Ino woke up in a sewer. She had been her once when Naruto first told her about the Kyubbi. The Kyubbi had pulled her in to see if Ino was trustworthy. When he deemed her just that he snatched the two with one of his tails and pulled them into his cage. Naruto had demanded to know what the hell it was doing. And the Kyubbi had explained that he was happy that his kit found someone. He explained that he had become rather fond of Naruto.
Ino smiled to herself when an irritated voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Well Blondie, are you just going to stand there? Get your skinny ass in here please."
Ino sighed. "I'm coming. I'm coming."
The tunnels seemed to twist and turn but Ino eventually came to stand in front of the Kyubbi's cage.
"Long time no see." she said.
"Ha. Ha." Kyuubi said not amused. "Listen mortal.. Blondie, now is not the time to joke around."
"Oh? And I guess there is a reason for me being in here." Ino said.
"Look down."
Ino did as she was told and about choked. Under the water, behind what she assumed to be glass, was Naruto. Chained to the floor, he was drowning Ino thought. She fell to her knees and pounded on the glass as hard as she could, calling his named the whole time.
"He won't wake that way blondie." Kyubbi said.
"Then, then how..." Ino started.
"After you took off that chakra seal, you freed not only his chakra but me as well. Now I can assist the healing process... and you." the fox said.
"Me?" Ino questioned.
"Yes you. I will help you understand that memory seal." he chuckled. "The seal itself is rather simple to get off. In comes off like a common memory seal, but when it comes off, I'm afraid your mate still won't remember a single thing about his past. You will have a year to get his memory back. How I'm not sure. That part is up to you to discover. But I have a theory. "
"And that would be...?" Ino asked.
"When the kit sees or touches something, memories with resurface. I believe this is what will make him remember."
"I see." Ino mumbled.
"Go blondie." Kyuubi said. "Explain that to your leader. Kit will wake sooner now with my help."
Ino was back in her own body again. Trembling, she stood and went to Tsunade.
He cracked his eyes open. The light still blinded him. He squinted trying to make them adjust.
"Morning Sleeping Beauty!" Yuka said smiling brightly down at him.
"Yuka-san..." he said groggily. "What the hell?"
She grinned from ear to ear but was soon rushed from the room. He turned his head and saw a woman with a long blond ponytail. She turned and sighed as she closed the door. She walked back over to his bedside and smiled brightly at him.
"Hello. Happy to see you're awake."
He turned his head again to look up at the ceiling and smiled.
"Happy to be out of where ever that was." He said.
Ino's smile disappeared.
'Naruto I'm so sorry we didn't get you out sooner.' she thought.
"I kinda thought I was insane, and I was looked in there because I was bad." he mumbled.
"No! You of all people are not a bad person!" Ino said.
He looked at her shocked.
"Do... Do you... know... who I am then?" he asked quietly.
"You won't remember this, but know what I saw is true." she said.
He nodded.
"Your name is Naruto Uzumaki. You disappeared the night of your wedding. Your fiancé search and searched for you, but no one could ever find you. Finally, the village had to stop its fruitless efforts and so you were pronounced dead. She never gave up though. She knew you was alive so she never gave up hope." Ino stopped and smiled. "Her friends tried to get her to move on but she never did. She still loves you. You were this village's hero. The Golden Whirlwind. The will of fire."
"Not to mention you were a pain in my ass. Always calling me Baa-chan. Loudest ninja I think I ever meet." Tsunade said from behind Ino.
Naruto cracked a grin.
"So how long was I gone then?"
"Six years." Ino mumbled.
"Six years is a long time."
"But your back now."
"Enough of this. I want the brat healthy so we can get that seal off." Tsunade said. She had been carrying a tray. She and Ino helped Naruto into a sitting position and pulled a tabled over. "Eat." she said.
Naruto took a bite and almost chocked. "What the hell is that?" he asked.
Ino smiled. Same old Naruto. He hated hospital food, even without his memory.
"Eat! And when I come back it better be all gone got that." Tsunade said as she left the room.
Naruto stated to eat again. Grumbling about how nasty it was. Ino hated this. She hated that he didn't remember her. She wanted her Naruto back. She wanted him to pull her into a hug and tell her it would all be okay.
"I-Ino. Are you okay?" he asked with a mouthful of food.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."
- - - - - - - - - - ((Timeskip))- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Naruto lay snoring in his bed. After Tsunade had stuffed him with food and made him drink what seemed to be a gallon of water, was finally allowed to sleep. The door creaked open and Tsunade, Ino, and one of the villages few sealmasters walked in.
Takahashi Daiki was intimidated by the blond in the bed to say the least. He cleared his throat and got to work. On a pad of paper, he drew the seal. He pointed to one of the secondary markings.
"There is a sort of timer on here. A year. So... So based on the other secondary and the primary seal, you will have a year to get him to remember." He then moved his hand over to another marking. "In that year, everything that he doesn't remember will be sealed from him permanently. So he could possibly be lost forever... that is if we can't get him to remember himself."
"We'll take it off when he leaves the hospital. Time in here is time wasted. Ino I have a mission for you."
Ino looked up in question.
"You're in charge of getting his memory back. You might be the only one who can do it best."
"Yes lady Tsunade.
Tsunade smiled and dismissed Daiki. He left with a bow.
Iruka had just finished another school day. He sighed and stacked papers on his desk.
"Iruka-sensei." someone said.
"Shikamaru? What are you doing here?"
"Well, Tsunade want me to come get you. She wants you at the hospital right now. She has a surprise or something." Shikamaru said in his lazy tone trying to hide the fact he knew what it was.
"Alright I'm coming." Iruka sighed and the two walked back to the hospital.
Ino refused to leave his room. She simply would not. It was out of the question. She sat in her permanent seat next to him. Whenever he was awake the two would talk, and when he was asleep she would play with his hair or talk to him some more like he remembered.
His hair was so soft. She loved the feel of it. She ran her fingers threw it and sighed. There was a quiet knock at the door and it opened slowly. Iruka walked in quietly and gave Ino a questioning look. She shifted her eyes to the man in the bed and Iruka's followed. The man turned pale and looked like he might almost faint. He rushed over to Ino's side and began to fire off questions. Which Ino answered to the best of her ability.
Iruka pulled a chair up and the two sat in silence. Ino began to hum. Naruto's cover was beginning to fall off, so she pulled it back into place. She looked at his sleeping face. Color was returning to his face, which made her smile. She knew that things were only going to get better.
Kitsune: a short and rather suckish chapter. Promise next chapter won't be so horrid.
Kyubbi: It better not be Kitsune-dono.
Kitsune: Curls into ball in corner. I said I was sorry T_T
