Lock Yourself
Spring. Nature's most beautiful season was upon the village of Konoha. The cherry blossoms were full in bloom and the warm breeze carried a variety of sweet scented smells. The flowers were bright in color and thus the sky was clear and beautiful. Still with a perfect day like this, it wasn't just as good as it was at the Central Hospital of Konoha, where a serious surgery was at the clock.
"Come on…" Sakura heaved. Beads of sweat collected at her forehead and her jade orbs narrowed in concentration at her patient's still heart.
"Come on…" She dragged out and channeled a jolt of chakra to her fist where she held the patient's heart. It was risky but more effective this way for she had to make a large incision by the ribs and slide her whole hand in and clutch the muscle in her palm.
"Come on…!" Sakura once again jolted chakra but this time it was more intense and there she felt it, she felt what she was looking for; spasms.
Sakura sighed and finally took a decent breath after thirteen minutes of eternal suspense. Her patient was saved, she let go of the heart and sealed away the gap then proceeded to bandage the patient for natural healing once there wasn't any threat.
Sakura sighed and turned over to the nearest nurse in the room. "Let me know of his status every three hours, if there's an emergency you know the drill"
The nurse nodded and bowed. "Hai Sakura-sama" she wiped away the perspiration from her forehead before she turned away and pushed the patient's bed through the door for relocation.
"I need a long bath and a new uniform" She mumbled then sighed as she looked at her bloodied uniform, she didn't had time to put on the protectors when she was pushed by Tsunade to the surgery room and now her uniform was stained with blood that surely won't come off in ever no matter how many times she washed it.
She smiled at her master's trust in her, Tsunade was like her mother, kind and caring towards her tough strict and ill-tempered sometimes. Sakura felt lucky to have her in her life, she had taught her so much and she was grateful to be whom she was with her help and she sought to respect her for life's end.
Sakura headed down the hallway and entered her office where the never-ending stacks of paper towered menacingly over her desk. Her face twisted and she groaned as she went behind the desk and sunk onto the chair, to see her, you would need to tip toe over the stacks of papers.
"Why… just why!" Sakura once again groaned and for what was left of the evening she dealt with the stacks and stacks and stacks of paper, filing, signing, sorting, stamping, crumbling and analyzing them until they were an accepted 'organized'. Her job as a medic nin was tiring for she didn't had much sleep or a private life since sometimes ANBU and other ninjas sometimes burst onto her apartment for immediate medical attention and then there was Kakashi, Sai and Naruto who would crash in without any notice and she cursed the day she gave them the keys to her small apartment.
"Sakura-sama"
The nurse which was with her at the surgery room had entered her office with a chart between her hands.
"Hai?" brought out of her paper madness she looked up at the nurse.
Sakura's hair was a mess as if she had ruffled it in frustration while downing the stacks.
"It's about patient 6653" it was the one whom had had the surgery earlier on.
"Ah yes…has it been three hours since then? Already?" Sakura sighed.
"Yes Sakura-sama and also your shift ended forty five minutes ago" she let out a weak giggle.
"Crap" Sakura sighed long and lifted her hands to her temples and rubbed them "the patient?" she asked lastly.
"Vitals are good, healthy healing and quick response to the antibiotics given also there are no signs of virus activity" she explained quite happy then handed over the chart to Sakura.
"I see" she browsed over the detailed information and signed her initials over the top corner then handed over the chart to the nurse. "Keep an eye on him"
"Hai" she bowed and turned to leave but stopped just at the door "Sakura-sama? You should head home and rest, it's been a long day for you"
"Hn? Oh! Yes!" she gave a small laugh. "You should too, and get a boyfriend!"
The nurse blushed and nibbled her finger over her cheek while she chuckled.
"I-I don't think t-that's ok… I mean… how?"
Her brows furred and then looked away as Sakura kept staring at her.
"How indeed…"
Sakura mumbled as she too was clueless. Better ask that Ino-pig some un-slutty advices. She thought.
Back at her apartment Sakura took a bath and had a light meal, when finished she headed over the living room and a naked Sai crossed her towards the guest room.
"Oi! Put some clothes on you big idiot!" Sakura shouted but was replied with his usual fake smile.
"Don't want to, don't care Ugly-san" and he disappeared to the guest room.
Sakura sighed and shook her head. "I swear sometimes I just want to rip his face off, that goddamn mother-"she cursed under her breath and began to wash the dishes and clean her apartment after her teammates.
Usually they were just as carefree as Sai just now. Naruto, Yamato, Kakashi and Sai often crashed in and had their way with her place… and food. They didn't care for being around naked or watching porn so freely at her living room.
After she finished tidying her place up she headed towards her bedroom to sleep.
"Get out Sai."
Sakura exhaled while being in bed and eyes never opened. Her bed shifted and she heard light footsteps followed by the shutting of the door then another door.
"What about me?" a cool calm voice was heard soft as a whisper.
"Yeah you too Kakashi-sensei" she sighed and shifted to her side not even bothering to open an eye.
She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Naruto was sleeping under her bed or Kakashi over her closet and Sai well… yeah just in her bed but now at the next room apparently, nah he's here alright and again at her bed. They probably had a mission outside Konoha for them to be all cramped up at her place, it was the only time they behaved like this.
"Yamato-sensei?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Window" she heard Naruto say drowsily and only then did Sakura peeked over Sai out her window in which outside there was a small tree house.
"Hn" and with that they fell asleep.
By morning they were all gone and Sakura had her breakfast served with a note under the plate that read: "Eat up, now. –T7" probably Yamato whom wrote it. She chuckled and dug in.
Once done she hurried to the Hospital for a twelve long hour shift.
"Sakura!" A familiar voice thundered across the halls.
"Yes Tsunade-sama?" Sakura directed at her visibly tired from her shift.
"I need you to go as backup for Team 7's mission, there were complications due to some Akatsuki members appearance and they are in need of your medical skills" she explained.
"Hai, I will leave now" she bowed before disappearing. I swear these guys are useless without me…
Sakura dashed through the woods that surrounded Konohagakure for a half a day's time, it would take her at least half an hour more to be at the gathering place so she took a small break once she found a spring and rested her tired legs.
It was peaceful whenever there were no humane activity. This was when she let her mind drift out and once again she thought of Sasuke. Where are you? What are you doing right now? Are you ok? Do you miss us? A bunch of silly questions.
A faint rustle in a nearby bush made her snap and tense with a kunai in hand. A small baby rabbit hopped then jolted to a halt once it saw her, Sakura couldn't help but smile at it, the baby rabbit was over-cute with its twitching moist nose and large scared eyes. Once it detected no threat from the pinkette it cowardly hopped to the spring's shore and drank rapidly a few gulps of water before dashing and disappearing with a rather loud rustles through the bushes. She laughed and stood ready to continue on her way, the baby rabbit had smoothed her chest from worries and stress even if it was for just a few seconds, it felt great.
Once she arrived she was surprised to find no one. She scanned for any chakra signals and there were none, not even the faintest to ensure they've been here and left. Weird…
Sakura assumed it was a genjutsu and rapidly performed a release seal, but then again, nothing. There was just not a single sign of life anywhere. This had her frustrated and the only way to find out their whereabouts was through chakra signals but she had none unless…Katsuyu.
"Summoning jutsu!" a cloud of smoke appeared and a small blue and white slug was present.
"Sakura-sama what services do you request?" a squeaky female voice was heard.
"Drop the formalities Katsuyu please" she laughed and sighed turning her attention full to the slug.
"I was sent by Tsunade-sama to assist my dork teammates and they're not here and I've scanned the place up and nothing, I can't pick up a single trail of chakra" Sakura gestured to her surroundings.
"It's like a black hole in here" wait. Something is wrong… "Katsuyu?" Sakura addressed.
"Yes Sakura-sama?" her sluggish eyes perked up.
"I can't sense your chakra either and you're standing just here" her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"It's strange too because I can't sense yours too Sakura-hime nor mine for the fact…"
The slug crawled over Sakura's leg and stilled for a moment and Sakura felt a small hum where the slug stood, as if trying to channel its chakra into her, then after a few seconds it stopped.
"Sakura-sama neither I can channel my chakra to you" Katsuyu said a bit embarrassed.
"What?" the pinkette asked confused.
"I can't channel my chakra and its odd, let me try something else…" Katsuyu crawled out and sighed a cloud of mist that covered the entire area.
Sakura silently observed the mist, it danced freely in the air, then thickened making it harder and harder to see. Sakura lifted a palm and couldn't see it even if she touched her nose with it.
"Something's wrong" squeaked Katsuyu.
"What is it?"
"It's not supposed to be this thick" she paused then continued "Sakura-sama we should walk out of the mist"
Sakura nodded though it was useless for all the mist concealed her but as she agreed she kneeled and extended her hand towards she last saw Katsuyu and as if on cue the slug crawled on her palm and tucked her over her collarbone.
"Turn around and keep going straight Sakura-sama"
Sakura obliged and for what it seemed to be an eternity they finally got out of the mist and were surprised with what they saw when they turned around.
"What…what is this?" Sakura whispered in awe.