"Lady Chiyo! The two from the Akatsuki have reached the canyon entrance outside the border!"
The guard's legs trembled, and he knocked over a wooden rack.
The atmosphere in the infirmary, which had just settled down, grew tense again.
"They're here already! Are they planning to destroy the whole village?"
Baki's lone eye narrowed sharply, and his right hand pressed against his short sword.
Before anyone could react, Kankuro let out another muffled groan on the bed.
Bang!
His body jerked upright, his eyes rolled back, and foam spilled from his mouth.
The black discoloration that had faded instantly returned, dark threads spreading across his chest.
"No! It's the second stage of Sasori's lethal poison! It's burrowing into his bone marrow!"
The old woman recoiled in shock, and her blue threads snapped apart.
His heartbeat slowed, and his cellular activity plummeted.
Sakura rushed to the bedside and pressed on his chest, her face deathly pale.
"How? We clearly drew out the poison just now."
Naruto panicked too, clenching his fists and pacing anxiously.
"We only drew the poison out of his blood. We couldn't reach what was inside his bones."
Chiyo's voice sank in despair, tears trembling in her aged eyes.
"The poison has already changed. There's no cure. Prepare for his funeral."
Outside, the Sunagakure guard kept shouting, his voice cracking.
"The barrier around the outer defenses is about to be shattered by the sandstorm!"
"Great. Everyone's putting on a show first thing in the morning. My head hurts."
Sen stood in the corner, picking at his ear irritably.
He glanced at Kankuro's rolled-back eyes, then at his empty right shoulder.
"All this wailing. You really are hopeless."
Sen strolled lazily over to a wooden pillar.
"Sen Senju! You're still making snide remarks at a time like this?"
A