Chapter 1 The Beginning of Change

Sakura rubbed her neck, which ached from hours of being slouched over her mahogany desk. Stacks of medical files, annual reviews of the staff, and lists of supplies needing to be order were piled on the desk. She had come to realize that being the head of Konoha Hospital was more about how much one could read in a short amount of time rather than one's medical expertise. She missed dealing with patients. She had become a medic to treat people. She liked the interactions with people not paper.

There were three people in particular that she missed. Her old teammates. They hadn't been on a mission together in years. Ever since…she couldn't even bring herself to say it not even in her head. It had seemed they might be happy again when Sasuke returned with his new team. Ok, so it had taken some getting use to Karin. The red head hadn't been too friendly with Sakura knowing she had held a special place in Sasuke's heart. Sakura had found her a bit annoying with her flirting and drooling over Sasuke. However, the two women came around and had become good friends. Karin realized that Sakura no longer had romantic feelings for the Uchiha. Their relationship was more of brother and sister. After Naruto pointed out that Sakura use to act just like Karin, she lightened up on her judgment. Juugo on the other hand was a sweetheart. He and Sakura clicked instantly. She had even come up with a pill that helped him when he lost control. Team Hebi had taken over the police force and revamped the place. Though they did take missions mostly A and S ranked when they were restless. Then everything started to fall apart.

"Sakura-neechan?"

Sakura snapped out of her walk through memory lane at the sound of her name. A rosy-cheeked strawberry blonde stood in front of her. Moegi, her protégé and right hand.

"Hi, Moegi." Sakura pulled a file close pretending she had been working. An act that reminded her every much of her mentor. No she was going to think about that. She shook her. "What's up?"

"The Hokage would like to see you ASAP."

The Hokage Building hadn't changed at all in the last five years. One of the few things that hadn't. It made Sakura happy but sad at the same time.

She knocked on the familiar oak door. It was less than a minute when the door swung open, the Hokage standing there beaming at her.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto wrapped his arms around her and lifted off her feet into a bear hug.

"Naruto! Put me down right now! I don't care if you are the Sixth Hokage, I can still knock you into next week."

He reluctantly released her looking sheepishly as he made his way back to his desk. She smiled. Amazing even after all that had happened, he still was the same Naruto. He was taller, broader shouldered and slightly calmer. The latter she credited Hinata. They were an ideal pair. Naruto was more composed and tended to think rather than going head long into things. Hinata was more confident and outgoing. They complimented each other very well.

"How is Hinata?" Sakura sat on the desk picking up a picture of the woman in question.

"She is great. She and Neji have been really busy with united the Hyuuga clan. And of course little Jiraya is a handful." He picked up the picture frame next to the one of his wife and handed it to her. "You haven't seen him since he was born. You really should visit more often."

Sakura looked at the toddler smiling brightly holding a red beach ball that was larger than him. Spiky blonde blond hair like his father and lavender eyes like his mother. "He is adorable. You must be very proud."

"Yes, very much." He placed the frames back on his desk after she handed them back. "Though Hinata and Karin keep making play dates for him and little Mikoto" He frowned. "I think they secretly hope that the two will marry one day. Just what the world needs. A Uzumaki and Uchiha joined in marriage."

They both laughed. Mikoto was Sasuke's and Karin's daughter. Beautiful little girl, the spitting image of her father.

"I'm sure you didn't call me hear to talk about family. What did you want to see me about?" Curiosity was getting the better of her now.

"Ah yes that." Naruto's face turned serious. He sat down in his chair motioning for Sakura to sit in a chair rather than on his desk. "You aren't going to like it but I'm going to come out and say it anyways."

A feeling of foreboding rose within Sakura.

"Sakura, you have been hiding in that hospital behind papers ever since Grandma Tsunade died."

She winced at the name of her deceased mentor. Tsunade was more than a mentor; she had been the understanding mother that Sakura's own mother wasn't. "I'm not hiding. After Shizune retired, there was no one to run the hospital." She protested. It wasn't hiding; she was doing her part of Konoha.

"Yes you are right but that doesn't mean you give up on living your life." He folder his hands together and spoke softer. "We all lost a lot during that time. Asuma, Jiraya, and then Tsunade. It was a dark time in the Leaf's history. But we all kept going. Kept living, becoming happy again. That's what they would have wanted us to do."

She knew he was right. It was just so hard to think of getting close enough to someone, to start a family and then have it snuffed out in a blink of an eye.

"You need a change of scenery." Naruto continued in a cheerier tone. "That is why I'm sending you to Suna."

"What?" Sakura's mouth fell open in surprised. "Who is going to take charge of the hospital?"

"Shizune has decided to come out of retirement to give you a much needed break."

"What exactly am I suppose to do there?" She actually didn't mind going to the Sand village. The place was beautiful and people were nice unlike its reputation made it seem.

"It a kind of an exchange program that Gaara and I have come up with. You are going to share and learn medical jutsu. They will send one of their top medic nin along with one of their elite jounin in return." "This also serves to strengthen the alliance between Konoha and Suna. Win win you know." He grinned obvious proud of his brilliant idea.

"I'm honored that Suna values me so highly as to send two of their best shinobi for me." She was flattered.

"Umm…actually…" Naruto was treading carefully. Sakura had taken things much better than he had expected. The last thing he wanted was to offend her and have his office torn apart. "You aren't the only we are sending." He braced himself for the punch that was coming. Thankfully the knock on the door saved him. "There he is now. Come in."

"Hokage-sama." The laid back tone was unmistakable. Sakura knew whom her traveling companion was without having to turn around.

"Kakashi-sensei, you don't have to call me that." Naruto strolled over to the sliver hair man extending his hand to him.

"I could say the same to you." He shook the young man's hand. His exposed eye traveling to the woman walking over to greet him. 'Is that really Sakura?' He thought. It had to be. How many pinked hair, jade eyed kunoichi could there be? She looked so…so…different. 'Yes, different. Let's use that word.' Different didn't even begin to cover it but it was better not to even think of the word that would describe her.

"Hello, Kakashi-sensei." She greeted him with a wide smile.

"Hello, Sakura. It's been awhile."

"That it has. I was just informed that we will have quite a bit of time to catch up."

"Yea, you two better get packing. You leave bright and early tomorrow." Naruto put his arms around his former teammates and walking them to the door. "Say to hi Gaara and his siblings for me." He kissed Sakura on the cheek aware he was pushing his luck.

Sasuke appeared behind Naruto as the door shut. "Are you sure that was wise?"

"Holy crap!" He jumped. "I've told you not to sneak up on me like that." He clutched his chest. "Damn well nearly gave me a freaking heart attack."

"It's not my fault you of the senses of a snail." The Uchiha mouth tilted into a one sided grin.

"Oh yea?" The blond poke his chest. "Well, I'm Hokage and you aren't, so what does that say?"

"That I was too busy catching and eliminating the most dangerous criminals to be boggled down with a pencil pushing position."

"PENCIL PUSHING!" Naruto was outraged by the devaluing term. "First, the Hokage is not a pencil pusher. Second, I have fought and defeated my share of dangerous criminals"

"Whatever you say, chief." Naruto wasn't too fond of the way Sasuke pronounced the word chief. "You still haven't answered my question. Do you think it was a good idea to send those two on a mission together? I mean, it's been a long time since Sakura has been out in the field."

"She'll be fine. Even if she is rusty, it will come back to her. It's like riding a bike. Plus Kakashi has loads of experience with missions. He has been going none stop."

"Exactly my point. Ever since Asuma and Jiraya, he snapped. Taking every S-class mission as if he had a death wish."

The sixth Hokage sighed. "That's why I sent them together. He won't do anything reckless with Sakura with him. And a nice, quiet, uneventful time in Suna should keep danger away from finding him." He leaned back in the chair putting his hands behind his head. "Trust me, they will be good for each other."