Hey guys,

So another story; I seem to have gotten a bit eager but I promise to also update my others. I love this pairing and Hayate's character. I was shattered when he died so early, he was such an intriguing character. I thought it would be interested to explore what would happen if he had lived. Again, I am still new to this so comments or advice are always appreciated.

The basic premise is that Hayate did not die whilst the invasion occurred as per canon except for this. I imagine Hayate at 23 years old, although according to cannon he would be 27. He's already been killed off; it seems a bit harsh to age him now he's back.

Disclaimer; I do not own Naruto and am not profiting of this.

A story of progression and defiance, Sakura is forced to recognise her flaws in order to overcome them. Along the way, she discovers that some things cannot be avoided; love the least of all.

Chapter 1: Hope and Change

Two years. Sakura sighed wistfully as she took a brief respite from filing Tsunade-shishou's papers. At a young age the konuichi had desperately invested herself in studying medical ninjutsu. Now, as the Hokage's apprentice, she had surpassed even the high standards her role implied. Well, mostly. She was a more than adept medical ninja, splitting her time between the Konoha hospital, training and assisting Tsunade with the day to day paperwork of the village. Now nearly sixteen, her success had steadily been recognised throughout Konoha which was typified in her recent promotion to co-head of the hospital. Sakura had become almost indispensible to the daily running of the village.

"Particularly when it came to dealing with Shishou's volumes of paperwork" she mumbled to herself as she sorted through report after report. Sakura only dealt with the lower ranked, day-to-day operations but it gave her important knowledge of the village.

She had matured from the foolish girl who was blinded by a misplaced love for her teammate. Overcoming her childhood infatuation for Sasuke, she allowed herself to love him only as a missing teammate. It had taken time though and a part of her wondered if most shinobi still remembered her as the girl pining after a traitor. Sakura sought to rectify this, diving headlong into her work, desperate to prove her worth.

Yet, she was still weak, still flailing behind her renowned teammates- Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. The Uchiha had steadily gained a reputation as a renowned missing-nin. Naruto also left on a training mission with the erstwhile Sennin Jiraiya steadily becoming stronger and stronger. Soon after their departure, Kakashi had retreated into an unrelenting amount of missions; she had not seen him for months and suspected that he had all but forgot about the last member of Team Seven.

It was this harsh truth that drove Sakura to succeed in becoming a renowned medic nin. She was desperate to prove her worth to the village. She had succeeded; the reputation of the Hokage's apprentice had grown considerably although her identity was relatively unknown. Sakura was not sure if this was a mere coincidence or a means of protecting her from any potential threats. In reality, she assumed it was partly because she was restricted to the village. It had been thought that she was not strong enough to be a reliable field medic, and as she progressed the stigma remained causing her to be continually overlooked for missions. Tsunade was aware of her improvement but it was hard finding a team willing to accept what they assumed was a sub-par konuichi. It was ridiculous; she was one of the most talented medics in a village that was short of capable healers.

Although, and perhaps ironically, it was this confinement that allowed her to make her most significant discovery; a means of treating patients with chronic lung illness. The jutsu was a variation of the Tsunade's own Creation Rebirth allowing the regeneration of tissue and cells, focussing on a particular area of the body. It was a simplified version of Tsunade's creation, requiring another to focus chakra in that particular area through a temporary seal. The seal was small, almost undetectable and showed both Sakura's precise chakra control and her inclination towards high level Fūinjutsu techniques. Although in its trial stage, it was already a carefully guarded technique with only Sakura and Tsunade knowing how to perform it. It is a difficult jutsu, requiring incredibly precise chakra control which acted to limit its use to a few select shinobi. Such a discovery had the potential to greatly impact upon the ninja ranks with its ability to regularly and reliably heal serious illnesses. It was a great achievement for both Sakura and the village.

It was this discovery that provided the opportunity Sakura had been waiting for. The treatment was still in its trial period and although it had offered great results she was responsible for monitoring any ninja when they were called out on a mission. Tomorrow she would leave on her first mission in years, fulfilling the role as the team's medic whilst monitoring her patient Gekkō Hayate.

This mission was incredibly important for both her professional career and her patient's. If Hayate's lung condition was contained by the treatment then his active status would be permanently re-instated whilst Sakura could gain critical acclaim for her innovation. She would also begin the necessary steps to becoming a well-rounded konuichi. Sakura admired the Fifth Hokage and wanted to emulate her, recognising her ability to save countless lives during missions whilst providing quality offensive support. Sakura knew she had the potential; she just had to prove it to others.

It was a relatively simple scroll retrieval mission near the border of the Land of Wind. It was a missive from the Kazekage, detailing proposed trade agreements for the coming year. It was important but not incredibly so. She was to meet the team at first light the next morning at the village gates. Tsunade had failed to mention who else was on the team, only not to be late and, with a gleam in her eye, the Hokage told her to "surprise a few people, to prove herself". Sakura appreciated the confidence and praise from her sometimes gruff mentor.

Although he was her patient, Sakura did not know a lot about Gekkō Hayate. From his file, he was an incredibly promising ninja- a Tokubetsu Jonin specialising in weapons. He had completed high ranking missions and had been recommended for ANBU before his illness forced him into retirement. Hayate had been the first to volunteer for her trial, willing to try anything to return to his duty of protecting the village. As her patient he was always polite and surprisingly positive. She had heard rumours a few months ago about a very public break up with his then girlfriend Yūgao Uzuki. It was seen as a shock to everyone, the relatively private couple seemed to be going well.

"Rarely is anything as it seems" Sakura muttered to herself. She never broached the subject with Hayate; it hardly seemed any of her business but she had often wondered what brought about the break-up.

Sakura quickly finished reviewing the various mission reports that littered Tsunade's desk. She adeptly divided the files; those that needed to be reviewed by Tsunade due to an unexpected circumstance or problem that arose in the mission and those that were to be filed. After this, Sakura began looking up rosters for future missions and reviewing reports from the hospital.

It was dark when she was finally interrupted from her work; Tsunade rushed into her office followed by a hassled looking Shizune.

"Sakura" Tsunade began "what are you doing here this late, didn't you only finish your shift at the hospital this morning?"

"Yes Shishou, but I didn't have a lot to do and figured that I should be useful and help organise your desk" Sakura replied with a steady smile. It was times like this that she knew how much her mentor cared for her.

Shizune grinned gratefully from behind the Hokage "Thanks Sakura, we were busy at the hospital; an ANBU team came in just an hour ago. The injuries were all minor but time consuming to repair."

"I'm glad" Sakura said, stifling a yawn "I think I better head home now, I will see you when I return from my mission. If you hear from Naruto let him know where I am and tell him not to worry"

Sakura always passed on these messages to the Hokage, she knew it was unlikely that Naruto received them but Sakura knew it would mean a lot to him if he did.

She bowed to her Hokage and took her leave, beginning the walk to her apartment.

Konoha was quiet at this time of night; Sakura passed few people but received smiles from various ex-patients and their families. Sakura had grown to be well liked once people understood that her age did not detract from her ability.

She arrived at her modest one bedroom apartment; it was located in a quiet, mostly civilian district of Konoha. The building itself was old and worn but the room was clean. The rent was relatively cheap so it suited Sakura's needs. It had been her home for two years now; Sakura had left home soon after Naruto and Sasuke had left. Her parents had been killed in Sound's invasion of Konoha and Sakura could not afford to pay the mortgage of her family home.

The living room and kitchen were slightly dilapidated but Sakura had tried to improve upon the gloomy walls and finishes. The slightly peeling beige paint had been replaced with a very pale blue that caught the morning sun to brighten the rooms. Several small plants scattered the rooms, on surfaces and in corners. The furniture was mixed and matched- all bought from second hand shops- but was clean and bright. Sakura's favourite item was a hideously orange couch; it hadn't cost her anything and despite the unflattering colour was comfortable. She would never admit it, but the colour reminded her of the enjoyable moments of her genin team- endless meals at Ichiraku, Naruto's garish clothes, and their ill-fated attempts to look under Kakashi-sensei's mask.

Sakura glanced at the photo on her bedside table; it was her slightly faded picture of Team Seven. She looked at it until she drifted asleep; she would prove her worth to teammates and would not be left behind again.

The morning dawned clear and crisp. Sakura gathered her gear and headed to the gates. Her ninja attire had slightly changed since her last genin days. She now wore a sleeveless red zip-up top over a black midriff baring top that hid her chest bindings. The Haruno crest was still present on her back but remain partially hidden by her hair. She wore a pale skirt with large slits up the side. It barely reached mid thigh and revealed the slightly longer, black, skin hugging shorts beneath. Long black boots completed the picture whilst her short pink hair was tamed by her forehead protector in the same fashion as when she was younger. Her kunai pouch was strapped to her left leg and a katana strapped to her back.

The katana was a well kept secret. Tsunade recognised the need for Sakura to be able to defend herself if her chakra ran low and, as she was not adept at ninjutsu, suggested the blade as a useful weapon. Sakura had been reluctant at first but improved quickly as she began to appreciate the fluid movements of the weapon. Tsunade and Shizune had initially instructed her but neither was particularly strong with the weapon, each specialising in different areas. Sakura had quickly improved to be on a par to each but was quietly hoping to find another mentor to help her learn. Sakura had an above average grasp of the weapon but wanted to learn under a master, believing that the weapon could become a signature of hers. Tsunade had mentioned that she had someone in mind but that was a month ago.

She was early but wanted to be the first one at the gates. She hoped that meeting her teammates one at a time might be easier, less intimidating perhaps. Also, if Hayate arrived early she could give him a quick check up, the details of which she would use to monitor his progress throughout the mission. Tsunade requested that she write up a separate mission report specifying the success of the treatment.

She reached the gates nearly half an hour before the team was due to leave. Dropping her bag against the tree she stood quietly, taking in the surroundings. It was the middle of spring and the morning calm was only occasionally interrupted by the call of birds. The sun had just begun to warm the air and Sakura allowed herself to relax for a while.

Sakura soon sensed the approach of a chakra signal. She glanced towards to village to see Hayate approaching. He was dressed in jonin attire, black standard issue pants and the Konoha green flak jacket over a black shirt. His forehead protector was worn as a bandana over his longish, dark brown hair. As he came closer, Sakura assessed him critically; his almost black eyes held a glint that she hadn't yet seen, his complexion was healthy, he had gained considerable muscle tone and the darkness under his eyes was almost gone. Considerable progress had been made from when she first met him. Then, the restriction on his breathing had caused weight loss and his cough had worsened, becoming flecked with blood.

"Good morning Gekkō-san" Sakura smiled as she took a step towards him, "would you mind if I gave you a quick check-up before we leave."

"Morning Sakura-san, I hadn't forgotten my very detailed instructions so go ahead" Hayate replied easily.

Sakura blushed lightly at the comment, she supposed she had been a bit controlling about his first mission but she wanted to ensure that he would be alright. If anything went wrong it would be due to her treatment either failing or affecting his performance. She was a thorough medic and truly enjoyed her work so the last thing she wanted to happen was to be responsible for anything going wrong.

Sakura moved towards him, he had already unzipped his jacket to allow her to reach his chest. She placed her hands under his shirt to rest above his lungs, in order to monitor his breathing. He flinched slightly from the coolness of her hands, causing Sakura to frown and murmur a distracted apology. She closes her eyes, a habit she has developed to distant herself a bit from her patient. It could be unnerving to have someone intently watch you work.

Hayate watched her bite her lip in thought as she assessed his health. She is incredibly young for what she had achieved, he mused. She is an interesting person; forthright and confident about her work, Sakura was relatively shy otherwise. She was a series of contradictions; introspective but confident in herself, young but almost weary- as though she had been hardened by different events. Although, he could understand that, she had been through a lot with her genin team- the battle with Zabuza, a sensei who was not particularly interested in her and teammates that abandoned her.

He felt a flicker of chakra just before the rest of their team appeared, revealing Shiranui Genma and Hatake Kakashi. The former quickly took in the picture of the two ninja and quickly felt the need to make a suitably lewd comment. The latter remained preoccupied with his ever-present book.

"Now I know why you have been ill so long Gekkō, apparently there are perks to chronic illnesses." Genma said, studying Sakura. He could never resist an opportunity to tease his friends, smiling behind his senbon. Unfortunately, it caused Sakura to snap her hands away from Hayate, lowering her gaze to the grass.

"You're health is fine for the moment Gekkō-san" Sakura addressed Hayate. "I will continue to monitor you throughout the mission though, if you feel anything change let me know."

Hayate was about to reply but their interaction seemed to gain the attention of the aloof Copy nin. "Sakura-chan, I didn't realise you were the medic assigned to the team" he said, his eye crinkled in what Sakura assumed to be a smile. Apparently he wasn't aware that she had developed the technique.

"Kakashi... sensei" the greeting sounded awkward even to her, it had been so long since she had seen him she was unsure what to say "and you're on time" she continued, surprise etching her tone. Her shock must have caused that last one, she inwardly grimaced.

"Sorry sensei" she recovered quickly "it's been a while. I haven't seen you at the hospital."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully, "Yes, that place is to be avoided. Maybe I'll have to visit more now you're there."

Sakura laughed; glad their time apart hadn't changed Kakashi. He was the same as ever, albeit on time for once.

Sakura hadn't thought she would be assigned to this team; it was one of the strongest in the village outside of the ANBU cells. She recalled from his files that Hayate had been recommended for the elite forces before his health decline. Maybe he was assigned this team to determine if he still had the potential for ANBU.

Sakura resigned herself to a tough mission. No doubt Kakashi would push them to complete it as quickly as possible to determine Hayate's, and to a lesser extent, abilities. Optimistically, she figured that if the treatment could stand this mission then it could be seen as a success. Also, if she did well, it would look good on her record whilst improving her reputation amongst the older shinobi.

Sakura resolved to prove herself in this mission. The team soon left the gates, taking to the trees at a quick pace, soon leaving behind Konoha.