Chapter Ten: A Proper Thank-You

Sighing heavily, Sakura slumped into one of the hospital's swivel chairs. After mending two broken bones, healing multiple lacerations, and completing one major procedure, Sakura concluded her hectic morning. Chakra-depleted and exhausted, Sakura swallowed a soldier pill (the REAL lifesaver in the hospital) and finished off her bottle of water. She had hoped that her busy schedule would serve as an effective distraction.

Unfortunately, it wasn't enough of a diversion. Thoughts of Shino consumed her mind, and everything around Sakura reminded her of him somehow. Even has she looked at the dew droplets on the window, she remembered about how she cried for Shino. She shook her head vigorously, determined to erase that memory. She must've looked pitiful in his shaded eyes, and he must've realized that she had feelings for him. Who wouldn't come to that conclusion? Her tears were a silent confession, displaying her love for him.

. . . Love? No, she was being foolish. She had made this mistake before, with Sasuke. She had erred into thinking that her immature crush on the young Uchiha was love, and she was only hurt by it. Was she starting the same ordeal with Shino as well? Maybe she was just a hapless romantic. She wanted to be in love, but it never would work out in her favor, because she too readily gave her heart away.

Besides, she was being quite selfish and unprofessional. Here she was, falling head over heels for her patient. To add to the insult, he was still plagued by the death of Hinata, the woman he loved so dearly. Surely, the other medic nin, especially Tsunade-sama, would frown upon her.

Several brusque knocks instantly grabbed Sakura's attention. The weary kunoichi meandered to the door, assuming that it was Shizune. She opened the door, but she was stunned to see none other than Shino in the hall.

"Hello Sakura," he greeted, bowing his head, "I was hoping to find you here." Wordlessly, Sakura opened the door wider, to let him in the room. She glimpsed at her reflection in the window, and she suddenly became self-conscience. She was sweaty and fatigued, and her plain clothes were dingy. She didn't bother fixing her hair earlier that morning, and she had hastily pulled her pink hair into an untidy ponytail before work. Shino must've thought that she looked like a mess; no one would give her a second glance.

"Is something wrong?" Sakura asked, as she tried to push her insecurities aside.

"Not at all," said Shino, "I wanted to thank you."

"To . . . thank me?" hesitated Sakura.

"Yes," began the stoic shinobi, "a while ago, I was frustrated, angry, and depressed. I wasn't able to (or allowed to) talk about my unhappiness. I think that by confiding in you, I relieved much of my stress. You didn't know me very well, and yet you cared about me, and you thought of me as a human being, not as a weapon or a disgusting bug. I wish I knew how to fully thank you."

There were so many things she wanted to tell him, but she couldn't utter a sound. She was transfixed by his words. Of course, Inner Sakura wasn't afraid to express her desires, as she swooned and begged for another hug or, better yet, a kiss. However, Sakura suppressed these desires, knowing that the Aburame heir was out of her reach.

"Shino," she said softly, a gentle smile on her face, "hearing you tell me that you are better is enough for me. I'm glad that I could help."

"Actually, there is something else I wish to tell you," continued Shino. "I was summoned to my father's office last night."

"Oh no," griped Sakura, "he didn't mention me, did he?"

"Yes, he did. But it's-"

"Ack!" yelped Sakura frantically, "Shino! I know that I was being a little nosy, but I wanted to get the truth out of him. And I swear that I didn't break my promise by telling him that it was you who tipped me off on the secrets! He must've learned from someone else, that's for-"

"Sakura," interrupted Shino, his voice remaining calm as he grabbed Sakura's lithe shoulders to pacify her, "relax. This is good news."

"Eh heh heh," she chuckled uncomfortably. A now collected Sakura cleared her throat. "Well, uh, what did he tell you?"

"I'm no longer engaged to Chiasa-san. As long as I find someone before I am twenty-five, I may choose my own wife," announced Shino, a rare smile on his face. Sakura reciprocated the grin.

"I'm so happy for you!" enthused Sakura, clapping her dainty hands together. "But you said that he mentioned me. What did he say about me?"

"Ah, well, he advised me to consider you."

"M-me?" stuttered the flustered medic nin, a blush creeping across her face. Numbness spread through her mind like poison, and she pinched herself to check if she was dreaming or not.

"He thinks that you are intelligent and determined for a naïve woman, and he apparently likes you. So do I." Sakura was astounded at his revelation. She pinched herself once again for good measure.

"It's alright if you're not interested," said Shino, dismayed at her silence, "you don't have to-"

"I would love to go out with you," replied Sakura finally, beaming at the relieved shinobi.

"So, um, movie?" he stammered.

"Sounds great," Sakura said, as she took his hand, ready for the next chapter in both of their lives to unfold.

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A/N: This is the final chapter of Wear And Tear. I hope everyone enjoyed it. Also, I won't be writing so much for the time being, because I am currently working on a doujinshi of Deidara's past, titled Of Insanity and Inspiration. This doujinshi will explain my take on how he came to be the way he is. It will explain why he left Iwa, how he can do his technique (and why he's the only one), how he developed his jutsu, why he says "un," why he is the youngest member of Akatsuki, what caused him to become near insane, and how he came to believe that "art is a bang." If you are interested, you can find the beginning of the doujinshi here: http:// kamden. deviantart. com / art / Of-Insanity-And-Inspiration - 72049973 (without the spaces).