Ren stood in front of the door to Ino's office and, surprisingly, during his short stroll through the T&I department, nobody bothered to stop and question him about the reason for his presence. Blending in and pretending to belong clearly worked out in the ninja world, too.
He was a bit exasperated, though. The village had just survived an invasion. One would think the Konoha ninjas would be more vigilant.
Shaking his head, he heard, 'Come in,' in his head through the telepathy seal just as he raised his hand to knock, and with a small huff, he put his hand back down before opening the door.
"Hello, Ino." Ren walked in and lazily waved his hand at Ino, who was sitting behind her desk with her chin boredly planted on her palm. "Having fun spying on me?"
Ino smirked, "Nah. You can't complain. You trained that habit into me."
Ren seated himself in the chair in front of Ino's desk with a short, slightly petulant, "Nu-uh."
There was nothing he could really say in his defense because while it was not his intent, the constant spars where his clones humiliated Ino in various ways in order to train her awareness and dodging skills had exactly that effect. She and Hinata were always aware of where he was when they were near each other. Always ready for anything he could pull on them.
It was an ingrained instinct by this point, and Ren was slightly peeved because pranking them was practically impossible at this point.
Not wanting to speak further about his inability to sneak up on her unless he put in a lot of effort, Ren decided to change the topic as his eyes strayed toward the neat pile of paperwork on Ino's desk.
"I see that you are enjoying the fruits of your labor." He quipped with an amused half-smirk as he motioned with his eyes toward the pile.
Ino's eye twitched in apparent annoyance. "Yes." She said, not even trying to hide her disgust. "I didn't become a kunoichi to fill out paperwork. It's bullshit."
Ren stifled a laugh. Yeah. He knew. She thought that work in T&I was going to be all fun and giggles with a dash of screaming from her tortured victims as she was ferreting out secrets directly from their minds.
A good time, according to her definition of having fun.
Instead, she had shown how capable she was, and that meant the leadership of the department wanted to fast-track her into some sort of leading role. Which, in turn, meant learning how to do the paperwork that would inevitably fall to her shoulders in such a role.
Ren tried. But he really couldn't help it. The smile full of schadenfreude appeared on his face despite his best efforts, earning him a kick from Ino's bare foot underneath the desk.
"Yeah. Yeah. Laugh it up, chuckles. Just don't say, 'I told you so,' or I will kick you for real." Ino huffed.
Ren gracefully closed his half-opened mouth, and instead, he caught her foot that was still playfully skimming across his shin. Channeling a bit of chakra into his fingers, Ren pressed on an exact spot on her foot that he knew from experience would make Ino very happy.
With an indulgent smile, he watched as Ino tried and failed to give him an unamused glare while she tried to stifle a moan as her entire body relaxed with a small shudder. Her half-lidded eyes nevertheless contained a warning that cautioned Ren from going too far.
The last time they had some hanky-panky in Ino's new office, they were caught by her father. That was awkward.
With a teasing smile, Ren let go of Ino's foot. His goal wasn't to get her going but to relax her a bit anyway. She seemed awfully tense and stiff when he walked into the room. A far cry from her current relaxed posture.
"Did you forget you have Shadow Clones?" He idly asked, only to be surprised when Ino groaned and, out of nowhere, faceplanted the desk with her forehead.
"Do you think I am that thick?" She asked in a muffled voice. Ren opened his mouth. "Don't answer that!" Ren closed his mouth with a laugh, making Ino let out a whiny sigh.
"Alright. I walked into that one." She straightened up in her seat, "But I have lived through enough of your rants about Shadow Clones to not forget they could be used for paperwork. Duh." She rolled her eyes.
At this point, Ren was unrepentant. Yeah, he liked ranting. Almost as much as she liked to throw that little fault in his face. In her defense, he probably gave her some juicy reactions when she started with it. Not so much now, but he surmised she was doing it out of habit.
"Then?" He asked, motioning with his chin at the paperwork pile in a clear question.
"I can't." Ino sadly said with an unhappy frown. "The last time dad caught me using a clone for paperwork, I had gotten an hour-long lecture about how inappropriate it is."
Absolutely floored, Ren speechlessly tilted his head.
"... That's stupid."
"You don't say! It's braindead! He didn't even give me a proper reason." Ino almost growled, glaring at the paperwork with utter contempt. "Just that some people may feel butthurt that I am slacking off and using clones for my work. That if the Hokage is not using them, we should follow his example."
"Yeah. Fuck that." Ren deadpanned, utterly astonished at the ridiculous stupidity he had just heard.
Then again, he could see how some smart mind-readers could, in their arrogance, think that they divined the Hokage's intentions and be smug about it, completely missing that their faultless leader might just be that dumb or set in his ways to not even think that clones were an option.
It's not as if they would ever get the balls to actually ask him, and admitting that they might be wrong would be a hit to their pride as mind-readers or experts at reading people, so the misunderstanding was not going to get cleared anytime soon.
"Exactly!" Ino exasperatedly exclaimed. "At least, the second reason is not that stupid." She said, and Ren raised his eyebrow in curiosity. "Apparently, it could make some people in the chain of command jealous that I am capable of using Shadow Clones for my work." She derisively snorted. "Since, you know, it is such a demanding technique and not many people can do it."
Ren nodded, knowing full well that most ninjas, even elite ones, never bothered to learn it. Gai, Asuma, Kurenai, he could go on, were all Jonin who did not know Shadow Clones. It was useless for them and their combat style, so why bother spending weeks of their time to learn it?
That was pretty much how ninety-five percent of ninjas in the village approached learning ninjutsu. Kakashi was a notable exception since he could cheat with his pink eye.
It was sad, but Ren could see how jealousy could be a factor here, and Inoichi was probably just trying to shield Ino from the ugliness of the situation.
Sage, bless the Barrier Corps.
As a division primarily made from fuinjutsu users, intelligence and efficiency were appreciated. They didn't care if somebody used clones as long as their work was done and done well.
Ren's superiors knew he was sending Shadow Clones to work. But as long as his assigned job was properly done, they didn't care.
Well, if he screwed up in some ways, the blowback would be legendary. Of that, he was sure. But he simply had to make sure he didn't screw up, no?
Seriously, all hail the Barrier Corps.
It's the place where the non-idiots in the village gather!
Not that he would ever say that out loud in front of Ino or Hinata. He was going to take that secret with him to his grave.
"So..." Ino's voice suddenly pulled Ren out of his thoughts as she trailed off.
"So?" He asked, his lips twitching in amusement as he saw her slightly squirm.
"Some seals?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "Please?"
"Oh, I don't know." Ren suppressed a smile. "On the other hand, you know, fair play and all that. Maybe your father has a point."
"Pretty please?" Ino leaned forward just enough to give Ren a glimpse of her cleavage and lowered her voice into a volume that sounded sultry.
But Ren didn't react how she wished and just blinked, "You took some lessons from Anko on seduction?"
"Yes!" Ino beamed, but then her face fell a bit, "But it doesn't seem to be working." She frowned.
"Ino, buttercup, I know you too well-" Ren started.
"And sudden behavior changes are easy to spot." Ino cut him off. "Now, the seals?" She gave him an expectant look and blinked a few times with an innocent smile. Ren realized she was just softening him to accept her request.
He sighed in exasperation. He knew too well that she was eventually going to get him to do this for her. She was certainly good enough at subtle manipulation to weasel that promise out of him, with him not even knowing how unless he paid full, hundred-percent attention every time they talked with each other.
Shaking his head, Ren unsealed a bit of paper and his brush before he started to construct a seal under Ino's triumphant look.
"Un. Happy Ino, happy relationship." Ino happily quipped, and Ren felt her foot again starting to skim across his leg.
He gave her an exasperated look as he sent a jolt of weak lightning chakra from his leg into her foot, making her yowl from the unexpected small sting.
"Stop trying to tease me and tell me what the paperwork is about. The executions?" He took a small guess, starting a small talk.
"Yeah. It's kinda sus, to be honest." Ino pouted and pulled her leg back before she started rubbing her slightly numb foot. "I think..." Her eyebrows furrowed as she stopped speaking.
'Privacy barrier, please.' Ino's voice resounded in Ren's mind, but unlike the teasing tone she used with him so far, it sounded serious.
It gave Ren a small stop before he lightly tapped his foot on the wooden floor. Strings of symbols started slithering from underneath him, and in seconds, they found their way to the walls, ceiling, door, and even windows before melting into invisibility.
Ren looked at Ino. "Done. There is nobody hidden in the room, and nobody should be hearing us now through the barrier." He informed her. This barrier worked even on lip-reading through Byakugan, so they were as safe as they could get.
Ino nodded. "You know how several of the leaders of Otogakure forces suddenly suicided in their cells a few days back?"
"Yeah. You whined about it quite a bit." Ren hummed.
Ino didn't react beyond a small snort, "Several suicides within T&I cells, all by people who could possibly hold important intel? Yeah, no."
"So, there is a rat." Ren shrugged. "I don't think your higher-ups are blind to it."
"Yeah, but they are not going to do anything because they don't have a reason to move." Ino agreed. "Whoever did this was from Konoha. They obviously have an agent in the T&I. Possibly even a fellow Yamanaka. And boy, is that eating at my father, even if he doesn't want to show it."
"He suspected you." Ren said what she was not saying."
"He suspected me." Ino blandly nodded. "I am a good and easy choice for a suspect. New. Unproven. With a reason for split loyalties. I would lose my respect for dad if he didn't suspect me after he had several 'suicides' right after I joined the division."
Ren inwardly sighed. Yes. He could see how Inoichi might think her loyalties were split. They certainly were not all to her clan. She was loyal to him, too. So, this was about their relationship.
The only reason why he didn't have another visit by an angry, doting Yamanaka father was probably that Inoichi couldn't think of a reason why Ren would need the Otogakure leaders executed.
Well, there were reasons, but nothing he could just haphazardly accuse Ren of without even the slightest proof.
Whoever was trying to frame Ino and him they did a good job. But Ren doubted that framing them was their main priority. He didn't need to think long to figure out who was responsible for this. It started with 'D' and ended with 'anzo'. It was pretty obvious.
And if Ren could figure it out, surely the smarter people in the village could too. But so what of it? As Ino said, even if the T&I leaders knew, they didn't have a cause to move.
Ren knew that Danzo had some Yamanaka guy in his ROOT. But it had been almost two decades, and he had forgotten his name. He could have passed the bastard in the hallways today, and he wouldn't have known.
"There could be many reasons for killing the Otogakure leadership." Ino started. "But only one could really justify such a rash action."
"Treason." Ren nodded. "You think somebody from Konoha helped the Otogakure in invading?"
Ren felt proud of Ino. He never stated that he thought Danzo was going to help Orochimaru. He only insinuated that the man was taking a vacation in the capital during the finals of the Chunin Exams to not stand in the way.
But his smart girl made her own opinions with just minimal prompting.
"Yes. Let's call the culprit by a code name since we don't know his identity. What about Danzo? Sounds good?" Ino dryly and directly asked, showing she didn't want to have some cloak-and-dagger conversation.
"So this... Danzo," Ren chuckled, "you think he is behind the execution orders."
"I started re-examining the prisoners after the suicides." Ino admitted. "I was looking for any mention of a meeting or something. They might not have attended, but the leaders had friends. Who knows? They might have let something slip, right?"
"It wouldn't be a direct proof, and whoever this Danzo person might be," Ren was having fun, "he is clearly well-connected in the village. You would need something very damning to push anybody to take it seriously."
"Sure. I didn't have a lot of hope." Ino shrugged, "And yet, suddenly, we are ordered to execute all Otogakure prisoners just as I am in the middle of screening their minds for a sign of foul play."
"And you had to report to your superiors what you were going to do." Ren said for her, getting a nod with hints of frustration showing on her expression.
"And the order came about because the Elders and some clans pushed for it. But I am the Yamanaka heiress and therefore, I have the right to look into it. It's very curious. Most people who pushed for that order, screaming bullshit about justice and avenging the dead, are in some way connected to a certain Danzo Shimura." Ino let out a mirthless sigh. "I wonder if our undefined suspect with the code name Danzo could have something in common with the esteemed Danzo Shimura." The sarcasm was almost dripping from her tone.
"Nah, girl. You are reaching. You almost sound crazy." Ren teasingly answered, earning himself an annoyed kick from Ino underneath the table.
He was just glad some cheer returned to Ino's expression after her initial irritation disappeared. As sad as it was, she was probably completely on point with her guesses.
The problem was, it didn't matter.
There was still no direct proof that Danzo was involved. Nobody who could point at him and say, 'Yeah, Orochimaru and we met with this cross-chined bastard before the invasion.' was still alive.
The execution orders were all official and above board. It was a decision made by Konoha's leadership. Some out of anger. Some out of spite. And yes, some out of Danzo's manipulations. But most of those who voted for it? Ren assumed the majority was not in Danzo's pockets. He just used their emotions to get the desired result. They wanted some sort of reckoning, and Danzo wanted the prisoners dead. It probably wasn't terribly difficult to manipulate the result of that particular vote in his favor.
Ren also doubted that Ino was the only smart cookie good enough to come to this conclusion. Yet, Danzo had won. It was too late. Even if they gathered testimony that there was a meeting with somebody from Konoha. Even if all indirect proof and logic pointed at Danzo and it was presented as such to the Hokage, the final decision would still hinge on Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Would Sarutobi decide to go after Danzo, though? Or would he declare there is not enough proof and do nothing?
Ren knew that Hiruzen was not as buddy-buddy with Danzo as it outwardly seemed. There was a chance. Especially now that Hiruzen's career is over. He might go out in one last hurray and take down Danzo for good, while risking politically ruining himself.
But then again, Ren remembered that Hiruzen had designs on getting Asuma the Hokage hat eventually. And some sort of political influence would go a long way in seeing these goals fulfilled.
Which meant, Danzo would be a necessary evil in Hiruzen's eyes. One that was too much hassle to get rid of, as the cost of it was not something conducive to his future goals.
Giving Ino a sad look, Ren asked, "You know you are not going to get anywhere with this, right?"
Ino's face fell slightly, "Yes. And it pisses me off."
"Don't do anything rash." Ren worriedly said, and Ino chuckled.
"Rash like," Her mood bounced back up and with a sly smirk, she suddenly disappeared from her chair, only to appear straddling Ren's lap, "this?" She whispered and started kissing Ren on the neck in a real attempt at seduction, unlike the wishy-washy thing she had done previously.
Ren's hands instantly found their place on Ino's hips, and he realized her skirt was already gone. Glancing at her table, he noticed it lying on her desk.
"I thought you didn't want to-" Ren quietly said, but his hands were more honest and very slowly working on getting her out of her shirt as they moved up her body.
"I never said I don't want to do it. Just not without a privacy barrier." Ino moaned into another kiss, this time on Ren's jaw, before she pulled back and looked him in the eyes with a sweet smile. "Now shush and kiss me."
Well, he was happy to oblige. He could feel his girl needed some bam-bam consoling after the blows real life dealt her, and Ren was eager to provide it.
Their faces neared each other and their noses met... only for a knock to resound from the door, causing them both to freeze just as their lips were about to join.
"I surely hope you are not doing anything indecent in there, princess." Inoichi's voice came from behind the door, and Ren closed his eyes.
The freaking barrier was only one-way soundproof. They could hear things coming from outside it, but Inoichi definitely didn't hear anything coming from the room.
Which begged the question, how did the Yamanaka cockblocker know to interrupt them? And how did he know when to do it?
Ren checked the barrier again. Yeah. It was working as intended.
"What the hell?" Ren muttered.
"Drop the barrier." Ino hurriedly whispered, and Ren realized he didn't want Inoichi to barge into the room right now.
"We are not doing anything of the sort, Dad!" Ino shouted the second the barrier dropped, and Ren had a sudden desire to facepalm.
"So, you mean to tell me that if I enter the room, right now, you will be fully clothed?" Inoichi's amused voice came from behind the door, just as Ino realized that her choice of words was not the best to lessen his suspicions.
Blushing beet red, Ino stammered. "Er..." and stopped supporting her weight as she sat down. Coincidentally, her pantie-clad crotch met the bulge of Ren's pants because of it, and while Ren managed to stifle his groan by burying his face into her shoulder, Ino was caught off guard and let it out.
"Ino." Inoichi's voice suddenly lost its amused undertone.
"Mostly clothed?" Abashed, Ino replied in absolute embarrassment, resembling a tomato as she tried to untangle herself from Ren's lap, but it only served her to clumsily slip and fall onto him again.
It was probably the source of some suspicious thumping sounds leaking through the door. Ren couldn't help it. He started laughing, finding the situation hilarious as he imagined what Inoichi was probably thinking right now.
There was a reason the man didn't just barge in. He was most likely afraid of what state he would find his daughter in.
Only Ino's shoulder was muffling Ren's laughter. Realizing that, Ino could only helplessly stop trying to get out of his lap as she awkwardly pulled him into a closer embrace while gently pushing his head more into the crook of her neck with her hand at the back of his head.
The quietly muttered curses under her nose that Ren could clearly hear really did not help him with the attempts to stop his laughter.
"Right. That's what I thought." Inoichi's deadpan voice reached them. "Look, sweetheart, I know you all too well. Your mother and I were young once, too, you know? I know how you think and behave, too. Don't make me pull the boss card on you like my dad did with me."
"Now, that's just not fair." Ino protested while slapping away Ren's hand that was gently brushing against her very bare and very tempting thigh.
"I heard that." Inoichi exclaimed as the slapping sound might have been a bit too loud, though. Ino looked at the ceiling, letting out a loud groan.
"Alright. Enough. Ren, I must regretfully inform you that your visitation hours are over. Please vacate the premises. Now." Inoichi spoke, and Ren could hear the strain in his forcefully calm tone.
He grinned.
Ino suddenly tensed in alarm, and as she noticed Ren's expression, she hissed out while her hands gripped Ren's shirt, "Don't you dare-"
But it was too late as Ren loudly asked, "Can I at least put on my clothes, Mr. Yamanaka?"
"Oh, for fuck's sake." Inoichi exasperatedly let out alongside what suspiciously sounded like a sound of his forehead meeting the door.