"This part of the forest just has to have the roughest terrain," he thought as he launched off another branch. He tried to be careful, but they didn't have the luxury of taking things slow. Neji winced with every movement. On two of the rougher landings, he'd hack up more blood. Gai clenched his jaw. If he strained his ears, he swore he could hear the tiniest of wimpers.

This was unprecedented.

The boy even showed up for training that time his curse seal was activated. It'd only been a day since the event and yet the boy refused to show any discomfort except for some obvious sensitivity to sound and light. Gai had seen him angry, frustrated, annoyed, dazed, confused, even happy, but never scared and rarely vulnerable. The childlike genin in his arms was a far cry from the stoic boy who almost killed his cousin out of spite.

"Kakashi!" Gai yelled, catching the fellow jonin just below him.

The Copy Cat Ninja looked up to see his rival descending to his level, "Gai, is that..." he couldn't bring himself to complete the question.

"Yeah," Gai was clearly distraught, "He needs medical attention immediately. Please tell me you've requested the medical corps."

He set Neji down to rest against the tree's trunk. The kid was much lighter than he expected, but holding him bridal style for 45 minutes while sprinting through the forest was still exhausting. Gai prided himself on his strength but even he needed a break at times. And surely Neji needed one as well.

"Tsunade-sama said she would send them out shortly after I left. Where's Pakkun?"

"I told him to go on with the mission, but I'd send you his way…Do you have any extra bandages with you? Neji bled through everything I had."

Gai bent back down to examine his student. Pulling the vest off revealed the bloody mess underneath. Neji shivered as he stared off into the distance, panting with every shaky breath, and completely oblivious to the conversation happening right next to him.

"I have about three rolls, but I need at least one in case one of the others is in a similar condition," Kakashi said, eyeing the genin. He reached into his pack and handed the roll of cotton to Gai.

"Thank you, the injury to his chest just keeps bleeding."

Neji suddenly gagged. His whole body jerked and Gai pulled his hair back just in time for him to dispel the contents of his stomach. Bloody bile puddled next to them.

Kakashi winced and knelt down next to the two, wiping the kid's mouth with one hand and placing the other comfortingly on Neji's head, "Hey kiddo, Your sensei is going to get you back, don't you worry. And before you know it, you'll be so high on painkillers, you'll feel like you're floating. Trust me, being doped up on morphine is the best," he joked.

Neji leaned into the touch.

Gai couldn't help the small smile. Kakashi had a soft spot for the boy. Probably because he reminded him of Sasuke. And like them both, Kakashi was too talented for his own good. He imagined this was almost as hard on his best friend as it was for him.

Kakashi frowned, "Gai, he feels warm."

Knots clenched in his stomach.

"His hands are cold as ice," he murmured, tying off the rest of the bandages. He unscrewed the canteen and lifted it to the boy's lips, "Neji, I want you to take a drink, okay?"

Kakashi's hand lingered on Neji's forehead then moved to the hand closest to him to assess the difference. He looked up at Gai worriedly, "I think I have an emergency thermal blanket. Let me check."

Gai felt hope for the first time since finding Neji, "Y-yes. Please, he's been trembling since I found him."

Kakashi sifted through his pack, glancing back at the genin, "Poison?"

"Don't think so. There's no discoloration around the injuries. No, Neji, it's water. I need you to swallow it."

"Maybe it's discreet?" Kakashi asked, dropping the blanket to wipe the dribble from Neji's lips.

"The battlefield was obliterated and his injuries are…gruesome. The guy he fought strikes me as more of the violent type than silent and deadly."

"He might just be in shock. Serious trauma, severe blood loss, dehydrated, unfocused and distant; he ticks all the boxes."

Neji was valiantly fighting sleep, but he seemed to be losing. If he was in shock, it was beginning to wear off.

"Or infection…or both," Kakashi suggested, handing one end of the blanket over to his friend.

Gai didn't respond, choosing to turn his full attention to tucking the blanket around Neji's shoulders. He was hoping it was just shock, or even an infection. The only other option he could think of was his curse mark entering its final stage. When he first heard that a Hyuga – a branch family Hyuga – was joining his team, Gai immediately began researching their class system.

When he learned that his student was the nephew of the Hyuga's clan leader, he naively assumed that as his next-of-kin, Hiashi would be kind and supportive. But when Gai asked for the tell-tale signs of the curse mark's different stages, he scoffed and shut the door in his face. He spent six months all but begging Hiashi to let him know what to look for if Neji's life was ending, but the most he ever got was, "When it happens, you will know."

"S-s-sensei?"

Gai broked from his stupor and looked up at Neji, but his student was faced vaguely in Kakashi's direction.

Kakashi shot a concerned look to Gai, "Yes, Neji. It's Kakashi-sensei. Can you drink some water for me?" he said gently, lifting the bottle to his lips.

"W-where's-s-s-sen-s-sei?" He asked, pulling away from it.

Kakashi stared back at Gai. A very bad sign.

"I'm right here, Neji," Gai said softly, gently pulling his chin to face him. The genin's eyes softened, relief flushing over him. "Are you okay?"

"Mmm tired…"

"I know. We're almost home. You can sleep really soon, but it's very important you stay awake. Please, drink some water, it'll help," Gai said with anxiety gripping his heart. He took the canteen back from Kakashi and placed it to Neji's lips. "Thank you," he said, sighing with relief when the boy finally took a sip.

With the side quest complete, he stood back up to resume their journey.

Kakashi placed another hand against Neji's cheek, "Make sure you mention this fever when you get him back. I swear I can feel him getting warmer."

He was right, the kid was beginning to look flushed, "I think his breathing is getting worse too."

"Yeah, they're definitely crackling," Kakashi rubbed his eyes with worry after taking a moment to assess Neji's lungs.

Dread overtook him.

"I better get moving then. I'll drop Neji off, and make my way back to you and Pakkun," Gai said, hating the plan.

"No, Gai. Come on, don't be ridiculous. Stay with him."

"I can't just abandon–"

"You're not. You took an oath to protect your students. He's your primary mission," Kakashi said, nodding to the boy. "If not for yourself, then stay for him. He's fourteen. He's scared. He needs someone with him."

"Thirteen, actually," he murmured. He looked back at the vulnerable boy.

"Thirteen. Thirteen and already staring death in the face." He swallowed his anxiety and turned back to Kakashi.

He gave the other man a slight smile of gratitude, "Thank you Kakashi. It means more than you know. Good luck."

"You too" Kakashi meant it more for Neji, than for Gai.

Not wasting any time, he gently picked up his student and flew off towards Konoha.