✔️Heal My Heart {Kakashi Hatake}

42 | epidemic

When I woke up the next morning, Kakashi was gone, though I couldn't remember him leaving. Actually, as I though about it, I couldn't even remember getting home. Kakashi must have carried me.

As the thought occurred to me, I felt a blush rise to my face. My feelings for Kakashi confused me sometimes. I felt extremely embarrassed by the idea of him carrying me around, yet in some weird way I almost wanted him to. He was undeniably an idiot, and I told him so every time he did something stupid, yet I wouldn't have replaced his company for that of anyone else.

I groaned in exasperation and rolled out of bed. As I did, there was a tap on my window, and a messenger hawk dropped a note on the ledge before flying off. I opened the window and retirees the scroll.

Miyoshi,

It has come to my understanding that a civilian mother of one, Mrs Yuuhi, died last night of an unknown illness while in your care. I want you in my office within the hour to give a report.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Third Hokage

I stared at the letter. A hand-written, direct summon? Such a thing was a rarity. It was not something I could easily ignore, so I dressed quickly and made my way directly to Hokage Tower.

Lord Third was waiting for me in his office when I arrived. I bowed as I entered.

"I received your letter, sir," I said.

"Yes. Please give all the details of the illness you treated and what healing techniques you used."

I was a little surprised at the intensity of the Hokage's demand, but I complied.

"Sir. I was called in to the patient's home at two am yesterday, where I discovered the patient to be in a deep fever. The children reported that she had been fine in the evening before putting the youngest one to bed, but she had suddenly fallen into the fever in her sleep. By the time I arrived, the fever had worsened so much that the patient's vitals were beginning to slip, and her temperature was in the danger zone. When I began working, I couldn't diagnose a cause of the fever, so I worked under the assumption that it was a natural cause. I used ice to keep the patient's temperature low and used poultices to try and combat the fever from within. Eight hours later, at ten am, Kakashi Hatake came by to visit and with the help of his Sharingan, we located a small puncture wound on the patient's neck, too small for the naked eye to see. Upon closer investigation, I discovered that it appeared to have been an injection of a plant I could not identify."

"You couldn't identify the plant?" The Hokage interrupted.

"No, sir." I frowned at the floor. "I performed an emergency surgery and expended most of my chakra using medical ninjutsu, but the cause hadn't been identified soon enough and the patient was lost."

"I see." Lord Third sat back in his chair and took a puff on his pipe.

"If you'll pardon my asking, sir," I began, "is there a reason why you wanted to see me?"

"We've had numerous cases showing similar symptoms admitted to Konoha hospital over the last week."

"What?" I gasped. "How many? What happened?"

"Regrettably, our medics have been unable to save any of the patients. There were three casualties, and a further four are in intensive care as we speak. Your report was particularly interesting. None of the medics at the hospital were able to diagnose a cause, but you say there was an odd injection?"