"From what I've seen, the poison decays your insides. It's potent enough, but with time, I'm sure I can brew a potion to resist it," Kankuro said, his tone focused.
"How much time do you need?" Temari asked, her arms crossed.
"Depends on how long it takes for you to gather the ingredients," Kankuro replied, handing them a list he had just written down.
"A Desert Sage, Cactus Flower, Sand Scorpion Venom, and Sunagakure Mineral Water?! This will take at least a day!" Temari exclaimed, frustration in her voice.
"For you, maybe. But if Gaara goes, it'll be faster. I'm sure of it. What do you say, Gaara?" Kankuro asked, turning to him.
Temari was quick to interject. "I'm sure I'm faster than Gaara though," she argued, an eyebrow raised.
"Who's going to protect you?" Gaara asked flatly, his tone emotionless.
"Huh? Don't look down on me! I have my means," Temari retorted, glaring at him.
Gaara only glanced at her, a sigh escaping him. He didn't have faith in her ability to defend herself in this situation, but he knew that they were a team, and hopefully, Lady Chiyo would be active if something went wrong. Without further comment, Gaara turned and began his search for the ingredients. It wasn't a difficult task, as they had passed most of the needed items while roaming the desert for the puppet.
Meanwhile, as soon as Gaara left, Kankuro turned to Temari. "Try using your Wind Style on the poison ahead," he instructed.
Temari nodded and unleashed a gust of wind, dispersing the toxic air for a moment. But after a few seconds, it returned to its original position.
"It seems there's a source for the poison," Kankuro thought, his mind racing. The closer we get to it, the harder it will be to withstand the poison. I hope this works...
Temari, meanwhile, was considering their next move. Typically, Gaara and I would be able to walk through this poison zone and into the desert, but this is a team mission. Even if we actively protect Kankuro from the poison, what happens if we get attacked? It'd be too much.
As if on cue, another sandstorm began to form, this time much closer. Temari was ready, though. She quickly created a wind barrier to protect Kankuro and Lady Chiyo, positioning them in a straight line behind her.
Before the storm could fully unleash, Temari used her fan to disperse the winds, carefully directing them around the group. She had spotted the eye of the storm and reacted quickly. The battle with the storm continued for a while until Gaara returned, his hands full.
He handed over the ingredients with a quiet nod. He had brought the whole sand scorpion, as well as jars of sand filled with water. The cactus flowers and desert sage were still intact, gently resting on the desert sand beside him. Gaara had been careful not to damage anything, bringing them whole. And to everyone's surprise, he had brought four pairs of each ingredient.
The rest of the group was stunned, impressed by his efficiency and the versatility of his methods. Only Gaara could make something so convenient work for him.
With the ingredients in hand, Kankuro got to work. He started by grinding the desert sage and cactus flowers into fine powder. He then diluted the scorpion venom and mineral water, ensuring that it was safe for consumption, before carefully mixing everything together. As he worked, he chanted a protective jutsu to activate the potion's properties.
Once the concoction was complete, Kankuro filled twelve vials with the mixture. "Take three each," he instructed the group, handing them the vials. "Take one every two hours. This potion is a lesser version, so there will be some side effects—like weak body functions. It stacks, so be careful."
He handed the vials over with a serious look. "It's not perfect, but it'll keep the poison at bay... for now."