Author's Note: As this is an AU the age of graduation from the Academy is now 14 and the age of our hero at the start of this story is 17 as he/she was held back. At the start of this chapter, our heroes are now 18 and others are 17/18 depending on their birth month. I thought I needed to add this so we can move past the age questions.
Warning: there are no Lemons in this chapter, but do you want me to add them in the next one?
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Reflections
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Two Steps forward one Back
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They traveled back to the Leaf without any more adventures, but the tension between Ino and Nariko was palpable. After seeing Ino give a letter to Naruto Nariko couldn't stop staring at Ino with jealousy burning in her eyes. What made it worst was Naruto saying they would talk about it when they got back to the village in a couple of days while putting the letter in his inside jacket pocket. Nariko had never seen Naruto hold anything back from her before and was fuming the whole way back. It was one of the longest trips of her life not knowing what was going on between Ino and Naruto. He acted the same with her and only had small talk with Ino but her imagination and insecurity drove her to act out more than once when they stopped for the night
Ino was struggling with her own conflicted feelings for both Naruto and Nariko. Ever since she was raped she feared men, then the fear turned to hate that boiled deep in her soul and now she only trusted Naruto to be anywhere near her and her feeling for Nariko went from respect to admiration to full-on love once they spent so much time together training. She knew it wasn't right, Nariko was with Naruto but she had such a strong need to be near Nariko that she went and wrote a letter asking Naruto if he would share. It was childish and impulsive and if she could only take it back she would.
Finally, they arrived back at the village and Sakura said a few words to Naruto before waving goodbye and running off, Naruto immediately went to talk to the Hokage about their mission. Nariko followed close behind, but Ino hung back, unsure of how to deal with her, well her whole life it seemed. Not feeling the need to go home Ino took her time and found herself in the Hokage's office just as Naruto finished his report. Now that he was finished, he turned to Nariko and said, "Let's go talk", glancing at Ino standing at the edge of the room, "in private."
Nariko shot a hate-filled glare at Ino before following Naruto to a secluded spot out by one of the village's lakes, more like a pond really but training ground eleven was called the lake by all the students. Finding a good spot to stop and checked that they were alone Naruto turned and looked at Nariko with concern, "Nariko, what's going on? You've been acting strange ever since I got that letter from Ino."
Nariko's eyes burned bright red for a second as she narrowed them at Naruto, "Then tell me, What's going on between you and Ino?"
Naruto sighed and pulling the letter out of his pocket handed it over to Nariko, "Ino told me she has feelings for you and wants me to share.", Naruto said with a sheepish grin, he stood there watching Nariko read the letter.
Nariko read the letter half a dozen times before balling the paper into a tight little ball before she finally snapped. "What the hell is going on here?" she demanded, her voice shaking with anger and fear, she was confused to the point that she flared her chakra checking she wasn't in a genutsu.
Ino stepped out of the shadows where she was standing, Nariko had known she was there but forgotten her while reading the letter until Ino jumped at the sudden outburst.
"I-I'm sorry, Nariko," she stuttered. "I didn't mean for this to happen. It's just... I can't help how I feel about you.". Ino walked over to Nariko as if she was going to touch her but stopped with her hand raised only inched from Nariko's shoulder.
Naruto, sensing the rising tension with Nariko's hand hovering over her weapons, tried to defuse the situation before Nariko decided to solve the problem in her own way. He didn't want to see blood today especially Ino's. "Hey, let's all calm down and talk about this," he said, trying to reason with them. "We're all friends here, right?"
But Nariko was beyond reason. "Friends? Is that what you call this?" she spat waving her hand around. "You're in love with me, ME!, Ino! And you asked my boyfriend to share! How could you do this to me? I find a piece of happiness and you want to get in the middle of it?"
Ino's eyes welled up with tears. "I never wanted to hurt you, Nariko," she cried. "I'm in love with you, all I want to do is make you happy, make you whole but I don't know how to do that." The emotions welled up in Ino and spun out of her control, she had never felt so helpless. It felt like the time those men held her down and raped her, she started to hyperventilate and tried to move to hug Nariko for support.
Naruto, caught in the middle of their emotional firestorm, tried to make sense of it all. "Listen, we can work this out," he said. "I care about both of you, and I don't want anyone to get hurt."
But Nariko wasn't having it. "No, Naruto, this is too much," she said, her voice trembling with anger. "I can't handle the idea of sharing you with someone else. Ino needs to back off. She needs to Leave Us Alone!". Nariko yelled that last into Ino's tear-streaked face.
"Noooo!", scream Ino losing herself in a turmoil of emotions that didn't totally feel like her own, dropped to her knees to wrap her arms around Nariko's legs.
"Don't leave me!", cried Ino as she rubbed tears into Nariko's pant leg.
Nariko was in shock, all this time it was Naruto she was fighting for, all the words of love from Ino were only a game in her mind to get to Naruto but now looking down at the emotional blonde clinging to her it all became too real.
"Get off me Mind Walker!", said Nariko pulling Ino's arms free and stepping back to only watch Ino fall to the ground crying.
"I think this is something more than we think it is.", said Naruto rubbing the back of his head, and looking down at a hysterical Ino.
Moving to stand behind Naruto so Ino didn't grab onto her again Nariko looked around his shoulder at the girl on the ground. "I don't know what to do, I am not the one to be asked about dealing with emotions.", said Nariko pushing down her own emotions and locking them away. Naruto's words had triggered her training, if this was an attack of some kind she would be ready.
"This all happened after breaking that seal, Sakura hinted that we should talk to Ino's mother before she ran home.", said Naruto remembering the way Sakura ran off as if she knew something was going to happen and she didn't want to any part of it.
Naruto just knew Sakura had some sort of insight into the situation when she said to just talk her home. "Maybe we should go talk to Ino's mother and see if she knows anything about this," he suggested.
Nariko nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat relieved that they had a plan. She couldn't handle the emotional turmoil anymore and needed to know the truth. Ino, still crying on the ground, looked up at them with desperation in her eyes. "Please, don't leave me alone," she begged, her voice hoarse from sobbing.
Naruto knelt down next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're not leaving you, Ino," he said. "We just need to figure this out. Let's go talk to your mother and see if she can help us figure this out."
Ino nodded, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. She stood up slowly, still feeling overwhelmed by all the emotions, but willing to follow Naruto and Nariko to the ends of the earth. They made their way to Ino's family flower shop, where her mother was working. Ino's mother looked up as they entered, a concerned look on her face. "Ino, Naruto, Nariko, what brings you here?" she asked, a smile on her face. She could clearly see her daughter had been crying and she had a feeling why. The wave of emotions had been hitting her senses for some time now, growing stronger as they came near. Suzuki was a tall woman wearing an apron with the name of the flower shop on the front. She started wiping the potting soil off her hands and pulled off the apron as soon as they walked in.
Ino hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to start. Naruto spoke up, "We need to talk to you about something important,", he said to Suzuki.
Suzuki nodded, sensing the seriousness in Naruto's voice. "Of course, come into the back room and we can talk in private."
They followed her to the back room, where she poured them some tea and sat down with them at the small table. "What's going on?" she asked, her eyes moving from Naruto to Nariko to Ino. Seeing the way Ino moved as close to Nariko as she could it all began to make sense.
Naruto took a deep breath before speaking. "We had a mission and along the way, we had to break a seal in the Land of Wind, and while we were there, Ino gave me a letter confessing her feelings for Nariko," Naruto explained having been told by the Hokage that this was now a S class mission and not to give any details to anybody.
Ino's mother looked surprised, but not entirely shocked. "I see," she said slowly. "And what did you do with the letter?"
"I gave it to Nariko to read," Naruto replied, leaving out the part that Nariko had destroyed it shortly after. "And Ino has been acting strange ever since."
Ino's mother nodded, her eyes flickering to her daughter for a moment before returning to Naruto. "I think I understand what's going on here," she said, a small smile on her lips. "Ino, would you mind stepping out for a moment? I need to talk to Naruto and Nariko alone."
Ino looked hesitant but nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Naruto and Nariko looked at Suzuki, waiting for her to speak.
"Ino has learned a unique ability," she began. "She learned how to be a Mind Walker from the fox as you recall. She can enter people's minds far far easier than anybody else in the clan and see their thoughts and most of all their emotions. It's a rare ability, and one we stopped training in the clan, well because of this,", she said pointing at the door she knew Ino was standing behind.
"The emotions of others are like a drug, she will struggle with controlling it for the rest of her life. ", said Suzuki having studied the old clan scrolls.
Nariko's eyes widened in surprise. "So, what does that have to do with us?" she asked, feeling confused.
"Ino's been struggling with her feelings for both of you," Ino's mother continued. "And when the other one came into this world I have a feeling they connected somehow, shared an emotional need or want. I can't really say but I could feel the pull toward you like a storm on the horizon." Suzuki said looking not at Naruto but locking eyes with Nariko.
"Other one?", asked Naruto and Nariko at the same time.
Nodding as if she knew what needed to be done but was unwilling to do it Suzuki stood up and yelled out, "Ino Dear! Please come here."
In the next heartbeat, the door opened and in walked the Ino they came with but in the next heartbeat the back door opened, and in walked Ino's twin dressed all in purple robes with a shawl over her hair.
"Mind Burner!", screamed Nariko pulling out a blade and leaping at her torturer.
…..
"You ruined my life," Nariko spat as she was being held back by Naruto. "You stole everything from me."
Dark Ino looked at Nariko with tear-filled eyes. "I'm sorry, Nariko," she whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
"lair!", yelled Nariko remembering all the times this Ino had hurt her when she was helpless in her cage. Moving a step closer to the source of all her pain Nariko was stopped by Naruto as he moved around to block her path, he knew Ino's mother wouldn't have called in the dark Ino if she was who Nariko thought she was, at least he hoped so.
Nariko's grip on the knife tightened even further. She had spent years planning this moment, and she wasn't about to let Dark Ino off the hook so easily.
"You're sorry?" Nariko snarled. "Sorry doesn't bring back what you took from me."
With a swift movement, Nariko lunged at Ino with the knife. But just as she was about to strike, Naruto pulled her back a step and held her from spilling blood in a flower shop of all places.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Nariko shouted, grabbing at Naruto's arm and trying to pull them away from her.
Nariko struggled against Naruto's grip, but he was stronger. "Let me go!" Nariko screamed kicking her feet in the air as Naruto picked her up and walked them back to the far side of the room.
The two Ino's locked eyes and just stared at each other, they all noticed the raindrops on dark Ino's shawl as they heard thunder clap as the rain came down in earnest. Looking out the back door they noticed a flower garden with freshly planted roses and the signs of dirt on dark Ino's hands. Look under the underneath Kakashi Sensei had always said, something was not right with this picture and what Nariko had told them about the Ino in her world.
"Something isn't right here.", said Naruto more to himself than the room but everyone seemed to agree as the two Ino's stepped closer as if to touch but stopped just short.
"I can feel her in my mind.", said both Inos at the same time.
"How is this happening,", they said again each an echo of the other.
"Oh that has got to stop before I kill both of them.", said Nariko breaking free from Naruto but staying by his side.
Having both Ino turn and lock eyes on her freaked her out as their large pale eyes seem to looking right into her. But unlike all the hundred other times she locked eyes with Ino this time it wasn't followed by excruciating pain.
"Forgive me Nariko, I… I only did what I had to do to survive.." said the Inos as one.
"Are they always going to be doing this, it's kind of annoying.", said Naruto to Suzuki who we sipping tea like this was all normal.
"I know how to stop it.", said Nariko looking at the blade in her hand. It would be quick, very painful but quick.
"No.", said Suzuki as if that is all that needed to be said.
"I have an idea.", said the Ino's as one held up her hand and touched the seal on it with the other. A small flash of light and Ino shook her head as if to clear it.
"Is that better now.", said Dark Ino as there Ino only stood there looking around the room before moving to sit next to her mother and with a quick movement pulled Nariko down next to her into one of the chairs. Now with Naruto and dark Ino standing he took the few steps needed to stand face to face with her looking into her eyes as if daring her to touch his mind.
They all froze as dark Ino reached up and touched her finger trips to Naruto's cheek before pulling back.
"You are the Yang of the fox, your strength is unbroken, and you have no need to worry about me," she said as if relieved.
They had all learned that Yin and Yang are two opposing but complementary chakra forces that exist within every individual. Yin represents the spiritual energy and is associated with imagination, illusion, and gentleness. Yang represents the physical energy and is associated with vitality, action, and strength.
Yin Release is the ability to manipulate spiritual energy and create form and shape with imagination. Yin-based jutsus tend to be used for genjutsu (illusionary techniques) or healing or in this case mind control.
Yang Release is the ability to manipulate physical energy and give form to imagination. Yang-based jutsus tend to be used for taijutsu (hand-to-hand combat) or strengthening techniques.
Now with both Yin and Yang of the great fox in the same room, it can be combined to create powerful techniques, such as Yin-Yang Release. The real issue was these advanced technique requires a deep understanding of the two forces and their interaction with each other. Something that the two fox containers had yet to reach.
Ino knew that she had been using Nariko's own Yin against her when she was sent to punish her. The Yamanaka forbidden technique she used turned the target's own Yin against them, the stronger the target's Yin the worst the pain. The harder they fight the worst the pain, it was basically a feedback loop with Ino as the catalyst. The technique was forbidden not because it was hard to do but because it was easy, turning the user into a monster if not controlled.
Ino knew that with Naruto's Yang so strong and with no Yin to work with she would be crushed by his overwhelming will and her own Yin would feed back into her.
"If you had been born into my world, I would have been your slave.", said Ino knowing that the male Yang of the fox would have turned him into something all women would bow down to.
"I don't need another Ino after my man.", said Nariko still fuming but holding still.
Dark Ino felt a pang in her chest at Nariko's words. She knew she had hurt her so deeply in the past, but every time she hurt Nariko her own feelings for her grew as their minds joined and she could see Nariko for what she truly was. What Ino's father did to her once she became women turn her into again men for all time. But her feelings for Nariko, she had tried to push them down and ignore them, but they were always there, simmering beneath the surface. And now, with all of them in the same room, with the power of the fox at their fingertips, Ino couldn't help but feel a sense of longing that only grew stronger as this world's Ino shared her need, her desires.
She took a step forward, to kneel before Nariko, reaching out to touch Nariko's arm, but she pulled away. "Don't touch me," she hissed. "You have no idea what you've done to me."
Ino felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes as she looked at her twin and felt only understanding of their shared pain. She wanted to tell Nariko how sorry she was, how she wished she could take back everything she had done, how she had shared every thought, every hope, and memory with Nariko only to realize that if she said that it would doom any chance she had to be with her. Now she knew it was too late. Nariko would never forgive her.
Suddenly, a voice spoke up from behind her. "You know, there is a way for you to make things right," said Naruto.
Ino and Nariko both turned to look at him, confused. "What do you mean?" asked Nariko not knowing where Naruto was coming from.
"I mean, we have the power of the fox inside us. We can use that power to heal the wounds between you and Nariko," explained Naruto.
Ino shook her head. "It's not that simple," she said. "I've hurt her too many times. I don't think anything can make up for that."
Naruto walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder as she kneeled before Nariko. "You won't know until we try," he said gently. "And besides, what do you have to lose?"
Ino looked at him for a moment, considering his words. And then she turned to Nariko and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry," she said her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm sorry for everything I've done to hurt you. I know I can never make it up to you, but please, let me try."
"Why? What have you ever done that would make me think you deserve my forgiveness.", said Nariko not noticing that she was holding hands with her Ino at her side.
"You have killed many, not that you wanted to but because you had to, every mission you returned to almost broke you but you moved on. I was there Nariko, I pushed you, I hurt you but I was there doing my best to heal your mind so you could go on.", said dark Ino saying as much as she dared.
"In the same way the Hokage controlled you, he controlled everybody, he controlled my father after my mother died in childbirth, he convinced my father to use me, Nariko, "said Ino now with tears running down her cheeks, "he used me in ways a father should never use a daughter and in that I am ashamed. He made me a tool of the Hokage, a tool that was used to control you."
Dark Ino looked over at Suzuki who gave her a nod as if to say it was Ok to go on.
Looking at Suzuki dark Ino said, "With the help of my mother,", she said that word with a smile, "I have been freed from the seals that bond me, liberated from the thought controls that twisted me into the monster you remember."
Wiping the tears from her eyes Ino give a humorless laugh, "I have no idea who I am anymore, everything that I thought was me was a lie. Stripped away by a mother's love and a joining to a mind so like my own but so very different.", looking at Ino, dark Ino could see that her twin of this world agreed with her silently nodding as she was flooded with the raw emotions of the to Jinchūriki in the room.
"I just want to try, that is all I ask.", said dark Ino reaching for and being allowed to take Nariko's other hand.
Nariko looked at her for a long moment, her expression unreadable. And then, slowly, she nodded. "Okay," she said. "Let's try."
Ino closed her eyes and focused on the power of the connection she had with her twin, together they made contact with the fox deep inside Nariko. Using her mind, searching for Nariko's spirit. And then, she found it. She reached out and touched it gently with her own, feeling a connection forming between them. Then another as Naruto placed his hands on her shoulders giving a balance of his Yang to what she was trying to do.
And then, she started to pour the joined chakra of the two Ino into Nariko's spirit, taping into the power of the fox to heal the wounds between them. She could feel Nariko's pain and hurt melting away, replaced by understanding. All those times when she was curled up into a ball screaming out in pain the gentle touch of Ino's chakra stitching back her broken psyche became clear.
When she opened her eyes, Nariko was looking at her with a sense of wonder. "I... I can't believe it," she said. "I feel like a weight has been lifted off of me. I had no idea you did that for me."
Ino smiled, feeling tears of relief and happiness streaming down her face. "I'm glad," she said. "I just wish I had done this sooner."
Naruto put an arm around all of them, pulling the three girls into a hug. "It's never too late to make things right," he said. "You just have to be willing to try."
…
When Naruto stood back up all he saw was the twin Inos both unconscious laying on Nariko's lap who was looking up at him. Turning to the sound of a teacup hitting the table Suzuki moved to close the back door before turning to them.
"Good, now that is done we can move to the next step.", Suzuki said making a hand sign and flaring her chakra. As soon as the jutsu was formed it moved like a wave into the room slapping into the two awake blondes like a wet rage. Clearing their heads they found the room they were in was much larger than they remembered and they spotted Inoichi with Ibiki Morino at his side. A team of ANBU was moving around checking on the various high-tech gadgets placed around the room.
"What is going on?", asked Nariko as the two girls were pulled off her lap and placed on stretchers to be taken out of the room.
"Sorry for all the cloak and dagger but this is a ninja village.", said Inoichi as he checked on the minds of the two Inos as they passed by. Happy or not with what he found he waved the Anbu to take them away as he focused his attention on his wife.
"You were right and I am sorry for doubting your crazy plan but I think it worked.", said Inoichi walking over to kiss his wife on the cheek.
"Someone had better tell me what is going on or you're going to have to deal with more than an emotional daughter.", said Nariko flaring her chakra.
"Please calm down dear, no need to get upset.", said Suzuki making a hand sign but Nariko had linked hands with Naruto and their joined chakra brushed off her jutsu with ease.
"Do that again and you will need a new flower shop.", said Nariko getting a nod of agreement from Naruto as he felt something cloud his vision for a split second.
"We should just tell them.", said Ibiki as the last of the Anbu agents walked out leaving the five of them alone.
The two Yamanaka clan heads shared a look that everyone else in the room just knew was them linking their minds as they turned to face the village Jinchuriki.
"The veil between worlds is becoming thin, your entry into this world was a start of a process that if left unchecked would cause our worlds to merge uncontrollably. When you pulled in team ten from the other side you accelerated the process even more.", said Ibiki in a deadpan voice with no emotion.
"We are just lucky you were able to kill the other members of team ten and remove our Sasuke from the balance. But that left Ino and You as an anchor.", said Inoichi looking at Nariko who stared at him defiantly.
"What about that other Sasuke?", asked Naruto always thinking about his 'friend' even when that friend didn't know who he was.
"Like I said by removing this world's Sasuke it restored some of the balance.", said Ibiki
"All right, balance, veils and all that but what are you going to do with me? And what was that with Ino?", asked Nariko
"We need to sever the connection between you and your world," said Inoichi, his voice serious. "It's the only way to stop the merging of our worlds and prevent a disaster."
Nariko's eyes widened at the thought of being separated from her world. "Will that stop that other Hokage from getting to me?"
Suzuki shook her head. "Yes, and It's the only way to prevent the veil from breaking completely."
"That doesn't tell us what you did to Ino, she is your daughter, what did you do to the two of them.", asked Naruto
Inoichi took a deep breath before answering. "We had to use a jutsu to temporarily erase their memories of the events that have happened. It was necessary to keep them from accidentally causing further damage to the balance."
Nariko clenched her fists. "You wiped their memories without their consent? Isn't that going a little too far?"
"I know, and I'm sorry. But it was the only way to prevent a catastrophe," Inoichi replied, his voice heavy with regret.
"The seal Ino has from the pure world it connects her to the two of you, it linked both Inos to you feeding off of any affection they had, it seems that Nariko has been both of their romantic focus for some time and the seal has amplified it a thousand fold.", said Suzuki.
Naruto put a hand around Nariko's shoulders to calm her down. "So, what now?"
"We have a few ideas, but they all come with risks," Ibiki said. "We'll need to do some more research and planning before we can decide on the best course of action."
Nariko nodded, looking resigned. "I understand. I just hope we can find a way to do this without causing permanent damage.", she didn't really hate Ino, the mind reader didn't deserve endless punishment, it would be better just to end them both now and be merciful about it.
"We'll do everything we can to make sure of that," Inoichi assured her. "But for now, we need to keep this information confidential. The fewer people who know, the better."
"Does the Hokage know about this?", asked Nariko not wanting to go behind the Hokage, all her training screamed the Hokage must know.
"Don't worry, this was her idea.", said Suzuki, "for now we will keep both of my daughters safe but away from everyone until we can figure out how to cut all remaining connections to your home world."
Nariko nodded, feeling a sense of relief knowing that the Hokage was involved and had approved of the plan. "Thank you for telling us. We'll do whatever it takes to help.", giving a small bow to the two clan heads. Naruto was never one for formality but Nariko had been well trained in this area.
"We know you will," Inoichi said with a smile. "You've proven yourself to be a valuable asset to our village.", Inoichi returned the box sensing that this ritual was important at this moment.
Naruto nodded in agreement. "We'll work together to find a solution. We won't let anyone else get hurt."
"I think it would be best if you two just go home and rest, I am sure the Hokage will have something for you to do in the morning.", said Suzuki wanting them to leave so the group could begin to discuss the next steps in their plan, she was determined to find a way to sever the connection between worlds not only to prevent a catastrophe but to save both of her little girls in the process.
….
Naruto and Nariko walked into the flower shop from the back room, Naruto looked around, admiring the colorful array of flowers and plants on display. "This place is nice," he commented, taking in the sweet aroma of the flowers.
She couldn't help but feel a little puzzled by his love for plants. "I don't get it," she said, crossing her arms.
Naruto turned to her with a grin, holding up the bouquet. "What's not to get? They're beautiful, and they bring a little bit of nature indoors."
"I don't know," Nariko shrugged. "They just seem kind of pointless to me. They don't serve any practical purpose."
Naruto couldn't help but notice that Nariko seemed deep in thought as they walked out into the street.
"Are you okay?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Nariko looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Yeah, I'm just thinking about everything that's happened today."
"It's a lot to take in," Naruto agreed. "But we'll get through it together."
Nariko nodded. "I know. I just... I don't know how I feel about Ino waking up and possibly still having feelings for me."
Naruto gave her a sympathetic look. "I understand. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, we need to focus on finding a solution to this whole mess."
Nariko sighed, feeling grateful for Naruto's support. "Yeah, you're right. But if she lays a hand on you I going to cut it off.", looking over at him Naruto could a hint of a smile telling him she was joking for once.
"I know," Naruto said, pulling her into a hug. "You know I only have feelings for you so don't worry so much."
Nariko smiled, feeling comforted by his embrace. "Thanks, Naruto."
They continued walking in silence for a while longer, both lost in thought. Eventually, they arrived at their home and went inside. Naruto started making some ramen while Nariko sat down on the couch.
"I can't believe all of this is happening," she said, taking a deep breath. "Sometimes it feels like I'm living in two worlds."
Naruto nodded in agreement as he handed her a cup of ramen. "I know what you mean. But we've always been able to adapt to whatever comes our way."
Nariko smiled gratefully at him. "Yeah, I guess we have."
They sat in silence for a few minutes, slurping their ramen. Then Nariko spoke up again. "Do you think that other Ino really had feelings for me? I still can't believe it was her that healed my mind after those missions."
Naruto sighed, looking down at his ramen. "I don't know. It's hard to say. But if that is what she showed in the mind jutsu it could have been real"
Nariko nodded, feeling a sense of determination. "Right. If it was real we have to help her, even if things are... complicated."
Naruto nodded in agreement. "Exactly. And who knows, maybe we'll be able to find a way to fix this without you having to hurt anyone."
Nariko could see that Naruto was joking with her and smiled, feeling hopeful for the first time in a while. "I really hope so."
Nariko yawned and stretched her arms, feeling her body relax. "I'm getting so sleepy," she said, turning to face Naruto. "Are you ready for bed?"
Naruto nodded, finishing the last of his ramen. "Yeah, I am. It's been a long day."
Nariko got up from the table and walked over to the futon they shared. She started to remove her armored braces and weapons, setting them aside carefully. As she worked, she noticed Naruto watching her as she pulled off her shirt and dropped it to the floor.
"What?" she asked, feeling a little self-conscious with the way he was looking at her, maybe that mind jutsu changed her perception of herself.
"Nothing," Naruto said quickly. "I was just thinking how beautiful you are, even when you're getting ready for bed."
Nariko rolled her eyes and chuckled. "I'm not always in ninja mode, you know. Sometimes I like to relax."
Naruto grinned. "I know, I know. I'm just saying, you're always impressive."
Stripping off the rest of her clothes Nariko ran to the shower, as she stood under the spray of water, she couldn't help but feel a sense of panic rising within her. She had spent so much time pretending to be someone, trying to fit into the mold that had been set for her, that she wasn't even sure who she was anymore. Was she trained to be cold and heartless or was she really like that?
Walking out of the shower to let Naruto use it, she started getting ready for bed, Nariko rummaged through Naruto's closet and picked out one of his old shirts, feeling comforted by the scent of him on the fabric. She slipped it on, enjoying the feeling of being surrounded by his warmth even with him in the other room.
She walked over to the bed and pulled back the covers, sinking into the softness of the sheets. She couldn't help but think about how different her life was now than it had been just a few years ago. Back then, she had been consumed by a sense of duty, order, and responsibility, always on the move, always on guard, unable to trust a living soul.
As Naruto crawled into bed with her she sat up and looked down at him.
"Naruto," she whispered, her voice trembling a little. "Do you ever feel like you're not living the life you want? Like you're just going through the motions, trying to please everyone else?"
Naruto turned to look at her, concern etched into his features. "What do you mean, Nariko?"
"I mean, I don't know who I am anymore," Nariko said, her voice growing more urgent. "I don't know if I'm living my own life or just the life that I have been trained to do. And what if I'm not even capable of being a person, that I am just a puppet and I don't even know it?"
Nariko looked at him, tears pooling in her eyes. "What if I don't even know what I want anymore? What if I'm just living the life that's expected of me?"
Naruto's expression softened. "Then maybe it's time to figure out what you want. What makes you happy? What brings you joy?"
"I used to think that being a ninja was all there was to life," Naruto said a faint smile on his lips. "I wanted to be the best, to prove myself to everyone. But then I realized that there was so much more to life than just fighting and proving yourself."
Nariko listened intently, curious to hear what he had to say.
"I started to see all the little things that make life worth living," Naruto continued. "The simple pleasures, like good Ramen, or bad ramen," he joked with a grin,", spending time with friends, watching a beautiful sunset. Those are the things that make life special."
Nariko nodded slowly, her mind whirring with thoughts. "I guess I've never really thought about it like that," she said quietly.
Nariko nodded slowly, her mind racing with possibilities. "I don't know...I've always been so focused on my duty as a ninja, on fulfilling my missions. I don't even know what it means to enjoy something."
"Well, let's figure it out together," Naruto said, a smile spreading across his face. "We'll try new things, explore new places, and find what makes you happy. I'm here for you, always."
Naruto was wondering what was going on with Nariko, did that mind jutsu confuse her, or was this her and he didn't know it?
'I think the first thing we do in the morning is going talk to Suzuki and see if she knows what is causing this.", thought Naruto as he pulled Nariko in close.
….
The feedback from the last chapter put a flame in me so here is the next installment.
SO harem or should I say reverse harem, two Ino is better than one or do we send dark Ino far far away? Does Sasuke get any redemption or are we leaving him in a dark hole in the ground?
I was going to have Sakura turn into a Madhatter type that bounces in and out of the story but I am open to ideas for her as well.