Initial Offensive
A Xenocide Production

AN: Here is the only, true, and final sequel to The Art of Unspoken Words. Weep in ecstasy, and then go and thank Dark Hope Assassin who spurred me on to write this fic.

Summary: Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto. I do, however, have plans to kidnap Kishimoto-sensei, drug him with Dr. Pepper, and force him to do an ecchi laden Naruto harem manga. I know that deep, deep, deep down, he wants to do it. Despite that little thing he calls a conscience.

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Uzumaki Naruto was bored.

Bad things happen when his name and the word 'bored' pop up in the same sentence. Things that belong in a disaster category all by themselves, right above Natural Disasters, but just ever so slightly below the Apocalypse.

He had been stuck in this damnable hospital bed for nearly a week now, and his mind was about to snap for lack of stimulation.

So what if he had overdone it a bit in training? How else was he going to get stronger if he didn't push himself to the very limits?

Kaka-sensei had merely shaken his head and sighed exasperatedly when he found his wayward student collapsed against a tree trunk in training ground number three. Sakura had shrieked, grumbled, and nagged him nonstop when he was forcibly restrained to his bed that first night. The old pervert had merely taken advantage of the blonde's plight to 'borrow' Gama-chan from him. It was his due as the brat's teacher, right?

Sakura-chan had informed him in a no-nonsense tone of voice that he would be spending a week in the hospital. He had dangerously depleted his chakra reserves, or didn't he know? If he wasn't more careful, he could permanently burn out his chakra coils, not that he thought about those things at all, she had sniffed imperiously.

When he folded his arms across his chest and whined that a week was far too long and who the hell cared if he burnt himself out as long as he got stronger, a strange look had passed over his teammate's face. He had found himself the recipient of a pleading stare and a small caress of his blonde hair as she murmured that she would care because he still had a promise to keep.

Jade eyes and a soft touch had shorted out his higher brain functions, so he could only nod dumbly and say something in a jumble of words that he was sure made him sound an idiot.

There was no room in his mind for silky blonde hair or cornflower blue eyes.

He was rewarded with a glowing smile that damn near stopped his heart and she had somehow extracted a promise from him that he would stay and rest, and to behave for her during his stay.

Then, after checking his vitals one last time, (he could have sworn that her fingers had lingered here and there) she had swept out of his room to complete the rest of her rounds.

He had sighed mournfully and tried his best to keep himself occupied, if only for her sake.

He had tried so hard that it really wasn't funny at all.

He finally gave in to his urges and decided to play one small joke, just to tide him over till his release the day after tomorrow. Was it his fault that the on duty nurse couldn't take a joke? The 'severed hand' joke was older than dirt, and how was he to know that the girl had such a weak stomach? In hindsight, he admitted that he shouldn't have tried to improve on a classic with a severed limb instead of a simple appendage. The bloodcurdling screams and fake blood gushing all over the bed and floor probably didn't help matters much.

It came as no surprise at all when she absolutely refused to treat the boy for the rest of his (un)natural life. He didn't understand why she took a little joke so badly, but it was certainly pounded into him later that day by the Old Hag, who was very emphatic that he keep his jokes to himself on pain of castration.

He didn't know what exactly castration was, for he was never one to comfortably use big words, much less discern the meanings behind them, but the snipping motion she made coupled with the look of near demonic glee on her face was more than enough to give his subconscious a vague idea that it would be a wise idea agree wholeheartedly and cross his legs whenever he was in the Godaime's presence from that moment on.

He even politely addressed her as Hokage-sama as she stomped angrily from his room, Shizune, struggling to hold in uproarious laughter while juggling various medical charts, not far behind.

He laid back in his bed, which was raised up in a semi-reclining position, hands clasped lazily behind his head. He idly contemplated the whitewashed ceiling as his thoughts turned on his freedom tomorrow.

"No more stuffy nurses!" He snickered happily.

A bird trilled raucously and he turned his head just in time to see a small feathered shape dart across his widow. He smiled brightly at the thought that he would be just as free in less than twenty four hours.

His smile faded when his gaze was caught by two flowers that Sakura had placed in his room. Every day, when she came in to check his chart and assure herself that he was indeed staying out of trouble, she would always bring two small flowers and replace the previous day's flowers with them in the vase. She would flash him another one of those shy smiles that would throw thoughts completely out of joint, and then disappear from his room before he could say a word.

He was ecstatic that Sakura-chan was finally paying him some attention, even if he wasn't sure exactly what kind of attention it was. He tried not to read too much into the strange way she had been acting this last month or so, but it was hard to keep himself from hoping.

And then there was Ino.

He frown deepened to what could be termed a scowl, very unusual for the young man at the least.

What was up with that girl anyway?

After their connection in the bar and what could loosely be called a 'date', he thought that perhaps he might have finally found someone to relate to. Though she was quite understandably confused and upset at the treatment he had received at the hands of a few disgruntled waiters, she still stayed at his side. She asked no questions nor demanded any answers, only opened her arms and let him weep like he had never been able, or allowed, to before.

He rolled on his side with a sigh, hiding his hands underneath his pillow.

Would it have killed her to visit him at least once while he was in this…this…prison!?! But no, there was not one word or hint from the girl, not since he had stopped by the flower shop the day after their date for a smile, a smoldering kiss, and wandering hands in her father's greenhouse.

Had she suddenly decided that he wasn't worth her time? Or perhaps it had all been a cruel joke? He liked to think of all of the Rookie Nine as his friends, but there was something deep inside of him that still didn't quite trust anybody but himself.

But those were thoughts best left untouched. Instead, he drifted his attention towards a safer topic.

Yamanka Ino. She had the kind of feral beauty you would find at the tip of a kunai, she possessed a kind of inner grace that made her hips sway with confidence, and kami, was she was beautiful! What made it all the worse was that she knew it, too. When she walked down the street, she would deliberately sashay her body in a way that made many men and even a few women eye her hungrily.

It was rumored that she was more experienced than most girls her age, but those who knew her well dismissed them out of hand. Ino wasn't like that. She may have been a tease and was not averse to flaunting her body, but she wasn't as loose as a few of the more vicious gossips painted her as.

Although, she had to know something, if their last two meetings were any indication.

His cheeks flared crimson as he recalled just exactly how appreciative his body was of her skills. If she had pressed herself any harder against him, or if he had driven her up against her door as he had so longed to do the night of their date, there was no doubt that she would have been excruciatingly aware of his body's reaction to her advances.

He wasn't altogether sure if she wasn't already aware of it. She had winked and given him a knowing grin as he helped her rearrange the disturbed pots and seedlings in the greenhouse after a rather….exploratory session on the potting bench.

Yes, the girl was a vixen, but he wasn't just attracted to her because of her body's seductive wiles. Though it certainly helped. There was just………..something about her. Something that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He had wracked his brains trying to figure the girl out, but it was near impossible. Trying to pinpoint what made Ino, Ino was like trying to describe to a blind man why the sky was blue or explain to a deaf man what birdsong sounded like.

To be perfectly honest however, he hadn't really paid all that attention to another girl besides his teammate until that afternoon that he bumped into her at the bar. He only knew Ino vaguely, sparse facts gleaned from the few missions that they had been partnered on and from the complaints that came from a lazy Nara and a jovial Akimichi.

But somehow, despite the lack of kinship he felt with her, he had instantly been overcome with the need to help this girl, even if it was at the expense of his own dignity or happiness. Truth be told, it was almost as if he were compelled to sidle up to the girl's side. The aura of despair and her downtrodden appearance was more than enough to snap him out of the grip of whatever memories that had driven him to drink in the first place. He could never stand to see a girl cry.

Ever since he first opened his mouth, it seemed as if he was caught up in a whirlwind. Things started happening too fast, almost faster than he would have believed they could ever happen. One second he had been comparing her beauty to that of Sakura's, the finest compliment he thought one could pay a girl, and literally, the very next moment he was being drug down the middle of the street and told in no uncertain terms not be late in picking her up for their date.

And now, here he was, stuck in a hospital bed from chakra exhaustion, with only the two lone flowers in a vase to keep him company, and very conflicting feelings concerning the two most prominent women in his life occupying his thoughts.

BANG!

"Gah!"

Wh-whumph!

"Goooood morning, Naruto-kun!" The blonde half of Naruto's thoughts stood at the opening to his room, a large bundle of flowers in her arms and a heart warming smile on her face. She struck a small pose, which was disturbingly reminiscent of Konoha's resident Beautiful Green Beasts.

A small groan directed her attention to a bundle of bedclothes and tangled limbs on the linoleum. She frowned. How dare he spoil her perfect entrance? She had practiced in front of the mirror for at least an hour that morning!

"Naruto!" She shrieked angrily. "You idiot! What the hell are you doing on the floor!?"

The boy could only raise his head dazedly and stare at her.

Ino sighed and marched into his room, setting the bundle of flowers on the small table next to his bed, which completely eclipsed the two lone flowers, and hauled the bewildered Naruto to his feet.

"Ino?" Was his intelligent response. She giggled at the confused expression etched on his face.

"Yes, Naruto. That's my name. I'm so glad that you remembered." She said playfully.

She reached down and picked up the sheets, throwing them back on his bed in some semblance of order. She then turned her attention to the patient, brushing imaginary dirt off of his shoulders and straightening the loose shirt that adorned his lean frame.

She pushed him, unresistingly, back into bed.

All the while, that dazed, surprised look was on his face.

His eyes followed her as she bounced around his room, opening the windows to let more afternoon sunlight in, glancing over his chart in a semi-serious way, and even checking on the temperature of the room.

He watched her flit from place to place with a small smile on his face.

She didn't forget me after all.

She finished adjusting her bouquet in the vase, noting with disdain the small flowers that she set aside to make room for her own, and turned her attention to the boy behind her. She felt her cheeks warm ever so slightly as she saw that he was watching her intently, following her every move.

She smiled bashfully at him, but she was smugly congratulating herself at the same time for a plan perfectly executed.

Success! Inner Ino stated with no small amount of satisfaction. I've totally got his attention. Now, I've just got to keep it.

She had been slightly worried that he would be resentful that she hadn't stopped by to see him even once since he had been hospitalized. She knew he would worry that she had only been fooling around with him, but she had to remain firm. Naruto had failed to take care of himself, and done something extremely rash, despite his promise to her otherwise. She had to let wallow in a little guilt and misery so that when she swooped in and blindsided him with her prescence, he would be so beholden to the girl that he would never disobey her again.

Fortunately for Ino, circumstances have conspired to make it seem as if Naruto's attentions are the product of her subtle manipulations.

She cocked her head and queried slyly, "Did you miss me?"

Naruto, startled out of his thoughtful mood, responded gaily "Of course I did, Ino-chan!"

His foxy grin and the twinkle in his eye was more than enough to set her heart to racing.

He nodded towards the flowers. "Thanks for the flowers, Ino-chan. Sakura-chan's been bringing some every day, but I don't think I've ever seen so many in one bundle!"

Ino's smile dimmed slightly as the realization that her friend had been her every single day while she had not, hit her hard.

Now, instead of cheering, Inner Ino was screeching all sorts of curses and epithets. Some were directed at herself for her stupidity but most were directed at Sakura for being there when she had not.

Inner Ino calmed deep breath and released it. Calm down, Ino. Forehead Girl was probably only being a good teammate. She did the same thing for Lee, didn't she?

"—be out by tomorrow evening." The last end of a sentence snapped her out of her thoughts.

"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun, what did you say? I didn't quite catch that."

"I said that I'm gonna be out of here by tomorrow evening! I can finally go back to training." He laughed, but was cut short by the displeased look on her face.

"Training?" The query in her voice was deceptively sweet, but something quailed in Naruto at the sickly grin on her face. "What's this I hear about training?"

"Well, I do have to keep getting stronger?" He asked rather than stated, hoping for a positive response. He got none.

He tried again. "Umm…because of the upcoming Chuunin Exams?"

Jackpot! Ino had dropped the aura of malevolence about her, and was looking slightly thoughtful. He breathed a sigh of relief.

"I forgot," she murmured, "you're still a Genin." She pursed her lips and nodded once, not happy, but accepting of his answer.

He would let the slight on his honor go, just this once. And not because he was sure she knew the meaning of castration, either.

"But!" She thundered sternly with index finger wagging in his direction. "You will take a week's break before you resume training. I won't have you collapsing in a fit of testosterone induced idiocy just because you're afraid of appearing weak."

It was clear that she expected complete compliance, and although Naruto was not the sharpest sword in the sheathe, he wasn't as dull as many thought him to be. He nodded hastily. "Of course, Ino-chan!"

He hesitated, then asked, "But what I am going to do for a whole week!? I can't sit still that long! What do you think I've been doing in here all this time? Twiddling my thumbs?"

He was afraid of Ino's temper, but was used to enough of Sakura's beatings to brave this girl's wrath.

That sly look reappeared on her face, only this time, it was….inviting and mischievous. It made his mouth go dry, the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up, and a strange sensation to roll through his gut.

She stalked towards him slowly, hands clasped innocently behind her back and swaying her hips in the way that she knew drove him (and every red-blooded male in miles) mad, dammit!

He froze in place as she stopped beside his bed and leaned closer to him, invading his personal space and gazing into his cobalt eyes with her own cornflower blues, still smiling that breath hitching smile of hers.

"I'm sure I can help you think of something, ne, Naruto-kun?" She whispered throatily as she tilted her head in a way that made him want to howl aloud.

Her lips darted forwards and captured his.

Naruto's world exploded at the seams when he felt her lips press into his. He was only aware of the scent of honeysuckle, the delicious friction of her mouth against his own, and the feel of her breath as she exhaled gently through her nose.

There was an odd tickling sensation between his lips and he was startled to discover that it was her tongue that was seeking entrance into him. This was new!

He'd never knew that one could use their tongues in such…intimate ways. Of course, he had only kissed a girl twice before, and Ino had the honor of being the first girl he'd ever kissed, but still! Not even in the few moments of fumbling ecstasy in the greenhouse could compare with this!

He obligingly opened his mouth, and without a moment's hesitation, she pressed onwards, near startling Naruto in her enthusiasm.

While instructing Naruto in the finer arts of how to kiss a girl and make her enjoy it, Ino slowly pressed him back into his pillow. She pressed him so far in fact, that she had to half kneel on the bed to maintain her reach on him. One hand was on the bed to balance herself, the other was curled happily in the boy's hair, unconsciously stroking and gently tugging it in time to the rhythm of their lips.

Closing his eyes, he reveled in the powerful sensations that Ino was introducing him to. He had always been lacking in physical affection growing up, so this sort of touching was was near to becoming addictive to the boy.

At this point, he would have torn out Orochimaru's heart on placed it on silver platter for her, if only she would keep on touching him!

Desperate for something he couldn't put a name to, Naruto brought up a hand and cradled her face in it, pulling her mouth and lips against him so hard, he nearly threw her off balance. The other hand crept slowly to her knee, and inched slowly up her leg until it rested on her thigh.

With great reluctance, she broke the kiss and snaked her head out of his reach, smiling impishly at his groan of frustration. Both were gasping for air, flushed, and swirling with sensations that were new to one and only a little familiar to the other.

"Inooooo…" Naruto growled in annoyance.

Ino raised an eyebrow at his agitation and laughed in a way that sent shivers down his spine.

"Well, Naruto-kun? Have you come up with any good ideas yet?"

He was about to let loose a blistering tirade of all the nasty curses, both foreign and familiar, when Ino swung her right leg over his legs and settled herself primly onto his lap.

He could only gawk at her in surprise.

She shifted around for a few moments, trying to get comfortable. Suddenly, she froze in place and blushed slightly.

She looked down at Naruto and said lightly, "Well, it's nice to know that my ideas are appreciated."

Without further ado, she leaned forwards, took his face in her hands, and sucked his lower lip into her warm mouth. Almost instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to his chest and lap.

He gently pulled away from her swollen lips, and started to trail molten lava with his mouth and tongue down her jawline and into the crook of her neck.

She gasped when he found her pulse, and she actually purred in pleasure as he started on a steady rhythm there while she tilted her head back to give him better access.

A pool of heat sank from her stomach to her crotch as she felt his hands trace patterns up the back of her shirt and bury themselves in her hair.

Lost in the moment and consumed with a desire to know the boy beneath her in every way possible, she reached up and undid her hair tie, causing it to cascade around them and fill Naruto's nostrils with even more of Ino's intoxicating scent.

"Naruto…" she whispered urgently, lost in the feel of his tongue lapping away at her skin. She ground slowly into his lap, enjoying the feel and heat of him, and delighting in the strangled growl it elicited from his throat.

She took both hands away from his hair and brought them up to her shirt ties, determining that there were too many layers of clothes on both parties.

Suddenly, the door crashed open and the last person that Ino wanted to see strolled into the room.

"Looks like you'll be getting out sooner that you thou--"

Sakura's words died on her lips as she saw Naruto, and more importantly, who was straddling Naruto's lap.

Naruto's head whipped up at the sound of her voice, nearly bashing the back of his head against Ino's chin in his haste. He stared with wide eyes at her trembling form. One hand still around Ino's waist, he unconsciously stretched a hand out towards his teammate.

"Sakura-cha—"

He was cut off when Ino forced him to face her with both hands and leaned down to give him a soul-searing kiss, keeping her gaze locked with the pink haired medic at the door and letting her know exactly how things were. She growled in the back of her throat in triumph as she heard him moan slightly.

He's mine, Forehead Girl. You had your chance. I'll be the one he looks at from now on, not you. He's mine!

Sakura could only stare with a sinking heart. Ino had already made the first move. She had the advantage.

She understood the unspoken words in her rival's eyes, but she wasn't sure if she was willing to accept them.

"Oh." She said softly.

She stepped inside and shut the door.