The rain pounded Riverside Haven, a relentless drumbeat against the roof as Souta paced the cramped room, his boots leaving wet streaks on the worn floorboards. Hinata sat on the bed, her back against the wall, the blanket pulled tight around her shoulders.
The lantern's flickering light cast her face in sharp relief—pale, drawn, with dark circles under her eyes that hadn't been there yesterday.
He stopped pacing, fists clenched at his sides, and turned to her. "We're out of quick fixes," he said, his voice rough with frustration.
"Goro's a dead end—he won't budge, and I don't trust him not to sell us out even if we trick him.
Kawa Crossing's got nothing else—no healers, no apothecaries worth a damn. I asked around on the way back. Just fishmongers and traders who'd rather rob us than help."
Hinata's eyes met his, steady despite the exhaustion dragging at her. "Then we move on," she said, her tone firm but thin. "Next town. There's always someone—"
"No," Souta cut her off, stepping closer. "You're not making it to the next town. Look at you—you can barely stand. We don't have days to wander around hoping for a miracle." He ran a hand through his damp hair, his mind racing. Goro had mentioned the cure—shadowroot, moonbloom, cave viper blood—but the blood was the kicker. Rare, he'd said. Days to find. Hinata didn't have days. She might not even have hours.
She frowned, shifting to sit up straighter, though the effort made her wince. "I'm not helpless yet. I can—"
"Stop it," he snapped. "You're dying, Hinata. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. That poison's eating you alive, and I'm not dragging you through the mud just to watch you collapse." He took a breath, softening his tone. "We need something now. Something to slow it down more, give us a shot."
Her lips pressed into a thin line, but she didn't argue. She knew he was right—her body was betraying her, and stubbornness wouldn't change that. "What, then?" she asked, her voice quieter. "If Goro won't help, what's left?"
Souta hesitated, his mind churning through half-formed ideas, each more desperate than the last. He'd heard stories—old battlefield tricks, crazy shit soldiers did when medics weren't around. One stuck out, absurd and reckless, but it clawed at him. "I could… suck it out," he said, the words tumbling out before he could second-guess them. "The poison. From your arm. Get some of it out, delay it a little. Buy us time."
Hinata's eyes widened, a flicker of shock breaking through her calm. "What?" She stared at him, then shook her head, sharp and fast. "No. That's insane. You can't—"
"Why not?" he pressed, stepping closer to the bed, his voice rising. "It's in your blood, right? If I can pull some out, it might slow the spread. I've seen it work with snakebites—heard it, anyway. It's not a cure, but it's something."
"It's not the same,"
"This isn't some farmer's trick—this is viper's kiss. Concealed, slow-acting, deadly. You'd poison yourself, Souta. It'd get in your mouth, your system—you'd be as good as dead. And it wouldn't even cure me, just delay it. "
He ignored her, already moving, his mind set. "Doesn't matter. I'm not sitting here watching you die your big sister will hunt me down is she finds out about this." He grabbed her wrist, gentle but firm, pulling her arm toward him. The dark lines stood out stark against her pale skin, a map of the poison's cruel progress. He knelt beside the bed, pinning her arm down with one hand, his other brushing her hair back to keep her still. "Hold still. I've got this."
"Souta, stop!" Hinata's voice cracked, panic flaring as she yanked against his grip. She twisted, trying to pull free, but her strength was gone, her movements sluggish. "You idiot—let go! You'll kill yourself!" She swung her free hand, aiming a weak slap at his face, but he caught it, pinning it to the mattress beside her.
"Quit fighting me," he growled, leaning over her, his weight pressing her back against the bed. She squirmed beneath him, her legs kicking feebly, but he held firm, his knees bracketing her hips to keep her down. Her chest heaved, her kimono shifting with the struggle, and he forced himself to focus—her arm, the wound, nothing else. "Just—stay still."
She bared her teeth, desperation flashing in her eyes, and lunged forward, snapping at his arm like a cornered animal. Her teeth grazed his sleeve, missing skin by inches, and he jerked back, startled. "Did you just try to bite me?"
"Yes!" she hissed, her voice raw. "Because you're being stupid! Let me go—I'd rather die than watch you poison yourself for nothing!" Her chest rose and fell fast, her face flushed with anger and fear, and for a moment, she looked alive again, fierce despite the weakness dragging her down.
Souta stared at her, his grip loosening just a fraction. Her words hit hard—nothing. She was right; it might not work. He could end up with a mouthful of venom, coughing up blood while she still slipped away. But doing nothing felt worse, like surrendering. He tightened his hold again, his jaw set. "It's not nothing. It's a chance. You don't get to decide this—I do."
Her eyes blazed, but her strength was fading fast. She thrashed once more, a last burst of defiance, then slumped back, panting, her head hitting the pillow. "You're… impossible," she whispered, tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. "Please, Souta… don't."
He paused, her plea cutting through the haze of his resolve. She wasn't just scared for herself—she was terrified for him. That stopped him cold, her tear-streaked face a punch to the gut.
He eased off, still holding her arm but no longer pinning her down, his weight shifting to the side. "Okay," he said, voice low, rough. "Okay, I won't, just dont cry...."
Hinata's breaths slowed, her chest rising and falling unevenly as she nodded, her pale eyes still locked on his, glistening with unshed tears. Her trembling hand reached up, brushing his cheek in a fleeting. But then, without warning, she shifted—turning onto her side, leaning toward him—and before he could react, her mouth opened, and she sank her teeth into his shoulder.
"Ow—shit!" Souta yelped, jerking back instinctively, but her bite held firm, sharp and determined despite her weakened state. Pain flared through his muscle, a hot sting that made him flinch, but he didn't pull away hard enough to hurt her. Her teeth clamped down through his damp shirt, not breaking skin but pressing hard enough to leave a mark. He froze, half-stunned, half-amused, staring down at her as she glared up at him, her jaw set, tears still streaking her face.
"What the hell was that for?" he demanded, his voice a mix of shock and exasperation.
Hinata released him, her teeth unclenching as she slumped back against the pillow, panting from the effort. Her face was flushed, a mix of anger and embarrassment, and she swiped at her tears with a shaky hand. "You—you bully," she choked out, her voice breaking as fresh sobs bubbled up. "I've never cried in my life—not once—and today you made me cry. You pinned me down, you wouldn't listen!"
Souta blinked, caught off guard, then rubbed his shoulder where her bite still throbbed. He shifted closer, sitting on the edge of the bed, his tone softening. "Hey, come on, I didn't mean to—look, I'm sorry, okay? I wasn't trying to make you cry."
She turned her face away, her shoulders shaking as she hugged the blanket tighter, her voice muffled but sharp. "You don't get it. I'm a shinobi—I've taken hits, I've faced death, and I never cried. Not when my mother died, not when the clan pushed me into corners I hated. Never. And now you—you come along with your stupid ideas, pinning me down like I'm some helpless kid, and I can't stop this!" She pressed a hand to her chest, as if she could push the tears back in, her sobs hitching. "I hate it. I hate feeling weak."