Title: Dedicated To You
Song: "Slow Me Down" by Emmy Rossum
Summary: Tell me. Oh, won't you take my hand and lead me? Slow me down. Don't let love pass me by. Just show me how, because I'm ready to fall. Slow me down. Don't let me live a lie; before my life flies by; I need you to slow me down.
Date: February 26, 2013
Genre: Romance/Drama
Pairing: Sasuke and Sakura
Note: Listen to the song before reading please! And this one-shot is unrelated to the previous one-shot.
Dedicated To You
slow me down
Sasuke approached the receptionist's desk with silent purpose, dark eyes scanning the white-washed walls and linoleum floors, left arm aching with mild discomfort. The younger woman behind the desk glanced up at him, her eyes widening upon realizing who he was and promptly blushing under his intense gaze.
"D-Do you need anything–?"
"Haruno Sakura," He interrupted firmly, onyx irises already searchingly scanning the immediate area.
"Um," The younger woman stuttered, "I'm sorry–"
"I'm looking for Haruno Sakura," Sasuke responded curtly, jaw clenching with obvious impatience.
Quickly she began to rifle through folders and clipboards, laid out messily in front of her, flustered, "Oh, sh-she's…"
"Amaya-san, I need you to head to OR One with Shizune-sempai for the Chuunin team! Sato-san, I'm assigning you to ER Five with Hinata-san, and make sure to bring extra anesthesia with you! Taro-san and Mika-san, you'll be teaming with me in OR Four! Let's go!"
Her familiar, commanding voice echoed down the corridors followed by the resounding sound of hasty footsteps. Sasuke's attention on the receptionist shifted to where the authoritative tenor was originating from, turning, just in time, to see Haruno Sakura emerge, dressed in her scrubs and white coat, hair tied in a high tail as she instructed the mass of subordinates following her. Her hands were pointing in different directions, sending different medics off to different places, green eyes bright with determination yet shadowed by the fatigue of a long and stressful day.
"Leiko-san," Sakura started, eyes focused on a younger woman with straight, brown hair, and round spectacles, "Collect the paperwork from the patients' rooms from Ward Three and drop them off at my desk. When you're finished with that, please head to the North Wing and collect the reports from the most recent ANBU missions and check-ins for the past week."
The younger woman nodded quickly and bowed her head low, "Y-Yes, Sakura-sempai, right away!"
"And the reports that Hokage-sama sent in?" Another younger male questioned hesitantly, "About the plant classifications sent in by Inuzuka-san and Aburame-san from Rain Country?"
Sakura's green eyes went blank as she thought back to the man's reference, a scowl slowly crossing her lips before she brought up a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, "I'll get to it. I haven't had any time to head to the labs," She pointed a hand down another hallway and regarded the male intensely, "Bring the paperwork to my office and please send a notification to Yamanaka Ino that I may need her assistance when she's at her most free."
"I'm on it," He promised, scurrying off down the indicated hallway and leaving Sakura all alone in the lobby area of the Hospital's entrance.
Sasuke studied his teammate as he slowly approached, watching as she spoke softly to herself in quiet, irritated conversation, patting the sides of her coat before producing a vial from her left pocket. She opened the bottle with a pop and poured the contents into the palm of her hand, bringing the small, round objects to her mouth and easily swallowing it dry. The Uchiha immediately recognized them as soldier pills.
When she finally opened her eyes from the grimace she made from consuming the black capsules, her green eyes instantly landed on Sasuke, who had stopped several feet away from her, casually leaning against one of the chairs of the lobby area.
"Sasuke?"
He regarded her in characteristic silence, inclining his head in greeting. Her gaze swept over his body, noticing the way his right hand cradled his left arm, a frown pulling her lips as she raised a questioning brow towards him.
"You're injured?"
"Hn."
An affectionate half-smile twitched her lips upwards as she tucked a strand of pink hair behind her left ear. However, her expression became more apologetic as she directed her body away from him.
"You're probably going to have to see Ino or any other medical ninja on duty," Sakura explained to Sasuke's solely raised brow, "I have to head into surgery, Sasuke."
His brow lowered and he stared at her blankly – a look that Sakura knew too well. Sasuke – and most other members of Team Kakashi – only trusted her to take care of their medical needs; no one else.
"Unless you want to wait a few hours for me up in my office," Sakura offered sarcastically as she reluctantly stepped away from him, "Then I think it'd be better if you found someone else to patch you up."
Sasuke's blank stare remained as Sakura slowly backed away, the same apologetic smile on her lips before she disappeared behind the corner of the hall with a meager wave. Sasuke frowned, glared down at his injured arm – which he knew he couldn't brush off as a mere scratch – and looked down the hall, just in time to see a group of enamored medics scatter away with deepening blushes.
With an annoyed sigh, Sasuke pushed off the chair he was leaning against and made his way to the stairwell, recalling that Sakura's office was on the seventh floor…
Sasuke idly perused through a few pages of one of Sakura's large book that had been organized on her full bookshelf; Human Anatomy and its Chakra Networks. He examined a picture of chakra points and skimmed a brief paragraph on the connection between nerves and chakra lines. Suppressing a slight wince as he leaned forward to place the text on Sakura's immaculate desk, he spared his injured arm a glare before curiously examining a raw manuscript set off to the side, neatly placed in a manila folder and bearing the developing title: The Origins and History of the Sharingan.
Sasuke absently flipped through the thick stack of pages, reading through several lines and recalling several quotes and facts he offered during her research phases of writing her book. It looked close to being finished.
"–I know, but several steps need to be taken before we start utilizing any kind of drugs that are still in their trial stages," Sakura's muffled voice scolded from behind the closed door, "So I won't be signing those papers of consent, Michiru-san. And I've told you before; if you have a problem with that then take it up with Tsunade-shishou – but I promise you, she'll say the same thing."
"But you may have sway over her decision, Haruno," A deeper, masculine voice pressed forcefully, "It doesn't have to be our shinobi – we can use prisoners, convicts, enemies to help with our research!"
The hand that had been turning the handle of the door suddenly paused, "Michiru-san," Her voice was low and barely audible to Sasuke, "I'd highly advise that you relearn the meaning of being a medic, a healer, a doctor. Whether prisoners, convicts, or enemies, they are still people. We value life in our profession."
"How very contradictory to preach when you're a combat medic," Michiru sneered, "And you're only fighting the inevitable since that Uchiha is an enemy and criminal."
"…He's a loyal shinobi of the Hidden Leaf;" Sakura responded firmly, "Now take your hand off me."
Sasuke sat up straighter, attention still focused intently on the conversation, but wariness spiked with anger as he listened to continued silence from the opposite side of the door.
"…This isn't over, Haruno," The male responded, footsteps sounding with his retreat.
The door quickly swung open and slammed shut. Sakura was muttering again as she shrugged out of her medical coat, throwing her stethoscope on the couch situated on the far wall, and side-glancing Sasuke with a raised brow of amusement. He watched her mechanically move around her office, opening a filing cabinet and removing files to place on her desk, absently looking at the title of the book he had taken from her shelf. Then there was silence, broken by the sound of shifting papers, Sakura standing tiredly beside her desk, hair in disarray and skin a little pale.
"…Give me a few minutes, Sasuke," Sakura finally stated, causing him to look up at her; her smile was faint, "I need a few minutes to replenish my reserves before I can get to your arm."
Sasuke frowned, suddenly feeling immensely guilty that he was siphoning her rest time to cater to him. She was tired, swept up in a flurry of non-stop activity, and he was so expectant of her use to him.
He stood up and stepped away from her desk, glaring at her and then her chair, "Sit down. Rest, Sakura."
The kunoichi blinked at him, a little surprised by his quick movements, but offered a smile of gratitude, "It's fine, Sasuke. I have to make my rounds in a few minutes, anyways."
Sasuke's glare hardened and he pointed at the chair, "Sit."
Stunned, and a little amused, Sakura slowly moved towards the chair and sat down, her body pleasantly feeling a lot better now that she was off her feet, "Thanks, Sasuke."
"It's your chair," He pointed out factually, stepping away from her to examine her books once again, "You work too much, Sakura," His arm throbbed and he suppressed a flinch, "And don't worry about my arm."
Sakura tilted her head to study him, elbow resting on her desk and cheek resting on her upturned palm, "You're talking to me, Sasuke. Of course I'll worry."
"I'll have…Hokage-sama heal it," Sasuke replied; he inwardly grimaced, "Or…Yamanaka."
Sakura pouted teasingly, "Ah, now you're making me jealous, Sasuke."
The Uchiha grunted, removing a book from the shelf with his good arm, "Don't be."
Sakura grinned, a light shining in her eyes as she opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by a series of taps and knocks against her window pane. Frowning, and sharing a disparaging look with her company, Sakura waved her hand and the window slid open, a dark figure pulling back the drapes and allowing a little more afternoon sunlight inside the space.
"Haruno-san," The porcelain mask glinted under the sun's bright rays, "Several messages for you."
Sakura sighed, staring down at her paperwork, "Go on." The masked man remained silent and Sakura waved her hand again, "He's my teammate. Say what you have to say."
"It's classified, Haruno-sa–"
"I have a tight schedule," The kunoichi interrupted, "Let me guess – messages from Tsunade-shishou and Ibiki-san?" The ANBU's silence confirmed her inquiry, "Anything that they send me won't be compromised by Sasuke's knowledge of it. Go on."
The ANBU sighed, "Hokage-sama has called you in for a meeting with her and Nara-san sometime within the next couple of days. She would also like your report on the injuries sustained by ANBU Team Delta. Morino-san has asked for your thoughts on his psychological reports of his most recent prisoners and the connection between their mental instabilities and chakra control – he'd like this by the end of the week."
Throughout the entire debrief, Sasuke watched as Sakura's frown pulled lower and lower on her lips, eyes already unfocused as her mind whirred with the new influx of information. When the ANBU shinobi fell silent, Sakura nodded her head once and he disappeared without another word.
Not seconds after, a messenger hawk flew in and dropped a tiny scroll onto Sakura's already piling stack of papers.
"Perfect," Sakura muttered as she unrolled the scroll, hawk flying out her window with a cry, "Another meeting…international conferences…medical relations," Her green eyes scanned the lengthened parchment with impressive speed, "A mission in Lightning?" Her brow quirked up with interest, "Shii, again? I wonder how he's been doing…"
Sasuke frowned, shoving the text back into her shelf with a thud and effectively grabbing back her attention, "When are you off?"
She glanced up at the clock above her door, "…Not for another few hours. But I'll probably need to head home to go over the paperwork for Ibiki-san and Tsunade-shishou…" She frowned, "…And all that other stuff I have cluttered on my dining room table."
"…You work too much," Sasuke repeated bluntly.
"I know," She sighed in reluctant agreement, "I even missed out training with you, and the rest of Team Kakashi, two weeks ago."
"You need to get some rest," He responded, eyeing the darkness beneath her eyes and the sallowness of her cheeks.
"Yes," Sakura replied with a heavy exhale, "Yes, I do."
"Then take the day off–"
Knock. Knock.
"Come in!" Her tone had taken a frustrated edge and the door slowly opened to reveal a petite young woman, curiously eyeing Sasuke before directing her attentions to the fatigued medic.
"Sakura-sempai," She bowed hurriedly, "Hinata-sama is requesting your assistance with the delivery of Mikado-san's baby. There have been complications."
"Complications?" Sakura shot up from her desk, breezing past Sasuke to retrieve her medical coat, "What kind?" She turned to the quiet Uchiha, "Sorry, Sasuke, you should really get your arm checked by another medic. Maybe Shizune-sempai is off from her rounds. I'll see you around, okay?" She turned back to the newcomer and followed her out, the chatter of the younger woman's explanation fading away with increasing distance.
Sasuke frowned, glared down at his arm, and sighed before resigning to the fact that another medic was going to have to heal his troublesome injury.
"Knock, knock – Forehead, are you in here?"
A hand gripped the doorframe and Yamanaka Ino swung into the space, grey-blue eyes bright and lips pulled into a wide grin, her gaze instantly landing with surprise on Sasuke.
"Uh…Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke stared at her, "…Hn."
"…Okay?" Ino's expression twisted with uncertainty, looking around the office before returning to the quiet shinobi in front of her, "…What are you doing here?"
"…My arm was injured;" Sasuke explained calmly, "Sakura wasn't able to heal it. She left to take care of a baby delivery."
"Oh," Ino glanced down at his arm before shrugging her shoulders and moving forward, "Well, here, I'm no Haruno Sakura but I'm sure I can patch you up."
Sasuke frowned, hesitant, before holding out the limb with a sigh, deciding not to burden his pink-haired teammate with his mediocre wound compared to everything else she was being bombarded with, "…Fine."
"A thank you, would suffice," Ino countered with a roll of her eyes, but she patiently took his arm and started allowing healing chakra to mend the broken bone beneath bruised skin, "…Sakura could have healed this in a couple of seconds, why didn't you just show it to her before she left?"
Sasuke grunted, glancing away from Ino's probing grey-blue irises, "She was busy."
The Mind-User smirked, "Were you concerned about her, Sasuke-kun?" She chuckled, "Well, if that's the case, you could have just had another medic heal it without problem."
Sasuke scowled in response, "Not likely."
Ino's smirk stretched wider, "Such an easy injury and you wanted to see Forehead-girl to heal it? Did you simply want to spend more time with her, Sasuke-kun? Come on, you can tell me!"
His glower deepened, "Shut up, Ino."
The blonde grinned as she patted his now-healed arm, "Just teasing, Sasuke-kun. Honestly, someone needs to look after that girl when she isn't doing it herself."
For once, Sasuke agreed with the mind-manipulating kunoichi.
"Why are you here?" Sasuke questioned as the blonde walked towards Sakura's desk and idly scanned the contents on top, "To add another thing to her busy schedule?"
Ino shook her head, "I came by to invite her to lunch, since she usually forgets. I've been bored all day – it's tough coming back from an intense week-long mission and then everything becomes so dreary." She shrugged, "And it doesn't help that Shika-kun will be in meetings all day tomorrow. Maybe I'll check to see if there are any extra shifts for then."
Sasuke's brow quirked, "…Are you familiar with Sakura's patients?"
Ino tilted her head, thoughtful, "Yeah, the majority of them. Though I'm sure I can always read their files."
"Take her rounds for tomorrow," Sasuke stated.
A blonde brow quirked, unimpressed, "Is that an order, Uchiha Sasuke?"
He stared at her before sighing, "…She needs a break."
Ino rolled her eyes once again, "Well, fine, but because she's my best friend!" She smirked before pointing a finger at him, "Not because you're being so sweet for her – though it is a close, second reason."
Sasuke shook his head, "Whatever."
"A simple thank you would suffice," Ino repeated with a subsequent laugh, watching the dark-haired male leave the office with his hands shoved in his pockets.
"Hn."
Sasuke was exiting the shop where he had just purchased a new set of shuriken and kunai when he noticed a familiar shade of pink across the road. He hadn't been expecting to see her for the rest of the day and he had assumed that with her day off, courtesy of Ino's substitution, Sakura would have probably holed herself at home to sleep – or work on her paperwork in the comfort of her living room, with which he would send the idiot to keep her occupied and focus on relaxing rather than working.
Naruto was good at that sort of thing, whereas, Sasuke was not.
He looked up at the skies and noticed the sun's continuing descent towards early evening. Sakura probably had just left work and was heading home to wind down.
At least, he was assuming so, until he saw the ANBU shinobi that were circled around her. He observed from his spot as Sakura calmly explained something to them before rummaging in her pack for a scroll, handing it to one ANBU ninja before turning to another to explain something more.
She looked wearily exhausted.
He decisively walked towards her.
"–you be willing to head to ANBU headquarters to look over this new discovery," One ANBU was explaining, "If we're lucky, we can make a breakthrough before the morning."
"Look guys," Sakura sighed, "I just left my forty-eight-hour shift in the hospital. I don't think I have the chakra, energy, let alone the brain cells, to figure out whatever anomaly your teams have come across."
"This could be a matter of an enemy attack on our village," Another ANBU argued, "Analyzing this could prove detrimental to discovering, and thwarting, a preemptive strike!"
This caused Sakura to falter and Sasuke scowled at the pressure being shoved upon her.
"I…"
"I will handle it."
A warm hand touched Sasuke's shoulder and all eyes were directed towards him. He looked to his left where Shizune stood, the older woman squeezing her hand around his tensed arm, smiling up at him with reassurance.
"I was informed of your dilemma by Tsunade-sama," Shizune explained to the ANBU, "Sakura has the day off tomorrow so I will be taking on her duties for the next day. I will head the research of what you found."
"Shizune-sempai…"
The dark-haired woman shook her head as she stepped forward, "It's alright, Sakura-san. I'm still well-rested from my vacation yesterday. You deserve a break," She turned to Sasuke and winked at him, "Take care of her, Sasuke-san."
Then she approached the ANBU, nodded her head once in readiness, and the group disappeared in a blur, leaving the squad mates of Team Kakashi alone together. Sakura exhaled heavily, shoulders sagging with relief.
"…I really owe her."
Sasuke examined her, eyes narrowed, "…Have you eaten yet?"
Sakura half-smiled with shame, "Um…not exactly?"
Sasuke shook his head, removing a hand from his pocket and holding it out to her, "Come on, let's get you something to eat."
Sakura let out a breathy laugh, "That's the best thing anyone's said to me all day." She reached out and took his hand, curling her fingers around his and falling into steady and languid steps close to his side, "…This is the slowest I've moved all day." She leaned her head against Sasuke's shoulder and closed her eyes with a smile, letting Sasuke lead her steps as she basked in the simplicity of walking beside a friend, "…Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
"…For what?"
Her smile widened, hand tightening around his, "For…slowing me down. For reminding me to enjoy life," She looked up at him, resting her chin on his shoulder, "Ino told me what you did. It's very sweet of you to care."
He grunted, hunching his shoulders inward and preventing the redness of his skin to show on his cheeks, "Hn…Of course I care."
"I know you do," Sakura laughed happily, "And in all the chaos of my life I'm glad you're here to bring it back to simplicity," She giggled, "Sometimes I feel like a kid again when I'm with you."
Sasuke quirked a confused brow, "How's that?"
"Sakura-sempai!"
The duo stopped and Sakura twisted her head to see a figure in the distance running towards her, waving her hands around in urgency. Sasuke craned his neck and couldn't stop a dark glower from crossing his angled features.
"Rumi-san?"
"Sakura-sempai!" The brunette woman skidded to a stop in front of them, leaning her palms against her thighs as she caught her breath before looking up at the medic and producing a scroll from her belt, "For you. Hatake-san has asked that you–"
"You can tell Kakashi that what he needs can wait," Sasuke muttered, swiping the scroll from the stunned girl and shoving it in his own belt.
"B-But–"
"As of now, Haruno Sakura is off duty," Sasuke stated firmly, Sakura staring at him with amusement, "You can tell that pervert that I said it."
"Um…" Her large brown eyes went from Sasuke to Sakura, pleading.
Sakura only shrugged, "You heard him, Rumi-san. Just tell Kakashi-sensei that he can tell Tsunade-shishou himself why he was late to his meeting in Water Country. I am not taking that kunai."
The younger woman blinked and she nodded her head uncertainly before jogging away to deliver the message.
Sakura was smirking with hilarity and Sasuke pulled her along, falling back into the same slow steps as before, "Tch."
"Things like that, Sasuke-kun," Sakura continued from before, chuckling as she leaned in closer to him, "You make me feel butterflies."
Sasuke smirked – knowing that – and being the cause of good feelings rather than the added stress and disarray of her regular days. It was worth it.
"Promise me something, Sasuke-kun?"
"…What?"
"…Keep me grounded?" She asked in a whisper, "Don't let life pass me by – like you did today." She looked at him, "Slow me down if you need to."
Sasuke stared down at her for several moments before squeezing her hand fractionally, "Sure."
She smiled and rested her cheek back on his shoulder, "Don't worry. I don't expect you to do it forever."
He wanted to tell her that he wouldn't mind – doing this forever. He wanted to tell her that he'd slow her down whenever she needed it – if it meant keeping her by his side.
But he wasn't ready to say it. Not yet.
He would slow her down from the chaos of her life just as she would in the chaos of his own. And in those moments of slowing down he would be sure to take it slow – she deserved that much.
They would take it in steps.
"…Forever is a long time," Sasuke amended softly, and Sakura glanced up at him in curiosity; he met her gaze and smirked, "I don't mind – just don't be too annoying."
Sakura laughed, bumping into his side and entwining her fingers with his, "You ass."
Sasuke's smirk lifted a fraction more, "Be grateful."
She pouted, "I am." Then she grinned and comfortably leaned her head back on his shoulder, "So…what are you plans for tomorrow, Sasuke-kun? You got me the day off; so, I think it's only fair that you're the one I spend it with."
Sasuke's expression softened and the upward tilt of his lips remained, "...I have nothing planned. Choose whatever you want."
Her grin turned mischievous, "Oh, the possibilities, Sasuke-kun! I can't wait!"
A/N: I hope you like?
This is not related to the previous one-shot, for clarification's sake.
Tell me what you think?
There could be a sequel, I mentioned Shii around here (yes, I am a slight shipper of SakuraShii, surprisingly, but only because Shii seems cool, haha) potential jealousy story?
SASUSAKU is still me OTP though! Promise!
DID YOU LISTEN TO THE SONG? IT'S BEAUTIFUL!
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto and Company. Or the song above.
Review Please?
Len