Work Text:
March 20th
The illustrious Yamanaka clan was a fundamental element of the strong foundation that Konohagakure had emerged, giving meaning to the deep ties they held to the land itself. Before the founding of the village, the ancient clan resided deep in the mountain, often clashing with others that dared trespass upon their home. Among this came their union with what used to be their fiercest rivals, the neighboring Nara and Akimichi clans. Upon the establishment of Konoha, Hashirama Senju had drawn the lines of the village’s territory to extend right along the edge of Yamanaka's mountain home so they could utilize their skill of sensory and detect any outside threat to the young village. Despite their prior resolve to protect their land, the allure of village life eventually took hold of the clan, leading to their descent from the mountain and into settling within the bustle of the village’s central, where they would then further cooperate with the First Hokage and develop the first team of Konohan interrogators. But no matter how far they strayed from the mountain, it would always be home to the Yamanaka. The clan’s elders along with the head vowed to protect their land, even if that meant warding off oblivious civilians who may have accidentally trespassed upon the grounds.
In recent years, the village along with the sacred spot had been on the receiving end of devastation, leaving the land devoid of the life that once flourished. The sacred ground was not the only thing missing from the honorable clan, however. The life of the 15th generation clan head, Inoichi Yamanaka, had been tragically lost during the battle waged in the fourth great shinobi war, leaving his well acclaimed legacy to be inherited to his only daughter, Ino. She had attained the position of clan at the youthful and inexperienced age of 17, a transfer that prompted the scorn of many within the family that believed her too young or unfit for the vast responsibility ahead of her. This did little to dissuade the girl, very eager to honor her late father and prove her naysayers wrong.
She decided to begin her leadership with her clan’s most cherished site. Much like her ancestors, she knew very well the ground’s meaning to her family, and held precious memories of the time she had spent there with her father. The land she inherited however, had been completely unrecognizable; barren soil and no plants or animals were in sight. Any sign of life had been undetected by any sensory jutsu. That was the beginning of her vow to restore the beauty and grandeur to the sacred spot that her lineage had sought to protect for generations. Utilizing the numbers of her clansmen and her own vast proficiency in botany, she enacted a project that would breathe life back into the land and worked tirelessly to complete it. After two years of immense effort, the grounds had only just shown signs of its return to former glory, something the young Yamanaka clan head could only be proud of. And she was sure her father would be proud as well.
“-and that is pretty much why I decided to bring you up here.”
Finishing her long monotonous spiel, she looked over to her companion who walked beside her. His eyes shone with an intense focus, something that was a trademark of the man in question.
“Ah, I see.” He tore his gaze away from hers to look ahead at the path ahead of them. “I’ve never been to this region of the village before.”
Ino playfully scoffed, adopting a prideful smirk. “Of course you wouldn’t have, Sai. This is basically untouchable ground. No one from outside our clan is permitted up here. Shikamaru and Choji are exceptions, but I haven’t taken them up here since we were kids.”
She hoped that would tip him off, if only a little. It was true that no one from outside the Yamanaka clan was granted access to the mountainous land, but her reasoning for bringing him here ran much deeper than bragging rights. Since inheriting her position, Ino had never brought anyone to the grounds. The gift her father left behind was far too precious to be shared with just anyone. She decided that the one that accompanied her, the one whom she shared her gift, would be the man she set out to marry.
Simply put, Sai was here to be courted whether he caught onto it or not.
He had always been in the running for potential husbands, even when they first met nearly three years ago. Ever since that day, he had traveled a long beaten path towards finding himself, and even though it might have seemed as if he was still only starting down that road, she could see the potential shining within him. Against her own hesitance, she finally confessed to him her desire to become an item. And to her surprise, Sai was quick to respond with his own inclinations of romance. “Quick” might be a stretch to anyone else when she found herself waiting a little over a week for said response, but she was satisfied enough when her suitor was typically slow on the uptake. She had found herself enamored by him at his worst, so she was ever determined to see him at his best.
In preparation for their date, she implored him to sport warmer attire for their excursion, as the mixture of late winter air and elevated ground made for a much colder climate than what they were used to. Sure, the man in question was well accustomed to higher altitudes than most thanks to the air travel he frequented, but she wanted to steer clear of the topic of work. Today was about them, and getting to know each other better. She realized that getting to know Sai might be more difficult than most when most of his life centered around his work, but she could compensate for both of them if need be.
She started him off with a quick tour of the main grounds, hoping he didn’t notice the sideways glances from the volunteer clansmen that paraded the area. A poignant glare from her was enough to divert their attention away from her male companion, who luckily remained unaware of the scorn. “Your determination is rather impressive, Ino. I can tell you’ve put forth a lot to revive this land.”
It wasn’t hard to be convinced of his sincerity from the way he viewed his surroundings; gazing up and around, as if taking in every detail. She almost expected him to begin drawing on the sketchbook that was held dormant at his side, something he did often during rather inopportune moments. If he so happened to pull it out at this moment, she’d consider it extremely flattering. Especially if she had access to a sneak peek of his focused face. The intensity that so deeply contrasted to his typical blank expression strangely complemented his smooth features. The view of thin brows scrunched and a deepened frown from plump lips sent her spiraling into a direction that even she couldn’t understand. What miniscule detail set off this expression on his pretty face? It was even more humorous when it was the response to a confusing question or an otherwise odd statement. Sure she could figure out what he was thinking easily enough, but that would ruin the beautiful mystique of it all, an element of Sai she found extremely attractive.
“Is this our primary destination, or is there more?” It was only when Ino watched the question fall from his lips, she realized that she had fallen into a trance once again at the sight of him. Damn it, why did he have to be so gorgeous?
She shook off the distraction, but the fluttering feeling in her stomach remained as she led him away from the marked paths and into a thicker part of the surrounding trees. There was much more to be found from these woods than what the designated path revealed. Ino made effort to quiet her steps as they furthered out into the growing forest, expanding the range of her senses as her eyes tried to keep up. There was no reason to concern herself with Sai’s stride, as his warm and familiar chakra presence was the only sign she had that he was still tailing her lead. “What are we doing out here, Ino?” Sai softly voiced. Apparently his silent tread was merely an unconscious endeavor.
“Shh, I’m trying to find her.” She spared no glance at him as she continued her search, singling out a particular brush that might lead them to what she desired to find, or in this case, who. Pale blue eyes grew wide as her target finally entered her vision, but not before concentration was nearly broken, once more by Sai. “Find who?”
Her instinctive action proved quicker than her better judgement, as she forcefully yanked the man down into a crouch alongside her amongst the brush. “Shh!” She dreaded having caused enough commotion to startle her target. Sai stared at her wide, almost incredulously at her sudden outburst. She mumbled an apology before slowly peeking her head from the top of their hiding place.
To her fortune, there she stood. A small boar wandered amongst the distant trees, snout still downturned and focused on locating food.
“There’s the lady of the hour,” Ino couldn’t help but sigh through her dreamy smile. She wouldn’t dare remove her gaze from the beautiful animal, even to look at the equally beautiful man standing beside her.
“Ah, a boar.” His reply was barely above a whisper.
“Not just any boar. She’s the new matriarch.” She contradicted herself instantly, prying her eyes away from the boar to look at Sai’s head, cocked as if trying to wrap his brain around her words. She had to stifle a laugh at how cute the motion looked. “Boars form matriarchies. The females group together to raise their young while the males isolate themselves until mating season. And she just so happens to be the first.”
It didn’t take long for him to get the picture “So she just has to wait for a male boar then?”
“Yup! And it shouldn’t take too long, either. She’s been here since December, so she’s missed out on her first mating season. We’re hoping to lure a male or two in by November. Dad and I saw boars all the time out here. We fed them and then he’d make a game out of using the Shintenshin to control one and scare some of the clansmen with it. They were mad, but they couldn’t argue when dad said it was a training exercise. The boars didn’t seem to mind too much, because they trusted him enough to get close.”
She returned to gaze at her as she continued to rifle around the woodland undergrowth.
“Do you want to get close?” Ino managed to pry her eyes off of the animal to look at him at the sound of his hushed voice. He had taken out his sketchbook, realizing this would probably be his only chance to “With the boar?”
She sighed again, trying to distract her hopeless mood with the movements of his pencil. “Sure I’d like to, but it’s still too soon. The last thing I’d want to do is scare her off.” Ino wanted more than anything to restore the land to its former state; teeming with the life that created those once happy times she had spent with her father, but she knew better than to rush things. This process was meant to be gradual, and one misstep could have the power to dismantle the strong progress they had made in four years. As keen as she was on getting the state of the grounds back to what it once was, she realized that the desired outcome would probably be achieved many years from now. She’d have children of her own by the time that happened.
It wasn’t until the boar began her retreat further into the forest that he spoke again. “I’d be willing to assist if you wish. I’d love to be able to draw one properly, but I’d have to make sure it was stationary before I could.” He spoke so casually, never looking up from the paper, as his time with his subject was coming to a bitter end.
Ino chuckled at his offer. Perhaps somewhere down the road that could be an achievable feat. One that she’d be more than happy to participate in, especially with him. “You’d need it more than stationary to accomplish that. But we’ll see.”
“Ino”
She hums in acknowledgement to his call from his place seated beside her. Soon after their boar encounter, she led him to their date’s final destination, a vast open field of wildflowers that sat in the far reaches of Yamanaka territory. Sai marveled at the sight, his eyes reflecting an overwhelming sense of wonder. That was to be expected, even from someone like Sai. This spot still had its effect on her even to this day.
“What characteristics do I possess that make me attractive to you?”
The sudden question sends her speechless and sputtering. That embarrassing question!? Of course she had a mental list of things that she found appealing about him. His looks, his real smile, the double edged sword of boldness that she fell currently on the receiving end of. It was common first date protocol to have this kind of conversation, but why did he have to ask that out of the blue like that?
“Wh-what?! Do we really have to bring this up now?!”
Maybe a more important question would be ‘Why was she, a 19 year old woman, suddenly having trouble answering him about a question she had known the answer to for years?’
Looking back at him, she was alarmed to see that she was not met by the typical blank stare she had grown so accustomed to. His eyes were narrowed and focused, reflecting something darker and were dead set on her own as if he were trying to reach the depths of her soul. “I just don’t understand what I have that makes me such a suitable partner for you. I have stunted social skills, and can’t feel like normal people do because I was too weak to overcome my loss. I have nothing of value to offer, so why bother? Do you take pity on me because I am defective? Do you think you can just turn me into something you want to be with?” His volume raised and his tone grew sour with each question he spat, foreign to anything she had ever heard come from him.
His eyes dropped to the ground, his head followed, drooping towards the open sketchbook that laid in his lap . “If you wish to fix me like everything else, then I don’t think you will be successful. “There isn’t much about me that can simply be mended. He trailed off. Ino didn’t miss the sounds that tumbled from his lips, broken just as he himself claimed to be, no trace of tears left in his onyx eyes.
Sai was a smart man, way too perceptive of the differences that existed between him and their friends; from people considered to be normal. And as much as Ino wanted to be with Sai, it was hard to ignore these things herself. And to say nothing of her own desire to save him from the darkness that sought to consume him. His accusation alone had the potential to bring her to tears, but it was nothing compared to the way he addressed himself. As a broken tool. A defective product. A mere object rather than a person. His assumption of her might ring true to some degree, but she never intended to shape him into someone he wasn't meant to be. Sai was now free to discover his true self in whatever way he saw fit, and it seemed like she was the only one who could convince him of that now.
“You are broken. You are probably the worst case I’ve ever seen...” With his head still lowered, he audibly exhaled at her inherent agreement with his sentiments. “-But your trauma isn’t what makes you special, and you are anything but weak. Sai, it’s your strength to move on that makes you truly great. All of us have pieces of us that are shattered beyond repair. As shinobi, we inflict so much pain and suffering, but we also welcome it into our lives. Even though we can never forget that, it’s our strength to continue and rise above the pain we carry that makes us truly invincible.
Ino awaited his response, staring straight ahead at the flowers that surrounded them, still as she could stay as he processed the bulk of her words. It was a lot to push onto him, sure, but this needed to happen. With how much he suffered under the weight of his burden, she knew that confronting them now would help in preventing a larger force from halting him further. Besides, it wasn’t her style to coddle someone over something they had to know. And Sai above all else deserved that honesty, even if he took longer than most to absorb it. But before too long, his head lifted and his eyes met hers, a faint sense of desperation shining through.
“You think so?”
Ino put on her best smile to reassure him. “I think I’ve got a pretty good handle on it at this point. Sai, you have spent so much time trying to improve yourself. To fill that void that’s been left by being a good friend to others. But you want more, and you proved that by coming with me today. I can’t fix the broken pieces, but I can at least try and fill the spaces in between.”
Her hand locates his, finding no resistance as her fingers slot between his. The desperation in his eyes became pure bewilderment as they flicked towards their intertwined fingers. “-That is, if you let me.“
His searching gaze meets her again, as if he is still trying to fully process her intent. The remnants of worry were still etched to his features. “But what about your clan?”
“Pft, who cares about those geezers?” She carelessly dismissed it. “I decide who I date, and they can’t do a thing about it. And even if they do make a fuss, then I’ll gladly fight for it.”
The fire behind her crystalline eyes melted his concern alongside her pledge. Her veil of confidence seemed to do wonders to ease him for the time being, filling her with a sense of relief. His rather forward thinking, however, honestly surprised her. Perhaps he was more aware of her intentions that she initially thought.
“But you have to remember, Sai…” Her hand gripped his tighter to emphasize her words, as vital as they were. ”You have to want this. I don’t want to make you do something you don’t want to do.” She was overjoyed when she felt his hand squeeze hers for a brief instant.
“I think I want this.”
Once Sai’s worry had fully sedated, they could finally go back to focusing on their date at hand. Sai never seemed the ideal conversationalist, but as soon as he was given an opportunity to talk about human behavior, he became an absolute chatterbox. It was incredible to witness his expression open up as she reminded him of another point he had yet to offer her about the topic. She couldn’t count the amount of times he mentioned the journal she gifted him, and the effects it has had on his perception. It made her infinitely curious about the contents of the journal itself, but she had to stay steady on her stance on the privacy of his book.She didn’t want to possibly ruin what seemed to be such a wonderful and sacred thing to him. Their talk did little to move away from the basics of interaction itself, but when it did, it was about each other and their relationship, reveling in the discoveries in their new endeavor.
“- You know, you can be so poetic sometimes. It really does wonders for your vague and mysterious charm. But if I know you, then I know you like to overthink things. If we are going to do this, you need to try and just let things happen. You won't have time to prepare for every encounter you have.”
Sai took a moment to process her words before slowly beginning his reproach. Surely this was the first time anyone had ever told him these things. “But I've proven that I'm not very good at that.”
“Well the only way you will get better is if you try. To 'live in the moment' as they say”
“And how do you propose I do that?” The question was as genuine as it could be, without a hint of playfulness or even sarcasm. She had offered him a phrase that could easily be guessed as brand new. She figured the best way to get through to him was to reference what he knew.
“Well, think of Naruto. Naruto is a prime example of living in the moment. He doesn’t think much before he acts.”
In this case, Naruto was the best way to communicate her point. She knew it worked its charm, as Sai’s response came as quick as if he understood her perfectly. “I suppose you are right. But Naruto is usually doing something idiotic when he “lives in the moment.” How will I know that what I am doing is not the same?”
“The main way to figure that out is if someone tells you otherwise.”
“Like when Sakura hits me?” Another innocent question. As the only kunoichi on her team, she easily related to Sakura’s struggle to reign in her boys. Her forceful methods were tried and true, with Naruto being the prime success story to her name. As effective as they were, they were also admittedly not always necessary. Especially for someone like Sai who has no frame of reference to draw from in matters unrelated to shinobi work. He sure did learn to respond to physical punishment, but was it truly helpful?
“Exactly! But that raging forehead has no finesse. If it’s me, then you can be assured that I’ll be more understanding.” She wants to know what works for him. Being open-minded and open-hearted with him was the first step.
Even if that was difficult in itself.
“So does that mean you wouldn’t get mad if I admitted to you that I first called you beautiful because Sakura didn’t like it when I called her ugly?”
“
WHAT?!”
Her arm had suddenly risen along with her anger. Her companion flinched, raising his arms to defend his face for the potential onslaught he had just unleashed. His words however, moved faster than her own body “I believe that you are truly beautiful now!”
An uncomfortably hot flush rises to her face at the comment. How was he capable of changing the mood so drastically in a mere instant?
“...but if you wish me to revise your nickname, then I-”
As much as she tried, she just couldn’t get a handle on herself. At least she could manage a coherent, yet meager response. “You don’t have to.”
The sound of soft laughter caused her head to spin. “And what do you think is so funny?” She exasperatedly exclaimed , hands finally revealing her completely red face, deepened by her own embarrassment.
“The way that you change your attitude so quickly. It is very impressive!” With how brutally honest reasoning was rooted too deep within innocence for her to truly take offense to it. Perhaps it did hold some truth to it. She considered it with a rather mischievous glint in her eyes. “I bet I could make you do the same…”
“Huh?-”
Before his brain had the remote chance to process her words, she leaned into him, grabbing his face before landing a gentle kiss on his right cheek that left a cherry red stain of her lipstick.
“Oh…”
Dark eyes grew wide and a soft red added color to his pallid skin. His right hand rose between them to reach his face, touching the spot where she had marked him. Ino could help the pride that swelled inside her to have caused such a reaction from him. Even he is not immune from kisses. The silence had no time to fully encompass the atmosphere, as laughter of her own took its place.
“Okay, now we’re going to live in the moment. Lay down on your back, Sai.”
As predicted, his head tilted slightly in that adorably oblivious fashion that he wore so well.
“Why?”
“We don’t need a reason, now come on!” She wasn’t going to ask him again, as she already began the motion to pull him down. Seeing as he had no choice, he quickly complied, allowing his head to rest on the grass as he stretched out his legs in front of him.
He looked over at her, eyes curiously awaiting his next command. “What now?”
“Close your eyes, and don’t think.”
Sai obeys her command without a word, allowing his eyes to close. She gazes at his prone posture, making sure it was to her satisfaction before allowing herself to do the same.
“I think I’m starting to understa-”
“What did I just say?”
“Right.” A few moments of silence passed before they were disrupted once more by her male companion
“Ino?”
She huffs lightly, trying her best to keep her building irritation quelled. Wasn’t he supposed to be good at following orders? She humors him anyway, not wanting to demolish the mood she had worked tirelessly to create. “Yes?”
“Thank you for bringing me out here. I’m rather enjoying ‘living in the moment’ with you.” It was then when she opened her eyes, head turning again to take in the view of him beside her. His eyes were still shut, but his lips had curled into a blissful smile. It was a shame that he wasn’t able to see the one that now peacefully rested on her own.
“Me too. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”