The Life That We Lead

Chapter 2: Tying bonds

"When we have respect for ourselves and others, we gravitate towards connections that encourage that."

~Simeon Lindstrom
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Rushing, her heart was pounding and rushing to get to a destination. One she knew little of but knew she needed to get there.

'Please still be there....I still need you to be there!'

Finally coming at a stop in a room she walked in slowly to see an unmoving man the long blonde hair in a hospital bed. The only sound in the room was the heart monitor beeping, letting her know who ever was in the bed was still in the bed.

"Daddy?" She whispered moving the strands of hair out his face only for a hand to shoot up and grab her wrist.

The blonde woman tried to pull back but to no avail, the man kept his grip tight on her wrist. He rose from his bed with his eyes heavily dilated.

"Dad! Please let go!" Still no response, and he still wouldn't let go.

All of a sudden his physical form changed. The right side of his body became grotesque with burn marks blown completely out of proportion. His jaw barely looked like it would hand on.

"Ino..." The first word he'd ever said of her few minutes of being there.

"Why didn't you help me....why didn't you save me!! You weak heir, you should've never been born!" Ino flinched the words her father said was like a blade to her heart but in a moment of courage she spoke up.

"That's not true...I'm stronger now and we're at peace with the other-"

He tighten his hands on her arm considerably, "Your best wasn't enough! Even your own mother blames you for letting me down...You were never worthy of the Yamanaka bloodline."

"You were never worthy of being my daughter."

Ino's eyes snapped open and she lurched herself forward, immediately burying her face in her hands as a sob escaped her body.

Her hands shook as she hastily wiped the tears from her eyes, but she froze when she heard frantic footfalls and the sound of the bedroom door opening, signaling the arrival of the second occupant of the apartment that was not her own.

"Ino are you alright?!" In came a redheaded woman in just her robe frantically trying to tie it but unsuccessfully failing to do so.

"I'm fine Karin...really." Karin sat on the end of the bed staring at her friend.

"I'm a sensor, not a fool so please don't mistake me for one. Naruto already paints that image for us..." Karin mumbled getting Ino to smile at the small jab she made at her cousin.

The two had grown to be close over the years as they not only worked with each other at the hospital but Ino was the first one to introduce herself to Karin and showed her around while she was still on probation. Since then their bond had blossomed into a beautiful friendship.

"Was it that dream again?" The dream of her rotting corpse of a father kept haunting her at night more recently than it ever had after even after the war.

The dream was too real, too vivid, and she couldn't help but wonder if she really was a failure. Chills ran down her spine trying her best not not to think about it but her consciousness was racing never slowing down.