Chapter 2: Broken promise


Drenched in sweat, Sakura woke up with a start. Her breathing was erratic and desperate. Her body was shaking uncontrollably and she started thrashing wildly. There were people who went and pressed her down against the bed despite of her flailing extremities. She clutched desperately at the one holding her, her eyes burned with tears as she voiced a cry for help.

"Shh, shh, calm down. Everything's fine, you're safe, shh…" someone soothingly whispered to her but it did nothing to her frightened senses.

"H-he's coming after me! Get him away from me!!!" Sakura shrieked at the top of her lungs but her voice still sounded scratchy. Whoever holding her down had tantamount of patience since they fastidiously tried to prevent her from hurting herself further.

After few minutes of trying to calm her down, one of them decided to administer drugs as a last resort. And once again, Sakura was in slumber.

**

The next time she woke up, she was alone in what looked-like a hospital ward. The building looked eerily familiar, hell even the furniture's familiar. She slowly sat-up and tried to decipher what happened while she was sleeping. Surprisingly she came up with nothing. It was as if her brain felt utterly empty and lacked the details she desperately wanted to recall.

"Hello. I'm glad you're awake."

Sakura looked up and saw a woman in a white coat standing next to her bed. The lines on her face crinkled and her red hair with a few streaks of silver were loose around her shoulders. She inwardly surmised that the person was her doctor.

Sakura frowned, "Where am I?" Her sea-foam eyes frantically roamed the small room.

The woman smiled, "My name is Fujioka Aki, your healer." When Sakura said nothing, Aki took this as a sign for her to continue, "You're in the hospital."

"Yes. I know that." Sakura exasperatedly replied, "I wanted to know where this hospital is."

Aki's eyes softened in empathy, "You really went through a lot if you can't even remember your old workplace." She looked at Sakura, waiting for any sign of comprehension, "I expected this would happen. You experienced a terrible drug overdose, which affected a lot of organs in your body." Aki then grabbed a chart and started scribbling.

Sakura was stunned at first and frantically swept the pristine walls of Konoha General Hospital. A mix feeling of relief and confusion awash her clouded perception as wondered why she was back in her village and how on earth was she able to return in the first place?

The only person who could relieve her blind curiosity would be the woman standing next to her bed. A healer she was not even acquainted of. Probably from another department, she assumed silently. Sakura watched her for awhile before curiosity finally gnawed her. "How did I get here?"

"You were brought here just like the rest of the patients." Aki said with a shrug, without looking up from what she was writing. After a long pause, she looked up and found Sakura staring openly at her. "Someone brought you to the emergency room of course."

Sakura tried hard not to roll her eyes at the not-so detailed explanation. "And who will that be?" She felt a headache coming just from trying to figure out what occurred during the last few hours she was knocked out cold.

Healer Aki gave her a pained smile and looked like she was unwilling to narrate what had occurred. But as she was about to open her mouth to answer the other medic's question, a familiar voice disrupted the conversation.

"I did."

Sakura turned her head towards the voice and felt her eyes widen a fraction. As if that was not enough, her mouth fell agape.

Uchiha Sasuke stood by the doorway with his arms crossed and an unmistakable look of smugness plastered all over his face. "Yo." He was wearing his usual blue shirt and dark denim. His hair was a little messy as if he just rushed out in the midst of a shower.

In what appeared to be like ten seconds, Sakura was finally able to collect her bearings and mutely made fun of Sasuke's awesome dramatic entrance. Despite of what occurred within the past few minutes, Sakura still found Sasuke quite entertaining.

Aki felt it was her cue to leave. She excused herself and promised to visit Sakura again once they're done talking.

Now alone with her self-proclaimed saviour, Sakura laid back down on the bed, hoping that it will somewhat relieve her sudden headache. She stared blankly at the ceiling, hoping she could organize her scattered thoughts soon because she was definitely eager to milk every ounce of information from Sasuke. "So..."

"Plan A was successful. Orochimaru's dead and now you're safe." Trust Sasuke not to beat around the bush. She could hear his footsteps as he approached her bed... and not too long she also felt his warm hand wrap slowly around hers. "Welcome back." Sasuke sounded really relieved.

Sakura smiled, closed her eyes tightly and felt tears run down her cheeks. It's a wonder how they always end up in this kind of situation where one of them tells the other 'Welcome back'.

Through her tightening throat, she murmured, "I'm home."

**

A week breezed by until Sakura was finally released from the hospital. Family and friends visited her constantly, rejoicing her return from what she personally called 'the depths of hell'. Tsunade paid her a visit the other day to check out the progress of her treatment but divulged none of the previous mission she underwent. She told Sakura to wait until she was fully healed. Only by then will they discuss about the mission proper and the submission of her personal report.

"Sakura, are you ready?" She heard her mother's voice through the doorway.

"Yes!" Sakura stood up from her bed, grabbed her bag and followed her mother outside.

Seven days breezed by... but neither the physical presence nor shadow of Hatake Kakashi kept her company. Not once did the copy nin visited her. She desolately convinced herself that he must've been very busy with some difficult mission. But after seeing those strange looks on Naruto and Sasuke's faces when she asked them about his whereabouts, Sakura realized that it would hurt less if she just stopped waiting.

**

The next day, Sakura was summoned by Tsunade for mission debriefing. She went to Tsunade's office with her polished report safely tucked in her belt pocket, looking prepared and geared up for the upcoming interrogation. As she arrived at her destination, Shizune welcomed her with a warm hug before ushering her inside the Hokage's office.

Four months did nothing to Konoha for everything looked exactly the same just before she left. She stepped inside the room while in the midst of pulling out her scroll. She stood before Tsunade, Iruka and another Jounin who appeared to be the Hokage's new assistant.

"Haruno Sakura, reporting for duty." She announced in a professional monotone out of habit and remained still where she stood until she was told the command 'At ease'.

"Your report." Tsunade showed an open palm, beckoning her apprentice to come closer and hand in her scroll.

Sakura did so and as the Hokage started to read, she calmly went back to where she stood and patiently waited for Tsunade's verdict.

After a few minutes of scanning, Tsunade looked up and gazed at her appraisingly. "You've done well, Sakura. It may have taken a little longer but I believe we were just in time before things got out of hand." Tsunade knew that the feeling of concern towards a subordinate was unprofessional. But the moment Sakura left the village and into the fortress of Orochimaru's hideout, Tsunade felt utterly troubled. She knew a lot of people shared the same sentiment but a circumstance like this was a standard thing for ninjas. Sakura's dangerous mission was the only means to an end for Orochimaru's insanity and will be the foundation of the much anticipated peace through all the nations. The least thing they could do back then was to fulfil their end of the bargain... and that was to save Sakura from dying.

And save her they did.

Tsunade felt every inch of worry leave her and her heavy shoulders started to lighten somehow. Just seeing Sakura alive and whole before her was just... wonderful.

"And as for your reward, I have secured you a slot for ANBU training." Tsunade didn't particularly like this. She wanted her young apprentice to pursue medicine further and not endanger her life through class-S missions. But she had to follow the agreement. Whether she liked it or not, Sakura now has the opportunity to join the ANBU corps.

Iruka particularly looked appalled after hearing this and immediately questioned, "Wait, Sakura. Are you sure about this?" Everyone knows that being in ANBU means leaving all your sense of values and moralities behind. Just undergoing training might change you into a different person not more than a month! Iruka feared that someone like Sakura would fall into the incurable pain of being ANBU.

Sakura's eyes remained glued on the floor, not sure why this was taking her such a long time to answer the question. She waited for this moment for so long... for someone to recognize her skills and capabilities without the help of others. For them to notice that she finally stepped out of the shadows and that she's ready to face just as much as pain and hardship as Naruto and Sasuke had.

The clock ticked, seconds; minutes passed by and still no answer was brought out of the pink-haired medic.

With a frown on her face, Tsunade stood up and asked, "Sakura—"

"Shishou..." Sakura suddenly started, surprising both Tsunade and Iruka, not because she dropped the Hokage's proper title but because of the adamant determination her eyes held. "I... refuse your offer." Jade eyes sought her former sensei's warm brown ones, "I would like to continue studying... and hopefully become a professional healer." She doesn't care anymore. She can't let what other people think dictate her life. It was just ridiculous. For once, she will do something for herself... become a little selfish once in a while.

Tsunade just then made a quick rude gesture of shooing Iruka and the rest of the people out of the room. Iruka cast both of them with a worried look before he left the room and shut door behind him with a soft click.

Once they were alone, Tsunade sat back down her chair and gazed at the young apprentice knowingly. "It's been bothering you for days..." she told her vaguely.

Sakura knew what Tsunade was talking about but refused to easily give in. She stubbornly looked away and closed her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about—"

Tsunade swiftly cut-off, "He was there," Sakura's head snapped at her direction, "... during the retrieval mission... but after seeing you in that drugged condition, he suddenly asked me to send him out somewhere."

Sakura suddenly found it very difficult to swallow as she waited for everything to sink in. After tumbling out of her bed this morning, the least thing she expected was to hear information about Kakashi's whereabouts. And now after hearing what Tsunade just said, several questions started to overlap her unsolved puzzle.

She asked Kakashi to wait for her... but what did he do? He ran away...

But why?

"When... when will he come back?" her voice sounded so betrayed.

Tsunade suddenly regretted the idea of telling her the truth, "He specifically asked for a long-term one... so I guess it will take some time." She said, "I don't know exactly what's going on between the two of you but I hope this won't affect your work and duty to Konoha."

Sakura felt uncontrollable anger bubble up inside her that might explode anytime. She couldn't understand why Kakashi had to go through great lengths just to get away from her. That is just not like the Kakashi she knew since she was twelve. The one who ran away is a coward and not worth her attention, much less her obsession.

Feeling a massive headache coming, Sakura clenched her fists and said, "There's nothing to be worried about, Shishou. Kakashi and I... there's no definite connection between us." The words slipped through her gritted teeth. "Can I be excused now?"

Tsunade nodded and watched her student leave the room with angry strides. "Ah, well, Kakashi, what have you done this time?" she asked thoughtfully particularly to no one.

Outside, the rain started to pour.

TBC