Once Mai put on the white coat and tied the red cross band, she had no more leisure time.
Her teacher, Tsunade, had used a forbidden technique to save the village and remained in coma to this day. There was no time for grief or worry, as she and Sakura had to focus on treating the endless stream of injured that followed.
As Tsunade's two most outstanding students, they simultaneously bore immense pressure during this crisis.
"Hello, where are you feeling unwell?"
No sooner had she seen off one patient than a man clutching his bleeding right hand arrived.
"My, my hand..."
The terrifying scene of splattered blood on the desk and exposed tissue didn't change Mai's expression much. She observed the injury impassively while questioning the injured man, then a green Chakra glow lit up on her hand.
...
A short while later, Mai checked the time, stood up, and spoke to someone. Another Medical-nin took her place. She walked towards the large hall at the back of the station to begin checking on the patients over there.
The large hall was lined with beds, patients covered in bandages, softly moaning in pain lying on them. She re-examined the injuries of the patients under her care, recorded, changed dressings, updated the order...
The winter sun slowly rose. At one point, the sound of rolling wheels and urgent shouts came from outside. The station suddenly became noisy. Mai was called away by an older Medical-nin. They hurried out with others.
Day after day, the work was like this. Especially in the initial stages, what Mai had to do was far from just sitting under the eaves waiting for patients to come, that was actually the easiest part.
Most of the time, minor injuries were handled by other Medical-nin. Severe and critical injuries were what she and Sakura routinely handled.
After the great disaster, the pathological problems apportioned among tens of thousands of villagers were not just one or two cases. Mai and Sakura rushed between various makeshift treatment rooms, often without a moment's rest.
The flow of lifeblood wouldn't slow down for a single second based on will. In emergencies, they could only handle the most critical parts first before moving to the next injured person.
It didn't take long for their white coats to be stained with blood. They'd change, disinfect, and continue treatment. Only when their Chakra was exhausted would they stop to rest and recover.
Besides this, there was the allocation of medical supplies, emergency responses at various stations, and sometimes going out to diagnose Ninja or construction workers who got injured and found it difficult to reach a station.
Aside from Shizune, they were the Medical-nin with the most authority and say after Tsunade. This post-disaster medical effort felt more like an examination of their years of learning.
Shizune had dedicated on the overall situation. Mai and Sakura felt the responsibility in supporting other aspects. Fortunately, they had Shizune there to look after them, otherwise they might have made many mistakes and taken detours.
In the early morning, Mai looked out at the vast ruins. Children could run around laughing and playing. People were coming and going, full of fervor, not dead silence.
The sweat glistening under the sunlight and the efforts of the people made her feel somewhat melancholy. Little did she know that her blood-stained white coat also, constantly, gave strength to others.
...
Five kilometers north of Konoha.
"Deidara, you go ahead."
"Huh?"
Logan stood on a hill, overseeing Konoha, which resembled a large crater. Under the erected torches, miles of broken walls and ruins were faintly illuminated. The rows upon rows of houses were all collapsed. Not a single piece of the huge architectural puzzle remained intact.
"What do you mean? Go ahead with what? Why me?" Deidara stood behind him, utterly confused, firing off three polite questions.
"Infiltrate Konoha, of course." Logan said calmly, as if suggesting something utterly mundane, "Weren't you experienced in this sort of thing before? Coming and going without a trace in the Land of Wind. No one is more suitable than you."
Deidara subconsciously puffed out his chest. Mentioning his glorious past, he felt somewhat proud. His eyes swept around, and he let out a faint 'Hmm' through his nose.
"A good man doesn't boast about his past valor. Although Konoha's defense level is higher, since the team is newly formed, someone like me really needs to step up. It seems working with you this time won't be boring after all. Tell me, what do you want me to do inside Konoha?"
"Deliver a letter." Logan said with a serious expression, taking out a plain envelope from his pocket, "It's up to you."
The letter was very thin, the most ordinary thing imaginable. Deidara took it disappointedly, feeling deceived.
...
A full moon hung in the night sky. Black floating clouds only revealed themselves when they brushed past the bright lunar halo.
Hospitals are the easiest places for accidents to happen. Because of an emergency patient, by the time Mai finished handling the remaining tasks, it was already evening.
And this was under the circumstance that the village's reconstruction work was proceeding orderly and steadily getting on track, and everything was relatively stable.
The working Medical-nin had gradually dispersed, leaving only a few people doing final tidying up.
"Sakura-nee, see you tomorrow."
Mai bid farewell to her senior sister, who had also worked hard all day. The other girl, already shouldering her pack, waved her hand and offered a few words of consolation, "Get some rest early."
Then she left, dragging her tired body away.
Rubbing her temples for a moment, Mai didn't delay long. After saying goodbye to those on duty, she walked out of the station.
There were very few villagers still outside. No taverns, no food stalls. Restricted supplies and entertainment naturally made people retreat early to their temporary shelters to rest.
At this deep hour of the night, as Mai walked, the camps around her had only a few lights left flickering. It was so quiet that she could only look up at the stars twinkling in the night sky.
That being said, the number of Ninja on duty was probably twice the usual. Konoha could no longer be considered in a time of peace. To prevent all kinds of sudden situations, the village's defense level had only increased.
By releasing her Chakra, she could sense the continuous presence of guards scattered around the sprawling camps and near the original village wall perimeter. Mai relaxed, knowing there wouldn't be any danger.
The air temperature had turned biting again in the contrast between cold and warm. The thought of returning to her tent made Mai pout.
Although she was almost used to sleeping in it, and the sleeping bag could isolate the cold, the comfort was nowhere near that of a soft bed.
Mai shook her head vigorously. She had lived in a thatched hut before! This was nothing in comparison! She couldn't complain during this special time. Having a tent to herself was already preferential treatment due to her work.
With the tent as a contrast, she remembered her original room, the apartment where she had lived with her brother for so long. It too had collapsed during the attack.
Her steps turned. Mai suddenly felt the urge to go take another look.
She slightly acknowledged a few Ninja hidden in the darkness and gently passed the camp. She walked towards the village ruins. The high walls were gone. The tall water tower and the bustle streets seemed to have vanished with the wind.
The routes from her memory were now completely changed. Treading on broken stones and gravel, she stood on a pile of rubble that looked no different from anywhere else.
"So this is where the apartment was." Mai stomped her foot, feeling both amused and sad.
Kazuya had already worked his way up to a small leadership position in a construction company. With the village rebuilding, he was incredibly busy.
These days, Mai hardly even saw her own brother.
The two visitors from a foreign land, each thousands of miles from their homeland, had thrown themselves into this place. The land beneath their feet felt not unfamiliar at all. When needed, they didn't hold back at all. Compared to their time in the Land of the Moon, they were more like the real deal here.
Standing on the ruins of the apartment, Mai remembered the days they had lived dependent of each other. There were also emotions of longing while curled up in her room.
And during the attack, she had stood up and fought the enemy, though the apartment was crushed by some giant Summoned Beast from who-knows-where before she could win.
'Eh...'
Suddenly, in her senses, it was as if a light colder than the night itself flashed past.
"What?" Mai was stunned for a moment. She looked around, but the empty village showed no change. Concentrating her sense, she was sure she hadn't made a mistake. It was just a flash, but she couldn't pinpoint the corresponding object.
Left, right, front, back... as if remembering something, Mai looked up. Far in the sky, a shadow of bird passed by the moon.