Potion Problems
So far the week had passed with no incidents, the senseis and younger ninjas were settling into the routine of the castle and the students were slowly growing accustomed to the new arrivals. Since the little ingredient mishap nothing more has happened, Kakashi has learned not to touch things without Snape's approval and Snape has learned to deal with Kakashi's little quirks for the most part. Kakashi still missed breakfast, the teachers came to accept this fact, but he was there for the other meals if a bit late. All in all, life in the castle was settling fairly well; this always indicated that something was about to happen but for good or bad it is never known.
It was during a potions lesson with the Gryffindors and Slytherins when it happened. The students were brewing a potion under the watchful eye of Severus Snape and his new assistant that the students have come to like. The Weasley twins, trouble makers of Hogwarts, had decided that they would play with a couple of Slytherins. As discreetly as they could they took out their wands and cast a sticking jinx on the feet of two Slytherins that worked a table up and to the right of them. The Slytherins went to move but were suddenly unable to. They made noises of confusion that drew the eyes of the rest of their classmates and caused several laughs.
Snape looked around the classroom and his eyes zeroed in on the two stuck students. "What in the name of Merlin is going on over there?" Snape snapped as he made his way over. One of the Slytherins twisted his body in a desperate attempt to get unstuck. This caused him to push the other stuck Slytherin and they fell forward, accidentally dropping the ingredient they had in their hands into the cauldron. Snape quickened his pace when he saw them drop the ingredient, his wand slipping into his hand. He knew that one wrong move could make a potion become dangerous if the wrong ingredient or amount was added. Kakashi also hurried over but was quicker than Snape so he reached the students first. He took them up into his arms and yanked them off the floor, pulling them out of their shoes and pushing them away from the work area. Snape was seconds behind, his wand drawn and ready to put up a shielding spell. Before he could say the words for the spell the cauldron exploded, catching both him and Kakashi in its blast.
They were thrown back, knocking tables over and slamming into the wall. The students were scattered about, shouting and talking all at once. One of the Slytherins hurried out of the room and to the infirmary to get Madam Pomfrey. The two quickly made their way back down to the dungeons and into the classroom where the students were huddled around the two prone figures. Madam Pomfrey bustled her way through, shooing students out of the way. At the sight of Kakashi and Snape unconscious she made a noise like a squeak and she transfigured two tables into stretchers. She levitated them onto the stretchers and hurried off out of the room with them in tow while telling all the students that class was dismissed. She hurried them up to the infirmary and laid them both on beds that were side by side then went off to her office to floo Dumbledore about the incident.
Time Skip
The other three senseis were informed of the incident and as soon as they all could they hurried up to the infirmary. Pomfrey, at that moment, was casting diagnostic spells on the two prone figures but so far was coming up with nothing. Dumbledore came into the room first and was followed not too long after by the ninja senseis. "Poppy, what has happened to Severus and Mr. Hatake?" the headmaster asked her. "I'm not sure Albus, from what I gathered from the student a potion went wrong and exploded, catching them with its blast" Pomfrey informed him. "Will they be alright?" Kurenai asked worriedly as she cast her eyes over Kakashi's still frame. "That's just it dear, I do not know" Pomfrey said with a sigh "I've tried every spell I can think of to tell me what is wrong with them but as far as the spells are telling me there is nothing wrong". "But why are they unconscious?" Asuma asked her. "That dear is no mystery, they were thrown against the wall rather hard and they hit their heads" she told them.
"SOMETHING AS UNYOUTHFUL AS THAT WOULD HAVE NEVER KNOCKED MY VERY YOUTHFUL RIVAL UNCONSCIOUS! THERE MUST BE ANOTHER EXPLANATION!" Gai proclaimed. "As much as I hate to admit it Gai is right, it takes a lot more than a bump on the head to knock out Kakashi" Kurenai told them as she looked around at the others "maybe we should get Sakura to look at him". Pomfrey sputtered and squawked with indignation "b-but she is only a child! And not even a trained witch, how much more could she possibly tell you that I have not?!". "Don't take it personally ma'am, Sakura was trained by Lady Tsunade, the greatest medic in all the elemental countries" Asuma told her. Dumbledore had gone off to use the floo and came back a few minutes later "I have sent for Ms. Haruno, she should be with us momentarily".
After waiting for several long minutes Sakura finally appeared with a confused yet worried look on her face "What happened?". "A potion exploded and Kakashi and Snape were caught in the crossfire, now they are unconscious though there seems to be no explanation as to why" Kurenai told her as Sakura came over "We brought you here to see if you could find anything wrong". Sakura gave her sensei a worried look and she moved over beside his bed "I'll see what I can do though I do not have any knowledge about the effects of potions and magic on the body". Sakura placed her hands over Kakashi's body and they started to glow green. Pomfrey and Dumbledore watched in amazement and curiosity as Sakura set to work on her sensei. They waited in silence as they watched her work, no one daring to be the first to speak. It was only once her hands stopped glowing that Asuma spoke "Well? What did you find out?". "As far as I can tell Kakashi-sensei is in perfect health, nothing is physically wrong with him" Sakura told them as she sat in a chair by the bed "His chakra pathways are in perfect shape and his weight, while not at what is should be, is fine for the most part; if there is anything wrong it is in his mind". "Then should we have Ino take a look?" Kurenai asked as she looked about. "I wouldn't risk it, we don't know what this potion did to them" Asuma said as he studied to two men on the beds "We'll just have to hope that whatever it was won't keep them like this".