Sakura was in her office, only her office lamp was on and reports were sprawled across her desk. Neji had left at least an hour ago and she had walked him out of the hospital. Sakura touched her lips and smiled when she recalled turning to go back into the hospital and Neji pulled her back around to plant a soft kiss on her lips. Sakura chuckled some and was content with how things were progressing with Neji. Even if the outcome of their relationship looked bleak, they both decided to push forward any way.

Sakura stood from her seat and stretched her arms above her. She looked over at the clock on the wall, 5:43 am. She moved to get her lab coat and stethoscope. Rounds were going to begin very soon and she had a 6:30am surgery. After putting her arms through the sleeves of her doctors' coat Sakura went over to her desk and gave the white flowers a sniff. They smelled lovely, and knowing they were from Neji put her in a better mood.

Leaving her office Sakura stopped at the nurse's station to say hello to the girls and get a status report of Izawaki. The man who tried to force her to perform a delicate surgery on him. They reported that he has been heavily sedated and will be moving wards mid-day. He was to go to the physiocratic ward, unfortunately that is where he would most likely be discharged from the Anbu by Naruto, handed a medal of service and papers of discharge.

Sakura knew the system all too well and have seen many great ninja's go to physiocratic ward. Sakura had scheduled to perform surgery on him in a month and would tell him that after he was discharged of service.

Sakura made two extra clones of herself and started on the Anbu wing. She would take hall A-B, clone 1 would do C-D and clone 3 would take hall E. It would cut the time of doing rounds to about 35 minutes which would leave her 10 extra minutes to get prepared for surgery.

Sakura started and collected vitals of all of her patients, wrote the results down, listened to complaints of being in pain, checked injuries, administrated more medicine if needed and gave each patient a smile.

35 minutes later Sakura was back at the nurses station with her reports of all the patients and turned them in to the two nurses. They would file them and update charts and do all the work she didn't have time to do.

Sakura made her way to the surgery floor and passed by a different nurses station. This station had Ino, she was Lead Doctor on this floor.

"I heard Neji came to visit last night. Oh la la a hot steamy passionate rendezvous perhaps," Ino pried practically clawing her way over the counter.

"Oh Ino, when are you going to learn. I don't kiss and tell. I do enjoy some level of privacy you know," Sakura tried to shoo her off as she grabbed the chart for the patient they would be performing surgery on.

Her efforts to rid herself of Ino were only in vain. The blonde was right by her side and stated, "and when will YOU learn that you will never have privacy. Not with me as your best friend.," Ino chirped. She too would be helping with the surgery. Helping as in standing in the background watching Sakura.

"Then I suppose it's a good thing I consider Hinata my best friend. Why would I want a pig as my friend," Sakura teased.

Ino was a sucker for being called a pig and Sakura could see her temper spiking to critical levels. She smiled and then started to laugh, "Ino if your scowl much more you'll develop wrinkles."

"Sakura, I don't think you know who you're talking to. Don't push your luck with me," Ino spat empty threats. Sakura knew that in a one on one match, Ino was no match for her anymore. Though Ino was an incredibly strong foe, Sakura was quick and her monstrous strength gave her the edge. One blow from Sakura could kill someone. Sakura only smiled at her and waved Ino threats away.

"Prep the patient for surgery, I will meet you in the operation room," Sakura said as she walked through double doors into the surgery room.

The patient was a 6-year-old Lords daughter who was suffering from appendicitis. A simple surgery with a relatively quick recovery time. That was thing about Sakura. Her surgery scheduled was always filled with nobles needing this or that. They were a nuisance, but these were the people that funded the hospital so she could only turn down so many requests. Sakura had a very important job with a large salary. She had more money than what she spent. Most of it was given to charity for children in need. Though it had been 5 years since the great war, many people had died and many widows and orphans were made. Sakura made many contributions to all of the villages orphanages and relief funds.

Sakura started prep for Surgery and pushed all thoughts of anything else from her mind.


Neji was reading the report Naruto had just passed around the table. The clock on the opposite side read 8:08am. He'd been stuck in this meeting for an hour and even though the meeting was important it was boring. Even Naruto looked bored, but to his credit he always looked bored in these types of meetings. It may not look like he was paying attention, but he was.

Neji had concerns about a new prototype weapon the science division was trying to push. In theory the medicine was to work as a back-up when chakra levels were low. These sounded similar to the pills Choji had. However, these were supposed to be safe and even though the trials had proved they were effective, Neji had concerns as there weren't any reports of the pills failing. Only success.

"Thank you for your time Hokage, we eagerly await your response," the lead scientist on the team said. They all bowed and exited slowly.

"I know that look Neji. What's wrong," Shikamaru asked from across the table.

"This report, it only has evidence that the pills work and are successful. There isn't any evidence as to what side effects these pills might have or do have. Or what might happen if you consume one too many," Neji stated flipping through the pages.

"I was thinking the same thing. We can't release a product like this until we know more. We should probably have the Akimichi clan look at these since they are very similar to the ones they have," Shikamaru stated. "Naruto what do you think?"

"I think that I heard a lot of things said by those guys, and that it sounds very suspicious to me. I don't want to put anyone in danger. There is simply not enough for me to approve of this product. Please tell the science team that they will need to conduct further tests and give me more thorough reports of the long term effects these pills have on people. I also want the test subjects to be inspected by Sakura Haruno and her staff every 2 weeks. Shikamaru, please make arrangements for the Akmichi clan to inspect these. I want a report next Monday on them. If that is all then you are all dismissed," Naruto said getting up from his seat. Everyone else followed suit and everyone exited the room. Naruto knew what he needed to do. He had to get the reports of the Anbu in the hospital from Sakura. She said he would have them ready by 9am.

"Neji, Shikamaru, I am leaving to get the reports from Sakura on the Anbu in the hospital. Please conduct appointments for me from now until 9:45," Naruto commanded and then turned to leave. Neji and Shikamaru only nodded and went to their office to continue doing the day's work.

Running a village required more than just a Hokage. Someone needed to process all the missions' requests that came through and deciding what team went on what missions and who was sent this way and who was sent that way. Neji and Shikamaru had their hands full with this job. And when Naruto left the office, they also had to keep his appointments. He only had one meeting today with a certain noble. This noble was known for being annoying. Always requesting that Naruto supply him with men so that he can take someone's land. He wanted to Hokage seal on his paper to justify taking this land.

"Well we should probably get a little bit of work done before the meeting. Though I can't justify letting a noble take farmers land to use a profit for his own sector," Shikamaru stated.

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every mans greed," Neji stated with Shikamaru only nodding his head in agreement.

Neji started going through the daily petitions, and one of them happened to be a marriage proposal to Sakura. A high lord on the northern end of the Leaf Village wanted to have Sakura marry his son. A man ten years her senior. Neji felt his blood boil, and even though he had seen many of these requests more, it bothered him more now that Sakura had accepted him as suitor.

"Your mood is spoiling the nice atmosphere we have in here. What's got you all bunched up," Shikamaru asked, knowing that whatever was on the petition had really bothered Neji. And Neji was the kind of man to keep level headed about almost everything.

"Nothing, I just don't think Lords should be sending requests for marriage for Sakura when the suitor is ten years older than she is. No woman wants to wed an old man," Neji said stamping the petition to be reviewed by Naruto. Per Naruto's request, he wanted to see all the petitions. He laughed at most and rejected many, he only approved a certain few.

Shikamaru sighed, "Sakura must have accepted your offer didn't she, otherwise you wouldn't be acting like this."

Neji berated himself for letting Shikamaru see right through him. Though he had to give the man credit, Shikamaru was a genius in his own right, his high intellect and aptitude for strategy made him valuable to Naruto. Just like how Neji's village connections made him valuable.

"Yes, she has accepted," Neji confirmed.

"Well good luck. You'll need it with her. That woman has an even scarier temper than my wife," Shikamaru stated. He was referring to Temari of course who had dual-citizenship in the Sand and Leaf village.

Neji only nodded and continued with the worked in front of him. There were many D rank missions for the recently graduated academy class to complete. Neji had seen some good low C ranked missions for Lee's team to do.

"The chunin exams are coming up again. I assume that you and the selected others will be making the arrangements again," Neji asked as he put his seal of approval and notes on petitions for Naruto to review.

"Yeah probably, though it's not hard work, trying to accommodate over 100 people is hard work. Plus, we have to think of the exams, though it has become easier now that relations with the other villages has improved."

Neji nodded and listened to Shikamaru prattle on about the exams. He remembers taking the exams himself and he also remembered losing to Naruto. Though he was able to get promoted after taking the exams against even though they had been interrupted by the attack of Kazekage. Neji could only think what a crazy life they all lived.

Though since the war, the world was relatively peaceful now, save for land disputes between lords. Mainly on the border which were handled quickly.

Before Neji knew where the time had gone they were in the meeting with Lord and had quickly handled the situation and as always, promised to pass his concerns onto the Hokage for final review. Though both Shikamaru and Neji put their seals of rejections, it was ultimately for Naruto to approve or reject, and he could over turn their decisions.

"He's late," Neji said waiting in Naruto's office at 9:50am.


"Wait you what," Naruto practically screamed.

"You're in a hospital Naruto, keep your voice down," Sakura scolded him. She had told him she had accepted Neji as a suitor and would therefore no longer be entertaining any other suitors.

"Sakura, I approved his family's request out of obligation, I didn't think you two would actual make a good match. Are you doing this to rebel against me? Or make Sasuke jealous," Naruto interrogated her.

"Oh please Naruto. Do you honestly think I live my life like a teenager rebelling against her parents? And for Sasuke, he wouldn't notice if I was dating a beggar or a lord so it doesn't matter to me," Sakura stated to him.

"I just can't believe that you accepted anyone. I mean I out together a list of men I thought might appeal to you," Naruto said as he took the medical reports from Sakura.

"Yes, you did put together a nice list of good looking men for me, however I am looking more in a man than just looks Naruto. I want to be with someone here in the capital. That way I can still be close to home, work and family. I don't want to marry someone across the country who is ten years older than me. I'll tell you this, next time you send a man in his 30's my way, I'll knock your lights out got it," she warned.

Naruto only nodded his head in response. "After all these years you are still so scary Sakura."

Sakura laughed and shook her head, "you're the Hogake Naruto. You shouldn't be scared of me."

"Sakura you can kill a man with a punch to the gut, I've seen it. Any man with a brain would know to be scared of you. I am glad you have found someone to be a suitor. I will be following up on this in a few months to see where it goes," Naruto said as he stood to stand. Sakura quickly got up herself.

Even though a hand shake between the two would have be proper they gave each other a hug instead. Team 7 through and through.

"I'll be seeing you later tonight at team dinner Sakura," Naruto said as he headed out the door.

Sakura dropped her head in despair. She had completely forgot. She'd have one of the other doctor's cover her for a few hours tonight. Team dinner, the very event she had been avoiding the past 2 years since her break up with Sasuke.