Chapter Eleven

Never had Suigetsu wished he was in Konoha before now.

As he ran through the village, crossing bridges and dodging people, secrecy forgotten, he wished he was running towards the famous Konoha hospital. There he could be sure of medical staff competent enough to save the woman in his arms.

Instead he was running through the village toward the Mizukage's office. Because he was in the Village Hidden in the Mist, were water users were bountiful, and the only person in the village whose affinity was with fire, sat in her office with a pleasant smile on her face.

His path was not as easy as a few hours ago. Before, he strode through as if he had every right to, and no one had questioned him. Now, everyone tried to stop him.

Soon his shouts and struggles brought everyone from their offices.

"What is this commotion?" Mei asked, gliding through the channel that cleared for her through the crowd.

"My lady, it's Hozuki!"

"He's berserk!"

"LET ME THROUGH, DAMN IT!"

"Suigetsu!"

The clamour of the crowd dissipated with the Mizukage's yell and Mei stepped through to confront Suigetsu personally.

"What has happened?"

"Karin's been attacked! That bitch! She's frozen her! I need… she needs…" Suigetsu's voice broke as he desperately tried to tell them. Taking in his distraught appearance and the sight of Karin's limp form, the Mizukage began barking orders.

Suigetsu was helped up and all but carried by two guards, towards the hospital, refusing to relinquish his burden. A messenger was dispatched ahead of him, to ready the hospital staff, while another was sent to find a message scroll, in case further help was required.

Within minutes, Karin was in a hospital bed, with blankets surrounding her, heaters filling the room with intense heat, as the medics tried an assortment of different techniques to remove the ice from her system.

Suigetsu could feel himself drying out from the increased heat, but he refused to leave Karin's side. He was also growing increasingly frustrated as the medics' efforts seemed to have no affect whatsoever.

"Hozuki?"

He dragged his gaze away from the still form on the bed to face the Mizukage herself.

"Where is your cousin?"

He turned away, refusing to answer.

"Suigetsu!" His face was jerked around to face her once again, "What did you do to her?"

"She's pinned to a wall." He said airily, suddenly feeling dizzy.

She studied his face for a second before nodding to Chojuro, who guided him out of the room, ignoring his protests and struggles. Once out in the cool air of the corridor, Suigetsu was forced to sit, and a jug of ice water was shoved into his hands.

He stared at the water, unseeing, until Chojuro raised it to his lips, knocking his head back and pouring it down his throat.

Coughing and spluttering, the water was absorbed into his skin; his body's survival instincts kicking in to re-hydrate itself. A second jug replaced the empty one and he managed to swallow more this time.

He was refusing the third when Gakuri was rushed passed him. She was screaming obscenities as the medics rushed out to take her. Suigetsu's face twisted into a semi-satisfied smirk when the door slammed shut and he could still hear her yells.

"She's your sensei." Chojuro said quietly.

"She's a bitch." Suigetsu snarled back, making to stand up. He was pushed back into his seat.

"And your cousin."

"She's not my family."

His second attempt to stand up was halted by the third jug being thrown over him. Wiping the water clear of his eyes, he glared up at the other swordsman.

"You'll dehydrate if you go back in there."

He was about to snap back that he didn't care if he disappeared in a cloud of steam, when the door opened and the Mizukage stepped out. She glanced down at him, before striding away down the corridor.

The second messenger was dispatched to Konoha five minutes later.

The next six days were torturous for Suigetsu. He knew from the looks passing around the hospital that there was nothing to be done for Karin. He'd screamed at them, had been dragged off several of the doctors and sedated, and still Karin lay motionless under a mountain of blankets. He'd begged the Mizukage to do something for her; it was the only time he'd ever seen her smile falter.

Gakuri had been released from the hospital, limping and cursing through the pain. The glares from her had been the only highlight for him.

At dawn on the seventh day, a great stir entered the hospital. Chojuro released him from his room, (he'd been sedated the night before) and Suigetsu almost fell to his knees with relief when he saw who walked through the doors.

"Haruno!" He whispered, seeing the Leaf kunoichi, the medic marvel, approaching him.

"Haruno!" He yelled, racing up to her and lifting her in an exuberant embrace.

"Suigetsu!" She laughed, "Put me down!"

"You can fix her, can't you?" He asked, desperately searching her face for an affirmative.

She patted his cheek and squeezed his arm, "I'll do my best." She told him, with a comforting smile, before turning to the Kiri medics and asking to be shown into Karin's room.

"You two are more trouble than you're worth." A deep voice rumbled behind him as he started to follow Sakura. Spinning around, he came face to face with the scarred visage of Ibiki Morino.

The hope in his eyes changed to anger and loathing for the man in front of him, the head of Konoha's interrogation unit; the reason for Karin's fragility.

"What are you doing here?"

"My job." Ibiki replied neutrally, "Allies or not, we won't allow one of our best and brightest to just traipse around the world without an escort."

"But why is it you?"

Ibiki smiled down at him, before stepping around him and following Sakura down the hall.

Sakura spent the next twelve hours working on Karin; five of those hours that Suigetsu spent pacing the corridor outside. He'd been barred from the room, a direct order from the Mizukage at Sakura's request. Ibiki stood guard, arms folded across his broad chest, an immobile wall of solid muscle and intimidation. He used the time to study Suigetsu.

"Why are you watching me?" Suigetsu snarled, halting his pacing to glare up at the older man.

"You were Sasuke Uchiha's team mate, were you not?"

"Who cares?" Suigetsu shot back, muttering, "He certainly doesn't."

"Surprisingly, it would seem that he does."

"What's that mean?"

"He had a psychological break when he thought he was completely alone. No family, no friends, no team, not even an enemy."

"So he went crazy?"

Ibiki shrugged, and Suigetsu went back to his pacing. There was a solid thump from inside the room and Suigetsu yelped, disappearing with a splash onto the floor. The pacing figure proving to be a water clone, Ibiki swung the door open, grabbed Suigetsu's shirt and hauled him out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

"Why are you here?" Ibiki asked, holding Suigetsu by the shirt.

"Because I'm worried about her!" He shouted back.

"And you think slipping in there and disturbing Sakura is going to help her chances?"

"I just want to know what's happening!"

"Sakura is working. That is what's happening." Ibiki released Suigetsu and he stumbled back. "Let her work."

Suigetsu resumed his pacing.

His nervous energy had dissipated, and Suigetsu had slumped to the floor, falling unconscious from exhaustion. He slept deeply for the first time in week, hunched over across from Karin's door.

He was awoken by a light hand shaking his shoulder.

"Suigetsu?"

"Haruno?"

"Yes. She's sleeping." Sakura answered his unspoken question, "She's not fully recovered; she needs to rest. And yes, you can go in now."

Suigetsu was across the hallway before she'd finished speaking.

Karin lay as still as before, though her lips were no longer blue. She was covered by two blankets, but the heaters had been removed. He reached out, gingerly, to touch her face, relieved that she was no longer icy cold.

"She'll have a headache when she wakes up, and maybe a cold, but she will wake up."

Suigetsu stared at Sakura as she came to stand beside him. There were deep hollows under her eyes and her face was pale.

"Thank you." He said, offering, for probably the first time in his life, heartfelt thanks. He wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her tight, as he repeated, "Thank you."

Sakura smiled wanly, letting him hug her, before stepping away and leaving the room, Ibiki shadowing her as she went to rest.