[Author Note: I realised this arc was getting boring so I would be a little fast in completing it and I hope the end of this arc is as good as I imagine it to be.]
Hiori's kikaichu took the chakra from the deceased Kumo shinobi and then stuck to the Konoha shinobi, disguising their own chakra signatures completely.
Once the insects settled into place, the Konoha shinobi transformed into the exact appearances of the fallen Cloud ninja.
Chizo went into the mind of one barely alive Kumo jonin who was still restrained by Shinto's Shadow Possession Jutsu. After entering his mind he carefully pulled out every piece of useful information including passwords, recent orders and the exact route the group was expected to take.
When the preparation was finished Shinto looked at the team and said in a calm voice, "Let's go."
The group moved out at once with their new covers firmly in place.
Shunsui was placed in the makeshift cart as one of the injured along with two more Nara chunin who also pretended to be wounded.
The wooden trolley creaked as it rolled forward and the disguised Konoha shinobi walked beside it in the roles of the escorts.
As they reached the other side of the wall from which they had not infiltrated the city earlier, this side proved to be more heavily guarded by the Kumo shinobi.
Many Cloud ninja stood on the walls and more waited near the open gate. One of the Kumo genin walked up to them with a nervous expression on his face.
Shunsui watched the young guard approach and thought to himself, 'A sacrificial lamb. Even if we are imposters, Kumo only loses a genin. I really had it easy being born in Konoha.'
The thought reminded him how different the treatment of low ranking shinobi could be between villages.
The Kumo genin nervously started speaking and to Shunsui's surprise he began rapping in a clear rhythm. "Yo, I start the beat, you drop the heat."
The transformed Chizo continued the rap without any pause or sign of confusion. "Bakayaro! Konoyaro! I'm just passing through, so let me go, bro!"
The genin sighed in relief when he heard the matching lines and nodded up toward the Kumo jonin standing on top of the wall. The password had been accepted.
Shunsui felt a lot of confusion at first but quickly managed to connect the dots. 'Was that a password? Chizo san might have got it from the jonin whose mind he was reading.'
The strange choice of words still surprised him. 'But damn that's a unique password for sure. No one would have thought of it.'
They entered the city under the eyes of the Cloud guards. One of the Kumo jonin stepped closer and spoke in an official tone.
"We were informed that there would be six injured but I only see three." Chizo answered at once with a steady and sad voice. "Three of them died on the way from their injuries."
The jonin placed a palm over his heart and said with respect, "May they rise up in the clouds peacefully."
The same gesture was mimicked by everyone present including the transformed Konoha shinobi so that nothing looked unusual.
The jonin then continued, "My men would guide you all to the city hospital."
A small escort formed around the cart and the group began moving through the streets toward the large building that served as the medical centre.
While they walked Chizo and the Kumo jonin had some quiet talks. Chizo gave him some information from the battlefields that matched what a returning fighter might know and then asked subtle questions. "Is Commander Toroi busy?"
The jonin replied without suspicion. "Yes, he is reviewing the list of supplies we got from the village yesterday in his office."
Chizo nodded as if the answer was only mild interest and then asked another careful question. "I see. Are there any civilians in the hospital?"
The jonin answered openly. "Yes but we have had them shift to the floors above while our men have taken the first three floors. They are just to prevent anyone from the Konoha side from destroying the hospital."
Chizo nodded again. The jonin continued speaking and added more detail. "But it would be difficult with how much security we have placed outside the hospital. About at least fifty people are protecting the hospital from all sides."
Shunsui, still lying in the cart as an injured man, smiled just a little when he heard that statement because the same jonin then led them straight past those fifty guards and into the building without any further checks.
The jonin spoke one last time before leaving. "I will take my leave now. I hope you a speedy recovery." He turned away and left them in the care of the medical staff.
They were taken to a large ward filled with Kumo shinobi patients by the dozen. Beds lined the walls and the air carried the smell of medicine and blood.
A middle aged woman wearing the Kumo headband moved toward Shunsui's bef and walked up to him with a professional expression.
"So what got you?" she asked as she looked at the bandages on his legs. Shunsui answered with bated breaths and a weak voice that fitted an injured man.
"One of Jiraiya of the Sannin's toad crushed my legs under his feet." The Kumo medical ninja winced at the description. "That must have been rough. Let me get a look at you."
She began to unwrap the outer cloth to examine the supposed wounds. Shunsui kept his breathing shallow and added another tired comment. "The ground shook like a drum and then everything went dark for a while."
The woman nodded with sympathy. "Jiraiya's strength is no joke. You are lucky to be alive."
Shunsui gave a small painful smile. "Lucky is one word for it. I mostly feel broken." She checked his pulse and continued speaking.
"We will set the bones properly and give you something for the pain. You should be able to stand again in a few weeks if nothing is torn inside."
Shunsui let out a weak chuckle that still carried a hint of humour. "A few weeks sounds better than never walking again. Do you think the food here is better than battlefield rations?"
The medical ninja almost smiled. "It is warm at least. Rest now and let me finish the check."
As the iryo nin moved to treat him and placed her hand on him to examine the chakra flow more carefully, her eyes widened in sudden shock.
The chakra signature under her fingers did not match the body she saw and the insects could not fully hide the difference at such close contact.
Before she could shout or warn the others, Shunsui's sword appeared in his hands. The blade pierced through her neck in one clean motion. She could not even scream as she died at the hands of the patient she was trying to heal.
Her body slumped forward and Shunsui caught her quietly so that the sound of the fall would not alert the rest of the ward.
-------Author Notes--------
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