Scar: *skids to a stop just outside the room, trying, without much success, to catch a glimpse of what's going on inside with all the people scrambling around, especially near the doorway*

Violet: *not one to waste time, or think practically, scrambles up onto Scar's shoulders, using the better vantage point to see past the taller adults into the room* *a loud, mortified gasp escapes her* S-Sensei...!

Scar: *nearly staggers, only keeping from doing so because of the knowledge that if she fell, Violet would as well, and that might result in gravely injuring her sister* *still, can't help but sag against the wall, which causes Violet to as well, though she's so caught up in her sudden fear that she hardly notices*

Jun: *curses under his breath but quickly comes to a decision and squirms around the doorway, using his small, slender size to his advantage and ignoring any annoyed comments he gets by hurried medics* *sticks to the edge of the room to try and get out of the way but to spy on what's going on for them*

Violet: *leaps lightly down from Scar's shoulders, instantly drawing her sister into a hug, regardless of how easily she herself is being swept up by her hopeless emotions* H-Hey, Scar, it's okay, Hibiki-sensei... he's gonna be okay!

Scar: *by this point has stopped listening, her body stiff and numb, disturbed by the revelation that her instincts were, yet again, on point at the worst possible time*

Medic Nin 4: *snappishly, to one of her colleagues* His fever's spiking, heart rate dropping... We're moving him! *slips around the other medics, taking hold of a gurney that had been placed in the room for just such a purpose* *rattling off instructions to the others as she and another medic work on maneuvering Hibiki onto the stretcher*

Jun: *cursing rapidly under his breath, wanting to get out and tell the girls what he's seeing and everything, but not wanting to get in the way of the medics* *yeah, regretting his optimistic words now cause it's almost like they cursed Hibiki* *suddenly deciding that he needs to get to the room that he remembered the guy mentioning that the research is going on in cause he's decided if they have something, anything, no matter how weak or incomplete it might be, they've got to use it now before something horrible happens* *yeah, might be panicking since disease isn't something he knows how to handle* *waits for his first chance to dart through the door, intent on telling the girls the thought*

Medic Nin 4: *finished strapping Hibiki down (afraid he'd be jostled off as they rush him down the hall), nods to the others, then joins another of her companions and begins wheeling Hibiki out of the room, the other medics parting for her passage*

Violet: *telltale tears appear on her lashes, rimming her wide eyes as she and Scar watch Hibiki being rushed past them* *clutches Scar closer to her, pressing the both of them against the wall so that they're no trampled by the parade of medic nin following after Hibiki* *choked* W-What're they... *realization hitting her, looks down at Scar, who's yet to move or make a single sound during all of this* Scar...?

Jun: *darts out of the room* I've got an i-*breaks off spotting Scar* *hesitates* ... Violet-chan... maybe you should take her from the hospital for now. *suggests gently* I don't think... she probably shouldn't be here right now.

Violet: Eh? But she... *drawing in a deep breath, nods firmly* Right! I can do that, no problem. *despite her strong voice, her lips are quivering quite obviously, and tears streak down her face, dying her mask a darker shade of gray as they catch on the cotton* Um, Jun... *pauses, in the midst of turning Scar around so that she's ready to move down the hall again*...Can you... can you tell Ari about this? I... *looking worriedly at Scar, who's now adopted a blank, unassuming expression, though tears dot the corners of her eyes* I don't wanna leave her alone...

Jun: *nods decisively, wishing that there was someone else with them he could send to try and talk to the people and see if there was anything they could give Hibiki as he doesn't like the idea of leaving Scar and Violet alone right now* I'm heading in that direction, I'll find her and keep an eye on her.

Violet: *just nods again, not wanting to risk speaking for fear that her words would only come out as warbled nonsense due to the sob building up in her chest* *hooking her arm through Scar's, takes off down the hall, disappearing out the door without a glance backwards*

Jun: *takes off as soon as they're gone, pulling up what way he needs to go from where they are in his mind*

Kurai: Hey, hey, are you sure it's alright for you to be the one trusted with all of this? *teasing* You're not the most reliable, you know.

Jun: *mutters* Shut up.

Kurai: *shrugs* Just saying~ Hey, what are you going to do if there's nothing you can do to help him? You did tell them that he was gonna be right as rain!

Jun: *settles for ignoring him, although his fists clench at his sides* *manages to find the right hall and skids around the corner* *darting down, glancing at the doors as he pulls up the one he needs in his head, skidding to a stop when he spots Ari inside a room* Oh, um, Ari-chan? *calls out*

Ari: *perks up, looking away from the man she'd been so engrossed in caring for* *grins broadly, jumping to her feet and skipping over to Jun* Yo, Jun! How's it going? *brows come together in a V as she looks around, expecting to see Scar or Violet with him* Weird... wasn't Scar with you? And Violet really shoulda been here by now... Oh, what about those herbs? Noriaki said they'd have some for fever, and I was hoping to use-- *breaks off, just noting the tension in Jun's face* ...What?

Jun: *hesitates, starting speaking before he's really thought about how to break the news to her* Well, I forgot about the herbs, I honestly have no clue where they're at. Scar had some sort of break down so she's with Violet cause of-- and I've got to go fix it if I can but I don't kno-- Hibiki-sensei's sicker. *just ends up breaking it bluntly, having switched directions with his words several times and then just giving up on breaking it gently*

Ari: *silent for a few heartbeats, taking in what she can from Jun's messy speech* *face slowly goes slack, her eyes widening to the point of disbelief* *without a word, shoves past Jun and races back the way he'd come, then stops short, her gaze flicking between the front entrance she can see just beyond the next door, and the room she'd heard frantic voices coming from not too long ago; she hadn't thought much of it except to pity the person they'd just brought to the critical ward* *bites her lip, tasting copper on her tongue, desperately trying to decide if she should go after Hibiki or find Scar and Violet*

Jun: *just curses again as he spins to follow her and stops by where she did* Hey, um... I was gonna. *gathers his thoughts* Aki-san sent Kazue-chan somewhere, right? I thought maybe we could... if they have something it might help and... it can't hurt. *yeah, thoughts- and his speech as a result- still jumping about while he's avoiding listening or looking at Kurai who's mocking his speech pattern at this point, stressful situations like this not being his forte anymore*

Ari: *gathering her resolve, releases the pressure on her lower lip and looks to Jun* Scar... Scar'd want me to find a way to help Sensei, so we're going with your plan. C'mon, I remember the room Akihiko pointed out to Kazue. *her calm demeanor is only due to her astonishing shock, and because she knows she can't break down like Scar in this situation, as Violet wouldn't be able to handle two of them going off the deep end at the same time* *offers her hand to Jun, a grim smile on her lips*

Jun: *takes it, relieved that his words were clear enough* Okay, let's go!

Kazue: *while she hasn't gotten anything near a cure, she's seeing results in the virus shrinking somewhat in her samples, the papers she'd been referring to scattered all around the area she'd been working in, her own notes everywhere as well, the only clean workspace being the area with the sample and the paper with the chemicals in her current strands of work*

Ari: *bursts into the research room, still holding tight to Jun's hand* Kazue! Get your ass out here right now! *yeah, basically doesn't at all care how she seems to others, too distraught over what's happening to her sensei and her sisters to think about anything as trivial as that*

Kazue: *surprised, darts to the door and peers through* Hey, what's going on, you really shouldn't be in-*catches sight of their expressions and freezes* What happened?

Ari: *her breathing turning slightly erratic as the situation finally starts catching up to her* *fighting to keep her panic down to a tolerable level so that she's able to be understood* I don't even know, I just freaking don't. Hibiki-sensei got moved to the critical ward, Scar's freaking out, Violet went with her... *on the verge of tears, though she desperately rubs at her eyes, trying to keep them at bay* Just... Kazue, I don't know!

Kazue: *stares her for a moment then disappears back inside the room she'd been working in* *quickly gathers the latest, strong batch she has and sets about preparing it and everything before pouring enough into a vial and shifting through utensils to the side and locates a syringe*

Jun: Kazue, where the hell are y-

Kazue: *reappears* Do you guys know what room he's in? *breathless, full syringe in her hand*

Ari: *nods repeatedly, still trying to keep from bursting into tears* Y-Yeah, I do, it's just-- *suddenly smacks her palm against her forehead, letting out a furious from between clenched teeth* Dammit, this is wrong! Sensei'd kill me for this, there's no way... *jabs an accusatory finger at Kazue, her bangs currently shadowing her eyes* Kazue, if that's the only vial you have, give it to someone else. Hibiki-sensei would be so pissed if I let him get treated before someone who's worse off than he is!

Kazue: *bluntly, as she's honestly become someone who cares about those around her more than strangers* First off, he wouldn't have to be pissed at you, cause there's no way if he's in critical he'd even have a way of knowing that you were then when I arrived, the fever would be too bad. If no one tells him, he'll have no clue and I don't care if he gets pissed at me if it saves him. Secondly, it's not a cure, it's just enough to lessen the effects so that we can ensure he'll be around if I manage to crack it. Thirdly, I don't care if it's wrong, I'm going to do it. *yeah, sort of irritated for herself for being so blunt about it, but she figures that if she can help someone, she's going to, as that's the sort of mindset she ends up with after getting home, figuring it will make up for who she's changed into*

Jun: *hesitating as he glances between them, honestly not sure who's side to take on this matter* *his selfish side saying to go with Kazue, but his logical side with Ari*

Ari: *clenches her fists, taking a threatening step towards Kazue* Look, do you think I'd really rather trade my sensei's life for someone else's if I can help it? Hell no! He's the closest thing me, Scar, and Violet have to family in this damn village, because he gets us - he's an outsider, too. But here's the thing: I'd also rather keel over than let him live with the guilt of knowing that syringe you're carrying coulda kept someone else alive. Because you know what? We don't lie to him, not about shit like this. And even if we did, he knows us too well, he'd figure it out. And that guilt... Sensei already lives with a lot of his own shit to carry, he doesn't need this. So stop being a bitch and listen to someone who actually knows something about the guy that's dying in another room! *voice cracks audibly at the end, as she's lost control over herself and is practically sobbing at this point, her face a grotesque mask of tears and snot*

Kazue: *stares at her with a narrowed eyed, frustrated gaze for a moment before swearing under her breath and turning back to the room she'd come through* Dammit, if you didn't want me to help, then why did you come? *demands* I can't just stand here, knowing that I can help him, and not do it! So don't ask me to be something I'm not and just tell me what the hell I need to do, okay? *yeah, turned her back cause Ari's tears made her feel guilty and she can't look at her and not feel like she's being a total bitch, which she very well might be being*

Jun: *yeah, helplessly staring between them at this point having no clue how to defuse the situation*

Ari: *her forearm pressed against her eyes as another stupid attempt to hide her ugly tears from view* *in a choked, sobbing breath* IF YOU WANT TO HELP HIM, THEN GET TO WORK ON EITHER MAKING A CURE, OR MAKING MORE OF WHATEVER THE HELL'S IN THAT BOTTLE. GOT IT?!

Kazue: *just disappears through the door without another word, rather pissed and aware that if she talks she'd probably regret it*

Jun: ... *helplessly* Maybe we should go out and join Scar-chan and Violet-chan. 

Ari: *through clenched teeth, refusing to look at him* Yeah. Do that. I'm gonna go find those herbs you guys dropped. *picks at the neck of her jacket, using it to wipe futilely at her messy face* I need to do something right now, and if Scar sees me, she'll just fall deeper into whatever hell she's thought up for herself. So it'd probably be better for someone who looks like he's lived through hell himself to go comfort her, right? *a false smile pulls at her lips, face turned downwards to avoid eye contact with Jun* Just... don't promise her anything. Not like she'd believe you, if she's that far gone, but... *shrugs helplessly* Don't waste your breath, alright? 

Jun: *studies her for a moment then takes a deep breath, slipping one hand behind his back to flip off Kurai Jiko who's talking non stop at this point and turns on hesitant smile, well aware that by this point his cheerful expression wouldn't do any good as he's been showing his true expressions throughout most of this* *really worried about the other two, but also a man of his word even if he doesn't usually have a problem with lying, Jun's got his own twisted set of morals to be honest* Sorry, but, no can do, Ari-chan! If you're not going out, I'll stick with you. Violet-chan is there for her- I promised them I'd keep an eye on you, so you're stuck with me.

Ari: *a humorless chuckle slips past her lips as she makes a last ditch effort to clear the salty grime from her face* Heh, you little, devilish bastard... using your cute looks to take advantage of my saintly self... *presses a hand to her pounding temple, not bothering to look back at the room Kazue disappeared into, knowing nothing will be right between the two of them until this whole thing is resolved* *reluctantly* Fine, whatever, not like I can really stop you even if I wanted to... Do you have any idea where those freaking herbs mighta went?

Jun: You're right. *cheerfulness slightly returning, if only to lighten the mood* You wouldn't be able to in a million years! The herbs... pretty sure Scar-chan had them after I told the medic-nin that I was a medic-nin so we could get by... so they're probably back in the other wing.

Ari: *has given up trying to make herself look presentable and just tugs up her hood so that her face is hidden* The other wing? Gotcha, we'll grab the herbs then head back this way to give 'em to all the critical patients... *pauses, then adds, in a softer, fragile voice* All the ones who aren't been swarmed by medic nin, anyway.

Jun: *recovering somewhat with a directive before them, loops his arm through hers to start tugging them along* *calls over his shoulder* We're leaving, Kazue-chan! Don't do anything you'll regret, 'kay? *not waiting to not receive an answer as he figures they won't get one, holds the door open for Ari* And we got loads of herbs, so there should be enough!

Ari: *cocking her head back at Jun's words, wondering if it's really alright to leave things as they are with Kazue* Ugh, don't make me regret leaving her alone... *focuses on the warmth of Jun's arm against hers, trying to keep her mind on what she can accomplish, pushing aside thoughts about what she has to leave up to fate* *allows Jun to guide her out into the hall, though she can't help but look behind them, where she can still see people moving rapidly between one room and another* *swallows thickly and pointedly looks ahead* Great...

Jun: *brightly* Don't worry, Ari-chan, Kazue-chan won't do anything now, she's pissed but she'll deal with it. *doesn't add on that he's not actually certain of that because he really doesn't know her that well anymore* *continues guiding her towards where thinks the basket might have gotten dropped, racking his mind for something to talk about to distract her*

Ari: *half-heartedly swat at the back of Jun's head, seeing something in his face that she doesn't quite like* You're pitying me, aren't you? Dammit, I just got through drilling this into Emo-kun, I don't want pity, I don't need pity. Badasses just roll that way. So if you're trying to think of something to cheer me up, save it, Jun. Because you're gonna need every ounce of your cheer when we see Scar again.

Jun: *just shrugs, a part of his mind making the comment that it will be strange for it to be him cheering Scar up for once* Not pity. *lightly* Call it me being selfish. I don't like dealing with sad people, so me cheering you up would be for my own good. *grins at her* So, it wouldn't be pity.

Ari's: *stares at him, incredulous, one brow cocked* ...You really are a little bastard, you know that? *slowly breaks into a weak, closed-eye smile* Ah, well, that part of you's cool, too.

Jun: *grin grows* Of course I know that, I get told it on a daily basis. *pause, putting on a thoughtful look* Although, usually people aren't saying it almost like it's a compliment. *just grins again* And didn't you know? Every part of me is awesome.

Kurai: Not every part~

Jun: *resists the urge to flip him off again* *instead, just continues searching the hall with his eyes for where the basket ended up*

Ari: Hah, you remind of someone I know... His name's Gilbert, and I bet you two would hit it off in no time flat. *realizing he's actually managed to distract her, silently curses, though not with any real intent behind it* *blinks, spotting what looks to be an overturned basket lying in the middle of the hallway* *jabs Jun lightly in the ribs with her elbow* That it?

Jun: *blinks then nods excitedly* Yup, that's it! *hurries forward to get everything back in the basket*

Ari: *drops down to examine the contents of the basket, frowning when she sees there's two different sets of herbs* *picks up a handful of each, presenting them to Jun* Which one does what?

Jun: *easily, despite the fact that he told Scar earlier that he's not familiar with plants, rattles off the uses of each herbs, then pauses and continues with a sheepish smie* But, in this case, these ones *points at one of them* are being used to help with chakra flow and those others with fever.

Ari: *grins, stuffing the herbs back into the basket and lifting it with her as she stands* I didn't really need their life stories but since you gave me the shorty version, it's all good~! *leans around Jun, looking into the nearest room to see if it's occupied; judging that it is, waves for Jun to follow her as she just walks in, not all that concerned with someone finding them, as most of the medics are over in the critical ward* Hey, I know I said we should get these to the other wing, but... We're here right now, so maybe we should... *gestures with one hand towards the sleeping child huddled on the bed, wincing whenever he cringes in his sleep*

Jun: *easily nods his agreement, searching the room for something they can use to make the herb into something useable and locates a water cup sitting on a nearby table* *grabs it and grabs something heavy* Hand me one of those herbs, will you? *knows basics of field care- having read books about it like he has done about most any subject- just doesn't know medical ninjutsu seeing as he doesn't have anywhere near the needed control over his chakra*

Ari: Can do~ *hands off the requested herb to Jun, then settles herself on the floor beside the bed, working on separating the two herbs so that it'll be easy to give them out without worrying if she's grabbed the wrong one* *looks up after a moment, studying Jun with blatant curiosity* You're pretty handy, huh, Jun?

Jun: *shrugs as he begins beating the herb with the heavy object, his make-shift way of doing what people use bowls and the little poundy things for* I know, *turns on his cheeky smile* I read a lot. Most people don't realize it, but I'm pretty smart. I'm younger than my teammates, you know. *sees no harm in sharing this as it's rather common knowledge, even Kazue in the old days would grudgingly admit he was really smart* *studies his pounded mess and grabs something he can use as makeshift dish and sweeps the herb into it before putting in a bit of water and mixing it with his finger* This works well enough to help a sick kid swallow a herb, right?

Ari: *not all that surprised by the revelation that Jun isn't just some slacker boy, she's seen enough of him during these missions to understand that; Scar also ruined it for her by telling her Jun was younger than both Noriaki and Kazue* *grimaces, eyeing the pasty mixture* Dude, don't ask me. I'm not a child care expert, or a herbologist or whatever.

Jun: *shrugs, turning to the kid and propping their head up a bit, maneuvering the kid's mouth open and pouring the mixture in, massaging their throat to get it to go down without problem, not bothering to apologize when the kid- even as out of it as they might be- mumbles complaints* Well... he didn't choke. *bright smile*

Ari: *sweat drops* Yeah, real accomplishment we've got there... Anyway! *claps her hands together as she hops to her feet* Ready to move out? We've got like, another forty people to see. *scratches her eyes, one eye scrunched closed in thought* Yeah, I think Gaara said that was about the number of people who'd gotten sick. Or, well, he said that about two days ago; the number mighta risen since then.

Jun: *grabs his make-shift tools and turns towards the door* We better get to work, then!

TIME SKIP 

Ari: *about ready to pass out from exhaustion, falls back against the nearest wall, passing a hand over her forehead to swipe away the accumulated beads of sweat* Kami, sometimes I seriously hate Suna heat. It's a dry heat, yeah, but it's still freaking hot! *glances at Jun to see if he's faring any better* How're you holding up, buddy? *absently swinging the empty basket at her side, not too sure what to do with it now that they've finished*

Jun: *when he rests his back against the wall, actually slides down so that he's sitting on his heels* Well enough~ *actually rather exhausted, he's not known for his stamina in the first place, and the heat combined with the helping, keeping up his chakra masking, ignoring Kurai, and the fact that they'd only just got there from almost three days travel and headed straight into the hospital, has left him really, really tired, not that he'd admit it at the moment, seeing as he'll say he's tired when he's not, but he's stubborn enough not to want to actually admit that he really is, it's the weirdness that is him* What's next?

Ari: *doesn't really believe him, mentally noting that he looks about ten times worse than she feels, but decides he can do what he likes as long as he's not running himself into the ground; still, she knows she'll have to stop him at some point, as the weaker he gets, the easier it'll be for him to contract the disease, however it's spread* Maybe we can meet up with Momoe-sensei and Noriaki? *just tossing out ideas, not really clear how they be of any more help* I haven't seen Emo-kun since he left me alone a while ago, and it's been longer than that since I last saw Momoe-sensei.

Jun: *nods agreeably, pulling himself to his feet* Sounds good. Nori-kun doesn't know when to stop, so we'd best see how he's doing, then find Momoe-sensei.

Ari: *thinking: Doesn't know when to stop, huh? Guess you two do have something in common after all..* *shoves away from the wall, turning in a slow circle to get a view of both ends of the hallway* Well... we've pretty much been through the entire place, and we didn't see 'em. Where d'ya think they ended up?

Jun: *considers that then realizes his mistake* Actually, Momoe-sensei might be better to find. After Nori-kun was done checking on people he probably went to check on Kazue-chan, he's paranoid about her. *shrugs* So, she probably made him sit down and he listens to her... well, for the most part. Momoe-chan's probably with whomever's the sickest, seeing as she's really skilled so is probably looking for something to help with this, she has a lot of Tsunade-sama's knowledge in her head. Any clue where that takes us? *looking around, trying to remember who they visited that was the sickest, but is honestly having problems focusing his thoughts* 

Ari: *considers it for a moment, then shoves her hands into her pockets, cocking her head to the side* The critical ward for sure, but... if we're talking sickest, that'd be patient zero, right? She's been sick the longest, so her symptoms are probably the worst. She looked pretty bad when we went to see Kazue earlier... *bites her lip again, recalling how she and Kazue had left each other on awful terms* Er, maybe you should just go and check if they're all there, I can find something else to keep myself occupied...

Jun: *shrugs* Kazue-chan probably isn't mad anymore. She just... *pauses, wondering if explaining what he understands of Kazue's thinking would do any good, and honestly just attempting to string together his thoughts as well because he's honestly rather dizzy* she doesn't... she isn't good with people anymore. *settles for that* So, you'd probably be fine...

Ari: *about to comment how he doesn't understand how good girls are at holding grudges, even having one of her infamous stories ready to emphasize her point, but checks herself, studying Jun again with renewed worry* Alright... I'll come with, then. But first... *crouches down, her back to Jun; speaking over her shoulder* Hop aboard, Jun! I might as well get some strength training done while I'm at it. I mean, dude, I got winded just from walking around in the heat; I need to beef up my stamina, stat! So hurry up and get on my back.

Jun: *frowns, studying her back* ... I'm fine. *finally* You're exhausted, too. Besides, people are always telling me I need to work on my stamina, too! *his usual, cheeky smile despite his fuzzy head* *is proud enough that he's not about to let a girl carry him through the halls when he can still walk*

Ari: *is really unamused, and having dealt with idiot boys and their stupid pride before, doesn't waver* *deadpan* You've got two options, Jun: Get on my back, or I'll pick your scrawny ass up and carry you princess-style. *grins with a maliciousness she hasn't felt in what seems like forever* Now, which humiliation do you think you can actually live down?

Jun: *hesitates*

Kurai: *brightly* She has you there!

Jun: *mumbles something under his breath, rather aware that if it came to her picking him up, his lack of physical skill would probably end up with him getting picked up no matter what he thought of the matter* *reluctantly climbs onto her back, his skin probably really honestly warm*

Ari: *sucks in a sharp breath she hopes he doesn't notice, her own skin burning even through her insulating jacket* *curses under her breath as she stands, hardly staggering under his admittedly minuscule weight, though she does let out a small grunt when she takes her first step down the hall* See? *forcing a chipper smile when she looks back at him, in spite of the anxiety crawling up and down her spine in unyielding waves* Ain't so bad.

Jun: *frowning, but honestly feeling a bit better now that he's not standing, although the dizziness isn't letting up at all* Is too. *mumbles childishly* If you can carry me easily, that means I've really got no muscle at all. *his disconnected thoughts leaving out what he's saying, the fact that with muscle weighing more than fat if she can carry him easily then he must not weight much and so on*

Kurai: *simply frowning, his arms crossed over his chest, mumbling about allowing himself to be carried by girls, but actually a bit concerned about the strange lack of resistance he's getting from Jun's mind*

Ari: *chuckling, shakes her head as she looks ahead again, starting down the hall towards the other wing* Nah, don't worry, I'm just super strong. Ya know, I once picked up Hibiki-sensei! Kami, you shoulda seen his face, it was... *trails off, her thoughts spinning into a darkness she'd rather not visit again, not after the incident with Obito* ...priceless, yeah, really, really... priceless....

Jun: I bet... *snickering at the thought, his snickers turning into light coughs* *taps his hand on her neck where his arms are slung around* Hey, can we get a drink while we're looking? I'm parched.

Ari: *a stab of fear hits her heart, hearing him cough, coupled with the intense heat he's giving off* *swallows thickly, hoping to Kami her voice is steady when she speaks* Not a problem, Juny Boy. There's a cooler in the main lobby, I think, so just wait a sec, 'kay?

Jun: *mutinously seeing as her words combined with being on her back makes him feel like he's being treated like a child* I'm not that much younger than you anymore, you know, if I am at all. *yeah, once again not connecting his thoughts to make them make sense with what she's saying, but isn't that concerned about it at the moment*

Ari: Okay, damn, even I know that two years is still two years, so why don't you... *bites the inside of her cheek to keep from talking back, seeing as she knows by now that he's already sick, much to her dismay, and that he's probably delirious by now* Got it, got it, I'll start treating you like a big ol' manly man. That what you want to hear, O Jun the Great and Powerful? *stops beside the cooler she'd mentioned and carefully maneuvers a cup under the water spout thing using only the toe of her sandal, afraid she might drop Jun if she gives up a hand to get him the water*

Jun: *mumbles* I am powerful and I'm fourteen so... yeah. *slightly mollified*

Kurai: *moving about here and there, staring at him on Ari's back as he rubs the back of his head* I don't like this, I don't like it at all, Jun.

Jun: *continues mumbling, not paying attention who he's talking to* Shut up, I don't care.

Kurai: *frowning* Well, you should.

Jun: Nu-uh. *grumbles* *eyes watching her get the water, a light cough leaving his lips* I can get it myself...

Ari: *honestly didn't realize he was the same age as her, still seeing him as the cute little genin she'd first met a while ago* Shut up. *snappishly, already pissed she's hearing him talk to himself, at least, she's pretty sure he wasn't directing those words at her* You can't do shit for yourself. Know why? You're sick. Sick, Jun. Just like Hibiki-sensei, and you apparently don't realize it, which is just fan-freaking-tastic for me, 'cause now I have to worry about my Sensei literally catching his death and about a bratty little chuunin who doesn't know when to admit he's having a rough time. Genius my ass. You're an idiot. For all the pride I have, even I can say when I've had enough. That's not being weak, dumbass, that's knowing your limits. *annoyed, risks dropping a hand from under Jun's leg and snatches the cup, now filled to the brim with water, and offers it to Jun by twisting her arm behind her back* For right now, keep quiet and don't move. I'll get you to Kazue, and then I'm going to check on my damn Sexy Sensei. Capisce?

Jun: *most of her words honestly going over his head, he'd been listening to Kurai complain about how something is wrong and that he shouldn't ignore him and how he wasn't allowed to screw up their body* *had caught some of it however and the flare of emotion actually twists the room around them slightly, nothing horribly, but sort of... off, like, the walls seeming like they're shifting strangely* I'm not sick! *protests as he takes the cup, completely ignoring the be silent order* I'm just talking to Kurai, capisce? *shakily drinking the water, pulling it away from his face when he starts coughing*

Ari: *suddenly disoriented, stumbles, nearly dropping Jun in the first place* *flicks a glance around the room, her instincts kicking in and telling her it's a genjutsu, not reality* Fuck... *just to make a point, if Scar's not around, she has no trouble going all-out with her cursing* Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck. Just what the fuck are you doing, Jun, and who the fuck is Kurai?!

Jun: *only notes the genjutsu then and honestly isn't out of it enough to realize that was bad* *closes his eyes to focus, carefully reining himself in and making it disappear* *mumbles* Kurai's a boy, is all. I didn't mean to do it. Sorry.

Ari: *closes her eyes, trying to regain her sense of balance, as even though the genjutsu's vanished she's still a little out of it* Dammit... you sound like a kid... more than usual. And that doesn't tell me anything! Kurai... *it suddenly clicks for her, and she straightens up, her mind whirring* Fuck it. Scar told me you're a Kurama, she didn't want me to say anything but... fuck. I don't think she realized it was this bad... *actually knows a lot more about the Naruto universe than Scar does and had no trouble connecting Jun's surname to the problems that came with it* *readjusting her grip on Jun, breaks into a run, wanting to get him to Kazue as fast as possible* Don't you dare start freaking out on me, Jun, fever or no fucking fever...

Jun: I'm not bad. *mumbles mutinously* I'm fine. Finer than fine. *blinks a few times when he realizes she's suddenly running* Why're you... *thought drops away and he frowns, blinking a few times as he realizes Kurai is really uncharacteristically upset* You upset him. *simply* Tell me how to do that. He never shuts up.

Kurai: *rolls his eyes*

Kazue: *has made a lot of progress, but still hasn't broken through to what she needs for the cure and is actually getting really frustrated at this point*

Ari: How the hell should I know? I've never spoken to the guy. He's your problem, you figure out how to deal with him. *finally reaches the right room and skids inside, her exhaustion feeling as though it's tripled since she began carrying Jun* *catches sight of Noriaki nearby and immediately hands Jun off to him* *speaking quickly, her eyes flicking to the door where Kazue disappeared earlier* Look, this is probably all my fault, but the kid's sick and he's starting to lose it, and that's really not the worst of it but something tells me you'd have no idea what I'm talking about so I'm gonna leave it at that. Tell Kazue and Momoe-sensei and for the love of Kami don't just brush this off as unimportant because it doesn't directly involve your precious Kazue-chan or I swear I'll come back here and I really will stuff a pair of gloves down your throat.

Jun: *in belated reaction to her response, childishly scowls as a flare of power once again escapes him, wind appearing in the room and seemingly throwing things off of the tables* I don't want to deal with him! *snaps*

Kurai: How nice...

Noriaki: *blinks, startled by the flow of information as he instinctively holds onto Jun as the kid is handed off to him* *rather startled by the sudden wind whipping through the room, and a bit confused, but focuses on Ari's instructions more than it* I'll take care of him. *simply* It'd be irresponsible of me not to. *pauses, realizing that sounded bad, but isn't going to fix his words because that's more trouble than it's worth at the moment* I'll tell them.

Ari: *breathes a heavy sigh of relief, even as she raises an arm to block the wind whipping at her face* Thanks, Nori-kun... Vi's right, you are a nice guy when you wanna be... *about to run out, but turns back and grips Jun by the chin, angling his face upwards so that they're making eye contact* *rather startled by how quickly the fever has glazed over his eyes but overlooks it for now* Jun. Look at me. Listen, okay. To me, not to Kurai. You have got to keep it together, and I'm not just saying this because I'm pissed or whatever the hell you wanna say about me. If you really lose it right now... er, people'll be sad. Yeah, really, really sad. Especially Scar-chan. Do you want Scar-chan to be sad because of you? *winces, feeling the wind tear her hood back and slam her full in the face, but doesn't look away from Jun*

Jun: *was about to snap about not being a child, the wind whipping faster, but hesitates as his genjutsu fades slightly in reaction the sudden drop in the strength of his emotions* ... she'd be sad? *doesn't like that idea at all*

Kurai: *grumbling about how it's not fair to tell an impressionable sick kid to ignore him, but is too concerned at the moment to get too upset about it*

Noriaki: *studying the room with a rather uneasy gaze, having already decided that he needs to first find a place to put Jun before finding the others, and perhaps ask Kazue about a sedative if Jun's the one doing this*

Ari: *nods rapidly, seeing she has a foothold now* Totally! She'll start bawling like a baby, and trust me, Scar crying ain't a pretty sight. You saw me earlier, right? Take that, and then think about Scar-chan crying like that, but looking about a gajillion times more pathetic! So promise me you'll try to keep yourself together until I get back. Please?

Jun: *hesitant* ... I've seen her cry. *mumbles* I'll try... I'm not good at it. *apparently is very honest when he's not filtering his thoughts* I promise.

Kurai: *throws his hands up in the air* Just ignore me and listen to her. Great. Glad to know I'm appreciated.

Noriaki: *shifts Jun so that he's in the chair that Noriaki had been occupying upon Ari's entrance into the room* Go, we'll take care of him.

Ari: *steps back, listening to Noriaki but also a little put off that Jun's seen Scarlette cry, as she couldn't remember Scar ever crying during their missions together* *nods to Noriaki, but looks to Jun again before she leaves* You don't have to be good at it, just good enough. That's all I'm asking for. *offers one last encouraging, wicked grin* Scar-chan might even give ya a kiss if you do a good job, so keep that in mind~! *with that said, silently thanks Noriaki again, then heads out, turning sharply once she reaches the hallway so that she can check on Hibiki before she runs out to find her sisters*

Noriaki: *orders Jun to stay still and heads in the other room to get Kazue, explaining what Ari told him*

Kazue: *cursing up a storm when he comes in, seeing as she just tested yet another failed attempt, but pauses when he starts talking* *stiffens, actually understanding the problem after her time with Jin* Go, find a medic and see if they have a room slightly isolated from the others. If they don't, settle for what you can get. I'll keep an eye on him while you do.

Noriaki: *instantly nods and darts out of the room, doing as asked*

Kazue: *hesitates, studying the stuff sitting around her workplace, her fingers hanging in the air as she tries to decide what to do* ... dammit. *spins around and darts to the other room where Jun is*

Jun: *has his knees up to his chest, head resting on his knees as his arms are wrapped around his head in an attempt to control the headache atop the dizziness that comes with attempting to rein in his complicated situation despite the fact he's honestly rapidly deteriorated, although probably not close to critical level, his unstable mind making the delusions set in more quickly than they might of in someone else* *mumbling to himself as she attempts to check him over*