Afraid of Falling

"...Uh... yeah... she's pregnant." Jeez. Choose between bliss and embarrassment! "But...! This isn't the point. I... I'd like to thank you, Miyuki. It is only because of you that I'm still here... that I'll be here... to see my future child. And so... I'd like to name you... my child's godbrother." Everyone else in the room, including me, gasped. "...G-Godbrother...? I-I don't think I'll be able to, Nee-san..." He rammed his fist into my skull... I didn't seem to feel the sting, though.

"...You call me your brother, yet you won't do what I want you to do?" "Th-That's a completely other matter!" My brain... yeah... its about to blow apart! "Ahem...! While I'm not someone to spoil nice reunions or other troublesomeness, I feel we have more serious matters to deal with." I concur! "Exactly what I was thinking, Shika!" The Nara gave me a sketchy frown. "I do mean it..." A sigh was heard from Tsunade-sama. "You guys are such a bother... what a drag...!"

"Copy-cat..." I whispered beneath my breath. "...How did you guys go from solemn to merry in such a short period of time?! I'm having trouble keeping up with all of you!" "The old never can." I didn't have to say it out loud! "...What... did... you... say...?!" On with the Wise Mode! "My, my... Tsunade-sama, I never implied you were old..." She was giving me the death stare now. "I was really just begging you to keep your sweet words coming! And please, Ino-chwan, don't pinch my waist!"

"...Sly brat. I'm sure you conned my prized student into dating you..." She then looked at Shikamaru, who seriously looked ailing from all the crap going on around him... letting out another sigh. "...Asuma, Yamato. Now that you're both here..." She turned towards... "...Shikamaru, terse them in on your objective." And so, the definition of apathy, he gave them a rundown of all they needed to know. The faces of both captains were sombre and calculating...

...For Asuma-neesan, even more so. I knew exactly why. "...I, once again, propose myself as the leader of Team Asuma of the Niju Shotai... and I'd like to add one further member to my team... Miyuki Shirogane. He's our most credible source... and perhaps our strongest." Naruto eyed me expectantly, his determination palpable... far more so than usual. "...Granted. And now I've got two questions." She moved her gaze to Naruto. "...Is that new jutsu of yours ready, Naruto?" Oh...?~

A new jutsu...? Meh. It must be a derivative of his Rasengan... with his chakra nature thrown into the mix. Naruto looked hesitant. "N-Not yet... perfecting that jutsu will take some time... but I'm working on it-ttebayo!" Our Hokage gave a nod. "Hmmm... I realise you want to be the back-up, Naruto... but you only get another hour if you really want to! If you don't master that new jutsu of yours in that time, I'll send another team to assist these guys...!" Her preferred tone has got to be passive-aggressive... but fucking hell...

Naruto looked to be in a tight state... but that didn't deter his drive. "My new jutsu will take your breath away!" He walked out of the room, flashing us a thumbs-up. "And now... you guys. Prepare for the worst... for the person you'll be facing is a part of Akatsuki. An organisation that has radically altered the pyramid of power in the shinobi world. The Five Great Shinobi Nations no longer rule the roost. While I know through Shikamaru's mission briefing... how Miyuki... how he dominated that Kakuzu... don't let that get to you..."

"...All of you. It is possible to be irresponsible at any point in time. Take advantage of this one hour to gear up yourselves... and also don't die this time... you two." Asuma and I exchanged a goofy grin. "...Dismissed." Given that I now had nothing else to do... "Ooh, how about we get something quick before our mission, ya'll?" ...Still nothing. I reached out and took Ino's hand in mine. She blushed and glanced up at me, surprised. "W-What...?" My face came closer to hers. "...Let's "gear up" together... Ino."

She let out a gasp... and then went bright red. Hehe. I so loooooooove teasing her! "W-What are you saying...?! We're about to leave on a dicey mission... yet you're speaking of... s-such things!" Such things?~ "Come on, don't say things like that... I'm sure you want it, too... I'd like to resume what we started earlier-" Just as her breathing grew increasingly rapid... just as I felt she was close to consent... "You dare?! You have the audacity to bring such subjects up in my office, let alone with my student!?" I turned to face our Hokage... with a very disappointed look.

"...Why won't you let me pursue my passion... you granny?!" Oooo...! Oooh! She looked almost like she couldn't believe what I just said... "The embodiment of rage..." I mumbled. A red-skinned, grumpy figure was hovering behind Tsunade-sama. He was six-armed, with a bell, a staff, a thunderbolt, a lotus, a bow, and an arrow in each of his hands. Well, folks, it's time to leave... like... asap! And I bolted out of the building in a flash... before turning around... when there was a huge bang.

"...Damn. She really wrecked the entire room... didn't she... Ino?" Yup. Before I exited the building, I'd already taken Ino from there. I smiled at her, who was in my arms... but she seemed to be out of it. "Ino... Ino-chwan!" She finally broke out of her daze after I gave her a slight jerk in my arms. "Miyuki...! Why did you go and make Tsunade-sama angry? Why did you call her granny?!" Huh...? A smirk then crept across my face. "Well, princess-sama, lest you start blaming me, could you perhaps take a glance down...?"

She appeared puzzled. "What kind of dialect do you even have..." Before lowering her gaze... and gasping. We both were in Konohagakure... dozens of feet over Konohagakure. From the Hokage Mountain to the Academy to the Hokage's demolished office, it could all be seen in all of its splendour. And here it goes... "Ky-Kyaaaa...?" Huh...? That... wasn't even a scream. I looked down at Ino... she was beaming... she was completely immersed in it... she wasn't afraid of the height... "Ino...?" "Mmm...?" She didn't even try to look at me.

"...Aren't you-" "...Scared of being this high...?" I gave her a nod. This wasn't the same girl that... "...I'm not the same girl who was once afraid of heights. Remember that time I screamed so loudly... the whole village must've heard me...?" Again, I nodded. "I do remember. We were both 11 at the time. When I asked you to close your eyes... and when you opened them, you were already in my arms... but I was standing... inverted underneath the face of the First Hokage. You screamed so hard, I remember... for a while, I was completely deaf..."

"...It was well-deserved." She cast a light glare my way. God, she's so adorable... I couldn't help but smile. "I guess so... but I do see you've overcome your fear now... your fear of heights." She nodded. "I did... I'm no longer scared of heights... but I'm scared... scared of falling from them." I tilted my head in curiosity. "What do you mean...?" She caressed my cheek with her hand. "When you left me, I lost my fear of heights..." I felt so guilty. "...That's when I began feeling afraid of falling from heights... never being able to get up after falling..."

"...That's what I was, and still am, afraid of..." "Well... if you're afraid of heights, I'm here, aren't I...?! I'll always be there to support you... to lift you up... no! I'll never ever let you fall! I love you because! I'm crazy in love with you... I am!" My words almost threw Ino into a reverie... until she blushed and giggled. "You promise, right, that you're never going to... ever leave me...?" I promptly gave a firm nod. "I do!" "Thank you very much..." I heard her murmur. She then fixed her stare on me, her eyes steely.

"While I appreciate you lifting me up... I've been training hard to do that myself... to lift myself up... since you left the village..." I grinned. I so know you, Ino. "...That's why... we'll be practicing together from now on!" "H-Huh...?!" I drew my face nearer to a stunned Ino. "...We'll both train together... and get stronger together...! So we won't have to lift each other up. Even if you do happen to fall... I'll be the first one to save you. So, if I fall, I'm trusting you... and only you, would be the one to save me. I know you've grown a lot stronger..."

"...I do. But, even then... please lean on me, depend on me... allow me to prove my love for you. Leaving you and the village was difficult for me, too. But I grew stronger as a result... so that nothing bad happens to you both... so... please allow me-" As I was acting as a handleless tap... I felt Ino force her lips against mine. I went with it. A minute or so later, I soon blinked my eyes open, and as I did so... I beheld a pair of turquoise-colored eyes, returning my gaze with fondness. "You're such an idiot..."

"...But you're my idiot." I chuckled. "Nevertheless, I'm honoured." She chuckled too. We continued to chat with each other, reminiscing about the old days... and before we even realised it... only a half-hour remained for us to "gear up" for our mission. "Hey... Miyuki... we still have some time left... so... can we do... "that"...?" I gave a playful smirk. "Oh...? Ino-chwan is interested in doing... "that"...?" She reddened even more at my tone, nodding meekly. "Yes... I want to do "that"... can we...?" I tried to be as innocent as possible.

"...But, Ino-chan... what is this... "that"?" "Don't tease me..." Her voice was heard a second later. "No... I'm honestly pretty curious-" "...Didn't I tell you not to tease me? You'd have no inkling when we'd be having "that," when... where... how... your manhood would disappear. You'd really have no idea. So hold your cunning tongue at bay... and respond to my question... like a good boy." RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT! RED ALERT!

...I gulped... fucking hard. Women. Beings of the highest order, mysterious... and extremely dangerous. "...Haha.. hah.. ha.. I-I... was just messing with you, my sweetheart! And, to answer the question whether or not we can do "that," I don't think we can..." "But, why...!?" Wow, from a bossy tone to a frustrated tone... in a jiffy. "I have a lot of stamina, you see. Even if we did "that," you'd be exhausted... and we can't have that right before a mission... can we?" She nodded, despite her disappointed look... I cupped her face in my hands.

"Don't be sad, Ino. We'll do "that," just not right now... but I assure you, it will be the wildest time of your life when we do so..." She kissed me with a beaming smile. "I'm sure it will be. How about we go down now...? I actually have to "gear up."

"...Right!"