Ino was a doll that belonged to Mikoto Uchiha. She was a friend to every little girl, and so, the young Mikoto cherished the doll dearly. Pretty soon, Ino had a substantial wardrobe and even a gorgeous house. Though she preferred playing outside with Mikoto in the garden, pretending to be a fairy, than staying indoors. Some days she was a savage heroine, stained with mud and grass, saving the giant tiger-cat from rain, other times, she stood daintily and in the latest fashions as Mikoto coloured in her book. However, those fun days ended as soon as Mikoto got married. As cherished as she had been, Mikoto didn't have time to play with Ino. She got dusted once a day and was propped in the dollhouse as Mikoto played with her newborn son. Ino liked him too. She wanted to play with Itachi too. But her paralysed limbs and glass eyes stared vacantly ahead.
Mikoto's belly swelled again in time and Ino often found herself hoping that it would be a girl. Even Mikoto would brush Ino's hair fondly during her pregnancy once or twice and hope she would have a girl.
It was a boy.
Ino wasn't really sad or disliked Mikoto. As a doll that only wanted her friend to be happy, she really liked it that Mikoto loved her family. But Ino felt disappointed that she couldn't bring happiness to anyone again. It was fairly obvious that these boys were not interested in being her friend and Mikoto had already found something more fun than playing with her. Ino had become boring.
"Do you really think Sasuke should grow up with a dollhouse in his nursery? What if he chokes on some of the little pieces?"
"But dear… I can't put something so lovely in storage."
Her head drooped, so she would get put in the attic after all. As suffocating as that dollhouse was, she still thought it was better than 'storage'. She had heard of this fate with some dolls. Some had been subjected to embarrassing haircuts, even become beheaded… but Ino had never thought Mikoto would do this to her.
"I've been a good friend to you, Mikoto… why would you do this to me?"
"Well, you could put the dollhouse in my room."
And so Ino's house was moved to Itachi's room, with a view of the window and she felt somewhat pleased by this development. She didn't expect that he would talk to her or anything, but it was better than storage.
"I wish you could hear me… thank you."
Itachi's pencil stilled on his homework and he looked up at her. His dark brows furrowed, but other than that, nothing changed on the outside. But Ino changed on the inside.
"Creepy doll, isn't it? Her face looks realistic," Shisui had commented. "How can you sleep with this sort of Ikiryo in your room?"
Itachi chuckled momentarily, he could see what Shisui meant. This doll did look a little like a jealous spirit. But if he was honest with himself, he had never felt alone the moment he had placed the doll in his room.
"I've always imagined her as the Tennyo Amoronagu," Itachi said with a smile. "She belonged to my mother."
A celestial maiden. That was how he had described her. Ino was pretty sure she had fallen in love with him.
He grew up under her gaze and she tried to watch out for him, tried to soothe him when he got told off or sat down reading by himself because his only two friends were Sasuke and Shisui, or to get him to calm down and not work so hard.
She got especially worried whenever he became ill.
"If only I could break out of this paralysis and come to you." She would wish earnestly.
But someone else arrived instead of Ino. Itachi was naturally a good-looking young man and he had a lot of admirers. Ino knew that because she read through every letter Itachi brought home from school. And one day, he brought home more than a letter. It was another girl.
This young woman could move her arms and legs and could talk with Itachi.
Ino hated her.
But Itachi didn't. When he turned to that other girl and smiled, Ino could feel her entire chest being crushed. The only thing she could be glad about was that her painted on smile had already faded- so she wouldn't be smiling even though she was feeling sad enough to ache.
"Itachi…"
He looked up again as he was recovering from a debilitating illness in bed, this time, instead of looking away, he stood up and actually picked her up.
"…" Itachi was curious about the voice he had heard, but what was worse, was the state of the doll. When he had first got her, she had been rather lovely but now, she looked very old. Even her clothes had gone out of fashion. Well, that was to be expected, this doll had belonged to his mother after all.
His head was hurting, but he felt concerned for the doll.
"You don't look so good."
His eyes widened, trying to focus onto the doll. He may have been thinking that, but he knew that the voice didn't belong to him. He would have put her back, had it not been for the fact that tears were rolling down her face.
"I wish I could help you."
He wasn't sure if he was hallucinating, or if it was just a side-effect of the illness… but he was certain that right now, this doll was the owner of the voice and was crying. Not just wet tears falling down her eyes, but lips trembling, shoulders shaking- that sort of crying.
A few seconds later, he could feel the doll's arms around him and his surprised expression was met with her sad face.
The doll who had sat paralysed all those years in the dollhouse had come to life.