Chapter 56 – Tenten's Chapter (Part 2)
After getting in a rock climbing accident and being treated well in the hospital by the nurses, I realized I wanted to help people feel as well as I did. So I joined the Konoha School of Nursing. I was elated when I found out that I was starting with none other than Sakura Haruno. I was glad to be with my friend again. We rekindled out friendship and often spent our time studying together. I was very glad that she introduced me to Dr. Shishui and Dr. Itachi who happily helped us study. When I wasn't with her or studying, I was with Neji and Sakura was either helping Ino's upcoming wedding or was trying to spend time with the ever absent Sasuke.
Sakura was always asking for advice on her relationship with Sasuke. She asked how she was to go about things with her and Sasuke since they were far apart. I didn't understand why she asked me. Neji and I were not far apart. I think it was because I was a bit older that she saw me as more mature. She even made some wrong assumptions sometimes about Neji and my relationship.
"Tenten, may I ask you a question?" Sakura asked as we did some homework one evening.
"Of course," I told her.
"How long did you and Neji date before you two…did it?"
"What?" I looked over at her. She was blushing.
"How long did you two wait to do it? I know Ino and Sai waited till they had been dating a year. Naruto and Hinata haven't done it yet. I was just wondering how long you waited," She explained.
"Neji and I haven't done that yet," I was red.
"Really?"
"Yeah. Neji is too much of gentleman. We haven't gone pass second base," I couldn't believe she had thought we had and had asked me.
"Oh, okay. I'm sorry for prying."
"Why were you asking?" I inquired.
"Well…I didn't know if me waiting was weird. Ino said it was…"
"Waiting isn't weird."
"Really?"
"Yeah. You should wait until you are sure you love the person and that you are mentally, emotionally and physically ready to be completely vulnerable with them. You have to be fully committed to this person. You also have to be sure they are just as ready, committed and just as in love. Don't do it if you and your partner still not completely ready to become one."
"Tenten, that is so…deep," She looked at me as if I were a sage or something.
"Um…good?"
She seemed very content.
"How far have you and Sasuke gone?" I asked since she knew how far Neji and I had gone. Her face matched the shade of her hair.
"Sasuke-kun and I haven't even gone to second base. He gets really embarrassed or I do. I want to be with him completely but I'm not really ready and I don't think he is either. But I think his college buddies are trying to pressure him to go further with me. I was kind of tempted to do it with him so he could save face and Ino wouldn't think I was such a prude but I am more resolved now to just wait. Sasuke-kun doesn't need to prove anything to those guys and I don't have to prove anything to Ino," She was determined. I felt some pride in her decision.
When our two years passed and we graduated and were put into the hospital, I was glad we were still working together. We had become such good friends again. But I felt very sorry for her on our graduation day. All our families and friends came but Sasuke did not. He had a conflicting baseball game. She smiled through the day and did not give way that she was upset.
When Ino's wedding came, Sakura was the maid-of-honor and I was invited as well with Neji. It was a beautiful wedding. Ino was a vision in her Grecian styled wedding gown and Sai was very handsome in his tuxedo. All the bridesmaids wore purple and purple flowers were everywhere. Sasuke did not show up for the wedding. He had to go to a baseball training camp with some of his teammates. I felt bad for Sakura. Her boyfriend wasn't around and she sat out almost all the dances until Kakashi-sensei made her dance with him.
When Sakura and I worked in the hospital the first year, I could tell that she was becoming depressed. She was great with all her patients and easily won the favor of the head nurse Tsunade. I got to see Sakura more often than anyone and I could tell she was internally falling apart. She and Sasuke were definitely having troubles. I had heard them fight over the phone many times and she had told me that they didn't see each other even half as much as they used to which was already very little. She always told me that everything would get better.
I wanted to help her but what could I do? I didn't know Sasuke very well so I couldn't try to talk to him. If I tried to talk to Sakura she would try to smile it off. I had to talk to someone who could talk to them. I went to Dr. Itachi's one night.
"Tenten, what are you doing here?" He asked me.
"I came to talk to you about Sasuke and Sakura."
He let me in as if the names were magic words.
"What's wrong with them?" He asked me as we sat.
"They are not doing too well. They're always fighting and never meeting up. Sakura is depressed. I can tell even behind her smile," I told him.
"Why come to me with this?"
"I can't talk to them about it. I thought you could talk them since you are Sasuke's brother and like a brother to Sakura."
"Aa."
"I know it is odd for me to come and ask this but I think they really need some help."
"I'll do what I can," he assured me.
I left and I waited anxiously for Sasuke and Sakura to reconcile some. Weeks passed and nothing seemed to change till one day Sakura ran up to me smiling.
"Tenten!" She squealed my name when she reached me.
"Sakura?"
"Sasuke-kun is coming to see me! He's coming to see me next week!" She was jumping up and down in excitement.
"He is?" I smiled.
"Yes! I can't wait! This is so great!" She was just a ball of happiness. I was very happy for her. She then ran off. I saw her telling Dr. Shisui. I saw him maintain a smile until Sakura ran off. I noticed a frown on his face. I let it slip from my mind as I was called off to tend to a patient.
