To be honest, the sight of a twenty-one-year-old Itachi being carried in a princess hold by sixteen-year-old Sakura was genuinely horrifying. At the very least, it was for Kisame, who had been standing under the corridor eaves watching Amegakure. When he saw that scene, his heart truly skipped several beats—though he was scolded almost immediately afterward.
—Kisame Hoshigaki! Go back to your room! Your wound must not get wet—do you want all my surgery to have been for nothing?!
To be fair, any patient would shrink in fear when facing such a volatile doctor. Even Kisame, a rogue ninja, was no exception.
…
Itachi's injury was internal. Or rather than calling it an internal injury, it was more accurate to say it was severe bodily fatigue caused by overuse of his eyes. Combined with his already poor constitution, this long-term accumulation had led to rapid cellular deterioration within his body. If it had gone unnoticed for a few more years, it would have become an incurable disease.
Fortunately, it was discovered in time. With proper treatment—taking medicine on schedule and carefully recuperating—he would be fine. However, it would be best for him to minimize the use of the Mangekyo Sharingan. While its power was formidable, given Itachi's condition, excessive use would not only cause blindness but also shorten his lifespan.
Sakura felt it necessary to report this matter to Konan. After all, she was treating a member of Akatsuki. She couldn't meet Akatsuki's leader directly, so she had no choice but to see the deputy leader—and also the head of the Amegakure—while she was at it. She also intended to bring up the matter of her compensation.
After all, she already owed Karin several bowls' worth of corn soup. Saying she was completely broke was no exaggeration.
Sakura worked up the courage to speak to Konan about it. A large part of that "courage" came from her embarrassment over discussing money. She had expected Konan to be home, and she had also expected Yahiko's successor to be there—but she truly hadn't expected Akatsuki's leader himself to be present.
Clearly, Nagato hadn't expected Sakura to treat Itachi either—much less to diagnose such a potentially fatal condition.
"Is it serious?"
Nagato asked casually while helping in the kitchen, washing vegetables for Zaraki Kita.
Sakura paused, then nodded, answering honestly, "It's only because it was discovered early. If it were any later, it might've been incurable. Taking medicine and resting properly should be enough."
It sounded frightening enough. Nagato nodded and handed the washed vegetables to Zaraki Kita. Konan, lounging on the sofa and eating grapes, asked, "How long will he need to recuperate?"
"If things go well, a little over a year. If the condition relapses, conservatively speaking, two to three years."
"That serious?"
Zaraki Kita looked horrified.
Sakura shrugged, utterly natural about it. "It's not that serious. It's just that chronic illnesses tend to have long treatment cycles."
"Then treat it," Nagato said. "What do you need?"
That was the key question. As she spoke, Sakura handed Konan a prepared list of materials. It detailed the medicinal ingredients she required, as well as those missing from the hospital's inventory. Konan had to admit that despite her young age, this girl was extremely efficient when it came to medical matters.
"Some of the herbs can simply be purchased," Sakura said, "but the Nianhua Vine has to be gathered."
"What kind of medicine is that? Isn't it sold anywhere?"
Nagato asked during a brief lull.
Sakura shook her head.
"The Nianhua Vine rapidly decays once removed from its native environment. It requires special handling before it can be used medicinally. Its properties are mild and can neutralize the harshness of other drugs."
So it really had to be collected in person.
"Where does it grow?"
"According to records, it appeared in the Kurosawa Pool of the Land of Swamps, but I've never been there myself. I'll have to search for the exact location."
Nagato thought for a moment and understood why Sakura had come to them directly. He soon gave his answer.
"Alright. Let Obito go with you. Leave once you're ready."
Sakura hadn't expected Pain to agree so quickly. Given her current status—neither a shinobi of the Amegakure nor a member of Akatsuki—his readiness to let her leave surprised her greatly. She had assumed he would simply ask her to explain the gathering method and send someone else in her stead.
"Oh, right," Nagato added. "Itachi's condition reminded me—we should schedule full physical examinations for all Akatsuki members when there's time, see if anyone else has issues."
"Alright."
Sakura answered without hesitation. Then came the issue of payment. She was somewhat embarrassed to bring it up, but Konan noticed her discomfort and took the initiative to ask.
"Is there anything else?"
"Uh, well… my expenses aren't high, but they do exist—"
"Oh, that's my oversight," Nagato said, cutting her off. His gentle expression made him seem unusually easygoing. "Since you're treating Kita, we naturally can't shortchange you. But your strength is honestly terrible, so we'll give you intern-level."
Sakura had a sentence starting with a curse that she didn't know whether she should say out loud.
Zaraki Kita laughed outright and seized the chance to add insult to injury.
"Monthly salary: two hundred thousand. No days off, all year round."
Konan piled on as well.
"Twelve-hour workdays."
Sakura's expression twisted in struggle. The salary was far higher than what she earned in Konoha, but those working hours… they really made her hesitate. Even overtime and night shifts back then never reached twelve hours. But now…
Ah… so this is what it feels like to live under someone else's roof.
Forget it. For the sake of the money, she'd endure it. Once Zaraki Kita was cured, she'd quit.
"…Alright."
She replied with obvious difficulty. Konan and Zaraki Kita immediately burst into laughter, while even Nagato folded his arms and snorted in amusement.
Sakura looked utterly lost.
"Eh? Eh? Eh? What's going on?"
"We're just teasing you," Zaraki Kita said with a grin, then explained. "The salary is two hundred thousand. Given your profession's special nature, as long as we can reach you when treatment is needed, that's enough. You don't have to report to the hospital every day. When there's nothing to do, you're free to do whatever you like."
"Eh?!"
The drastic shift from heaven to hell only left Sakura more confused. Konan, showing not a shred of the authority expected of a village leader or Akatsuki's deputy, patted Sakura on the shoulder and laughed.
"You're always so tense, like we're about to eat you at any moment. Haha. Akatsuki members may be strange in all sorts of ways, but we're quite civilized. We're not some heartless bosses who squeeze their employees dry. We were just negligent these past few days."
Ever since coming to Amegakure, the number of times Sakura wanted to say a curse word had been steadily increasing.