Chapter Text
PROLOGUE
Ino lowers her hood as she sweeps in past the noren that separates Ichiraku’s interior from the street. It’s late in the afternoon, though with how dark the overhead clouds make it seem outside, it might as well be evening. There’s a warm glow to the food stall and welcoming smell of wonderful food. Ino knows that she could take the extra five minutes necessary to get home and eat her mother’s cooking but she can’t really help herself. She’s been eating Ichiraku’s since she was a kid and the end of a successful mission meant she got to celebrate with whatever she wanted.
Besides, the company wasn’t half bad either.
Behind the counter, Ayame turns and gives Ino a glowing smile. “Ino-chan,” she says and her eyes crinkle with her smile. That’s true happiness right there, Ino can tell. “Welcome. What would you like tonight?”
“It’s not night quite yet,” Ino counters as she takes a seat near the far end of the bar. She’s not there to brush elbows with other customers, though her tall stature, long blonde hair, and shapeliness, visible even under her jounin vest, catches peoples’ attention more and more these days. “Though I can’t blame you for thinking so with the rain. It’s practically timeless in here, Ayame-chan. You should put up a clock.”
Ayame waves a hand at her, dismissing her words, “Nonsense, people would be watching the clock then and feeling nervous about overstaying their welcome. Now, would you like a drink tonight? Something warm to keep off the chill?”
“Please,” Ino said as she settled an elbow on the counter and put her chin in her palm. “Tea and miso ramen, with some extra pork please.”
Ayame went to work, her movements sure and methodical, even though she kept glancing up to Ino to talk. “Sakura-chan showed up last week while you were away. She’d just returned from Tea and brought back this marvelous new blend of leaves. It’s so soothing and absolutely perfect for a rainy afternoon. I’ve been saving some for when you returned since I knew you’d just love it.”
Her father came over to greet Ino, though he did so with a silent wave in order not to disturb their conversation. Ino waved back with a little smile before turning her attention back to Ayame. “Lucky Sakura. She always gets the fun missions down to Tea. Did she tell you about the one she got where she was going between all those southern islands? Might as well be a vacation!”
Ayame laughed quietly and slid over Ino’s ceramic cup before carefully pouring the still hot tea into it. “She did come back with a healthy tan from that, didn’t she? Maybe you should try and partner up with her.”
“Oh, I could never,” Ino said with a roll of her eyes, “Sakura and I on the same team? I think she’d strangle me in my sleep, but not before I needled her to death on the road!” Ino laughed and picked up the cup to warm her hands with it. “I bet she’s the reason they’re always sending me up to Iron! And Snow! I’ve just been back for a few hours and I heard they’re sending a troupe of us up to Snow to look after some princess or something. Can you even believe that? Why hasn’t a princess got her own guards, hm? What good is being a princess if you don’t have servants to command?”
“You should come by before you head out,” Ayame said, “I’ll send you with some packets to make tea with while you’re gone. A little taste of home while you’re so far away.”
“Ayame-chan,” Ino leaned forward and said earnestly, “Please never, ever get married. My heart will absolutely break if you run off with some monkeybrained fool and leave me! I need you in my life, Ayame-chan! I’d marry you myself if only you would let me!”
Ayame blushed and handed Ino’s bowl over to her. “I’m committed to the store, Ino-chan, you know that. I haven’t got time for anything or anyone else!”
“As long as no one steals you away from me, I’ll survive another day,” Ino said with a hopeless look. She sipped her tea and then, blinking down at it, took another sip. “Say. This is really good. I’ll have to make Sakura get me some of it!”
Ayame smiled, “Or you could come by again and I’ll make it for you.”
Ino grinned, “Sounds good to me, Ayame-chan.”
Ayame wiped her hands on the cloth of her apron and then said, “I’ve got to help Dad a bit, Ino-chan, but I’ll be back when you’ve had something to eat. You still have to tell me all about your trip.” She giggled and waggled her fingers at Ino, “At least, as much as you’re allowed to tell a humble civilian like me.”
“Of course,” Ino said, “I’ll come up with something juicy for sure. Just give me a few minutes.” She picked up her chopsticks and looked hungrily at her bowl of food. It had extra pork on it, just as she’d asked, and looked as heavenly as it smelled. Ino dug into it with gusto, savoring the delicious flavor while she watched Ayame work at different stations behind the bar.
She made a note to go visit Sakura if she was still in town. It had been far too long since their last outing. On the plus side, most store owners were likely to have forgotten them by now. Or at least the wounds of their passing would have healed somewhat with time. Besides, the barbs they sent were purely for each other, if others took offense or issue with it, it was their own fault not Sakura’s and certainly not Ino’s.
She would even be so kind as to keep from dragging any of hers or Sakura’s teammates along. The boys were tiresome to shop with. There wasn’t a point to bring them unless Ino wanted them to suffer a little for her enjoyment.
Stirring her soup, she considered who else should join her and Sakura. They did need some buffer, usually, and the hapless soul who usually took that role was the incredibly patient and very cool Tenten. However, Ino was almost certain that Tenten was out of the village on some mission with her team. Besides, she was disgustingly infatuated with that one nervous teammate of hers, the Hyuuga boy who had a stick up his ass all the time over just about everything.
No, Ino couldn’t think of someone else to take that place. Suggesting the other girl of their age was completely out of the question. Ino wasn’t ever going to take Hinata out anywhere at any time at any point and not just because the girl had no sense when it came to her knives and which arguments required their use or not. No. Hinata was completely without taste and only had class by the fate of her birth.
Ino would rather not spend time with that girl any more than absolutely necessary.
Ino sighed. She toyed with the idea of asking Ayame to join them since the poor woman really ought to take a break from the ramen stand at least once a week, lest she gets sick with overwork but knew there would be no luck in that. She wouldn’t even ask and put Ayame in the tough position of saying no.
No, Ayame had always made it clear where she would rather be. Right behind the counter, with just that little bit of a barrier between her and everyone but her beloved father and the heart of her restaurant. Or Teuchi’s restaurant. Technically anyway.
Ino sipped her tea slowly, thoughtfully. That was one thing she could say about Ayame. She had always known what she wanted and where she wanted to be. It was assured confidence in herself that Ino admired since, at the beginning of this life, she had been anything but sure of herself.
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Ino had known who she was. She just wasn’t sure who she wanted to be.
Ino shook her head, smiling ruefully into her cup. She’d made the right decision, of course, but she always made the right decision. No matter what Sakura said about it.
Still.
She almost hadn’t.
It had been a close thing.
A very close thing indeed.