Her Recovery, His Salvation

Chapter. 3


"So was it worth it?" Ino asked as she watched Sakura go through more paperwork at her desk.

Sakura looked over her bottle of sake at her best friend with scrutiny. "What are we talking about?" The rosette glanced down at Ino's protruding belly, heavy with pregnancy of her first child and the start of the next generation of Shinobi.

"That thing you did for, Sasuke-kun..." Ino said, moving more into the small, dark office, making sure to close the door to gain more privacy. "You shouldn't have done that for him, you know. Just goes to show how prominent your feelings actually are for him."

Sakura snorted, going back to her drinking away her misery. "You don't know what y-you're talking about."

Ino scoffed and carefully sat herself in one of the empty chairs. "Of course I do. I'm not married to Shikamaru for nothing. I have learned a few things from him. News gets around fast, especially when you don't want it to." She stated pointedly.

Sakura sighed and eyed her friend carefully. "How much do you know?"

Ino arched a brow and smirked. "Enough."

Sakura cursed under her breath. "Does Sasuke know?"

Ino shook her head. "No. Only a select few of us know, actually. If Shikamaru wasn't so prominent I wouldn't have known myself. Were you going to tell me?"

"It was classified." Sakura stated, knocking her head back as she took another shot.

"Bull." Ino spat. "What exactly do you think you're doing. I heard what he said to you when you went to visit him. After everything he's put you through, you're still willing to help him? Are you honestly that delusional, Sakura?!"

Sakura had no answer to give to her friend. To be honest she was tired of defending herself over and over to people who... just didn't understand what she was going through. Her feelings were hers and hers alone and she didn't feel the need to have to explain herself about them all the time. Her mind went back to when Itachi showed up at her apartment and how he had convinced her that she was the only hope Sasuke had in having a normal life.

But what about her? Didn't she deserve to have a normal life, too? Sasuke had been her main focus for years. What good would he do for her, he'd just send her straight to hell and back if it was up to him. He'd already made that perfectly clear when she went and offered peace, only to have thrown back into her face like it was trash. He got a well deserved beating for it too.

"Are you really just going to sit here, and mope around, avoiding him for the rest of your life?" Ino asked as she walked around Sakura's office, drawing open the previously closed curtains. "Weren't you supposed to be trying to help him. Not break almost every bone in his body. Really Sakura, sometimes I wonder how you ever became a medic with how you can punch a mountain, and people, to oblivion."

Sakura hissed in a mildly drunken stupor, covering her eyes. "Those were closed for a reason, Pig. And don't question my work ethics, okay! There's a perfectly- hic- logical explanation to my anger in everything Sasuke... He's a bastard- hic!"

The blonde sighed and shook her head, walking up to Sakura's desk, where there were sake bottles strewn precariously over it. Sakura's head nestled messily in her arms. "Seriously Sakura, you're pathetic." Ino shook her head in disappointment and quickly started throwing all the empty bottles of sake in the trash. "I mean, you've really got to take up a better outlet than drinking. You don't want to turn out like Tsunade-sama, do you?"

Sakura raised her head and ran her hands over her face roughly. "I hate him, I'm never talking to that jerk ever again. I must have been an idiot to ever think he could change!" She hiccuped loudly and the proceeded to slam her head against the desk continuously. "All those years loving him and what does he do, smash it back in my face... I should have married that Daimyo when I had the chance."

Ino scowled and grabbed the sides of Sakura's face. "Would you stop that! You've actually grown into your face, don't ruin it because Sasuke's being Sasuke." Ino shook her head again and pulled up a chair. "You know, you should have expected this. He's not really a people person anymore- not that he ever really was."

Sakura cocked her head to the side and with a blank face. "Is this your idea of a pep-talk?"

The blonde shrugged with a half-smile, rubbing her belly affectionately. Which oddly made Sakura hate the blonde more at the moment. "Somewhat, I'm really just trying to get you outside. It's been two weeks and you've avoided everyone for staying in this dark and dreary office, just so you don't have to see Sasuke. It's your twelve year old self all over again, babe. You gotta get a life."

"I'm not doing my job because of Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed adamantly.

Ino nodded her head patronizingly. "Right, so there's no reason as to why you're spending your three week vacation, oh I don't know, working?"

The rosette paused immediately, unable to come up with a plausible nor believable reason. "Okay," she sighed, slumping into her plushy chair. "It's because of Sasuke. I just can't get over the way he talked to me, after all I did for him, he thinks he has the right to treat me as if I'm some obsessed fan-girl all over again! I hate his guts, and if I ever have to see that stupid face of his ever again, it'll be too soon!"

Ino blanched, and looked back at the door awkwardly.

Sakura noticed. "Oh god, don't tell me..."

"Naruto punched him a little too hard, he's in room 101. Tsunade won't let anyone else treat him, seeing as you like working so much because of him." Ino stated, humming softly as she walked out of Sakura's office. She looked back right before walking out the door. "Sakura, maybe you need to take a different approach. Take Kakashi's advice for instance. Look underneath, the underneath." She winked at the pinkette and shut the door softly behind her.


That was over an hour ago and Sakura still hadn't been able to bring herself into room 101... All she had done really was sneak into Tsunade's office and swipe another bottle of sake before she even realized it was gone. She really needed to suck up her pride and go take care of Sasuke's injury, if she could really even call it that. Those two fought all the time. They could take care of their own injuries with how much she'd done for them.

She sighed and slumped into herself, she was acting so unprofessional right now. She'd already spent two weeks dodging behind corners just so she wouldn't have to run into him in town, now she was even hiding from him in her own hospital!

`You really are pathetic. You can't avoid him forever, you're just proving to him even more that what he said affected you more than it should.' Her inner stated.

Sakura tried her best to ignore the voice, walking in the opposite direction of Sasuke's room.

`You can't avoid him forever, Konoha may be big, but it's not that big for a ninja. He's going to be wherever you turn for the remainder of your lives.'

The rosette cringed slightly at the news. Oh god, the remainder of their lives? Could the world hate her that much?

`And don't even think about asking Tsunade for a transfer, you're the best in the Country, you aren't going anywhere. Besides, that old bat ain't getting any younger.'

Sakura groaned and ran a hand through her hair, not looking where she was going as so many options ran through her head, she didn't even see the body before she was already running into it. "Oof!" She squeaked before she was sprawled out on the floor. "Ow..." She whined, rubbing her lower back and butt as she pulled herself into a sitting position. "Hey, why don't you watch where you're going!"

"I could say the same for you."

Sakura froze at the familiar deep drawl and cringed in horror. "Sasuke... I was just on my way to see you." She laughed humorlessly.

The dark haired nin raised an eyebrow and cocked his head in disbelief. "Really? In the opposite direction of my room?"

Sakura froze and gaped up at the Uchiha. "Well, uh... That's really not important." She still hadn't been able to directly look him in the eyes, let alone the face, so she didn't really get a good look at the damage Naruto did, but if Sasuke still had remained in the hospital than it must have been bad. She sighed, unable to come up with an excuse, so she stood up on her feet and reached up to heal Sasuke's face.

At her movement, the Uchiha immediately jerked back, taking her wrist harshly into his hands and slamming it against the wall. "Don't. Touch. Me!" He growled dangerously, giving her no choice but to meet his onyx eyes.

She swallowed nervously. "I- I have to heal you, Sasuke..." She whispered hoarsely, passed fears coming back to her as she tried, in vain, to pull her wrist away.

Sasuke could see the fear in the girl's eyes, and a part of his old self reveled in it. It made him feel powerful. He hadn't meant to scare her though, nor grab her so harshly. The only times anyone had ever been so close to his eyes were Orochimaru and Itachi, and neither of them were good situations, so basically he had a reflex, which he would have explained, given the chance. He hadn't even realized what was going on before he was slammed harshly into the wall, a crack resounding behind him, and he knew Sakura had punched him so hard he had broken the wall when he landed.

Sakura breath harshly as she regained her composure after Sasuke had grabbed her, why was she acting so afraid all of a sudden. She was much stronger, and she wasn't going to let this pompous jerk turn her into a chicken when she trained so hard to change into someone better.

"Don't you ever, and I mean ever, touch me like that again. Do you understand me? You aren't roaming the world invading villages and eating small children for tea anymore, you got that? You're in my hospital and in my home. So don't think for a second that you can waltz in here and think you can do anything you want. I'm NOT that same little girl I once was, Uchiha Sasuke." She pushed him harder into the wall for added emphasis, without even batting an eye she had reached up and pressed her chakra into the side of his face, healing his wound, still refusing to meet his eyes.

"You know, I understand that you don't want to be friends, but the least you could do is be civil. I mean really, you could have broken my arm or something." She grumbled, healing the black eye and then going to the broken nose.

Sasuke didn't reply, just stayed silent as she checked his face for anymore damage.

"I just don't know what I'm going to do with you, you're hopeless." She mumbled to herself, backing away from his form and sighed as she wiped the invisible dust from her hands. "You're all good to go, now." She turned to head back to her office, leaving Sasuke there standing in the middle of the hallway. His eyes following her body as she walked, just now noticing the bottle of sake in her hand.


"Sakura, you have to go out to eat with us!"

Sakura ran a hand through her hair as she looked behind her at Naruto who was getting in the way of her cleaning her kitchen. "Naruto, I don't have the time. I'm sure you'll last one night without me going to eat with the gang tonight."

The blond groaned. "It's not just one night, Sakura-chan! You've missed every dinner for two weeks. How long are you going to avoid the bastard? This is ridiculous!"

Sakura slammed her rag down and rounded on Naruto angrily. "Why does everyone assume I'm avoiding Sasuke!? Not everything is about that spoiled jerk. Maybe I spent my vacation working, because I like working! And maybe I ran away from the market after seeing Sasuke because I got an emergency call from Tsunade! And maybe I don't want to go to dinner, because I have more important things to do than to listen to you and Sasuke fight, whilst he either ignores my existence or tells me how useless my presence is!" She was breathing hard by the time she ended her rant, but the way Naruto was looking at her, showed her that she had gotten her message across.

He stared at his friend in silence for a moment before he shook himself out of his daze. "I'm sorry, Sakura-chan... I didn't know."

The rosette bit the inside of her cheek. "Yes, you did. You just decided to ignore it, like everyone else does." She whispered brokenly.

"I'll talk to him! I'm sorry, Sakura, I was so excited about having him around that I completely forgot how this was probably making you feel!" He grabbed her into a big bear hug and cried loudly into her ear.

Sakura quickly pushed him away, patting his cheek affectionately. "Look, if I go to dinner will you promise not to say anything to Sasuke, please?"

Naruto nodded his head with teary eyes as he quickly pulled her out of the kitchen and towards the door.

Sakura blanched. "W-Wait, Naruto-"

"Noway am I letting you change your mind!"

"N-No, I'm in my pajamas! I can't go out to eat like this!" She motioned to herself!

Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh, right, sorry Sakura-chan."

She shook her head and made her way up the stairs.


"Sakura, you made it!" A hyper Ino shouted loudly as she launched herself at Sakura.

Sakura smiled a strained smile, sending a glare in Naruto's general direction. "I thought you said this was going to be a small dinner?" She asked Naruto with a dangerous glint in her eyes.

Naruto shrugged with an innocent smile. "Seems like the whole gang wanted to join together- Hinata-chan, love, you made it!" Naruto immediately left Sakura to fend for herself as he wrapped Hinata up in his arms.

Sakura watched in misery as Naruto left and now she was practically standing in the same line of sight as Sasuke!

"I guess that idiots good for something. I swear if you were going to have me walk all the way to your house with this thing I'm carrying I would have thrown a fit!" She exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Shikamaru as he placed himself right next to his wife, his arm wrapping around her protectively as a crowd of people passed by, bumping into them and making his blonde girl stumble some.

"I can't believe we all got dragged to a bar, what a drag." Shikamaru complained, leading Ino to their table so he didn't have to worry about her falling and risking early pregnancy. "Come on, woman."

Sakura shook her head and made her way towards the bar, sidestepping the bodies of dancers that were grinding up against each other. She should have known when Naruto suggested they go to a bar that it'd turn out to be like this.. "What'll it be, honey?" The bartender asked as he set a glass in front of her.

Sakura hummed in thought and smiled up at the cute bartender. "I'll just have iced water. I've already had my fare share of alcohol today." She stated with a shrug.

The man nodded and got ready to get her drink when she felt a presence behind her, she immediately knew who it was too. "Sasuke." She greeted, not turning to face him.

"Hn." He grunted as he leaned next to her, requesting a drink of his own.

Sakura snorted at his usual phrase and thanked the bartender for her drink. "I'm fine thanks for asking, how `bout you, scared any babies today?" She asked sarcastically as she turned around in her spot to look on at the crowd of people, ignoring the fact that Sasuke was practically staring her down.

"SAKURA-SAN!"

Sakura and Sasuke both blanched as Lee came barreling towards them. "L-Lee-san." Sakura stuttered as the green clad nin came towards her and gripped her hand tightly.

"Oh, my dear Sakura-san, you're looking as youthful as ever. Such beauty, such grace... You're absolutely glowing!"

Sakura sweat dropped and tried to pry her hand away from the man before her as she blushed in embarrassment. She couldn't believe Lee would do this to her right in front of Sasuke.

She heard Sasuke snort next to her, and apparently so did Lee for he turned towards Sasuke, his bushy eyebrows drawing closer. "Sasuke-san, how wonderfully youthful it is to see you associating with all our friends tonight."

As his attention was drifted away from her, Sakura managed to sneak away quickly before Lee noticed she was gone. She scurried around the dancing bodies as she made it to the patio, outside of the bar where it was much more peaceful and quiet and without Sas-

"Hn."

Sakura grabbed at her chest in surprise. "What the hell Uchiha! You trying to give someone a heart attack?" She growled at him as he raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her, not responding to her outburst at all. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you doing here, are you following me or something?"

`Yeah right.' She said to herself as she looked up at the moon.

The silence continued for a few more moments before one of them finally decided to speak.

"Does your offer still stand?"

Sakura's eyes widened as she turned her head to face Sasuke in surprise. "What did you just say?" She asked, unable to believe what she just heard.

Sasuke grumbled something unintelligible, Sakura however knew exactly what he said, but wanted to watch him suffer just a little bit more.

She smiled and leaned forward, placing her ear in his direction. "Can you say that once again, just a little bit louder."

Sasuke scowled, which she decided looked rather cute when he wasn't trying to murder someone.

She mentally smacked herself at her train of thought and nearly burst into song when she heard Sasuke's next sentence.

"I'm sorry."

"Can you say that again, please?" She asked in disbelief.

Sasuke glared, turning on his foot. "I'm going!"

Sakura laughed, unable to believe what was happening, it was all going so fast. "I'm sorry, yes of course, we can try again!"

`Are you out of your mind! I thought we were done with this man! Hello? Are you listening to me? Earth to outer Sakura!'

"What made you change your mind?" Sakura asked, completely ignoring her inner.

Sasuke paused for a moment as he slowly turned back to face her. "... You're different."

Sakura arched a pink brow at that. "Right, because that explains everything!" She flapped her hands up and then let them fall back to her sides. "You're a rather complex person, you know that, right?"

"Hn."

Sakura slapped her forehead. "And now we're back to that."

"There." Sasuke suddenly said.

She looked up at his voice, narrowing her eyes at him like Naruto used to do. "What now?"

"That."

She completely blanked for a second, her mouth hanging open stupidly in confusion. "Huh?

Sasuke leaned forward to where there noses were almost touching, looking her straight in the eyes. Sakura looked around in confusion, leaning back as he moved forward. "Hey, ever heard of personal space?" She asked, putting a hand at his chest and using a bit of force to push him back. "Bubbles are not there to be popped mister." She chastised.

Sasuke smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "It appears I was wrong from before."

Sakura scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Wow, that's a first!"

He scowled. "Hn, anyway, that's what made me change my mind. Before... When we were kids, you would have never acted this way with me before."

Sakura scratched the back of her head. "What way are we talking about?"

"So..." He paused looking for the right words. "Real."

Sakura looked at him seriously, her mind wondering what exactly was going on. Sasuke from before would never have openly requested for her to be his friend. Even at this stage of his life and it being so long since she'd last had a decent conversation with the lone Uchiha. "You know," she said softly, looking up at him for he was a head taller than she was. "you've changed too. I guess that's what happens when you grow up, huh?"

Sasuke nodded, not saying anything more.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Not like I could stop you." He stated with a shrug.

She pouted minutely before she decided to speak. "What really made you change your mind?"

Sasuke looked at her and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Because I can. That's why." He stated with a determined gaze in his eyes.

She narrowed her eyes back at him and crossed her arms. "You know what I did, don't you?"

Sasuke looked away towards the area where all their friends were. "Kakashi talks a lot when he's drunk."

Sakura grumbled and pounded her fist into her hand. "I'll kill him."

"Thank you. You didn't have to do that, you know." Sasuke said, rather begrudgingly.

Sakura hummed and looked away, turning towards the forest, making sure her back was towards Sasuke. "No one deserves to come back to that, you know. I'm just glad it made it through the war." She told him seriously.

Sasuke watched her back silently. "Ah."

"Well," she said with a grin on her face as she turned back to face him. "it's getting late and I need my beauty rest! I'll see you tomorrow at training, ne? I'll show exactly how much I've really changed." She winked and disappeared in a flurry of cherry blossom petals.

Sasuke stayed there for a few moments longer even after he couldn't since her chakra near by anymore. "Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted as he came up and clapped Sasuke on the back. "What are you doing out here alone for? Wallowing in your own self pity again? Come on, the party's just started!"

Sasuke sighed and reluctantly followed his friend back into the bar. "Where's Sakura-chan go?"

"Home." Sasuke told him as he was led back to a small table where the old rookie nine was sitting.

Ino pursed her lips. "She always does that, leaves right when it's getting good. I swear she's turning into a hermit."

Genma chuckled and leaned back in his chair, the senbon long gone, replaced for nursing a beer. "Now I wouldn't say that, she got out plenty with me."

"Says the one who slept with her for a month." Ino snapped, immediately paling as she clasped her hand over her mouth.

Genma spat out his beer as all eyes turned on him. "You big mouth!" He nearly screeched.

Naruto spluttered and Kakashi's fists clenched. "WHAT?! YOU DID WHAT WITH WHO?!"


Sakura was calmly reading some medical scrolls as she sneezed loudly. "Ugh," she groaned. "I hope I'm not getting sick."