Hello , I hope you enjoy this story and if not well ... consider it a guilty pleasure of mine ...

Disclaimer : i dont own these characters and this will lead to later mature content

Late Night Reminiscing

The air was thick with heat. The kind to make you melt in thin sheets of your bedding in your sleep. It's the reason Sakura wakes early one fated morning. Sweat clung to her pale skin like a snug sweater. She blanches but shuffles off to her shower regardless. She mutters a silent curse to her open window. Though granted it allowed for some relief of this sufferable heat, it failed to cool her room off entirely.

Today was the day, she confided to herself. The mere thought made the cool water ran warm over her goosed flesh. He would come home today at noon if the reports were right. She sighs heavily and lean against the shower wall. Was she ready to face him after their last encounter? Was she strong enough to stand her ground again with him? Her mind flashes to their fight before he left. Another heavy sigh escapes her lips.

It was shortly after the war. Spirits were running high and admittedly so were her emotions. I mean he was back! Plus, we won the fight! But all her hooting for him to come back was just fluff it turned out. A week after their victory Sasuke's attitude took a turn for the worst it seems. I mean one day they were laughing catching up from absent years. They had so many dates filled with laughter and passion, Sakura felt like they were on cloud nine. But then his moods began to go sour. He would stay up late or not sleep for days at a time. He became angry, easily annoyed and rather short than necessary with her. She dismissed it at first, given she knew his dark history. Yet as the weeks turned to months she couldn't just let it slip by no more. So, she gave him an ultimatum he either went and get help for things he struggled to deal with or she would leave him. Turns out that bastard took option number three. Leave the village on a redemption trip and not tell sakura…. again.

She sighs heavily again. This man would be death of her she decided. She brings her face to the cold water. A numbing pain prickled her skin as the water caresses every inch of her heated skin. Ironically Sakura notes the shower felt much like Sasuke's touch. Detached, cool and unfeeling. For such a stoic man you would think he would be more passionate. Yet to Sakura's dismayed he was not. Though granted he would make an excellent statue for a museum. Cold, smooth and sexy were his forte. However, feeling of joy, amusement and love were not.

By this point Sakura was sure her shoulders would forever remained stooped by the thoughts of that man. However, she shakes her head with a smile. She was stronger than this. Though Sasuke was her first love, he was not her last. "Hai!" Sakura shouts in the shower with new found enthusiasm. She puts thoughts of him aside and finishes her shower with a new-found peace.

An hour later Sakura finds herself running toward the training grounds for her early morning workout. Above the morning sky shined a dull dark grey with coming storms upon the horizon. Sakura's breaths deeply of the heavy air surrounding the coming storm. The air itself seem to carry the weight of the storm and in doing smothering every living thing it seemed. By the time she got the training grounds she was already drenched with sweat. To her pleasant surprise Captain Yamato was present and training by himself.

A smile crept upon Sakura's face at the sight of the man. Given the high humidity it seemed he decided to forgo his usual get up in favor of shorts and a bare chest. Sakura had to hand it to him he quite the impressive physique. Years of ninja work and training had sculpted the man's body into hard muscles and faded scars. Being a medic, Sakura was familiar with such bodies given the multiple exams she had to perform over her career. However, she found that the scars were distinct to each ninja given their circumstances. Yamato for example had a long nasty scar across his back that still puckered pink in some areas. Sakura had often offer to heal the scar properly yet he always refused, saying some scars were worth having to remember.

Her ogling did not go unnoticed by said ninja. Yamato smirks at the younger woman before sending several kunai her way. Sakura snaps out of it and quickly dodges before sending her fist flying into the ground with a fierce cry. Yamato reflects the shifting ground with earth style jutsu before heading in for a frontal attack. Most would think its suicidal due to her monster strength but to him it was fun to see her counter in close combat.

Sakura huffs with exertion as Yamato's fist come in quick and furious. Now he was no lee with lighting fast fist but he was a good 20 pounds heavier and more skilled in hand to hand combat. Needless to say, she was taking a beating even in her defensive mode. One miss placed chakra fist and she would be open for a fatal weak spot. Crying out in frustration she sweeps her legs out toward yamato who jumps up to dodge. Quickly she gathers her strengths and upon her swing back she throws a quick jab to his jaw. Yamato is taken back and catches the air of her fist as he narrowly misses it. He stumbles back and grins at a huffing sakura. She's sweat drenched and short of breath in this heavy humidity. Though Yamato being a veteran couldn't help but be winded as well that morning. However, as his eyes travel the young kunoichi's body he couldn't help but think it wasn't the humidity that was doing it to him. She was sporting some short shorts and a cropped training top. All her tight coiled muscles were drenched with a sheen coat of sweat. Suddenly he was dying of thirst as he watched a small line sweat roll down her tight stomach.

"What's wrong old' man you tired already" teased Sakura

Yamato snapped out of it and focused back up at her face. He grimaces.

"Old man? Really I'm like five years your senior." He complains with a sigh.

Sakura chuckles and drops her defensive stance.

"Tomato, Potatoes." She shrugs. Yamato only rolls his eyes before walking over to his bag.

"Water?" he calls. He doesn't wait for an answer as he pulls out two bottles. He sits beneath the tree and offers the other bottle up to Sakura who sighs but joins him.

"So, what brought you out this early in the morning?" Inquires Yamato after a moment of silent.

Sakura takes a long pull of water. She didn't want to bog him down with all her baggage this morning. Hell, she didn't want her baggage let alone to unpack it. So, she shrugged and went with a cop out. "Couldn't sleep." She replied with a nod. "How about you?"

Yamato snorts. "Couldn't sleep" He mocks. Though truth be told it was his sexual frustration keeping him out this morning. The two share a pointed look before busting up with laughter. The tension eases up between the two before it suddenly dawns on Sakura. Yamato was warm man with hearty laugh and rather enticing body. His lean muscles cut and dipped right at his hip before dipping down into his shorts. Her mind briefly flashed to the idea of long tan muscled legs and a long thick….

"Sakura?" Called yamato. Sakura thoughts popped like a bubble causing her to jump in surprise.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" She asked with blushing cheeks. Yamato can't help but grin at her ogling him again. Shit, it's been awhile he thinks.

"I said what time are you due back at the hospital today?"

She rubs her face with the coming exhaustion of hospital work. " Soon." She mutters with lacking enthusiasm.

"That bad "he asks with concerning brown eyes. Sakura can't help but smile at him. "Nah," she replies," It's just long hours and a shit ton of paper work" she says with growing dread of the day. Yamato can't help but chuckle at her. She was much like her shisha in that aspect it seemed. Sakura pegs him with a glare but it dissolves quickly as she returns his amusement. Sighing she finishes her bottle and stands. She stretches her arms before addressing a dazed Yamato. "Well I guess duty calls. I'll see you around Captain Yamato!" With a wave she takes off toward the village hospital. Yamato returns her gesture with a halfhearted wave and a hungry stare that goes unnoticed by said girl.

Come hell or high waters he would make that girl his once and for all, he determined. Their little training stunt today only stoked the embers of his hearth for her. He had tried to suppress these foreign feeling for so long, especially given her infatuation with that stoic Uchiha. However, when he caught wind of their split he couldn't have been happier. Though granted he knew she would be no where ready to move on so soon after their split. So, he decides to wait a month or two. However, his job as the Hokages number go to ninja ended up putting out of the village for a majority of the year it seemed. Though now the hokage has granted him some rest time due to his diligent work load. Yamato had every intention on spending that time getting closer to his former team mate.

He had first been token back by her brash behavior. Though as they progressed as a team he came to admire that trait and respected her abilities as a powerful Kunoichi. However, at some point he though her less as a knuckle headed kid and more as a young, beautiful woman. A small part of Yamato suspected Kakashi might have known his growing affection for the girl. That would explain the man's constant work load the past year and his determination to keep Sakura out of the field. Regardless his time now he would find a way to become more acquainted with her. A small smile lights his face as he leans his head up against the rough bark of the tree. Time would tell if this would pan out for him or not.