Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Poisoned Petals. Enjoy the 1200-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.

Mareo grunted before his eyes slowly started to flutter open. His skull was busy ringing like a bell and he could feel various stab wounds all over his body. It felt like he had been torn open and then stitched back together once more.

"Ow…" Mareo muttered and then looked down to see that his chest was covered in bandages.

Blood-soaked bandages which were indeed covered by more bandages. He also couldn't see out of his other eye currently and his body was wrought with enough pain to paralyze him.

'Well, I can rule out being dead unless the afterlife is ridden with pain constantly.' Mareo thought to himself as he hummed and looked over his shoulder.

That caused massive agony to lance up and down his body once more. He grunted and then noticed that his left arm hung limply at his side and his other arm was wrapped and hovered in the air.

"Hey, Mareo." Mareo heard which caused the heavily wounded shinobi to look to the door.

Mareo was greeted by Ino. The woman held a plant in his bands. It caused him to raise an eyebrow as the kunoichi walked around the small room and took a seat next to him.

"How am I still alive?" Mareo questioned and grunted. "I feel like a walking corpse…. Ow. Why didn't you kill me?" Mareo questioned as he hummed and looked to the side.

The question surprised Ino before she remembered how ok he was with dying before. He didn't want to fight her even if he had the strength to lift his own limbs towards her.

"I didn't want to kill you." Ino said as she turned and looked at Mareo who was too busy struggling to get up and look at her, confused on how and why he was still alive.

Then again? He could hear that Ino busy trying to keep him alive. Part of him wondered if she just wanted him alive because they wanted to interrogate him. It wouldn't surprise him when it came down to it.

However? As he gazed at Ino through his injured eye? He could see that her features have softened considerably. She looked at him with the compassion of someone who knew he couldn't do anything. She placed a hand on the bed while looking at him.

"You want me to kill you so bad." Ino said as she turned to look at the shinobi. "Why? Do you care so little about yourself that you'd want to throw your life away?!" Ino hissed while glaring at the shinobi.

Ino watched the shinobi sigh and look at his damaged arms. He knew very well that both limbs were going to take months when it came down to it.

"People want me dead or captured for something I didn't do." Mareo said, his eyes narrowing as he clenched his wounded fingers. "I'd rather die to someone who doesn't have to deal with the burden… Plus I expect you to kill another shinobi. Shinobi deal with their enemies quickly and without delay, do they not?" Mareo stated as he leaned back to look up the ceiling.

Mareo knew for a fact that Ino was a very powerful Kunoichi. Someone who was far beyond the skill level he was on. He knew for a fact that they could easily kill him in another confrontation. That was what amused him slightly, amused him far beyond what should have been amusing. Then again? In his book? He wasn't in any condition to really compare himself to her when it came down to it.

Ino looked at the wounded and near-death warrior. She could easily kill him, report him to the ANBU and claim the bounty… But she wouldn't kill someone, not in cold blood. Not without learning what they did and if they deserved mercy for it.

"Did you kill someone?" Ino asked as she moved closer. Mareo hummed.

"The only people I would ever kill are those who deserve it…" Mareo stated as he turned to look at Ino a moment later. "But to answer that? No, I didn't. My parents killed someone, someone who I didn't want to kill… Then used me as a scapegoat. Rather then fight and kill to defend myself against good people? I chose to leave. I know the ANBU will come after me… And I don't want to fight them. I don't want to spill blood after so much has been spilt already." Mareo stated which caused him to sigh.

Ino hummed and pondered what to do, she couldn't really look into his mind. The shock might kill him… Plus Ino would have to inform Sakura and she didn't wish to, not yet.

"Then what do you plan to do?" Ino questioned and crossed her arms as Mareo hummed and looked around.

"Find somewhere to die without bothering anyone." Mareo said and shook his head. "If they come? There will be a fight, I don't want a fight. I don't want to kill them… And even if I did surrender? There's little proof I didn't do what they framed me for…. There isn't a place for me within the world we currently have… And I'm starting to wonder if there ever will be." Mareo said and sighed with annoyance.

Ino pondered what to say. Mareo didn't look like he lied and she knew very well that he was a shinobi which caused her to ponder if she should report to the Hokage.

No. This had occurred on her land, this didn't concern the entire village unless it spilled out onto the other parts of the village when it came down to it.

Ino knew what she would do and how she would deal with this in the end. This was her burden and if it suffered consequences upon the rest of the village? She would bear it when it came down to it.

"I will return tomorrow." Ino put in which caused Mareo to hum and look at the shinobi with interest. "We will discuss something tomorrow… And Mareo?" Ino questioned as the shinobi hummed and looked at her.

Mareo looked at the Kunoichi with interest. He was quite curious as to what was going to happen next with the woman. He knew fate didn't have an end to their interactions yet. As much as he thought it might be done yet?

This wasn't the end of their talks yet when it came down to it. Ino hummed for a moment then spoke up again.

"I have a Jutsu that will tell if your telling the truth or not when it comes down to it." Ino stated and turned to leave.

Author notes

Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out that next chapter will be in 2-12 weeks and will show Ino and Mareo talking again and her exploring his head and such. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!

P.S: Ino will be 1200 words, Sakura and Sarada 900 words, Tsunade, Kurotsuchi? 1200 along with Karen who is 900 at the moment or such.