Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Poisoned Petals. Enjoy the 3500-word chapter. I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.
"Where do you want this one to go?" Mareo questioned before he raised his eyebrow. "Because now? I do not know how you lift plants with this type of weight in them." Mareo said before Ino rolled her eyes, simply looking at her friend.
She knew very well that there was some dangerous info on Mareo she had to investigate. Still? She wanted to make sure her affairs were in order. She still had friends to talk to, plenty of people who wanted flowers, there was still plenty of business to manage.
'She is ignoring me on purpose, isn't she?' Mareo questioned himself as he looked to himself.
He sighed to himself and continued to move boxes. There was extraordinarily little work that he could not be doing. He wanted to point out that she was not doing much work. However? That ignored the fact the was quite happy to be doing little now. She was the manager and owner of this shop if she did not want to work? There was not much that he could be doing, unsure of what to do next.
He still found it quite funny when it came down to it that she was busy doing this type of work. Mareo had known about many things, but it was not like he had not dealt with worse. He was a shinobi. It went against his work ethic to bite the hand that fed him.
"You, ok?" Mareo questioned before he rubbed at his temples. "Because I do not think I can do a lot now. There is a lot of stuff to be done today when it comes down to it. I do not know how you regularly do this." Mareo stated to which Ino was silent, smirking playfully at her friend.
"Thanks, boss," Mareo stated before he leaned on the wall behind him. "You don't expect me to do all of this in one go, do you?" Mareo questioned and hummed to himself, curious as to what her plan was now.
"No, I don't at the moment." Mareo heard from Ino as he shook his head and looked around. "I know there is a lot to do. I do not know what to do next. There is a lot of work to be done. Still? I think you should take a break. The last thing I need is you collapsing in the middle of a shift." Ino stated before she sighed, turning to her friend a minute later.
"Those wounds are a lot more serious than you think. I heard from Sakura before I came in to talk to you. Your quite stubborn when it comes to thinking about it." Ino added to which Mareo stayed silent, waiting for what she did next.
Ino knew that her friend could not simply be done that easily. She had to check with Sakura, to make sure his wounds were healing up nicely. Ino knew that her friend was both untrustworthy when it came down to it.
"And what would you do if you had the freedom to go where you want? Do what you wanted? Would you take it?" Ino questioned to which Mareo shrugged, simply looking around the shop.
"Don't think like that, I'm not a monster," Mareo stated before he sighed. "At least? I do not think there is a monster in me. My family seemed hell bound in making them think the world of me. I do not know why they hate me so much. I still want nothing to do with my parents at the very least." Mareo added to which he nodded at Ino who frowned, unsure of what do to do next.
There was truly little the duo could not do when he thought about it. They had plenty of reason to want this to end, plenty of reason to just talk. Mareo liked having Ino around. She was one of the few people who DIDN'T question him, who did not treat him like some sort of monster.
He supposed he could not afford to dwell on that now. There were far more precious issues when he focused on it. This was the hand life had dealt him and it was the hand he would be carrying now.
"There's too much at stake for me to simply go." Mareo added to which Ino nodded "Then I will stay for as long as you need me. I cannot promise more than that now, you should know that there is very I will not do when it comes down to it. There are a lot of nasty thoughts, sadly. I am hoping that it dies out of this." Mareo added before he shook his head.
Ino was silent as she looked at her friend while she started to think of what happened next. If her friend was suffering still? It was on her to make sure that he did not hurt someone or herself.
"Do you have something that you plan on doing when this is all done and over with?" Ino asked to which Mareo hummed to himself more now.
He was silent while his boss started to kick her feet up. She relaxed as she did so. There were more than enough issues with his problem for her to be on edge when it came down to it. Ino was worried about a great many things now that he could not fault. She was a shinobi, a Kunoichi. Any lack of respect of intelligence and caution at the second.
"I do not entirely know what to say. I do at the time know that I would like nothing more than to be able to." Mareo responded while he sighed to himself. "I do not think of my future when it comes down to it. It is not like you." Mareo added while he shook his head and he nodded.
Mareo sighed to himself as he shook his head and started to think of what happened next. There was no mercy within this woman. There was no attempt to tone down any work he did, but he suspected this was also part of a test. Ino seemed like an interesting woman at the end of the day, and he was curious what other tests she had planned when it came down to it. This woman was unique.
"I'm going to guess there is nothing major planned for this place in the future," Mareo stated to himself rather than her. "There's a lack of pots and flowers which means there's probably not a lot of work lined up," Mareo added as Ino nodded.
She raised an eyebrow and said nothing. She was aware now that Mareo was studying her as she was him. He was a one-of-a-kind type of warrior. It was interesting when it came to seeing how he adapted to these kinds of tests. He was smart, she would not lie about that. However? There was still plenty of things she needed to deal with now and one of them was the lack of supplies within the town. She wondered if Naruto was able to do anything to stop that.
Still? She did not plan to take her eye off him anytime soon. Ino was no stranger to people that had hidden their true nature behind a veneer of kindness. Ino had known people who directed their masks towards pretending to be someone when they were not.
She risked another glance at Mareo who seemed at ease. It was because he had allowed her to collect her thoughts and left him alone. He did not seem bothered by the tasks she had given him.
"How often do you run from the law if they don't know the truth?" Ino asked to which Mareo simply shrugged to himself rather than towards her. "Their orders. You do not expect them to take your word for it." Ino added as Mareo nodded to her.
"I don't think you trust me either," Mareo said with a frown as he did so. "I am not bothered by it if you are asking. I do not expect a lot of trust from people. Not trying to be dark or moody. We live in a place where misinformation is one of the best weapons we have at the end of the day." Mareo stated which got no argument from her.
He sighed and hung his head. He was curious about what this place did when it WASN'T a flower shop. Being owned by a war hero was something that enhanced who had come here.
He cleared his throat and stared at Ino who busy seeming was to say something that bothered him. She had to have been here for a longer time than it had been possible.
"It's calming to be here when not on a mission, isn't it?" Mareo asked to which he gained a nod from her as he went. "Then it is nice to be here. I like the peace and not being stabbed of course. This place feels more like a forest than a shop, though." Mareo stated while he frowned.
Ino said a little while she waited for something to happen. It seemed far too peaceful for anything to last. Still? She had been wrong before, Ino did not mind being wrong on the idea of one simple day with little happening so far.
It did bother her, yet there was little she wanted to do about it. Today belonged to the peace and it was the peace she had wanted for weeks. She slowly started to drift off to sleep. Mareo simply rolled his eyes at her while he started on his task once more. The sooner he was done? the sooner she had asked the questions that were pondering his mind. He was at ease when it came down to it.
Mareo looked at his scared arms which had been worn down by time and constant attacks from people who had simply been doing his jobs when it came down to it.
'This woman is too comfortable around people who had been former criminals. Then again? I am not one and I am not going to slowly start to crawl from my shell yet.' Mareo thought while he frowned to himself.
He shook his head while he frowned to himself as he hung his head. What happened if they had shown up here? Would they try and kill Ino for being willing to try and trust him? Would she betray him to them at the end of the day? This was her shop, and she had the final say on his fate here at this store.
"There is going to be more work to be done at the end of the day. Isn't it?" Mareo asked while he rubbed at his eyes and shook his head.
Mareo frowned as he felt ready to fall apart at the end of the day. He wanted to do something here rather than simply run around when it came down to it. Mareo had a feeling that they did not plan to move on him know which meant he was not going to be able to do much.
He was far weirder when it came down to it. He had a lot more on his mind as to what to do next.
Then again? It had been a lot odder than he expected when it came down to it. Mareo honestly felt as if he was at times thrown off at the time.
Still? He had a lot to do when it came to their sort of logic. Ino raised an eyebrow towards them before he seemed as if he had to manage it when he leaned on the wall. He smiled before Ino seemed to ponder what to do next. He tapped on the floor next to him.
Ino was a lot weirder than it seemed as he leaned on the wall further and seemed to glance into space as he did so. there was a lot to ponder and a lot on his mind if he was entirely honest. He felt out of control on this topic. Yet he supposed as to what to do after this.
He had a lot more on his mind than he expected. This was not a wonderful job when it came down to it. He was far beyond on this when he expected. He smiled and sighed before he seemed as it appeared to be. She had put more on his plate when it came down to it. Ino was not what he expected when he came down to it.
There was more on his plate when he smiled. There was a lot on her plate as well. It was honestly too much to do before the day ended before he considered it. if she had some hope for him while he was glancing around before he seemed to it.
She leaned on the chest-high counter. He was not one to dawdle on his work and it seemed as if she had expected him to be far weirder as of not. Mareo smiled at her before he seemed to grip on his side while he sighed to himself.
He was a lot weirder when it leaned on the wall while he sighed to himself. he was a lot more confident on these plans when it came down to it. She had made this a long-term problem to a short-term solution. Still? He had been ready for it, and he planned to manage what little of which he was capable. Their plans had not entirely bothered him, more how she had been prepared for this at the time.
Ino leaned back in her chair before she seemed to take in her surroundings. She had yet to hire anyone for her workforce. It had been too much to simply relax.
"Something tells me you're enjoying this more than you usually do when it comes down to it," Mareo said to which Ino shrugged. "Happy to have some sort of power over others?" Mareo asked while he pondered what to do next.
"It comes with being a business owner," Ino said which she shrugged and rested her hands behind her. "There is far more to do now that the war is over. The shop has not had a lot of business since the war ended." Ino added to which Mareo hummed.
"There are a lot worse problems to be managing after the war if I am to speak my mind. Too many people want to move on and not a lot of people are aware of how to move on. It is a lot harder." Mareo said to which Ino raised an eyebrow. "I am just a hired gun. It is not exactly something I am used to. Got a lot of nasty looks from people who acted like I do not feel anything. Like I do not care about anyone or anything besides getting paid." Mareo said while he sighed to himself.
Ino raised an eyebrow at her new employee who was more interested in the topic at hand. He said little, yet it was clear that he had not been trying to lie when he spoke. He did care a lot for the rest of the people around him in war.
"And what happened to those who said that?" Ino questioned to which Mareo shrugged.
"Let them say what they wanted. I know how mercenaries are treated. People think we do not have ideals, we do not care about anyone. Do not have any real loyalty when it came down to it." Mareo said while he gathered another plant in his arms. "It is not true, but I doubt they would consider what I say as true. Does not matter to me, I got paid and then got out. I stayed long enough to help people at the time and properly try and make some difference." Ino heard as Mareo placed another plant on the counter.
It was a small plant. One with long leaves. It almost seemed as if it was more alive than it had been. The fact that it looked a little withered had been a lot more as of the moment. He had been a little more cautious. on the second.
"What happens next?" Mareo said as he brushed off the plant. "Ow. There go the cuts and bruises that I had from before… Does not help at the time. That hurts worse than it had a little while ago." Mareo stated before he sighed and leaned on the wall for support.
Ino raised an eyebrow at him only to realize he was not trying to mess with her. He was honestly in pain which worried him. This was not something that she wished to manage yet. She began to practice her Jutsu as he leaned and slowly started to slump down the wall at the time.
He gazed at Ino which made her realize that she had noticed his wounds were starting to act up. He tried to hold up a hand only for it to be slapped to the side as she remembered what to do at the second.
"Do not, your hurt, I am not going to just stand here and tell you to knock it off. I am not that type of boss." Ino stated before she sighed to herself and started to check his wounds to make sure none of them were worse than they had been a little while ago.
Still? There was more on her plate than this. She had been rather hopeful as of the moment. She watched as he seemed to raise an eyebrow at her with a sigh that told her that he was annoying her at the time. He shut up and let her do his job as she ran her hands over her wounds. He grunted in pain, but otherwise tried to stay silent as of the moment.
She was a lot more as of the time. He was honestly was hopeful that she'd accept him. Mareo was honestly interested in how she had been able to handle him as of the second.
Mareo seemed to click his fingers together. He was not going to argue with her before he seemed to ponder what to do at the time. Mareo was honestly bored with her prepared to try and handle at the time. She was honestly a lot better when it came to working.
"Are you ok?" Mareo questioned before he tilted while he seemed to tilt his head and sighed. "Sorry, I'm just wondering what to do. I'm not someone who had all the answers to all these questions." Mareo before he leaned on the counter and rolled his eyes to himself.
"Kinda. I'm sort of annoyed at the moment." Ino said to which Mareo raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I'm honestly prepared to smack you in the second. Stop trying to be the tough guy who thinks they can handle everything. Those guys had beaten you into fertilizer last time. Do you want me to do something or do you want something else to worry about?" Mareo heard from Ino before he pointed out while he seemed to sigh.
"Take your time. You're the medic and I'm just a former mercenary." Mareo stated before he seemed to ponder while he points out what to do as of the second.
She had been a lot more to say before she seemed to point out that there was hope. Mareo was honestly pushing her to her limit while he slowly slid down to the ground before she pondered at the time.
"Are you ok?" Mareo questioned before she ran her hands over her wounds. "Do you want me to shut up? I'll shut up if you need me to as of the second." Mareo said while he smiled to himself.
Ino only rolled her eyes before she titled her head. She raised an eyebrow. Mareo handled nothing and moved his hands before she could only shake her head.
It was all she could do to really try and properly handle this problem. It was clear to both of them that they had more to discuss at a later date and both seemed to know it. There was more on their plates than both seemed to command and it seemed as if they knew it.
This talk would need to be spoken of at a later date.
Author notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed and will be longer. The next chapter will be in 2-10 months and will end up showing both Ino and Mareo talking and trying to make some sort of deal at the moment. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!
P.S: Next chapter is 900-6500 words.