It was 7:00 AM sharp when Sakura answered the door to find a tall woman with two large suitcases hauling a tennis bag over her shoulder. Strands of hair unraveled from two symmetrical buns and the wrinkled state of her attire concealed nothing of a lengthy plane ride. Despite her haggard appearance, the brunette wore a wide grin that was either a reflection of her true personality or the delirium inherent in long international flights.
"Hi, I'm Tenten!" The person at the door unveiled a take out bag from the local breakfast cafe. "And I hope you're ready to feast."
"It's great to finally meet you," the homeowner replied affably, gripping one of the suitcases and relieving her guest from the parcel. "I'm Sakura and damn do you know the right way to my heart!"
Tenten exhaled, relieved that breaking the ice with her new roommate was accomplished through food. She'll have to treat Naruto for saving her from the burden of hunting for a living arrangement. With her luck, she'd probably end up rooming with a sociopath. Even though Sakura was a stranger, the police officer had an impeccably good judge of character. "Wait, is that happiness I smell?" Her nose found the kitchen. "You brewed coffee!"
The shorter woman waltzed over to pour two cups. "Yes ma'am."
The fatigued traveler accepted the steaming mug in gratitude and practically inhaled its contents. Sakura gave her cautionary looks that presaged the dangers of third degree burns, but Tenten was operating on four hours of sleep, unlike her teammates who dozed off during their journey. In addition to being cramped in the economy lodge, Tenten held a Skype meeting with Canon Inc. at the crack of dawn. The 13 hour time difference was not in her favor, but at least she successfully negotiated a contract with the multinational corporation for Sasuke. She even secured a photoshoot later that morning to seal the deal and expedite a much needed payday.
Tenten allowed Sakura to refill her beverage. "Thanks for injecting some life into me."
The doctor busied herself finding matching plates and utensils. "No prob. Do you want to take a shower before we eat?"
"Definitely," amber eyes grazed over her watch. "But please help yourself first. I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get somewhere by 9."
"Didn't you just land, like, an hour ago?" Sakura queried, leading the way to the bathroom.
"Can't be helped." The taller woman sighed, gratefully accepting a clean towel before closing the door.
Sakura was nibbling on the last strawberry when Tenten emerged from the bathroom looking significantly better. "Sorry, I got a little carried away." She pointed guiltily at the empty bowl.
Her roommate slapped the air. "Sorry I got very carried away with your hot water," she dropped onto a stool at the kitchen bar. "And sorry I took so long. Make up's not my forte but those bags under my eyes with this hair was giving off the panda vibe."
"Enough apologies!" The hostess declared, spooning omelette onto her guest's plate. "Let's eat and chat before you have to go. Tell me about yourself."
"Hm… okay…," Tenten hummed, vacillating her chopsticks back and forth while thinking of interesting facts. "I'm a sports manager, tennis fanatic, and Kyoto native. I'm adopted and, through that, have a world-traveling track athlete brother. I'm half Chinese, I'm a mean cook, I attended Waseda University, and my birthday's on March 9th."
"I'm a March baby, too! But I was born on the 28th."
"Aries," Tenten ascertained with a wink. "Your turn, tell me about yourself. How do you know Naruto?"
Sakura scoffed. "Who doesn't know Naruto? He's my best friend's fiance who's a coworker of mine at the Tokyo Medical University Hospital. Watching their glacial pace getting together almost led me to gouging my eyes out. I had to personally hurry the process."
"Hold up, you know Hinata?" The Kyoto local gaped. "I'm one of her bridesmaids! We've known each other since college!"
"Shut up!" Sakura exclaimed. "I'm her Maid of Honor!"
"This is crazy!" Tenten laughed. "Maybe that's why Naruto recommended us to live together. So, are you a nurse, too?"
The pinkette reached over the counter to retrieve a business card. "Nope, I'm a physician."
The manager read the list of credentials and a light clicked inside her head. "Wait, so can you check out back injuries?"
"For you?" Sakura shrugged. "Sure. Is it bothering you from the plane ride or something?"
"No, not me." Tenten shook her head. "I'm asking for a friend."
The health professional chewed her lip in contemplation. "I don't have any appointments around two today."
"Perfect!" Tenten snapped her fingers, ecstatic for accomplishing a score of items on her agenda. First the Canon contract, then the photoshoot, and now Sasuke has a doctor's appointment. She was on fire!
From Tenten's mouth came an exaggerated cat call. Sasuke drew his attention away from the cameras and found his manager smirking at him.
"You're late." He accused, adjusting the tennis net draped over his bare torso.
"Shoot me - I got caught up booking you a doctor's appointment."
Sasuke's cameraman tweaked his medium and glanced over his shoulder at the intruder. "Shall we take a break?"
She bowed her head in apology. "No! I'm sorry about that. I'm Sasuke's manager, Tenten Long. Thanks for squeezing us in."
The pale photographer decided that an intersession was needed, anyways. "Sai Hino," He greeted, offering a hand which she shook firmly. Wheeling around to address his crew, Sai bellowed, "Let's come back in 15 minutes!"
Sasuke intended to put a shirt back on but found a group of women congregating around it. He searched for Tenten for an out. She usually doubled as a bodyguard against fangirls, but she was avoiding him in favor of a telephone conversation. The rest of his break was spent half naked, moderately harassed, and subject to various cellphone cameras rather than Sai's fancy one.
"Hey, I just confirmed an interview with FUJI TV tomorrow at 10." The manager informed, saving the appointment in their Google calendar.
Sasuke ignored the new itinerary and mumbled, "Thanks for the support," before returning to the navy backdrop.
Tenten stuck out her tongue. That was divine retribution for the lack of sleep he wasn't inflicted with. Misery likes company, right? She turned to watch Sasuke posing in various stances wielding a tennis racket. Her friend was a brilliant athlete, but apparently his talent spilled into modeling, too. Perhaps it was his confidence, or maybe it was his chiseled body, or it could be his definitive facial features, but judging from Sai's positive feedback, Sasuke was working the camera.
"Child, your clothing's a little sloppy for this shoot, yeah."
The spectator knitted her brows in confusion and swiveled to see a long blonde haired man. "Oh, I'm not a model. I'm-"
"Oh lord have mercy, that make-up is unacceptable. Can someone rub that crayola off? Yeah, MOEGI?" He blew on the bangs obscuring half his face in impatience.
All things considered, Tenten wasn't privy on proper beauty procedures, but this guy was being ostensibly rude. "Sir, I'm-"
"Tenten Long, a retired champ, yeah, yeah, got it. Canon wants any and all Japanese tennis pros for their new billboard campaign and your client informed me that he wasn't the only one to fit the bill. The higher ups are doubling the payout for every model, so," the loquacious man pushed a girl with gravity defying pigtails forward. "Moegi's going to help you cash in big."
The brunette barely had time to register being shoved in front of a vanity mirror, but she definitely caught Sasuke's vengeful smirk. She swore to give him hell for the next week compact with interviews and public panels.
"Hey!" She protested, dodging the hands tugging at her scalp. "What are you doing?"
Unfazed, Moegi disassembled both neatly tied buns. "Deidara told me to curl your hair."
"I didn't consent to that! My face is the only problem!"
As if on cue, Moegi's boss seized Tenten's chin and tilted it for inspection. Before she could object, Deidara dragged a wet cloth across her face. The victim screwed her eyes and ripped her head away from its captor. "What is happening?!"
The cry of despair fell on deaf ears. "Hold the curlers, Moegi. This wavy hair is darling, yeah. Just pin back the left side and use your best judgment for her face. Find the gem on rack C - it'll be marvelous, just marvelous, then get her in front of my camera pronto; watching Sai steal the spotlight is a decline in my sanity."
The make-up artist adroitly brushed various elements of cosmetics on the grudging subject. The entire procedure lasted 45 painful minutes. When Tenten glimpsed in the mirror, though, she was pleased that the physical vestiges of sleep deprivation had disappeared. To Moegi's credit, she didn't go to overboard with make-up yet still augmented her model's features.
Tenten was not as pleased, however, with the outfit being forced her way. The once fantastic day was becoming wildly dysfunctional by the second.
"She's next door." Stated Sasuke in a matter-of-fact tone. He ducked to don his shirt when a wanton amount of perfume assaulted his senses. As much as he appreciated his fans, it would please him greatly if they quit sabotaging his clothing.
"I am merely observing the surroundings." Neji responded coolly.
"Right." Sasuke muttered under his breath, well aware that his coach understood the reference even without the mention of a name.
The newcomer backpedaled from his charge as soon as a pungent odor violated his senses. "Your scent precedes you and it is nauseating."
Sasuke refrained from retorting and gathered his belongings, motioning for Neji to follow into the adjacent room. He was going to get what's coming for him, anyways. They walked in silence to the neighboring studio.
"Give me more pizazz, birdie." Deidara clicked the camera.
His muse alternated positions with a racket in hand. The men were not expecting to see their tomboy coworker dolled up and garbed in a stylish pink tennis dress. Their eyes connected with her's and a sudden change rippled through her demeanor.
"Wow!" The photographer cried, amazed. "Ten for TEN, girl, work it, yeah!"
"Can we call it a wrap?" His subject asked, trying to hide behind the prop.
"I don't know what kind of model spirit just possessed you, honey, but we are not stopping." The camera snapped a dozen more pictures in quick succession.
"Uh, water break?" Tenten decided to take matters into her own hands by skipping off the stage and mimicking Sai's earlier commands. "Let's come back in 15 minutes!" The ex-tennis pro jogged over to her friends, cognizant to Sasuke's devious smirk and Neji's stolid stare.
"What are you two doing here?" She snapped.
Sasuke imitated her previous cat calling mockingly. "Just seeing how you're fairing with Deidara. Shouldn't have been late. I picked Sai because I correctly guessed that he wasn't a complete psycho."
His manager cut her eyes at him. "You're going to hate your schedule this week."
"I hate it already," he admitted. "You're the one that insisted on hitting the ground running."
"In the opposite direction of a tennis court." Neji added in disapproval.
Tenten's fingers unconsciously reached up for her buns, only to remember they were taken out. She lowered her hand awkwardly to wrap a long thread of hair around her index finger instead. "Our banks are taking a hit due to pulling out of the U.S. Open. Canon's contract won't be finalized until next week, then the money disbursement takes another five days to show up in our accounts. In case you guys forgot, we're going to need some cash way before that." She noticed the slim fit suit Neji was sporting. "Where did you come from? Why are you here?"
"I wanted to be present for Sasuke's diagnosis before planning the appropriate training regiment." The younger man rolled his eyes. Of course that was his coach's purpose. "And… I just came from Toyota."
Sasuke and Tenten exchanged wary looks. Neji's family owned the second largest share in the Toyota Motor Corporation, the most lucrative automotive manufacturer in Japan. His uncle served as the Chairman of the empire. The branch that oversaw the company's finances is located downtown, which is also where the majority of the Hyuuga Clan were employed. Neji's profession clashed endlessly with his relatives' and served as a point of dissension.
"You're working there again?" The younger man questioned.
"It's to be expected," Neji justified. "I owe it to my family to be present if I'm absent for the majority of the year. Rest assured that there won't be a conflict of interest with training."
Tenten was about to reply when Deidara cut their conversation short. "My job just infinitely improved, yeah. MOEGI!" His assistant materialized out of thin air. "Please lead Mr. Hyuuga to the dressing rooms. Use your discretion but I want him in something white."
Like her, Neji was taken by surprise and escorted backstage, but he was far more graceful about it. Sasuke thinly masked his reprisal while the brunette sighed. How could she forget her charge's rebel side? Wasn't he, afterall, Naruto's best friend?
Deidara was pushing Tenten to her wits end when Neji appeared back into view. The female athlete broke her concentration to appraise the fruits of Moegi's labor and unhinged her jaw. "You barely did anything to him! Why is he unscathed?"
"Because he's perfect." The make-up artist answered monotonically.
Tenten declined to voice her agreement. "But he's only in different clothes!"
"That's triple the payout for three pros, birdie," Deidara reminded. "Okay young sir, get over there and show me some magic, yeah. I've seen your cover spreads before and know what you can do."
The stoic coach glided on stage. "30 minutes is all I'm tolerating."
The cameraman licked his lips. "That's more than enough."
Tenten felt a rush of relief and started exiting the spotlight. "Ten, hon, don't go anywhere. We're doing a series of doubles shots before I focus exclusively on Mr. Hyuuga."
She balked. "What? We're not even doubles partners! We're singles players!"
Sasuke snorted and received a hostile glare from his team.
"Yeah, I don't know much about tennis but I do know a masterpiece when I see one. I can picture the headlines now: the team behind the Prince of Tennis. The Dream Team. This is going to be a work of art!" Deidara curled his fist zealously, sparkles practically shining off his eyes.
The manager opened her mouth to dissent but Neji grabbed her wrist. "Resistance is futile with this one. Just cooperate, collect our payments, and get to the hospital."
Tenten blushed and tried vainly to lengthen her skirt. Meanwhile, the camera lenses fluttered rapidly at the duo.
"Give me something fierce!" The blonde demanded.
She had a difficult time following orders with Neji clutching a racket next to her. They barely hit together anymore and she missed how his already admirable amounts of finesse and control proliferated on the court. Nowadays, he primarily devoted his time to training Sasuke. With his wrist injury, there was no way Neji could play at the level required for professional competitions.
"FIERCE, birdie, fierce! I'm asking for Ayumi Hamasaki and you're giving me PSY!"
She was about to retort that PSY was fierce but her partner intervened. "Pan Pacific Open, 2013."
Tenten's mind drifted back to her first bid in a Women's Tennis Association tournament. The unexpected victory launched her into stardom. Although she was playing one of the best tennis of her life, the support from Neji, Lee, and Gai was paramount to her triumph.
The boost in confidence was all she needed to successfully finish the photoshoot with a bang.
Sakura was breezing through her routine obligations at the hospital. Everyone under her care was stabilized and it was one of the rare days at work where she could actually breathe. Strangely, the entire wing seemed to be deserted, barring resting patients. The only noise outside emanated from the rhythmic hum of heart monitors.
So, due to the pervasive silence, the sound of running footsteps was hard to miss.
Suddenly, Shizune, a seasoned surgeon, hooked a hand around the door frame and flung herself inside the room.
Sakura sprang from her desk. "Do we have a code black?"
The ebony haired woman hunched her back and gripped both hands on her knees. She shook her head and tried to capture as much oxygen as possible into her lungs.
"What's the matter, Shizune?"
"N-no time," her senior wheezed. "We ha-ha-have to go now. First floor. You'll see."
Sakura arched a brow in confusion as the surgeon vanished in a hurry. What was the emergency? She peeked out the door to find a dormant floor. Where the hell was everyone?! Locking her office, the lone woman headed for the elevators to investigate.
Even before the heavy metal doors opened, Sakura could hear the commotion on the first floor. Did she miss a memo about an event? A mob of people blocked her path upon entering. Any chances of finding Shizune now were obsolete. Employees, patients, and visitors congested the entire lobby. A ruckus filled the atrium; what happened to hospital etiquette?
"Oh my God! There he is!" Yugao from the oncology department screamed. The pinkette cursed her short stature and strained to see the object of her co-worker's excitement.
It took one glimpse to catalyze the adrenaline rush through her system. Sakura didn't need a double take for confirmation - she could recognize Sasuke anywhere. Unlike the last time when she froze at his television image, she bolted straight for the elevators. It was fight or flight, and the doctor had negative interest in any type of confrontation with him.
Her mind, breath, and heart were racing - was she hyperventilating or hallucinating? How was he there?! Didn't the sportscaster praise his victory in New York earlier that week? Sakura jammed the elevator button savagely but the compartment sat stationary on the 15th floor. Abandoning the lost cause, she sprinted for the stairs instead.
Bounding up the steps two at a time, Sakura finally reached her floor. 11 stories felt like nothing in times of crisis. She dove through the door and slammed it with her back, desperately trying to calm down. Sliding to the ground, the refugee reasoned the impossibility of Sasuke locating her. There were 18 stories in the building! Besides, it was highly doubtful that he knew she worked there.
Her panting was as erratic as the sudden knocks hammering from the other side of the door. "Sakura?" Called a feminine voice.
She tamed her coral hair and read her watch - 2:05 PM. It was probably Tenten with her friend. The knocks continued to crescendo.
"Coming!" Sakura announced, then counted to 10 and matched her breaths to compose herself; the adrenaline compounded with the bout of anaerobic activity was not helping.
She started turning the handle but was promptly pushed aside by the door swinging open and a group dashing inside. As soon as the last person passed through the threshold, Tenten shut the door in a similar manner to Sakura minutes before.
"Holy shit," Tenten gasped. "I didn't know tennis was so popular here."
Sakura stood rooted in place. Four other people occupied in her office now: her roommate, her best friend, a man who she guessed was her best friend's relative, and her ex-boyfriend. It was the latter whom she couldn't tear her eyes from.
"Sakura?" Hinata asked gently. "Are you okay?"
Tenten gazed at her, too, in concern. Only the long haired man was keen on the intense stare held between Sakura and Sasuke. He cleared his throat.
"Y-yeah, I'm fine." The stunned woman reassured, although her ghostly expression claimed otherwise.
"This is my cousin, Neji," introduced Hinata, confirming Sakura's suspicions. "You know obviously know Tenten, and this is Naruto's best man, Sasuke Uchiha! Sasuke, this is Dr. Sakura Haruno."
Sakura lucidly heard her pounding heart and aggressively prayed that nobody else could. She wasn't mentally prepared to see him in the flesh for another month!
Neji extended his hand politely and Sasuke followed suit.
It all made sense now. Tenten was Sasuke's manager. He must have injured his back, withdrew from the tournament, and returned to Japan for his best friend's wedding. His presence spurred the hospital into a frenzy, explaining the pandemonium in the lobby. How did she get so royally screwed by the six degrees of separation? Sakura reacted brashly after watching the victor on TV and had since sworn off media outlets to avoid him altogether, but now he was on the cusp of becoming her patient!
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dr. Haruno." Sasuke's voice jostled her back to reality.
She studied him curiously. Is he pretending like they don't have history together?
After Neji, Sakura slid her hand into Sasuke's - a pithy action that she wished didn't send shockwaves coursing through her body. His touch was the most paradoxical mix of alarm, hurt, and comfort. Almost a decade transpired since her heart was in halves, but she felt like it was breaking into a million pieces all over again.
"The pleasure's all mine." Liar! "Feel free to call me Sakura. Any friend of Hinata's is a friend of mine." Where was this propriety coming from? Did that notion honestly apply to ex-boyfriends that triggered violent physiological reactions?
"Likewise." He replied smoothly.
"Not only is Sakura my best friend, but she's also one of the best physicians at this hospital. Don't let her age fool you. She was the only person in her cohort to graduate undergrad and med school early before finishing her residency in record time!" Hinata complimented, proudly admiring her maid of honor. Great, there goes her opportunity to plead ineptitude.
"Thank you so much for seeing Sasuke, I know it was very last minute. He's both my friend and client so I'm extra worried about this kid." Tenten piped, drawing Sakura into a hug. Fabulous, there goes her excuse for being preoccupied. She already revealed her availability earlier that morning.
Neji agreed with a nod. "We would like to determine if and when he can resume training."
It seemed like everyone else was speaking while the once lovers scrutinized each other. It was almost a mockery for the couple to come face to face under such circumstances.
Hinata clasped her hands together. "Anyways, we'll wait outside while you conduct the examination, Sakura. Oh, Haku already inputted Sasuke's information in the system so you can pull up his files."
While the other occupants took leave, Sasuke and Sakura remained quiescent. It was like they were characters in a Western standoff, willing the other person to act first. Then from out of nowhere, the woman succumbed to doubling over in laughter.
Something about her mercurial behavior did not surprise Sasuke.
Sakura stifled her hollow laugh. "I'm sorry… this is just too much. I mean, are we strangers now?"
"You tell me. Do you know me anymore? Do I even know you?"
It struck a nerve how easily he turned the question on her. Obviously, a lot happened in the past seven years for both of them. For her, she wasn't some naive, insecure teenager. Now, she was an estimable woman of 25 who developed a hard resolve training under the revered Dr. Tsunade Senju. "I guess not," she granted. "But you seem to be doing pretty well for yourself."
Sasuke shifted on his feet and the attending physician remembered the purpose of their meeting. "Have a seat." She motioned at the examination table.
"You don't look like you're doing too bad yourself," onyx eyes surveyed the environment. "This is everything you've always wanted." Why did it sound like his every sentence had an ulterior undertone?
"Thanks," Sakura replied, then scrunched her nose at something noisome from the tennis star. "Why do you smell like a Victoria's Secret store?"
The tennis player remained steely impassive. "I had a photoshoot."
From behind her computer, she was unsure how a photoshoot would explain the more credible story of being drenched in a vat of perfume. Then, she recalled the hordes of people in the atrium and how the majority were women. Sakura's mind betrayed her and she envisioned Sasuke being swarmed by a team of models - a scenario that provoked her more than it should. Ignoring that thought, she focused on retrieving his files instead.
The doctor hailed every ounce of strength to proceed with the preliminary questionnaire. Despite herself, Sakura rearranged the normal order of inquiries. She was mortified to find out that she could answer most of Sasuke's questions: Tenten already tipped her off about his back injury, she knew he didn't have a clue about his family history, nor did he smoke, take any medications, have any surgeries, or suffer from any allergies - and the facts didn't change since their high school days. What she didn't know was…
"Are you sexually active?"
He fixed his attention on her bookcase. "Not recently."
Sakura still lacked Tsunade's acumen for deciphering answers but checked off the appropriate box, anyways. Regardless if that was a lie, being sexually active wouldn't lead to any conclusions about back pain. Unfortunately, her subconscious deviated and scenes of their countless trysts resurfaced. They were each other's firsts and took every liberty in exploring the new sexual aspect of their relationship together. Judging from his previous performances, however, it wouldn't be out of the question that he strained his back from amorous activity at all.
Sakura's cheeks grew hot at the racy images her traitorous mind displayed. She suddenly noticed Sasuke in the middle of disrobing and pinched her arm.
"What are you doing?" She squeaked, coughing to steady her voice.
"Hopefully getting a back exam." He raised a sarcastic brow at the vapid question.
Sakura kicked herself hard under the desk. She needed to get it together immediately. She overcame a spate of obstacles far more grueling than conducting a simple physical. She graduated at the top of her class, passed her boards, and continuously succeeded under Tsunade's tutelage; she could do this then escape out the door and put as much space between them as possible.
Striding over to the examination table, Sakura planted herself behind the tennis player, concentrating on the task at hand. Sure, her ex-boyfriend was tenfold more handsome now (an astounding feat), but at the moment he was, above all else, her patient. She took the bloody oath and was wearing a white coat to prove it.
Snapping on gloves, Sakura placed her hands on his broad shoulders. "Does this hurt?"
"No. The pain is further down."
The woman trailed her fingers down Sasuke's spine, fighting to compartmentalize a history that was etched on every inch of his skin. This was all too familiar. It was like rediscovering an old song that she knew every lyric to, all the stanzas about distant memories, both the highs and lows. "Relax," she instructed softly, feeling his constricted muscles.
The athlete obliged tepidly. "Right there." He signaled when her hands prodded his lumbar region.
Sakura applied pressure around the area and asked him to rate the pain.
"Five. It's only a dull ache when I'm not playing tennis."
She instructed him to stand, bend forwards, backwards, and a slew of other actions. They were finally making progress, which was why it was completely uncalled for when Neji and Tenten burst into the room again.
"Yes?" The pinkette questioned with a tinge of annoyance from the interruption.
"Sorry," her roommate searched the ground sheepishly. "The crowds outside were getting a bit unbearable. Apparently they recognized Neji, too. He was a huge tennis pro back in the day and now he's Sasuke's coach."
"Unbearable is an understatement," the tall man muttered, "How's the prognosis, doctor?"
Sakura wasn't about to disclose her patient's medical information but Sasuke insisted. "It's fine, I'm going to tell them anyways."
She nodded. "It's safe to say that nothing's broken, which is the worse case scenario. I'm also going to rule out a stress fracture, but you can request a formal scan if you doubt me."
Neji shook his head to decline her offer. "If there's nothing critical, then we can start training as soon as possible."
Tenten crossed her arms. "Are you serious? Sasuke probably needs to lay off demanding physical exercise for, like, the next month!"
Their charge glowered at them and pulled on his shirt. "Let Sakura speak."
The pair fell silent for the medic to continue. "Dull, lower back pain could be due to a number of reasons in your profession. I haven't read extensively into your files yet, but your condition might be caused by muscle imbalances or the strain from over-extension and flexion."
"We can double up on core exercises to strengthen your abdominal muscles, Sasuke. That should help both your stability and mobility. We can also develop your flat and slice serves so you don't have to depend on kick serves which strains the back." Neji strategized with a calculating look.
The brunette anchored a hand on her hip haughtily. "Does it cross your mind that brief lapses in training won't be the end of the world?"
"Will you guys be quiet?" The patient turned to Sakura. "What's your recommendation?"
"Actually, I advise a compromise between what Tenten and Neji are saying," she began, discarding her gloves. "You shouldn't rest more than two days a week since your body is use to constant exercise. However, you also shouldn't overdo it with resuming full intensity training, either. I do agree that you should incorporate abdominal-centric exercises and it would help to thoroughly stretch before any physical activity."
The coach frowned. "Would it be wise to consult a sports physician?"
"Not unless you want to pay extra to hear exactly what I just said."
Neji weighed the information. "So we can begin the day after tomorrow if we count today as the first rest-,"
The manager objected. "No! We're all awfully jet lagged and-,"
"Dr. Haruno suggested two days of reprieve." Neji countered.
"Sakura is fine." The pinkette clarified.
"Sakura can probably back me up by confirming that rushing into things doesn't help, either."
Sasuke massaged the bridge of his nose. His team was escalating the minor impediment into a larger problem.
"There's the Shanghai Open before the Australian Open-,"
"Neji-" Sakura began.
"That's in November! Did you forget what else is that month-"
"Tenten-" Sakura attempted again.
"STOP!" Sasuke exploded. "Shut up, all of you!" He pierced Neji with a contemptuous look, "One, stop using me as a platform to discuss your personal issues. Two," he shot Tenten a glare. "Stop planning everything for me because I'm a functional, autonomous human being because three," his eyes narrowed into slits beholding Sakura. "I fucking hate it when people make my decisions for me since I should be involved in the goddamn conversation in the first place!"
The sound of Sasuke slamming the door echoed through the office, paralyzing the three left behind in a stunned silence. All the ambiguity he shrouded around his dialogue was made explicitly clear with his last statement. Afterall, it was Sakura who decided to end their relationship seven years ago.
She never forgave herself... and he never forgot.
Author's Note
Get ready for more drama, folks. Sakura was merely in a state of shock due to their patient/doctor situation, but there's a deeper hurt coming your way later. Feel free to read deeper into most of what Sasuke says, there are definite subliminal messages.
Thanks for the warm welcome from the initial chapter! I implore all those who favorited and followed this story to show an authoress some love and drop a review or two for quicker updates. Chapter 3: the plot thickens, the cast increases, and more backstory is revealed!