Ricochet
The Hokage had not been kidding when she mentioned an increase in mission frequency. In the span of two weeks, the Hyuuga-Yamanaka pair had completed eight missions. Flawlessly. And now Neji found himself being handed yet another assignment. Despite her initial reluctance over forming the team, Tsunade had come around to the extent that, if he didn't know better, Neji would say the duo had earned a spot on her favorites list. Nevertheless, Neji couldn't help but to wish Tsunade were a little less eager to find them work. Exhaustion was looming in the near future, and if it caught him...Well. He'd just have to make damn sure that didn't happen. Ino had a tendency to disobey at the worst times, and he knew with bone-chilling certainty that if he ever commanded her to leave him behind, she wouldn't. And it was that very scenario he couldn't risk.
He'd been risking too much lately as it was.
Falling in love with Yamanaka Ino had been the shock of his life, unlike the smooth transition he'd felt when he allowed himself to love Tenten. With her, things had been comfortable, gradual, precise. Ino, of course, was the singular most unsimple person he'd ever met. He didn't know why he hadn't been wary of falling for her from the start, or why it had taken a kiss for him to stop denying that he had fallen. Initial awkwardness aside, things between him and Ino had carried on as if the kiss had never happened; like nothing at all had changed. The act of openly ignoring a change in team dynamics was foreign to him and, watching Ino behave normally, he wondered if the kiss had meant anything at all to her.
Unravelling their mission scroll and glancing over it's contents, the weight of reluctance settled down on his shoulders. He'd need to have a talk with Ino about her qualifications for this one. If she wasn't up to standard he'd have to bring her up to standard, and given that the mission start time was nine hours away that didn't leave him with much time.
A glimpse of movement through the window beside her front door had Tenten glancing awkwardly at the spot, anticipating the knock of a visitor. When moments passed and no knock came, the brunette set down the large shirt she'd been stitching and crossed the room to open the door. What she'd suspected she'd find would be a paper notification of sorts, either from a family member or another shinobi. For her husband, of course. What she got was one slightly taller round faced female with an intimidating - if not currently uncomfortable - gaze. Also known as Hyuuga Hanabi. Tenten opened the door wider in invitation and stepped to the side.
"Hanabi-chan. Were you looking for Neji?"
The younger girl shifted her weight slightly, and in that moment Tenten was reminded of Hinata.
"No. I've come to borrow some supplies."
The words clicked into Tenten's brain like a puzzle piece fitting it's perfect spot. It explained the usually subtley fierce girl's sudden hesitance; to admit needing help even in minor ways was something the Hyuuga did not promote, and Hanabi was Hyuuga to the bone. Still, the simple act of being useful pleased Tenten and she waved the girl inside with a sweep of her arm. Closing the door behind her, she almost smiled as she turned to face her cousin-in-law. It wasn't often anyone other than Lee or her grandmother visited. She would try to enjoy this visit, however brief or impersonal it might be.
"What kind? Tools? Bandages?"
"Pain suppressants."
Tenten did a double-take, eyes immediately looking for hidden injuries out of habit. It was a slice of deja vu as the former kunoichi remember many, many incidents of Neji neglecting his wounds and subsequently incurring her disapproval. She took a few steps to her right and produced a small brown pouch from one of the shelves on the wall. Handing it over, she couldn't help but to feel concerned.
"Is it serious?"
"It's nothing."
"When Neji says that it usually means it's something."
At that, Hanabi cracked a smile and Tenten noticed how lackluster it was. And the sweat staring to gather on her brow. "Are you sick?"
The smile withered away. Tenten took that as a sign she'd hit the bullseye. "You should go to the hospital."
"It would be frivolous to go for something that will pass on its own."
Maybe it was her pregnancy strengthening her intuition, but Tenten took a step closer, reached out, and took a gentle hold on Hanabi's lower arm. It was burning hot. Kami, her brain had to be feeling like an egg in a boiling pot. She released the girl's arm and they both stood awkwardly as Tenten made a decision. Disappearing into the kitchen, Tenten returned seconds later with a bulging, dripping cloth pressed the cool material to Hanabi's forehead. It was the first maternal thing she'd ever done and the action felt strange to her, but she figured it was something she'd have to get used to. She had years of scraped knees, bellyaches, and sore throats to look forward to when her child was born. Had it really only been six weeks since she conceived? Four weeks since she'd known? With every passing day, she could feel herself embracing the pregnancy and anticipating motherhood.
"You're welcome to stay here and rest. It helps a little when there's someone around to get you iced water when you're too drain to get out of the bed. I won't tell anyone."
Hanabi closed her eyes, the blissfully chilly ice in the cloth easing some of the burn of the lava rivulets running amok under her skin. Leaving wasn't even an option.
Plucking another handful of wolfsbane from the herb section of the garden, Ino stuffed it into her quickly-filling apron pocket and pulled at another bunch. The shade from her flowershop behind her saved her from having to squint as she checked each plant she picked for decay and parasites and continued on down the row. She usually liked the simplicity of this particular task: it was a series of repetitive motions that didn't require any real thought and she typically used the time to reflect on her problems. Today she simply wished she had brought the radio outside with her, maybe it could drown out the voices in her head. Or rather the voice, the one voice she seriously didn't want to acknowledge.
That voice that wouldn't shut up about him.
He's married. He can't marry you if he's married. Why would you fantasize about a wedding when he can't marry you? Who said he would even want to marry you? Who said he loved you? He didn't. He never said that. He never will. He's married. You know, that thing you'll never be because all the perfect guys are either taken or traitors. You shouldn't even be working with him - falling in love with a teammate is never a good idea! Isn't that the advice you gave Seiji-kun about the little orange-haired girl last year? Bravo, hypocrite, bravo. At least the orange-haired girl isn't married. At the end of the day, Seiji still stands a chance. You don't.
Perhaps for normal people, it would have been easy to ignore the rambling of one's conscious mind, but for a Yamanaka it was much more difficult. Her brain was a trained weapon in its own right, and now that weapon had turned against her. Just like her heart had. And she couldn't blame her inner voice, she did make perfect sense. She was beautiful, though she had never asked to be, and with that beauty came drawbacks. Ino was the kind of woman men dismissed, lusted after, or even feared. The untamable vixen, the legendary tease, the bubble-headed beauty. The kind of woman men craved
- but never married.
And maybe that was what she was to him too. Why else would he toy with her they way he did? He noticed the effect he had on her; he'd said so himself when he was under the influence of pheremones. But would he really be so cruel as to taunt her?
"What if it's with you?"
He wouldn't. Who could have the mindset to play games when pheremones were confusing everything above basic instinct? He couldn't have. A man would have to have the willpower of a brick wall to be capable of cohesive thought in that circumstance. Though he had shown enough restraint to keep his distance from her for the entire ten hour trip home afterward. Ten hours of exposure to one of the most potent chemicals Ino knew of. Kami. How much willpower did Neji possess?
"Ino-chan! Oi, you back here onee-chan?"
Konohamaru's voice pierced through her thoughts and Ino looked back, watching as the younger male made his way over to her. She smiled on reflex before worry crossed her features.
"What's wrong? Did something happen? Is Asuka okay?"
Naruto's unofficial sidekick looked puzzled. "Huh? Oh, oh no, nothing like that."
Ino breathed. Thank goodness. She didn't know who she'd have to whoop if something had happened to her sensei's only child. She wiped the dirt on her hands onto her apron and straightened up, knuckles on her hips.
"Okay then, spill. What's got you rushing over here without your team?"
The instant spread of scarlet tinting his cheeks gave him away before he could answer and, ever the intuitive, the Yamanaka immediately figured it out.
"Oh. Wait don't tell me, you like one of them?"
Konohamaru grimaced at her saccharine tone of voice. It only fuelled her on.
"Which one? Moegi or Udon?"
"Moegi! Jeez." he replied, obviously insulted that she implied he could be anything other than hetero.
"Ah. So then, you still haven't told me what brings you over here." The blonde grinned from ear to ear knowingly and the young Sarutobi's blush darkened. Kami, she was going to make him say it. He cleared his throat, trying to put on a brave front, but there was no hiding his bashfulness and his voice came out quieter than she'd ever heard it.
"...How do I get her to like me?"
Ino squealed, enveloping Konohamaru in a bear hug usually reserved for Asuka and he turned his face to the side to avoid a face-full of blonde hair. He could barely look at her when she let him go and Ino made a conscious effort not to laugh. It was hard to remember sometimes that he was fifteen now instead of thirteen. She gestured to the plants at her side, indicating for him to help her pick the herbs while they talked, and Konohamaru was grateful for something else to focus on.
"What makes you so sure she doesn't already like you?"
Konohamaru rattled off a list of things Ino listened to, injecting comments every so often until he finished and asked again for suggestions. The mindwalker pretended to give it some thought, rolling her eyes skyward and tapping on her lips with a finger.
"Well...have you ever tried treating her like a girl?"
He stared blankly.
Boys are eternally hopeless.
"Like how?"
"Like your uncle Asuma treated Kurenai : pay attention to her. Spend some time with her without Udon. Make her feel important."
"That's it?"
"That's it. Girls really aren't that complicated. At least, kunoichi aren't."
"Yamanaka. A word."
Ino had sensed a third person's presence seconds before Neji dropped down silently behind her, seemingly out of the sky. Konohamaru on the other hand was startled. Ino nodded and turned to the rookie chuunin apologetically. "I've gotta go. Let me know how things go with you-know-who?"
"Yeah. Thanks Ino-chan!" The young Sarutobi flashed a thumbs up before dashing away, back into the flowershop and out the front door. Ino went in the opposite direction, passing the boundary of her garden and into the woods with her partner.
Bits and pieces of potato chips dotted Shikamaru's shirt sleeve as Chouji munched happily beside him and a cloud shaped like a shoe passed high overhead. It was a moderately good day, or at least it would be, if he could bring himself out of his gloomy mood and ease his headache. His brain was full, mostly of things he really didn't want to care about, and his light, fluffy clouds were failing in their duty to calm him. Chouji, however, seemed completely unaffected by his grim attitude.
"I trained with Ino earlier, you should have come. She's gotten the hang of that jutsu she was practicing and she was so happy. She wanted you to be there."
Shikamaru grunted in response, and when that didn't satisfy his plump friend, he resorted to something he rarely had the motivation to do - lying.
"I was busy."
Chouji stopped chewing, swallowing his mouthful and curling down the top of his bag to keep the rest of the chips fresh for later. Shikamaru could practically feel the frown he was giving him.
"Bullshit. You're never busy. You're not seriously still avoiding her, are you? She doesn't deserve that."
Naturally, the kind-hearted Akimichi didn't understand. Unfortunately for him, the shadow user wasn't in the mood to explain.
"It's...complicated." Shikamaru suppressed a groan, that sounded lame even to his own ears. Worse, it sounded like something a woman would say.
"Then use words I can understand. You're throwing things off between the three of us, and none of us want that. What's your problem with Ino? You've never stayed away from her for this long."
Shikamaru winced. Burdening Chouji with the knowledge that was eating his brain alive wasn't something he wanted to do but now seemed inevitable. He deserved to know.
"I don't know what to say to her. It's not just a crush this time Chouji, Ino's in love."
"That's all?" Chouji deadpanned, looking unconcerned.
"The guy she's in love with is Neji."
Cue the look of shock and horror painted across a chubby face. Perhaps he should have lead into that announcement a little better, but it was out now and Shikamaru could tell his friend didn't know exactly how to take the news. As his surprise gave way to a more somber expression, Chouji lowered his voice.
"What should we do?"
It was the very same question that had been plaguing him for days now, the question he knew the answer to but found exceedingly hard to accept. Now Chouji would have to accept it too.
"Nothing. There's really nothing we can do but let nature run it's course and be there for her when she needs us."
And she would need them. No matter how many angles Shikamaru studied the situation from, they all confirmed the suspicion he'd had all along: this wouldn't end well.
"...Most likely maximum security. We're to expect both a visual defense team as well as an undercover support team. We'll be under continual surveillance and Masamune Aoi is expected to be at the Orchid Pavillion at half past nine, which leaves us with approximately a four hour window to create an opening and make the switch. A transformation and chakra suppression will be necessary, they'll be checking for any unfamiliar chakra signatures. Have you familiarized yourself with Yugameru Utsusemi no Jutsu?"
Neji chanced a look at his partner, wondering if she was adept enough to use a skill that involved the layering of multiple techniques. Her pale blonde hair draped over the corner of the map as she leant over it, studying the layout intently. A finger trailed over an outlined structure and tapped absentmindedly as she acknowledged his question with a shake of the head.
"No, but I won't need it." Not that it would have been much use to her, anyway. The amount of chakra needed for something that complex would be more than she could sustain for more than a few minutes. Catching the disapproving look he shot her, Ino rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, I've been working on a little something with Chouji that's made for this kind of thing."
He didn't look convinced. "Demonstrate."
Clapping her hands in front of her, Ino stood completely stationary before him, disappearing only when he blinked.
Shunshin no Jutsu? Veins at the corners of his eyes instantly enlarging, the Byakugan user scanned the area for the mindwalker's chakra. Ahead. Behind. Above. Below. He stretched his sight, peering into to distances he wasn't sure she could cover in such a short amount of time, but Ino was nowhere to be found. Skeptical, his hands formed the signs to cancel any genjutsu but nothing changed. As his eyes had already told him, there was no foreign chakra in his system. He couldn't see or sense his partner at all. It was unsettling.
To his infinite surprise, a strand of hair hanging loosely on his forehead was plucked straight from his scalp. On reflex, Neji's hand flew forward to grab at the space in front of him and clamped down around something solid. He forced just enough chakra into his palms to disrupt the flow of chakra from Ino's tenketsu and she was instantly very visible. She grinned devilishly at him, incredibly pleased with herself even as she rubbed at her now sore wrist.
"See? Totally undetectable, even to high-level shinobi. You like it?"
His lips thinned and he released her wrist, backing away in compliance with the voice in his head that warned there was too little space between them to be appropriate.
'Like' is a relative term. "How...?"
"I got the idea from Shikamaru, actually. Ever since we were little he's had this ability to cover himself in shadows; we had to stop playing hide and seek since he always won because nobody could ever find him. Even now, when he does it I can't find him 'cause of - how did he explain it? It's not a genjutsu, he just wraps himself in shadows and since humans only see things that bend light, he's pretty much invisible."
"And you adapted the technique."
"Yeah. I mean, in a way. Shika's jutsu affects the eyes directly. This is more targeted to your brain. The information your eyes see has to go somewhere, right? I just alter the mental image."
That explained why he couldn't sense her; she hadn't been hiding her chakra signature but instead she'd been blocking him from registering her presence. The fact that she had entered his mind, even partly, without his awareness had him feeling violated and biting back a reprimand. He'd never felt the need to defend himself against her before, but now he wondered if it was wise to leave one's mind unguarded against a Yamanaka. Then again, there was no guarding one's mind against a Yamanaka, that was why they were so effective.
"Limitations?"
"I don't think I can hold it on more than two people, so we'll still need to identify the security personnel and minimize their presence. Other than that, we should be good to go." The blonde's smile faltered when she noticed the grim expression on Neji's face. "What?"
"The preparation of an effective plan requires full knowledge of your abilities. Are there any other new techniques of yours I need to know about?"
He'd been working with her intermittently for just over a year now, and she'd never mentioned working on developing new techniques. In fact, when he reflected over the rare times they actually held a conversation, he realized that Ino never discussed her jutsu or training. All he knew of her skill arsenal was what he'd seen with his own eyes, he didn't know what she did when she was out of his eyesight or the full extent of her capability at all, really. Come to think of it, he'd never questioned how it was exactly that a chuunin, at the time, had defeated an S class criminal. Never questioned how she'd found him in the Forest of Death after Gai died. Never questioned why she had the glowing adoration of everyone who had worked with her before and many who never had.
He'd told her that he knew her, but now doubts were rising.
Ino shrugged, then turned her head and spat four needles into a nearby tree.
"It's not exactly new, but there's that. Little something I picked up from Shizune-senpai when she was teaching me medical jutsu."
"That's it?"
"...And a few other things."
Silence fell between them as Neji crossed his arms and leaned against a tree, eyeing Ino contemplatively. She felt like fidgeting under the weight of his stare.
"Are you familiar with the definition of the term 'partner'?"
All traces of nervousness evaporated as Ino cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms semi-mockingly. "Yes, Hyuuga-taichou, I know what it means. I can spell it too."
"Then you should recognize the necessity of sharing pertinent information. I would think you, of all people, would know that."
It was a jab both at the unparalleled teamwork of Team 10 and Ino's specialization in espionage and it stung as sharply as an angry bumblebee. Ino flushed, offended in spite of herself.
"And I would think you would know the importance of keepings one's abilities unknown. You know, so nobody will abduct you just to harvest your organs."
The way his body went completely rigid told Ino she'd gone too far but she was angry now, too much so to care. She was tired of always arguing with Neji over everything. She was tired of acting like his indifference didn't matter. She was tired of pretending not to love him. And now that her patience was gone she wanted to know what she'd spent it on; what her heart had betrayed her for. A confession made while he was high on artificial hormones? A kiss that both of them were acting like never happened?
She blinked slowly, gathering her thoughts as his eyes stayed firmly set on her, unwavering. Sheepish, Ino ran a hand through her bangs.
"I'm sorry, that was...I shouldn't have said that. I apologize."
Always arguing. She was starting to think she was incapable of forming wholesome, platonic relationships with guys she had feelings for. Was she going to drive away every man she fell for? Why couldn't things go back to the way they had been before- Before what? There was no 'before', she couldn't even pinpoint the time when things began to change. They couldn't go back to a 'before' that didn't exist. The last argument ended in a kiss. She hurriedly pushed that thought away, shoving it waaaaay back to the recesses of her mind. Damnit, he was making her crazy when sanity was already a fine line to walk. Curse her treacherous heart.
Ino waited expectantly for the impending lecture on insubordination. Despite the taut lines of tension she saw on his face, Neji's voice softened. "You're safe with me. It doesn't matter who knows what you're capable of, I won't let anyone capture you."
...and now she felt like a first class bitch. Leave it to a genius to bring her crashing back down to earth when she thought he was being unreasonable; to snap out of his stoicism just enough to make her question what exactly he thought of her. Never can figure him out. Ino bit her inner lip.
"There's something I need to know. Why did you kiss me?"
She waited for answer, an excuse, a lie. Anything. Just...a clue in one direction or the other. Playing guessing games in her head was only leading her in circles, she was wearing her brain out trying to confirm whether or not her feelings were reciprocated. Ino almost welcomed the heartache of rejection just as long as she had an answer; not knowing was torture.
Neji paused, giving thought to his reply, and Ino braced herself as she watched his expression for a sign. Just when she was starting to wonder if he would ignore her question, he tilted his head to look her in the eyes and softly told her the words she least expected to hear.
"Does it matter why?"
Ino frowned almost reflexively. Had he been anyone else, he'd be getting verbally slaughtered for dodging a question when she was being serious but he wasn't 'anyone else', he was Neji, and for that simple fact she held her tongue and temper in check. Shaking her head lightly she let her gaze wander away from his searching eyes. It was cowardly, but she didn't feel much like being herself at the moment. She didn't feel brave. She didn't even want to feel.
"No, actually, it doesn't."
With a curt nod Neji pushed off of the tree and his broad back that she knew better than the back of her own hand was moving away from her, away...always away. That was where everything went in her life, away.
...And just maybe, that was where she needed to go too.
In an instant she caught up to him, stubborn feet planted firmly in front of him as she blocked his pathway, hair still swinging from the movement.
"And this doesn't either."
And she kindly returned the hell he'd put her through with the same action he'd done to her: a kiss, fully on the lips.
His surrender had been laughably short, and had Ino had the presence of mind to be amused she would have cheered in victory. As it was, with his lips - and soon, tongue - responding, it was difficult to think of anything much. It wasn't a short, chaste kiss like the first one he'd given her nor was it the frustrated and pleading kiss he'd given her after that. This kiss was in an entirely different category altogether. It was ravenous and dominating and stole her breath away in ways she hadn't known possible. It was a good look at the side of him she hadn't known and Ino embraced the moment wholeheartedly, eager to know more. He embraced her, his arms snaking around her back and pulling her so tightly to him it was painful. And this time she did lock her arms around his neck, her sense of inhibition abandoned completely. When Ino lightly swept her tongue across the roof of his mouth he inhaled sharply, the kiss growing ever more agressive as the need for air somehow became less important mentally but urgent all the same. When Neji's lips finally shifted to her neck Ino gulped oxygen greedily, a half-strangled moan escaping her when he bit her rather roughly just under her jawbone. Her fingers threaded in the ebony locks at the nape of his neck and tugged shortly in retaliation before she pulled him back to her mouth. She could feel the hammering of his heart right through his chest, beating in synchronized frenzy with hers.
The next thing Ino knew, her arms were being pried away from Neji's neck as he slipped out of her grasp.
What was he doing? Kami, who had he thought he was? Certainly not Hyuuga Neji, jounin of Konoha, son of Hizashi and husband of Tenten. A man with obligations to fill and expectations to meet. A man who did not fear, did not forsake, did not fail. For a second he had imagined himself to be someone with free reign to do as he wanted, but that instant was past now and he knew he could not do this. He would not do this to Tenten. He'd broken many morals in his life, and he'd break many more for the sake of his profession, but even immoral bastards had limits.
And he'd just reached his.
A / N : Okay, so I officially can't stick to a deadline to save my soul. Next time I estimate a due date, don't listen. Ino and Neji argue almost nonstop, but with each argument they understand each other better. Oh Neji, how will you look yourself in the mirror? And finally, f***yeah! NejiIno is rising in popularity! I see you, new NejiIno writers! :D