A/N: I'll admit I'm sad because I Don't Need Love is reaching its final lap of the race. I would like to give an early thanks for sticking with me throughout the whole journey! You guys are great.

This is my favourite chapter! I hope you all enjoy it :)

"Hi mom!"

Ino answered her phone while lying on the couch with her head on Itachi's lap, as the two of them watched some TV.

"I'm great... Mmm hmm?... Yeah..." Ino sat up and looked at Itachi with an apologetic look, which Itachi replied to with a confused expression. "Uh, okay... Are you sure that's a good idea?... Alright... See you at seven!"

"Anything I should worry about?"

"Kind of..."

"What's going on, Ino?"

"Looks like you get to meet my parents. Tonight."

For the first time in the two months they had known each other, Itachi's eyes showed fear.

"Don't worry, they'll love you!"

After driving out of the city for a good half hour, they finally reached the Yamanaka home in which Ino had grown up in for seventeen years. The car was parked on the street right in front of the house and they were now climbing up the stairs to the front porch. Before Ino could reach the doorbell, Itachi grabbed her hand.

"Both of your parents?"

"Well, my mom will."

"And your father?"

Ino blinked and quickly changed the subject, "Wow, I'm starving. Aren't you?"

"Ino..."

It was too late; she had already rung the doorbell and the door flew open almost immediately.

"Ino!" The woman Itachi could undoubtedly identify as Ino's mother pulled her daughter into a warm hug. She released her, but kept her hands on Ino's shoulders as she examined her daughter. "Goodness, you look tired. Have you been getting enough sleep?"

"I'm fine, mom." Ino rolled her eyes but smiled. "Where's daddy?"

"He's at the back, setting up the barbeque." Transferring her gaze to Itachi, Ino's mother beamed, her smile growing. Itachi understood who Ino had gotten her bright smile from. "Now, who do we have here?"

"Uchiha Itachi. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Yamanaka." Itachi introduced himself with a bow.

"Oh, please, dear, just call me Inora. My, what a handsome young man you are. Where did you pick him up, Ino?"

"Mommmm." Ino rolled her large eyes once again and sighed. "You're doing it again."

"I'm sorry! Come in, come in." She gestured for them to come into their home.

Ino grabbed Itachi's hand as she followed her mother into the house.

"Honey! Ino and her special guest are here!"

The couple walked through the kitchen where Inora stayed to continue with er cooking, and went out through the back door to the yard, where they found Inoichi setting up the barbecue.

"Daddy!" Ino let go of Itachi's hand and ran over to her father who picked her up and spun her around.

"There's my girl! How's my princess doing?"

"I'm fine, daddy! I want you to meet my boyfriend." She grabbed his elbow and dragged him to the spot Itachi was rooted on, oblivious to the sudden disappearance of her father's smile. "This is Uchiha Itachi. Itachi, this is my daddy, Yamanaka Inoichi."

Seeing him close up, Itachi noted that Inoichi was at least two inches taller than him, and Itachi was not a short fellow.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."

Inoichi crossed his arms across his chest and stared at this younger man. "I wish I could say the same."

"Daddy!" Ino frowned. "You promised you would be nice."

"When did I ever say that?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Come on, Itachi. Let's go help my mom."

"Actually, I was hoping to have a chat with Itachi." Inoichi stated, not breaking his eye contact with Itachi. "Alone."

Ino glanced at her father, suspicion radiating out of her. "Why?"

"Relax, princess. I'm not going to barbeque him."

"Okay then..."

She left the men and went back inside where her mother was preparing a salad. Ino grabbed a handful of various cutlery, placemats, glasses, and napkins, all on one large tray and went to set the dining table.

"Where's Itachi, honey?"

"Outside. With daddy."

Inora looked up from a large bowl of vegetables, her eyebrows crinkled. "Really, now? But it's only his first time coming here."

"I know." She sighed.

Ino's mother looked out one of the many kitchen windows to spy on her husband and her daughter's boyfriend.

"Honey, come here for a second." Eyes never leaving the target, Inora waved for Ino to come to her and join in her childish behaviour.

"What is it?" Upon the arrival of Ino, her mother put an arm around her shoulders as they both started to giggle at the questioning they had heard a number of times already.

"What do you want with my princess."

"It is her that I want, sir."

"Why? Because she's beautiful? Funny? Smart? Talented?"

"Actually, it's because-"

"Or are you taking advantage that she can, in fact, be vulnerable and sensitive, at times?"

"Of course not. I would never-"

"You are aware that I am a high-rank interrogator in the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force?"

Itachi forced himself to not look away from Inoichi's burning glare. He noticed that while Ino had her mother's smile, she had her father's eyes, and just like Ino's eyes when angered, Inoichi's eyes gave the feeling that they could penetrate deep into people's minds.

"I was not aware."

"Well now you do. Keep that in mind"

With that, Inoichi went back to setting up the barbecue for their dinner, and the Yamanaka females retreated from their spying positions by the window.

Ino let out a sigh in relief. "Well, that wasn't too bad."

"Definitely a lot better than some others have dealt with. Why don't you go and bring Itachi inside before we end up jinxing it."

"Thank you, Inora. Dinner was delightful."

"My pleasure, Itachi." Inora smiled and got up to clear away the dishes, but Itachi was quicker.

"Let me get those for you."

He got all the dishes and carried them gracefully to the sink in the kitchen as Ino's mother followed, her smile growing.

Ino took this opportunity to chat alone with her father. She slid over to the seat next to his, where her mother was sitting.

"So? What do you think?"

"He definitely isn't good enough." He could tell he was about to be interrupted by the daughter he knew very well, and quickly added. "But let's be honest. No one will ever be good enough for my princess. And as much as I hate to admit it, that boy is the closest anyone will ever get."

"Really?"

He looked at her somewhat sadly. "Really."

"Daddy, there's no reason to look so sad!" She reached out and hugged her father. "It's not like I'm leaving! And if I ever did, that wouldn't stop me from being your girl."

Inoichi smiled and kissed the top of Ino's head.

"I know that, princess. But if you want your boyfriend to live till tomorrow you better get him away from my position as dish dryer."

Ino laughed and they both walked over to where her mother and Itachi were.

"Son, if you don't want to die tragically in the hands of a member of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force, I suggest you step away from my spot."

Itachi glanced at Ino to see whether her father was serious or not and saw she was smiling. "Whatever you say, sir."

"Ino, why don't you show Itachi around the house? I'll call when dessert is ready."

"Okay."

Ino took Itachi's hand and led him towards the stairs leading up to the second floor. She led him into a room which, of course, was her old bedroom.

Itachi looked around the room briefly before giving his verdict. "It's nice."

Before he could add any more comments, Ino closed the door halfway and dragged him to the wall that was hidden from the hallway due to the door.

"Ino. What are y-"

She pushed him against the wall and started kissing him. Ino pulled out his dress shirt that was tucked in his pants neatly, and started to unbutton it. Pulling apart from the long kiss, she began licking the spot right behind his ear.

He groaned and made an attempt to ask again, "What are you doing?"

Ino grinned. "Just having some fun."

"You are aware that I am a high-rank interrogator in the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force?"

Itachi froze as he heard a certain man's rather intimidating voice in his head. He grabbed Ino's hands and pushed her back slightly.

"What's wrong?" Ino gazed up at his face with a frown before reading his face. "Are you thinking about what daddy said to you?"

Without a reply, Itachi began walk around her room to analyze the scenery in more dept.

"Seriously?" Ino crossed her arms. "I can't believe you're actually scared of him!"

"The Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force is nothing to take lightly."

Ino sighed and belly flopped onto her bed. She played with a stuffed pig while Itachi continued to examine her bedroom.

"Dessert is ready!" Ino's mother stuck her head into the room. She noticed Itachi looking intently at the photo album of an adolescent Ino. "Oh dear, you don't want to be looking at those photo albums. I'll show you the real treasure albums, the ones of Ino as a baby and such."

"Mom!" Ino sat up in protest.

"Sounds fun." Itachi smirked at Ino as he joined her mother, leaving Ino to be alone in her room.

She stayed on her bed for a while, looking around the familiar room. It was filled with pictures from her adolescent years. The majority consisted of the famous Ino-Shika-Cho. There were some with Sakura, more being from the childhood ages rather than the preteen ages. The rest were of classmates and a few seniors she had grown up with, from kindergarten all the way to high school.

By the time she lifted herself off the bed and climbed downstairs to the living room, Inora already had Itachi engrossed in pictures of Ino in who-knows-what states, both of them ignoring their dessert. Her father was sitting on the couch, eating custard pudding, a shared favourite between the father and daughter. Ino jumped onto the space next to him and leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Here's a great one."

Ino watched her mother pass a photograph to Itachi that made him laugh, just with one glance.

"Mom! What in the Hokage's great name are you showing him?" Ino got up from the couch and snatched the photo from Itachi's hands, wanting to see the picture herself.

"Honey, I'm sure Itachi thinks you look very-"

"MOM!"

"Now, Ino, some kids around that age are still a little chubby from their baby fa-"

"I was not chubby! I was just a bit round!" Ino gave the photo back and grabbed a bowl of pudding before throwing herself back onto the couch. "Hmph!"

Almost an hour flew by like that. Inora sharing an uncountable number of photos to Itachi, and Inoichi watching TV with Ino as they ate many bowls of pudding together. As it was now past ten o'clock, the couple decided it was time to leave. They said goodbye with some hugs (and one solemn handshake), along with a promise that they would visit again soon.

They were walking down the front path towards the car silently, until a thought occurred to Ino.

"I just realized," Ino turned around and leaned back against the car. "You haven't paid me for the first two nights yet!"

Itachi raised an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Ino nodded with a sly smile on her face.

"Then let me pay you back," Itachi slid his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. "Like this."

Itachi opened the door to the backseats and Ino quickly climbed in, joined by Itachi right after. He kissed Ino hungrily as she started unbuttoning his shirt when something broke one of the car windows. Glass shattered and flew everywhere, causing Ino to scream in fright. Itachi turned his head and saw a very tall figure standing on the sidewalk.

"Get your ass out here, Uchiha."

A/N: Uh oh! Never touch a girl unless you are at least a mile away from her father's view...

Next chapter is the final chapter: the epilogue!