Growing Pains

Chapter 7

Kane brought her into the cottage and laid Araile on her bed as her muscles continued to spasm from the poison. Her eyes twitched restlessly back and forth underneath her eyelids as Kane laid a hand on her cheek.

"Starting to burn up," he murmured, and got up to go retrieve a small bucket of water with a clean cloth.

He then dipped a small cloth into the water and brought it over to his sister's twitching form. Kane then gently lifted the edge of her shirt and placed the wet cloth onto her poisoned wound. Sighing, he smoothed out her hair. He knew that if he didn't do something quick, Kane would lose his baby sister. A soft whimper broke through Kane's inner thoughts. Looking down, he noticed how flushed Araile's face had become; her brows furrowed as if she had to concentrate on taking in air. Shallow and painful pants echoed throughout the room, and every now and then her body would go rigid, her back arching and her mouth opened in a silent scream. Blood began to trickle out her nose and the corner of her mouth as her spasms became more active. Kane grabbed an extra towel and wiped the blood trails away, gold eyes showing concern.

That confirmed it for Kane. He would bring her to someone who knew what to do.

Carefully, Kane covered her stab wound with a couple of bandages and placed her hood across her shoulders. He then hoisted Araile onto his back, and his eyes narrowed as he felt her heart beating frantically against his back.

He knew about this particular poison that was now invading her body. He had seen it being used before. The toxins would continue to race through her bloodstream, breaking down and destroying the tissues in her main organs. It would then reach her lungs and break down the veins and tissue; leaving her to drown in her own blood.

Kane exited the cottage and raced along the path, keeping in mind the many criminals that roamed the forests at night. Trees raced by Kane's vision as he continued running, increasing his pace as soon as he saw the main road.

Tightening his hold on her quivering legs, Kane put on a burst of speed as soon as his feet touched the road.

After a couple minutes of running, Kane came upon the gates of Konoha. He then silently lept onto a nearby tree branch and over the wooden gates. Kane continued to run and jump silently from rooftop to rooftop, looking for a particular apartment.

There!

Kane then jumped down from the rooftop in front of a door. Pounding on the door, he then turned his head to check on Araile.

Her flushed face had been replaced with pale and clammy with her bangs plastered to her forehead from the sweat that was beading and dripping down her face. Her muscles spasms were becoming more violent, and her breath began to gurgle and rasp in a wet and sickly fashion. Blood began to trail from the corner of her mouth again, and began to trickle down her chin and onto the back of Kane's shirt.

Light flooded the doorway as the front door opened, revealing Araile's old caregiver's confused and concerned face.

"Kane? What are you doing here? What do you want?" Kakashi said.

"My sister needs help," Kane said, and pushed past Kakashi into the small apartment.

He then placed her gently on the couch, smoothing her bangs away from her face. She unconsciously curled her knees to her stomach, whimpering and crying out loudly as the movement agitated her wound.

"What happened?" Kakashi exclaimed as he noticed the young teen's state.

"Poison," Kane said before getting up.

Nodding, Kakashi glanced at Kane.

"Go notify a medical nin. They should know what to do. Go now!" Kakashi stated, and watched as he rushed out the door.

Sighing Kakashi glanced down at Araile, eye narrowing in worry. A bloodstain was beginning to spread on her bandages as her muscles twitched furiously. Clattering claws caught Kakashi's attention as a dark shape rushed towards the injured girl.

"Easy there. You need to be careful, my friend," Kakashi said gently to Takumi, Araile's dog companion she had rescued all those years ago.

Takumi whined and rubbed his face against her limp arm, his tail wagging from side to side. He hadn't seen her in what seemed like forever! He was so happy!

But something was wrong.

Takumi sat back on his haunches and pawed at her side, but jumped back when Araile's back arched. Kakashi took a kunai knife from his pouch and cut the bandages away gently. His eye narrowed when he noticed her wound.

Dried blood was crusted around the edges, and pus tinged with blood began oozing out at an alarming rate. The skin around the wound was now turning into a yellowish brown colour.

This was bad.