Just then, the sound of a high pitched, familiar whistle rang through the tent from outside followed by a young ninja's cry for immediate assistance.

Kami lifted her head immediately at the sound of that call. "Akane!" She removed her gloves and began to pack up her supplies. Thankfully she had managed to see through a great deal of the worst patients.

Outside, Akane was helping a nurse stand on her feet. "But the cold feels so nice..." Aileen mumbled deliriously as she got to her feet shakily.

"I'll get you plenty of snow when we get into the break tent." Akane lied, guiding her with slow steps. Aileen needed to sweat out whatever it was she had come down with. What alarmed Akane the most was how quickly her sickness escalated.

At the door of her tent Kami looked on as Akane assisted the nurse. She frowned, not understanding the need for Akane to sound her assist whistle.

Hopefully it wouldn't take long for Kami to notice the spill of vomit as the two walked over it. Not to mention how the girl was having trouble staying on her feet.

"You promise?" Aileen asked weakly as they stumbled towards the tent. She could barely move on her own now and she felt the subtle need to vomit again start to grow.

"Something amiss?" Aritan asked Kami curiously, approaching her side and looking out. He saw the stumbling nurse and his heart rate doubled. "Aileen?!?" He shouted and ran out of the tent after them.

Akane flinched a little from the scream. "Jeez!" She planted her feet, not wanting to topple over with Aileen putting most of her weight on her. Turning her head, Akane spotted Kami and a young man heading over. "A little help here!"

Kami went to Akane's aid and asked. "What's happened? What's wrong with her?"

"She has a fever." Akane explained, "It came so sudden. She is woozy, can't stand properly and just puked. It's the flu or something." She wasn't positive, but it sure seemed like it.

"Aileen...why didn't you tell me? You had to have seen the signs..." Aritan asked her as they moved her to the break tent.

Aileen reached up and touched his face weakly. "Di..didn't want you to worry, Ari."

"Let me take her." Kami said offering to carry the nurse. "We'll get her inside. I may have some herbs to combat her symptoms..."

"Thanks." Akane told Kami, letting her take the nurse under her arm more. Kami was physically stronger than she was afterall. "There isn't much I can do against an illness." Medical ninjas surely learned about such things but at a more advanced level.

Kami hoisted the woman into her arms. "Where am I taking her?" She didn't want to risk infecting any of the other patients.

"That big tent in front of you is the break tent, I was heading there." Akane explained. She really didn't know where else was available or where the nurse lived.

"Is it safe to take her where healthy people might be?" Kami asked. "We don't want her to infect anyone..."

"She probably isn't even contagious anymore." Akane said. She shrugged her shoulders, not knowing anywhere else in this little center.

"You said her symptoms were like the flu?" Aritan asked Akane worriedly, "If it's the flu we should not take her to the break tent...I..I understand that we shouldn't risk her infecting the already weakened patients, but we mustn't let her infect the healthy either." He thought for a moment, looking around. "We can take her back to the minor injury tent. The patients there are less likely to become afflicted should she prove to still be contagious."

Aileen couldn't help but smile at Aritan as he took control of the situation like that.

"Where is it?" Kami asked, not particularly wanting to carry the woman much longer. She might have herbs that could help the woman, but Kami couldn't help herself if she became ill.

Akane wiped the vomit off of her boots as they walked, smudging it in the snow.

Aritan turned and pointed to the tent off to the side of the one that he and Kami had come by. "I can carry her if you'd prefer. She is my sister after all..."

"I have her." Kami told him as she started walking. "Akane, should we fetch Ishiaki Sensei? Would he have the skill to heal her if she had the sickness that killed the doctors?" Who was she kidding. Of course her sensei would have the means to heal this girl. Their sensei was one of the eight legendary swordsmen.

"Kill her?! Don't be dramatic. It just looks like the flu of some kind." Akane said, not knowing much detail about the illness that spread through the medical department of this village.

"And some strange flue is what killed all the doctors and nurses..." Kami told her. Had she really not read the folder they'd been given, after being briefed about the situation?

Aritan lead the way swiftly, the sooner they got Aileen somewhere safe, the sooner they could work on her. How could she have gotten herself sick??? She was always so careful!

Akane didn't bother wasting her time asking questions. Instead, she ran down the aisle between the tents. Luckily, he had finished speaking with Oita and was out in the open. "Ishiaki sensei!" she waved just before he moved to duck into a tent.

Ishiaki paused and turned in the doorway of the tent. "Akane? What's wrong?" He asked as he moved to face her. He could hear the trouble in her voice.

Akane ran up to him. "Something has happened to my nurse. She has a fever and is vomiting... she can barely walk. Kami and I think she has come down with the same disease that has infected the rest of the medical team. Is there anything you could do for her?"

"Shit." Ishiaki replied and shoved the flap of the tent closed. "Take me to her. I won't know for sure if I can do anything until I see the damage. We can only hope the flu hasn't gotten far enough yet."

"Kami has her. This way-" Akane began and took off into a sprint between the tents. She led Ishiaki to Kami and Aileen... and her brother apparently.

Aritan helped to get Aileen settled on one of the beds, away from the other patients. He still couldn't believe she had caught the flu. His beloved sister....the one who taught him all he knew of the medical arts had gotten herself sick with the illness that ravished their doctors.

"Kami, report." Ishiaki said as he entered the tent, moving through the crowd towards the nurse cautiously. He hoped she wasn't infectious, or they'd all be in trouble now...

"She has a fever and is complaining about being cold." Kami said. "She's sweating. Her body is trying to purge the infection. I'm preparing to make a broth that should help to ease her symptoms but I don't know how much good it will do." She handed Ishiaki a mask and a small stub of what looked like green chalk. She handed Akane one too. "Rub it on your hands and nails. It should help diminish your chances of getting sick also." Kami was wearing gloves but the greenish smear could be seen on her arms where she had used it too.

Ishiaki was not liking the way that sounded. He scrubbed his hands and arms, then fixed the mask in place. "I make no promises. Injuries are one thing, sickness...sickness can be difficult to treat."

Akane felt horrible. Maybe if she had been paying attention, she would have seen the signs sooner and Aileen would have a better chance. Everything just fell apart too quickly and took Akane completely off guard. She stood there with a mask over her mouth, standing a few feet away from the scene, her eye fixated on Aileen as she struggled to stay awake.

Kami handed out gloves and went back to brewing her broth on a small portable stove like contraption that she had had in her herb pouch. "You can do it Ishiaki Sensei." she said confidently. Perhaps she had a little too much confidence in her sensei.

"Akane, I could use a hand here." Ishiaki told her as he scanned the nurse's body. The infection had settled into the base of her lungs and spread outward from there. It did not look good. "Aritan, hold her hand and keep her head cool if you can. Alright? We want to keep her assured."

Aritan nodded, pleased to be of any service to help save her. He took her hand gingerly and clutched it to his chest as he held a damp cool cloth to her forehead.

Akane stepped forward immediately, but she had doubt to just how much she could help. Diseases were a new realm altogether and she hadn't even gotten that far in her lessons. She looked down sadly at the poor nurse. She had been nothing but kind and helpful while Akane healed. Keeping quiet, Akane waited instruction.

Kami brewed the broth, waiting for it to come to a boil as the others prepared to get to work.

"Ok, so tell me what you know." Ishiaki ordered Akane as he ran his hands along her body, searching Aileen's body for further infection. "Everything since you hooked up with her."

"Well...uhm... there wasn't anything out of the ordinary, really." Akane said quickly, thinking that time was certainly of the essence. "The first tent of healing was fine. She stayed near me and got anything that I needed. We chatted a little..." she paused, really unable to think of anything that would be of use. "After that we went to the break tent for a while and had some coffee. Not three patients into the next tent, she started to break out into a sweat, asking if I thought it was hot. When I felt she had a fever, I forced her out but she didn't want to stop working. That's... it really...." Akane recalled how Aileen had told her about some secret item of magical power, but surely that was unrelated.

"What did you talk about?" Ishiaki asked her. The infection had spread everywhere. There was just no way for it to have spread so quickly, she had to have had it for a while now. How did she keep it hidden all this time?

"Nothing much really... just about herself, about me... this village." Akane glanced over at Aileen and her brother. Maybe she should mention it after all? Secret or not, she needed to be honest with her master. "And- she told me about some legend of this place. Apparently there is something called, I think she said it's 'The Heart of Ice?'" Akane kept her voice in a low whisper, "Real or not, Aileen thinks that's why those rogues attacked the village. Maybe to find and sell it?"

Ishiaki stopped scanning and looked at her. "The Heart of Ice? You're sure that's what she called it?" He asked her, there was worry in his tone now

His tone caught her of guard and she took a moment of hesitation before saying, "Yea...I think so... what's wrong?" Akane asked.

Ishiaki sighed and looked up at Aritan. "You need to tell us where it is."

Aritan's face pale and he swallowed, "I..I don't know what you're talking about." He lied horribly.

Ishiaki growled in the back of his throat and had to resist the urge to leap across the sick nurse and strangle the man. "ENOUGH! The Heart is real and it's what they're after! Now, either you tell us where it is, or you watch Aileen die on this table damnit."

Akane let out a reflexive gasp. She hadn't heard Ishiaki so loud and deathly serious before. To be honest, it was a little frightening. She waited in silence, looking at Aileen's brother. If 'The Heart of Ice' was indeed real...how was it killing Aileen?

Kami jumped when her sensei shouted. She jumped so badly that she nearly spilled the broth she had prepared for the nurse. She'd never heard him shout at any one like that. Maybe once shortly after her arrival when she and Akane had been bickering, but there was a healthy portion of pure anger behind that shout at Aritan.

Aritan stammered, "It....it's forbidden to discuss with outsiders, Master Hirameki." He tried to defend himself

"I don't care. Your people called us here to help. The insurgents are searching for the Heart and you all know where it is. I know it's been moved. They're searching for it in the city, but it's here. Now if you tell me where it is, I can save her." Ishiaki explained, trying very hard not to lose his cool again. This entire situation has been wearing him thin. "The infection has gone too far. I cannot stop it alone."

Akane held her tongue and questions. She gave a brief glance over to Kami, wondering if she knew anything more about the heart of ice. It must be real. Ishiaki believed it was and that was enough for her to believe it too.

Kami looked as dumbfounded as Akane concerning this heart thing. Kami shrugged when Akane looked at her. "Help me a moment?" She asked Akane and moved to the head of the bed where she needed assistance feeding the nurse the broth.

Aritan looked down at his sister nervously and then up at the angry ninja across the table from him. "Alright..." He said quietly, stroking his sister's hair weakly. "I don't know where exactly it is. They made sure not just anyone would know." His hand twitched and he looked at Ishiaki. "Senshi, the guard captain, he's the chosen protector. He knows."

"Senshi??" Ishiaki asked him in disbelief. He looked at his two students. "Kami, Akane and I can handle things here. I need you to go to Oita at the guard tower. The Captain of the the Guard is there with him. Find the Heart, force him to give it to you if you must. But I can't save Aileen without it."

Akane approached Kami and took the pot of broth from her so that she could leave. "I can do this part. How much should she drink?"

"All of it." Kami told Akane. "If she is unable or refuses here." And she handed Akane a sort of funnel with a long rubber end. "Just be sure not to force it into her wind pipe instead." Kami was sure Akane knew the difference. To Ishiaki's order she said, "Right away Sensei." And discarded her gloves and mask as she left the tent.

Akane walked over to Aileen and sat on a stood next to the bed. "Aileen? You need to drink all of this, ok? It'll make you feel better." In truth, Akane really had no idea...or if the girl was conscious enough to respond.

Aileen groaned and opened her mouth weakly, her eyes were practically glazed over. Aritan looked down at her worriedly and then he looked at Ishiaki. "Is there nothing you can do in the mean time?"

Ishiaki shook his head. "I can try to alleviate the pain, but that's about it, Aritan..."

Akane took spoon fulls and fed her like an infant. "I'm so sorry about this Aileen..." She couldn't help but feel responsible for all this. She shouldn't have pushed Aileen to tell her the secret of the village. "You're going to be fine, just keep eating for me, ok?" she offered a weak smile to the girl.

Ishiaki focused and his hands glowed as he set to work alleviating the pain and pushing the infection back. He knew he wouldn't be able to do it entirely for her, he wasn't a good enough medic for that. Not only that, but he was already drained from all the other healings of the day.

Akane took it slow for Aileen, understanding how weak she must feel. She still couldn't believe how fast this had happened. She was just fine not ten minutes ago and now THIS. She fed another spoonful, taking a moment to glance at Ishiaki's ability, hoping it would be enough.

Ishiaki focused, reached over to the basin of water and lifted a handful of it out of the bowl. He took the water and pressed it to Aileen's chest. He breathed slowly, pushing the water through the woman's skin and into her lungs. He felt her gasp as the lungs filled with the liquid. It wasn't going to last long either way, he continued to push until the water flowed out from the side, within the ball of water was a sickly thick yellow puss. "Akane, can you get me a bucket to put this in?"

Akane made a disgusting face as the ball of yellow puss. She hadn't ever done THAT before. Clearly she hadn't gotten that far in her lessons. "Right right." she said and set the broth down for a moment. "Make sure she keeps drinking until that bowl is gone." she ordered Aileen's brother and looked around the nurse's station for something, anything. "Ah- got it!" she chimed and brought over a trash bin.

Ishiaki nodded to her and released his hold on the water, letting it drop into the bin. "Thank you. Are you watching carefully? Learning experience and all that..." He told her with a shrug as he grabbed another handful of water from the basin, and this time moved the water through her chest in the opposite direction. Again he brought out a horrible amount of puss, and this time had to refrain from gagging as well. The stuff was bloody as well as the sickly yellow and the smell wasn't shielded at all by the water's bubble.

Akane had to place a hand over her nose and mouth, her face practically as green as her hair from disgust. She could handle blood, broken bones and open wounds...but this was just putrid. "How further advanced is that technique from where I am right now?"

"Generally, this is used for removing poison from the blood. I'm rather surprised it's working for this really." Ishiaki replied with a helpless smirk. "Her lungs are full of this puss-like fluid and I can think of no better way to remove it than this."

Aritan didn't have as strong a stomach as the two ninjas, as soon as Ishiaki pulled the first blob out of his sister's chest, the contents of his stomach became the fresh coating of the floor. He wiped his mouth and gave Aileen some of the broth.

Akane put the trashbin away from the scene so the smell was diluted. "Ishiaki..." she said in a hushed voice as she came up behind him. Her eye was on the pile of vomit Aritan had just thrown up, "Will he... get sick too?"

Ishiaki bristled at the scent of the fresh vomit and he looked towards her. He kept his voice down, not wanting to alarm anyone. "If we could discover how it was transferred from victim to victim, we'd know for sure. But that there on the floor? That would be from watching us work."

"Yes... but you became alarmed when I explained that she mentioned the Heart. That is...connected with her getting sick so suddenly?" Akane asked.

"I don't think so. Even if the sickness is caused by talking about it to strangers, which would be very strange in and of itself, how would you explain all the others who got sick before we got here?" Ishiaki offered in response as he grabbed another handful of water. He glanced at the bowl and then back at Akane, "I'll be needing more water soon, if you don't mind being my nurse."

Akane nodded, "No problem." and took the bowl to the nurse's station, filling it up under the sink. Ishiaki had a good point about the other doctors. It would be silly to think that it was all caused by people talking about the stone. Still- she couldn't help but wonder about it. Since it was not a myth...where did it come from? What was it's purpose and how did it work? Akane returned with the water and brought the trashbin dragged on the floor with her. She took a glance at the brother, making sure he was still feeding Aileen.

Aritan was still feeding his sister the broth, as instructed. His eyes were red as he watched the two ninja work on her. "Please...save her..." He said quietly, it was more of a prayer than a plea for them.

"Thank you." Ishiaki told her as he set to draining more of the fluid from Aileen's lungs. He was amazed that she could breathe at all, given how much he's pulling from her.

Akane stayed quiet and assisted her sensei where needed. She didn't mind playing nurse because even after their break earlier, the wind ninja was still very chakra drained.

Ishiaki deposited the last handful of puss into the trash bin and then started looking around her body again. There was more infection in there, he wasn't exactly sure if he'd be able to do the same trick as he did with the lungs though.

Akane went to get some clean water for Ishiaki. When she returned, she looked over at her sensei with a tense look on her face. "Well?" she asked faintly. "What will the Heart of Ice do? And... how?"

"In a healer's hands, it multiplies the healing chakra by the power of 10." Ishiaki explained as he set to work trying to remove the infection via the same method of the fluid extraction. "I doubt that's why they're wanting it though...it has another...darker power. According to legend, of course."

"Multiplies the healing chakra by 10?" Akane asked, alarmed and a bit floored. She couldn't even imagine that. Heck- you could bring people back from the dead with that sort of power. "But if the heart is...somewhere hidden by the Guard Captain, then it is safe right? I mean, the rogues are out in the woods and at the village...maybe they have no idea where it is. Besides, the other team probably took them out already." She said that last sentence while looking at Ishiaki, hoping she was correct.

Ishiaki stopped what he was doing and looked at her sharply, intently. "There is always a price for power, Akane. Always."

"Akane!" Kami's voice called from outside the tent. She was carrying El and his bloody shoulder had no only marred Kano's clothes, but her own as well.

Akane was about to reply when she heard Kami's frantic voice send a chill down her spine. With Ishiaki busy with Aileen, she left and immediately stepped out of the tent, eager to defend from possible invaders. Akane already had feathers between her fingers, ready to strike. Then her eye widened with a gasp at what she saw and immediately dropped her weapons. "EL?!" It was hard to see what the damage was through his mangled coat, but there was blood everywhere, dripping into a small pool where Kami stood. "Oh my gods! Get him in the tent!" 

Kami brought El into the tent immediately and away from Isahiaki Sensei and the ill Aileen she laid El down on a cot. "Can you heal him?" Kami asked, more than a little worried.

Akane cracked her knuckles, already feeling herself start to sweat. "I need to see how bad the damage is first. We need to get this coat off..." Again, she gasped. "Oh my gods, his fingers..." They were a dark greyish blue from the tips of his digets to his middle knuckles. "What happened to him?" Though, given the gash in his shoulder, she had a pretty good idea from healing previous patients. Her voice was focused and direct, though a little shaky at the end of her sentences. El was a good friend after all and she had only just seen him no more than three hours ago.

"I don't know." Kami said easing his undamaged arm from the sleeve of his coat. She lifted him gently to remove the other arm, trying to be careful of his wounded shoulder.

"A... Akane?" El's voice said softly... his eyes drooped behind his mask but they opened slowly.

He was awake. That was fantastic. "Hey, that's right El- you're safe now, don't worry." Her voice was calm and gentle, not wanting to appear threatening. It was best to put him at ease right now. "You're in the medical ward....I'll take care of you. You're going to be just fine." Akane said. "But I really need you to stay awake for me, ok?"

"Okay..." El said softly. "Kano said I beat him..." He said softly. He smiled a little. "My first real fight..."

"I'll get some water for his hands..." Kami said softly and moved away to let Akane tend to El and assess his wounds.

"Congratulations." Akane nodded to Kami before she offered down a smile as best she could to El right now. "Looks like you got your first battle scars too." She was peeling away his poncho carefully, but swiftly. Before long, she had the wound exposed, but it was covered in blood and snow. "Is it just your shoulder that got injured? Does anywhere else hurt?"

"My hands..." El said, only managing to lift the left one. "I can't feel my fingers..."

Akane didn't want to lie to El, but she also didn't want him to panic. She had only just recently learned what it was last month. "Frostbite..." she trailed off, hoping he wouldn't ask what that was or what it meant.

"Can you fix it?" El asked softly. "Please... please tell me you can fix it..."

"I..." Akane felt her throat choke up when he spoke to her with such desperation. "I don't know... I've never done something like that before. If the cells are dead, it's too late." For El, the young mariachi to lose his fingers... it would be the end to his career as a ninja. Akane was well aware of this. "I... could try?"

"Please..." El said, about ready to pass out again. "Please fix my hands... or let me die..."

"What?!" Akane asked loudly. That really ticked her off. "Don't you ever fucking say that, El." Had he not been in critical condition, Akane would have slapped him clean across the face. "You are worth more then that and you know it." she said sterny, not giving him a choice in the matter. Fingers were fingers afterall.

El was obviously not thinking clearly... or perhaps he was. It was hard to tell considering that he, Kano and Kami were drenched in his blood. Kano had packed the wound as best he could but it didn't help matters much. El would have argued but his hand dropped to the side and what light was left in his eyes dimmed as his head dropped back against the cot.

Kami arrived with two dishes of mild warm water. "Is he gonna be ok?"

"Yes, but I'm worried about his fingers." Akane admitted, "Could you put them in the water for me while I work on his shoulder?" Even though his entire side was drenched in leaking blood, she could still see his specific gashes through chakra flow. Her hands hovered above the wound and started to glow a sky blue color from her palms. "I've read that frostbite is very complicated, even for a very mastered medical ninja. Unlike with illnesses, I may not even be able to penetrate the effected area. If the cells are completely dead, there is nothing I can do. But-" she paused for a moment, closing her eye to help focus on reattaching El's shoulder muscles together. "But I read in an old medical scroll that by soaking the frostbite in water, chakra can more easily seep in." She didn't say it, but when or if that time came, El was going to be in a lot of pain. He was going to be in a world of hurt once those nerves started waking up. That is...if everything actually worked.

Kami placed El's hands in the water and moved to remove the dressing from his shoulder while Akane worked. "If you can stop the bleeding I can pack it with herbs to fight infection and speed healing while you work on his hands." She pulled the bandage back and a sudden spurt of arterial spray striped across her cheeks and nose. "Oh!" She exclaimed, jumping suddenly but pressing the bandage back down to stop the bleeding.

Akane didn't falter when a squirt of blood flew into the air. It splashed onto her arms and hands, but she kept working. These wounds were just like the many others she had taken care of earlier, except not as fresh. She moved the position of her hands over a different area of wound, starting to heal from the inside out. Beads of sweat started to form on her brow as she proceeded. She could feel the chakra in her body straining, but didn't bother to worry Kami or Ishiaki. Their sensei was just as busy as she was...and it wasn't as though they could switch. The technique he was using on Aileen was far beyond anything she had learned.

Kami waited a few moments and watched Akane sweat before she peeked under the bandage again. The bleeding had stopped and for one strange moment she actually saw a bit of muscle knit back together as Akane worked. "OK, the bleeding has stopped. I can take over for now while you work on his hands."

"Thanks." Akane said, finishing up before she moved around to El's other side. With all this blood, she hadn't seen the small curse mark near his injury. After she walked around, Akane reached under the bed and propped one side, giving El's head and shoulders a slight incline. It was better to work with this way. She found a stool and sat at El's bedside. Taking a slow, deep breath, Akane gathered herself into a hard concentration before easing her own hand into the bowl where his were.

Kami looked in her pouch of tools and bypassed the senue she would have used to sew the wound shut. Akane was likely to do more healing if she had enough strength left after his hands. If she needed a rest then there wouldn't be stitches to remove after. She plucked a few of the more rare herbs she'd brought with her from the INC and used her mortal to crush the leaves till their sap began to run.

Akane would have trouble in this position. Times like this she could really use a nurse, but Kami was busy with her own task for the moment. Akane glanced back and slipped off of her stool, moving quickly to and from the nursing supply station in the tent. She returned with a lap stand used to serve patients food. After she placed it between El's hips, Akane put one of the bowls on the table and brought both of El's hands into it gently. Seeing his fingers up close like this was somewhat terrifying, but she had to keep a straight head about herself. After another breath, the entire bowl started to glow blue, illuminating her face.

When Kami had a sizable amount of the the cloraphil from inside the leaves she discarded them and pulled a purple powder from her bag. She sprinkled in about a teaspoon worth and sat it aside again. Using a small paint brush like tool she stirred the mixture and after the addition of one or two more herbs, began to paint the paste to the inside of El's torn shoulder.

Thanks to the water, Akane was able to seep chakra into El's flesh more easily. His red, swollen knuckles slowly turned back to their normal color. At this time, she worked from the palms out, but hit a road block after she passed El's second knuckles on his fingers, right where the color of his skin went dangerously dark. Akane took a long, slow breath, building up what chakra she had in her to give to him. Hopefully she would be able to move the chakra to the black fingers...but it was proving impossible right now. She feared it too late.

"How's it going?" Kami asked, obviously worried about their friend. She'd finished applying the paste and now used clean white bandages to cover the wound.

"Peachy." Akane said gruffly, taking his hands in hers, thinking the close contact would help the situation. It didn't. "What the hell was this idiot doing? Where were his gloves?" If El was awake, she would surely be scolding him about this. "So stupid..."

"His weapon requires his fingers Akane..." Kami said softly. "I'm sure he couldn't play it with his gloves on."

"I know that." Akane said sharply, unable to stop herself from snapping at Kami a little. "But El has no excuse for this...to let his hands get this bad." She didn't know what happened to him, but wanted someone to blame, it didn't matter who. Akane was somewhat panicked that she may not be able to save his fingers after all. It felt like her chakra was hitting a brick wall and in the effort to break through, she was feeling a bit faint. The source of her anger was due to her doubt in ability to save his fingers and it terrified her.

Kami was about to defend herself when El's small voice said, "It's not her fault..." He was weak, pale, his eyes weren't even open but he was still with them... for now at least. If Akane couldn't heal his hands, that might change.

Akane was a little startled, but stayed focused with El's hands in hers. He probably couldn't even feel her there for all she knew. His palms and wrist were fine, maybe there he could feel the pressure of Akane's working hands. "What could you possibly have been thinking?" Her best guess was that he had simply been fighting without gloves for the past 3 hours, completely reckless.

"I had to play..." El said softly. "How else would I defend myself?" They both knew he could throw his voice with chakra, but he never seemed to do it unless he was whistling.

Akane took her eye off of him and stared hard at his hands as she focused, not wanting to be bothered to argue with El in his condition. His body couldn't last under any more stress. Her bitching wouldn't help anything. It is what it is. One could almost see the life draining from her complexion as her body was pushed close to it's limits.

"Do you still need me?" Kami asked Akane. "I should tell Ishiaki sensei that I gave Kano the orders he gave me."

Akane nodded, "If you go out there, be careful, ok?" It was bad enough seeing El like this, she didn't want to have to put Kami's pieces back together too. She shuffled her knees onto the mattress, kneeling beside El's waist for better leverage. This way she could focus more on her chakra than standing. "You still awake, El?"

Kami modded and left Akane to her work with El. It was more than just telling Ishiaki, the two of them needed to e alone.

"I'm here..." El said softly. "I'm afraid I ruined Kano's vest..."

"I'm sure he won't hold that against you." Akane replied. She found it interesting that despite his accident and injuries, El seemed compelled to selflessly defend Kami and even apologize for Kano's vest...almost as if he felt like a burden to everyone. She didn't say anything on the matter though. Although Akane needed to concentrate, it was also important that El stay awake. Carrying a conversation may help with that. "Can you tell me what happened to you?"
The water glowed brighter as Akane tried forcing another wave of chakra through to his finger tips. Thank goodness his skin was starting to absorb the water because she actually made some progress, but it sure did wind her out a bit.

"His name was Vik'tor..." El said softly. "He was... not very bright... but rather vicious..."

Akane closed her eyes as she worked now. "There actually were several villagers with injuries similar to yours. They said it was from a human that seemed more beast than man. Is that your guy?"

"Yes..." El said softly, closing his eyes again. "There was snow in my strings... he caught me off guard as I tried to brush it out..."

Akane's eye shot open as if she remembered something horrible. She looked at the wrap Kami had made and the areas of dried blood that wasn't washed away just yet. If El is like the others.... she wanted to see if he had a curse mark too. Neither her nor Ishiaki knew what it meant, but that just about half of the patients she had healed had one. "I need to check something." he said and started to pull out her hands from the bowl.

"Okay..." El said softly. Upon Akane's inspection, next to torn flesh that had been partially healed, she found the edge of the mark. when El's shoulder was completely healed, the mark would be complete.

Akane let out a small gasp, hoping El hadn't heard it. The only sort of comfort she had right now was knowing El had killed the rogue who distributed the marks. Still... there was a bead of chakra behind the tattoo and Ishiaki and herself both feared something bad would come of it. She swallowed and leaned back onto her knees and dipped her hands into the water once more, hoping El wouldn't ask her what she had just seen.

EL wasn't noticing much at the moment, especially not her little gasp. What Akane didn't know was that El hadn't killed the beast that had done this to him. He only thought he had. If a million tons of snow wasn't enough to kill El, it certainly wasn't enough to kill the thing that had attacked him.

Akane couldn't believe it, but there actually was some slow progress through the chakra barrier in El's fingers. To Akane, moving chakra through the body was much like the wind. It had to be guided and driven on a course, moving swiftly and gently. With El's fingers, it was like trying to get through a thick mollasses. "I... I think we are getting somewhere, El." she told him, pleased that things were moving. Although it was slow and tiresome, it was still working.

"That's good..." El said softly. "Akane... I hope you won't think me rude if I pass out again?"

His shoulder was no longer bleeding, so she didn't see why not. He was probably exhausted as it were. "Not at all." Akane replied, "You're in the clear, sleep tight." Well, his life would be in the clear anyway, she couldn't say the same about his fingers just yet.

"Mmhmm..." Was all El said and he seemed like a boy falling asleep rather than passing out.

Akane, although was making dreadfully slow progress, really was feeling fatigued all of a sudden. All this pushing through the dead cells was really taking it out of her. Especially considering she had been healing people all day and was fairly new at this. Had she never mediated growing up, she would probably be done for. If this happened to El, she wondered what became of the other ninja and Tsu Sensei.

Akane hit another road block right in between the first and second knuckles of his fingers. Some of the discoloration of his fingers nearest to his palm had changed to pink. That was definately a good sign. Blood was flowing back into his digets at least. El was going to be in a lot of pain when she was finished though. Having those nerves awake suddenly wouldn't tickle, that's for sure.


Ishiaki looked up as Kami approached. "Is El alright?" He asked her curiously as he wiped away the water that remained across Aileen's skin. It was not looking good for the woman. He had gotten as much of the infection out as he dare try under the circumstances, but he feared it was a feeble attempt. Perhaps if he hadn't spent so much of his chakra earlier with the other patients...

"Akane hopes he will be." Kami told her sensei. "He was bitten in the shoulder, it will heal easy enough. But the problem is his hands. His fingers are black, it looks to be frostbite... Kano brought him in. I traded tasks with him to bring El here more quickly. Kano's chakra and strength were nearly exhausted."

Ishiaki looked at Aritan sadly, "I've done all that I can...All we can do now is pray that Kano is able to bring us the Heart."

"can you help El?" Kami asked. "I... I don't want to show a lack of faith in Akane... but his hands are very important to him and I know she would not want to fail in healing them."

Ishiaki looked away from the hopeful eyes of his student. He knew it was going to pain her to hear this. "There is nothing more I can do for either of them. Perhaps if it were earlier in the day today, but not now. Not alone at least. I haven't the strength for it."

It hurt Kami to hear Ishiaki say that. "Can't... cant I transfer some of my chakra to you or... can you teach me how to help him? I haven't used my chakra all day... I can do it..."

"It would take far too long to train you to help, and as for chakra transference, I have never before heard of any such technique." Ishiaki told her with a shake of his head. It was true, he wouldn't be able to teach her in the time either patient had left, they would just have to hope that the Heart was real.

Kami did not at all like the sound of Ishiaki claiming defeat. It hurt her deep down in the place she had stored every ounce of admiration for him. He was one of the eight legendary swordsman and he had not an ounce of chakra left to help her friend El. She only hoped that Akane could break the barrier clouding the chakra pathways in El's fingers.

Ishiaki got to his feet and removed his gloves, tossing them into the trash bin that Akane had brought over. He stooped and lifted the bin and turned to head out the door. The scent of the infection was making him ill to his stomach. It was best if it were outside now that he had done all he could

Kami decided that if there was nothing she could do, then perhaps she could stand by Akane. She left Ishiaki Sensei's company and rejoined her friend. "How goes it?" Kami asked, kneeling next to Akane, hoping to see that El's hands were better now... they were a little better, but not much.


Akane's cheeks looked a bit drained and slightly paler. Her brow was sweating from strain and excessive chakra use. The other patients with severe injuries were a breeze compared to this. Still on her knees on the bed beside him, Akane had started to motion her hands forward and back, rubbing along El's fingers to help coax her chakra through his skin and free up the dead cells there.

"I asked Ishiaki if I could help... if he could maybe show me how to pass chakra onto you or him... Kami said down on the bunk beside El's with her legs crossed. "He said he had never heard of such... I just feel so useless..."

"Could you..." Akane trailed off, not sure how comfortable she felt giving Kami an order. "Uhm..."

"That's what I asked Ishiaki..." Kami said sadly. "He said he had never heard of a way to do it..." She looked at El's hands, thinking of how shattered he would be when he realized he would never play his beloved instrument again.

"Hey uhh... could you actually do me a favor?" Akane asked, working up her courage. "Do you think you could get me a new bowl of warmer water?"

"Absolutly." Kami said, rising from the bunk and fetching a new bowl rather than take the current one.

Akane waited for Kami to return before she took El's hands and gently lifted them out of the water. Without the glow, they could both see that Akane had indeed made progress. She had a way to go yet, but part of his fingers that had perviously need black were now pink and full of life.

Kami took the bowl and slid the other in quickly so their hands didn't drip everywhere. "Oh my... do you think you can do it?" She asked, seeing that below his final knuckles was still black, between the middle knuckles it tapered from blue to pink fresh flesh. "You've done so much already... surely just that last little bit won't be so hard..."

"The closer I get to his finger tips, the more difficult it is to heal the damaged cells. Many of El's vessels are already collapsed...it's like trying to coax chakra through wet cement." Akane admitted, trying not to be mad at him for being so reckless. Though- she really didn't know the whole story. "I'm trying..." The warm water gave her little comfort, but hopefully it would help awaken El's digets. "...really hard." she added, not sure if she was going ot be able to heal him completely or not. Already the girl looked completely drained.

"I have faith in you Akane..." Kami tried to make her voice sound a little hopeful, but it was hard.

"Thanks Kami..." Akane trailed off. "Say... did... you happen to see that black marking on El's shoulder when you cleaned it up? Many other patients who encountered the man El killed have the same tattoo. Ishiaki says it's a 'curse mark'...kanji with a circle seal around it. The victims also have a strange, foreign chakra in their bodies. Ever heard of anything like that?"

"I've heard of seals and summoning tattoos..." Kami said. "I noticed it but I did not see it for what it was."

"Nearly half of my patients in the critical tent had them...Ishiaki is pretty worried about it." Akane explained. Anything that worried their sensei, surely worried the two young chunin. "El said he managed to kill the 'beast man' ...if that's true, why haven' the markings gone away? They... should, right?" She seemed especially worried now that El had a mark of his own.

"Maybe the mark stays but the jutsu is undone?" Kami asked. "Or it will fade... with time?" Kami always tried to see the silver lining of things. It didn't often work, but she could hope.

Akane did appreciate her positive attitude, despite what she thought of the marks. Her opinion was far more cynical, but it was nice to hear Kami's thoughts. "I hope so..." But nothing was ever that simple. "I didn't want to tell him. No need for him to panic unless we are certain, you know?"

"I will not if you will not." Kami said in agreement.

"Until we know what's going on." she added. Akane made the water of the bowl glow bright blue with healing chakra once more, guiding it through his pores and into his fingers as best she could. "What's the word on the other team?" she asked.

"Kano is back... but I know nothing of the others." Kami told her. "Presumably Kano finished his battle early and went to check on El because of his suseptability to the cold... He found him and brought him here.

"I really hope no one else gets hurt." Akane said, letting the sentence hang there for a while. She may not have the strength to heal anyone else after El.

Kami didn't say anything, but she agreed silently. She pulled a cloth from her bag and wiped Akane's brow with it.

"Thanks." Akane replied. "Say- you don't have anything for nerve damage or recovering cells, do you? Either for frostbite or burns?"

"I have a poultice for burns I used on the recovery patience." Kami said. "It's fresh and I have a bit left." and it was made from corn... she knew El liked corn...

"Good." Akane replied, closing her eyes again as she began to fully focus. She started to find a certain rhythm by focusing on two fingers at a time, one in each hand. It allowed for more concentration and seemed to be making more progress.

"Should I use it now?" Kami asked. "Do you think it'll help?"

"Maybe... I really don't know." Akane admitted. "If anything I can help his body absorb it?" she suggested, not really knowing if it would do much good. "I am making progress though... just slowly. I'm worried about the tips of his middle and ring fingers....they are the worst."

"Perhaps it will help." Kami said looking in her pack. "It is designed to speed and aid healing..."

"Anything is worth a shot." Akane said, her eye still shut as she focused. Her chakra was stuck between his second and last knuckles.

Kami removed it from the pack and said, "We can't have the water." She told Akane.

"That's fine, his hands are soaked to the bone as it is." Akane said and lifted them out of the water. She used an extra blanket to dry them off as to not get cold. It was noticeable that grey have once again been replaced with a blood-filled pink.



"They do look a little better." Kami said as she removed the water. She took an application brush and dabbed it in the poultice to begin the application.

Akane traded her duty for a moment and took the role of 'nurse', holding El's hands up so Kami could properly put the treatment on his skin. "Do you think we should check his toes too? Just in case?"

"I have this." Kami said painting over his palms and between his fingers just to be safe. It would help relieve any pain left over as well. "He still has his boots but perhaps you should check."

Akane slipped off of the bed, having forgotten she was even on it to begin with. She want to his ankles and untied his laces in a brisk fashion. Clasping the boot of his right foot, she tilted and pulled it off. Not wasting any time, she slipped off his sock, hoping to see ten pinkish tan toes.

what Akane saw were five pink, warm little digits. El's toes were well manicured, taken care of and in no danger of frostbite.

"Thanks goodness...I think we are good on the toes." Akane said and slipped his sock back on before proceeding to check the other one, which was perfectly fine as well. With his socks on, she wrapped his toes in the blanket, the were still a bit chilly.

Kami licked her finger clean from the poultice and began to top the jar again. "That's done it." She said wiping the brush clean on the towel. "It should aid healing and sooth any pain he may be feeling... hopefully it may help you to clear out the rest of the black...'

Akane nodded and came back to his hands, "I...actually feel good about this. Better than before." She still looked like shit, but by damn she was determined to help her friend in every way she could. Her hands started to glow after she gently slid his fingers into her hands.

"Would you like an energy pellet?" Kami asked. "Perhaps it may help."

"You have one!?" Akane looked at her friend desperately, "Please...thank you so much Kami." she said quickly afterward.

"The last time you got mad at me." Kami said pulling them from her bag and opening the pouch. Inside were a series of multicolored balls about the size of grapes. "These are made from fruit."

"Just give me the right amount." Akane said, seeing as though that had been the issue last time. She worked on El's hands again. Surprisingly, she could already see what Kami's balm had improved. It seemed that the menthol, or whatever inside of the paste opened up some of the narrower chakra paths, allowing her to access areas otherwise blocked. She only hoped that as his skin absorbed it, the effect would widen.

Kami held out a trio of yellow and pink. "Should I just..." she didn't know if she should feed them to Akane or wait for her to take them.

She removed one hand from El's briefly and held it out to take the pellet. "I eat this and drink water or somethin, right?" Akane asked.

"All three and yes, I'll get some water." Kami handed over the three pellets, knowing these were of the stouter variety. The sugar in fruits made them very good energy supplements. She handed them over and screwed the top from her canteen, waiting for Akane to take it.

Akane took them and set the pile on the bed, shoving one in her mouth. Chewing, she went back to healing El, not wanting to take any more breaks from now on. She had work to do and it was of the utmost importance. Still- Akane had a glimmer of hope. The lotion-like paste Kami had used was starting to show it's true effect, allowing her to guide chakra through his fingers.

"Take them all." Kami told her, offering Akane her canteen to wash them down with. "They'll give you much needed energy and work more quickly."

Akane took her advice and at them all, using the water to cleanse her throat from crumbs. "Thank you." she said, her voice sounding weak and quite tired. "Your application is wonderful... it's helping. I think we can... I think we can do this."

Kami took her canteen back and sighed with relief. "I'm glad... so glad..." In a few moments Akane should feel a rush of energy and perhaps find some chakra she'd forgotten about.

"I'm going to stop talking for a while." Akane said and shut her eye, focusing with all she had. El's hands were resting in Akane's palms and she gently rubbed her thumbs up his fingers, moving the circulation of any dead cells and blood, hoping to free up some space for new substances to enter. Such as her chakra and El's warm blood and muscle.

Kami nodded and waited with the cloth she had used to dab at Akane's brow. Her friend was going through a lot. Kami hadn't used any chakra and aside from a few trips around the tent she had worked in, she hadn't exerted herself. She wished she could take over for Akane.

Akane wished the same, but was making quite the breakthrough now. Perhaps without Kami's syrum, she wouldn't have gotten so far so soon. El's fingers were pink all the way up to his last knuckles of his three middle fingers. His thumbs and pinkies appeared saved. It was working, but in the back of Akane's mind, she would surely remember to punch El for making her heal up his hands twice in twenty four hours.

Kami leaned forward and dabbed her forehead. There wasn't much there but it made her feel useful. "Are the pellets working?"

"I believe so...thanks again." Akane said, "I just... I don't think I've ever drained my chakra this low before. It feels terrible." she confessed. 

Kami thought to say she looked terrible too, but bit her tongue. "You;re doing great." She said. "When I first saw his hands I... I was worried you couldn;t do it."

"Me too." Akane confessed. She wasn't out of the water just yet, but was damn close. Even if she hit a road block that was unable to be penetrated, El could still have use of his fingers after a small amputation. Though she quickly dismissed those thoughts and progressed with the healing. "Remind me to charge him for this, ok?" she asked, offering a weak smile, hoping to lighten the mood. Kami should surely know what sarcasm is by now. "Twice in one day does not come cheap."

Kami smiled but watched as Akane worked. Eventually the knuckle of El's index fingers began to clear. They went from black, to blue and slowly to gray and finally to pink. With two remaining his ring finger slowly took on the same transformation. By the time it sat whole in Akane's hand, the only think that remained black were El's middle fingernails.

Akane used the last bits of energy she had to work on the dead cells in El's middle fingers. They were by far the worse. Most likely they were the first to become injured from the cold. As she healed, it was like turning back time, flowing life back to his tips. Even though these last few moments seemed quite faster than earlier, it still winded Akane quite a bit. The black color shrunk into his fleshy, tan skin and eventually dispersed into a burgundy color under his nails. The minty blue glow faded and Akane's posture eased back. Her head lolled to the left, as if struggling to hold it up straight. Her eye lid blinked slowly, wanting everything to stay closed and to fall asleep.

"You did it!" Kami said excitedly, not at all thinking that his darkened, slightly discolored nail beds would cause him any problems. And his shoulder could wait for now. "You should rest." She said. "You've prpobably already burned through those pellets."

Hearing Kami's congratulations, Akane couldn't help but smile and chuckle breathlessly. Yes, she did it, didn't she? The wind ninja was quite proud. She had never done anything like that before and had managed to save the mariachi's fingers. He would surely play again. "Would that be alright?" she asked. With everything going on, she didn't see it right to rest too long.

"Who cares if it isnt?" Kami said, standing from the bunk next to El's. "Come on." She said, "Lay down here."

Akane moved her legs and slipped off of El's bed. Her knees nearly gave out from under her. She was a little alarmed at how truly weak she felt, but was too tired to dwell on it. "My gods... I don't think I could summon up a breeze if I tried." she said and hobbled sleepily to the cot. "Thanks Kami. Really.. couldn't have done it without you." 

"I'm just glad it was a success." Kami said, helping Akane to the bunk where she had been sitting. "You rest, I'll take care of him."

"Sounds good. Wake me up when we find the heart." Akane said. She really wanted to sleep for quite a long time though. Laying herself against the pillow, it was a short few seconds before her eyelid drooped down and her entire body went limp from exhaustion. Her mind wandered to what had just happened. How she had somehow healed such an advanced version of frostbite. It was definitely something to be proud of. Despite her ignorance to wanting to become a medical ninja... she was very pleased with herself.

Kami assured Akane that she would wake her and covered her over with the cot's blanket. She then removed El's other boot and covered him over too. His hands looked fresh and pink aside from the little bit of discolored cuticles. With them taken care of she left their company in search of Ishiaki to tell him all was well with El.

---

Oita sauntered slowly over to the other guards slowly, chewing his lip and looking thoughtful before looking up for his pack. If they had tried to get into it he would know, because someone would have a very sore hand from the mouse trap. Yes, he could have one that took someone's fingers off, but the first two traps were slight discourages. The third one would take the people out. He just hoped they weren't that determined.

Senshi grinned when he saw Oita. "Welcome back, little ninja. I take it you found your sensei?"

Kami had been forced to make a stop in the surgery recovery tent to grab her coat and gloves before hurrying to the guard tower as Ishiaki Sensei had ordered her to.

Down below the guard tower, there came a knocking from the gate. "Hey! Open up damnit! I've got injured!" Kano yelled from down below

Kami had just reached the tower, but was on the other side of the gate. She heard Kano's voice and moved to help the guards remove the barricade that helped the gate close.

The gate opening slowly and Kano walked in, holding El protectively in his arms. "Come on man, almost there. Hang in there." He looked up at the guard tower and was surprised to see both Kami and Oita. "Hey! I need a medic down here!"

Kami saw the state of El and grabbed one of the guards who'd helped to open the door, "Kano are you alright?" She was supposed to be asking the Captain Oita was with where this Heart of Ice thing could be found, but at the moment she was more concerned with the blood covering her new boyfriend and their mutual friend.

"It's not me you need to worry about." Kano told her, shaking his head. "The blood's not mine." He shifted El's weight a little, tryign to keep from dropping him. He hadn't thus far, but that didn't mean he wouldn't stumble as he crossed the finish line.

"I did." Oita said, assisting slightly in the raising of the gates to let Kano and El in before turning back to the others "I have been told to become aware of any places that would become a stronghold when the others attack... well, if the others attack. I'm guessing at least two of the opposing ninjas have been dealt with." He nodded towards Kano and El with a smile.

Kami couldn't stand and let Kano wobble. "Give him here." She took El from him carefully and told him, "I'll take him to Akane. Would you please ask the Captain Oita is with where the..." She had to think for a moment. "The Heart of Ice is? Master Ishiaki says it's of grave importance to saving a woman's life."

"Heart of Ice? D'var said that's what they were after." Kano told her. He didn't want to give El up, but if he couldn't trust Kami, who could he trust? He nodded, "I will make him talk. D'var cautioned me that they would be stubborn about it."

"I do not know who D'var is, but I will see to it that El is taken care of." Kami told him. "How long has he been unconscious?"

"He passed out about half way here, though he wasn't exactly being coherent before then." Kano thought for a moment, "It's been about 15 minutes."

"Alright, I'll get him to Akane." Kami reassured him and reluctantly left Kano to deal with matters of the heart.

Kano stood there and watched her leave for several minutes before shaking his head and heading up the guard tower. "Oita? Are you here?"

"Yes," Oita called over the tower to Kano, before peeking his head over and looking down at the others, "How can I help you?"

"Is the Captain of the Guard with you? Your Sensei says he has something that he needs." Kano worded carefully as he climbed the stairs and then stepped into the tower's main room. He couldn't help but smirk when he saw Oita's oversized pack, he still had no idea how the guy could lift it.

"Yes, he's here." Oita indicated the man Kano was looking for.

Kano charged right up to the man Oita indicated and pushed him up against the wall. "Where's the Heart of Ice?!"

Oita was a second away from snapping his head off and ramming it up his own backside. What a stupid thing to say. "Excuse me. My friend appears to have taken several blows to the head," Oita said, seizing Kano and starting to drag him away "Let me get him to a nurse."

Kano fought against Oita's strength, but he could not match it. Didn't surprise him really, given the size of that pack he always lugged around. "He knows where it is Oita! What they're coming here after! And what El needs right now!"

Oita groaned deeply, shaking his head and trying not to roll his eyes "Yeah, cause just demanding something like that will work." He said the words gently, practically hissing it to Kano as he dragged him away. He would work with Kano, sure, but this was a DUMB way to do it.

Kano shook his arm free of Oita. "El needs the Heart, Oita. And that man knows where it is. He's going to die without it!"



Oita groaned deeply and shook his head, his hands on Kano's shoulders still "And you think yelling will make him reveal it? We need to convince him, or we need to find it ourselves."

"D'var said that they would deny everything and anything about the Heart. If we want answers we have to force it from them. The man has not lied to me yet, Oita." Kano told him, anger was hinging on the edges of his voice. His friend lay dieing in one of those tents and the man he had throttled knew the location of the one thing that could save him.

"Who the hell is this D'var guy and why should I care what he says?" Oita pointed out "Using force won't help us. It might be the way HE thinks will get them to talk, but I sure as hell got them to tell me about it just by over hearing. We are ninjas. We can find it ourselves."

"The rogue ninja I fought. He's from this land, Oita. He knows the truth and knew that they would keep as silent as possible about the Heart's location. He is a man of honor, I know that sounds weird, but I trust his words." Kano explained. D'var told him that there would be one person who'd know the Heart's true location. Everyone else would offer false information

A little blow knocked on top of Kano's head. Not a hard punch, more like a gentle wrap on the head to wake him up. Oita sighed and shook his head "Look, we find this ourselves. That's the quickest and easiest way to find it. Forcing it out of people won't work, so we find the most likely places that it will be, then we find it. Alright?"

"You have been around this center by now, surely. Do you truly believe you can find it before El dies?" Kano asked him, ignoring the slight throb in his head from the wrap. He gestured up the steps towards where they had left the guards. "That man knows it's location. It would be quicker to just make him give it to us."

"You know what? fine. You go ask," Oita let him go "See how well that goes for you. I'm going to go look for it." And with that he turned away and ran off into the camp. He needed to look for something solid, something that looked as if it could be fortified.

Kano did not like leaving things that way with Oita, but El was in need of his help. He would not let his friend die because some man was too stubborn to tell them what they needed. He would beat it out of the Captain of the Guard if he needed to. He turned and headed back up to the guards. "You! I believe I asked you a question before I was dragged away!" He declared, shoving an accusative finger in the Senshi's direction.

"Was that before or after you tried to strangle me, kid?" Senshi replied, crossing his arms and glaring at him. "I can only assume you speak of the Heart. It's quite popular today."

Oita was scanning the surrounding area, looking for something solid, something that they would use to hide the heart; it would be a place that they could defend... a place that people could take a stand in.
(like the guard tower? lol)

"You know we need it. We're not going to steal it, fool. People are dieing and you're still hiding behind the rumor that it's just a story?!" Kano couldn't stand this anymore. His friend was dieing, as far as he knew Hinji and Tsu weren't much better off either. They had truly faced dangerous opponents today, if his hadn't been so honorable, he would've been in the same shape as the rest of them.

Oita was sneaking down the bottom of the guard tower, starting to pick around it, looking for a door inside, or perhaps even a way beneath the tower itself. Hopefully... hopefully he would find something. Kano was going through this like an idiot; a passionate idiot, to a point that Oita couldn't blame him, but still, this was something they could do themselves.

"We hold to the fact that it is a myth because it is our duty to do so. As I'm sure your puppet master friend could have told you. To openly admit it is against our code." Senshi replied with a shrug. The boy had gotten the drop on him once, it wasn't about to happen again.

"Do you think I care about your code? I need the Heart the save my friends. If you are truly the Captain of the Guard, then you are the one person who knows it's true location." Kano retorted, growing more agitated by the second. He didn't want to reveal the truth behind his own information, the man had been honorable to him. But Oita was right and threats were getting him no where. "D'var Klor'vel told me everything. Please. I must save my friend."

"I should have known that traitor would turn up again. If you want the Heart so bad, why not ask your nosy little friend down below?" Senshi asked, his voice carrying down below the tower. He stomped his foot just to be clear Oita got the message. "I told him where it would likely be." There was a small outcropping at the base of the tower, the snow was crunch down flat and the earth beneath well traveled, and recently. Someone had just been there.

"Told you," Oita called up to Kano as he slowly ran his hands over the outcropping at the base, trying to find the catch or release that would let him in. He could just punch a hole in the wall, or at least try to, but he was unsure if it would be trapped or defended.




Kano could have strangled Oita for his smugness right then. Did the guy always have to be right? He glared towards Senshi, he didn't like hearing someone trash talking D'var very much. "I know what happened. I'd hardly call D'var a traitor, given the circumstances."

"Anyone who's met him would say that." Senshi told Kano with a nod, indicating that he felt the same way. "D'var was labelled a traitor for turning his back on the village, and now that it was known that he was responsible for revealing the truth about the Heart, he'd never be welcomed back."

"Found the way in..." Oita called up, managing to push the mound aside and slide carefully into the inner sanctum. He gazed at the chest, sitting on a cold ice mound and wrapped in the bindings of... well, it was some kind of binding, a seal he believed. He wasn't an expert, but it seemed to be locking some kind of chakra inside the chest. He approached it carefully, keeping an eye out for traps.

Kano didn't want to believe that. The man had perfectly good reasons for doing what he did. If he wasn't welcome here, in his home, Kano wasn't sure where he'd go.

"If you want the Heart so bad, you better head down and help your friend." Senshi told him, keeping his arms crossed. "You won't get any more help from me."

Kano wanted to deck the guy and send him flying over the edge, but that certainly wasn't going to diplomatic relations and all that. He clenched his fists and growled, turning and heading down the stairs, heading for Oita, to help with the chest.

"It's sealed," Oita said, hovering around the chest carefully and looking for any traps before he would place a hand on it, "What did you say this was for?" If it was a kind of weapon then this could be bad. But then again, how could a weapon save lives?

"It is to heal." Kano explained as he approached cautiously. "D'var stated that it would heal any wound in the hands of one skilled enough to use it's power. He also said though that they've come for it for it's secondary purpose...It multiplies chakra." He leaned in to better look at the seals. "Though he said not to worry about them using it right now. That part only works on water chakra. And he was the only water user on the squad."

"Right... so..." Oita winced as he began to crack open the lid of the chest, going slowly in order to try and listen for any traps triggering before he was hit by them. If this wasn't trapped he would have to give them the address of one of his relatives, get them some proper set up down here, and not just sticking a building on top of it.

Kano slapped his hand down on the lid before Oita could open it any further. "The Captain said not to open it yet." He gestured above his head with a finger. "I don't know what'll happen, but I think we should just take the chest to Ishiaki-sensei and let him worry about it."

"Alright..." Oita said, nodding to Kano and putting his hands either side of the case; he glanced towards the exit, then said gently "In case this is trapped, be prepared to run. I don't want to have to slow down to get you out of here."

Kano looked at Oita curiously. "Do you think I cannot keep up?" He asked him, a little bit insulted by the notion. It was his speed that earned him the right to come here after all.

"Now is not the time to lose control of your feelings," Oita said, being completely blind to the fact his uncontrolled feeling right now was unrelenting nerves. He reached out, snatching the box from the pedestal it was placed on, then dashing for the door at top speed; even if it wasn't trapped, he was running to get it to the others.

Kano took off after him, dashing for the door as well. His speed kept him right on Oita's heels as they headed out of the secret chamber. "So we take it right to Ishiaki. Any clue which tent he's in?"

"That one!" Oita said with a nod, then practically disappeared; his speed was amazing with the pack off, his muscles had been beaten under the hammer of training with his pack on, and the barrier training as well. He wasn't going to slow down at all, specially since people would probably be quite annoyed if they discovered what he was running with.

Kano was not expecting such a burst of speed from him. He knew he was going to be fast, but that was ridiculous! He raced after him, knowing full well that he couldn't possibly keep up, but he had to try

---

Tsu let out a mighty "HELLO!?" as she came nearer to the camp. she was supporting Hinji over one arm and had several large pink bandages holding what appeared to be her entire body together "Help would be nice!"

It wasn't possible for Hinji to be any paler, but that only made the large amounts of blood running down his arm show up just as brightly as the trail he left and the small pool that was forming around his feet.

Ishiaki set the trashbin down outside the tent and lifted his head when he heard that familiar tone shout hello. He hurried off to the gate, Tsu was in need of assistance. He arrived as the guards were opening the door for them. He saw the state of both their chakra, this was insane. How could both of them be so drained? Hinji seemed to be barely even standing. "What happened?" He asked them both as he moved in and slung Hinji's arm over his shoulder

Hinji was barely able to life his head, "I set The Swarm on him." Was all he said before his was no longer able to keep his head up.

Ishiaki looked to Tsu for an explanation, clearly he wasn't going to get one from the boy until he was better healed. Just what they needed right now...more critically injured.

Tsu grinned weakly at Ishiaki "Summoning bugs. Looked nasty. I was hit by a rhino straight in the chest... bad guy got away from me. Sorry. He's probably heading back here as well, but I managed to beat him up pretty bad."

"What can you tell me about him?" Ishiaki asked as they walked. If the leader of the rogues was headed there way, he needed to be briefed on the man's abilities.

"Summoner mostly. Plenty of animals, I saw rhino, big cats, wolves, bugs, and an eagle. They are mostly taken care of, but still... nasty. He's easily lead about though, and relies a lot on the animals and his animal mimicry. Probably would suck against genjutsu." Tsu nodded slowly as she thought back "Also, extendable arms and legs."

"As in an expansion jutsu? That's an odd combination." Ishiaki noted with a little shake of his head. Generally one didn't see types of that style mixed with anything other than taijutsu, let alone summoning.

"I think it means he doesn't like getting up close. He tends to try and grab, or attack from a distance. I had him blind most of the time, completely messed him up. Now... healing? please? these bandages are keeping me from coughing up a lung." Tsu wasn't joking. Her rib bones had been broken badly, and the pain was getting through.

"Seriously? You come waltzing in here like that and demand my attention, without even a simple hello?" Ishiaki scoffed with a smirk. "I've been working hard all day. Is it too much to ask for pleasantries?" He couldn't help but chuckle

"Hello. I took a rhino straight to the chest." Tsu said, before coughing up blood and collapsing bodily to the floor. Ishiaki might not be able to see her wounds through the bandages, but her chest had all but caved in.

"We'll do what we can, but both Akane and myself are pretty much running on empty at the moment." Ishiaki warned her sadly. He hated having to rely on some mystical item, but they didn't have much choice in the matter. There weren't any other medic ninja around and the two of them were too low on chakra to heal such injuries now.

These wasn't any response from Tsu. She coughed up some more blood, lying on the floor and feeling the bandages starting to loosen. Soon they'd fall off, drained, she knew. To any outsiders watching this would seem like Ishiaki standing in front of a little girl and a ninja, not doing anything as she coughed blood up onto the ground.

"Sensei?" Kami asked as she approached. "Akane was able to save El's fingers, but she's exhausted. She's resting now."

"Kami! Perfect timing as usual. Would you mind?" Ishiaki asked, nodding towards Tsu's collapsed body. "I can only carry one at a time. I'd hate to see her die out here because I couldn't carry her indoors."

"OH MY!" Kami said leaning around Ishiaki Sensei to see Tsu Sensei. She immediately went to her side and gingerly began to pick her up.

She was about as light as she looked and seemed to almost fold under Kami's touch. Tsu let out a weak groan as she was lifted, but she couldn't do anything else, she was just too weak.

Ishiaki hauled the unconscious Hinji to the medical tent they had taken Aileen to. He set the lad down on a cot beside El and then collapsed into a seat beside the cot. He sighed and placed his head in his hands. "I am sorry..." He whispered to the two injured boys

Kami places Tsu sensei in the bunk opposite Hinji. She immediately began to see to their wounds. No one had any chakra left to heal them so Kami did the best she could with what tools she had.

Akane was still asleep in the bed beside El. Her face was pale and there were dark circles beneath her eyes. The ninja's green bangs were also a bit wet from sweat of straining herself to the max. She only moved slightly when she heard people come in. As of today, healing El's hands from frostbite has been her magnum opus.

The makeshift bandage that was wrapped around Hinji's wrist and forearm was completely soaked through and blood was dripping from both his massive wounds.

Ishiaki ran his fingers through his hair, pushing it back and got to his feet. There was no time for self pity. He gathered a roll of bandages and started to work on stopping the bleeding on Hinji's arm. The leg wound would have to wait as the slash on his arm had severed many vessels. He lacked the ability to repair them right now, with his chakra spent as it was. He tied a bandage around the boy's arm, slightly above the elbow and made sure it was tight

"C-careful," Tsu snapped out a hand; she had bandages across her chest, large, pink bandages with kitties on then, "They're... practically keeping me together. Just... don't... remove them too fast, alright?"

Akane although in a deep sleep already, was shaken out of it by the sound of people talking and moving about. She only had about fifteen minutes of rest before getting so rudely awoken. Her complexion was still ghostly pale and there was a distinct dark circle around her working eye. Akane sat up slowly and looked around, trying to gather what was happening.

"I've got it Sensei." Kami said, placing Tsu's hands to the side. "I have to see to see how best to treat you. No one has any chakra left with
which to heal you. I'm the best you've got for now."



Ishiaki couldn't help but wonder what Hinji had faced when he saw the wounds. He bounded the arm tightly, cutting off the flow as much as he dared, then moved down to the boy's leg. "When you wake up, you'll have to tell me about these wounds of yours Hinji." He chuckled a little at the absurdity of talking to an unconscious person. The idea of it always made him chuckle, he truly didn't think they could hear him, though he'd never had any experience in the matter really.

"Crushed ribs," Tsu said weakly to Kami, wincing as she spoke and shuddering slightly "Usually... fixed by opening... a person up... then fixing the ribs back together with wire... Risky operation. Plenty of broken bones and... bleeding holes... better with chakra..."

Akane heard Tsu's voice and leaned forward. Then she spotted her on the other side of El, being tended to by Kami. She was soaked in blood and it was quite the horrendous sight. Hinji was no better for that matter either. Swinging her legs over, Akane forced herself onto her feet where she wobbled weakly. It seems fifteen minutes really wasn't much to get her strength back. She walked forward and stopped at El's bed. "Kami?" she asked over him, "Can I help?"

"Well we have no chakra." Kami told Tsu sensei impatiently. "No Akane you cannot." Akane was as exhausted as Ishiaki. Tsu sensei was going to have to wait for it. "You're going to have to wait to have your ribs fixed." She told Tsu Sensei. "But I can stop the rest of you're bleeding." At the moment she had a cone like device placed against Tsu's chest and her head was close, listening to the other end. "You're lungs are clear." She said. "But I can hear the bones meeting when you breath." She moved the device. "And you don't appear to have any internal bleeding." Then again Kami wasn't a physician, she was more of a pharmacist. "If your stomach begins to hurt you should tell someone."

Akane stepped back and sat on her bed with a sigh. It was rather annoying how tired she was. Already the bed seemed more welcoming than ever. Still....with all this blood and horror around her, she doubted she could fall asleep.

Ishiaki took a bandage roll and tied off the boy's leg just as he had done with his arm. He sighed, it wasn't much at all compared to what he'd been doing with previous patients. He washed his hands in the basin and turned back to the gaping wound in the boy's leg. He grabbed some gauze and stuffed the hole gently, that should absorb any additional bleeding, and taking the bandage roll again, wrapped it around the gauze.

Tsu raised her hand slowly and grinned weakly up at Kami "My everything hurts. Can I get healed now?" She knew there was no chance... but if she wound up like this... just... dying from lack of treatment... or internal bleeding... she at least wanted to go out on a joke.

"That's not how medicine works." Kami told her, finding herself getting a little terse with Tsu Sensei. Seeing her on her back like this, wounded Kami was reminded of how child-like Tsu really looked. She almost felt like scolding her, but bit it back as she took stock of Tsu sensei's wounds. She began packing gashes with a thick salve to stop the bleeding.

"H-hey," Tsu grabbed Kami's arm as a bolt of pain ripped through her body; she tried to resist breaking that arm that caused it, and spasming wasn't a good idea either. So she concentrated on what she was going to say. "There's... a wardrobe in my room... back at the coalition. Top drawer. That's my will. If I don't make it... well... yeah..." She needed to get that out the way.

"Shut up." Kami told her in a very un-kami-like fashion. "You're going to be fine. If you were coughing up blood, I would worry, but as long as you take slow shallow breaths I think you'll be ok till someone recoups enough chakra to heal you."

"I... umm... coughed up some... outside..." the blood that had been on the floor when Kami had picked her up, that had come from her mouth... and it hadn't been from bleeding in her mouth. Tsu couldn't fight the cough coming inside her, a little bit of blood coming out of her mouth as she restrained herself forcibly to the bunk; moving about was not a good idea. "You... got that right..? Wardrobe? Top drawer? Just... just in case."

"Akane, can you give me a hand here?" Ishiaki asked he studied the boy's injuries. "I require a set of eyes, if you would." He could see much, but there was much that he could not see as well. He could tell that whatever had caused the boy's massive injuries was certainly caused by chakra, but beyond that, he was unable to determine the implement.

Akane slipped out of her bed tiredly and walked over to Ishiaki and Hinji. "I have one if that's enough." she commented concerning eye count. "What's the matter?"

"The One-eyed man is the King of the blind." Ishiaki told her, reminded of a story he had once had the pleasure of reading. "Take a look at his wounds, can you tell me what you think caused it? I can't gather more than the fact it was laced with chakra, and the patient isn't exactly cooperating with my questions." He smirked at the last part, he tried to find the humor in things whenever he could. It made life seem a little less...rigid.

"Jeez..." Akane winced and leaned in closer toward his leg. The smell alone was making her sick. "That is so nasty. Looks like a cannonball shot through his leg. It's about the size of a baseball...really swollen and bloody but it doesn't look like it hit a main artery or the bone. I don't see any sort of... debris or anything in it, just a massive flesh wound to the muscle." Akane looked at him, "Why haven't you healed him yet?"

"Because like you, I'm rather drained, running on empty if you will." Ishiaki told her sadly. He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. The description certainly didn't help him at all. "No debris left behind is good I suppose...but it still would have helped if whatever it was had lodged itself instead. I've stemmed the bleeding as much as I can at the moment. What about his arm?"

"Looks like something went at it with a steak knife... several times." Akane explained. For being a medic or nurse, if you will, the wind ninja really lacked tact in her descriptions.

"Really wish he hadn't lost consciousness. These wounds require answers."
Ishiaki said with a shake of his head. "I hope Kano is able to find the Heart. With the two of us being so low on chakra, I'm afraid we don't have any other choice..."

"Well they're clear for the moment." Kami told Tsu sensei as she stopped Tsu's bleeding with her special salve. "I'll keep a listen just in case."

As if on command, Hinji's eyes fluttered open. They didn't seem to be seeing what was actually around so there was a good chance that any answers they got would make little sense.

"We can at least stitch him up, right?" Akane asked, not wanting to just leave his leg open like this.

"Of course." Ishiaki said with a nod, "Though it will certainly be more painful without having chakra to numb the pain..."

"He looks kinda out of it anyway." Akane said, looking at Hinji as he was tight-roping on consciousness.

Ishiaki grabbed a spool of thread and looked at Hinji sadly. "Whether he is awake or asleep, he will assuredly feel this." He expertly threaded the needle on the first try and looked over at her. "Would you like to do the stitching and I hold him down, should he awaken? Or the other way around?"