[on hold] Falling ━━ Kakashi Hatake

01 ━ Purge the Poison

one, Purge the Poison

DENIAL WAS POUNDING IN HER EARS AS HIMIKO STOOD BY THE UNCONSCIOUS FRAME OF HER YOUNGER BROTHER, his upper body wrapped up in bandages and his skin decorated with beads of sweat. Her hands were curled into fists, crescent moon marks left behind on her palm by her fingernails. Slowly, she uncurled her right fist, reaching out with her trembling fingers to softly stroke the forehead of her younger sibling.

Had she only been there sooner, maybe then she could have been of help.

"Poison is my specialty... but even I don't know of this. Sasori's grown a huge amount." explained Chiyo, one of the retired counselors of Sunagakure.

Himiko couldn't help but quietly curse the grandson of the woman, a man by the name of Sasori, who had the audacity to have done such a thing to her brother. She knew the redhead to be rather skilled when working with anything poisonous and puppets, a true master in the art of both. When she had been younger, she had the displeasure of meeting the then boy, mere years older than her, during several political campaigns. Never had she liked him or his intimidating presence.

Now he was a traitor.

"What should we do?" asked Baki, who stood opposite of Chiyo.

Himiko turned towards the two, removing her fingers from the forehead of her brother. Her attention was now solely focused on their conversation.

"Well, the one who has more knowledge about neutralizing poisons than me ... that would be the Slug of Konoha, Tsunade-Hime," Chiyo looked anything but delighted when speaking the current Hokage's name, lips twisted into a frown. "During the Great War, she was able to figure out the poisons I created, and mix antidotes immediately, which embarrassed me."

It was painfully obvious that the old woman was still bothered by her opponent's achievements.

"All you can do is call her here now ad ask her to examine him. You're allied to Konoha now, aren't you?"