Shortly after the mission in the Land of Silence, the bond between you and Ino had changed in a way neither of you could ignore. The relationship was still new, fragile only in the sense that neither of you had yet grown used to calling it what it was. Then, duty pulled you away again. Your return to the Hidden Leaf brought no relief. Ino remained close enough to hear each changing report as Sakura, Tsunade, and the hospital staff struggled to understand what was happening.