Warnings: Addressed at the top of chapter one.

Beta:

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ ⌒●~

I took off in a sprint towards home carrying Madara in my arms. Even if physically we were the same age the boy was still bigger than I and required the use of my chakra to lift him.

I hopped back over my fence and hurried inside my home before I dumped him on the my bed upstairs. Then I placed my Shosen glowing hands over his chest and forehead, immediately sending in soothing chakra to reduce his fever. It didn't take long to find what was causing him to be so sick: an advance case of bronchitis. Though it had been a long time since I had seen such advancement of the disease as it was almost eradicated in my previous life by Tsunade.

My chakra urged his body temperature to return to normal and I cleaned up the mucus build up in his chest, lungs, and sinuses. Then I repaired the surprisingly extensive lung tissue damage and brought down as much of the swelling that I could.

'When treating such advanced bacteria or viruses the doctor needs to increase white blood cell count,' I thought. 'I'll have to monitor to make sure I don't trigger an autoimmune response, but his body needs to naturally exterminate any remainder of the disease that I can't find.'

I manipulated my chakra and enveloped his entire body in it. While it looked chakra intensive increasing white blood cell count actually was not. It required no more chakra than using the chakra scalpel, but it did require extreme concentration and experienced hands. Only senior iryo-nin or doctors would risk doing such, and only in extreme cases.

Normally we would simply prescribe medicine, but the medicine did not exist, yet.

Within ten minutes, though, I had doubled his white blood cell count and I knew he would be okay.

'Fever, check. Lung damage, check. Mucus, check. White blood cells, check.'

With a relieved smile, I withdrew my hands.

Madara's breathing had become easier and his face peaceful. I pulled the blankets over him while I headed down stairs to make some herbal tea for him to take when he woke up. I even had a little honey still to add into to make it sweeter for the young boy.

I put on the kettle, letting the water heat up over the fireplace downstairs, and then I headed back up to check on him. He continued to sleep without a fuss, and I pulled up a chair beside my bed and patiently waited.

About fifteen minutes later Madara's eyes creaked open and he blearily looked around before they settled on me. Then his entire body froze and he abruptly sat up. "Who are you? Where am I? Wh—"

Madara stopped talking and his hands flew to his chest and he took a deep breath. "I-I can breathe again?"

I smiled at him with affection. "Hello. I'm Hatake Sasori, a doctor for the nearby village. You passed out near my home, so I brought you back and healed you. How do you feel?"

Madara's eyes were as wide as a doe's. "Y-You healed me? Why? How?"

"I'm a doctor," I told him. "I took a vow to help all I came across, no matter who they are."

"Help me," he blurted out. "My okaa-san is sick! My family is really sick. I came out to find herbs, but the snow ruined everything and I—please. You have to come back with me."

"Of course," I responded immediately. "Let me grab some herbs. Are you well enough to walk? Do you need any water?"

"I'm fine," he insisted. "We have to hurry."

Madara leapt out of bed, his eyes focused on me while I headed down the stairs and into my herbal room / kitchen. I heard Madara follow behind me and a quick glance saw his amazed eyes as he took in the sight of my home. I felt a little proud of it, despite knowing it probably looked like a hovel compared to the rich Uchiha compound.

I grabbed as many cough, fever, and relaxing herbs as I could stuff into my satchel before I turned back to Madara. "I can take you back to the stream, will you know how to get home from there?"

Madara nodded absently, still looking around. "Y-You live here?"

I beamed. "Yep! Made it myself. Let's go, chubby."

Madara flushed. "Chubby?"

I gestured towards his cheeks that still had baby fat on them. "It's a cute thing. Chubby little cheeks like a chipmunk."

I didn't give him time to respond—although his growing red face was highly amusing—and headed out my front door. Madara followed right after me, and I began to run through my garden. I heard Madara's shout of surprise, but he soon ran behind me and together we headed back to the stream.

Madara took a moment to get his bearings before he took off in a sprint. I chased after him,

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ ⌒●~

"Please, Otou-sama," Madara begged, his eyes wide, "Okaa-san—"

Tajima snapped, "I know, Madara! You do not bring a stranger—"

"Who is doomed?" I interrupted. "Who is beyond your healer's saving? Who is dead if I do or do not touch? Let me prove myself to you. Let me help you, please. I cannot stand by and watch people suffer."

Tajima's face twisted into something dark and ugly, his hands clenched tightly. For a solid minute nothing was said between us, but I kept my gaze even against his own. Then, at last, he bit out, "My wife. Our healer said there would be no saving her before she passed on."

"Then let me save her," I asked of him. "What do you have to lose?"

"Hurt her and I will make you beg for death," Tajima warned me.

I withdrew my hand, the Shosen disappearing in the same process. Madara's mother took a deep breath, and her eyes fluttered open. Color had returned to her face, and each breath she took came easily.

She looked at me in awe, her eyes widening, "Have I died?"

I smiled warmly at her, placing a gentle hand on her cheek. "Not yet, gorgeous."

"K-Kiyo?"

Kiyo turned her heard towards her husband's croaked voice. She beamed at him, reaching towards him, "Dear!"

"Kiyo," he repeated breathlessly, his normally stoic face breaking into emotion. He took a deep, staggering, breath and then turned to me. His eyes burned into my own and he said, "Fix them. Fix them all."

I bowed. "It's what I do."

Then I left, Madara getting up and following close behind me. His big, adorable, eyes watched me with triumph and joy. "You're going to do it? Everyone's gonna be okay?"

I turned towards him, smiling with affection. "Yes. I promise. Now that I'm here I'll keep everyone alive."

Madara reached forward and took my hand. "Then c'mon. I'll take you to everyone."

The Uchihas had some of the worse case of tuberculosis—I mean Ibuseism—I had ever seen. Madara and a couple other adults followed me around the compound as I went to each person and used my healing ninjutsu. It was painfully clear none of them trusted me to clean their kunai let alone heal them, but they were simply that desperate.

My results spoke for themselves. As soon as each patient was suddenly able to breathe clearly for the first time in months their suspicion tripled.

Why would she help us? What's in it for her?

None of them asked these questions out loud but it was easy to guess. Being around Uchihas for so many lifetimes made it simple to read their minute facial expressions.

Madara was the only one who didn't glare at me with suspicion. His eyes were wide with child-like admiration.

As I healed each patient I turned back to him with a smile and explained to him what was wrong with them, and what I was having my chakra do (this also seemed to calm the adults who watched with their Sharingans).

"Can you teach me?" Madara asked me as the sun started to dip down and I saw the last patient off.

"I can, but would you have the time?" I asked him. "Training to be a doctor requires a lot of dedication. I can, at the very least, show you the basics."

"Would you do that?" a deep voice rumbled, and we both looked up to see Madara's father approach us. He wore the perfect poke face, with dark eyes fixated on me. "Who are you really? Why are you doing this?"

I tried my best confident grin. "I'm Sasori. I'm a doctor. I've been taking care of the nearby village for a few months. When I saw him," I gestured towards Madara, "he was about ready to pass out near one of my usual spots for herbs. I fixed him back up and he took me to all of you. I'm honor bound to help all those in need."

"For what price?" he demanded.

I shook my head at that. "No price. I have everything I need. I suppose if I were to ask for anything it'd be company. I don't often meet people around my age who can use chakra. All the children in the village are farmers."

His face twitched.

I shrugged. "Well, if that's everyone I should probably head home. Maddie here knows how to find me."

Madara spluttered at his new nickname, but wasn't able to come up with a retort before I headed off.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ ⌒●~

Madara joined me often after that point. He was normally accompanied by a handful of other Uchiha who wanted to assess me, but they all left well before Madara. The young boy would stay with me all day, training or helping me prepare medicines. He asked a lot of questions, and I did my best to answer him.

I also teased him a lot which resulted in him punching my arm.

But honestly I was genuinely happy for his company. I hadn't realized how lonely I had grown until each morning I looked forward to his visit. Even if he was in a sour mood and didn't want to talk, I still drew a lot of comfort from his presence.

This might have been his first life meeting with me, but it wasn't my first time meeting him.

Madara was…

Madara was dear to me. More dear than a lot of people ever could have been, or ever will be.

I loved him, even if he didn't feel remotely the same way.

So I cherished his presence, helping him in however way I could.

I visited his clan on a bi-weekly basis, doing standard check ups. The first couple months doing so was met with resistance, and cold looks, but no one wanted to blatantly turn away a free doctor that had already saved most of their lives. Although, I did hear a few of them wonder if it would be better to make sure I stayed in the clan on a permanent basis.

That obviously wouldn't happen because they'd lose my cooperation.

Plus I was 99% sure I could bust outta there with ease since I knew plenty of techniques that hadn't even been invented yet.

Like hiraishin (Thank you, Miwako).

My life was a pleasant one, and it remained that way all the way up to the end of winter.

Then along came a lost little boy with messy brown hair and tears in his eyes.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ ⌒●~

This story will not be updated again until I have completed Rotted Rowan.

I'm posting it now so people have a story to follow if they do want updates on it. But I literally can't keep juggling this many stories at once, so I'm going to focus on finishing what I have already started. Apologies for any disappointment, but I need to do this.

Answer: Pokemon White 2, or 12 years before HGSS takes place so I can be a pokemon trainer for either games. :thumbs up:

Question: What color best describes you? What color do you wish best described you?

Reviews are love!