At Konoha's hospital, the air was thick with antiseptic and tension. Karin lay on a bed, her frail body wrapped in bandages, her pale skin almost translucent under the neon lights. Tubes snaked from her arm to a fluid bag, and a monitor beeped faintly, each sound like a countdown.
Sakura Haruno, leaning over her, frowned, her hands glowing with green chakra as she scanned Karin's injuries. Multiple fractures, internal bleeding barely contained, and traumatic shock that refused to ease—Karin was a broken puzzle, and Sakura struggled to piece her back together.
She channeled more chakra, her fingers trembling slightly. A deep gash on Karin's flank, jagged and irregular, still oozed despite the stitches. Sakura growled, wiping sweat from her forehead.
"Come on, hold on, damn it," she muttered, but Karin's eyes remained closed, her breath so faint it seemed ready to extinguish.
Sakura attempted another medical jutsu, stabilizing a broken rib, but Karin's pulse faltered, the monitor emitting a strident BIP!. She cursed, adjusting an IV. Nothing. No sign of awakening, not even a twitch.
Sakura slumped into a chair, her gloves stained with blood. "Damn, Karin, what did she do to you?" she said aloud, thinking of Makima, that shadow who had left carnage in her wake.
She sighed, rubbing her temples. "Only Tsunade-sensei could pull you out of this. I'm at my limit." She glanced toward the door, hoping for a miracle, but the hospital remained silent, crushed by the weight of urgency.
...
Meanwhile, at the other end of Konoha, a Kage summit was taking place in a fortified room, the walls engraved with protective seals. The round table was surrounded by grave faces, the absence of the Raikage, dead under unclear circumstances, was heavily felt.
Kakashi Hatake, Hokage, presided, masked but with sharp eyes. To his left, Naruto Uzumaki, arms crossed, seethed internally, his fists clenched. Shikamaru, to his right, smoked a cigarette despite disapproving glances, his eyes narrowed as he analyzed every word.
Across from them, Gaara, Kazekage, remained still, his sand swirling around him like a contained threat. Temari and Kankurō flanked him, the former nervously tapping her foot.
Mei Terumi, Mizukage, was there with her right-hand man, Ao, her lips pinched betraying cold anger. Ōnoki, Tsuchikage, floated slightly above his seat, his most loyal shinobi Kurotsuchi and Akatsuchi standing behind him, ready to leap.
Kakashi broke the silence, his voice calm but heavy. "We all agree on one point: Makima is a threat we can't ignore. She massacred Yamato, destroyed an Anbu team, and left Karin half-dead and Orochimaru missing."
"Not to mention the Raikage and Killer B, the Fire Daimyo, found slaughtered like a dog." He placed a hand on a report.
"We don't know where she comes from, but she's on Madara's level. Maybe worse." Sasuke asserted.
Naruto slammed his fist on the table, making Temari jump. "She thinks she's untouchable! She killed our people, and now she's hiding, playing the coward! We need to catch her, and fast!" His blue eyes blazed, Kurama's chakra pulsing under his skin.
Shikamaru blew out a cloud of smoke, his tone weary but sharp. "Calm down, Naruto. We can't just rush in blindly, I know you were close to Yamato."
"She might have even captured Orochimaru, Orochimaru, he might even join her willingly, damn it! That guy's a slippery eel, and she's put him on his knees. We don't even know if she's human."
He stubbed out his cigarette. "We need info. Karin's our only lead, but she's in a coma. She might be some kind of Otsutsuki or an outsider from another dimension."
Gaara nodded, his voice grave cutting the air. "Makima isn't acting randomly. She's after power, but her methods... they're personal. She wants us to fear her." He clenched his fists, the sand crunching. "We must neutralize her before she rallies other renegades."
Mei crossed her arms, her auburn hair falling over her face. "Neutralize? We need to eradicate her, period. She killed the Daimyo, destabilized the entire system. If we let her breathe, she'll sow chaos everywhere." Ao, beside her, growled in agreement, adjusting his headband. "Her powers... telekinesis, mind control, it's unheard of. We can't afford to wait."
Ōnoki chuckled, his voice raspy. "You're all talking as if it were simple. This woman killed a Kage, the Raikage, no less. We don't know what else she has up her sleeve, but she's not alone."
"Rumors say she has minions, some kind of weird creatures, who knows what power she'll have with Orochimaru by her side." He pointed a knotted finger. "We need to mobilize all our forces, now. An alliance, like against Madara."
Kakashi nodded, his mask hiding his expression. "We have no choice. We'll form a coalition—Konoha, Suna, Kiri, Iwa. Each village sends its best shinobi. We'll hunt Makima, find her hideout, and take her out." He looked at Naruto.
"But Shikamaru's right: we need info. If Karin doesn't wake up, we're too disadvantaged."
Naruto growled, leaping to his feet. "Then we'll make her talk, one way or another! I'll see Sakura, she'll find a way. That Makima won't get away with this!" He slammed the door as he left, leaving a heavy silence.
Temari sighed, crossing her arms. "He's right, but he's too impulsive. Makima's not just strong, she's smart. We can't underestimate her."
Kankurō chuckled, tapping a pocket where his puppets were stored. "Smart or not, I'll make her eat her own guts. No one messes with us like that without paying."
Kurotsuchi, behind Ōnoki, clenched her fists. "We agree, but we need a plan. If she's really Madara-level, we can't just attack head-on. We need to corner her, isolate her."
Kakashi stood up, ending the meeting. "We'll give ourselves a month to gather our forces. Shikamaru, coordinate the reconnaissance teams. Gaara, Mei, Ōnoki, prepare your shinobi. We move together, or we die separately." He turned on his heel, his shadow stretching along the wall.
Makima, you may have won a battle by taking Orochimaru, but the war hadn't even begun yet.