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Chapter 70: Surgery
Masaomi sits at Maiyuri's bedside while Shizuko sits in a chair by the window asleep. Masaomi's gaze is sorrow filled as he holds the hand of his sensei tightly, “Sensei...” painful memories of Masaomi's past roam through his head as he fears for a repeat of pain and anguish. Just then Masaomi feels a tighter warm grip, squeezing his hand. He looks up to see Maiyuri's eyes just barely open in a gentle dazed like fashion. “Sensei!”
Masaomi's voice wakes Shizuko from her sleep. Shizuko immediately notices Maiyuri's eyes open and her reaction becomes the same as Masaomi. Maiyuri, turns her head to Shizuko and smiles at her, “Shizuko...Masaomi, thank you for being the first people I see when I wake up.” Maiyuri says softly. Tears immediately begin to fall down Masaomi's and Shizuko's face, immensely happy to hear their teacher's voice but saddened for the bitter sweetness of the situation. Maiyuri's smile strays feeling the pain in the hearts of her students, “Please don't cry.”
“But sensei...” Masaomi sobs, “you're too weak...you shouldn't be wasting your energy like this!” Masaomi's tone changes though he still cries. “You need to rest so you can recover.”
“Yes, please rest sensei.” Shizuko pleas.
Maiyuri shifts her head slowly across the room, “Where's Koga?”
“He was sent on a mission...he couldn't get out of it, his skills were the best for the job.” Masaomi says. “He became a chuunin!” Masaomi tries to lighten the tension, smiling and bringing up his tone as he speaks.
“Did he now...” Maiyuri smiles.
“Yeah, Shizuko and I didn't make it ourselves but we definitely will next time around.”
“I know you will, you're both so strong. Even if you don't yet realize it yet. The potential you both have is simply amazing. When you tap into it the possibilities for you are endless.”
Shizuko begins to cry again, more vigorously and she throws herself on Maiyuri's chest “Sensei!” Maiyuri brings her arm around Shizuko and looks at her with a sullen look.
“Masaomi...Shizuko, no matter what happens I promise I'll always be with you. Please know that. “ Maiyuri begins, “I will fight with everything I have to stay alive and to be with you three again, but no matter what happens to my body, the three of you need to know that I will never leave your side.” Masaomi's tears run down his face like a river as he tries his hardest to stop but fails miserably.
“Damn you...DAMN YOU KOICHI!!” Masaomi shouts at the top of his lungs. “You monster...I swear I will—”
A knock on the door gets the attention of the three Suna civilians in the room. As the door opens Masaomi and Shizuko look with astonishment at the person walking into the room. “You must be Maiyuri.” Sakura says looking at the bed ridden kunoichi. Sakura shifts her eyes to Masaomi and Shizuko, “I remember the two of you from the exams a few months ago.”
“Sakura-san...what are you doing here?” Masaomi asks.
“I was asked to come here by one of your villagers to see what I could do to help.” Sakura's voice is casual. “He begged your Kazekage to let him come to Konoha and request for me personally.”
“Let it alone Sakura.” A voice from outside the room says. Koji enters the room from the dark hallway.
“Koji, you brought Sakura here?” Masaomi asks. Koji shakes as he holds out his left hand extending a few strands of his chakra threads from his hand into the hall. He flicks his wrist pulling Koichi into the room, causing him to stumble a little.
“Hey!” Koichi says annoyed.
“Koichi?!” Masaomi says with shock. Maiyuri's expression on her face quickly changes and goes south into a fit of anger. Sakura shifts her eyes back towards Maiyuri subtly and notices her change in mood. Masaomi steps forward, “Don't think this is going to make me like you or anything! This doesn't change what you did!”
“I don't care if you like me or hate me,” Koichi says with a surprisingly calm and collected tone and expression. “I didn't do this to get you to like me, I did this to keep you and the others from losing someone precious to you. I know all to well how it feels to lose those closest to you and so do you. I'm not going to let my comrades hurt like that again.”
Masaomi is rendered speechless after Koichi's words. “Sorry, but I'm going to need you all to leave. I need to run some tests before I can begin with the rest of this. Koji, I'll need your help.” Sakura says. Koichi turns away and exits the room without any hesitation. Masaomi and Shizuko are reluctant however, Maiyuri smiles at the two of them, reassuring them and both exit the room. “Koji set up a pan of warm water with the ingredients I brought in my bag.”
“Alright.”
Sakura places her hand over Maiyuri's chest and begins gauging the damage done to her. Sakura's eyes fall to a sympathetic one, “You're in a lot of pain aren't you. Being conscious only adds to your suffering doesn't it?” Sakura begins.
“It was a sacrifice I had to make.” Maiyuri's voice shakes unlike before, obviously revealing her true pain now.
“For those two...they really mean a lot to you.” Sakura says.
“They're my children, they might as well be.” Maiyuri says. “Will you be able to save me?” Maiyuri asks.
“To be honest, I don't know, but I promise you that I will give every ounce of my being to help you.” Sakura says with confidence. Maiyuri sighs a sigh of relief and looks up into to ceiling. Sakura's look goes south again, curiosity from a previous moment returns to her, “I have a question I want to ask you,” Sakura begins, “Why do you hold hatred for Koichi?”
Koji shifts his eyes to the side paying attention to the conversation between the two kunoichi. Maiyuri's look becomes slightly vacant, “He's the host of that monster...the monster that took my father away from me. I know he wasn't the one, I know the previous Jinchuuriki wasn't the one at fault but I can't see past it. I can never see past it. My feelings of sadness and anger, and aggression have to go somewhere.”
“I see...so you're still unable to see Koichi, all you see is a Jinchuuriki.” Sakura's words confuse Maiyuri slightly, “I'm going to put you to sleep now, you're under a lot of stress as it is.” Sakura brings her hand to Maiyuri's head and Maiyuri falls asleep within seconds, not fighting the escape from her pain. Sakura turns to Koji, “Is everything ready?”
Koji nods and he brings the pan of water to Sakura, placing it on the table and she begins her test.
~Two Days Pass~
“Alright, think of this like genjutsu release, you're slowing down the flow of chakra and then, at the right time, you increase the flow,” Sakura begins, standing before three medics. The Suna medics stand over a practice dummy using their medical techniques, focusing intensely. The flow of chakra inside the dummy simulates that of an actual person and the details of the flow are visible through the transparency of the dummy. “This is the hardest job in this surgery, everybody has to be on point.”
Koji and Rin are among the medics aiding the flow of chakra. Rin looks over to Koji as he begins to struggle in his part with flow of the chakra. *His adaptation skill doesn't make up for the skill of practice. He's able to get the concept down and preform the tasks, but only briefly...we've been at this for hours and he's beginning to show his struggle.* Rin thinks to herself.
“Now enhance the flow!” Sakura says with authority. Quickly, the three medics increase the flow of the chakra in the dummy, knocking out it's restrictions, “Now keep that focus!” The medics now focus on maintaining the rapid flow of chakra into every crevice of the dummy. Koji's control falters slightly and the sync of the other two medics is broken as a result. “Koji!” Sakura says with sternness.
“Forgive me.” Koji says bowing his head.
Sakura sighs, “The medics in this part of the surgery need to be in complete sync, if they aren't then the entire technique falters. In this case, it's a three way division of the task, when a third of that division completely bails out the technique immediately tries to compensate for the loss and extract chakra from the other 2 thirds. When that happens the other divided areas lose their own stability and with no place to draw from the technique dissipates. This is same with every technique, insufficient chakra control leads to the technique backfiring or not working at all.” Sakura explains.
“Sakura-sama, with all due respect, Koji is still only novice. His skills are strong but it doesn't compensate for the skills experienced medics have through repetition and practice.” Rin says. Rin bows her head, “I don't believe Koji is ready for this task. He has only had two days of practice and he can't hold the control for long periods.”
“I agree with Rin, Koji shouldn't participate in this surgery.” The other medic says.
“What you both say is true, but...” Sakura points to Koji and both turn to see him standing over the dummy and going through the procedure again, “Koji adapts quickly and that's a strength. His weakness is the length of time and potency of his abilities...however that can be fixed with practice. Koji has that work ethic that allows him to get to that point of mastery.”
“But can we afford the time for him to get to that level of mastery?” The jounin medic says, “After all, the longer we wait, the higher the chance of failure is for the surgery, we need to act soon.”
“I know...but this is the only way we can get this done, I have to facilitate and three medics is the ideal for this procedure. Like you said earlier, there are no available jounin medics available to replace Koji. Koji getting this down is the only chance we have.” Sakura says solemnly.
Koichi leans outside Suna's operating room staring down at the ground with an intense glare of frustration and shame. The memories of the Jomae attack on Suna begin to flash in his head. Foot steps approach Koichi as he stares, enticed in his guilt.
“Koichi,” A voice says. Ryoko comes up beside Koichi, yet he doesn't acknowledge her. Ryoko sighs and lowers her head, she shoots and undercut into Koichi's stomach and Koichi hobbles over.
“You crazy bit...” Koichi pauses before he speaks any further looking at Ryoko's terrifying glare, “What was that for?” Koichi says.
“Standing out here feeling guilty isn't going to do anything,” Ryoko says, “I'm starting to get tired of your sulking.” Ryoko's voice is casual turning her head away from Koichi.
“Look, you have no idea how I feel an—”
“And I don't really care,” Ryoko cuts off, “The only thing I care about is what this is turning you into.” Ryoko says. “If you always let the past have so much authority over your present and future you'll never be as strong as I know you can be.” Koichi looks down at the ground contemplating Ryoko's words. “You've corrected this situation by getting Sakura down here all you can do now is say you've done your best and wait for the results.”
Ryoko walks away just as Koga comes walking down the hall to Koichi. Koichi looks up and notices his comrade in his Suna gear walking towards him. Koichi stands and faces the blankly expressed Koga. “I heard from Kankuro about what you did, going all the way to Konoha to bring Sakura Haruno to operate on Maiyuri.” Koichi doesn't say anything, he just goes back to leaning against the wall. Koga turns his back to the wall and leans as well. “You don't know how much this means...to all of us.” Koga begins, “Even Masaomi and Shizuko. Despite how Masaomi may have acted to you about it, he's grateful as well.”
“I don't care about that Koga.” Koichi says.
“I know you don't and that's why I want to apologize to you. For the things I've said and thought about you. I realized the blame for everything that's transpired isn't on you, but it wasn't until now that it truly resonated with me just how wrong I was.” Koga begins, “I told you back in Konoha just after the exams, that I couldn't figure a way else to release my frustration, to deal with the reality of what happened no matter how much I saw the truth. However, even after that you went out of your way, not for our forgiveness, but purely for us.” Koga tightens his fist and looks down with guilt, “No matter what happens Koichi...I'll make up for everything I've done.”
Just then the doors in the operating room fly open and a female medic bursts out looking frantic. “Where's Sakura-sama?!” The medic turns to Koichi and Koga.
“What's going on?” Koga asks.
“It's Maiyuri, her reserves are beginning to deplete more rapidly now. She needs the surgery now.” Koichi and Koga both get looks of shock and despair on their faces at the words of the medical kunoichi.
Koichi and Koga arrive with the medic in the training hall where Sakura and the other medics are. They tell Sakura of Maiyuri's situation and Sakura turns to Koji. “I see...we can't wait any longer.”
Sakura and the three other medics head out towards the operating room, meeting up with the other three medics assigned to the task operation. They enter the large dark room with Maiyuri on the operating table. Koji, Rin and the other jounin medic before the unconscious body on either side of her and at the head of her bed. The other three medics in the room stand around a circular table with several small glass jars on it and four scrolls in the center aligned in a square like formation with a hole in the center baring a seal. Sakura stands at the foot of Maiyuri's bed and she makes the ram seal.
~Konoha's Medical Corp~
Hinata, Kana, and another medic stand over Shikamaru's body while Ino stands behind the foot of his bed with the ram seal. Three other medics in the room are before a table with several glass jars around it and four scrolls in the center alined in a square formation with a seal in the middle.
In their respective operating rooms, Sakura and Ino both sigh as they prepare for the surgery, “Lets begin.”
To Be Continued...
Author's Note:
So far so good in terms of releasing my chapters every week. I have a quarter or so of chapter 71 done as well and I should be able to finish that chapter for next week's release. Please tell me what you think, what you like/dislike and your opinions. To those of you who read/comment/rep/like this post, I thank you. Enjoy 
