With a shuttering sigh, Sakura collapsed into the chair like gravity had finally won the battle. The old wood groaned underneath the burden but held with stubbornness like Konoha's spirit. Her feet had gone numb hours ago, leaving behind a numbness any medic yearned for after a 14 hour day. Her neck was so stiff if felt as if it would break under the pressure and fall clean off her shoulders; hands burning like they've been stuck in a blazing fire. So much chakra use. Too much. A medic should know her limits and stop before irrevocable damage was done to her body. But Sakura flew past that barrier at 7:00am and hadn't looked back. How could she? Not when her country men lay dying in front of her; eyes turned up to meet her with silent pleas in their eyes.
There was a time not too long ago medic-nin were a dime a dozen but that was no longer the case. So many had died in the war that Sakura had only a precious 20 under the payroll. That outnumbered soldiers to medic 45-1. It was a staggering difference which took its toll in the medic's health both mentally and physically.
Sakura leaned forward onto the desk, letting her head fall into her hands. She was exhausted and heart heavy with the loss of a patient who barely passed for 15 years old. So young, too young to know what is was to truly live. But such was the life of shinobi. She pressed the heels of her palms deep into her eyes, anything to forget the sight of blood and dead eyes. Hearing the bodies last breathe exhaled before death. Terrifying how close all of them came to that fate. How many people have walked out that gate only to return on a stretcher?
How many never made it back?
With unfocused eyes, Sakura broke out of her darker thoughts and opened the file before her.
Not only had she the responsibility to save lives, Tsunade-sama had promoted her to chief in medicine immediately following Shizune's death. Sakura knew she had barely qualified for the position, as result it was almost a year before she felt competent leading such an important team. At 25, she was the youngest in history to ever hold the title, man or woman. But at least a desk job gave her a chance to rest her aching feet for brief moments throughout the day.
The words detailing the treatment of Kiba Inuzuka during his stay seemed to blur together into a mess of black and white. Sakura rapidly blinked her eyes in an attempt to focus, giving a firm shake of her head to keep awake.
Patient admitted with severe bleeding from laceration to left pectoral. Clean cut; no foreign material residing. Simple procedure, little chakra required. Medic Aiko Kei. No casualties.
Sakura's lips tilted up in resemblance to a smile. Kiba alive and well was essential to Konoha and to herself. Not just because they needed every shinobi they could get, but that she counted him a friend. They grew up together back in the academy days, laughed together and now with both Naruto and Sasuke were on a mission to the east, life had gotten quite lonely.
A knock on the door echoed loudly in the quiet room, jolting Sakura from her memories.
Sakura cleared her raspy throat; "Come in."
The larger oak door creaked open and Ino slide into the room. Her childhood friend looked just as drained as everyone else; she hadn't even styled her hair that day which was unusual behavior for the self proclaimed 'girly girl'. Long blonde locks had been thrown up into a haphazard pony tail, lips stained pink with lip gross and nails, short and well manicured but painted neon pink.
At one time, Sakura would have hated this girl for her beauty but it had been a long time since she felt any jealousy or animosity towards her old arch-enemy. Instead the two had grown quite close over the years and even more so once Ino appealed for apprenticeship. Sakura remembered being surprised at the request but eager to take on the teaching role, though Ino remained firm in her refusal to address Sakura as sensei and, in turn, Sakura didn't push the issue.
It had taken time and quite a few arguments but finally Sakura was able to train Ino in the way of a Medic-Nin. The blonde kunoichi had talent and determination and soon found a place in the hospital as a valuable part of the team. Even though her temper often resulted in numerous complaints from patients, something Sakura herself could be blamed for as well.
The blonde looked in danger of developing an aneurism now.
"Aiko is a bitch!" Ino seethed, slamming the door with enough force to rattle the glass of the bookcases. Sakura took hold of the glass of water before her before it could spill over.
Sakura found the strength for a dramatic eye roll. Foolish of her to hope to go one day without Ino's hysterical mood swings. The girl changed her disposition as much as she changed her lip gloss color.
"I thought you liked Aiko." Sakura sighed. "You bonded over that latest issue of Miss Konoha superstar."
Ino sent a piercing glare in Sakura's direction for even bringing it up. "That was before she threw herself all of Shikamaru! Really, the whore was one step away from sticking her hands inside his pants to find the goodies!" She followed up this interesting remark but tossing her paperwork into Sakura's lap.
"Guy was a prick," Ino gestured to the folder of her recent patient. "Kept looking at my tits and rubbing himself when my back was turned."
Sakura shuddered with sympathy, knowing full well how many creepy guys existed in the world. She glanced over the report and happily found everything in order. With a quick signature, Sakura confirmed the paperwork and tossed it into the 'complete' pile. Unfortunately, at present, the 'complete' stack was tragically unmatched by the 'incomplete, get your ass on it' pile. Looks like another late night. Again.
"Hey, think I could ask a favor?" Ino grinned, flopping herself down in one of the visitors chairs situated in front of Sakura's desk.
"If you remove your head from your ass and take a look at the state of my desk, you'd see that I fresh out of favors."
Ino groaned dramatically and slumped further into her seat. "But I really need a day off! I'm bound to turn into you if I don't have some semblance of a life."
Sakura was irritated enough to rise to the bait. "What is that supposed to mean?"
"As if you don't know." Ino mumbled, casually cleaning under her nails and flicking away whatever was to be found. "It's not as if you're socialite of the year."
Sakura scoffed at such a ludicrous idea. "Of course not, I'm buried in paperwork! I won't get out of this accursed place until eleven and the idea of spending what free time I do have at some dingy night club doesn't really appeal to me. So thanks but no thanks."
Not that she relished in the idea of going home either. Perhaps the lights and pounding music of the bar would serve her better than going home only to partake in yet another argument with her on again off again boyfriend Kai. Her head was still pounding from last night's alteration. Apparently he thought her frigid in the bedroom. Sakura herself could honestly admit to not enjoying Kai's most sensual love-making. Sarcasm is a useful tool.
But perhaps it wasn't entirely his fault that Sakura was so unresponsive. He did have stiff competition, no pun intended, with lovers of past. But those memories opened savage wounds that had no hope of ever completely healing, so she refused to think of them. Her hand twitched to search the drawer behind her for that wore out photo of a previous life and it took all her power not to give in.
It took her a moment to realize that Ino had continued their conversation, blissfully unaware she was the only one partaking in it. "Sorry; what?" Sakura asked.
The blonde arched her eyebrow in irritation. "If you're not going to listen to me than why do I even bother?"
I'm asking myself the same question. Sakura mused. "Get to work. I've got things to do, important things."
Ino groaned as she forced her tired limps up and out of her comfortable seat. "Fine, but will you consider my favor?"
"I'll consider it, yes." Sakura mumbled, trying to rub some feeling back into her fingers but failing miserably. She should really take it easy the next couple of days else she damage her nerves completely. They hadn't stopped shaking in the last 3 hours, so she could tell how very close to that outcome she actually was.
"Go home, get some sleep. Or get some Kai," Ino tossed over her shoulder with a laugh on the way to the exit. "That'll loosen you up."
"Mm hmm." Sakura mumbled, not listening in the slightest to what nonsense now spewed from that women's mouth. She distantly heard the door shut, closing her off once again into a prison of her one making. The silent was deafening and depressing but she'd take it anytime over the mad scramble of the Hospital bay just a few floors below her. She didn't know how long she had until it would need her again but it wouldn't be nearly long enough.
Night time descended in Konoha and with it revealed the city's scandalous underbelly. Sakura's apartment was on the east side, which forced her to pass all strip of bars and nightclubs every day after work. It didn't take very long for the drunken hollering and whistling to become old and she was at the stage now where she didn't pay them any mind. They knew what she was capable of and if they didn't, someone would let them know. That or get their nose broken.
Besides, they deserved to get a little down time. Moments such as these were few and far between even for civilians. If they chose to spend their money on beer of strippers, then that was their decision. It wasn't as if there was much of anything else to do. The war with Orochimaru and the Akatsuki was a brutal one. Most of Konoha had been destroyed as a result and it had taken them a while to even begin to return to normal but still the scars remained.
Sakura clutched the lapels of her jacket closer to battle the sharp wind. Already her ears were pins and needles and she still had a 10 minute walk ahead of her. If she had any chakra to spare she would leap over buildings and arrive is 3 but alas all had been spent.
She wondered briefly if Kai would marvel her with his presence that evening but chances are he would pass out in the bar yet again and his friends would carry his sorry ass to their place. It was rare not to find Kai pissed drunk these days. He lost his twin two months; the severing of that bond had snapped something inside him. He was so altered that she didn't know him any longer, and rightly so. Kira had been a beautiful woman inside and out and she would be sorely missed.
In a healthy relationship, Sakura wouldn't breathe a sigh of relief not to see Kai that night, but their situation had never really ever been healthy. Both parties would be honest about that at least. Kai only stayed with her because of Sakura's income, and she stayed for the companionship and lessoning of the hollowing loneliness. Both sins in their own right.
She slid the key into the lock of her 3rd floor apartment. Everything was swallowed up in darkness and as she fumbled with the light switch sharp claws attacked her legs through her scrubs. She cursed loudly in surprise, "Damn it, Mushi!"
The lights came on and Sakura watched the fat black and white cat scramble around the corner to safety. She set her purse down heavily on the small side table, "Stupid cat." The creature was evil. Besides for attacking everyone, he completely demolished her old sofa and pissed on her carpet.
Mumbling to herself why she even kept the animal, Sakura flicked on the light to her small but cozy kitchen and begun the search for food. Having not been grocery shopping for some weeks, it was slim pickings. She finally settled for dry cereal and yogurt half eaten the day before and collapsed onto her sofa in the main room.
The music pounding from the club just down the street kept her awake most nights but tonight it was a welcomed familiarity. Since she didn't see the need for a TV as she was hardly home to use it, people laughing and enjoying their lives became a source of entertainment. Just then a woman screamed at the top of her lungs that her boyfriend was a scumbag for cheating on her with her best friend. The boyfriends reply was he didn't get what he needed from her so he looked somewhere else. A scuffle echoed into Sakura's apartment followed closely by police shouting at them to break it up.
Sakura smiled, stuffing her face with cereal, at least she and Kai weren't the only ones with problems.
"And how are you doing today Matuki-san?" Sakura asked politely, trying and failing to keep the resignation from bleeding through into her tone.
The grizzled old man lying on the hospital bed before her, snapped his glare in her direction and she braced herself for the scolding to come.
"About time you showed up!" He barked, "I've been waiting here for over an hour!"
Sakura strived for patience."I know that, but there other patients that-"
He cut her off with a snort and jerk of his chin. "I don't care, I'm sick and it is your job to fix it! I've been a faithful tax payer of this city for 80 years and never have I been so mistreated! Are you proud of yourself; making a old man wait for relieve? I could be dying, my throat could close up at any moment! I've this pain in my left…"
Better not to respond with what Sakura really wanted to say. No, she'd already had a far share of complaints this month and Tsunade-sama had threatened to dock her pay if she received any more. No, better not call him a wrinkled up prune of a ball sack. Better not kick him out of bed and have him thrown out for chronic Munchausen syndrome.
No, better she just nod along and get him out of here as quickly as possible. So as he prattled on about all his 'problems' Sakura busied herself with faking the healing Chakra on her hands. It was a helpful tool, especially at times like this. Just create a green glow and act like your really concentrating and no one is the wiser.
In fact she was so intently focused on looking focused that she didn't hear the commotion in the hallway until someone was screaming her name.
Jolted out of her task, Sakura spun around so quickly that she lost herself for a moment with dizziness. After she centered herself again, she saw Ino standing the doorway to the room, a wide varied mixture of emotions painted across her face. Her chest heaving like she'd run miles to get here.
"Sakura," was all she whispered. And it was enough to chill Sakura to the bone.
"What?" Sakura asked breathlessly, trying to anticipate what could cause such a reaction in her friend. "Ino, what is it?"
The blonde swallowed, eyes tearing up and thick globes of it streaming down her cheeks. Now Sakura was terrified. The girl never cried. This news had to be truly awful to trigger such a reaction. And the look in Ino's eyes clarified what the woman was feeling. And it was fear. Pure, unadulterated fear.
But what next left the woman's mouth Sakura could have never predicted, never in a million words. And for a moment, Sakura's brain really didn't register the words. She must have looked a fool, frozen in her shoes, eyes blank, mouth trembling like a fish taken from the river. But how should she be expected to act when told something like this? Something that stopped her heart and yet, strangely enough, revived it again, better than it had been in a long time. Brought a spark back into her existence that even now threatened to set her on fire.
Two words. That was all it took to shatter her entire being, because they were words that she convinced herself to never hear again. It had taken a long time for her to pretend to come to terms with it. But all her work spent to glue back the pieces; it took two words to break her apart her again.
Two words.
"He's back."