7 years have passed in within Konoha. 7 years of growth and change, 7 years of life and death. However, that is the way of life for those in the Hidden leaf.
A familiar pinkette of the town made her way to the hospital for work and training. Keeping her hair shoulder length and a sweater covering her arms , the weather was heading into fall, the mornings a bit brisker than her liking.
"ahh...I wonder if they have tea prepared.." She asked herself as she walked through the gates of the hospital, the cold season would begin soon and every spare second would be spent trying to get ahead. Heading toward the nurse's station she greeted her co-workers who fondly called her "Sakura-chan". While analyzing the scheduled patients and visits today her blond rival arrived not too far behind her.
"Hey, billboard brow! Enjoy your day off yesterday?" She asked while hanging up her own belongings.
"Ha not really, I work here, then I train, then I go to my other job...You know the usual." She replied while stretching, she soon pulled her hair back into a high ponytail showing off unusual silver studs hanging from her ears.
"Yeah Yeah I know I know, think you'll be able to get a break after your other job is done?" She chastised the other, she was working herself to the bone let alone making her look bad.
"I have no idea, but at least I'm not going at it alone anymore. "
" Oh yeah, I still remember Naruto's face when he heard you-" Ino was interrupted by a familiar brown haired woman, a small pig not far behind her.
"Girls! around noon we will be getting some severely injured shinobi, if possible try to prep two rooms if possible, we have a busy day today."
"hai~," The two said in unison.
"Shizune who's coming back? do we know?" Sakura asked while loading her medical gear into a work appropriate pouch.
"We don't know but they are allies. " Shizune was only greeted by sighs to her response. " If I do find out I will let you know. "
"Thanks Shizune." Sakura said as the woman left the office.
"Any guesses?" Ino asked as she two prepped medical equipment for the day ahead.
" Who knows, a lot of people are out on missions today, and we still have groups on extended leave...Though." Her bottom eyelid seemed to twitch mid-sentence. " I have a gut feeling it may be naruto. "
Ino could only laugh at her response.
" Yeah I have a feeling it may be him too, he's due for a medical injury if he's following a 3-month routine. I call 500 yen on it."
" Hey, I'm that bets on my guess you can't do that." She joked, they continued to poke fun at each other for several hours on and off in between patients. Shots, broken limbs, stitches, harsh colds, all seemed to be a typical busy day. It was a monotonous routine only broken up by individual personality and conversation with each patient. Each small story of their lives, random talks of music and the weather, there were the occasional grouch or rude comment from a few arrogant patients, but overall Sakura enjoyed her job. The small connection she made with her patients and the life they breathed into her meant a tremendous amount to her. She truly felt she was needed or at least enjoyed as a person. Not an annoyance.
Noon was crawling around the corner, Sakura flattened out the top sheet of the bed, trying to ensure everything would be up to standard expectation. She even had a personal touch to it, leaving flowers in their room. The time of year made it hard to find a variety of them. Ino's family, however, didn't mind helping out with her gesture of compassion. Looking outside she spotted a group of medical-nin racing for the hospital, right on time she thought to herself. She headed downstairs to the main lobby, wondering how severe their injuries would be. Before she could enter the main area however she was halted by a gentle hand.
"Hold up." Tsunade had ordered, Ino behind her.
" Tsunade-sama? What's going on?" She asked the older blonde.
"We have two severely injured patients and I will be splitting you two up." A hand on her hip and overall laid back expression. " I trust you fully to handle this surgery by yourself. Ino will be guided by me on the second patient."
Sakura was stunned, she had done small medical surgeries on her own, but an entire operation was under her jurisdiction was a new experience altogether.
"Sensei... I will do my best!" The pinkette bowed before her teacher, Ino was grinning watching her friend grow to become a fine Doctor. So much in 7 years had happened, but Sakura had begun to grow more and more confident in her abilities. Something she thought was destroyed after both her teammates had left Konoha. One one the light, the other guided by dark intent.
Sakura changed into her scrubs, tying her hair back and tucking it into her shirt she gave one last look to the prep room before descending into the OR.
"Status of the patient." She called, recalling how her sensei would call for it before entering the main room of operation.
"Foreign objects embedded into the body, explosion and rock slide following, exhaustion and mass blood loss."
" What is the identity of the patient?"
"Konoha Chunin, Naruto Uzamaki."
Sakura about flopped overhearing his name, damn her hunch.
"Where was he found?" She asked while tying her medical make behind her.
"Between the land of waves and snow."
She wanted to ask who the second person was, however for the time she would focus on treating the blonde.
'Dummy,' she thought to herself. 'What did you get yourself into.'
11 puncture wounds, 2 large lacerations, 3 limbs that needed to be blasted to remove small debris, one dislocated leg and a forearm broken in several areas. 3 hours long in operation and they finally were able to wheel out the gurney, the operation went successfully. She returned to the main nurse's hub to fill out files and start a regiment of medicines to take. Chakra can heal a multitude of injuries, however, the body still needs time to recover from the trauma. She took a break to shower and remove be any blood that may have gotten on her. The blood traced water swirled down the drain as she stood under the water. Letting the scalding water pour down her back. The surgery wasn't particularly stressful, she believed in her ability, and believed in naruto' chances of recovery were overwhelmingly high. However in the pit of her stomach she felt as if there were more, she didn't deny the feeling,but more questioned if it were worry for the sake of naruto's injuries or perhaps was it something else. She looked small crystal she kept wire wrapped under her necklace. The gem swirled with colors and different sparkles of light.
"Time will tell." She murmured while she reached for the faucet, turning it off.
Later that evening the hospital was unusually full, not of patients or of family visiting, but of Anbu. They guarded a certain hallway, one which none of the nurses were allowed to go into, even Tsunade had banned others from coming for forty-eight hours. What were they guarding? Sakura looked down the hallway with a tray of food, when Tsunade was free she figured she would ask her, perhaps she would tell her since she was one of her best students...well one of two bu hey she would try. She passed the hallway down to her own ward, one where the blonde patient of hers was located and she might as well greet him with some food since it was time to give him his medicine. She knocked a familiar rhythmic knock and let herself in.
Naruto was dozing in the hospital bed while he heard the familiar knock followed by a familiar pinkette.
Sakura-chan!" he greeted pushing himself up to a sitting position, grunting from the discomfort of it.
"Don't do that! the beds will sit up on their own! " She set the tray on a side table and adjusted the automatic bed for him.
"Sorry Sakura-chan, last time I tried to use one of these it threw me off the bed." He rubbed the back of his neck with a goofy grin.
"Geeze, what happened idiot? I haven't seen you this beat up in years." She asked while checking his IVs and preparing to give him more medicine.
"I Got caught up in a rock slide with no chakra, A bunch of explosions went off and I couldn't get out of the way in time...I'm lucky I didn't get decapitated or something." He moped a bit while sakura did her work.
"You are lucky in perspective then...I actually was the one who sewed you up his time..." She admitted, proud of herself. Naruto looked at her, the biggest smile graced his face.
"I got treated by you sakura chan?! that's so cool! no wonder I feel so great!" He exclaimed. Sakura could only smile at him.
"No that would be the drugs Naruto." She chuckled.
"Bullshit,I don't feel a thing! You are an amazing doctor Sakura-chan!"
"Ok, I'll take half credit, but you better be thanking how much pain killer you are getting." She commented sliding a hospital meal to him. He smiled sheepishly at her before admitting an "itadakimasu."
She sat down for a minute, letting a tired sigh as he ate.
"So...Sakura chan were there any...you know...while I was gone." He asked a bit quietly, watching her.
"No, there hasn't been an attack since we collected the last one." She answered and yawned, stretching while in the chair. "Oh! I almost forgot." She reached into her pockets and pulled out two small silver earrings, much like her own.
"Oh! thanks! I didn;t know you take them out for surgery." He reached up placing the studs back into his ears. " I'd hate to see what'd happen if I didn't have them. When it does happen."
"What, you don't think I can handle myself?" She asked it wasn't a serious question, more of a teasing one.
"It's not that Sakura-chan, we're a team! If you head into danger I better be not be far behind. Sure there's this stuff for Konoha...but then there's that."
Sakura could only smile at his childish response.
"Thank you..." She said pleased with him, Naruto became flustered, his emotions were still strong for her, however, he was happy to know she was focused on something so important to her. His smile and happiness soon faded and she frowned at his lap.
"Sakura...I forgot to ask you, was there someone else with me...are they?"
"Yeah about that, who was it? Tsunade-sama has this place packed out with Anbu." she leaned over curiously.
"Sakura it-" Before he could finish the door opened to her familiar blond friend.
"Ino? Where have you been I thought you went home?" Sakura asked standing up.
"No Tsunade had me keep close after the surgery...Sakura He's back!" She said with a voice that seemed frantic and worried at the same time.
"You mean..."
"I operated on Sasuke Uchiha! He's back in Konoha."
