I do not own Naruto


A good girl kisses, but doesn't love,

Listens, but doesn't believe

And leaves, before she if left.

Marilyn.


Chapter Two: For the First Time

On a normal day, Sakura would arrive at her office early in the morning, start reviewing her cases and whatever anyone else had signed her up for or consulted her about, before immediately getting down to work.

But for some reason, that day was a slow day. And again, for some reason, everyone was shooting her strange looks.

She tried to ignore it, really she did, but it was just too hard. Eventually, she was tired of pretending that she wasn't being stared at like some side show freak and asked Ami what the fuss was about.

She quickly walked over to Ami, and when said girl saw her approaching she started fidgeting nervously.

Not a good sign.

Ami was a nurse who was usually on the ball. Fidgeting was something she hardly ever did.

Sakura leaned against the nursing station and motioned for Ami to come closer with her index finger.

Ami did. She set down the file she was reviewing and hesitantly walked over to speak to her boss, mentor and friend.

"What's the deal with everyone today? Do I have something in my hair?"

Ami gulped. No, Sakura's hair was long, curly and shiny as usual.

"No," she said.

"My teeth? My face? My outfit?"

She gulped. No again. Sakura was the most attractive woman that Ami had ever seen. She had a perfect face, perfect teeth, her hair was long and shiny and her fashion was up to date and fitting.

That day she wore a short, black, high-wasted pencil skirt with a white, tucked in, button up shirt, and a green belt. She had silver hoop earrings in and her long pink hair was curled and tucked behind her ears.

"Then what's the problem? Why is everyone looking at me like I've grown an extra head?"

Ami sympathized with the woman. "Listen, there's something you need to know," she whispered.

Sakura's brow furrowed in confusion. "Know what, Ami? What's going on?" she asked.

Ami took Sakura's arm and led her to an empty exam room.

She made the roseate sit down before she broke the news. "Please remember: don't hurt the messenger," she stated.

Sakura nodded anxiously. This seemed serious, for Ami was never this way.

"Last night at around two, your team returned to the village, all three of them," she said quickly.

Ami watched as Sakura's perfect face crumbled for just a moment. Her eyebrows drew down and the corners of her mouth followed. Her usually either emotionless or caring eyes were sad and cold. It seemed like all of the makeup melted off her face for a moment and you could see the dark lines under her eyes and the stress that was written on her face. You could almost see all of the work she put in her hair go away, the split ends, and the shine, not gone, but dulled.

She was broken on the inside.

But after that second of complete vulnerability, her façade was put back up.

The make up returned, her hair was shiny and lively and her eyes clear of anything but kindness and gratitude towards Ami.

"Thank you for telling me."

Ami rubbed her thumbs together absently. "Are you okay Sakura? Like really okay?" she queried, worried for her friend.

Although Ami was much older than Sakura – she actually had a daughter who was Sakura's age – she felt that Sakura was a friend.

She often brought Sakura dinner when she worked an all-nighter, or fresh scrubs or offered to check Sakura's patients whilst the girl rested.

She felt almost a motherly protectiveness towards the girl.

"Yes Ami, of course I'll be fine. It's no big deal. I was going to find out some time," She dismissed.

Ami paused again. "Maybe you should go see Tsunade-Sama," she suggested.

Sakura sighed and smoothed her skirt. "Perhaps I should." She grasped Ami's hand.

"Thank you so much Ami. Really."

They walked out of the room together. Before Sakura started walking over to the Hokage Tower, Ami said, "I made some homemade honey rolls. They're in your office honey."

Sakura smiled brightly at Ami. "Thanks A," she replied, and started walking over.

The Hokage tower was actually attached to the hospital, so all she had to do was walk through the glass tunnel that overlooked the gardens between the buildings. As she walked she was thoughtful.

If the boys had arrived at two in the morning, they were not going to still be in the Hokage's office, so she had time to talk to her motherly Sensei about what she should do.

Since Sakura had no parents, Tsunade had taken it upon herself to act as a mother to Sakura. When Sakura had informed her that she was taking off to the Express, she had simply said: "You'd better send me letters! I don't expect you to be gone long, and I know you'll be back. And when you do return, be sure to tell me everything you saw, learnt and did on the Express."

And when Sakura returned from her training she had found that Tsunade and Shizune had taken the liberty to clean her house while she was away.

At that moment, Sakura needed Tsunade's motherly guidance. Her team had returned. Should she forgive them? Or be angry?

She walked into the tower and passed the guards at the door easily, before heading right into Tsunade's office.

She didn't know what to expect, but she definitely didn't expect to see her team still sitting there.

She actually flinched.

For the first time in five years she saw her teammates. Almost six years in Sasuke's case.

She took in their appearance with one big gulp.

Sasuke looked as miserable as usual, but something resembling surprise flitted in his forlorn expression. His hair was longer than when she'd last seen it; the spikes went out much farther and his bangs were a little straighter. His skin was the same milky pale, but he wasn't as gangly as he had been before. Sinewy wry muscles protruded from under his skin. Though he was seated she could tell that he was taller - far taller than her. His legs were long and sheathed in black pants. His chest was much wider than it used to be. Through the big slit in his shirt you could see the washboard abs that made up his chest.

Beside him in the other chair was Sai. His hair was longer as well, almost reaching his shoulders. He wasn't as pale as he used to be; a healthy pink tinged his cheeks. His eyes were still the same flat black that they had always been, but there was something more there, some expression, some emotion. He was no longer in his cropped shirt and pants. Instead, he had donned something a little more grown up. His shirt was long sleeved and black, stretched tight over his muscled stomach. His pants were longer but looser. You could also tell that he was about as tall as Sasuke, maybe an inch or so shorter.

The last one she laid her eyes on was Naruto. Her surprise was evident when she looked at him.

He no longer had the blue and orange, but instead an orange long sleeve shirt - again stretched tight - tight enough so that she could see the muscles that strained underneath. His arms were well defined under the shirt. His pants were long and black and he wore a dark red trench coat. His blond hair was longer than before, some of the longer strands tied back with a black hair tie. His blue eyes were as clear and bright as they were before. Some things never change.


S A S U K E


Sasuke couldn't believe his eyes.

This was Sakura? This was the girl he had grown up with? This was the girl he had fallen in love with?

No… It couldn't be.

But it was!

Just before she'd entered he'd been bored, listening to the Hokage speak angrily about how they were going to be reinstated.

And then, Sakura had stepped in, a pink-haired goddess.

Her outfit was simple: a short black skirt, a white tucked-in blouse and a green belt that brightened her eyes.

But it was so much more than that!

Her hair was long and shiny, curled, so long that it easily touched her tailbone. Her bangs were above her emerald orbs in a straight pink line and her eyes were bright behind her black rimmed glasses.

Her blouse showed off the cleavage she had acquired over the years, and under the white blouse he could see the outline of a black bra.

Her skirt accentuated the smallest part of her body and made her hips look just amazing. Her already long legs were accented by the five inch heels which adorned her feet.

She walked straight up to the Hokage's desk like she owned it. He found himself watching her backside sway hypnotically.

The Hokage dismissed them then. "You three may leave."

But they didn't move, and Tsunade continued to talk to Sakura anyway. From the way that they spoke to each other, you'd think they were family.

"Hey babe! Still coming to dinner on Saturday? Shizune's making her shrimp and noodles. That means you have to come," she greeted.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, what am I supposed to be bringing again?"

Tsunade smiled at her apprentice with a cat-like grin. "Dessert of course," she reminded.

Sakura snorted. "I though you said that you were on a diet. All of my desserts are fatty and unhealthy," she snickered.

Tsunade chuckled good-naturedly. "Yeah, that's what makes them good. By the way, how's our man doing in the ICU?" she quizzed.

That was a new development. Sakura was apparently employed at the hospital.

Her brow furrowed. "Still no change. His heart rate remains unsteady. We're all contemplating just getting him a new one but the list is so long. We don't know. We're waiting for a change," She explained.

Tsunade turned to the boys, although they were all engrossed in the new Sakura.

"Leave now, meet me in the morning. Doctor Haruno and I have things we need to discuss."

As the boys numbly filed out they all couldn't help but think,

.

.

.

'What do we do now?'

Author Note: Love it, Hate it? Dont you just want her life lol?

So everyone seems to like Shikarmaru, Neji and Kiba. .. .. I like them too, any more suggestions?

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