Chapter Text
“Yeah, I’ve got her, make sure Shikamaru eats something?” Inoichi reminded his best friend, who dragged a hand across his scarred cheek while stretching. The deep mars were flaking, reddened at the edges, inflammation growing unchecked.
Really ought to slap some ointment on that, Inoichi thought tiredly as the Nara left him to keep vigil. Not to be there in case she awoke, not anymore. Because honestly, at this point, pretending to hope for Yoshino to make it would be pointless. As Inoichi watched her chest raise feebly with another shallow breath, he caught himself again wishing for this to simply be over.
A pillow he’d gazed at often these past days got considered once more.
This now-so-fragile woman had abused one of his best friends for decades, verbally and physically, and even on her deathbed she had the audacity to pain him by dragging it out.
Sure, there had been brighter moments, and he had to admit she had served the Nara clan well as the head of household and finances. She had performed her duty in producing an heir, per the marriage contract, although Shikamaru unfortunately inherited none of her Senju genes.
But the pain in Shikaku’s eyes as Yoshino made it clear she’d never have a romantic interest in him, Inoichi would not forgive her for that. Or the casual cruelty, her slaps and harsh words lingering on Shikaku’s mind long into nights as he drank with his team on occasions that should have been happy. The deep loneliness had Inoichi retract from Shikaku’s mind at times and simply hug him, but he could tell it didn’t help much.
It was unfortunate, but his friend was faithful. Loyal to a fault. Even to someone who scoffed at his advances, threw away his gifts, called him weak when he needed support, hit him…
Inoichi found himself once again considering that pillow, it looked like it’d fit nicely, he knew how to make sure there’d be no trace of foul play. But no, he reminded himself yet again, Shikaku would somehow figure it out with that Nara brain of his.
And surely, with how weak she was looking, this couldn’t take much longer. A day, at most. Her mind was dark and still. He had snuck glances, over the years, but her innermost thoughts had been unpleasant; scars of a strict upbringing, nothing but cold contempt as her eyes met her husband’s.
She had found Inoichi more appealing, he shuddered at the memory. She knew he was always reading those around him, showing him that had been intentional. He had never told Shikaku about that, it would only hurt him more, Inoichi had simply stopped being courteous toward his wife since then and brought his own along any time a visit was planned.
Sure, his too was an arranged marriage, but Inoichi’s wife had become one of his closest friends. They supported one another, she was a good mother, and her mind held a familiar fondness. Not love, but it was enough. She was his lodestone, his heart’s home, his comfort. Shikaku had none of that.
Would he be happier, with her gone? Hopefully he would move on, find someone, start anew… but Inoichi doubted it. Shikaku felt like he’d dutifully care for her grave until the day he joined her.
It wasn’t out of love, but out of a misplaced sense of duty, Inoichi wished his friend would choose happiness but he knew this was an unchangeable, core part of him. He would not look for another partner, that shackle around his ring finger was never coming off.
At least the abuse had ended, there would be no more yelling, but the Nara household’s new silence felt like that of a crypt.
Inoichi sensed relief from little Shikamaru’s mind at times, but it was always followed by overwhelming guilt. Probably ought to talk to the kid, but Inoichi was scared to. What if he let it slip, just how much he loathed that child’s mother? Or how little she had felt for her own supposed family?
Ino not being able to freely read minds yet was a godsend, he hoped the world brightened up before his adorable daughter got to that point-
Inoichi’s mind rambling was cut off as he reflexively entered a ready stance, because Yoshino’s mind was no longer silent.
It was also not the Yoshino he knew, at all.
Where he knew the mindscape of a small, fenced garden, this one was vast and open.
The imagery flickering through meant a dream, so this was not a possession by some malicious spirit but rather a different human? There was no intent to cause harm, that he could sense. A lost soul, temporarily inhabiting a body getting close to the realm of death? It felt… stressed, actually.
Inoichi decided to not call in the nurse, and settled to listen. Yoshino was probably gone, then, he felt no trace but her body still lived. Her heart would probably stop soon, but until then, this bright mind was pleasant company. Flashing blurred images, scents and sounds, she liked music and cooking.
The landscapes were almost alien, skyscrapers looking sharper than those of the Leaf, glass and black panels and concrete greys all around. Country of Rain, maybe? The scene focused, was this her final dream then?
Inoichi was fascinated; while he’d heard of the phenomenon of souls getting briefly sucked into an empty vessel, he’d never met someone who’d actually sensed it before, and he got to witness it firsthand. Between the days of 'mourning' and the funeral ahead, this little wonder was a nice respite.
A strange scent came from the warm paper cup in her hand, she had a sip and while it was familiar and pleasant to her mind, it really wasn’t for him. Unsweetened coffee, bah. She appeared to be on her way to work, and in the way of dreams, she was suddenly there.
And, uh, was her final dream a nightmare? Poor soul.
Inoichi tried to follow the yelling tirade of her boss, but all he really got out of it was that he had screwed something up bad but refused to admit it, she had covered for him as best she could, but he wanted her to retract the apology she’d published? According to her panicked mind, retracting that would -oh- start a terrible war.
He was the boss of more than an office, and she was an advisor. The only remaining one opposing a situation of mutual destruction, according to her pleas. The countries mentioned were not ninja nations, was this soul from a different world somehow?
Inoichi hoped this nightmare had just been that, but given the telltale vividness of memory, he doubted it. He decided to reach in, gently, and tug her out of that. No need for a soul’s last moment to be stressful, she wasn’t Yoshino after all.
“That was a memory, you are no longer there. Let it go” he advised in her mind.
Something moved in the physical world, wait, Yoshino’s eyes opened?
Heck.
Inoichi had never heard of that happening, was it because he touched her mind? The unfamiliar soul was still in there, mind whirring in confusion. Her breaths were deeper, monitor showing a steadier rhythm than it had in days, this made no sense.
Yoshino’s body had been dying.
Yoshino’s soul was not in there.
And yet, Yoshino sat up.
“Wh-” she tried to rasp out, but coughed, he handed her the water on autopilot while panicking on the inside.
“I was watching over Yoshino Nara, you seem to have taken her place” he supplied, somehow maintaining a calm facade.
“My name IS Yoshino” she mumbled, wide-eyed, feeling shocked. She raised a feeble arm and looked at her shaky, pale hand in disbelief “but this is not my body.”
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Yoshino Nara blinked in confusion. Where was she, how did she get there, and why was this weak-looking man yelling at her? She growled at him to shut his mouth and let her think, and his mouth fell open in shock.
The silence sadly did not last.
“How DARE a woman like you-”
Right, that was IT, Yoshino decided that if he couldn’t follow a simple command then she would help him learn some healthy respect. The slap stung her palm satisfyingly, when had she last felt this strong? Hadn’t she been stuck in bed? The silence, too, was gratifying.
Yoshino sighed in relief, and had a look around. An office, the view was impressive, the paperwork all looked stamped out instead of hand-written for some reason? Wouldn’t that take much too long?
“GUARDS! Arrest her, she hit me!” the man-child wailed, whoever raised him clearly dropped the ball of parenting.
“You didn’t seem to learn your lesson about shutting up, do you need me to repeat it?” Yoshino offered as another man entered the room and hurried toward her, she easily jumped him and gave his back an elbow jab while he was down. Her body was feeling splendid!
Wherever she was, her opponents appeared to be civilians, best retreat and gather intel. She may have been forcefully retired to be married off, but at heart, Yoshino Nara would always be a proud ninja of the Leaf.
Knocking the first man out on her way to the window was maybe unnecessary, but it oddly felt like she had been craving it so she indulged.