All you need is love (Love Triangle)

Chapter 27

After weeks of relative peace, chaos now reigned at the hospital. All staff members were on call. All leave was canceled until further notice.

Akimichi Choji and Hyuuga Neji were in critical condition. Choji's entire body was experiencing cellular breakdown due to the side effects of the special pills he took which were not only toxic, but also not meant for such a young shinobi. Dozens of wires, which were hooked up to various monitors, ran in and out of his body. There was little the medical staff could do for him except monitor his vitals, give him sedatives to sleep and analgesics to ease the pain.

In intensive care unit 7, eight shinobi medics attended to the pride of the Hyuuga clan. Four of them sat at the corners of a complicated seal system drawn on the ground. The other four stood behind them. The group within the seal, led by Shizune (at Tsunade's request), channeled their chakra in unison to mend the gaping wound in Neji's shoulder. Three hours had already passed and the four medics were at their limit. The medics on standby switched off with those who could no longer channel enough chakra to aid the critically injured patient. Hyuuga Hiashi had made it a point that the Hyuuga clan would not be happy if anything happened to their strongest progeny, even if he was from the branch family. Fortunately for all, the hole in Neji's shoulder gradually started to mend.

There were other less critically injured shinobi, like Inuzuka Kiba and his little dog Akamaru. They still had to stay in bed but were luckily out of danger. Shiranui Genma had been released, but his comrade Namiashi Raidou was forced to stay behind another day as his injuries were more serious.

Hokage Tsunade was unusually studious and industrious these days. It was always a tragedy when one of their own died on a mission, but it was a worse tragedy if they were brought in alive and nothing could be done to heal them. She, the legendary medic nin, was not going to let anyone die on her watch, especially not the young shinobi who represented the future of Konoha. She consulted her medical texts over and over, calling for various ingredients including deer antler and exotic herbs which she ground together. She added solvent to extract the active ingredients, and then reduced the solvent to concentrate the solution. There would be no time to test the antidote for Choji's condition; Tsunade prayed that it would work.

Head Nurse Kuchiki Kaori always felt useless at times like these. She had neither the chakra or talent to truly help with the critical cases. All she could do was run errands like getting Tsunade her esoteric ingredients. Still she did the best that she could to keep everything running as smoothly as possible, which included scheduling breaks for her staff and rotating people, having some of them rest, but still on call for any further emergencies. She made sure the less critical patients were taking their medication regularly, and were comfortable and had everything they needed. She tried to keep their spirits up by being cheerful, patient and understanding, even though she nearly bit through her lip when dealing with the presumptuous and demanding Hyuuga clan.

What distracted her from her perfect work were the rumors. Uchiha Sasuke had left the village, became a missing nin, and those critically injured boys currently on the verge of death had been trying to bring him back. Were their lives worth less than that selfish brat who thought nothing of his village and comrades, who yearned only for and lived only for revenge? Whispers blamed his sensei who did not see it coming, who did nothing to prevent it. Just like all those years ago when Orochimaru left. There were those back then, and even now, who blamed Sandaime. If only he had killed his former pupil, then Orochimaru would not have returned just months ago to wreak further havoc and destruction. It was one of the very few, but very black, blights on Sandaime's record as hokage.

"Did you hear? Uchiha-Sasuke's gone rogue!"

"Uchiha Sasuke? That poor orphaned boy?"