When Shota regained consciousness, he found himself on a bed and everything hurt. His body felt like it had been run over by a herd of camels.
Every muscle ached, his left shoulder burned from the iron sand wound, and his skin felt tight from the burns he had suffered. He was covered in bandages. Not his usual binding cloth ones but real medical bandages used to treat serious wounds.
He was instantly on alert. 'Where am I?' he thought, trying to sit up despite the pain.
"At ease, Shota Aizawa," a woman said gently.
Shota looked at her and noticed the Suna headband on her forehead. She was a medical ninja from the village. Relief washed over him slightly, but he remained cautious.
"You are at Suna Outpost #43 in the Land of Wind," she informed him calmly.
"How did I get here?" Shota asked, his voice rough and tired.
"Our base sensor felt strong chakra fluctuations and even from here we could see some strong fire style jutsu being used. A team was dispatched to see what was happening. They found you unconscious and injured," she explained.
"I was the only one there?" Shota asked carefully.
"Yes. Whoever was fighting you managed to escape. Could you please tell me who you were fighting and what happened? The whole outpost is in an uproar. When the team arrived, they had seen the sand for kilometres had turned into glass. They themselves could feel the heat of the fire style jutsu that was being used. Were you the one who used the jutsu? Someone was strong enough to battle the Eraserhead of Suna and escape?"
"Miss, you ask too many questions to someone who is very injured. Are you this rude to all your patients?" Shota said tiredly, leaning back against the pillow.
"I am sorry. It is just that everyone here considers you very strong and a hero of Suna. But to see you in this condition says that there are stronger people out there," she said with a genuinely sorry expression on her face.
'Hmm, so Sasori nii-san could not bring himself to kill me. It feels good that I was not wrong about him having feelings and emotions. But what was that? Did he make Sakumo Hatake his puppet and kept it in his last scroll that he did not use in the anime?' Shota was still in shock at seeing Sakumo's puppet. Never could he have imagined Sasori would have made the White Fang his puppet.
'But it kinda makes sense. The man killed his parents. And well... now I know why Sakumo was not reanimated by either Orochimaru or Kabuto. It was because they never found the remains of his body. They were with Sasori san,' he analyzed quietly in his mind.
"I understand. Could you tell me where is my stuff?" Shota asked, shaking himself from the thoughts of Sasori having the puppet of a shinobi that could take on all three Sannin during his time.
She pointed to the side. "Your gear is there."
Shota checked to see if all the proof that he had collected was still there or not. It was still there, but Shota noticed an extra scroll mixed in with his pile. He used chakra strings to bring that scroll to himself. That small usage of chakra sent fresh pain down his body, making him groan loudly.
"You should not be using chakra. You are suffering from severe chakra exhaustion. You need to be in bed for at least two weeks," the medical ninja said firmly.
'While I would like to be in bed for two weeks, I do not think it is the right time for that. Ugh, how life screws you when you are getting the most important thing in your life but the situation demands you to not have it,' Shota thought.
He always imagined himself lying in a soft bed for two whole weeks, napping, eating good food, and recovering like a normal person. Instead, here he was, planning to run off on an important mission while feeling like a dried-up cactus. Life really had a funny way of kicking him when he was already down.
'If this is what chakra exhaustion feels like, kudos to Kakashi for suffering from this a dozen times at least just in the anime,' he thought as he opened the extra scroll. Of course, after checking it was not rigged with an explosion seal or some other trap.
As he read the contents, his expression turned into a wide grin. 'Now that is a reunion gift if I have seen any, Sasori nii-san,' Shota thought happily.
The extra documents provided even stronger evidence against Elder Daigo. Sasori had given him exactly what he needed to strengthen his case.
The iryo-nin said, "We have sent a runner to Suna to inform the Kazekage of this situation."
"That would have to wait. Could you get me someone to carry me to the capital? I am on a very urgent mission that cannot wait," Shota said, trying to sit up again.
The medical ninja's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious? You have severe burns, a pierced shoulder, and extreme chakra exhaustion. You cannot even stand properly right now!"
"I am serious. The mission is more important than my rest. Just find me a strong shinobi who can carry me on his back. I will be fine," Shota replied stubbornly.
"Absolutely not! As your doctor, I refuse. You will stay in this bed for at least two weeks. If you try to leave, I will tie you down myself!" she argued, crossing her arms.
Shota sighed. "Look, I appreciate your concern, but the fate of the village might depend on this. I promise I will rest after I finish. Just one quick trip to the capital. I will even let you give me extra bandages for the road."
The woman looked at him like he had gone crazy. "Extra bandages? You are going to collapse halfway and die! Do you want to make me look bad in front of the Kazekage? No means no, Lord Eraserhead or not!"
The argument continued for several minutes with both sides refusing to back down.
Shota kept trying to negotiate while the medical ninja grew more and more frustrated with his stubbornness.
--------Author Notes---------
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