Chapter 14: Like Father, Like Son

Something was wrong. Ino watched herself in the mirror, her eyes narrow as she contemplated all that has happened in the span of five minutes. Bulimia. Was it not a eating disorder? Was it not all in the mind of the person who suffers from it? So then why was a thirty-seven-year-old Ino, in her sixteen-year-old-self suffering from it? Why did she suddenly have the temptation to stick her finger down her throat to eliminate all the calories she had eaten that day? And why did she feel nauseous before? Bulimia does not invoke nausea...

Something was wrong. Very, very wrong. Somewhere along the line of the transfer of dimensions and bodies, Ino has somehow contracted her alternative's Bulimia. Does that mean the technique wasn't completed yet? Someone has used Five Dimensions to Heaven without actually completing it. Who in their right mind would use a forbidden technique without making sure it was safe? Not that forbidden techniques were ever safe...Ino sighed and pulled her fingers through her long hair. Something was going on, and she was going to figure out what...and return things to normal once and for all.

Meanwhile with sixteen-year-old Ino...

Ino spun around in the mirror, her eyes sparkling with delight. The dress she had brought a few days ago suited her figure perfectly. And to add to that, Ino only just realised how amazing her older-self actually looked. For a mother of two, she didn't carry much weight, she still had her curves from her teen days and her skin radiated. How could she have missed this before?

A knock on the door shook Ino from her reverie. She turned around and noticed that it was Hinata dressed in a lavender gown. Her hair was pulled up into a neat chignon bun with several hair ornaments arranged on her head.

"Naruto was starting to wonder where you went," Hinata laughed.

"Oh," Ino blushed, "I'll be right there." Hinata nodded and left. Ino turned to look in the mirror once more, then proceeded to place the single clip with a large flower on it just above her ear. There wasn't much she could do with her short hair, but at least she could wear a hair clip to give her hair some life. Satisfied with her appearance, Ino left the room.

The banquet was just starting, with the first guests already arriving. Gaara and Hinata were standing hand-in-hand by the door, welcoming everyone. Naruto was with them, but he seemed to be off in his own little world. Ino decided to join him. The guests were expecting to see her with her husband of course...

Several strangers came in and greeted Ino as if they knew her. She merely greeted them with a smile, hoping they wouldn't pester her for too long. Hinata often glanced at Ino curiously, but Ino tried her best to act as naturally as she could. Naruto eventually started to greet people with a large smile, his hand resting on the small of Ino's back, which made her nervous, but she made no move to push him away.

Two familiar faces appeared in the doorway. One was a man, with dark brown hair, a goatee and a ponytail on top of his head. He was dressed in a traditional hakama and kosode. Another was a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She was dressed in a blue kimono with a pink obi. She was smiling radiantly, but her smile widened even further when her eyes landed on a certain redhead...

"Gaara!" she exclaimed and pulled the poor Kazekage into a very tight embrace. A blush crept to his cheeks, but he made no move to pull away. Instead he laughed softly and returned the embrace. The woman sighed. "You foolish little brother, no letters?"

"I was busy," Gaara stated as he pulled away to look into his sister's eyes. Temari glared at him.

"A man is never too busy to write to his sister," Temari snorted, "you only responded when I needed help!"

Gaara smiled weakly. "Sorry, Tem."

"You better be," Temari huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. Shikamaru, who had been quiet all this time laughed.

"Hello, Shikamaru," Ino greeted.

"Yo, Ino," was his response. Ino smiled. Temari was with him...could it be that they were married? Ino always had the feeling that Shikamaru had a crush on Temari...

Temari suddenly brightened up again. "Oh, we have wonderful news! We're going to have a baby!"

Silence. Gaara and Naruto's first reaction was to stiffen. Hinata was surprised, but was a lot more relaxed than the two men. Ino glanced around her. What was with their odd responses? Wasn't it great news that they were going to have a baby? Something so beautiful and cherished should be celebrated!

Ino stepped up and gave Temari and Shikamaru a tight embrace. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you, Ino," Temari smiled.

Gaara snapped from his stupor and grabbed his sister's hands, fear suddenly crossing over his face. "How? Temari, you know you can't...the last time the two of you tried, you nearly died!"

Ino froze. Died? Died? Ino suddenly felt bile rise to her throat. She glanced at Shikamaru, who was looking at Naruto with a sorrowful glance.

Temari laughed and swatted Gaara's arm. "Silly, we're adopting!"

And just like that, the tension melted. Gaara sighed in relief and smiled. He then pulled his sister into a tight embrace and apologised numerous times into her ear. Temari chuckled and patted his back. Ino watched in amazement. Temari handled the situation so calmly and happily. And Gaara...he was like a completely different person!

Temari hugged Hinata, then moved towards the main area where the banquet was taking place. Shikamaru was whispering something to Naruto, who nodded seriously in return. Shikamaru then shook Naruto's hand, and joined his wife. Ino moved back to stand next to Naruto, his hand immediately returning to the small of her back.

This time, Ino didn't feel nervous.

As soon as most of the guests had arrived, the two Kage and their wives moved to join the main event. Ino immediately moved to converse with Shikamaru and Temari, excited to hear about their new baby they were going to adopt. Naruto and Gaara were moving around and greeting people, as well as discussing some common matters. Hinata sat down, her feet already aching from standing too long.

Music started playing, and several people were dancing and drinking. Laughter filled the Hyuga mansion. Ino wasn't sure what was expected of her at this banquet, since she didn't even know what the purpose of the event was, but she tried to go with the flow. Minato and Kaguya were playing with Misako and Daisuke outside in the garden. Several other children were with them, including Masashi and Itachi. Masahiro and Akemi were standing together with several other people their age, laughing and chatting. Ino could have sworn the one girl with them looked like a female version of Kakashi...without the mask, of course.

Shikamaru was eventually dragged away by Temari, who demanded a dance. No matter how much he argued, he wasn't going to win. Ino laughed as they disappeared into the crowd.

"Ino!" a male voice exclaimed. Ino spun around and nearly fell backwards when she collided with someone's chest. Two strong arms caught her, and laughter filled her ears. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare ya!"

Ino looked up and smiled widely. "Kiba!" Kiba grinned and stepped back, giving Ino some room. Much like the other men, Kiba looked different as well. His hair was long now, he was taller and it looked like he was blind in one of his eyes. Unlike most of the guests, Kiba did not dress traditional, but more modern. "It's good to see you."

"You too," Kiba stated, "You've been dodging public lately, why is that?"

Ino blushed. Well, the truth was she wasn't exactly herself..."Oh, busy with the children." Kiba nodded in understanding, then held out his hand towards her. Ino blinked, looked up into Kiba's eyes and then down again. Ino smiled and took his hand and allowed him to lead her unto the dance floor. It was a party after all, she might as well enjoy it.

The two swayed in silence, but it was comfortable. Kiba did not ask questions, nor tried to make conversation, which gave Ino peace of mind. After a few dances, someone patted Kiba's shoulder. They stopped dancing and turned around, and came face-to-face with a tall, dark-haired man whom Ino could recognise anywhere.

"May I?" Sasuke asked. Kiba laughed, nodded and bid his farewell. Sasuke took Ino's hand and the two moved into place and continued to dance.

"Enjoying the party?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," Ino replied, "I would love to know what we are celebrating though. I couldn't ask Kiba, for obvious reasons."

Sasuke chuckled. "Indeed. It's Neji's birthday."

Ino furrowed her eyebrows. "Neji's birthday? This is quite a festival to throw for a branch member's birthday, don't you think? And why isn't the birthday man here himself?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it. They swayed in silence for several minutes and then the song ended. Sasuke pulled away and bowed. "I think Hinata is the only one who can answer those questions."

Ino frowned. "But I can't tell her the truth!"

"Why not?" Sasuke asked as he stood straight. His onyx eyes were twinkling. "She's your best friend, is she not?"

"She is?" Ino asked, her eyes wide.

Sasuke chuckled. "I do recall telling you Karin is your best friend, but Hinata is different. She's the sister you never had, Ino. Keeping secrets from her is almost impossible. I'm surprised she hasn't approached you yet, I'm certain she's picked up your strange behaviour."

Ino stood frozen and flabbergasted. She wasn't that surprised about her friendship with Hinata, she was more surprised that Sasuke was telling her to tell Hinata the truth. Had he not warned her earlier with Naruto not to tell more people about who she really was? Sasuke must have noticed her confusion, because he squeezed her hand, reassuring her that everything was alright. Ino smiled at him gratefully. Sasuke in this world was so different from the one she knew.

When the song ended, Sasuke excused himself and disappeared into the crowd to find his wife. Ino stood by herself for several minutes, then quickly moved to the side as a new song started to play. Ino sighed and sat down. She scanned the room with her eyes, in hopes of finding Hinata alone, but the heiress was dancing with Naruto. Ino watched the two and couldn't help but think of the sixteen-year-old Hinata who loved Naruto. Strange how here Hinata married Gaara...

Ino noticed from the corner of her eye that someone sat down. She turned to face her new guest, and was surprised to see Masahiro. He was dressed in a traditional kosode and hakama and his hair was tied back in a small ponytail. It was kind of cute, since his hair was rather short.

"Enjoying the part, Masahiro?" Ino asked.

"I always enjoy the banquets you plan with Hinata-sama," Masahiro stated.

Ino smiled and turned her gaze back to Hinata and Naruto dancing. "Why do you call her that, Masahiro? Isn't she your mother?"

Masahiro sighed and looked down at his hands. Then, determined, he stood up and turned to face Ino. She blinked in surprise when he held out his hand. "Would you like to dance, Ino?"

Ino chuckled and took his hand. They moved to the dance floor and started to sway to the music. Masahiro was a fantastic dancer. The song ended, but they continued dancing until the next song started to play.

"My father always addressed my mother formally," Masahiro stated out of the blue, "even after they had relations beyond that of friends."

Ino looked up into Masahiro's eyes, surprised. She didn't think he would answer her question. Ino furrowed her brows, now even more confused than before.

"I don't understand," Ino whispered, "Gaara doesn't address Hinata formally."

Masahiro raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about Ino? You know Gaara isn't my father!"

Ino's eyes widened and then she started to panic. Ino bit her lip and looked away from Masahiro's gaze, hoping he wouldn't push the issue further. This was a problem, she just gave away a big clue that she wasn't who he thought she was!

"Masahiro, can I steal Ino from you?" Hinata's soft voice came from behind him. Masahiro let go of Ino, smiled and nodded. Just as he left, he gave Ino a strange look over his shoulder. Ino tried to avoid eye contact.

Hinata noticed Ino's strange behaviour several days ago, and was now going to get to the bottom of things. "Want to take a walk, Ino?"

"Sure," Ino muttered. And so the two women disappeared into the gardens, leaving their own party for awhile.

It was dark outside, but garden torches lit up the area. There was a slight breeze, but it wasn't cold. The air was fresh and crisp, it was perfect for a little stroll through the large garden of the Hyuuga estate.

Ino and Hinata and walked in silence for several minutes. It was comfortable, but Ino was still nervous about what was going to happen next.

Finally, Hinata spoke. "Something happened, right?"

Ino stopped and looked down at her feet. Hinata stopped as well and turned to face her best friend. The wind picked up speed and brushed past the two women, but they ignored the chills that came over them all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry," Ino whispered.

Hinata frowned. "For what? You did nothing wrong, Ino."

"I'm not your best friend," Ino stated, suddenly feeling bold. She looked up into Hinata's eyes, expecting to see surprise and perhaps even anger, but Hinata was smiling warmly.

"I know," Hinata stated, "Naruto told me."

Ino's eyes widened. Hinata looked up at the stars. "I noticed your strange behaviour that day in the shop. You were far to shocked to see Masahiro, you even mistook him for Neji. I tried to muster the strength to ask you, but I could not bring myself to do it. Naruto noticed my confusion, so he explained it to me."

"I'm sorry," Ino whispered again.

Hinata laughed. "I should be apologising. You're my best friend, yet I could not ask you a simple question! I am such a coward, aren't I?"

"Never!" Ino exclaimed, surprised at her own reaction. Hinata blinked, then laughed again. The two sat down on a bench in the garden and silence fell. It was peaceful.

Ino finally mustered the courage to ask the question that has been bothering her all night. "Hinata?"

"Hm?"

"If this is Neji's birthday banquet, why isn't he here?" Ino asked in a whisper. Hinata froze. Another breeze swept through the garden. Hinata closed her eyes and bit her lip. Ino panicked. She could tell the poor heiress wanted to burst into tears. "I'm sorry, don't answer that!"

Hinata shook her head. "He is here, but only in spirit."

Ino blinked, then it clicked, causing her eyes to widen. Hinata started to shake and tears were now flowing down her cheeks. Ino wrapped her arms around her 'best friend' to comfort her. "I'm sorry, Hinata."

Hinata continued to sob uncontrollably in Ino's arms. "I loved him, Ino. I truly loved him, despite the circumstances we were thrown into together."

Ino had no idea what Hinata was talking about, but nodded anyway. Hinata's sobs grew louder and she wrapped her arm around Ino, hoping to find more comfort. Ino allowed her friend to do so. While Hinata cried, Ino looked up at the party that was going on inside and spotted Masahiro standing in the doorway, watching them with saddened eyes.

And then it all suddenly made sense. It was like a flash of images suddenly came tumbling through Ino's mind. It was strange, but it made her understand what was going on. No wonder she mistook Masahiro for Neji.

He was Neji's son.