A/N: 1st note- If you tuned in because I changed who was listed as the main characters in my story you've missed a few chapters along the way…
2nd note- I had to do it because she'll keep popping up. I decided to give Ino's mother a name. I chose Misao for no particular reason except there was a character with that name in another anime I enjoyed…oh well.
3rd note- If you follow my other ongoing story about Sakura there are spoilers ahead…this is set over 2 years after where that one currently is as of to date.
Thank you to kiwipie, shannny2k, shelvesinthecloset, Shubaltz Crazist & Sylence for your reviews and your theories.
Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns the rights to his Naruto characters. Though it would be nice to have a property as wonderful…I'll just settle for the small fan base I have. : )
Post Suna Syndrome
It had been a week and a half since she had gotten back from Suna. Ino was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. One hand was pushed under the waistband of her periwinkle sleep shorts to rest on her abdomen. She was trying to see if she could use her healing abilities to know… Jeez, I tried this yesterday and I'm getting that same kind of feeling today. It's just like Sakura described it when she thought she was pregnant the first time. "It doesn't feel like there's anything wrong…just different." Dammit, now that 'smug bastard' is gonna be a part of me forever, I just know it. I'll have to go and confirm this officially of course. She sat up slowly, I'm surprised I don't feel dizzy or nauseous…yet…when does that stuff start happening?
She heard a movement beyond her door, coming from the living room. Sounds like they're awake, that's just great. A very furious image of her father standing beside her weeping mother flashed through her mind. He's gonna kill me, I just know it. Might as well get dressed and try to act like I have something official to do today.
She didn't have to worry because as soon as she'd settled in to have breakfast with her parents, a knock came at the door for a mission summons from the Hokage. She snatched her toast and ran out as fast as her feet would carry her.
Ino rushed to get there because she had some business with the Hokage she needed to take care of prior to her teammates' arrival. She asked to be allowed into the office before hand and was granted the opportunity, much to her relief. "Godaime-sama, your summons interrupted my original plan for this morning. Since it may make a difference if I can go on missions or not, I think I should let you know: I may be pregnant."
Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "Anything either of your teammates should be concerned with?" she gestured for Ino to come forward.
"Other than it prohibiting me from going out on missions, no." Ino looked slightly embarrassed by the question, "I'll just think of it as a souvenir from Suna."
The Hokage gently placed her hands on Ino's exposed midriff, healing chakra lightly reaching out. A moment later, she looked at Ino and said, "Your suspicions are confirmed. Is there someone you want to contact back in Suna?"
"No, the whole affair ended on a very sour note; in fact, he actually considered this possibility and specifically told me not waste my time contacting him. I was foolish and wasn't as cautious as I usually am." She gently placed her hand below her navel, with a melancholy expression on her face, "Now I've got to act responsibly in the aftermath of some bad judgment."
"So should I congratulate you or not?" Tsunade regarded her.
"I'll have to take a wait and see attitude on that," Ino replied.
"Wait and see about what?" the door opened, and in stepped Shikamaru followed by Chouji.
Ino turned and looked at them, "Guys, I'm afraid I can't go…"
"Did I say that?" Tsunade cut her off, "This is one of the specialty missions, you're essential. I don't foresee any problems, unless you've been having problems using your jutsu when you've been practicing?" She leaned forward and looked Ino right in the eyes.
The intensity of it made Ino cower slightly, "Uhhm, no."
"What's going on, Godaime-sama?" Chouji asked. "I feel like we've walked into the middle of something."
"Ino and I were just discussing something that may just make the next few months a little more interesting." Tsunade spoke with practiced ease, "Go on Ino, share your news since they're the one's who'll be taking extra good care of you on missions."
Shikamaru and Chouji stared at Ino.
"I'm pregnant." Ino couldn't look them in the eyes.
"Then how can you possibly let her go on missions?" Shikamaru turned to regard the Hokage.
"You know as well as I do that the character assassination missions have been fairly low risk. As long as Ino has no trouble controlling her jutsu, remains healthy and is able to move at a shinobi worthy pace, I see no problem with her doing these kinds of missions. Besides, as her condition advances, it should give her as good a cover for 'fainting' in public as anything you've come up with." She returned his intense expression.
Chouji in the meantime was staring at Ino in shock, A baby? How could this have happened? I was watching her, keeping her safe. How did she even meet this guy and why was there no hint…? He wanted to be angry but somehow found he couldn't…not at her at least.
Ino finally spoke again, "I'm all right, and I don't have any problem with going out on missions." She met Chouji's disappointed look. "I'm sorry you both had to find out in such an awkward way. You don't have to worry about losing me though; the baby's father is back in Suna and made it clear that he wants nothing to do with me anymore." She was pretty sure she looked as pathetic as she felt saying all this to them. Hell, she knew Shika had heard the real story and hoped he would play along.
Fortunately, he did. Shikamaru took a deep breath and came forward to give her a hug, "Well, I for one will help you in any way I can," he said. "So, how'd your parents take the news?"
"They don't know yet. I was originally going to confirm my suspicions by more normal means this morning. However that plan went by the wayside when we got the summons. Tsunade-sama confirmed it for me just before you got here." She frowned, "In a way, this mission will give me more time to figure out the right way to tell them."
Chouji too came forward to hug her as well. "I'll take the care of you better than ever on this mission. Nothing is gonna harm either of you," he looked into her eyes and gave her a shy smile, "I promise."
"Thank you both." Ino turned back to face the Hokage, "I guess we're ready for your orders."
The mission was a fairly straight forward assignment. They had more than enough information provided to them to produce a plan before they got to their location. The target was a man named Yasuyuki who was trying to get himself appointed governor of a large village in the territory between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
People in this area put a lot of value on appearances, both how one looks and how one presents himself. It made Ino's job all too easy. Yasuyuki was out in public, garnering support for himself when she possessed him. "Just remember when I stand before you, we share one belief and that belief is best summed up in one word: Yeeaaahhhaaa." As he said this he pulled off his jacket and twirled it in the air. "Yeeaaahhhaaa, the sound so nice I made it twice."
Shikamaru was her catcher this time. They met up with Chouji at a previously agreed upon location. "I think we made him look like an absolute idiot," Shika smirked. "Nice delivery of the script, Ino."
"Thank you," she smiled back, "your planning was brilliant as always. This guy's gonna have a hard time living that down."
Chouji looked at Ino, "So how are you feeling after all that?" His eyes studied her carefully from head to toe, then he met her eyes. There was a slight furrowing of his brow.
"Fine, just fine." She noticed his concern, "I'm not tired or anything like that. I feel like I always do after using my jutsu."
"That's good." He seemed relieved, "I guess Tsunade-sama was right about you."
That night the men of Team 10 were awakened from a sound sleep by their teammate.
"Huge!" her voice caused them to start into alertness.
"What the hell?" Shikamaru muttered.
"I just realized I'm gonna get huge, fat, round, you know just…big." She blinked at them as she gestured her arms out into a circle in front of her.
Chouji's eyes narrowed as his ears and the corner of his mouth twitched. Fortunately, he was just awake enough to realize that the dread word had not been aimed at him.
"You wake us up because you just realized that having a baby is going to change your waistline?" Shika groaned.
"Yeah Ino, pregnant is a lot different from…from…" Chouji couldn't work around the word so he changed his approach. "Well, anyways, there's something special at the end of the…umm… journey."
"Someone special," Shikamaru corrected him. "Maybe that's what you should remind yourself about every time you start freaking out about your choice."
"Thanks guys," Ino settled back to sleep, trying to keep the words they had just planted in her mind.
The Hokage was pleased that she had been right about Ino's ability to continue in her current condition on the specialty missions. They seemed to get one every four to six weeks, and since Konoha's coffers did very well from them Tsunade did not want to have to turn them down any sooner that necessary. It never ceases to amaze me how much people are willing to pay to humiliate a rival, she thought with a strange sense of satisfaction.
Tsunade lightly ran her hands across Ino checking her chakra flow and the general balance of her system, "You will let me know if you find yourself having difficulty focusing your chakra or maintaining any of your jutsu." She raised an eyebrow at Ino.
"Yes, Godaime-sama," Ino replied. How many times is she going to have to remind me?
"And the two of you will report to me if you even think she's having difficulty keeping up." The Hokage looked at Shikamaru and Chouji.
"Yes, Godaime-sama," they answered in unison.
"Before you go I have a little present for you." The Hokage held out a bracelet to Ino.
"It's one of those medical alerts, isn't it?" Ino looked slightly annoyed.
"You probably don't want it because it was one of Sakura's ideas." Tsunade bent forward to look fiercely at Ino. "I suggest you put it on now," she narrowed her eyes further when Ino hesitated, "or I'll put it on for you."
Ino snatched the item and snapped it into place around her left wrist.
"Well then, we are done, you are dismissed."
As they stepped outside, Shikamaru turned to Ino, "So, have you figured out what you're going to tell your parents yet?"
"Not really, but I guess I have to get it over and done with." She looked at the two of them, "You might as well go home; you'll be able to hear my father's scream just as well when you're there."
"Good luck Ino," Chouji gave her a hug. "If you need me for anything just let me know."
"Same goes for me," Shikamaru added.
She finally got her nerve up to tell them over dinner that evening. "Mom, Dad, as you remember I recently spent over three weeks in Suna."
"Of course; you were there with your teammates escorting some representatives to help write new treaties between our village and theirs." Her mother, Misao, looked at her obviously puzzled. "It's almost like you just got back."
"You told us that it was a success, even though you felt uncomfortable because you didn't contribute to it." Her father, Inoichi, regarded her across the length of the table. "Why are you bringing this up now?"
"I met someone there, and though we broke up badly before I left Suna, he's always going to be a part of my life. You're going to become grandparents. I'm pregnant."
Inoichi screamed every bit as loud as Ino predicted. After he had demonstrated that he had an amazing lung capacity, he glared at his daughter and snarled through his teeth, "Who is he? Is there some way we can petition their Kazekage to make him take some responsibility for his actions?" He was practically hyperventilating by the time he was done.
Misao looked back and forth between the two of them. Finally, she put her hand on her husband's shoulder. "Dear, there's nothing we can do about it right now. All we can do is be supportive of Ino's choice to tell us this. I know this isn't how you wanted to become a grandfather, but think about our daughter." Her blue eyes looked at Ino, "I'll help you as best I can."
Inoichi scowled as he looked at Ino, "I'm disappointed. You're not even twenty-one yet."
"I know," Ino replied, bowing her head.
"But I can't turn my back on you." Then suddenly he looked at her with a perplexed expression, "Didn't you just come back from a mission?"
"Yes."
"Did the Hokage know what you've just told us?"
"Yes, I fact she's the one who confirmed it for me." Ino watched as her father made ready to say something but decided to tell him what had been said, "The Hokage said I could keep doing my character assassinations for now, she'll be monitoring my condition as things go along. She also asked Shikamaru and Chouji to report to her if they think I'm not up to it. So don't worry; there are a lot of safeguards in place for the baby and me." She pulled back the sleeve on her shirt to show them the medical-alert.
"Okay, she's taking care of you, but I still want to give her a piece of my mind," Inoichi frowned. "She could have let you tell us about things before you went out."
Ino decided it was time to visit someone who had a little more recent experience with what she was about to go through: Sakura. How am I going to tell her without sounding like I'm bowing before her greater wisdom?
She went over to the house early the next day. Sakura looked her, "Good morning Ino, this is a surprise. Would you like to come in?"
"Yeah, if you don't have anything else to do, that is."
"Not really. With three young children, Tsunade-sama is only sending me out when she absolutely needs to. Besides, she keeps me busy helping out at the medical center or special assignments at the academy. And it's not like Lee hasn't proven to be a surprisingly good father." She smiled, then her expression turned serious, "I'm guessing since you're here so early there's something weighing on your mind. So, what can I help you with?" She gestured for Ino to enter then suddenly her hands went out toward her friend's left wrist.
Ino jerked her arm away before Sakura could touch it.
"That's a med-bracelet Ino. What's wrong?"
Ino pursed her lips for a moment, "I developed a sudden allergy."
"What to, is it something common?" green eyes opened wide showing a strong concern for her longtime friend.
"Sex."
Sakura's mouth hung open for a moment, "You're joking, right?"
"The symptoms are a gradual swelling that goes away after about nine months."
For a moment, the pink haired kunoichi stared at her in puzzlement then suddenly she realized what she'd been told, "Oh-my-god, you're pregnant." Suddenly she seemed almost excited for her friend, then she looked Ino straight in the eyes and asked, "Is it Shikamaru's?"
"No, no and no," the blonde kunoichi waved her hands in front of her, "the father is in Suna." Ino made sure she got that out before Sakura could take any more wild guesses.
"So it happened on your recent negotiation mission then? I thought you were always prepared…" Sakura raised an eyebrow, "Did you run out of something?"
"Yeah, but since I was there for a few weeks, the father and I hooked up for a while, so we'd discussed precautions. However, he stopped using his without letting me know, and of course I made the assumption I was okay while I tried to track down the proper plants to make a new batch only to find one was not available in Suna." She looked at her friend, "I will tell you this: the father of my child has already made it clear that it is over between us, so I am choosing to raise my child by myself. I have no intention of sending word of my situation to him. I hope if I need to I can come to you for advice and moral support in the future."
"Sure, anything you need to know…" Suddenly a cry came form the other room, Sakura grabbed Ino's hand, "Com'on, first lesson: that's Hinagiku, she's my little trouble-maker."
So Ino spent the next two hours with Sakura, her three-year-old son Ishi, (Or, as many called him, the second coming of Rock Lee, so like his father was he.) and the 14-month-old twin girls, Himawari and Hinagiku.
Up to this point Ino had avoided hanging out with Sakura at home. Some part of her had been worried that the wave of domesticity that had taken her friend and Hinata was contagious. She had been in no hurry to settle down, but now she had little choice in the matter. Even before that she hadn't really spent much time helping out with Kurenai and Asuma's son; the flower shop had always been her primary responsibility when she wasn't on missions.
Sakura decided Himawari was the one to start Ino with, "Hinagiku is all energy, all the time. Himawari is just a quiet little angel who loves to be cuddled, even if she does start off shy."
So Ino survived this extended experience around small children, as she was about to leave. Sakura decided to ask her one more thing. "Would you have a problem with me setting up a get together with Hinata as well for next week? Shigeki is about six months old, so he's more of a baby than any of mine."
"Sure, if I don't get another character assassination."
"Tsunade-sama is still planning on sending you out on those specialty missions?" Sakura seemed shocked. She had spent her pregnancies safely in Konoha and was limited to her medical duties through most of the time.
"Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise, but you know that she is looking out for Konoha's bottom line. You know that my specialty can be very lucrative. Besides she's already warned Shikamaru and Chouji that the have to keep an extra good eye on me." Ino looked at her, "That reminds me, why did you ask if Shika was the father?"
"I always figured of your two teammates he was more your type," Sakura shrugged. Even if I've never seen any indication of interest in you coming out of him…
"Then you obviously haven't noticed he's always had a thing for Temari. By the way, those two finally admitted their feelings to each other while we were in Suna, so I wouldn't be surprised if they try to figure out a way to get together in the near future."
"Well, that's interesting. I can't wait to see how that all works out, you will keep me informed," Sakura gave her a hug. "I guess I'll see you around. You've got a lot to learn, girlfriend."
Ino stepped off the porch. Yeah, but the thing I'd most like to learn is how do you stop thinking about someone when they'll always be a part of you.
True to his word, Inoichi made an appointment with the Hokage the next day. As he walked into the office, Tsunade sat there with her fingers intertwined concealing the lower part of her face.
"So are you disappointed?" Tsunade said as she regarded him.
"Are you?" the jonin florist replied.
"Maybe a little," she spoke in a strange tone. It left Inoichi curious as to what was in the back of her mind.
"I'm more than a bit annoyed that you sent her off on that mission in spite of your discovery." The Yamanaka eyes narrowed at her, "Why would you risk her like that?"
"I know you've been over this with her, so you already know where I stand. She's going on those special missions until she, her teammates' or my opinion of her chakra control determine her to be incapable of doing them." Tsunade's eyes revealed that she did not want her orders to be questioned. She lowered her hand to the desk, "We both know this isn't the real reason you wanted to see me about your daughter."
Inoichi's head bowed, "Are you going to remove her from consideration?"
"I must. Deciding they want to become a mother is the most common reason kunoichi retire from the special assassination corps. No one has ever been given a position in it afterwards." The golden brown eyes narrowed even more, "With so few positions in this elite group, no one gets special consideration."
"I see. When we discussed this almost two years ago you thought she was probably the best candidate for when the next opening came up."
"Timing is everything. None of the four have decided to retire just yet; if one had, she'd have already been appointed." She studied his expression, "They say when one door closes another opens…"
"I hadn't planned on becoming a grandfather just yet."
"Yes, I know, but think about this. Sunagakure has some abilities that aren't found in other ninja villages. Imagine what a gift to Konoha it would be if Ino's baby had one of those. We could end up with a shinobi that can bond with a large cat the way the Inuzuka do with their dogs, or a child with the skill and dexterity of a puppet master; there's even rumored to be a family who can poison others with their own blood," a slow smile slid easily across the Hokage's lips.
"So you're not counting this as a loss then."
"The next generation is always on my mind. I want to hand my successor a stronger Konoha than what I started with." Her hand rested lightly on some of the texts she had by her desk. "In fact, I've been doing some research that may insure that we'll have the ability to bring out the best in our young shinobi, maybe even be able to determine exactly what traits each child has as early as possible so they can be instructed earlier according to their need. Better still it may enhance our abilities to cultivate new skills."
"You're saying my grandchild may have advantages I've never dreamed of."
"Certainly. I want what's best for this village and all its families. That's high on my list of responsibilities." She came around the desk to take Inoichi's hands. "Help your part of our garden grow. Care for your daughter, get her through this safely. Except, of course, when I need her for missions, I'll see that she cared for then." Gently, she guided him to the door. "Best of luck to you and your family." The smile she gave seemed sincere.
The door closed behind Inoichi's back, leaving him to walk through the corridors to the exit. He mulled over the events that had led up to the discussion he'd just had with the Hokage. When Ino was sixteen, he found out she was dating two guys at the same time, because they'd gotten into a fight over her. That implied one thing to him: his daughter was sexually active. Misao confirmed shortly thereafter that their daughter was taking proper precautions…in fact, she was using her medical training to do it. After that incident, it clarified another previous happening that had puzzled him. Apparently, Ino had had some sort of party when she'd been left home alone for a few days while they went off on an acquisition trip. He assumed this because there'd been more food missing from the larder than Ino would have eaten alone. Of course none of the neighbors ever said anything about seeing or hearing anything out of the ordinary during that time.
As indicators of her extracurricular activities continued, it occurred to him that this might be advantageous to her career. He had approached the Hokage and asked her about considering Ino for the kunoichi special assassination corps. This select group used the power of seduction to get close to targets and their kunoichi skills to eliminate them and get away. He'd left the discussion quite pleased Tsunade was already well ahead of him and was considering Ino for the next opening. That had excellent news to him because he considered those character assassinations beneath his daughter's skills.
Damn it all. My aspirations for her are completely gone now. Somehow she screwed up with her precautions and decided to keep the resulting child, then again I wouldn't have expected her to do otherwise, so I guess that's a good thing...isn't it? At this point, he was about halfway back home when he froze with a sudden realization. Did Godaime-sama just say there was a chance my grandchild could be poisonous?!
A/N: Irony #1... I named the victim of the Character Assassination, Yasuyuki from a list of names I'd acquired from various sources. It was picked pretty much at random. I just recently realized that Kankurou's VA is named Kase Yasuyuki. Well, I'm amused. Extra points to anyone who recognizes the inspiration for Yasuyuki's humiliation.
There is at least one more Irony note coming soon…
