The Flying Thunder God technique allows a user to instantly teleport to any marked location, bypassing all distance constraints. Given that there was already a Flying Thunder God mark in Sunagakure, Morkel couldn't help but wonder—why bother with long and exhausting travel when they could simply teleport?
With this in mind, he immediately turned to Kakashi and Might Guy to share his idea.
"You mean… you want to teleport all of us directly to Sunagakure at once?" Kakashi asked, looking surprised.
Although the Flying Thunder God technique ignored distance, the farther the teleport, the more chakra it consumed. Additionally, transporting multiple people made the burden significantly heavier.
Morkel nodded firmly. "That's right."
Then he suddenly thought of something. "I just wonder if Kankuro's old clothes from three years ago are still there…"
Sunagakure Village
At that moment, Kankuro lay in a hospital bed inside the village's medical facility. His body was connected to several tubes, and he looked gravely ill.
Beside him, Temari sat, tending to her younger brother.
Kankuro forced a weak smile. "Temari, I get that I need to change my clothes while I'm in the hospital, but did you really have to dig out my clothes from three years ago?"
Temari held up the old outfit and scrutinized it before pointing a ruler at him. "It still fits you. You haven't grown much in the past three years."
Kankuro could only smile bitterly at her teasing.
Then, as if remembering something painful, his expression darkened. "It's my fault... I failed to save Gaara."
Temari placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "You faced the legendary puppeteer of the Sand—Scorpion of the Red Sand. Surviving that encounter is impressive enough."
Kankuro let out a self-deprecating laugh. "I've been poisoned by Scorpion's puppet… He said I wouldn't live more than three days."
Temari frowned. "Don't worry. We sent a distress message to Konoha. Judging by the team's composition, a medical ninja should be coming. They'll find a way to cure you."
"As for Gaara, the village's leadership has already invited two retired elders to help..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Kankuro suddenly convulsed, his body wracked with pain. His screams filled the hospital room.
"ARGH...!"
Once the pain subsided, he lay there, drenched in sweat and barely conscious. "Temari... when will Konoha's medical ninja arrive? I don't think I can hold on much longer..."
Just then, a bright flash illuminated the hospital room as six figures suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
"Hey, hey, get off me! You're crushing me!"
"Oops, my bad!"
Morkel and his team quickly scrambled off each other, looking around the unfamiliar surroundings.
The white walls and the sharp scent of antiseptics immediately made it clear—they were inside a hospital.
Naruto turned to Morkel. "What happened to Kankuro?"
Temari quickly explained, "Kankuro chased after Akatsuki when they took Gaara but was gravely injured by Scorpion…"
She suddenly remembered something and her eyes lit up with hope. "Wait! You arrived just in time! Is there a medical ninja among you who can help my brother?"
All eyes turned to Morkel.
Temari looked confused. "Him?"
Sure, she acknowledged that Morkel was skilled in combat—and undeniably handsome. But could he heal, too?
"You can…?" she asked hesitantly.
Tenten huffed. "What's that supposed to mean? Morkel is Konoha's youngest medical professor! Are you doubting our medical expertise?"
Temari quickly waved her hands. "No, no! That's not what I meant!"
Morkel simply chuckled. "It's fine. I understand. I am young, after all—it's natural to have doubts."
He then stepped closer to Kankuro's bedside and examined him.
"I can cure the poison, but I'll need certain medicinal herbs from Sunagakure's supply," he said, listing off several rare ingredients.
Temari's eyebrows furrowed as she listened. Even though she didn't specialize in medical knowledge, she recognized how expensive those herbs were.
Morkel noticed her hesitation and tilted his head. "What's wrong? Don't tell me Sunagakure doesn't have these in stock?"
"Do you not want Kankuro to live?"
Temari snapped out of her hesitation and immediately left to gather the herbs.
Once she was gone, Morkel turned to the others. "Alright, everyone out. I'm starting the surgery."
Naruto looked surprised. "Already? Don't you need to prepare?"
Might Guy nodded. "Yes, if this operation fails, it could strain relations between our villages."
Morkel waved them off. "Stay out of the medical ninja's work."
With that, he kicked them out and administered anesthesia to Kankuro before beginning the procedure.
Outside the Ward
Minutes later, Temari returned with the required herbs, accompanied by Sand Shinobi guards.
She stopped short when she saw the Konoha ninjas standing outside the ward.
"What are you all doing out here? Why aren't you inside?"
Kakashi glanced at her. "Morkel is operating."
Temari's eyes widened. "Already?! Isn't that too soon? Even if he's skilled, shouldn't he take more time to prepare?"
She chewed on her lip, worried. "If anything goes wrong…"
She prayed silently. Please… let Morkel be as skilled as they say.
At that moment, three more figures appeared in the hallway—an elder from Sunagakure, an old man, and an elderly woman.
The old woman's eyes locked onto the Konoha shinobi, filled with hostility.
"Konoha shinobi… Have you come to kill again?!" she snarled.
Temari quickly stepped between them. "Grandmother, stop! Konoha is our ally now!"
But the old woman—Chiyo—ignored her, her gaze falling on Kakashi.
"Konoha's White Fang… You dare show your face here?!"
Naruto furrowed his brows. "Is this old lady confused?"
Temari sighed. "She hasn't been involved in worldly affairs for years. She doesn't know the current situation."
Chiyo's brother, Ebizo, spoke gently. "Sister, you're mistaken. Konoha's White Fang died decades ago."
Chiyo blinked in surprise, then looked closer at Kakashi.
"Oh… You look similar, but you're not the same person…"
Wrinkles on her face twitched as she realized her mistake. "Oops… Seems my age is catching up with me."
She quickly changed the subject. "So, Konoha has sent medical ninjas? Where are they?"
Temari frowned. "Morkel is operating on Kankuro right now."
Chiyo scowled. "Sunagakure has fallen so low that we rely on Konoha's medical ninjas? We can't depend on outsiders!"
At that moment, the ward door swung open. Morkel stepped out, removing his gloves.
"Who just said they'd hold me responsible?" he asked casually.
The entire corridor went silent.
Temari rushed inside and gasped.
Kankuro's vital signs were stable. The poison was completely eradicated. Even his old meridian damage had been healed.
Chiyo examined him with disbelief. "His heartbeat is steady… The poison is completely gone! And… you repaired his meridian damage?"
She turned to Morkel, stunned.
Morkel smirked. "Since I was operating anyway, I figured I'd help out."
Chiyo's expression softened. For the first time, she felt ashamed of her earlier hostility.
She lowered her head slightly. "I misjudged you."
Morkel simply waved it off. "No big deal. You're old, after all."
Chiyo scoffed. "You're an impolite brat."
Temari, relieved, bowed deeply. "Thank you."
Morkel grinned. "No problem. By the way, those herbs you brought? They're my medical fee."
Naruto's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?!"
Morkel chuckled. "Hey, high-quality medical care doesn't come cheap."
With Kankuro stabilized, the teams turned their attention to tracking down Gaara.
The mission wasn't over yet.
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