AN: It's a ninjas' apartment complex. No buzzer, no doorman. They're too used to visitors at all hours of the night and they can take care of themselves anyway. Besides, a doorman wouldn't be much help in stopping someone who wanted to kill them.
I've been dreading writing this chapter for so long, but it was probably the most fun I've had yet. It's the first time I've done a scene in any detail with Naruto, see. And probably good to get out of my way since I've started a shot NaruIno.
Anyway, I live. I was experiencing both personal and technical difficulties. It was a very crazy semester. It'll probably happen again, but I'll always come back :)
Read on, my pretties.
Chapter 7:
Sasuke walked out into the bright, sunlit streets of Konoha right behind Ino. After being in darkness for so long he felt a little overwhelmed but he adjusted as quickly as he could and kept close to the blonde. Tsunade had given him the perfect excuse to stick to her like a leech, and he fully intended to take advantage of it.
"Where are we going?" he asked conversationally.
Ino shot a glare at him out of the corner of her eye. "Well, you're officially back in Konoha now," she said reluctantly. "Naruto will kill me if I don't take you to see him right away."
The pair made their way quickly through the streets of Konoha. It was still fairly early in the morning so everyone who was up was going about with a sense of purpose and minding their own business. Ino was relieved that no one recognized Sasuke or stopped to ask who he was. She was to act as his bodyguard (not that he needed one) as much as his babysitter, and she didn't feel like dealing with angry mobs and the like.
It didn't take them long to reach an apartment building and Sasuke looked at it in confusion when he saw Ino start to head inside.
"I thought we were going to Naruto's," he said, even as he followed Ino through the doors.
"We are. This is his building... You didn't expect him to stay living in that dump he used to call an apartment, did you? He's a hero; he doesn't have to deal with that crap anymore. Mostly." While Ino explained things to him she'd been leading him up a few flights of stairs. By the time they reached the third floor Sasuke was feeling fairly stupid for expecting everything to remain the same. Hadn't Ino herself provided ample evidence of how much people might have grown?
Ino went down the third floor corridor before knocking on the door of room 315. It was silent for a few minutes, and so Ino knocked again, louder. Still no answer.
"I know you're awake Naruto! Answer the door or I'll break it down!" Ino screeched out, probably waking the entire hall. Sasuke just stood behind her, looking stoic. He was actually incredibly nervous about this reunion. Naruto was his best friend, his brother. Unlike with Ino he'd seen Naruto a few times since he'd abandoned Konoha. They hadn't been pleasant.
"I'm coming!" Naruto yelled back. "Don't break down my door you crazy psychopath!"
"What did you call me?" Ino screeched, her voice rising an octave and several decibels.
"Will you crazy blondes shut the hell up!" someone else yelled from down the hall.
Naruto reached the door and quickly pulled it open – he obviously took Ino's threat seriously.
"You shut up!" he and Ino shouted at the mysterious voice down the hallway before turning and grinning at each other. Obviously this morning routine was, well, routine. Then Naruto's look changed to one of dread and he pushed Ino aside and slammed Sasuke against the wall.
"Get out of here, Ino," Naruto said, his voice deadly cold. "Evacuate the building and then tell Tsunade."
Ino merely stood there. Gawking at him.
"Now!"
Apparently Naruto had failed to notice that Sasuke was not fighting back against his chokehold and was slowly turning an odd purplish colour.
"Naruto," Ino said gently, beginning to walk toward him.
"It's Sasuke," Naruto said. "I don't know how much longer I can hold him. Get out of here!"
"Sasuke?" many voices asked and there was the sound of frantic scrabbling as heads poked out from doors all around the hall.
Bloody ninja hearing, Ino sighed to herself. Why hadn't she just invited Naruto over to her place?
"Yes, it's Sasuke. And he's not fighting back," she pointed out. Naruto looked at her in confusion before turning to pay attention to Sasuke for the first time since he'd attacked him.
"Naruto. You need to let him go now. You're killing him," she said calmly.
"You can't tell me you still have feelings for the bastard?" Naruto said in disbelief. "You said you hated him!"
"I do!" Ino protested, before calming herself once more. "I do, Naruto. And I haven't forgiven him. But he's a ninja of Konoha now, and he's under my protection, so could you please let him go? If you kill him Tsunade might revoke my status as a kunoichi."
"He's back?" Naruto said quietly, removing his arm from Sasuke's throat. The prying faces in doorways disappeared to wrestle with their own thoughts on the matter and leaving what was obviously about to become a very personal moment. Ino nodded.
"You're back?" he asked again, looking at Sasuke intensely. Sasuke nodded, massaging his throat as he took in deep gulps of air.
"You're back!" Naruto shouted jumping up and grabbing Sasuke in tight hug. This lasted for a moment until his intense shock subsided and Naruto pulled away. "I mean," he said as he punched Sasuke on the back and continued in a manly voice quite unlike his previous, and rather girlish, shriek. "You're back. Good for you." But the insane grin on his face gave away his excitement.
"Hi, Naruto," Sasuke said quietly.
"Are you going to invite us in?" Ino asked pointedly.
"Since when do you wait for an invitation?" Naruto asked.
"Good point," Ino smiled before walking into Naruto's apartment followed by Sasuke and Naruto.
Sasuke sat next to Ino on Naruto's couch and Naruto sat across from them, still grinning like a madman. Ino looked at Sasuke's neck with detached concern. He looked like he was still having trouble breathing... she stopped a wicked grin from spreading over her face. Good.
"Wait a second," Naruto said as he looked at the pair. "How come Ino knew you were back before I did? What kind of best friend are you?" he wailed, looking at Sasuke with his famous puppy dog eyes.
Sasuke groaned. Naruto hadn't changed at all. "She was my interrogator," he said calmly, an evil grin appearing on his face.
"Your...interrogator? How long have you been back?"
"A little over two months," Sasuke said with a shrug, his grin growing wider at the explosion he was sure would follow.
"Two months!" Naruto roared. "Two months and nobody's told me!" He turned his pathetic puppy eyes on Ino. "I thought you were my friend."
"Tsunade's orders," Ino said shrugging, brushing him off without a thought. "Have you got anything to eat? I'm starving."
"You only like me because I feed you," Naruto grumbled, but Ino just laughed at him so he went to get her some breakfast.
"I thought you were on a diet," Sasuke said, glaring at Ino accusingly. Ino just shrugged.
"So...you two are...closer than I remember," Sasuke said hesitantly. He hadn't thought that Ino may be attached to someone, but seeing how easy the two blondes were around each other made the possibility glaringly obvious.
"Hm? Oh, yes. Naruto and I were thrown together for a couple missions and realized how much we couldn't stand each other's presence. It's a beautiful friendship," Ino said with a smirk that would not have looked out of place on Anko.
"Friendship?" Sasuke asked, in need of clarification.
Ino, who had taken a compact from her purse and was preening stopped looking at herself in the mirror and turned to face Sasuke, eyes wary.
"Yes, friends."
"He doesn't have a girlfriend yet, does he?" Sasuke pushed needing more information.
"No-" Ino began.
"And you don't have a boyfriend?"
Ino locked her jaw and glared at Sasuke. No way in hell was she telling him.
Unfortunately Naruto was unaware of the tension that existed between his friends.
"No, she doesn't," he said with a laugh. "Although it's not for lack of suitors, let me tell you. She's secretly turning them down because her heart is filled with longing for one man. Only he can fill the void in her heart..."
Sasuke was listening to Naruto with interest until Ino interrupted.
"Get over yourself, Naruto. Just because you're about to be Hokage doesn't mean every girl is dying to get into your pants."
"You know you love me Ino," Naruto said as he presented her with a plate of French toast (he'd been in the middle of making himself breakfast when Ino had arrived).
"No, I love your cooking. There's a difference."
"I feel so used," Naruto said in fake despair as he sunk into the chair opposite the duo.
Sasuke was beginning to feel uncomfortable being in the same room as the two. They obviously had a very close friendship. And his earlier assessment had been wrong. Naruto had changed, he was just better at hiding it than Ino. This Naruto was more confident and less of an idiot...this Naruto might be able to beat him in battle without calling on the powers of Kyuubi. Sasuke shivered at the thought.
He sat in silence while Ino and Naruto ate and prattled on about various things. It wasn't until a good half hour later that they returned their attention to Sasuke.
"We really need to work on your social skills, Sasuke," Ino said bemusedly. "Here you are in the room with your best friend who you haven't spoken to in years and you have nothing to say."
"Don't you know, Ino," Naruto chimed in. "He's the strong, silent type. It's what makes all the ladies swoon." His face immediately assumed a constipated look as he grunted out Sasuke's favourite monosyllable. "Hn."
Ino laughed and then shifted her position into a more serious stance. "Naruto, I have a favour to ask of you."
"Anything for you, Ino" Naruto said as went on bended knee and clasped her hand to his heart.
"Get up you idiot. This is serious," she said, smacking him lightly on the arm. Naruto was immediately seated in his chair and listening intently.
"Okay," he said quietly.
"I've been assigned as Sasuke's guardian until we can be certain he doesn't mean to betray us again."
"I thought that's what he went to you for," Naruto said, looking at her curiously.
"It is...but you can't be too careful," Ino replied, looking at him levelly. Naruto nodded.
"You need me to watch him sometimes?"
"I think so. But there's more. The other reason I'm to watch him is because we're not certain that he's, well, sane."
Sasuke glared at her.
"No problem," Naruto said. "I'll be happy to watch him for you if you need a break."
"Thank-you," Ino sighed, relieved as Naruto's gaze switched from Ino to Sasuke and back again. "It won't pose any complications?" she asked, just to make sure.
"It'll be fine."
Why did Sasuke get the feeling he was missing something?
"So, can we take him to meet everyone else?" Naruto asked, jumping up eagerly.
"I'm not sure. You think it'd be okay?"
Naruto shrugged. "Your call. It'd probably do him some good."
"You know, I'm sitting right here," Sasuke groused. He was beginning to get tired of being ignored.
"Yes, yes," Ino said absently, patting him on the head. "Hush now." Sasuke just grunted and gave up.
"I don't want to parade him around Konoha yet though. Who knows how the civilians will react," Ino said, worriedly.
"Good point," Naruto agreed. Both blondes were starting to grin like maniacs and Sasuke was starting to grow very, very, concerned.
"Only one choice then," Ino said, her grin growing even larger.
"Yep. Only thing left," Naruto said, shaking his head in resignation even as his grin threatened to take over his face.
"You want to do it, or shall I?" Ino asked formerly.
"Well, it looks as though you've already got a project on your hands. Leave it to me," Naruto said.
"Very well," Ino agreed. "Six o'clock sound good? We can make a dinner out of it."
"It sounds excellent," Naruto agreed as he let Ino and Sasuke out of his apartment with a bow.
"Until tonight," he said, blowing a cheeky kiss at Ino before slamming the door in her and Sasuke's face.
AN: Okay, this chapter probably seems a little odd, given Ino's prior persona. Allow me to elaborate. Naruto is freaking awesome – I didn't realize how awesome until I wrote this chapter.
That's really all that I needed to say. His personality is so warm and infectious that around him Ino is a lot more like her old self. Their personalities just work off each other so well. I'll explain it in more detail later in the story...probably next chapter, actually... but I just wanted to let you know that her behaviour in this chapter isn't meant to make her sound completely okay. Rather it's to illustrate the difference between what should be (how she is around Naruto) and what is (how she is around everyone else).