunch? WE have a curfew, yeah..."Deidara said, hoping Ino got What he was saying,
"Yeah, I'm not dumb, I know What curfew means..." Anko said slyly, " You guys want to sneak off and make out."
Everybody snickered while Deidara and Ino blushed furiosly.
"I have no idea What so ever you mean, but we have things to do at a certain time." Deidara said.
Anko burst out laughing, and then Ino finally caught on to What Deidara was talking about when he was talking about "curfews".
"Hai, I guess we can get going now...Sayonara Anko. Goodbye kiddies!!"Ino snickered, giving the little genin a small wave before she and Deidara walked toward the Ichiraku Ramen house.
"Ichiraku Ramen has the best ramen I've ever tasted."Ino said.
"It must be good then, un."Deidara agreed, he flipped up the curtain pieces that hung over the entry of the ramen house. Ino sat down at a empty stool and Deidara took the one next to hers.
"Ino-san! Ohiasashiburi desu, ne? I was wondering when you were gonna come back."Tsuchi greeted the blonde.
"Konichiwa Tsuchi-san. I've been busy."Ino answered back.
"Hmm...new boyfriend? I was wondering when you were gonna get one."Tsuchi grinned. Ino blushed a deep red and said back.
"Dei is just a friend."
"That's how we all start out, yeah."Deidara joked. Tsuchi laughed and Ino turned an even deeper shade of red.
"That's right, so What can I get you two? It's on the house, since you've protected this shop in the past along with Naruto-san."Tsuchi said.
"I guess I'll have some miso ramen."Ino said, right off the bat.
"I'll have some too."Deidara agreed.
"Ayame! Get the miso ramen juice started, I'll take care of the noodleds."Tsuchi said, turning around and ordering his brunette haired daughter. She nodded and got to work.
"If you wear a mask, why is that even with one, people still recognize you, , yeah?"Deidara asked, slyly adding the ms. Yamanaka at the end.
"Coz I'm a someone that no one can forget."Ino said.
"Sakura-chan!! Tsunade-baa-chan is still pissed, right? Is it about me?"A distinctive voice entering the ramen house asked. Ino turned around in the stool to see Konoha's Most Hyperactive Ninja and Cotton Candy entering the stand.
"Oi Ino-chan!"Naruto said, recognizing the blonde at the counter. He turned to Deidara and he stared at him with a look of pure concentration. He looked like he was trying to recognize him...
Naruto did recognize him from somewhere..but where? He was trying to figure it out when Sakura interrupted his staring and concentration.
"Naruto! Stop staring so hard!"Sakura scold him like a little child,"Konichiwa Ino-pig!"
"Billboard brow, I see your forehead is still getting even bigger."Ino retorted. Deidara looked at the two and snickered. Naruto smiled, he could get use to him maybe.
"So Ino-pig, who is this? Are you dating? I knew it!! I told you you'd find the right person for you!!"Sakura said, overjoyed even though she didn't give Ino a chance to answer.
Deidara, Naruto, and Ino all anime sweatdropped before Ino killed Cotton Candy's joy when she said,"Sakura, we're not dating, you didn't even get me a chance to even answer. This is my friend Dei. Dei this is my friend, Sakura."
Naruto and Deidara snickered lightly when Ino used air quotes to the word "friend" to describe Sakura.
"So What are you doing tonight, Ino?"Sakura asked.
"I have stuff to do. Stuff that involves working and some other stuff."Ino said,"Sakura, have you seen my father? I came home to an empty house...do you know how rare that is?"
"I'm sure he just out or on a mission. Don't overthink it Ino. He has a live too. Well cmon Naruto, let's go see Tsunada-sama, see if she's calmed down a little."
"I seriously doubt that Sakura-chan, and I came here for some ramen!! I'm hungry..."Naruto whined, he got quiet when she gave that Tsunade glare, she and Ino learned. Naruto instantly got quiet and said.
"Hai, I agree, let's go see Tsunade-no-baa-chan..."Naruto said, his eyes instantly went blank.
Deidara and Ino both snickered behind their chopsticks. Sakura's eyes wandered to the two laughing blondes and gave them the look that caused them to blush a deep red.
"I'll leave you two alone, cmon Naruto!"Sakura said, causing Ino to glare at her. Deidara was still blushing but managed to get it under control before Ino turned to look at him again.
"Yup, those are two of my crazy friends."Ino said flatly turning to Deidara. He laughed, and Ino noted that he had a kawaii laugh. It made her flush just thinking about it.
Deidara noticed and smiled. She was falling for him, just as he had her.
"So why are we here in Konoha, un?"Deidara asked. Ino was deep in thought about Deidara but when he had said something just now, she blushed and said,
"Oh, I had to check on a few things since I did send my team home without me and I have mail to check."Ino answered.
"Well, we can go now, since I'm done, yeah."Deidara said getting up. Ino nodded and placed her chopsticks in her bowl.
"Domo ArigatoTsuchi-san!"Ino waved before leaving out the stand.
"Come again, Ino-san!"Tsuchi said, he and Ayame waving bye. Deidara followed Ino to the Hokage's Tower. They opened the door and was greeted by both Shizune and the air conditioning.
"Konichiwa Ino-san and ?"Shizune said, looking at Deidara quizically.
"Dei."Deidara said. Shizune nodded and turned back to Ino.
"Tsunade-sama is pissed and probably will want to talk to you. Just go up."Shizune said, Ino nodded and she Deidara walked up the stairs that led to Tsunade's office.
She knocked three times and waited for the traditonal.....
"Enter."Tsunade's voice barked through the wood.
"Geez Godaime-sama, yell much-!"Ino managed to say before tripping over some books that littered the floor. Books were knocked around the office, papers were everywhere.
Ino would have hit the floor if Deidara hadn't have grabbed her around her waist. Tsunade only looked up to see Deidara's hand around her waist and smirked.
"Who might this boyfriend, Ino?"Tsunade she asked. Ino blushed again. Deidara smirked.
"No, This is Dei, Tsunade-sama. So you wanted to see me?"Ino said, introducing them and skipping straight to the point so she wouldn't get any more embarrassed than she was.
"Hai, I want you to check on Naruto, the village elders keep pestering me about Naruto's safety and the Akatsuki. Plus they're persistant about upping the village's security. They said they had a bad feeling about something that's about to happen."Tsunade gushed,"And on top of that, my head hurts like hell coz Shizune won't let me have any damn sake!"
"I got this,"Ino smirked before throwing a kunai up into the ceiling. A very skinny string fell around Ino's face. She pulled the string and the ceiling opened a small opening. Ino jumped into the darkness and felt around for the thing Tsunade would need. Ino jumped down and handed Tsunade the sake bottle.
"Ino where did you get this!!? Shizune raided all my hiding places! How did you hide this without me knowing and Shizune too!?"Tsunade asked. Ino giggled and said.
"I rigged this place when you were out on that weekend gambling. Shizune spent most of the time library looking at some documents so I thought this would come in handy later on, since I don't drink much."
"Arigato so much!"Tsunade gushed before taking a swig,"Now back to business,"
"Wow...she bounced back just like that, yeah."Deidara said, causing Ino to giggle.
"Hai...now Ino tell me why did you send your squad back here without you, and why you abandoned a mission?"
"Oh umm...I sent them back because I had to do something that didn't need them. Dei and some of my other friends needed my help so I had to help them instead of completing the mission."Ino explained.
Deidara was impressed, for short notice, she was good at covering up the truth.
"Hmm...is that so?"Tsunade asked, her head in her hands, her face not believing,"Works for me!"
Ino and Deidara's faces both gave a look of complete shock. Wow...
"Okay...I'm leaving the village again, Tsunade-sama. My mission with them is still not complete. I just came back to check up on some things."Ino said,"Bye"
"Wait! I have another mission for you. It's an easy one for you, you're an expert on them."Tsunade stared at Ino. Ino's face fell and she got a look that said,"Say What!?"
"Dei-kun can you wait for me outside?"Ino said turning to Deidara. He nodded and looked at Ino and gave her a look.
"Dei-kun?"Tsunade smirked after Deidara had closed the door behind him. Ino's face turned red and she said.
"Can you get back to the mission telling?"
"Hai...It seems Sunagakure has a missing nin that must be found. We got a lead on where he was, but the trouble was how to lure him out. They found out he was one of "those" guys."Tsunade said.
Ino's face turned red except it wasn't by embarassment..it was anger. She slammed her hand on the table and yelled.
"Godaime-sama! I'm not going on any of those missions anymore! You promised you wouldn't send me on any of those anymore when I got promoted to chief of the ANBU. Why can't you send those other girls!? I'm sure they would love to go on those!!!"
"Ino! Know you're place and stop yelling at me! Your outfit is right here. The guy you are suppose to get is expecting you to be in Hooters. Here is his porfolio file as well. Good Luck."Tsunade said, pulling an outfit with a black covering and a vanilla folder. She handed it to Ino, who looked grim right about now.
"So I just capture him and bring him back here?"Ino asked.
"Either way you have to interrogate and contain him. No matter What. You're our best interrogator, don't fail us now."Tsunade said with a glance before Ino limply waved and left was about to leave when Tsunade added.
"Ino, you don't have to be nice."
Ino smirked heavily and she gave Tsunade a thumbs up.
Tsunade just stared after the girl. She was something.
--
"Are you sure she's aiding them?"A masked ANBU member asked another one. He nodded.
"Then we must confront her while she is still her in the village..."The first one said, and with that they both vanished.
--
"Let's go, un. I'm ready to go now."Deidara yawned. He didn't like the village's style. It was too boring to him.
"I'm with you on that...it was fun being here again, I just wanna get some rest now."Ino agreed.
"Hey Dog!"
Ino turned around to see Yune, Sayuri, and Isumi all standing by her family's flower shop.
"Hey. Mouse, I heard you stood up to Tsunade-sama."Ino smirked. Sayuri blushed under her mask and nodded.
"You should have seen her, sensei! She was awesome!"Isumi said. Ino noticed the way Isumi looked at Sayuri and placed his hand around her waist.
"Who are you?"Yune's voice said darkly. He just like put a dark cloud aorund them.
"Squad 2, this is my friend, Dei."Ino said,"Dei, this is my favorite squad, Duck, Mouse, and Cat."
"Nice to meeet ya, yeah."Dei smiled. Sayuri and Isumi smiled back while Yune just glared at him.
"You know that if anything happens to my senei, I will kill you. You do anything to hurt her, and I will kill you."Yune said, before turning around so everyone just saw his back.
"What's wrong with him?"Ino asked Sayuri.
"I don't know, he's been like that since the mission."Isumi said,"Dog, I think you should talk to him since he looks up to you."
Ino looked to Deidara and he nodded. Ino walked over to Yune, and stood next to him. He looked at her and looked away.
"What's wrong, Duck? Did I do anything to upset you?"Ino asked. Yune shook his head and rubbed his knuckles before saying.
"Dog, I was disappointed when you couldn't tell me where you were. I was crushed because I thought we had that special bond."Yune said, his mask pointing towards the ground indicated he was looking down.
"Duck, we do have a special bond, I didn't tell you cause I didn't want to endanger you. Out of all of my teams, your team is my favorite. but out of your team, you are my favorite, Duck. You are most like me, when I look at you, I see a me growing up. You're the next me for the new generation. I like that, so at least I'm leaving the ANBU teams in capable hands..."Ino said, taking Yune's chin and holding it up so he looked at her,"Remember that Duck."
"Hai, ma'am."Yune smirked, under his mask.
"Let's go, Dei."Ino said, waving to her team,"Be good. I'll be back soon. Duck you're in charge, unless Ibiki-sama decides to take over. Got that?"
"Yup, Dog!"Yune smiled. Ino's words had encourage, heal, and boosted his ego.
Dei laughed at Ino and her teams consistant waving.
"What?"Ino asked, catching on to Deidara's laughing.
"You and your team are hilarious, un."Deidara smirked. Ino pouted and said,"They're my favorite team."
They had only gotten about 30 feet away from the gate when a masked ANBU member appeared and said,"Dog."
Ino turned around and said,"Hai, Chameleon?"
"Some information reguarding the scroll mission from 7 years ago has come for you. Here are the details and spects."The chameleon masked ANBU member said.
"Arigato."Ino said, taking the scroll from him and running to catch up to the waiting Deidara. She held onto the spects without opening them, her face looked grim and distressed.
"What's wrong, yeah?"Deidara asked, looking at the blonde girl. She shook her head and looked away,"Ino, you're lying to me."
"I don't wanna talk about it"Ino said, shaking her head and looking away. Deidara just looked at the girl, he wanted to comfort her so bad, but he couldn't forfill his desire to do so. Since they were becoming friends or Whatever you would call them....they were just developping their feelings for each other.
--
"Where did Ino and Deidara go?"Sasori asked Itachi, seeing that he was the only one in the kitchen along with himself.
"Deidara escorted Ino-san on a mission back to her village."Itachi said not even looking up from his book on Sharingan techniques. Sasori took a notice of that...he had never seen that book, or Itachi read something on that topic since he was the one who knew a lot about it.
"Thanks, Itachi-san....those brats."He smiled. Itachi looked over to the red head and nodded before adding.
"Hai, Leader-sama put those two together on that mission on purpose. I guess he's supporting those two together.."Itachi said, going back to his book. Sasori nodded and sat down on the couch, enjoying the peace and quiet he had.
"SHUT the fuck UP, KAKUZU!!"Hidan yelled, interrupting Sasori's small moment of peace. Sasori sighed and looked up to see the violet eyed man snap at Kakuzu. Kakuzu snickered and said.
"You're just mad Leader-sama chose Deidara to go with Ino instead of you!"Hidan flinched and was about to retort something when Itachi spoke up.
What is with Itachi and all this talking...he's usually the quiet one.
"Can you two be any louder?"Itachi said.
"Shut up Itachi!"Hidan snapped. Itachi activated his third tomoe in his sharingan and said,"All I',m saying is that you're not gonna gain the upperhand on the situation if you're always hotheaded."
With that he gracefully left the room.
"What a bishie."Hidan said...but reflecting on Itachi's words, it gave him an idea.
"Well my moment of silence is ruined so..."Sasori said, leaving the room to go tinker with his puppets, weapons, and poisons.
"And What a prick."Hidan commented on Sasori's comment.
"Gee I wonder why."Kakuzu said, sarcastically and leaving the room leaving Hidan to speak to anyone.
--
Ino and Deidara got back to the base later that evening just in time to catch Leader and Konan....
"What the heck, yeah?"Deidara whispered as he spied two dark figures in the dark hallway. Ino put her finger on Deidara's mouth and gave him the look that said 'quiet'. They looked back at the figures to see them liplocking...
"..."Both Deidara and Ino blushed after seeing that and thinking how that could be them....
Ino suddenly cleared her throat and both Konan and Pein jumped apart. Pein turned pale..and looked at the smirking blondes sheepishly. Konan turned a very red red.
"Konnichiwa, Leader-sama, Konan-chan."Ino said, her face amused. Pein looked to Deidara and Ino and said.
"Did you get What you wanted?"
Ino nodded and muttered to Deidara,"He sure got What he wanted too."
Both blondes giggled as they walked down the hallway to their quarters. Ino noticed for the first time that Deidara's door wasn't as far away as she thought. In fact he was only three doors on the left of hers.
"Good night,"Ino said, walking past his door to hers.
"Night, Ino, un."Deidara whispered...watching the girl go into hers.