His Gift to Her (Mary Sue Series)

Chapter 48

Despite the heaviness in her body, Sakura's heart lifted with a surge of hope. She couldn't move, but she could hear the familiar voice of her former teacher.

"Hatake Kakashi," Qui sneered. 

"Our first reunion and so quick to disrespect your mentor?" Kakashi Sensei scoffed, tightening his grip on his newfound weapon, Zabuza's sword. 

"Mhm." Qui gave him a brief smile. Kakashi wasn't alone. He had his group staying back behind the forest, a good aways from her. They were far enough that if she didn't focus, she wouldn't be able to sense them. Yet they were close enough to run and attack her or support Kakashi if needed. 

"I see Sakura wasn't able to get through you," Kakashi Sensei murmured, ready to battle. 

"But I wouldn't instigate a fight now if I were you, Hatake Kakashi," a second intruder spat, revealing himself. Qui recognized that angry tone and stepped vertically aside to see New Madara holding Sakura with a kunai to her throat. 

"Who are you?" Kakashi Sensei demanded, his team of Allied Shinobi coming up from behind to aid him. 

"A concern I have no doubt you will ponder upon. But I'm not here to fight you all at this moment. I only came to pick up...my protégée. I'm sure you would rather save Haruno Sakura than bring Qui to your headquarters. Come, Qui."

"Hai." 

Kakashi Sensei could only glare angrily as Qui was pulled towards the unknown man and Sakura was thrown unceremoniously towards him. 

"Until we meet again, Hatake Kakashi." 

As soon as Sakura was in their hands, some people tried attacking Qui and her presumably guardian. However, in the next moment, Qui deflected the attack with a kunai and the man behind Qui made them vanish and disappear. 

"Get the medics! She has been poisoned!" Kakashi ordered, hoping he might be able to save at least one student when this war was over. He didn't wish to repeat the past with overflowing memories of dead comrades in his arms. 

"Hai!" As people rushed to do as they were told, Kakashi spared a moment to look at his half-dead student. She couldn't move or speak. She body was completely frozen as though dead. The poison in her system was damaging her far too much, and they needed an antidote now.

"Good work," New Madara praised, as they jumped through the time-dimensions and landed right where Kabuto was. 

Only Kabuto wasn't alone.

"Fancy meeting you here," Uchiha Itachi greeted, swinging Sasuke's katana right at them.

Instinctively, New Madara flung Qui away from him as the katana sliced right through him, going to the time and space dimension instead. 

"I underestimated you. Then again, you've already taken yourself out of this war," New Madara retorted, holding up his hand. The katana fell from Itachi's hand and clattered noisily onto the ground.

"Kabuto? Kabuto!" Qui called, noticing her ex-uncle was standing still, unmoving just as Sakura had been. 

"He's under a special genjutsu," Sasuke explained briefly. 

"We are losing many numbers, indeed," New Madara agreed viciously, effectively stopping Itachi as the man's corpse began to break into little paper-like pieces. "No matter. They can't stop our leader from merging." 

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke asked, voicing Qui's own confusion. 

"Whether you remain as our ally or become an enemy is of no concern anymore. You can do as you wish," New Madara said, ignoring the teenager's inquiry. 

"Sasuke?" Qui glanced questioningly over at her cousin.

Sasuke didn't respond immediately, yet that hardly fazed New Madara. The Akatsuki leader stepped away, beckoning Qui to follow. New Madara first checked Kabuto's statue-like form, head bowed and body completely motionless. The girl hesitated, sparing a final glance at her cousin, then followed her mentor. 

Sasuke stared blankly at his cousin's back, then where his brother had been. Secrets he had never known had been revealed and overwhelmed him. He completed his original goal to kill his brother Itachi and gained another revenge goal to destroy Konoha. Yet after talking with his brother, he was at a loss once again. 

What should he do? Follow New Madara? Or honor his brother's path and return to his birth village? 

"Qui!" he called out, but his cousin had already disappeared with her mentor. He would just have to find other people to talk to...

Sasuke looked over at Kabuto. New Madara hadn't done a thing to him. However, Kabuto's work in the war had just given him an idea. Why not ask the founding fathers a couple questions and then decide his new goal? 

"How is she?" Kakashi asked urgently. Sakura had to be taken to a suitable place to take care of the poison coursing through her veins and causing more damage at a fast pace. The doctors treating her had only bare seconds to save their fellow medical ninja.

"Neither good or bad," the response came. "She's no longer in a fatal state, but she's also nowhere near close to being safe. Count it luck you were there to bring her in as fast as possible. But still, if you could have brought her in even a little bit sooner..." the nurse trailed off shaking his head. 

Kakashi let his shoulders drop. However, it was far too early to celebrate. If Sakura needed to be given treatment that would exhaust their supplies and the doctor's time, then Kakashi would definitely lose his student. 

Unlike normal, peaceful conditions, a patient would stay in the hospital or authorized care of someone else qualified to treat their injuries or sickness until the patient was better or completely healed, depending on the situation. 

However, since they were in the midst of war, building a hospital on the battlefield was out of the question. The medics resorted to tents and relied on nurses to bring supplies which were often used sparingly as possible to extend as much help for as many people that would come in.

Kakashi glanced worriedly at the closed tent Sakura was currently being treated in. Another additional rule was fixed over patients when during a war. If a patient's estimated treatment required extensive use of supplies and a long time for recovery, then the patient might not be given the treatment and die off slowly.