While the sun hangs in the sky and the desert has sand
While the waves crash in the sea and meet the land
While there's a wind and the stars and the rainbow
Till the mountains crumble into the plain

Oh yes we'll keep on tryin'
Tread that fine line
Oh we'll keep on tryin yeah
Just passing our time

While we live according to race, colour or creed
While we rule by blind madness and pure greed
Our lives dictated by tradition, superstition, false religion
Through the aeons, and on and on

Oh yes we'll keep on tryin'
We'll tread that fine line
Oh oh we'll keep on tryin'
Till the end of time
Till the end of time

Through the sorrow all through our splendour
Don't take offence at my innuendo

You can be anything you want to be
Just turn yourself into anything you think that you could ever be
Be free with your tempo be free be free
Surrender your ego be free be free to yourself

Oooh ooh
If there's a God or any kind of justice under the sky
If there's a point if there's a reason to live or die
If there's an answer to the questions we feel bound to ask
Show yourself - destroy our fears - release your mask

Oh yes we'll keep on trying
Hey tread that fine line
Yeah we'll keep on smiling yeah (yeah yeah)
And whatever will be will be
We'll keep on trying
We'll just keep on trying
Till the end of time
Till the end of time
Till the end of time.

*Innuendo (Queen)


Chapter 2

Nothing exciting happened today, or the day before.

Nothing ever happens.

She was, on the one hand happy that she didn't have to work so hard, that meant she could catch up on her paperwork. She could take it easy for once. On the other hand she was just plain bored. She was only 26 years old and she was already an expert for internal trauma and head of the Emergency Station at the state's main hospital. She pushed herself through medical school. People considered her to be a prodigy. Her IQ was above average, she only had to read things once and she knew them by heart. But that meant she had to occupy her mind with something. Right know she was bored she was itching for something to do.

She had a very luxurious income, a car, a two story house near the park, she had everything she ever wanted. But she was still alone. Sure she had friends, but she wanted someone at her side, someone she could relate to.

Her best friend Ino would say she needed a man. That was easier said then done; not that she was picky, but the last 'men' Ino introduced her to were just ...too plain. All of her colleagues were a couple years older than her, and were not interested in her, because she was too young.

She wanted adventure! She deserved it. Ino argued that she should have become an artist or something less bound to duty like the hospital, but she wouldn't have that! The only adventure she got was the hospital's gossip when she decided to change her hair colour, again, and the thrill of a complicated operation. Right now her hair was a vivid redish pink. In a couple of weeks it would fade to a lighter colour. Her normal hair colour, was a boring blond. And if she couldn't change her job or her appearance, as all lab coats were white and hospital scrubs were all the same, she could at least change her hair colour. She always rolled her eyes as the nurses chatted behind her back, as if she wouldn't notice.

Tonight, she said to herself, she would take Ino's invitation to go out. She and the girls were hitting the club, and wanted her to come too. She would enjoy herself tonight and maybe find a nice catch.

She looked at the clock by the door. Thirty minutes left then she could go home. A big sigh escaped her, it was going to be a long thirty minutes.


She came here because she wanted a change. How disappointing this whole trip turned out to be. A few guys tried to pick her up, but she was above that. All cheap, all false. To get her they had to put more effort into it. Sure the flirting was nice, it served her ego well, but it wasn't real. So she did the only thing she knew would help, she would get drunk. She excused herself from the girls and made her way to bar.

She felt alone, nobody was interesting and her life was boring. Maybe she should buy a pet, then she would have something to return home to. In fact it was a wonderful excuse. She could tell the girls she had to return home early because her cat has to fed or something like that. She wasn't sure yet. Maybe she could do something else, she thought as the familiar warmth of alcohol spread through her making her ears feel warm and her thought unfocused.

After the full turn in politics, the hospitals took a lot of money to treat patients, because they lost the support of the state. Poor people couldn't effort to turn themselves in to hospital treatment. She still didn't know what to think of the whole development. There were less fights and absolutely no homeless in the streets, but she couldn't say it was peaceful. It was a forced peace. The police on every corner told her so. But what happened to the people she had send away, because they didn't have enough money?

She stared into her drink and made a decision. After today she would have enough to do. No more sitting around with depressing thoughts, that is what she wanted as she choose this profession; she wanted to save lives.

"Keep them coming bartender. I need to be completely trashed before I go home", she said to the man behind the counter. It would be a long time until she could be this carefree again, if her plan worked.


A month went by and she felt great! She finally found something worth her time and expertise. She made time at the hospital so that she could make home visits. She paged through the entries that were archived at the registration desk. And soon found the rejected cases. She found the families living in poor conditions in various parts of the city. She had to convince her patients, that she didn't want to harm them, and slowly they warmed up to her. Now she slowly had a routine: every Wednesday and Friday she would visit certain people. Her intensive care was promoted through verbal propaganda.

It had to be carefully orchestrated, because she was moving in a grey zone. The law didn't forbid free treatments, but she had to use her resources at the hospital. She used her own money to fill in for the medicine, but bandages and such she could only get from the hospital. Every time she 'used her resources', she had a thrill of excitement run through her.

All risk of her being found out was totally worth it. The patients were very grateful for her help and often invited her to stay for dinner, she wouldn't take money, she had enough.

Tonight she was spending time with her friends at the club again. And she was actually enjoying herself. She was dancing. Slow or fast it didn't matter. She felt free. Maybe she'll take a risk tonight and catch herself a man.

She saw two men approach them. Both were handsome in their own way.

The one on her right was tall and lean and had black hair. He wasn't smiling, but his lips curled up as he looked towards them. His gaze was slightly on the cold side and held a predatory glint in them. She had the feeling that nothing about him was random. His black button down dress shirt was opened to show off his smooth chest. His pants were loose fitting, she could tell, because his hands were stuffed into his pockets. she couldn't see his shoes but she bet they were more the comfortable then dressy ones.

The one on her left was the the complete opposite. Where the other had barely managed a smile he was grinning widely. He had short sun kissed blond hair and wore an orange shirt that fit him perfectly. He was more on the muscular side, but not overly so. He too wore loose fitting pants, but only had one hand hooked in a pocket with the other he was gesturing widely telling his friend something.

They stood slightly to her left so that the blond was closer to her. His dark haired friend was standing closer to Ino and the others. As the music went on the two men moved their way closer. She didn't mind them. She just danced to her heart content. But she was quite surprised to find two tan hands guiding her moves. But she didn't mind, it was a welcome change. She leaned into the slight embrace. He was a good dancer and moved together with her and the rhythm.

At one point she turned towards him and she caught a glance at her friends. They were well occupied by the dark haired man. He was entertaining them all. 'What an attention hog', she thought.

"Hey! Care for a drink?", the man in front of her asked. She cast another worried look towards Ino. The blond caught on quickly, and waved the behaviour of his friend off.

"Don't worry he just a big show off. Come on it's on me, Gorgeous.", his voice was friendly and a bit husky and it sent shivers down her spine. She wasn't worried for her friend, she was worried for herself. She breathed in deeply and held on to her new courage as she followed the blond man to the bar.

She couldn't believe her luck today.


They sat down at the bar and ordered drinks. She didn't know what to think of him. He was a cheerful person. His smile was contagious, she was sure of it. She didn't remember the last time she had this much fun just talking to somebody. But something about him wasn't right, her senses told her that a part of his behaviour was an act, but the alcohol was already clouding her better judgement. She sipped her drink again. She didn't want her big brain to get in the way of a little romance tonight. He was good looking!

" By the way! My name is Naruto. And yours?", he asked after downing his drink.

"Sakura.", she replied noticing the time she already spent with the man and they haven't even exchanged names yet! She blushed.

They have been sitting here a long time. She was getting worried about her friends. She didn't want them to have the wrong impression. But then again...

- As if I would just go home with some random man!-, her inner voice ranted.

" That's a fitting name for someone with pink hair." , he chuckled.

" It wasn't intentional!", she pouted. People always talked about her hair, but no one made a connection to her name before. She had left her hair pink, as she grew rather fond of the colour.

"I like it.", he said with a grin.

She grinned, too. She felt, even though he was hiding something, she could trust him. She would listen to her inner voice and take the risk. She would regret nothing.

So as he asked her if she wanted to catch fresh air, she accepted.


Naruto guided her through town. He knew about places that were open 24/7. That left her puzzled. There was a city wide curfew. Only the entertainment section of the city, were the clubs and bars were, was left open to the citizens. But Naruto found his way around all patrols. And only to eat noodles!

At first the seated themselves on top of a roof, after they bought a couple bottles of beer. They sat there and watched the stars, something she had never really done before, and chatted away. Then they became hungry. They found his favourite noodle house and he dragged her into the restaurant disguised as a small house. It surprised her that Naruto knew the owner personally, so every thing was on the house. The owner even served them rice wine. They were quite buzzed at the end. Then Naruto offered to walk her home. It was a perfect date and it irked her that it stayed platonic.

The whole evening was to good to be true. As the alcohol was draining out of her system, and she could finally think straight, she realized that he hadn't said much about himself. He had let her talk, and laughed along with her stories. It was as if he was waiting for something.

They were currently walking through the park that separated her neighbourhood from the city. She concentrated on the facts as they walked in silence. Technically she knew nothing about him, he had a cheery but at the same time mysterious aura, and he knew the city like the back of his hand...All places went against the curfew. What they had been doing the whole evening was illegal...Oh my! His voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Have you ever thought about changing something, Sakura?"

-Well wasn't that a catchy question!-

"What did you just say?" 'Just play it cool'.

"Basicly? If you wanted to change something."

- He didn't asked what I wanted to change.-

" I like change. That's why I colour my hair."

- I have to keep my patients safe! If he's an agent I'm doomed, but I won't take them down with me!- Her pulse went up. 'What to do? What to do?'

" Only your hair?...Of course."

- He didn't believe her and now he was teasing her! Did he know something?Panic! No stay calm, see where this is going!-

" What did you say you did for a living, Naruto?" – If that's his real name-

"I didn't say. But a friend of mine is a very crafty black smith."

- Did they find her out already?-

"What do you mean by that? I don't know any black smiths!" – Deceive him! Maybe you can warn the man.-

"Oh? But you treated him just last week. He had a long cut on his underarm."

Now her breathing was becoming irregular. – He knew!-

"Where are you going with this?", she asked thoughts running wild with possibilities. He grinned.

"I was supposed to say thanks. You saved his arm, in this city you even saved his life!"

" And you went out of your way to just thank me?...You followed me! Even tonight!"

"If you put it that way, it sounds like stalking." he said embarrassed scratching the back of his head. At that she relaxed a little, but she was peeved. She didn't say anything, so he continued.

"He wanted me to find you, because you disappeared before he could thank you himself."

Now she remembered. That day an emergency call came in and she had to tend to it, so she left in a hurry. But still something didn't add up.

"How come you asked me if I wanted to change something? And you didn't answer my question about what you do for a living?"

They were now in front of her door. She didn't how they got there. She didn't know now what to make of him. -Was the whole evening an act?-

"Let us go inside and I'll tell you about myself. It's a long story. It'll be uncomfortable to stay standing. Maybe it'll become clear why I sought you out tonight.", he offered gesturing to the door.

She thought about it.

She wanted change. There were so many things wrong in this city. It was just easier to overlook it, but when it dulled your senses, lulled you to believe doing nothing is right, that's when things turned dangerous for everybody. That's why she was treating the rejected patients in their homes and on the street. She was trying not to look away; to do the right thing. And she'll keep on trying! No regrets!

"All right. Come in."

She opened the door and stepped inside after him.


When she woke up the next morning she didn't remember a thing. She was reliefed to see, she didn't wake up in bed with somebody she didn't know. The last thing she knew was that she went clubbing with the girls. She must have gotten royally drunk. She dragged herself into the bathroom to splash water in her face. She made a quick hangover breakfast, consisting of scrambled eggs and bacon, toast, coffee and an aspirin.

Sighing she decided she would check and see how bad last night really was and picked up the phone. She had Ino's number memorized. She didn't need to look at the dial, she could call her best friend in her sleep if she wanted to.

The phone didn't ring two times and her friend was already picked up.

"Tell me I didn't do anything stupid last night.", she said before Ino could say anything.

"You tell me! One moment you were at the bar and the next moment you were gone. Gone! With out saying a word!"

- Oh no!- Her mind was trying to put things together as Ino ranted on. Then she caught the end of a sentence.

"...saw you go with the blond guy. But I said you'd never do such a thing..."

- A blond guy, with blue eyes- dancing- drinking- talking-

"Did you ever want to change something, Sakura?",she heard a voice ask.

Then she remembered the whole evening. Ino shouldn't be drawn into this. She had to keep her friends safe.

Quickly she told Ino some half lies about going outside, then going home early without the guy and hung up.

Now fully awake and the aspirin working, she realized how dangerous last night was. But it also excited her. Now she was looking forward meeting him again. She'd just have to wait until next week.


Edit 08-01-12: Got rid of the typos.

Sorry for the double post, I'm working on the third chapter, right now...Please review. Any feed back is positive feedback.