Chapter 34

— Papa didn't come for a long time, and I kept waiting and waiting, but he didn't come, and the caretakers wouldn't let me leave, but then Ryo-ni came and promised to take me home! He's so cool! I rode on his shoulder! So high up! He has such beautiful and silky hair, but he wouldn't let me braid it! And he knows so much! And he can pull a glowing thing out of his finger and use it to open locks and latches! That's how we got home. We knocked, but you didn't answer, so like real shinobi, we got inside! Everyone at the orphanage says Ryo-ni is an amazing doctor, maybe he can heal you? Because ka-chan just lies there and doesn't go out! And papa still hasn't come back, and even though the orphanage is nice, I miss home and want to be there! — the little one unloaded a stream of consciousness onto Akiko, bouncing up to the bed and grabbing her bony wrist.

Seeing that this could go on for a while until the little girl had expressed all her concerns, I moved closer and, kneeling down, ruffled her hair. Given the state of the sick woman, she probably barely understood anything her daughter said except for the fact of her presence.

— Anko-chan, stop talking and let me examine your ka-chan in peace, — I said to the puzzled child who had fallen silent.

Grabbing the nearest chair, I placed it by the bed and, sitting down, activated Shousen no Jutsu. The initial results of the examination made me regret ever encountering Anko and getting involved in this visit.

Regret until I noticed the hopeful face of the little girl, still clutching her semi-dead mother's hand. The harsh facts were that Akiko was already nearly dead. The source was producing such a tiny amount of chakra that even a single strand of my hair had more, and was almost ready to extinguish. The Keirakukei was nearly completely destroyed, and the few remnants that somehow survived were hardly worth calling chakra channels.

The body was in the final stage of exhaustion and could boast a critical loss of mass. The generally tall woman now weighed just over twenty kilograms and was on the brink of systemic collapse. I'm not even mentioning the absence of any muscle. The barely functioning organs were still performing their functions but were a step away from failure without proper sustenance.

In summary, the little girl's mother could last a day, maybe two with a lot of luck, but that was all. And this was what I had to treat. Just wonderful! The worst part was that the girl appeared to be around eighteen years old if judged by her bones. And how am I supposed to leave them here?

— You…

A weak whisper pulled me from my grim thoughts, drawing my attention to the future headache.

— I'm Ryo Nara, and for this current and indefinitely long moment — your iryō-nin, — I introduced myself, briefly surprised that the severely exhausted kunoichi could even whisper.

— P-please… Anko…

Looking into the hollow eyes of the girl, I sighed.

— For now, your task is to lie still and not distract me, silently, — I said gravely, then turned to the worried little one standing nearby, — Anko-chan, bring me a cup for water.

— Right away! — the little girl, given her task, swiftly ran off, and I rummaged in my pockets to retrieve a few of my special blood pills, always carried for emergencies, and a couple of food supplements from Akamichi. Given the extreme exhaustion and dehydration of the body, it was best to hydrate her now while also introducing nutrients.

— Here you go!

I've got more interesting stuff on patreon (+ 200 chapter)

patreon.com/Chill76