Disclaimer: Kishimoto owns Naruto.
The Stranger
A blonde woman was hooked with several tubings, one inserted through her mouth while the other clipped on her right index finger, and another one directly inserted into a vein on her left arm.
A regular blep blep sound could be heard on the background.
A man looked on at the sleeping woman, a worried frown on his forehead. The woman had been silent for three days now.
"Wake up, Temari," the man mumbled, shoulders more slouched than ever.
The door to the white room opened and a blonde, busty woman entered. "You're here again."
"Tch," the man replied, eyeing the two other persons with the older woman.
"Since everyone is here, I might as well start." The older woman swivelled her head around meeting everyone's gaze one by one.
"You're not gonna announce you can't do anything for my sister, are you?" Kankuro growled, with his knowledge with poisons that possibility had lodge inside his brain and he could not shake it off, not until Lady Tsunade confirm otherwise.
While Gaara steadily returned Tsunade's gaze, Shikamaru brought his eyes sideways and glanced towards the hospital windows and stared out at the clear blue sky. Shikamaru knew that a decision had to be made.
"Temari's condition will only worsen the longer she remains in a coma. It's already been three days. The antidote to the poison will need at least another three more days to finish its preparation. Temari can't last that long," Lady Tsunade answered.
"Dammit, can't we find anyone who has the antidote ready?" Kankuro pointed out.
Tsunade glanced at Kankuro. "The poison that hit Temari will totally destroy her brain in six days, but the antidote will also take six days to prepare."
"Then Kankuro's suggestion makes sense...Don't you know anyone who has the antidote at a ready?" Shikamaru questioned.
Tsunade shook her head. "The antidote takes six days to prepare but only a day to spoil. Even if I knew anyone who has it at a ready, the mix would be useless."
Kankuro moved towards the side and suddenly hit the wall, a large crack appeared radiating from his fist.
"Then what should we do?" Gaara asked.
"I can stop the poison—"
"Then do it!" Kankuro shouted then seeming to realize his outburst, cleared his throat and added, "Please."
"I can stop the poison but there will be consequences," Tsunade continued, calmly ignoring Kankuro's brief disregard for her rank.
"So long that she's alive then do it," Gaara announced.
"Temari might disagree with you," Tsunade declared.
"What will happen to Temari, Tsunade-sama, if you cure her of the poison without the antidote?" Shikamaru inquired as he unconsciously straightened his shoulders getting ready to accept Tsunade's ultimatum.
"She will lose her memory of the most important person in her life," Tsunade replied.
Shikamaru nodded. "I agree with Gaara, do it Tsunade-sama."
"Oi, your opinion is irrelevant!" Kankuro addressed Shikamaru. "It's not as if you are the person she's gonna forget about. It's probably me."
"So you are against me performing the healing jutsu, Kankuro?" Lady Tsunade's brows knitted together. She needed all of them to agree before she could perform the operation.
"I didn't say that...I want you to perform the jutsu. Temari might not remember me or Gaara but if she's alive, I'll make her remember!" Kankuro swore.
"Alright then. Everyone move towards the side." Tsunade approached Temari's bedside before stretching both her hands over Temari's face then she muttered something that sounded like a chant. After a while, a blue light glowed from Tsunade's hands which formed a beam towards Temari's forehead before spreading out all over the kunoichi's body. It was like a blue lightning leaping and boring all over the supine body.
Temari's eyes could be then seen moving beneath her closed eyelids then she started to thrash on the bed.
"You're hurting her!" Kankaru yelled.
"Silence," Gaara snapped at his brother.
Shikamaru just continued to stare at the clouds outside.
TBC
~6 11 11AF~
A/N: Review?