SAKURA

"Maybe next time…. Thank you…"

I often find myself daydreaming about those words, about that time, about that… promise? I think about them too, trying to find different meaning, a hidden message, another interpretation. Could I have misunderstood then? Maybe the hope I saw in his eyes was a mirage when in fact there was nothing more than rejection.

It's been two years and score after the war and a lot of things are different. The village looks shiny and modern in a way never seen before. Kakashi-sensei, as the sixth Hokage, has done wonders in the village, we hardly ever see him anymore he is so busy. Sai has been dating Ino for months now, and he smiles all the time, not that fake creepy one, a genuine one, the contagious type. Naruto… well Naruto is now married, has taken a position as a sensei in the academy, he is the one that matured most of us all.

But somethings haven't change, maybe evolved, matured in a way, but definitely not changed. A girl's feelings can't change that easily; I believe I said. I have long shunned any expectations of romance or reciprocation, I just… I just want to know that he is happy, I want to know he is okay. I admire him for wanting to make himself a better person, makes me want to do the same, so I do the only thing I know how to do: I work… hard.

From time to time people tell me they are concerned about me. Ino constantly tells me that I work too much, that I should make some time for other activities, Tsunade-shishou tells me, in not so many words, to not end up like her, my parents... well my parents try to set me up with anyone, they literally have no standards, I shrug at the memories of their last contender.

All of this crosses my mind in the ten minutes it takes to make my way from my office to Hokage tower. I knock on the door and walk into Kakashi-sensei's office, he is behind his desk and he looks up from some sort of book, then he tries to hide it in a drawer, old habits die hard I guess.

"Oh Sakura, good to see you, I've been expecting you" Kakashi says "Looking lovely as always I see..."

I batter my lashes and wave him off with my hand pretending to be embarrassed, he always jokes like that the old man.

"eheem Ok, I've ask you here because I have a mission for you" He says, trying to look proper all of the sudden. "I understand you have been busy with the creation of the Children's Clinic, but this is of high importance, there is a small village in the Land of Waves, they have been suffering from an unknown disease, there's speculation that someone may be poisoning the water sources but it's unconfirmed and well… unlikely. That's where you come in, you need to go to the village and treat the ill, verify the water sources for poison or contamination and determine the cause of the illness, I'm sure with your reputation you can put the minds of the residents at ease, I'm not going to lie, it may take some time though. This will be your first solo mission so it's a big deal..."

"I'll do it. When should I leave?" I say without a second thought interrupting something Kakashi was about to say.

"Tomorrow morning" He says, his eyes look like his smiling under his mask. "I had a whole speech prepared to convince you if you hesitated, I should have known you'd be so eager to help"

"Of course I am! I am very excited! but... are you sure? I'm sure there are other medics with less occupations and more experience available"

"I have faith in you, besides I have to do something to make sure my ship doesn't sink"

"What... what does that mean?" I asked confused but I'm flattered by the faith thing.

"You'll see" He winks at me. "now if you please I have an old favorite to read and Lady Tsunade wants to give you some pointers before your mission."

I leave early the next morning, I am honestly a little hung over from my discussion/drinking competition with Tsunade-shishou last night, but my excitement keeps me going. I don't wait for anyone to come and wish me good luck, Naruto wouldn't wake up this early, and I really don't want to bother my parents. So I just leave, it's a 4-day journey to the Land of the Waves, I'll have plenty of time to rest on the way, maybe I'll even send a note with Katsuyu-sama to everyone later, now I really just want get a head start.

I have been on the road for about 5 hours now, I stand on a tree branch to drink some water and perhaps I'll eat my packed lunch. But then I sense a familiar chakra approaching, a chakra I haven't felt in years, of course I am not a sensory type so I can't be certain, but just as I'm starting to think about that person, something on the ground catches my attention, some kind of bird maybe?

"Hey little guy" I approach the bird, it's a Hawk I notice, a little one at that, and with a badly damaged twisted wing. "What happened to you?" I keep talking to it, who knows maybe it's a ninja and it would reply.

"Don't worry, I fix you up little guy" I focus chakra on my hands to attempt to fix the bones on this bird, and of all things the little ingrate...Bites me.

"You little..." I'm getting angry now "aaarg stay still" I'm losing my patience here.

"Maybe you should just put it out of his misery" A familiar voice says behind me. It startles me a little, but then again I did felt his presence before didn't I? I knew it was him, so I just straighten myself and try not to seem too flustered.

"That is such a mean thing to say... Sasuke-kun"