a/n – partially rewritten.

Chapter 3

"Gaara!" Temari called from the kitchen, "is Kankuro home yet?"

"No."

She thought for a moment, "where could her be, its already after dark…did he leave a note – something indicating where he could have gone?"

Temari and Gaara sat across from one another, staring at the meager meal she had managed to create – there was nothing left in the house only a basket of daikon and a handful of rice. However, it was still better food than the brothers had seen in weeks, so Gaara was grateful.

A half hour passed, but there was still no sight of Kankuro.

"Where are you?" Temari muttered.

Gaara stood up to leave, "I'm going to look for him."

"I'll come too"

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"What are we going to do?"

Temari wiped her sweat and blood from Kankuro's brow. Despite their efforts, his wounds failed to close and cease bleeding and it seemed as if he would not live through the night. Staring at his dying brother, the Kazekage seemed lost in thought, "Stay with o-nii-san" he said as he turned to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"To get help."

Temari sighed, "the medics have tried and failed" she pleaded, "they've never seen anything like this…please just stay by him, be there for him."

"I'll find a way. O-nii-san will live to see the sunrise."

Rae sat up, rudely awakened by the knocking at the door. She rubbed her eyes and pulled her housecoat tighter around her before heading out to answer the door.

"Good evening, how may I be of assistance?" she asked with a soft yawn.

"I'm sorry to have awakened you Rae-san but my brother has been attacked and is heavily injured and needs medical attention immediately. Could you lend us your medic?"

She paused for a moment, repeating what she had just heard in her head, "oh, Kazekage-sama, of course. Come in and take a seat. I will go get Kesuke for you." she told him then ran off. "Kesuke!" she yelled, knocking on his door, "your services are needed by Kazakage -sama."

"What?!" he snapped as he pulled open the door.

Rae rolled her eyes, "Kesuke the medic to the rescue…." she muttered, "now get moving before he loses patience and decides to kill us all."

Kesuke opened his mouth to protest but spotting Kai-sama out of the corner of his eye, he gave her a dirty look before running off to fetch his things. Kai smiled smugly. "He daren't defy you the next time, I'll make sure of it, my dear" he murmured as he pushed a lock of her chestnut hair out of her eyes, "now go get dressed, let us accompany Kesuke. This is certainly a most perfect opportunity…"

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The puppeteer was truly in terrible shape when the bounty hunters arrived. Each wound was incessantly oozing blood – thick and black; the skin surrounding the wound had taken on an unnatural appearance: black and scorched as if it had been burned. Kesuke knelt before his patient dumbfounded but suddenly remembered the conversation with Rae on their way here.

"Kesuke-kun" Rae whispered in his ear, "he needs blood, my blood"

He turned to her with a look of shock in his eyes, "but…your blood –"

"Will cure him, I'm certain of it."

The medic reached into his bag and removed the necessary equipment, "Kankuro-san will require a blood transfusion. His body is too weak" Kesuke told the gathering of people at the foot of Kankuro's bed. He pulled out a strip of thin white paper from a small canister and dabbed into a drop of Kankuro's blood – it instantaneously turned green. Without hesitation, the Kazekage rolled up his sleeve and held his arm out to the medic but Kesuke shook his head, "In his frail state, we must ensure the blood he receives is 100 percent compatible"

"But I'm his brother!"

Kesuke sighed, "Gomen nasai, Kazekage-sama. I understand your willingness to help your brother but I'm searching for special clotting property in one's blood. And though you may be his brother, you may very well not carry it"

He handed each person in the room a strip of paper then instructed them to place a drop on their blood onto it – if it turned green – it would be a match.

"Kesuke-kun, mine is green" Rae said, holding up the piece of paper for all to see. The Kazekage stared at her in horror, but it was unknown it was whether out of surprise or disgust at the discovery of the little trick she and Kesuke had played.

"How is this possible?" the Kazekage protested.

Rae smiled, "I reassure you, Kazekage-sama, that if anything befalls your brother – I am at your mercy" she said calmly, watching as the blood drained out of her arm, into the clearing tubing then the opaque latex bag. Despite the Kazekage's unrest, Kesuke administered the donated blood.

A quarter hour passed with little difference in the patient's condition. The tension in the room was mounting and a deadly silence hung in the air. The only sound was that of Kankuro's laboured breathing as he struggled to cling onto what life remained in him. Rae could feel the Kazekage glaring at her then. With his eyes green and cold as jade, his gaze was burning a hole through her.

Several minutes passed and it quickly became evident that the bleeding was slowing and that the wounds were gradually beginning to clot over with blood. Rae smiled to herself, hearing Kesuke breath a sigh of relief. The painfully careful process of cleaning and dressing Kankuro's wounds began shortly. Kesuke worked diligently – as the closing wounds must not be disturbed, but also with utmost urgency – the secret must not be revealed.

Rae was ready to depart as soon as Kankuro was presumed to be in a stable condition. Despite refusal from the Kazekage, it was decided that Kesuke would stay in the household to watch over the wounded Kankuro until he was fully recovered.

"If you're so concerned, why don't you watch over him?" Kesuke snapped.

"Kesuke!" Kai said sharply, "Rae's not well"

"Then she shouldn't involve herself in other people's business!"

Rae sighed, "it's fine…I will stay."

"But…Rae –"

"I said I'll be fine!" she snapped, storming back into the room.