Thank you all for your reviews! I'm forever thankful! It keeps me happy and motivated to write!

Here's a chapter to keep you at the edge of your seat while I finish the next chapter. I apologize for taking so long to update! But I want to take my time to do my absolute best to give you a fabulous story :p

I do not own Naruto. The things I'd do to him if I did ;)

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*Previously on Effervescent Glow*

Kakashi aimed at Minato's chest while Minato targeted Kakashi's stomach.

"NOOOOOOOO!" Ino cried.

Just as they were about to clash, Ino desperately threw herself in front of Kakashi. She roughly grabbed his arm in an attempt to stop him.

Then there was an eerie flash of white light.

Warm blood sprayed onto Kakashi and Minato's face, snapping them out of their vicious trance.

As the light subsided, the outline of Ino's form became clear.

Minato stared in horror as blood trickled down Ino's perfecly curled hair. Still gripping Kakashi' arm, she looked down in shock. Kakashi's hand had ripped through her chest.

Then there was an earsplitting scream.

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Kushina clasped her hands over her mouth in horror, her scream still reverberating through the venue.

Ino's eyes went from vivid cerulean to a lifeless gray. Blood trickled down the corner of her parted lips.

Kakashi's face drained of all color and he started to stutter incoherent syllables. "I-I-Ino.. Oh my God... W-what have I..."

"YOU KILLED HER!" Kushina shrieked.

Kakashi frantically removed his hand from Ino's chest and stumbled backwards, staring at his cold, bloody hands. Ino's limp body fell towards the floor.

Minato instantly caught her in his arms, completely petrified.

"INO!" Minato cried. The prestigious Hokage was crouched the floor holding Ino's lifeless body. His godly form was now weakened and trembling. He brought a trembling hand to her cheek and delicately turned it towards him. "Ino? Ino! No...come back...Stay with me...please..."

There was no response. Ino's skin went cold against his warm hand, her breathing now nonexistent. The rosy color on her cheeks became pale and dismal.

Minato's eyes widened into perfect cerulean circles. Tears rimmed his eyes and streaked down his androgynous cheeks. His lips parted in disbelief. "No...Ino...please...don't leave me..." he whispered desperately.

He hastily formed complex handsigns and pressed his fingertips around the large wound on her chest. There was a momentary glow, then it faded. His attempt had failed.

A shocked expression was written on his face, and he continued trying to form various seals that could possibly bring her back to life. He grew desperate, begging for Ino to come back to him, each attempt making him more frustrated than the last.

Kushina was then distracted by a small twinkle a few feet from her. It was a strange necklace with a teal crystal pendant that was discarded on the floor. This must have belonged to this Ino girl... she thought. Kushina walked over and picked it up, taking the opportunity to kneel next to Minato and comfort him.

It bothered her, how much he cried over this mysterious woman. No one has ever seen Minato, the level headed Hokage, this torn apart. Who was she to him? Did he know her? Why did I not know about her? Does he...love her? No, it can't be possible. She reassured herself. Deep inside, she felt a slight sense of relief. With Ino gone, she was no longer considered a rival. This posed as a beneficial circumstance, but Kushina would never dare to admit it.

She handed Minato the necklace, who was startled upon realizing she was now next to him. He must have really been out of it. His eyes were now a fiery red and glazed with tears. Clutching Ino's necklace in his bloody left hand, he embraced Ino with all his being, with no regard to anyone around him.

Kushina brushed her long red strands out of her face, and laid her hand gently on Minato's back to offer comfort. She wanted to heal this broken heart, and make him whole again. This was her real chance to make him hers.

However, Minato failed to acknowlege her existence.

Kakashi grasped his chest and fell on his knees, tears falling mercilessly from his mismatched eyes.

This was all my fault. Why does this have to happen? I was never meant to love. All I do is hurt the ones around me...

"Ino...why? Why did you do this? Why didn't you let me protect you? Ino...please...don't leave me..." Minato whispered, feeling hopeless, "I need you.

I...I love you..."

Kakashi and Kushina both stared with wide eyes.

Kushina's heart broke upon hearing him whisper those three words with such passion. Why? Because they weren't directed towards her.

Minato's shoulder shook uncontrollably as he held Ino against him and sobbed quietly. The deeper he grew into despair, the darker his feelings of animosity became. From behind his shimmering golden bangs, raised his head and gave Kakashi a terrorizing stare. Minato's lips pressed into a firm line as he gently laid Ino's body on the floor, not breaking eye contact with Kakashi. In a flash, he zipped towards the masked jounin. Minato made a fist and struck Kakashi hard in his left cheek, sending the silver haired man flying across the venue.

"Minato!" Kushina shouted helplessly, but her efforts were in vain. No one dared to move.

There was a loud crash as Kakashi's body broke through the wall, creating a massive opening. Kakashi immediately recovered into a kneeling position as he stared quizically at Minato. He watched, baffled, as Minato walked menacingly through the large hole on top of the debris. The raging blonde bent down and grabbed Kakashi aggressively by the front of his dress shirt.

"Give me one reason not to chop you to pieces and feed you to your dogs!" Minato growled.

Kakashi he made no effort to fight back as he stared into Minato's furious blue eyes with guilt.

"I have no reasons. If you wish, finish me off now. I'm well aware that I deserve it, sensei." Kakashi said nonchalantly.

Minato growled, showing perfectly white fangs and squeezed his fist tighter around Kakashi's dress shirt. As livid as he was, he didn't have the heart to harm Kakashi any further. Even if he was responsible for Ino's death. He slowly loosened his grip as a rush of melancholy emotions poured over him like rain.

From behind him, he heard Kushina's muffled gasp.

"WHAT. THE. HELL. IS GOING ON HERE." a female voice enunciated dangerously.

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Minato looked over his shoulder, and his face drained of all color upon recognizing the woman who broke the silence.

There was a minty glow still resonating around her. The wound on her body appeared unharmed. The damaged fabric of her gown the only proof of evidence of Kakashi's deathly Chidori. Blood still stained her perfectly curled locks.

Minato's s lips trembled and his lungs were abandoned of all air. "Ino!" he managed to call out gratefully, feeling a rush of relief.

"PUT. KAKASHI. SENSEI. DOWN. NOW." Ino demanded, as she wiped the blood off her lip in one smooth motion.

Perplexed, the golden blonde Hokage reluctantly obliged, still in shock at Ino's presence. Was she a figment of his imagination? Or Is this some kind of...sick genjutsu? His eyebrows furrowed, his hope dwindling.

"YOU...BAKA!" Ino shrieked, making everyone flinch. In an instant, Ino lunged at Kakashi and punched him hard. Kakashi was now on his back a few yards away.

Nevermind.. Definitely not a genjutsu.

The foxy jounin supported his upper body with his elbow and held a hand up at Ino. "I-Ino, I'm sorry!" Kakashi called out, startled at her advances. For Ino to be alive and well...it all seemed so surreal.

"Sorry huh?" Ino mocked with venom.

He had no time to react as Ino straddled his waist and grabbed him by his collar with both hands. She growled, lifting his torso up towards her and began to shake him violently. A vein was throbbing against her forehead as she continued to scold him.

"YOU'LL BE SORRY AFTER I'M DONE WITH YOU! YOU IDIOT! THIS IS THE KIND OF SHIT THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LET YOUR PENIS AND YOUR EGO DRIVE YOU! DUMBASS!" she screamed.

In the midst of her rigorous aggression towards Kakashi, the top of her dress fell in unison with her strapless bra. Perfectly round womanly globes bounced invitingly in his face without Ino realizing it. Kakashi's face reddened from beneath his mask. "OH MY...G-AHH..." Kakashi gasped as blood streamed from his nose and he fell backwards into unconsciousness.

Ino glanced down at her perky breasts and attempted to cover them with the top of her gown. Or at least, with the remnants that remained.

"Ino! You...your..ah..." Minato swallowed dryly, pointing a finger at her bare chest with a raging blush on his face.

The sexy platinum blonde raised an eyebrow at the towering Hokage and rested her hands on her hips. The sharp gesture causing the fabric to fall once again, shamelessly revealing her breasts. Ino scoffed, the round milky globes of her chest bounced firmly.

"It's not like you haven't seen them before, Minato," she implied crudely, gesturing at her exposed breasts. Her personality unchanging, and bold as ever. She faced away from Minato and proceeded with tying her dress back up.

Kushina's eyes narrowed. What in the world?! He's seen them...before?!

Ino then froze, at if something had dawned on her. She turned to Minato slowly, cerulean orbs peeking through fine, eyelash rimmed slits as she shot daggers into his core.

"AND YOU!" she pointed at Minato's tall form and stormed towards him.

Ino leaped into the air and ruthlessly punched Minato on the top of his head.

Everyone gasped.

"OW!" Minato shouted, stumbling back a few steps. "I-Ino...baby...calm down.." he said nervously. He was still wincing with one eye closed, rubbing the newly tender spot on the top of his head through his wild golden spikes. "No need to be rash..." he said, holding his hands up in defense as a droplet of sweat trickled down the side of his head.

Ino scowled. She grabbed him by his tie and yanked him down to her eye level. She held her fist in front of his face and continued to yell at him with no remorse. Hokage or not, Ino showed no mercy for him. "NO NEED TO BE RASH?! JUST WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING RUINING AN PERFECT EVENTLIKE THAT HUH?! YOU COULD HAVE HURT SOMEBODY! I SHOULD KICK YOUR ASS RIGHT NOW AND USE YOUR FACE TO SWEEP UP THE FLOOR!" she screamed.

Ino was fuming, and it almost scared him. He had never seen her this angry before. On top of that, she didn't show an ounce of fear for him like she did when they had met. That was when he realized that the way she chastised him unveiled how much she truly cared about him. She was right. He let his pride and dominant nature consume him. Ino released his tie and pushed him away. She continued to stare icily at him, her breathing now elevated. Solemnly, he peered down at the area that was previously damaged by Kakashi, and he felt a rush of guilt.

But how is she...alive? I must be dreaming?

Reluctantly, Minato held up his index and middle finger.

"Kai," he demanded.

Ino looked around, then stared at him like he was out of his damn mind. Either way, he was able to confirm one thing. It really wasn't a genjutsu; this Ino was real.

Minato stared lovingly, observing her facial features. It was as if he was trying to confirm her existence. He couldn't speak. Instead, he took his time to take examine finer details of Ino. The Ino that stood before him. The Ino who was now alive. Her eyes subtly changed, and now had a hint of violet within her irises from her rage. Her pure white cheeks now kissed with pink, and glowing with life. Her plump lips, her porcelain skin, her body unharmed. As much as she wanted to punch Minato's face, she couldn't help but blush deeper as he stared at her with sweet intensity. He lifted his hands and cupped her face, the necklace interlaced and dangling from his fingers.

"Namikaze, what are you..." Ino began.

He stared at the necklace, then back at Ino. He grew lightheaded and felt a sense of joy as the pieces fell together.

Now it all made sense.

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The woman he loved, gave her life to protect him, and others. Like a true kunoichi. Like a true woman.

A tear fell from his eye and he smiled vibrantly. His eyes sparkled with words he had yet to express. With no warning, he pulled her in and kissed her wildly. He molded her into him with a loving embrace. He kissed her like never before, with passion, desperation,

and newfound love.

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Ino was left speechless. He poured his whole being onto her, as if he was deprived of her kiss for years. The way he held her was frantic, like she was going to disappear at any moment. She immediately melted into him like she always did. Only he had this effect on her. The fire in the pit of her stomach faded, and was replaced with butterflies and bliss. The spectators around them were surprised at how easily he could tame her. After all, they witnessed how she was downright insane when she was ticked off.

Minato broke the kiss and they both gasped for air. He enveloped her in his arms, feeling her warmth, her heartbeat, and the rise and fall of her chest as she was catching her breath. Ino was alive, and safe in his arms. He couldn't believe it.

"I'm so happy you're okay." he said gratefully. squeezing her tighter. "You didn't let me protect you, Ino. Don't ever do something crazy like that again. I'm never going to let you go. Ever." he promised.

"Someone has to protect you too, Hokage-sama," Ino teased as she played with his perfectly spiked hair. "But we are all okay, and that's what matters." Ino grinned.

Minato smiled and suddenly felt the weight of everyone's stare. Awkwardly, he cleared his throat and redirected his attention to all the shinobi in the venue. He made handsigns and planted his hand onto the ground, creating strange designs to ripple throughout the floor beneath their feet. With only the shinobi as his targets, the designs flooded the large room with light, and he erased their memory. They all looked around, dumbfounded.

Minato then spoke with authority, immediately taking the role of Hokage. "I want all of you to locate every patron from this event, wipe their memory from approximately 34 minutes ago to now, and return them here in 10 minutes. As for the ANBU, I want the earth style users currently present to rebuild this wall and return this venue to mint condition. After, you're free to leave. Report to me at 0600." he commanded.

"Hai!" they all shouted in unison.

With the snap of his arm, they all vanished. The entire venue now looked like nothing had occurred at all.

Ino couldn't help but feel enticed by how demanding he was as a hokage. Sometimes his good nature made her forget what an amazing Hokage he was. "Good job, Hokage-kun," she jested, spanking him on his behind.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as he whipped around to face Ino. "That was uncalled for!" he pouted.

"With a cute ass like that, it's always called for," Ino laughed.

Minato's pout faded and he chuckled, gently tapping her nose with his finger. "No touching my perfect ass in public," he declared.

"Oh? In that case, I'll do it more often," Ino winked.

They both laughed, with Minato taking her hand in his. He held up the necklace and a crooked smile tugged at his lips. Ino focused on the swaying pendant and looked at Minato curiously. He lowered the pendant onto the center of her palm and the rest of the necklace spiraled around it.

"The effervescent glow from this necklace," Minato began, "brought me the woman of my dreams. Again." he said sweetly.

Ino blushed. He's such a romantic son of a gun. She pulled him into a deep kiss. He held her hips in his masculine hands and moved his lips to her ear.

"I love you," he whispered.

Ino leaned back abruptly.

"Wait, what? You love me?!" Ino gasped. She stared into Minato's oceanic eyes like he had three heads.

"Yes, I love you, Ino Yamanaka. But the question is, do you love me back?" he asked, his gaze intense.

Ino smiled threw her arms around his neck. "Of course! I love you, Minato Namikaze. I love you more than anything." she confessed.

They were wrapped in each others arms, completely disregarding the pair of hateful eyes that watched bitterly.

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"Why...Minato-kun?" Kushina murmured, her eyes fixed on the floor. "Why her? Why do you love her... and not me?" she questioned, looking up at Minato.

Minato ignored her.

"ANSWER ME!" she screamed, her fist clenching at her sides. Her hair whipped around her wildly. "I always loved you and only you..ya know? So WHY?!"

Minato made no response. Instead, he pulled back from Ino's embrace and both blondes watched her cautiously.

"Kushina, pull yourself together. You're my best friend, so why are you behaving like this?" Minato questioned, treating her like a sibling.

Kushina lashed out, her feelings of pain and betrayal now concentrated on her fist. She drew it back behind her ear, tears burning. "YOU BASTARD!" she shrieked as she charged at him.

"Holy shit!" Ino yelled and quickly took her defensive stance, prepared to block Kushina from Minato. Minato halted Ino with his arm and stood in front of her. He closed his eyes and shook his head at her, speaking to her through his mind.

"Let me handle this. This is between me and her. Don't put yourself through danger for me anymore." Minato demanded.

"But-"

"Let me handle this."

"O-okay..."

Kushina was now less than five feet away. Minato reacted quickly and grasped Kushina just below her shoulders. Although his feet were planted on the floor, the contact with Kushina caused him to slide backwards with her. She relentlessly swung her arm forward, striking Minato as hard as she could. His face to snapped to his right. The deafening sound of her attack echoed through their ears, and blood tricked down his lip. He didn't stumble. He didn't falter. With his hands still clenching either side of her arms, he slowly turned his head and peered into Kushina's watery eyes.

Ino couldn't believe what she just witnessed. He stood here and allowed her to take her anger out on him. As hard as she punched him, he showed no signs of pain. He remained unphased.

Damn Minato, that was really hot. Ino thought to herself.

"Feel better after your little tantrum there, Kushina?" Minato said bitterly.

"Fuck you." she said with venom.

Minato sighed in frustration. "Kushina, I'll explain everything, but now is not the time. I'm still here for you, I'm not going anywhere. We will discuss this later," Minato assured, rubbing her arm.

Kushina shoved him violently. Growing more and more hostile. "GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME! YOU'RE A BASTARD! I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU DIE!"

Smack!

"INO!" Minato yelled.

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Ino snapped.

She had no tolerance for ignorant girls like Kushina.

Kushina stared in horror as she held her cheek. Ino's hand now a red imprint on her pale skin.

"JUST WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING TO HIM LIKE THAT?! HE CALLS YOU HIS BEST FRIEND, AND INSTEAD YOU'RE OVER HERE TREATING HIM LIKE SHIT! GET OVER YOUR DESPERATE OBSESSION WITH HIM START ACTING LIKE A REAL FRIEND! MOVE ON AND STOP BEHAVING LIKE A DESPERATE TRAMP!" Ino yelled.

"SCREW YOU! YOU'RE THE TRAMP HERE, YA KNOW?! WHAT THE HELL WOULD YOU KNOW ABOUT BEING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE WHO NEVER LOVED YOU BACK?!" Kushina shrieked.

"CAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE, BITCH! AND EVERYONE GOES THROUGH IT, SO GET THE HELL OVER IT!" Ino screamed.

Kushina glared at Ino.

"This isn't over, bitch." Kushina threatened.

"Nice to meet you too, Kushina," Ino said as sweetly as she could, a smirk plastered on her face.

Kushina turned on her heel and walked away. She clenched her fist, her nails digging painfully into her palm as she made a vow to herself.

Just wait, you blonde tramp. Minato will be mine.

You can't fight destiny.

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