I know. Surprise, right? Two updates in two weeks? I had no intentions of doing them so close together, but I've been talking to a reader whose been going through a hard time, and this is her favorite story (of mine) and I thought surprising her with an early update was the least I can do for how much she's supported this fic. Don't wanna put her on the spot but she knows who she is.

To everyone else who has been anxious regarding this arc, hopefully it'll be worth the non-wait for you all too.


The island's atmosphere seemed to have bled to its citizens, because everywhere she turned, Sakura was met with distant, stony faces. Several times, she'd approached villagers and, just as Madara had warned, she was avoided. When she caught the eyes of a toddler, peering at her from over his mother's shoulder with weary eyes and blue-tinted lips, she rushed forward in concern.

"Excuse me," Sakura valiantly fought through the crowd threatening to separate them from her sight, the child's sweaty face etched into her mind. It was possible he was afflicted with the terrible illness ravaging the population, and if that was the case, it was crucial she examine him immediately. "I'm here from—"

Her foot caught suddenly, and Sakura tumbled to the ground with a shriek. Ankle throbbing, she slowly lifted herself up on her knees to see the woman and her child had already disappeared in the rush of people. 'Damn it!'

She'd missed her chance yet again, and on top of it all, she strongly suspected her ankle was no sprained. It was nothing she couldn't heal, but she'd have to get up and find somewhere to rest first. Unfortunately the throng of passersby made that next to impossible. There wasn't even anything to help her stand. Her fingers clenched in frustration, dirt getting under her nails. At least Madara wasn't around, or the situation would have been infinitely more embarrassing.

"Oh my…Would you like a hand?"

"Huh?" Sakura blinked some dirt out of her eye, confused at the figure hovering over her, crouched down to help. Maybe, the island was getting to her too, and she was hallucinating.

That theory proved incorrect when her "hallucination" took hold of her arms and gingerly pulled her to her feet. The good samaritan was slow to release her, concern starkly reflected in the oval face peering down at her.

And what a beautiful face it was… From so close, it was hard not to notice the length of the dark lashes, the fullness of the pink lips, or the sleek earthen hair, tied in a tight bun. If not for the touch of masculinity in the angular jaw, it might have been easy to mistake him for a woman.

She was nearly too mesmerized to protest as he slipped a hand around her back while smoothly guiding her arm to his shoulder, carefully starting down the street. "Oh, I'm fine now. I can heal my—"

"I saw what you were attempting to do." He explained softly, a distinct lilt to his voice she was only just noticing.

Sakura straightened, prepared to defend herself in case she'd given any onlookers the wrong impression. "I'm a medic, and her child—"

"I understand…but even if you'd caught up with her, she wouldn't have listened. You…clearly are no islander. At least not from Sekai. You may have noticed it's much easier to garner suspicion than trust here."

She bowed her head in acknowledgement. "You don't seem as closed off as everyone else I've met so far. You even stopped to help me."

It was the pretty stranger's turn to look away shyly. "It's in a medic's nature to help without thinking, isn't it? Surely you understand."

Sakura looked him over with new eyes. 'Medic? Then he has to know…!' She was so excited she almost put weight on her bad ankle. That thought her back to the fact that she didn't know where he was leading her, and despite his help thus far, she knew better than to let her guard down. "Really, I appreciate the help, but I'm…er, I can take care of this myself." She gestured down to her swollen ankle, and he stopped abruptly with a gasp.

"Oh no, it's not very polite of me to lead a lady around without at least giving her an introduction, is it?" Even saying so, he still brought her to a low stone wall in front of a dilapidated house, and helped her sit down. "I'm Kou from the Yuki clan. I, and others of my clan, are the island's only healers."

"I'm Sakura Haruno from Konoha. And I came here because of the outbreak, to assist."

Kou inclined his head with a smile. "It's nice to meet you, though I think that needs attending before we discuss helping anyone else."

Sakura followed his eyes and winced at the purple color her ankle had taken on. "You're right…" Bringing her leg up on the wall, she bent at the waist and brought a glowing hand over it to assess the damage. Torn ligaments and inflammation, as expected, but no breaks. The minute chakra wrapped around the wound, the pain ebbed away, and Sakura closed her eyes, as the swelling came down.

"Amazing," Kou exclaimed from her side.

When she opened them and wiggled her toes, the discoloration was all but gone, fading with every second. "You're no ordinary foreign healer." The male conceded. "And you say you traveled from Konoha? Are you perhaps…the aide?"

Sakura nodded, swinging her leg around to stand. "That's right."

"Then what a fortuitous meeting. It's no wonder you looked so frustrated before. Had I known you were arriving today, I would have set time aside to greet you at the port." Kou bowed apologetically. "Forgive me, but…today has been wearisome and it isn't over yet." The frown was almost out of place on his countenance, and Sakura could see the exhaustion in the faint circles beneath his eyes. It was a look all too familiar to her, the look of a weary medic.

"Kou, please, if you could take me to wherever the sick are, I'd like to do what I can. Maybe I know something from the mainland that you haven't tried yet."

His somber expression lightened ever so slightly, and he regarded her with new hope in his eyes. "Any additional help is appreciated. We haven't seen anything like this before, and there are only so many of us."

The sickly child, whisked away by his mother came to mind again, and Sakura's determination flared to life. She wouldn't let the sickness claim more lives. She refused.


Tobirama hadn't spent years honing his sensor skills to have them abused for such frivolous purposes. When he'd told Toka as much, she'd had the nerve to ask if chasing down his brother wasn't an act of frivolity. That, he assured himself, was a special case. Hashirama needed strict monitoring. Perhaps more than he should, given facts…

Nevertheless, every day, Toka employed his ability to help track down Reira who, had entered a petulant phase not even Hashirama's amicable approach could smooth out.

Since that night she had come and sat at the table without uttering a word, things had been incredibly strained between Reira and Toka. It annoyed him, if only because he was inadvertently cast into the shepherding role of tracking the girl down and bringing her home.

Tobirama had to admit she was clever enough to choose places they normally wouldn't suspect she'd be, hence why it saved time to have him do the tracking. If this senseless childhood moodiness did nothing else for any of them, it had helped Reira improve her concealment skills.

No sooner had he thought this, than he arrived at the location of the young Senju's latest hiding place. Mild irritation began to teeter on the edge of true hatred even before he'd laid eyes on her. Reira he could never hate. A handful she may have been, but she was also family, and a child. One he had watched grow from infancy at that. Tobirama had no such qualms about directing animosity at the man she was chatting with obliviously. Izuna Uchiha held Haruno's loathsome cat as Reira reached out to rub the creature's ears. Both stood in front of the absent kunoichi's dwelling, Reira in the doorway as if she'd just exited it.

Lately, more troubling than her daily disappearances was the fact that Reira appeared to spend her time in the company of Uchiha more than her own clan. Toka wasn't bothered by her friendship to the Uchiha boy, and he wasn't raising her, so it wasn't something he'd felt the need to speak on. Izuna was another matter.

"Reira," She turned and the smile fell from her face, arms dropping to her side.

"Oh," she choked dumbly, finding the cat a better place to rest her eyes.

The Uchiha watched the exchange, his own face blank as well. Even the feline in his arms was suddenly regarding Tobirama with something akin to hostility, as if it held him in contempt for taking the attention. For the time being, he ignored both the other man and the animal, nearing the girl with his arms crossed.

"You're wanted at home. This is getting old quickly." Reira's head lifted, and a little defiance returned to her eyes. "But—"

Ready for the inevitable, he was quick to cut her off. "Do I look like I'm entertaining a discussion about it?"

"No." she admitted, biting her tongue in case she said more.

"Then go." Visibly sulking, Reira literally dragged her feet, sandals scuffing up dirt as she walked past. "The most direct route." Tobirama added.

This time, Reira turned, mouth agape. "But—"

Fed up, the white-haired Senju presented his sternest glare, and she flinched in submission. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Tobirama found his glare softening. As always, in the end, he was left to fill the role of the villain. Be it by Toka or Hashirama. "I expect you to engage in a conversation with Toka tonight. A real one. This can't go on…it's…troublesome." He tried to explain, not at all accustomed to mincing words.

Reira considered it, biting the inside of her cheek. "No promises…" she sighed, running off. Tobirama watched her go, satisfied she would return to the compound this time.

Now, for the gaze pressing against his back…

Izuna was the same as when he'd seen him with Haruno. The same as when he'd faced him in battle. In their last battle, the one in which he'd fatally wounded his enemy, Tobirama was sure he had rid the world of yet another Uchiha. But by circumstances that remained shrouded in mystery, Izuna had made a full recovery, and now here they were.

"You've strayed far from the compound today." The Senju taunted. "With your brother gone, I would think they'd be keeping you close."

"I'm on reconnaissance." Izuna's lips pulled into a small grin. "Looking for weaknesses in the village we can exploit when we inevitably plan our uprising." Haruno's cat wriggled and jumped down, circling his feet in a loop. The Senju tracked the animal, until it stopped and sat on its haunches, glowering up at him with mismatched orbs.

Tobirama knew it was all to get a rise. It was the same way their encounters would play out on the battlefield. Anything to mentally unbalance the other, to give even the slightest edge. "Playing cute doesn't suit you." he snarled. Hashirama could say what he liked, but…old habits died hard. And usually they died when the person did. Izuna was not dead, as he should be. So what was to say—

"I'm only telling you what you'd like to think." Izuna stated, face unreadable once more. "You and I both know your…apprehension towards my clan, and especially toward Madara and myself, hasn't gone anywhere."

Without Hashirama there, there was no one to stop him. No reason to mince his words. "Likewise, you hold your own grudges I'm sure. We've both missed our chances to end the other."

Izuna laughed emptily. "Trust you to be so bold that you'd admit you're frustrated I'm not dead. Although, you're right about one thing…Not long ago, I lost to you when before, I thought my swordsmanship was peerless. It may have been my own hubris, but that doesn't mean I can let it go."

Closing his eyes, Tobirama smirked. At least he wasn't alone in his unease. "Following that kind of declaration, we'd normally have a rematch, until one of us was truly dead."

"Yes." Haruno's cat scampered up Izuna's body to settle on his shoulder, nudging against his cheek. "But as you said, that opportunity has passed. For the sake of the village, it'd be better to stow away those feelings." He turned his back, signaling the end of the confrontation.

But, there was a niggling sensation just under the surface. A suspicion he'd placed in the back of his mind, but was now revisiting. "Why are you skulking so close to Haruno's residence?"

That stopped Izuna in his tracks, and he could see he'd caught him off guard. One of his hands reached up to rub the cat's head, and the feline eagerly butted against it, purring loudly. "That hardly seems like something you'd find interest in."

Tobirama found himself growing impatient. "I hate repeating myself, Uchiha. Playing cute doesn't suit you."

"I can't say this nosey side suits you any better." he scoffed. "If that's all you wanted, then there's nothing else left to discuss."

After being thoroughly brushed aside, there wasn't much Tobirama could do besides let him go. The fan displayed on the back of his shirt winked mockingly as a flutter of wind moved Izuna's hair. Haruno's cat was still lazily draped across his shoulders, enjoying the ride.

Nothing about whatever relationship she maintained with the Uchiha clan should bother him. After all, his only interest was facing her in another match, one where he could unleash all his skills against her and win. To that end, it was more beneficial to return home and continue perfecting the kage bunshin jutsu, not speculate on why Haruno insisted on familiarizing herself with such a troubled clan.


Anyone, at any time, could die.

The young.

The old.

The just.

The dishonest.

The innocent.

The corrupt.

Over the years, and especially since becoming a medic that was something Sakura had come to understand, a sobering truth. A good medic was death's worst enemy, able to pull those who otherwise would certainly die, back from the brink. As she followed Kou through a flap that barely kept out the draft, inside the back room of a village meeting hall that was overdue for a painting, that truth was laid out before her like so many cots stretched from wall to wall. Medics huddled at bedsides, wiping sweat from brows or feeding patients liquid from bowls.

A shudder ran up her spine as Sakura was transported back to the tents of the battlefield, sheets blanketing fresh corpses while a team of medics worked tirelessly to piece together those that could still be saved. "It's not much. Certainly not enough," Kou whispered ruefully. "But this is where they're all brought, once they begin showing symptoms. Follow me. I'd like you to meet Erika."

Sakura obeyed wordlessly as they traveled to the back of the room, slipping around healers and the sick alike. She did her best not to let her eyes linger on any one person, afraid she would meet eyes with some of the dying toddlers she'd seen upon entering the hovel.

Fortunately, Kou brought them to a stop near an infirmed man with his upper chest heavily bandaged, being tended to by a very small medic with her back to them as she kneeled at his side. "Erika?" She continued to rummage, the scrape of ceramic bowls filling Sakura's ears, along with the heady scent of a herbal mixture.

"Hmm?" She paused just long enough to awkwardly turn on the stone floor, still on her knees. Sakura was struck by two things. From fingertip to elbow, her arms were coated in a thick caking of fresh blood, appearing more a butcher than a healer. And her face... Well, suddenly it made sense why she was so very small. Erika was a child, no older than she had been at the start of her apprenticeship.

Kou was unperturbed so Sakura did her best to hide her own surprise. True, she had been expecting someone far older spearheading the island's last line of defense against such a terrible illness. But judging would make her a hypocrite, when Sakura clearly remembered Tsunade trusting her to assist in procedures at a far younger age than most would consider. Skill made age irrelevant in matters such as these.

"Oh, hello!" Erika waved both arms at her, heedless of the blood. Her round eyes were dark and fearless, her dark hair cropped up in a practical bob that appeared longer in the front than the back. And the pert little nose in the center of her face was cutely upturned, very endearing. Even the yukata she wore, spattered a little with dried blood though it was, was far too…cheery. A happy yellow. Nothing about her suggested she was a child up to her elbows in death. If anything, she looked right at home. "Are you the help from the mainland?"

Nodding dumbly, Sakura bowed. "I'm Sakura. It's nice to meet you, Erika…"

"Call me Erika-chan if you'd like." The girl soothed. Then, she plunged both reedy arms into a bucket of water at her side several times, taking a sponge and wiping the remaining blood away. "I've just finished cleaning and applying poultice to this patient's chest wound. With any luck, he'll rest much easier through the night."

"Ah, I'll empty that." Kou offered, already reaching over to take the bucket out of her way while motioning with his free hand for Sakura to step closer. Kou left, and, feeling she was expected to, Sakura crouched at the other side of the patient's cot. She had to admit, Erika had done very well on the bandages, and the man did indeed appear to be stable for the moment. He was sweating less than some of the others in the room and his chest rose and fell with deep, only slightly shaky breaths.

Erika giggled as she toweled her arms dry. Cupping a hand to her mouth conspiratorially, she whispered, "Kou-kun is so attentive, like an older brother. He's been very helpful to me since I arrived."

"Since you arrived?" Sakura echoed, glancing around. She had just assumed…

"Oh yes, I'm not originally from this island, or even Water Country." Erika explained patiently. "I was only visiting to gather ingredients hard to find anywhere else but the mountains here, when the outbreak first occurred. That was nearly four weeks ago now…" she sighed mournfully. "And I wouldn't feel right leaving…when I know I can help."

Unsure how to respond, Sakura perused the room again. It was apparent every medic there was doing their best, but…with the death toll still on the rise with no signs of dropping, Sakura had to wonder if what they'd been trying had any positive effect whatsoever. "This is rather bleak, isn't it? It's alright if you say it. You'd only be stating the truth." Erika coaxed.

Abashed at being so readable, Sakura shook her head. "Oh no. Well, yes. It's horrible. But…"

"Despite what it may seem, we've managed to slow it, if only slightly. At least when we catch the symptoms in time. I was the one that first found out how to do that." Regardless of how mature she made herself out to be, a child was still a child. When Erika puffed out her chest with pride in her big eyes, Sakura tamped down the urge to pat her head dotingly.

"What are the common symptoms? And isn't there a fear that it's contagious? I mean, you…" Sakura gestured vaguely at her arms, though they were now spotless, yukata sleeves rolled back to avoid being soiled.

"It isn't contagious. That's the only good news about it." Erika huffed. "It also seems to strike at random, really. Early symptoms present like a mild illness…Fever, stiff joints, coughing fits. It's when it enters the later stages that it becomes…bizarre. Some come to us with horrible wounds and even those that aren't that have festered with…black ooze. Others ever get wounds, but their skin blotches and their lips go blue…they cough…black ooze too. Sometimes there's hair loss, a tree rot smell, uncontrollable shakes. But there's always ooze. It's like some kind of omen, you know?" She nodded her head at the sleeping man laying between them. "That all sounds farfetched to you, I'm sure."

Every word Erika had spoken caused Sakura's heart to thud a little harder, until it was a crescendo of panicked beats that threatened to rip the organ from her chest cavity. What it sounded like was a blight, in which case, something even more dire was happening than a disease outbreak or contaminated food supply.

"Sometimes, we have even used them to cull the population of nations." Mizuchi smiled proudly.

Sakura pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling dizzy. "What's the matter?" Erika asked.

"Never mind me…" she sighed. "I've got work to do." Standing, Sakura ignored the creak of her knees. "I came all the way here and now that I've got a better picture of what's going on, I think I can help." She didn't intend to tell the younger healer how exactly.

Erika was quiet, her wide eyes unnerving as they stared deep into her own. There was something older than a child there, something almost…otherworldly. Sakura could only guess at what went through her head, what she was going to say.

Kou took that moment to return, his footfalls echoing his approach. Sakura couldn't help but take note of the fact that he wasn't alone, an imposing figure in a white cloak with a drawn hood just behind him. There wasn't much visible, certainly nothing to discern who was hiding underneath. But the broad form suggested a male, and the heavy footsteps had the possibility he wasn't a shinobi.

Hoping to gauge what was happening, her eyes fell on Kou. Unlike when he'd left, the male medic returned with a troubled expression, his hands holding the bucket of clean water tight. "Some fresh water." He handed the bucket over to the girl, who graciously accepted. "And, our visitor's here to collect today's bodies."

Erika straightened, her voice much smaller and less confident, "There are only two today. You know where they are." The cloaked figure thumped a fist to his chest, proceeding to a door Sakura hadn't taken much notice of, near the end of the row of cots. The one splash of color on the white fabric was the large blossom in the center of his back, a purple flower that had become increasingly familiar lately. Recognizing it only took a minute, and Sakura gasped. 'A violacia.'

When he was out of sight and earshot, Sakura spoke, keeping her tone low. "What was that about?"

Erika and Kou shared a worried look, the latter sinking down beside them. "That was one of the acolytes of Iwanagahime. Here to retrieve the bodies of those who couldn't be saved. They'll bury them now. They come every day."

Suspicion rose, the warnings of the strange ways things were done in Water Country resurfacing. "Shouldn't the families be allowed to do that?" she challenged. "I mean, where's he even going to take them?"

"No one questions the authority of those chosen by Iwanagahime." Erika said gently. "Now, Sakura-san, I could use some help making more poultice. It'll be time to apply it again before long, and I'm running low."

Sakura was aware of the abrupt shift in conversation, that all was not what it seemed. But she indulged Erika, understanding why she would be hesitant to question the locals since she too was an outsider, albeit one who'd gained their trust.

Trust was something she might need in order to get to the bottom of what was really going on. "If you don't mind, could I try another way?"

It was a huge risk she was about to undertake. Fear fought for dominance but determination wrestled it down.

"A method from the mainland?" Kou guessed.

She giggled nervously. "Something you probably haven't seen around the island, at least."

Erika tilted her head. "I'd normally want to see a demonstration at a better time, but we don't have that luxury now. Please, go ahead."

Steeling her resolve, Sakura turned away from the cot with the slumbering man, and toward one with a boy close to Erika's age, who had woken and started to cough wetly. His eyes were wide and shiny with deliria as she scooted closer.

"It's alright," she hushed when he started chattering senselessly. Calling on the power she'd previously used to make blights, Sakura placed a splayed palm to his chest. The concealed mark on her wrist crackled to life, and instead of the usual green hue of her healing chakra, her hand lit with a golden tone. She could vaguely hear Kou and Erika making surprised noises, but the process in front of her had all her concentration.

Sakura searched, fingers brushing lightly across his skin. When the golden light spilled down to his stomach, just above his navel, he whined, jerking from the cot.

"Easy," Kou pushed him back down, and the kunoichi continued her exploration, coaxing what felt like a knot of malevolent energy toward her touch. Again, her patient jerked and Kou restrained him as she guided the malignant coil to unwind and slither toward his throat.

Wheezing, he began scratching at his neck and the pinkette did her best not to falter. 'I'm killing him!'

Horrified, Sakura began to remove her hand, only for a light weight on her shoulder to stop it. "Wait," Erika pointed, and they watched together as the patient began coughing forth black ooze. Horror becoming hope, Sakura continued, reaching out until the shapeless blob had taken on the insectoid form of the butterflies she was so familiar with from training.

In the past, she had only been forming them, and it had never truly occurred that pulling one out of a blighted victim would be just as exhausting. Mizuchi, had always been the only one to bear witness to her attempts before now. More importantly, she was always the one to dispose of the dark curse. With Erika and Kou watching on intently, Sakura knew it all fell to her.

As it turned out, the sensation of swallowing a blight felt as equally disconcerting as producing one. The small consolation was that after only a second the wings stopped brushing against the back of her throat, and she knew it had dissolved completely as her body worked to absorb the malevolent energy, her mark burning with the effort.

Sakura doubled over, holding her stomach and waiting for it to pass. Kou clasped her shoulder, staring at her with open concern. "Are you...are you alright?" he asked cautiously. Unable to answer, she reached for his own shoulder and squeezed. Given enough time, she would be. And what was more, she now knew what she was up against...and that meant, there was a chance to save the people of the islands after all.


When the knocking started, Madara had stopped his preparations for the impending meeting long ago, switching to the calming pursuit of calligraphy. Earlier in the day, the innkeeper's boy had brought up snacks served with warm tea, and later than that, his sister had come with a fresh ink well. He wondered if it was one or both of them, bringing up the evening meal. It was late enough.

Vaguely, he wondered about Haruno, and if she'd ever managed to even make contact with the group of healers overseeing the illness ravaging the population. She was stubborn, persistent, and bad-tempered. Often, that would spell trouble in an already hostile land such as Water Country. In fact, Madara half-expected it to be some disgruntled merchant or concerned guest from the inn, wanting him to answer for a raging pink-haired woman on the loose.

Somehow, answering the door only to have said woman slump into him hadn't been in the possibilities working through his head. Her head came to rest against his collar bone, breath coming in quick, cool pants that prickled his skin. "Haruno?"

"I know..." she whispered, swaying on her feet. She'd left that morning so determined, so full of passion—now she appeared deflated, keeping herself upright with his aid and sheer power of will.

'How nice,' The Uchiha thought bitterly. At least one of them understood what was currently happening.

Madara never did care for situations in which he was the last to know what was going on, and that certainly applied now. Trying to think rationally, he gave her time to compose herself—and extricate her body from his arms—before taking the liberty of pressing her back by the shoulders. "Pull yourself together."

For the first time he could see her sallow skin and the exhaustion evident in her downcast eyes. She almost looked like she'd joined the legions of half-dead supposedly swarming the island. "I just...need time to recharge." she claimed, voice a little stronger than before. Impatient, Madara proceeded to drag her limp body further into the room, letting the door fall shut behind them. He expected her to offer up at least some token resistance, some biting remark, but she was content to allow herself to be dragged. There wasn't so much as a withering glare.

Madara attempted to set her down on the futon, but she really was just deadweight in his arms, and she landed gracelessly, facedown and unmoving. Haruno emitted a loud groan, unshifting. "This feels good," she mumbled, voice slightly muffled by the fabric.

From the other side of the wall, someone giggled before being hushed by a second voice. "Ah, young love is something else, isn't it?"

Madara glared at the unseen patron in disgust.

Haruno either hadn't heard them, or wasn't capable of caring in her state, instead slowly rolling over onto her side. Half-lidded eyes and a sweaty face became visible as she stared blankly across the room, mumbling lowly to herself. Being a Sharingan user, one of the many upsides was that he had become quite skilled in the art of reading lips. Stepping closer and studying her mouth, he caught every syllable. "This always happened...when I overdid it with my blight training..."


Because I know it may come up…yes, "Erika" has Japanese ties and is popularly used in Japan. At least that spelling.

Yes, things are getting intense. I finally had the guts to put in a direct Tobirama and Izuna confrontation. You might say there's…still some bad blood there.

You might also say that Sakura is about to get in over her head. Which begs the question if Madara can be counted on to (reluctantly) help out, or will he stand by and let her fail?

And I really hope that after what'll happen in next chapter, readers aren't too upset. Sometimes bad things happen to good characters, right? Ehehe.

Reviews are my lifeblood, so consider donating to the blood bank.

Welp. Until next chapter—next month, two months? Unless you're a reader also tracking my other fics, and then, I guess I may "see" you sooner.