Fighting for You-

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto!

Chapter Twenty-Four

For SSM20D22 Distance from Me to You

Ever since his last fight, Sakura had been busier than ever before. It was unfortunate that her work had called her attention more right after they'd finally made their relationship official, but Sasuke understood. He also had a demanding career and he was proud of Sakura. Sasuke wanted nothing more than to support her wholeheartedly as long as she supported him and what they had together—and he knew now that she did.

Sasuke was also busy. His next fight was approaching quickly and he was focused on his training and his diet the majority of the time. The diet always seemed painful even being as disciplined as he was. Over the course of the previous week, he and Sakura had to resort to FaceTiming each other in order to see one another, their schedules just not aligning to the point of them being able to meet.

It wasn't easy, but they also texted each other when they could and Sakura called Sasuke on her lunch breaks. Even if he was busy at the time, he always took a break long enough to talk to her while she could. It was easy to see how pleased she was with the extra workload—not that she wanted to be busy constantly, but that she was being recognized for her hard work and was given even more opportunities to work.

At night, when they did video calls together, Sasuke would listen intently while she told him all about her day and all the new experiences she was gaining and Sasuke, in turn, would tell her about his progress. There were only another two weeks before his fight, this one is only a three-hour drive away. Sakura was looking forward to it as much as he was and Naruto was training with him even though he didn't have another fight so soon.

What Sasuke was doing was extremely taxing on his body, but he had a wonderful team working with him, a dietician who overlooked his meal plan and approved. His trainers observed his more serious workouts but knew Sasuke was deeply invested and mindful of everything he did because he cared about his body and his career. The fighter was always doing what he had to do to gain without losing in the process.

It was important that he maintained his muscle mass without gaining and yet still honing his strength. It was also extremely important that he lost his weight carefully, doing so quickly but healthily so it didn't have a negative effect on him. It was a process he would be repeating regularly so he had to do so with the utmost care. It wasn't easy and he never expected it to be. Sasuke was proud to work his hardest to get to the next level.

And the next.

He wasn't the type to look back, ever. He always kept pushing forward, getting stronger, learning more, facing bigger and better opponents so that he could grow as a fighter both in strength and experience. It meant a lot to him to be given so many opportunities but none of them had been handed to him; Sasuke earned them. Every new level he obtained was done by his own power and willingness to succeed.

He'd always been one to push forward and go for what he wanted no matter what. It was the same when it came to Sakura and their relationship. Even though he knew if it was best for her and she wanted him to that he would back away, he would never do such a thing without first giving it his all. Sasuke knew he had been. He'd been giving himself to Sakura for what felt like a long time now and he was happy to do so. It felt good knowing that she felt the same way and wanted the same things so that they could work together and move forward at a steady pace in their relationship.

Sasuke truly did adore her. She was a precious person to him and he wanted her involved in every aspect of his life. He wanted to let her in, in every way humanly possible. He wanted to tell the world that she belonged to him and he belonged to her. He wanted his fans to know so they could support him and Sakura and their relationship—and the ones who didn't, well, they could kiss his ass.

It had taken him by surprise when Sakura's weekends became full as well and even if his mind wished to play tricks on him, Sasuke knew that Sakura wasn't avoiding him. He knew that it was just work and she couldn't help him. The hospital was understaffed on top of everything else requiring her to work a minimum of six days a week from eight to twelve hours a day. When she wasn't working, Sakura was exhausted and Sasuke understood that. He would've come and visited her himself to make it easy on her, but her parents made that impossible.

After the way they left from his previous fight, Sasuke couldn't feel welcome in their presence. At least not for a time. He needed to wait it out, give Sakura time to discuss things with them on her own, have them give their blessing so he nor she had to feel guilty about their relationship. Even when Sakura was able to score a Sunday off, Sasuke either told her to catch up on her studies and rest or her parents were whisking her away for one event or another.

Even Ino said it was bullshit one day while she was visiting Naruto at the gym. The dobe was in the middle of sparring with Sasuke casually, Ino sitting on the bench with her legs crossed at the knee and her arms crossed below her breasts, distracting Naruto enough to leave Sasuke open to take him down over and over again even more easily than he normally would.

"It really is though," Naruto agreed after a grunt, the wind nearly knocked out of him from the impact of being slammed on his back. "Sakura-chan is working too much for a student."

"Exactly," Ino huffed, ranting on about how they weren't able to have their shopping trips or lunches anymore.

Sasuke could agree with the two. It didn't make sense how busy Sakura was and it couldn't have been good for her health-wise or for her studies. She was learning intricate things that took many hours to study and memorize, not only for tests but for long-term knowledge that could make a difference in someone's life.

The three talked about it for a while until Ino left at Sasuke's request to have lunch delivered to Sakura and have her checked on. She had been sounding more and more tired each day and he was worried about her but felt as if he may seem unsupportive if he voiced his concerns too freely. It wasn't fair to her to be having to deal with so much and Sasuke didn't like feeling at a loss—as if there was nothing he could do to help her other than keep his mouth closed aside from sweet praises when they spoke and quiet 'good night's' whenever she would fall asleep on call with him.

As her boyfriend, Sasuke had a right to be worried about her and didn't feel as bad since he wasn't the only one. Ino and Naruto were worried too. He wanted her to have more time for herself, not only to study but to be free and come visit him or go on dates with him too. He'd been disappointed when his mother called to tell him to come over for dinner and he knew Sakura wasn't going to be able to come.

"Bring Sakura," Mikoto said the expected and Sasuke sighed.

"Sorry Mom, I'll invite her, but Sakura's been very busy with her work lately. If I'm not mistaken, she won't be finished with work until seven tonight and she's been so tired I hate to pressure her."

"Goodness, that is unfortunate," she sighed. "Well, I'll just have to bake her something special and you can take it to her at work tomorrow."

"That sounds nice, Mom. Thanks. I'll see you in a few hours."

After ending the call, Sasuke sighed. He wanted Sakura to spend more time with him and his family but he really didn't want to put more on her plate for the time being. Only when she was more free and less stressed, then they could have family dinners and dates.

And so much more.

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"About time I see your face, little brother," Itachi taunted Sasuke as they sat next to each other at the dinner table and Sasuke scowled at him.

"Not my fault you never take the time to come to my fights or visit me. You know how busy I am," Sasuke said in his defense.

"I know you've been busy with Sakura." Itachi laughed and Fugaku cleared his throat.

"Watch your tongue, Itachi." Their father chided but it did nothing to deter Itachi's smugness.

"Yeah, watch it," Sasuke scoffed and Itachi only laughed harder.

The older Uchiha brother shrugged a shoulder and picked up a tri-colored Dango treat his mother had purchased especially for his visit. "You barely come home to visit these days since you have her now, that's all I'm saying… not that I'm complaining or anything, I quite like Sakura."

"As we all do, Itachi. She's a very pretty and intelligent young lady but what matters most is she cares about Sasuke more than just his image." Mikoto smiled and took a treat for herself. Sasuke didn't care for sweets if they weren't made by Sakura and his diet forbade such things for now anyway. He wasn't surprised his mother and brother were having some though, especially since they'd eaten a meal fit for his diet and less pleasing on the tongue.

His family did accept and welcome Sakura with open arms and for that he was thankful, but he never wished for Sakura to feel pressured in any way. After dinner, Sasuke did the dishes while Itachi helped his mother bake some cookies specially for Sakura. They did smell good and sweet and he knew they would be much appreciated. Sasuke finished while the dough was still rising slowly in the oven and he and Itachi fooled around for a bit, arm-wrestling one another on the kitchen island until their mother had enough and chided them for doing so.

Sasuke was nearly sulking at not having enough time to take Itachi's arm down because he would've if he had just a moment longer.

"A pink bow, you think?" Mikoto asked as she set out a Tupperware container for the cookies and rummaged through a drawer nearby until she pulled out a roll of pink ribbon.

"Is the bow necessary?" Sasuke asked, not thinking so himself. He knew Sakura would be pleased and appreciative of the cookies with or without a bow.

"Yes," his mother huffed, cutting him an eye that said she was disappointed in him for even considering giving her argument over it. A look that was enough to have Sasuke raising his hands in surrender while Itachi removed the cookie sheet from the oven.

"Sasuke don't you know that sometimes the wrapping is the most exciting part of the gift?" Itachi asked teasingly and though Sasuke thought it over, he couldn't say he agreed. He never cared for wrapping on any of his gifts, but if Sakura would like it then he was all for it.

"Whatever," Sasuke wasn't going to argue regardless. He only leaned against the island with his arms crossed over his chest, watching Itachi transfer the cookies over to a cooling rack.

"You should dress nicely when you go to visit her, dear. Knowing you, you'd go straight from the gym in your training clothes."

"I'll be going straight from the gym in my training clothes," Sasuke confirmed in a mutter.

Soon, Mikoto was piling the cookies into the tupperware which she closed with the lid and then wrapped with the bow and tied it securely. It did look nice, Sasuke thought, and he thanked his mother before pressing a kiss to her cheek. It had gotten late, time for him to get home, and call it a night so he could be right back at the gym the following morning. He couldn't forget Sakura's cookies either and was looking forward to visiting her at work without getting in her way. He would have to show up during her lunchtime which had at least been consistent even with her hectic schedule.

After bidding his family a good night, Sasuke made his way home, making it there at the same time he assumed Sakura would be finishing with her shower and settling in to study on her bed until she fell asleep. It was also the time they normally called one another but he intended to take a quick shower beforehand. However, he had made it no further than the bathroom and being able to remove his shirt before his phone was ringing with a call from her.

He wasn't willing to ignore the call, so Sasuke walked over to where he left his phone on the bathroom counter and answered. He ignored his shirtless frame on the screen and focused on her face up close and personal to the phone. She looked exhausted, the dark circles under her eyes making his heartache.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun." She smiled and then yawned, quickly covering her mouth with her hand. "Did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Tch, no. Not at all." He shrugged, deciding the shower could wait. "You look tired… will you sleep?" He didn't want to push her, but he was just growing more and more concerned. She was a student, she shouldn't have been doing so much.

Sasuke walked into his room with his phone and settled on his bed while watching her rub her tired eyes and yawn again.

"I will, in a while. I just wanted to say hi, and maybe read this chapter before I go to bed. I have class in the morning, and then duty in the afternoon." She moved around to settle on her bed and pull her book on her lap as she asked, "How was your day? I'm sorry I missed dinner with your family."

"It was okay," Sasuke smiled at her. "That's okay, I know you couldn't make it and even if you could've, rest would be more important. There will be more dinners. It was nothing special anyway. Everyone sends their love for you."

She smiled sadly at him and mumbled, "I know it's important to you. I promise I'll try to go to the next. I want to finish as many hours, clear my homework and studying before your fight. I would hate to have to bring a notebook with me while I wait for your fight." She laughed at that, thinking it must look silly. "Ino would probably hit me with it if I tried."

Sasuke clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes, though he was still smiling for her. "Even I wouldn't put up with that. I guess I'd just have to steal it and make you mad at me."

"Noooo!" She laughed. "I have done that before. I was watching a play with my parents to the gala night, wearing formal clothes and all but ruined it because I was holding onto a large, bright green notebook." It was silly, but it only reiterated to Sasuke how dedicated Sakura was to her studies but also wanted to make things work as much as she could for her relationships not to suffer.

"You work too hard, Sakura. It's okay to take a break every now and then. And sleep… sleep is a must. Have you been drinking enough water?" He shouldn't have to tell her how to take care of herself and he hoped he wasn't overstepping. He was just worried.

"I—" she stopped herself, thinking for a moment when was the last time she had drank water. "I had a glass at dinner… I've mostly been drinking coffee." She laughed nervously and scratched her cheek.

"Sakura," Sasuke sighed, frowning then. He didn't want to have to scold her, but there was a true concern for her health pushing him forward. "Please drink water and sleep… I'm worried about you."

"I will." She shrank back and nodded her head, looking awfully guilty.

"Don't look so sad, okay… I just… I want you to take care of yourself before anything else." It was only because he cared. Because she meant so much to him. Because he wanted her to be healthy and happy always above all else.

"I'm fine." She grinned. "Don't worry about me, you focus on your diet. I really can't imagine eating what you eat."

"I still eat well… and drink tons of water. I'm actually moving down in weight more steadily than I expected. If it keeps up and I don't get stuck, I may be able to cheat a bit next week." Not much, but even if it was only a day, he would be happy. There was always the night after his weigh-in too, he would eat until he could eat no more that night—nothing would be off-limits.

"I'm glad you are." Her eyes went from his face to the book opened up in her lap. She fell silent for a while, reading, before turning her gaze back to him. "If you can cheat next week, maybe we should go out. I would love to eat something more than cookies." Her laugh died on her tongue, instantly realizing her slip up. "I mean, you know I love pancakes."

Sasuke shook his head, telling himself to let it slide but for a moment he considered not taking her the homemade cookies from his mother. Though he supposed it was fine as long as he made sure she ate something healthy as well. "You can't eat cookies and drink coffee all the time, Sakura. I'll take you out for something good. Like steak."

She laughed. "That sounds good, too. The Leaf has a really good one. I miss eating there."

"Then we can go there. Whatever you want. I promise." He would make time no matter what. It seemed like a necessity. Sasuke had to look out for her and he was certain that she would do the same for him.

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The next morning started as any other recent morning for Sasuke. He got up, showered, dressed, did twenty minutes of yoga, had his protein shake, and then finally headed to the gym. He didn't forget the cookies, thankfully, keeping them secured in his bag so that he didn't make the mistake of leaving them in his car either. They were simple, chocolate chip cookies but they were made from scratch and he was sure the sweet treat would bring a smile to Sakura's face.

He also hoped his surprise visit would do so.

Sakura told him that she had school first and then would be going in to work at the hospital in the afternoon. Sasuke knew from her doing this on more than one occasion that she would take the time after arriving at the hospital to have lunch before her work hours actually began. That was when he intended to go and see her, bring her the cookies, and hopefully see her smile without looking like she was going to fall asleep at any moment.

His morning training was as fruitful as always. Naruto was taking a day off to shop with Ino but the time still moved at a decent pace for Sasuke. When lunchtime arrived, he managed a quick shower and changed into his branded joggers and a t-shirt before heading on his way. Sasuke stopped by and picked up a salad for himself and for her on the way. The grilled chicken smelled so good it had his stomach growling in rebellion during the entire remainder of the ride to the hospital.

Sasuke stopped by the nearest vending machine on his way inside to purchase bottles of water for her and for himself. While he was there he was spotted by some of her coworkers who just so happened to be his fans. They already knew he was going to be visiting Sakura, that much was obvious, but they still asked for his autograph and kept him for a moment too long. It irked him considering that was a moment of Sakura's time.

Reaching the small office where he expected her to be, Sasuke knocked twice and heard her sigh dejectedly before calling for him to enter. Of course, she had no way of knowing it was him and more than likely expected it to be something work-related when she was supposed to be on break instead. When he opened the door and she spotted him though, her frown dissipated.

Green eyes were wide, and her frown instantly turned into a smile. "Sasuke-kun! What are you doing here?"

"I brought lunch… and something sweet from Mom and Itachi," he said as he closed the door behind himself and then approached the desk. It was easy to realize now that he could see her that he had been needing it greatly. The dark circles were still there but she didn't appear as if she was about to fall asleep on the spot. Sasuke set everything down on the desk and then leaned over it to press a kiss to her forehead. "Hey."

Her eyes closed, and a happy sigh escaped her lips. "Hello." She wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a quick hug before letting go. "I really missed you." She stroked his cheek and looked at his torso, arms, and then his legs. "You really have lost weight."

"I've missed you too." They'd been apart recently more than ever and it was only more noticeable now that they were together. "And yes, I have… I'm only three pounds away from my goal. Those last few are always the worst though." Sasuke got out her salad and his too, passing hers over and her water. "You can have the treat before I leave… just not all at once."

"Mm. It looks good." Sakura pulled a chair for Sasuke to sit on and pulled hers to be right next to his. "Are you done for the day?" She asked, as she popped the dressing open and started pouring it over her food.

"No," he answered truthfully as he added just a dribble of dressing onto his. "I just wanted to see you and have lunch together but I'll be returning to the gym afterwards."

"Oh." Sakura mixed up her salad and started eating. She finished her food a lot faster than he did, and went straight for the cookies next. "Thanks for coming to visit me. I know it's far."

"It's okay, I wanted to. You come to see me all the time, I'm happy to repay the favor." He finished the last of his salad and then pointedly pushed her water closer to her. "Drink."

"Okay." Sakura put the cookie down and downed half the bottle of water in one go, sighing before returning the cap to screw it closed. "I feel full." And yet, she picked up the cookie and started eating again.

"Did you have breakfast?" Sasuke asked cautiously. She ate as if she'd been skipping meals for days. "A couple of cookies and coffee doesn't count either."

Sakura put the cookie in her mouth and chewed slowly, blinking her big, emerald eyes at him as innocently as she could. "... no."

"Sakura, please," Sasuke sighed, his calloused hand raking through his hair. "You know how important these things are… why else would you go out of your way to make me breakfast and bring it to me when you had the time?"

Sakura sighed, eyes downcast. "I know, sorry. I've been wanting to sleep a little more lately, so I skip breakfast." She bit her lower lip. "I eat at lunch and dinner, though."

"You do have to sleep more but if that means you have to cut out a bit of studying then so be it. Don't go cutting meals, that will only worsen your state." Sasuke felt as if he was coming on too strong but he also felt like it needed to be done. The more she told him, the more he was worrying.

"I can't help it, though." She groaned. "I need to study or else my grades get bad. If they're bad, I won't be able to go out." She looked at the cookies and glared at them. "Not that I get to do that these days, anyway." It was tiring needing to work all the time.

"I understand… this is a hard time right now for you. I just want you to be taken care of and while I can't be with you most of the time… you have to be the one taking care of yourself." Sasuke reached over to comb his fingers through her hair and leaned over closer to her, nuzzling her cheek with his own. "You're smart, you're grades won't drop that much from sleeping a little more."

Sakura closed her eyes and sighed, leaning into his touch. "You're right," she conceded. "And I do feel bad I haven't been spending any time with you and my friends." Her eyes opened then, looking right into his. "I'm really trying."

"I know you are, and you're doing amazing," Sasuke assured her, offering her a smile before he leaned in and kissed her lips softly. "I'm sorry if I upset you… I'm just worried. It's not right for a student to be called to work so much anyway. Shouldn't they have found more help by now?"

"They really should have." Sakura sighed loudly. "And you know, Tsunade-sama did, but they don't last for more than a few days. I'm not even done turning over my work and they're already sending in their resignation letters." She pouted. "I understand that she has a short temper, but she also just can't stand it when people don't do their work right, you know? We deal with people's lives. We can't make mistakes."

"That's understandable but a good bedside manner is a plus in these situations. It puts people under a lot of pressure. I hate to see it all falling on you." It was far more than just upsetting. Quite frankly, Sasuke was pissed off about the whole ordeal—mostly because he wasn't able to do anything about it.

"It's good practice though." She balled her fist, a determined look on her face. "I won't be a good doctor if I just take it easy. I keep getting all of these good opportunities—me—I can't let them slip." Sakura chuckled and looked at Sasuke. "I know you're not that familiar with it, Sasuke-kun, but half my classmates don't even get good internships or get assigned to good wards and doctors. It's hard, but it's not really a bad thing."

He knew well how serious she was about her work and how dedicated she was to become all she could in order to be able to help people. However, there was one important fact she needed to remember. Sasuke stood up and kissed her once more, briefly, before moving his lips to her ear. "Just remember that you can't take care of anyone else if you can't even take care of yourself," he told her softly and then kissed her cheek before standing up straight. "Drink water and get some sleep tonight. Okay? For me?"

She melted into his kiss and wrapped her arms around him for a hug. "Yes, I will." Sakura looked up at him and smiled at him genuinely. "Thank you for coming to see me and bringing lunch. And please thank your mom and Itachi for me."

"I will," Sasuke said as he returned her embrace and once again pressed a kiss to her lips. "See you later."

As he left her, Sasuke truly hoped that she would heed his words and be mindful of her health. He worried about her a great deal and appreciated all of her hard work but didn't want her to drag herself down in the process. He would always support her, but he would also look out for her wellbeing.

Sakura would have to do that as well.

A/N:

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Hope everyone is having a great SasuSaku month!

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