Hey guys!!!! I'm sooo sorry for the late update. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter. My writers block is all like: "No, you must not write!" And I'm like: "Damn it yes I must!!!" So yeah. This is kinda sad, actually. *sigh*

Sorry if it jumps around a lot, but it will get a bit more organized next chapter.

Aaaand sorry if it's not all that great... This was a difficult chapter to write. Forgive me for this one!!!

Now on to the reviews!

L0stL0ve: I took that into account, about how she's affecting others. Thank you! And yes, my writers block is being really difficult with me right now, but I'll keep on pumping out the chapters for you guys. It might take a bit longer sometimes, but I'll keep on it and I wont just dump this story like many other authors have. And I fixed how Temari addressed Gaara. That was a good point. As for the sand, I'm making it so that it is completely under his control, if that makes sense. X] Ah yes, persistent, stubborn Ino. I love that girl. ^_^ And Yes, the snake and the traitor are evil jerks. As for Ino... *sigh* Read this chapter. And as more more appearances.... You'll see. I'm not exactly sure who I want to come in yet. But thank you sooooo much for your critique and your review!!! I'm glad you like it!!!

Skye-Sama: Haha, unfortunately, you wont find that out until maybe next chapter or the chapter after that. ^-^

Hanari-chan: Haha, thank you. But like I said above... You'll have to wait for the next chapters. But yes... Poor Ino... This chapter will explain some.

inoblueyes2: ^____^ Thank you! I'm glad you like it. Don't worry, I won't bail out on you guys! I'll keep on keepin.

kiwi4me: ^___^ Thaaank you!!! I'll continue, don't worry. (Love your name by the way. Kiwi's are delish.)

And I think that's everyone!!!

Thank you to everyone who reads!!

SUPER special thanks to those who continue to review!!!

Thanks for 451 hits and 152 visitors this month!!!

I don't own Naruto!!!!!

Let me know of any spelling errors or any errors in general that I made so I can fix!!!

Chapter 12: Impossible

It was dark when she opened her eyes, blinking them slowly. There was a small light over her, dull enough to almost be a nightlight. Had she finally fallen asleep? She looked around at the shapes that always occupied her room, watching as their hands glided up and down her body. She shifted, groaning as the world spun.

"So you're awake," She startled slightly, looking up to see a female doctor hovering over her, pressing her hand against Ino's forehead. "My name is Tomoki. Would you like something?" She asked softly, gently touching her cheek. Ino nodded slowly, raising her own hand to her throat. "W-water, maybe?" She almost choked, pressing her hand over her throat to lessen the pain. The doctor nodded, smiling sweetly before disappearing.

Ino sighed slowly, letting her hand slide down to rest on her shoulder. How long had she been here? A few days? Weeks? Months? The days seemed to go on forever, the nights even longer. She had tried counting a few times, but had lost track. She looked up to see the doctor returning, a large glass in her delicate hands. She smiled in thanks, then began to sit up, or tried to. She gasped, holding herself tightly. She felt Tomoki's warm hand gently push her back down on the bed.

"Are you still in pain?" She asked softly, reaching under her and holding her up while the other medics placed pillows under her back, propping her up. Ino avoided her gaze, looking down at her hands. "Well… I guess I feel a bit better now…" She told her; drinking the water she was handed. How nice it felt as it went down her dry throat. The doctor frowned, sighing. "You didn't answer my question." She said softly, but not accusing. Ino finished the water, looking back up to the doctor. Ino could tell that she knew, just by staring into her eyes. She could see it. She sighed in defeat, nodding her head slowly.

The doctor smiled sadly at the girl before her. "Very well. We'll wait a bit longer." Ino frowned at this.

"Wait for what?" She asked, her eyebrows scrunched together.

The doctor seemed hesitant to answer, but did anyways, carefully choosing her words. "I wanted to test your jutsu's."

"Why?"

She was silent for a while, placing her hand on Ino's. "I… I believe that your illness is affecting your abilities. But, I'm not exactly sure how, yet."

Ino stared, mouth open slightly. "Affecting my abilities? How? It's not… It's not d-destroying them… is it?" Ino asked, struggling to keep her voice under control.

"I'm not sure. I'll find out when we do the tests."

"Well let's do the tests, then." Ino declared, raising her hands. The doctor placed her hands over Ino's, shaking her head.

"We can't do that now. It will be too straining on your body." Ino glared, tearing her hands away. "I don't care! I want my jutsu's to be okay!" She growled, centering her window around a medic across the room.

"Yamanaka-San! Don't!" The doctor cried, reaching for her hands again.

"Ninpou, Shintenshin no Jutsu!" Ino cried, her hands slowly falling as her body went limp. Tomoki frantically began checking her vitals when she felt a restraining hand close around her wrist.

"I'm fine, Tomoki. You worry too much." She looked over to see one of her medics pulling her hand away from Ino.

"Yamanaka-San..?" She questioned, watching her nod. "H-how do you feel? Anything different?" The medic sighed.

"Kind of. It almost feels… easier. And the take over went rather quickly." She explained, moving a hand to her shoulder. "However… I still feel the pain from my actual body. It is dulled a lot, so that's good I guess, but I can still feel the burning… My lungs are still aching."

"Return to your body now." The doctor ordered softly, placing a hand under her elbow as Ino raised her hands into her cancelation seal.

"Release!" The medic almost dropped to the ground, her eyes wide, staring at the floor. Tomoki steadied her, explaining quietly in her ear what happened. "Relax, Yuki… Yuki?" She followed her gaze to Ino, her hands forming another shape. Her index fingers touched the opposite thumbs, forming a box in front of her heart.

"Ino, enough! You'll strain yourself too much!"

"I'm fine!" Ino snapped, remaining focused on the medic again. "My apologies. Ninpou, Shinranshin no Jutsu!" Ino smirked, watching the medic stand up straight, placing her hands on the doctor's shoulders. "Tomoki-San, I'm fine. This one works well too." Ino said softly, still holding her seal as the medic turned away from the doctor, her eyes wide with confusion as she sat down in her chair. Ino released the jutsu. The doctor glared at her, sighing.

"You really are too stubborn for your own good." She muttered, closing her eyes and holding her head.

"Tomoki-Sama…" One of the medics looked up from Ino's body, the green glow fading. She looked up. "What's the problem?" She demanded, going closer to where the medic stood, looking around him.

"I don't think it's exactly a problem… But we can't find more of the poison in her system all of a sudden."

"There is no way that it would suddenly just not be there!" Tomoki jumped in, running her hands over Ino's body, up and down several times. Her eyes widened, checking over and over again. "Yamanaka-San…" She started, her hands still hovering. "It appears we were successful in removing the poison." She said it slowly, almost like she had a hard time believing it herself. The medics backed away, wiping their brow as they went to the other side of the room.

Ino smiled at the doctor, feeling hope pulse through her. Her smile quickly faded, however, when she felt something else; something wrong. The burning sensation had intensified, her lungs seemed to shrink. She reached out, grabbing the doctor's wrist tightly, yanking on it. Opening her eyes, she looked down to see Ino's hand around her, then looked up to her face.

"Y-Yamanaka-San, are you alright?" She asked quickly, snapping her fingers behind her to signal for the medics, her eyes not leaving Ino's face. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open, struggling to pull in air as her lips moved, mouthing three words over and over again, her eyes looking up to bore into hers. She blinked her eyes a few times, feeling her head grow light.

It all happened so quickly then, everyone in the room was rushing around. Everyone seemed to be talking at once, each yelling something. She could barely keep up with all of them

"She can't breathe!"

"Her heart is beating too slowly!"

"Why is this happening? Isn't all the poison removed?"

"Shit, how the hell did all that liquid get into her lungs?"

"Call for the emergency techs!"

"Damn it, we're losing her!"

iI-I'm… I'm dying… now? But I… I'm not… done… Am I?' Her world went blurry, the whole room spinning until it left her in darkness.

* * * * *

"K-Kankuro?"

"Yeah?" He looked away from the window, his eyes moving to his sister. She didn't speak for a moment, staring sadly at her brother.

"I-I… I'm scared." Temari admitted quietly, wringing her hands. Kankuro sighed, walking over to his sister, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I know… I… I am too. He's come so far from what he used to be… Now…" He glanced towards the door, his eyebrows pushed together. "With the news about Ino… I have a feeling that… That he…" He sighed, patting his sister gently.

"I don't want him to change back." Temari whispered, biting her lip as the images flashed behind her eyes.

"There isn't much we can do now. We have to wait until he reads the letter from the hospital… And judge by his reaction…" Kankuro explained, feeling his heart rate pick up as well. If Gaara returned to his former state… He swallowed, clenching his teeth together.

They both jumped at a heart-stopping scream from the other side of the building, loud crashes and bangs coming from a certain room. Temari's eyes went wide; hear heart thudding in her chest as she looked over at Kankuro, his eyes narrowed as he tried to keep his breathing under control. They both could hear the crunching of wood as his sand crushed it, throwing anything and everything within reach against the wall.

Temari felt herself begin to shake. "G-Gaara…" They both flinched at another agony twisted shriek. Kankuro pulled his sister to the door and out of the room, dragging her out of the building, away from his screams. He could see the effect it had on her; he could see it in the expression on her face. She had told him many times that he has a chance at becoming a normal person, and that she has hope for him.

But now… There was no hope in her eyes. Only the fear and sorrow of Gaara's former self played across her features. He pulled her into an apartment building, yanking her up the stairs and to a room. It was deafeningly quiet in the apartment room as he sat his trembling sister on the bed. But now she was away from it so she could compose herself. For them both to prepare for the old Gaara to return.

* * * *

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

This couldn't have happened.

Not to her, not right now, not ever.

She was too strong for this to happen.

And yet, no matter how he denies, it happened.

And it hurts him, hurts him right down to his very soul.

Sabaku no Gaara was denying the words that echoed in his head.

He stood alone in the hospital room, staring down at Ino lying motionless on the hospital bed.

He could barely stand it, seeing her like this.

No, he couldn't stand it at all, not one bit.

He was glad they had let him see her alone.

But of course, no one said no to him anyways.

He was the one with the murderous past, the one who had killed just to feel alive.

A monster in their eyes.

Yet this monster, the seemingly coldest and cruelest of them all, was fighting something with all he had.

Fighting something he never thought he would need to fight.

The emptiness building up inside, the agony of the sight before him.

Something impossible was happening.

Gaara of the Sand was fighting tears.