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Description
    He was certain the girl was dead as he drew nearer. The shinobi could tell nothing of her features through the dirt and grime that streaked her face. She may have even once been pretty, he thought. He soon noticed the steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed. The teen felt a strange relief when he realized that the girl was in fact alive, but was left disappointed when he assessed her injuries. The results were grim. Not only was she severely malnourished and covered in filth, but she also had several open wounds that appeared to be carrying infection.
    He did the only thing he knew that could help her; he hoisted her up onto his shoulders, and turned back the way he had come. The shinobi was expecting this to be an effort, but was surprised at how light she really was. He knew he could easily turn a two-hour walk into a half-hour run with the severely underweight girl slung over his shoulder.
    The shinobi was barely aware of his own voice mumbling to the unconscious girl. Every few minutes he would mutter an “It’ll be okay,” or, “We’re almost there.” Once he realized this, however, he ceased, almost embarrassed to be ‘comforting’ an unconscious person. He hadn’t realized how long he’d actually been running until he saw the familiar territory where he and the other Akatsuki members called ‘home. Or as much a home as anywhere else.’
    He grasped the doorknob in his fingers and gave it a hard twist, desperate to get inside. “Itachi?” came a surprised voice, “What’re you doing ba- What is that?” The shark pointed to girl. Itachi was now laying her on the floor, cradling her head in his lap.
    Itachi had no idea how out of breath he really was until he tried to speak. “I-” he had to stop to take a breath. He began again, his words still shaky and coming in short gasps. “I found… her in the… woods as I… was searching… for a place to… sleep. She’s hurt, Kisame. She needs…” He paused, barely believing the words coming out of his own mouth, “help.”
    The Uchiha’s partner snorted in laughter. Itachi started at the sudden sound, then studied the pain that showed on his partner’s face. He can’t even laugh without feeling pain, he thought, almost feeling pity for the blue man. But, suddenly a new thought came over him; He’d been careless… he’d let his guard down. I warned him that the Kyuubi brat had gotten stronger. Kisame grimaced, “Since when do you care about helping others? Plus, Leader-Sama’s gonna be pissed that you’re back. You know that?”
    Itachi came back into reality as Kisame raised his voice. “Huh?” He hadn’t even heard his partner’s statement. He was too busy deciding how he would treat the girl’s injuries. The Uchiha was no medical ninja. “What do you think I should do about these wounds? They’re swollen and they don’t look right.”
   “Of course they don’t look right, Itachi. They are open wounds,” he sighed, “First, I’d check that they aren’t gangrenous and then disinfect them.” Pain showed on the Mist-Nin’s face once more and he gripped his side.
    Itachi waited for his partner’s episode to end before asking, “Should I ask Kakuzu to stitch them up?”
    Kisame groaned at the foolish question. I like this kid, but he clearly has had no medical training whatsoever. “No. That would trap any infection that may be in the wounds. Just wrap them in gauze, if it’s possible. I think there’s some iodine in the bathroom. That would probably be best for disinfecting.”  Itachi began to lift the girl onto the couch. “I wouldn’t do that. Konan will flip about the mess.”
    “Where do I put her then?”
    “Just give her a bath and put some clean clothes on her and then put her on the couch.”
    “I can’t bathe her!”
    “Itachi,” Kisame started, placing a hand on the Uchiha’s shoulder, “if you have so much sexual tension that you cannot bathe and thereafter dress an unconscious teenage girl then ma-”
    Itachi flushed a bright red at his partner‘s assumption.” What I meant was, what if she wakes up and freaks, Kisame? How do I explain that to her, hmmm?” Itachi asked. “The girl‘s obviously been through hell.”
    “Well, you’ll have to do it ‘cause Konan’s not here,” Kisame said, turning away, “and I think she might freak out a little more about me, if you‘re thinking I should be the one to do it.” Itachi swallowed and lifted her back off the floor. Panic took over as he turned towards the bathroom.

Description
    He was certain the girl was dead as he drew nearer. The shinobi could tell nothing of her features through the dirt and grime that streaked her face. She may have even once been pretty, he thought. He soon noticed the steady rise and fall of her shoulders as she breathed. The teen felt a strange relief when he realized that the girl was in fact alive, but was left disappointed when he assessed her injuries. The results were grim. Not only was she severely malnourished and covered in filth, but she also had several open wounds that appeared to be carrying infection.
    He did the only thing he knew that could help her; he hoisted her up onto his shoulders, and turned back the way he had come. The shinobi was expecting this to be an effort, but was surprised at how light she really was. He knew he could easily turn a two-hour walk into a half-hour run with the severely underweight girl slung over his shoulder.
    The shinobi was barely aware of his own voice mumbling to the unconscious girl. Every few minutes he would mutter an “It’ll be okay,” or, “We’re almost there.” Once he realized this, however, he ceased, almost embarrassed to be ‘comforting’ an unconscious person. He hadn’t realized how long he’d actually been running until he saw the familiar territory where he and the other Akatsuki members called ‘home. Or as much a home as anywhere else.’
    He grasped the doorknob in his fingers and gave it a hard twist, desperate to get inside. “Itachi?” came a surprised voice, “What’re you doing ba- What is that?” The shark pointed to girl. Itachi was now laying her on the floor, cradling her head in his lap.
    Itachi had no idea how out of breath he really was until he tried to speak. “I-” he had to stop to take a breath. He began again, his words still shaky and coming in short gasps. “I found… her in the… woods as I… was searching… for a place to… sleep. She’s hurt, Kisame. She needs…” He paused, barely believing the words coming out of his own mouth, “help.”
    The Uchiha’s partner snorted in laughter. Itachi started at the sudden sound, then studied the pain that showed on his partner’s face. He can’t even laugh without feeling pain, he thought, almost feeling pity for the blue man. But, suddenly a new thought came over him; He’d been careless… he’d let his guard down. I warned him that the Kyuubi brat had gotten stronger. Kisame grimaced, “Since when do you care about helping others? Plus, Leader-Sama’s gonna be pissed that you’re back. You know that?”
    Itachi came back into reality as Kisame raised his voice. “Huh?” He hadn’t even heard his partner’s statement. He was too busy deciding how he would treat the girl’s injuries. The Uchiha was no medical ninja. “What do you think I should do about these wounds? They’re swollen and they don’t look right.”
   “Of course they don’t look right, Itachi. They are open wounds,” he sighed, “First, I’d check that they aren’t gangrenous and then disinfect them.” Pain showed on the Mist-Nin’s face once more and he gripped his side.
    Itachi waited for his partner’s episode to end before asking, “Should I ask Kakuzu to stitch them up?”
    Kisame groaned at the foolish question. I like this kid, but he clearly has had no medical training whatsoever. “No. That would trap any infection that may be in the wounds. Just wrap them in gauze, if it’s possible. I think there’s some iodine in the bathroom. That would probably be best for disinfecting.”  Itachi began to lift the girl onto the couch. “I wouldn’t do that. Konan will flip about the mess.”
    “Where do I put her then?”
    “Just give her a bath and put some clean clothes on her and then put her on the couch.”
    “I can’t bathe her!”
    “Itachi,” Kisame started, placing a hand on the Uchiha’s shoulder, “if you have so much sexual tension that you cannot bathe and thereafter dress an unconscious teenage girl then ma-”
    Itachi flushed a bright red at his partner‘s assumption.” What I meant was, what if she wakes up and freaks, Kisame? How do I explain that to her, hmmm?” Itachi asked. “The girl‘s obviously been through hell.”
    “Well, you’ll have to do it ‘cause Konan’s not here,” Kisame said, turning away, “and I think she might freak out a little more about me, if you‘re thinking I should be the one to do it.” Itachi swallowed and lifted her back off the floor. Panic took over as he turned towards the bathroom.