Seventh Sense
Summary: Ino's eyes are injured during a mission, critical enough for surgery. She must stay in the hospital for three weeks to recover. During that time, she's visited every night by a mysterious stranger who won't speak, depriving her of his identity. But it has to be someone she knows...can she figure out who? Does she even want to? She's heard of the expression 'Love is blind', but didn't expect it to be so literal.
Chapter One: Good News and Bad News
A pain shot through Ino's thumping forehead once she finally came to. The pain seemed to extend behind her pupils. No, it came from her very sockets. The numbness of sleep finally wore off when she forced herself into a sitting position. It did nothing to help the headache.
"Ugh...what happened?" Her voice drowsily shot through the dark, followed by a yawn. Once the throbbing dimmed, said person opened their eyes, only to be met with a wall of black. After a few moments, her pupils began to sting again. With a low 'ow' she slammed her eyes shut again. "What the...what's going on?" Ino asked in a sudden panic, pushing her legs to the side of the comfortable surface. A bed. She then raised a hand up to feel her eyes, which were covered in some sort of tight cloth. "What's this?"
"Hey, Shikamaru, she's finally awake."
"Chouji?" She asked, hearing a door open and shut. She sensed a figure standing besides the bed. "You guys, what's going on?" She repeated.
"Guess she doesn't remember." Chouji said. Strangely, he was deprived of the usual crunching and munching that followed nearly every other sentence.
"Huh. Troublesome." One could only guess who that was.
About to repeat her question for the third time, but not wanting to sound like a moron, she shot the room a frown folding her arms on her lap. "Care to explain?"
"Don't you remember? You were on a mission with me and Kiba, when we were attacked at the mountain pass. They got you straight in the eyes during the ambush." Chouji unraveled. "No wonder. You probably didn't know what hit you."
"Oh...so how bad was it?" Ino asked, lowering her shoulders.
There was silence.
"Guys?" Ino asked.
"Well...you kind of had to have surgery." Chouji explained.
"Surgery? Is it that bad?" Ino asked, facing the direction she could only guess Chouji was.
Ino could only hear a rustle of fabric, of what she guessed was a nod or a shrug from either of her teammates. "Yeah. Tsunade-sama should have the test results back soon...we're not sure about the setbacks, though. You could be blind for all we know."
Always Shikamaru. Straight and to the point. Probably too troublesome to beat around the bush and at least lie to make her feel better. But blind?
"Jeeze. You don't seem very concerned." She mumbled. Either Shikamaru didn't catch it, or was too lazy to answer.
So Ino was left to her thoughts for the moment, since neither knew just what to say. No, I can't be blind! So much I haven't seen yet! So many guys I haven't seen yet! She gaped her mouth, horrorstruck.
Chouji must have noticed her discomfort from the sudden silence not usual in the presence of the Yamanaka heiress.
"Er...maybe it's not that bad, Ino. I mean Tsunade-sama's the best, right? Remember the surgery she performed on Lee's leg?"
This comforted Ino a bit, but she still spoke in an unusually small voice. "Yeah...you're probably right."
A few minutes of tense silence passed again before Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome..."
Almost as if on cue, the door slipped open again.
"Tsunade-sama." Ino wasn't sure if it was a greeting Shikamaru, or to help Ino acknowlege who was entering. Either way, she felt a sliver of gratitude towards the lazy Jounin.
"I see you've regained conciousness, Ino." The strong, but feminine, voice of Tsunade cut off her teammates greetings. "I won't beat around the bush. I've have recieved the results of your surgery..."
Ino's breath hitched, and her shoulders once again tensed. Please, please, please don't be blind, she repeated mentally.
"And there is revealed to be only minor side-effects, if any..."
Ino squealed, catching the Hokage off guard but not her companions...they were used to her fangirlish outbursts. "Oh, thank you thank you thank you!"
Tsunade sighed, but couldn't help but smile. "Alright, enough celebrating. You will need to be in recovery for a good two to three weeks. During that time, you must stay in the hospital under my observation in case any major signs are to occur."
"W-what? Three weeks?!" Ino said in surprise, her yelps of happiness coming to a sudden halt. "B-but I have missions, and the flower shop, and...I couldn't stay in one place that long!"
"That's true." Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome. You'll have to bind her to the bed."
Ino knew he was only joking, but couldn't help but throw a raspberry in the direction she guessed he was.
Tsunade frowned at the girl. "If you try to escape, which I'm sure you would have a difficult time finding the door, I will merely extend your recovery period by another day."
"What?" Ino asked, flabbergasted. "But...but..."
"No buts. My decision is final." She turned at the door. "Enjoy your stay...and don't even think of removing your bandages until the three weeks are up!"
Ino heard the door shut soundly, leaving the blonde with her teammates to grump.
"Three weeks..." She whined. "I won't survive."
To be continued.