"See you in an hour, Honey!" Sango called as she stepped out of the front door.

"Goodbye, Sango!" Lee called. "Be careful."

"I will!" She closed the door behind her, walking down the path to Konoha. Now that missions were off-limits for her, these afternoon walks were an absolute necessity to her. At only five weeks, she still wasn't showing, but Tsunade had forbidden her from going on any missions for her baby's safety and for hers.

Not to get the wrong impression - Sango still found plenty of ways to exercise. She knew she only had about two months until it would be harder and harder every day, so she kept up by running three miles every morning, lifting hundred-pound bar bells, and doing one hundred one-finger pushups. Tsunade had told her it was okay to do so until three months along because she was used to doing much more every day.

"It's beautiful today!" said Sango. "Perfect weather for late September. The rivers are getting colder, though. She paused as she neared the forest edge. The air had a metallic, copper-like scent in it, just barely noticeable to anyone but an expert shinobi. But the river was carrying the smell toward her. From her experience in battle, it was unmistakable; the smell of blood. She immediately began dashing along the bank, headed upstream. Something she couldn't place told her that she was urgently needed.

She soon found out that her instincts had been correct. The river was now carrying streaks of bright red. Something was definitely wrong. She paused, thinking back to an enemy-detecting technique Neji had taught her. Focusing her chakra to her fingertips, she placed her palms flat against the ground, running her chakra through the earth in a web-like form. Any enemy chakra near her would repel her chakra and disrupt the pattern, giving away their location. This technique was simple, effective, and low on chakra use, making it easy even for Sango.

The effort soon paid off. She detected someone about five hundred yards away. But surprisingly, their chakra barely repelled hers, as if they were so exhausted that it was too hard to do. Even in their sleep, a ninja could detect simple chakra threads. She suddenly grew cautious and released her chakra, going stealthily toward the person.

She almost passed her target without seeing him. But she followed the red water to its source and was soon rewarded. A young man was lying in a small pool of water on the riverbank. He was drenched in blood, and his raven-colored hair was matted with it. His white shirt was torn and splotched with red, and his right ankle was torn to the bone and turned at an unnatural angle.

As every Jonin in Konoha had done, Sango had taken instruction in basic medical jutsu and first aid. She was nowhere near the level of Jakku or Tsunade, but she was the best this young man had. Her training was simply for transporting and keeping victims alive if she could until the medics arrived. But here there was a problem. She was alone, and without help he would surely die.

Sango quickly crouched next to the man's head, making sure he was still breathing. He was, but only in short, ragged gasps. She slowly placed her hands on his slashed shoulder, adding her chakra to it as a temporary gauze to stop the bleeding. It was the only wound she could completely stop. His foot and abdomen were too deeply cut and too entwined with vital arteries.

First aid completed, she slowly lifted his limp body into her arms. He coughed weakly, blood and water streaming from his lips. Sango caught a good look at his face for the first time and nearly dropped him in shock.

"Sasuke!" she gasped. "Sasuke Uchiha!" Even through the blood on his hair and face, his features were unmistakable. Instinctively, Sango's hand twitched in the direction of her sword. She paused uncertainly.

"I... he..." She wanted to kill him, to extinguish the fire that had caused them all so much pain. But something held her back, made her pity his pain and want to help. She fumed angrily over her conflicting instincts. Finally she ignored her blade. "Stupid maternal instincts!" she groaned. "Why now?"

Knowing Sasuke was living on borrowed time, Sango leapt away lightly, traveling as fast as she could without jolting him too much. He groaned softly as she landed hard from a long jump. The village was just ahead.

"Where is he, where is he?!" she thought frantically, running even faster. "Ah! Jakku!" Sango called, skidding to a stop as she almost ran into him. "There you are!"

"Sango," he said with some surprise. "What are you doing? You shouldn't run so hard when -"

"Never mind that!" Sango said testily. "I need your help! Come with me!" Jakku looked confused, but obeyed.

Soon they arrived at Sango's house. She threw open the front door and dashed inside, nearly knocking Lee down the stairs as she passed him. Going into a guest room, Sango gently laid Sasuke on the bed. He groaned in pain, still unconscious. Lee entered quietly behind them.

"Who is -" Jakku stopped in shock. "S... Sasuke..." he whispered, barely audible. He seemed to become almost emotionless as he focused his chakra and began examining Sasuke. The room was deathly quiet except for Sasuke's labored breathing and gasps of pain. After what seemed like an eternity, Jakku released his chakra and sighed.

"Sheesh," he said quietly. "I don't know what happened, but he's really torn up. It's a miracle he's even alive. Where was he when -"

"Did he attack you?" Lee asked worriedly. "Did you fight?" He placed one arm around her shoulders and the other around her stomach, looking anxious. "If he hurt you or our child, I will -"

"Lee, it's okay, I promise. Don't worry. Nothing happened. I found him like this."

"And good for him you did," said Jakku. "Where do I start on injuries? The torn shoulder, broken collarbone, a cut in his left lung from the abdominal gash... That gash is so deep! It nearly severed his spinal cord. Not to mention the fact that his two floating ribs are cracked and his ankle bones and tendons are broken and twisted." Sasuke coughed weakly, more blood running from his lips. "And the blood loss and lung bleeding, too..."

"What can be done to help him?" asked Lee.

"I can fix these wounds," Jakku said, "but that still doesn't guarantee he'll make it. And I'll need both of your help."

"Whatever it takes," said Sango. Jakku nodded.

"Sango, you hold his arms still. Lee, hold his legs. I'm going to reset his ankle. His reflexes will make him try to kick me, so hold his leg tightly."

"Reset his ankle?" said Sango. "Isn't there a way to heal it as is?"

"Sure," said Jakku, "if he wants his foot almost backwards for the rest of his life." He readied his chakra. "Ready, you two?" They nodded, taking a firm grip on Sasuke's arms and legs. Jakku grabbed Sasuke's ankle tightly. Sasuke gasped, wincing a bit.

"On three," said Jakku. "One... two... three!" Jakku tugged up and sideways hard. With sickening snaps like a thousand breaking twigs, the bones shifted back into place.

"AAAAAAGH!" Sasuke screamed in agony, his eyes snapping open. "Unh! Who..." He coughed again, losing still more blood. His eyes darted around in confusion.

"Shh," Sango said gently as she pushed him back onto the pillow. "It's alright. We're here to help." Jakku seemed to remember something. Before anyone could ask what he was doing, he had placed two fingers on Sasuke's temple and released a small amount of chakra. Sasuke immediately blacked out and stayed silent.

"Chakra-induced sleep," Jakku explained. "He shouldn't wake up for about twenty-four hours. So now," he said, rolling up his sleeves, "let's get started!"