"Here, everyone, put these on." Tsunade handed everyone necklaces.
"What are they?" Mr. Han inquired.
"They're radios. You put them around your neck like so," Tsunade demonstrated. "At you tap the button in order to reply back here. Since we're slipping into groups, it would be the safest option to have a way to have quick contact with anybody just in case we have another situation with Kumi or any of the other four children. I'll see you in a little bit. Good luck to you both."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade-sama." Han and I said in unison before we both departed.
She turned her attention back on the remaining crew. "I won't be far so if anything happens, notify me." Tsunade declared before walking out of the tent.
Neji and Shizune looked at the child that lay before them than each other. "This may be a bit more difficult than we thought."
"But not impossible," Nji assured her.
Shizune took out the cotton balls and the alcohol as Neji prepared Kumi's legs. Gently but efficiently, Shizune cleaned each one on her left leg while Neji did her tight. It was silent between them before Neji broke the silence. "What are you truly thinking, Shizune-san?"
She sighed, eyes still not breaking away from the child's wounds. "I don't know if we can act fast enough to save Kumi. She's already had a seizure, unlike the other kids. And just look at her chart... Did you see it?"
"I did not. What did it say?"
Shizune hesitated before speaking again. "She...has pre-existing issues. Her immune system is low and she has a kidney problem..."
"Pre-existing... so she's had seizures before?" He asked.
"No no, as I said, she's the first also meaning this is her seizure. She's never had it stated in her medical papers...which is what worries me. What if the children develop aftereffects? What if they can't walk the same, breathe, eat, sleep the same as before? I-I'm not saying I am giving up but..."
"I understand. That is why we have to act fast and be precise." Both were finished cleaning each wound on Kumi's leg at this point. As Shizune put the supplies on a cart, Neji used his byakugan on the child's torso. "Don't worry Shizune, we'll help them as best as we can."
"I hope so... What do you see?"
Neji took a closer look at the child before answering. "A lot of inflation, specifically in the chest area. I see she had a fractured rib that has healed though not properly. Everything e else is...okay."
"Let me heal the rib properly, then we can head over to the other four tents." Shizunestood over the child and began to channel her chakra over the girl's rib. "You said it was a lot of inflation in this area?" She asked gesturing to the chest.
"Yes."
"Figures..." It's where the rash appears the most..."
"Okay...how can I help this child feel temporary relief. Give me something..." Tsunade mumbled under her breath. She was currently looking through her own medical books and some scrolls she always kept with her. "Something...herbal, maybe?"
As she flipped the pages, Tsunade started thinking to herself, how could something so deadly only be affecting the children to the point of death while the adults recovered just fine. Though both went through a painful process, no adult has been reported as having any after-effects or death. But the children...
"...Shit." Tsunade reluctantly put aside her medical book and rubbed her face in frustration. She took a deep breath before closing her eyes to think. After a couple of minutes of silence, the Hokage gasped as she just had an idea. She grabbed one of her scrolls that had a description of medicine jitsus to treat burning sensations caused by poisons. "Maybe..just maybe.."
What's his name?" Neji asked Shizune as they both cleaned off wounds from the child's limbs.
"His name is Aki. I believe he is the oldest out of the five," she answered.
"Who's the youngest?"
"Kumi. then there's Aiko on the left, Minari, and towards the right, that's Kuma. They're all really young but the oldest, I believe, is thirteen while the youngest, Kuni, is seven."
"I...have a thought."
"Which is?"
"The adults do not have any problems recuperating after having g this disease, right?"
"Right. What are you getting at, Neji-san?"
"You don't think maybe the children's ages have anything to do with it?"
"I...didn't think of that..."
"Think about it, Shizune. A lot of these diseases, that we know of, are fatal to children but not adults because of their underdeveloped immune systems. The only time an adult would die of a disease that is mostly found in children is if they have a low immune system from pre-existing conditions or from old age. These kids are still really young. What if they are dying because of their underdeveloped immune system. And given the environment, they grew up in..."
"You..you might be on to something. We should relay this theory back to Lady Tsunade-sama. Maybe it could help." As Shizune was about to press the radio, both parties heard a shout.
"Help, Somebody, help!"
"That sounds like..." Shizune trailed off.
"Kumi's tent."
"Just like that, huh? Hopefully, this works..."
"Hokage -sama, Sakura, Han, come quick! It's Kumi! She's... Her stats are dropping rapidly!"
"Shit!" As Tsunade ran out of her tent, she pushed the button. "I'm on my way!"
"We'll be there as soon as we can!" Han declared.
"Not again... You have to live this one through Kumi. You have to!"
Tsunade finally arrived at the tent. The sight of Kumi took her breath away. The girl was howling in pain and her stats were dropping every second!
"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune snapped her former teacher out of her trance.
"Right! I think I may have found something that could work. The burning could be the cause so..."
Tsunade then performed a number of hand signs before a red glow appeared in the palms of her hands. All parties could hear the girl mewling and whining in pain. Her pained expression along with her whines made for a disturbing sight. Though it didn't last long as it would seem the Jitsu was working. The reddish pigmentation was leaving her body. Though the rash was still there, it didn't look as bad. Soon enough, the girl calms down her stats, though not the best, is stable.
"She's just barely making it...but she's stable for now. I think the Jitsu calmed her down a bit." Tsunade said a little out of breath.
"What...what did you use?" Neji asked.
"A jitsu to treat burning sensations within the body caused by poisons and such. It was a longshot but..it seemed it worked."
"...Mmm...M-mommy..."
"Ku...mi?" Shizune looked at the girl wide-eyed. She was awake and speaking!
"You're not...mom...my." Kumi barely spoke. She looked at Shizune with her eyes half-open.
"N-No baby but she's okay. I'm here to help you. Can you help me?"
"...Y..ok..ay."
"Could you tell me what made you so sick? What's the last thing you remember, Kumi."
"Shizune, that may be too much-" Neji said but was shushed by Tsunade.
"...The w..."
"The what?"
"Wa...ter..."
"The water..? What do you-" Just as Shizune was about to ask another question, the group heard the girl's stats start to fall again. Kumi's eyes completely shut and her chest no longer moved up and down.
"K-Kumi?!" Shizune shouted.
Neji moved swiftly and did heart palpitations on the girl. But no matter what he did, she wasn't improving. "C-Come on Kumi, don't do this!"
"Kumi..." was the only thing that came out of Shizune's mouth as she watched on. "Kumi...