Konohagakure no Sato, Tuesday Afternoon

[intraspective]

A day spent sight-seeing had been a fantastic excuse to keep her dad and Zack as far apart as possible (because even while it was hilarious, in her opinion, Ino also liked breathing and it was hard to do when hyperventilating from laughter) without seeming like that was her goal.

Today, she'd gotten a bit lucky—her dad had left early on a mission, the kind that made his face go distant before he ever got out the door—and Ino had proceeded to drag Zack out and about before her mom roped him into working at the shop for the day.

Which would have been funny as well, but seriously? Parents were so annoying sometimes, geez. She had plans here.

"Getting bored yet?" Ino asked, grinning down (yes down) as she walked on the railing over the bridge they were on. "Hope not, 'cause I ain't done."

[NFB due to distance. For the modded with permission puppy!]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

"So you're going to get me all curious and not tell me what it is?" Zack was going to have to laugh some more, clasping his hands behind his head as they strolled along. "I'd say that's mean, but everything else has been awesome so far, I guess I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise, either."

[intraspective]

Ino gave that a bit of a shrug, hopping down off the railing as they reached the end of the bridge.

"I don't think words would get it across very well," Ino explained, smiling up at him. "It's kinda one of those things you've just got to--get."

[puppy_fair]

"Fair enough!" Zack? Zack was sooooo easy. Seriously. "Is it very far from here, then?"

Why yes, he totally was looking around to see if he could see any clues as to what it was.

[intraspective]

"Not too far," she said, laughing a bit at his impatience. "We're almost there, see--look up, over that tree there? You can see the flag."

[puppy_fair]

"Hi, flag!"

... Why yes, he was waving. Why?

He considered the flag for a moment, and then grinned a little more as he looked back at Ino.

"Race?"

[intraspective]

Ino shook her head, laughing.

And took off running!

The area they were making for was a sizable clearing. The ground a patchwork of grass and dirt--worn through from training, from walking, just didn't grow--and there were three wooden posts sticking out of the ground, about half way in.

The flag, however, rose above a thick, pale grey stone with more names than easily countable inscribed in it. The stone sat in a paved area all it's own, surrounded by stepping stones kept in order by a border.

[puppy_fair]

Zack wasn't necessarily giving his all in this particular race, no, but that was mostly because if he pulled ahead, he felt as though he'd somehow be spoiling the surprise if he were to get there before Ino.

And anyhow, running for the sake of running was where it was at.

"A monument?" He slowed to a stop not far from the stone, quirking his head to the side and looking it over.

[intraspective]

Ino rested on hand on a hip and stared at the names for a moment before answering.

"We call it the Hero's Stone."

[puppy_fair]

"The Hero's Stone," Zack echoed, and now he was kneeling in order to get a better look, frowning thoughtfully at the inscriptions. "So, this writing would be...?"

He was fairly certain that he knew. But.

[intraspective]

"The name of every shinobi who has died while on duty in service to the village," Ino answered from behind him. "For many shinobi, it's the only way to remember the fallen."

[puppy_fair]

Zack gave a small nod of his head, falling silent as he leaned forward a little, his eyes following the contours of the kanji that was carved into the stone.

"We get notices," he offered, after a few moments of looking at the words he couldn't hope to read. "The company sends us mail, with the names of those who have been killed in action."

He frowned a little at that. There were a lot of names that the company had never bothered with. Most of their 2nds and 3rds, actually.

"This? I think I like this, better."

[intraspective]

"It's meant to be permanent," she answered, gazing up at the flag. "So we don't forget."

Mail just seemed so... empty. It didn't last.

[puppy_fair]

Even if you never deleted the messages, someday you'd be one of those notices, too. And then maybe everyone else deleted their messages, and that would be that.

"This is awesome." The names of heroes. Real heroes, there on the stone. Someday, if Zack had any say in the matter at all, he'd be like that.

... Maybe less dead, though. Preferably.

"Thank you for showing me this, Ino."

[intraspective]

She shrugged a little, looking at the stone.

"People 'round here," she said, "most of us don't get real graves even if our bodies come back. Too many secrets in our genes. It's too dangerous for our bodies to be in graves."

Ino shrugged again. Blew at her hair.

"Just thought you might--want to see it." Now that she was here, Ino wasn't sure why it had been a good idea and felt a bit awkward.

[puppy_fair]

Zack nodded, leaning forward and reaching a hand to run carefully, reverently over the cool stone before him.

"Good call." And he pressed his hand against the surface for a moment longer, before reaching to his back, pulling his sword, and pressing the blade to his forehead.

It was a reverent sort of gesture. He'd seen Angeal do it before, and...

Well. It was an honor thing.

[intraspective]

She didn't ask about the gesture--the meaning was clear enough--and stayed silent.

There was no need for her to babble right this second, not when her eyes could pick out the names that had been added since she'd left for Fandom.

[puppy_fair]

Embrace your dreams. And, above all else...

Zack remained that way, silent, for a few minutes more. And then he pulled himself to his feet, looked up at his sword as he held it in the air, and then gave it a spin before setting it on his back again.

"Protect your honor," he finished aloud. And then he glanced over his shoulder at Ino.

[intraspective]

"Yeah," Ino said, smiling softly. "Protect your honour."

Naruto shouting that he wouldn't go back on his word. Sakura telling her about a promise he'd made her--a promise of a lifetime. You protected your team because they were your family.

Because only trash neglected their team.

"Come on," she said, "let's go."