Ino sighed heavily, rubbing one eye, and trudging forward to her post. Her shift was about to start. She relieved the medic on duty once she arrived and went about putting her supplies in order before she started her rounds.
The war was technically over, but there was still a lot of work to be done. The Alliance remained in tact, for now, and all nations turned their focus partially on healing and reconstruction. The number one priority was still to find and bring in Madara.
Ino was part of the Allied Shinobi force still active. Medics of all calibers were on duty indefinitely. Most of the trackers and the elite fighters were as well, broken into teams to find the ancient Uchiha.
Ino didn't have access to the reports of the investigation into Sakura. She could get bits and pieces out of Sai though.
From what she could put together, Sakura had been kidnapped from the new front with Sasuke by Madara. Which, Sasuke's reappearance itself was a shocker. Sai told her that multiple witnesses said Sasuke was fighting with the allied army at that time.
It gave Ino hope.
The only witness of Sakura's supposed defection was one of the team sent to retrieve her and confront Sasuke.
Ino herself thought it just a bit ridiculous that a team would be out to confront Sasuke when he had just shown everyone his loyalty was no longer to Madara.
Because Sasuke chose to evade the team and Sakura joined him, they were both wanted now.
As far as the public knew, Sakura was still only MIA. Sai told her that there was a real push to list her as a missing-nin.
Ino knew logically that the push had nothing to do with questioning Sakura's loyalty as much as it had to do with the logistics team being overworked trying to close missing persons cases.
If she didn't know Sakura and was just looking at the facts, she would take that one witness' account and brand Sakura a defector.
She was thankful that people were still standing up for Sakura who could hold off her change in status.
Ino fought a yawn as she picked up her patient charts. She had the midnight shifts. She seriously needed more coffee too.
Ino was assigned to the long-term care ward. It was furthest removed from the hustle and bustle of the main hospital to give these patients as much peace and quiet as possible in hopes of aiding their recovery.
It was honestly a little depressing working in this ward. Day after day it was the same patients, little or no change in their state. These were the ones wounded so badly that they laid in comas, unmoving.
She checked the vitals of the first kunoichi, going through the motions. She remembered to quietly say everything she did and ask questions, so that if the woman was still in there listening, she had something for her sanity to hold onto and feel human.
She noted no changes and moved to the next patient.
She worked her way halfway through the ward before coming to Captain Yamato, a member of Sakura's team. As a matter of fact, he had been recovered by Sakura and Sasuke. She greeted him, and hesitated. The first night she tended to him, she caught the faintest trace of Sakura's chakra in his system. The feel of her best friend's chakra had brought tears to her eyes.
Even though that trace was long gone by now, Ino still felt her eyes burn at the memory, whispering, "Where are you Sakura?"
Ino wished with all her might that she could see her pink-haired friend and talk to her once more. She wanted to hear her side of the story.
"I'm here," her friend whispered from behind her, and Sakura's hand clamped over Ino's mouth before Ino could cry out in surprise.
Looking at her friend out of the corner of her eye, Ino could not believe what she was seeing. Could this be another white Zetsu in disguise? A genjutsu?
Sakura whispered again, "Ino, I'll let you go if you don't raise an alarm and we can talk, okay?"
Ino nodded, ready to attack if needed.
Sakura let go and stepped around to face her. Ino searched her eyes, lips pressed in a thin line. "It's really me Ino," Sakura assured her, "You can try to release a genjutsu if you want."
Ino made the seal and did so. Nothing changed. Ino spoke, "Prove to me you're not a white Zetsu. Tell me something only Sakura would know."
Sakura sighed, thinking. She settled on a particular embarrassing memory that she knew neither of them talked about.
"During the second chunin exams, when we were on a team with Choji in Suna, we got separated from Choji," Sakura began, frowning and blushing in embarrassment, "We were trying to find him when we encountered another team. The two of you were still recovering from the poison of our last fight and we were worried about him."
Ino's eyes widened, realizing where this was going, but nodding Sakura on as she hadn't gotten to the part that no one else witnessed.
"We came across another team, two members of whom were heavily wounded. They tried to offer us their scroll, but it was the wrong one. We decided to help them anyway. Each of us started treating one of the wounded, but we were both eyeing up the third team member," Sakura paused again, bracing herself for the conclusion.
"He was watching us carefully, clearly worried about his teammates. Once we were finished, he gave us some of their supplies as payment and walked with us towards the exit of the cave they had been using for shelter. We both started flirting with him, because we seem to have a similar taste in men, and he told us he was flattered but he was a woman," Sakura's face got redder by the moment. Ino felt her own face heating up.
"As we walked away," Sakura forced herself to finish, "You and I turned to each other and said at the same time, that she was hotter than Sasuke and looked nothing like a woman! Then we agreed to never speak of it again."
Ino threw her arms around her friend, "Forehead, I'm so glad it's really you!"
Sakura returned her embrace, "Me too, Pig, me too."
Pulling apart, the two women eyed each other, Ino speaking first, "What are you doing here Sakura, and what happened to you?"
"It's a long story Ino," Sakura sighed, "Unfortunately I don't have a lot of time to tell you. I could use your help preparing a patient for transport though."
Ino gave her an incredulous look, "Forehead you know I took an oath to protect my patients, and while you're considered MIA right now, you still can't just waltz in and start moving patients around. I should be reporting you right now!"
"Please Ino," Sakura gave her a pleading look, "It's to help Sasuke!"
Ino just stared at her friend. What? How?
Sakura spoke again, pressing her hands over her heart, "I know it sounds crazy Ino, but Sasuke isn't an enemy anymore and he's trying to help. We've been on the run from Madara since he kidnapped us, and Sasuke only ran from the team sent to get him because we have a time-sensitive plan."
Ino raised an eyebrow, questions swirling in her mind, but hearing the desperation in her friend's voice. Sakura wouldn't do anything to endanger comrades, and she might be telling the truth about a plan with Sasuke to stop Madara.
The gears continued to turn in Ino's mind, trying to justify what she was about to do. Capturing Madara or stopping him was the top priority of the shinobi alliance. Wouldn't she be going against her duty as a shinobi of that alliance by preventing his capture?
Sakura intensified those puppy eyes that Ino still had a weakness for. Who could say no to that face?
Seeing Ino was swayed, Sakura spoke, "I need to take Anko."
Ino shook her head, "I can't believe I'm doing this, but let's hurry."
Five minutes later, Sakura had Anko securely on her back with her medical pack fully restocked. The two women looked at each other, knowing that Sakura had to leave.
This ward had the fewest guard patrols, but the next round would be soon. Plus, as Sakura had said, her plan with Sasuke was time sensitive.
"Ino," Sakura said, no longer wanting to keep up the lie, "Not everything I said was completely accurate. Sasuke and I have good reasons for doing what we're doing, and we really are trying to stop Madara. We don't have a whole plan yet, but we really do need Anko. You have my word that I will protect her as my patient. Please trust me."
"I had a feeling you were feeding me some bologna," Ino said, looking away, "But I do trust you. Please, whatever it is, do it quickly. I'll have to report you before the end of my shift, but I'll give you as much time as I can."
"Thank you, Ino," Sakura said with a smile, bowing her head in gratitude.
Placing a hand on her friend's shoulder, Ino gave her a worried frown, "Be careful, Sakura. Come back in one piece. You still have to go with me to the market like you promised."
"I will," Sakura promised, taking off into the night.