Rasa felt a sudden relief when the third Kazekage made his appearance.  Sasori arriving with his comrades brought relief to the sand ninja.  The sound ninja seemed hesitant to keep fighting whenever the third Kazekage made his appearance. The Oto-nin continued to fight, but when they realized that they were going to lose, they tried to flee. Deidara prevented them from fleeing with his bombs. He would surround them with his clay figures and when they neared it, it would explode.

Rasa, Gaara, and the third Kazekage used their sand to let the Oto-nin sink into the ground while the remaining Suna ANBU would knock out the stragglers. Chiyo, Sasori, and Kisame incapacitated the ninja that were trapped. Sakura, Kankuro, and Temari stuck to the edges with some jonin and chunin, blocking the spots that Deidara couldn't manage. 

It didn't take long for the Suna shinobi to quickly finish up the fight. With a majority of the Oto-nin unconscious, and the Suna shinobi who turned incapacitated in the sand, the third Kazekage seemed satisfied with the turnout. It wasn't long before Sakura found herself standing by Rasa and the sand siblings. Deidara circled them in the sky before he landed and joined the group followed by Kisame and Chiyo. Sasori and the third Kazekage were the last to arrive.

"Where's Teki?" The third Kazekage asked the group crossing his arms and scanning the battlefield for said man.

"He ran." Rasa replied. The third scowled and shook his head. "He was never fit to be the Kazekage." The third stated. Then he sighed and turned to an ANBU. "Go check on the villagers. See to it that they are told the fight is over and it is safe to return to their houses." The ANBU nodded and disappeared along with another ANBU. "It was an attack by Otogakure. The other Kage will be interested to hear this." The Kazekage told the group. Suddenly a big white bird landed behind Deidara and Kisame. Zabuza stood on it grinning behind the bandages covering his mouth.

"I found him. He didn't get too far away. In fact, his was trying to hide in a small town." Zabuza claimed. "Though I offered to bring him back to Suna without harm. He didn't take to kindly to the idea." The bird's mouth opened to reveal and unconscious Teki. The third Kazekage nodded.

"Where's Furai?" Sakura asked. Zabuza's grin dropped.

"The kid wasn't anywhere near Teki. I didn't see him so I think Teki dropped him somewhere." Zabuza claimed.

"We need to focus on repairs to the buildings that were damaged. Kudos to you for getting the fight away from the village as fast as you did. But there are still repairs to be made. You three are welcome to reside in the village for a couple days to get back on your feet." The Kazekage nodded to Deidara, Kisame, and Zabuza, "but I want to speak with you before you leave. Rasa, I need to speak with you later." Rasa nodded.

"Kazekage-sama." Chiyo called.  "What of these ninja." Chiyo gestured to the unconscious enemies. 

"We will contain them until we can find another solution." The third Kazekage stated.  Sasori nodded.

"There's an abandoned prison beside the underground area I live in.  Suna hasn't used it in years.  You can use that." Sasori grunted out.  That was when Sakura noticed that he was barely able to stand.  His skin was pale white, and he looked as if he would fall down any minute. 

"Senpai?" Sakura asked drawing attention to her.  Sasori looked at her and she saw his bloodshot eyes.  Suddenly he began to fall forward, but Sakura sprinted and caught him, lowering him to the ground slowly. 

"Sasori!" Chiyo called worriedly.  Sakura immediately began to check him over, her medic instinct that Tsunade showed her kicking in.  Hovering her hand over his chest, she tried to use her chakra to find out what was wrong.  The third Kazekage turned and yelled out some orders to the ninja. 

"We should get him to the hospital." The Kazekage said to Chiyo.  "It will be easier to identify what's happening to him there." Chiyo nodded.

"Chiyo-sama, I'll carry him." Rasa offered. 

"Hurry." Chiyo said.  Rasa nodded and picked up Sasori before running to the hospital with Sakura right behind him.

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"Poison." Sakura said bitterly when she finally identified the problem.  Sasori had been coughing, had a fever, and he had been gasping for breath.  By listening to his chest, Sakura determined that there was fluid in his lungs, which they would have to get out as soon as they could. 

These symptoms led her to believe that he had caught a virus from someone, but that wouldn't have been possible considering he had spent the past couple of days with her and the others.  He couldn't have gotten sick in the time he was with Deidara, the symptoms were too quick for that to be possible.  There was only one other option, which was poison.  Sakura turned to the medical staff.

"There's fluid in his lungs.  I need you to focus on getting it out.  I have to go and check on something.  I'll be back as quickly as I can." Sakura demanded before she sprinted out of the room.  The pinkette ran out of the hospital and sprinted her way to where she and Sasori had lived together.  She saw the third Kazekage letting the Oto-shinobi in the prison, and so Sakura ran past him.  She wasn't too far from the Kazekage when she had released the genjutsu that hid her living quarters.  Running inside Sakura looked around the small room before spotting a large book that sat alone on a bookshelf.

"It's the only book I need." She remembered Sasori saying.  She picked it up to reveal the cover, 'Poisons and Antidotes' written in Sasori's neat handwriting.  Sakura immediately began to flip through the book, looking through the poisons.  Finally she found the one she was looking for, and her stomach dropped when the symptoms matched. 

'Ricin

Castor Beans,

prevents cells from making proteins it needs-

can be inhaled, ingested, or injected.'

Sakura's eyes scanned the page, looking through Sasori's unorganized notes. 

'Antidote- None.'

Sakura's eyes widened.  Using one hand to hold the page, Sakura used the other to flip to the back of the book to a page labeled, 'In Progress'.  Sakura scanned the antidote column.

'Ricin-see page 394.'

Sakura flipped over to page 394, and scanned the page.  She found Ricin in the middle, between cyanide and amatoxin. 

'Ricin- antidote, none- possible ingredients-'

Sakura read through the list of ingredients hopefully.  She sighed and ripped out the page of the book, along with the page about ricin.  Sasori would yell at her later for it.  She needed to find the ingredients for the antidote. 

Sakura arrived back at the hospital pretty quickly, and by the time she got back, they had finished getting the fluid out of Sasori's lungs.  Sakura noticed Chiyo standing by the door. 

"Chiyo-sama." Sakura called breathlessly.  Chiyo looked at Sakura questioningly, and Sakura held out the papers she took.  Chiyo's eyes scanned the papers. 

"Sakura, you won't find any of these here." Chiyo stated.  Sakura sighed.

"I know.  But he's poisoned.  This is our only option, unless you can think of something else." Chiyo closed her eyes and nodded.  "While I'm gone you'll have to give him medical care.  If you do that then you'll be able to keep him from dying.  I'll make a list of everything you can do an-"

"Sakura." Sakura stopped talking and she looked up to Chiyo.  "Thank you." Sakura's eyes widened.  "Now go make the list and then get out of here.  We can handle everything here, you just focus on getting that antidote."

"Thank you Chiyo-sama." Sakura said.

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$&

"Hokage-sama?" Gai asked.  Minato looked down at the scroll that sat on his desk.  Suna had sent a bird, carrying the scroll, telling that they were attacked, warning Konoha about Otogakure.  Minato pursed his lips and furrowed his brow in concentration. 

"Gai.  Go find me Team 12, the medics.  Your team will escort them to Sunagakure.  You'll get more details when the other team arrives."  Gai nodded.

"Hai Hokage-sama." Gai disappeared.  Moments later there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Minato called.  A boy about 15 years old walked in.  He was pale, had black hair, and he had black eyes. 

"You requested me?" Sai asked.  Minato sighed and nodded. 

"Sai, you're going to be put on a team temporarily.  Team ten.  Shikamaru was promoted to chunin, so we need a temporary replacement while he goes on a mission."  Sai nodded and gave the Hokage a smile. 

"Hai."

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$

"Kabuto-sama." A familiar annoying voice ran in Kabuto's ears.

"Yes Tarko-san." Kabuto replied.

"The Suna attack.  It's complete."  Tarko claimed.  Kabuto looked over the shogi board in front of him.

"Did we win?" Kabuto asked not sparing a glance at Tarko.  Tarko held back a gulp.

"N-no sir." Kabuto picked up a shogi piece and knocked down another with it.

"Hm.  And what of the Tsuyois?" Kabuto asked.
"Teki ran during the fight but an ally to Suna captured him.  Furai's location is unknown."  Tarko relayed quickly.  Kabuto thought for a moment.

"Find him.  He could be a valuable asset."  Kabuto declared.

"B-but sir.  He's no ninja." Tarko claimed.  Kabuto picked up another shogi piece.

"Find him." Kabuto repeated.  Tarko nodded shakily and began to exit the room.  "And Tarko." Kabuto called.

"Y-yes sir."

"Why is it that you are always the one who brings the bad news?" Kabuto asked.  Tarko froze before giving an honest answer.

"Everyone else is too afraid to sir."  Kabuto smirked.

"Good." He mumbled as the door shut.

$&$&$&$&$&$&$&$

So Sai's in the game now.  Who would've thought.  The question is though, how?
Anyways, do you guys like the new titles and covers?  I figured I should try to mature the story a bit.  I still have to edit them and all but we'll worry about that part later.

I'm sorry that these last couple of chapters have been Sakura-centric. The next couple chapters won't have much Sakura.