Reversing the Bindings
(Chapter Two)
Faith and Hope are Oppisistes
Sakura laughed and moved around the staff room, a hot mug of coffee placed at her lips and drank slowly. Four nurses where beckoning her over to them, Sakura recognized them easily as Yuki, Midori, Rei and Megumi.
Yuki's short blond hair bounced as she waved Sakura over, Yuki was seventeen, she was young but she had a wiz for medicine and healing, though she wasn't a real nurse, she would be one after she finished training under Midori this year.
Midori's name spoke for itself, her waist length elm leaf green hair held in a low tail with a thin, crimson ribbon. She too had a smile, but not as much as wide and excited as Yuki's.
Rei ignored Yuki and smiled softly to Sakura, nodding to her. Her brown hair up in a tight bun, with chops sticks adorning it, a couple of stray strands framing her elderly face. She was the oldest Medic, next to Tsunade, but Rei didn't hide her age.
Megumi was at least thirty; she stared at Sakura with a playful smirk on her face. Her violet hair was held in a long plate that descended down her back, a thick yellow ribbon at the end matching her yellow eyes perfectly. Megumi was nothing short of beautiful.
Sakura smiled and walked over with her mug, with her own wave to Yuki. She made it across the room swiftly.
"Sakura, how were you're rounds been?" Midori asked, beating Yuki to the punch. Yuki frowned cutely and Sakura stifled back a giggle.
"Not bad, can't wait to go home though, my bed looks and feels so nice right now" Sakura said, drinking her coffee afterwards. Yuki perked up after Sakura answered Midori's question, waiting for Sakura to finish her drink.
"So Sakura heard you had some problems with a patient today?" Megumi asked, not waiting for Sakura to finish her deep drink. Sakura finished quickly and smiled painfully.
"Yes, actually I did, she was sent to me if correct, with a ruptured kidney? Yes I believe it was too, the child would not keep still. I had to call in some Medics to restrain her" Sakura confronted, closing her eyes.
"But she stopped when I told her she needed to keep still if she wanted the pain to end and she swallowed down the pain. She was a brave girl" Sakura told her with a soft smiled and continued on her drink. Megumi looked at her suspiciously, but smiled still.
Rei smiled at Sakura and Sakura winked at her. Rei opened her mouth once Sakura finished.
"Well done Sakura, you have a natural talent with children as well as adults, nothing short of perfection as usual" Rei commented with a smile and nodded to Megumi. They both prepared to leave,
"Me and Megumi will see you tomorrow Sakura" Rei nodded to Sakura, who smiled warmly back.
"Midori, Yuki" Rei continued and looked to Megumi. She nodded grimly and looked to Sakura with a wink, surprising Sakura a little, but she smiled all the well. The pair left and the one nurse, trainee and famous Sanin were left behind. Sakura smiled into her coffee mug. Yuki opened her mouth,
"Sakura I have something to tel-" Yuki begun, but was cut off.
"Hey Sakura, Midori, Yuki!" someone called, making Yuki groan. Sakura laughed and Midori only smirked.
'Stiff' Sakura thought smugly and turned to see who called her name, and Sakura herself found herself giving a playful groan.
Behind her was a tall, handsom but goofy looking man. His short flame red hair was messy and out of place, his crystal blue eyes shone at her and he grinned stupidly.
Sakura smiled. 'Glad you're back, I missed you, yah dope' she thought happily.
"Shinji, when did you get back? She asked, putting down her mug and hugged him happily. His grin grew bigger as he hugged her back. Sakura released him and grinned.
"Only in these last minutes, the rest of my team got some injuries too" He told with a grin, pointing to his forearm that was sealed with a bandage. She raised a brow but smiled still.
"So you still coming tomorrow?" she asked with a smiled. He never let up and raised a hand and placed it on her shoulder,
"Wouldn't miss it for the world, yah sook" Shinji told her. Sakura frowned and pouted cutely,
"Thanks… I think" she said with smile and she looked back a Yuki and Midori who were watching her curiously. Sakura smiled,
"Relax guys, I'm not letting him of that easily" she smiled and gave him a punch on his left shoulder, he grunted but stood tall.
"I've got to go Sakura, I need to go to sleep, tomorrow we got a long way to walk" he told her with a small smile. Sakura nodded, but inside she was confused.
'What's wrong with him?' She thought as she watched him walk out of the room and out of sight.
Sakura grinned and shrugged him off and returned to Yuki.
"You were going to say something before you and I were so rudely interrupted" Sakura told the girl with a wink, the girl blushed but nodded cutely,
"I was going to tell you the secretary asked for you, last patient of the night she said, before you left" she told her with shrug. Sakura's ego frayed, she felt like falling over.
"You could have told me earlier" Sakura told her through clenched teeth, trying to look and sound happy. Yuki closed her eyes and scratched her head and she laughed nervously,
"You looked happy talking to him though" she said subconsciously, her voice thoughtful. Realising her error Yuki was about to apologise a thousand times, but stopped as Sakura smiled softly. Yuki blinked in confusion,
'She looked so angry just then, did I miss something' Yuki thought but smiled still, Sakura wasn't as angry anymore.
Sakura drank down her semi cold coffee with a disgusted face, but still she drank it and put a standard white coat over her casual clothes, she was planning to leave, but that was all but dashed with his new patent. She wore simple clothes, all her good clothes were packed or waiting for tomorrow. She had on a simple red zip-up dress, much like her old genin dress, but with no slits up the sides.
Sakura sighed and walked up the white hall, the buzzing of IV's and the lights above her head hummed joyfully. Much unlike Sakura who wished for her coffee mug or her soft bed, but it wasn't like she was going to get much sleep anyway, so the coffee won.
Sakura groaned at her bad luck and she entered the lobby, sliding her hand down her face, pulling it down in a funny face. She was half asleep for god's sake. She eyed the secretary warily and took the clip board.
"You know you've made it into my bad book" Sakura pointed out, the secretary just laughed as a grumbling Sakura walked out of the lobby looking at the clip board and guided herself to the room subconsciously, she new this hospital by heart. She knew every hall, every room to the last supply cabinet, after all Sakura had done all the renovations.
Sakura sighed as she found herself walking down the same linoleum floor. The same padded steps, the same useless looking at her clip board as she walked, but she didn't know what she was dealing with this time; they didn't give a name, or a diagnosis, just the room number. Sakura hated not knowing what she was getting herself into.
'Useless secretary' she bit in her head, her foul mood was soaring tonight, she was tired and she should be home now. Curled up and sleeping, she had prepared to head off tomorrow with her team of Medics to Suna. She was so happy about it too, she could see Gaara again, Temari and Kankuro too. She had a chance to leave her old memories and feelings behind. A fresh start, yeah?
But no, fate had to stick its big, fat obtuse foot in it, stir it around, kick it a bit and let it burn in the sun. A large group of Shinobi was going to protect them on the way up, during there stay and return trip. A return trip? And to make maters worse, she knew all the Shinobi, and like hell, would they let her stay in Suna. They would want the mission to end fast; they all had ties to Konoha. Shinji, Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Ino… Sakura twitched slightly at that thought and to top it off an Uchiha, an Uchiha she had called blind.
"Great" Sakura grumbled as she opened the door and walked inside.
Sakura blinked.
Onyx eyes narrowed at her slightly.
'Speak of the devil' she mused placing a fake smile on her lips and moved forward. Placing the clip board on the edge of her desk and examined him carefully.
He was, at the moment, wrapping up his left upper arm in bandages. His right hand wrapping the bandage tightly as she watched, his eyes narrowed at her.
'Substantial damage to the upper arm, below the shoulder muscle, deep but just enough to create a large amount of blood, he's doing a good job at bandaging but I doubt' she finished thinking. Eyeing the wound carefully, watching the blood seep through the white bandage. She narrowed her eyes,
'He didn't even stop the blood flow, let alone disinfect it' she growled angrily. She turned her back to him, fiddling around her large pocket of her coat, drawing out a key chain with, guess what, a lot of damn keys.
'He has some nerve wasting all my bandages!' She thought angrily. She growled out loud, finding the right key finally.
She jammed the key into the lock in her desk and opened it. She shuffled inside and drew out a small blue and orange capped pill. She turned again and walked over to him and stuck it in his face, with a true smile, not a fake one.
"Take it, you didn't bother to stop the blood flow or disinfect it" she told him. He looked at her, the bandages end in his mouth, his right thumb hooked the top bandage, and he just stared her with a piecing glare. After a while, doing up the bandage, he took the pill with narrowed eyes. He stuffed it down his throat and continued to tighten his bandages.
Sakura sighed and leaned back flicking her pink mid back length hair. She looked at him softly while he finished up and she locked up her desk, taking a couple more rolls.
"It might bleed some more, the pill wont last forever, but the poison should be gone" she told him, handing him some bandages which he took with a nod. He stood and went to the door,
"Sasuke wait" she said softly, she grasped her chair tightly and shook a little. Why was she so scared? She didn't even know herself. The fact of facing him alone was frightening her, let alone the thought of he rejecting her was beyond her.
"I… I'm sorry about what I said the other day, I let my emotions take control of me and I behaved inappropriately" she told him, she turned her body to him and she bowed forward a little.
"I ask for you're forgiveness" Sakura said before she could stop herself. She yelled at herself for her stupidity, he was never going to forgive her.
'Had to open you mouth didn't yah Sakura' she drilled herself.
Sakura, who was waiting, raised her head a little. He hadn't said anything, she guessed he left or he was just watching her. She raised and stared at him head on, if he was even there.
To her surprise he had closed the gape between them and he stared hard into her eyes and nodded,
"You are forgiven Sakura" he told her, turning his back to her and left the room purposely, leaving behind a stunned Sakura.
….
Sakura blinked.
….
She blinked a couple more times.
….
….
'What just happened?' Sakura asked herself stupidly.
She just stood there for a moment stuck, no, rooted flat on her feet. She sighed a lightly, she was over her little moment, while placing her finger tips on her forehead and let her tense shoulders sag. She looked at the bed and saw he had taken the rolls of bandages, a smile tugged on her tired lips before she went to light switch, turning it off properly, feeling around for her clip board in the dark. She smiled sheepishly when she got it and left the room, closing the door and locked it easily.
She handed in the clip board, signing her name and filled out the report at the bottom and included Sasuke name in the empty space at the top. She nodded to the secretary who was smiling at her; Sakura raised a brow with narrowed eyes.
"Count you're blessings" Sakura told her, the secretary laughed at her attempt to scare her,
"See you at the gates tomorrow Sakura, can't wait to see your new outfit you've been boasting about, and Megumi-sama made a note for me to tell you before she left with Rei sempai" she said with a giggle. Sakura raised a brow and listened up.
"She said a 'Better look good, ugly'" the secretary told her. Sakura again felt her ego fray and she once again felt like falling over, why had gotten so worked up over what Megumi had said? It wasn't like it was Megumi to say something nice to Sakura.
"Ouch" Sakura said sarcastically, touching her chest, where her heart it. The secretary giggled and shooed her out of the lobby, unless Sakura wanted more work.
Both the secretary and Sakura were surprised how fast Sakura had left the hospital.
Sakura stood at the gates with anticipation. Midori and Yuki were walking up now.
Yuki looked at Sakura and smiled,
"Is that the new outfit, it looks really good on you Sakura, I never new you had it in you" Yuki yelled and hugged Sakura and walked around her pulling on the hem on her skirt and tugging on her arm guards, admiring her boot like shinobi sandals with a open toe.
"Can I borrow this?" Yuki asked pointing at her shoes. Sakura laughed and nodded,
Yuki looked higher and frowned as she reached for Sakura's red vest that went over her outfit. Sakura raised and brow and slapped her hands away playfully, tugged it down, hiding the underneath protectively,
"What's up with that Sakura?" Yuki asked her brow up quizzically at the vest. Sakura smiled devilishly,
"Cant ruin the outfit, wait till it gets hotter" Sakura said winking, Yuki smiled as well and they both cooed together.
"You look as stylish as always Yuki, nice yukata" Sakura admired the chalk white colour, with blue and purple paper daisy patterns around the long sleaves and front hem.
Midori decided to step in, she had enough of this childishness. Midori looked smart and sharp as usual, smiling at Sakura and sighed softly.
Sakura once again became serious, the rest of the team of nurses and doctors were loading the stuff upon the carts, along with all the medical equipment they needed while at Suna. Sakura herself had, on her back, a large, brown leather carry case full of medical supplies which she decided to carry with her, it didn't weigh much anyway.
"Ah Sakura, Midori and Yuki, good morning!" someone called. Sakura turned and smiled happily to Shinji, who was grinning himself. He looked good in is ANBU outfit, suited him to no extent. He grinned,
"What's with the vest Sakura, what the secret?" he asked her playfully and he too went to pull it off her. She side stepped and grinned.
"Nah uh, you have to wait like everyone else" she said and put an index to her lips and winked. He grinned sheepishly,
"The game is on Sakura, I will see what's under that vest before everyone else, even if it kills me!" he said with a devilish grin to match Sakura's.
Sakura grinned and diverted her eyes,
"You're in a losing battle Shinji" Sakura cooed and looked at the gate again. She new he wouldn't try anything yet, he's not that stupid.
'I think so anyway' she mused and waited.
"You Shinobi are useless, late and some more late!" Sakura huffed, Shinji grinned
"Nice to see where needed" He told her with fake hurt. Sakura rolled her eyes and grinned,
"Sakura!" someone called her name again. Sakura smiled and turned to the voice. She blinked a couple of times when she saw Megumi and Rei approach her. Megumi looked stunning in the morning sun, her hair picking up every light in the visible air. She was smiling, her arm in Rei's, helping her to Sakura. Sakura smiled widely.
"That's the last of us, the protection Shinobi must late" Sakura announced, earning a sneer from a couple of nurses and doctors.
"What did yah expect Sakura?" someone yelled. Sakura grinned stupidly. She turned and looked at Shinji, who was a little annoyed but still he smiled.
"Once more with feeling Sakura, nice to see were needed" he said through clenched teeth. Sakura's grinned widened and she turned back to Megumi and Rei who were beside her now.
"Sakura, you have so much distaste towards the Shinobi" Megumi hinted with a brow. Sakura resisted the urge to roll her emerald eyes. She also felt the heated glare of Megumi's eyes on her vest. Sakura sighed,
'No one is patient these days' Sakura told herself, but she got over it quickly.
She sobered slightly, ignoring Megumi and Shinji's conversation, trying to get her to take of her vest and acknowledging her failed Shinobi attempt when she was a genin. Yuki, Midori and Rei were talking among themselves.
She felt there chakra levels flying towards them. Shinji felt it a moment after her; he lost his cheerful face as he went to stand beside her. He looked down at her; she nodded without looking at him and he disappeared. Megumi and Rei stopped beside her, Midori and Yuki were now leaving the threesome to the Shinobi and left to get there Medic packs.
Sakura saw Shinji in front of a large group of Shinobi. They all looked distinctly alike, except for the hair and the defining chests of the females among them. Shinji was talking softly with two other Shinobi, who disappeared and appeared before them.
'God, it was about a 10 metre walk! Shinji I sware to god…' she yelled in her head, but Sakura didn't need this now and pushed her anger to the back of her head.
One was a female with her blonde hair drifting behind her mask. A cat. Sakura narrowed her eyes as she appeared before her.
'Ino' Sakura pointed out with a sigh.
The other one was defiantly male, his black hair spiked behind his own mask. A wolf.
'Sasuke… how convenient' she sneered in her head, but forced a smile. Sakura's emotions bubbled behind her own mask mask.
'I wonder if he even ment what he said last night' she thought. She still smiled though.
She looked at Shinji, his mask covering his face. A monkey. Sakura suppressed the urge to laugh loudly in his face, pinching herself on the arm.
"On behalf the Medic's you are protecting on this trip, thank you" Sakura said respectfully, bowing her head a little.
'Formalities over and done with' she hissed in her head. She rose quickly and stared at them with a measuring look.
"Are we ready to begin ladies and gentlemen" Sakura asked simply. They all nodded and they turned and returned to there group.
Sakura turned her back to them. She sent a looked to Megumi who looked a little worried, but smiled lightly. Rei nodded thoughtfully and they turned and walked to the carts. The doctors and nurses that had been watching the small conversation had smiles plastered on there faces.
"Ok people, lets begin" Sakura called. All the doctors and nurses got there packs and started to walk down the path, slowly the carts following them. Sakura picked up the presence of the Shinobi as they surrounded the group. They all seemed tense and they kept to themselves. Sakura rolled her eyes mentally and engaged in a conversation with a doctor beside herself. Sato was his name. A new doctor she had the pleasure of meeting a few months ago.
"Sakura, how are you this morning?" he asked with a grin. He looked really handsome this morning. He was always teased her, he was a year older, but he liked to remind her a lot.
'You've got on hell of an ego Sato' Sakura mused and she smiled brightly.
"Good, good" she said and stared at him again. And something hit Sakura like a log. He had dyed his hair.
"You dyed you're hair" She pointed out; he raised a coloured brow with a sheepish smile. His brown hair was covered in a blueberry black dye; it looked deep, too deep.
'You look serious, very unlike you' Sakura pumped in her head with a smile on her face.
"I was wondering when you would notice, I was so hurt when you didn't notice it first off" he cooed and acted out being shot in the heart. Sakura's laugh rang through the large group, pretty much all of the Shinobi turned to look. Sakura grinned, feeling like such a fool. Sato smirked and slung his arm around her shoulder and with the other gave her a playful noogie. She laughed and slapped away his hand.
"Don't! My hair looks good today" She laughed and winked at him. He had he look of disbelief on his face.
"You… you just… say it again" he told her. Sakura raise a brow and repeated her sentence. He put two index fingers together, crossing them to make a crucifix, shunning her away
"Who are and have you done with Sakura, my poor, perfect, innocent Sakura… I demand to know!" he called; the doctor and nurses around them began to laugh.
'Innocent my ass' Sakura grumbled in her head. Giving it a second though, Sakura couldn't suppress the laughter bubbling from the depths.
Sakura laughed again.
"20 yen, Sakura cares about her hair confession, tapes and T-shirts for sale" He called, a doctor looked over and laughed, drawing out his wallet, but a nurse beside him slapped his hand away. Sakura laughed harder, pulling in Sato to keep her on her feet.
Then something hit Sato, staring down at her he smiled widely, ignoring the jealously that bubble within.
"Man, who are you trying to impress Sakura? I always new you had something for me, you can't deny it" He said and pumped his arms and Sakura raised a brow cutely. He grinned and leaned in beside her ear,
"Hot. Steamy. Se-" he told her huskily, rubbing his thumb against her waist. Sakura grinned and flicked his nose before he could finish. He gave a little grunt and held his nose cutely.
"Aw Sakura that's not very nice!" he told her with mock hurt.
"Keep it in your pants Sato… at least, for now anyway" she said saucily and tipped her waist and continued to walk away from the man, who was staring at her cutely watching her swing her hips slightly. She didn't do it in a completely obvious manner.
But three men saw it clearly.
A flame haired Shinobi glared at the doctor named Sato.
This was copied by an ever so watchful Uchiha.
Sato just watched her behind bounce.
'A very, very… nice behind, may I add' he commented to himself cheekily, enjoying the show, completely oblivious of the glaring Shinobi, planning his demise.
Sakura grinned at the lights above her head, the night sky blooming with white gold stars sparkled, the luminescent Milky Way surrounding them like a transparent blanket.
They were still walking, and she hadn't removed her vest once yet. It felt good.
There pace was steady and slow, it wasn't hard to keep up. She sighed and looked behind her, Shinobi stood around them still, tenseness gone, but they hadn't spoken yet. Well, except for now.
"Sakura" someone whispered behind her. Sakura recognized he voice immediately.
'Naruto' she thought. He watched her through his mask. A fox. Sakura suppressed the urge to snort in disgust at Tsunade's humour.
"Hello Naruto" Sakura said with a small smile. She saw his eyes sparkle behind the mask. He put a hand on her shoulder and leaned into it, relishing in the friendly contact.
"I haven't seen you in a while, Ino said you've been doing night shifts a lot" Naruto whispered, truth is she was happy she did night shifts, she new Naruto didn't do much night missions, so that ment he did day ones. She was avoiding them and he, more than the others, was noticing. She must be getting sloppy in hiding it, that pissed Sakura off a little.
"Yer, the nights have been the most and least amount people come" she told him, shrugging looking as innocent as possible, but Naruto knew better. He nodded a little, his eyes hard now.
"Yeah, I guess you're right, anyway that's not why I'm here, the rest have decided it's time stop for the night" Naruto said softly. Sakura nodded and she turned to the nurses and doctors carefully.
"Pull over, were stopping here tonight" she called. The grating of the large cart wheels stopped, abiding by her call, they all got ready to bunk up. They pulled out a large stove and counted up the people. They asked the Shinobi, who agreed to the idea of food. The nurses and doctors, content with the long day of trekking, cooked a feast for everyone.
Not before long, the food was cooked and everyone began to eat. Sakura took the food to the Shinobi, excepting the help Sato offered. Sakura smiled as she was beckoned over by Naruto. Who could mistake that mask?
They sat around a fire, though two leaned against a tree. She grinned and strode to Naruto who sat beside the tree, they all watched her curiously. Sakura felt slightly scared but she turned to look beside her. Sato was walking with her, he moral support.
"Sakura, what you get me?" Naruto droned beside her, Sakura rolled her eyes with a little smile. She pouted and flicked her long hair and she gave to him cute little wink.
"Well, since I'm not good enough, ramen" she said simply at the end, handing him the steaming bowl. Naruto whooped happily and fell to the floor, he ripped of his mask. His face was older, but he was still so childish, especially about ramen. His yellow locks were florescent in the night time; his Hitai ate lay proudly on top his head. Stuffing his face animatedly just then with his ramen ruined the moment. Sakura made a disgusted face before she looked at the rest.
The one she immediately knew as Ino was staring up at her, her aquatic eyes hard in a set glare. Sakura sighed and walked to her, handing her the bowl and chop sticks.
"I'm not hungry Medic" Ino growled. Sakura narrowed her eyes, suppressing the urge to throw the burning liquid all over the Yamada's face. Sakura also noticed, as well, the flinch Sato gave, the narrow of his eyes too. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed cutely, then straightened up.
'I shouldn't have let him come. I didn't expect everyone to be happy with me. He must hate this so much. I'll make it up to him' she though of a couple of way's before she found the perfect one. She grinned on the inside and the outside, a sly, fox like smile
"What ever" Sakura shrugged off and went beside Ino. A bear mask.
"Hello Shikamaru" Sakura grinned and looked at the person as they removed there mask. Shikamaru stared down at her lazily. Sakura grinned widened as he took the food quickly; he studied her with a summing up look.
"Good to see you Sakura san, how have you been?" Shikamaru asked as he snapped the chopsticks apart and dug in while he leaned against the tree. Ino flinched and glared at Sakura, daring the pink hair Medic to answer. Ino made it clear Shikamaru was off limits. Sakura swallowed a little, but Sato stood in front of her hate full glare. Sakura was definitely going to make it up to him
"Good thank you, it's good to see you again Shikamaru" She said with a smile. He gave her a half smile and she waved good bye and turned around and walked to the camp fire, were mostly everyone was next to. Sakura noticed Naruto was watching her with a smile, noodles sprouting out of his mouth.
"Close you're mouth dobe" someone told him with small hit to the head. Naruto groaned and looked up the perpetrator, an Uchiha with an onyx glare.
"I was just… bah, forget it" Naruto begun but gave up quickly. Sakura smiled knowingly. She walked up to the group as they all took off there masks in unison.
Kiba and Shino sat beside each other, both smiled at her. Hinata waved cutely with a small blush on her cheeks. Shinji and Sasuke ignored her. Chouji looked over to her and eyed her food. Sakura smiled and passed him a bowl. He took it and begun eating after thanking her. She walked and exchanged greetings with Kiba and Akamaru, who allowed her to give his tummy a rub.
"Lucky dog" Sato muttered behind her. No one uttered a word, only Kiba's sneer showed the only emotion in the entire group. Sakura sighed, this situation was ridiculous and they were too serious. Sato joined her in the sigh and she smiled. She was about to approach Shinji, who's behaviour was confusing her, before she was called off.
"S-S-Sakura, may I h-h-have some ramen t-too?" Hinata stuttered cutely. Sakura smiled,
"Of course Hinata, you don't have to ask" Sakura told her and handed her the bowl. Hinata smiled and took the bowl and snapped the chopsticks with a frightened meep. Sakura grinned
"How is everyone going Hinata, how is Neji?" Sakura asked. She had healed him a couple of months back, his condition was unstable for a long time before she got her hands on him, the doctor looking after him before her was useless.
"H-H-He asked about you too y-y-yesterday, he is well, he wanted to come today, but Tsunade s-s-said no" Hinata smiled, she was happy. Neji and Hinata had been on good terms recently.
"Oh was he now, good, he still needs to heal?" Sakura asked softly and smiled. She would see Neji "when" she returned to Konoha.
"He won't stop talking a-about you" Hinata said suspiciously, her voice cold. Sakura looked at her in slight annoyance.
"I will see him when I get back to Konoha, I've been meaning to anyway" Sakura told, finalising the conversation. There was nothing between her and Neji, they were friends. Sakura bent back up, brushing away her knees. Sato who had been talking with Kiba and Shino, who accepted him easily, watched her and said a couple of final words.
"When we get to Suna, come have a drink with me and Sakura, I promised her some sake when we got there" Sato said with a grin. Sakura rolled her eyes,
"Don't gloat" Sakura bit, walking next to him and took the final two bowls out of his hands. He looked at her sternly.
'If you want me too, I can give them the-" He began but Sakura shook her head to silence him. She smiled and took the bowls, that were defiantly cooler, but they still steamed slightly.
This was going to be hard. Two of the people who had been silent and watchful, now watched her intently.
Sakura knew they had something to say.
She smiled at them, but they made no motion in return. Sakura kept up the smile, forcing it out. She motion for Sato,
"You head off, I'll see you soon, can't wait to dance, I need it tonight" she whispered and she gave him a shove. He looked to the remaining Shinobi and glared, but he shuffled away with a wink,
"Good, I've got a new move, special for you and me!" he called loudly with a stupid grin. Sakura sighed,
'He ruins everything, I can feel there gazes on me now' she yelled inside her head in anguish.
"Dance?" Naruto questioned, shoving away the empty bowl. Sakura didn't want to answer, she wanted to ignored him, but she answered anyway. She wanted to go back and see Sato, she missed him already.
"Yer, Sato and Megumi are partners, I've been getting lessons from them" Sakura answered and walked in front of Shinji warily. She looked at him softly, but he just didn't look up at her. Sakura opened her mouth to speak.
"So this is why your not visiting us anymore? You're just forgetting us" Ino yelled from behind her, having enough of of this childness. Sakura regretted sending Sato back to the Medic camp, instently. She felt completely helpless.
Sakura handed the two men the bowls, which they ignored, waiting for her answer. She sighed in defeat and felt her anger bubble, she placed the bowls on the floor and rose carefully. She turned around to Ino, who decided to lash out so.
"You shouldn't let you emotions run you so, every good Shinobi knows that" Sakura mocked, though she was disgusted in herself.
Ignorig the pang she felt in her heart as she saw the flicker of hurt in Ino's expression, before it became hard once more.
"Cut the crap, answer the question!" Ino yelled savagely, standing her ground, avoiding the insult Sakura had lain in.
"I got tired of following you all around like a lost puppy" Sakura told them with a sigh, she sent a withered glance at the two male Shinobi behind her.
"I don't have time for this" Sakura told them and tipped her head and close her eyes, trying to ignore the guilt that attacked her stomach.
The guilt that made her want to be sick.
"Yer, we know" Naruto whispered and cast his eyes down.
"Naruto I…" Sakura began but she faltered. She didn't have anything to say, and seeing the cheerfully idiot like this made her feel like total dirt.
But her anger seemed to flow with the regret. They were pulling the sympathy card and regardless of how well they used it, it was still cheating.
"I'm sorry if I have done anything to offend you Naruto-sama, but understand that this is the path I chose. Don't you think I'd rather be out there fighting, laughing and sharing the pain with you" she told them haughtily, casting her eyes around to all of them.
"Don't lie to us, you're trying to rid us with new friends... They dont even know you!" Ino screamed at her, and Sakura knew that someone from the camp would have heard that, making Sakura boil over even more.
'How dare she insult them, like there nothing, you all have a place in my heart!' Sakura roared in her head.
Hardening her own eyes, Sakura looked Ino square in the eye.
"If I ever catch you saying shit like that again, I swear to you, you wont be able to 'rid' the marks I give you" she growled, her eyes flashing before she turned and left them to there meals.
'Hope you choke on them, some friends you are' she bit in her head, though she regretted it after.
'I didn't mean it' she told herself and stepped into the camp, she still felt bad. Even if she knew they were the ones that started it, she ended it sort of harshly.
The Medic's were already making the dance floor now, the few nurse and doctors that bought some instrumentals were setting up. Sakura was in no mood to dance, no matter how tempting it looked.
She saw that Megumi, Midori, Rei, Yuki and Sato were beckoning her over but Sakura played out she didn't see them and turned down a small part between two carts. Enjoying the sky once more, standing behind in the nights essence.
After some time, the soft hum of flutes tuning was heard, a deep growl from the bass drum, symbols chimed and the click and tap of metal rimmed drums, xylophone's ringing notes tearing through the noise.
Sakura sighed into the soft noise; she backed up to a cart and leaned up to sit on the rim on the cart, before staring longingly at the bright sky.
"I'm sorry… I'm sorry every one" she whispered wistfully, placing her head into her hands, tuning out the sound of the music and the approaching steps.
A/N
Another chapter updated lol
I wanted this chapter to picture her changing emotions from her old and new friends... if it didn't come out that way at all, I will shun myself as a writer and crawl up and die….
Though I don't think that'll stop me from writing lol…
Okay on the seriou note, I found something that shit me to no end. I realised AFTER I posted my chapter that Kaeru had a cut in his leg, yet i typed that Sakura gave him the injection in the SHOULDER?!... yeah.. i have no idea what i was smoking... forgive and forget maybe?
Anyhoo… This is the only chapter I actually got sent from my friend from home (it was on his comp) and I should hopefully have the third chapter done by in by Wednesday (Australian time) hopefully I think I have Web Page Design… if not ill just jump in the library at lunch…
Little nerd me 3
Anyway, Shinji and Sato are just randoms that I chucked in... same with Midori, Megumi, Yuki and Rei…
Shinji took on the role in team 7 after Sakura… I'm not going to read into him too much…
Shinji seems to have feelings for Sakura, but can't seem to find out is they friendship bonds or lover's ones.
Well thanks for reading my crapy A/N
Krono
And if birds can fly high over there troubles, she gonna find a pair of her own wings and fly- John Butler Trio