[Log] [Harsh Words] [Inosuke and Ibiko]
Morino Ibiko was not deaf to the words whispered behind her back around her Department. Nor was she blind to the stares and pointing. In all actuality, Ibiko encouraged it, found some sort of pleasure in it, really. None of them ever dared do it in front of her face, which was good, showed they still feared her enough to be sly and think they were getting away with it. She ran a tight ship, after all, held even tighter since the Yakushi incident, and there was nothing wrong with a little healthy dose of fear.
And because of that, certain appearances had to be made.
"Yamanaka," she said very curtly. "I need to speak with you."
While most people were very scared of Ibiko, Inosuke liked her very much. She was his mentor in a way, helping him with Intelligence and putting him on his way to becoming a jounin. She was scary, yes, but she was smart and good at what she did. While Inosuke only dabbled in T&I, his true speciality in Espionage, the lines for these two departments often blurred and one had to be flexible. When he heard that Ibiko wanted to see him, he didn't think much about it.
Then again, people often went into her office and never came out.
"Hey, Ibiko-senpai! What's up?" he asked cheerfully.
The overall sunnyness of the boy clashed horribly with the gloomy feel of her office, and made her lips curl distastefully. She'd gotten on his case one too many times before about the whole 'Ibiko-senpai' business, his familiarity with her not only unprofessional but irritatingly similar to that of Aki's, and gods knew she could only handle one of him.
"Morino," she reminded him again, almost mechanically, the irritation clear in her tone and expression. But while she would have liked to beat that little information into his head (preferably with that wooden chair over there), there was business to attend to, and if Ibiko was about anything, it was business.
"Certain things have been brought to my attention as of late," she laced her hands professionally on her table, her dark eyes holding his gaze evenly. There was a pregnant pause, completely intentional.
"You have a girlfriend, am I correct?"
Inosuke rubbed the back of neck sheepishly, laughing a bit. "Okay, okay, Morino-taicho," he said with a mock salute. She was the creepiest woman he knew, there was no doubt about that. He was about the answer that no, he had a boyfriend, but he didn't think Ibiko would appreciate his humor. It was hard to act like she was just a leader to him because of his relationship with Asuka. You couldn't really trust someone unless you liked them on a very personal level.
"I do. Nara Shikako, my genin teammate. Why do you ask?" he blinked large blue eyes at her curiously. "If you're trying to proposition me? You know that it's frowned upon for a superior to do such a thing."
He was right, Ibiko didn't appreciate his humor. Dark, unamused eyes narrowed ever so slightly, lips curling again as she struggled to remind herself that a Yamanaka in Intelligience was a good thing, really.
"It would be in your best interest if you terminate that particular relationship," she stated very plainly, emotionlessly.
"Terminate? Why would I do that?" he still stood at an attention, respectful, even if he really wanted to climb over the desk and smack her in the head. "I don't understand what my relationships have to do with you, ma'am. Not to be disrespectful but that's my personal life."
"I think you, of all people, know how often the line between personal and professional lives blur," she said just as easily, very obviously unmoved by her suggestion. "Relationships are liabilities, plain and simply, Yamanaka. If you want to succeed in this profession, it's best to cut your ties now, before they hold you down later."
Inosuke's jaw clenched. "I'm sorry but one thing doesn't have to do with the other. Shikako has nothing to do with what I do here. My work has been fine and I do everything you people tell me to do including coffee runs. I will succeed just find regardless if I have a girlfriend or not!"
"You will succeed just fine if all you ever plan to do is fetch me coffee," came her monotone voice again, dispassionate and blunt. "Very bad coffee, I might add; and it would probably be wise of you to keep your tone even," was the barely concealed threat, though her expression did not change at all.
His mind reeled and it took all of his willpower not to throw a kunai right in her eyes. How dare she? She even had the nerve, the gall, to insult his coffee. "You're telling me to keep my tone even?! What kind of department leader are you?? I refuse!" And what? he seemed to ask her. "I refuse. I'm sorry but I'm not going to do that."
Uncharacteristically, Ibiko found herself with the sudden urge to sigh, and sigh heavily, while maybe rubbing a temple or two. She refused to think she was going soft, gods forbid, but where she would have normally very simply told the person to leave and never come back, she found herself relenting.
As much as Morno Ibiko could relent, anyway.
"You fail to understand the advantages this will give you," she tried explaining, though in a very curt, barely-patient tone. "Without the burden of a significant other, you will be free to take on bigger missions, be given higher duties. I did not say you couldn't keep her around, by all means, do so; it's actually somewhat encouraged, something about it being healthy for boys your age," she waved the words off carelessly.
Holy… holy shit. Did Morino Ibiko just tell him… to keep Shikako around for sex? If Inosuke wasn't sure that Ibiko could rip his face off he would have definitely kunai'd her. "That is more than enough," the blond said in a firm voice, calm and in control. He felt anything but. "If those are your rules those are your rules, Morino-san. This is your department after all."
"In conclusion, fuck you and fuck this department," Inosuke strode towards the door, throwing her a look over his shoulder. "Good looking running it without me. Oh and good luck getting another Yamanaka in here ever again."
With that, he walked out.