A/N This is for SS month day 22! I hope you guys enjoy and as usual, please don't forget to leave a review! To all those who have read "Underneath the Same Sky," I might place an omake chapter. Keep an eye out :)

Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto

Painkillers

Sasuke always kept painkillers in his pack. They weren't for him, though it does come handy sometimes. But he always keeps a bottle of painkillers in his pack and never leaves for a mission without it; and it all started because a certain pink-haired girl didn't know how to keep still in the night.

It was a week-long border patrol mission and Team 7 knew it would be quite easy since the last patrol team didn't encounter anything weird. The pay for patrol was good, but for Sasuke, it didn't offer much training opportunities, unless Kakashi initiated a spar session between camps. Everything was going smoothly. They set up traps here and there while looking for food like fish, wild boar, mountain vegetables, and berries. It was lucky Sakura can manage simple dishes like roasted meats and steamed vegetables or else they will have to put up with Kakashi's over-salted burnt food and soggy greens. Sakura doesn't cook well and under-seasons her food but it was palatable, unlike Kakashi's. Naruto can be quite insufferable because he trips at his own traps but other than that, he has a good nose for finding sources of water. It was supposed to be a smooth, laid back kind of mission.

Then, it happened.

It was their 3rd night in and Naruto managed to sniff out a little trickling waterfall hidden by a patch of thorny barberry bushes. The bushes created an enclosure that was big and spacious enough for all 4 of them to have their own privacy, but was small enough to not be detected in case there was an enemy. The mid-height thorny bushes were filled with slightly bittersweet berries. After briefly disappearing amongst the bushes, Sakura turns the barberry berries into a warm drink for the cold night and everyone was thankful for the decoction she made. She was unbearably quiet though. Her tasks were finished without a single peep of a word from her, her meal was finished without her commenting on Naruto's table manners, and when she got her serving of the barberry drink, she kept to her corner and sat hugging her legs closely to her body.

Sasuke thought she was just being weird. He didn't pay it her abnormal actions any more attention than mere observation. Until he noticed her eyebrows. They were contorted in pain. He didn't speak of it, thinking it could be something else. But even up until the others have gone to sleep and the fire has been reduced to embers, her face was marred with pain.

"Sakura, what's the matter with you?" he whispered. He was at first watch and his eyes kept lingering at Sakura, whose posture kept shifting from one position to another, as if none can give her comfort. She doesn't answer and only her labored breathing and Naruto's heavy snores can be heard. Sasuke decides to come closer. Placing a hand on her shoulder, Sasuke tried to rouse Sakura from whatever she was experiencing and the startled pinkette jumped from her previous fecal position, only to curl back, hugging herself and placing pressure on her abdomen.

"What's wrong, Sakura?" Sasuke asked, now more worried than inquisitive. She shakes her head and tries to shrug him off. "I am alright." she answers in a murmur. "Just give me a minute."

"Clearly, that minute won't help much. What's wrong?"

She became silent afterwards, refusing to answer. "If you don't tell me, I'm telling Kakashi. If you're injured, you know that the Shinobi Handbook dictates that injuries must never be kept a secret lest you put your teammates in a compromising position. Now fess up. What happened?"

Sakura doesn't stir but her body shakes. Sasuke hears a soft whisper but couldn't make up the words. Starting to get irritated by Sakura's avoidant behavior, he snaps at her. "What?!" he hisses with a harsh tone.

"Menstrual cramps."

Her voice was still barely audible but he was able to make up the words. He face suddenly turned pink and warm as he realized the sensitivity of his teammate's dilemma. Having been raised to be a gentleman, there was only one thing Sasuke knows how to do in this situation: not be embarrassed and offer as much help as possible.

"Erm… do you…uuhh… need… anything?" he asks, trying to keep his embarrassment down.

"Some painkillers would be nice. Or water."

Sasuke shuffled and raked his brain. No, he doesn't have painkillers and he was most certain Sakura won't ask for any if she had some. Nobody would expect Naruto to have anything in his pack but instant ramen, but Kakashi… maybe he would have some. Careful not to wake the jounin, Sasuke shifts to their packs, only to be surprised by their sensei.

"And what would you be doing, huh?" called out their sensei, his voice a mere murmur.

"Do you have painkillers?" Sasuke asked bluntly. His face was trying to suppress a blush and his eyes were avoiding Kakashi.

"What for?" egged the jounin further.

"It's for Sakura. If you don't have any, just say so."

Kakashi looks at Sakura who sat awkwardly while nursing a canteen of water and applying pressure on her abdomen. He immediately realizes her situation but he shakes his head.

"It won't be much help but we have a couple of paracetamol tablets. That should work, temporarily."

Sasuke took the pack of white tablets from Kakashi and quickly offers them to Sakura. She smiles at him with so much gratitude that his ears began to glow red. He watches as she takes 2 doses and chugs down water from the canteen. She doesn't seem to get much comfort afterwards but Sasuke noticed that she was now able to fall asleep. He kept watch all night, hoping she wasn't in pain anymore.

It has been a month since that small exchange he and Sakura had. Team 7 was assigned a 2-week escort mission to Suna when he had the urge to visit the drug store. He scans the rows of medicine and realized, he had no idea what to get, let alone why he even entered the store. He didn't need anything in particular.

"Looking for anything in particular, kid?"

He turns and sees a middle aged lady with an intimidating smile and was wearing the standard Konoha Medic uniform. Thinking that there was no turning back anymore and to avoid causing suspicion,he asks the first question that popped in his head.

"What's the medicine for menstrual cramps?"

He almost wanted to clamp his mouth shut. Of all the questions he had to ask, that was the one he asked. The medic lady's intimidating smile changed into a kind one.

"For your girlfriend, I see. How nice of you." She said. Sasuke turned a shade of brightest pink but before he can refute the medic's words, she pulled him into another aisle and began educating him about a woman's monthly cycle.

"Dysmenorrhea can get very very painful." she began, while they scan a new row of medicines. "Imagine your insides squeezing itself. Imagine the intense leg cramps you get after a long and rigorous day of training and imagine that kind of pain happening to your privates." Sasuke wanted to turn green as he listened.

Sakura has to experience that every month?

Sasuke wanted to hug his own privates as the medic continued to narrate the pain girls have to experience. After that she smiles at him. "Oh, don't look so squeamish." she says. "I'm sure your girlfriend will be happy to know you took the effort to look for her medicine. After all, they did say that the best way to ease menstrual cramps is the care and attention of a loved one."

The medic then hands him a bottle labeled 'Ibuprofen' and another labeled 'Ferrous Sulfate.' Sasuke looks at the lady with confused eyes. She points at the ibuprofen bottle and says "That's for the pain," and then points at the ferrous sulfate bottle and says "That is for her blood. She is at risk of anemia if she doesn't take those. After all, she is losing blood during the red days."

Sasuke purchases the bottles. Thinking about everything the lady had said, he can only imagine the agony Sakura has to face every month. He thanked his few lucky stars that he didn't have to bleed like her.

When the mission came, Team 7 was all hands on deck trying to suppress the irritation they felt for the bratty daimyo's daughter who demanded that her will be obeyed at all times. Sakura's temper was more furious than normal and they actually had to physically stop her from smashing the daimyo's daughter's face. Not that they really wanted to stop the raging pinkette, if anything, the brat deserves to have her face smashed. But her daddy was paying them good money for her safe arrival to Suna so they put up with her.

During a stop at a camp outpost, Sakura seemed to have disappeared from the group. It was supposed to be her turn to watch over the brat's pet tiger, Chuu-chan, right after Naruto. The blonde looked for until he found her cursing to at a corner of the baggage caravan, squeezing her tummy.

"Oi, Sakura-chan! Did you drink spoiled milk or something?!" exclaimed the blonde. Although his concern was genuine, he had no idea what was happening. "Do you need to do a number 2? I can dig you a hole in the sand if you want!" he said.

Sakura wanted to punch the living daylights out of Naruto's block-headed skull. She knows he's just worried but he didn't have to shout about her condition. It was very unprofessional of her not to suppress her pain, and very irresponsible not to bring painkillers, again. She sighs and tried to swallow down the pain.

"Naruto, would you be so kind to LEAV-"

"Leave her alone, dobe."

Sasuke appeared from the corner of the caravan with his pack at hand and his canteen of water in the other. Naruto looked at him quizzically. "What? I'm just trying to help."

"Just shut your mouth, you idiot, and guard the tiger."

"But it's Sakura's turn to watch that monster! I wanna eat my ramen already!"

Sasuke really wanted to shove Naruto's head in the sand. Can't he take a hint?

"Guys, if you're just gonna fight, just leave. I'll be fine." Sakura's voice sounded harsher. Sasuke figured that their bickering only causes more stress to the hurting pinkette. Luckily, Naruto storms over, mumbling about how he wished he had diarrhea like Sakura so he can skip on tiger-sitting duties. Sasuke can only shake his head at how dumb their teammate was.

He glances at the girl who seemed to breathe easier now that the noisy blond was gone. Taking the opportunity, Sasuke, hands her the brown bag; his face covered by his turtleneck collar and his bangs.

"I bought the wrong medicine. Kakashi told me these would help so I'll just give it to you."

Sakura gingerly took the bag and saw that it contained a bottle of ibuprofen and ferrous sulfate - exactly what she needed. She looked at Sasuke with a blushing tint on her cheeks and a happy, grateful smile on her face. Sasuke only scowled and looked away. He had told her a lie, of course. Kakashi knows nothing of the medicines he had and he will never ever tell anyone; but the grateful look on Sakura's face and the relief that washed over her as she gave a big sigh after taking the medicine was enough to make him so happy.

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You saved me." she said, holding the paper bag close to her heart.

"I just happened to buy the wrong medicine." Sasuke answered as he walked away, trying to hide his blush.

He figured, he will never shower Sakura with adoring attention like Naruto does. But he can show that he does care, in the most little things possible. So from that day forward, Sasuke always kept a bottle of ibuprofen in his pack. He would tell people it was just a coincidence but anyone who did ask would attest to seeing the faintest of blushes painting his face.

A/N Thanks so much for reading guys! Please please please let me know what you think! By the way, the 6th person to leave a review can request fic from me :D

Love lots,

C.