Reaching for the kunai she kept hanging next to her loofah Sakura slowly pulled back the shower curtain. She kept the water running so whoever was breaking into her apartment wouldn't know she'd already sensed them. Forgoing a towel, for it would inevitably get in the way, she stealth-ed towards the bathroom door. Before she could even reach the knob there came the standard coded emergency knock used by most Konoha ANBU. Still gripping the kunai, just in case, she opened the door without hesitance.
There stood an ANBU nin wearing a jackal mask. " Code crimson. Tsunade-sama demands your presence at the hospital immediately."
"Acknowledged." Sakura responded just before the nin burst into shadows. She set down the kunai in favor for a towel and turned off her shower. It only took her five minutes to dress and armor herself properly before she was leaping across rooftops towards her destination.
Upon her arrival the front desk med nin directed her towards the ICU wing where Tsunade-sama and Shizune-senpai where apparently waiting for her. Anxiety twisted in her gut when she saw two ANBU stationed outside the doors. Recognizing her identity they both nodded for her clearance to enter.
Standing next to a bed ridden nin a haggard looking Shizune and frustrated Tsunade turned at Sakura's entrance.
"Ah, Sakura, come closer. We need your take on something." Shizune indicated the nin she was healing. Tsunade's frown deepened with worry as she made room for her apprentice to observe the comatose patient. Sakura's anxiety ratcheted higher at her silence. Things where never good when Tsunade-sama let Shizune do all the talking.
Looking closely she noted no outer wounds or bandages which meant all the damage was internal. As Sakura summoned her chakra for a closer look Shizune grabbed a nearby chart and began to read off his stats.
"ANBU Male, Age 26, Six foot two, Blood Type AB, no known Kekkei Genkai or genetic flaws. Patient was brought in by teammates Hawk and Jackal at 22 hundred hours with miniscule brain activity. Upon initial inspection by a standard med nin the cause of injury was documented as poison via inhalation. Patient was administered two doses of A16 and put under close watch. At 24 hundred hours patient experienced two consecutive seizures rating a level 8. As preordained by hospital protocol anything over a level 5 requires two senior medics on site. Therefore both Tsunade-sama and I were notified immediately." she finished.
"I sense a very faint concentration of foreign chakra near the mid and lower alveoli in both the right and left lung." Sakura stated, quite puzzled.
"I told you I wasn't imagining it Shizune." Tsunade scolded with arms crossed. "And you thought I was losing my touch." she grumped under her breath.
"I never said such a thing Tsunade-sama! I simply couldn't sense what you where talking about!" Shizune protested even though she had given her Hokage some disbelieving looks. But really, who could blame her? Tsunade had been heavily alcohol induced prior to her arrival at the ICU.
"The chakra is mixed with a complex poison and has quickly spread from the alveolar sac to each individual alveoli. When I first examined him there where only minute traces in the lower lobes." Tsunade informed them. "Now it's spread to both mid and lower lobes and seems to be converting at a much higher rate. I have little doubt it will continue until both lungs are completely overtaken by whatever this is. Essentially, once this process has completed, this nin's lungs will be transformed into a biological weapon. Meaning oxygen goes in, poisonous gas comes out." Here Tsunade stopped to duck her head, close her eyes, and pinch the bridge of her nose in dismay.
"...which means...we either end his life before that happens or everyone will be in danger of contamination." Shizune whispered with horrified revelation. "There's no way we can guarantee a total quarantine of a respiratory poison transmuted by gas."
Finally withdrawing her chakra and looking up Sakura witnessed her shishou nodding gravely. "But...wait! Can't we just remove the poison by flushing the entire lung with our chakra?" she suggested.
Shizune looked at Tsunade with momentary hope, which was dashed when she saw her Hokage shake her head.
"Perhaps if we had realized earlier what this was. Now the conversion is occurring at too fast of a rate. By the time we clear one bronchi two more will have already been infected. If we rush to keep up with the poison we risk missing or even chakra burning an area. Not only that, but the foreign chakra is set to defend against anyone else's chakra interference." Tsunade said.
Sakura took one defeated step backwards. "So...what you're saying is...is that there's nothing we can do except prevent an epidemic by ceasing his breathing altogether."
"As Hokage and protector of this village I must do what is best for the people. Unfortunately we are too late to save his life. However his death will not be in vain. I'm ordering as many medical staff members as possible on analytical and research detail. Even Shizune and I will not stop examining every piece of evidence until a cure is found."
Sakura looked from the pale man laying on the bed to her senpai and shishou. When she saw two identical grim but determined expressions she sighed in grief.
"Sakura...I'm sorry. I know you take each loss as personally as we do...but this sacrifice is necessary." Shizune whispered as they both watched Tsunade near the bed.
The Hokage leaned over her loyal soldier, hands glowing with enough chakra to deal a swift and painless death. Out of respect no one acknowledged the choked sob that came from one of the ANBU'S teammates standing guard. They had, without a doubt, heard every word. Sakura turned her back, unable to watch the final blow. She had witnessed so many natural deaths, even caused several of her enemies herself, but taking the life of your own was heartbreakingly rare.
"Thank you. Your sacrifice will be honored. You will never be forgotten." Tsunade said as she wrapped her hand around the nin's neck and severed all brain and body functions. One of their own was dead, but she would make sure there was no rest until the one accountable was brought to justice.
This was the exact moment Sakura swore she would fix this, even if it was the last thing she'd do.