One of Them

"Favorite Patient."

Sakura got to the hospital, still slightly flustered from her previous encounter with Gaara. Her mind was so scrambled that she almost ran into the front door because she wasn't paying attention to where she was going.

She scurried up to the front desk. "Haruno Sakura," she breathed. "Here to tutor the new medics."

"Ah, yes, Miss Haruno." The secretary smiled. "There will be someone with you in just a moment."

Sakura waited in the lobby while the secretary murmured a few things into the phone. A few minutes later, a raven-haired, tall, thin woman walked in, lab coat swishing behind her. She walked up to Sakura, holding out her hand. "Mayami, Mayami Yakito."

"Haruno Sakura, nice to meet you." Sakura smiled, taking the woman's hand and shaking it firmly.

"Charmed." The woman replied briskly. "Now, come with me, we'll put you straight to work."

Sakura followed the woman down several hallways, slightly confused.

The woman stopped abruptly at a door, and opened it. Sakura blinked in surprise as she saw a classroom already full of people, waiting. "Your classroom." Mayami said, and motioned for her to go in. "You have two hours then report to me, you'll receive some patients."

"Teach." The woman commanded before slamming the door shut.

The look on Sakura's face made the men and women in the classroom snicker.

"You'll get used to that in time." One said in between laughs.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Ah, wow.. I didn't really expect a.. classroom.."

They all looked at her intently, obviously waiting for her to start.

"Well.. I'm Sakura Haruno." Sakura barely kept herself from stuttering nervously. "I guess I'll start where your experience ends. I want you all to get out a sheet of paper and write down the extent of your medical knowledge. You have all the time you need."

Sakura hesitantly sat down at the desk as the men and women got to work.

She waited..

And waited..

And waited.

She was about to fall asleep when the last person turned their paper in. She looked at the clock; she still had half an hour left. She looked at them all and smiled. "Uhm.. you're dismissed? I'm just going to look over your papers, so.. you may go."

They all left and soon, Sakura was in the classroom by herself.

xXx

She yawned as she began reading over the fourteenth paper. She glanced up at the clock. It was time to report to Mayami, and Sakura hadn't finished the papers. 'They know more than I thought,' Sakura thought pleasantly. 'This should be a bit easier.'

Leaving the papers stacked neatly on her new desk, she left the classroom and wandered the halls. She looked around, confused. "Eh.. she didn't tell me where to go.."

"There you are!" came a loud female voice from behind the roseate, making her jump and spin around. "I've been looking for you forever!"

"M-Mayami-sama," Sakura stuttered, chuckling nervously. "Y-You never told me where to—"

"Never mind that," Mayami brushed her off, grabbing her hand. "Time to start with your patients. We're overflowing."

Sakura nodded hesitantly, before being dragged down the hall.

xXx

Sakura had treated around forty patients, and was starting to get tired. It was around one thirty in the afternoon, and Sakura wondered when she'd get off. Most of her patients were injured shinobi, and were released as soon as she'd healed them, being perfectly fine. A few were regulars at the hospital, staying there because of diseases and conditions that prevented them from leaving.

She looked down at her clipboard to see what room her next patient was in. This man was a regular at the hospital, and was around her age, a little bit older. She pitied the condition he had. He had a tumor in his liver, and apparently none of the other medics knew how to treat it without there being a good chance he wouldn't survive.

Sakura knew the way to take tumors out of the body, but she'd need her full strength for the surgery. It was a very delicate procedure, and required a heap of chakra and concentration, and knew she'd have to prepare for it. The only thing she could do for now was keep his body running until she could perform the surgery and get him out of the hospital for good.

She made her way to room 404. "Aoi Shiroyama.." she murmured.

Once she got to his room, she opened the door slowly, poking her head in. "Mister Shiroyama..?"

"Come in," she heard a faint masculine voice. She slowly stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. The clipboard held to her chest, she approached the bed to see a devastating handsome young man sitting up in his hospital bed. She stifled her small gasp with her hand, and fought the small blush rising to her cheeks. Though his skin was a sickly pale color, and his eyes were tired and worn, he was beautiful. He had long black hair, bangs hanging on his forehead, and his eyes were a golden hue. He smiled at her. "I haven't seen you before."

"I'm, uh," Sakura smiled some at him, approaching the bed. "I'm a medic, from Konoha. I've come to help with patients and tutor the more inexperienced medics."

"Ah, I see." The man smiled, tilting his head slightly. "I'm Aoi.. nice to meet you."

"Sakura." Sakura smiled at him, holding a hand out. He took it, shaking it gently. 'His grip is weak,' Sakura thought. 'His body's growing weaker.. I need to get started.'

"Well, Shiroyama-sa—"

"Please, call me Aoi."

Sakura smiled. "Aoi-san, I have an operation I can do to fully heal you, get rid of that tumor, and get you out of here."

Aoi's face lit up. "Really..?"

"Absolutely." Sakura nodded, smiling. "But I'll need preparation for it, and I don't have enough chakra to do it yet.. I'm going to create a pill that will boost my chakra, and as soon as I can, I'll perform the surgery and you'll be perfectly fine."

Aoi nodded, the fact that he had to wait not seeming to bother him at all. "When will you be ready..?"

"A couple of weeks," replied Sakura sadly. "Hopefully sooner. Until then, I'll be healing you every day to make sure I can keep your body as healthy as possible, for your condition. You'll still be weak, and you'll go through some pain, but you'll stay alive as long as I'm here. Alright?"

Aoi nodded again. "My life is in your hands."

Sakura smiled softly at him. "Alright, let's begin for today."

xXx

It was around five o' clock when Sakura got to leave the hospital. She wasn't as tired as she thought she would be; the long nights in Konoha's Infirmary built up her stamina. She stopped by a little café and got something to eat, before heading back to the Kazekage's tower, hoping to hop straight in her warm bed.

Before her mind could react, her feet began moving towards the door of the Kazekage's office. She knocked quietly on the door.

"Come in," came a faint reply.

Sakura poked her head in the door. "Hey."

Gaara looked up, face expressionless. "Hey."

"Uhm.. are you alright?" she bit her lip, hoping not to stutter. "Do you need anything?"

"What are you, my maid?" Gaara looked at her, slightly annoyed.

Sakura looked down. "W-Well no.. I was just wondering.."

".. I'm fine." Gaara replied, before looking back down at his papers and continuing to write.

Sakura nodded meekly, before pulling her head back.

"Sakura," Gaara called faintly, and Sakura stuck her head back in the door.

Before he knew it, Gaara blurted, "Would you like to stay? I could use some company."

Sakura looked at him like he'd grown another leg and declared himself a leprechaun, and he was slightly flabbergasted at his own words. 'Where the HELL did that come from? Why would I want her company?! She'll talk my damn ears off!'

'That's when you just chop her head off and..'

'Don't even go there.'

'Wasn't gonna.'

Sakura debated on whether she should accept the invitation or not. She weighed her options: Sleeping in a warm, comfy bed, or spending time with a devilishly handsome, yet cold red-head.

For some strange reason, she liked the latter option.

"Alright. I'll stay."