In the weeks that had passed by, Yamanaka Ino found herself in a very good mood. After she and the Uzumaki had revealed their feelings for one another, things had been going a lot more smoothly in her life. It wasn't always rainbows and sunshine for them because they both that had easily ignited tempers but they made it work out when they argued. While he had been away on his mission and involving himself more with his Hokage Training, she had to deal with many things, one important event was dealing with a heartbroken best friend. It seemed as if after their spar, Sasuke had mustered up the balls to tell Sakura his true feelings for her. What a night that had been.
She had just wrapped up an intense day of training at the T&I Department and she was in a great need in of a long soak in the bathtub and maybe a drink to wash away the vile feeling that was in her mind. She tugged at the end of her ponytail, ignoring the pain it added to the headache that was beginning to form. A heavy sigh left her as she rolled and popped her neck and shoulders, knowing that she would get a well deserved night's sleep. Blinking, she glanced over at the dark shadows that were casted over her home. There was a figure sitting in front of her shop, their limbs tangled up in one another. The sound of them sniffling was picked up by her highly trained ears. The blonde felt her stomach sink slowly and she moved a bit faster to get to her place.
Sakura.
The Medic had been sitting there since her shift had been relieved from the Hospital, waiting for the blonde to come home. The Yamanaka quickly scooped the silent woman off the ground, pulling her inside after unlocking the door. She brought the woman up to her apartment, placing her on the couch. The pink haired woman was silent for a very long time until Ino brought her a cup of warm tea. Sakura had held onto the tea, staring into the murky liquid before tears began to fall from her eyes. The blonde knew what this was about but she knew that she couldn't say anything. She just needed to listen to her friend.
Through the tears, Sakura explained what had happened between her and the Uchiha. She went through many stages of emotions as she continued to talk about their conversation. She stated how she had a feeling that maybe the Uchiha couldn't return her feelings but she had loved him for so long. She had cared about him for all these years. She had had faith that he would return to the Village She had hoped that her love for him would be able to fill that void of darkness that was within him. She had hoped and prayed for so many things for the Uchiha and herself and to find out that the return of her love amounted to that of a sibling, it stung. No, it hurt like Hell, like the fiery pits of Hell opened inside of her chest, burning her alive from the inside out.
Ino could only nod and rub the back of the Medic, knowing that this day would have come sooner or later. She felt guilty, knowing of the Uchiha's feelings for such a long time and being unable to prepare her friend for the heartbreak that she was now facing. They stayed up into the wee hours of the morning as Ino tried her best to help Sakura cope and mourn. They had even gone down the stairs and Ino created a dummy so that the pink haired woman could punch out her frustrations and agony. It had worked for a few minutes before the dummy was obliterated. The blonde couldn't help but laugh as the dummy exploded into a poof of smoke and her laughter had caused the Medic to join as well, before she fell into sobs of despair. Ino quickly rushed to her side, gently coaxing her back inside, where the emotionally drained woman collapsed onto her bed, falling into a deep slumber.
Ino watched her from the doorway, a frown tugging on her lips. The scene was familiar but guilt was in the blonde's heart. Had she have known of the Uchiha's feelings, she wouldn't have tried to put them together. She wouldn't have tried to get Sakura's hopes and dreams up. How was she to have known better? The only ones that cared deeply for the Uchiha was the Uzumaki and Sakura. It had only made sense to try to put them together at the time. She knew that she was judging the Uchiha too harshly, she knew that deep down, he had tried to return those feelings, but it had been impossible for him. She only wished that Sakura's love for him wasn't so potent, then this would be easier to get over for her. Letting out a sigh, she turned away from her bedroom door, closing it behind her. Running her fingers through her hair, she would just have to be at her side until she recovered.
After that night, the Yamanaka would keep a cautious eye on the Medic, helping her when she sensed that the woman would crumble. She knew that it would take a long time for those wounds to heal and she could only be there to comfort her when needed. Still, she was relieved that the Uchiha had finally said something to the pink haired woman. It was far too long and drawn out of the process, which probably caused the confession to sting even more. However, it was done and now both of them could finally move on with their lives. It was the best for both of them. and she knew that they would find their happiness soon enough.
Perhaps she was being overly optimistic, seeing how things have worked out for her. For so long, she had pined for the Uzumaki's affection and love, now she was comfortably able to express her feelings for him. As much as she liked to think that she wanted to take her time with him, it wasn't long before they made their relationship had thrown those ideas of courting and wooing out the window after their third date, when he asked her to become his girlfriend. She happily agreed because she had waited for so long for this moment and she didn't want to ruin anything. It was obvious that they both wanted to be together, so why wait any further?
However, it wasn't as if they openly flaunted their newly established relationship in front of everyone. Some days, they would walked through the Village, holding hands and giggling like two idiots when either of them made a joke. Other days, there wouldn't be a single sign involving public display of affection. It caught many of their friends off guard to see how close they had become, they were an unlikely pair. When asked, they would confirm other people's suspicions but that was simply it. They were happy with how things were going with them, despite the mundane arguments about if they should or shouldn't eat Ramen that night. It wasn't like Ino didn't enjoy Ichiraku, she just knew that they (she and Kurama) couldn't survive on eating Ramen all the time.
They continued to go about how they normally did prior to their relationship, however, the Uzumaki would often spend the night at her apartment, the first few weeks sleeping on the couch, before Ino graciously extended an invitation to her bed (only because he complained of a sore neck, that's all). She often got scolded by the Nara, saying that they were moving too fast and their flames would die down soon but she ignored him. He didn't understand what went on between them, there was this unseen connection shared between them. Since the time they first meet, a bond had formed and it had only grown stronger and thicker. She liked to be a hopeless romantic, claiming that it was the Red String of Fate that allowed to finally be with one another. The Shadow User would groan an exhale of smoke when she began to go on a tangent about love, knowing that she was only doing it to get on his nerves.
She knew that he was only worried that she would get hurt in the end, like she had when she was younger but this was the Uzumaki they were speaking of. And she was a Yamanaka, there was no reason for them to do anything half-assed. That was not the way they worked. They either put their all into a task or they didn't at all. That was how she knew they would work, even if they had different ideals, they wouldn't give up easily. So she reassured the Nara that everything would be alright, even inviting him out to dinner with them, to show that they complimented one another.
She hadn't heard him worry over them after that night.
"Since when did we get these in stock?"
She glanced over at the Uzumaki, who was currently holding a bin full of their new inventory. "Oh!" She exclaimed with a small smile, hurrying over to him. She lifted the lid of the bin he was holding, eyeing the flora and closed it. "This isn't for the store, this is for my personal garden."
"You have a personal garden?" The blonde male asked, raising a brow.
She rolled her eyes slightly. "Honestly, with all the time you spend here, you haven't noticed?" Shaking her head, she motioned for him to follow her. A small smile was on her lips, enjoying the way her referred to the inventory that the Shop received as theirs. It had a nice ring to it, in her opinion. Besides, he had been putting just as much effort into keeping the place running when he could. If she was called away for a mission, she would find him behind the counter, helping customers, when she returned. It was nice to have someone to come home to after a long mission. It had been years since she had last felt that feeling, since her father was no longer around. The first time she had come home to find him waiting for her, she nearly teared up at the sight. He had spent most of the night tending to the gReenhouse, making sure all the plants and flowers were getting their proper water and sunlight. When he welcomed her home, she had been enveloped in such a feeling that she rushed to hold him in her arms. She wasn't sure if he knew it, but his words had meant the world to her.
"But how do you have time to have your own garden, Ino," the Uzumaki questioned. "Aren't you overworking yourself?"
She waved off his concern as they walked past the Greenhouse and she unlatched the lock of a small gate. She brushed away the vines that fell, revealing a quaint little sanctuary. "This is my other pride and joy," she said with a grin. "It's not much but it holds a few of favorite flowers."
He was in awe at how small, yet beautiful the garden was. In the center, there was a small pond. The surface rippled, showing that there was lifeforms beneath the water. To each side of the pond, there was a plot of flowers, varying in colors and size. She was correct, the garden was small and simple, but he could feel the devotion and love put into the place. "This garden was made for me when I was little," Ino murmured gently, walking forward. "My father built it for me and I learned how to take care of plants from here. It's very...important to me, so that's why I keep it."
He nodded his head in understanding, following behind her slowly. He knew that she had been extremely close to her father, she would always joke that she had been spoiled rotten by him. He could see the sadness in her eyes when she spoke about him. He knew the main reason why she kept the Shop open was solely for the memory of her father. He knew that she still grieved and mourned for the loss, although it had been two years since he had passed. To lose a family member, he understood that feeling all too well, as he still mourned for Jiraiya. He watched as a shudder rolled through, knowing that she was thinking of her father. He placed a hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him.
"I know that Inoichi would love your garden," he said gently.
She rested a hand on top of his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Thank you, Naruto." Taking in a deep breath, she took the bin he had been holding out of his hands. She knelt down beside the pond, gently placing the water loving plants into the pond. Once she was finished, she tossed some food into the pond, watching fondly as the fish ate away. He felt like this place was sacred to her, it held many memories for her and her father. He was honored that she would show it to him but he felt like he was imposing on old memories. Moving behind her, he nudged her gently.
"Come on, we still have a lot of inventory to do."
She smiled at him and nodded her head. Standing up, she followed behind him as he led them out of her garden. Taking one final look, she closed and locked the gate behind them. Walking back into the Greenhouse, she shook off the depressing feelings. She was glad that she had someone like Naruto to rescue her from those dark thoughts. She would normally spend a large portion of her time in that place, weeping over the things that she had lost. She knew that Naruto understood her feelings but it was nice to know that he wouldn't allow her to be consumed by those thoughts.
They went back to working diligently to place all that needed to be stored away, before milling around the store, making sure their numbers were correct. Hopefully, with the festival coming up, they would get more business. They would be celebrating the day that the World War had ended, meaning that Naruto would be the center of attention (much to her dismay). As much as she knew that her significant other was a huge factor as to why the War ended, she couldn't stand those fangirls. She couldn't believe that she was like that in her youth, it was a cringe worthy memory. The Uzumaki would sometimes reenact how she and Sakura would fight over the Uchiha. It always ended with her in a fit of laughter, as he would use his Clones to make a grand event of it all. She was glad that she was able to laugh about her younger self, instead of despising how she used to be.
"Will you have time to walk around with me at the Festival, Mister Hero?" She teased out, while flipping the sign from Open to Closed.
There was an audible groan from the back room and she couldn't help but laugh. Walking towards the back room, she was met with a sour expression that was on the Uzumaki's face. She laughed once more, pinching his nose slightly. "Do you have to call me a Hero," he whined in a nasally tone, while she pinched his nose.
"But you are our big strong Hero," Ino teased more, grabbing his hand and leading him upstairs.
"It's...It's just weird being called that, especially by my girlfriend." He whined, as he allowed himself to be lead up into her apartment.
Well, it was sort of their apartment now.
He had a few of his things around her place, like his Gamakichi-esque pillows and there was even a stuffed frog toy resting on the coffee table. It hadn't been long into their relationship, that he had been staying over and leaving behind miscellaneous items. It didn't seem like Ino minded too much either, seeing how she would just look at his frog themed belongings with an amused gaze before walking away. For Naruto, it felt nice to come home to her place and not his shoddy apartment. For him, it was nice to have someone greet him when he came through the back door. He knew that he was probably getting ahead of himself but he wouldn't mind coming home to a family either. He often flushed at those kinds of thoughts but he knew better than to think about it in front of the Mind Walker. She could easily read him like a book and he didn't want to scare her off with thoughts of the future, as much as he would like her in it.
"Hush now," she chided gently. "You'll be getting called Hero here in a few months, might as well get you used to it, that way you don't cringe every time you hear it." She waved her hand aimlessly as she moved away from him. "Besides, in a few years everyone will be calling you Lord Naruto or the Seventh."
He stuck his tongue out at her as she went into the kitchen, pulling out different bowls and appliances. She was right, he would have to get used to titles eventually, it just felt weird. He leaned his elbows on the Island just across from the counter that she was currently stocking with meats, vegetables and dishwares. He watched as she quietly chopped up the vegetables with deft hands, a small hum leaving her. He could definitely get used to days like these, when they could spend time with one another, not worrying about missions or responsibilities. "Say Ino," he called out. She hummed in acknowledgement, as she pushed away the onions she had diced up and went to work on some peppers. "Will you call me Lord Naruto when I become Hokage?"
She paused, setting down her knife as she went into deep thought. After a while, she chuckled and began to cut up the food before her. "I shall call you Lord Naruto, in a professional setting, when you are being watched with political and harsh stares." She moved the peppers aside and began to cut up a leafy vegetable ('cabbage you idiot,' Ino would later tease him) that made his nose scrunch up. "I shall call you Uzumaki, when you push my buttons a little too far and you will be facing my wrath later." He watched as she smiled gently and a pink blush dusted her cheeks. "I shall call you Naruto, when your ego gets too big and you need to be brought back down to Earth. I shall call you Naruto, when you come home after a long day and you need to shed your responsibilities as Hokage. I shall call you Naruto, when we lay in bed and when we indulge in one another. I shall call you Naruto, to help wake you from sleep and to ease you to slumber. And I shall call you Naruto, to let you know how much you mean to me."
There it was again, she had this amazing ability to suck the air right out of his lungs. To make him feel like he didn't know how to breathe. To make him feel like he was floating in the air, without a way to come down. This was the vulnerability that he had been craving from her, only wanting his eyes to see this side of her. This vulnerability that she expressed astounded him in ways he knew he would never be able to understand. She caught him off guard, like she normally did, with the way she so easily and confidently spoke of her feelings for him. Was this what she had been hiding from him for so long? Were these the true feelings that she had been waiting to express to him? He knew he was correct. It wasn't like she had changed much since they began their relationship but he could see the feelings that she had been working hard to keep a secret. Without the fear of being rejected or the guilt of betraying a friend of hers, she openly was able to show him how she felt about him. It was obvious that he was experiencing her love full bloom now and it knocked him off his feet.
Now, that was the only that he could see this, for love was a new concept. Although, he had spent plenty of time with the Pervy Sage, he had only learned so much from his Mentor. He understood that love ran deeper than lust, he understood that love was something that was built over time and it last a lifetime. He had learned from the time with his parents, that love was unconditional and complicated but also worth all the feelings that were involved. He understood love caused reactions within his body. With his parents, he felt an overwhelming about of joy swell up within his chest, he could feel the tears that were just a blink away. With his comrades and friends, he felt their pain and their sorrow. He felt their happiness and the vitality that was within them. With Ino, he felt...he felt that he was suspended in water, the current tossing him this and that direction. He was constantly spinning, possibly drowning, in these bubbling emotions, ones that were hard to differentiate. Was this love? Was this lust? Questions upon questions piled up within his mind, causing him to be uncertain of his actions for he had never experienced this before.
Despite being in this submerged state of uncertainty, he felt this gravitational pull towards the Yamanaka. There was a warmth that mesmerized him, a light that blinded him. Her feelings were that of his parents' and comrades' but the intensity was on another level. What she offered and allowed him to see was so powerful that he often doubted their relationship. Was he worthy enough for such affections? Was this going to last as long as he hoped? Would she ever tire of him and his antics? Daily, she proved his mind's doubts wrong, simply accepting him for who he was, despite the occasional tease. Maybe he was just feeling what he imagined love would be like, until the reality of it at settled in. Once again, doubts shrouded his mind. Were they simply living in a fairytale? Or was this what reality was like? All his life, he had been scorned and looked down upon. He knew that he had to make a huge impact in other people's' lives in order to make them see him in a different light. He knew that he had milestones and hurdles to leap over in order to feel like he belonged. He tried to be optimistic all throughout his growing years, but there had been a darkness in his heart. A place that said that no matter what he tried, he would never be enough. Nothing that he did mattered. What did he have that would guarantee his success? His failure? But he had hope, clung so desperately to it. He had people there who looked past what he was and what he was called. They had given him the strength and determination to continue on with his ways and his decisions.
Watching the way she spoke now, he had no doubt that this was anything other than reality. He could hear the sincerity in her tone, the shy intonations that filtered through her voice. He could see that she was confident in her words though mildly embarrassed for revealing such thoughts. In that moment, he knew her feelings, the resounded within his chest like the pounding beat of his heart. In that moment, he understood that this was, indeed, the reality of love. Moving around the Island, he took hold of her hand, causing her to place it on the countertop. He immediately pulled her into a kiss, relishing in the pleased sigh that left her. The kiss itself was languid in motion but the passion behind it left a desirable heat through his body. Pulling away, he stared down at the woman within his grasp. Her eyes stared up at him in curiosity and he smirked gently.
"Say Ino," he muttered breathlessly.
"Hmmm?" She hummed, a small smile curling the corners of her lips.
"I love you."
Her eyes widened at the sudden confession and she pulled away from him slightly, raising a brow. They stared at one another, her eyes searching his for absolution. She felt her stomach sink slightly and her heart rise into her throat. She wondered if he understood the weight of those words and the effect that they had on her. How long had she been waiting for him to say such things? How long had she imagined a scene full of gaudy glamour that he would profess his love to her (certainly not in the dimly lit kitchen of hers)? How long had she envied those other women, who had caught his attention and his heart, wondering if he said these same words? She felt her knees grow weak and her hands clutched the front of his shirt. A sudden fear filled her, was this too soon? Was this the start of their relationship dying into a low ember? "How can you be so sure," she questioned immediately.
He shrugged his shoulders slightly, a cheeky grin coming to his lips. "I just do," he replied in a matter of fact tone.
"Say it again," she breathed out.
"I love you." He said with a gentle chuckle.
"Again," she whispered, her voice growing hoarse.
"I love you," he replied easily, kissing her forehead gently. "I love the way you smell like fresh flowers daily. I love the way you smile at me. I love the way you always cook dinner for me." He moved his lips to kiss her cheeks. "I love the way you drive me crazy about you. I love the way you love your friends. I love the big heart you have." He murmured across her skin, kissing down to her jawline. "I love that you love me for who I am, flaws and all. I love that you accepted me into your heart. I love you for existing in my life." He moved away from her jawline, staring down into her watery hues. "Most of all, I love you for you." He ended his ramble by giving her a gentle kiss on her lips.
She laughed, causing the the kiss to be interrupted. She brushed away the tears that were in her eyes. "I love you too, Naruto."