Human Again

A Match Into Water

A match into water: by Pierce the Veil.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Get everyone to their stations and send whoever is left to the hospital, that is their target."
Minato ordered as he walked at a quick pace down the hall. Shinobi bowing and rushing off at his side. Itachi had already ran off to find Kushina. Kakashi skipped to keep up with the Hokage's long strides.

"Should I also-"

"No!"
He cut off the boy.
"We can't risk Obito seeing you again. He's not ready."

"He won't need to see me!"
Kakashi urged.
"I can just check on him! Or stay stationed near the hospital or something! Itachi said he was injured! He needs-"

"Kakashi!"
Mianto whirled around. He sounded angry at first, but then his shoulders dropped as he looked at the boy. His dark eye pleading. Sighing he nodded.
"You can go find Anzen. Let her know what is happening and guard her to the hospital but do not go inside, is that clear?"

"Yes sir."
Kakashi turned to rush off but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

"Be carful."
Without waiting for a reply Minato turned and continued to walk away shouting orders. The boy darting out a window and into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Anzen!"
Kakashi shouted, pounding his fist into the door of her temporary apartment.

"Hold on!"
She bellowed from inside.

"There's no time! Obito is hurt!"

There was much shuffling around inside before the door was yanked open. She wore a baggy black shirt and looked like she had rolled right out of bed.
"What happened?"

"I'm not sure. But someone's planning to attack an-"

"Planning? How is Obito hurt if-"

"He hurt himself!"

She sighed and pulled a coat on from the wall.
"Alright, let's go kid."
They rushed to the hospital. Anzen bare foot. Guards were already stationed all around, on the roof, looking like nothing more then dark silhouettes against the starry sky. Anzen ran past them but heard no footsteps following her. She turned to see Kakashi stopped just at the line of guards.
"What are you doing? Come on kid!"

"I can't."

"What-"

"I can't see him. He can't see me. I've hurt him enough."

"Kid-"

"Go! He's hurt, he needs help and no one else can go... Please."
Please
The look of broken desperation in his eyes made her want to take a step closer, to not leave him alone, but she didn't have time.

"Don't do anything stupid."
She shot him a glare that said she knew more then he thought. His jaw worked and gritted under his mask but he nodded. She darted inside, doctors and nurses surrounding her when she did. All asking questions all at once.
"Everyone quiet down!"
She bellowed and the room went silent.
"Unless any patients are dying they're fine. Now, I've been told Obito Uchiha was injured, who's been taking care of this?"

"We sent two doctors to check on him when the Uchiha child told us what happened."
A nurse with a clipboard hugged to her chest replied.

"Alright. You four—"
She pointed at a few of her people in front of her.
"—are coming with me, if he hurt himself he's likely in a manic state, those doctors you sent are gonna need help. The rest of you back to work. If you have a problem use your knowledge to fix it. I'll be busy."
All muttered a "yes ma'am." And hurried back to work. Anzen rushed down a hall, the doctors she ordered to come with her quick on her heels. As she came upon the stairs and into the hall she could see Obito's room door. It hung open off its hinges. Blood smeared across it and the floor near it.
"No."
She hissed and ran to the door, sliding to a stop, almost slipping on the slick blood.
The bodies of two doctors lay, mangled. They must have been the ones sent in to tend to Obito's injuries. The others had no idea they were sending them to their death. One leaned against the wall, slouching, chest ripped open. Mouth hanging, eyes hollow. The other, a woman, lay on the floor. No apparent injuries save for the pool of blood around her head and the way it was half sunken into the tile.
"Shit."
Anzen muttered. Her eyes traveled over the trail of blood. It stumbled away from the bodies, to the door where a smeared hand print was left, further down the hall. She followed. Obito must have been bleeding a lot to leave such a clear trail. He stumbled into the wall a few times, leaving crimson stains across it. The trail finally let to a window. Broken open. No sign of Obito anywhere outside. Whirling around she shouted—
"Quickly! Go to the Hokage, tell him Obito is loose. We need to find him before-"
The ground rumbled with the roar of a beast.
"Hurry!"