"Mikomi?"
"Huh?" Takomi and Mikomi said at once then glanced at each other in surprise.
"Well that could get to be annoying," Ino said with eyebrows raised. Mikomi shot her a bland look then turned back to her sister.
"One of you needs a nickname," Makoto murmured, rubbing her chin in thought. Mikomi frowned. "I could call you Miki!" Makoto's voice was laced with excitement and here eyes gleamed.
"No." Makoto deflated at her sister's blunt denial.
"But your names are so similar. You'd both be answering to each other's names all the time."
"Then give her the nickname."
"What would we call her? Tako?" Takomi's eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest but was cut off when Makoto continued. "I don't think so. Besides, Miki is so much cuter than Tako." Mikomi glared at her sister.
"Call her by her last name like everyone else does," she said with a hint of exasperation in her voice.
"I don't know her last name." Makoto's simple statement was met with silence. Mikomi turned to her sister and glared at her.
"Then ask her," the words came through set teeth and Sakura knew that she was the end of her patience. Sakura sighed. Makoto had been asking ridiculous questions of her sister all morning and everyone was starting to get a little annoyed. She even thought she saw Hinata send a glare the girl's way.
"Cleaning and organizing the infirmary's supplies is tedious enough without some air head chatter box around," Ino muttered under her breath as she brought in more clean sheets to fold and put away. Hinata's mop slapped against the floor with more force than needed to voice her agreement.
"She's just mad that she's not the center of attention," Inner Sakura said with a snort and Sakura suppressed a smile. Naruto, Shino, and Lee walked into the tent suddenly, all three loaded down with large boxes.
"Sakura why does this medical stuff have to be so heavy?" Naruto whined loudly, his voice ranging out over the sister's argument and everyone turned to look at the lined up group of boys.
"Sakura-chan, you grow more beautiful everyday," Lee said enthusiastically and Sakura laughed nervously and whipped at the sweat drops that had formed on her wide forehead. If nothing else Lee was good for boosting her ego. That and heavy lifting. Shino, as stoic as ever, lifted an eyebrow but said nothing.
"Where should we put these Sakura?" Naruto's words were little more than a grunt and realized that his box must contain the IV stands spare bed frames that she had requested.
"Stack them on the floor next to the door way but not in the walkway please. And be careful. Some of those things are breakable." The boys nodded and dropped their boxes in their respective spots. "Thanks guys."
"Yeah, more work. Thanks a lot." Sakura gave Ino a bland look for the comment but said nothing.
"Guys while you're here, these are Mikomi and Makoto, our new medics," Sakura said. The boys called out greetings, with the exception of Shino who just nodded. Makoto seemed to be smiling widely at him. Sakura and Ino shared a look. What was that about?
--
"I've got it!" Ino burst into Sakura's "room", her only warning was the thumping of the blonde's sandals on the wood flooring.
"Got what?" she asked in exasperation as she struggled with the hooks of her bra.
"Shino and Makoto. They were lovers." Ino's statement was met with a "are you retarded" look.
"They weren't lovers Ino."
"Then how else would they know each other?" Ino flopped back onto Sakura's cot with sigh.
"Ino, let it go. It's been three weeks now. Just let it go."
"I can't," Ino said fervently as she sat up. "Shino is such a mystery as it is! There's literally no dirt on him at all. None! No one can be that ideal and still be human!" The blonde pulled at her hair in frustration. "There has to be something on him somewhere." Finally getting the hooks into their respective eyes Sakura walked over and grabbed her friend's shoulders, shaking her violently.
"Ino! Get a hold of yourself! There is nothing on Shino," she said slowly. "Say it." Ino shook her head. "Say it, or I'll crush your head like a grape," Sakura's voice was hard and held no hope for compromise.
"There is no dirt on Shino." The words were ripped from the woman's lips and she looked as if she had just gotten a tooth pulled with nothing to numb the pain.
"Good. Now go to your tent and go to sleep." Ino slunk from the room with a mournful glance at her so-called friend then let the flap drop. Sighing Sakura pulled on a short spaghetti strap nightgown and put her hair up with senbon. Finally ready for bed the pink haired kunoichi sat at her desk and finished a report for one of the patients that she had released that afternoon. She heard light thumps on the floor of the infirmary and sighed. "Go to bed Ino," she called without bothering to look up from the scroll on her desk.
Hearing the flap to her room open Sakura slapped her hands down on the surface of her desk and whiled around to face her friend. "Ino! There is nothing on Shino! Now go to- Gaara." The Kage stood in her sleeping quarters casually, his expression blank. "What are you doing here? Are you hurt?" Gaara shook his head. A small portion of sand filtered out of the large gourd on his back and floated forwards her, her book on top.
"Oh. What'd you think?" His nose wrinkled in distaste.
"It was a chick book." A perfectly arched pink eyebrow went up at his statement.
"Excuse me?" Gaara gave her a bland look.
"It was a chick book," he said more slowly this time as if talking to a half-wit. Sakura fluttered her eyelashes in annoyance.
"Why do you say that?" Gaara lifted one shoulder in a half shrug.
"Romantic subplot, high unnecessary drama, essential elements of a chick book." Sakura rested her hands on her hips and cocked them to the side.
"And how would you know what a 'chick book' entails?"
"As I said. I read a lot at night. I've read some of Temari's books though hers consisted of considerably more gore than that one." He nodded to the book still supported by sand. As if remembering that he was still holding it the sand bobbed suddenly, a silent reminder to take the book. Taking note of the movement but making no move to retrieve the piece of literature Sakura smiled slightly.
"That's why you didn't like it? Not enough gore?" Her smile slipped from her face at her own question as if she were remembering just what he and Shukaku were famous for. Gaara shook his head.
"I didn't say that I didn't like it."
"You never said that you did."
"Why would I?" Sakura blinked at that.
"What do you mean?" Gaara shifted his weight, his arms coming up to cross over his chest.
"You never asked me if I liked the book so why would I tell you whether I enjoyed the book or not?" Sakura gave him a confused frown and cocked her head to one side slightly. Some one was sure being argumentative.
"Did you enjoy the book," she asked slowly.
"Not particularly." Sakura turned her head to the side, as if looking at an invisible audience. She turned back to him, opened her mouth to speak but seemed to think better of it and closed it.
"Why didn't you enjoy the book?" The question was asked calmly enough but Gaara could tell that he had riled her. It was enough to make him want to smile.
"I think that the plot would have been better with out the romance."
"Don't like the love angle?"
"Typical guy," Inner Sakura said. "All he wants is explosions and blood shed. None of them can appreciate a good love story." Outer Sakura chuckled at her inner's antics. It had been a while since she had heard from Inner. She had begun to think that she had out grown her "imaginary" self. Gaara shook his head.
"Love is like a rumor." Gaara blinked, his eyes widening slightly in surprise as if he had said something that he hadn't meant to. Sakura frowned.
"What do you mean?" Gaara grimaced and looked away, reluctant to say more. "Go on." He sighed.
"Love is like a rumor," he repeated. "Everyone talks about it but no one truly knows."
"Everyone knows what love is," Sakura said, waving one hand in the air dismissively. Gaara smirked.
"What is love?" Sakura's mouth snapped closed with a click of teeth and she glared at him.
"Love," she said hesitantly. "Is a feeling." When she didn't elaborate his smirk widened into a small grin.
"What does love feel like?" The pink haired kunoichi glared at the floor for a moment before she smiled softly and looked up at him.
"Love is like swallowing hot chocolate before it's cooled off. It takes you by surprise at first but keeps you warm for a long time." Gaara blinked at her, not amused. "No?" she asked with a small laugh. "How about this one then. Love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own." Gaara's sand dropped the book and it landed on the ground with a dull thud. He turned and opened the flap over the doorway to her quarters but paused before leaving completely.
"I am not sure if like either of your explanations and you never really answered my question, neither answer was a feeling though both scenarios insinuated one or another." His head cocked to the side, "And both seemed very uncomfortable." With that he stepped out and let the flap drop.
--
A/N: OMG a chapter done two weeks early! -oh shock and disbelief- I'm so proud of myself. -throws confetti- If I can kick out another chapter of this I'll be set and can fully focus on Seika in ESW (link's on my profile). -sings- Now if only I can remember to update on time…(-.-) I'll try my best.
Black Rose