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!]

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[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."