Ino Blink of the Eye

9. Rain - The sky cries for you.


Kiba was over again on a Saturday. Ino’s mother thought he was very polite and couldn’t believe that his dogs were so well behaved. He was one of the few friends of her daughter’s that Yamanaka-san liked.
She left the two together and went to get them something to eat.
“Your mom is sure different then mine.” Kiba said.
“My mom is overprotective and stifling. Your mom is a free spirit and let’s you live your life. You can date who you want without her approval. Do you know that my mom has been eyeing you ever since I got back and she found out that I used to hang out with Iyashi? My daughter will not be known for dating traitors! How would you like to have that hanging over your head? Now, she has plans to unite our two great families. It’s like some gothic romance. I am not marrying you, just to make my parents happy.”
“Good, cause I am having a bad enough week. Did you know that my sister is dating Shino?”
“Hana? She’s like thirty.”
“She’ll be twenty three on her next birthday. It’s only five years. And Iyashi is like thirty. They told me it was something I said that got them both thinking. I think it’s serious.”
“Well, he can help her keep the fleas down. What do they do together?”
“I don’t want to know. This is my sister, okay?”
“Fine, safe topics. Um, did you know that Raido and Anko are engaged?”
“Ino, that is as old as Kurenai being pregnant. Think up something new, like Tsunade and Jiraiya meeting in the scroll room every week. No one knows what they do there.”
“What?!”

Ino loved to wear black. It was her second favorite thing to wear and she often had something black on with her trademark lavenders and fuchsias.
But today it was a burden to pull the black turtleneck over her black skirt. She had worn this too often over the last few years, as she was forced to say good-bye forever to comrades and friends.
First it had been Jimei, a chuunin who was only four years older than she and her friends. Then Minoji who was older, but a trained Jounin - he was caught in the wrong place by a Sound ninja.
Several others she had barely met and couldn’t even bring a face or name to.
But, today when she stepped up to say farewell it was to some one who had been nearly like family, her former teammate’s father, and a close friend of her own parents.
Choji would be lost without the man who had raised him, and Ino was nearly as heartbroken by his loss as he was.
She made her way down the stairs, to be met by the pink puffy face of her mother and her father, looking as handsome as ever, but the sadness evident in his bright green eyes.
“Ino-chan, are you all right?” he asked and she fell into his outstretched arms.
“Oh, Tousan. How come it happened?” she begged, lost for explanations to the sudden bereavement brought on by the realization that she would never again see the smiling plump face of the Akimichi man, who was like an uncle to her.


The rain fell in a light lingering drizzle that soaked through the skin and deep within the bones. It was a sad day, and as Ino watched her former teammates support each other; she knew that they would be all right. They had each other, and that was as it had always been. She wished they’d had what their fathers had, but her femininity had made her an outsider in a male bonding experience and she was okay with that, now.
Her only wish today, was for someone to just hold her until she was over this loss and could stand on her own once more. She was alone in a crowd of people and as she scanned their faces she came upon others who shared that feeling at one time or another.
The loud blond with the bright blue eyes, though not so bright today, stood with his best friend and she knew that they would probably be passed out on Naruto’s couch, drunk, by the end of the day. Sasuke would take care of him, as he would care for the Uchiha. They both knew loneliness, and had come to an understanding by sharing that feeling. Ino envied them.
Sakura stood near Rock Lee, her face even more pale in the seeping rain, but his arm on her shoulder told of the comfort he was conveying. Among the others was her former teacher, Iruka-sensei, his ponytail hanging limp with moisture. Next to him the copy ninja was somber and for once the rain had managed to make his hair less of a tower that added to his look of incredible height.
Behind them, her former team leader stood with his new wife, and his two sons, looking like a statue of the perfect family. She had heard Asuma bragging about Kurenai’s baby when she had been allowed to hold it briefly. But today in the rain, she was sure that he was remembering the loss of his first wife, and later the man who was like a grandfather to everyone in the village, Sandaime, his true father.
They were all here, and one by one they placed the flowers that had been supplied by her parents before the picture of a happy smiling man, who would no longer ease their dull lives with his smiles and gaiety.
Ino placed her bloom and then walked up to the place where Choji and Shikamaru stood, and she hugged them both, placing a light kiss on the not-so-plump cheek with the decorative swirl tattoo.
Choji barely acknowledged her, and she nodded to the Nara boy as she passed. Her silent message was to care for their friend, as she knew he would. Then, she left and headed for the rain-drenched field to sit on the wet grass and let her tears be swallowed up by the drizzle that wouldn’t seem to end.

Another was standing amongst those gathered and remembering losses of people close to him.
Genma focused his mind on the people he still had to protect as he looked around him. This village was his family, for he had none left of his own. He was alone, but he considered himself part of the whole, and it did give him some comfort.
He had met the Akimichi man, and was sad at his loss. He remembered all the times he had told him he was too skinny and taken him with their trio as they went for some BBQ.
It was like loosing your own father all over again, and Genma pushed those memories away. He had lost too many to give them all time today, so denied each a piece of this day.
He looked over at Raido holding Anko as she sobbed in his arms. She had been very concerned about the older Jounin since the attack years ago that had left Raido with a discernable limp and a weakened heart. Genma had managed to play the game of matchmaker and watched the slow blooming flower of love grow between them. They had married last month and were now planning their first child. Genma hoped they would conceive it soon, for it was a good sign to have many children born the year after a death. It was the village replenishing itself
They had teased him about his bachelorhood, and he had taken it good naturedly, but under his mask of indifference he had kept the pain that they had not known he felt about this very thing.
Genma was lonely, but it was his problem and he would never burden anyone with it.
Uzuki Yugao was near them, and his mind couldn’t help but connect her to one friend that had fallen and was greatly missed by the special Jounin. Hayate was too good of a man not to come to mind whenever loneliness overtook him.
He had visited the stone that bore his name with his trademark title of ‘Badger’. He had talked to his old friend there, but he was not about to become another Kakashi, so he had stopped going as often. And then the loss became palpable.
Kakashi would be there now, were it not for the support of the ex-teacher by his side. Umino was a stabilizing force for the Copy ninja, and he was determined to prove to Kakashi that not everyone he cared for would end up dead. Iruka was going to survive anything to make the man see it, too. Just like he had come back from the fight with Mizuki. He would always return to the scarecrow.
Once he had done his duty, Genma moved away from the gathering and down the village streets. He ended up on a wall at the outskirts of town looking at a lone figure sitting in the middle of a field, not moving just letting the steady stream of moisture run down her body.
He couldn’t bring himself to interrupt her mourning but also couldn’t tear himself away. Half a day later, as she finally stood and walked back to the gates, he was as wet as she, and certain that at least one of them was destined to be sick after this day.

::And there is the day that begins the companion fic, My Little Choji-kun. I hope that anyone who isn't an anti-Yaoi fanatic would read it also, as they are as linked as you can get. I have two separate ideas going, but they overlap and one story kinda teases the other.

Ruka - You're catching on to my style. I like to linger on details. And this one is very lingering. And besides, have you watched the series. God, it takes three episodes to fight one battle.

vashta - Welcome. I'll have you reading my Yu-gi-oh and Fruits basket's, next. Yes, Ino can be just as Sakura calls her, a pig. I think she is self-centered and spoiled. But hey, we all have our faults. I have finally caught up to the other beginning, but I think you will begin to see the cross/overs. This one will explain some of the things that are about to happen in Not you, too. Genma is far too unloved, and I got tired of reading stories that make him out to be a shallow sex boy. I wanted to put the meat back on the man.

So, now for the next chapter. I seem to be putting these up on a two review, you get another update schedule. Not my usual M.O.
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