So here goes another chapter. Hope you enjoy it. I just wanna thank everyone who has reviewed my story so far. Without that I would not be able to write. So thank you all!
"What!"Tsunade nearly collapsed when she heard the report from the guards at the gate. "Not only is Ino Yamanaka alive, but she is in the village! When, how, what!"
"She passed out and was brought to the hospital for treatment." Shizune explained handing the written report over to her. The Hokage read over the document eagerly.
"Get Sakura here immediately." She said. The other woman nodded and ran out of the room. Tsunade turned to face the window and stared out in the direction of the hospital.
"Ino, where have you been?" She thought silently.
The graveyard was empty, except for one man. Shikamaru stood by the grave marked 'Ino Yamanaka' with a bundle of assorted flowers from her family's shop. He set them down then sat beside it, disregarding the rain.
"I'm sorry." He said. This had become his ritual. He would come to the graveyard early in the morning before the sun rose and apologized to the two people he couldn't save. He sat in silence, letting the rain soak through his clothes causing him to shiver slightly. Then the rained seemed to stop, but it was only due to the woman holding the umbrella over him.
"You know they wouldn't want you to keep doing this, right?" Sakura asked standing beside him. He looked up, the first rays of sunlight came up behind her, leaving her silhouetted.
"It's more for me than them." He replied. She glanced in the direction of Asuma's grave sadly.
"This place is getting crowded, isn't it?" She said sullenly.
"That's the way it goes."
"Sakura! Sakura!" They turned their heads and saw Shizune running towards them. "Sakura, Tsunade sama wants to see you, right away!"
"Is something wrong?" She asked, noticing the urgency in her voice.
"Not exactly. Please just come with me." Shizune responded. Sakura turned and handed Shikamaru the umbrella.
"If you insist on staying out here all morning at least take this to get out of the rain." She said, then ran after Shizune.
"How troublesome."
Sakura and Shizune returned to the Hokage's office quickly.
"What is it Tsunade sama? Shizune said it was important." Sakura asked.
"Ino Yamanaka has returned to the village." She said seriously. Sakura gasped and was left in utter shock.
"B-but," She stuttered.
"No time for that! She has been taken to the hospital. I want you there to check on her. We don't know where she's been for the past two months so we need to be careful. Don't tell anyone yet. "
"I understand." Sakura said. She ran back out the door and all the way to the hospital and walked up to the front desk. "I'm under direct orders from Hokage sama to take care of Ino Yamanaka." She said quietly. The woman behind the desk nodded and handed her a chart. "Thank you." Then she walked briskly to the room listed on the paper in front of her.
She stopped outside the door, finally realizing the weight of this moment. She was about to see her best friend again, after thinking she was dead for two months. She took a breath to steady herself, then opened the door and walked in.
In the room there were two doctors fussing about. They stopped when Sakura walked in. Her eyes landed on the patient. Ino was unconscious lying on the bed, her breathing and heart rate steady.
"What have you got so far?" Sakura asked the doctors.
"Well she seems to have passed out mainly from fatigue. Probably from running to the village." Sakura nodded at that and walked over to stand beside the bed.
"She's not exactly malnourished, but it does appear she has not eaten in some time." The second doctor added.
"So wherever she was she was fed, to a degree." The first doctor finished.
"We're testing her blood now. It should be finished in about ten minutes."
"Good. You may leave now. I will handle this from here on." She said once they'd finished. They bowed then left quietly. Sakura looked down at her friend and smiled.
Eventually the sun rose completely and the day finally began for the rest of the villagers. Rumors began to fly about what had happened the night before, but no one had the full story. Some said refugees from a neighboring town had fled to Konoha and were currently being treated at the hospital. Others said it was a long lost hero returned from a fight. There were even a few that seemed to believe Sasuke Uchiha had come back. All anyone knew for sure was that someone had entered the village the night before and it caused a stir.
Of course the rumors about Sasuke caught the attention of a certain blonde ninja who showed up at the hospital the second he found out. At this point the only one who knew what was going on was Sakura, and Naruto knew that. He stood at the front desk demanding to see his pink haired teammate. He caused such a ruckus that they were prepared to throw him out, when Sakura showed up.
"I'll handle him." She told the security team as she grabbed Naruto by the ear and dragged him out of the building. "What the hell were you doing in there? That is a hospital, filled with sick people who are trying to sleep!"
"Sorry! But I heard about what happened last night. Is it-"
"It isn't Sasuke." Sakura replied in a harsh whisper. Naruto looked down gloomily then looked back at her, confused.
"Then who is it?" He asked. Sakura shook her head.
"I can't tell you." She saw him open his mouth to complain and shot him a glare. "I'm under direct orders from Tsunade." She looked down. "No matter how badly I want to tell everyone, I can't disobey the Hokage." When she looked back up Naruto was gone. "Idiot." She said as she walked back into the hospital. `
"Tsunade Obaa Chan!" Naruto shouted as he barged into the Hokage's office. As soon as he got through the door he ran right into Tsunade's fist and flew back into the hall and crashed into the wall.
"What the hell are you doing? You can't just barge into my office whenever you please!" She shouted angrily. He jumped up and brushed the dust off his clothes.
"Sorry, I just need to know what happened last night!" He yelled.
"It wasn't Sasuke." She replied.
"I know that!" Naruto groaned. "Who was it?"
"You don't need to know that yet." She told him as she sat back down in her chair.
"Why not?"
"I don't need to give you a reason. I'm the Hokage. When you are the Hokage you can do whatever you want. But for now I am in charge." Naruto frowned then suddenly smiled evilly.
"Ok, I'll just leave then." He said innocently.
"If I catch you sneaking around that hospital you will be put on academy training duty for a month!" She shouted as he headed towards the door. This made him freeze.
"You're bluffing!"
"Try me." She said with a look that said it all.
"You're an evil old lady." He said with a shiver.
"That's why they made me Hokage."
Back at the Hospital Sakura sat beside Ino's bed, waiting for the results of the blood test. She glanced up at her sleeping friend and sighed. Just then the door opened and one of the doctors from earlier walked in with a clip board.
"Ma'am, you should see this." He said handing her the results. She read the paper carefully then gasped. She looked at Ino again in shock.
"You may leave now." She said dismissing the doctor. "What happened to you out there?" She asked the unconscious Ino.
It was about sunset when Ino woke up. She looked around, not sure where she was. Her heart rate spiked causing the machine next to the bed to begin beeping loudly, followed by the door opening and someone rushing in. The person grabbed her shoulders and held her down as she struggled weakly.
"Ino! Calm down, you're all right!" The voice said to her.
"I know that voice." She thought frantically. She stopped fighting and looked up at the person who was holding her down.
"Sakura." She said quietly. The pink haired woman let go.
"Ino." She said back. They stared at each other a moment then Sakura leaned down and hugged her best friend. "I can't believe you're back." She said. "I thought I'd never see you again."
"I'm not going anywhere yet, billboard brow. I still have a lot of things to beat you at." Ino replied with a smile. Both had tears in their eyes as they laughed.
"Good Ino pig, cause I need a little competition."
"Sakura, can I have some water, my throat is burning." She nodded and left to go get it. When she returned she handed the cup to Ino. "Thank you."
"How are you feeling?"
"I'm tired, and kind of nauseous." She replied.
"Well you should get some more rest. I'll tell Tsunade that you woke up." Sakura prepared to leave when Ino reached out and put a hand on her arm.
"How are Choji and Shikamaru?" She asked.
"They're doing as well as you might think, given what they've gone through. " Ino nodded sadly.
"Can I see them?"
"You need to rest first. I'll make sure that as soon as visitors are allowed they are the first to know." Sakura said then she walked out. Shortly after that Ino fell asleep again.
"What have you found out about Ino?" Tsunade asked when Sakura arrived
Sakura handed her the results of the blood test which she read over. The Hokage's response to this news was pretty much the same as Sakura's.
"Have you talked to her about this yet?" Sakura shook her head.
"I didn't want to get her worked up while she's recovering."
"We have to know what happened while she was gone. As soon as possible." Tsunade said.
Sakura nodded and walked out of the office.
The next morning she returned to the hospital. Ino was sitting up in the bed eating breakfast that was brought to her by a nurse.
"How are you feeling today?" Sakura asked as she sat in a chair next to the bed.
"I feel a lot better. Still a little queasy though." Ino replied.
"That's good. Do you feel well enough to maybe talk about what happened while you were gone?" Ino stopped eating and glanced up. "Never mind, it can wait."
"No, I'm ok. I can do this." Ino said. "Where should I start?"
"Why don't you start with who was holding you." Sakura suggested tenderly. Ino took a steadying breath in preparation for what she had to say.
"It was Sasuke." She said. Even without looking she knew how Sakura was reacting.
"That's not possible."
"You're thinking it, I lived it." Ino replied sharper than she intended. Sakura continued to look utterly shocked.
"No, Ino, that isn't possible because that means that he's…"
"What did he do that is so unbelievable?" Ino demanded, feeling hurt that her best friend seemed to not believe her.
"You don't know." Sakura said, her astonishment only growing.
"Know what?" Ino nearly shouted.
"Ino, you're pregnant."
I just noticed how much I love ending chapters like that. Keeps you on your toes. Shouldn't be too much of a shock, I have been throwing in subtle hints. So now you wait muwahahaha. Love ya'll.
