Archive of Our Own

Ino was a good liar. No, that was an understatement: she was a master manipulator. Of course, Yamanakas tended to do well at things like that, given their clan technique, but Ino felt herself to be a once-in-a-lifetime genius when it came to getting what she wanted.

From extracting information from the most stubborn guests of T&I to getting her father to agree to letting Sakura move in after Kizashi and Mebuki kicked her out immediately following her chuunin promotion, Ino prided herself on being able to have anything she wanted.

And what she wanted most in the world was to make Sakura hers.

She'd always been interested in sealing—she'd grown up watching her father and other clan members maintain the village's barrier seals, and of course, what little girl hadn't dreamed of growing up to be as cool as Uzumaki Mito? She wasn't bad at it, either, because sealing required intent, and if anyone had a strong will, it was her.

She kept her skills a secret, though, sticking to looking mildly competent but largely unconcerned with taking her father's place on the barrier seal team one day. Even Sakura, whom she told everything to, didn't have a clue.

Then again, there were several things Sakura didn't know about Ino.

In time, she would learn, but Ino had to make sure she wouldn't do anything stupid, like try to run.

That was where her hidden talent came in. In the chaos of the village after the Fourth War, Ino took her chance.

Fueled by grief at losing her father and the mixture of fear and anger at the prospect of losing Sakura to the prodigal Uchiha, she worked day and night to craft the perfect seal. Studying the handwritten notes from Mito-hime herself, which she'd pilfered from the village archives after Pein had blown the administrative tower up, she cobbled together one prototype after the other.

Of course, with such intent focus, it attracted Sakura's attention—even if Sakura was no longer living in the Yamanaka main house, but in an apartment close to the hospital, she still spent most of her free time with Ino. Helping her figure out how to be a clan head, going through paperwork she probably shouldn't have been allowed to look at, and curling around her protectively whenever the weight of her father's death hit too hard.

"I think you need a night out, Pig," she observed, setting down the pen she'd been using to mark through charts with and lifting her arms above her head in a big stretch. Ino's eyes darted to the sliver of waist that was exposed by the motion, before quickly looking back up at Sakura's face. "You've been so focused on this stuff, you're going to go cross-eyed. Is that barrier seal work or something? It looks pretty."

Ino didn't move to hide the paper (that would be too suspicious), though she did curse inwardly. She thought she'd angled the paper enough that Sakura wouldn't see, but obviously she'd underestimated her observational power. Thank the gods Sakura was even less versed in sealing than Ino pretended to be (which was honestly surprising, given who her genin teacher had been—then again, Kakashi-sama had never given Sakura the time of day when it came to training.)

"Yeah, and you know sealing was never one of my interests," she lied, sighing as she placed her own stack of papers onto the coffee table next to Sakura's wrist-thick stack of charts. " But that's rich coming from you, Forehead. I need a break? Says the woman who has to be pried out of the hospital with a crowbar!"

Sakura dropped her arms back to her sides and scowled.

"I'm not that bad, Pig! I'm here, aren't I? And I leave the hospital plenty!"

Ino snorted.

"Yeah, when I come get you." Naruto also had some success in dragging Sakura out into the light of day, but Ino wanted the focus to be on them. Just herself and Sakura, like it should have always been.

Like it would be again, once she finished that seal.

Sakura flushed, both embarrassed and irritated at being called out, but she didn't deny it. Instead, she tried to deflect.

"Whatever, let's just go out for lunch or something."

Smirking, Ino agreed. She didn't even mind the bruise Sakura left on her arm when she used some of her strength to pinch the exposed skin near her shoulder. She would wear a mark from Sakura proudly.

And, once she got the seal right, she would be getting those marks in a much more pleasurable way.

To Ino's never-ending frustration, Sakura was called away just as they were finishing their food. An emergency at the hospital, apparently, but Ino wasn't totally convinced it wasn't because the other doctors had it out for Sakura. Being so talented, the new medical director and the former apprentice of Tsunade-sama? It was like having a target on her back.

It did give Ino time to work on the seal in privacy, though. And it was there, flopped across her bed with Mito-sama's sealing journal before her, and her own seal beside it, she made a breakthrough.

"I just have to connect these lines?" She traced the swirls in question reverently, her touch light so as not to smudge the ink. Her brow furrowed, and she rolled around on the bed until she was in a proper sitting position, careful not to tear any of the papers, then flipped back and forth between two particular pages of the journal.

Did Nidaime-sama know about this when he created Flying Raijin? Or the Hiraishin?

Whatever the case, both of those things involved space-time seals… But there was no way the Second and Fourth hadn't thought of the deeper implications of space-time.

Or had they?

She wasn't sure why anyone who would be capable of time travel wouldn't try to prevent their own death, or at least make sure certain events didn't happen, But of the six hokages Konoha had, she felt like those two would have been the most likely to sacrifice their own lives for the greater good. (But in this hypothetical where they could travel through time, surely Nidaime-sama would have stopped Danzo and Yondaime-sama wouldn't have let his wife die?)

She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She was getting caught up in the wrong things.

It didn't matter what either of them had or hadn't done with time travel, because Ino wasn't planning to go back that far.

She carefully dragged her pencil down the page of her rough draft, careful to end her mark where another line began. Then, she tucked the pencil behind her ear and held the journal in her right hand and the sketch in her left, comparing her handiwork to what Mito-sama had said about old Uzu time travel theory.

It looked right. Not a single line was out of place, each mark intersecting perfectly, every symbol placed precisely where it needed to be.

And now, she had the time alone to use it.

Still holding the papers carefully, she slipped out of her bedroom and into her father's her office, catching herself just before she called out that she was coming in.

Yamanaka Inoichi couldn't hear her, not in the Pure Lands. But Ino was going to change that, just like she was going to ensure Sakura never looked at anyone other than Ino.

She would eliminate the competition before it started.

Ino activated the extra privacy seals around the office and immediately set to work, taking her thinnest brush and most concentrated sealing ink and settling into her father's plush desk chair.

Tongue poking out between her lips in concentration, she made firm, steady strokes, careful to put only enough ink on her brush to complete a stroke without it dripping somewhere it didn't need to be.

I'm going back to fix this. I'm going back to make her mine. I'm going back.

I'm going back.

I'm going back.

Fixed in her thoughts, her intent was poured into each line, each symbol, into the very page itself.

And when she capped the inkwell and carefully placed her brush in the furthest corner of the desk from the seal, she continued focusing all of her willpower on the goal. She molded her chakra easily—not as easily as Sakura, but it served its purpose well enough, and took a deep breath.

I'm going back.

Her hands connected with the seal, and then she was falling backwards and she couldn't breathe and—

She came to with a gasp, her hands latching around her throat as her whole body jerked upwards.

A flicker of chakra, familiar but full of concern, only furthered her shock.

"Princess? Are you okay?" Her father poked his head into the room, frowning.

Her father.

Looking younger than she'd seen him since—

She looked down at her hands, which she'd been careful to shove into her lap after feeling his presence, and saw how small they were. Unblemished, smooth, and with nails painted a shade of pink that perfectly matched Sakura's hair.

Ino knew exactly where she was. Or rather, when she was.

The seal had worked like a charm, sending her back to her second year at the Academy. Before she'd tried getting Sakura's attention by claiming to like Sasuke (and before Sasuke's family had been brutally murdered by his older brother).

But she didn't have much time before then—her polish had only just started chipping when Sakura had shyly confessed she had eyes for Sasuke, and Ino had been forced into declaring them rivals, just to keep herself in the forefront of Sakura's mind.

This time would be different.

"Princess?" Her father sounded even more worried now, snapping Ino out of her plotting.

"I'm fine, daddy," she answered, nearly wincing at how rough her childish voice sounded. "I just had a bad dream." Her fists clenched the material of her cherry blossom patterned pajama pants. "A really bad dream."

She felt her father relax more than saw it, what with her room only being lit by the hall light creeping in around his form. She relaxed at that, too—even as shaken as she was that her plan was working, that her sealing skills were apparently the best the village had seen in decades.

If she could send herself back in time, she could do anything.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Her father stepped further into her room, his concern sounding softer than it had been when he'd first opened her door. Less anxious about a real threat.

It wouldn't have been long since Fu was kidnapped, now that she thought about it, only a few months.

She wondered if it was too late to rescue him from Danzo. Shino's cousin had been taken around the same time, too. Maybe they could get out together. But taking on Danzo was something for the adults—even when she'd been an adult, a war veteran, she wouldn't have been able to take him one-on-one. As a seven year old? The idea was laughable.

"It's—" she cut herself off. She'd been about to say no, to act like she was putting on a brave face and maybe be flattered by her father for being a big, brave kunoichi, but…

She could use it to her advantage in a big way. She knew Sakura's parents had mistreated her before they'd kicked her out, after all. And since she wasn't intending on wrecking their friendship as she had in her past life, well, what was the harm in speeding up the timeline on moving her in? Sakura could get used to the house that much sooner, get used to the people she would eventually call her own when Ino married her in a decade or so.

"Daddy, can you keep a secret? I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I don't… I'm scared."

She tried not to smirk as she watched the way he stiffened, then nodded.

"Of course, princess. What's wrong?" In a few long strides, he was standing beside the head of her bed, switching her bedside lamp on so they could see each other better.

She blinked a few times at the sudden brightness, then took a moment to look at him.

Dad. Her heart ached at being able to see her father alive and well, and was thankful she didn't have to fight the tears welling up in her eyes—it would lend to the believability of her worry.

"It's Sakura, daddy," she started, voice wobbling just slightly. "I don't think," she sniffled for emphasis, wiping a stray tear away with the back of her hand. "I don't think she's safe at home."

"What makes you say that, sweetie?" Her father sat on the edge of her bed as he asked, not losing his stiffness. Of course—he loved Sakura like a second daughter, too, so if she was in danger, he would do something about it.

"I went to get her when she was late for our lunch the other day," if she was right about what day she'd woken up in, she would have gone on a date with Sakura to their favorite little family restaurant, cheap enough that they could afford the food with their allowances but enough to make them feel grown up. "And when I got to the door, I heard them yelling at her. They stopped when I knocked, but…"

She scrunched up her face, feigning fighting back a wail.

"Oh, daddy, they said awful things!" She leaned forward and sobbed into his shoulder about all the insults she could recall. They weren't lies—she had heard the Harunos use the words (lazy, ungrateful, stupid, worthless) against Sakura… just not all at once.

She could feel her father's chakra flare with anger each time Ino mentioned a new insult, and his face was stony as she finally pulled back and, wiping away her tears once more.

"Have you ever seen bruises on Sakura-chan, princess?"

Ino let her gaze dart down to her lap.

"No," she said slowly. Then, she added, "But Sakura always covers up. She doesn't like changing in front of anyone."

Another truth, carefully worded to evoke suspicion. Despite their cruel words and (the older Sakura got) outright neglect, they'd never actually hit her. But Inoichi wouldn't know that, and if the couple were cruel enough to treat their seven year old daughter like that, well, they deserved whatever was coming to them.

Ino remembered how many nights Sakura had cried on her shoulder after being disowned, knew how deeply the Harunos had affected Sakura's self-esteem (more than Ami or any of the other school bullies). She wouldn't let it stand in this life.

"I asked Sakura about it when we were alone," Ino added, letting a few more tears drip from her face. "And she said they yell at her all the time. But she told me I couldn't tell anyone, because they'll make her go to the orphanage, and that's where some of those mean kids that bully her live."

Inwardly, she smirked, seeing the same righteous fury that lit her own eyes at times mirrored in her father's gaze. She took the moment to go for what she really wanted.

"Can't we take her away from there, daddy? Please? She can live in my room with me, and I'll learn how to cook so I can help you, and—"

"Slow down, princess," her father laughed, and Ino knew she had him, even as his expression grew serious again. "I'll need to talk to Sakura-chan first, and then we can go from there." He held up a hand when Ino opened her mouth to protest and added, "I won't let her know you told me anything. I'll let her know a shinobi reported it."

He tapped the side of his nose and winked.

"You'll be a kunoichi soon enough, right? I think that counts."

Ino flung herself forward, wrapping her arms around him.

"Thank you! You're the best, daddy!" She held onto him for a moment longer, taking time to bask in his warmth for the first time in a year.

He didn't call her out on it, though. Instead, he kissed the top of her head and gave her a brief squeeze.

"Of course, princess. Sakura-chan is a good girl, and we want to make sure she's safe and happy, don't we? Now, do you think you can go back to sleep, or do you want me to make some tea?"

Ino kept her hand fisted in the back of his shirt even as she shook her head.

"I can go back to sleep." She sighed, forcing her face to relax. "I was just so worried…"

He ruffled her hair, and she feigned a scowl.

"It's alright now, don't worry about it. Sakura-chan is going to be safe. But you," he gave her cheek a playful pinch, "should go back to sleep, young lady. Tomorrow's still a school day."

"Daddy," she whined. It was a half-hearted complaint, though.

He chuckled, but with another playful demand for her to go to bed, he switched off her bedside lamp and returned to his own room.

Ino fell asleep smiling.

"Good morning," Ino chirped when she saw Sakura the next morning, taking the opportunity to snatch her hand up into one of her own before they even made it to the Academy gates.

Sakura's cheeks flushed pink, which made Ino's own heart squeeze in turn, but she didn't protest or pull away like she might have tried in Ino's old life. But that Sakura had fallen out with Ino and was hopelessly devoted to a pathetic boy who couldn't even be bothered to stick around Konoha, let alone treat her properly.

This Sakura was still Ino's alone.

"Good morning, Ino-chan," Sakura smiled shyly, squeezing Ino's hand. "You're in a good mood today."

"Daddy wants me to invite you over for dinner tonight!" The lie flowed out of her, an excited burst of energy that left her rocking on the balls of her feet. "We're supposed to have katusdon. You'll come, won't you?" She turned big, blue eyes over at Sakura and watched red cheeks grow even redder.

"Um, yes! If he really says it's okay." Sakura always said that, no matter how many times she came over to the Yamanaka compound. She was just so polite. A perfect matriarch for Ino. Her blush faded a split second later, her face falling. "But my parents…"

"Don't worry about them," Ino flapped her free hand dismissively. "Daddy can take care of it when we tell him you're staying this afternoon."

Sakura perked up at that, smiling as her cheeks regained their pink flush, and Ino had to resist the urge to kiss her. They were only seven—there was time yet to ease Sakura into a romantic relationship.

As long as Ino could keep Sakura by her side and under her influence, everything would be fine. (She wondered how strong she would have to get to kill Sasuke, if she needed to. Depending on how things unfolded, like if his family lived, there wasn't a shot. But alone… She'd seen how he looked at her during their first chuunin exams, and after the war. She had to be prepared.)

She practically floated through the school day, riding the high of knowing soon enough, Sakura would be all hers. She made sure to direct them away from Sasuke and his growing legion of adoring fans during lunch, instead picking a quiet spot under the shade of a tree.

She knew at least one ANBU patrolled the academy grounds in secret, more if Naruto bothered to show up to class since he was the village jinchuuriki (not that she was supposed to know that yet), and while she wasn't able to sense as well in her current body as she'd been able to in her eighteen year old form, she still had a vague approximation of what chakra was moving swiftly enough to be ANBU.

They suppressed it to the size of a small animal's, yet another masking technique, but their movements were steady, less random than a squirrel or rabbit's.

Ino debated bringing up the topic of the Harunos, of starting to weave the narrative outside of just her father's mind, but she wanted the tip-off to be anonymous. She couldn't guarantee that Sakura wouldn't lose trust in her if she knew Ino was the one to lob the first accusation, once Ino's dad started asking questions later that night, and she really didn't want to have to go to any drastic measures to keep Sakura with her.

It was much better if Sakura went willingly, because Ino was sure using the Mind Transfer technique on such a young brain would cause some kind of damage.

Still, a subtle hint, the tiniest of mentions that something wasn't right…

"Did you make that yourself?" Ino nodded to the lunchbox Sakura brought out. It was clearly not a professional attempt (her little matriarch was terrible at cooking), but Ino was ready with compliments as Sakura started shuffling anxiously, clearly upset at the perceived teasing. "I think you did a good job! Daddy won't let me make my own, but maybe if we ask to learn together, he'll teach me how to cook?"

She felt the ANBU pause in his circuit, hovering to eavesdrop on the pair of seven year olds.

"Yeah," Sakura agreed shyly. "I want to learn, too, because mom said if I'm old enough to go to the Academy, I'm old enough to feed myself."

It was the answer Ino expected. Sakura might have sworn up and down that she was dieting for Sasuke, in her past life, but Ino knew it was because she had been forced to cook for herself and was, to be honest, lousy at it.

But once Ino was given access to the kitchen, and maybe a few hands on lessons from her dad (that she hadn't been fortunate enough to receive before), she would be the one feeding Sakura. It was only proper, as her future wife.

She and Sakura raced home after school, eager to finish what little homework they'd been assigned so hey could focus on more important things, like planning what they would do that weekend and reading the latest issue of Teen Kunoichi (that month's lead story was ten moves to finish your opponent in ten seconds or less!).

"Hi, princess," her dad greeted as they raced into the flower shop. "Sakura-chan! You're staying for dinner tonight, right? It's katsudon!"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, smiling as she nodded furiously.

"Yes, please, Uncle Inoichi!" And then, gaze dropping down, she shyly started to ask, "Would you, um, would you mind…?"

"Telling your parents?" he finished for her, chuckling when she nodded again. "Of course, Sakura-chan. You two just worry about your school work, and I'll take care of the rest."

"Yay!" Ino pumped her fist in the air, cheering. "Thanks, daddy! You're the best!"

She wasted no time in snatching Sakura's hand in her own and racing out the back door and into the compound after that, ignoring her father's fading calls of Homework first!

Of course, since it was Sakura, her precious little nerd of a soulmate, they did actually finish their work first. Ino found the work easy because she was a jounin, with all the knowledge of how to do proper trajectory calculations and historical events, but she had to pull back a bit. She'd been second only to Sakura and Sasuke when it came to academics (Shikamaru too, if he'd bothered applying himself), but she couldn't make it look like it was a walk in the park.

Sakura, on the other hand, breezed through things because she was a genius in her own right. In fact, when Ino paused to pretend to struggle over their last math problem, Sakura stopped to put down her own finished paper that she'd been double-checking and scooted her chair around to rest beside Ino's.

"Do you want any help, Ino-chan?"

A smart, thoughtful matriarch. Ino really had been a fool for letting her go in their first lives.

She pretended to look a little offended at first, but quickly deflated when she saw worry light up Sakura's pretty green eyes.

"Yeah, actually," she admitted slowly, as though reluctant to admit the shortcoming. "I just don't get what I'm supposed to do after this step, because something isn't adding up." She pointed to the middle of her equation work, a formula she remembered having difficulty with in her first life.

Sakura made an excellent teacher, walking Ino through the steps slowly enough that she had time to take it all in, but not so slowly it would offend Ino by making it seem like Sakura thought she was stupid.

Once we figure out a way to have children of our own, she'll make a wonderful mother. It would be one more thing tying Sakura to Ino forever, making an escape impossible (though Ino was a little loathe to have Sakura's attention on anyone but her).

Ino's dad was pleased to see homework actually finished when he arrived at home once he got off duty at the flower shop (his fun job, as he liked to call it). He was in a good mood as he looked over both girls' work and assured them it was perfect, and he even whistled as he started frying the pork cutlets for dinner. He only paused to call out to the girls as they headed upstairs to wash their hands before the meal.

"Sakura, I sent word to your parents that you would be staying the night, too. I hope that's alright. You already have a change of clothes here, don't you?"

"Yes sir," she answered, polite as always. "Thank you for letting me stay over."

His smile softened, and had he not been busy with various pans on the stovetop, Ino suspected he would have ruffled Sakura's hair.

"You're family to us, Sakura. Maybe not by blood, but family all the same."

Sakura looked a little like she wanted to cry, but she merely squeaked out another thanks and hurried to the bathroom she shared with Ino whenever she slept over.

Ino was hopeful it was a sign of how easily her dad would accept Sakura not just as another daughter, but as Ino's wife specifically. But first, she had to make sure Sakura was under their roof for good.

Dinner was full of light, happy talk: what Ino was planning to use her newly allotted section of greenhouse for, the upcoming chakra control test in school (I bet Sakura's going to score really high, Ino made sure to brag), and the new Magical Girl Yuriko-chan movie that Ino's dad was supposed to take them to in a few weeks when it released. But once the food was eaten and the dishes washed and put away, her dad grew more serious.

"Would you girls mind coming to my office for a moment?"

Sakura instantly clammed up, clearly worried, and Ino's dad let out a little laugh.

"You're not in trouble, I promise." With that, he shepherded them through the living room and down the hall into the heavily sealed room he used for some of the work he took home from T&I.

But once they were there, he didn't shut the door yet.

"I just wanted to have a talk with Sakura about something important. You're not in trouble," he assured Sakura again, seeing the panic in her eyes. "I promise. Ino," he gave Ino a nod, dismissing her.

But Sakura kept a firm grip on her hand.

"Can she stay, Uncle Inoichi? Please?"

"I'm afraid not, Sakura-chan," he let her down gently. "It's against Konoha protocol. But you can tell Ino every last detail once we're done, I promise."

Sakura took a deep breath, and Ino saw her spine straighten, and then, after another squeeze, Sakura let her hand go.

"Okay."

Ino only turned and left after another long moment of silence and her father raising a prompting eyebrow at her. Even then, she slumped out of the room, pouting the whole way. She knew that Sakura would tell her anyway, probably without prompting, but Ino hated not being in control. That was how she lost Sakura in the first place, wasn't it?

Time dragged on, and while Ino wanted to do nothing more than pace in front of the door, she had enough experience from her original life to know it would take some time. Interviewing a child meant taking extra precautions and being slower and more gentle in questioning, and her dad was also a thorough man—he'd want to get all the evidence he could so Sakura wouldn't need to go through the process again.

So, instead of standing around as she waited, Ino decided to be a little more productive and work on getting the spare bedroom ready for Sakura's inevitable move in. She wanted to share a room, of course—it was just practice for when they because a real couple, after all, but she also knew Sakura liked to have privacy sometimes, and a quiet place to get away from the world so she could read. It was Ino's job as her future wife and clan head to provide that space.

There wasn't much she could actually do, considering Sakura would need more clothes and her own books and photos, but Ino snuck a pair of her pajamas into the drawer of the dresser, and made sure there was fresh bedding and the softest pillows. Then, most importantly, she snuck into the stash of sealing ink her father kept hidden in his bedroom and made a few extra privacy and protection seals. Danzo was still an issue, after all, and he loved snatching promising civilian-borns. The safety of a clan usually would have been a deterrent, but after Fu's kidnapping, and all the Uchiha children that had gone missing (Shino's adopted brother, Torune, had also disappeared, taken at about the same time as Fu)…

She only just finished putting the ink and cleaned brush back in its proper place when she heard the office door knob start to turn, and she raced downstairs to pretend as though she'd been standing outside the entire time.

"It will be alright, Sakura-chan," Ino's dad patter her shoulder as Ino raced towards them. "I'll take care of everything, don't worry." Then, with a look at Ino, who's face was the perfect mask of concern, he gave a tiny nod and added, "Why don't you two take your baths and head to bed? Tomorrow is still a school day, after all."

"Yes, daddy," she nodded. Then, wrapping an arm around Sakura's shoulders, she led her upstairs and to the bathroom.

Ino let Sakura take her bath first, knowing she would need some privacy to start sorting through what had just happened. She made sure to give Sakura the fluffiest pair of pajamas she owned for when she was done, too, ones with the Yamanaka symbol embroidered proudly on the back. It made her heart flutter to see her wearing them once she emerged, still looking a little worried but in better condition than before.

Ino practically danced her way through bathing, she was so excited. Her plan was working, without even a hitch so far!

She made sure to school her face to be a little more serious as she slipped into bed beside Sakura, though. She hadn't come this far just to ruin things by getting cocky. Besides, it would take another few years to build up her chakra stores enough to try and recreate the time travel seal, so really, she only had this one chance.

Things were quiet for a while, the two of them curled close to one another as they tried to let sleep find them, but Ino's racing thoughts wouldn't settle. Then, in the darkness of the bedroom, Sakura snuggled closer to Ino and whispered in her ear, causing goosebumps to raise along her arms.

"Ino-chan? Can I tell you a secret?"

"You can tell me anything, Sakura," Ino whispered back, turning her head just enough to let her lips brush against Sakura's. It was a tiny morsel, but one she'd have to settle for until they were older. Feeling the heat radiate out from Sakura's cheeks, even if she couldn't see it in the dark, was a small bonus satisfaction.

"And you won't tell your dad? I know you were the one that told him about my parents, weren't you?"

That was her clever wife.

"You're not mad? I just…" Ino let herself sound worried as she trailed off. "You're my most precious person, and they're hurting you, aren't they?"

Sakura stiffened, but before she could pull away, Ino wrapped her arms around her and pinned her in place. She expected she would need to feign an apology, to pretend she was sorry for causing Sakura trouble, but she stopped short when she felt dampness begin to spread along her neck, where Sakura's face was pressed into her skin.

A bit of genuine guilt started to creep in, but Ino held firm. This was for her soulmate, which meant it was good for the clan in the long term.

"Ino-chan, I lied to Uncle Inoichi."

Ino's heart stuttered in her chest.

"What did you say? Did you tell them they were good to you?" Ino could have yelled in frustration, but she kept a cool head. "I've heard them, Sakura, they—"

"No," Sakura sniffled miserably, interrupting Ino's impending rant. "I told him they hit me and said things about hating Konoha."

Ino remained silent, hardly daring to breathe for all the hope she felt in her chest. Sakura must have taken it as a bad sign, because she started rambling, trying to give a further explanation so Ino wouldn't be angry.

"But they've thrown dishes at me before, and they really have said they hate shinobi, so it's not like it was a big lie. Right? Please, Ino-chan—" Sakura's head burrowed its way back into Ino's shoulder, and Ino squeezed her tightly in response.

"I don't think it was a lie then," Ino said, making sure to keep her tone firm. "Hating shinobi is like hating the village, and if they were throwing stuff at you," Ino hadn't remembered that tidbit about their original life, "They probably would have started hitting you eventually."

Sakura let out a little hiccuping sob, and Ino pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"But daddy will fix it. You're going to come live with us, forever and ever. And nobody will ever hurt you because I'll protect you."

Sakura snuggled closer to her, but didn't say another word. Instead, she fell asleep right there, in the safety of Ino's arms.

It was all according to plan.