Authors Note: Here is the start of a new short story that I have had on the table for a while. I hadn't uploaded it because I wanted to finish the epilogue for Gift of Life but for some reason I can't upload it, so I decided to go ahead and upload this first. I hope you enjoy and I hope to have the next chapter out very soon. For reader of GOL, I will get the epilogue for GOL up as soon as it will let me. On we go!
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the characters.
Neji couldn't believe his ears. Three weeks in this hellhole with that… bumbling idiot of a nurse. He wanted to curse but the infernal woman was still there clutching her clipboard as if it were a teddy bear. There was desire in her eyes and something distinctly predatory as she gazed at him in his less than mobile state and it was unnerving.
The thought of this woman man handling him and attempting to gain his attention at every turn made the whole idea of staying here even worse. He was already in considerable pain and he hadn't eaten since last night. On top of that this bed was incredibly uncomfortable. To say he was cranky was an understatement.
"Is there anything else you need Neji-san?" The overeager tone of her voice made him want to cringe. This was part of why he hated the hospital. Young nurses often favored him with far too much attention as they did with many of the high-ranking eligible nins. It certainly didn't help that he was a Hyuuga favored by his uncle and his cousins or that he was the infamous captain of ANBU's highest ranking and most successful team.
He saw her move forward with determination and it furthered his conviction. Normally he would have just said 'no, I am fine', but this time was different. His broken ribs and shattered knee cap were not going to allow him to get up and leave of his own accord for at least a few weeks and even if he did manage to escape there was no doubt that someone would drag him back. Thus, with no other options, he decided to do something he would never normally contemplate. He took a look back at the woman, who was now entirely too close for comfort, and finalized his decision.
"Yes, there is." Her eyes widened and she looked eager to please. She nodded energetically awaiting his command. "Please find me a new nurse."
It had been hours since he had seen a nurse. To their credit each of the nurses on duty had given it their best shot but they were all of the same general demeanor and general fan girl tendencies. Despite these set backs over the last few hours he was determined to outlast the girls and find someone who wouldn't fuss over him too much.
His attention was grabbed by a distinct noise coming from the hall. Someone was wearing heels and walking with even commanding steps as they came closer to his door. Who did he know that wore heels? For a moment his heart stopped and his eyes widened at the thought that the hokage was coming to reprimand him for systematically turning away all of her hospital staff in one day. If he was lucky he wouldn't be punched too hard.
He steeled his nerves for the angry entrance of the busty blonde but the voice he heard from outside the door was not that of Tsunade-sama. He let out the breath he had been holding. There was only one other person he knew that wore heals like that.
Sure enough a moment later, and much to his relief, a pink head entered through the door. Her face was hidden behind a clipboard, but the hair was unmistakable.
"Good afternoon Hyuuga-san," she said as she lowered the clipboard and he was able to take in her appearance for the first time in a while. He hadn't realized how long it had been since he'd seen her. She looked different now, more mature and significantly less gangly than she had in her early teens.
Her hair was longer but by no means long. She had taken to wearing tall knee-high boots that were unique among the nins. Her white medical coat screamed her authority in the institution and immediately made him feel more at ease. A professional smile brought his attention to the face that was no longer covered. He was surprised to find that her green eyes were a very intriguing shade of emerald, something he had never noticed before.
There was a sense of bemusement in the air as she approached him, her hand laden with chakra. "I hear you've been displeased with my staff." The tilt of her head was reassuring and he was almost positive that she was not going to suddenly lash out at him.
"Hn." He redirected his gaze, though still very conscious of the hand that was approaching his rib cage. His examination of her was not over but for the moment he had determined that she would get the job done and that was enough to get him to lower his guard slightly. His arms, which had been crossed up to this point, fell to his sides and exposed his chest.
"I'm going to examine you now. It will only take a moment," she said with confidence, placing the clipboard down on a side table and finally moving to touch his chest with her hand.
A warm tingling sensation spread through him, hotter where her hand was hovering over him than anywhere else. Her eyes were closed with concentration and he wondered if that was somehow part of how she visualized the damage done within him.
"I don't really blame you. They mean well but they are young girls. Sometimes they get a little caught up in the moment. I will have a talk with them." That slight up turn of her lips was all he needed to see that she was indeed thoroughly entertained by both his and her staff's antics, for what reason he was not entirely sure.
He regarded her again and realized that not once had she ogled him, gazed at him with starry eyes, or managed anything that even vaguely resembled swooning. She was entirely focused on the task at hand and didn't seem to care about who he was or what he looked like. In a sense he was somewhat put off by it, as this was new for him, but the majority of his sentiment was relief.
It was then that he noticed something else. She was wearing her combat gloves and her travel gear was gently placed by the side of the door. She must have just returned from a mission. The sensation of guilt washed over him. He had caused a ruckus and it would stand to reason that someone would have had the sense to get her or one of her colleagues. Presumably Tsunade-sama and Shizune were busy and didn't work in the hospital regularly anyway, which left Sakura. Despite the implications of her dress she did not appear tired and thus some of his guilt was alleviated.
"You're going to feel a slight burning sensation."
The heat on his body increased and his brows knitted together. The pain that had been shooting through his body was dissipating and all that remained was a dull ache. Eventually Sakura straightened up and opened her eyes to look him straight in his.
"Well Hyuuga-san, you appear to have broken three of your ribs and shattered your right knee cap. They have now been mended to an extent. The bones have been placed back together but they will have to fully re-knit themselves over time. The mend will be stronger this way." She grabbed the clipboard and scribbled something down and then attached the board to a small hook on his bed.
"I will be back tomorrow to monitor your progress. Your dinner will be in soon and I will personally make sure that there will be no problems. Is that satisfactory Hyuuga-san?"
She was leaning on one hip with her arms crossed as if asking for him to challenge her in some way. As if he would dare after she had just healed him. There was one thing that was bothering him though.
"Sakura-san," he said, making sure to catch her eyes with his. There was a moment of silence as she gazed back at him. A smile lifted her cheeks and he felt his chest tighten unexpectedly. The glow in her cheeks, the amused sparkle in her eyes and the curve of her full lips was something he was looking forward to seeing again. There was warmth in her smile and in her eyes that he wasn't accustomed to. It was comforting and yet at the same time somewhat exciting.
She turned to towards the door and picked up her pack. He watched her do so with a little disappointment, which puzzled him. Never before he had been intrigued by Haurno Sakura. Why now? Thinking about it for a quick second he realized that he hadn't paid much attention to her since the incident with Gaara. That had been a few years ago.
They had never sparred together and their missions were usually of a different nature. On top of that, he rarely got injured and was not usually drastically, thus he had no need for the expertise of someone as skilled as Haruno Sakura. In addition, he had been so busy in the last few years that he hardly ever managed to meet up with the group and he suspected, with her new appointment at the hospital, that she suffered the same fate. Whatever the reasons were for their lack of meetings, he was determined to get to know Haruno Sakura better now. He wasn't exactly sure why he wanted to, he just knew that he did. And he would have plenty of time to think about it over night as he waited for her return.
She straightened her back with her pack on her shoulder and turned her face to the side. "Tomorrow then, Neji-san." Her voice carried over to his bed and he took a moment to nod in return before appreciating the way her voice was gentle and all together pleasant. She exited the room and he listened to the confident clicks of her heels as they walked down the hallway.
He made himself comfortable in his bed. He readjusted his pillow and found that he would need another in order to be truly comfortable. He was loathe to call someone in to fetch it for him and, even though he could feel that his leg was better, Sakura hadn't said he could walk about yet. With a small smirk he settled in and made due with his current number of pillows. It wasn't often that he was allowed to be lazy and now was as good a time as any for him to use his injury as an excuse to relax.
A timid knock on the door announced the presence of a visitor. A young teenage boy with glasses and a quiet demeanor entered the room with a large sack in his arms.
"Hyuuga-san, Sakura-sensei asked me to bring you these when she was done with the examination." The boy went about opening the sack and pulling out a number of items.
The first was what appeared to be a pile of reading material.
The second was a bento box. The boy placed the box on the tray in front of him and opened the top to reveal a very elaborate and well-prepared bento. He wasn't sure who had made it but he intended to find out.
The next thing to find it's way onto the tray was a thermos. When the boy opened it the smell of tea reached his nose. Neji's wanted to close his eyes in joy. Not only would he not have to deal with fan girls, but he wasn't going to have to eat hospital food either.
Before he could revel in his dinner, which he was hard pressed not to dig into right that second, the boy pulled out the last item and arguably the most important; another pillow. Neji leaned forward and graciously took the pillow from the boy and placed it behind him.
With an eager smile the boy bowed to him and then stood up straight as a board. "My name is Udon and Sakura-sensei has deemed that I am to be your nurse. Please be patient with me. You are my first independent charge." Normally such an admission would have bothered Neji, but this time he was grateful. It was apparent that Udon would only do what Sakura instructed and wouldn't bother Neji unless it was necessary or he was called. Neji nodded to the boy amicably and then watched as he turned to leave the room.
When the door closed he began to eat and make himself comfortable. With the pillows supporting him and a large piece of sashimi in his mouth, he knew one thing for certain. Haruno Sakura was an angel.
End Comments: Thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. It is a small introductory chapter and I hope to have another longer chapter out very soon.