The Medic of Pain
by Diana-san

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

The Medic of Pain

Sakura didn't know exactly when it began. Maybe the first time she realized this power was that time she healed that little kid. He had fallen down because he got into a fight with some of the bullies in his class. She was walking back from the store with a bag of groceries in hand when she saw the scuffle between the two boys. She healed the wound on his knee and went to reprimand the other boy. She was shocked when she barely touched the other boy when he winced in pain. Her hands was resting on his shoulder. She glanced at her hands. Was her monster strength unleashed somehow? That couldn't be. She wasn't even aware of it.

It happened again when she was out on a mission with Kakashi and Lee. They were fending off enemy spies from the Land of Sound as they were returning to Konoha. Sakura went to heal Lee, who had sustained injuries from the battle. They had defeated the spies but didn't realize when several more came as backup. When she went to encounter one of them, before she even touched him with her monster fists, he yelled out in pain. His howls filled the air and made even his comrades stop in their tracks. The enemy decided to retreat instead as their formation was broken. Kakashi watched from his position guarding Lee. He couldn't fathom what that was all about either.

Sakura thought it was strange. Bizarre even. What was this feeling, she wondered. Later on, Tsunade told her. She had gotten a checkup as did the rest of her team. But her results came back mixed. Tsunade said that there was an immense amount of chakra contained in her hands. Sakura glanced at her hands. What did that mean? Tsunade mentioned that for medic-nins, there was a dark side to healing. It was something that was unheard of usually and people just assumed it was a legend or a myth. Tsunade had once tried to see if it was possible but even she had failed. The ability to transfer the pain that one heals. It was a yin and yang sort of deal.

Healing someone of their pain and later, memorizing the pain in a way that one can inflict it on someone else by transferring that feeling of pain. Tsunade said that it was nearly impossible for a person to do because memorizing that pain would mean constantly keeping it inside. The mind would collapse from holding onto that pain. The only way to work around that was for someone to have two minds. One mind that would be able to store the pain and not have it affect the second mind.

Sakura laughed at the absurdity. How could someone have two minds? That was until she realized that Tsunade was talking about her. She had two minds. She wasn't always aware of it but occasionally, she would slip back and forth between the two. In fact, she surmised that her second mind was what allowed her to be able to break through Ino's Mind Transfer technique when they were battling during their Chuunin Exams. Was it possible then? That she could heal and deliver pain at the same time? It was a scary thought.

She learned to harness the power and slowly would practice it on targets during her missions. It was mind blowing how powerful it was. The enemies never knew what hit them. Psychologically, it was breaking. They felt physical pain yet had no idea why. Sakura later was placed into ANBU. Her skill was put to the test in interrogating criminals. It was all too easy. They spilled their secrets easily just to be put out of their misery. And misery she showed them. The pain of their own death over and over. She wondered if this was similar to the likes of a genjutsu except that even the victim himself knows that the pain is real.

She wondered if she was turning to a darker side. She enjoyed this feeling of power. It was something that could be useful in the long run, she mused. In fact, she could possibly find out where Sasuke was and bring him back finally. She clenched her hand into a fist. No longer would she be deemed weak.

Kakashi approached Tsunade as they stood in the Hokage office.

"Why did you let Sakura join ANBU?" he asked.

"Because… if she didn't… she might have abandoned the village in search of Sasuke on her own."

"Do you really believe she would turn traitor to her own beloved village?"

"I don't know. But ever since she discovered this power, her eyes have changed."

"ANBU may be pushing her further to the dark side."

"Something you have familiarity with?"

Kakashi hesitated for a moment. "Ah…"

"I'm afraid of that too. But it seems like we have no other choice."

Tsunade sighed as she stared out the window. She was worried for her former pupil. Sakura was becoming stronger by the minute and Tsunade could sense that Sakura was slowly slipping away from the light of humanity.

"Re-assemble Team Kakashi," she ordered. "You're going on another mission to find Sasuke."

Sakura was surprised of the assignment. She, Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi were teamed up again to find Sasuke. She took off her ANBU mask as she set it down on the table beside her. She wondered if it would be scarier for the victim to see her face as she uses the pain transfer technique on them instead of the hiding it behind the mask.

They searched for days, following the clues of the people they met. To no avail did they turn up anything. That was until one day, when they stumbled upon a shinobi they ran into on the side of the road. He was nearly dying and gasping for his last breath. When she healed him, she felt it. The source of the pain. She clearly saw the memories of the pain that he received. It was from the blade of a Chidori. Sasuke's Chidori.

Without a word, she was off. The man was going to be okay as long as Team Kakashi tended to him. Judging from the wound, it was not long ago when he was attacked. She sensed Naruto and Sai chasing after her as she hopped through the forest. She frowned. She had to separate herself from them. This was her job. Quickly, she casted a genjutsu on the trees. It wouldn't stop them completely but it was enough for her to lose them from her tail.

She found him. He stood beside a waterfall in the clearing that rose from the openings between the crowded forest of trees. Immediately, he sensed her presence and turned in a position to attack.

"Sakura," Sasuke drawled.

Almost immediately, she slipped into the memories of her childhood when he would call her by that name each time. It had been so long since she heard him call her by name.

She jumped down to the clearing and stood in front of him. He didn't make a move and seemed to have settled back into a neutral position as they faced off.

Sakura clenched her fists. She wasn't going to let him slip away this time.

"I'm here to bring you back to the village," she claimed loudly.

He smirked as if he didn't believe in her words. So she attacked and decimated the ground beneath him. He jumped just in time as he surveyed the area of destruction. It was surprising to see how much strength was inside of his former teammate.

He dodged her attacks as she continued striking at him from every angle in quick succession. He removed the sword from his back. It was annoying. He was going to have to end this quickly so he could move on.

But before he could do anything, she grabbed him by the arms and raised her two fingers to his forehead. It stunned him because he quickly was reminded of his brother, Itachi. Then she did it. She poked him in the forehead. As they collapsed on the ground, he felt it. An intense pain. But it didn't feel physical. He wasn't hurt anywhere yet he was hurt everywhere. He clutched his heart. It felt all too familiar. The same feeling when he saw his whole clan murdered before his eyes. When he realized it was his older brother who did it.

What was this heartache?

Sakura looked down to the ground as she let tears fall down on her face.

"You always said that I was different from you or Naruto because I didn't understand. You said that I didn't understand the feeling of loss. The feeling of betrayal. The feeling of abandonment."

She looked up at him with her tear-streaked face. "THIS is that feeling," she yelled as she cried. "When you left me on that bench that night you left. THIS is my feeling of loss. THIS is my feeling of betrayal. THIS is my feeling of abandonment."

He was shocked. Did she keep this inside of her this whole time? He winced as he unclutched his hands from the place of his heart. It felt somehow more painful than he had thought.

"Yes, I grew up with parents and friends. But I have seen friends died. I have seen friends died before me, died for me, and died because of me."

She clenched her hands again as she stared into Sasuke's obsidian eyes. "I know what it feels like now Sasuke. So don't think this is just your own vengeance."

Sasuke didn't know what to say. It was still very painful feeling inside. Unconsciously, he lifted a hand to wipe away the tears on the kunoichi's face.

"Sakura," he murmured once again.

"What?"

"Do you know why I didn't let you come with me?"

"Because you thought I was too weak to fend for myself?"

"Well, besides that." He closed his eyes. "If you know the pain I felt like you do now, then you should know how much more pain I would be if I lose you to him."

Sakura looked back at him in confusion.

"I—I love you Sakura."

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was she in a genjutsu or just totally losing her mind right now?

"If he knew, he would kill you probably. Just like he killed my entire family."

"You idiot," she murmured. And she hugged him. Because she didn't know what else there was to say. The truth behind why he left. The truth that he cared for her and probably Team 7 as well. The truth that he couldn't face. That he loved her and didn't want his path of revenge to consume her as well. For her to be used against him as an ultimate weapon.

"Then what about all those times you tried to kill me?"

"You tried to kill me as well."

"That's different. I didn't have the actual intention. I couldn't do it anyways."

"Neither could I."

They were silent for a moment.

"But you clearly were going to stab me if Kakashi and Naruto hadn't saved me in time."

"I barely grazed them. The wound would have missed your vital spots. You should know that."

She did. She just wanted to hear him say it.

"Sasuke-kun,.."

"What?"

"I love you too," she said softly.

His face turned a slight red as he looked away. "Ah," was all that he could utter in reply.

"Even so, I still have to continue on my path."

"I know."

"So, can you get off of me?"

"No, I'm coming with you."

"…"

"And Sasuke-kun?"

"What?"

"If you dare try to leave me behind one more time, I'll inflict that pain on you once again."

"Tch," he muttered. "Are you some sort of sadist?"

She smiled. "Just don't ever leave me, okay?"

She raised her two fingers as she reached for Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke quickly intercepted it as he grabbed her hand and moved it away from him but before reaching behind her and pulling her in. He kissed her gently on her forehead.

"I'll never leave you," he promised as he pulled away from the kiss.

Sakura could feel her cheeks turning pink as she stammered to answer him. But she couldn't say a word as he leaned in again and this time, he kissed her on the lips.

She closed her eyes as she slowly kissed him back.

"Sakura," he whispered as his eyes bore into Sakura's emerald orbs.

"Yes?" she replied rather timidly.

"Thank you."