Lady Sushi looked grim. She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it without saying anything. She shook her head to herself and started again.

“I will do what I can for you and your comrades, but I make no promises. Our clinic is right there.”

“Of course. I am thankful for your efforts.” It was all Tenten could do not to physically carry Lady Sushi to the building in the hopes of hurrying everything up. She waddled to the indicated building and opened the (extra-wide) doors for Lady Sushi. Lady Sushi lumbered through the entrance and pointed out a free bed. Tenten lay down upon it as Lady Sushi pulled a small jelly from a cabinet.

“This is one of our medicinal products. It’ll put you to sleep for the duration. Please eat it and count backwards from one hundred.” Tenten nodded, and ate it whole.

“One hundred. Ninety-nine. Ninet—” and darkness took her.

***

Mochi carried the sleeping Tenten to a freshly made bed in Lady Sushi’s residence and tucked her in. She closed the door softly, and then walked to Lady Sushi’s office.

“I’ve done as you asked, Lady Sushi.”

“Thank you, Mochi.” Lady Sushi sighed. “That poor girl. Marunomi ate her friends before she managed to reflect the Behemoth’s Tongue at Marunomi.”

“Oh—oh no! That means—”

“Exactly,” Lady Sushi nodded. “The Behemoth’s Tongue compressed all five into one orb. No way to separate them after that. If it were simply left alone for an hour, it’d be like Marunomi had simply digested the four of them.” Lady Sushi sighed again. “I thought the kindest thing to do would be to put her to sleep while she digests. Better her than Marunomi. I still don’t know what to tell her when she wakes up, though.”

“You won’t tell her the truth?”

“That she delivered the final blow to her friends?! That never leaves this room! That’s not a burden she deserves to bear.” Lady Sushi slumped back in her seat. “I’ll just…say the treatment failed.”

“That whenever and wherever you tried to cut, her friends’ chakra flowed to protect and heal her?”

“Yes…yes. Thank you.” She leaned forward again, and stared into Mochi’s eyes. “Mochi.”

“Yes, Lady Sushi?”

“If she…takes out her frustrations on me. No matter what she may do to me, she shall be neither stopped nor punished.”

“But—!”

“NO BUTS! I failed to raise Marunomi properly. I failed to secure the Behemoth’s Tongue. I failed to destroy that cursed object when I had the chance! I asked for those girls’ assistance. I gave them inadequate information. I tried to have them retrieve the Behemoth’s Tongue rather than simply destroying it. I am responsible, and the savior of our village may punish me however she sees fit.”