Chapter 5: Impacts

Her eyes fluttered open exactly four seconds before her alarm clock shrilled loudly through the large bedroom. Ino sighed and silenced the screaming contraption and turned onto her side. She stared at the empty space beside her. Naruto used to sleep here. The mere thought of it made her shiver.

"Mama!" Minato shrieked happily as he burst into the room and jumped on his mother's bed and crawled under the blankets. Ino giggled as he little boy wriggled around and made himself comfortable against her. His small arms wrapped around her. Ino smiled and patted the boy's back. He was the most beautiful thing she has ever seen and it pained her that she basically didn't know him at all.

Ino noticed Kaguya standing in the doorway, watching them with her eyes narrowed. Ino could feel panic rise within her. Kaguya was already suspicious, and after the family visited Sasuke the teenager has been watching Ino closely. It frightened her to think that her daughter might know the truth – what would it lead to?

"Good morning, Kaguya," Ino decided to greet her daughter calmly. Kaguya was snapped from her serious daze and her gaze shifted to her mother's eyes. Ino felt her heart tug inside her ribcage. Kaguya and Minato inherited Naruto's beautiful deep blue eyes. It was a trait Ino found attractive in him, despite the fact that she was mostly oblivious to him when she was 'younger'.

"Morning," Kaguya returned the greeting. Minato poked his head out from under the covers with a grin and waved at his sister.

"Sis, come sleep with us!" he smiled. Kaguya shook her head and turned to leave. Ino felt her heart sink. She wanted to spend time with Kaguya. She wanted to get to know her.

"Sasuke-sensei will punish me if I'm late," Kaguya stated passively. Ino made a mental note to lecture Sasuke on making her daughter speak like him. Kaguya sounded so aloof and distant. It was maddening.

"What kind of punishment?" Ino asked, her curiosity peaked.

"I don't know," Kaguya shrugged, "He'll probably use Amaterasu on me...or Tsukuyomi. You never know."

Ino's eyebrow twitched, "Amaterasu? Tsukuyomi? What kind of teacher is he? Is he trying to kill you?"

"I was joking!" Kaguya laughed as she turned around again to face her mother. Ino stared shocked at the laughing Kaguya. The girl had dimples. It was adorable. Ino felt pride overwhelm her. That was her daughter. Her beautiful daughter.

"Oh," Ino breathed in relief, "so...what does he really do?"

Kaguya straightened, "The worst would be to do his laundry. I don't want to gossip, but apparently Sasuke-sensei's socks really stink."

Ino couldn't help but burst into fits of laughter. Minato didn't understand, but laughed because his mother was laughing. Kaguya smiled as she watched her mother laugh. For some reason her mother suddenly seemed normal again. For the past few days, Kaguya noticed a change in her mother...there was something missing.

"Alright," Ino finally calmed down, "go meet your sensei and his stinky socks."

Kaguya grinned and then left. Ino turned to face Minato and stroked his blonde hair.

"And what about you?" she asked.

"I want to make mince pies!"

Ino agreed without even thinking twice.

Naruto sighed as he opened the wooden cabinet and neatly placed two new incense sticks in place of the previously burned ones. After lighting the incense he lifted a lifted a small vase with flowers and placed it next to the photograph of his parents. With a smile on his lips and tears threatening to spill from his eyes he watched the two smiling.

"What am I supposed to do?" Naruto asked. Of course, he did not receive a reply. Naruto sighed in frustration. What could he do? His wife did not know of their marriage at all. She believes that she never even committed herself to a romantic relationship with him. Although he acted like he accepted it...like he was alright with it...he couldn't bear it. He couldn't bear to look at her and know he can't hold her anymore. He can't tell her how beautiful she was anymore, look in her eyes and kiss her. She was like a blessing that has slipped right through his fingers.

"Naruto?" he heard behind him. He jumped and spun around. Ino stood in the doorway, wearing her baby blue pajamas – the ones he brought her for mother's day – watching him curiously.

"Yes?" he responded. Ino stepped inside and rubbed her arms while shivering. It was chilly and the thin cotton wasn't doing much for heat.

"What are you doing?" Ino asked as she sniffed the air, "Incense?"

Naruto glanced at the photograph of his parents and smiled, "Sorry, does it bother you?"

"No, not at all," Ino stated as she sat down beside him. Silence enveloped the two. Naruto was staring at his hands that rested in his lap and Ino was staring at the photograph before her. She recognized the man – it was the Fourth Hokage. But the woman with long red hair, violet eyes and a bulge in her stomach she did not know. Ino frowned as she stared at the photo. She glanced at Naruto and then back at the photo.

And then it dawned on her. Why did she never realize? Why did she never see the resemblance? Why hasn't anyone noticed over the years? Ino's eyes widened as she turned to face Naruto.

"You...you're the Fourth's son?" Ino gasped. Naruto glanced at her and nodded slowly. Ino gasped again, "And this woman...she's your mother?" Another nod. Still shocked, Ino turned to glance at the photo again. The resemblance was there. Naruto had traits from both his mother and father.

"They died..." Naruto trailed off, "on the day I was born."

Ino felt her heart shatter for him. He had told her that they celebrated his birthday two weeks ago. That means they had remembered his parents on the same day. How did Naruto do it? How did he remain so cheerful despite growing up without the love of his parents? Ino knew that she would never be able to survive without her parents.

It made her see the blonde in a new light. He really wasn't the idiot she had always believed him to be.

"I'm sorry," Ino muttered, "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be," Naruto whispered. Silence enveloped again.

"Naruto?" Ino whispered after awhile.

"Hm?"

"How did we...how did we start dating?" Ino asked. Her fists were clenched and her cheeks were red. It was strange behavior for her, but she knew it was awkward conversation.

"Well," Naruto breathed, "we probably officially started dating after the war."

"War?" Ino asked, her eyes wide. Naruto cursed at himself mentally. She didn't know about the Fourth Ninja War! Of course she didn't! Naruto sighed. Was it even wise to tell her this? It wouldn't impact the future would it? There were always consequences in time-traveling fiction – so the real deal probably had consequences too...right?

"It's a long story," Naruto stated, "To sum it up, the Fourth Great Ninja War was the Five Nations pitted against the Akatsuki."

Naruto knew he was taking a huge risk, but it was too late to turn back now.

"Oh," Ino stated, "we officially started dating afterward?"

Naruto nodded, "We...became close friends before then. We often had Ramen eating contests. And you liked teaching me about flowers. But we never thought of romance. I was still attached to Sakura-chan back then."

Ino listened intently. They often had Ramen eating contests? Looks like that one single offer before this all happened led her to her future husband. Wow.

"You were still attached to Sakura? When did you get over her?" Ino asked.

Naruto flinched and looked down ashamed, "It took me awhile, but thanks to you the pain was healed."

"Pain?" Ino asked. Did Sakura hurt him? Ino felt her blood boil. If that rosette even dared to hurt Naruto she would never hear the end of it.

"Yes," Naruto whispered, "after her death."

It was like a huge pile of rocks hit her in that instant. Ino froze. The word death echoed through her like a spiraling cloud. Sakura was dead. Haruno Sakura, her childhood friend and her rival was dead.

"Dead?" Ino echoed. She couldn't believe it. It couldn't be true. It just couldn't be true.

"She's not the only one," Naruto pointed out, "there were many causalities in the war. After Sakura was struck down, it hit us all. The person affected the most was Lee."

Ino pursed her lips into a thin line. Lee loved Sakura. Ino knew that much.

"I'm sorry," Ino stuttered, "I am causing you so much trouble...making you remember such a thing. I'm sorry."

Naruto sighed. He couldn't stand to watch her apologize like this. Yes, he was angry. Yes, he was upset. He wanted to scream and curse the bastard who did this to Ino. Who made her travel through time. But he could never direct that anger towards her. No matter how much it pained him to watch her without being allowed to touch her, he could never be angry at her.

Because he loved her more than anything else in this world.

On a day like this, Rock Lee was always seen at one place. He would drop his duties as a ninja, as a teacher, as a father and as a husband and approach the lonely and gloomy graveyard with a small smile on his face. With him, he always carried flowers. Beautiful, rich flowers that he would place on her grave.

Lee came to a halt before Haruno Sakura's grave and knelt on the wet grass to place the flowers next to the tombstone. The small smile still played on his lips as he remembered the good old days he spent with her and all their friends. She might be dead, but that didn't mean he moped around. He remembered the good things and the bad things. He remembered the time when she was alive.

Lee stood up and buried his hands in his pockets. He was a thirty-eight-year old man, married to the most beautiful woman and had a beautiful son. There was nothing more he could ask for. Deep down, he knew that Sakura would be happy that he found happiness – even if it was without her.

"Lee!" came a female voice from behind him. He turned around came face-to-face with the smiling face of Tenten.

"Tenten, my youthful wife," Lee grinned, "what brings you here?"

Tenten rolled her eyes, "For your information, your 'youthful' son is currently sprinting around the village border. Mind explaining?"

Lee laughed nervously, "What can I say? He has the burning passion of youth!"

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A/N: I chose Sakura to have passed away for a reason - not because I dislike her as a character, so please don't start complaining and proclaim your undying love for her and insult me by stating that I am 'bashing her'. Seriouly - death comes for everyone eventually and there are casualties in war.

Yes, Sasuke oficially has stinky socks!