A/N: Hi all! Here we go again. It's gonna get nuts, so hang on to something stable. Time for a painful, yet necessary medical procedure for Anko. Oh yeah, and Kakashi goes on a little mission - to find out some information. Ready? Then let's get started. Enjoy!

As soon as Kakashi left the hospital grounds, Kurenai and Genma went in. Luckily for all involved, their paths did not cross. Kurenai and Genma went immediately to the front desk and Kurenai asked, "Mitarashi Anko. Is she still in the same room?"

A nurse responded, "Let me check." She looked down the list of people in the emergency ward. "A nurse just updated this to say that Mitarashi Anko is being taken to a surgical ward to have a procedure done. It may take a while."

Genma thought he might have a heart attack. Surgery? Something's really wrong then. I've got to see her.

Kurenai said, "Come on Genma. We'll wait outside. Stay behind me, I'll see if Kakashi's there waiting."

The nurse interrupted, "You mean her fiancé? He's gone to take the gown back to the shop and retrieve her clothes. He'll be gone for a bit."

Genma was relieved. Kurenai just looked at him and said, "Lucky for you. Now come on. We don't have time to waste." Both shinobi pounded down the halls until they arrived at the waiting area outside the surgical ward. Then they both began to pace.

Inside the surgery room, Sakura, Shizune and Tsunade forcibly injected large amounts of sterilized saline solution into Anko's abdominal cavity. A large pocket of infected blood had pooled around her previously broken ribs. Her ribs had not healed quite right and had a slightly jagged edge from not knitting back together correctly. Every time she'd moved, the edge would cut the inside of her abdomen. When she breathed hard or exerted herself, her lungs would open up the cut again. The pocket of blood had nowhere to go, and since it kept adding to itself, it pushed against the inside of her abdomen causing pain. Since it could not move, it began to decompose inside her. Her body tried to fight it, sending huge amounts of white blood cells to clean out the area, but since her body was in a compromised state, not being fully healed, it wasn't enough and a massive infection set in. The three medical kunoichi were trying desperately to get it out.

With each huge push of saline into Anko's body, Shizune and Sakura would use their own chakra to move the solution to where it was needed. Then Tsunade would pull it out using her massive strength and chakra, withdrawing puss, old blood, and unfortunately, some new blood with it. They continued this procedure even though in the area they were working on, Anko's skin began to bruise. Sakura noticed, "How much longer Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade pulled out more blackish blood tinted solution from Anko and examined it before depositing it in a catch basin. She said, "We've got a ways to go yet."

Shizune said, "But Tsunade-sama, she's losing quite a bit of her own blood volume as well as the old blood. If we continue much longer,"

Tsunade looked at both of them and said, "I know. She may need a transfusion. We'll find out what blood type she has, and see if anyone in the waiting area has compatable blood. For now, keep working ladies."

Kakashi wandered absentmindedly to the wedding obi shop. He looked vacantly ahead as he walked, his mind still back at the hospital with his Anko. As he entered the shop, the owner scurried up to him as soon as he saw the gown Kakashi was carrying. "Oh thank God you've brought it back! That's an expensive gown. But aside from that, is the lady ok? She didn't look good at all."

"She's not ok. Not yet anyway, but she's in the best hands in Konoha."

"I pray she'll be alright."

"Me to." Kakashi handed the man the gown. He said, "Her clothes are still here. I assume they're in the dressing room she used?"

"They were. I've packaged them up for you. I'll be right back."

Kakashi nodded and the man left him. He looked around the shop and took in all the beautiful obis and informal as well as formal traditional wedding gowns. He shook his head and looked at the floor as he thought this place is supposed to be for happiness and joy. Yet I'm here and I'm sad and fearful. It shouldn't be this way. Nothing should be like this.

All he wanted to do was marry the woman he loved. Why is this so hard? He again found himself fearful of losing her. I don't want to be alone again. He remembered all the time they'd spent together. I can't live without her in my life. He stood there contemplating everything he feared in his life until he heard the door open behind him.

A split second later, the owner came out. He said, "I will get the lady's clothes in a moment. Let me tend to this customer first if you don't mind?"

Kakashi said, "No. It's fine. I'll wait." He knew he couldn't go right back to the hospital, because the other thing he feared greatly, was seeing Anko in pain. And from what Sakura said about the procedure that had to be performed on her, she would be.

Kurenai and Genma continued to pace outside the surgical suite. Soon, Tsunade and Shizune came out of the operating room. Kurenai and Genma stopped pacing. Kurenai said, "Tell me if she's alright. Please Tsunade-sama!" Genma held his breath.

Tsunade lowered her head. She took a deep breath. She said, "We removed the infection from her abdominal cavity. Sakura is currently healing her improperly healed ribs that caused the infection. Anko is not well, not at all. During the procedure, she lost a lot of blood. She's going to need a steady transfusion before I can even say she'll make it."

Kurenai said, "How much blood is she going to need? She can have mine!" Genma stayed silent in the presence of his current girlfriend, even though in his mind, he was SCREAMING, she can have all my blood if she needs it. TAKE MINE!

Shizune said, "She's going to need about five units of blood, because her wound is still seeping a bit. If her vital signs don't improve, it may indicate more infection we didn't remove, which means she'll lose even more blood. Five units should be enough and a bit extra."

Tsunade said, "We have to round up five volunteers who will be willing to be 'tapped.' She needs this blood quickly, and we need to pump it out of each person, and directly in to Anko. I need to find enough people with the right type of blood to help her and quickly."

Kurenai said, 'What type of blood does Anko have?"

"Her records indicate she has type A blood."

Kurenai said, "I have AB."

Tsunade shook her head. "Sorry, Kurenai, she needs A, or O. Her blood would fight against the B part of yours and that's a fight her body can't handle."

"Asuma. Asuma has O. I'll go get him now." Kurenai practically ran to down the hall.

Tsunade said, "That's one."

Shizune said, "I'm A. I'll be happy to help."

"Thank you Shizune. That's two."

Sakura peeked her head outside the door and said, "Tsunade-sama. Anko is stable for now. Are you looking for blood types?"

"Yes. Anko is A. We need A or O."

Sakura said, "I'm O and so is Kakashi."

"Good, that's four. We need one more."

Shizune said, "What about you Tsunade?"

"I wish I could help her, but I'm B."

Silence followed for a few moments until it was broken with the words, "I'm A."

There was silence again as all eyes turned to Genma.

A/N: Now I rather liked that ending myself. Ooh, but there's more coming.

Next up: Kakashi gets the information he's looking for, and probably the BIGGEST cliffy in this whole story happens next. See you soon!