Chapter 23: Calm Before the Storm

The sun had just crept from its resting place, casting a bright glaze over Konoha. Ino was lying in bed, her eyes wide open. Everyone was still asleep, but she couldn't sleep any longer. Her mind raced and her heart was heavy with trouble.

"Don't let everything bother you," Naruto's voice suddenly said from behind her. Ino nearly jumped out of her skin. She had not known that he was awake. She felt him move behind her and not wanting him to stare at her backside, she turned to face him. His blue eyes were glazed and he seemed to still be half-asleep. It was cute, in its own little way.

"I can't help it," Ino muttered, "everything is just messed up."

"I know," was Naruto's reply.

"Does it bother you?"

"What?"

"Sharing a bed with me?"

Naruto snorted and closed his eyes. "No."

"But I'm not your Ino," Ino stated, "I'm just in her body. Why doesn't it bother you?"

Naruto sighed and opened his eyes again. "And you kissed me, so we're both guilty, aren't we?"

A blush crept to Ino's cheeks. She hadn't mean to kiss him...it was a spur of the moment thing. Naruto smirked and dropped her arm over her waist. "Might as well go with it, we're both going to hell anyway."

"Are you trying to be funny?" Ino asked.

"Is it working?"

"Kind of."

Naruto's smirk widened. Ino sighed and moved closer to him. She had to admit, he probably had a point. To hell with it, she liked him and she was going to enjoy him while she could. After all, there still was no guarantee that things would go back to normal. What if she had to stay his wife for the rest of her life?

"Where do the kids go while we're at The Summit?" Ino changed the subject.

"They stay with mother and father, usually," Naruto replied, "Hinata attends The Summit herself, Sasuke is my guard and Karin can't look after six kids by herself."

"Hm," Ino mumbled in response, "what about Hinata's kids, then?"

"They have a grandfather, y'know?"

Ino rolled her eyes, but a smile formed on her face. She had to admit, she found it endearing when Naruto called her parents 'mother' and 'father'. It meant they were there for him, that he wasn't alone any more. Being an orphan must be tough. Ino could not fathom it. Feeling bold, Ino snuggled against him, enjoying the feel of his warm skin against hers. Naruto did not seem to mind.

"Tell me something about your Ino," Ino suddenly piped up after a short silence.

"Like what?" Naruto asked.

"Anything."

Naruto was quiet for several seconds, probably thinking of something good to share. "She has very strongly developed morals. She doesn't take shit from anyone. I used to call her 'my own little feminist'."

Ino chuckled. "Has a temper, then?"

"Worse than Sakura's," Naruto replied, "but don't tell her I said that."

Ino chuckled again, but she did not forget to lament silently for her friend's passing. Having no Sakura in this dimension was strange.

"Now your turn," Naruto pointed out.

"Huh?"

"Tell me something about your Naruto. But not something obvious."

"Not much to say," Ino admitted, "I wasn't really close with him. But I was happy to see him again after he returned from training. Did you train with Jiraiya?"

"Unfortunately," Naruto grumbled. Ino laughed.

"It's only recently that I started to notice that he's not that bad looking," Ino continued. Naruto snorted and tightened his grip on her waist.

"Darlin'," he whispered huskily, "we're the epitome of sexy."

"When did you get so...full of yourself?"

"I've always been like this," Naruto pointed out innocently.

"As if," Ino laughed as she playfully hit his bare chest. Naruto chuckled and buried his nose in her hair. Ino felt her heart beat speed up a notch.

"Things are changing, aren't they?" Ino suddenly asked.

"Hmm," was the mumbled response she received. Ino sighed and closed her eyes, enjoying the last few moments of the morning, burying the guilt of sharing a bed with another's husband deep within her conciousness.

Gaara had a very keen eye – his sister had pointed it out to him quite awhile ago. Gaara saw things others didn't, and that's what made him successful. However, Gaara knew that his gift to see didn't come to him on its own. No, he learned it from someone. Someone he cared for more than anything, except maybe not as much as he loved his family.

Uzumaki Naruto taught him how to see. Ever since the blonde had defeated him, Gaara saw the world in a different light. It was like his eyes opened for the first time.

And now Gaara could see the storm coming.

"Not sleeping again?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. Gaara turned his attention away from the sunrise and turned to face the door that led to the balcony instead. Hinata was watching him with a worried expression, her arms wrapped protectively around her swollen belly.

"You know I won't ever truly fully recover," Gaara replied. Hinata nodded. She knew that her husband would never be able to sleep like a normal person, but that didn't mean she could still hope. With a small smile, she approached her husband and leaned against him, her lavender eyes focused on the sunrise.

"You can feel something, can't you?" Hinata asked.

"Yes," was the response, "something is coming. Something big."

Hinata closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. Gaara lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders when she shivered.

"Madoka," she suddenly whispered, the wind carrying the name with it. Gaara looked down at his wife in confusion.

"I want to name her Madoka," Hinata continued, "if she's a girl."

A small smile tugged at Gaara's lips. Hinata knew that his silence was his approval of the name. However, she also knew his silence was an end for worry. The Annual Kage Summit was just around the corner, and he didn't want her to travel the distance so far into her pregnancy. But Hinata knew she couldn't just stay. Gaara felt a storm brewing, which meant trouble, and she was not going to allow trouble to rip them apart.

"I love you," Hinata whispered. Once again, Gaara did not reply, but she knew he loved her too.

"Kakashi and Shizune are coming over for dinner tonight," Naruto stated as he pulled on his robe. Ino nodded and handed him his hat. Naruto took it with a grateful smile. He placed it on his head and locked gazes with his wife.

"Everything is going to fine," Naruto stated, "things will work itself out. You just keep studying that notebook, okay?"

Ino nodded again. Naruto stepped closer and pushed a stray lock of hair behind Ino's ear. She shivered at his touch.

"I know we probably shouldn't..." Naruto began, but trailed off when Ino placed her finger on his lips. She smiled and shook her head. Naruto sighed in defeat and dropped his arm, steeping even closer, never breaking eye contact. "May I?"

Ino's small nod of confirmation was more than enough. Naruto leaned down and locked his lips with hers, a powerful surge of emotion swept through both of them as their lips touched. They both knew they were falling in to deep, but neither of them cared.

The day swept by in a flash. Before Ino knew it, she was preparing dinner for their guests. Of course, neither the guests or Naruto had arrived yet, but she was keen to impress. Minato was drawing with crayons behind her on the floor and Kaguya was outside training. Minato was humming a familiar tune and it touched Ino's heartstrings. She was really settling into her life here, and she wasn't sure if it was a good thing.

The doorbell snapped her from her reverie. Leaving the broth for the noodles boiling, Ino wiped her hands on her apron and went to open the door. She knew it would be Kakashi and Shizune – Naruto never knocked or used the doorbell.

Ino had to admit, she was nervous. Shizune knew the truth about her, but Kakashi didn't. Although he'd probably easily work it out the minute he saw her. She was also nervous because she had never met Kakashi in this dimension – what was he like? The same? Different?

She got her answer when the door opened. Ino had to do everything in her power not to let her jaw drop.

Hatake Kakashi was not wearing his mask. In all the years that she had known him, Ino knew that almost no one had ever seen him without his mask and it was a ongoing mission for Naruto to find out what the man hid beneath the dark cover. She had to admit, she was curious too, but now that she finally witnessed it, she had no idea what to think.

Alright, so Hatake Kakashi was breathtakingly handsome, even for someone as old as he was. Why he wore a mask was a mystery. Why hide such a beautiful warm smile and high cheek bones? Ino had to admit, she was speechless.

"Seems we have surprised her," Shizune broke the silence with a knowing smile.

"How so?" Kakashi asked, an eyebrow raised as he glanced at his wife. Shizune gave him a pointed look. Kakashi's attention returned to Ino and realisation dawned on his face. "Ah, I see now. Interesting."

"I'm sorry, what?" Ino asked.

Kakashi smiled, which was really weird without the mask, "I don't need Sharingan to figure out you're...different, Ino. Nevertheless, can we come in?"

"Oh, yes," Ino mumbled as she stepped aside.

"Smells delicious," Shizune commented on their way down the hall to the kitchen.

"I'm making Soba noodles," Ino stated, "the sauce is boiling at the moment. Well, part of it."

"Lovely," Shizune hummed, "I haven't had Soba in ages."

"Neither have I," Kakashi agreed, but his attention was not focused on the women any more.

"Uncle Kakashi!" Minato exclaimed excitedly as he hopped up and ran into the man's arms.

"Hey kiddo," Kakashi greeted in return as he lifted Minato up into the air, and then to his hip. "What are you drawing?"

"Mr Pakkun!" Minato grinned, "But I think I made his head too big."

"Oh dear," Kakashi said, a twinkle in his eye. Ino watched amazed as Kakashi sat down with Minato and started to draw. Shizune chuckled at the blonde's amazement.

"Kana sends her love," Shizune said, "she had a date tonight, so she couldn't make it."

"That's alright," Ino smiled, "who does she have a date with?"

"Oh, she's seeing Gai's oldest," Shizune replied, "I find it highly amusing and ironic that the two rivals' children ended up dating. Kakashi does not quite agree with me."

Ino laughed. That would be a sight – the calm, collected daughter of Hatake Kakashi and the wild, energetic son of Maito Gai.

"I haven't seen Gai at all," Ino whispered to Shizune, "or met any of his family."

"Oh," Shizune whispered back, "well, I'm sure they'll pop up eventually. They are very hard to miss."

Ino laughed again. Just then, Naruto returned from work. The two men greeted each other with a tough handshake, but Ino did not miss the affectionate teacher-student pat on the back the two exchanged. Shizune received a hug instead of a handshake. Ino was greeted with a warm kiss for the second time that day. Her insides tingled when he pulled away. Shizune gave her a knowing smile.

"Isn't Sai joining us?" Kakashi asked out of the blue after Naruto served drinks.

"Oh, yes," Naruto replied, "he told me he would be a bit late."

Ino frowned. She had not known that Sai was invited...Naruto smiled at her apologetically as he handed her a glass of wine.

"He only let me know this morning," he whispered. Ino nodded. It was alright, she had made enough food to feed an army.

By the time Sai arrived, the food was ready to be served and consumed. After loud noises and chatter as they dished up, Naruto stood up and proposed a toast.

"Sakura is no longer with us," Naruto said, "and Sasuke is on a mission, but let's toast to Team 7!"

"Team 7!" the others chimed in. Ino frowned, not sure if they were celebrating something. Naruto noticed her confusion and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Today marks the anniversary of Sakura's passing," Naruto explained. Ino's eyes widened. "But instead of mourning, we're celebrating her life."

A smile formed on Ino's lips as tears threatened to fall. Yes, celebration of her life was much better than mourning.

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A/N: Gaara's 'seeing' is actually a psychic ability. More on this 'gift' he was given is to come in future chapters. I wanted to throw in something unusual, and Gaara was the perfect character in my mind for this.