was writing a tired report when Shizune rapped on her door. She stood, hearing the click of vertebrae and feeling the pull of muscles. I need to get out more, she thought absentmindedly, opening the door for her colleague.
"Tsunade? I have some papers for you to sign, concerning 's death..." The blonde doctor almost pushed Shizune away right then. Her common sense, ever sparse, grouped up and made her sit back down.
"Give them here," she said, reaching out. When Shizune didn't immediately comply, honey blonde eyebrows snapped together. "Is something wrong?"
Her coworker and long time friend fidgeted. "It's um... they um..." Tsunade was getting very annoyed. "Spit it out," she commanded. "It doesn't matter how bad it is." Shizune bowed her head and said, "They want you to take over the hospital, in Sarutobi's place."
Tsunade sat back in surprise. "They'll want me there immediately I suppose..." her eyes were slightly unfocused as she spoke. Shizune shook her head. "I'm not sure. Anko's not going to be too happy about it..." Suddenly a smile crossed her face. "I'm sure would be happy to relieve you of your post." Tsunade snorted and stood. "If I'm leaving, I'm taking you with me. I'll think about it. Is there anything else?"
The younger woman's brown eyes met hers. "Sakura just called. She's in Iwa."
Unfortunately, Tsunade's desk didn't move quickly enough; splinters more accurately described it after a moment.
"Haruno?" The girl in question was reading in their bedroom while her boyfriend took a shower. She smiled, holding up the glass of bourbon to check it against the light.
"Hi ! Guess where I am?" There was silence, then an ominous, "I heard you are in Iwa." Drunk as she was, the pink haired girl didn't notice Tsunade's unusual tone. "Yep! And guess who's here with me? I'm living with an Uchiha!"
On the other end of the line, Tsunade froze. Sasuke hasn't said anything about moving... oh shit. "Itachi?" she hazarded, praying there was some long lost mench (do–gooder) of an Uchiha.
There was a hiccup from between rose colored lips and it dawned on her mentor that Sakura was drunk. "You got it right! You know they say doctors are very smart, right? It's kinda funny," she continued, obviously intoxicated, "But Pein isn't very mean. He's a thug in Konoha, but he's also pretty brilliant... you know what I mean? He owns a big business here, and I even got a job working him!" She laughed. "I mean working for him. Konan's the one who's got him pegged. The same way I've got Itachi!" She exclaimed, taking another gulp of her drink.
Tsunade got a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Sakura, there's an associate of mine in Iwa that I want you to visit, okay? His name is Yakushi Kabuto... are you listening?" Her pupil had started laughing. "I'm listening, Doc! I know Kabuto... we go way back! He used to push me off the swings..." she collapsed into giggles. "...he's usually at IU, so I can go see him any time!"
Nodding, Tsunade made a note on her desk. "Sakura, I want you to go see him tomorrow, after work, alright? I think you'll feel better after a few session with him." There was muffled laughter from the other end. "The shrink! You're sending me to the shrink! I just wanted to call and make sure everyone was missing me, and you're sending me to the shrink!" Her voice faltered for a second.
"Am I crazy?" she whispered, cradling the phone as if it were her lifeline. Tsunade sighed. "You're not crazy, Sakura. But I need you to go see Kabuto – to make sure that you're alright. And while you're at it – stop off in at Haku's office and get a blood test done, alright?" There was some bumping on the other line, and a bemused Tsunade assumed she was nodding into the phone. "Haku's back already?" she asked, "I thought Zabuza would have had him stay longer. Suigetsu gets really lonely–" She stopped, her eyes hollowing.
"I miss them," Sakura whispered. "But I can't come back. Not with everything I've done." Tsunade sighed again, rubbing her temples. "Sakura, you're no fool. Your friends don't care about much except that you're safe. Ino's been bugging me every day, not to mention annoying the hell out of Chouji. Ever since Nara left, she's been hell." There was some harsh laughter, but mostly the blonde woman thought it was sobbing. After another moment, Sakura seemed to have found the words she wanted.
"I'm not coming home. It's not that I'm afraid to face them; it's that I'm afraid to face myself."
My god, Tsunade thought, I've finally met someone who's more sober when they're drunk.
When Sakura told Itachi about her phone call, he merely raised his eyebrows at her and made sure they both missed dinner.
"It's not like I want to go," Sakura had told him, breathing hard from their last round, "But Tsunade has done a lot for me, and I owe it to her." Her boyfriend nodded. "I can understand that. You feel an obligation towards her." The pink haired girl sighed. "I guess."
After work the next day, when Sakura was sure Konan had been floating, she went to Iwa University and took the stairs up to Kabuto's office. The first thing she noticed when she stepped into the waiting room was the skylight. The next things were its occupants.
A redhead leaned against a wall, smoking blatantly. Her mouth was twisted in a smirk as she blew smoke into the face of a big with orange hair. Two boys with silver hair sat on a bench, identical twins by their looks, although neither seemed pleased about the situation. A brown haired boy sat on the ledge of the window, grinning at the redhead and trying to get her attention. All five of them wore purple leather belts, regardless of age or gender.
The last occupant of the room was a relatively tall person. Sakura guessed it was a boy by the bulky forearms, but his jacket's hood hung over his face, making any features indistinguishable. Hesitantly, she sat on a bench next to the could–be–a–boy. Just as she pulled a brush out of her bag and began straightening her hair, the boy pulled back his hood and grinned at her.
"Hi! I'm Uchiha Tobi, what's your name?"
Sakura nearly had a heart attack. "It's um... Haruno Sakura. It's nice to meet you." Her mind caught up with her ears, and she said, "Wait... Uchiha? Are you related to Itachi and Sasuke?"
Tobi nodded vigorously. "They're my most favorite cousins ever!" he exclaimed, his trademark Uchiha hair cut short, a way she'd never seen it. "Do you know them?" Sakura nodded. "I'm Itachi's girlfriend." And I'm living with him, she added silently. The boy clapped his hands together in excitement. "Wow, it's so nice to meet you! Say hi to Itachi for me, okay? And Sasuke if you see him! I haven't seen Sasuke for years." He looked about ready to burst with enthusiasm, and Sakura found it extremely unnerving.
"You aren't Akatsuki, are you?" she asked hesitantly. Naruto did mention something about new members... Tobi nodded happily. "Yep! They let me take care of the messy stuff, although you probably know that, being Itachi's girl." She bristled at his description of her and was about to disagree hotly, when she realized she couldn't stay mad at him.
Luckily, a diversion came in the form of the redhead punching the brunette and wrenching him forward by his collar.
"Shut the hell up, Kidomaru! Dumbass! You think the world wants to know your problems? We sure as hell don't want to hear it, and those two don't look half as dumb as you are!" She stopped shouting and looked at them sourly. "Want something? We're the Sound Four, from Oto, and we don't take shit from idiots." She took another drag off her cigarette and let some ash fall on the boy in her grip, who winced.
"Jesus, Tayuya," he said, yanking himself out of her grip. "Dramatic much? Now those idiots know who we are." He sat back up on the windowsill, watching them warily. The orange haired boy snorted and cracked his knuckles. "They won't tell anyone. They probably haven't even heard of us before. Iwa is a long way from Oto."
Sakura blinked and stood up, walking over with an easy grin. "I know who you guys are. You beat the crap out of one of my friend's dads." They gaped at her. "Can I have a smoke?" Wordlessly, Tayuya fished the pack out of her jacket pocket and handed her one. Sakura pulled a lighter (a delayed birthday present from Itachi) out of her jean's pocket and watched the flame singe the cigarette.
She pulled back, taking a deep breath of that poisonous smoke. The Sound Four were still looking at her, in some cases glaring. "So you got a grudge against us, or something?" The scarlet haired girl asked, crossing her arms over her chest. Sakura breathed out carefully, turning her face away from the Sound Four. "Hell no – Hiashi's a bastard," she said, taking another drag. "He really messed up Hinata and Hanabi."
Tayuya grimaced. "This is Jirobo," she said, sticking a thumb in the orange haired kid's direction, "And those are Sakon and Ukon." She pointed to them in succession, first to the right, then the left. "And you are?"
Sakura breathed out again. "It's Haruno Sakura. I'm from Konoha, and one of my best friends is in the Jinchuuriki. I'm currently dating Uchiha Itachi," she said, watching their eyes flicker as she spoke, "And I suppose you know them. I've got no quarrel with you, since I'm not getting paid to, and I don't really give a shit about anything. Anything else? Blood type?"
Kidomaru opened his mouth, but Tayuya flicked the back of his head, effectively closing it. She grinned at Sakura and stuck out a hand. "Nice to meet you, Sakura. What are you in for?" she asked gesturing towards Kabuto's door, which was still closed.
Sakura shook the offered hand and shrugged. "I'm not sure anymore. I don't feel very crazy."
"Sakura?" Nearly an hour later, Kabuto opened his door and let Sakura in.
"I just got 's email. How are you?" He asked, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. She grinned at her silver–haired associate. "I'm fine, just a little tired." Kabuto laughed, and she raised an eyebrow. "You haven't been very tired, from the pictures Sasori showed me on his phone." He grinned at her, and she remembered why she used to dislike him. Damn it, this guy is like a mini Orochimaru!
She smiled falsely at him. "I was just having a break, since it was a weekend. You know that Iwa clubs are a ton of fun." He nodded, recognizing the impatient tone in her voice, and got out a clipboard. "Now I need you to answer some questions..."
The session went on in a relatively normal fashion, and Sakura didn't understand what was wrong when he suddenly stood up and locked the door. "Sakura," he said, standing beside her, "I think that you are suffering from too much stress. There are things in your life which can and must be changed. If you don't confront your problems, eventually you will collapse from the strain. I can help you..."
Sakura didn't hear the last words he said. What did register, in a sort of screaming manner, was the fact that his hand was sliding up her leg.
"Yakushi Kabuto, take your goddamn hand off me right now."
His greasy smile was all innocence. "But why? Who will hear you scream?" Kabuto backed up a step, looking thoughtful. "You might want to relax a little, make it easier–" He didn't finish his sentence since Sakura had punched him in the face and kneed him low. The silver–haired man took a deep gasping breath as his eyes dilated, and sank to the floor, wheezing.
Disgusted, Sakura stepped over him and unlocked the door, slamming it behind her. She made it down to the third level in the elevator before the real anger kicked in, and she started punching the walls. She pressed the stop button, and sat there for a few minutes, taking her anger out on the metal sheets surrounding her.
When she arrived in IU's main building to get a blood test, only Haku's familiar face cheered her up as she felt the needle suck the red liquid from beneath her skin.