The Unfamiliar Familiarity

You try to get under my skin

And poison me from within

- "The Real Version of You",Chasing Victory

Sasuke tried to ignore the unfamiliar ache in his chest that was caused by the sight that affronted his dark eyes. He did not like this feeling. It was weakness. He could not tolerate weakness.

And yet the ache remained.

It was strange that he should be so affected by such a trivial scene. Perhaps that is why he was affected by it. There was no room for such trivial things in his life.

Perhaps it was the familiarity of the situation. His memory brought him back to a time just over five years ago, acting of its own accord.

So maybe it wasn't so much the scene before his eyes that caused this unwelcome feeling, but the memories it provoked. Unwanted memories, ones he thought he'd done away with. Ones he thought he'd left behind in Konoha.

But this place and these people were bringing them back. Now the memories he didn't want weighed around his neck like heavy chains, threatening to pull him down further and further into a past he didn't want to return to.

"Is something wrong with your food, Sasuke?" Sakura asked innocently.

That unnamed feeling in his chest spiked at her words. What a Sakura comment. She had always been concerned for his wellbeing even though she never had to be - it wasn't her responsibility.

He realized that he hadn't been eating the food in front of him. No, he'd been listlessly watching the easy banter that transpired between the table's occupants and trying to figure out why it affected him like it did.

"It's fine," he said. It was fine but unless that food could fill the hollow space in this chest, he wasn't interested in eating it.

Sakura blinked at him in confusion as the rest of the table's occupants continued with their incessant chatter.

"Okay, but you should really eat something. Who knows when we'll get another home-cooked meal like this?"

Sasuke stopped a rueful smile from forming on his expressionless lips. Sakura had always been the one to tie the gap between Team Seven. She had always pulled him in; always made sure he was included even if he didn't want to be. She was the one thing that kept him from distancing himself like he always wanted to.

He wanted to hate her for it, but his attempt was ridiculously half-hearted.

"Fine," he said before shoving some food into his mouth and forcing himself to chew. He could not even taste it.

Sakura smiled at him. But it didn't reach her eyes…not like the smile she'd given Aiko earlier that evening. This smile now was a mere ghost of the ones he'd once known, a mere apparition of the ones she'd once bestowed on him freely. Not anymore.

He didn't need them anyway.

"Did you need any help washing up, Miyu?" Sakura offered. Washing dishes wasn't exactly her favorite pastime but she knew she'd feel guilty if she didn't at least offer.

Miyu waved her away, still chuckling over something stupid Naruto had said over dinner. After what Aiko had told her concerning Miyu's happiness, Sakura was glad Naruto had been able to make her laugh. At least he was good for something, even if that was just entertainment.

"Sakura?"

Sakura turned around at the soft-spoken voice. It was Aiko. She hadn't really been a part of the conversation at the table, but she had followed along and laughed quietly. Sakura hadn't missed the way she kept looking at her Mother whenever she laughed with a touch of awe. Then she smiled brightly, just like she had earlier.

At some points of the conversation Miyu had been laughing to the point of tears. Sakura couldn't blame her. She and Naruto had been telling her and Aiko about some of the missions they had been on together and how Naruto (well, she claimed it was Naruto anyway) had stuffed them up in the worst possible ways, yet it always managed to turn out okay. He really had done some stupid things over the years…and so had she. But he wouldn't be Naruto if he hadn't stuffed up half of his missions in the most ridiculous ways.

As she looked at Miyu now, she couldn't help but be amazed at how Naruto had once again managed to affect someone's life. She had no idea how he did it. He probably didn't have any idea either. Hell, he probably didn't even know he did it at all. He was just himself. He was just Uzumaki Naruto, the biggest goofball that ever lived. Never had she felt so privileged to have a person like him as her best friend.

"Yes?"

Aiko smiled. "Um…I thought you may want a shower."

Sakura felt so relieved she almost sunk to the floor. A shower, a hot shower. She always did get so sick of washing herself in lakes and rivers and any water source she could get her hands on.

"I would love a shower!"

Naruto walked through the relatively small house searching for Sasuke. He looked back and forth, up and down (you know, in case he was hiding on the ceiling or something) and yet there was no sign of the Uchiha.

Naruto growled. Figures. That bastard always makes it hard for anyone to find him.

He walked into the kitchen to find Miyu washing the dishes. Maybe she would know where Sasuke was. She had been a spy after all. Wasn't that what she was supposed to do? Follow people and stuff?

"Oi, lady, where's Sasuke?"

It was always best to get right to the point. Sakura always said his negotiating skills were 'deplorable' (her word, not his), but he thought they were way better than hers. Coz seriously, what was with all that other crap she waded through? All the "Hi, how are you?" and "My name's Sakura, what's your name" crap. Who needed to do that? It was just a big waste of time he thought. But he just let Sakura go ahead and waste time because he didn't want to hurt her. Girls were just so fragile when it came to stuff like that. He had to make her feel important, coz if he didn't she'd probably end up taking out all that inner hurt on him…and that hurt!

"Maybe I'll tell you if you use some manners," Miyu replied.

Naruto rolled his eyes. Geez, what was it with chicks and manners? Who needed them anyway? He wouldn't need them when he was Hokage coz everyone would have no choice but to listen to what he said, so why should he need them now?

But still, he didn't want to hurt the poor lady so maybe he'd just indulge her. He could be very charming when he wanted to be.

"Okay. Um…Miyu-san, ma'am, could you please tell me where Sasuke is?" There, how was that for manners! And Sakura said he had about as much manners as a lump of mold!

"Better. And I don't know where he is."

Naruto groaned loudly. He'd wasted all that time for nothing! Women! They were all the same!

"Well,that was helpful," he grumbled. Now what?

"Maybe you should look outside. That's where I found him before," she offered as she dried her hands on a hand towel.

"Yeah, yeah…" he muttered under his breath as he walked out the kitchen door.

He had to admit that though this place was kind of a hole it could sort of look nice sometimes. It was dusk and what was left of the sun cast an eerie glow over the hills of green grass and trees. Just how much land did this lady own anyway?

He squinted and looked around for any signs of Sasuke. That bastard was long overdue for a good beating. Before there just hadn't been any time because they had to do a lot of walking and look for people and stuff, but now they were here and doing practically nothing…

Yep, it was time for some Ass-Whooping. Some Sasuke Ass-Whooping - his favorite kind.

First, he had to beat the bastard for leaving them five years ago. Then he had to beat the bastard for making Sakura cry. Then he had to beat the bastard for being such a bastard. Then he had to beat the bastard for…well, just coz he really wanted to beat him. Then he had to beat the bastard because he was really bored and had to let off some steam.

And he couldn't deny the intense feeling of anticipation that welled up in his chest at the thought of sparring with Sasuke after so many years. Sasuke was powerful - he would have to be after training with Orochimaru for so long. And like Miyu had said, you could almost feel it radiating off him. It was tantalizing…and Naruto couldn't wait for a taste.

Then he would show the bastard just how powerful he had gotten too. Because Sasuke always underestimated him he would be in for one big surprise!

Showers were good for so many things.

Firstly, they washed away all the dirt and grime and sweat collected over the day (or days in this unfortunate case).

Sakura rarely went on missions longer than a week these days. Sure, she was a highly regarded medic and her expertise on and off the battlefield was usually requested, but Tsunade had given her the freedom to choose the missions she wanted. She had given Sakura this freedom because she trusted her and knew that she preferred to be in the hospital. It wasn't that she preferred hospital work over missions that took her outside of Konoha, it was just that there were many shinobi who could handle the missions that took them outside of Konoha but there weren't nearly as many medic nin as skilled as herself who could work in the hospital. It wasn't vanity, just fact; therefore she only took long missions if they specifically required a specifically skilled medic nin.

But when she did choose to go on these outside missions she tried to maintain some semblance of cleanliness the entire time. Sure, sometimes it was impossible. Sometimes shit happened and she didn't get a chance to wash. However, if the mission went smoothly (which it normally did when she was on the team, thank you very much) there was usually time to stop off at the occasional village and visit the baths or find a lake or river to wash in. She may be a tough shinobi, but she was also a female - a female who didn't like smelling bad.

Secondly, showers gave her time to think.

She was usually too busy to just retreat into her own thoughts. When she was back in Konoha she was either working extra-long, extra-hard shifts at the hospital or catching up with friends, both of which left her dead to the world by the end of the day. The hospital was a hectic place, especially for her. If Tsunade wasn't around everyone came to her for advice or help or suggestions or whatever else. She was just swamped from start to finish.

When she was catching up with friends she was equally swamped. She wasn't sure, but she thought that she might unknowingly be walking around with a sign on her head saying 'Come to me for advice!' because that's what she usually ended up doing with her friends – dishing out advice. She didn't think she was particularly wise (she wasn't old enough to be wise); she didn't think she had some special insight into human emotions that no one else had. Maybe people just thought she was approachable. She liked to think she was approachable. Maybe it was that she always listened. Sure, she loved to talk and engage in the occasional gossip (okay, a lot of gossip), but she knew when to shut the hell up and listen. Maybe it was because she understood. She never put people down for their actions (unless they really deserved it) or anything like that. Maybe it was because people thought she said the right things. Advising people wasn't really all that hard. The trick was not really saying anything at all. As people talked about their problems out loud their brains usually kicked into gear and they started figuring out things for themselves. It all came down to the art of nodding at the right times, sympathizing at the right times, gently admonishing at the right times, and subtlety pushing their thoughts in the right direction.

So she was always sought after, always busy. Everyone seemed to want a piece of her, which was okay. She liked helping people. It was what she did. It was who she was. She was Sakura, the girl who helped people. But sometimes…sometimes it was just nice escaping to one's own thoughts. Showers were good for that.

And lastly, showers were therapeutic. They were therapeutic in either one of two ways - physically or emotionally.

If she had come home from an extra-trying day at the hospital or an extra-long, extra-stressful mission, the first thing she did was take a shower. The hot water soothed her sore muscles and relaxed her tight shoulders. She just felt a hundred times better.

Likewise, if she had come home from that extra-trying day at the hospital or that extra-long, extra-stressful mission, the shower helped relax her mind. It helped her calm down and get her thoughts in order. It washed away all the emotional baggage as it washed away all the filth and dirt.

But one of the worst things about showers was that they could be serious safety hazards.

Usually showers were relatively safe. She just stood there, washed her body and washed her hair - nothing serious, nothing strenuous. But there were a few rare instances in which showers weren't so simple.

These instanced included a lot of unexpected things - things such as people walking in on your shower. That was always embarrassing. She was quite content with her body, but that didn't mean she wanted people seeing it completely bare. Luckily this had never happened to her before. She knew how to lock doors. But on the occasion that it would happen, she had no doubt as to how she would react. There would be lots of screaming and in her haste to cover herself up she'd fall on the floor. Showers were wet, therefore they were slippery - safety hazard.

There were also events such as certain large objects crashing through her bathroom wall. This had happened to her before, but thankfully she had not been in the shower at the time. She had been in her bedroom when Chouji had barreled through her wall. He had been inflated, of course. Apparently he had been at Ichiraku with Naruto and had tried to steal some of Naruto's ramen. Big mistake. This resulted in an all-out war, which in turn resulted in Chouji being thrown through Sakura's bathroom wall.

Thankfully, she hadn't been naked and in the shower at the time. The horrifying thought had crossed her mind. If she had been in the shower, the results would have been fairly similar to someone walking in on her, except slightly worse. In this case, not just one person would have seen her naked, a whole bunch of people would see her naked. She lived in a series of very close-knit apartments and who wouldn't look up at a large commotion? Hence, seeing her naked. At this point there would be lots of screaming and in her haste to cover up she'd fall on the floor. Showers were wet, therefore they were slippery - safety hazard.

And then there were things like large, earth-shaking explosions - large, earth-shaking explosions extremely similar to the one that just happened. Large, earth-shaking explosions that would cause her to fall, just like what had just happened. Showers were wet, therefore they were slippery - safety hazard.

And, God, her ass really hurt!

What thehellwas that?

She calmly contemplated the possible causes of such an explosion as she sat naked on the bottom of the shower (that was still running), rubbing her sore ass. To any spectators she would have looked absolutely ludicrous…but she was really too pissed to care.

Not only had this explosion ruined her cleansing, calm, therapeutic shower, it had also caused her to fall over on her ass like an idiot, hitting her head in the process.

It was probably Naruto.

And she was going to kick his ass just like she had when he'd thrown Chouji through her bathroom wall. And it was going to hurt.

She promptly stood up, turned the shower off and put her clothes on, not caring that her clothes were now clinging wetly to her body. She was just too damn pissed off to care.

She marched outside to assess the situation. Sure enough, there was Naruto… and there was Sasuke. Naruto was panting heavily and numerous cuts and gashes adorned his body. Sasuke was trying to look like he wasn't breathing hard, but she could tell he was tired. He didn't have as many cuts or gashes, but he was still injured.

So they were sparring.

Actually, judging by the state of the land surrounding them, it was more likely that they had been trying to kill each other.

Stupid idiots!

Miyu and Aiko were standing by the house, each with worried looks on their faces. Fortunately, they looked unharmed.

"Are you guys alright?" she asked, fully away of how Naruto and Sasuke got carried away when they fought each other. She wouldn't be at all surprised if they accidentally hurt someone.

Miyu looked at her, eyes wide. She no longer looked in control like she always did. "Yes. They just started and…we tried to stop them – vocally, of course - but it didn't work."

Big surprise there.

"I didn't think it was a good idea to try and stop them physically," she continued.

Sakura gritted her teeth in annoyance. Naruto and Sasuke were so in for it! "I'm really sorry about this. As you can tell, they get a little carried away. It was wise not to attempt to stop them physically. That's my job."

"Stop this right now!" she yelled as she marched towards their locations, but it was no good. They were in a little world of their own, as always when they fought.

Sakura moaned. I'm going to have to do this physically, aren't I?This was just great because that meant she'd probably get all dirty again. Yep, they were definitely in for it.

Just as she had taken a step forward, Sasuke and Naruto charged at each other.

"Chidori!"

"Rasengan!"

Sakura groaned even louder. Well, wasn't this familiar? But this time there was no Kakashi to stop them, no Kakashi to pull her out of the way.

But that was okay. This time she didn't need him.

Sasuke glared at Naruto like he'd never glared at anyone or anything before. This was not good - Naruto was much stronger than he had anticipated. He suspected that, judging by his rapid growth in his genin days, Naruto would be strong, but this…this was a whole new level for the Jinchuriki.

And Naruto was pissed. Sasuke could tell that he was fighting with his full strength, which was a hell of a lot of strength, yet Naruto still had not been able to land a decent blow on him. Sasuke could see through most of Naruto's attacks with his Sharingan and the ones he couldn't see he could dodge easily enough as his speed was superior.

But it was still a hard battle nonetheless. Naruto's powerful attacks came in such fast progression that he hardly had time to evade, much less retaliate. He had no time to form jutsu of his own and it was frustrating. So he had reverted to hand to hand combat, which hadn't been much easier. Though he was definitely faster and more skilled, Naruto was stronger. After the last blow Naruto had landed on his ribs, Sasuke had been forced to retreat for a moment and plan his next move. Naruto was trying to catch his breath, though only barely. The boy's stamina was unnatural, probably thanks in no small way to the Kyubi that resided within him.

But it was going to end soon - he could feel it, he could taste it. His blood was rushing through his head, he could hear his pulse pounding; his hands were trembling in anticipation. He felt more alive than he had in years.

In the back of his mind he heard a voice screaming for them to stop, but he paid it no heed and neither did Naruto. This was their battle, their world. This was the time to determine who was the strongest once and for all. And Sasuke was determined it would be him.

His lips curled as he saw what attack Naruto was planning to execute - the Rasengan. He'd never forget that attack, never forget the way it had first shocked him. Back when they had fought a similar battle, the Rasengan had been the stronger of the two. But Sasuke had become stronger - his Chidori had become stronger - so now he was interested to see which attack was better now.

"Chidori!" he yelled as he charged, feeling the familiar energy course through his flesh, hearing the familiar chirping drown out any other noise.

"Rasengan!"

This was it. It was just him and his Chidori, Naruto and his Rasengan. Just them and raw power and-

"I said STOP!"

What?

It was Sakura, standing between them once again, like she had so many years before. And, like that time, he found himself utterly unable to halt is trajectory.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he got closer and closer.

Doesn't she know she'll be killed? I can't stop now!

A strange feeling of panic at the thought coursed through his body. He shouldn't feel this panic. He shouldn't care! It was her own stupidity that had put her in this situation.

But then…then the most unexpected thing happened.

He watched as Sakura clapped her hands together then pushed them to the ground. Such an action seemed harmless in itself, but it was what it unleashed that took him by surprise.

Before his eyes a monstrous wall of earth sprouted out of the ground, directly into his path.

Shit, this is going to hurt.

Sakura watched with morbid satisfaction as Sasuke and Naruto slammed into the wall she created with a resounded CRACK!

That's what they get for ruining my shower and thinking that they can leave meout of their battle.

If they were going to have any near-death sparring matches, she wasn't going to stand on the sidelines and watch with a worried face like she used to. No, she was going to be right in there smashing holes in the ground. She was just as much a part of this team as they were. Sure, she wasn't an Uchiha who had had all his clan massacred by his brother. Sure, she wasn't a Jinchuriki with the greatest (and hottest) Hokage to date as their father. But she was damn well strong enough to make up for that.

She heard a groan and watched apathetically as Naruto rubbed his head and blinked a couple of times.

"What was that for, Sakura?" he groaned again.

Sakura glared. "You know what that was for."

Naruto stood up shakily, bracing himself on the ruins of the dirt wall. "No, I don't!"

At this point Sasuke had started to wake up, though with much less noise. He shook his head a couple of time before standing up without the help of the wall.

Then he glared. "What was that for?"

Sakura glared back. "That was for ruining my shower, ruining Miyu's property, ruining my day, and trying to kill each other without inviting me to join in!"

Sasuke looked at her blankly. "So you made us collide into a wall?"

Sakura sniffed in indignation. "No, you made yourselves collide into a wall. I simply put it there."

Sasuke continued to stare at her blankly. "You put the wall there."

Sakura was quite impressed. He was showing more emotions in two minutes than he had in two days. Who knew he had it in him?

"Yes, I put the wall there. Is that really so hard to believe?"

"Yes." Now he was staring at her with a strange expression on his face.

Oh, this is just great! When he finally saw your amazing strength he was supposed to fall at your feet and tell you how sorry he was that he ever thought you were weak, not stare at you like you're some kind of freak!

I didnotwant him to fall at my feet and he isnotstaring at me like I'm a freak!

Yeah, sure he's not.

Okay, maybe he was.

Damn it.

Her thoughts were interrupted by another groan that escaped Naruto. "That hurt, Sakura! Are you going to heal me now?"

Sakura crossed her arms and tilted her head in contemplation. "Hm…I'll think about it when I have my shower - my second shower."

That said, she turned on her heel and stormed off in a magnificent flurry of feminine rage.

Ow.

That had felt like…well…that had felt like slamming into a wall at top speed. And it hurt.

He felt like his limbs were made of lead and his head stuffed with cotton. Then there was the sharp pain that throbbed with the beat of his pulse…over and over and over.

Again, ow.

But pain was not an alien concept to Sasuke. He was used to pain. He could tolerate pain. He expected pain.

What he had not expected was that - whatever that was. He had not expected a wall of dirt to randomly shoot up from the ground. And he had not expected Sakura to be the cause of said wall,

She was strong.

Yes, he had assumed she'd gotten stronger over the years. She would have to be strong if she had managed to land in the Digest, but he'd thought that description of her being able to create craters and new tectonic formations with her fists was pure exaggeration.

Turns out it wasn't.

She was strong.

And fearless. She'd have to be if she put herself between those two attacks.

He looked up at the wall and saw the two gaping holes their attacks had left. It was a very thick, very hard wall. Yep, they were powerful attacks alright. And she had calmly put herself in the middle of them.

She was strong.

And…and she was wet.

Wait, what?

How had his pounding brain managed to pick up that detail without him knowing? But as he watched her retreating back he noticed that yes, she was wet.

Well, she had said that they'd ruined her shower. That explained the wetness.

And the wetness explained the way her clothes clung to her, exposing every little curve, every little…

Whoa, whoa! Stop!

Damn hormones.

"How did you do that?"

Sakura smiled at the familiar question. At lot of people asked that when they saw a display of her unnatural strength.

Sakura had been in a much better mood after she had finished her second shower and had offered to heal Naruto. But Naruto, being Naruto, had laughed and said he didn't need it then proceeded to have his own shower. It didn't surprise her that he had healed so quickly.

Damn Kyubi.

Sakura continued raking through her damp hair with her fingers as she answered Aiko. "Well, it's a simple technique, but only very few can execute it."

"Why's that?"

Sakura sat down next to the blazing fire. It got cold at night around these parts. "Because it requires absolutely perfect chakra control."

Aiko nodded. "And how do you do it?" she urged.

Sakura shrugged. "Like I said, it's a simple concept. I gather the exact amount of chakra needed into my hands and press them on the ground. Usually when I do this without being specific about it the chakra spreads out in all directions and causes a crater or just causes the ground to explode, but I didn't want to do that this time since Sasuke and Naruto were in the air. So instead of releasing it in all different directions, I pushed it way, way beneath the surface in a single direction and once I had gone deep enough I pushed the chakra back up, taking the ground with it, therefore creating the wall. Simple concept, extremely hard to execute."

Aiko's eyes widened. "That is so cool! I wish I could do that!"

Sakura smiled at her. "Well, it took me a long time to master it and a lot of hard work. But yeah, it is pretty cool, I suppose."

Aiko giggled and was about to say something when a battered-looking Uchiha Sasuke walked into the room.

They both looked up at him and Sakura felt strangely nervous. She opened her mouth to speak but her throat went dry.

Just spit it out. Just say it, come on! Just say it!

Okay, okay! Just give me a break!

"Um…Sasuke?"

Her only response was a glare.

"Did…did you want me to heal those?" she asked quietly, referring to his cuts and swelling with a broad wave of her hand.

Sasuke just blankly stared at her for what seemed like hours in Sakura's mind and she swore she wasn't breathing the entire time. The atmosphere was strangely intense and she could not help but wonder why, and wonder if she was just imagining it all. It was almost like this was not just about her healing him, but much more. Was he going to accept her as an equal individual or was he doing to reject her and treat her like he always did, like she didn't matter?

Or maybe she was just reading into it too much. Wouldn't be the first time.

Then finally he spoke. "Fine."

Sakura smiled warmly as relief flooded her chest. "Okay, just, ah…just sit down here." She motioned to the other chair in front of the fire. It was only then that she noticed that Aiko was still there, staring at Sasuke.

For some inexplicable reason Sakura didn't want Aiko there, like this was personal, though she knew Sasuke most definitely didn't see it that way. She was trying to think of ways to subtlety get rid of her when Miyu called from the kitchen.

"Aiko, honey, can you please come and help me in the kitchen!"

Sakura breathed a silently sigh of relief. Saved.

"But, Mama, I want to watch Sakura heal Sasuke!" Aiko protested.

"Now, Aiko."

Man, even Sakura was scared by that tone!

Aiko groaned and smiled apologetically at Sakura. "Maybe next time, huh?"

Sakura smiled back. "Yeah."

Aiko stood up with a sigh and dragged her feet into the kitchen. "What now, Mama?" Sakura heard her complain faintly.

She could not help the amused smile that made its way onto her face, but that smile immediately disappeared as soon as she laid eyes on Sasuke once again.

He was so serious…

And so handsome…

Not helping!

She swallowed deeply, as if she could swallow back her nervousness along with her saliva. "Um…yeah…just, uh, sit here." She motioned to the other chair by the fire once again.

Sasuke wordlessly sat, watching her warily the whole time. What, did he think she was going to amputate a finger or something?

Well, she might if he kept making her this nervous.

Okay, breathe. Just breathe. I can do this! It's just Sasuke!

Swallow.

Holy crap, it's Sasuke!

Knock it off and heal the man!

Yeah, okay…okay. I just…yeah.

"So are you going to heal me or what?"

Sakura pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind and slipped on her Hospital Face. This, like her Hospital Voice, was the professional side of her character. God only knew she needed to be professional when she did this otherwise she probably couldn't do it!

"Okay, take off your shirt," she said in the calmest voice possible. She never thought she'd ever be saying something like that to Sasuke.

And apparently neither did he.

"What?"

Sakura feigned impatience to cover her nervousness. "You have injuries under your shirt and while I can heal through clothes if I need to it makes my job harder, so take it off."

Okay, Hospital Voice. Remember Hospital Voice.

With a scowl Sasuke pulled his white shirt over his head and dropped it to the side of the chair.

Sakura forgot to breathe.

O-kay! One extremely good looking guy is sitting right in front of me!

Understatement of the year!

What to do? What to do?

Stare to your perverted little mind's content! This is a Grade-A opportunity!

Shut up, shut up! I have to heal him - that's what I have to do!

Oh yes, and put your hands all over that fine muscle!

Sounded good to her. She just had to remember her Hospital Face. And more importantly, she had to remember how to breathe.

In, out. In, out.

Oh, that's right!

"Okay, I'm going to start with your worst injuries, but from what I can see, you've escaped fairly well. Naruto was much worse."

This got a smirk from Sasuke. That was the only way she knew he was even listening.

She got out of her chair and kneeled next to him. "Where does it hurt the most?"

"Left arm, upper back, chest," he replied curtly, staring straight ahead.

Sakura nodded and pulled her chair over towards his. This would be a whole lot more comfortable if she was sitting down because her knees were feeling suspiciously weak.

"I'll start with your left arm," she said before placing her hands over the large cut on his left bicep.

The cut itself was not all that big, but it was quite deep, like Naruto had shoved and kunai in there and cut down.

But neither that nor her accumulating chakra was what caused a wave of fire to wash over her body. It was her skin on his. It did not escape her that this was the first time she'd touched him in five years. Sure, he'd touched her that night over a week ago, but this was different. This was a healing touch, not a violent one.

Stay professional. Breathe. Stay professional. Breathe.

It was like a mantra in her head, continually repeating itself over and over until that was all she focused on.

As soon as she had finished there she stood up and moved around to his back. It was a mess. There were cuts crisscrossing all over the place and the scars from previous battles didn't make it any better. It was a shame to see what would otherwise be a spectacular back covered in blemishes.

Well, I shall just have to fix that, shan't I?

She knew it was a waste of chakra, but she had plenty to spare and it would all come back overnight anyway, so why not? It was worth it.

The cuts and bruises were all shallow, but there were a lot of them. She could imagine how Naruto had given these to Sasuke. It was called the fuuton-jutsu. He used it to create a whirlwind of sorts around his opponent with the opponent in the centre, unaffected by the wind. He and his doppelgangers then travelled through that whirlwind around and around, cutting the opponent in the centre as he did so. It was done with such speed that only someone with greater speed could sense his movements and escape the attack.

Sasuke had fared better against this attack than anyone else who had been caught it in. He had only received fairly shallow cuts and bruises. Most of Naruto's victims were literally cut to shreds.

Sakura had to resist the urge to rub her hands down Sasuke's back when she had made it smooth. It just looked so…so…good!

Stay professional. Breathe. Must resist temptation.

Now something else was added to her mantra.

"Sasuke?"

No answer. Figures.

"I need you to lean back on the chair and relax your arms by your side so I have clear access to your chest, okay?"

Sasuke wordlessly acquiesced to her request. Sakura sat down in her chair once more and gently placed her hands on Sasuke's chest, almost gasping when the toned muscles rippled under her touch.

Stay professional. Breathe. Must resist temptation. Stay professional. Breathe. Must resist temptation.

If only it were that easy.

This was the closest she could remember being to Sasuke for a long, long time. Sure, he had pushed her up against a wall at Isamu's, but that was different. He was just testing her then, attacking even. She hadn't been able to touch him. Now…now she was healing him, with her hands on his bare chest, his breathe tickling the top of her hair, her breathe hitting his throat. It was so…intimate. She never remembered it being like this with Naruto, or anyone for that matter.

She could feel the heat radiating off his body and it made her shiver. It was a good thing healing mere flesh wounds like this required barely any concentration because her mind was spiraling in every possible direction and yet zoning in on one place at the same time.

She just wanted to touch him.

Stay professional.

She looked up at him to find his eyes on her.

Breathe.

Suddenly inhaling seemed like a monumental task, one she wasn't sure she was capable of handling.

Must resist temptation.

"Is…is that all you needed?"

Her voice sounded alien in her own ears. Breathless. Excited.

She couldn't tell what he was thinking as he held her captive with his eyes. All she could think about was the way he smelled, like a forest after a storm. All she could see was the way the light of the fire flickered in his onyx eyes, giving them an illusion of emotion they didn't hold. All she could hear was the sound of their breathing - hers heavy, his steady. All she could feel was the fingertips that lightly touched her cheek - his fingertips.

What is happening?

"So, guys! Did you miss me?"

The spell was broken and Sakura was released from its hold with a sharp intake of breath.

The spell was broken even further when she looked up to see Naruto in nothing but a towel.

"Put some clothes on, idiot!" she yelled. She did not need to see Naruto in a towel, even though it wasn't like she hadn't already, but somehow it now seemed wrong on a strange, new level.

Just kill me now!

Naruto pouted. "Why, I thought I looked pretty good!"

He sort of did, but that wasn't the point. "We're in a house with a fourteen-year-old girl, idiot! I doubt her mother would want her to see you like that!"

Naruto's face froze. "Aw, man! I totally forgot! I better go put some clothes on, huh?"

Sakura groaned and rubbed her forehead with her fingertips. "You think?"

"Okay, I'll be right back, Sakura!"

Sakura shook her head in disbelief and turned around to where Sasuke was sitting.

But he was no long there.

Sasuke gulped in the icy air, as though air alone was enough to douse the burning fire in his stomach that felt strangely like desire.

That did not just happen. This cannot be happening.

He didn't know what had come over him. It was like he had been under a spell, captivated as soon as he had looked into her eyes. It was pathetic.

It was just that when she had touched him and the chakra had warmed his skin…

And then there was the way her hands had been so soft, so gentle…

It didn't help that she had been sitting so close. She had been way, way too close…

It would have helped if the firelight hadn't made her look so beautiful. There was that word again - beautiful. He couldn't help it. He could feel her warm breath against his collarbone even now…and the way the light of the fire had danced across her skin had made her look so soft. He couldn't help but wonder if she felt the same way she looked and…

And then his hand had risen, his fingertips had brushed her cheek and he had looked on, a mere spectator, unable to do anything but watch. And feel. And she had felt just as soft and as smooth as he had imagined and…

And this needed to stop. Now. It was one thing to think Sakura was beautiful - that was bad enough in itself - but to touch her? That was just unacceptable. And it couldn't happen again.

It wouldn't happen again.