Mio Bambinos, Hi. So, I decided to take a step back and actually plan my story and it's direction. If you had different expectation from what I'm about to write about, you're totally free to unfollow the story etc. Also, it's not completely canon; I've changed some bits about certain villages and stuff to suit my story.

To my Muslim readers: Eid Mubarak.

To Guest: I don't mind constructive criticism- I'll most definitely take it into account and look out for it, but please mind the aggressiveness!

Nonetheless, everyone thanks for reviewing.

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''Sakura-san! We're losing him!''

Sweating, Sakura brought the green orb to the patients abdomen up to his chest. Up down, up down, up-. Holding onto his last remaining breath his pupils rolled back to only reveal the red tainted sclera. His chest stopped rising and his body remained still.

Sakura took a step back. 'This is the 20th patient in the hospital.' She thought. Closing her eyes, she brought her arm to her forehead. 'Just what is going on?' The number of patients dying from similar symptoms were starting to multiply. Surely, this was no common flu.

''Please wrap this up and give me a full written analysis on the body.'' She instructed as she left for the door. ''Yes, Sakura-san.''

She trotted to the staff restroom. She grabbed a clean cloth, wiping the blood from her face. She felt utterly remorseful and awful; a patient she could have saved – for a family to return to, a home to return to. She took that all away from them. She looked up into the mirror, gazing spitefully at herself. 'What must I do? Contact Tsunade? But she's out of the village, so it'll be days until she receives the messenger hawk from the Konoha Aviary… and double it for the return.' She scruffled her hair aggressively. 'I need to research this thoroughly myself.'

Walking back to her office, Sakura opened the door. ''You're back.'' Instinctively, she grabbed for the Kunai from her leg strap. Sasuke was leaning against the window watching her intently, the hues of the sunset sitting on his features. When did the sun decide to retreat back down? Time flies awfully fast. Sakura relaxed, but her thoughts had other plans.

''What are you doing here? And who gave you permission to come in here?'' She didn't care if he was from Team 7, this was her personal office with important files, not a place he can come and go as he pleases. Sasuke replied, ''You look haggard.'' Sakura scoffed. ''Wow, thanks for your comment.'' She walked by him, heading to open the remaining windows for some fresh air. It was a beautiful sight as the sky blossoms in red and gold. She sighed in relief, but her mind could not settle; thoughts tumbling around; providing no solutions yet troubling her consistently.

''The hospital is a mess.'' Sasuke carried on. Interrupting her serenity, he earned a glare from her. She took a few steps from the window. ''Yes, it is a mess, I'm also a mess, but I'm still trying my best.''

Silence soaked the room. ''If you have nothing important to say, get out.'' Watching her from the opposite side of the room, Sasuke took a step towards her, another step, and another… Unconsciously, Sakura took a step back, almost bumping into the window seal behind her.

'' What are you doing?'' Only a few centimetres apart, Sasuke peered down at her. Sakura was not liking this, she felt like a prey, an offering, an unfortunate event of being captured by its predator. He was towering over her. Suddenly, she realised if she were to ever battle against him truly, she'd lose; build and strength wise- it's a losing game. He moves with fluid grace and is almost phantom silent, she can confirm this after the small brawl they had a few days back. A beauty or a beast? It's hard to tell when its moulded into one. However, Sakura herself has also come a long way, she wouldn't go down without a good fight.

Bringing her awareness to him, she held his gaze, not breaking away, suddenly believing if she looked away first, she'd lose. He extended his arm slowly towards her. Her face to his was all the beauty an individual can possess. She tried to suppress her expressions, but for him, she was an open book. Her eyes were the hue of the new spring growth- bright- but not as bright as he remembered. There were specks of strength and resilience. He was more drawn to the woman she had become. He doesn't know when he gained such desires, but he wanted to touch her, just a feel.

He trailed a lazy finger across her upper cheek, under her left eye. Her skin prickled at the cold touch; his fingers were so cold- perfectly mirroring his temperament. She briskly slapped his hand away. ''Don't touch me.'' He looked down at his fingers, showing her his thumb. A black smudge. ''Do you like drawing on your face?'' She looked dumbfounded as she saw his thumb. 'None of the staff bothered to tell me I had marker smudges on my face?' She felt foolish for thinking he had ulterior moves- but you can't blame her; within that proximity and distance, anyone would think similarly. She pushed past him, heading towards her desk. ''Whatever, just get out, I'm busy.''

''I'm here because Kakashi has asked for an update.'' He turned to her.

''Of?''

''The hospital.'' He replied.

''No update as of yet, I need to make an overall analysis and I'll get back to him soon.'' Sitting down, she grabbed for her files and started writing away, examining her patients' reports. She looked up and he was gone. Thankful for his departure, she carried on writing away.

An hour or two into her research, Shizune joined to help and was seated opposite Sakura.

''I feel like I'm missing something important.'' She brushed over her reports again.

''It could rule out the case of pneumonia as the patients' lungs were quite normal.'' Shizune added.

''That's true, majority were also coughing up blood and were disoriented; symptoms which are uncommon in pneumonia.'' Sakura replied in agreement.

Sakura stopped in her tracks. ''Wait.'' She skimmed over her analysis a final time. ''There is a pattern of haemorrhage bleeding in major organs such as the lungs, heart, spleen, and kidneys in our most recent patients.''

''Isn't this a pattern of decreased haematopoiesis; in other words, haematopoiesis failure?'' Shizune asked. ''Yes, destruction of haematopoiesis stem cells could appear as a result of chemicals, drugs, radiation, viruses…'' Sakura trailed off.

''What kind of illness has these symptoms?'' Silence overpowered the room.

Sakura broke the silence. ''Surely not… a viral haemorrhagic disease?''

''Isn't that a contagious virus? Where did it even come from?'' They were both interrupted as a nurse stormed into the room.

''Sakura-san! You're needed! We have some urgent patients!''

''What?!'' Shizune yelped. The three medics darted for the wards.

A portion of the floor was painted with blood. Sakura widened her eyes in disbelief. She grabbed her gown and started attending her patients.

''Status?''

''This is one of the worst patients, he's suffering from heart palpitations, internal bleeding and his arms and legs are tremoring.'' Sakura brought the otoscope to his eyes; they were flooded with blood; it was hard to see beyond it.

'Wait, life threatening symptoms include bleeding from the ears, mouth and eyes; kidney failure; respiratory failure; liver failure, damaged nervous system.' She mentally noted. Sakura examined his ears- bleeding. She grabbed his left foot and his left arm- tremoring: nervous system malfunctions. Sakura looked up at Shizune, they both knew what this meant. A -fatal- viral haemorrhagic disease.

''Hold the patient down.'' ''You.'' She pointed to an assistant nurse. '' There's definitely some internal bleeding going on, I'm going to use the Shosen Jutsu to help with the internal bleeding. I need you to bring some containers.''

'I can't do much, even if I minimise the bleeding, it'll rupture. I need a cure, otherwise…' Sakura bit her lip, refraining from having any terrible thoughts.

''Shizune, if you and the rest could attend to the other patients too!'' Without hesitation, they bolted.

After a prolonged procedure and attending her other patients, Sakura leaned against the ward's hallway. 'Although I calmed his pain, I haven't permanently healed anything.' She sighed in disbelief. She had too many thoughts running wild at that very second. ''As we expected, the patients are showing similar symptoms; however, some less violent and mild. Shizune made her way to Sakura.

''Not for long though.'' Sakura intercepted. She looked up at Shizune. ''How could I miss these major signs? And I call myself a doctor!?'' She yelped quietly, not wanting to startle any patients in the room.

''It's not your fault. The patients for the past few days had mild symptoms. They were easily mistakable as a common flu. Some vomited, some didn't- common symptom for fatal influenza, and can cause rapid respiratory failure.'' Sakura looked unconvinced.

''Sakura-san, these patients had other medical issues too; it's hard to pinpoint VHF. Especially since we've only seen the textbook on it. It is only now that we are seeing some fatal symptoms. Regardless, we have the disease, now we need to find the cure. Instead of moping around here, I suggest you study more on the disease and the cure. I'll send a bird message to Tsunade and Kakashi-sensei.''

''You're right.'' What was she thinking. These people were suffering and were relying on her. ''But before that, this is a contagious disease, right?''

''Yes.''

''We need to split the patients- quarantine and non-quarantine, patients with symptoms and patients with no symptoms. That way we can reduce the chances of it multiplying.'' Shizune nodded in agreement.

''If you could round up the nurses to help prepare that and arrange some High-Risk Medical protective gears for all our staff.'' Shizune nodded in acknowledgment. Without another word, she headed for her medical library.

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Thanks for reading.

Ciao!

-Grape.