The trip to Suna had been surprisingly pleasant. Shikamaru, the official ambassador of Konoha, had accompanied Sakura and though she found herself often exasperated with his behavior, he had been more chipper than usual.

She knew why, of course. It was no secret that the poor Nara boy had a thing for Temari. Personally, Sakura thought she was quite scary, but then again, all of the sand siblings were.

So, predictably, when the leaf duo had arrived at the Kazekage's palace, Sakura was left alone while Shikamaru and Temari sneaked off to do whatever it is they did with each other. Sakura suspected a lot of angry, sexually charged staring.

"You'll have to forgive my sister's rudeness," the Kazekage said, giving her a slight bow. He was a far cry from the boy who nearly killed her during the chuunin exams. Several months before his rescue from Akatsuki, Team 7 had paid a visit to Suna during which Gaara had apologized profusely.

Naruto had insisted that no apology was necessary, but Sakura felt that maybe she deserved one. He had, after all, almost killed her. But she did forgive him, because he seemed truly sorry. It was apparent to everyone that he had changed a lot just in the time between the chuunin exams and his rise to Suna's coveted leadership position.

"Only if you forgive Shikamaru's," Sakura replied with a grin.

Gaara smiled back tensely, and regarded her with a curiosity that Sakura wasn't too comfortable with. She wondered what he could have been thinking behind those startlingly bright eyes.

Flushed and flustered, Sakura fiddled with the hem of her vest and cast her eyes away from him. "If it's alright with you, Kazekage-sama," she began, "I'd like to get started with your poison immediately."

He gestured broadly toward the medical wing of the palace and she dutifully trotted after him. Absently and unconcernedly, Sakura noted a few grains of sand that clung to her wrist. She also noticed the ones that hovered around the opening of Gaara's gourd.

"I figured you would have liked to rest first," Gaara said as they walked, "The trip may not be very long, but the sun can be exhausting."

She shrugged and then belatedly realized that he could not see her. "I just need to be doing something," she said, "I don't think I could sit still right now if I wanted to."

She didn't tell him the reason for that, and he didn't ask. He opened the door leading to a laboratory, one she had been in once before when she extracted poison from his brother.

"All of the notes on the poison are on the desk," Gaara said, standing in the doorway, but not entering the room. Sakura slid past him and snatched the top file from the desk. Flipping through it she perused the characteristics and properties of the poison. "And there is a small sample of my sand in a jar. If you need more do not hesitate to ask."

Sakura nodded and then turned back to face him. He was watching her and this time his smile was more genuine.

"You are a friend of Naruto's," he said, and Sakura's heart clenched painfully. She didn't want to think about Naruto or what he was currently doing. "So you are a friend of mine. Thank you for agreeing to help. I know that you do important work in Konoha, so we appreciate you taking the time to do this."

"Of course, Kazekage-sama," she answered, her voice a little more timid than she would have liked. "I'm happy to help."

"You may call me Gaara."

"Gaara-sama," she said with a dip of her head.

He gave her a critical look, but left her alone, shutting the door gently as he left.

.

Sakura spent the next several days working in Gaara's lab. The work distracted her from thinking about Naruto and Itachi, and when she wasn't working she was sleeping off the exhaustion. Working for nearly twelve hours everyday certainly wasn't healthy, and as a medic, she knew that. But it made the time pass quickly and it brought her close to solution in a short manner of time.

Gaara hadn't been surprised by the speed with which she'd come up with a way to fully integrate the poison into his sand. It appeared that he had expected that from her. She was irritated by his high expectations, but she had met them so she couldn't be too concerned about it.

Unfortunately, the next step in the process required Sakura to spend a fair amount of time with the young Kazekage. Usually, this would not have been a problem, but Sakura found it difficult to keep her mind off of what Ino had said to her the night before she left.

Gaara was a handsome man – Sakura wasn't afraid to admit that. She had noticed the fangirls that tended to flock around him when he was outside the palace. She found it amusing, quite frankly, to see the typically stoic man flustered by some feminine attention. She figured he would have been used to it at this point.

But he spurned all of their advances. In a spurt of boldness, Sakura asked him why.

"I'm their Kazekage," he had answered. "It wouldn't be proper. And I have no interest in any of them."

It was to her chagrin that he mentioned propriety while she was standing behind his half naked body. It was purely professional, of course, because Sakura was always professional. She had pierced him with a litany of poisoned needles on his broad, muscular back, testing to see how his body reacted to certain ingredients, certain venoms and poisons.

She couldn't help but notice the way his body reacted to other things. With each graze of her fingertip over the needle-caused pockmarks he would shiver, sometimes even shrink away from her.

Gaara was an untouchable man. She wondered how many other people had touched the bare skin of his back before. Perhaps he wasn't so fond of her touching him like this.

"Really?" Sakura asked, doing her best to keep her tone light, like she wasn't asking him deeply personal questions. "Not a single one of them has caught your eye?"

"My attention has been elsewhere, Sakura-san," he answered tersely.

Sakura kept her mouth shut after that. Throughout the remainder of his appointments with her, he maintained a cordial, but distant friendliness that Sakura was grateful for and annoyed with in the same vein.

Ino had told her to flirt with him, to have some fun. And instead, she had offended him with personal questions and a jab at his not-so-wandering eye.

So she focused in her mission – who needed to flirt with hot kages when there were perfectly good men back at home? But that thought was equally disparaging. It had been nearly a week since Naruto and Itachi had left for their mission. They could be back in Konoha for all she knew. Unlikely.

"Is something bothering you, Sakura-san?" Gaara asked. She had just injected him with a serum that would grant him immunity to the poison. The only thing left to do now was wait and see how his sand reacted to it.

She caught his eye and then quickly looked away. Often she found him staring openly at her, always critically and somewhat curiously. Like he didn't know what to make of her.

"I'm just homesick, that's all."

His eyes narrowed. He didn't believe her.

"I apologize if your stay here has not been hospitable."

Sakura thought briefly about Shikamaru and Temari and what they had been doing this whole time. She hadn't seen either of them since the day they arrived.

"It isn't that," she said, though she knew that he knew that, "One of my friends is on a dangerous mission right now. I'm just worried."

He didn't seem placated by her words, but Sakura didn't want to share any more information. She knew their mission was classified and telling the Kazekage about it – even though Suna was Konoha's ally – would be treason. She didn't really know enough to tell him anything anyway.

But she certainly couldn't tell him that Naruto was on the mission. She had no doubt that he would drop whatever he was doing to come to Naruto's aid, and that would definitely implicate her.

"I see," was his only response.

Sakura went back to studying his sand, watching for any reaction to the poison. She then checked Gaara's vitals to make sure that the poison was not affecting him in any way.

He watched her throughout this process, his eyes piercing and unsettling. Her hands were on his chest and though she was a medic and had done this to hundreds of people, the position reminded her of Itachi. Even the way he looked at her reminded her of Itachi.

She was just about to tell him that she was finished and that her job here was done when she heard him clear his throat.

"I heard that Sasuke is back in Konoha," he said.

She blinked. "Yes, that's true," she answered, curious as to why he would think about such a thing.

"And his brother, too."

She swallowed. "Also true."

"I don't like Sasuke," Gaara said, and the animosity in his voice surprised her, as did his frankness about his feelings. "And if his brother is anything like him then I don't like him either."

Sakura didn't feel that this was an entirely appropriate topic of discussion, but since he had been the one to bring it up, she didn't try to dissuade him from it. They had hardly spoken at all in the week they'd been working together and now he was offering conversation of his own volition.

"I'm sure you'll be surprised to hear that I'm not Sasuke's biggest fan, either," she answered.

He quirked a nonexistent brow. She was supposed to be in love with him. And even if she wasn't, he was still her teammate and her friend.

"Sasuke and I do not see eye to eye on a lot of things," she said, "I don't hate him, but I wouldn't go out of my way to spend time with him."

Gaara smiled, a charming and boyish smirk that helped Sakura remember exactly why he had so many admirers. She suddenly realized that her hands were still pressed to his chest and that she was standing between his legs. As nonchalantly as she could manage, she dropped her hands to her sides and backed away from him.

"Then we agree," he said, unfazed by their proximity and her aversion to it. "But for Naruto's sake, I am happy that he is back."

Sakura grinned, "Yeah, me too."

The room fell silent and Sakura wanted to take the opportunity to tell Gaara that they were finished in Suna and should head back to Konoha soon, but something in the way he was regarding her made her stop.

"I think you would like his brother."

She didn't know why that was the particular thing she had chosen to blurt out. She could have said any number of non-incriminating things. The silence had overwhelmed her, especially with the way he watched her like she was a puzzle he wanted to solve.

"What?"

Nervously, she rubbed the back of her neck. "Sasuke's brother," she said, "They're nothing alike. Itachi is a lot more… well, I just think you would like him."

"Do you like him?"

She flushed, but she understood that his inflection wasn't accusatory. "Yes," she answered, "He's a good friend."

"Well, then" he said, "Seeing as we appear to have similar taste in friends, I'm sure I would like him, too."

Neither of them said anything about Itachi's past, the crimes he'd committed, or the fact that he was still listed in the Bingo book. Sakura offered no explanation for it because she didn't know if that was something that Tsunade would want her to do. That was private Konoha business.

But Gaara didn't need to know the details. If anyone could understand something like that without really knowing, it was Gaara.

"Alright, Gaara-sama, I think we're finished up here," she said, "Your vitals look good and the poison is now working in conjunction with your sand."

He stood up and hefted his gourd onto his shoulder. "And you've got the antidote for the poison?" he asked. She nodded, gesturing to a crate of vials near his feet. The poison and the antidote had already been created by the time she got there, so she didn't know why he would have asked her that.

Until she felt his sand begin to cover the length of her right arm. Sakura tensed up in fear because she knew exactly what Gaara was capable of doing with his sand. She had witnessed the destruction of Lee's bones, the lengthy process of healing it took for him to recover.

The sand swirled around her arm, abrasive and course. She could feel the cuts forming under the layer of sand and she knew that when the sand was moved, there would be blood there.

And there was. When Gaara pulled his sand back into the gourd, Sakura's arm was covered in shallow cuts, blood forming along the broken skin, but not falling. Not dripping.

And then she felt the effects of the poison – a slow, burning sensation that tightened in her chest and made it difficult to breathe. Her vision began to blur and bile was thick in the back of her throat. Her head was swimming.

She lurched forward, nearly falling onto her face, but Gaara's hands steadied her. She felt him jab a needle into her arm as he guided her into the seat that he had just occupied.

"You could have warned me," she rasped.

When she looked at him he was smiling again and any anger she might have felt ebbed away.

"You did a fantastic job, Sakura-san," he said. "Thank you."

She smiled back weakly.

.

Sakura was disappointed when she returned to Konoha and Naruto and Itachi had not yet returned. It was to be expected, she supposed, because she had been gone just over a week. Most missions lasted longer than that, especially ones pertaining to crazed terrorist groups.

Life proceeded as normal for the next few days. She took her shifts at the hospital, picked up Yamato from the academy, and spent time with Ino. She did whatever she could to keep her mind off Naruto and Itachi.

After a particularly light day at the hospital, Sakura came home to a surprisingly empty home. Sakura suspected that she had a date or something other equally pressing event to attend because Ino's makeup was scattered haphazardly across her living room floor. Ino had always chosen to doll herself up at Sakura's apartment because it was "centrally-located" and much closer to all the things Ino ever wanted to do.

Sakura had no complaint with this, except now she was slightly annoyed by the mess and the fact that she had not been invited to the event in question.

She had thought far too much about Naruto and Itachi today, wallowed in her own misery. There wasn't much to keep her distracted now. She had half a mind to go to Tsunade and demand answers, but she knew that would get her nowhere.

Her heart leapt into her throat when she heard a knock at her door. Deciding not to get her hopes up (it could have been Ino), she threw the door open with nonchalance.

But she was surprised to see Sasuke on her doorstep.

"Sasuke-kun."

He looked much less annoyed than usual, but a lot more somber. Sakura realized that if anyone could relate to what she was feeling now, it was him.

"Can I come in?"

She nodded and pulled the door open wider for him. With a measure of distaste, he surveyed the mess on the floor.

"Ino made the mess," she explained.

He regarded her coolly with curiosity and something else.

She rolled her eyes because there wasn't much else she could do and indicated that he should take a seat at her kitchen table. "Let me make you some tea," she said.

When the tea had been brewed and they were sitting across from one another somewhat awkwardly, but with a pleasant calmness and familiarity, Sasuke took a hesitant sip from his mug.

"Peppermint," he said, "Itachi's favorite."

Sakura knew this. It was the kind he made for her. The kind he drank when they were in Toyeiki.

"Are you worried about him?" she asked.

His eyes bore into her. "Are you?"

She nodded, unperturbed by his hostile tone. She expected it from him.

"Do you know anything about their mission?" she asked.

He regarded her skeptically as if he thought that maybe he shouldn't tell her what he knew. Or maybe she knew more than he did and he didn't want her to know that either.

"I know it has something to do with Akatsuki," he answered.

"That's all I know, too."

The sipped their tea in tandem, both unsure of what to say and a little bit uneasy in each other's presence. But the silence wasn't uncomfortable, and even though Sakura didn't want to admit it, she was grateful that he had come by – either seeking solace from her, or wishing to give it to her.

They were, after all, both a part of Team 7. They should be able to be near one another without the weirdness.

"What are you doing with my brother?"

Sakura sucked in a breath because she had been anticipating such a question and unsure of how to answer it.

"It has nothing to do with you," she said, "If that's the answer you're looking for."

"I find that hard to believe."

She set her mug down. "No offense, Sasuke," she said, dropping the suffix from his name. "But you were gone for years. You don't know me anymore. And the Sakura that you knew all those years ago is gone."

"Right," he said, setting down his mug as well, "And this new Sakura just happens to be interested in my brother."

"Why does that bother you so much?"

"It doesn't bother me—"

"Then what do you want?" she demanded, "Would you like it if I never speak to him again?"

He didn't answer and Sakura had a sneaking suspicion that that was exactly what he wanted. For a moment he looked conflicted, like there was something else he wanted to say.

"I know I haven't known him for very long," she said, "And I know that he is your brother. I know what that looks like to you. But surely I don't need to tell you why I like him so much. If anyone should understand, it's you."

"You like him," Sasuke said. It didn't sound like a question.

"Of course I do," she answered, "He's a good man. He's done so much for Konoha and for you. And he…"

She trailed off because she couldn't really find the right words and it seemed too intimate to be sharing with Sasuke – feelings that she hadn't quite worked out for herself yet.

"He deserves to be happy," she finished.

Sasuke stared at her from across the table.

"Do you love me?" he asked.

She paused, unsure of what she'd just heard. He raised his brow, waiting for her answer. She felt a lump form in her throat.

"I care about you," she said, "And I want you to be happy."

"But do you love me?"

"I suppose I do."

He sighed, his eyes never leaving hers. "He sees something in you that I don't see," he said, "And it makes me angry."

"What?"

"I feel like I'm missing something when I look at you," he continued, "What is it that he sees that I don't? Why does he like you so much?"

Sakura felt a stab of both pain and pleasure at those words – that Itachi liked her so much and that Sasuke couldn't see why. She should have been offended. But instead she laughed.

"Maybe you're just feeling residually annoyed with me from our genin days," she suggested with a chuckle.

Sasuke didn't seem amused.

"Look, Sasuke," she said, "You don't have to worry about my intentions with Itachi. I don't want to hurt him, and I don't think of him as a substitute for you. I'm long over that crush I had on you years ago."

He scoffed, but didn't argue.

"Besides," she continued, "He was the one who started it."

Sasuke's expression softened and to Sakura's amusement and relief, he seemed to believe her. He even cracked a small smile.

"I miss him," she said wistfully, "And Naruto."

"I miss them, too."

There it was. The reason he had come here. Sasuke had only confronted her about her relationship with Itachi that one time before the Danzo fiasco. Since then he had avoided her. Or she had avoided him. It didn't matter.

But the issue seemed to be behind them now and they could finally commiserate and miss their boys together.

"Do you think they'll be okay?" she asked.

He glared at her. "Of course they'll be okay," he snapped, "If it was you out there on that mission I'd be worried."

His tone wasn't light or teasing, and Sakura was well aware that he thought her skills as a ninja were subpar. But she laughed nonetheless, because he was right.

"It wasn't a joke," he said.

"Aww," she cooed, "You'd be worried about me for real?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not heartless, Sakura," he said, "I didn't leave the village to hurt your feelings. I didn't reject you because I wanted to upset you."

"I know, Sasuke."

It was as close as she would get to an apology from him. Not that she really wanted one. But it was still nice to hear those words from him.

Again they settled into silence, sipping their tea and enjoying company that they'd been denied since Naruto and Itachi left.

"We talked about you, you know," Sakura said after a moment. "In Toyeiki. Before I knew the truth about him. It was clear even then that he loved you and cared about you. It was one of the reasons I suspected something was amiss."

She watched Sasuke's eyes widen almost imperceptively. He was curious, but he didn't ask her anything so she didn't offer any more information.

"He asked me once why I was so mean to you," Sasuke replied, "And I told him that you were annoying."

She smiled in response to that, amused. She would never be as close to Sasuke as Naruto was, but she was beginning to understand the teasing quality of their friendship. It may not have started out that way, but for the first time since his return, Sakura felt that she and Sasuke could actually be friends.

"He disagreed," Sasuke said with a slight smirk.

"I'm sure he found me annoying when we first met," Sakura countered, "I certainly didn't make things easy on him."

"Meaning…?"

"I provoked him," she answered, "I was openly hostile in spite of our agreement. I made dark and offensive jokes about the massacre."

Sasuke blinked in response.

"I didn't know any better," she said in defense, "But I apologized to him. He didn't seem too upset, even back then. I'm sure he understood why I acted that way."

Sasuke grunted. Sakura smiled. He took another sip of his tea and she took another sip of hers. And when Sakura went to sleep that night, her thoughts were a little less turbulent and she was a little less worried.

.

Sakura woke in the middle of the night to the sounds of sharp banging against her bedroom window. Immediately on alert, she flung off her covers and unlatched the window.

"Naruto?" she gasped. He was panting and she could see the wildness, the redness in his eyes – the kyuubi that had not yet died down after being provoked. He looked badly beaten up, but in stable condition.

But slung across his back, limp and drenched in blood, was Itachi. She stifled a cry that nearly ripped its way out of her throat and opened the window wider for him to enter.

Carefully, Naruto set him down on her bed. It looked bad. He was haggard and pale, and blood seemed to be seeping through his clothes everywhere.

"Help me strip him," she commanded, immediately in medic mode. Naruto complied and then watched as she ran her chakra through him. He was unresponsive, but she could feel his heartbeat very faintly.

With her chakra, she detected several large wounds in his chest and abdomen that were open and actively bleeding.

"Naruto," she said, "Go get towels from the bathroom to staunch the bleeding."

With further investigation she found his left arm broken and several of his ribs fractured. He had a contusion on the back of his head and a streak of blood coming from his right eye.

Naruto returned with the towel and began to press them into Itachi's wounds.

"Is he going to be okay?" Naruto asked. She spared a glance for him and saw that he had calmed down somewhat. The menacing chakra of the kyuubi had subsided and his eyes had returned to their usual blue.

"I'm going to do what I can to stabilize his condition," Sakura said, "But then we need to get him to the hospital."

Naruto nodded and continued to watch as she pumped her healing chakra into him. Sakura felt a stab of annoyance at the blonde. He should have taken Itachi straight to the hospital. She knew it was his confidence in her ability that brought him here instead, but the hospital was much better equipped to deal with such injuries. She only hoped that what she had here would be enough.

Never once did Sakura let the fear in her chest show on her face. She stuffed it down, pushed it aside and let only the medic in her show. His life was in her hands yet again and she wasn't going to let him die on her bed.