Fade In

-I was asked to put in a timeline of sorts for the chapters, to give a better sense of the time flow. So here goes and forgive the lengthy outline.

Chapters 1- 3 are the present. Sakura and her team having just returned after six months from a mission. It’s currently early autumn in Fire Country. Chapter 4 is a throwback to two and a half years ago, when Sakura lost her first ANBU team. She was 20 going on 21 at the time. Ch. 5, back to the present, about a week’s passed since they’ve gotten back until they’re suddenly given the mission. Ch. 6, takes them about a day or so to get to Getsugakure. Ch. 7-9, four days have elapsed. At the end of 9 though, when I introduce Sasuke and Naruto, that’s a few days after they’ve completed the mission in Moon. So all in all, a week in Konoha, and about a week so far in Getsugakure (they haven’t left yet).

I hope that clears up the time issue and my apologies for being vague!

…

Fade In

Chapter Ten – Blue

…

Red painted nails thrummed along the heavy oak desk as Tsunade leveled an unreadable look on the two shinobi in front of her. She then proceeded to pour a cup of the gooey and odorous brew Shizune had concocted for mornings when she was still feeling the aftereffects of too much alcohol. She downed it soon after before gracefully standing up and crossing her arms over her ample chest.

“Uzumaki Naruto. Uchiha Sasuke.” She said in her no nonsense tone of voice.

They straightened a little more, unsure of what to expect from the Hokage. The blonde shifted, tiny nervous pinpricks tickling his spine.

Tsunade almost smirked and she would’ve if it hadn’t been for the massive hangover threatening to make her head combust. Just what she needed too, the unexpected return of two of Konoha’s most talented shinobi along with the endless amounts of paperwork already piling up on her desk and more that were sure to come.

“Baa-chan…you feeling alright?” Naruto ventured, almost afraid of the response.

“Shut up Uzumaki, your voice is making it worse.” She rubbed her left temple, trying to ease away the sharp pain.

He went sulkily silent. A hug would’ve been nice.

“I’ll be placing you two back on the active duty roster then.” The Godaime stated firmly.

They both nodded, anticipation already starting to blossom.

“Welcome back to Konoha. And as we agreed before you two left, I expect both of your reports detailing what you’ve been up to, the places you visited and so on on my desk by tomorrow morning. Now get out of my office.”

Naruto looked aghast. “That’s it?! No hug? No ‘I missed you two while you were gone!?’”

Tsunade sighed and pointed a finger to her face. “This is me becoming irritated. Now get your asses out of my office, get settled in, say hello to the people you left five years ago and then come talk to me about missions and no, you’re not getting a hug.”

Naruto grumbled and Sasuke remained as stoic as ever, if not a little annoyed at his friend’s attempts to get affection. “Alright, alright baa-chan. We’re going!”

But before they closed the door behind them, Tsunade stopped out. “Did you two find what you were looking for?”

Naruto threw a grin over his shoulder. “Yeah.”

“But there was something missing.” Sasuke replied with a wayward afterthought.

“And that was?” She prodded, genuinely curious.

“Konoha.” They answered together and with a happy good-bye wave from the blonde, shut the door behind them.

And Tsunade, try as she might, couldn’t stop the slight smile from lifting her lips. She quietly wondered how everyone was going to take their unexpected return. After such a long time, many had doubted Naruto and Sasuke would come back to Konoha at all. Many had given up that hope, had tossed it away and began to regard the two as a memory every so often reminisced about, wondered about but rarely ever talked about.

There were sure to be a flurry of different emotions and she’d be surprised if news of their return hadn’t already spread across the village. Surprise. Happiness. Anger. Apathy. Regret. Spite. Complete. Different reactions from different people.

But Naruto and Sasuke were two of Konoha’s strongest ninja and she couldn’t…wouldn’t deny the fact that to have them back would prove to be an immense asset to the village. It was just….just that…well…

Tsunade rubbed her temples and cursed all the paperwork mounting her desk. She just hoped there wouldn’t be any toppled buildings and giant holes and cracks in the streets any time soon. And if there was anyone listening because Kami knew how her luck was always shot to hell, she prayed there wouldn’t ever be.

…

“Forehead…” Ino sighed, discontented that her pink-haired friend, so soon after her return from a six-month mission, was once again gone.

She sat, waiting and wistfully reminiscing, in a quaint little teahouse down the street from her parents’ flower shop. Looking out of the window beside her, Ino watched the villagers and occasional shinobi shuffle by in the mid-morning sun, going about their routines, going to wherever they needed to be.

“Why the long face?”

The beautiful blonde turned around and saw her senbon chewing lover and soon to be husband, felt his arms wrap around her in a warm embrace, smiled when his rough but tender hands lovingly caressed the swell of her belly before taking the seat in front of her.

“Just thinking.” She replied quietly.

“About?” Genma took the small cup she offered and placed it on the cherry wood table.

“Sakura.” Her shoulders slumped a little bit.

He leaned into a palm, his free hand grasping hers reassuringly. “You know she’s probably the last person you need to worry about. Hatake’s with her anyway and her ANBU team aren’t exactly pushovers either.”

“I know, but still. Forehead said she’d be here for me and I kind of miss her. I can’t walk that long anymore and my feet Genma! I can’t even see my feet!” She cried dismally.

He hid a laugh only to receive a blue glare from her.

“It’s not funny pervert!”

“Hey, I’m a reformed pervert.” He corrected. “Isn’t that supposed to happen to beautiful pregnant women anyway?”

Ino let a small smile curve her lips. “You think I’m beautiful even carrying an extra twenty or so pounds?”

Genma rolled his eyes at her insecurities. “Dearest, I think you’re beautiful no matter what, especially when you’re pregnant and naked.” He said as he flicked her brow, a wolfish grin turning the corners of his mouth.

Ino smacked him on the hand which only made him chuckle.

“All that aside, you won’t believe what I heard today love.”

Now normally, she was up to date on all the gossip happening in the village but sadly, she had fallen behind these past few days after being bed ridden. Ino was just itching for new news. “What?” She asked excitedly.

The senbon wielder paused for dramatic effect and then continued quickly after another death glare. “Naruto and Sasuke are back.”

Her mouth opened and then closed with an audible snap as she let what Genma had just told her sink in. She had been expecting something big, but not that big. Maybe something like Temari being pregnant so now Shikamaru couldn’t slack off anymore (which he’d definitely find troublesome) or even something along the lines of who rolled in half dead this morning from missons, but not that.

“So, is that a good quiet or a bad quiet?” Genma asked, raising a brow.

Ino didn’t respond, just sat there in silent contemplation as her eyes unseeingly gazed out the window. After five long years they were finally back in Konoha. And without warning, a strange kind of anger began to well up in her chest and she didn’t really understand it. Shouldn’t she be happy? They’d all grown up together. Well kind of, in an odd and jumbled sort of way, but they were all once chuunin together, fought with and against each other at some point.

And then she saw them, mingling with the surprised and curious villagers and ninja, weaving their way through the collection of bodies and suddenly she knew why, why she wasn’t happy about hearing their names.

Ino abruptly stood up, almost knocking her chair over and blue eyes darkening, she headed for the door of the quaint little teahouse.

“Ino! Where are you going?!” Genma quickly followed his pregnant lover into the sun, concern and confusion marring his brow. If he’d known this was how she was going to react, he wouldn’t have said anything at all. Just what the hell had gotten into her?

She pushed past those who were in her way, made a path through open gaps and ever closer towards the two unsuspecting shinobi steadily walking up ahead. So what if she couldn’t walk as fast anymore? She was pregnant, not crippled damn it and they would get a piece of her mind one way or another!

“Ino!” Genma grasped her arm and pulled her to him. “What the hell’s wrong with you?!”

She struggled against his hold. “Let go of me Genma. I’m gonna shove my foot up their asses!”

He looked baffled for a second before following the direction of her gaze and then everything clicked, fell together like the fine pieces of a puzzle and he understood the source of her sudden anger. “Dearest, you’re pregnant so you really have to be more careful.”

“Naruto! Sasuke!” Ino yelled, completely disregarding him and Genma had to wince at the high pitch and the unwanted attention it drew from the surrounding people. Well, so much for a quiet lunch in a quaint little teahouse.

They spun around, Naruto cocking his head to the side before his eyes widened. “Ino! Genma!”

He laughed and quickly backtracked, Sasuke following nonchalantly as he took in the sight of the pregnant blonde, who if he remembered correctly had been completely infatuated with him ages ago when they were all still genin. He noted the closeness of the chuunin proctor behind her and deduced that he was most likely the father of her unborn child. Things had really changed while they’d been away he absently thought right before a hard slap sounded to his left and his hand shot up to block a blow from a feminine hand.

He narrowed his dark eyes, annoyed and a bit surprised that she would try to hit him. “I don’t appreciate being struck at for no reason.” He calmly told the couple.

Genma quickly plucked her hand from Sasuke’s hold and sighed, gently restraining her. “Sorry about that.” He then sent death glares to all the spectators, silently warning them that if they didn’t get a move on, he’d be more than happy to help them.

Naruto rubbed his cheek, trying to rid himself of the sharp pain and looked at the blonde, a mixture of confusion and shock coloring his ocean blue eyes. “Oi, what was that for?”

But she was on the verge of tears, her hands clenching and unclenching at her sides as she tried to get control of her temper. “It’s all your fault! If-if your two had just been there…”

Her voice cracked, broke a little as a tear escaped. “She would’ve been fine, wouldn’t have had to hurt so much and been alone…”

She swiped at her eyes angrily. “You bastards left her! Didn’t even fucking say goodbye!” Ino tried to smack them again but Genma gripped her tightly.

“That’s enough Ino.” He said, voice hard as he fought back all the memories her words incited.

Sasuke mirrored his friend’s baffled expression, not all together sure of what was happening and what they were being accused of.

“What are you talking about Ino?” Naruto asked, just about ready to grab her and shake some sense out of her. He then looked at Genma, hoping he could, at the very least, supply some answers.

“She wouldn’t have had to go through all that alone…losing so much…” Ino whispered, though it seemed more to herself than to anyone else. She hugged herself and burrowed deeper into her lover’s embrace.

“But…but… Naruto…Sasuke…you weren’t there…not when everything came crashing down…”

And like a dark and heavy cloak, she was shrouded in a deep sort of melancholy, vision still blurred by salty moisture and what happened two and a half years ago playing over and over like a broken record in her mind. Turning around stiffly, Ino didn’t spare them another glance as she slowly began to walk away, almost mechanically, her body and soul, caught in the web of painful memories, too tired and drained to do anything more.

“Shiranui.”

He glanced at the dark haired Uchiha over his shoulder. “Don’t tell me you two expected hugs and kisses from everyone.” He released a wistful sigh before shaking his head. “Things change. People change. You of all people should know that Sasuke. But everything aside, welcome back you two.” Genma gave them a small smile before spinning around and catching up to Ino.

They watched them disappear into the crowd, Naruto running his fingers through his thick blonde hair in frustration. “I still don’t get what she was talking about, but I feel guilty somehow.” He confessed.

But Sasuke knew, or at least he was pretty sure why the Yamanaka woman had been angry with them and admittedly, he too was feeling that pang of guilt, that small thread of regret that weaved through and around his heart, made it constrict a little. He turned around and continued in the direction of their apartment building.

“Sakura. She was talking about Sakura dobe.”

“Sakura-chan?” Naruto furrowed his brows as he fell in step with the Sharingan user.

And he replayed everything Ino had said, ran it through his head until his shoulders slumped and he understood, at least as much as he could. His face fell, saddened and pain-laced, regretful and guilty. Somewhere along the way, they had made a wrong turn and for the first time, Naruto realized how insensitive and selfish they’d been. Realized that they could’ve handled their departure five years ago so much better if they hadn’t been in such a rush to leave Konoha and experience what life was outside the village gates.

And he wondered what had happened to their cherry blossom while they were gone. What she’d been through for the pregnant blonde to defend her so, driven to tears and to anger and scary violent tendencies. What exactly had happened? Certainly nothing drastic, Naruto thought, trying to convince himself. But truth be told, he wasn’t so certain of what to expect after what Ino had said, however vague and broken it was. And Naruto hoped with a fierce hope that she hadn’t changed, was still the same bubbly and caring girl from their teenage years because that was who Sakura was. She loved freely and gave freely. A trait of hers that he now realized, as a man who had seen much and experienced much within the years they’d been away from Konoha, both he and Sasuke had taken for granted.

“We fucked up big with her didn’t we?”

Sasuke’s fist tightened. “Aa.”

“We’ll fix it teme. We’ll visit her, hug her, say sorry for being pricks, make everything okay again.” Naruto affirmed, determination set in the lines of his handsome face.

But things were always easier said than done, were always more complicated than expected, if not seemingly impossible and hopeless at times. But damn it all to hell, they’d make everything right again cause that’s what Naruto did, what he was good at besides making thousands of shadow clones and beating the shit out of the bad guys. And he’d drag Sasuke along with him cause even though the bastard didn’t show it too much on his face, he could see it, that same desire to set things right, set things straight and true and how they used to be.

They both assumed Sakura would be at the hospital doing some kind of complicated surgery or patching up a head wound. So, they decided that right after they dropped off their travel worn packs, they would head there immediately and undo the damage that they had foolishly caused. Maybe if she was willing, they would then have dinner together and even try to track down their former sensei and drag him along too. They would catch up like old friends often did, talk about their adventures and what had happened in the past five years. And they would laugh and tease and as the night wore on, everything…everything would be okay again.

…

“I blew up didn’t I?”

Genma chuckled, placing an affectionate kiss upon her brow. “Maybe just a little bit.”

Ino sighed, resting her forehead on his shoulder as they sat on the couch in their apartment. “I just…I just couldn’t help it you know. When I saw them, I couldn’t stem the flow of anger towards them. I always thought that had they never left, Sakura would never have joined ANBU and then she wouldn’t have nearly died in my arms as I tried to heal her in that forest. I was so scared that night I could hardly breathe.”

“You weren’t the only one dearest.” He recalled his own sense of panic but most distinctly Genma remembered Kakashi and how he basically had to pry Sakura’s tortured body from his bloody fingers. The senbon chewer was almost afraid at one point when he thought his friend was going to use the Sharingan on him. It’d been a first for him to see Kakashi so torn and unstable, a vast difference from his normally lackadaisical and porn reading self.

“And maybe…maybe she’d be just as pregnant like me right now, like with Lee’s kid or something,” She laughed through her sniffling and tears at the thought as she continued. “And not an elite ANBU captain who I rarely get to see.”

“You know, things don’t always turn out how we want them to. And when they don’t, we just keep breathing Ino.”

“It’s not fair. They don’t deserve to be in her life anymore, not after just throwing it away like they did.”

“That’s not a decision for you to make. They’re back, what’re gonna do about it besides what you’ve already done? You did give them one hell of a rude welcome back though.” He said, laughing softly as he ran his calloused fingers through her hair and tried to keep from getting even more snot and tears on his shirt. He could feel the patch of moisture already as she used his clothes as one big giant tissue.

“They had it coming.” Ino defended, blowing her nose into the sleeve of his shirt.

“Now that was just gross.”

They laughed together as the blue-eyed blonde swatted his arm. Noticing that she wasn’t as melancholic as before, Genma cupped her face lovingly. “You shouldn’t blame them so much. We’ve all made our fair share of mistakes, wrong turns and things like that. And need I remind you? That mission was classified. You don’t have the right to go telling them what happened two and a half years ago in Lightening Country.” He chided.

She sagged a little. “I kinda forgot about that.”

He smiled, glad that she was feeling better cause dealing with a more emotional than usual Ino was never very pretty. “Have a little more faith in Sakura. We both know from experience that she’ll make it through okay, which is probably more than I can say for Naruto and Sasuke though.”

“I hope she beats the shit out of them.” She muttered darkly.

Genma shook his head but he had to agree. It’d be interesting to see how she took their return to Konoha and no doubt entertaining to see the pink haired ANBU captain rough them up a bit, maybe pound them into the ground or through a couple of trees. Hell, that woman was no joke when it came to sparring. He’d been sore all over and limping for a week after ‘proving that he was man enough to date her best friend’. Stupid male pride.

Ino stretched, her hand going to her lower back in slight pain.

“Come on, I’ll draw a hot bath and then you can join me.” He smirked devilishly.

“Pervert.” She rolled her eyes as he helped her off the couch and then met his lips. “But you’re my pervert.”

Genma chuckled and bent down, kissing the swell of her belly. “Did you hear that? Your chichi-ue’s a pervert, but a very lovable one.”

Ino laughed and grasped his offered hand, pushing past the unwanted memories of dark prisons and dying friends coated in red and all the anger and the fear. And she breathed and kept on breathing, feeling lighter and understanding a little bit more.

‘Forehead…no matter what I’ll always be here if you need me…’


…to be continued…


A/N: I love Genma and few give him the love he deserves. Just my way of appeasing my inner senbon chewing pervert fan girl. Massive thanks to all those who read and to those who take the time to leave me such sweet reviews!

-hasu86