Chapter 26: A Heroine's Resolve! Part 1

(Italics: Thoughts/Flashbacks/Dream sequence. Bold: Title and Kyubi's / Demon's / Inner Naruto's / Inner Sakura's Speech. Underline: Time Skips

Naruto sighed and pulled Ino closer to him and gave her a gentle kiss. Ino smiled and rested her head on his chest as she said: "I'm just glad you're alright..."

Naruto smiled and felt the summoning scroll next to him, hidden underneath his hospital blanket as he thought: So am I Ino... So am I...

Three hours later...

Naruto and Ino were walking to Naruto's apartment, Naruto was now dressed in some Shinobi gear that Kakashi had gotten him as a gift for making it to Jounin.

The blonde haired Jounin was now dressed in black ninja pants, a black Jounin vest with the leaf village symbol embedded into the metal plate underneath to block incoming projectile weapons if any got through his defense.

His head band rested on his forehead, keeping his long blonde locks out of his face. Besides the updates in appearance however there were some things about the young jinchuuriki that would never change.

Naruto eyed Ino with a mischievous looking grin, after a few moments Ino saw this and eyed her lover back with a curious expression as she asked: "What is it Naruto?"

The blonde Kunoichi appearance had also changed the couple months her and Naruto had been apart when she was training.

Her purple outfit although it remained the same the color had shifted to a night black low cut skirt, a black Kunoichi vest which she used to store concealed weapons in countless Kunai holders, black combat boots replacing her usual footwear.

But most importantly was the large weapon summoning scroll she held with her, Tenten and her father had made it for her as a gift for passing her clan's most powerful and difficult shinobi art.

Naruto kept the same smile as he asked:

"Can we get some Ichiraku's after we drop off my things at my place?" Ino sighed and rubbed her forehead as she eyed Naruto out of annoyance and said:

"You know we need to do something about this ramen addiction problem you have..."

Naruto flashed his trademark fox-like grin as he replied: "Not going to happen." Ino smiled and kept walking toward their designated destination as she thought:

Same old Naruto...

After Naruto and Ino had arrived and put down his things Ino was literally and immediately dragged all the way to the ramen stand Naruto was so fond of.

Naruto and Ino walked in and took a seat over in the corner. Not more than a few moments after they had sat down Ayame appeared from the back with a pen and pad in hand as she asked in a sweet voice:

"Hello there Naruto-kun, Ino-chan, what can I get you two today?"

After Naruto had his fill of his daily ramen consumption he and Ino had once again arrived at Naruto's apartment

Naruto pulled out his key and fitted into the lock, after the familiar click Naruto cracked his door open and held it open so Ino could enter, Ino grinned and winked at him as she playfully said:

"What a gentleman..."

Naruto entered his home after his lover, instinctively closing the door behind him and locking it out of habit. Naruto smiled and rubbed his stomach and said to himself:

"Man that was some good ramen..."

Naruto smiled and turned to Ino who was sitting on Naruto's couch in his living room and getting comfortable. He flashed his trademark fox-like grin and said:

"I'm going to take a quick shower I'll be right out alright?"

Ino grinned at him seductively before she nodded a moment earlier. Naruto proceeded to his bathroom and shut the door behind him, five minutes later Ino could hear the sound of running water from Naruto's living room.

Ino smiled and headed to the direction of her lover's shower, making sure to get that quality time she had longed for those lonely nights without him there...

Naruto sighed out of relief as the hot water from his shower ran over and relaxed his sore muscles, he smiled and leaned against the shower wall as he thought:

Wow I should really take a short break from training, splitting my ego apart so often definitely took a toll on my mind, although my body was in perfect training condition my mind needs rest every once in a while...

His thoughts were interrupted however as the bathroom door opened and quickly closed, Naruto immediately reacted out of concern and voiced out: "What is it Ino? Did something happen?"

Naruto's sliding shower door opened revealing the undressed from of Ino in all of her beauty, Naruto's face turned a shade of red that would put Hinata's face to absolute shame as he eyed his lover up and down.

Ino who was more than completely satisfied with Naruto's reaction answered his previous question as she said in a seductive voice:

"Yes Naruto something is wrong... We've been apart for far too long and we need to spend some more time together..."

Before Naruto even had time or a chance to react for that matter Ino had pinned him against the shower wall.

The sliding door was shut and Ino's lips were on his, they kissed each other's soft lips over and over again out of ecstasy.

Ino somehow managed to slide her tongue in Naruto's mouth in between the kisses but regardless the only way to describe the scene would be their tongue's declaring war on each other, violently fighting for dominance as their fingertips explored each other's exposed bodies.

After their much needed love session Naruto and Ino got out of the shower and dressed, just as they were leaving the bathroom there was an audible knock on the other side of Naruto's front door.

Naruto immediately proceeded to unlock the door and open it as the form of Kakashi emerged from the doorway, after a quick observation of Ino Kakashi turned to Naruto and said:

"Ah good you're both here, that'll save me the trouble of tracking both of you down, Lady Hokage requests your presence."

Naruto turned to Ino who in turn nodded, Naruto flashed his trademark grin as he said: "Lead the way Kakashi!"

Tsunade smiled and poured herself another glass of sake to get a buzz going because she was a little excited at seeing Ino's progress, from what Tenten said in her letter left her speechless, it was something she truly had to see to believe, after sucessfully draining her glass and putting her sake away in a loose floorboard underneath her desk, she then proceeded to place a powerful Genjutsu to hide her sake stash.

As if right on cue there was an audible knock on the outside of Tsunade's office door, Tsunade cleared her throat and announced: "Come in."

The office door opened and Shizune, Kakashi, Ino, and Naruto all emerged from the doorway. Shizune bowed to Tsunade and left the office and closed the door behind her.

Tsunade's eyes rested on Ino and a smile graced the Hokage's lips as she said:

"Ino I've heard many great things about your progress of your training or as Tenten put it your mastery of the art of weapon summoning."

Ino blushed slightly and rubbed the back of her head nervously as she replied:

"Well I am good if that's what you mean I don't know about mastery though... I really think of it as a variation of her technique and combining it with chakra concentrated defensive blocks and offensive attacks."

Tsunade smiled and responded: "Regardless I would very much like to see your progress..."

Ino smiled but then an idea struck her and she looked at the Hokage and said:

"But Lady Hokage I can't really show you the extent of my technique without having a sparring partner and to be honest I haven't really had much time to perfect my restraint if you catch my drift..."

Ino finished with a dark, confident look on her face.

Tsunade replied to Ino's comment with a dark look of her own as she said:

"Oh I do believe we can make an arrangement for a partner and I can guarantee you will feel no need to use restraint."

Tsunade snapped her fingers and an ANBU agent appeared behind the Hokage's desk and said:

"Your orders Lady Hokage?"

Tsunade grinned darker than ever and said: "Bring me one of the prisoners..."

A/N: I really got to thank my little brother for the idea of using a murderous prisoner or a similar character that a trained shinobi of Naruto or Ino's skill would kill in a moment without any hesitation.

Oh and as for the shower scene that's called a romance scene not a lemon, just because they're naked doesn't mean sex is always involved or really as much as a need as much as a desire in my honest opinion, that's called passion people.

As for the title of the chapter it really just showed I wanted to have Ino be as much a main character as Naruto in the story. Anyway REVIEW if you care!

Peace! - DemonicLove555