My Sunshine

The Mind Transfer Jutsu - Iruka / Mizuka's Request - Ino

Ino was spending the next few days being Haru's primary healer, at Ino's request. Mizuka looked as if she had been burning the candle at both ends for too long. While she and Sai were busy with their baby as well, they only had one. Not the two infants and two toddlers that the Hatake family currently had. But, Haru appeared to be doing well. Or, as well as could be expected in her situation. Every day, Ino watched the emaciated woman struggle to bring food to her lacerated lips. Her skin was still healing, even seeping blood from her deeper wounds, saturating her bandages.

However, even with all of that, Haru seemed like a different person than the one her Master had briefed her on initially. She was eating and talking, even if both here only a little. Ino was glad to see that she had one person here that she seemed to trust: Iruka. She was so frail looking, the lacerations beginning to heal on her face and body as she clumsily ate her food next to Iruka.

Ino left and went to the desk, looking through Haru's thin chart.  There were only the initial notes about the condition she arrived in, and daily updates on her demeanor and activities.  She sighed; it would be a lot easier to heal her if we had some background and medical history in her.  Who was she?  What had happened to her?  Ino decided to make a bold move, returning to Haru's room with her chart in hand..

"It would be easier for me to use my Mind Transfer Jutsu to see your memories. Then there won't be a need to answer questions about your past if it's too painful. I can see your past and then transcribe it into your chart. That way, your healers will know your medical history."

Iruka watched with bated breath, almost positive that he already knew her answer-

"Okay."

Haru looked scared, but determined. Even Ino looked surprised.

"It won;t hurt, and it should only take a minute. I'll meet you inside of your psyche and you can share your memories with me."

"Can we do it now?"

Another surprise from Haru.

"Sure."

Ino stood in front of Iruka, fairly close, her back turned to him. She spoke over her shoulder to him.

"Take care of my body, okay Sensei?"

"I've got you."

Iruka watched from behind as she put her hands in front of her.

"MIND TRANSFER JUTSU!"

Iruka caught her body as it crumpled in front of him, Ino no longer inside of it. She was now inside of Haru. Iruka heaved her body up into his lap, cradling it. He was just glad that Haru wouldn;t have to keep avoiding questions by the medical staff, crying each time she was asked. Iruka waited patiently, holding Ino's body as he watched Haru. Her face winced a little, but was mostly calm. A minute later, Ino's head jolted backward as she returned to her body. But, she didn't open her eyes like he had seen her done before. INstead, she shook and made small gasps for air; her breath seemingly stuck in her chest. Her eyes opened seconds later, and they were filled with terror.

"Ino, breathe. Breathe."

He shook her gently, trying to fully snap her back to reality. Suddenly, she took a deep gasp of air, sitting up in his lap. Haru began to sob in her hospital bed, and Iruka wasn't surprised when Ino began to cry, but he was surprised when she began to sob into the crook of his neck. He had no idea what Ino had seen, but it had shaken her to her core.

Whatever Haru endured and Ino just witnessed must have been horrendous.

Iruka stood up and moved over to the bed, still holding Ino. It was a strangely nostalgic moment, carrying a former student like he used to when they were little and hurt. Sitting on the bed, he scooted up and laid next to Haru, still holding Ino. She reached out for Haru's fingers on her broken arm, holding them. Iruka saw Haru wrap her bruised fingers around Ino's.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Haru didn;t respond; she continued to cry as she let Ino hold her hand.

"No one will do any of those things to you here. No one will hurt you here."

Ino sobbed the words as Iruka continued to cradle her, rubbing her back gently. The two women connected in a powerful way, and Iruka was merely a witness and support. After about half an hour, both women had fallen asleep, Ino still holding onto Haru's hand. Iruka watched over the two women as they slept, hoping that whatever had happened to Haru could still be undone.

***

"What happened? Are they okay?"

"Yeah.  I mean, I think so? Ino used her jutsu to enter Haru's psyche to understand her medical history. You know, so you all don't need to keep asking and she doesn't need to keep reliving it. I don't know what Ino saw, but she returned to her body in a state of shock."

Ino could hear their words as she lay on Iruka, her face still buried in the crook of his neck. She didn't want to get up. She felt like a scared child. Not only did she see her memories, they knocked her back into the wall of her psyche, like a hard punch to the stomach. So much rape, sodomy, abuse, and anger lay in her memories, Ino thought.  And not even Haru's anger; it was a dark, seething anger.  Ino had seen knives, shackles, cigar burns, and she knew that Haru's cries would be haunting her dreams.

How could a person live through that?

It started when she looked like a young teenager. And there were also a lot of memories of her taking pills. Ino was horrified, and only wanted to stay safe with one of the people she trusted the most, her Sensei.

She felt Mizuka face near hers, whispering lightly over Iruka's arm, into her ear.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"No."

She felt Mizuka's hand ran lightly over her hair.

"I know this is going to be hard, but can you write down everything quickly for me? I'm sorry to ask you to revisit what you saw."

Ino looked up at her Master, nodding. Mizuka took her hand and helped her off of the bed and onto her feet.

"Why don't you come to my office? We'll sit down and get it done together. Then I'll walk you home.  And then, I need you to take as much time as you need away from this place."