A knock was heard on the door, and Itachi let go of Ino to see who it was this early in the morning. When he opened the door, it was revealed to be Shikamaru, "Hey Itachi. Sorry to show up like this so early. I wanted to be sure you received the Hokage's letter, and…" Shikamaru's gaze shifted to another focal point behind him, but Itachi understood that he had come to check on Ino's state of mind.

Itachi nodded and moved aside to let him in, "You're here to make sure she's alright" he stated matter-of-factly, but Shikamaru added, "I'm here to make sure you're both not taking this revelation too hard. You're my friend too, Itachi" he placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, and Itachi nodded his gratitude.

Ever since they started dating, and Itachi's friendship circle had increased. That was just another aspect of his life that Ino had improved, and he welcomed every change she brought. He wasn't going to be as reserved as he was in his friendship with Shisui anymore, which he had come to realize was quite selfish on his end.

"We had just decided to make our way to the Administration building" Itachi informed him, "Alright, I'll escort you then" Shikamaru decided. "Sure, give us a moment to change into our shinobi gear, please come in and help yourself in the meantime to anything you need. You're no stranger here" Itachi said.

Shikamaru walked in and gave Ino a warm greeting hug, then met her gaze and said, "Ino, don't make anything of this yet, you got that?" Ino slowly nodded twice, Shikamaru was stating the same thing Itachi had. Of course he would, he knew her well enough to guess she was already jumping to conclusions and sinking into her guilty reveries; wondering if she should have fought more to keep the search going.

Itachi gave the Nara a grateful nod and nudged Ino towards their bedroom to change. Soon enough, they were on their way to meet with the Rokudaime. When they arrived at his office, they found team Kakashi and Fugaku Uchiha there too. Sakura went to stand beside Ino and held her hand gently for support, as they waited for the Hokage to speak.

"My letters to you all have already disclosed why I summoned you here. A shinobi who greatly resembles Shisui Uchiha had been seen north of the Land of Iron. Now, I must stress that this doesn't confirm that he is alive, nor that it is him…" Obito directed his gaze towards Ino and Itachi, "…but neither will I ignore the possibility that it could be him"

Obito stood up and informed them, "I am dispatching a team to investigate. Kakashi, I would like you and your team to head to the Land of Iron. The Samurai will assist you with finding this Shisui-or-not-Shisui beyond their borders, Mifune-Sama is already expecting you" Kakashi nodded, and Naruto promised exuberantly, "If it is him, we'll get him back!" to which Sasuke tsked as he mused, loser.

"We should go too" Ino chimed in as she let go of Sakura's hand and referred to her and Itachi joining in on this mission. "I do not believe this is a good idea. I do not think that either of you can make sound judgements when Shisui is involved, and I will not allow for such a risk. Where they are headed is dangerous enough; the land beyond the Iron is far too cold to be inhabitable due to the ceaseless snowstorm that curses it-" Obito refuted, but Ino interjected and said, "We led the last search if you recall!" and Obito asserted his next words "It is precisely because I do recall that I made this decision" It's also his reasoning behind keeping the old team Shisui in the dark about this as well. It helps that they are away from the village on a mission too.

Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder, and when she turned to meet his gaze, she found that he had been shaking his head, "Ino, Obito-San is right. I trust that team Kakashi…" and he emphasized to her precisely who team Kakashi was to them, "…that my brothers, my senpai, and your best friend will do everything we would have on this mission" his eyes were assertive, and Ino acquiesced to remain behind.

Team Kakashi had left on their mission, and Itachi left Ino with Shikamaru as he joined his father to fulfil their clan duties. "I'll meet you at the apartment around dinner time" he informed as he gave her a light tap on her forehead before parting.

Ino asked her teammate, "You think you can get away from your responsibility as the Hokage's advisor for a little while? I need to vent, everything is just chaotic in my mind, and these aren't exactly things I can say to Itachi, at least not yet. I don't want him to misunderstand…" her eyes pleaded with him. Shikamaru was who she turned to when Sakura wasn't available to help her process her thoughts. "I'm sure Obito would understand. Let me just shift a few things around and we can go somewhere and talk" he responded.

They made their way to Senju Park, and sat by a bench overlooking the river, "Say it. Whatever terrible thought you have plaguing your mind right now, just say it. Raw and uncensored, and we will leave it here." Shikamaru avowed. That is what she needed…

Ino was afraid to voice what she had been thinking. Vocalizing her thoughts makes it real. However, holding them in feels like each thought is tearing at the walls of her mind viciously in desperation to get out. She can't process them, and it's affecting another vital organ of hers.

Her heart.

Shikamaru grabbed her hand to encourage her, and the comfort that accompanied that touch produced a few relieving tears to escape her eyes. She subtly nodded once and then spoke…

"Part of me wishes this isn't Shisui. That he is truly dead…" her voice croaked. It took her a moment to speak again, "…because if he isn't, then I had betrayed him by not searching well enough, and by choosing to be with Itachi." she took a few seconds to gather the strength she needed to go on.

"The other part of me wishes it really is him…" she struggled to speak between snuffles, but admitting this next statement tore at her, turning her sobs into a muffled whine as her hand clasped at her mouth "…that he is alive, but that still makes me feel like a traitor"

Ino released her sobs and took a moment to regain her composure. She wiped the tear streams on her face, took in a breath and expressed, "I love Itachi, I want to be with him, and he makes me happy, truly, but…" She turned to meet his gaze as she admitted "I never stopped loving Shisui" the heavy sobs she tried to subdue escaped once more alongside her confession. He put his arm around her and pulled her close to rest her head on his shoulder. They stayed like that for as long as she needed.

(… 4 years ago)

It's been a little over a year since Shisui had gone missing, a month since he had been declared KIA, and a few weeks since Ino and Itachi's friendship began.

It was an unusual friendship in a way, mostly because of the activities they chose to do together. They would often meet at Naka Forest, sometimes by the waterfall, but most times deep within the forest itself where they remain concealed. There they exchanged memories with each other.

Itachi would recount his memories through a genjutsu, and Ino would use her clan's jutsu to link her mind with his own. Itachi's genjutsu would allow them to recount memories as bystanders, however, Ino's jutsu put him in the first-person perspective, which he much preferred. It was as if he was living new moments with Shisui. It was a precious experience.

She would show him the missions she went on with Shisui and his team, quiet days in which she would be resting on his lap as he read to her, which sort of made him feel awkward, date nights where he would insist to cook for her but would somehow end up burning half the meals he prepared, nights at the bar playing drinking games with the team, and more.

Knowing how great a cook his best friend was, Itachi suspected his kitchen blunders have something to do with the Yamanaka, as her back would often be turned towards him when something would suddenly go wrong.

He would show her their trainings as well, Shisui sneaking him some dango when he was little to appease his sweet tooth, missions they had gone on when they both were in the Anbu, just the unclassified ones of course, nights they had spent star gazing and talking about life as well as the future, clan troubles, particularly with the elders, among others. He still had a whole lot more to show her, and she was grateful for it.

She had fewer memories than he expected her to have.

Itachi was never one to hold back on asking for answers when a question beleaguered his mind, and so he ventured to seek his answers, "I noticed that your memories with Shisui are few for a year-long relationship. I thought you both spent a lot of time together?"

Ino's cheeks blushed a little pink as she thought, 'of course he would pick up on that!'.

"Um, yeah… I have more memories with him than I shared…" she said sheepishly grinning, "…but I doubt you would want to see those"

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked with genuine curiosity, and she responded, "Just trust me, you don't" a little more firmly, hoping the undertone wouldn't escape him.

Her response only made him more curious about the memories she was keeping from him, and he vocalized his next thought, "I would take any memory you had if it meant I could have new ones with him" he thought she understood this, and she thought he was more astute than he was currently appearing to be, but clearly, she was wrong. That, or Itachi was very innocent for someone who was best friends with Shisui Uchiha.

"You don't want those new memories" she stressed again.

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide this?" he said with an arched eyebrow. He wasn't holding out on her, so why was she?

'Well… no use avoiding it now' she mused.

'How to put this delicately?'

"Somehow, I'm confident that you don't want a memory of your best friend pinching my nipples and sticking his cock between my tits etched into your head…" She said not so delicately…

"…" Itachi deadpanned.

"…or his cock face-fucking me in the bathroom of Yakiniku Restaurant…" she added.

Itachi's jaw dropped.

"…or us fucking on Iruka Sensei's desk at the Academy… I could go on, but basically, we fucked a lot in various places" she ended matter-of-factly.

Itachi's face was blood red.

"I think I get the picture…" he flustered, "… quite vividly" he added.

Silence ensued, until Itachi broke it once more "the Academy? Really?" he asked intrigued with an eyebrow arched.

Ino blushed and said, "Um, yeah…"

"Weren't you afraid of getting caught?" he inquired, and she responded, "That was what made it even more thrilling. The possibility of getting found in such a compromising state… It was hot! Besides, it helps that I'm a sensory type kunoichi" she winked.

"Children go there" he stated incredulously.

"Oh, relax! We only went in the middle of night when it was empty, and we cleaned up afterwards" she smirked as she recalled, "But the Academy wasn't even the worst place we did it in" her smirk curled further into a grin.

Itachi found himself becoming more curious, "Well… aren't you going to tell me?" he pressed when she hadn't continued to speak for a few moments.

"Alright, but you gotta promise not to repeat what I'm about to tell you" She said pointing a finger at him, and he smiled as he nodded then said, "you have my word, Yamanaka"

"Sasuke's bedroom"

"…"

Itachi's face went blank, followed by a sudden guffaw, "BAHAHAHAHA" stunning Ino in the process. She had never heard Itachi LAUGH!

She smiled, then added smugly "and I say bedroom because it wasn't just the bed"

Itachi's laugh got even louder, and tears were now streaming down his face.

It took a while for his laugh to quiet down, and when it had reduced to chuckles, he remarked, "If he ever learns of this, I'm certain he'd follow Shisui to the pure lands and drag him back here just to kick his ass"

Ino's smile turned into a longing one as she said, "maybe we should tell him then" she tried to say mockingly, but Itachi heard the pining in her undertone. He felt the same way.

He reached an arm around her and pulled her into a half embrace. That was their thing now; when one would be feeling down, the other would reach out a comforting arm.

A few minutes later she stated, "your turn".

"Excuse me?" he asked, and she elaborated, "It's not fair that you only get to learn about my sex life, you should share something too".

"I wasn't aware such a rule existed" he retorted, and she said, "It doesn't, but I am curious… Have you ever been with anyone?" she took the honest route. She wondered if her theory about his innocence was right.

Itachi looked pensive, and a few moments later he disclosed, "I had one experience, and…It's not really an experience I'm proud of".

She comforted him with her eyes and said, "I'm sure I can beat you at horrifying sexual experiences" with a chuckle. He smiled, and went on, "I was on a mission back when I was part of the Anbu, and I came across a… very sensual looking woman who was a year older than me. I was 15 at the time, and… well I did what 15-year-old boys do, I suppose, when they discover a new urge." Ino was astonished at hearing how normal Itachi's experience had been, but perhaps that is why he had been troubled by it.

"Once I achieved relief, I retrieved my senses, and I felt utterly despicable at succumbing to sharing such intimacy with someone I wasn't in love with. So, I vowed I would never engage in such behaviour again until I meet someone I love, who loves me as well."

Ino smiled at Itachi warmly and said, "I hope you find her soon. She would be very lucky to have someone as faithful and resolute as you." She placed her head on his shoulder and they sat in silence.

That was how Itachi and Ino spent the majority of the first year of their friendship together. Sharing memories, and learning more about one another…

(… 3 years ago)

They were at Naka Forest again, and Ino was marvelling at Itachi training with shuriken. Sure, she can meet her targets when she throws her weapons, but she is nowhere close to what this Uchiha can do. Ino had always thought Sasuke and Shisui were impressive at weapons throw, however, Itachi was on a level of his own!

She had come looking for him initially at his family home, but he had already left when she arrived, so she figured the forest was where he would be, and she was right. He offered to postpone his training for her, but she refused and insisted he goes about his routine. Watching him do his thing reaffirmed to her that it was the right call.

"I can skip out on archery if you're bored" he suggested when he was done with shuriken and kunai. Itachi was feeling apprehensive about keeping her waiting, but Ino was more than entertained. "Nope! No skipping… I'm enjoying this" she said with a playful smirk, and Itachi raised an eyebrow her way. He wondered what possible entertainment she gained from a practice she wasn't participating in.

She urged him to go on with a flick of her hands and he retorted, "Alright, if you insist".

Itachi's archery skills, like his shuriken jutsu, was unlike any she had ever seen before. He placed three arrows onto his bow, closed his eyes to take in the surrounding nature, and a moment later he pulled back the arrows and shot them at a trajectory above his head. He walked over towards her and by the time he sat next to her, his arrows met all three targets' bullseye that were placed behind the boulders around them.

She looked at him with astonishment, and he announced casually, "I'm done now", and she smirked and said, "I've never met anyone who gloats through being humble. That is more impressive than your aim".

Itachi appeared to be dumbfounded, as he said, "I'm not sure if that's a compliment"

"Oh, you know it is" she chimed back with a grin.

He smiled and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"I could eat" she replied.

"I'll catch us our dinner" he stated as he got up to head towards the river, "You build the fire in the meantime".

This was what Shisui and Itachi did after their training sessions, and Ino felt privileged that he was sharing that with her.

The next week, Ino showed up again to watch Itachi train.

She did the same thing the week after.

She watched him train every week for a month before he suggested to her, "I could train you, if you wanted…" taking her aback, "Oh, no, I would fail miserably-" but Itachi cut her off and said, "You're a sensory type, it's actually quite useful for this type of training" he stated, and she was still looking slightly hesitant.

"Come on, you can at least try, and I won't mock you if you quit" he offered.

That irritated her; did Itachi think she was a quitter?!

Her eyebrows narrowed into a scowl, and Itachi feared that he had offended her. He believed he was doing her a kindness by offering to be so lenient. Itachi wasn't someone to take training lightly.

"Hand me those kunai!" she barked her order at him, and he hesitantly complied, but was impressed by the sudden fiery determination that lit inside her.

"Alright, what should I do now" she said firmly, and Itachi chuckled as he said, "First, you should calm yourself; a temper will only distract you from focusing on your targets"

Ino inhaled and then released her breath to calm down. Itachi felt her chakra relax well enough and so he proceeded to instruct her some more, "Now, close your eyes and try to feel your surroundings. Expand your senses and picture your targets within your mind. Try to determine their location"

Ino released another breath. She focused on her sensory expansion, and sure enough she could now visualize the position of every target, including those in the blind spot.

"I can see it" she announced in an enthusiastic whisper.

"Very good, keep your eyes closed and consider all surrounding obstacles as well as the conditions around you. Feel the air and try to identify the direction of the wind. When you are ready, I want you to aim a single kunai at the target behind the tree to your right" Ino nodded in confirmation.

A minute later, Ino appeared to be ready, and she aimed her kunai at the direction of the target Itachi recommended. He approached her as soon as she had, and he said closely in her ear with a whisper, "Are you certain you will meet your target with your current aim?"

The warmth of his breath into her ear had sent a slight shiver down her back, and she felt goosebumps form on her arms. Itachi understood that he had startled her, which he shouldn't have with her senses expanded now. He considered a second possibility, that he just as quickly shook out of his thoughts, which was that he made her nervous…

Perhaps he was just intimidating her. Naruto reacted similarly when he tried training him.

"No" her voice wavered a little as she spoke quietly. "Why is that?" he questioned her, and sending more shivers throughout her body, "because it would be impossible to hit a target out of a weapon's trajectory" she responded a little more firmly. She tried to control her nervousness, but Itachi as a trainer was, very intimidating…ly hot!

"Excellent" he assessed, "Therefore, you must ensure the kunai finds the right trajectory to meet its targets. You have watched me these past weeks, what have you learned?" he questioned again, still close to her ear and making her nervous. She thought hard, trying to recall what she witnessed Itachi do in all his training, and then she remembered the clinking of metal.

"You threw another kunai to change the trajectory" she said confidently.

Itachi's lips curled at the sides as he said, "Well done, so now you must do the same" he reaffirmed to her, "but you need to position yourself correctly first." He placed his hands on her waist to shift her hips a little. His fingers touched her soft skin gently, causing her to fluster. She was thankful he stood behind her, as she was certain her cheeks have probably flushed pink.

Removing his fingers made her fluster even more, as his fingers brushed over her stomach ever so lightly. Ino was feeling quite tensed by it.

"Relax and take your aim again" he announced. He felt her chakra spike nervously.

Ino took another breath, analysed her surroundings, and then released the first kunai, followed by the second moments later. She heard it embed itself into wood, so she opened her eyes and made her way over to inspect her work.

She hadn't hit the bullseye, but she was still proud as she managed to target the outer-most ring.

"Ah!" she screamed jubilantly and turned to hug Itachi in celebration as she chimed, "I hit it!"

"Not bad" he critiqued, "Again…" more firmly. 'Ouf, trainer Itachi is intimidating as fuck!' she mused. Then smirked playfully as she followed him to try again.

Itachi was a vigilant and relentless teacher, and Ino would learn this well in the coming months of her training. Some days she would find it attractive, and others she would want to rip his head off, but she suspects her periods have something to do with that as well as she would get exhausted more easily.

The second year of their friendship was going quite well until…

One day, Ino returned home to find a note on her bed from Itachi. It was informing her that he had decided to re-join the Anbu, which will be taking him out of the village on missions a lot and for a significant length of time.

'I have already received my first orders, and I shan't return for another month at the very least'

She wondered what caused this sudden decision, and hoped that it wasn't because of what happened last night…