The Kakashi chapter is here! Hurrah! Enjoy!
"Sensei!" A feminine voice called for him as he lounged on one of the branch of a tree on Kumo eastern training ground while reading Icha Icha Paradise. Kakashi knew who it was even without taking a peek, the voice was too familiar for him not to notice.
"Yo." He lowered his book down and looked at the blonde kunoichi who was looking up at the tree.
"Get down here." She said.
"No." He deadpanned while waving his novel to further strengthen his point. Ino tsk in disapproval.
"I need you." Kakashi rose his eyebrows in amusement. In the morning already? "Darui comes back to Kumo today and I need your help to look my best."
Oh.
"I think Tenten will be of a help better than me." He said.
"She's too nice. Even if I'm putting on a potato sack, she'll still say that I look hot or whatever." Ino folded her hands.
"Try Neji."
"Neji hates me." Ino replied. "Come on, Sensei. I'll give you a nice treat afterward."
Kakashi closed his book and jumped down the tree. He landed perfectly in front of her and asked, "Are we thinking about the same treat?"
Ino eyed him and let out a naughty grin.
"If you think about chocolate ice cream, then yes."
XXX
Having Yamanaka Inoichi as her backup was bad enough, but now that Morino Ibiki joined the list, Yamanaka Ino was officially the most tempting forbidden fruit anybody should never mess up with in Konoha.
Even a man as accomplished as the Copy-nin shivered at the thought of Inoichi and Ibiki finding out that he had just slept with Ino. Kakashi shifted uncomfortably on his mattress as the blonde suddenly sat up from his bed.
She looked at the unmasked Kakashi. "Hey, you're rather handsome maskless."
Kakashi pulled his mask up as an answer. Ino rolled her eyes.
"Okay, so here's the deal." She started in her bossy tone as she stood up and started to wear her clothing. "No one must know about this, Sensei."
"That you drink even though you're still 16 or that you sleep with me?"
"That I drink." Ino answered quickly.
"I can tell people that I'm sleeping with you?" He asked, rather amused. Ino looked at him with a weird look.
"You don't remember anything, do you?"
"I'm out after the third shot." He admitted. "Are you saying that we don't actually sleep with each other?"
Ino gave him a meaningful look before letting out a sigh. "No. We did. Actually, it's my first time."
The thought of Inoichi and Ibiki appeared in his mind again. Kakashi scratched his head.
"Sorry." He said. "Sorry that I took your first time and I don't even remember any of it."
"It's okay." Ino tied her hair and buttoned her purple top hastily. "Now, I've got to run. Thanks, Sensei." She let out a smile. Kakashi stood up and approached her.
"I'm really sorry." He repeated and Ino gave him an assuring grin.
"Don't be like that. All's well." She tiptoed to gave him a kiss on the lips before climbing up his windows.
Kakashi swore he saw tears when she jumped away from his apartment.
XXX
She went out of the changing rooms wearing a purple dress and did a full turn around in front of him. Kakashi nodded in approval as he read his orange novel. Ino have tried half the store's clothing and yet everything seems appalled her. This one dress seems to do just the same.
"It's not good enough." Ino sighed as she glared at Kakashi as if criticizing him for giving a nod.
"You're fine wearing everything, Ino." He told her for what seems like the ninth time that day. Kakashi started to feel out of place doing this, he was a ninja worthy of missions like destroying a whole country or infiltrate a dangerous organization like Akatsuki. The mission he's worthy of was not supposed to follow a woman around shopping for clothes. He was not supposed to follow the woman he loves around shopping for clothes for another man.
"I'm not fine with being just fine, Sensei." She said frustratedly. "If I didn't look stunning, I'd be just a plain hag compared to Samui and Mabui."
"You're intimidated?" Kakashi asked with amusement in his eyes. Intimidation and Ino were not a weird match at all, but only at the case where Ino was the subject.
"Of course. Women are very competitive creatures."Ino said as she browsed expertly through the clothes. Kakashi shrugged his head. "Samui is like me in general you know : blonde, blue eyes," Ino said as she took out a flowery orange dress and shook her head. "With much bigger chests."
"Your chests are just the right size." Kakashi defended his most favorite body parts of Ino.
"Sensei, let's stay out of the perverted way here." Ino rolled her eyes at him as she put the dress back to the hanger. "And Mabui is so exotic with the chocolate skin and white hair and huge chests and a very cute personality to match."
"... In a way, you have a very unique personality too." Kakashi said after several moments and it earned him a decorative apple being thrown at him. He caught it before it reached his head and did some damage. "What do you think about red?" She asked as she showed him a long red gown.
"Good."
Ino rolled her eyes and it seems like she had regarded Kakashi useless because she put the red gown back to its hanger and stalked to a different brand area. She seems to like the brand better because this time she instantly took three or four dresses to the changing room. Each time she went out, Kakashi nodded and each time, she went inside once again then came out while shaking her head.
"This is hopeless." Ino threw herself next to him at the bench. Kakashi eyed the girl next to him and wondered why she needed a new wardrobe at all. Her purple top suited her just fine and her skirt complimented her hips very well. Her bare stomach was of course the best part of the clothing.
"You're fine like this." Kakashi told her. Ino looked at him and their gaze met. "You don't need a new gown."
"Do I?"
"Yes."
"I don't want to be just fine." Ino repeated as she tore away from his gaze. She stood up and browsed the hanger once again.
"You're stunning, Ino. Your top and skirt complimented your body very much." Kakashi said honestly.
"And I bet Darui can't stop dreaming about what's on the top and under your bare stomach."
"That was actually useful." Ino stopped and turned around to Kakashi.
"You think Darui'll like this outfit?" She asked him.
"He will love it." Kakashi eyed her from head to toe and then he let out a humorous smile. "I like it best when you wear no outfit, though."
There was a soft chuckle before another decorative apple was thrown at him.
XXX
The door to Ibiki's office was slammed open and Ino barged into the room panting and sweating. Ibiki looked up from his newspaper and frowned at his student.
"You should knock before you got into my office." He told her in his usual strict tone but Ino didn't seem to listen as she walked to the seat in front of his table with a blank face and looked at her master blankly. Ibiki knew that she was on the verge of breaking down and he was right. The moment he asked, "What happened?", she cried and cried and cried until her voice hoarse and she was starting to lose her breath.
"Calm yourself, Ino." Ibiki said coolly.
"I'm sorry." Ino said amidst her unsteady breathing.
"Take a deep breath and drink this water." Ibiki pushed a bottle of water her way .
"I'm so sorry." Ino repeated as she drank the water. After a several minutes of uncontrolled sobs, she finally managed to steady her breath.
"Okay." She said. "Thanks, Sensei."
"What happened?" Ibiki asked and Ino shook her head.
"It's just all the pressure about the arranged marriage being pent up inside and finally exploding." She told him. She was a very great liar, but seriously? Did she really try to lie to someone who taught her how?
"Tell me, Ino. You know I'll find out sooner or later."
"You can't find out." Ino shook her head.
"Do you want me to summon my kuchiyose?"
Ino pouted at this and she knew that Ibiki didn't joke around when it came to summoning his kuchiyose. She had learned it the hard way during one of her training years ago.
"I slept with someone last night." She told him and Ibiki's expression stayed still. After years in T&I, no development could actually shock him even though this one was rather surprising.
"Who?" He asked. "Were you willing or were you raped?"
He was already devising a lot of torture method in his mind had she been raped.
"I was willing." Ino could see a little glint of relief mixed with disappointment in her teacher's eyes.
"Shikamaru?" Ibiki asked and Ino shook her head in horror.
"God, no. Why would I do that?" She asked. Ibiki eyed her skeptically.
"The Uchiha kid was still being interrogated in the prison all night last night." Ibiki told her. "I don't see any other person you like or are close enough with to do that but Shikamaru."
Ino looked away from his gaze and Ibiki could read that movement like he read a book. It was one of her guilty conscience and there was obviously one more fact she was hiding from him.
"There's something else, isn't it?"
"I was drunk." Ibiki narrowed his eyes in dismay.
"You? Drunk?" He asked. "You're still 16 and you're a woman with well-upbringing, why would you do that?"
Ino chose to ignore his comment and continued her story.
"A little. He's completely out of his mind, it appears." Ino looked down and Ibiki could tell that she was trying to not sob once again. "He didn't remember a thing."
"What a disgrace." Ibiki snorted. "That man was not supposed to let you drink at all."
"He tried to remind me that I was still 16, but I didn't heed his advice."
That had easily meant that her partner was someone over 18.
Ibiki narrowed his eyes and did a quick calculation in his mind. Maito Gai, Yamashiro Aoba, Nara Shikaku,
Akimichi Chouza and Umino Iruka would obviously drag Ino out of the bar even if they had to die doing it. Kamizuki Izumo, Hagane Kotetsu, Shiranui Genma and Namiashi Raidou on the other hand, were not going to tell her anything at all. Tobitake Tonbo didn't know her well enough to greet her.
That leaves …
"Was it Hatake Kakashi?"
XXX
Kakashi sighed as Ino waltzed away happily to the embrace of Darui. He couldn't even understand how they could have that much to talk to when she had barely even known him. He was about to open his novel when a figure appeared in front of him. For a second he couldn't believe his eyes. He was pretty sure he was hallucinating but the voice assured him that it was all real.
"Kakashi." The voice was husky and there was another familiar figure slouching next to him. Illusions could never be this real. Kakashi cleared his throat.
"Inoichi-san. Shikaku-san." The slouched man held up his hand as his way of greeting.
"Where's Ino?" Inoichi asked, his tone urgent.
"He's with Darui right now."
Inoichi's eyes widened. "And you're not there to watch her? What if this is all just some Kumo's grand scheme of bad things?"
When Ino told Kakashi that she left Konoha without telling Inoichi -who's away on a mission at that time- because he didn't want him throwing tantrums everywhere, she should have known that he wouldn't just let her off the hook like that.
Of course, he would chase her to Kumo.
"Neji and Tenten are watching her."
"Why do you even let a newly appointed jounin and a chuunin to watch her? Darui is a damn general during the war." Inoichi said. "It would be so easy for Darui to burn them in his black lightning."
"Inoichi, take it easy. Neji is not new, and you've approved of that man. You know he's harmless." Shikaku said as he patted his friend's shoulder. Inoichi snorted.
"That was before my daughter ran away from home. Hypnotism is total possibility."
Kakashi wanted to tell him that Ino running away from home had nothing to do with hypnotism, but what was he supposed to say? That it was because Uchiha Sasuke was hot on her tail even though Sakura will hate her for it? Kakashi was just practically sending Sasuke to his death – or something even worse than death, as Ino called it- that way.
"Oh, please, Inoichi. Don't dramatize everything. Ino's well." Shikaku said as he eyed Kakashi for support. "Right, Kakashi?"
"Yeah, she's fine and well. I know a hypnotized person when I see one." Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"Oh you, non-T&I people." Inoichi scoffed. "What do you know about hypnotism and mind-controlling?"
The resemblance was too much.
Kakashi felt like he was seeing a taller and more rugged Ino with a tanner skin and heavier voice. Aside of all that, they were practically the same person.
"I'm meeting the Raikage right now." Inoichi walked past through Kakashi and jumped to a civilian's house and paced toward the Raikage office. Shikaku shook his head.
"My, my. Now Yoshino seems just like a docile girl against this one."
Papa Bear had really come.
XXX
Everything about that room made him feel uncomfortable. Whether it's the stark white wall, the overly bright lighting, the low temperature, the eyes of Ibiki who stared at him with no emotions attached, or the fact that there's not a single window in this room, everything made him shift uncomfortably in his seat. He knew exactly why he was here and he had to say that he regretted it very much. However, regrets got scoff in here. T&I department never believes on second chance.
"You know why you're here." Ibiki told Kakashi as he pushed him a bottle of cold water. The room was already several degrees colder than the outside to begin with and now the water was cold too, great, Ibiki must have some kind of fetishes toward cold things. Dead body. Kakashi shook the thought away.
"Is it about Ino?" He asked. Straight ways are always the fastest way.
"Indeed." He replied with a small smirk in his eyes.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Ibiki continued as he stood up. Kakashi took a breath. Honesty is the best policy and he had done nothing wrong, anyway.
"She had grown up to be a beautiful woman, indeed."
"She was still my beautiful girl until you make him a woman two days ago."
"She's not your girl." Kakashi pointed out.
"Correct." Ibiki agreed. "She's my student. My one, and only student."
"I'm pretty sure the Hokage will assign you to a genin squad once you reach Jonin rank." Kakashi stated in an aloof tone. There's no way that he'd let Ibiki bullied him so easily.
"Don't be so defensive, Kakashi." Ibiki chuckled. Kakashi frowned. He's not defensive. He's just making a point. Ibiki opened a bottle of cold water and drank for it.
"It's not like I interrogate you or anything. It's only an invitation to my office."
So this is Ibiki's office. Very scary.
"To hang out and talk about Ino?" He tried to make a joke out of that but Ibiki glared at him.
"To warn you." Ibiki pointed his now empty bottle toward him. "I respect you and your great reputation as a shinobi, and my job is strictly to have a knowledge of everything. I don't meddle with personal problems."
Yes. This is not meddling. This is just some kind of friendly invitation. Very convincing.
"She came crying to me this morning." He said and Kakashi felt a surge of guilt went through his heart. So Ino did cry. Why to Ibiki, he never knew.
"That mess was uncalled for." Kakashi said. "It won't happen again."
"Now that I think about it, I don't give a damn even if you messed with her, actually. She's a strong girl. I teach her to be strong. Mess with her anyway you want."
"Pardon?" Kakashi looked at the heavily scarred man but Ibiki was lost on his thought and when he looked at Kakashi once again, it was an evil smirk on his face.
"Just don't mess her so bad that she had to run to Inoichi." Ibiki told him, sadistic smirk was still attached to his face. "There is punishment worse than death when that happens."
XXX
Kakashi swore that he wouldn't care even if Sakura slept with Jiraiya. One or two light and humorous questions to both, but he won't hunt Jiraiya down and declare him nemesis. Sakura's father, Kizashi, would look at them with deep frown, and then he'll shrug it off because he believed on Sakura. On the other hand, adults responsible for Ino took everything much more seriously, it seems. Kids on her generation was safe, but older men seems to be totally off-limit. Asuma punched Izumo literally to the next week for mentioning how hot Ino look like and how good she'd be in bed. There was a story about Inoichi mind-torture a civilian for hitting on Ino from Aoba that never went confirmed. No one wanted to take a risk though. And then, Ibiki joined the list and everybody backed off. Except for Genma. Persistent -or shameless-, that one.
"Is this seat empty?" A manly voice greeted him and broke his train of thought at the same time. Kakashi looked up, expecting a more familiar figure like Neji or Lee but it was Darui holding a tea cup on his hand. Despite his surprise, Kakashi's expression gave away nothing and he only nodded.
"Go ahead." Darui took a seat in front of him. "Date's cancelled?" Kakashi asked even though he didn't really have to ask for the reason.
"Yeah." Darui drank his hot tea. "Her dad bolted out of nowhere and they started to argue."
"Too much drama?"
"It's fine. Kumo's dull."
"Hmm." Kakashi drank his tea as well and focus back to his book.
"Do you know her well, Kakashi?" Darui suddenly asked.
"No, not really."
He didn't really lie. Their meetings were hasty and rushed most of the times, they rarely have the time to talk for real. Most of the time, anyway. There were times when Ino would tell him everything after they did it and then she would just snap out of it and then she'd just grin at him and apologize for telling him boring gossips.
"Are you really marrying her?" Kakashi asked out of curiosity. It was always about Ino sure this, Ino unsure that. Darui was never a factor.
"I did what the boss tell me to do. Dull, but that's what I do."
So he never was a factor.
"There are people who loves her in Konoha."
"Do you?" Darui asked and his eyes was searching Kakashi's gaze.
"In Konoha, I said."
"She was given choices." Darui lifted his shoulder.
"Yeah." Kakashi's gaze was looking faraway now. "She picks you."
There was a long silence between them. Darui was looking at his tea and Kakashi was reading his novel. Kakashi was well-aware that Darui was thinking about Ino.
"She's a good woman." Kakashi finally told him and Darui looked up at him.
"I know." Darui said. "This is just between us, but she told me that she's no longer innocent back then."
Kakashi's heart thudded.
"I chuckled and said that I'm not marrying a kunoichi from Konoha T&I and expect her to be dull and innocent." There was a huge question as to why Darui would tell him all this. Did Ino possibly tell Darui that Kakashi was the one who …
"And what did she say?" Kakashi asked coolly.
"She never gets a chance to say anything." Darui sighed. "That was when her father bolted out of nowhere and the argument starts."
"Her father heard?" Kakashi's eyes widened.
"Yeah." Darui said. "He's not happy. Infuriated."
Yes. Infuriated Inoichi. Kakashi could already smell the blood when his head rolls now.
XXX
"Nobody should know about this." Ino contemplated her surrounding as she pulled the blanket further up onto her body. Kakashi nodded in agreement. That was for the best, he had no interest on revisiting Ibiki's office or facing Inoichi's wrath.
"My father will kill me." Ino said.
"Your father will kill me first. So, you might have some time to run." He tried to make a joke out of that one and it was successful. Ino chuckled.
"So, was it true?" Kakashi asked.
"What is true?"
"That you are on a legendary S-rank mission that actually requires a kunoichi to go all-out." Kakashi repeated her exact word. Ino grinned at him.
"How long have you been a shinobi, Sensei? You know such mission is nonexistent." Ino laughed. It was weird, because he didn't sense her lying back then.
"It was just you lying to get on bed with me?" He asked humorously and Ino grinned back at him.
"I'm not exactly lying. I need the skill for a mission. And we were both a little drunk and the chemistry is totally there." She looked at his hand and caressed his finger. "... And even if Asuma-sensei is still alive, he won't teach me." She said. Kakashi winced at the thought of Asuma teaching Ino the skill, not that he ever imagined that he'd be teaching her that either.
"If you need the skill so much, Tsunade-sama should have assigned you with someone by now."
"Kurenai-sensei is assigned for me." Ino said, now examining his short nails.
"So it's real." Kakashi said in an amused tone.
"What's real?"
"The mission."
"Not a legendary S-rank mission, but yes, kinda." Ino admitted. "You train very hard, don't you, Sensei? Your hands told me as much." She said suddenly as she lifted his hand.
"It's a very gray area. To Gai, my training is just warming up." Kakashi told Ino who was chuckling.
"Gai-sensei is indeed a very intense person." Ino agreed.
"You know that it's against the protocol to let a kunoichi went all-out even on one of those seduction missions." He told her suddenly.
"I never said this is for a seduction mission." Ino smiled. "You need to broaden your view, Sensei."
"So Kurenai's not enough because you need real life experience."
"Mmm. You read me like an open book."
"Then, why me?"
"You seem to know your things with those books." Ino gave her a wide smile. It's almost like she had been waiting for the moment to say that. Kakashi grinned.
"I can lend you one."
"The borrower is a slave to the lender." Ino repeated in a heavy tone, as if mimicking someone. "Ibiki-sensei told me that." Kakashi winced at the mention of Ibiki's name.
"I don't have any interest on making you my slave … wait, that sounds perverted."
"You and your imagination." Ino sighed. Kakashi chuckled.
"I must be grateful for Jiraiya-sama then, these books actually help me get laid."
"You should." Ino said, she eyed the book and then darted her eyes away. "I can't understand it, though."
"What?"
"Those books." Ino sighed. "In the end, it never goes by the book. It's always back to our primal instict."
"I'm listening, ."
Ino nudged his hand while laughing.
"If you thought about it like that, then why me? You don't ask me to do this because the books, right?" Kakashi asked her again and Ino huffed and turned around, facing her back to him.
"You don't want to know."
"I'm asking you. So I'm pretty sure I want to know."
It's not everyday a beautiful kunoichi who knows him in daily life threw herself at him like last night. Something must have been a reason and if he was a part of some secret missions, he'd better know about it.
"You can't handle the truth."
"This is not Pulp Fiction, Ino. Please." Kakashi rolled his eyes. Ino chuckled.
"You see. I need the skill." Ino started. "And I'm not trying to make a list of names here."
She turned around.
"You took my first time, Sensei. Who else am I supposed to run to?"
XXX
If life were a game of shogi, Kakashi would have been brutally murdered over and over. He had heard about the Nara men being a tactical genius despite their lazy attitude, but Kakashi was pretty confident about himself. He had been hailed as a genius by everyone himself and thus when he entered the game, he didn't expect to lose this badly.
"You could have a chance winning against Shikamaru." Shikaku tried to console him but there are no fixing a shattered pride. 7 games played and 7 games lost.
"There are no fixing a shattered pride, Shikaku-san." Kakashi told him.
"At least you are not such a sore loser," Shikaku sighed. "Inoichi lost to me when we were still genins and swore to himself that he'd never let himself near a shogi board once again."
"Whoa. That's pretty sore."
The living room door was opened and Neji and Tenten entered the room. They seemed to be surprised with the presence of Shikaku there but nodded at him respectfully anyway.
"I came here to accompany Inoichi." Shikaku told them. "Tsunade-sama sent me, she's afraid that Inoichi'd go declaring war with Kumo and all."
Neji winced.
"So what are you doing here?" Neji asked as he sat himself across of them.
"Waiting for Inoichi and Ino to settle their problems." Shikaku said calmly. "A wise man wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of that."
"Is it that bad?" Tenten asked with concern filled her complexion.
"That bad." Shikaku nodded. "Chouza get caught in the middle of that and he refused a treat to a barbeque afterward."
"That sounds really bad coming from Chouza-san." Tenten agreed in a contemplative tone.
"Good evening, everyone!" A cheerful voice echoed throughout the room and it didn't take a genius to figure out who it belongs to. Lee smiled widely.
"I just came back from my youthful training … oh, there's Shikamaru-kun's father! Good evening." Lee bowed to him. Shikaku raised his bottle of beer as a response.
"I met Ino-chan and her father on the way here." Lee told them. "They are talking very passionately with each other."
Oblivious Lee, no wonder. Kakashi sighed as he imagined Ino getting interrogated. He's pretty confident that Ino wouldn't give up his name, but the world of mind-controller was not something he was exactly familiar with. Who knows what Inoichi might do to Ino.
"What's the matter actually?" Neji asked. "I thought Inoichi-san had given Darui an ok."
"You know what, this whole arranged marriage thing is new to me as well." Shikaku sighed. "We were back from a mission in Wave Country and then Tsunade-sama told us about Ino being gone and he went berserk I had to use my shadow on him." Shikaku scratched his head. "This is not like Inoichi, actually. He's usually very composed but it seems like Ino had that skill to pull all the right strings on him as well. Goddamn it, he's obsessed with his daughter."
Kakashi could totally understand what Shikaku was trying to say. He could easily imagine Asuma beat the hell out of someone or Ibiki tortures someone to death when their little girl was messed with. Inoichi, however, how could he beat or torture someone with his composed nature and wise demeanor? He's still a very nice man even when drunk!
"I hope that everything goes well." Tenten muttered.
"Everything will be fine, Tenten." Lee tried to comfort his teammate. Neji sighed.
"Sakura would have been a better choice for Darui. There wouldn't be so much ruckus that way." Neji said. Kakashi agreed but he understood the reason why Tsunade picked Ino. She was the perfect kunoichi for missions like this : nice body, outgoing personality, and intelligence-related skillset. Besides, Tsunade was grooming Sakura to be her successor of medical ninjutsu.
"Sakura-chan is for me!" Lee said stubbornly. "Tsunade-sama must have known my pure youthful love to Sakura and that's why she picked Ino." Kakashi narrowed his eyes at that. Gai and Lee's choice of words never cease to amaze him.
"Funny thing is, even if Sakura was arranged to be married to Darui, Suna had proposed an appeal to forge a solid alliance with Konoha. The idea was to marry the Kazekage with Yamanaka Ino." Shikaku told them and Kakashi was a little bit surprised by the sentence. Why would the Kazekage demands Yamanaka Ino specifically? As long as he's concerned, Gaara never had any form of communication to her, or any other girl in the rookie nine.
"I thought Shikamaru and that girl with the huge fan ..."Neji began.
"Temari." Tenten corrected him.
"Yes, Temari. I thought they are going out with each other? The alliance between the heir of Nara clan and a sister of the Kazekage was more than enough to secure a strong alliance between the two villages." He said. Shikaku shook his head.
"My son didn't go out with the sister of the Kazekage."
"Oh, please. That's what he tells you." The voice of Yamanaka Inoichi retorted and everybody looked at Ino and Inoichi who stood shoulder by shoulder at the door. Their expression was happy and sated, as if they were just back from a long vacation.
"He didn't." Shikaku didn't dwell long with his shock and kept a poker face. "I know my son."
Inoichi sighed. "That's what you think. You think you know your child and then the next second, she'll be gone to marry someone without telling you."
"You know that I'm betrothed to Darui, father." Ino said as she nudged his hand. Inoichi smiled and patted Ino's head.
"Yes, my dear daughter, but you did go without telling me." Inoichi said. Ino nodded.
"And I'm sorry. We're past that, right?" Ino smiled back.
"Yes. All's well that ends well." Inoichi said as he strutted happily inside the house and went to the kitchen to get a drink. Ino sat next to Kakashi and he had to fight the urge to ask her what had happened in detail, especially about the whole I'm-no-longer-innocent thing. It seems like everybody thought about the same thing but they know it as well that Ino and Inoichi will talk about it sooner or later.
And it seems that sooner came more than later.
"I'm still not giving up about the one who steals your innocence though." Inoichi said and Shikaku had to wince at his shamelessness. Ino let out an awkward smile.
"Father, I thought we agree that we're not going to talk about that here."
"Yes, that was rather inappropriate." Shikaku sided with Ino.
"What? They're no longer kids, Shikaku. They know things as well." Inoichi threw his friend a bottle of beer which he swiftly caught. Kakashi could feel the intense stare of Neji that burns his back. The silence was deafening and after a Inoichi looked around. That very second, realization hits him. Of course, Inoichi would know that they know.
"Lee-kun." He called Lee who was the most flustered out of all three.
"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING, INOICHI-SAN. I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING. NOW I'VE GOT TO RESUME MY NIGHT TRAINING BY DOING 300 LAPS AROUND THE VILLAGE, HAHAHA." He dashed out of the house in a light speed. Inoichi looked at the opened door and looked at the remaining two. Tenten let out a forced smile.
"I should go to the training store as well. Samui promised to show me the best weapon shop in Kumo." She said and even though it looked like she tried not to look like that she was rushing out the house, she did. Ino sighed and looked at his dad.
"One sentence and you got two people out of the house, father. Very good."
"It was actually six sentences, Ino." Inoichi said as he drank his beer. "I said six sentences to get two people out of this out, several more, and it will be the truth that is out."
XXX
Ino was not the easiest person to fall in love with, but when someone spending this much time with her, it was impossible not to fall in love with her. That fact, Kakashi had made peace with. Kakashi let go of his kiss as Ino looked back at him with an unreadable expression. She gently pulled his mask up.
"We should go before Neji realized about the bunshin." She said. Kakashi contemplated the idea before nodding.
"You're right." He said as he helped Ino buttoned her purple top.
"Genma proposed to me." She said suddenly. He kept his calm as he finished buttoning the top.
"What did you say?"
"I said that I don't know and he said that I should think more of it."
"You don't have the heart to refuse him?" Kakashi asked as they left the area and walked in a slow pace toward the camp.
"I like Genma." Ino said with an offended tone hinted in her words. "My father hates him."
"Never stops you before." Kakashi said.
"It's marriage, Sensei. When he marries me, he marries the whole clan as well." Ino rolled her eyes. Kakashi looked at her and gave her a grin.
"So, did your father like me?"
"Shut up." Ino said. "My father likes Darui well and that's what matter."
"And yet, you tell Genma you don't know. I don't understand you sometimes." Kakashi said.
"Because, I do don't know." Ino said. "I like him, but liking someone is not enough reason for marriage. Marrying Darui ,on the other hand, is a mission."
"Stop talking about that as a mission. You are given choices."
"Stop sounding like Sasuke." Ino scoffed. Kakashi raised his eyebrows.
"Sasuke knows about your mission?" It's not the fact that Sasuke knows about the marriage that baffled Kakashi -he was there during the meeting with Sai- but it was the fact Ino knows that Sasuke knows.
"No." Ino said. "It was about Sakura."
"It's been years and the drama's still on?" Kakashi quipped. Ino didn't take the joke and huffed.
"I did love Sasuke." Ino said stubbornly. "Do. A little."
"You sure love a lot of people, Ino."
"Don't be like that." Ino said. " Women love it when men give them attention. It's not rare to feel confused."
"You're saying that you're not sure about your own feeling."
"Yes. What if I picked the wrong person? What if it was all just a fling? There are so many what ifs in my head that marrying Darui sounds like a solution." Ino said frustratedly. Kakashi looked at her and he could see that she was upset.
"It's okay." He said and Ino glared at him.
"That was very comforting, Mr-who-started-this-topic. God, Ibiki will be so mad if he sees me getting upset and insecure in front of you." Ino covered her face with her hands.
"There are a lot of things Ibiki doesn't have to know." Kakashi said. Like, a whole lot of things. Like the fact that Kakashi kept sleeping with Ino even after his 'invitation' to Ibiki's office.
"There are nothing he doesn't know. He even knows that you stash my photo in your wallet."
What? How could he knew such … personal, private thing? Kakashi knew now why Konoha Intelligence was deemed the most feared and efficient in the world. All those Yamanakas and one Morino Ibiki is the recipe.
"You are so pretty on that photo. I couldn't resist."
"To jack off?" She replied snarkily.
"So that I could look at it when I miss you." Kakashi said. "And to jack off, but that's not the main reason." He added with a grin and Ino sighed. They continued to walk some more before Ino broke the silence.
"Sasuke and I kissed." Kakashi's heart flinched. "I still have that little piece of old feeling,I guess."
"And then what happened?" Kakashi asked with an aloof tone.
"Sakura." Ino said. "Out of all people who had to see it, Sakura had to be the one that saw it."
"And she got angry." Kakashi continued. Ino nodded.
"Kinda. And Sasuke got angry too, because I hit-and-run him like that." Ino looked up at the early morning sky. There was regret in her face and Kakashi had to say that he was jealous. He was pretty sure that Ino would be happily hand him over to some other girls had it been the case.
"And you don't submit to Sasuke because?"
"I honor my friendship with Sakura … and what, a kiss and I should run to his embrace? It was back to the oh-so-many what if problem. And I also have a betrothed to marry."
"Stop blaming the marriage, Ino."
"You won't understand."
"What I understand is you love to dwell on this problem." Kakashi said.
"I don't." Ino retorted.
"Then what do you want me to do, Ino? What do you want Sasuke and Genma and everyone else to do to get you back?"
"Please, we're past this conversation." Ino said as she walked faster but Kakashi easily caught up with her.
"You never answer. What is it exactly that you want? Tell me what I have to do to get you back."
"I wanted someone to love me." She whispered. "And convince me that it's not temporary. That I make the right choice."
"I love you." Kakashi repeated. "And it's not temporary. Even when you get old and wrinkled, I will love you."
"You'll get old and wrinkled way before me anyway." Ino retorted with a small smile.
"Yeah." Kakashi grinned at her reply.
"I'm pretty fixed on marrying Darui right now, anyway" She said, her tone was business-like. Kakashi stopped in front of her and Ino looked at him.
" I'll convince you somehow. I'll run around Konoha pronouncing my undying devotion to you or make a blood oath that I'll love you forever. Tell me it's not too late."
Ino gave him a look as her hand extended to caress his jaw.
"It's too late."
XXX
"I bet that it's Genma." Inoichi said as he walked down the stairs. He leered at Ino who was opening her green nail polish and starting to do her toes. It was the morning after Ino and Inoichi fought. The night ends with Neji swiftly left the room without telling anybody anything and Ino loudly announced that she was tired and wanted to sleep. Inoichi and Shikaku carried on with their drinks and Kakashi went back to his room to read his novel in silence. This morning, after his morning practice, he went back to the house to find Ino reading a magazine and no one else. It was until Inoichi walked down the stairs, of course.
"Keep guessing, Father. I'm not telling you anything." Ino hummed. Inoichi let out a deliberately loud sigh before opening the refrigerator. He took some egg and put it on a pan to boil it.
"I'm going to buy some salt." He said after searching the cabinet. "Turn the stove off after 10 minutes."
"Okay." Kakashi and Ino said altoghether. Inoichi nodded and walked out the door. Kakashi took a seat across Ino.
"So it's just the two of us, now." Ino said.
"Your father okayed Darui?"
"Yeah."
"I haven't lost." Kakashi said. "I still have some tricks up my sleeves. You can tell me it's too late all you want."
"I don't have any respond to that." Ino said as she looked at her newly green toes.
"Ino." Kakashi suddenly got an idea.
"What?"
"Why does Inoichi wants to know who slept with you?"
"To beat you up good." Ino answered shortly. "And telling you to take responsibility, maybe."
"Ah, as expected." Kakashi nodded.
"What?" Ino looked at him and then she suddenly got the idea and shook her head.
"No. You're not thinking that."
"I'm thinking exactly that." Kakashi grinned.
"You miss the first part, Sensei. He's going to beat your mind up really, really good."
"I'm pretty sure I've endured harder things than that." Yeah, Tsukuyomi, for example. He had been through a lot of bad things and happenings and survive.
"You don't want to try my dad's nightmare." Ino shook her head. "Ibiki actually cracked under it."
That was pretty scary.
"I don't see Ibiki cracking under anyone. But, well, how bad could it be? I've been through the worst."
"Please, I beg of you, Hatake Kakashi. You're smart, smart enough not to do this."
"I'm smart." Kakashi agreed. "But I love you."
"Don't, just don't."
"What just don't?" Inoichi's voice startled Ino as he went inside the room. Kakashi looked at Inoichi and then Ino.
Inoichi's nightmare? Is that what they call it?
"Inoichi-san, stand still there." Kakashi told him. Inoichi looked at him with astonishment as Kakashi approached him and then knelt and put his head on the floor.
"What is it?" He asked and then he looked at Ino who shook her head.
"I'm the one who slept with your daughter." Kakashi said and it was a deafening, unbearable silence. Kakashi lifted his head and Inoichi was frozen.
"Is that true, Ino?"
"Come on, Dad. It's not like it matters." Ino said as she walked toward them.
Kakashi turned his head to Ino, but before he could do so, a cold palm touched his forehead and in a split second his head felt numb.
Darkness surrounded him.
DONE!
I don't know about this chapter … Kakashi's a little bit out of character, probably? And well, Ino is not a perfect girl. I like to see her as someone who deep down (as we all do) likes all the drama which makes her dwelling on the problem longer than she has to. A total drama queen. Yep!
Anyway, I still don't know who Ino should end up with … Thoughts on the review?
I just read the prologue and decided that I should did some pretty up to that. So well, expect some pretty up for the prologue (I don't know in what time) ! :)
In general,
Please give me your thoughts and comments about this story because it is very refreshing, thank you :D
(And thank you for everyone who have reviewed so far! t's really spurring me on!)