Better Bend then Break
Chapter One: Paradise
By Hexes

- - -

The stench of old blood made her rub her arms for Goosebumps; that was the first sign of movement that Haruno Sakura decided to display, more or less willed herself to commit. Standing there like she'd just seen the second coming of Christ was not going to help Naruto any.

His body laid partially beneath crinkled white sheets, tossed and turned from the work of various doctors. Even in his sleep--his 'I've just surpassed death sleep'--Naruto held a bemused grin. What a fool… He was still a mess, no matter if they'd fixed him correctly or not; someone should clean him up.

"He'll live," Genma spoke absently from the corner, oddly void of toothpick. "If that's what you are wondering. He just looks like hell. Never been a pretty kid, you know."

An irksome voice vaulted up in the back of her mind, reminding her that Genma thought anyone was ugly in comparison to himself. Cocky bastard. "What happened?" Listening while working, Sakura took a second to grab some water and a cloth from the make-shift sink. She slowly ran it over the injured boy's chest while Genma looked on in diverted amusement. I wonder if this vexes him? Good.

"We ran into some missing-nin on our way back from the last mission. The punk here is the only one who got nicked. Little too trigger happy, if you ask me." Taking a moment to glance towards the jounin, the pink haired ninja watched him dig through his pockets, only to procure a pack of fine toothpicks. He popped one in his mouth like a lollipop.

Well no one asked you, she wanted to snap. It was only the situation that put a bitter spell upon her; usually Sakura'd agree.

Sighing, she returned to Naruto; Sakura felt her ex-sensei coming. "Was Kakashi on this mission as well?" She asked the air, expecting anyone to answer. A 'thump' at the door echoed.

"Yes," the copy-cat ninja answered from the doorway. He stood there leaning like a rebellious teenager. One arm crossed over the other; even with his mask in place she could tell he wore a frown. Funny thing? She wasn't even looking. Always the solitary man…

"I see it went well," she quipped. Genma smirked from his place in the corner.

"Sometimes I think Jiraiya spends more time with him in the porn shop then--" Swish. Thud. "Hey! Sakura, that hurt!" Genma picked up the small bedpan that had landed on his foot. He held it wish puzzled interest. "I hope this hasn't been used."

"I hope it has," Kakashi said shortly.

Genma shot his friend a sour expression before throwing the bedpan off to the side. It landed with a 'clink.' The sound--which should have been mediocre--rang throughout the small hospital room like an oversized dinner bell.

"You're one to talk," Sakura added, pretending to be seemingly distracted while tending to her former teammate. "I don't see Genma walking around in public with a copy of Icha Icha Paradise for all to see." Sakura teased; she sensed Kakashi's frown increase.

Genma laughed in the corner like a howler monkey.

Underneath her right hand, Sakura felt her friend start to stir. She guessed that was why her fellow jounin had begun to quiet down. "Naruto?" She tapped lightly below his ribcage. "You okay?" A short sigh was heard behind her. She made a mental note to send Kakashi an eyeful. Or maybe I should just poke his only normal one out…

"Mmm. Sakura-chan, I'm hungry!" Little bastard. Naruto began to move, his body still stiff from the pain killers he had be given. Leaning forward, he caught sight of his best girl-pal wiping down his chest. His eyes brightened, going beyond extraordinary blue. "Aww. Sakura-chan! You're taking care of me." The volume of his voice was not anywhere near it's high pitched shrieking; annoying all the same.

"Eat this," she supplied, shoving the bloodied pink cloth towards his mouth. Backing away, she watched him grumble with frustration. "You always make it look like you're about to kick it, don't you?" Hands on her hips, she sent him a long stare. "One of these days I'm going to ignore the call from the hospital! You need to take me off your emergency contact sheet. Uh."

"How do you feel, Naruto?" Kakashi had apparently felt as if it were the right time to interrupt. Right before anymore wounds were inflicted upon the blonde boy still healing in bed.

"Fine, Kakashi-sensei." He tried to fully sit up; it was a failure. "When can I leave?" Naruto's eyes drifted to Sakura as if she held all the answers. He used to think she always did. A part of her now hoped he still didn't.

"I don't know," she supplied. Taking up an empty chair next to Genma, her body shifted against the wooden seat. It wasn't comfortable. Probably Tsunade's idea to get visitors out sooner… "I'm not in charge of you right now. You know I'm not working at the hospital this month. I'm on a series of missions--" A snort was heard from her right. Sakura shot Genma a look. "And do you have something to say about it?"

"Yeah. I do." An expression of displeasure laced Genma's features. "But we'll talk about it later."

Green eyes rolled, landing back in place to stare across the room to the door frame where Kakashi leaned. He'd been awfully silent. He always was. It ticked her off. Naruto looked on as if he'd missed something--he knew Genma and Sakura were a couple, but he had yet to understand any aspects of a 'relationship' in general.

"Great," she mumbled under her breath. Sakura was starring at that door frame the whole time. It was common knowledge that Kakashi did not approve her of her 'association' with Genma--probably because he was the ex-playboy of Konoha. Whenever the two laughed, kissed, or even bickered in her former sensei's presence, Sakura felt the need to rub it in his masked face; she just didn't understand. Exposure was certainly not making him grow fonder, at least not of her--let alone the relationship.

Kakashi and Genma were still pals. Buds. They 'hung.' She could verify Genma did in more ways then one. Heh. But Kakashi still did not care for them as a couple, no blessings were ever given. He blamed Sakura. He blamed her as if she were the little seductress that willed Genma into her bed. Half truths. Sakura settled for him being a grump.

"Do you have something to say, Kakashi-sensei? You look as if you are overflowing with thoughts." Sakura asked with a hint of malice. Don't even give me that look, Kakashi… I know what you are thinking. Or at least what you want me to think. Sakura almost felt the need to stick her tongue out at the silvered haired ninja, just like a child would.

She regrettably held back.

"What do you mean, Sakura-chan?" Naruto burst out, trying to simultaneously reach for some juice by his bedside. "Kakashi-sensei doesn't look like he is going to overflow, right sensei?"

"Right. Maybe Sakura-chan needs to be examined too?" It was meant as a joke--hence the laughter that followed, only absent from Kakashi and herself--but Sakura took it as a challenge. She understood the venom that Kakashi had placed behind it. "As long as she's here."

Stand up. Leave. Walk right past that arrogant prick. "Sakura-chan is leaving now, sorry Kakashi. We'll have to evaluate my mental state another day." Her irate frown turned into a fake smile as she moved to sweep past him with ease.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, watching her make a move to leave. He whined, "when are you coming back to visit me?" Out of the corner of her eye she saw him bounce, only to fall back seconds later with a 'ouch.'

"Tomorrow, Naruto." Her sigh was not lost on a single person in the room (besides Naruto, maybe). It was also not lost the she retained her smile while doing it.

She walked right past Kakashi, brushing his side and shoulder like any enemy would. No goodbye, not even a curt nod. As she exited the hospital room she heard Naruto whine once more.

"Eh! Kakashi-sensei, why can't you and Sakura get along?" At least something isn't lost on him.

Why can't he get along with me?

- - -

"We do."

"Bullshit," Genma supplied, standing up. He brushed off his dirty jounin uniform, still crusted with mud and random liquids he did not care to identify. The man needed a shower. And then maybe a woman. Thankfully, he had both those things. Unfortunately, thanks to Hatake Kakashi, the later of those two desires might now be in the foulest of moods. "I'm getting sick of your shit."

"I was not aware that I gave you any." Kakashi moved, finally leaving the doorframe behind. He walked over to Naruto's beside, supplying the younger ninja with the juice he'd been trying to get a hold of for minutes. "Just ask, Naruto. If you wanted it, that was all you had to do. And that lesson applies to missions as well."

It's always a lesson with you, isn't it? Genma had to admit, the man was a decent teacher. He'd done what he could. As good as any could have done with what he'd been given--team 7--the most impossible students in the bunch. It was almost faded now, the memories he had, but if he could recall something, it was that. It was a shame that things unfolded the way the did.

"You have to stop getting hurt Naruto, I swear." The toothpick chewing jounin shook his head, making his way to the other side of the bed. He ruffled Naruto's hair while he was defenseless and distracted. Genma knew the kid hated it.

"Hey! Stop that." An almost audible growl sounded. "And I'm in here just as much as anyone. You two included."

"True, but every time Sakura gets the call that you've been injured--even a fucking paper cut--she races down here like the sky is falling." A lone eye watched Genma as he spoke from across Naruto's bed, observing. "The same with you, Hatake. Even though she won't admit to it." He sighed, replacing his toothpick with another. "I can't blame her."

Genma saw the great copy-nin stiffen. Even rocks could feel. And he knew that as they got older, it only got worse. It was true, that rolling stones gathered no moss, but he and the rest of his friends kept hitting bumps, taking rests. Stop go, stop go.

"I'm heading home. See you, Naruto. Maybe tomorrow if Sakura feels the need to bother me on my day off."

"Same." Kakashi vanished in a poof and was gone.

- - -

"Thought you were going home."

"I am." His sandals hit the ground softly, mindfully kicking up dust.

"Kakashi-kun," Genma responded in a mock-seductive tone, "Are you trying to tell me you'd love to walk me home? Wasn't aware you swung that way, but if you insist--"

"Continue and I'll ram my foot up your ass."

Genma glanced to the side, comically sticking his finger down his throat. "The mission didn't go as planned, but there's no need to be such a fucking sour puss."

As long as no one died, or was maimed or raped, Genma settled for 'mission accomplished.' Thinking about past missions, or letting them run you--even ones that had only ended hours ago--was pointless. A waste of space in the mind. A man had more important things to think about… More important things to do. "Let it go. Not your fault the brat got himself hurt."

"No. Naruto needs to remember basics." Kakashi used to entertain the thought that if he were still around, Naruto wouldn't be so careless; he'd be too bruised from being smacked around. But Sasuke was dead.

"Someone needs to keep him in check."

"You thinking of hiring?"

"Funny. If he starts to pull that shit on my ANBU squad, I just might." Genma looked off, as if he were searching for another thought to add; apparently he had bushels. "I have a suspicion that's part of the reason Sakura was so 'thrilled' about going back to field work. She wants to keep an eye on him."

Everyone had been keeping an 'eye' out for the boastful blonde; the nineteen year old hadn't lost his charm--as scary as that was--nor his happy-go-lucky outlook on life.

But he'd gotten sloppy.

"I suppose." She probably also did it to piss you off, Kakashi mentally added, hoping that to be the case.

Those were the last words spoken that night between the two; Genma gave a short wave as he took the turn that would eventually lead him down the street to his apartment. The slightly older jounin didn't even bother with a goodnight greeting. He was tired, exhausted, and ready to fall to pieces on his bed.

He also couldn't forget about things like Genma could. Things weren't so easily pushed to the back of his mind. Kakashi amused himself with the thought that there were just too many things there already; the closest was bound to burst sometime.

And he also couldn't forget about the light that he saw on in Genma's living room at the end of the street. It made everything hurt just a little more. As did the womanly silhouette that sauntered across as a shadow moments later.

He turned and left.

- - -

A/N: This is the first time I've ever written a Naruto fiction of any kind. Bear with me. There will probably be some inconsistencies; it is a long show/manga. I try the best I can. Forgive any anachronisms. The story kicks off when Sakura is nineteen. I will tell you the pairings right off the bat to avoid any hazard: SakuraxKakashi and SakuraxGenma. (And maybe a little more.) I'll try to keep most of the chapters this size, thus allowing them to come out faster.