"You're okay, you're okay . . ." he said, repeating it over and over again. The others in the room turned their gaze away respectfully for a few moments.

"Miss Haruno? I need to check you," the nurse said timidly. Sakura whispered something in the man's ear and he pulled away, but he sat on the stool and kept a firm grip on her hand. While the nurse was going over the long check, Sakura introduced the unfamiliar person to her teammates.

"Guys, this is Riko . . . my older brother," she said, her voice hoarse with pain etched into it. Riko winced at the sound of it. It was almost as if she hadn't used her vocal chords for a few years, and was just now getting around to it. He found it hard to listen to.

Riko was tall with a lean build; he was dressed in black Shinobi pants with a gray shirt with a dark cloak over the outfit. He had deep dirty brown hair that just barely reached his chin and deep green eyes that were a few shades darker than his sister's. He had high cheekbones with a thin face. From what the others could tell, he looked to be in his late teens, possibly early twenties.

"What were you thinking?" he whispered, an underline of anger in his tone. Sakura started to take deep, shuttering breaths to try and calm herself as tears began rolling down her pale face. "Sakura, answer me!" he said, unintentionally raising his voice. Sakura continued to star at the white ceiling, determined to keep her mouth shut. "Sakura—"

"Like you can talk," she whispered. The room was silent for the rest of the time that the nurse was there. When she left, Riko turned his gaze to the remaining members of Team 7.

"I must ask for you all to leave now," he demanded. Naruto tried to go at him, but Kakashi held him back by the collar.

"You can't tell us what to do! I don't care if you are her brother, we'll stay with Sakura no matter what!" he yelled.

"Quiet Naruto. This is a hospital."

All eyes turned to Sakura in time to see her sitting up, gritting her teeth to fight the pain. When Riko tried to stop her, she gave him a glare that made him step back. She leaned her head back against the wall and closed her eyes, her brows furrowing together from something no one could directly place. Her jaw clenched and unclenched over and over again.

"Do you really want us to leave, Sakura?" Sasuke asked in his tone casual. Kakashi had already gone when told. Sakura's eyes opened again. They looked as if she had aged one thousand years with all of the knowledge and pain that came with time.

"Yes," came her answer. With Naruto gaping at her, Sasuke dragged him out without any further questioning, though his eyes slightly betrayed him.

When they were gone, Riko turned to Sakura, his face and eyes blank. The silence between them was deafening, but different for the two people in the room. "Sakura, look at me." Sakura remained still, keeping her gaze forward, glued to the wall on the other side of the room. "Sakura," Riko repeated. His irritation arose when she ignored him further, so he stood and walked into her line of vision. When he did, he noticed how she flinched ever so slightly, and turned her head in another direction, not looking at him. "What is it?" he demanded.

"How are you here?" she asked.

"So we're changing the subject, now are we?"

"Missing Nin aren't allowed in the village. You know that," she said quietly. Sakura was still surprised that the nurse didn't recognize him. Riko sighed and sat down again. He should have known that this was coming—she would have asked sooner or later. He regretted not being there for his baby sister for the past five years of her life, but he had been keeping tabs on her. Her safety meant the world to him. She had always been a stickler for the rules, especially when it came to the point that someone's life was at stake if they didn't follow the rules and laws. Riko understood the consequences if he were discovered by someone that recognized him.

"Sakura, I'm fine," he said calmly.

"Is the rest of your team here? Or is it just you?"

"They are also here," he answered slowly. He wasn't sure what to make of that question. Sakura sighed in frustration, glaring at him. She coughed a few times before answering; her voice was still a bit raspy.

"Well, that just makes things so much easier," she mumbled sarcastically. "Someone is coming," she said after a moment. "Get out now before you can't," she whispered. Before she had even finished the sentence, her brother was gone, no trace of him ever being there left behind. Shizune walked into the room with a clipboard.

"Sakura, I was informed that you had woken up. How do you feel?"

"Are you sure you feel okay, Sakura?"

"Naruto, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?

"Yes."

"Positively sure?"

"Yes!"

"Positively absolutely—"

BAM!

"Idiot," Sasuke muttered, removing his fist from Naruto's skull. Sakura roller her eyes at the two of them—sometimes, they acted so childish!

It was a few weeks after Sakura had first woken up in the hospital. She was also in a different room than before—there was no need to have her in the intensive unit any longer, as she had recovered quite a bit.

"Sakura, why do you keep doing that?" Naruto asked curiously.

"What do you mean?" she questioned.

"Well, this is about the third time today that you put your head back against the wall and close your eyes like you're in pain or something. You do it constantly when we come to see you. Shizune said that there shouldn't be that much pain left; you leave in a few days."

"The dobe's got a point, Sakura," Sasuke commented. "It wouldn't do you any good to leave the hospital when there is still something wrong. It would only hinder your training; and health-wise, isn't good," he said in slight monotone, giving her a look that said that she was being pretty stupid.

"Sasuke, since when is my health any of your concern?" Sakura snapped. After the glare she received, she mumbled an apology. She shook her head and gazed out of the window to her right, sighing longingly. Her friends watched her in wonder, trying to figure her out. "I just want to get out of here."

"Do you hate being here?" Naruto asked.

"It's not that . . . I can't imagine how high the bill for being here is already; I can't stay any longer." When they gave her questioning looks, she continued. "My mom passed a few months before the mission was assigned," she explained. "I only have enough money to get by. The last thing I need is another hospital bill."

A knock at the door was heard and a figure walked in, his chakra completely masked. Sakura squinted her eyes at him—the build obviously stated the sex. He was hooded, even his face was hidden. He looked at the boys first—he looked at Sasuke for a second longer—before his eyes landed on Sakura.

"Who're you?" Naruto asked, tensing. The man ignored him, and walked towards Sakura. When he was only a few feet away, he nodded at her in a way that only a few people would. Sakura's eyes widened immensely as she stood and backed away from him. He sighed, and at that point she was dead sure who he was.

"Whatever it is that my brother wants you to tell me, I don't want to hear it!" she said quietly. He shook his head, and pulled an envelope out of the pocket of his cloak and handed it to her before disappearing. Sakura took one look at her teammates before opening the window and jumping out into the cold winter air before either of them could stop her.

"Any idea of what just happened?" Naruto asked. Sasuke simply shook his head and together they followed Sakura out the window.

Yes, it is still confusing. But it will make a LOT more sense during the next two chapters! I really want feedback on this one; I love it so far, but since it's totally different than my other material, I would really love to know what everyone else thinks.

So, Riko comes in; he's a missing-nin. And WHO IS THIS MYSTERY GUY? Guess!

I'll update Royal Blood next, I promise!