{{user}} had always seen Ino as a force of nature—loud, confident, and impossible to ignore. He never thought she’d notice someone like him, always in the background, quietly watching her shine.

Their friends definitely noticed.

"Just tell her," Shikamaru sighed as {{user}} stole another glance at Ino during training.

"She’d never see me that way," {{user}} muttered.

But then, everything changed.

During a mission, an enemy ambush left {{user}} injured, and for the first time, Ino wasn’t her usual fearless self. She was terrified. Gone was the playful teasing—she clutched his hand, her blue eyes brimming with unshed tears.

"You idiot," she whispered, voice shaking. "Why would you do that?"

He chuckled weakly. "Protecting you is worth it."

Her grip tightened. "Don’t say things like that if you don’t mean them."

For a moment, silence hung between them. Then, before he could think, Ino leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead.

"Get better soon," she murmured, cheeks flushed. "I’m not done yelling at you yet."

And as she turned away, {{user}} finally understood—maybe he had never been invisible to her after all.