A/N: Aww, what cute pet-names they've given each other. Maybe, I should have named this chapter The Adventures of Twisted Bitch and Smug Bastard. Nyah.
Thank you to shannny2k, shelvesinthecloset, overlordofnobodies & Sylence for taking time to review. It really means a lot to me. : )
From what I've read, the legal drinking age in Japan is 20…Therefore all of Team 10 is legal, okay.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sama holds the rights to Naruto and it's characters. Sometimes I doubt I can hold a coherent conversation.
Balcony Scene
The next day was ready to repeat the old cycle. They spent it as a group, but for once Ino just decided to hang back and listen to things. She really tried to wrap her mind around the concepts that were being discussed. She also tried to think more about the dynamics of the group: how the Suna council viewed things versus how the Konoha emissaries, including Shikamaru, handled things.
In fact, it was almost fascinating to listen to Homura and Kosugi drive a point home… well, maybe that was the wrong way to describe it. When they offered their suggestions they did it so calmly, taking turns to reinforce each other's ideas so it became like the thought had been there all along and they were making you believe that it was something you had already accepted as fact. I wasn't too keen on Homura before this, but I guess the Hokage knew what needed to be done when she sent him.
Shikamaru picked up the slack when this tactic didn't work using logic to bring things into perspective. He didn't act as often as the others, but, when he did, he rapidly backed his opponents into corners. Yeah, he is so in his element here.
Then of course there was Kankurou: He always had strong opinions about everything. He took any disagreement as personal attacks and looked at people like he was taking names and would get his revenge later. He presented every idea with this same fervor, some very good ideas and some that, well….sounded like personal grievances.
Luckily there was one person in the group who seemed to be able to talk sense into him when necessary: Baki. The man seemed to know a lot about the way Kankurou thought and what was necessary to make him listen to what the others said. In a way, it was an eye opening experience. I don't believe I could possibly be as calm about some of the issues discussed. No, that definitely isn't my personality type, and I sure as hell don't have a 'Baki' to talk me down. Shikamaru would only piss me off, Chouji would back down, and damned if I know what would happen if 'old man' Homura tried his luck. It's just as well that I decided to lay low today.
When the younger crowd was once again off to their section of the central complex, the conversation took a surprising turn. In the middle of their meal, Kankurou looked at Ino and asked her, "So what kind of special ability do you use to enhance your team's missions?"
"Do you mean regular missions or our specialty missions?" Ino eyed him suspiciously.
"You have a specialty mission?" Temari interrupted.
"Yeah, and it's actually highly profitable for Konoha," Chouji chimed in.
"But aren't those typically reserved for top echelon jonin." The teal-eyed woman's gaze went from one member of Team 10 to the next, "And don't they usually travel solo…you know…for optimum concealment."
"No, that's the beauty of this: it's fairly low risk, and for the most part a team effort." Shikamaru looked at Kankurou, "Better still, this was Ino's own idea. She came up with it to showcase her talents in an unexpected way."
Ino was happy that her partners were showing such support of her in the face of Kankurou's baiting.
"Okay, I'm intrigued," Temari said. "What do you call it?"
"Character assassinations," Ino spoke again, "a Yamanaka specialty." In fact I wouldn't be surprised if the Hokage would be regretting her idea of sending us here if one of them came up while we're here. I know, I would rather off on one right now…
"So what's the hook?" Kankurou stood up and rested his hands on the table, he looked like he was about to try to play the bully again.
"Hold that thought." Ino promptly moved her hands in a flurry of signs as she possessed him.
What are you..? he started to think.
Just suck this up, I'll make it worth your while later, I promise, her voice whispered in his head. In a strange way, it made her happy to discover that he was one of the ones she could talk to in this state.
Everyone watched as Ino, in her possession, made Kankurou grab at his groin in a lewd fashion while making him say, "There's one thing in this world I like to jerk around more than my puppets…can you guess what that is?"
Temari's eyes widened for the briefest second; then she blew her drink out her nose. Chouji howled with laughter. Shikamaru made ready to use his shadow possession so Ino could run out of the room, if her survival depended on it. He thought over and over: Don't let him be someone who is aware while she's in there. Let him be one of the ones who ends up with a blank in his memory. His will is too strong for her to convince him he really wanted to do this.
Ino promptly released the puppet master.
For a moment, it looked like Shika's worst fears were about to be realized.
Kankurou growled, his left eye squinting. He just stood there, fists on the table shaking with a building rage. Then he seemed to regain control, "Damn you, I guess I had that coming for challenging a twisted bitch like you." He took a deep breath while still glaring at her.
As the black clad jonin hit mid-sentence, Chouji snorted again. Temari was still in shock that no bloodshed had been incurred.
"Although, that was a cheap way for you to feel me up," he teased as he sat down.
"Only way you'll get some, smug bastard," Ino turned her nose up at him.
A tense silence held between the two of them for a moment. When Shikamaru decided he'd had just enough of it. He commented, "Actually, we also refer to her new talent as 'Channeling Naruto'."
Temari's expression grayed, "Eewww…that actually makes sense to me."
"You really are a twisted little bitch," Kankurou laughed when they got to his room that night. "So, what do I get as a reward for putting up with public humiliation?"
"I wouldn't exactly call that public humiliation," Ino smiled in a strangely contented way, "I've created incidents like that in front of crowds in the hundreds. I think the worst of your ego bruising will come from your sister. Shikamaru and Chouji have seen far worse out of me." She threw aside her robe, "As to your reward, I will do anything you ask me to do tonight, without my usual competitive edge coming out."
"So you'll be completely submissive if I desire?" His voice was strangely breathy sounding as he asked the question.
"If that's your wish." She looked demurely at her hands.
"Let me think…what doI want?"
After Kankurou was feeling satisfied about tonight's game, he held Ino pinned beneath him. "Tell me, what inspired you to master the bedroom arts?" A teasing smirk crossed his face.
Ino maintained silence for a moment.
He started nuzzling her left ear and throat, "Com'on, you promised anything I want." He lifted his head to look at her remarkable aquamarine eyes.
Her forehead furrowed for a moment. She turned her head slightly, Why do I almost feel ashamed? She let out a gentle sigh, "I thought if I had irresistible skills, I could win the man I thought I wanted. All I'd have to do was seduce him for the first time and my talent would make him want to stay by my side forever."
"And?" he whispered in her ear as he slid down to rest along side her.
"I went through a lot of trial and error as I took lovers. Eventually, I lucked out and found someone who had surprising talents to help me on my quest. All this man asked in return was that I pose for his art." She turned to face him sliding her hand gently along the side of his face to his jaw, "I think you would have liked his gallery show. It was both erotic and exotic. I would never have thought of myself as a mermaid."
"Your eyes make me think of the sea." He took her wandering hand into his own and started to kiss her palm. "So pretty mermaid, tell me more about your adventures."
"Like what? I hope you don't want me to name names."
"Only if you want to…" he brushed his lips and tongue softly across the web between her thumb and index finger, "no, tell me. What happened with this man you wanted? Did you ever get your chance with him?"
"No." The expression that crossed her face was annoyance.
Hmmm, a sore subject with her… I think I'll press my luck. He slid his hand up to intertwine their fingers. "Tell me."
"I can't."
A light squeeze to the hand, "You can. I want to know."
"He prefers men." She tried to flop onto her back, the misery showing on her face, but the way Kankurou held her hand prevented her.
He pulled the blonde back toward himself, "I don't." He fought against her tension for only a moment then her mouth willingly sought his own. Then in near perfect synchronization they found ways to release the stress from every part of her body.
Ino was ecstatic when she woke just before dawn. Maybe this is the real thing and I've found my soul mate. He's easily as wild and likes to experiment as much as I do. His stamina certainly matches my own. It doesn't matter that he has that squinty eye thing going every so often, it's kind of fun seeing what will set him off.
She let him sleep as she snuck back to her room. I guess Sakura was right, that sometimes when you stop searching, what you want finds you.
That next week started in the same pattern. By day, they always seemed to find something to argue about, whether with their smaller group or with the fully assembled group during the meeting sessions. At night, they would rendezvous on the balcony for some quite time where stargazing and hair combing became some sort of strange foreplay.
Ino lay curled against him, sliding the index finger of her left hand lazily down his side. "I have the feeling neither your sister nor my teammate have taken the initiative to get together." Her finger lingered at a scar he had just above his hip. "Have you got any ideas how to help them?"
He took hold of her hand, and turned on his side to face her. "Why do you think they haven't?"
"You and I can keep a secret like this because we've had some previous experiences," Ino's voice purred. "Those two have been dancing around each other unable to make the first move. I know it's a strategy game unlike any Shika's ever experienced before; too much room for error, poor boy must be terrified." She giggled, "Besides, the way she blushed just from that one little bump, if they do it, I bet she'll light up even brighter than that just by sitting in the same room with him."
Kankurou grinned, "You're probably right about that." Then he pulled her against himself, pressing her right ear against his chest. "And you wouldn't need to be this close to hear their hearts racing."
The next day was the first time in a while that the Pokaru-sama had come to a session. Ino felt his eyes studying her, Damn, I was hoping Temari would be right and he'd have found a new distraction by now. She leaned against Chouji out of self-defense and caught something else of the corner of her eye. For the slightest moment, Kankurou had looked over in her direction from across the room. And his right eye twitched. He's annoyed again…does that mean he's jealous? She was so focused on the situation with the Kazekage and Kankurou that she had failed to notice while she leaned against him Chouji had begun almost absent mindedly to stroke his hand against her hair.
As the lunch break was about to commence, Kosugi lagged behind Homura and stopped Shikamaru in the corridor and they waited for Chouji and Ino to catch up. "I have finally arranged for an escort for tonight so I can finally sample the beers of Suna. I was wondering if any of you would like to join me on this adventure." He seemed to display the kind of excitement a child shows when anticipating birthday presents. "I figure you'd be far more fun to hang out with than our 'great elder statesman'."
"You know, that may be just what we need tonight," Shikamaru said. "What do you say to a team outing tonight?"
"Hell yes," Chouji smiled, "it would be great to kick back and have some fun away from this place."
"How about you, Ino?" Shikamaru asked.
She looked at him with surprise. "Me?" She had almost immediately figured it would turn into an evening of male bonding over a few brews and was anticipating getting an earlier start with Kankurou than usual.
"Of course you, Ino; I did say team, didn't I?"
"I know I heard it." Chouji gave her an easygoing smile, "Come on, it'll be fun."
"Let me think about it." She tried not to give anything away in the way she looked at them. She had no enthusiasm for the idea but couldn't let them know that just yet. "I've been having a little trouble sleeping lately." Oh yeah, that's an understatement. There's this lump in the mattress, well it isn't my mattress, and its more like it's on the mattress…
she fought the urge to smile. "I'll let you know a little later."
"Well, at least we've got enough to make it seem like a mission," Kosugi chuckled. "I hope you'll decide to join us."
Unfortunately, while they were at lunch, Chouji started to worry. He looked at his blonde teammate. If Ino doesn't go with us, who is going to keep the Kazekage away…especially if word gets out about this trip…maybe Temari. She seems to be capable of keeping her distance from him. Have to talk to her if Ino decides not to join us…can't disappoint Shikamaru since I already agreed to go.
"Last chance, Ino," Shikamaru said as he and Chouji made ready to walk down to the far side of the corridor to meet up with Kosugi and the local shinobi who'd agreed to be their guide.
She shook her head, "I think I'm going to turn in early." She looked over to where Temari and Kankurou were already waiting by the doorway to their meal niche. She then glanced back to her teammates, "Besides, I'm more of a sake girl than a beer drinker." A quick shrug and she turned away.
A hand landed lightly on her shoulder. "Be careful, you never know…" Chouji said softly.
"I'll be fine." Without turning, she lightly patted his hand with one of her own, "Now go have fun," and she walked over to join the two Suna jonin for dinner.
Temari grabbed Ino as soon as they had finished the meal, "Come with me."
"What," Ino looked at the blonde jonin, "are we going for tea again? If I wanted to go out, I would have gone with my teammates." So much for that early start…
They ended up go back and sitting around in the Suna woman's room. After a few awkward moments Temari confessed, "Chouji was worried about you. He asked me to keep an eye on you for a little while…you know, just in case."
"I think I'll be fine if I stay in our section of this floor. It wouldn't be proper for the Kazekage to be seen stalking around in the guest wing would it?" she regarded the other woman curiously. "What could possibly happen here?"
Temari chuckled, "You wouldn't believe…"
"What?"
"Let's just say I'm kind of grateful you don't get along with Kankurou."
"Oh?" Ino played along. I just have to hear this…come on…spill.
"There are some who think that he's as much of a womanizer as Pokaru." She fidgeted, "Although I suspect some of his bad habits started from trying to shield Gaara from the fangirls. There were so many of them, especially after his revival by Chiyo-baa-sama. Anyways, I think Kankurou took advantage of the situation and some of the girls' naivety." She actually blushed for a moment. "Then even after Gaara disappeared there were more than a few who'd come after him because he was part of a lineage of Kazekages…you know, girls who are hoping that maybe someday…"
What, that Gaara will come back and they'll be first in line because they slept with his brother? Ino thought it, grateful she didn't verbalize it. Her mind shuddered; At least I was honing skills with what I did. Then again…I don't know. "Not the best choice in your opinion." She studied Temari's face. "So what about you, any suitors or lovers?"
Again Temari blushed, "Why do you ask?
"I don't know. I just figured you're the oldest, you must have…you know." Yeah, let's see what I can get from a little girl talk.
"Well, there have been a few guys who've asked," the dark teal eyes turned to her, "but no; no one special…yet." She paused then smiled at Ino, "How about you?"
"Boyfriends, yes, lovers, yes and maybe I've even found something more…but I don't want to jinx it by naming names." Ino said it with a strange sense of excitement, Of course, I'd probably be with him by now if you hadn't dragged me in here.
"Oh," Temari smiled, "well good luck then."
"If you don't mind I really think I'd like to turn in a little early."
"Okay, but first let me see if the coast is clear." She got up to go to the door and peeked down the hall. Then turned back to Ino, "Go on, I'll watch just in case."
Ino got up and gleefully scurried back to her room. I'll give it ten minutes, then off to the balcony.
Chouji was trying his best to enjoy the evening out. Mizuhito; the Suna jonin who was their 'native guide' tonight had brought them to a pleasant neighborhood bar. In fact, the man was getting along fairly well with Shikamaru; they'd been exchanging 'battle of wits' stories all evening. It was actually nice to see his friend having fun here.
When those two were lost in their latest tale Kosugi said softly, "You're worried about Ino for some reason."
The surprise was evident on his face as he turned to the short bespectacled man.
"Just because my sight was damaged doesn't mean I can't see." He took a swig from his glass, "So what's going on?"
Chouji looked over to the other two people at the table. Still diverted. He leaned closer to Kosugi and whispered. "Apparently someone powerful has taken an interest in her…if you know what I mean."
"And that's the only reason you're being her shield?"
Chouji blushed, then again maybe it was just the beer. Just a shield, her pretend boyfriend, he tried to remind himself. "Of course, you know how teammates look out for each other." His disappointment was evident in his tone then he took a swallow from his glass.
"Do you know what the hardest mission I ever had was?" the other man smiled, "I'll give you a hint: it wasn't an assignment."
The brown haired shinobi studied him. A minute passed as both of them drank from their glasses, "I have absolutely no idea."
"Winning my wife over." He laughed, "I know it sounds crazy, but I think that was the biggest challenge I ever faced. She was my teammate's sister and about a year older than me, but she was the first grown woman I met that was that much shorter than me that she could wear heels and barely be eye level with me. So I went all out to find the way to her heart. Funny thing was that when I'd almost given up, I got this eye injury while on an assignment with her brother. In fact, I saved his life with the act that cost me most of my vision. Somehow his dedication to me afterward made her see me in a new light."
"And you're telling me this because…?" Chouji stared into his now empty glass.
"I think you know."
Kankurou was a little more aggressive than usual that evening. As he was spending a little too much time being almost territorial at, of all things Ino's birthmark (a small leaf shaped one in the inside of her left thigh) and she had decided she'd had enough of it. "I do not need a hickey there." She pulled herself away into a sitting position then drew her knees against her chest and finally wrapped her arms around them. "What has gotten into you tonight?"
His voice resonated deep in his throat, "Is it wrong for me to want you?" He raised himself up onto his hands and knees, moving toward her.
"Not like this." Her jewel-like eyes gazed upon him, "Did the Kazekage's presence at the meetings today bother you?"
"He'll never touch you." The puppet master rested an arm across her knees, "I won't allow it." There was intensity in his eyes that made Ino uncomfortable.
"Jealousy does not become you." She frowned, "Maybe this is an evening for talk instead of action."
His mouth set in a grim line.
"I think it's time you told me how you came into your skills. I've already told you mine." I want to see how accurate your sister's theory is.
"I don't know if this is the right time," he said in dark tone.
"Well, maybe if you relaxed a little." She slid over to one side of the bed. "Com'on, let me give you a massage."
He hesitated, but then after a moment lay on his back beside her.
"Very amusing," she said in a dark tone, "I was thinking of your back."
He rolled over with a sigh, "My way would have been more fun."
"Now, that's a good boy." Her voice was deliberately sugary in tone. She gently straddled his backside and started to manipulate his shoulders with a firm touch. It wasn't long before she could feel the change in the way his responded to her kneading. His breathing seemed to become more even, less like the sound of the snarling animal he'd been. Methodically, skilled hands moved along his back wordlessly for almost twenty minutes. Then when she thought he was pretty much worked over, she leaned forward to whisper in his ear, "So tell me how you became the amazingly skilled sex toy you are today."
"Sex toy?" He didn't sound amused.
"Well, I like playing with you." She kissed his ear, "Did I exaggerate?"
"You're a strange one," he chuckled, "let me free and I'll tell you what you want to know."
She moved off his back and sat on the bed beside him. He slowly lifted himself back up and sat along side her sliding an arm around her. The feather-light touch of his fingertips made an attempt to tease her. Though there was much to be said about the skilled hands of the puppet master, that was not what she wanted at the moment.
"Behave until I've heard enough of your story."
He let out a heavy sigh, "Very well, it all started because I developed an unhealthy obsession with a girl from outside of Suna. I started making plans to visit her and not take no for an answer. Somehow Gaara and Baki figured out what I was up to before I could act on my impulse. I suppose I should consider myself lucky that they did. It would have been an incident that could have caused a war."
He studied her eyes for a moment, Please ask me to stop. He narrowed his own, as her gaze drew him in again. A smile slowly broadened across her like she was asking him to continue…and so he did. "Baki's solution was a straight forward one: He took me out to a brothel for my eighteenth birthday."
"So you're saying that getting laid got you over this girl?" Ino had a curious expression on her face. I'm dying to ask who she was…maybe a Daimyo's daughter…but I never told him it was Sasuke I was hung up on. And I don't want to.
"It got me distracted in a whole new way. I wandered back there about a week and a half later after collecting my pay for a mission. I had hoped to get the same woman but somehow ended up with a different one because my original choice was busy. That night, I learned that it was the act I enjoyed, not the partner. After that I decided to revel in my adventures and started to make discoveries about myself. I even asked a couple of the more experienced professionals for real advice on how to improve my technique, and what kind of things they actually enjoyed. Needless to say they were amused by the concept that a customer would be asking for guidance.
"Then I took my chances on some of the village girls who were lurking about just because I was 'someone important' or 'someone important's brother'. Unfortunately, I rapidly learned that most of them had expectations of something beyond an evening's entertainment. It was not the best of times. Soon I developed techniques for getting what I wanted then making them believe that it was their idea to not pursue me anymore."
"So, you honed your skills like I did. I guess I'll ask you the question you asked me." Ino looked at him an impish smile on her face, "Did you even get a chance to be with the girl who inspired you initially?"
"No," he replied.
"Do you even know what happened to her?"
"Last I had heard, she married and started a family." He looked at her curiously, "Maybe it's just as well; I doubt I would be having this kind of fun now if I had gotten to her." He drew her closer and began to nuzzle her neck. Besides I definitely like long blond hair better than pink hair. Plus the curves are much nicer…and I still get a healer's touch. Just because Sakura saved my life didn't mean that there was a special bond there…Thank you, Baki, for showing me that, before I took it too far.
By the end of their second week together, she also readdressed something they had talked about early in their sessions together…
They had just finished with their usual fervor in his room. Ino had just completed stretching out before she settled into his arms. She said it softly, almost like she was scared of the reaction she'd get. "I just wanted to check if you were still using your medicinal contraceptive?"
The pause before he responded was too long, that was never a good sign. "Why are you asking?" his voice sounded almost brittle.
"I ran out of my supplies three days ago…and so far I can't find the supplies to make a new batch here." She braced herself, "I'm sorry I didn't say anything sooner."
She heard him swear under his breath, for a moment she thought of echoing the sentiment. But before she could he said, "You'll have to forgive me, when you told me you had something you were using, I stopped using mine after the third time we were together. It kind of dulled the edge of things. I know, you're probably thinking that I'm just a typical selfish male. Maybe I am..."
"…the smug self-centered man I put up with during the day," she finished the thought for him. "I don't want to think of you as the painted you; I want the one without the makeup. However, I don't want you to feel obligated to me in any way. I'm just hoping a short lapse won't…"
"Then we'll just have to do our best not to worry about it." He frowned, but tried to be supportive, "I'll resume mine first thing tomorrow." He settled her head against his shoulder. "Please stay, there's nothing we can do about it now anyway."
The next evening they behaved in their normal way again. But this time Kankurou brought up another potentially painful subject. "So, six nights to go," he said softly in her ear after they had just settled down to sleep.
"What happens next?" Ino asked.
"Really don't know…I've broken a lot of rules I set for myself."
"You had rules?"
"You were supposed to be a one night stand."
"Yeah, so were you," she said softly, as she moved her hand gently along his side. "I wonder what made us do all this. Do you even think there's something beyond these few weeks for us?"
"I can't say, but I know I've enjoyed every moment so far." He bent toward her and kissed her hungrily.
Kankurou sat bolt upright with such force that Ino was almost flipped off the bed as she woke out of her sound sleep. In the semi-dark, she saw that he sat there wide-eyed and gasping.
"Are you all right?" Ino asked as she moved to be along side him again. "Kankurou?" she cautiously reached out and touched his arm.
His head snapped around to look at her, for a moment he seemed to calm down, then his eyes met hers, Ino could feel the shudder that ran through his body.
He turned his face away from her. "Get out of here," he growled.
She sat there for just a moment, "Kankurou, what…?"
"Now!" he cut her off. "Get out of here now. You heard me!" The intensity of his anger grew with each word.
She snatched her robe and quickly pulled it on. She paused at the door and started to look back.
"Leave, just leave!" He seethed furiously now.
She went through the door back into the hallway. What just happened? Ino thought as she fled back too her room, hoping that Kankurou's explosion had not awakened anyone else.
A/N: Hey…it's almost a real cliffhanger…in more ways than one.
Oh well, I'm off camping for a while. My Beta's worked over Chapter 6 but I won't post until I'm back. My brain can't handle 2 sets of Author's Notes and Disclaimers so close together…at least not on the same story.
