A.N. Hey, everyone! Sorry this chapter took so long to edit, but I could not find a good stopping point without it being really short, so now it's 10,000 words. Oops.
I wanted to take this time to discuss Chiyo's and Midori's names a bit.
Chiyo Mitsuru, means "one thousand generations" and "growing," respectively. Because I specifically match names to characters, sometimes I get some awkward situations, like with these two OCs. The obvious awkwardness here is that there is the character of Granny Chiyo. Did I forget about her? No. I have a reason for this.
Long-time readers will know that Midori got a new last name. Midori means "green, verdant," and Hata means "loom," as in the weaving tool. Her original last name was Hisoka, meaning "RESERVED." I created her long before I ever watched a fantastic anime called Hunter X Hunter. Anyone who knows what I'm talking about will see the problem. But look, how was I supposed to know the scary clown man had the same name as my sweet healer? (Also, lol giving that man a name meaning "reserved.") I tried to push past it, but Hisoka has too much presence to ignore. So, new name!
Please enjoy the chapter!
NOW:
Masuko grinned at the wide-eyed expression on Midori's face, gesturing to the splintered remains of what had recently been a sizable tree. "Not bad, huh? I'd say that I finally got this thing mastered."
She twirled her weapon, the sword falling into its sheath at her side. "Old man Tatsume really came through on this one. I should really send him a thank you note or something."
The sword, named Shachisodo, was a work of art, forged to compliment Masuko's strengths and make up for her weaknesses. At first glance, it was a long katana, well over five feet, with an oddly shaped hilt. The very end of the weapon had a gleaming whale tail shape, the edges wickedly sharp. Anyone else attempting to wield it would be badly cut, but it wasn't a problem for Masuko's armor. Besides, that's where the fun began.
With a twist, the tail-shaped blade detached from the sword, connected to the hilt by a long chain stored inside the hollow grip. Now Masuko had two weapons; a deadly katana and a viciously swinging blade on the end of a chain.
Of course, this threw off the balance of the katana, so Masuko had trained to essentially master three weapons: her chain, the completed katana, and the lighter katana. The purpose of such a weapon was to improve her mid-to-long-range fighting ability and trick enemies into trying to get inside the range of the chain. Up close and personal, just where Masuko's physical abilities shined the strongest.
"I can't believe that chain does so much damage!" Midori exclaimed, crossing her arms and shaking her head.
In the two and a half years Tsukiko had been gone, a lot had changed for the little team, physical appearance included. Masuko wasn't too different at first glance, but anyone familiar with her could see a kind of peace had overtaken the woman. Now nearly twenty-eight, the purple-haired jounin had spent more than three years in the Leaf, and the effects of her environment were plain.
She had softened, though not in physical abilities. But her inclination to check over her shoulder for enemies, or be constantly on-edge, even in her own house, had vanished. This was most certainly helped by the fact that Lady Hokage had ordered her Anbu guards away a few months after Tsukiko's departure. Without those creeps hanging around, the woman was finally able to relax a bit.
Having her Shachisodo also eased the tension she'd felt about being unarmed. Far too many little swords had met their end when introduced to her corrosive chakra, and Masuko had felt naked without a proper weapon at her hip.
"Well, any weapon properly wielded is capable of far more than you'd first think," Masuko explained, her canine glinting as she grinned at her student. "I'm only sorry you didn't get to come along. Chiyo enjoyed the snow."
Midori shook her head, her long hair bouncing in her loose ponytail while the free strands fluttered in the wind. "Lady Tsunade kept me busy, don't worry. She's quite the taskmaster. I don't know how Sakura manages to keep up with all the work."
The young chunin glanced over at her dark-haired teammate, who hadn't added anything to the conversation.
Chiyo had been distracted all morning, insisting that the three of them wait at the gate for Tsukiko-Sensei, who was supposed to be returning to the village sometime soon. She was preoccupied with something in her hands, checking the item constantly. All Midori could see was that it was attached to a long chain, one that Chiyo normally wore around her neck. Whatever was at the end of it, it was causing her friend more and more worry.
"Alright," Masuko sighed, one fist on her hip while she studied her student quizzically. "I have been waiting for an explanation long enough. What's going on?"
The dark-haired chunin bit her lip, playing with her long bangs, the only part of her hair she allowed past her chin. "It would be better to wait for Tsukiko-Sensei," she explained. "Because even if I'm right, Lady Fourth probably won't let us leave without a full team. Especially if I'm right…" She looked down at her hand again, brow furrowing with worry. "It's just not like him…" she mumbled.
Midori cocked her head, suddenly getting a flash of chakra, almost like a teasing whisper calling her name. A smile stretched across her features as she spun to look up at a tree on her left. "Tsukiko-Sensei!"
The white-haired woman grinned from her perch in the tree. She had felt the small group waiting when she'd been around a mile away, and decided to approach stealthily. Masuko had caught her when she barely rustled a branch, but the other two were distracted.
Tsukiko had smiled, her finger over her lips, before sending out the faintest trace of chakra.
The young blond girl instantly noticed, Chiyo a moment later. Good. Very good.
"Hello, guys!" Tsukiko called out, jumping out of the tree and landing lightly, her ponytail bouncing.
Taking a moment to study her team, Tsukiko put the information she'd received from various letters to these new faces.
The girls had grown significantly, in both looks and abilities. Both had leaner faces and more confidence in their stances, green chunin jackets worn proudly over their clothing.
Chiyo's hair had changed. Rather than the unevenly cropped hair with two messy braids, it looked like she finally managed to tame her wild locks, to an extent. The majority was cut short, but she had two long sections that hung down to her shoulders, framing her face. She was also wearing a lighter shade of her usual purple, her kunoichi garb not too different from the past.
Midori, on the other hand, still favored dark green. Her outfit blended well with the chunin vest, and she had also changed her hair. It was pulled into a messy side ponytail, the band at the bottom of her hair. Any locks too short to be included were pulled up into a bun, the ends waving freely. It was cute, and obviously done quickly, but it suited the young woman.
'And I seem to remember a certain Hyuga boy with a similar style…' Tsukiko bit her lip to hide her smile. There was time to tease her students later.
"You look good with your hair like this," Masuko said, tugging on the ponytail. "It's to the small of your back, now. Someone finally grab it?"
Flushing, the white-haired woman crossed her arms, tone sharp. "Actually, I burned it in a rather intense training session. I had to cut it short."
Thankfully, the older woman didn't say anything else. The grin she shot Tsukiko, however, told her that the teasing had just begun.
"Anyway," the white-haired jounin cleared her throat. "How are you all doing? I see Masuko has a new weapon." She nodded approvingly at the detailed craftsmanship on the hilt, the curved blade at the end gleaming wickedly. "Midori, have your lessons with Tsunade-Sensei gone alright? And Chiyo, how was your last trip to the Sand? I hear we're collaborating with them for the upcoming Chunin Exams?"
Midori straightened proudly. "My chakra threads have gotten really thin! You can still see them, but only if you know where to look. And I've been developing a theory on the removal of foreign chakra." She gestured to her ninja pack. "Lady Tsunade signed her approval for my continued research!" If she managed to get results, then the removal of Curse Marks and other chakra-driven afflictions could be cured. Then Tsukiko-Sensei and Neji wouldn't have to worry anymore…
"That's fantastic," Tsukiko praised, her expression softening at her student's excitement. "I look forward to reading your research. Maybe I can take you on a trip to collect data." The Amaya Shrine would be heaven for the blond girl.
Chiyo bit her lip, loathe to break up the happy reunion, but the nagging feeling in the back of her mind wouldn't go away. "Tsukiko-Sensei, I need to talk to you."
The Amaya woman immediately shifted all her attention to the dark-haired girl, taking in her worried expression with solemnity. "What's going on, Chiyo? Did something happen?"
Shifting awkwardly, she took a deep breath. "I—I think Gaara's in trouble!" The words came out rushed, the panic that had been building in her chest finally finding an outlet.
Her senseis blinked, sharing a glance.
"What makes you say that, Chiyo?" Masuko asked, hand falling to her sword, expression grim.
Heat rushed to her face, and she opened her mouth, no sound escaping.
Tsukiko raised an eyebrow. To say that it was unusual for the energetic Chiyo to be embarrassed and shy was an understatement.
Finally gathering herself, the dark-haired girl took a deep breath, holding out her closed fist. "Gaara, or, um, Lord Kazekage and I have—have gotten close, since I started working with the Leaf ambassadors to the Sand. He gave me this, to keep contact."
The white-haired woman studied the little object in Chiyo's hand. Only a few inches tall, the hourglass was clearly carefully crafted and detailed. Inside the glass, the sand was moving in an unusual way. A slow figure-eight floated sluggishly, crossing through both the upper and bottom sections of glass. At the bottom, a small pile of sand was trembling, as if trying to join the other grains.
"Normally, all the sand moves," Chiyo explained, her embarrassment fading as she looked at the hourglass worriedly. "It speeds up or slows down, depending on what Gaara is doing. If I want to talk to him, I open the top and pour the sand out. When I put my own chakra through it, I can shape it and Gaara can feel the manipulation and understand the message. Then he can rearrange the sand on his end."
"From such a long distance?" Tsukiko asked, picking up the hourglass. It was delicate wood and glass, a gold Sand symbol stamped on top.
"It's his special sand," Chiyo explained. "It's full of Gaara's chakra, so he can still control it for a while. And when I visit the Sand Village, he just trades it out. But that's not the point!" She gestured for Tsukiko to hold her necklace up.
"Last night, the sand went crazy and jerked the hourglass off my night stand. By the time I caught it, the Sand was moving like this." Her fists clenched, and Chiyo felt her eyes begin to water. "It's never been this slow, even the few times Gaara sleeps. Something is wrong, I just know it!"
Tsukiko looked at the hourglass again, watching the grains of sand struggling to move. She glanced over at a worried Masuko, whose arms were crossed, obviously ready to go. The two women nodded at each other.
"Let's go talk to Lady Tsunade," Masuko said, hand falling to her sword. "Even if it's nothing, the Sand is an ally now, and we owe it to them to check on what's happening."
Midori clasped her hands together. "Don't worry, Chiyo! We'll be able to take care of anything that comes our way!"
The dark-haired girl took her necklace back, carefully putting it on and tucking it into her shirt. "Thank you for believing me," Chiyo managed, her voice heavy with unshed tears. "Let's hurry!"
The two chunin hurried off, their senseis hanging back.
"Are you gonna be alright?" Masuko asked, placing her hand on her friend's shoulder. "I can give you a chakra boost, if you need."
Tsukiko shook her head. "I took it easy on the trip back," she replied. "I'm well-rested and ready for anything." Her gaze followed her students. "Chiyo certainly has grown, hasn't she? I was worried when I heard that she turned down the promotion to jounin. What was that about?"
Masuko shrugged her shoulders. "I haven't been able to get it out of her. I took her with me to get my sword so that we could talk, but we had our hands full and there really wasn't a moment when we were alone." She gripped the hilt of her weapon. "But if Lord Kazekage really is in trouble, then we have bigger things to worry about."
"Agreed. Let's go."
"Oh, Tsukiko!" The male at the front desk of Tsunade's office waved her over. "Are you here to check in with Lady Tsunade? She's been expecting you."
"I am," Tsukiko responded, pleased that she wouldn't have to kick up a fuss to see the Hokage. "We have some important information for her."
"I understand." The chunin nodded. "Well, she's in with Team Kakashi, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind the interruption."
"So Naruto came back?" The Amaya asked, looking to Masuko as they passed the desk, waving goodbye.
"Yeah, around two days ago. The kid has matured a bit since he left."
"That's good. It'll be nice to see him and Kakashi again." Naruto was a link to Sasuke, as were Kakashi and Sakura. The three of them were all that really remained of the Uchiha's presence in the Village.
Tsukiko knocked sharply on the door to the mission assignment room, mindful of Chiyo's growing anxiety.
"Come in!"
Opening the door, Tsukiko was greeted by several familiar faces.
Tsunade-Sensei and Shizune were of course there, as were several village representatives, Iruka being one of them. But the sight of Kakashi looking on with mild exasperation as Sakura held Naruto in a headlock was what brought a smile to her face.
'Matured, huh?'
"Tsukiko!" The Fifth Hokage smiled, nodding her head in greeting. "I'd heard you were supposed to be back today."
Kakashi looked back over his shoulder, holding up his hand. "Hey there. Been a while, hm?"
Both Sakura and Naruto looked up, smiles stretched across their faces.
"Tsukiko-Sensei!"
The white-haired jounin ushered her team in. "Nice to see you all," she replied, heading for Tsunade's table. "I wish the circumstances were a bit better, but there might be some trouble in the Sand Village."
"Oh? Did you mean that messenger hawk that flew by this morning?" Kakashi asked, tilting his head with interest.
Chiyo paid him no mind, hurrying to the table and speaking to Lady Tsunade in a low voice, obviously telling her about her hourglass.
Lady Fifth leaned back in her chair, arms crossed. "That is worrying," she agreed, thinking. "Normally, I wouldn't call that enough to go on a mission, but the Sand has been a loyal ally for three years now, and we would be remiss not to at least make sure the Kazekage is alright."
"What?!" Naruto's head jerked up. "Something happened to Gaara?!"
The door to the office flew open, and a woman from the Cypher Corps rushed in with a message. "Lady Tsunade, terrible news!"
"Now what is it?" The older woman asked with a sigh. As soon as Naruto returned, everything had begun piling up at once.
"An emergency dispatch from the Sand," the woman answered promptly, handing her the paper. "I deciphered it as quickly as I could."
Tsunade's eyes narrowed, scanning the page.
"What is it?" Naruto asked, pulling free of Sakura's hold. "What happened?"
"Is it Gaara?" Chiyo's fists clenched, her body stiff.
"It's the Kazekage," Tsunade confirmed, her voice grim. "It seems he's been taken prisoner by the Akatsuki."
Everyone in the room stiffened, a tense atmosphere quickly forming.
Chiyo closed her eyes tightly, struggling to keep her emotions in check. Her nails dug into her palms, and she forced several deep breaths. But even her rage wasn't the palpable weight like that of her senseis.
Kakashi looked back at the two female jounin, the major source of the heavy chakra. 'This isn't good.'
Masuko gripped her sword tightly, fang bared menacingly. "What did you say?" Her voice was a low growl, body rigid with tension. Had Kisame attacked another child? Kazekage or no, Gaara was the same age as Chiyo, and therefore, should've been off limits.
Next to her, Tsukiko's eyes were completely black, her voice layered and echoing as she spoke. "The Akatsuki?"
'Itachi?'
This was her chance. The time to test her powers and destroy Itachi before Sasuke had the chance to fight him. It had to be her. Even if it wasn't Itachi behind the attack, Tsukiko would take the opportunity to send him a message.
'I'm coming for you.'
Midori and Chiyo flinched away from their sensei, never having seen her Kigen Gensogan for themselves. The void seemed to swirl and pull their gazes in, freezing them in place.
Only Tsunade seemed completely unbothered by the sudden show of rage. "We've been studying them," she explained. "We know more about the Akatsuki than any other village. Therefore, the Sand has officially requested our help." She met Kakashi's gaze evenly before looking at Tsukiko, a silent conversation between the shinobi.
Shizune gasped, looking up at the two teams present. "You're not suggesting that Teams Kakashi and Tsukiko—"
"This is urgent." The Hokage cut her off sharply. "I haven't time to form other squads. And besides, there are three jounin present who have actually fought the Akatsuki."
"Yes, but even so—"
"Shizune," Tsunade spoke to her aide in a low voice, glancing back at the teams. "Masuko and Tsukiko are literally glaring a hole through my head right now. Do you think they would listen if I tried to stop them?"
The woman looked up, taking in the nearly visible cloud of dark chakra swirling around the two women. "No," she responded, defeated.
Nodding with finality, the Hokage turned back to the group. "Team Kakashi, Team Tsukiko, I'm assigning you a new mission. You're to go to the Sand Village at once, find out what's going on, and keep us informed. You're to remain there and follow their orders. Give them any backup they need."
Masuko's grin didn't reach her eyes. "Sounds good to me."
Tsukiko said nothing, already working to get a rough plan in her mind.
Midori took Chiyo's hand, her gaze firm. "Whatever it takes," she mouthed.
Chiyo nodded, her grip on her hourglass tight. "Time to make those bastards pay."
A short while later, the two teams found themselves at one of the Village gates, packed for an extended trip. Who knew how long it would take for the Sand to regain a sense of order?
"Okay, let's go!" Naruto announced, counting that all seven members were present.
In spite of herself, Tsukiko felt her lips quirk upwards. She would finally get a chance to see how "annoying" Naruto was on a mission.
"We'll be back soon, milady," Sakura said, saluting. "We won't let you down."
"I'll make sure to remember what you taught me," Midori added, bowing her head.
Lady Tsunade and Iruka had come to see them off and were both frowning with worry, though the crease between the older woman's eyebrows lightened slightly. "Good."
Iruka sighed, obviously holding back something he wanted to say. Instead, he smiled. "Naruto...good luck."
"Thanks," the boy answered, serious for once.
Tsukiko nodded to the both of them. "Don't worry, Tsunade-Sensei. We'll get Gaara back, and take out a couple of Akatsuki members before the mission's over." Her voice was heavy with promise.
While they said their goodbyes, Chiyo was on edge, pacing. It was clear she wanted to throw herself into the trees and run the whole three day journey herself.
Right as Kakashi gave the order to move, Jiraiya landed in front of the group with a heavy thud.
"Hey there!" He greeted, his usual cheery self. "Nice to see you Tsukiko! Glad to hear you're back. So, off on a mission, Naruto?"
"That's right!" The boy growled.
"Well, good for you," the old man said, waving the jounin in closer. "But more importantly, I've got some disturbing news." He walked over to Tsunade. "The Sand's Kazekage has been—"
"Yes, I know," The Fifth Hokage interrupted. "I'm dispatching two squads. They're just about to leave." She pointed past him.
Jiraiya did a double-take over his shoulder, gaze focused on Naruto. As he leaned in to speak to Tsunade, Tsukiko could understand why.
The Akatsuki were also hunting Naruto, so normally, sending him would be foolish. But Tsukiko had seen first hand the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, and she had faith that the boy would be able to keep up.
Apparently mollified with whatever Tsunade said to him, Jiraiya pulled Naruto aside to give him advice.
Masuko turned to her students, grinning. The smile didn't quite reach her eyes, however, so it looked more like a baring of teeth.
"Listen up, you two. It's been a while since we were all on a mission together, so I want everyone to remember their teamwork here. No flying off the handle, alright? That's Naruto's job." She jerked her thumb back in the blond boy's direction. "Both of you are chunin now, so you're full members of this squad. You'll always be our students, but from this mission onward, we're equals."
Tsukiko nodded, taking a deep breath. The advice applied to her as well. She had a team, and she was the leader. Time to act like it. Unlike a certain Uchiha boy, she didn't need to do everything by herself. She had a responsibility as a sister to protect her brother, but also had a responsibility as a teacher and an example to the next generation of Shinobi. One that she'd shirked for long enough. There would be an opportunity to take down the Akatsuki, but that didn't mean she was going to be stupid.
"Chiyo," she began, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I want you to do what you feel you have to, but remember that we are here to support you as a team. We'll find Gaara. That promise wasn't just to Lady Tsunade."
The dark-haired girl nodded, clutching her hourglass. "I understand, Tsukiko-Sensei. I don't want to be useless when we arrive, but we need to set a quick pace."
Midori re-tied the bottom of her hair, trying to catch the stray strands. "Formation G with Pace 4 would be the way to go, both for speed and long distance."
Nodding approvingly, Masuko gestured to the other group. "We'll make sure they understand, since they don't know our formation codes."
"Kakashi will figure it out." Tsukiko gripped the straps of her backpack, a faint part of her wishing she'd gotten to sleep in her bed for at least a few minutes. The tatami mats of the Shrine and hard ground were a stark contrast to her lovely mattress. Especially since Masuko and the girls had cleaned her house as a welcome home present, the rooms completely free of the dust and grime that built up over time.
"Good luck, Tsukiko!" Jiraiya called, waving as they started walking.
"Thanks! And tell Eri that, skilled as she is, the Sand messenger hawks are still faster!"
There was no doubt in her mind that Eri was the one who delivered the information to Jiraiya. She had dedicated her life to fighting Itachi, much the same way Tsukiko had. Her reasons were many and painful, but boiled down to one: Shisui's death. To be able to use her skills as an information gatherer most effectively, the woman had cut almost every tie in the village, save Jiraiya.
The women lined themselves up in Formation G, a triangle with Chiyo in the front, Midori right behind her. Being the weakest physically, as well as the medic, Midori set the pace for the group and was the most protected. Besides, her threads could cause a lot of damage to anyone who got inside. Chiyo was the lookout and primary defense for Midori, holding herself back to keep the girl just behind her. They were the tip of the triangle.
The ends were of course Masuko and Tsukiko, who would alternate right and left sides every so often at random intervals. Tsukiko's dome watched their front and back, while Masuko was poised to attack at the slightest hand signal from the white-haired girl.
Feeling Kakashi's team behind them, Tsukiko signaled to the others that she was falling back. Breaking away, she quickly saw Naruto's orange jacket, just a bit too far away from his own formation.
"Naruto, I know you're in a hurry, but quick breaking formation!" Sakura scolded, her voice carrying.
"I know, but—"
"Don't lose your cool," Kakashi advised, tone stern. "Master Jiraiya taught you better than that, didn't he?"
Naruto glared back at them, but Tsukiko intervened, appearing next to him and matching his pace. "He's right, you know."
"Waaah!" Naruto nearly missed a step, startled by the silent approach of the jounin. "Don't scare me like that!"
"Chiyo is also pushing on ahead," Tsukiko continued, deaf to the blond boy's grumblings. "But Midori is holding her to pace. Naruto, I understand you have far more chakra and stamina than all of us, but you have to think logically. What use will we be if we are too exhausted to help?"
The boy frowned, looking away. "Yeah, I guess."
"Besides, this speed is faster overall, because we won't have to stop for breaks for quite a while. We'll eat up several miles and turn the three day travel time into two. Alright?"
Naruto brightened considerably at that. "Really? Two days! Alright!" He slowed down, matching the pace of his teammates.
Tsukiko smiled, falling back to Kakashi. "Will Sakura be alright?" She asked in a low voice. While more efficient, a large amount of endurance was necessary to keep up after a few hours. "Midori and Sakura have a similar stamina, so I can judge breaks based on that. Sound good?" She couldn't help but defer to his judgement, an old habit based on his seniority and their Anbu days.
Kakashi nodded. "Works for me. We'll stay behind your formation and watch your back so you can focus on the front and sides. My dogs can also tell us if an enemy approaches."
"Alright." Tsukiko was just moving back when she heard Chiyo's voice call out.
"Temari!"
By the time Kakashi's unit and Tsukiko landed, Chiyo had filled the older girl in on everything.
"Gaara…! You mean he's been—" The Sand jounin cut herself off, a pained expression crossing her features.
"We're still over two and a half days from the Sand," Kakashi urged gently. "We should hurry."
Chiyo nodded, placing her hand on Temari's shoulder. "We'll get there in two. Let's go!"
"Right." The blond girl picked up her fan and added herself to Kakashi's three-man squad, completing the formation of four.
To Tsukiko's surprise, both Midori and Sakura seemed to have increased their stamina considerably. The first break was called well into the evening, and after a quick fish dinner, they set off again.
Still alert for danger, Tsukiko felt her mind begin to wander, to piece together the goal of the Akatsuki. Stealing the Nine-Tails was an already confirmed goal, but...why Gaara? What did he have that they so desperately needed?
'If they were sending a message, attacking the youngest Kage and trying to provoke a war, they would have just killed him. But they needed him alive...why?'
As the most powerful creature alive, the Nine-Tails should've been the main target, not trying to pull a stunt to sow fear.
She shook her head. 'I'm thinking about this all wrong. Let's take the Kage aspect out. What is different about Gaara?'
The Chunin Exams flashed through her mind, focused on the energy she'd felt during Gaara's fight, they way it had seemed similar to the Nine-Tails. Her initial thought was that it was in fact a Tailed Beast. Now, with a rough description of the sand monster from Chiyo and a faint memory of pouring over an illustrated scroll in Lord Fugaku's library, it was safe to assume that Gaara was indeed a Jinchuriki.
'So they targeted Gaara as the Jinjuriki of the One-Tail? Are they going in order, working up to Naruto, or did they act out of opportunity?'
Taking down a Kage was no mean feat, so it was likely the latter rather than the former. So, they could somehow take the One-Tail from Gaara, and they needed him alive in order to do that. That left some hope, at the very least. Tsukiko wasn't an expert on the subject, but she had very little confidence in Gaara surviving whatever process ripped the Tailed Beast out of someone. So, in all likelihood, he was still alive. For how much longer, there was no way to know, save perhaps Chiyo's hourglass. Maybe they could—
Naruto suddenly entered her immediate range, breaking formation yet again. "I can't take this anymore!" He shouted, the faint noise reaching their ears.
Chiyo stiffened, her head whipping around. "What?" There was anger in her voice, and she turned to fall back to the blond boy.
"Go!" Masuko urged Tsukiko, taking Chiyo's spot.
Without a word, Tsukiko followed her student, a hollow feeling forming in her chest at the sight of Chiyo's expression.
"I know why they're after Gaara and me!" Naruto shouted, barely noticing the two kunoichi suddenly at his side. "It's not like it's a mystery or anything." He glanced back at Sakura, then at Chiyo. "You both know, don't you?"
His voice cracked slightly, emotion evident. "There's no point in hiding it...The spirit of the Nine-Tailed Fox is sealed away inside of me."
Temari's eyes widened, but the two other girls traded sad glances.
"Gaara and I are the same," Naruto continued, gripping his jacket at the chest. "We both have monsters locked up inside of us. That's what these bastards are after!"
He jumped off a branch, the force stripping the bark away. "And that's the worst part about it!" The boy shouted, pain and anger in every word. "To them, we're just monsters. All those bastards see is the means to an end!" Naruto clenched his fists, practically shaking. "Everything about us was exactly the same...and he had to fend for himself a lot longer than I ever did. And now he's the target of the Akatsuki! One more thing we have in common."
Chiyo's eyes began to water, her grip on her necklace tight. She had thought that Naruto was being selfish, wanting to push harder than they could give but…he was the same as her. So worried about Gaara that he could barely breathe.
"Why should his life be so full of misery all the time?" Naruto growled. "Why is it always him? That's why I've got to hurry. I don't have a second to waste! This time will be different. I'm going to be there to save him!"
"You think you're the only one?" The words were out of her mouth before she could snatch them back, but Chiyo couldn't help the rolling wave of emotion in her chest.
"What?"
She could see Tsukiko-Sensei watching her with concern, but refused to look away from the blond boy, her jaw clenching. "Naruto, this may come as a surprise to you, but there are other people who care about Gaara!"
The dark-haired girl threw her hand behind her, gesturing to Temari. "For one, his older sister is right here! And me!" Pulling out her necklace, she held it up to the shocked boy. "I have to watch this slow down, knowing that something horrible is happening to my friend! And I can't look away, praying that the sand keeps moving and there's a chance that Gaara is still alive!"
Glaring, Chiyo placed a hand on her chest. "I've been wanting to sprint full out from the moment we began, and I know I have the chakra to do it. But what use would I be, pushing the rest of my team so hard? This isn't about us wasting time, it's about being smart! You think I don't feel the clock ticking?! It's around my damn neck!"
Silence greeted her tirade, Naruto glaring before looking away. He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Chiyo gripped her hourglass tightly, the tears she'd been trying to hold back finally breaking past her control.
'Sorry, Naruto…' It wasn't fair to take her frustrations out on him, but that didn't make her words any less true. Or her feelings.
There hadn't really been a big moment when she'd realized, not like you hear about in stories. It could've happened the day Gaara took her on a tour of the Sand, the day he gave her the hourglass, or even as far back as him helping her and Lee in the fight with Kimimaro. There were dozens of memories to choose from. She'd been interested in him during the Chunin Exams, then horrified by what the Sand boy had gone through in his life. That interest led to her visiting the Sand multiple times on assignments with the Leaf ambassadors and culminated in a single, undeniable fact, the proof of it in every tear she shed.
Tsukiko traded glances with Kakashi, keeping her tone gentle. "We're all worried about Gaara," she began. "Though the two of you both have reasons for your strong feelings, we need to remember that we are on a mission. We are a team. Rather than let our emotions divide us, let them fuel your determination. I understand you both, but also disagree."
Leaping off a rather large tree branch, Tsukiko caught a glimpse of tears on both young shinobi's faces. "Chiyo, I know you're upset because Naruto voiced exactly what you feel without thinking, but it's good that he cares so much and taking out your frustrations on him solves nothing." Turning her head slightly, she continued.
"And Naruto, I've already told you that this is the most efficient pace. You need to have more self control. Chiyo was right when she said that she'd also been trying to push ahead, but she has the discipline to listen to her team leader. Surely Jiraiya-Sensei taught you that?"
Neither Chiyo nor Naruto responded to her words other than a nod, but both looked sufficiently ashamed of their actions, looking at each other guiltily.
Kakashi stepped in. "Alright. Let's drop it and focus on helping the Sand. That's the most important. Back in formation, everyone."
Tsukiko and her student moved back up, retaking their places silently.
Midori stared at her friend's back, biting her lip with worry.
As she got back to her original position, Masuko shot Tsukiko a tense grin. "We need to watch those two," she mouthed.
The white-haired woman nodded, glancing back at Naruto. He caught her eye and nodded, back in control. She returned the gesture, smiling at him.
In truth, it was actually truly heartwarming for her to see those two so worried about someone from a rival village. It was the sort of scenario she'd imagined as a child, everyone protecting each other to keep peace in the world. It was also the kind of situation that never would've happened during her childhood, war having been the only thing on people's minds for years after the fighting had ceased. Seeing this small piece of her dream come to fruition was enough to warm her, to melt a little of the ice that seemed to be weighing her down.
'I wonder if Chiyo knows she's in love?'
With the morning light brought a new sense of clarity, and of progress. The trees were starting to thin out, a sign that they were approaching the desert.
"You know, those food pellets are only for emergencies."
Tsukiko looked back, her golden eyes widening slightly at Kakashi's words, aimed at his pink-haired student.
"And a girl at your age should be especially careful of the high fat—"
Sakura bit down hard on the pill, shooting forward to be in front of her sensei.
Kakashi watched her with clear confusion. "Is she mad at me?"
Temari shook her head from her place behind him, unimpressed with the man's tact, or rather, lack thereof.
Tsukiko returned attention to her group, noting that Midori was also chewing on something. So that was it. They hadn't had a break since Chiyo and Naruto had their little outburst, and the two girls were pushing themselves.
'Normally, I'd counsel against that, but the situation being what it is, I suppose it's—'
"—Itachi Uchiha."
Spinning around with aggressive force, Tsukiko glared at Sakura, who was talking to Naruto. "What about Itachi Uchiha?" She hissed, her voice seemingly coming from multiple directions.
Sakura flinched, startled by the noise and by the two swirling voids where Tsukiko-Sensei's eyes should've been. This was the second time she'd seen it, but it was no less terrifying a sight.
To her credit, the young girl steeled herself. "Well, he's after Naruto, isn't he?"
A startled noise left Kakashi, his visible eye widening.
"You know, it's not like I just spent my time training these past two and a half years," Sakura said, looking back at her teacher. "I stole into Lady Tsunade's library and snuck out of the Village as much as I could. And now, the one thing that bothered me more than anything else finally makes sense."
Turning back to the front, she met Tsukiko's gaze evenly. "The person that Sasuke wanted to kill, it was his older brother, Itachi, wasn't it? A member of the Akatsuki."
Nodding curtly, Tsukiko struggled to get her emotions under control, the sudden flow of chakra from unconsciously activating the Kigen Gensogan coiling like a spring in her stomach. Even after all that work, her training to master her new ability had left her vulnerable to it sneaking up on her. Still a weakness yet to be conquered.
"That's the whole reason he left. He saw Orochimaru as a way to obtain power." Sakura clenched her fist. "But all that worthless viper wants is Sasuke's body. And we only have six months left to stop him."
Kakashi saw Tsukiko lock her jaw at the mention of the other person at the top of her to-die list. "Sakura—" he began, not wanting her to accidentally provoke Tsukiko into burning down the forest.
"But Orochimaru used to be a member of the Akatsuki himself." Sakura ignored Kakashi, too intent on following her thoughts down the rabbit hole. "All I'm trying to say is, we can't give up. The closer we get to the Akatsuki, the closer we are to finding information about Orochimaru. So the closer we get to them, the closer we are to Sasuke."
Naruto nodded, surprised that his friend knew so much information.
Tsukiko's eyes narrowed. There was a big piece missing from that plan, and Sakura was too smart to overlook it.
"No." Her flat statement, echoed around the forest, was met with wide-eyes. "I know what you are thinking, Sakura Haruno. And the answer is no. You and Naruto are not to even try to take on Itachi Uchiha, do you understand me?"
From the sharp inhalations, Tsukiko knew her intuition had been spot on. "Seek out information on Orochimaru. He's weakened considerably since Lord Third sealed his arms away. But don't make the mistake of being cocky. This is not your fight."
Naruto opened his mouth, but Tsukiko cut him off, feeling her old shoulder wound beginning to throb. "I said no. You both may have grown, but you will never be ready to fight Itachi, so put it out of your head. Can you beat Kakashi in a straight out fight? Or me? If the answer isn't 'of course, and with plenty of chakra to spare,' then you are not to engage with him. Is. That. Clear?"
"Yes, Tsukiko-Sensei," Sakura replied, her eyes still blazing with determination.
Naruto nodded, the two of them clearly not agreeing with her. They were humoring her, nothing less.
The branch under her foot broke as she leapt away, and Tsukiko closed her eyes, breathing deeply. For now, she needed them at full strength, and at their best. But…
'If they ignore me again, I'll show them just how vicious I can be. You kids want to fight Itachi? Just try it when your bones are broken.'
"All right, break time's over," Kakashi said, standing from his spot on watch.
As the group was so close to the desert, they had opted to rest for a few hours to fully recover before the more dangerous trek.
Midori held up their water packs. "They're all full!"
"Thank you," Masuko said, grinning as she finished rolling up a bundle of berries. "And I have a little extra food for along the way. The sugar will give us a boost when we start lagging."
Tsukiko nodded, keeping an eye on Naruto and Chiyo, who had been quietly talking this whole time. The obvious assumption was that they were making up. By the way they stood, shoulders set with determination, Tsukiko felt confident in their ability to proceed unhindered.
Night was well underway once more. They had left the Leaf in the mid-afternoon of the day before last, and were making excellent time. The desert would take an hour or two to cross, and thanks to some well-timed breaks, the journey would primarily take place in the night. It would be colder than what the Leaf nin were used to, but far more manageable than the blazing sun. With any luck, they would get there before morning, though that was optimistic. Travel would be slower without trees and with their feet sinking into the sand with every step. It was an environment they weren't used to, and that would cost time.
"Okay." Kakashi signaled to get into formation. "Let's go."
Naruto nodded. "Alright. We've finally reached the desert. How far away is the Sand?"
"The Village Hidden in the Sand is just up ahead," Temari answered, strapping her fan on. Turning to the group, she gestured to Chiyo. "It's best if we two take the lead from here on out. Chiyo is a familiar face from the Leaf, so that will set people somewhat at ease." She frowned sadly. "I'm sure everyone is on-edge as it is."
Kakashi nodded. "Lead on."
With a small smile of gratitude, Temari took a position at the front, the other seven filing out behind her.
"You need to walk on the sand like it's water," Chiyo advised the younger shinobi. "None of you have spent a lot of time in the desert, so you'll sink if you aren't careful. The ground's not sturdy, and there are few roads since there are frequent sandstorms. The ninja of the Sand are very light on their feet, so we have to be the same."
Tsukiko felt a rush of affection and pride for the young chunin. 'She's grown into such a leader. Why on earth did she turn down jounin? As soon as she mastered her second chakra nature, she was qualified. It doesn't seem like she's lacking in confidence either…'
Taking off, the group ran hard, pace doubled to reach the Village by dawn. There were likely many casualties from the attack, and possibly more from trying to ascertain the damage, so Midori and Sakura would be critical. They were the ones who needed to watch their stamina the most.
Within two hours, the tall wall of the Village Hidden in the Sand was in sight. Chiyo, Temari, and Naruto all quickened their speed even further, but no one stopped them. Everyone was anxious by this point, and Tsukiko found her gaze continuously drawn to the little hourglass bouncing from Chiyo's neck. Was it her imagination, or did the moving sand seem like less than before?
'A ticking clock indeed…'
Ahead, there were two guards at the gate. Upon seeing the large group, their faces lit up and they rushed forward.
"We've been expecting you!" The younger man said excitedly.
His companion was an older shinobi wearing a cloth over his head in the fashion of the Sand and people of the desert. "Lady Temari, you were with them?" Then his gaze landed on Chiyo, his smile widening. "Thank goodness you came as well. Hurry, this way."
As they were led through the Village, Tsukiko traded glances with Masuko, gesturing to the dark-haired chunin. Anyone could see the difference in how she was carrying herself, like a tension had left her shoulders.
"Chiyo!"
"It's Chiyo!"
"The Leaf are here!"
"Lady Temari!"
Exclamations of relief echoed around them as they ran, Tsukiko taking note of how well-liked her student was.
'Unusual, even for an ambassador-in-training.'
If she didn't know better, she'd almost say that it seemed like Chiyo was a Sand ninja returning home rather than a Leaf one on a mission. Interesting.
"What?" Temari exclaimed, face pinched with worry. "You say they got Kankuro as well?"
"Yes," the younger man explained. "When the enemy took Lord Kazekage, Kankuro went after him by himself."
'Foolish, but I can't blame him,' Tsukiko thought grimly.
"He was poisoned, and we haven't been able to find anything to counteract it. He won't last much longer."
"Poisoned?" Midori's head shot up, eyes narrowing. "Sakura?"
"Yeah." The pink-haired girl nodded, turning to Temari. "Don't give up yet, Temari. Let Midori and I take a look at him."
"Don't let him die, Midori." Chiyo's voice was tight with pain, her teeth clenched. "Please, help him."
The blond girl pushed a strand of hair back behind her ear, shoulders set. "Understood."
Entering the hospital, the group didn't slow their pace, but rearranged to allow the healers to enter just behind Temari.
"Kankuro!"
As the younger ninja raced ahead, all three Leaf jounin stopped short, hit with the sudden sense of hostility. This wasn't chakra, or something that anyone inexperienced could sense. It was merely instinct, honed from years of fighting, killing, and being met by a force with the intent to end their lives.
"Damn you!" An old woman, wearing clothes marking her as an elder of some importance and a headband symbolizing her time as a shinobi despite there being no forehead protector, rushed forward, eyes locked on Kakashi. "Get ready to defend yourself or die!"
She leapt into the air, incredibly spry for her age. "Revenge at last!"
Despite his instincts, Kakashi wasn't expecting the attack, his awareness dulled by the fact that he was the last to enter. "Huh?"
Tsukiko was the closest, and sized up the threat instantly, her body moving before she was fully cognizant. With one leg, she slammed Naruto out of the way, the boy having moved to summon Shadow Clones. Using that momentum, she kicked off the ground, shooting forward to block the punch and sending the woman skidding backwards.
One eye green, the other gold, Tsukiko kept her arms up defensively. Sand was a bitch to block, as it wasn't quite solid enough for her to control easily with Earth, and too thick for Wind. Even a Sand Clone could give her grief if used properly.
"What do you think you're doing, attacking Kakashi-Sensei like that, you wrinkly old prune!" Naruto jumped up from where he'd hit the ground, a Shadow Clone already at his side.
Tsukiko said nothing, her attention on the Sand elder. She was dangerous, and confident in her abilities. That much was certain. Any sudden movement could lead to serious damage if Tsukiko wasn't prepared.
"I haven't forgotten what you did," the woman spat. "I've waited for this day, White Fang of the Leaf! The day I wreak vengeance on you for what you did to my son!"
Kakashi's visible eye widened, and he held up his hands peaceably. "No, no, no," he said quickly. "You see, I'm not—"
"That's enough talk!"
Right as the woman made a motion forward, an old man with eyebrows that nearly fell to his chin and sunken eyes stepped in front of her, hand up to block an attack from behind.
"Take a closer look at the man, sis," he urged, pleasant voice soft and jovial.
"Huh?" She squinted at a nervously laughing Kakashi.
"It's true there's a resemblance, but this one is not the White Fang."
"Eh?" One grey eyebrow rose.
"Hello," Kakashi waved, trying to seem as friendly as possible.
Tsukiko relaxed her stance, suddenly understanding what was going on.
"Besides," the old man continued. "As you know, the White Fang of the Leaf died long ago."
A look of sadness and disappointment crossed the wrinkled face of the woman, her shoulders sagging as she listened to her brother.
"Remember? When you heard the news, you wept in frustration because it meant you would never have your vengeance. Isn't that so, sis?"
There was a long, tense pause, everyone in the room frozen save Kankuro, whose painful breathing made the only noise in the silence.
All at once smiling, the old woman swayed, speaking in a singing voice. "Oh well! Never mind!" She laughed loudly, her brother shaking his head.
"This old bird is insane," Masuko muttered, hand falling away from her sword. That old man had some serious fight in him, if the glare he'd shot her the moment her hand had touched the hilt was any indication.
Kankuro suddenly let out a pained cry, clawing at his throat.
"Kankuro!" His sensei, Baki, shouted.
Midori and Sakura were instantly moving, each of them tying their hair up and completely away from their faces.
"Here, let us take a look at him," Sakura said.
"Yes, please," Temari urged.
Glancing over at Midori, who was already completely engrossed in their patient, her hands glowing with chakra, the pink-haired girl looked up. "Listen, it might help if you all clear out and give us some room to work." Her mint-colored gaze lightly touched the several people crowding the small room.
"You got it, Sakura." Naruto was, surprisingly, the first to agree. He turned and walked away without argument, the others following.
Midori felt the eyes of the old woman on her and her friend, but she ignored it, all her attention drawn to the person in need.
Kankuro was in bad shape, his breathing ragged and strained, and his muscles jerking uncontrollably.
"Check his pupils," Midori said, placing her palms on his chest to search for his heart rate. Feeling her way down his body, the blond physically inspected each of his organs, making note of the ones that were the most affected.
Temari watched silently, her worry like a weight on Midori's shoulders.
'Never let anyone or anything distract you from a patient!' Lady Tsunade's stern bark ran through her head. 'I don't care if someone is screaming with grief right beside you! They aren't the ones you need to focus on, so don't cheapen the life of your patient by diverting attention!'
A choking sound told her that Sakura was checking his tongue and throat.
"What are you—! Who are you?!" The two Sand medics started forward, obviously concerned.
"We're Leaf Village medical ninja," Midori said mindlessly, her voice a low murmur as she felt the muscles under her hand tensing.
Sakura turned to her. "From his throat, it looks like a heavy metal-based toxin."
"I agree." Midori looked up from her examination. "It's targeting his muscle tissue and destroying the cells' integrity." She could hear his heart weakening, the chakra sent into his body going through the organ and identifying the sections most in danger. His right atrium would burst if the cells weakened further, or his lungs would give out first, as his diaphragm was also being attacked. Either way, they didn't have much time.
'My guess would be lungs first, seeing as he was grasping at his throat. The pain in his heart is secondary to the burn of not being able to breathe.'
"You were able to learn all that in just one look?" The Sand medics looked at each other with surprise, then back at the girls.
"May I see his chart?" Sakura asked. "My friend is going to shore up his vitals with chakra while we try to figure out the exact poison."
"Yes, of course." The man handed her a black clipboard. "Here it is. We were getting a breakdown of the poison, but there are still quite a few blanks."
"I know just what will happen," Midori said, eyes closing as she pressed more of her chakra into his body. It would act as a temporary muscular implant, helping his heart and lungs to continue to function, but it wouldn't stop the poison from continuing to eat away at the cells.
"The cardiac muscle will weaken to the point where the heart will collapse, and cease functioning all together," Sakura explained, flipping pages. "Though it would appear the dose is also attacking his lungs through the muscle of his diaphragm. We can tell since there are signs of damage in his nasal cavity and windpipe.
"It's doubtful we'll be able to come up with an antidote in time." Sakura frowned, handing Midori the chart.
"What are you saying?!" Temari asked loudly, eyes wide with fear. "There's nothing you can do?!"
Sakura looked back at Midori. "Is it too late to attempt an extraction?"
'Yes.'
"Not if we want him to have a chance of making it through the morning," she replied. There was no choice. As long as they were extremely careful and precise, it was possible. If not, they could accidentally send the poison further into the tissue and kill him outright, if the manner of extraction didn't rip his body to shreds. It was far more dangerous than safe at this point, but dangerous was better than dead.
"Alright." The pink-haired girl nodded. "Your hands are steadier. I'll act as support." Turning to the medics, she started making a list. "I'm going to need a few things and I need them quickly. This is going to be pretty crude, but it's the only option we have."
The familiar fear of failure, of letting someone die, threatened to take hold of the blond kunoichi, the clawing feeling rising in her throat. This was real. Not a practice session, not under the careful eye of Lady Hokage, but all on her. Sakura was her support, but Kankuro's life was in Midori's hands.
Sakura, being the one with the seemingly supernatural sense for dosage and chemistry, quickly mixed the ingredients together, directing Baki and three medics while her friend gathered her chakra and her nerves.
"Hold him down and don't let him move," she ordered. "This part of the procedure is not going to be easy for him."
"Alright."
"Got it."
Temari held down his shoulders while the others each took one of his limbs.
Taking a final deep breath, Midori raised her hands.
Hundreds of chakra threads, thin as hair, emerged from her fingertips and palms, shooting straight out like needles. Since they didn't need to be long, Midori could create many more than usual, her Wind nature keeping them sharper than scalpels.
Sakura used her own chakra to pull the mixture out of the bowl, the translucent green liquid like a bubble attached to her hand.
"Here goes."
Holding out the liquid, she pierced the bubble on the needles, the medicine sticking to Midori's chakra and turning her strings green as it slid up them. "Got it?"
"Yes," Midori managed, all of her concentration on merging the medicine with her healing chakra. "Make sure he doesn't move. My needles will slice him open if we aren't precise."
Lowering her hand, the blond Leaf ninja allowed herself one prayer, to anyone out there, that this would work. Then, all of her attention was one hundred percent focused on her chakra and the patient.
The instant the tips touched his chest, an instinct made her pull away.
Kankuro immediately thrashed, breaking free of the hold to sit up and scream. Sakura's concoction was made to draw the heavy metals up out of his muscles, and it was intensely painful.
"Hold him down!" Sakura threw herself across his chest, using her chakra and insane strength to force him back into the bed. "And don't let him move!"
Midori's gaze was far away, her hands moving automatically to center her needles over his heart and press down.
Kankuro screamed, but Midori's mind was suddenly flooded with the visual of his body, of each muscle, chakra node, vein, artery, and cell. There was poison all throughout Kankuro's body, but the heart and lungs were the most important.
With a precision she hadn't believed herself capable of, Midori stopped the needles a fraction of an inch from the beating organ. Moving ever so slightly, she used the chakra she had already placed around his heart to guide her, barely touching the muscle at its largest point of expansion. Any closer and the movement of blood pumping would pierce the organ on the sharpened chakra.
'Isolate the poison and force it to the surface. Draw it into the solution, and extract it!'
Opening eyes that she hadn't realized she'd closed, the Leaf medic carefully pulled her hand up, needles now purple as streams of poison followed her medicine-rich chakra.
Sakura acted fast, catching the tainted solution with her chakra-filled hands.
"What's that?" Temari asked, sounding cautiously hopeful. "Is that the poison?"
Neither girl answered, Sakura dumping the green and purple liquid into the bucket. "That's it! Another!"
"Right!" Two of the medics wiped the sweat from the girls' faces as the third brought the second tub of solution forward.
Midori discarded the first set of needles, the chakra falling away into nothing as it separated from her skin. She made more, taking in the medicine just as before. "Now for the diaphragm, and then again through the heart. Poison was circulating through his blood for days, and every pump brings more to the heart."
Outside the room, the others sat on a large bench or on the ground, resting after their long journey.
Chiyo was staring at her hourglass, certain she had felt the sand jump again. More of it fell away as she watched, the figure eight slowing further. Now, a single grain took eight seconds to complete the small journey from top section to bottom, an extension from the previous speed of five seconds per loop. Whatever the Akatsuki wanted with Gaara, it had begun.
The fear that had been coiling around her heart now felt like it was suffocating her. But there was no choice! They needed the information from Kankuro, and he was in no condition to talk. All she could do was pray that Midori and Sakura were enough to save him.
And not just for the sake of information.
Chiyo had gotten close to all of the Sand siblings, Temari and Kankuro like the older sister and brother she never had. Wasn't it just a short time ago that Kankuro was making fun of her height, ruffling her messy hair while joking that an ambassador should at least be able to sit with their feet touching the floor? So why? Why was he screaming on that bed? Why was she just sitting uselessly on the ground, listening to this?
'Why did I ever go back to the Leaf?'
She should have been here. She could have fought the Akatsuki, provided back-up to Kankuro and to Gaara. Maybe he would be safe if she hadn't had to go back, if Tsukiko-Sensei's crow hadn't found her.
'I was so excited to see my sensei, I completely abandoned my friends.' Pulling her knees to her chest and sinking her head onto them, Chiyo desperately tried to hold her tears back as the question she'd been avoiding pounded into her skull like a hammer, threatening to driver her insane.
'What if Gaara dies?'
A.N. Thank you for reading what suddenly became a medical drama! I am no doctor, but hopefully it's legitimate enough to pass.
I hope you enjoyed getting more Chiyo and Midori. They will eventually get their own fanfics somewhere in the distant future as part of this series.
Please rate and review!