Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. I am just a fan exploring my writing style.

Author's Note: Thank you to those of you who took the time to read my first chapter and post a comment. I was surprised to see so many people following this already. I hope I don't disappoint you as I progress with this and continue to do the characters justice.

From the Heart

Chapter 2

Sakura entered the ward and checked her patient's charts.

"Good morning Haruno-sensei" a male medic greeted her as she arrived at the desk. Sakura looked up at the young man. She was still not used to being addressed in such a formal manner. After the war, due to her role in healing many hundreds of people, she became recognised as a powerful medic and many young students set out to follow in her footsteps. At the time it was welcome considering the number of injured people they had to tend to. Yet before she knew it she was teaching shinobi from across the 5 lands anything from providing emergency first aid to reattaching limbs and removing poison. When time allowed she would give permission for small groups to watch her carefully when she treated serious cases. Several girls and boys proved to be efficient in their chakra control and went on to learn more about the practice. Some were faster learners than others but each played a vital role. The man before her was efficient and meant well but his control of chakra was as bad as her team mates.

"Good morning" she replied, trying her best to stifle a yawn. "How is everyone this morning?" she asked.

The lad scratched the back of his head, "well everyone seems to be okay, but there are a few who refuse to have any treatment from anyone other than yourself" he said honestly.

"Is that right?" She asked with a sigh. Some people needed to accept the fact that she had a life too and to get over it.

"On top of that Lady Shizune has been called out on a mission to assess the damage in a neighbouring land. She had to take a third of our staff with her" he stated. Sakura sighed, it looked like this was going to be another long day.

"Okay, get me all of Shizune's patient files and place them in order of priority cases" she commanded, "In the mean time I will check on these guys" she placed her hand on a pile of charts.

"Yes ma'am" he bowed and scuttled down the corridor.

Selecting a handful of charts she turned around to go about her daily routines.

A majority of those on this particular ward were recovering from their injuries and no longer in critical danger, which was a relief to see. Yet despite that they needed bed rest and time to allow their injuries to heal. Some patient's were more than willing to stay in the hospital, feigning any ailment going in order to stay, yet others wanted to be out as soon as possible to help rebuild their beloved homes. For both types it only took a certain look and a fake smile from the pink haired medic for them to cower in fear and do as they were told. She couldn't help but get a kick out of the power she had and didn't mind being referred to as a younger version of Lady Tsunade. She slowly started to get through the list of difficult patients that refused treatment from anyone but her. It didn't even dawn on her that most of them were male.

As she entered the next ward and approached the bed nearest the window she was met with a familiar pair of eyes.

"Good morning miss" the man spoke up. Upon seeing her he shuffled about in his bed and tried to sit up, but she placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

"I hear you refused treatment" she said with a gentle but firm voice. The man turned away with a hint of embarrassment on his face.

"I am sorry but I just wanted to see you again" he spoke honestly. The pink haired doctor took a moment to sit next to her patient and gave him a weak smile. This man had tried to give her a love letter once, during the midst of battle. Although his wounds were not as serious as some, it didn't mean that the war didn't impact on him emotionally or psychologically. Something like that can really open your eyes to the horrors and cruelty of man, yet also make you see things a little more clearly.

They sat in silence for a moment as she checked him over and marked a few notes on his paperwork. "You should be free to go home in a couple of days, although we will need you back in for regular physio sessions" she stated.

He nodded, "Um…" he was clearly struggling to say what was on his mind.

"You can call me Sakura" she said with a smile. His face suddenly lit up.

"It's an honour Miss-Har…I mean, Sakura-chan" he beamed. Sakura felt a hint of guilt and irritation. Hearing someone else use such a suffix with her made her feel uncomfortable. There was only one person who could get away with calling her that and that was Naruto. Hearing it from someone else just didn't feel right…this realisation surprised her a little.

"Did you get a chance to meet him?" the man asked, cutting into her thoughts.

"I'm sorry" she admitted, having not heard him and needing him to repeat the question.

"The man you have feelings for…did you get the chance to see him?" he asked.

"You are a bit nosy aren't you?" she said abruptly. He suddenly went red and started to apologise but she raised a hand to indicate it was not necessary.

"Yes I saw him again" she answered.

"Did you confess?" he asked, a little hopeful.

She studied him unsure whether she should scold him or not for being so familiar with her, but she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, "I did not" she replied honestly.

Picking up on the woman's sad expression the soldier tried to console her a little, "Well, I guess everyone has been so busy that there hasn't been a good time for such things. Although admittedly the thought that you could die any moment kind of makes you want to go with no regrets" the soldier spoke up, clearly talking from experience.

Sakura thought about what he said for a moment and then stood from her seated position. He looked at her a little sad to see she had to go, but he understood that he was not the only patient in this hospital. "It's not that I didn't have the opportunity" she admitted, her voice becoming quieter, "and I have no regrets…it's just, I came to realise that the person I thought I loved wasn't the same person anymore and did not feel the same way for me." She looked down at her patient with a sad smile. Her expression cut through him like a knife.

"I see" he replied, "then perhaps I was wrong"

She looked at him puzzled, "What do you mean?"

"I thought that the person you liked would be a great guy…sounds like he doesn't deserve you"

Sakura felt herself going pink in the cheeks at the man's words. She suddenly wanted to pry more from this soldier. "A great guy huh?" she quoted him, "tell me, what sort of man do you think would suit me?" she asked.

She suddenly realised what she said and knew from his facial expression that he wanted to say 'me' but something prevented him from doing so. "You don't have to answer that" she said, back tracking her words. She went to turn around and walk over to the next patient.

"All I know is that a true man would protect the woman he loved no matter what the cost and she should feel safe with him, but most importantly, she should be happy" he said from behind her. Sakura did not turn around to look at him and instead gave her gratitude and bid him farewell for now.

…

Once at the other side of the door from the ward the soldier had been in she finally rested her back against the wall and rubbed her face with her hand. The man's words repeated over and over in her mind. Protect…Safe…Happy when she thought of these words there was only one person she felt she could truly attribute these to. The image of the person flashed in her mind and her heart started to beat a little faster. Sucking in a deep breath and letting it out again, she shook her head and came to her senses. Now wasn't the time to day dream.

She stopped outside of the next door along and checked her notes. Seeing the name of the occupant she sighed. Hesitating slightly she straightened her back and knocked on the door. There was no response but she didn't expect any. She entered the room and found the brown haired Uchiha sitting with his back turned to her on the edge of the bed. The sound of the door closing caused the man before her to jerk upright and proceed to try to hide a book under the blanket before rushing back into bed and laying on top of the material he had placed there.

Sakura smiled, the guilty look was all too familiar. She caught a glimpse of the book he tried to hide and knew it was one written by the late pervy sage. She didn't know what men saw in those books but suspected that this one probably belonged to Kakashi sensei. She walked up to the end of the bed and picked up his records, examining them and comparing them against her own.

"I see your test results came back negative that is good news" she commented, choosing to save the man some dignity and let him think that she did not see his action. She looked up and a curious Obito sat studying her for a second.

He had a bandage over his head and half his face, covering the place his Rinnegan had once been. Naruto had offered to heal the man's eye like he did with Kakashi, but Obito had refused. He wanted a reminder of the past and wanted to start a fresh. For him this was a small punishment for his sins.

Looking at him now, Sakura couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the man. Seeing him wrapped in bandages reminded her of a blond haired boy with a cheeky grin on his face. The biggest memory coming to mind was when he was covered head to toe in bandages after Sasuke defeated him. Naruto had looked so sad back then. She was angry with him and herself. She didn't want him to feel guilty or feel like he had let her down. He promised to fulfil his promise, but as grateful as she was to him she also realised back then that she couldn't rely solely on him. If she wanted things to change she would have to help too. If she wanted to prevent Naruto from coming back in a coffin then she would need to be by his side, fighting and protecting him as much as possible. It was a definite turning point in her life. She had thought that during the Chuunin exams she had started to get a reality check and mature, fighting to protect her friends. Yet it was seeing Naruto defeated and wounded that was the true turning point for her. That was when she realised what it was she had to do. She had to get stronger and through any means possible so she could protect them.

Protect there was that word again. Now that she thought about it some more she knew how concerned she felt when Naruto was on deaths door. She was so relieved he was okay and had to fight back the tears that threatened to consume her. She wondered if roles were reversed, how Naruto would have felt if she was dying.

"Is everything okay?" Obito's voice broke through her thoughts and she looked at the man before her. Shaking her head a little she nodded.

"Ay" she replied. Studying the man now she recalled her time with him in the war. She was grateful to this man for saving Naruto's life and at the same time had been envious of him. She had desperately done what she could to try to save the blonde idiot, but all she could do was the basic of medical survival skills, CPR. Her training had come in handy but despite her efforts, death would have been inevitable if not for

Obito transferring the tailed beast's chakra into his body. Just like Yamato sensei, he had a skill that only he could use.

*Flashback 1*

Towering over a collapsed Naruto, layers of skin burnt and peeled off, Sakura desperately tried to heal his wounds. She noticed how slow the fox's power was in healing him compared to usual. She had asked Yamato to teach her how to control the Kyuubi's power within Naruto, but upon hearing that she would never be able to learn such a technique crippled her hopes.

"Why is it that all I can do for Naruto is the smallest of things?" she asked, desperate and frightened of losing him.

"It isn't what you do for him that is important. It is how you feel." Yamato tried to reassure her. "Sakura, even I can tell just by looking at you that you …" he was cut off by Naruto waking up.

"End Flashback 1*

Sakura suddenly realised that up until now she had never really thought back to that moment before. Now she was thinking about it she wondered what Yamato was going to say to her. Maybe I should ask him later, she thought, but she brushed the idea out of her head. Who was she kidding, she already suspected what it was and the guy was probably right. Even this man in front of her now, a complete stranger to her, saw something that she hadn't.

*Flashback 2*

She looked around her and was surprised to see a world very different to how she knew it. It was dark and almost geometrical. She knew immediately that this was some kind of genjutsu or alternate dimension, most likely the result of the Rinnegan eye technique. She had read many books and enough to understand the basic of most techniques, but to experience it herself she would never have imagined the possibility. Considering the circumstances though, she was suddenly relieved to be in a safer place. She let out a breath she had been holding without even realising it and tried to settle her nerves. She had been scared of the power Madara had shown and it took all her strength to focus on the task at hand.

She looked down at the figure below her. Naruto was going pale and had blood pouring from his lips. His eyes were dark and sunken and his skin was clammy and getting colder. She continued to squeeze and pump his heart over and over again. Fatigue threatened to consume her but she refused to give up. She forced herself to push through and persevere. There was no way she would allow him to die. He was too important. With no further thought she bent down and pressed her mouth to his, blowing oxygen into his lungs and forcing his body to breathe.

"Naruto, don't you dare give up on me!" she scolded him softly in her mind.

A figure suddenly appeared before them.

"Obito!" she exclaimed, unable to move even if she wanted to. Naruto's life depended on her.

"It's okay. I will save Naruto" the man reassured her. She suddenly became suspicious.

"Can I trust you?" she asked, but she didn't have the time to think about it as Obito knelt next to Naruto and placed a hand on his chest. Sakura watched in awe as power flowed out of him and into her friend. Realising that this was similar to what Minato had tried to do moments before, she resolved herself to trusting in this man, desperate for Naruto to be safe.

After a few moments the man spoke to her, "You can stop that now".

She looked up at him, "eh?" was her only response.

"Your hand" he indicated, nodding to Naruto's chest. "The power of the tailed beasts should enable him to heal properly now"

Sakura looked down at the gaping hole in the side of Naruto's chest. The skin around the sides started to heal a little and she realised that if she didn't take her hand out soon it would stop the wound from sealing over completely. Drawing her hand out she looked down at the blood covering it. Slowly, she wiped as much of his blood off her hand and onto her trousers as she could. She then brought her attention to checking his breathing and monitoring his physical health.

"It's up to him now" Obito spoke up, aware of the concern on the pink haired woman's face. She did not reply and instead sat there in silence, watching the blonde boy carefully. She positioned herself to kneel by his head and took his head into her hands, placing it on her lap. Stroking his hair gently she held onto him in the hope that we would eventually gain consciousness.

She could feel Obito's gaze on her but she chose to ignore him until he suddenly spoke out loud, "You care about him don't you?"

She looked at him and was a little surprised. She bit her lower lip and nodded silently. Off course she did, he was her friend, her comrade and the only one with the slightest bit of chance of beating Madara, he was their hero. "He is always pushing himself too far for everyone else" she explained.

Obito nodded in understanding. Naruto never knew him but he still was insistent on helping a man he did not know see reason and forgive him in the process. The boy's willpower was incredible.

Naruto stirred silently and groaned. Both of them jumped and moved to look at him. When Naruto opened his eyes he looked up at the girl looking down at him. "Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Hey Sakura-chan" he replied with a pained grin. He went to sit up and she tried to protest. Rubbing his head he caught the shape of someone else knelt beside him. Blue eyes met red and grey.

"..O..bi..to?" it was clear from his tone of voice he was surprised to see the Uchiha in front of him.

The older man looked at the boy and although no words were spoken he suddenly understood something, "What did you see?"

Naruto stood up, despite the protests Sakura gave to him, "We have to go" he announced.

"I understand" Obito replied, and with out further hesitation he sent Naruto back to the real world.

*End Flashback*

"You seem distracted today" her patient pointed out.

Sakura snapped out of her day dreaming and continued checking him over, "I am just tired" she tried to excuse her behaviour, and although it wasn't far from the truth she wasn't about to tell him what had been playing on her mind lately.

She thought about Obito and wondered what he was like when he was younger. She had asked Kakashi once and he said he was pretty much like Naruto, a big mouth and reckless. Seeing the man now she found it hard to believe. She did not fear him and knew he was just another victim of Madara so she did not hesitate in his treatment. Obito had been ready to sacrifice himself to save them but Kakashi and Naruto, being who they were, would not allow him to get away that easily. Sakura was not sure what Naruto had said to this man to change his heart and mind but she was glad for it. He may have been their enemy once but he was their friend now. To hold a grudge against him would be pointless and also hypocritical. After all, there were others she knew who had also done bad things but she still cared for them, Sasuke being a prime example. Despite everything, he too still had a good side. She had to believe in that or everything she had done so far would be for nothing.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked the older man with a soft smile, placing his records on the bed.

Obito looked at her for a moment and a small grin appeared on his face, "…I'm fine now you are here" he replied.

His response didn't really take her by surprise. If Sakura had a coin for every time she had some smooth talker try to win her over in this place then she would be rich. She had learnt early on to not let such talk phase her and to not get angry about it. If anything it was a compliment. Besides, during a war people experienced all sorts of horrendous deeds and losses. To shoot a soldier down was harsh. At the end of the day all anyone wants is to be cared for and have someone to go home to. Obito was no different. Well, that and the fact that giving patients additional injuries just meant they would be there longer to bother her.

She smiled at him and placed a hand on his head and then his chest to assess his injuries. Obito sat quietly as she continued with her work and she could feel his intense gaze on her. She ignored it as best she could then moved away, made some notes on the chart and turned to address him. "You are healing well. You should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow" she explained. Obito did not appear too happy about this though. He almost seemed anxious.

Sakura knew she was no mind reader but she had learnt a lot from her experiences in life and her interactions with others to be able to predict what was wrong with the man before her. Sighing she said, "You know, if you need a place to stay I can have a word with Tsunade-sama and get you fixed up," she offered.

He looked up at her and a sad smile appeared across his face, "I appreciate the offer" he said, "but I don't know if that is a good idea" he finished.

Sakura scowled and clasped her paperwork against her body. She stood at the end of the bed and looked over at him. Giving him a once over with her eyes she said, "You are a stubborn idiot aren't you". She could tell he was surprised by her remark. She almost surprised herself. Yet something about this guy irritated her, it felt extremely familiar and she couldn't help but feel she could speak her mind to him.

"Look, no one holds a grudge anymore. All we want is to live peacefully, rebuild our homes and bury our dead. We will never forget the war, but we will always celebrate the life we have now. You may feel you don't belong Obito, but Konoha was your home long before it was mine. You deserve to be here just as much as anyone."

Obito sat with his mouth dropped open a little as if he was about to respond. He closed his lips together and looked down at his hands. He couldn't help but feel he was being lectured by his mother.

"Besides, if you skip town Kakashi will go look for you and then Naruto will look for him and we will end up back where we started. I for one wouldn't forgive you if you got them in any more trouble!" She added.

A small smile crossed his lips and he suddenly felt truly grateful to this girl. She had saved his life, forgave his actions and now tried to heal his heart. He owed her a lot. "Thank you Sakura-san" he replied, his mood suddenly lifted, "I will give it some thought" he promised. He knew it wasn't the reply she wanted but she accepted it nevertheless.

"Have I interrupted something?" the voice of the copy ninja asked from the doorway. Sakura and Obito looked his way and shook their heads.

"No Kakashi sensei" Sakura replied, suddenly happy that someone was there to help break the silence she knew would come.

"Your student's have big mouths" Obito pointed out to his friend. Kakashi looked at Sakura who blushed a little and turned her nose to the air as if to plead ignorance.

"How so?" her teacher asked.

"She is demanding I stay in Konoha when I get out of the hospital" the Uchiha replied.

"Is that so?" the silver haired man asked with a raised eyebrow.

Sakura did not like the suspicious look she was being given or the fact that Obito was making it sound like she was pleading him to stay for some other reason. Deciding to leave the men to it she started to walk out of the room and ignore their accusations. As she approached the doorway she turned and said, "Oh, and Obito-sama, you may wish to remove the book from under you before you crinkle the pages." The bright red face of embarrassment was amusing to see and she closed the door behind her.

….

Kakashi stared at the door for a moment and then to his friend, "So did you like the book?" he asked with a grin clearly evident on his face. He still insisted on wearing a mask but Obito knew by the crease of his eyes that the man was mocking him.

He shuffled about and grabbed the book from under him. "I haven't finished it yet" he answered, "Jiraiya had an interesting imagination though".

Kakashi grabbed a chair and sat down next to the bed, "Yes he did. You can keep it if you want. I have loads more copies" he confessed.

There was silence for a moment.

"She reminds me of Rin" Obito suddenly blurted out.

Kakashi looked at him a little surprised by the statement but knew exactly who he was talking about. He nodded, "I guess in some ways she is similar. Maybe that's why I struggled to be a good teacher for her."

"What are you talking about, she came out well" Obito stated.

"None of that was my doing though. If not for the Hokage I don't know what I would have done. Most of my time was spent on Sasuke and Naruto" Kakashi sighed.

"To think I would actually prefer to be lectured by Naruto than I would with her …" Obito thought out loud.

Kakashi couldn't help but agree. After witnessing Sakura punishing Naruto over and over again he couldn't help but feel that one day she may be more fearsome than her master. "Sakura has always had a strong inner will, I'll give her that" he said, "During the chunnin exams she was up against an opponent who could use a mind control jutsu…she was able to over come it through will power alone" he reminisced. "Not to mention she can pack a powerful punch"

"Seems like she is full of surprises, although I bet as tough as she can be she has a sweet spot. I can see why Naruto likes her" Obito acknowledged, "They make a good pair…he is probably the only person who wouldn't die from her challenges".

"Yes" Kakashi agreed, he then paused for a second, "…wait a minute…how did you…?" he was surprised to learn that his friend knew his students feelings after only meeting them a few times.

"It is pretty obvious…the way he looks at her, it reminds me of myself when I was younger" he finished.

They both looked a little sad as they remembered their friend and comrade. The grey haired shinobi finally spoke first, "Obito…about Rin…"

"There is no need Kakashi…just promise me that when I get out of here you will take me to see her" the Uchiha asked with a raised hand. Kakashi understood he meant he wished to visit her grave, he took his friends hand and shook it. "So, tell me…does Sakura feel the same way for Naruto?" his friend asked.

"You seem to have a keen interest in those two" Kakashi pointed out, "perhaps that book I leant you is going to your head"

Obito shrugged in response to his friend's dig, "When I look at Naruto I feel the kid could do anything. He is the complete opposite to me and has achieved in ways I never dreamed of…"

Kakashi studied his friend for a moment and realised that part of him still regretted never having the chance to admit his feelings to Rin and regretted not being able to protect her. Well, if it is one thing the two of them currently had in common, it was to have a happy ending. Kakashi decided to detail to his friend the first time he met his students, their dreams, their first test and their mission against Zabuza to the events leading up to the war, Sakura's confession and Sasuke's attempt to kill her. Obito sat and listened carefully.

"In the end Sasuke and Naruto reached their goals and are now fighting to one day become Hokage. But Sakura…I honestly do not know what she wants anymore. Although I am pretty sure her feelings for Sasuke have changed" Kakashi concluded.

…..

In another area of the hospital a pink haired doctor sneezed profusely.

"Are you okay Sensei?" a brown haired female student asked her master as she stopped mid way through using a patient to teach a group of new starters on how to take blood samples.

"Yes thank you" Sakura responded. She had the distinct feeling someone was talking about her. She did her best to ignore it and turned to continue to give her demonstration. She noticed that her students had turned to look behind them as there was a crash and some commotion heading in their direction.

"Make way!" a paramedic shouted out as they rushed a hospital bed past them.

"Hey wasn't that the guy with the fox demon in him?" a blue haired female student asked.

"How could you tell? I couldn't see anything it was so fast" the guy beside her replied.

It took a second for their teacher to figure out what was just said but as she did so she suddenly dropped everything and ran past them.

"Was it something I said?" the blue haired female asked.

"Don't look at me, I don't understand women's logic" the guy shrugged.

…..

Authors Note: I could easily keep going but decided to not get too carried away right now! Please let me know what you think and thank you for reading.

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