Summary/disclaimer: Time for another chapter of Poisoned Petals. Enjoy the 5900-word chapter. I do not own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto, and a few others do.
Ino was not a medic first and foremost. It was easy to fake being one but the amount of training and skill one needed was… Here, whatever the issue? Well, it would be solved sooner or later… Perhaps and hopefully sooner.
Ino sat Mareo on a chair as she went and got the first aid store, closing the shop behind her as she went. It was clear more and more the idea of him being hurt was… Difficult to try and deal with such antics.
"If you die on me? I am going to rip you from the afterlife, I hope you know that." Ino stated to which Mareo chuckled.
Ino was about to say something before he winced, his body contorting in a manner that reminded her that he had been wounded and wounded heavily… Perhaps it'd be better to fix it and joke around later.
"Are you sure… Ok, that is a big blade…." Mareo said, wincing at a stitching kit possibly owned by her.
"Well, that's a big cut." Ino snarked as she rolled her eyes. "Forehead said you should be out of the hospital already and then this happens… Sure, then this happens." Ino stated before she sighed.
"Forehead?" Mareo asked as he grunted, pressing a hand to his stomach as he sighed. "Damn, hurts to talk," Mareo stated before sighing.
"Yet you babble on anyway," Ino muttered as she tapped the needle. "Easy, this is going to hurt a bit more than usual, I need to make sure the need doesn't do any real damage… That and I can't have you die." Ino stated before she sighed.
It was a moment of silence that greeted her as if she had forgotten every single little thing, all of it became something she just didn't know or could wish to know at the moment, a nice little distraction for it all, something that did not at all become odd for now and it was something that could not be contained so easily… Their game was a game, one that needed to be contained and controlled.
If anything? Their nightmares were far from over and it was something that needed to end and could only be ended properly.
Yet? It bothered her and concerned her that such problems would only continue to get it off, for the time being, such problems would continue to grow stronger sooner or later.
All such measures like this would continue to grow more and more fascinating at the end of the day and it was honestly rather cool. They had more and more pressing concerns to focus on now.
"We're going to be at this for a much longer time than normal, you know that and it's coming out of your paycheck at the end of the day, you know," Ino stated before looking down at the ground and then upwards.
Mareo sighed, tired of this for now and unsure what to do next… It could only grow more and more ridiculous with each passing second at the end of the day as he looked and it was all too much at the moment. He was too oddly distracted now and would continue to get more and more exhausted at the end of the day.
There was a lot more to try and focus upon such measures. Mareo would be dead sooner or later and it was a lot worse to look for such measures that he could relax upon.
"Are you going to bleed on the floor?" Ino joked before Mareo fell silent and shrugged. "Ugh… Stay still. I'll go get a medical herb and if you bleed on the floor? I'm going to stab you myself." Ino stated before she rolled her eyes, utterly tired.
"It's so nice talking to you, boss. You lighten everything up at the end of the day and make life worth living." Ino heard while she was tired, all too amused and interested at the end of the time being.
They had a lot more look upon such measures to try and look around at the end of the time being. He was already starting to bother by more and more issues at the end of the time.
"Are you going to be, ok? I won't be happy with you collapsing into the ground if you do so and the least, I can do is let you die on the floor, Mareo. It would be something that might be worse and worse… My reputation at the end of the time being." Ino said as Mareo rolled his eyes at her smirking joke before she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
"I should throw you into the roof, Mareo," Ino muttered before she rested a manicured hand on his shoulder, making him look up at her before long…
Before it, all started to collapse. She didn't at all know him but she wanted to. She wanted to understand him and could only get to relax, only find some sort of exhaustion at the end of the day.
Ino was all too silent before she sighed and looked to the side. She was utterly amused, interested at the time being.
"You might die, might you? you don't care at the end of the day. I don't know what might be getting more and more tiresome at the end of the day." Ino stated before she sighed and cupped his chin, slowly drawing more and more lines around his body as she prepared to make sure that his body didn't break down.
There was exhaustion upon his body as he felt it getting to it more and more. He didn't at all know what to try and do if she didn't save her at the moment. She was tired and utterly exhausted, all too focused on something that was outside his control.
He didn't at all know what she'd do if she was able to relax and he couldn't really blame the woman considering all that went on, so much was ringing in his damn brain like a drum, a very giant damn drum that mixed it all.
What did he deal with? Well, it'd be harder and harder to figure out, something far beyond what he was capable of, something ringing in his skull like a big giant bell of metal or titanium or something similar along the lines of it all.
He sighed and looked at Ino who for the life of herself was simply dealing with being so entirely worked up by everything that she grew… Bored, so very bored, and so very childish at the moment.
She looked at Mareo with a look that was half blaming him for being such a fool and half remembering that he was just trying to help. It didn't help to deal with such a thing… But she couldn't blame him for his views and how well all such roads were going, it wasn't like he wanted to do something bad, he just did to do it a certain way.
"You get yourself killed; I'm just going to leave you on the ground quite easily," Ino said before she looked down at the ground, unsure of what to say, to do.
"Well, as long as I'm getting paid." Mareo joked before he got a roll of the eyes from her.
"Hey, I'm just cracking a joke to ease the tension, there's a lot more to do anyway than bleed all over the ground," Mareo said as Ino seemed to roll her eyes and looked down at the ground, utterly amused more and more at the end of the day.
He was all too amused as she poked him on the nose and sighed, she was amused by his antics and she would not lie about it at the moment. However? She was still driven by a need to keep calm.
"I'm not paying you to take your time and sit on the ground, Mareo. It's not a good business model." Ino snarked before Mareo grunted. "I'm surprised you're not dead, though. Those wounds could have been a lot more fatal if they wanted to be and it's not something you think of, it's really surprising and sometimes I'm going to think you're not human." Ino said before she looked around.
Mareo either didn't know how to respond to her joke or had something else on her mind as she did her best to keep him alive, part of her just partied more and more at the end of the day.
They had something else in common at the end of the day, something beyond what they could be more and more at the moment.
Something that could get harder and harder with each little word upon her every word and very understanding of it all as every single little thing slowly yet surely fell into place. They were so very connected in ways the other simply couldn't predict that it became unstoppable and hard to fathom such measures in any real capacity.
It truly was very hard to try and figure out, something and anything beyond now, it would truly if anything be a nightmare, something she could scarcely wish to believe. Not just because it was hard to fathom but because it meant a lot more to do, to see even.
She didn't even know what she was going to do or even see at the moment and she really couldn't or shouldn't be able to relax like this. Dealing with Mareo was… Oddly soothing to her and she knew why because it reminded her of when she was back in the war, dealing with the wounded on a battlefield.
It made her nervous to think this could and would be easier than this. They had a lot more to see and do at the end of the road… All of it annoyed him more and more yet he kept dealing with it when it comes down to it.
It was odd, dealing with life in such a way, but that was how she was, would be. She wanted an escape from it and it was easier said than done, it would always be that way and she didn't mind it.
Well, at least part of her didn't, putting a soft hand to his cheek as she looked down at the ground before smacking him in the cheek as she did so and not at all gently.
Mareo grimaced as she smiled at him, reminding him that she was worried while leaving out not a single bit of the anger and annoyance his antics were causing. It was clear she cared about him but not without being willing to slap him silly.
"If you do this again? I'm going to kill you, last time I repeat it but it will still be a lot worse than if you bother to try it again." Ino said before putting her hand back on his cheek and looking down at him with annoyance.
"Maybe if you didn't slap me, I'd not be bleeding out?" Mareo asked before Ino snorted and rolled her eyes.
"Maybe if you told the truth, you wouldn't be half dead on my floor getting blood all over the washed tiles which I'm making the call to possibly have you clean up?" Ino asked before Mareo snorted and laughed. "Oh, a laugh. Good. I was afraid you were going to bleed all over the floor before I made you pay for it." Ino said before Mareo hummed.
"Gee and I haven't even gotten paid first." Ino heard before she slapped him and made him wince before looking down at the ground with annoyance.
She knew not to blame him; she knew he was joking but it felt so good and so amusing when she knew he was joking. It was odd in a way she didn't find odd like she wanted to keep doing it. There was an odd little sliver of amusement pulling at her which kept growing inside her like a worm.
She didn't even know there was a giggle at the moment inside her before she looked upwards and then she was silent, unsure, and uncertain of everything on the line at the time being.
All of it was going to be able to relax once more as he seemed to understand what to do next. He was aware of the limits when it came down to it. He seemed to be able to relax once more because he understood himself.
The limits on his body? On him? It all told of someone who could and would be able to relax, to back down before he put himself in a coma.
He felt his blood leak from his jaw, almost staining the ground in pain as he did so. It made him sigh knowing what was going on was… Disturbing in a way that even he couldn't make light of.
"You know, I'd ask if this counts as paid time off… But I get the feeling it ain't." Mareo joked as he tried and failed to force himself to his feet.
He was utterly tired of now as he realized just what the hell was going on was… Something else. All of it made him feel tired when it came down to it.
"Whatever we do next? Well? I don't know what to say or do next as of now." Mareo said, laying a hand on the counter before he clicked his tongue.
She seemed to be able to relax once more before now and she was able to understand him in a way that she hadn't before.
"Easy," Ino said as Mareo nodded and rested a hand on his cheek. "I'm going to talk to Sakura. Stay here, I'll come back when I'm busy talking with her." Mareo stated before she looked downwards.
He didn't even know anything, she looked at him with kindness, one which she could not hope to match anytime soon, not even for a second. She sighed as she realized he was going to be in pain for a far longer time than before.
The idea of it bothered her as she put a hand on his back and soothingly rubbed it like one a newborn babe. Humiliating? Perhaps, but it wasn't like he had the pride to care for now to say or object to it in even a single measure.
He could do nothing other than relax, for now, unable to think for now what was going on.
"Are you going to be ok or do I need a bucket?" Ino asked before she seemed too able to think of what to say and do for now. "Because this is both sad and a bit comical at the same time," Ino interjected as he felt amused at the same time.
He supposed it was true in its way, true in a manner to which he could not find it to be anywhere close.
All of it seemed to only serve to make him feel more and more unsure as to what to see and do next now as she looked upwards and into the ceiling with a pang of guilt on her features.
All of it made him sigh, a lot more exhausted than anything else. This was still a lot more than he could choose to bare, to figure out for now what was all said and done possibly now.
She put a pair of fingers to his head, twisting it to the side gently and then leaning down. She sighed before she reached up, flicking the sign to close before settling into her work.
She hummed as she settled into her work once more, pushing his head back and procuring several tools to which worked on his tender skin. She knew a mistake at this point was just going to harm Mareo a lot more than he had been now.
"Stay still and be quiet…" Ino said in the tone of a medical nin rather than a shopkeeper. "Bite down on this gauze, it's going to hurt… A lot and all of it seemed to be able to relax once more." Ino said before she looked downwards at the ground, something they could have dealt with again and again over and over.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Mareo asked as she looked downwards at the ground once more.
"Are you ok? There's a lot more to… Ugh, damn it. Part of your skin is bleeding under the surface because part of it when… Damn it, billboard brow, weren't you supposed to be a good doctor?" Ino questioned as she sighed and looked down at the ground.
All of it disturbed her, unsure and unable to do and say something to end it now more and more when it came down to it.
He had a larger amount of mercy when it came to her soft and delicate fingers peeling away at his skull. He knew more and more if anything that he could not for the life of him understand the reality of the situation.
He could not sense what he had done or how it may or may not harm others. That scared him, but it was clear they had a VERY long list of things that needed to be addressed, something that couldn't be done with it all for now.
Her fingers, nimble, quick, useful for tending to plants, and worn from being in their presence were able to easily deal with wiping away drops of blood, pressing them onto the clothing beside her. It was a very odd and uncertain part of life to again be in a position where the life in him free flowed.
All of it hinted at some larger design, a part of life that he could not hope to try and escape.
She opened her massively wide blue eyes, she could and would protect him to the best of her talent, to her ability upon the end of all days.
They had chosen a path outside of it all… Outside of where they had been before.
She would save him, even if it broke her to do so, broke her to her core. This all seemed to cut more and more, and all of it became more and more annoying at the end of the day, something that grew odder and odder for now.
It was not her right to take away someone's ability to live and decide for themselves, not unless they be an enemy or they had chosen to leave in the condition it had been left in, to begin with.
Not the best idea while banging on the glass and he knew it, he knew a lot more to try and figure out as he hummed to himself before he relaxed… Before it, all seemed to go to pot for now.
He looked at her, unsure of what to see and do next as he hummed and looked up from it. They had a lot more to try and figure out, he hummed to himself before he looked at her.
"Are you going to be, ok?" Ino asked before she looked downwards at the ground as she hummed.
"More and more will need to change for now," Ino stated before she brushed off blood from his eyebrow and placed her pale fingers on his scalp.
"Forehead is supposed to be one of the best medics in the world and she misses a few things. She's either gotten sloppy or someone wants you dead." Ino said before Mareo said as he looked and hummed to himself.
"I don't know what to try and do next. There are so many little things when it comes down to it." Ino said as she hummed to herself.
She sighed and looked downwards at the ground. She placed more gauze on her wounds.
She would be ready to try and handle it as she slapped more gaze upon their wounds. She sighed at the moment, ready to try and scream into the vapid void.
They were going to die inside as she hummed to herself once more, something that continued to push him over and over the edge.
There was a large amount of pain on her mind, something she couldn't at all deal with anytime soon, and a lot more to see end for the time being.
She could not at all see it end for now again and again at the end of the moment, an idea that needed to be dealt with again for now a desire to be superior for this at the moment.
"This all falls apart for now, totally going to need more time to deal with it when it comes to it," Ino said as she hummed to herself and continued to fix his wounds.
She hummed, tired but divided on her attention and other little problems like this at moments. She cracked her fingers once more as she hummed to herself, ready to break into pieces, if need be, to answer it for now.
He was so thrown off by it that he wanted to scream into a vapid void… But she couldn't let it bother her for now.
All of it seemed to but he didn't give in for a good reason, all of it seemed to be immensely for now. It amused her for now but she said nothing about it as she looked downwards, unsure of what to see and do.
She pushed some blood from his face, unsure of what came next, unsure of it again and again as she looked downwards at the ground, ready to scream for now… All of it managed to relax.
"You, ok? This isn't going to be something I can deal with easily." Ino said as she looked downward at the ground before she hummed once more as she cracked her fingers.
She sighed and looked downwards at the ground before she sighed and then looked.
"I don't know what's going to happen… And I don't know if you're going to make it considering how banged up you are and how weird it all is." Ino said as she sighed before Mareo hummed.
"Might want to call a doctor then or something." Mareo joked before being flicked on the head. "I have an honest question… If you're a big-time ninja and I get that ninjas don't care about all that fame and fortune… Why do you spend time here? You're not the kind of gal I expect to run a flower show when you can probably kick someone's head in two." Mareo stated before he sighed.
He looked downwards at the ground as she sighed and started to think, unsure of it all… Unsure if she could or would trust him.
"This shop… Damn it, jackass." Ino said, looking off into space. "It's more than a small little flower shop," Ino said as Mareo sighed.
"There I go again being an ass when I don't want to be… Ugh, you should have let me die in the streets, I'd apologize for bleeding over your garden." Mareo joked before wincing as he realized what went on.
He didn't blame the scowl on her face as she stepped into the back. He was scum, a small little mercenary who was around a war hero, a soldier who had fought for truth and their people while he just… Constantly screwed up again and again, unsure of what needed to happen.
"You're not scum, scum doesn't get to live, scum doesn't deserve mercy, Mareo… You? You aren't scum, I'd have killed you myself if you were and you know that." Ino said before Mareo hummed.
He was all too unsure why she didn't kill him, it gained her nothing by leaving him alive, unable to try and figure out as of now.
She didn't know what to see and do at the moment as she clicked at his mouth again and again, every small little mercy of now.
She had a lot more to see and figure out what to try and do for now at the end of the road.
She pressed a calloused finger to the back of his forehead before pushing him forwards. This wouldn't be good for now, she looked downwards at the ground before she sighed and cracked her fingers.
"You know… There are a lot of things that I can fix… But I can't for the life of me understand what's going on when it comes down to it? there's a lot of things that I can fix but I can't exactly understand what will come next…" Ino said before she sighed and looked downwards at the moment.
She had a LOT more to try and figure out, a LOT more to see and do at the time being, unsure as she clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.
She didn't at all know him, didn't have any problem letting him suffer for now… She could relax once more… They had a LOT more at the end of the day and the end of their little adventure for now and knew what needed to be done for now.
This was going to be fun; it would always be fun because she couldn't seem to relax. Yet? She had NO amount of mercy.
"Starting to think you don't like helping me," Mareo said only to be flicked in the forehead and then she sighed to herself once more… It would be ODD. VERY odd at the MOMENT.
She sighed as she looked downwards at the ground, something about it would keep going for now and then seemed to try and figure it out as she sighed once more… They wouldn't allow it to end for now.
Perhaps it was better he didn't, perhaps she should let his annoying ass expire, it was no use trying to fix someone like him… But she knew better, she knew that it wasn't his fault and that whatever flaws he had? Death probably wasn't a better alternative for the situation… No, the best solution was to do what she was always going to do, keep him company and deal with the situation herself.
"You should know for the time being that I'm going to look deeper at that cut on your head… You better not bleed on me." Ino joked, jabbing his head again.
"Very funny, Ms. Ino… Very funny," Mareo said before he sighed. "I'm trying to keep calm and rational about it… How much of this isn't exactly working because I have a feeling it isn't working, is it?" Mareo asked before he sighed to himself and then looked downwards at the ground.
He was all too unsure and uncertain of what to see and do, something about it all only seemed to balance the scales at the end of the day. They had a LOT more to try and figure out for the moment as she cracked her fingers once more.
They had a LOT more at the end of the day, something about it would be unable to be ended once more or perhaps a lot later as of now.
It was something that he could be relaxing more and more, utterly something that could be as he relaxed more and more, it was a lot more that she could deal with for now.
Mareo had so much on his mind that it all cut to the bone, something that he was not used to. She only paused her ideas for now… It wouldn't be easily dealt with, not even a little bit.
"You of all people should know at the end of the day I'm not going to be able to relax more and more… The more I have to pour into trying? The more I have to try and fix." Ino stated before she sighed and rubbed at his temples, something about it all seemed to make him relax.
Mareo only paused to smile, wanting to try and figure it out as of now.
"You know more and more? I'm almost ready to try and kick him in the head. This isn't going to be easier than you think and it ain't going to be worse than you think…." Ino said before Mareo hummed.
"Then what's the issue? Either I die and it's game over or I don't and we get back to work, you barely have to do anything, and for the life of me? I don't see why I'd warrant such attention from a woman." Mareo said before Ino bopped him on the head, causing him no small amount of grief.
She knew damn well that he was going to get at her, she had little patience for trying to do things in such a manner and she knew what to expect, she had so much to do such a thing and she knew blasted well that trying to be nice was beyond the pale.
However? She pushed his face, making him recall if she wanted? That she would get it, this all seemed to be something that could be dealt with in due time.
All madness would be dealt with, all manner of ideas would be cut downwards, it mattered little, utterly thrown off as he paused, trying to reflect upon it all in ways that couldn't be dealt with.
Yet? it all could be dealt with as she hummed before she sighed, utterly unable to try and figure something out before cutting it all down as he clicked his fingers against one another.
He had a lot to deal with, a lot of memory that he couldn't exactly begin to understand.
All of the madness within him? it cut deeper and deeper while he yawned before he clicked his fingers against one another before clicking a punch against the roof of his madness before he hummed as he sighed as he would be through.
It was something he didn't yet relax upon dealing with, for now, an utterly violent maddening thing within his brain to concern himself with at the end, and would need to keep throwing more and more as he sighed before relaxing.
They had more to do, to see, to understand, that he may or may not have dealt with, it was charming, in a way that was too odd and even unsure of what to try and figure.
She was utterly able to try and figure out something as she hummed before looking as she paused to look at him.
Mareo was always going to be bugging her as she seemed to try and figure something out.
This wasn't going to be something that could be dealt with for now and she could be dealt with for now as she paused. This only served to make him yawn, more thrown off than anything. The ideas of which would be beyond help… Beyond even the slightest idea.
"You want me to end up knocking your head off? because I'm going to kill you if you keep pushing the luck there… It's going to make me try and figure something out." Ino stated to which Mareo hummed.
"It's very hard to do that knowing you're going to cut me open unless you want me to lie." Ino heard as she sighed.
Part of her just wanted to use her power to stop him, knowing that he could be more docile as she tilted his head to the side, she was very well aware of what needed to be done… All of it was a message he could not relax for now, perhaps it was just like that.
She was thrown for a loop there, she didn't even know what to try and figure out for now.
This wouldn't be something that she dealt with normally, she doubted normally was even something she dealt with anytime soon, this wasn't going to be something that she was over the moon about.
"Ugh… Screw it, I'll go ask someone to get Billboard brow… I don't want to be dealing with you bleeding all over the floor, got it? Go mop yourself up, then we're dealing with it for now." Ino stated before she looked downwards at the ground.
There was just more and more for him to be dealing with, knowing that she was unable to deal with more and more. She sighed before she turned and walked outside.
Mareo hummed before he seemed to try and deal with the fact, she was kinder than before… It was something that could be dealt with for now, this woman was something else… It would always be something else, knowing what came as a result for now… It wouldn't be dealt with for now, it was always going to be dealt with for now…
They had more to try and figure out, she trusted him in ways that scared him which he could not deal with for now… They would not be dealt with any time, this would not be easily dragged along the ground.
"If you are going to die? Try not to do it over the floor, I just ended up mopping it a few days ago." Ino stated before she paused to look at his wounds with some degree of concern.
She wished only to be unsure and unable to do something about it for now… An idea that would not soon be utterly willing to be handled for now… It made little idea for him to keep growing and going and going and going.
She didn't wish to do more than relax… There was something to be done and dusted, it meant something to be done and dusted as she paused to keep growing.
This would be utterly unsure of what needed to be done and dusted as she paused. She pressed a finger to his forehead to try and figure out their next move… She had no idea and would continue to have no idea.
"Tired?" Mareo questioned before he raised an eyebrow. "Because I have a feeling I'm going to be clocking out any damn moment with all due respect, ma'am… It's kinda putting me to sleep." Mareo joked to which Ino sighed.
She knew he was in pain and she could tell he was in pain as well… There was some small fraction of fear upon her face as she paused, not wanting to let him die.
"You die, I'll haunt you in hell." Ino joked before she sighed. "Relax. I've dealt with worse wounds." Ino stated to which Mareo went to speak.
There was nothing, nothing which she dreaded more than not being able to help, partly because she knew at the damn end of the day that if she failed? She would be mopping him up off the floor… And the second?
Well? If Mareo died, she was content to kill him for not letting him die as she had asked… And she wished it to be utterly shaken. She hoped and prayed that she could help him and failing that? Not allow him a death that would sully what she had set out to have done.
It meant little, it would always mean little and she damn well knew it.
Author Notes
Phew. Another chapter is done! I want to point out that the next chapter will be delayed and will be in 2-10 months and will show more and more of Ino and Mareo talking and setting up the villain. Until the 900–6500-word chapters, Lighting Wolf out!