disclaimer: i do NOT own Naruto. only BTMM and the other minor oc's.
WARNING!!: this chapter has absolutely nothing to do with BTMM or any other characters but ino and chouji and a little shikamaru. very little. you've been warned.
i recomend all anti-ino fan's not to read this update. just send a review that says update. :-p!!
Chapter 38: Ino's issue
'I must have gained five pounds last night! I look horrible!' Ino looked into her mirror, examining her skinny body. Which in reality it looked as if she had lost five pounds over night.
"Ino, breakfast." her mom called. She quickly pulled her clothes on.
"No thanks Mom. I'm meeting Asuma-sensei, Shikamaru, and Chouji for breakfast."
"All right."
Ino smiled weakly at her father and mother when she left her house to meet her team. Team ten was meeting at a restaurant before they began training. Chouji had ordered a lot of food and was pigging out. As Ino watched him eat she began to sweat and her heart rate increased.
"Hey Ino, are you alright?" Asuma touched her thin arm. The skin cracked, then broke form the light touch. Her breathing increased into a panic. By now it didn't take a genius to figure out something was seriously wrong.
"Ino, calm down." Shikamaru was very serious. Ino got up and attempted to run away, but was too weak and collapsed on the floor. Her team rushed to her side. She had fallen unconscious.
Shikamaru turned her over and her skin cracked again.
"Someone get a medic!" someone yelled.
"There's no time!" Shikamaru stated and picked up his fallen teammate. Then made a dash for the hospital. Asuma and Chouji right behind him. The first person they ran into was Sakura who was absolutely shocked at Ino's state.
Ino was placed on a stretcher and taken to a room. Team ten sat and waited to see if she was alright. Sakura came back out and asked them what had happened. they told her how Ino had began to act weird then collapsed. Sakura nodded, tears brimmed her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She went back to Ino's room. Tsunade and her new apprentice had shown up and were taking care of Ino.
After a short wait Mea came out of the room, she had been with Tsunade, and up to team ten.
"Is Ino alright?" Chouji asked.
"I'm afraid not, she's stable right now but she has been diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. She's very weak at the moment. But the good news is that there is a cure. Granted she's going to need lots of support." Mea paused, " You can go see her if you want. Her parents are being notified."
They walked into the room. Ino was either unconscious or sleeping, they couldn't tell. Now that they had a good look at her, she was very skinny and pale.
Shikamaru cringed, Asuma winced, and Chouji stared in disbelieve.
'How did this happen?' Chouji wondered to himself. He then remembered how Ino always nagged to him about being thin.
'Ino what have you done to yourself?'
The guys of team ten decided to leave once Ino's parents arrived.
The next day Ino was ordered not to do any type of exercise and to eat a little. She was well enough to leave the hospital but too weak to leave her bed. Still no matter what her parents did or said she refused to eat. She was however too weak to do the exercising she was insisting on.
Chouji knocked on the Yamanaka's door. Ino's father, Inoichi answered.
"Hey, I was wondering if I could see Ino." he said. Inoichi thought for a moment then nodded and let him in. Chouji went to Ino's bedroom and sat next to her bed on a chair.
"Hey Ino, how're you feeling?"
"I'm fat."
He smiled, "Your not fat."
"Yes I am! LOOK AT ME!"
"Ino I am looking at you, do you know what I see?"
"I fat cow."
"No, I see my friend and teammate withering away."
Ino was silent for a moment.
"Don't lie to me Chouji. I'm fat."
"Ino please listen to me. You need to eat your you'll you'll..."
"No Chouji don't say it! I'm fat, FAT! I can't eat!"
"Ino if you don't you'll DIE!...
Listen, I'm here for you. If you've got a problem tell me! Your not fat! Look!"
He compared his arm to hers.
"Look Ino. Look at what you've become. I...I don't want you to die!"
Ino cried into Chouji's chest, until she was asleep.
He gently lowered Ino's head back to her pillow and brushed away a stray hair in her face. He sat on the chair next to her bed and waited for her to wake. When she finally did he embraced her again, gently, and made her promise to eat just a little, at least. She'd agreed. When he told her he had to go she nodded mutely. He gave one last smile then left.
The next morning he returned to see how she was doing. She actually had eaten a little which made him feel a little better. He went up to her room and knocked on the door. He was surprised to see Ino open it, up and about.
"Hi Chouji." she smiled. He smiled back.
"So, Ino what are you doing?"
"Nothing really. Mom and Dad are making me go to some stupid councilor and I've got to go to the hospital every week for a check up." she frowned.
"Chouji we need to leave now, Ino can talk to you later." her mom told him. Chouji nodded and smiled to Ino who was glaring at her mom and then he left.
Asuma had given the rest of the team the day off. So Chouji decided to go visit Shikamaru.
"Say Shikamaru."
"Yeah?"
"Do you think Ino'll be alright?"
"It's hard to tell. You never know."
"You don't think she can overcome it?" a flicker of anger came into Chouji's eyes.
"That's all up to Ino. Anorexia is a mental illness. She's the only one who can over come it. Problem is she doesn't know how bad she is. And what's worse no one even noticed the obvious symptoms."
"Shikamaru."
There was a silence, then Chouji got up and left.
"Now, your Miss. Ino Yamanaka."
Ino nodded.
"Hello, let me introduce myself I'm Dr. Sleef."
Ino stared at her with unamusement.
"I don't care."
The rest of the session continued with dumb questions and smart ass remarks. Ino ended up having a great hatred for Dr. Sleef. At the end of the session Ino's parents came in. She told them she had to go to the bathroom and left Dr. Sleef to talk to them. Ino walked passed the bathroom and crept out of the building. Once out she went to find Chouji. Surprisingly he was the first person she ran into.
"Hey Chouji, can we go to your place and hang out a while."
Chouji was puzzled, but agreed.
(chouji's room)
"How're you doing Ino?"
She shrugged.
"Your parents let you leave the house?"
"Well not exactly."
"You snuck out?"
"Chouji there's nothing wrong with me. And that stupid doctor's an idiot."
"Ino."
"Don't 'Ino' me! I think I of all people would know if something was wrong with MYSELF!" There was a pause.
"Chouji."
"Yeah."
"Chouji, I'm scared.
I'm so scared what people will think of me."
"What do you think they're thinking?"
"I don't know."
"Sure you do. You can tell me, Ino. I'm your friend." he hugged her. She sighed.
"I'm afraid every one's watching me. Judging me. Like I should be perfect. I don't know if I can be perfect."
"No one's perfect Ino."
"But it's expected that-"
"No, I wasn't finished. But since you said that. No one's perfect, nor should be expected to be. Even the Hokage makes mistakes. Rarely but they still make them."
"I look really bad, don't I?"
"Yes, but not in the way you think."
"How do you mean?"
"What I mean is you think your overweight right?"
"Duh."
"And when others look at you they under weight."
"But I'm NOT!"
alright Ino.' Chouji smiled.
"Okay, Okay. Do you know why your scared? Of eating I mean."
"I...I don't know Chouji. Just the thought of eating and gaining weight just scares me."
"Ino your a talented ninja are you not?"
"Of course."
"And it's a ninjas job to complete a mission despite their personal fears."
"I don't like where your going with this Chouji."
"Just answer." Chouji smiled again.
"Yes."
"Then, I want you to treat this problem as a mission. And make it a success."
"Your serious aren't you?"
"Yes. And I'm here to help you. Once more thing."
"What?"
"If you treat this like a mission, I'll tell you something I've been fighting myself."
"What?" Ino was bewildered.
"Not until you start taking this issue seriously." Ino sighed frustratedly.
And Ino did take it seriously. Day by day. It became a routine.
Every day she'd visit Dr. Sleef make inappropriate comments and visit Chouji.
"Chouji." Ino began one day.
"Yeah?"
"You remember your promise. If I treated my problem like a mission?"
"Yeah." Chouji hesitated.
"Well what was it?"
Chouji sighed, "It's hard to explain."
"Please. Tell me!"
"Okay. Ino I-"
"Ino! Your Mom's here!"
"I'll tell you tomorrow."
"Chouji." They engaged in a staring contest.
"Ino!" her mom yelled.
"Fine. Tomorrow."
Chouji smiled. (A/N he's seems to be doing that a lot lately)
That night Ino preceded to toss and turn wondering what Chouji was hiding.
The next morning she skipped her session with Dr. Sleef and ran strait to the Akimichi's.
knock. knock. knock.
Mr. Akimichi answered the door.
"Hi Mr. Akimichi is Chouji up?"
"Sorry Ino. He went on an emergency mission lat night. He'll be back tomorrow. Do you want to come in?"
"No thanks I've got to go."
"Bye."
Ino drug her feet home forgetting her meeting again.
"Ino! Why aren't you at your session?" her mother demanded.
"What session?" Ino had totally forgotten.
"With Dr. Sleef."
"Shoot." she mumbled.
"Your going. Let's go."
Ino nearly yelled at her determined Mother. She had become so upset over Chouji she didn't want to talk or listen to anyone.
Her Mother dropped her off at Dr. Sleef's office and went to get coffee. Ino sat and ignored Dr. Sleef as she asked retarded questions. Dr. Sleef sat down next to Ino.
"Ino honey, Please just say something."
Ino glared at Dr. Sleef then in monotone said,
"I hate you."
Dr. Sleef stood up and walked back to her desk with a cup of coffee in her hand. Right before she sat down she tripped and dropped the coffee. It spilled all over Ino. The heat burned her skin. She jumped up and ran out of the room. Our of the building, back to her house, to her room, and locked the door behind her. She curled up in a ball within her blankets.
"Ino, sweetie. What's wrong?"
"Leave me alone Dad."
She heard Inoichi sigh frustratedly, concerned about his only daughter.
About 10 minutes later she heard her Mom enter the house. Then she heard the muffled voice of her father, then her Mother. Pretty soon they got into a loud argument.
Ino tried to block the noise out with no success. She ended up jumping out of bed and running to her bathroom. She immediately locked the door and jumped into the shower. Steam quickly filled the room.
She stayed in the shower until the hot water ran cold.
A shiver crept down her spine as she stepped out of the shower carefully she wrapped herself in a towel and proceeded in brushing her hair. When she was completed she slowly unlocked the door and continued to rummage through her dresser for some clothes.
The men of team ten neared Konoha. Upon reaching the gates Chouji flew in. Dashing to the Yamanaka's. About a block away he stopped to catch his breath and walked the rest of the way.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Mrs. Yamanka opened the door.
"Hello, is Ino here?"
"You're not allowed to see her right now. Go home." she shut the door.
"Now wait just a minute!" Mr. Yamanaka was getting pissed. (no that he wasn't already pissed.) He reopened the door to a very confessed Chouji.
"Go on. She's in her room."
"Okay?"
Mrs. Yamanaka stormed into the kitchen.
"Could you please find out what happened today to upset Ino?" Mr. Yamanaka whispered the left Mrs. Yamanaka to get her to calm down.
'PMS?' Chouji thought to himself he lightly knocked on Ino's door.
"Go away."
"Ino?"
"Chouji?" He opened the door.
"Chouji!" Ino jumped up and hugged him.
"Where were you?!? I went to see you and you were gone!"
"Chouji? You alright?"
He was bright red and coughed.
"Ino your in a-" he blushed harder. Ino gasped. Then squeaked quickly turning around, also blushing, when she realized she was still only in a towel. Chouji stepped out of her room as she threw on some clothes.
"Okay Chouji."
He went back in still a little pink.
"Sorry about that. I was, upset earlier."
"What happened?"
"Bad Day."
"Tell me about it." she sighed,
"Aw, it was nothing."
"It doesn't sound like nothing."
"I got into it with Dr. Sleef again. She really pissed me off."
Chouji listened. Ino retold the incident that morning.
"Oh, Ino." Chouji hugged her. "I'm sorry. We had an emergency mission and I didn't get back until just now."
"Chouji, it's alright. I just sort of, overreached."
Chouji gazed down at her.
"Ino, your so pretty."
"Chouji?" she blushed.
"Ino, I need to tell you this. I've wanted to tell you for a long time."
She listened, "Go on."
"Ino, " he pressed his forehead to hers.
"I love you." He waited for her reaction.
"I love you too, Chouji." she barley whispered.
"I've waited so long to tell you that. So afraid you'd reject me."
Ino sighed and nuzzled her nose into his chest.
"Lets go eat." she said. Chouji laughed,
"Okay, my treat."
(end of chapter)
aww, the mushy goosy lovey dovey crap is over! YAY!!
now back to the COMEDY of the story. well and drama.
sorry for the long wait plz R and R, even though this chapter was totally random and off topic and ino-ish. it's very important for later chapters (and i just gave yall a spoiler so stop yelling at me!!) cool the yelling stoped.
Preview: Chapter 39: Team Break-up. Ah the wonderful teenage girl hormones. IRUKA CAN'T HANDLE IT! team BTMM has to take drastic measures for they're poor sensei.
Taij