29 the Antidote
A few hours later, Shizune returned with the completed antidote. She worked without ceremony, injecting it directly into Kankuro's system through a specialized medical needle. Everyone waited in tense silence.
Minutes passed.
Kankuro's breathing evened out. The gray tint to his skin faded, replaced by color, though exhaustion still weighed heavily on him. He exhaled slowly and opened his eyes.
"…I'm alive," he muttered.
Temari let out a shaky breath she hadn't realized she was holding.
"The poison's neutralized," Shizune said. "But your body's drained. Don't even think about moving around."
Kankuro ignored that part entirely.
He turned his head toward the guards. "Bring me the puppet I used in the fight. The one from the battlefield. Is it still intact?"
"Yes, Lord Kankuro," one of the jonin replied. "We recovered it."
A few minutes later, two guards carried the puppet into the room. Its surface was scarred, joints damaged, but intact enough. Kankuro slowly sat up, wincing, and began inspecting it with practiced hands. After a moment, he reached into one of its claws and pulled out a torn strip of cloth.
He held it out to Naruto.
"This isn't much," Kankuro said, voice rough, "but I tore it off one of them while fighting. One of the Akatsuki."
Naruto took the cloth carefully, eyes sharpening. "It's more than enough."
He turned and handed it to Kakashi. "Can you track it?"
Kakashi studied the fabric, then nodded. "Yes. It'll take some time, but this is a clean sample. A few hours at most."
"Then don't waste a second," Temari said.
Outside the hospital, Kakashi moved to the center of the road and bit his thumb. He slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Hound Pack."
Smoke burst outward, and one by one, Kakashi's ninken appeared, alert and focused. Kakashi knelt and held out the cloth.
"Memorize the scent. Track it. Find where it leads."
The dogs sniffed it in unison, their expressions turning serious.
"We've got it, boss," one of them said. "We'll report back soon."
With that, they vanished into the village, scattering in different directions.
Inside the hospital, the air felt different now. The panic had eased, replaced by something sharper.
They had a lead.
And Gaara was no longer just lost.
He was being hunted back.