Chapter 2: Mirror, Mirror

Ino's eyes fluttered open and met the white ceiling. She groaned when she realized she had a headache and sat up.

'Was it all a dream?' Ino asked herself. She glanced around the room. She was neatly tucked beneath a colorful quilt in a room she did not recognize. The room was neat and tidy with the only furniture being a cupboard, a desk, a chair and the double bed she was resting on. Ino closed her eyes and shook her head. She was still dreaming? How could that be possible? Ino kicked her legs over the edge of her bed and stood. The carpet felt light and soft beneath her bare feet.

Ino stepped outside the room and noticed that she was on the second floor of the house she awoke in before. She frowned.

'I'm still dreaming?' she asked herself. Sighing, Ino spotted the bathroom and dashed to the toilet. She lifted the seat and groaned when she puked every last bit of the large bowl of Ramen she had. Ino collapsed on the floor and sighed. She felt terrible. Ino stood up and washed her face, then drank as much water as she could swallow. Ino shook her head, enjoying the cold water against her skin and opened her eyes. She stared at her reflection in the mirror.

'Is that me?' Ino asked. Her reflection looked mature, older and amazingly, a lot more beautiful than she remembered herself. Her blonde hair was cut short into a bob and her blue eyes shone like diamonds. Two golden hoops hung from her ears in place of the silver rings she usually wore.

'That can't be me!' Ino exclaimed mentally. Why would she cut her hair so short? Ino loved her long hair! Sure, she cut it during the Chunin exams, but only to use as an advantage to fight Sakura! She made sure to grow her hair again after that!

"Yo," a voice lazily greeted. Ino jumped and spun around, coming face-to-face with a familiar, yet different face. She blinked. She blinked twice and then rose her eyebrows.

"Shikamaru?" she asked hesitantly. The brunette man yawned. "When did you grow a goatee?"

This time Shikamaru quirked an eyebrow, "I've always had one." Ino gaped as she stared at her teammate. He was taller with broader shoulders. His hair hung loose on his shoulders and a small goatee has magically appeared on his chin. He looked a lot different from what she remembered. "You alright Ino? Naruto called me and he sounded frantic."

"Naruto?" Ino mumbled as she gazed at herself in the mirror once more, "I don't know...I woke up here suddenly and then he appeared out of nowhere!"

Shikamaru laughed, "He didn't appear out of nowhere, Ino. He lives here. It's natural for him to appear here, don't you think?"

Ino furrowed her brows, "You don't understand Shikamaru! I'm sixteen! I can't be thirty-seven like Naruto said!"

Shikamaru's amused smile vanished and was suddenly replaced with a frown, "Sixteen? Did you just say you're sixteen?"

"Yeah," Ino replied. Shikamaru pursed his lips into a thin line.

"I'm listening."

"I see," Shikamaru breathed as he lit a cigarette. Shikamaru and Ino were sitting outside on a bench in the garden of the large mansion. Ino was surprised that the house seemed even bigger on the outside. Konoha looked the same, yet different at the same time. Some buildings have changed and Naruto's face has been added to the Hokage monument. Ino could do nothing but stare at it in amazement. Naruto was Hokage...she couldn't believe it, even when Shikamaru confirmed it.

"So," Shikamaru stated as he inhaled a deep puff of smoke and then exhaled, "you say you're...your sixteen-year-old self and somehow got stuck in your future self?"

Ino shrugged, "That's what I gathered. I know you probably don't believe me..."

"No," Shikamaru grunted, "I believe you."

"You do?" Ino asked, surprised. She was expecting Shikamaru to jump up and then accuse her of being an intruder and lock her up somewhere where they will contact her father to interrogate her and whole bunch of other nonsense.

"Yeah," Shikamaru stated, "If something like Edo Tensei exists, I'm sure there's some forbidden jutsu that make you travel through time or whatever it is that happened to you."

Ino looked down at her hands that rested in her lap, "That's the thing...this all feels like a dream...it doesn't feel real."

Shikamaru watched his teammate from the corner of his eye, "You'll get used to it."

Ino clutched her skirt, "That's the thing...I don't belong here, Shikamaru. I belong in the past! I need to get back and allow my future self to come back to her body!"

Shikamaru sighed, "Troublesome as it is, I'll help you. I get that you feel out of place here, but until I find an answer, you will have to play along."

Ino quirked an eyebrow, "Play along?"

Shikamaru nodded, "You have to go on as if nothing has changed. In other words you have to do what you of this time would do."

Ino blinked. How was she going to do that? She had no idea about her life here and the encounter with Naruto earlier frightened her. He acted so...familiar with her. Like they were...lovers.

'Don't you remember giving birth to her?' he had asked her. Ino froze as that question echoed through her. It couldn't be...could it? Ino could feel her blood run cold. It all made sense now. Why she awoke in that house. Why Naruto talked of 'mother' instead of 'my mother' or 'your mother'. Why the little girl looked so familiar. Why the girl called Naruto 'dad'. And why Naruto asked her that question.

It all made sense, but Ino had to make sure, she turned to face Shikamaru, "Naruto...he...he's my husband...isn't he?"

Shikamaru glanced at Ino from the corner of his eye. He was debating whether he should answer the question or not. After awhile of awkward silence he gave in, "Yes."

Ino didn't know what to say. Up until this whole nightmare began, she was imply enjoying Ramen with the blonde as a friend. Now they were married. And not just married...they had a daughter. Ino cringed. She wasn't a virgin anymore. The thought was a lot more disturbing than she thought it would be.

"I think I need a shower," Ino mumbled as she stood up and looked up at the Hokage monument. She stared at Naruto's face in disbelief.

Shikamaru nodded, "Alright. I'll contact you as soon as I have information. It might take awhile, but I'll do everything I can in between my other important duties."

Ino smiled gratefully at her teammate and watched him leave. She couldn't help but finally notice his Sunagakure style flak jacket. She quirked an eyebrow. What the?

Deciding that she would ask him later, Ino turned around and stepped inside the house that supposedly belonged to her. Naruto was nowhere in sight, but she did hear movement in the kitchen as well as the aroma of onions filling the house. Someone was cooking food. Ino's stomach growled. After puking her guts out, she has gotten hungry again. Ino made her way upstairs where she locked herself in the bathroom and stripped.

After her shower, Ino grabbed a towel, dried herself and then wrapped it around her body. Quietly she unlocked the door and slipped downstairs and into the kitchen. Naruto was standing before the stove, his eyes focused on a wok with stir fry. It smelled fantastic. She never knew Naruto could cook. Looks like she's in for a bunch of surprises.

"Um, Naruto?" Ino called. Naruto's head whipped around, but his alarm faded when he noticed it was her. Ino felt blood rush to her cheeks when she noticed Naruto's gaze shifting to her breasts. Men. Always so predictable. Ino cleared her throat. Naruto quickly looked back up into her eyes. "Where is...my clothes?"

Naruto blinked, then grinned, "In our room."

Ino opened her mouth to say something, but Naruto interrupted, "Shikamaru told me."

"You mean?" Ino hesitantly asked.

"Yeah," Naruto shrugged, "you were in the shower when he came back. He told me everything. Including the sixteen-year-old bit. I'm sorry I scared you earlier. Seeing me act that way must have been...weird."

Ino shook her head, "It's alright. I just really need clothes."

"Sure," Naruto stated as he explained which room belonged to them upstairs and which wardrobe was hers. He couldn't go with her since had to keep an eye on the food, but Ino was more than happy to navigate herself. She quickly sprinted upstairs, already feeling the cold air getting to her and entered the main bedroom. It was huge. Well, Naruto was the Hokage – him having a huge house made sense. To think this was her house too...it was unbelievable. Ino found her wardrobe easily and when she realized it was walk-in she felt like squealing. She's always wanted a walk-in closet as a child, now she had one! And it was filled to the brim with clothes, shoes and accessories. Ino felt like a queen.

Ino dressed in a blue kimono decorated with ocean waves. It was simple, but beautiful and she loved it. When she pressed the fabric to her nose the lingering scent of her mother's favorite washing powder filled her nostrils. So she still used the same washing powder as when she was a child. That made her feel comfortable. Ino decided that shoes were not necessary, neither were accessories, but when her eyes landed on the golden hoops she had on earlier she couldn't resist. They suited her. After clipping on her earrings she looked satisfied at herself in the mirror.

Ino reached up and pulled her fingers through her short blonde hair. She was disappointed that her long hair was gone earlier, but now as she looked at herself, she realized that the short bob suited her. She looked feminine and mature. Ino smiled at herself. Perhaps this life won't be so bad after all.