A/N: First off, I AM SOSOSOSOSOSOSOSO FREAKING SORRY. Life happens guys, and I'm dealing with A LOT now. Stress to go around. I will forever update, just be patient. Life will slow down enough to let me sit down and just WRITE, but it's mostly a slow process. Just PLEASE never give up on me, and be patient and keep reading. I love you all, and I'm truly sorry for being an ass and disappearing on you for a bit. But I shall always return! Now, enjoy my darlings!
"Nonsense, Forehead, you look beautiful."
Said Forehead sighed, twisting around in another gaudy kimono. Ino had picked this one out for her, and it showed. The yellow was soft at least, but the bright orange flowers that were embroidered everywhere on it was seriously clashing with her pink hair. Huffing, she grabbed at one of the many ruffles and frowned, shaking the ruffle at the other girl.
"Ino, I look like a Popsicle."
"A yummy Popsicle."
She paused. "A melted Popsicle."
The blonde girl pouted, but loosened the bow on the back of her friend's rejected kimono anyways. "I thought Naruto might like it."
"Naruto might wear this thing, but I on the other hand, look terrible in orange." she said, shrugging the silk off of her body and putting it back on the hanger with a sigh.
"And Naruto doesn't?" Ino asked in playful good nature, picking at a chipped purple nail while Sakura hung the clothing back onto the rack.
"Shh. We don't tell him that."
Ino stopped her nail polish picking to look up at her friend. "Seriously, Forehead, the universal question that has never been answered but asked millions of times—"
"—what kind of ninja wears orange, I know, I know. But it makes him happy, so we just kinda stop wondering. All the question does now is give headaches."
"Just like his orange clothing."
Sakura fought back a giggle, shaking her head at her friend's antics. She mulled over a few kimonos to her right, but all of them looked just as bad as the last atrocity. Chewing her bottom lip, she fingered the stitching on one of them, fed up with looking, but as long as she looked interested, Ino wouldn't pester her.
"But I have to give him credit, here lately I haven't seen much of him wearing his orange."
"I know!" Sakura said, turning around, her interest peaked once again. "He won't tell me why! I don't know if I should be concerned or not..."
Ino snorted, picking up another kimono that made Sakura shiver. It was green. Lime green. "Be happy. Maybe his tiny brain started to develop."
"Hey! That's my boyfriend you're insulting!" Sakura and Ino stared at one another blankly, before erupting into laughter. "Still so weird to say that..."
Ino smirked slyly, sliding a mischievous eye over to the pink haired medic. "You guys do the deed yet?"
Sakura choked on her spit. "W-What?"
Ino shrugged nonchalantly, putting back the green kimono (Sakura silently thanked Kami) but grabbed a silver one instead. "You know, bump uglies, make whoopy, hiding the salami, doing the horizontal—"
"Pig." Sakura hissed embarrassingly, shoving her friend lightly in the shoulder as the blonde threw her head back in laughter. "You are something else you know that?"
"Seriously! I want details as to what my innocent little Sakura has been up to. You bloomed a long time ago from that sniveling little bud I found you as, but now I want to know if that blossom has been deflowered or not. So dish."
"This is why I don't tell you anything. You are terrible." she stated, resuming walking down the isle as her friend followed in amusement.
"Aw, come on, Forehead. I tell you stuff. We have no secrets!"
"There's a difference between secrets and just plain privacy."
"No there isn't."
Sakura stopped abruptly, and Ino would have ran into her back if her instincts and reflexes weren't as sharp as they were. "Fine. No, I am not deflowered, but..." she trailed, biting the insides of her cheek as her face erupted into flames.
"But?"
The pink haired girl coughed awkwardly. "...we, uh, did stuff."
"Stuff?"
"Well." Biting her lip, she rubbed her arm nervously. "He did stuff to me, I did stuff to him, just stuff ok?"
"Wow. This is uncomfortable. My little Sakura is growing up, and being shy about it." the blonde pouted, tugging a lock of her friend's pink hair affectionately.
"Well it's not something you go into great detail about. No matter how much you want me to. Just know we did stuff and that's it." Sakura shrugged, thinking that her mortifying moment was over, and starting shuffling through racks again.
But of course, with Ino, it wasn't.
"Did you touch his ding dong?"
"Ino."
"Alright, alright! Here, try these on." she said, changing the subject and shoving several kimonos into her seething friend's arms. "And try not to strangle me with any of the ribbons, please."
"You're making that very difficult."
"If I didn't you wouldn't love me as much." Ino winked, and began tugging at Sakura's sleeve. "Now come on, we're wasting time we don't have."
"Not my fault." Sakura sniffed, ignoring the way the blonde pushed her into the dressing room.
"Yes it is!" Ino shrieked through the door, making the medic cringe. "Who waits until the week of the festival to buy a kimono? I bought mine weeks ago. Like, really Forehead, you're worse than those things with penises."
"Boys?"
"Yes. Yes those."
Rolling her pretty jade eyes, Sakura wiggled into the first kimono. It wasn't her fault. She was so caught up here lately that she had no idea how much time had really passed until Naruto mentioned the festival last night at dinner, and she came to the horrifying realization that she had nothing to wear. At all. And after a late night panic call to her best friend, Sakura found herself here, squeezing into the ugliest kimonos she ever saw, because that's all that wasn't wiped out.
The pink haired woman emerged, twirling for her best friend.
Ino tsked, and shook her head. "Too much sparkle, you look like a hooker."
Sakura stopped twirling. "Thanks."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Sighing in defeat, the medic hung her head, turning around and trudging to the dressing room. "Maybe I should just go naked."
Ino scowled as Sakura emerged from the dressing room, not even bothering to try on the other monsters. For once the blonde didn't blame her for the reluctance. "As much as that would appease Naruto and his boyish desires, you need to make an impression on the Daimyo and the council and all the other higher ups that you're going to have to kiss ass with, because you decided to go on and become the First Lady or whatever."
"Ok! Ok! Kami, I get it." Sakura threw her hands up. "I just...I don't want to embarrass Naruto, you know? But I have been so busy with this virus thing and the antidote and modifying the vaccines—which you still need to get, you Pig, I haven't forgotten—I just blanked on one of the most important nights of Naruto's life and...I just don't want to disappoint, you know? It means so much to him..."
The blue eyed woman's eyes softened as she laid a gentle hand on the sunken girl's slumped shoulder. "Sakura, you are beautiful. And for whatever reason that I will never know why, the idiot thinks you look gorgeous when you're in freaking sweatpants so quite frankly, no matter what you wear, he'll only have eyes for you and will think no less of you. As for the higher powers, well, they can kiss your sweet candy ass as you shove it into one of these horrendous kimonos because damn it, even if we can't get you the pretty garb, we are going to make you look like one hot mama. You got me?"
A tiny smile broke out on the pink haired girl's lips as she peeked up at her friend. "Got ya."
"Good!" Ino clapped her hands together excitedly, rubbing them together and looking around.
Standing on her tip toes, she threw a hand over her eyes in a surveying manner, and Sakura watched in amusement. Her smile grew even wider as she watched her friend purse her lips and narrow her eyes, knowing she was purposefully acting silly to cheer her up. It was working. That is, until her eyes widened to the size of bowling balls.
"Forehead!" Ino sputtered.
"What?!" Sakura asked, mildly concerned.
Without another word, Ino grabbed her friend's hand and marched straight up to the counter in the back. The medic furrowed her pink brows in question at the other girl's actions, but upon seeing what was behind said counter, she froze. The saleswoman was fluffing the bottom of one of the most beautiful kimonos she ever saw.
"Is this for sale?!" Ino shrieked, pointing at the beautiful silk cloth.
The saleswoman jumped back in annoyed surprise, but forcefully smiled sweetly at the girls. "Just went onto the market. It was held back for a customer but she didn't make any payments, so here it is, back out for sale."
"I want it." Sakura blurted out without thinking, not even looking at the older woman or her friend, just the kimono. She knew that if anyone else saw this, the last possible decent kimono around, they would snag it up. So, turning to the woman, she nodded in approval. "I'll take it."
"You sure? Wanna try it on?"
Chewing her lip, Sakura nodded, holding out her hand for the kimono. The saleswoman passed it over. "Let me know if you need anything."
"Will do." Ino said, shoving the pink haired woman to the dressing room.
Within minutes Sakura emerged from the tiny wooden space, walking towards the mirrors where Ino sat. Twirling around, she admired herself in the reflective glass. It was a pearl white color with tiny crimson embroidered petals. The sash was the same crimson as the petals, and within the silk silvery designs webbed across the entire piece, like vines. It was gorgeous.
Ino whistled. "Wow, Forehead, you look amazing."
"I'm getting this one, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop me."
"As if." Ino rolled her eyes. "Finally, you won't be looking like a hobo when the festival comes around. Now come on. I'm hungry."
The kimono was pricey, which Sakura figured, being as it was so close to the festival and extremely pretty. It was almost out of her budget, but she managed, and was able to go out to lunch with Ino afterward. After heading to the hospital for a check up on her studies, she made her way home with a tired sigh.
Unlocking the door to Naruto's house, she immediately went upstairs to put away her days purchases. Since she practically lived there (she can't even remember the last time she stayed in her apartment), things have been unpacked much more than if Naruto was alone this whole time. In the entire house, only about two boxes remained untouched, but that was because the pink haired woman had been so busy. Despite things being mostly unpacked, the house seemed pretty bare, and Sakura made a mental note to do a little home décor whenever this whole thing blew over.
As she closed the closet door, Naruto padded into the room, already stripping off his shirt and tossing it into the corner. Sakura frowned, glaring at the blonde man, because really, he tossed it right by the hamper she bought him for that exact reason. But boys will be boys, and Naruto will be Naruto, so instead of scolding she silently walked over and threw it in there herself.
Tch. Men.
Naruto continued to undress, and Sakura continued to collect clothes into the basket, and finally when he was in just his boxers, he looked up at her. There was a wild gleam in his eye, and Sakura watched as he huffed and puffed. They stared for a moment, until he shook his head and began pacing.
"Do I even want to know?" she spoke first, walking to the bed and finding a corner to sit.
"Why? Why?" he began. "I asked Baa-Chan to cancel the festival but she insists on keeping it going."
"You what?"
Naruto turned to her, halting his nervous steps. "Think about it, Sakura-Chan! That's what they want. Us to keep the festival going so that they can attack! I just know it."
Sakura paused, knowing he was making perfect sense, but also having enough belief in her master that she knew she had her reasons. "Or maybe that's what they want. Us to cancel. Think about it. They aren't completely stupid."
"Yes, but if we keep it going then it's the perfect chance. Everyone will be distracted, including Baa-Chan and I, and even though we amp up the security, it's also chaos with everything going on even without this new threat! I just don't like it..."
Sakura stood up, coming in front of the blonde, and setting her hands on his chest. "Look, just trust Shishou, ok? She knows what she's doing. She's been doing this awhile. Give her some credit."
Naruto sighed deeply, shoving a frustrated hand through his spikes. "I know, I know, I just want-"
"To do what's best for the village? I know, Naruto, and so does everyone else." Looking down at where her hands rested, Sakura crinkled her nose playfully. "Now go take a shower. You went sparring with Sasuke to vent before you came home, didn't you?"
Looking down, the blonde smiled sheepishly. He was covered in dirt, sweat, bruises, and cuts. It was true that he went looking for the Uchiha, and upon finding him, promptly took him to the nearest training grounds to beat the shit out of one another. It always made him feel better and it was a good challenge to keep his skills up to par.
Flickering his eyes to Sakura, he wiggled his brows. "Care to join?"
Sakura coughed to cover up a tiny blush, and punched his arm. "As tempting as that is, somebody needs to cook dinner."
He wrapped his arms around her. "Order takeout."
"Ew, don't touch me with your dirty body. Go shower!"
Naruto did as he was told, but with a pout. He laid a hand over his heart. "And here I thought you loved me!"
Sakura giggled, but shoved him towards the bathroom. "Go take your monthly shower, bum."
He kissed her nose. "Whatever you say, Sakura-Chan."
Sakura was halfway through cooking stew when Naruto came into the kitchen, dripping water droplets off his spikes. He was clad in just his pajama pants, and Sakura fought the urge to ogle at him. Stirring the food, she felt him come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist, radiating heat onto her back. Clearing her throat, she brought up the ladle to his lips.
"Blow on it, but taste it and let me know what you think."
Doing as he was told once again, he sipped, twisting his face up as he hummed. "Needs more salt."
"Not everything can be as salty as ramen broth." she said dryly, but added some anyways.
"Why must you always hate on ramen?" he whined, nuzzling the base of her neck.
"I don't always hate on ramen, I just like other foods as well."
"Weird." he said, kissing the back of her head before going to set the table.
"No, you're obsession is weird. I'm normal."
"Well, we could debate this all we want, but no matter what, I love you how you are."
Sakura laughed kindheartedly. "Same goes for you, Naruto."
Naruto shot her a wolfish grin as he laid the china on the table, for once grabbing the dishes out of a cabinet and not a box, thanks to Sakura. The pink haired woman snapped the stove off as she shoved the pot to one of the back burners. Naruto came to the steaming pot with two bowls, and once he filled them with stew, he set the bowls across from each other, just as Sakura sat down two glasses of water as well.
"But can you see what I mean?"
"Hm?"
"About earlier..." Naruto started, scooting his chair out and sitting down. "I mean, the festival thing."
Sakura sighed, plopping into her seat, grabbing her chopsticks thoughtfully. "Yes...I do. But I also trust Shishou, and there is always methods to her madness, which I learned very well being her student."
"I trust Baa-Chan too! But I think she's being unreasonable."
Sakura snorted. "Maybe. But she's been Hokage through worse situations than this, and always seems to call the right shots. Just, give some faith."
Naruto sighed, digging his spoon into his bowl, he raised the steaming stew to his lips, and blew. "I know, I know. I just...have a bad feeling."
"I know. It's normal. This is a pretty serious situation." Mimicking her boyfriend's actions, she dipped her head to blow on her own spoon and looked through pink lashes to his worried blue eyes. "Until then, just focus on your very important dinner, ok?"
The blonde man gave a tired smile. "Yeah, that's coming up too, isn't it?"
"Mhmm." She paused, staring at a chunk of beef swimming in her bowl. "I bought my kimono today."
"Oh? I wanna see."
"No."
"Wha—Sakura-Chan!"
"No!" she stared at him blankly. "You will see it when it's time for the dinner party."
"That's not fair!" he droned like a child.
Sakura bit back a laugh. "Yes it is."
"At least describe it to me."
"It's yellow. And covered in sequins. There's a stitched picture of a wombat on the front."
Sakura closely watched his face slowly morph into concealed uncomfortableness. "Oh. Sounds beautiful. Can't wait to see it."
"Mmmmm." she hummed, taking a bite of her stew. "I mean, I got it on clearance because there's a pretty decent wine stain on the front, but I figured a large enough necklace would cover that up." A tight smile stretched across Naruto's face, and she let a giggle slip through her facade. "Oh, don't worry. It's perfectly beautiful and you'll love it."
"I would love it even if it was ugly. Because you could pull anything off, Sakura-Chan."
"Nice kissing-of-the-ass, there."
"Some of my best work."
As her laugh ricocheted throughout the house, the doorbell rang. Sakura, still grinning, excused herself and stood up to make her way to the door. As she opened it, she was met with striking amber eyes.
"And to what honor to I owe this visit, Shishou?" Sakura smiled, leaning against the door frame, but once she saw the look on her master's face, that smile fell.
"We have a problem."
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sasuke Uchiha didn't particularly like physical therapy. It just wasn't his thing. Sure, he's had to do it in the past, because as a Shinobi, things like broken bones and chunks of muscle being torn from your body happens on the job, but that doesn't mean he has to like it.
And he doesn't. Not one bit.
So when Tsunade and Sakura told him that physical therapy was probably going to be needed, he bailed. Because really, who needs physical therapy for something so insignificant as a brain infection? Tch.
Sure, sometimes it's hard to do things with a slightly shaky hand, but that will work itself out eventually. He didn't need someone else poking and prodding him and making him do pointless things like try to pinch grains of rice or lift weights whilst taking notes with a hawk's eye to report later to the pink haired nuisance (who then would bitch at him for being a stubborn ass). No, Uchihas were above such means.
So instead of directly reporting to the hospital, like an otherwise good little ninja would do, the raven haired young man stubbornly went to the training grounds, determined in his own self-healing means. About halfway through with a shaky taijustsu routine, a very annoyed physician appeared at the edge of the field. Sasuke stopped mid punch, and turned around slowly. The first thing Sasuke registered was that this was not the usual mousy brunette that had been assigned to him numerous of times. The next, was that this person looked absolutely pissed.
Bright blue eyes narrowed dangerously, giving him an icy stare as the relatively soft breeze tousled her dark hair, which was pulled into a low ponytail. A heel clicked against the dry dirt as she tapped her foot, obviously in contempt. Her lips were pulled into a tight line, and her arms were folded across her rather endowed chest (not that Sasuke was looking).
"Uchiha Sasuke." she clipped, her voice very feminine, but menacing. "You failed to show up for physical therapy this afternoon. Care to tell me why you're here training and not at your appointment?"
"Hn." The Uchiha noticed a slight twitch in her brow at that, and bite back a smirk. "Where's the other woman?"
"She's been relieved of your stubborn idiocy." Sasuke's almost smirk fell, replaced with a twitch of his own. "I'm your new physical therapy physician."
"Oh?"
The raven haired Shinobi noticed with a small spark of curiosity that the woman removed her white coat as she spoke, gently laying it on the ground, and revealing various weapon's pouches strapped to her body. She wore a simple white, loose T-shirt and black Shinobi cargo pants, with no sign of a clan sigma. Using this time to scan her body, he noticed the familiar lean muscular build she acquired, then making the connection. It was then that he realized that she was most likely a medical Kunoichi like Sakura. Strange, seeing that she claimed to be a physical therapy doctor. Most physical therapy physicians are just that, and there are few actual active field medics who also attribute in combat. So then, just who was she?
"I've been personally asked by Haruno-San to oversee your therapy, saying that 'you're too damn stubborn to deal with polite and civil care'. " she informed, and to Sasuke's surprise, began stretching. "So here I am."
"Tch." he scoffed, lifting his chin slightly. "You're not polite or civil?"
A wolfish grin uncharacteristically broke through her cold facade as she looked up to him from a stretch, slightly taking him aback. "Not in the least."
Silence ensued for several minutes as he watched her do various stretches. He looked at her more closely during those minutes, observing her curiously. She took no note of his staring, unfazed by what most people would call his intimidating gaze. Why did Sakura send her? What did Sakura think would be accomplished by sending her? What exactly was she getting at with all that stretching? Surely she wasn't going to fight him, the Sasuke Uchiha. Finally, interest overtook his aloof persona.
"What are you doing?"
"I'll make you a bet, Uchiha." she ignored his question, and finished her stretching with a delicate little bounce. "I'm going to fight you. If I can get you pinned on your back in three minutes, you have to shut up and come to your physical therapy. All of them. And on time, too."
"Ah." he smirked cockily. "And if I get you pinned on your back?"
"I won't bug you about it ever again, and I'll report to Haruno-San that you're being a good little boy and attending your appointments." she said, completely serious, as she being forming an offensive position. "But, you have to beat me."
"Tch." he smirked, mimicking her position.
Less than a minute and a half later, a very stunned and a very pissed Uchiha laid flat on his back on the dusty ground, a beautiful dark haired woman straddling him, grinning down triumphantly and completely unfazed by their position. Hair that was once in it's low ponytail now fell loose from their scuffle, revealing that she had extremely long tresses, that were now annoyingly falling in Sasuke's face. He tried to ignore just how silky they felt against his bruised cheek.
"Your shakiness left you open where you shouldn't be. I read Haruno-San's reports, and the virus primarily affects the motor cortex, thus your motor skills. We need to get those up to par." she said. "Can't be having the future chief of Konoha's police department having the sharpness of a Genin."
Sasuke glared hotly at the young woman, sneering as she cheerfully smiled. "Who the fuck are you?" he snapped out of character, embarrassed by his loss and angry at her comments.
Despite the tone and look that would normally send grown men screaming, she gave him a challenging smirk of her own. "Akari." she said, standing up and offering a hand, which he refused. "Ito Akari." she finished, shrugging on her white coat and pulling her hair into another low ponytail. "And I will be seeing you tomorrow at noon, Sasuke Uchiha."
Sasuke watched her walk into the woods and once cooled off, tried to figure out whether to continue training, or call it a night. Shaking his spiked head, he knew his thoughts were too jumbled to continue doing anything productive, and decided to call it a night. As he walked home, he was frustrated to find that his thoughts kept reverting back to the fight, and to the woman.
Akari...
The raven haired man noticed startling that with the absolute resentment he felt, there was something else that stirred with those thoughts. Attraction wasn't it, but before he could decipher just what it was, he took a few sleeping pills and forced himself asleep. He did have an appointment tomorrow after all.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Tsunade paced their living room floor, holding a hand to her chin and mumbling to herself as the couple sat on the couch, watching her in concern. Finally, after several agonizing minutes passed, she looked up from her pacing and addressed them.
"I need your help."
"We gathered that, yes." Sakura said, feeling her stomach churn at the possibilities. Finally, that little moment of peace they were having is shattering in front of her. Bracing herself for the worst, Sakura closed her eyes and waited for it.
"The shipment of sake isn't going to be here in time for the festival."
"What?"
"I'm almost out of sake and—"
Naruto was surprisingly the first one to explode. "What?! I thought you were being serious, Baa-Chan!"
"I am being serious!"
A moment of silence, and then, "Get out!"
"Don't talk to your elders that way you little brat, I need you to make a trip to Wave—"
"Make the trip yourself, I said get out!"
"How dare you, you know you aren't Hokage yet, you little shit."
"Coming in my house during dinner with your alcohol dependency bullshit, making me think there was some kind of crisis." Naruto said, playfully shoving her out the door. "Go!"
"Wait, there's something else!" Tsunade said, digging her heels into their floor and spinning around. "Sakura. A medic from Kumi showed up, asking for you. I came here to get you myself, because I didn't want any other person relaying this message and she's at the tower currently, filling out paperwork for a residence here."
Pink brows furrowed at that, as her face morphed from amused to serious. "Hai, Shishou."
"I don't like her. She's extremely interested in your virus project. How she got wind of it, I don't know, and I understand that she has some entitlement to a consult for her village, considering where she originates, but I want you to keep her mostly in the dark, understood?"
"H-Hai."
"I just don't trust her. Something about her is shady..." Tsunade trailed absentmindedly, and then looked back up. "If you'll excuse me, I have to work through a misplaced sake incident, and you two can resume your dinner."
With that, Tsunade left, and as Naruto closed the door, Sakura turned to him, frowning. "I agree with Shishou. I know we didn't keep it under wraps around the hospital like we should have, and perhaps a doctor contacted Kumi or vice versa, but I don't feel comfortable about this. Tomorrow, I'm going to have to do a little bit of interrogation."
"Hm. Sounds good to me, but uh, can we please get back to the stew? I bet it's icicles by now."
Sakura rolled her pretty jade eyes. "Drama queen, I swear."
"I prefer just the good old fashioned 'over dramatic', thank you."
"I swear I hate you sometimes." Sakura groaned, and giggled as Naruto swooped her up in a big hug.
"No, you love me."
A warm smile danced across her lips. "I do love you."
A silly grin broke out on his, and he kissed her. "C'mon, let's go microwave our dinner."
"Damn it, and to think I cooked tonight to avoid that, too."
A lukewarm dinner, a very filthy yet clean shower, and an hour of playful wrestling later, and the pink haired medic was curled on Naruto, dozing off and relishing in his warm fingers, tracing patterns on the small of her back. He sighed in content as she breathed in his scent, both feeling the others heartbeat through their skin.
"Have I ever told you that you are the absolute best thing that had ever happened to me?" he murmured, and smiled sleepily as she squeezed his bicep.
"The feelings mutual, baby." she mumbled, and his heart skipped at the pet name.
The rest of the time it took them to fall asleep, they said nothing, but both silently prayed that every night would be just like that one. Together, sleeping in each others arms, and madly in love.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Sakura woke up the exact opposite she fell asleep. Cold, alone, and with a headache. As she slipped into one of Naruto's shirts and trudged downstairs to find her boyfriend, she came up with an empty house and an empty pot of coffee. So Sakura got dressed, stubbed her toe, and went to work pissed off. Today is not a good day for her, and would not be for everyone else involved.
Fuck her toe hurt.
So as she began brewing her coffee in her own personal coffee maker at work, she began going through her case files, trying to forget the oncoming shit day she was going to have. Mulling about her working routine as usual, it began to brighten up. Naruto came in with a breakfast sandwich, apologizing for his absence due to an emergency meeting at the Hokage Tower and showering her with kisses. Her patients were pleasantly cooperative today, and she even saw Sasuke Uchiha come in for his physical therapy willingly at exactly noon. Things were looking good.
As she finished filling out a report, a delicate hand tapped her shoulder. Turning around, expecting to see a nurse, she was met with a pair of eyes the color of sweet honey. Blonde curls bounced with every movement the woman made, and the subtle scent of expensive perfume filled her nostrils. The lady gave her a genuine smile, burgundy lips puling back to reveal pearly white teeth.
"Haruno-sama?" Sakura almost cringed at her sing-song-y voice. "I'm Dr. Koriko. I'm here to work with you on your project."
Sakura cleared her throat uncomfortably. "The doctor from Kumi, correct?"
"Yes!" she chirped. "I didn't think you'd remember me."
"I was informed of your arrival." the pink haired woman said hesitantly, vaguely remembering the woman, if at all. The other woman's smile was unwavering. "I was just finishing up some post-ops if you want to stick around for a bit longer, then I can show you the lab."
"That sounds perfectly fine!"
As Sakura put the folders back in their designated slots, she couldn't help but feel tense and wary. This woman definitely didn't fit the bill of being dangerous or a devious villain. That's what made her uneasy. As Sakura began making her way to the labs, with the Kumi doctor at her heels, she felt the swirl of unease in the pits of her stomach. She doesn't know why she's so anxious all of a sudden. Something isn't right.
"Haruno-sama?"
"Huh?" Sakura shook her head, pausing in front of the door to the research labs, hand grasping the handle.
"I asked if you came up with any kind of answers as to what this thing is."
Forcing a smile on her face, Sakura answered. "I think I do. Maybe. Would you like to take a look?"
Nodding vigorously, the blonde bent over the microscope. Sakura watched the woman closely the rest of the day, and if she had not been so absorbed in monitoring Dr. Koriko, she may have noticed the new face in the hospital crowd. At the end of the not-so-terrible day, Sakura said goodnight to the staff and walked home, hand in hand with the love of her life. Shortly after that, another figure exited the hospital.
Adjusting her white coat, the stranger smirked discreetly, stepping out into the night and slipping back into the shadows.
A/N: Wow, I just binged on some fanfiction writing.
Ok, so I love writing Sasuke's scenes, because it's just so fun making him a not-dick. And I kinda wanted to give him a new face to have some fresh interactions with, and I kinda really like Akari. As this fanfic is coming to a close, I wanted your guys' personal opinion. Should I do a slight sequel involving Sasuke and Akari, with a bit of post NaruSaku in it, or just go on to a completely new fanfic idea? Please, your responses lead me to inspiration.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR DEALING WITH MY ASSNESS.
I LOVE YOU ALL.
Read, Review (ohsweetbabyrays), and Enjoy!
Read on,
~Dayonight7
