A/N: For those of you who don't know, this is a sequel to Mission Impossible: Housewife so I suggest you read that first to know what's going on. It starts with the epilogue I'd posted in the last chapter. This isn't the original sequel I had in mind either, Toto Yoshio and MinakoTrickster both actually inspired me to write this, so thank you guys, for inspiring me to think of this.

Anyway, on with the story. Don't forget to review!

Mission Impossible: The Path to Motherhood

By KawaiPanda

Chapter One

A GaaIno Love Story

I yanked the chart from the man's hands because obviously he couldn't read right and needed new glasses, but as I looked over the results, my eyes widened.

"It's impossible," I informed him, shoving the lying papers back into his arms.

"I can assure you, it is most definitely not impossible," he replied, fixing the sheets back from my rummaging. He was the one who told me that I wouldn't be able to have children! He was the one who told me I was barren.

Shaking my head, I cried, "But I can't!"

He gave me a small smile, looking the chart back over. "You obviously can, Ino-san."

Again, I shook my head. "It's got to be wrong. I think there was a mistake in the lab work. Try it again."

"Ino-"

I stood then, determined to march to the labs myself and sort this out. This was a mean and nasty trick to be playing on me and on Gaara. "It's probably that damned virus again."

"It's not." The tone of his voice had my hand stilling as I grasped the knob of the door.

Turning back to him slowly, I whispered, "So… so I'm pregnant?"

"You're pregnant. About three months now, actually." I almost fell to my knees at this. Nodding my thanks, I left the room and mechanically made my way back to the mansion. By now, I almost knew Suna like the back of my hand. It had been only a few months ago that I came back, Matsuri died and I'd discovered who'd been trying to have me assassinated. Since everything happened, I'd taken to exploring the city during my free time. Gaara had allowed me to become a teacher at the school so I taught a little, and other than training, I found that I had a lot of free times on my hands. A bored Ino made for a nosey one. Even with Kankuro and Tenten's upcoming wedding, I found myself with too much time during the day.

I'd have to ask Gaara to give me some more classes at the school. He was afraid of giving me too much all at once. Thankfully the evenings... well let's just say I had my hands full with a certain red head.

Gaara had been able to talk to, and by talk, I meant threaten, the Council from voiding the marriage. Things were going along just smoothly. Temari and Shikamaru had found a house for them not too far away from ours, and every month or so, they went back and forth between the nations. Konoha was still in need of it's Chief Adviser, and because Temari was Gaara's sister, she couldn't just up and move away. Kankuro had no problem with it though, because the moment he learned Tenten was pregnant, he asked to be transferred to Konoha permanently. Temari was entering the last trimester of her own pregnancy, and didn't have much longer to go, especially since she had double the burden. Tenten was well into the second trimester with their child... and if the doctors calculations were right, I wasn't too far behind her. Maybe a month?

I knew he would be ecstatic to find out that we were going to have a baby. The first time when Temari and Shikamaru came over and she was heavily pregnant, Gaara was so scared of touching her, in fear that she would break or something! She got annoyed and forced him to rub her belly. The look on his face... it was like a child at Christmas. My heart had broken at the time because I just knew I couldn't give him that joy... but now. A smile broke out on my face and my hand snaked up to touch my abdomen. How much longer would it have been before I'd start showing? Before I felt our child kicking?

Before I knew it, I found myself inside the mansion, cooking dinner for my wayward husband who insisted on bringing paperwork home with him a few times a week at the very least. The times he didn't, he came home an hour later to stay and work on paperwork.

Once the table was set and his plate on the table, did he finally arrive. I had to wrangle up my shouts of joy to keep from spoiling the surprise, and instead, gave him a small smile. Kissing me on the cheek as he sat down across from me, he asked, "How was your day?"

"It was fine. I went to the doctor," I informed him around bites.

"Oh, are you okay?" He asked, concern laced through his voice.

I hadn't told him much about feeling ill, or my chakra beginning to fail me again, but he saw through the mask I put up. This very morning, I'd been violently ill and I knew he'd woken up to the sounds of me vomiting. When I'd went back to bed, he turned to me and rubbed my back, much to my mortification.

I nodded, feeling a large smile slip through my mask of calm. "Yeah… I'm just pregnant."

"What?" He stilled, his head snapping towards me so fast, I wondered if he had gotten whiplash.

Clearing my throat, I repeated myself, "I'm pregnant."

Gaara went stiff at the announcement and for a moment I worried that he might have actually turned into stone as I watched with a lifted brow as the glob of food he'd had on the end of his fork eventually be taken hold by the gravity pulling on it and plopped back onto the plate. I knew he was just in shock. I was too when it set in that I was carrying our child inside of my womb. I mean, it seemed too good to be true.

"Are you sure?" He finally asked as I finished the last of my supper, his voice croaking.

"Yep." I rose and picked up my plate, making sure to scrap any extra food into the garbage before I settled it into the sink.

"But the doctor-"

"Is an idiot," I interrupted. "You really should look into improving the medical staff, Gaara. I... I wasn't barren after all."

"..."

Shaking my head at my unresponsive husband, I started for the room. "Anyway, I need to get ready."

"For what?" He asked.

"I have testing tomorrow with the children." Ever since I'd come back, and after that whole debacle with Matsuri, I'd been given a position at the academy. Gaara had had it in the works since we got married, and now I was finally able to take the post. I knew I wouldn't have been able to convince him to allow me to join the Torture and Interrogation department because first and foremost, I was the wife of a Kage. Having such a job didn't look good to the public, and I was beginning to learn a lot about politics since becoming the wife of one.

I was also from another village, and while I was trusted, they didn't trust me that much to know state secrets. Besides, teaching was a lot of fun. I didn't think I'd like it all that much, but ever since I started, the kids had grown on me.

"..."

Because he wasn't going to contribute, I had the overwhelming urge to fill in the silence. "I know it's still a couple of months away, but I just want to make sure they're ready for the exams."

After a short pause, he stood and replied, "I'm going to the office."

Frowning, I asked, "Why?"

"I have paperwork-"

"You always have paperwork. It can wait until morning, can't it?" I pleaded. He was still in that office of his constantly, but thankfully he'd started to spend time at home with me. The house was very empty now a days, what with Temari and Shikamaru gone constantly, travelling back and forth between Konoha and Suna. Kankuro and Tenten were also now living in Konoha, so it was just me and Gaara most of the time.

"... I suppose it could," he murmured, and I grinned.

"Good. It won't take me too long to go over the tests real quick and make sure everything is in order."

I continued to our room and was going over the tests when he walked into the room, taking off his shoes and placing the gourd of his against the wall.

XxXxXxXxX

The testing had went really well, not that I was worried or anything. My students were so bright, and eager to learn. They reminded me of my academy days, though the number of boys greatly outnumbered the girls. There were obvious cliques as to who got along with who, the classroom Casanova along with his very own fangirls, the popular kids, the nerds, and the outcasts.

Most of the students were ready for their genin exam, and I let out a sigh as I piled up the tests in a neat pile. They were growing up so fast, and soon would be out in the world. I just hoped that when they got out into the real world, they would be able to apply what they'd learned in real situations that would possibly end with life or death.

I know that I should have paid more attention in class as a girl, because once I'd gotten out into the world, I was like a hapless civilian for the most part. I didn't have much to fall back on, save for my family jutsu, and that left me defenseless most of the time until I started expanding my skills. It wasn't until Asuma's death that I finally started getting serious.

"Ino-san." At the voice, I was broken out my reflection. I saw that it was another teacher.

"Yes?"

She walked inside, a scroll in her outstretched hand. "You have a letter here, from the Kazekage's office."

Frowning, I stood and took the offered scroll. It was official looking and everything. Something, in the pit of my stomach, told me that it was serious and I dreaded opening the thing. "Okay... thanks." She nodded and was well on her way, as I finally gathered the courage and broke the seal to read the message. As I took in the words, I felt my anger rising to dangerous levels.

"What in the hell..." I snarled, crushing the scroll in my shaking hand, I stormed in the direction of my husbands office.