Paths of Divergence

Infest

Chapter 56

-Infest

     The four kunoichi team crowd around a monitor. Behind a thick glass panel two sand shinobi donning rebreathers and hazamat suits examine the sample. The sterile tube pulses with a green glow. On the walls sealing scripts and chakra regulators create a tight seal in the even of a catastrophe. The two sand ninja make notes as the sample hovers within its tube.

     Azumi takes a step back arms crossed and expression tight. She twists her middle braid in thought reminiscing on her battle scars. Uneasy thoughts plague her mind and the anxiety of breaking out into a victim of rot makes her heart race nervously. Akari, turns back noticing her friend's anxiousness. She approaches and places a tender hand on her shoulder.

     "You okay?" She asks.

     Azumi continues to fiddle with her braid her pupils lost and unfocused. "Y-yeah. The scars sting... I want to say it's nothing but I can't stop thinking about it. What if my blood runs thick with rot at this very moment?"

     "Hey. Take a deep breath. Remember what Kita said. If you were infected you would've already broken out," Akari says assuringly.

     Azumi closes her eyes and inhales slowly through her nostrils. She exhales just as slow although her sparkling blue eyes still show a hint of waver. Toshika too turns her head and gives an assuring smile, knowing that Azumi is in perfect health.

    The main researcher at the terminal spins around in his chair, eyeing Azumi, "Pardon for eavesdropping. You were exposed directly?"

     Azumi rubs her arm while nodding her head, "We were attacked on the way here. One of the cultists slashed my back. However I've experienced no symptoms," she explains.

     The scientists nods his head, pondering in thought. "This is a long shot, but... may I take a sample of your blood?"

     "Wh-what for?" She asks.

     "Some diseases have no known natural cure. Medicine can only go so far. However some individuals may naturally have something that can hinder or eradicate the disease altogether. Whether it be antibodies, specialized cells, or even some sort of chakra affinity, the possibilities are endless. If you haven't been affected, well, you could be a special case," the scientist explains.

Azumi swallows the lump in her throat, "I-I suppose you can. Could I really be all that special?"

Kita grabs the girl's arm forcing eye contact, "Even if this is a dead end we have to try, Azumi. If it makes you feel better they can take a sample of my blood too. As a control sample."

      Azumi takes a deep breath before nodding her head, "Very well. If we can cleanse the world of this rot then I'll take any chance."

     The two girls are taken into an adjacent chamber. The room smells strongly of iodine and alcohol, a completely clean and sterile environment. With haste and caution the sand researchers extract vials full of blood from both of the girls.

     "Whatever this is. We'll stop it, Azumi," Kita says with a determined yet soft smile.

     "Thank you, Kita," Azumi replies, relaxing her shoulders.

     Once the blood samples are secure the team regathers in the main lab. The scientists work quickly running chakra filtration tests, chemical analysis and cellular composition. Charts flicker to life as Kita's blood sample is introduced first. Without a second of hesitation the rot sample devours it whole, leaving not a trace. The light from the computer screens dim, a sign that the blood sample was lost entirely.