| [Jan. 22nd, 2010|08:54 pm] |
Killed you.
Kakashi snapped his teeth closed on the answer and focused on what he could do about it. Genma was curled like a comma, fingers digging into his hair, legs pulled up as far as he could get them. But talking, which suggested whatever pain had dropped him was receding just a little.
Okay. Okay.
What had Kakashi done to Genma exactly? He'd seen it with the sharingan, and it only took a moment's focus to pull the image back into view: his lungs spasming with a rising cough; his hands slipping; the unnatural shapes Genma's chakra coils had wrenched into, only for a moment, before Kakashi had shoved them back into place.
The chakra coils around Genma's brainstem.
But it hadn't killed Genma instantly, so something was just damaged. And damage was repairable. What did the brainstem control? Kakashi's hands checked Genma's pulse while his thoughts picked up speed. Breathing, core body temperature, heart rate -- what else? Come on, he'd learned this years ago. Motor functions, most of the touch-related sensations, pain, and--and--
Sleep. Maintaining consciousness.
God. Of all bits of the brain to mess with.
But Genma was still breathing--swearing, actually--and his pulse was definitely there. Thready and not quite rhythmic, but there. So Kakashi just needed a plan. One involving actual, competent medics for preference.
Konoha was too far. Even if they'd set off at first light, they'd still be the better part of a day and a half away. And that was moving at full speed.
Waterfall's ninja village was closer, at least on a global scale. But still a good day's travel away, on the other side of the country, and Kakashi seriously doubted they'd have the technology or the skill. Not when most of their high-level shinobi had been wiped out in the war, along with half the damn village.
Which left Rock. Closer still, even if it was on the other side of the border, and definitely big enough and strong enough to have what they needed. Advanced enough.
But... it was Rock.
Kakashi looked down at Genma again, at pale skin sheened in sweat and ticking, trembling muscles. He'd done this. It was his mistake, his error to fix. The mission was over, objective achieved, which left keeping teammates alive as his one and only priority. If Rock could be persuaded to help...
There was a tentative treaty. But more importantly, they'd been wanting to skin Kakashi alive for years. He could use that, if nothing else.
"Right, okay," he murmured, steeling himself. The he lifted his voice. "Change of plan, Shiranui. Just stay very still and try not to break yourself."
The scroll was still in his hand. He backed up, sliced his thumb open on a kunai, wrenched up his chakra, and called his dogs. |
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