The Way Through Stone Village (Naruto)

104: The Cure

[OP: "Where Is Your Rider"--The Oh Hellos]

Karin walked into the medical center.

"Momo?" she called.

"Karin?" Momo poked her head out of one of the medical wards. "Oh...you're here... How is it going?"

"Where is everyone?" Karin didn't answer the question.

"Uh...well, the bandits kind of ran for it once they saw we were serious," Momo said. "And the medics are...kind of gathering around us...but you have to come see this."

Karin hastened to her.

"Where's Suigetsu?" she asked.

Momo didn't answer that question--she just showed her into the large room that was like an ER.

A lot of people were in there who were obviously (to Karin) still sick.

But at the far end of it there were a bunch of people who seemed to be well and who were talking in amazed tones to Shoto and Dabi, who were just shaking their heads or making sarcastic comments about the bandit attack by turns.

Everyone had different stories about how they'd seen it happen and how the plague had broken out.

"I was able to heal a lot of them," Momo said. "I'm tired, but...I'm grateful. And Shoto's ice actually seemed to help too. It countered the poison before, so I suppose it makes sense. But only on some people. Some I think it's worked too deep in their systems. I tried, but it's stubborn. It's more than just an infection--it's like it's hanging onto them."

"It has to do with it being a cursed attack," Karin said, "doesn't it?"

"Yes... Shine just sent Tsunade an update about it." Momo held up her own paper. "I was hoping you knew more, actually. Where is everyone?"

"We just brought Tsunade here," Karin said. "They have Sakura now. They're going to work on her cure for it."

"That's great news. I should go ask them about it," Momo said.

"But where's--?" Karin began, but Momo didn't hear her. She rushed out into the hall and then to the lab.

"Oh, Hot Pocket." Dabi nodded at Karin. "Finally decided to join the party. You should hear some of these. Those bandits are b-----ds."

"Dabi, please, there're children," Shoto said.

Some of the victims of the plague were children, sadly.

Karin walked up to them.

"Do you know where--?" she began again.

Someone suddenly hit the top of her head from behind, and she yelped and whirled around.

Suigetsu was standing behind her. He'd just popped out of a corner or bucket or something, probably.

He thought it was hilarious to scare her like that while she couldn't sense him because of all the other people around her.

He chuckled.

Dabi snickered too.

Karin wasn't amused.

"You a--h---!" she said, swinging at Suigetsu wildly. "That nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"Sheesh, Karin, it was just a joke," Suigetsu said. "What took you so long to get here anyway? I was practically dying when they arrived."

"That's a bit dramatic," Shoto said. "But it was gruesome. Thankfully, it went right out when I used my ice."

"Yeah, go figure," Suigetsu said. "Though I did get cold. It was really boring down here with all the sick people, too, and depressing. And you guys were all having fun. It sucked." [Geez, be a little sensitive, Suigetsu. The sick people are right there.]