Carefully and as delicate as the medic-nin could lower your body into one of the stasis containers, that was luckily recovered from the hideout. Filled with a fluorescent magenta liquid that managed to offer some sort of healing to you. One of the medic's place a aerosol mask on you. To supply you with some clean air and help you with breathing, along with a medical wires to keep track of your vitals. Hooking you up to different machines, like you were some sort of experiment. Which was not to far from the truth. This part was a bit difficult, as most of the body was covered in either bandages or still the metal skin. That seem to move its place every so often, making this task difficult. Actually this whole operation was just difficult, because none of their medical healing jutsu worked, as it caused more harm than good. Your body would reject it and cause more suffering. Tsunade forbid anyone to use the Mystical Palm on you, as it had been attempted before by Sakura. It was strange, it burned you. Their chakra hurt you, it hurt your body bad. Setting everyone back, so it came to down to actual operation. The old way. Stabilizing your body took about four days to do, whatever this substance that coated you was doing less harm than good. But it would not go away. No. It didn't.
They didn't understand what this stuff at first, not until after running some test. And with those test came trying to patch you. Stop all the injuries inflicted upon your body. The injuries ranged from catastrophe, severe to minor if lucky to find them. There came internal bleeding that needed to be stop right away. You had went into cardiac arrest a few times, and a couple of other times things just stopped functioning. Everyone had to be on their toes, not sure what was going to happen next. Like an old boat, no one knew when something would go wrong. Yet, they worked diligently despite it. Tsunade made them, Ino and Sakura did it without a second thought. Neither girl looked tired at all, both very adamant upon keeping you alive. Even Shizune, who ran the diagnostic and research on your condition. The substance in your body. Everything. It was she, who found out this fluorescent magenta liquid would stabilize you, your body seem to react to it. Which was good, from discovering this strange magenta crystal at the hideout. By crushing it up and liquefying it worked.
By having that, it made this whole thing a bit more easier. Tsunade and her team were able to operate a bit with ease. But that didn't mean they could let up, no. There was around the clock medics, coming in and out. Keeping track of everything. The slightest abnormality they had to quickly report it and a team would come in to handle it. Having happen only about three times, Tsunade was very strict about it. Becoming angry should anything happen and demand a reason why. Which was of course her over concern about you. Everyone could see it with her, in her eyes. The Hokage made her student, May the top priority at the moment. The woman had taken to her studies to figure out how to cure the girl, by any means. And because so, rumors and words started to spread about the girl. Who she was and her tie to what has been in happening the world. Like a plague it spread, while some things said were bad, it soon turned to shock and surprise. Tsunade the rest finding out while they had left something had come to their village but, luckily they could not get in. There was something that protected them, some sort of golden shield. That not only happen in her village but also with, Suna, Kirigakure and with the other great nations.
Shocking the latter, which they could not believe it. This girl, laying before them in this liquid. This petite girl, who's body was like she went through Hell again and again. Deformed. Scratched up. Bruised. Torn. Branded. Managed to protect people she didn't know. A girl who didn't think twice about giving away her life. Laid before them on the brink of death. They didn't know whether to feel compelled to prevent it or either guilty or grief upon this discovery. One thing was sure, those who went to rescue her felt more torn up than anyone. Everyday either all of some where present outside. Either awake or sleeping to be awoken by someone either entering or leaving the room in which May was placed. Waiting some sort of news, that she was alright. She was going to make it. Because right now this liquid was all that was keeping her stable as of now. With the amount of blood she lost, if one could call it blood. And with seemingly match, she was slipping away at every second. Now to mention trying to get this metal stuff off her. Which a team was working on, from the information gathered it seem to be active by some sort of seal it seem upon her body. A seal that needed to be broken.
This girl...this girl put herself through all this...why? Why they wondered? What reason did she have for doing such a thing? Was she stupid? Did she not care? Care about those she would leave behind? Was she not afraid of the pain and darkness she would have to face and go through?
All theses questions came, but there was no answer. The only one could actually give such answers, had yet to show any sign of recovery or life for that matter.
In the lab, Shizune still working with the crystal. The Kraang Power Cell, from what she discovered from the information she received after examining the hideout. Having collected quite a few, turning some into powder state. She scoops a small bit out placing it upon the microscope slide, then goes over to a small little vial filled with red liquid. Blood. Each with a name on it, opening one of them, using a small pasteur pipette sucking some of the blood. She squeezes a few drops on the powder, on the slide she adds some droplets from another tub. Then mixes it carefully, placing the cover slip on it. Carefully picking it up and sliding it under the instrument. Looking at through the eyepiece, adjusting the focus. Looking at it for a few more seconds, moving away she picks up her clipboard and writes something down. Then takes the slide out and does the same thing, over and over. Still the same results, letting out a frustrated sigh. She wasn't going to give in, those part of her team where working on something else for her. Would glance over at the tired women, bags under her eyes. Showing she hadn't either slept for days or barely got any sleep. Looking worse than everyone in here, but managed to keep going. Even the two Sakura and Ino. Upon all three of their faces, refusing to lose. Refusing to give up. No one bothered to say anything about it. It was just best not too.
Taking another side off, another negative. Looking at the last few vials of blood only five left, Shizune was starting to wonder if any of them would be a match. Doing the process again, she puts the slide under and studies it.
A sharp shocked gasp escapes her. She couldn't believe it. Was this right? She looks at it again, and again. Just to be sure she does the rest of the blood and out of the reminder she finds what could be the key to saving, May. Relieved and thrilled about this, she quickly gathers up her information, not paying attention to someone walking behind her and bumps into them. Which bumps her into her lab table and ends up mixing her findings with another's. Upset, she was about to blow her top when she noticed something else. A reaction, a really good reaction or so it seemed. This was something she didn't think about, but glad it happened. A accident might have just turned into a miracle. Picking up the tainted slide she looks it under the scope and...
Gaara's eyes stare at the covered up body of Ryota with silent anger. He just couldn't believe it even when he found out it, from Ebizo. It just disgusted him that someone from his village, someone responsible for the protection of the village and villagers would do this. The man had confessed before he choose the latter to no longer live. Being caught by Sai, with Shikamaru and Choji who still had the man in custody after finding May. Admitting he caused all this to happen, planned it all. Caused her to suffer and be experimented, claiming it was all for the sake of the village and villagers. May was nothing but a threat to them, she would only bring the village's downfall. He was trying to save the village, while at the same time he realized May would be the key to their village's success. If he could utilize her powers, her abilities along with this new enemy's resources. Suna could become strong. They would have an army of soldiers like May, but modified much better. With her powers and the use of jutsu, the possibilities were endless. She was the catalyst for it, because of her bio-structure being so mandible anything could be in a sense changeable within her. It was what Shredder needed, and he was willing to give her over to them, in exchange for power, for the village. Remember Ryota's exact words, words everyone heard from the old man.
Such callous and cruel words,"She is nothing but artificial life. Life that was made for others profit not their own. Life that was born into nothingness, that meant nothing. A mistake. Nothing but a mishap. Imperfect. Insufficient. Disposable."
His words angered Gaara enough to want to end the man himself, for speaking such ill and unkind words about May. He would have reacted if someone didn't beat him to it first.
Naruto.
The shinobi slugged the old man hard, across the face. The force of his punch was clear, Naruto had been dying for it since day one. He detested the man from before when he spoke ill about May. Not feeling the need to rescue her, she was disposable back then. A word that Naruto did not take kindly, the look he gave Ryota sealed his fate with the young man. The punch didn't kill Ryota. No. After giving away a bit more information, that the process done to May was incurable. She would die before anyone of them could say them, her body already didn't react to process. It was breaking down. While accusing Gaara he was blinded by May, he couldn't see the danger she was to not just him, but to the village. To everyone in the world. He was actually doing everyone a favor, everyone of them was blinded by May. They couldn't see passed her fake facade. His personality twisted darkly right there, before ending himself. How much fun it was to put her through those test, and she did all for the sake of everyone. To spare them. He called her stupid, naive, and weak. She got what she deserved. With each laugh, came Naruto's fist, but it wasn't enough to shut the man up. Taunting them all, that none of them could save her. She was now nothing but damage trash, not goods but trash. Everyone wanted a piece of him now, Gaara remembered feeling the heat of their anger rise, and Ryota seem to sense it. The man activated the paper bombs he had on him, laughing all the while screaming to Gaara, remembering May whispering for Gaara's safety the most out of everyone. Setting off the explosion, killing himself refusing to be taken in by the others.
A quick death. Too good for him. Gaara never felt this upset in all his years as being Kage, but that went away when remembering seeing May. The condition she was in, the way she managed to save him. Throw herself before him, risk her own life for his own. Never thinking twice. Always offering before he could say anything. He realized he never protest, because he felt it would crush her if he did so. Now regretting his past choices with her. She came into their world, into his village. Meaning she was under his care and protection. She was part of his village. And from finding out about her life, how she came to be added more onto his responsibility with her. Feeling he had to take care of her. The way she looked, like a lost kitten in this world. Frighten but curious and soon thrilled by it. When the topic of her becoming a kounichi, he was hesitant at first. But with the others on the council against it including Ryota he went ahead and did it anyway. Which now he realized Ryota was the one who mastermind it all. For May to become a kounichi, letting her go out into the world. That made it easy for him to put the blame on her, Gaara fell right into his trap. The signs! How could he not see the signs? Thinking back, they had always been there. He just didn't notice them until too late. That fear and frighten look Natsuki had in her eyes when she came to tell him something urgent but Ryota came in just seconds after her.
It was adamant in her eyes, he paid no mind to it. And when Ryota all of sudden agreed to support May. The fact he was gone from time to time. The fact he sympathized with May, when her sister came. He had to be the one to orchestrate May's sister's sudden arrival at the village, and urged and encouraged May to leave. He had to be the one. He was so calm the day he found out May had left. And the fact he took it upon himself to deliver May's sentence. He had tampered with his orders. There were many other times too, but those stood out to the young Kazekage the most. He saw her face plastered in his mind, her unconscious pain struck face in his mind. She didn't look like the May he knew. No. She looked like something else, someone else. With herself covered in that metal stuff, all throughout her body.
Though her face was unreadable, there was no doubt pain. Pain nether him nor anyone else saw, until now. And to make it worse, her pain wasn't over yet. Not by a long shot, she hadn't been told the news. News that was like a burden, a heavy burden of guilt each of them shared. But Gaara felt it the most, it was more than any of the others. Because no matter how he looked at it, it all came to him. He was the one to cause all this upon May. If he would have never allowed her to become a kounichi. She would have stayed safe and well. Not broken and in pain. She would greet him all the time. She would offer him a smile whenever she saw him or was in his presence. Be able to walk around the village with her smile on like always, that excited look in her eyes. The warm and kind feeling she gave to everyone no matter what, but they seem to beam much more when she looked him. Even more so when she looked Temari. Oh, Temari. His sister though kept her cool and self in check the best way she could, Gaara knew she was distraught than anyone. She became silent, a cold silence. She was hurting bad from all this. May was very important to her, more than anything Gaara noticed. She was May's sensei but also May's first in a sense friend. The first person May bonded with when she came to.
Temari held such pride and love for May, like an older sister. May always by Temari's side most of the time, May was one the few who could make Temari smile. Just as much as May meant to Temari, Temari meant the same to May. There had been times, Gaara saw May look at Temari, as if she reminder her of April. Her own sister, Temari on the other hand had become sort of protective with May. Gaara held the responsibility of his sister's emotional state and feelings about all this. He had to hold onto this heavy burden for everything. For getting everyone involved in all this. For getting May in this.
The others like always waiting outside the doors for anything on May. While he had to come and finish his report, it's not like he didn't go and wait like the others. And he would have stayed, if not for his Kage duties. Something he wished to not have at this moment, he yearned to be there waiting for May. To know she was going to be okay. Not here. Then again it's not like he couldn't. Was it out of guilt he was taking so long not return back?
"Mr. Gaara!"
The sound of May calling to him surprised him, turning around he finds no one there but himself. Nothing but his mind playing mind games with him, he turns back around and comes face to face with...May. She was standing there right in front of him or so it seem. She was transparent, looking well and healthy. Smiling to him, like she always did. Gaara returns her look with a perplexed one, which made May tilt her head confused a bit by his facial expression. Only to start to giggle for a second, she stops and looks at him tenderly. Her smile remanded but it was or seemed different. It seem or looked either affectionate or softer. He couldn't really, whatever it was made him...happy. Even if he was sad. May steps closer to him, she extends her hand towards him and places it upon the symbol on his forehead. He was sure he felt her soft and gentle touch. Even if she didn't have a physical form, the way her hand rested upon it. He wasn't sure if she was stroking his hair gently or not. But it was a relaxing feel. His hand reaches up to rest upon her's, he squeezes and was sure she held onto his back just the same.
Feeling his eyes began to well up and sting, he looks at her with grief and guilt. May seem to be able to see the pain in his eyes, all this pain. Her smile dropped and she became worried a look, Gaara admitted he never liked to see on her. It never really suited her. She looked ready to cry, but then again she couldn't...still the fact was she looked like she could.
"Mr. Gaara..."her words came out innocent and soft."What's wrong, Mr. Gaara?"
Gaara didn't say anything, he didn't know what to say. He started chocking up, tears formed in the corner of his eyes. May moved closer to him, till there was no more space. She kept looking up at him, her eyes focused on trying to figure out what was wrong. How he was feeling reflected upon her, he saw the frantic look. Pleading for him to tell her, he opens his mouth but no words formed. So he shuts his eyes to prevent his tears and May from looking into his eyes. For her to see how he felt about all this, how much hurt, pain and agony he was in right now. He wanted to tell he was so sorry. He never meant for this to happen, none of this. He would take it all back if he could. Keep her closer next time.
Feeling a weight on his chest made him open his eyes, he wasn't sure if it was his heart or not. No. It was May, she had rested her head upon him. Right on his chest, her ear against his the side that had his heart. Her eyes closed as if she was listening to it. Trying to figure out was wrong with him this way. He gets ready to say something to her, when embraces him in a hug tightly. Squeezing him.
Wait? Why was she trembling? Was she scared? Why was she scared?
"..."he just looks down at her. Feeling her tighten her hold on him.
And in a voice that was so reassuring caused his tears to fall."Be happy, Mr. Gaara. Okay? I want you to be happy."
The sound of her words hit him right in his heart, so sweet and kind. He broke and shed his tears, they fell straight through May. Who began to fade out, fade away from him. He realized this and reacted too late. To late to embrace her. To assure her he was right here. She was gone...