2

-l-l-l-

"Be slow to fall into friendship; but when thou art in, continue firm and constant."

- Socrates

Yamanaka Inoichi is mildly confused to see a small male child with bright yellow hair standing next to his daughter on the doorstep of their house. The boy's eyes are averted, almost as if he's afraid of Inoichi (which, considering the gall it takes to come home alongside his daughter, is probably a correct attitude to take). Inoichi recognizes him as Uzumaki Naruto, container of the Kyūbi, and most definitely not Haruno Sakura, the girl he has expected to accompany Ino home upon her asking for a dinner guest earlier.

In all honesty, Inoichi isn't quite sure what to think about this strange development. He has no issue with the boy – his faith in the Yondaime's sealing capabilities is strong – but the way Naruto has portrayed himself to the village makes the older male a bit apprehensive to allow him entrance into his house. Still, Ino has requested to have the younger boy over for a meal, and Inoichi finds it difficult to resist granting his daughter such a simple entreaty. He steps aside and allows the children to come through the door, Ino practically pulling Naruto into the Yamanaka home.

As part of Konoha's Intelligence Division, and more importantly, as a Yamanaka, Inoichi is trained to look for subtle psychological quirks. Eyes darting back and forth, twitches in the skin of the face, twiddling fingers…each motion is a tic that sends out a flare to a trained professional.

Naruto's actions throughout the night are at odds with the personality he displays in the village. Despite managing to keep up conversation with Ino – and answering all of Keiko's questions – Naruto appears quiet and subdued during the meal, and he seems to avoid looking anyone directly in the eyes. Inoichi knows that such behavior is usually indicative of someone who is hiding something or unused to human contact, and while the latter makes sense given how the villagers treat him, Naruto is not someone who shies away from the people who disrespect him. The older Yamanaka almost wants to say that the Jinchūriki is trying to make a good impression on his family, except that he can't figure out if there is a deeper reason for doing so other than for its own sake.

Naruto bows politely to Inoichi at the end of the night and thanks him in a quiet voice before departing for his home. The older male silently watches him depart, musing over the boy's actions in his mind. He joins his wife in the kitchen after a moment and begins to assist her in cleaning the dishes. "What did you make of that?" he asks.

Keiko shoots him a curious look. "What do you mean?"

Inoichi blinks and then settles his face into a neutral expression. "Ino just invited a boy over; Uzumaki Naruto, no less." He raises an eyebrow. "You don't have anything to say about that?"

His wife shakes her head as a small grin finds its way upon her lips. "You're so overprotective. They're 10, it doesn't mean anything; Shikamaru and Chōji are here all the time with Shikaku and Chōza and you don't react like this. Besides, he was really quite sweet. A little shy maybe, but I don't think he deserves even half of the treatment he receives. He ate like he'd never had a good, home-cooked meal before." Inoichi doesn't respond right away, and Keiko sighs. "You were analyzing him, weren't you?"

"Well, I—"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Inoichi! He's not a prisoner, he's just a young boy! He looked so sad…he must be terribly lonely. We should have him around more often."

"I don't—"

"Yamanaka Inoichi," Keiko says sternly, "Naruto is a child who got dealt a bad hand in life, and more importantly, it looks like he's Ino's friend. When he is in this house, you will treat him as such…am I clear?"

"Yes dear."

-l-l-l-

"You didn't have to do that."

Ino frowns. It's the next morning, and Ino has intercepted Naruto on his way to the Academy. "Didn't you have a good time?"

"Well, yeah, but…I mean…people don't like me," he finally manages. "And…I don't really have any friends… I just…don't understand why you did it. Shouldn't you want nothing to do with me now?"

Ino isn't quite sure how to answer him. Somehow, 'I feel bad for you' doesn't seem like the appropriate response even if it is true. "When I was in your body," she replies slowly, working through her words, "I understood a little about why you do what you do. And…I don't think that anyone should have to live that kind of life."

"…It was nice," Naruto whispers after a moment, "having a family, I mean. Your parents are really nice…though your dad was a little scary last night."

The platinum blonde giggles lightly. "Yeah, Daddy can be a bit overbearing when it comes to my decisions about my friends."

Naruto halts suddenly, and it takes Ino a couple of steps to become aware that her fellow blond is not beside her. She turns around to find the boy standing motionless, his bright blue eyes wide with shock. "I'm…your friend?"

Ino reviews her words in her head and realizes that she has, in fact, stated as such. "Sure, why wouldn't we be?" Somehow, the admission doesn't feel as weird on her tongue as she would have imagined several days ago. Perhaps it's because of the botched Mind Body Switch Technique and the images from Naruto's memories that she can't get out of her head, but Ino feels like she needs to right the injustices that Naruto has lived with his entire life. Befriending him seems like a good start.

"Thank you," he murmurs.

She offers him a smile as they continue their walk to the Academy. The building is within sight when a thought occurs to the Yamanaka, and she decides to screw with Naruto a little. "You know, you had quite a bit to eat last night."

"Mm-hm," he agrees absently, too happy at the new friendship to keep track of where the conversation is heading. "Your mom's an amazing cook. Think she'd make me ramen if I asked?"

"Maybe." A strange glint shines in Ino's baby blue eyes. "Did you eat like that when you were in my body?"

"Yeah, I—" Naruto gulps as he realizes what he has just admitted. "Er…I mean…no, of course not!" Ino fixes him with a gimlet look, and the spiky-haired blond hangs his head, knowing he's been found out. "Okay, yeah, I did, but I was really hungry! And I tried to make sure that you didn't gain any weight! ...Are you mad?"

She releases the mock-glare and sighs theatrically. "No, I suppose I can let this slide."

Naruto heaves a breath of relief, immensely glad he hasn't already screwed up this bond. "Okay, good. You know, I don't think you need to worry about dieting, anyway. Ninja work out a lot, so it's not like you'll gain weight."

"I think it's too early in our friendship for you to be giving me advice about my life. Besides," she proclaims, "I need to look my best for Sasuke-kun!"

"I don't see why you like that stuck-up bastard."

"I don't expect you to understand." She pauses, then continues in a sickly sweet voice, "Maybe you'd see it if you were a little nicer to him."

Naruto shoots her a foxy grin. "I think it's too early in our friendship for you to be giving me advice about my life," he parrots. She pouts slightly before both of them break into laughter.

It is the beginning of the strangest and strongest relationship either of them will ever partake in.

-l-l-l-

Inoichi stands at attention before the Third Hokage's desk, waiting for the old man to indicate that he is allowed to speak. Sarutobi Hiruzen lights his pipe and takes a few puffs. "What can I do for you, Inoichi?"

"Well Hokage-sama, I've come here today to discuss Uzumaki Naruto."

Hiruzen sighs. "And what has Naruto-kun done now?"

A small furrow forms between Inoichi's brows. "Nothing. I would actually like to request that my wife and I be allowed to adopt him."

The Hokage's eyebrows both rise. "Really? How…unexpected. Would you enlighten me as to what brought you to this decision?"

"As you may or may not be aware, Naruto has been coming around my home for several weeks now as a friend of my daughter's." Hiruzen nods, indicating that he knows this fact and that Inoichi can continue. "Well, in that time, my wife has also become quite taken with him, and I must admit that he has had a good influence on Ino. In certain aspects, anyway," he corrects himself. "More importantly, I believe that Ino's friendship has had a positive effect on Naruto's mental development, and will continue to do so assuming they have continued interaction. I also think that an environment where he is acknowledged as part of a family might also…temper some of his more notorious actions around the village."

Hiruzen removes his pipe and taps it against his desk several times, a look of deep concentration on his face. Finally, he says, "You present good points, Inoichi. Unfortunately, I can't allow you to undertake such action. As the Kyūbi Jinchūriki, Naruto carries a great deal of power, and relegating him to any one clan could be looked at by the others as favoritism and unfair treatment—"

"With all due respect, Hokage-sama," Inoichi interjects, straightening marginally, "the boy is the one who is unfairly mistreated, and I am not suggesting this course of action from the political perspective of a Clan Head—"

The Hokage holds up a hand to forestall the rest of the Yamanaka's argument. "I was not suggesting that you were. But you must look at it as one of the other clans…or Danzō might." Inoichi scowls at the mention of the man's name but makes no other motion. He is confused when a smile flits across the Third's face. "Uzumaki Naruto must remain just that. That said, if you wish to provide accommodations and a hospitable environment for a friend of your family's…well, I see no reason to disallow this."

Ah, Inoichi realizes, adopting him without an official adoption. Quite a loophole. He bows to the aging village leader. "Understood. Thank you for your time, Hokage-sama."

"Anytime, Inoichi."

That night, when the Yamanaka Clan Head springs the news that Naruto will be informally adopted into their household, the blond boy's eyes well up with tears. Emotional, he jumps to the older male's side and hugs him around the waist, thanking him profusely and making promises to be good. Keiko catches her husband's eye and smiles at him, glad that everything has worked out.

Naruto finally releases him and rushes over to Ino. Watching the two children interact with each other, Inoichi knows he has made a good decision.

-l-l-l-

More than two years pass, during which Naruto moves into the Yamanaka household and becomes integrated into the family. Ino and Naruto develop a pseudo-sibling bond, with the female blonde assuming a sort of guardian role. Naruto doesn't quite think it's completely necessary, but whenever Ino returns the unwarranted glares of the villagers, he gets a bubbly feeling of warmth that someone is willing to watch out and stand up for him.

When Inoichi finally deems her ready, Ino begs Naruto to be her Shintenshin test subject, and though memories of the first mishap make him hesitant, he finally agrees to help, feeling he owes it to her. Thankfully, under Inoichi's guidance, there are no other mishaps, and Naruto quickly gets used to the sensation of having his consciousness overridden by Ino as she practices the timing of the technique. His skills increase alongside Ino's, his grades rising slightly with someone willing to help him study and understand topics. He understands that he'll never be at the top of the class, but not being at the very bottom is a good feeling; unfortunately, his inability to produce a Bunshin persists even with Ino's assistance, something which confounds the female blonde.

Their time at the Academy is initially riddled with the teasing of their classmates as they spend more and more time together. Both children ignore the mocking of their peers (as Naruto has always done, and which Ino learns to do over time), and Naruto even grows closer to Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chōji as a result of the connection between their families and Ino's.

Naruto's and Ino's friendship grows stronger and their lives become more entwined as their days at the Academy approach an end. When the day of graduation dawns, Inoichi and Keiko wish both children luck and then send them on their way.

-l-l-l-

Naruto is so distraught when he fails the Graduation Exam that he avoids meeting up with Ino after class to celebrate her success. When Mizuki offers him an alternate means of passing – one which doesn't involve having to perform the Clone Technique – Naruto jumps on the opportunity without thinking of the repercussions.

He's mildly surprised when his day continues uninterrupted by Ino, but shrugs it off as his friend knowing he wants to be left alone. Besides, it's better for him to be in solitude so that he can plan on how to obtain the Scroll of Seals.

It isn't until much later that night – after Iruka finds him learning Kage Bunshin no Jutsu and explains the situation – that Naruto realizes he's made a grievous error. The revelation that he is the container of the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox is a huge surprise, though it finally answers the burning question of why the villagers seem to hate him so much.

Though it also raises questions about why exactly the Yamanaka family decided to take care of him all this time.

He arrives back at the Yamanaka complex at a little past six in the morning. Inoichi is already awake (for what reason, Naruto doesn't know) and sipping tea at the kitchen table; he moves the chair across from him out with his leg and simultaneously pushes forward a second cup of the steaming liquid. As Naruto takes a seat and wraps his hands around the cup, Inoichi's cerulean eyes flicker to rest on the boy's forehead protector. "Would you like to talk about it?" prompts the older man after a sip of tea.

There is a long silence during which Naruto is unusually somber, eyes gazing steadfastly at the table. Then he whispers, "Did you know?"

Inoichi arches one sandy blond eyebrow. "Did I know what?" he asks in that manner Naruto knows the Yamanaka is aware of what the question is, but wants the other person to specify it regardless.

"When you adopted me…did you know that you were really adopting the Kyūbi?" clarifies the blond, a slight bitterness coloring 'adopted'; Inoichi can't decide if it's because the adoption is unofficial or if it's due to residual emotions from the discovery of the Kyūbi.

The older man frowns, but makes no other discernible expression. "I was aware that you contained the fox, yes."

"Then why did you—"

"Naruto, you must understand," Inoichi interrupts, "that you and the Kyūbi are two separate entities. The Kyūbi was a terrifying force to behold, yes, but I have faith in the Yondaime's sealing abilities. However, many people are unable to forget the fear that gripped them when the fox attacked, and that is why they treat you so poorly. I admit that I had some reservations when Ino brought you home—" here Naruto's face adopts a stricken expression, "—but I also have faith in my daughter's judgment. And," he finishes, leaning forward so Naruto understands how serious he is, "I don't regret bringing you into this family."

Inoichi leans back in his chair. "Of course, in lieu of this…development, I'd have to say that your analytical abilities could use a bit of polishing. Did you really think sneaking into the Hokage's house and stealing the Scroll of Seals was a good idea?"

Naruto mumbles something incomprehensible, but the older male is already aware of some of the details behind the thieving attempt, courtesy of the Hokage. "I know it wasn't your idea," the Yamanaka continues gently, "but maybe next time you should think about the repercussions of following such strange orders." Inoichi stands up and moves around the table to place a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "That said, I'm very proud of your graduation to Genin." Naruto swings his gaze up to stare at his father-figure with wide eyes; Inoichi graces him with a smile. "We'll have to celebrate properly later. I've got some work to take care of, and you should get some rest."

As Inoichi prepares to leave the house to interrogate Mizuki, Naruto asks, "Does Ino-chan know?"

"No. No one in your generation is aware of what you possess, and it's entirely up to you whether you wish to tell her." Then he's gone.

Naruto sits at the table for a while longer, mulling over his thoughts. It's been a long night and he's not sure if he's thinking clearly enough to make such a big decision about the Kyūbi at this point in time. He heads up the stairs, determined to get some sleep, but a quiet, "Naruto?" draws his attention at the top of the staircase. "What's going on?"

Ino is standing just outside her bedroom door in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes sleepily. Naruto smiles weakly at how innocent she looks, and somehow the decision to not inform her of his burden is made for him quite easily. Taking away that innocence with such a mind-shattering revelation just seems wrong. "Nothing, Ino-chan," he reassures her. "I just passed a different Graduation Exam. Look!" he proclaims, thumbing at his forehead protector.

The Yamanaka girl blinks and nods. "Oh. Okay then. Well, I'm going back to sleep. Night."

"Night," he echoes, even though it's dawn. Then he goes to his room and crawls into bed, determined to get a couple hours of rest.

When Ino hears the full story (minus some details regarding the fox) of how Naruto has graduated later that morning, she immediately berates him for his rashness and stupidity while he just sits and takes the verbal onslaught. Yes, he thinks, it's far better to keep their friendship the way it is without introducing such a messy concept as him being the container of the Kyūbi.

Things are fine just the way they are.

-l-l-l-

After passing on the answers to the first test of the Chūnin Exams to Shikamaru and Chōji via the Shintenshin, Ino sits in her spot and taps her pencil against the table unsurely. The platinum blonde is engaged in a fierce mental debate about whether or not she should help her fellow blond.

The test rules don't specifically prohibit cheating, but the penalty for getting caught is nothing to sneeze at, especially since the participants are unaware of how many times the proctors have caught them. Her first priority is to her team and making sure that they pass; infiltration, after all, is one of her clan's specialties.

But now that they're all set up with the test answers (barring the tenth question), her concern for her friend has time to take root in her mind.

Naruto is a notoriously bad test-taker, and considering the difficulty of the questions, there is little doubt in Ino's mind that her fellow blond is completely lost. In addition, his collection of skills (limited though they are) don't lend to the field of espionage, leaving him woefully inadequate at cheating. The combination of those factors means that Naruto is more than likely going to fail the test. Plus, Naruto's failure will lead to Sasuke's failure, and that's just unacceptable, even as a small voice says that using Sasuke as an excuse to help Naruto is just a cop-out.

Not to mention that Naruto's last failed test resulted in his theft of the Scroll of Seals.

It truly was a shame that they didn't end up on the same team; Ino's conundrum wouldn't even exist if that was the case. Unfortunately, both blonds went into the classroom on the day of team assignments knowing that Ino was practically guaranteed to be assigned Shikamaru and Chōji as teammates. Then again, she thinks, after hearing the story of Team 7's A-ranked mission to the Land of Waves, Asuma doesn't seem like so bad a teacher, despite his laid-back personality. Especially with how much Naruto complains about Kakashi's teaching skills.

Naruto can handle himself, Ino convinces herself. He doesn't need me looking over his shoulder all the time.

...Aw hell, who am I kidding? I know I'm gonna help him.

Ino moves her hands into the appropriate seal and fires her consciousness into her friend's body. She rolls crystal blue eyes when she spies that Naruto's paper is unsurprisingly blank. Called it. He is so predictable. Naruto's pencil scribbles across the paper as Ino recalls the answers she has stolen from Sakura. At the end of the page, Ino jots a short note so that Naruto won't freak out at his suddenly filled-in paper and then circles it so it stands out. Then she releases the technique.

From her spot several rows back, Ino watches Naruto's body jerk as his consciousness returns to him. Thankfully, due to years of practicing the Mind Body Switch on him, the spiky-haired blond seems to recognize what has happened to him, and after reading the note, gives an imperceptible nod to show Ino his appreciation.

When the proctor reveals the extra rules of the tenth question, Ino just sits back and relaxes. Additional rules be damned, no matter what the last question is, the platinum blonde is confident in her ability to pass it.

As Genin start to flow out of the classroom, Ino waits until the final question is handed out, wondering what she can convince Naruto to do as repayment for her help on the test.

-l-l-l-

Ino watches as Sakura, her former-friend-turned-rival, stands up to the team of Oto-nin all by herself. Despite being overwhelmingly outclassed, the pink-haired girl is defending the hidey-hole where Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto lie unconscious as if her life depends on it.

All things considered, it probably does.

"Ino, what do you want to do?" Shikamaru asks. Her team is crouched in the bushes nearby, and though she knows that Chōji isn't big on fighting and Shikamaru is reluctant to do any sort of work, both won't hesitate to back her up if she decides to intervene.

But despite the history that she shares with Sakura, Ino is more concerned about Naruto's status. The Sound shinobi seem to have little regard for the lives of anyone in their way, and Naruto is incapacitated and unlikely to wake up anytime soon. Faced with the reality that her rival, friend, and crush might die, Ino's mind flickers back to her time spent with all of them. Strangely enough – or perhaps not, considering her relationship with the three pre-teens – her memories focus most on her time with Naruto, the biggest influence in her life ever since the body-switching incident.

With a jolt, Ino reaches the startling conclusion that Naruto isn't simply a friend, but her best friend, the person with whom she's interacted with most and best for more than two years, and there's no one who can replace him in her life.

It's this thought that prompts her to leap out of the bushes with Shikamaru at her side, Chōji's scarf in his grip.

Later – after Sasuke has awakened surrounded in a strange chakra which he has used to thrash the team from the Hidden Sound – Ino rushes over to Naruto's unconscious form while her teammates go to help Rock Lee. Finding herself with no other recourse, she hits her friend over the head with her fist. Naruto sits up immediately and rubs the spot where she's whacked him, letting out a confused, "Wha?" as he comes to. His expression grows even more perplexed when Ino throws her arms around his neck and hugs him with all her strength. "Ino-chan?"

"I'm glad you're okay," she admits, pulling back to look at him. Then her fist rockets towards his head again, and he's busy clutching a new knot in pain. "What the hell's the matter with you!?"

"Er, sorry," he offers, visibly confused. "What happened here?" He looks around, and Ino watches his eyes land on Sakura. "Why's Sakura-chan's hair so short?" Ino's heart clenches briefly at the endearing way he addresses Sakura, just a little differently from how he says her own name. His eyes return to her and narrow slightly at the trail of red dribbling from her mouth. "Why're you bleeding, Ino-chan?"

He noticed? "N-nothing," she stammers, not wanting to relive the viciousness of the Oto-nin. "I'm going to go fix Sakura's hair…she needs all the help she can get in attracting Sasuke-kun's attention. You stay here and just relax."

Naruto nods uncertainly. "Okay…"

"Oh," Ino adds as she begins to walk away, "and I really am glad that you're all right."

-l-l-l-

Naruto watches the fight between Ino and Sakura quietly, unsure if he should say anything to cheer on either combatant. This is the longest preliminary match so far, and while most of the other spectators believe that the battlers are evenly matched due to their determination to win, Naruto isn't willing to buy into their theory quite yet.

Sakura, while arguably the smartest Genin of their age group, is not the most proficient hand-to-hand fighter. On the other hand, Ino is technically the best student of their class, graduating from the Academy with the best grades. Naruto's not stupid enough to believe such a title means anything after spending months training under different Jōnin-sensei, but as most of his time is spent in the company of either Ino or Sakura (and Sasuke), he also has a far better grasp of their comparative abilities than any of the other observers present.

He is absolutely shocked when Ino pulls out a kunai and slices off the long ponytail she's been growing since before they even met. Seeing the lengths the other blonde is willing to go to in order to win this match confirms for Naruto that the playing field isn't as even as everyone else assumes. However, he continues to keep his mouth shut as Kakashi and Asuma discuss the fight. Given separate fights against any other opponent, Naruto is sure he would root for both Sakura and Ino to win their respective matches.

But the problem is that they are competing against each other, and Naruto is torn between his loyalty to his teammate (and crush), and his deep friendship with Ino. It just doesn't seem fair to spur one on to beat the other when both of them are important to him in different ways.

A small, almost traitorous voice in the back of his head (the one that silently resents Sakura's unending and focused fixation with Sasuke) niggles that he hopes Ino wins.

It's nothing against Sakura, but Ino has done more for him in his short life than the pink-haired girl has, no matter how high a pedestal Naruto has placed her on. And after the concern Ino showed him in the Forest of Death – physical abuse aside, Naruto can tell Ino was scared for him – he thinks that maybe the blonde girl deserves his support more than his teammate does. More than his bonds with either of his teammates, his connection with Ino has been strong for a long time. She's his best friend.

When Ino traps Sakura's feet with her hair and activates the Shintenshin, Naruto finally finds himself in agreement with Asuma's analysis; the fight is over.

Naruto allows a hidden smile to spread across his features as Ino raises Sakura's hand and forfeits in her name. I'm proud of you, Ino-chan.

-l-l-l-

Ino resists the urge to rush straight for Konoha Hospital when news of the botched mission to retrieve Sasuke reaches her ears. Instead, she walks calmly beside Sakura – whose friendship she has started to rekindle – towards the medical facility and requests Chōji's room number upon entering so she can go check up on her chubby teammate, whose injuries are most severe. She makes sure to note Naruto's room when Sakura asks for it so she can go visit her best friend afterwards.

She finds Chōji's father sitting on a bench outside the operating room where her teammate is. Chōza offers her a smile when she appears. "Tsunade-sama says he'll make a full recovery," he assures her. "It's a good thing she returned to Konoha, otherwise…"

Ino lets the older man trail off, knowing that she's also uncomfortable with acknowledging that without Tsunade, they most likely would have lost Chōji. She's suddenly very anxious to go check on Naruto, but knows that it's rude to do so without completing her first objective. "Can we see him?"

Chōza shakes his head. "Not yet. He still hasn't awoken from using the Three Colored Pills."

"Well, please let me know when he can have visitors." When the Akimichi Clan Head nods in understanding, Ino moves down the hallway as fast as is acceptable.

She arrives at the blond's room just as Sakura is leaving, surreptitiously wiping tears from her eyes. "Stupid Naruto," mutters the pink-haired girl without venom before departing. As Ino enters the room, she finds herself mentally echoing the sentiment.

Naruto is more bandages than skin, his blue eyes gazing morosely at the crisp linen of his bed. Shikamaru sits by his feet, hands clasped together and left index finger in a splint. "Ino," the dark-haired boy acknowledges. Naruto's head shoots up at the sound of her name, and his blue eyes widen marginally when they land on her. Shikamaru's dark eyes flicker between the two blonds. "I'll leave you two alone," he says before getting up and leaving.

Neither Genin knows quite what to say, so they remain silent, Ino staring at Naruto's mummified form while Naruto returns his despondent gaze to the sheets. He clenches the linen in his hands. "Ino-chan…" he says, and his blue eyes turn towards her with a determined fire burning in them, "I promise that I'll bring Sasuke back—"

"You idiot!" Ino cries, rushing to the bed and standing over him with a fist raised. Naruto flinches away, expecting her blow, but Ino relaxes her grip and lets the anger seep out of her system. "I don't care about finding Sasuke-kun right now," she admits quietly. In lieu of his abandonment of the village, Ino's feelings for the Uchiha are a bit twisted, and she hasn't had the time to properly sort out the tumultuous emotions. Even prior to his betrayal, the Uchiha has held a consistently shrinking part of her thoughts, being replaced by good times shared with Naruto. "Don't you understand? You're my best friend…I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you."

"Really?" He sounds a bit surprised at the revelation, though for the life of her, Ino can't figure out why; it seems relatively obvious. "You're my best friend, too. And don't worry about me...I'll be okay," he smiles, and Ino finds herself reassured slightly by his infectious confidence.

"You better be." Then she sighs. "Get some rest…I'll bring by some food for you later."

"You're the best, Ino-chan!"

She walks out of the room to find Shikamaru leaning against the wall by the door. He falls in pace with her as she walks down the hallway towards the hospital's exit. "You heard that Chōji's okay?" Shikamaru asks.

"Yeah."

"…I'm fine, too, by the way," he adds dryly, waving his splinted finger in front of her. Ino shoots him a look that says he hardly has anything to complain about; in fact, it's almost like he's looking for a reaction from her. "Naruto seems really down about—"

"Why didn't you take me?"

Shikamaru sighs, "…Troublesome."

"Shikamaru, answer me!"

He fixes her with a stern look. "Ino, your skills aren't well-suited for direct combat. Even Neji, the strongest of all of us, nearly died, and Kiba, Lee, and I would've been killed if it weren't for the team from Suna."

"So you're saying I'm not strong enough."

"I'm saying that I had very little time to pick a team and you're not a combat specialist," he placates. "There'll be other missions…just make sure you're ready for them when you're needed."

The rest of the walk is made in silence, but Ino is determined to take Shikamaru's words to heart. I will be.

-l-l-l-

"Weirdest. Team. Ever. I think Granny's gone senile."

Privately, Ino agrees with her fellow blond, but is intelligent enough to not voice such a thought aloud…primarily because of who their teammates are.

"Naruto," intones Aburame Shino, looming next to him, "you should have more faith in Hokage-sama's decisions. Why? Because she would not put together a team which had no chance of completing its assigned mission."

"Yeah, brat," adds Mitarashi Anko creepily, appearing suddenly behind the blond, the point of a kunai held at his cheek. "Don't you like hanging out with dear Anko-sensei?"

Naruto can't repress a shudder at how eerie the personalities of the two shinobi are. When they return to traversing the path to the Land of the Sea, he heaves a sigh of relief. "You should really learn to control what you say," Ino comments in amusement, "but the likelihood of that is probably really small."

The blond boy shoots her an indignant half-glare, half-pout, but refrains from saying anything. Taking his silence as her victory, Ino reflects on the strangeness of the mission and the mismatch of skills Tsunade has cobbled together to fulfill its parameters.

They're venturing out to the coast in order to protect the Land of the Sea's next shipment of money to the Land of Water. Unfortunately, a half-human, half-fish creature is apparently raiding the cargo ships sailing out from the Land of the Sea's ports; thus, their secondary mission is to neutralize the so-called Demon of the Sea. Though it's her first mission in some time, Ino is confident in her team's ability to complete it successfully.

By the time night falls, Ino is reassessing her original estimation of the mission's difficulty level. Naruto has been separated from the group (and maybe, she thinks fearfully, has drowned), and Anko is acting strange and mysterious…more so than usual, anyway. She walks away from the dock where she and Shino have just finished procuring a boat, nerves a bit frayed. Shino is silent beside her, and Ino hesitates in confiding her fears to the reclusive bug-nin she only knows peripherally. Then she considers how big a mistake prematurely judging Naruto was years ago, and concludes that perhaps it's advisable to not do the same to the Aburame. With that in mind, she hesitantly prompts, "Hey, Shino?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think that Naruto's okay?"

"Yes," he responds immediately, and Ino is impressed by his faith in her fellow blond. "Why? Because Naruto is a ninja of Konoha, and beside that, he is very resourceful. He will find a way to get by until we meet up with him."

"Thanks Shino. I think I needed to hear that."

The bug-user nods. "Of course. It is only natural to worry for one's comrades. That is what is called teamwork."

In the morning, they find Naruto, as well as the Demon of the Sea, and though she escapes, Shino's intuition leads them to her hideout. The three Genin are separated from Anko and confronted by Akadō Yoroi from the Chūnin Exams, who Shino claims as his opponent. Ino hesitates on leaving the Aburame behind to fight the older male by himself, but his insistence prompts her and Naruto to meet up with Anko, who is facing a man she introduces as Amachi, and the Demon of the Sea, Isaribi.

An explosion rocks the underground tunnels, and Ino is thrown to the ground by their sensei. Naruto gets up to follow Amachi and Isaribi out, but Yoroi's teammate Misumi blocks his path and grabs him with rubbery arms. Ino scrabbles out from beneath the dirt and rocks and immediately connects her pointer finger from each hand to the thumb of the other, forming a roughly rectangular shape. Here goes nothing… she thinks. "Shinranshin no Jutsu!"

Misumi's arms release their hold on her best friend and shoot out to wrap around some nearby stalagmites. Naruto massages his throat and coughs as Ino rushes up to him, Anko's arm slung over her shoulders. "New technique?" he croaks.

She nods. "The Mind Body Disturbance. Dad taught it to me for the Chūnin Exams, but, well…"

"The invasion started before your match. Works well. Remind me to thank Inoichi-san."

Shino pokes his head through the opening Amachi and Isaribi have disappeared through. "We must leave," he informs them.

They eventually catch up to their targets late in the morning; Shino immediately departs to engage Yoroi in combat again while Ino helps the sailors adrift in the sea and Naruto and Anko confront Amachi. Ino pays little attention to any of the fighting until a large wave sweeps over her, Shino, and Yoroi; the bug-user surfaces on a rock moments later, looking utterly spent. When Yoroi reappears with the intention of finishing off her temporary teammate, Ino reacts by throwing her hands into the seal for the Shinranshin and activating it.

The act saves Shino, but draws Yoroi's attention to her. He approaches a little too quickly for her to react, and the blonde is paralyzed in fright, but insects swarm up his body and drain him of his remaining chakra before he reaches her. Ino stares dumbfounded at his prone body before glancing at Shino. "You saved me," she breathes, and she's not quite sure why she's so surprised.

"Naturally. This is also what is called teamwork."

The mission ends shortly thereafter with the successful capture of Amachi. As they board the ship bound for the mainland to return home, Naruto sidles up next to her. "Thanks again for the save in the cave, Ino-chan. I don't know what I would've done without you there."

Ino waves off the praise. "No, it was nothing."

"That is untrue," speaks Shino from her other side. "You played an intricate role in rescuing both Naruto and myself during the mission. Because of this, I also owe you my gratitude."

"Well, you guys both saved me, too, so…call it even?"

Naruto nods and smiles at her while Shino adjusts his glasses in a motion Ino assumes means he finds the statement agreeable. As the three turn to watch the boat cut through the water, a single thought runs through Ino's mind.

Maybe I am getting stronger after all.

-l-l-l-

"It's been a while since we've been on a mission together."

"Well, our teams don't exactly work together that often. You know that my abilities work best when Shikamaru's around to back me up."

Naruto nods. "That's true. Besides, since Sakura-chan's busy studying medicine with Tsunade-baa-chan and Sasuke's…" he trails off, still uncomfortable with being unable to make Sasuke return to the Hidden Leaf. He clears his throat. "Well, I'm the only member of my team really available for missions."

Ino gives him a teasing look. "You were the only person available for this mission, regardless of suitability. Not that I need a bodyguard."

The blond boy pouts. "That's pretty mean, Ino-chan." Then he cocks his head to the side. "Uh, what're we doin' again?"

She sighs and buries her forehead in the palm of her hand. "Honestly, you have the attention span of an insect."

"Don't let Shino hear you say that."

"Anyway," she states loudly, "I've been hired by one of the family members of the Fire Daimyō who's supposed to get engaged to the Daimyō of the Land of Noodles. We're going to get more details when we get there."

"That's vague."

"I know."

It doesn't take long for them to arrive at the house of Princess Fuku, who requests Ino to be her stand-in for the meeting with Chikara, the Daimyō of the Land of Noodles. Ino is forced to subtly kick Naruto to stop his laughter, as despite the obvious physical resemblance between Ino and the princess, the latter weighs at least four times as much as the Yamanaka. "Stop it," she hisses. Naruto snorts and tries to contain his laughter as Ino bows to their client. "We'll do everything in our power to make sure the engagement goes through."

Several hours later, Naruto and Ino are sitting at a kotatsu awaiting the arrival of Chikara, and the blond boy is still releasing muffled guffaws. "Seriously?" Ino asks incredulously, but quietly enough so that Fuku – listening through a device connected to a different room – can't hear her.

"Oh, come on," he defends, "you can't tell me this isn't hilarious to you. She's like, a combination of you and Chōji!"

Ino's eyes practically ignite in flames. "Say that again," she grits out, "I DARE you."

Naruto puts his hands up in a placating gesture and closes his eyes, grinning disarmingly. "Haha, just a joke, Ino-chan. No need to get so upset."

At that moment, a fat man with his shirt open to reveal his chest bursts through the doors, surrounded by minstrels proclaiming his greatness. Ino's jaw drops open and Naruto's lips purse so hard from restrained laughter that his cheeks puff out comically. The man flaunts himself as Chikara before he starts to dance around and woo Ino in an overly dramatic fashion. "It's a Chōji-Lee!" Naruto gasps in Ino's ear during the Daimyō's flamboyant gesturing.

Her lips quirk slightly at the remark, but her attention is focused more on not screwing up the princess' chance at marrying Chikara.

Despite how absolutely insufferable Ino finds the man, she manages to get through the majority of the meeting with Naruto's (mostly) quiet help. His presence is reassuring to her, soothing in its simplicity and nearness, and she finds herself enjoying the time spent with her best friend (especially with how often he's been disappearing on missions), even though Chikara's presence mars the atmosphere.

The mission ends up being a success when Princess Fuku slams open the sliding doors, desperate to see her revered fiancé, and reveals Ino to be a fraud…and Chikara finds her more attractive than Ino. Both Konoha-nin are back on the road within the hour, and Ino is in a state of shock, moving like an automaton. "I just…don't understand," she mumbles.

"Hm? What's that?"

"Everything I've read says that men don't like women who are built like her! It's all about females who are thin. THIN!" she screeches. "And who would be attracted to a guy like that! A gentleman should be tall and handsome and…and…well-mannered!" she settles on.

Naruto shrugs. "What about the Akimichi clan? Chōji's parents are pretty big."

"…But…that's…"

"You're very pretty, Ino-chan," he continues blithely, oblivious to Ino turning to him, a startled expression on her face from hearing him admit such a fact, "so I don't think you'll have a problem attracting a 'gentleman'. Besides, I don't think there's a specific type of person that all people like." He pauses and turns to face her. "You're not gonna go on a diet again, are you?"

"No, you were right about how much calories we burn as shinobi," she concedes. "I need all that energy to be able to make it through training and missions." The platinum blonde sighs theatrically. "But I'll definitely need to reassess what all those magazines say."

Naruto puts an arm around her shoulders. "If you say so, Ino-chan."

-l-l-l-

Ino sits with Asuma at Yakiniku Q watching Chōji eat his way through a stack of barbequed meat. "Honestly," she sighs, "you finally get the all-clear from Tsunade-sama that you're completely recovered, and you immediately come here to pig out." She shoots Asuma a glare. "You shouldn't enable him so much."

Asuma shrugs. "He said he wanted to train after this. If this is what it takes for him to put in the effort, so be it."

"You'll be broke within a couple of months," she warns before looking at the clock. "Damn, I gotta go. Chōji, you'll be there, right?" The chubby boy mumbles something incomprehensible through his food and waves his chopsticks in a gesture of agreement. "Alright, see you soon." Ino leaves the barbeque joint and begins to walk down the road, heading for where she knows Team Gai trains.

Naruto is leaving within the hour for a three year training trip with Jiraiya of the Sannin, and Ino is determined to give her best friend the goodbye he deserves. To Naruto, friends are the most important thing in the world, and Ino thinks that nothing will make for a better send-off than gathering all of them together one more time.

Tenten is watching Lee run Gai ragged from her seated position on a tree root when Ino arrives. The blonde tells the older kunoichi what she's planning, and Tenten promises that she'll be there with Lee in tow. Ino nods and thanks her when Tenten informs her that Neji is training at the Hyūga compound. She continues on, running into Shino and Kiba just outside the Hyūga complex, and the bug-user agrees to pass on the message to Neji and Hinata. Ever since the mission with Anko and Naruto, getting along with Shino has gotten much easier, so much so that Ino entertains the idea that it's simpler to speak to him than a fellow kunoichi like Hinata.

Since Sakura already knows of Naruto's departure, Ino immediately goes to work searching for Shikamaru. She finds him standing at the gate, bidding farewell to the Sand Siblings, and manages to convince them to stay until Naruto comes by.

When Naruto comes into sight half an hour later, walking next to Jiraiya, all of his friends are at the gate waiting for him. "Wh-what're you guys doin' here?"

Shikamaru gestures with his head to Ino. "She got us all together to see you off properly."

"Really, Ino-chan?" Naruto asks in a voice that indicates he can't quite believe she's done this.

"Yeah, well, I wanted to make sure that you knew you had a reason for coming back," she tells him. "So hurry up and get stronger."

"Okay!" Naruto looks around at his friends – all of whom offer their own personal indication of good luck and farewell – and then focuses back on Ino. He grabs her in a hug and whispers, "Thanks, Ino-chan. I'll be back before you know it, believe it!" Then, with one last wave, he walks through Konoha's great gates.

Everyone disperses until only Shikamaru remains by Ino's side. "He'll be fine," he reassures her. "He's stronger than all of us…now it's our turn to catch up to him."

Ino thinks back on all the accomplishments Naruto has managed since their graduation from the Academy: his battle with Momochi Zabuza of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and defeat of Haku the ice-user; fighting with Orochimaru of the Sannin in the Forest of Death; defeating Neji, the Hyūga prodigy, in the Chūnin Exams, and then Gaara, a Genin who had never been hurt before coming to Konoha; protecting Tsunade from the combined assault of Orochimaru and Kabuto; fighting Sasuke at the Valley of the End…

She sniffles a little, unaware of when she even started crying. "I know…I'll just miss him."

In an outwardly uncharacteristic display of support, Shikamaru places one hand on her shoulder. "I think we all will."

-l-l-l-

"So…she's pretty cute. Who is she, your girlfriend?"

"SHUT UP, ERO-SENNIN!"