Revised 7/7/16

Sitting against the cabin wall, Kisame stared at his charred arms with a look of vague dismay. For the first time ever, he was kind of relieved that he didn't have his sword samehada there to leech off his chakra. He got the distinct feeling that he might pass out.

"So it happened did it? I can honestly say that I'm a little surprised." Yukiyo said, deciding now would be a good time for some tea. There wasn't much she could do for his arms until Sakura woke up, and she'd told him as much; many many times. It was beginning to get old, but she couldn't blame him for his irritation. Although she wasn't quite sure she understood why exactly he decided to willingly inflict so much damage on himself just to ask for help. She may be hard to find ( and more or less unpleasant towards trouble makers), but if someone came along who truly needed help then who was she to deny them? "Maybe a little more surprised that you'd go to such lengths for help.."

He closed his eyes and allowed a self deprecating smile, for some reason he'd gotten into his head that powerful people weren't typically inclined to help unless they had some self serving reason. That had been a mistake. Although not a big one in the end, he'd helped her student who could make a huge difference in the situation.

"Are you positive there's nothing you can do about-" The old lady snapped her fingers aggressively across the room, effectively cutting him off. Grabbing the hot tea off the stove she walked towards him, hands twitching as she fought the urge to the throw the hot tea in his face.

"If I have to tell you again, I will cut your arms and your tongue off. I may be a sacred herbalist but that's it. The only chakras I posses are natural ones, and they can only be used on the herbs. When it comes to healing from me at least, it's going to be the slow kind. But at least with the herbs it will be painless."

Kisame looked up pitifully at the old woman, who was offering a piping hot cup of tea. He just stared at her as if it were some kind of joke. He held up his burnt arms in frustration.

"Oops. Didn't think that one through very well did I?" She said with a light chuckle, taking back the tea.

He proceeded to look out the window above the sleeping girl. At some point during their drawn out conversation the sun had risen, and its soft rays touched the girls face. There was a chance he was running out of time, and at the moment he was relying on this girl to fully heal his arms. This sleeping girl.

"Do I have your word that you'll take care of him if I bring him?" Kisame asked seriously.

The old woman sipped her tea thoughtfully, savoring the bitter taste.

"You have my word. I don't know how I could possibly turn you down when.. well that's not important."

They sat in silence a moment longer, then Yukiyo stood and walked over to the sleeping girl.

"Sakura it's time to wake up."

The girls eyes snapped open, and immediately shut tight.

"Head shot." She grumbled sitting up slowly, holding a hand to her blinded eyes. Somehow her hair seemed longer than it was before, he only noticed because it was covering her chest down to her navel (which was still bare). Yesterday he definitely remembered a full frontal view. He watched her slightly blushing shoulders rise and fall slowly with each breath, the suns rays were peeking through the holes in her hunched over form. She looked... well stunning to be honest.

"Sakura." Yukiyo prodded firmly from across the room, now pilfering through jars on neatly organized shelves.

"I'm blind Yukiyo." She grumbled back.

"Sakura-"

"BLIND." She protested, looking up sharply through squinted eyes. Which almost immediately landed on Kisame, who'd begun looking at her oddly.

"Who..?" She started, trailing off quickly as she realized she wasn't clothed. "Dammit Yukiyo where are my clothes?!" She grabbed the thin white blanket that had been tossed over her earlier in the night and covered her chest with it, very aware that the sun illuminated her silhouette in a way that almost completely nullified her efforts.

Ignoring her, Yukiyo continued going through the jars, whispering nonsense as she went.

"Sakura, I need you to promise me something."

Perplexed she turned her head enough to look at the old woman. "What?"

"Sakura, you have the option of accepting this... mission if you will, or return to Konoha."

"Mission?" Sakura asked, perking right up and turning fully to stare at the old womans back. "Of course I accept."

Yukiyo turned, arms full of jars and looked Sakura in the eye.

"Child. What I'm about to ask you to do, I dont have the right to ask. What goes on on this mountain will remain between everyone in this room and only one other, and it won't be your shishou." She set the jars down on the little table and began arranging them neatly. "I need to make sure that this is intrinsically clear."

Sakuras eyes widened as she took in the seriousness of the situation. Looking from Yukiyo to the unnamed blue man she set her jaw and nodded once.

"I understand."