Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Closer ❯ Chapter 24

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

AN: WARNING! Some minor manga spoilers.
“It for the safety of the village. Who knows what kind of lies the others are willing to believe now.” Someone’s cold and authoritative voice made Ino blink awake from her headache. She groaned and lifted her corporal form from the cold floor, grumbling that if Itachi was going to make her a peeping ghost in his memories that he needed to take make her pain and nausea non-existent as well.

She found herself in a darkened meeting room with a table full of council elders and the Third Hokage. Ino drank in the sight of him, missing the way he would joke around with Naruto and the others when he was alive. The village was in morning for a whole week. Asuma-sensei had taken it hard and was pulled out of missions until he had come to terms with his father’s death. Across from the Third, was a man completely bandaged with a crisscross scar on his chin. He was as old as the rest in the group. Ino instantly recognized the elderly council members. Lady Tsunade often had a hard time with them and complained constantly after her meetings.

“Isn’t that a little extreme? Sectioning them off from the other villagers will only cause more unrest. The Uchiha are intelligent. They will know that they are being ostracized for the sake of one mad man.” The Third’s eyes turned to brown glass, hard and unyielding. “That one madman is the reason this is happening in the first place. His hatred for the village and his clan has no end. We should be focusing on him.”

Lady Koharu sighed heavily. “We don’t know where he is or when he’ll be back. As far as we knew it, he was dead. But for now, I agree with Danzo on this. We need to keep control over our peace. The Uchiha might not be planning anything but they are powerful and we need to keep an eye on them lest something devastating happens again.”

“This whole thing is going to be blown out of proportion. I know it.” The Third knew when he was overruled.

“I will handle the details Hokage. Leave everything to me.” The bandage man Ino learned was Danzo stood stiffly from his chair with a bow. The room blurred and she found herself standing in an even darker place. It was cold and clammy with rows and rows of fire dishes flickering.

“It is a difficult decision to make. But you know what the right choice is. No one wants to go through another war. We are still recovering from the last. The Uchiha can bring Leaf to its knees if this coup d'etat takes place.” Danzo was standing over kneeling Itachi.  “I know you want this peace, as do we all. Being a double agent is killing you and only you can end it. Only you can do this mission. The Uchiha Clan must be stopped.”

Ino felt so much chaotic emotions swirl inside of her the moment Danzo finished. Anger, pain, sadness, panic, fear, hatred…so much that her whole heart felt like it was pumping a mile a second. It made her feel so tired and numb, but feverish as well.

“I understand.” Itachi’s voice was dead. Coup de’etat? The Uchiha? Ino’s mind fervently went over all that she was suddenly learning. The image changed again. It was still dark but she was sailing through the trees by Itachi’s side. He looked panicked and concerned. They dropped quickly to the floor of the forest and ran until they came to a slow moving river. A man stood there covering the side of his face. Ino could see dripping blood down his cheek.

“Itachi…” His voice was like a gentle whisper. Itachi touched his shoulder…

“Shisui, what’s wrong? What happened?” The curly haired Uchiha turned to him and removed his hand. Ino put a hand to her mouth when she saw that one of his eyes was missing. Itachi looked shocked as well. “Who did this? Tell me!”

Shisui managed a smile. “I need you to do something for me Itachi…you have to help me protect the last one. Too much power…they have served me well but my eyes are coveted.”

“What do you want me to do? Tell me…just tell me…”

But Ino never got the chance to learn what Itachi did because she was tossed into another moonlit night. This time, it wasn’t Shisui who was with Itachi. It was a man whose face was covered with an orange and black mask.

“You can have your revenge against the Uchiha. You’ll be able to kill them all with my help but after, you can never return here to Leaf. You must leave it untouched.” Itachi spoke in a cold calculating voice.

“And if I don’t?” The man taunted in a daring way.

Itachi was unmoved. “You are weak old man. A mere shell of your former self. I can easily kill you right here and your future plans will remain unfulfilled.”

The man looked to be considering it. “We can kill all of them?”

“Whomever you wish, but my family…leave them to me.” Itachi turned away. “Tomorrow, meet here at the same place and the same time. That is all…”

So this is where it all started Ino thought when it shifted to the night of the massacre. It went by fast and she was all too familiar with what transpired that horrible night. She was glad it shifted to another image. They were in the Hokage tower. Itachi was on one knee while the Third was looking out of the widow with his hands clasped tightly behind his back.

“I only ask one thing in return Hokage. Please, protect Sasuke from Danzo and those who will try and use him. Never tell him the reason behind this. Let him become strong and let the Uchiha name have its honor.”

“I never wanted this.” The Hokage had tears in his voice and he hung his head. “If there had been more time, we could have worked things out the right way. I am ashamed in front of you Itachi.”

Itachi was impassive, but Ino felt his misery attach itself to the charged air. “There was no time. I have chosen not to regret this. You should do the same. Right now, I care only for Sasuke’s safety. Hokage…please.” His plea was a wavering whisper.

There was a thick silence that hung over both of them before the Third spoke. “It is not what I wish to do but I will honor your request Itachi. Sasuke will never know…”

It shifted to the place where Danzo had talked Itachi into going through with the plan. “I came here to warn you Danzo. If anything happens to my brother by you or anyone else under your command I will not sit still. I know Leaf’s weakness; I’m privy to many secrets. Do not think I will hold my tongue to our neighbors if something happens to Sasuke. Do you understand?”

Danzo looked taken back but with a single nod, he agreed. Itachi left in a poof of smoke…

Ino awoke with her lashes wet. Lady Tsunade and her Dad were peering down at her with equally concerned expressions. Still, tears dripped down the sides of her face and she turned her back on them. She didn’t know what to think of this new knowledge. If it were true, Sasuke was suffering for nothing. Itachi truly loved his little brother. Why did he show her this? He went through so much to keep this secret from Sasuke and the rest of the village. Why was she any different? Why show her this and not Sasuke? Was hate really so powerful? Maybe it was. Sasuke left the village to seek power with Orochimaru. He said he had a bond of hate with his brother that’s why he pushed his team out of his life.

Other bonds merely confuse you…

“What was the trigger this time Ino?” Lady Tsunade asked touching her shoulder with warm kind hands.

“Danzo Shimura.” She rasped out. She felt Lady Tsunade stiffen.

“Danzo? Why him?” Her father asked. “I swear that man has his hands in too many things!”

Ino shut her eyes. Her dad didn’t know, but the way the Hokage stiffened at his name told her she knew. And why wouldn’t she? She was Hokage now.  She knew all of Leaf’s dirty little secrets. Her mind was still reeling with this particular secret. It wasn’t hard to piece the fast flashes of Itachi’s memories together. It made sense, but she knew he was still hiding things from her. Hiding what had happened with Shisui and his eyes. She didn’t even know who the man in the orange and black mask was but Itachi knew. And Sasuke…her heart broke when she thought of him and how much he didn’t know. All he had to suffer through must have hurt Itachi just as much. Itachi…why did he have to do this? Why did he think that it was only up to him to take care of this threat? It had crushed him when Danzo told him that the Uchiha had to be taken care of. It had numbed and shattered him when he left his traumatized six year old brother covered in their parents’ blood.

Ino’s breathing began to come in ragged pants and she was becoming so dizzy. Too much…its too much to understand! She bolted upright from her bed, clutching her throat for breath. Her skin prickled with nerves and she barely felt her Dad shaking her shoulders and yelling her name.

Why did he have to pick this way? Why did Itachi have to show her these things? Why did he want to cultivate Sasuke’s hatred over a lie? Why take the whole burden on himself? Why? Why? WHY? Something pricked in her chest, a blooming chakra that began churning deep inside of her. Her ears buzzed loudly and she felt the rooms become charged.

“We need to calm her down! Hold her for me Inoichi!” The Hokage grabbed an injection from a trembling nurse and bit off the cap before stabling Ino’s arm. She didn’t wake up for another day.

She was alone when she did wake up. It was dark and quiet. Someone passed by her door talking to their companion in low hushed tones and the clock in her room clicked loudly. Her whole body felt stiff when she threw her long legs over the edge of her bed. Her toes curled on the cold floor and the bathroom lights practically blinded her when she flipped them on. Her belly rolled in warning and she made it to the toilet before she succumbed to dry heaves. After recovering, she slumped back on her bed and clicked the nurse call button. She was really hungry and didn’t like the way her stomach was growling menacingly at her. She was trying hard not to think about Itachi and Sasuke. If food was going to take her mind off of the topic, she would embrace it whole heartedly.

The nurse was fretting over her and Ino smiled at the attention. The Hokage was called in with a subdued looking Anko by her side. Ino didn’t stop eating. Rice and chicken broth was like pure mana on her tongue.

“I see you’re feeling better. That’s good.” Lady Tsunade checked her chart with a critical eye. “That mark on your arm became really erratic.”

Ino paused to look at the swirling mark branded on her arm. “Well, it would. I was freaking about about what I just learned.” She muttered and took an angry bite.

The Hokage sighed and pulled a chair to the side of her bed. “You know that this is a very important secret to keep. If it were up to me, I would have told Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi already. But it is a deal that the Third said he would keep and I have to honor his decision.”

Anko apparently knew enough to keep quiet. Ino stabbed at her food with her wooden chopsticks, muttering that Itachi was a moron. “So what now? There has to be a reason he showed me these things.” At the back of her mind, Ino wondered just how much they actually knew. She had to have known about Itachi and Danzo’s plans and for sure she knew the Third’s promise to Itachi. But did she know about that guy who helped him with the massacre? Or about Shisui’s eyes?

“I don’t know.” The Hokage murmured with a troubling expression. “I don’t know why he’s doing this. Why he’s showing you these things. Maybe he wants you to tell Sasuke or something.”

Fear gripped her and she dropped her bowl on her lap. “No! I can’t! Not while he’s still with them. Kabuto…! Orochimaru…!” She trembled hard at the thought and The Hokage grabbed her hands.

“Ino! I won’t let you do that!” She exclaimed. “We’ll think of something I promise!”

“Yeah calm down Blondie! You think we’ll put you through that again? I know how it is, and once is enough for me so once is enough for you. You’re not doing this alone okay? We’ll think of something.” Anko said, leaning into Ino and catching her eyes. Ino’s heart calmed itself and she took a few breaths before giving them a shaky smile. Someone knocked at the door.

“Uh…am I interrupting anything?” It was Kakashi and he looked a little uneasy with them regarding him warily.

“No, you came just in time.” Lady Tsunade stood up. “Ino, we’re going to seal your cursed mark. Kakashi is going to use the same seal he put on Sasuke with some minor adjustments.”

Ino raised a brow. “Minor adjustments?”

“Just some changes in the characters. Sasuke’s cursed seal amplifies dark chakra and yours amplifies light. Nothing to worry about.” Kakashi explained kindly with a little half smile behind his mask. Anko pulled out some special ink from a pocket on her trench and handed it to him. He looked hesitant.

“You’ll have to undress.” He tried to make it sound normal, but she could hear the slight strain in his tone. She suppressed a grin and her blossoming blush.

“I’ll prepare another room for the ground markings. Anko, watch him.” Lady Tsunade left.

Anko grinned. “Sure thing. Don’t want him to get all handsy on you Blondie.”

The white haired man paused from opening the ink jar. “I can be professional.” Kakashi protested.

Ino snorted and began unbuttoning her top while Kakashi pretended to look busy mixing the special ink. She covered her bare breasts with her seal-free arm, trying not to look nervous in front of Anko (she would never let her live it down! “Horny for Kakashi huh? What would Sasuke think?”).

He started with her cursed seal first. His long slender calloused finger began drawing the intricate designs on her warm flesh. He worked down her arm to the tips of her fingers then began again, down her back. She could feel his breath through his mask on her skin as he carefully worked, concentrating on making the characters perfect. It wasn’t awkward after a while. That was until Anko opened her big mouth.

“Mmm, you smell really good Ino. What kind of bodywash do you use?”  She stiffened at the same time as Kakashi. He was hovering close to her, finger on her neck as he drew a character line up it, stopping behind her ear. “What is it? Vanilla?”

“Cherry-vanilla.” Kakashi rumbled, recovering before Ino.

“If he messes up, I’m going to go into second stage and kill you.” Ino warned Anko, now totally aware that his finger expertly roamed over her flesh. She closed her eyes when she remembered nights when Sasuke would trace his fingers down her naked flesh when they rested. Sometimes she would be lying on her belly and his fingers would trace down her shoulder, down her ribs and over her hip…

Kakashi began another line. This time going up her chin and across her lips to the top of her cheek bone. Ino slowly opened her eyes, feeling his presence overpowering her memories. He had really good skin she thought first, and really good brows. Wonder if he plucks them? Maybe Kakashi has a secret vanity because no one could look so manicured like him. He had faint dark circles under his eyes and she remembered that he had been hospitalized for a few weeks because of using his Mangekyo Sharingan.

Then the last line made the air charge even further. Kakashi was doing well the rest of the time, but he was a man. And breasts were breasts, not matter who they belonged to. His finger slowed when he traced the last line, across her bicep, on the exposed side of her breast and then over the soft mounds while she covered the majority of her girls with her arm.

Breathe, just breathe. It’s almost over…she coached herself, ignoring the lecherous grin on Anko’s face and the slight flush on Kakashi’s cheek. It took seven seconds at the most, but it seemed like forever before he finished his line. She forced herself to relax her shoulders and grip on her breast. Kakashi looked extremely relieved as well and Anko had a scary little expression in her eyes when Kakashi turned to her.

“Let’s go to the next room.”

Now, kneeling in a sealing circle, still holding her breast, Ino bent her head and shut her eyes. No doubt it was going to hurt, but even as she prepared herself nothing could have been worse. She screamed when her seal flared to life and its chakra linked itself with the characters drawn across her skin. She could feel the character lines dragging over her flesh leaving a burning trail of scorching pain in its wake. Her chakra coils clenched inside of her and Kakashi’s hand was quivering against her cursed seal in an effort to control his chakra and concentration. The candles flickered around the small party and her head swam, her body shook and then with a cry, Kakashi lifted his hand and fell to his knees, breathing hard. Ino could fell tears down her face and her mind shut itself down and she fell forward, unaware that Anko had caught her before her head hit the floor.

“Did it work?” She could faintly hear Lady Tsunade’s worried inquiry.

“Yes. It worked.” Kakashi rasped, with a cough.

Ino was settling into her missions. It was only right for her team to know what had happened. When she was in the hospital they had come often enough to see her and give her company. The day she got out she told them that their breakfast was going to happen the next morning but this time they didn’t bitch too much about it.

Now here they were, a month later and back into missions. Ino grinned in pleasure, loving the feel of the wind swirling around her as they made their way through the thick forests of Leaf to a boarder city on the outskirts. There had been rumors of some kind of scuffling between two towns. Nothing big, but there had also been a sighting of two unknown persons passing through with distinctive coats. Their team had been dispatched to gather information on the unknown members of a group called Akatsuki.

Her team filled her in on the mysterious group and their mission to gather jinchurikis. Now Ino understood why Naruto or Lady Tsunade didn’t tell her anything three years ago. She also understood that secretive conversation (that she was excluded from) between Kabuto and Sasuke. Itachi was a member of Akatsuki and two members had been killed by Naruto and Sakura. Kabuto reasoned that if others took care of Akatsuki, Sasuke would have an easier time getting to Itachi. And he would die when he did…die over a secret…over a lie…

“Ino, you and Shikamaru go that way, around the resort. Choji and I will go the other way. Keep your radio on frequency five.” Asuma’s voice broke through her thoughts and Ino nodded, getting her mind back to the task at hand.

Together, they avoided the resort to keep their stealth and cover. When they met back up with Asuma and Choji, they arrived at one of the villages and began questioning the local police about the sighting. There wasn’t much information. They passed through a few days ago. They didn’t stop, they didn’t talk to anyone and they didn’t get a good look at them. Lame, Ino thought that night when they settled into their rooms.

“That’s not a lot to go on. They’ll probably avoid other villages in their travels.” Choji said when they were getting ready for bed.

“Probably. But they’ll probably get wind of our investigation and be on alert. Other teams are carpeting the area so be prepared for anything.” Asuma said, sliding a window open and propping himself in it to smoke. “The Akatsuki are very dangerous S-ranked criminals.”

Despite what Ino learned about Itachi, he was still a mass murderer. If he didn’t think twice about wiping out his clan, he would think at all when it came to strangers who got in his way. Why did he even join the organization in the first place? She didn’t even know what to think these days. It had been a little over a month since he showed her his secrets and she still didn’t know what to do about it. If she could just talk to him, just to find out why he was doing this to her and showing her these things…

She should, but she was scared. She was scared of him and scared for her life. She didn’t want to go through this by herself, but she didn’t want to drag any of her friends and family into it too. They wouldn’t understand and the Hokage said they had to keep this just between them and the elders…and Ibiki and Anko. Tch, some secret.

She fell into a restless sleep, cuddling up to her pillow. Or at least she thought it was her pillow. In her dreams she imagined she was back in Sasuke’s bed, cuddling up to his back with her leg between his. Her hand was under his shirt, so she could feel his warm skin under her hands and her face was buried in the arch of his neck, breathing in his familiar scent of sage and spice. She had been having a hard time falling asleep these days. It had been nearly impossible getting back to sleeping on her own. And after little Mamoru moved on, she felt a little empty not having the little guy around. And then the thing with Itachi, nightmares and dreams would come to her often.

Her pillow shifted and Ino groaned in annoyance. “Quit moving.” She mumbled.

“Ino wake up.” Shikamaru’s testy tone made her pause. Damn, so it was Shikamaru who was her pillow. Subconsciously she should have known. Shikamaru didn’t smell like Sasuke. He was more grass and cedar smoke than sage and spice. But his heat was the same, and his heartbeat lulled her to sleep as she cuddled to his back. “You’ve been doing this a lot lately.”

“Why didn’t you stop me before?” She murmured, loosening her grip, but not backing away.

He let out a sigh. “Because I could handle it before…now you’re getting to…”

Ino removed her hand from under his shirt and untwined their legs. “Handsy?” She offered remembering Anko teasing Kakashi about being ‘handsy’.

“Yes.” He huffed, but keeping his tone low as to not wake Asuma and Choji.

“I’m sorry, I tend to do that sometimes. But, can I? Believe it or not, but your heartbeat and breathing help me fall asleep and recently…”

Shikamaru was a sucker for her vulnerable whispers and she knew it. He sighed out loud again. “Just, keep your hands on top of my clothes will you? You can’t be mad if I start having naughty dreams about you.” He mused and then chuckled when she smacked him on the shoulder.

“Deal.”

Itachi silent waited for the slinking shadow to approach him. The only thing he saw was the glowing reflection of Aio’s eyes in the inky darkness of their meeting place.

“So? How did it go?” He asked, resting his weary body on a slumped tree.

“She was out for a few days, but recovered quickly. They sealed her cursed mark and she’s back on missions. Word around the Hokage Tower is that they spotted two members of Akatsuki and her team was sent out to gather intelligence on the matter.”

Itachi was aware of what members Aio was talking about. Hidan wouldn’t shut up about being on the trail of the nine-tails after he and his partner took down the two-tails. It was only a matter of time before they were spotted. They were too arrogant about their mortality to really hide their presence.

“She’ll want to talk. When she asks, tell her to wait a few days for you to contact me.” He was still thinking of what he was going to tell her. But he had to explain and the girl was the only one he could think of to help rectify his mistake. Naruto was an option, but Itachi didn’t want to deter the loud-mouth blonde from his training. If worse came to worse, Naruto was his last resort and he needed him to be more mature and powerful for the task. “Did you put the scroll back in her bag?”

Aio gave a toothy grin and gave a single nod. “She thought the best place to hide it was in her closet of all things. Was there a reason you wanted me to do that? I read that jutsu and it’s really dangerous.”

Itachi silently stood, finding himself low of time. Kisame was going to wonder where he was. “She’ll need it. Keep me informed.”

“Sure thing.” And then the small alcove was empty without so much of a trace of meeting…