Babylonian Days

This is based on Babylonian times, idea from my Global calls that I am in love with but wish it was more challenging. For anyone who doesn't know I guess that the years so backwards to us nowadays for times like this. I don't know why but I'm also no scholar so. I also couldn't find out when women usually got married, but let's just pretend that it gets started around when they turn sixteen.

Disclaimer: If I actually owned Naruto, do you really think I would be wasting my time writing fanfictions instead of putting what I want into the episodes? Lol, so no, I don't own it.

Now let's all pretend we know how to speak and read ancient Babylonian language! :D

XOXOX

Year 1721B.C.E., Day 23 of Week 4.

I am now sixteen years old on this day. I will be married in a year or less. My father and brother, Deidara, are working on preparations for a suitor that will bring them property and will bring me a husband. I have to admit that I am scared for who my husband will be. What if he is mean to me? Or if he wishes to take on a second wife? Will he only wish to have me as his sex toy and not truly care for me as a husband should? Will I even love him? Is it someone that I know or maybe someone that I have passed by on the streets?

All these questions never seize to pop into my head at all hours of the day. How could I not think of this? Even if a suitor chooses to wait a year to decide if he still wishes to have me, I still can't help but wonder what will happen now. I know I should not even write these, just in case they get found and I get in trouble, but I just couldn't help it. I needed to vent somehow and let this out, even if it's just on paper; it still helps me in a way.

My parents and brother say that they have a surprise for me today, since it's my birthday, but they won't tell me what. I can't imagine what it is, especially since we are on the verge of becoming part of the lower class, if we don't get out of some debt that my family is in. I didn't even ask for anything, knowing we are in troubles, but my family insisted. I will just be happy with whatever they are surprising me with.

Oh, my mother is calling for me, I must depart now.

Until next time,

Ino Yamanaka.

XOXOX

"Yes, mother?" The blonde haired, blue eyed beauty asked when she entered the small kitchen of their small family home. Even if it was small, it was big enough for Ino and all she needed. She noted how her father and older brother was also in the kitchen as well.

"We have your birthday present for you, sweetheart. Come and open it," her mother replied when Deidara held out an old and worn down brown bag that my father used when he went on trading trips.

I grabbed it and opened it to see purple fabric. Pulling it out, she could now fully see that it a silk dress with red flowers on it, but the main color was purple under the flowers. The sleeves looked like they would come down to her elbows. She had never owned anything silk like, no one of her class did, so she knew that this must have been expensive.

"What's wrong, sweetie?" Her father, Inoichi, asked when she saw she smile replaced with a frown. He had thought that she would have loved her gift. Ino looked up to her father and saw that her looked worried. "You don't like it?"

"NO, that's not it. I love it, but... well this must have been really expensive! I don't want us to go more into debt for me." Ino confessed just to have her father chuckle away her worry. "What is it, father?"

"I practically got that for free! All I had to trade for it was one of the pottery bowls you made. Don't you worry about financial business now, dear."

"Your father's right, Ino. Now go and try it on so we can see you in it." Mrs. Inoichi said to her youngest child. Ino nodded and left the kitchen go and change into her new dress.

It fit perfectly! Every piece stuck to her beautifully and showed all her curves nicely. I almost seemed like it was made exclusively for her. She walked back out into the kitchen area and showed off her silky dress to her lookalike family. They smiled and complemented her. After they spent time together as a family, Mrs. Inoichi requested for Ino to gointo the village to trade some of her pottery creations and trade that for a some fur to make a blanket out of. It was starting to turn cold and they needed to prepare for that and keep warm. As the days grew shorter and shorter, the colder it got and the Yamanaka family needed to make blankets for warmth.

Ino waked into the main town area, where the family friends, the Haruno's, lived. Ino hoped that they would trade some fur for her pottery in her pouch that restedon her back. When she reached her friends home, she knocked and waited for someone to answer the door. After a moment Sakura opened the door and smiled at her long time friend, Ino.

"Ino, hi. What are you doing here?" she asked as she let Ino in the small house.

"Actually, I'm hoping that you have some fur to trade for some of my pottery. We need to make blankets for the upcoming winter." Ino replied.

Sakura turned to her blonde friend with a frown. "The only fur we have is already being used for us to make blankets. Sorry Ino, I wish I could help you but we are barely getting by as it is as well."

"Oh, um... well that's not good." Ino mumbled to herself mostly. The only good thing is that they still had some time before it got even colder and started to snow, but there would also be no guarantee that they would have anymore fur to trade.

"If we get anymore in then I'll stop by and let you know, but until then we unfortunately can't help you." said a sadden Sakura. She hated that this sometimes happened to them and couldn't help her best friend and her family.

"Okay," she sighed out to Sakura. She turned to take her leave when Sakura took a hold of her arm and smiled to her.

"Do you honestly think you are going to leave before I tell you happy birthday and your gift?" Ino chuckled at the pink haired girl. She took something out of her pocket and handed it to Ino. She opened the little box and smiled down to what she saw. "Do you like it?"

"Do I like it?" she repeated. "It's beautiful, Sakura! Thank you so much!" She puller her into a friendly hug.

Sakura pulled away after a moment and said, "Well me and the family wanted to get you something special for your birthday. You deserve it."

"Still, thank you and please tell your parents as well that I'm thankful. It's a beautiful hair pin." She examined it; purple to the naked eye but when she took a closer look she saw that it was a lot of different purples to make one, pretty, color.

"Here, let me," Sakura said as she took the hair pin and placed it in the blondes hair. She took a step back and smiled, her best friend is stunning, especially with that dress. She didn't even look like a middle/lower class social class, but a wife of a noble instead. "That's a very pretty dress, Ino. Gift from your family?"

Nodding, she smiled and said her farewells, needing to get back t her family soon. "Thank you so much, Sakura."

"Well your welcome, but be careful and happy birthday, Ino."

XOXOX

He first saw her in town on and even night. She was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid his eyes upon and he would never forget the way she looked. She had on a silk purple and red dress that showed off her every curve, a purple hair pin, and her hair was set up in a high ponytail. Her ice blue eyes looked so content as she walked through the darkening streets with a pouch on her back. She didn't notice him as she kept walking, but he didn't mind because he was able to continue looking at her without her knowing.

He followed her down the still filled streets, telling his guards to wait for him while he continued to search for the blonde. How could someone like her be walking these dirty streets alone? She looked like a higher social class than the people around her. She walked with confidence in each stride she took and he loved to see that. He wanted, no, needed to know this goddesses name. How could he have never seen her before? He always went with his father for town meetings and such, but he never recalled seeing her before.

She stopped in mid stride when some male bumped into her and grabbed her arm. She looked scared of this man and he knew he would have to help her.

XOXOX

"Give me your bag, wench!" the larger male said in a rough voice. His hold on her tighten when she shook her head to his harsh demand. "How dare you deny me!" He roughly pushed her away and grabbed her bag from her. He stood over her fallen body with a menacing look. "Now you get the consequences."

Ino frantically looked around for someone to help her, but it was no use. Everyone had just retreated into their homes for the night. She started to cry when she lost hope of getting out of this, just when she saw a lone figure coming closer to them. The sinister male yanked her up from the ground though, and went to smack her across the face when the lone figure finally reached the two and grabbed his wrist in mid swing. Ino fell to the ground, along with her pottery, while the sinister male stepped back.

"How dare you hurt this innocent girl! You shall now pay the consequences as well." said the brunette male that saved Ino.

The other male dropped to his knees when he saw Lord Shikamaru Nara and bowed to him respectively. "Please, My Lord, spare me! Please!"

"Enough! You will pay for what you did by my father, under the Law of Hammurabi, you shall pay the consequences like anyone else." Lord Shikamaru spoke to the peasant. By that time Shikamaru's guard came running up to his side and he ordered them to take the begging peasant to his father after telling them what had transpired. Shikamaru turned to the blonde who was still on the ground, but now bowing to him on her knees.

"Thank you, My Lord, thank you very much." She didn't look up to face him properly, but keep her head lowered to him. How troublesome.

"You can stand up now." he said. He saw the hesitation in her movements, afraid to stop bowing to the King's son, but also afraid to disobey his request. Once she was standing before him, she had a had time looking him in the eyes. Shikamaru merely sighed. "You don't have to be afraid of me, you know. I'm not going to hurt you or anything."

"Yes, My Lord." Ino said as she finally looked him in the eyes only to look back at the ground to where her bag was laying. Shikamaru followed her gaze to the bag that lay on the ground. He walked over to it and picked it up. Everything inside was broken into pieces from the drop.

"It seems like your pottery is all broken," he told the blonde as he handed her the bag. Her face was twisted with sadness and guilt, probably for letting them get smashed. Her look made him feel bad for her so he wanted to help her for the loss. "I have a lot of pottery and such at the temple, I can repay you or your broken work. It's the very least I could do."

Ino looked at him in astonishment. "T-There's no need, My Lord. You helped me so much already that there's no need for you to waste anymore of your time on me."

"Nonsense! That filthy man ruined your hard work, you should not have to deal with that. I'll stop by tomorrow to bring you some new material for you and your family. What's your name?" he asked.

Ino couldn't believe the Prince wanted to help AND repay her! She was so scared of him at first, not knowing if she would say the wrong thing to him, but he seemed too nice to ever harm her. "I-Ino Yamanaka, My Lord. I live in the Yamanaka residence with my parents and brother."

"Then I'll make sure to stop by. Now then, let's get you home and out of these dark streets."

Their walk was short and quiet, but yet somewhat comfortable. He walked her to her door and then departed her where she stood as she entered into her house. She liked him and couldn't wait to see him again the next day.

"Ino! Where have you been?" Mother ran up to her and asked as soon as she entered the home. They would never believe her...

XOXOX

What a day! How many things happened in one day! First I get two beautiful presents, then a robber tries to take my pottery and hurt me, to the Prince of Babylonian, Shikamaru, rescuing me and promising to stop by again to give me some new material. If I would have guessed what my day would have been like when I woke up, I would have never guessed for any of these events to have occurred. Though, I don't regret any of them, even the filthy robber since I got to meet Lord Shikamaru out of it. I couldn't wait to see him again and wanted to look good for him. But I don't have anything else that was nice like the dress I received today and knew that I wouldn't be as impressive looking as I was today.

I was right about my family not believing me, though. It nearly took all night to convince them that I was telling the truth and wasn't making it up. They were shocked out of their minds though and my mother started cleaning our home to make sure everything was spotless when Prince Shikamaru stopped by tomorrow.

Well, that's all I have to say for now. I must be going to bed since it is quite late.

Until next time,

Ino Yamanaka.

XOXOX

Yay! I hope you all enjoyed, but sorry if it was a bit boring to you guys. I know that something as simple as pottery might not seem like a big deal, but please remember that this is the Babylonian times and times were much different than they are today.

Until next time...

~ShikaIno1