Chapter Eleven

"Welcome back Haruno-sama." The head nurse greeted with a cheery smile behind the reception desk. "Good to see you back from your vacation. I've left all the reports and paperwork that need your signature since your absence in your office." The cheery smile now held just a hint of maliciousness in it.

Probably saw this as a way to take some revenge on me for how hard I've been working everyone here. Sakura thought tiredly, resisting the urge to rub her eyes. "Haruna-san did not return here to do paperwork that is late beyond an exceptable amount of time. As second-in-charge of this facility, you are more than capable to do such tasks yourself. See to it that those papers are completed before Haruna-san's return to this hospital or I will find someone who can."

The pure ice in the voice froze the look on the smirking nurse, only for it to melt to an expression of pure terror. "N-N-No, sir! I'll handle it r-right away, Kazekage-sama."

I love you, Gaara. Sakura thought blissfully, very nearly crying in happiness. "Now, I believe we came here for a reason." A hand on the small of her back propelled her forward until she started walking on her own. And then remained there.

So she tried to squirm away. The warmth was still pressed into her back. So she glared at the man beside her, only to have him completely ignore her in favor of casting a disinterested eye around the hospital as they padded down the corridors.

"Gaara. Remove your hand, or I will be forced to do so with a scalpel."

His lips twitched upwards faintly. "You'll just have to heal it then." But he did remove his hand as he came to a stop in front of a window. Inside the room, a nurse was bent over the ankle of a little boy while his mother stood to the side wringing her hands.

"Mm, one of my success stories. This is Mari, one of the worst excuse for a medic I'd ever seen employed to a clinic." Gaara frowned faintly at this, wondering just how badly things had been for his village. "She had no chakra control, no knowledge on anything medicinal. The best she could do, was stick a bandaid on a papercut. And I saw her screw that up once." Sakura watched as the nurse's hands began to glow green as they ghosted over the child's ankle and foot. "She's currently now healing a multiple fracture and is our leading attendant in the children's department."

They stood there and watched as the lady finished and patted the little boy on the knee, who immediately jumped down to test out his ankle. His mother swooped down on him and gathered the little boy in a hug, turning to the nurse and speaking what could only have been gratitude. A feeling of pride filled the red-haired man, seeing his medics being turned into something useful finally. His troops were now at 85 fighting capability, a number not reached in decades. Too often shinobi sent out on missions had come back injured and out of commission for weeks or months. Now, those same ninjas were being healed in a matter of minutes or hours. For the first time since the disastrous attack on Suna by Deidara, Gaara was confidant in the safety of his city.

"Gaara." Sakura called softly, a little way down the hall and looking into another room. Curious, he went to stand behind her to look in. Sakura took a sharp breath as he leaned slightly over her. Personal space! Mmm, he smells good...Gah! Focus, focus, focus! "Look like you have a new life to protect, Kazekage-sama." They watched as the attending nurse placed a newborn into an empty crib in the nursery. "Four months ago, Suna had an estimated 45 deathtoll of al infants. Now, its down to 20 and still declining. Now that all the nurses and doctors here understand how to properly deliver a child into the world without infecting either the infant or the mother with bacteria." The nursery was empty save for three beds, something that still made Sakura frown. A city as large as Suna should have a nursery with nearly all the cribs filled constantly. But still, things were improving. They had not lost a life in a birthing for over two and a half months now. It was a promising thought.

"Its been...awhile." Gaara murmured."

"Hm?"

He rested a hand on the cool glass of the window, staring at the baby as it yawned. The nurse spotted them and bowed politely, placing a finger against her lips. Down the hall, a woman was walking arm-in-arm towards them. "You've read the reports. The population of Suna had been declining for the better part of two generations. Its been awhile since there's been hope for it to become the city it once was." He whispered, almost to himself.

The two fell silent as the couple stood beside them, not even sparing them a glance as they pointed and whispered to each other about the newest arrival. "I still think we should name him Ryo." The man smiled.

"Nope, I've decided on Kenchi." The woman flicked her eyes over to Sakura as the medic tried to walk away. "Oh, I'm sorry to disturb you! Which one is yours?"

"Mine?!" Sakura squeaked. "None of them are, I'm a medic here."

The new mother pressed a hand to her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I thought you and your husband..." She trailed off as she got a good look at just who was accompanying the pink-haired woman. "K-Kazekage-sama! Gomen, gomen! I didn't know."

Jade eyes flicked to her and away as the red-head simply started strolling further down the hallway, checking a room every now and then as Sakura apologized to the woman and sprinted after him. "You know, you could be nicer."

"I could also crush everyone in sand. I simply choose to do neither."

Her lip stuck out slightly as she pouted, catching his eye. "You could still be nicer. You're supposed to be a role model."

"Hn."

The lip stuck out further, before being pulled into a sly smile. "You're also supposed to talk."

"Hn."

She crossed her arms, nose scrunched adorably in a frown before she hip-bumped him. The action took him completely off-guard, sending him stumbling a couple steps to the side. He had a strong suspicion just a touch of chakra had been added to it. "We're here." Was her only reply to his murderous glare. She pulled a set of jingling keys from a pouch and proceeded to unlock the door she had knocked him towards.

Inside was a simple examination room, albeit a windowless one. Machines clicked and whirred occasionally from their dormant positions. "Strip off your shirt and sit on the table please." The Konoha woman ordered, slipping into a white lab coat.

He was half-way tempted to say no, but the argument ensuring was just too tedious for him at the moment to go through. He hated being subjected to tests and hospitals. "Why couldn't we do this in my room?"

Sakura clucked her tongue, picking up a clipboard and scribbling some basic preliminary notes onto the sheet attached to it. "I don't have the necessary supplies or equipment there. And its too much work trying to keep blood samples sterile while transferring them from one place to another." Emerald eyes looked over the top of the clipboard. "Your shirt still isn't off."

He resisted snarling at her as he reluctantly dropped his gourd to the ground with a loud 'thunk'. She raised an eyebrow, calmly shifting her weight as he took his time taking off and folding his coat and shirt. It wasn't until he had carefully arranged himself just so on the examination table that she walked forward briskly. "Hold out your left arm."

A low rumble issued from his chest as she pulled out and prepped a syringe. He hated needles. She had only told him she needed to run a couple tests, there and been no mention of needles! A flash of pain flitted across those brilliant green eyes when he flinched away from the soothing hand she laid on his arm. The audible grinding of teeth came to her ears. "Gaara, I need a blood sample. Its not going to hurt."

A harsh bark of laughter erupted from his throat. "That's what you all say." And then there's the agony of fire as you push poison into my system. And the misery of Shukaku's damage when I awaken. He flinched away again, forgetting completely he was free of the demon.

Her lips creased into a thin line and she grabbed his wrist. He growled, trying to wrench his hand back, but Sakura was Tsunade's apprentice for a reason. Instead of forcefully taking the blood though, she slapped the needle into his palm and let him go. "If you're going to be a child about this and insult me, then you can do it yourself."

"I. Am NOT, a child." He hissed back, tossing the needle aside. Jade eyes flew open wide as the room was spun to the left rapidly, one hand coming up to instantly cover his stinging right cheek.

Sakura slowly lowered her hand, hiding her shock at what she had done. A faint red outline of a handprint was already forming on his cheek. "Then stop acting like one, and let me help you." She whispered, adrenaline flooding her system as the young man looked at his hand before at her. "You know, you of all people shouldn't be so judgemental of someone because of how they look or where they work." Minute trembles wracked her body, a sign of a body wound tighter than a piano wire. If he made one threatening move, she was at least prepared to dodge it. Or die trying to.

"You struck me." Gaara murmured, eyes going to look at her incredulously. But on the edges, lurked something dark and deadly. "You truly have no fear for your life, do you? I should kill you." Hmm, but then I'd lose your company.

Her chin raised up defiantly at him. "Then do so, but don't underestimate me, Sabaku no Gaara."

The two stared at one another, the woman leaning casually against her desk in the room, the man sitting comfortably on the table. But the tension in their bodies could be seen in the wary eyes, the stiff set of shoulders. One waiting to see if they would be killed, the other deciding whether or not to kill the first. "Hn." A thin tendril of sand snaked its way from the gourd over to his wrist. A quick slash and blood began to slowly drip from the wound. "No needles."

Sakura sighed in relief before frowning and grabbing a vial to collect some of the droplets. "I swear, if this is contaminated..." A cap was screwed into place, sealing the deep crimson liquid inside. "Worse than Kakashi-sensei, I swear." A roll of gauze was quickly wrapped around the minor wound before she began to take fundamental observations, such as weight, height, and temperature. "At least with you I don't have to worry about getting the reaction I got with that one last time."

His brow creased in curiousity. "What reaction?"

"More difficult than pulling Genma away from a drunk blonde." The medic continued to mutter to herself, recording blood pressure.

"What reaction?" Gaara asked again, more forcefully.

The clipboard was tossed down and a hand on the shoulder forced him down on his back. "Men. And they say women whine and piss and complain too much."

"What reaction?!" He demanded louder, sitting up once more.

She stopped her rant and blinked at him. Then held out a wooden tongue depresser. "Open and I'll tell you." Black-lined eyes narrowed dangerously, but he did as he was told. "I mean I don't need to worry about you becoming aroused when we get to the physical part of this physical."

"Are you implying...I am unable to function?"

She gaped at him, mouth opening and closing repeatedly before she managed to squeak some words out. "What?"

"Are you implying, that I am unable to function as a male should?"

Again, her jaw unhinged and she was left incapable of speech for several long moments. "N-No! I just meant that, well, you have more control than most men. And besides, I've never even seen you look at a female like that. Not that I notice that sort of thing or anything like that, just a casual observation. I mean, what you do on your free time is your own thing." Oh god I'm rambling, someone help me.

Gaara coughed, just enough to catch her attention and shut her up. "So, you think I'm...gay?"

It really was becoming quite annoying how easily he could rob her of something so basic as speech. Or breath for that matter. "Why would you think that?!"

He sighed, as if it were the simplest thing in the world to answer. "You stated that you did not need to worry about me becoming aroused since no female excites me. You think I am attracted to men, am I correct?"

Her face blazed bright red, and she could swear the room was getting warmer and warmer. "No! I meant you can control yourself more than any other man. And I simply stated that I've never known you to pursue ANY relationship or attraction to anyone."

The medic could no longer see his face for any clue what he was thinking, not that there would have been any emotion on that face anyway. He was looking down and to the right, as if thinking something over carefully. "Perhaps...I was waiting." His voice had dropped lower, turning huskier. And when she finally caught a glimpse of his eyes, they a deepened to an inky teal. "For the right person."

Her mouth went dry and she took a step back as he slid off the table. Her back bumped against her desk as her heart started to pound, Gaara keeping his eyes locked on her as he steadily advanced. Oh shit! Why does it feel like I'm a mouse staring at a very hungry tiger? The redhead finally stopped, inches from her. Sakura could feel the heat pouring off him. He leaned in closer, until his lips were close enough to graze her ear when he spoke next. "I believe you need to finish the exam, doctor."

A smirk spread across those damning lips. "And maybe I will...surprise you."

--o--o--o--o--o--o--

A.N- Wheeee! Who loves cliffies?! I Do! So yeah, I have been writing, just I seriously buckled downt his week to grind out a chapter. I know, I know. It takes me forever to write, but at least I'm updating, ne? So hush up y'all! -shifty eyes- Anywho, can't guarantee when next chapter will be done. I should really update one of my other stories. And I've been thinking of doing a oneshot. So yeah, enjoy and all criticism is appreciated. And its defined in chapter 1 AN what is acceptable criticism. Take care y'all!