Chasing Yesterday
Chapter Ten
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Suprises are security. Lie are the barriers the weak hold up.
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"Tsunade-sama, are you sure she'll wake up? I mean it's been four week..."
"Three and a half weeks, Shizune. Get it right!"
"Sorry, sorry, Ino. My bad. Anyways, I'm starting to think we'll need to take her off life support... I'm sure we've lost her to comatose."
"No! Are you crazy?! You cannot --" Suddenly a door slammed open and there were quiet orders before someone stomped out of the room, who loudly slammed the door behind.
Probably Ino... That's just like her, The rosette thought, inwardly smiling. Then another hand was pressed to her forehead.
"Hm... She's burning up; have you checked her temperature?" Great, another person was in the room! But that sounded an awful lot like...
"Yes. It read 103.2 degrees... Tsunade-sama," Shizue replied.
The blonde nodded, "I see. Well I need you to go and fetch me a washcloth damp with luke-warm water, alright?" Shizune nodded and quickly exited the room. Tsunade's gaze returned to Sakura. "Now, my pink haired apprentice, where were you?" She asked as if she knew Sakura was concious and listening to their previous conversation.
"Ngh..." The rosette mumbled, hoping she'd buy the fake act.
Tsunade narrowed her eyes and snarled a little. She took a few deep breaths and rephrased her question; but changed it into a command. "Tell me where you were and why, Sakura."
Sighing, she looked at the elderly woman. "No where, I just had a family emergency outside of town..," Sakura had lied.
Tsunade smirked, "Really? Well that's odd considering how the Haruno clan -besides you- was wiped out." Sakura tensed and glowered at the white, gray, and beige colored sheets. How could she forget something that was so crucial?
Idiot. Stupid, stupid... idiot. That voice in the back of her head cried.
I'm sure you already said 'idiot' enough times, Sakura replied inwardly.
Sakura finally answered of moments of thoughtfulness, "No, you're wrong. The Haruno clan got wiped out here, but in the Village of the Mist, my aunt Midori and uncle Takashi -who were twiced removed from both of their families- are renting a house. And they are alive."
Tsunade gave me a sweatdrop/deadpanned look; it was as if she knew every word was a lie! But then she grew solemn and calm. "I see. Well do not run off without telling someone next time, alright? Not even Naruto knew where you went; I thought that was bizzare considering how you two tell each other everything." Tsunade rambled, rubbing her temples. Sakura was gazing at the uncrumpled and almost perfectly preserved sheets. Her darker-than-jade eyes scanned the material, but there was nothing but the zig-zagging pattern of how the sheets were stitched.
"Well I guess I should send him in, huh? He's been bugging me -non-stop- about seeing you since you arrived home..." Sakura hadn't noticed, but Tsunade was now at the hospital room door, about to exit. Curious hazel-colored eyes glanced over her shoulder to see the rosette. Tsunade began talking, "You know, it'd be good if you started a conversation - or put in some words once and a while. But, knowing Naruto, you might not have to do much talking."
Sakura nodded, "Yeah, you're probably right." Tsunade sighed, realizing she wasn't getting anywhere with her youngest apprentice. The fifty year old woman left the room and twenty-five minutes or so later, a bouncing-off-the-walls and cheery blonde came rushing into the plain room. His azure eyes gleaming as the yellow-ish sunlight hit them. His whiskered cheeks seemed paler, but still normal.
Just as I remember, Sakura smiled welcoming. The man grinned back.
"Sakura-chan! It's so great to see you! Oh man, it's been a while since we've seen each other - let alone talk to each other! Wow, I don't know what else to say... Weird, huh? I always have something to say; at least that's what Ino tells me..." The man continued and the pinkette merely listened, smiling. She tossed in a few "Yes, I know's" and "Okay's" every now and then, but he mostly did the talking. Just as Tsunade had said. Some things never change; but they're hardly the good things that stay...
- XxXx -
Sasuke retired to his bedroom earlier the past few nights.
Orochimaru had practically 'bit his (Sasuke's) head off' once he heard that the youngest Uchiha had let Sakura slip through his fingers. Although Sasuke, Karin, Juggo, Suigetsu, Orochimaru, nor Kabuto had ever found the pen-written note that Sakura left for Sasuke. Not even the actual pen was found; Karin insisted that they remove, burn, or throughly wash the blanket and sheets before Sasuke slept there again. Talk about controlling and obsessive... Suigetsu -openly- explained his opinion about how he thought she was ridiculous and conpulsively annoying. Quote: "Karin, you've got to be kidding me! You think he'll get contaminated if he sleeps with the same sheets she did? That's ridiculously stupid and ugh... You're annoying!" -Sasuke had unnoticably cringed, "-anyways, I think you should just let it go. She'll never be coming back. And besides the fact that she was really pretty, Sasuke didn't like her." End quote.
- XxXx -
"Damn, these are the fourteenth boquet of flowers since I came home," Sakura grumbled as yet another nurse set another transparent vase -filled with red and yellow tulips- on the wooden nightstand beside the weird bed. The nurse hadn't heard her comment as she hurried from the room. It's been five days since she woke
Sakura was already in a crappy mood because of her stupid mood swings that have been hay-wire lately. Her headaches were annoying and caused her not to want to see. Her body pains made her want to curl up and cry in a corner. Every inch just felt sore. Everything hurt.
Sakura reread the card -that was attached- aloud, "To Sakura, from Ino. Hope you get better soon!" Of course they were from Ino; she basically owned and ran the Yamanaka Flower Shop now. Ino had always been one to love flowers and the millions of different types of them. Her favorite place was in the flower field, where Sakura and herself had started hanging out since they were little.
"Why can't everyone just say "We're glad you're back" some other time? Ugh... it's so frustrating. This whole situation was and is," Sakura whined while peering at the dozens of flowers which were in unique, glass vases.
The dozen of White Lillies were from the Hyuuga clan, who were graceful enough to send them. Sakura had thought they'd never liked her; you know, they'd given her 'the cold shoulder' 3/4 of the time.
Eight purple Petunias were given to the pinkette by Tenten - Neji's only female team mate. Her and Sakura had never really spoken much, but somehow Tenten knew how to make anyone's day.
Three Amaranth flowers were sitting in an orange vase. Sakura had giggled at the card and what the person said the flowers meant. The card had said: "To Sakura, from Kiba and Akamaru. These flowers supposedly mean 'unchangeable,' so... Don't go changing 'till we meet again, okay?"
A dozen of red Carnations were placed on the windowsill near Sakura's bedside. They were from Rock Lee... It makes sense because a group of this type of Carnation means admiration and 'my heart aches for you.' With those Carnations, was two red Chrysanthemums in a smaller vase, which meant 'I love you.' Sakura thought it was sweet, but it was still futile considering how her heart had been stolen. Again.
There were also four vases full other exotic flowers from the hospital staff. Another vase from Tsunade and Shizune, then there were two vases from younger patients Sakura had tended to.
The first vase the Haruno recieved was from Sunagakure's kazekage: Gaara. He had sent her a transparent vase filled with a single, very pretty, orchid. The redhead, no eyebrow-ed man was very sweet and nice once you got the chance to know him; once you actually wanted to know him. But Sakura had figured he only sent it because Chiyo - Sasori's grandmother- was a villager of Suna. Sakura remembered his card; it was so simple! "Sakura Haruno, get well." It had said.
Sighing, Sakura laid back onto the metal -with five inches of mattress- bed. It wasn't helping her already pained back. She was a Medic Nin for crying out loud! How could she not know what was wrong with herself? This was becoming preposterous!
Minutes after she began creating a list of what could be wrong, a nurse named Aiko came stumbling in with yet another vase.
Oh wonderful! Just was I was hoping for! Sakura thought sarcastically. Her emerald eyes watched the skittish nurse as she hastily poured filtered water into the vase before slipping the flowers in.
"Um, excuse me?" Sakura called out to the young nurse.
"Y-yes?" The nurse replied shakily.
"What type of flowers are those? Does the card say?" Sakura asked, but quickly saw the nurse move her head to the left, then right; signaling that she did not know. "Oh, well then can I please have them?" Nodding, the nurse shoved the vase towards the rosette. "Thank you!" Sakura yelled as the nurse darted out of the room. She sighed but began reading the card aloud, "To Sakura. I am sluggish, especially around you. I regret all those things I did to you. Sorry." At the bottom of the scripted handwriting, it said what type of flowers they were.
"A dozen of Asphodels? You sent you those?" Sakura nearly dropped the vase; the sudden statement -which came from someone else's voice- startled her.
Sakura gently set the 3D glass figure in a clear space on the nightstand. She looked at the blonde and answered, "I don't know what they're called or who sent them, but for some reason, I love them... Is that bad?"
Ino shrugged and shook her head, "No, but it's odd because those particular flowers mean languor and regret. Why would someone send a sick person that!" She exclaimed.
Sakura frowned, "Ino... I'm not sick. For the umpteenth time. I'm just slowly healing, that's all."
"Yeah, yeah," Ino waved her hand dismissively, "Anyways! I brought you some -"
The pink haired woman interrupted, "It better not be anymore flowers."
Ino scowled, "Well that ruins half of my gift." The blonde woman set a thin, painted vase of Geranium - flowers which mean friendship - on the unoccupied bed's nightstand. Then Ino smiled again, "Luckily, I got you some Dango-on-a-stick's -"
"Anko is getting to you."
"- and a new medical book on how to cure certain types of blindness!" Ino finished, ignoring my comment. Sakura gasped and grinned.
"Did you really? Oh my God, that's great, Ino!! Thanks!" Ino handed her best friend the hardly wrapped book and pack of Dangos/es. They exchanged friendly glances and smiles before 'air-hugging.'
"Glad you like it! But you should really consider the flowers. They're sort of pricy lately," Ino suggested.
"I should, but I probably won't. I've had enough flowers for a year or two..," Sakura replied, making a face at the dozens of flowers.
"Flowers are wonderful things though!" Ino pouted. "Well, I'm not taking any of them back, so just keep complaining. No refunds!"
Sakura laughed, "Refunds? I doubt any of those people will demand a refund; let alone want to refund them. They'll end up taking them back to their place and letting them sit in the sunlight..."
"Er, probably. But I guess that's okay. As long as they try and take care of them, it's cool with me."
"You're such an easy-going person, Ino."
"I know! Geez, that's what my mother keeps telling me." The two females laughed.
Soon Ino left to finish her shift at the flowers store and Sakura was left alone again. She had thearpy in two hours, but in the mean-time this Haruno had nothing to do. Sakura had began to read a section on the fundamentals of curing blindness, but she couldn't focus knowing she had to discuss her 'true whereabouts' with Naruto. He would be visiting after thearpy and he always offered to talk or stay the night. But today, it seemed different.
Sakura moaned in tiredness and annoyance. This was going to be a very long day. Subconciously, her hand rested on her soon to be bulging stomach.
A/n: Hope you liked it! And thank you for reading. I think this chapter or the next chapter will be the final one as well. But that's just a head's-up!! Please review!