Sasuke slid the window open and slipped quietly into Sakura's office at Konoha Hospital. He looked around at the familiar organization of the place: patient files laid out in order of appointment times overwhelming the counter space, stacks of paper in different trays based on their completion and filing location dominating her desk, pens organized in a jar by their size, frequency of use, and ink level, various energy bars laid out by nutritional content then by her favorite flavor, her favorite toad mug that Naruto had painted for her steaming with a fresh round of coffee. To anyone else, it would look overwhelming to keep track of such miniscule details, but Sakura was nothing if not organized.
It hadn't taken him or Naruto long to learn not to mess with her need to see everything she owned and arrange it in a certain way. She had packed their mission bags furiously when they were genin, and the one time Naruto had complained about her over-organizing, Sakura had set her first distance record for punching him halfway across the training ground…before she'd even started training with Tsunade. Sasuke learned from the idiot's mistake and had never mentioned it…even if it did annoy him the way she seemed to constantly nag him about tidying up. He wasn't a slouch, but any item out of place was a nightmare for Sakura.
The pinkette looked up from the most recent scroll she was writing and smiled, waving him over. He walked over to her desk, glancing at the row of scrolls with his eyebrow raised in question.
"I'm writing up my research findings for the council members. I want to have everything prepared as early as possible," she explained, setting aside the scroll to dry while she started on the next one.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted and held out the scroll Ino had asked him to deliver earlier in the day. He shouldn't have been so surprised to see Sakura still in her office after working the morning shift, but her notorious pulling of extra hours had to be unhealthy at some point. Sakura raised her own eyebrow in confusion at the scroll, until he turned it over to reveal the Yamanaka clan seal.
"Oh! Thanks, Sasuke." Sakura took the scroll and opened it, scanning the information briefly. "But why are you delivering this for Ino?" Sakura looked up to him puzzled. Ino had said she would deliver the scroll today, but Sakura had thought she'd meant before her shift at the flower shop. To see Sasuke carrying the scroll was quite odd since he rarely interacted with the blonde on his own.
"Shikamaru pissed her off this morning; she came to see me about Kanami," he shrugged. Knowing that Sakura would expect more details, he walked over to the steaming cup of coffee and took a sip, waiting for her inquiry.
"What do you mean he pissed her off? If she was heading to me before her shift at the flower shop, Shikamaru would never have been up early enough to irritate her." Sakura set aside Ino's scroll, listening intently for Sasuke's explanation. What could Shikamaru have done to send Ino looking for Sasuke, and about Kanami no less?
"Hn," Sasuke took another sip; he really wasn't interested in being in on the latest gossip and drama.
"Sasuke. Words." Sakura bit out. Whatever Shikamaru had done had to be major, and she needed to know about it.
"Tch, she thinks Shikamaru was planning on proposing to Temari at the onsen. She ran into them heading that way."
"The onsen?! They were going there, together? By themselves? Why?" Sakura implored frantically. She knew Shikamaru and Temari were sleeping together like plenty of shinobi did in their downtime, but how had they all missed that it had turned so serious? She had just told Ino to propose herself. Surely, Shikamaru would have had the decency to give Ino a heads up if he really was planning on proposing to Temari. Then Sakura replayed his words in her head. "How does that equal you getting wrapped into that?"
Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh. That was the key question, wasn't it? How did he get wrapped into all of this instead of Ino talking it out with Sakura? "Ino found me at the training grounds, wanted to know why I hadn't broken things off with Kanami yet if I was planning on marrying someone else and why Shikamaru hadn't told her about his plans with Temari." Just as Sakura opened her mouth to ask something else, he added: "Sakura, talk to Ino; I'm not getting involved."
"Ugh, fine," Sakura crossed her arms and closed her mouth into a pout. For a ninja, Sasuke really was the worst at relaying important information. Then, she sparked up. "Well, Ino is right that you should end things with Kanami soon, given your clan's decree. Hey! Speaking of your clan, I'm actually glad you're here." She stood up and went to her filing cabinet to retrieve 2 scrolls.
Sasuke set her coffee mug down and accepted the scrolls she handed to him. They were on the same official hospital paper of the other scrolls she was writing on her desk, so he wondered if these were meant for his father and the elders.
"I was actually planning on heading to see your father and brother once my shift ended. I know it's late, but I didn't want to wait to talk to them."
"About what?"
"On how I'm going to get the children's hospital built," She smirked at him, reminding him of when she'd appeared in his home ready for victory sex. "I need an audience with the Uchiha elders and the only way to get that is to explain my plan to the head of the clan. Will you come with me?"
"You're determined," Sasuke smirked at her, admiring the fire he saw burning brightly in her eyes.
"I told you; I've figured it out and I'm not going to let those old bastards win. Something tells me the Uchiha clan won't have a problem with that." Sakura gestured down to the scrolls in his hand. He shook his head in amusement as he handed the scrolls back to Sakura and nodded. Sakura accepted the scrolls back with a smile and tucked them into her bag.
"Great! My shift is over so I'll just—"
"Sakura-san!" A nurse burst through the door, searching frantically for the pink haired doctor.
"What is Jun?" Sakura questioned the frightened young man while grabbing her lab coat off its rack. Jun held out a chart to her and immediately began giving her a rundown of the emergency.
"A team of jōnin brought a chūnin team to the gate. All of the chūnin were bloodied and battered. The chūnin squad captain is already dead, one of them is unconscious, and two of them are in critical condition. The ER doctor sent me to get you to prep you for the OR," the nurse hurriedly informed her. Sakura nodded and turned to Sasuke about to speak, but had to quickly catch the energy bar and soldier pill he tossed at her. Sakura thanked him and rushed out of the room after the nurse, calling out that she would send Lady Katsuyu to him when she had time.
Sasuke closed the office door, making sure that it and the window he'd come in through were secure, then shushinned out of the office.
Sakura sat in her office, chewing absentmindedly on another energy bar. It wasn't her favorite flavor, but it had the most sugar to keep her awake for just a little bit longer. If she didn't eat it, she doubted that her body would even be able to stand. The last soldier pill she'd taken had worked its way out of her system 3 hours ago. Her back ached and her neck was exhausted from holding her hunched position for so long.
36 hours. She'd been in surgery for 36 hours on top of the 12-hour shift she had already pulled. She'd been awake for 48 hours straight. Her body was crying out for sleep, but she couldn't rest yet. It was stupid, but she wanted to be there when the chūnin woke up.
Their captain was pronounced DOA; they'd lost the unconscious chūnin in theatre to a C5 spinal column fracture that had effectively cut off all signals from the brain to the body. The kunoichi, the girl, had suffocated without her brain being able to tell her diaphragm to continue breathing. One of the chūnin in critical condition would be okay; Sakura's operating partner had managed to stitch up the bowels before they began leaking deadly bacteria and fluid into the chūnin's body. That left the other chūnin, the one Sakura had operated on. His lumbar vertebrae had been shattered, requiring her and a partner to completely rebuild his lower spine. They'd each taken 12-hour shifts healing to give their chakra and stamina time to replenish, but they had both stayed in the OR to save time on scrubbing in and progress updates should complications arise. Several of the vertebrae bone shards had pierced his spinal cord, paralyzing him and spilling spinal fluid into his blood. Sakura and her partner had been able to remove the bone shards and use chakra to create a seal around the spinal cord, but it was uncertain if he would walk again. And if he could walk again, he would never take missions or see combat; the strain on his spine would be too great, possibly even fatal.
Sakura pulled out the bottle of sake she kept in a false bottom drawer of her desk. Just like her mentor, a cup of sake could do her good on a difficult night. And the night was only going to get more difficult. They were finally able to pull the chūnin out of a medically induced coma and Sakura was waiting for him to wake up. She didn't want anyone else to have to explain that for all intents and purposes, his shinobi career was done.
"Sakura-san," A nurse opened her office door. For the life of her, Sakura couldn't remember the nurse's name. Mina, Mia, Mai, something like that. Sakura looked up to the nurse, waiting to hear both the dreaded and good news. "He's awake," the nurse confirmed softly.
Sakura nodded and put on a clean lab coat, readying herself for one of the worst parts of her job. She'd already had to inform the families of the other chūnin and console them for their loss; now she had to break the news to a young shinobi.
Sakura followed the nurse to the patient's room, moved from ICU to a residence stay to free up the bed for more immediate needs. "Has he already been informed of the worst of it?" Sakura asked, both hoping for and dreading the answer.
"Yes. He is not taking it well," The nurse spoke softly, her head down and her hands clasped in front of her. Sakura nodded again, then walked into the room with a gentle smile on her face. The bright artificial lights shown down on the bed, revealing the chūnin who was quite lucky to be alive; if the team of jōnin hadn't found his, he would have bled out in the forest. Overall, he'd escaped with the least immediately life-threatening damage, but Sakura knew that that wasn't a comfort to him right now.
She walked over to his bed and grabbed his chart, re-familiarizing herself with the information she hadn't been able to fully digest while Jun had prepped her for theatre.
Name: Haida, Kurimaru
'Shit,' Sakura thought. He was from one of the lesser clans of Konoha.
Age: 15
'Double shit.' He was just a kid. A kid with his entire life ahead of him still. An entire life that had to feel like it was over. Try as anyone might right now to fight against the thoughts that had to be swirling through his head, seeing a future where he wouldn't be able to do what he'd dedicated so much time and energy towards had to be hard to cope with. It was like looking at herself or Naruto or Sasuke when they were younger: so full of life and dreams and hopes and challenges to get stronger. She knew what it would have meant for them to have that all wiped away. But she couldn't imagine what it must feel like having to live that.
"Hi Kurimaru," Sakura spoke calmly, moving to take a seat by his bed. She wanted to give the kid some sense of comfort, waking up in a strange place with little memory of how he got there. "I'm Doctor Haruno."
"I won't be a ninja again, will I?" The boy looked out the window at the sun finally disappearing from the sky. He looked weary and tired, so much older than 15, as if whatever had occurred on his last mission had aged him over night.
"Most likely not," Sakura answered firmly. She could be compassionate, but she refused to sugar coat the situation. He deserved her honesty. "I can't say 100%, but I can say with a degree of medical certainty. Looking at the injury you sustained, it would take an enormous amount of effort just to get your body walking again. While walking is not completely out of the picture, the physical constraints of your movements would be a liability in the field."
"So," He continued looking out the window, but Sakura could see the tears starting to make their way down his cheek. "My life's over, right?" Kurimaru clenched the bedsheets tightly between his fist. Sakura placed her hand on the bed near him; she didn't touch him to avoid triggering a violent reaction, but she did want him to feel some comfort.
"You may have a difficult road ahead of you, but your life isn't over, Kurimaru. There are plenty of options besides just being a ninja," she tried to assure him. That seemed to be the last thing he wanted to hear. He turned his head to her as quickly as his injured spine would allow and glared at her with furious brown eyes.
"If I can't be a ninja, what use do I have to my village?" His eyes flashed with rage, but she could see the uncertainty and hurt hidden beneath. He truly didn't know what to do. And she cursed herself, she didn't really have an answer. Sakura felt something ugly bubble in her gut, and she thought she was going to be sick. How had they all failed this kid so much that he genuinely believed his only use was as a ninja? Sure, ninja were important, but his life wasn't predicated on that service alone. She didn't want to ask, but she wondered if he wished he had died so that at least his name would have been carved on the Memorial stone.
She may not have had the best answer, but she had the only one that mattered.
"You're alive, Kurimaru; that's all anyone cares about. We'll focus on getting you well, then we'll help you determine your new path. When I'm done seeing that you're set for the night, I'm going to go tell your parents that you're awake. I'm sure that they're going to be so relieved to hear that," Sakura spoke firmly, trying to break through his dejected thoughts. He looked at her, searching for the truth in her words, then finally nodded. But Sakura could tell that he didn't believe her. That was ok…for now. He was in shock and deserved some time to grieve and be sad before everyone started to tell him to look on the bright side.
Kurimaru pressed the button to lay his bed down, then pulled the covers up to his nose and let silent tears fall down his face. Sakura's heart wrenched for the poor kid. She tucked the covers around him to keep him warm, then placed her hand gently on his shoulder. She double checked his IV dosage, making sure that the pain killers would let him rest. Sakura then walked over to the computer and logged his statements to her, flagging him for a mental health check and 72-hour suicide watch. He had lost his taichou, a teammate, and his ability to be a ninja in one fell swoop; she wasn't about to take any chances with survivor's guilt. Finally finished with the medical obligations of her job, she walked back over and gave his shoulder a light squeeze.
"You're going to be alright, Kurimaru. We'll take care of you," She spoke gently, then turned the lights out and closed the door, letting him cry out his frustration and sadness in peace.
"Kira," Sakura spoke as she approached the nurses' station on the floor.
"Yes, Sakura-san?" Said nurse looked up immediately when she heard her superior call.
"I'm placing Kurimaru on a 72-hour suicide watch, and I want him evaluated for counseling first thing in the morning. Per protocol, I'll need to rest for 12 hours before I can come back for a shift, but I want those notes documented in his file and waiting on my desk when I return, understood?"
"Of course, Sakura-san. We'll do our best." The nurse bowed and began to document her order in Kurimaru's file. Maybe it was overkill, but Sakura would sleep better knowing that she'd done everything she could.
She was drained. She really should be at home, but she couldn't go back to her apartment. She didn't want to go home to nothing but the silence and her thoughts waiting to engulf her. Sakura sat on top of the Hokage monument, looking out over the village she loved so much. Kurimaru's words kept replaying on a constant loop in her head.
'My life is over, right?'
'If I can't be a ninja, what use do I have to my village?'
'You're alive!' Sakura wanted to scream to the phantom boy in her mind. But just as the real teenager hadn't believed her, she doubted the words would calm the apparition.
This was the absolute worst part of her job. When she could heal, when she could make people smile, she felt powerful, invincible. It was like she stared death in the face and won. But when her best didn't feel good enough, when her best didn't make everything right, she still felt like the powerless genin she had been, uncertain and unsure… useless. Every doctor knew that they couldn't save every patient, but she had saved Kurimaru… so why then did it still feel like she'd failed him?
'If I can't be a ninja, what use do I have to my village?'
Trying to fight off her melancholy, Sakura began running through the treatment plan she would advise for him. Obviously, he would need bedrest for his body to recover from the immediate trauma he sustained, but after that, he would need to strengthen his abdomen, back, and spinal muscles to account for his weakened spine. She'd consult with a specialist and the Ninja Tools department to have him fitted for a brace as he got started. He'd need physical therapy to strengthen his leg muscles too after so long laying down. Maybe she should consult with Ino or Shikaku for an herbal medicine that wouldn't cause addiction; Kurimaru would need it for so many years, as the injury was bound to ache whenever it grew cold and as his spine compressed with age.
So that was the physical plan… now on to the mental plan. It would need to be extensive, because so much of healing was mental. The hospital could do everything to help his physical body, but the actual recovery was up to Kurimaru himself. It wouldn't hurt for her to look for Lee and ask him to work with the boy. Lee had been told he would never be a ninja again, and he had proved those doctors very wrong. Of course, she didn't actually know how extensive Lee's injuries had been after his fight with Gaara, and Tsunade-shisou hadn't overhauled Konoha's medical program yet, but maybe Lee's story and determination would resonate with Kurimaru. Maybe Lee could give him some of his fighting spirit. But before all of that, suicide watch.
72 hours of constant monitoring was all the hospital could do; any more would be taking valuable nurses and doctors from other critical areas of need. Especially with the jōnin exams coming up, the hospital would need to be ready for any jutsu or test gone awry… or gone right when one considered the aims of the exam. And there were other shinobi recovering from terrible injuries that needed monitoring as well. After the 72 hours, Kurimaru would need regular counseling, not to mention what would be needed if he didn't open up to his counselor right away. It could take months before he was ready to relive the horrors of his mission and talk about it. It could be months more before he was ready to start talking about how he fit into Konoha now. Months that financially, staffing wise, she knew they didn't have.
Sakura gritted her teeth and punched the ground, careful even in her distracted mind not to unleash her full emotions on the monument. She wouldn't have minded putting a crack in the Nidaime's face after the scrolls she'd read, but the last thing she needed was to explain why the Yondaime's head had survived years of Naruto's pranks only to be bisected by her fists. She sighed and gripped the edge of the mountain, weariness tightening its grasp on her body.
A chakra signature appeared on the mountain behind her, flowing gently into the space. The calm presence filled the air with a sense of serenity, juxtaposing her own torrent chakra signature that was inflamed from her thoughts. The figure stayed quiet, looking out over the village as Sakura was. The only noise that could be heard was the two different rhythms of their breathing.
Sasuke remained quiet, letting her gather herself. He'd been briefed on the situation and had gone to her apartment first. Finding it empty and her traps undisturbed, he knew she hadn't been home and was probably still at the hospital. When he appeared at the hospital, the nurse had informed him that she'd left a few hours before. He'd visited the training grounds and the Memorial stone, places that she always floated too when she needed peace or wanted to be alone. Not finding her there, he cursed himself for wasting time and summoned one of his hawks to scour the village for her. He wondered if he should have checked the bench where he almost deserted the village to follow Orochimaru but knew that she wouldn't find that place comforting at all. When his hawk had finally returned and relayed her whereabouts, Sasuke had shushinned to the top of the monument, watching the pink-haired woman looking out over the twinkling lights of the village.
It was cold, too cold for her to be at the top of a mountain with the thin jacket she was wearing, but she didn't seem to notice the weather. If she hadn't flared her chakra a bit, he would have wondered if she even noticed he was there. He had taken in the flare of her chakra, how erratic it moved around her, and knew that she needed a moment to process; she would speak when she felt she had it together.
"Tsunade-shishou sent you," Sakura spoke after so long the sky was beginning to lighten. It wasn't a question. All reports of suicide watch were documented for the Hokage to read. Though they were quite a priority, having to deal with the number of able-bodied shinobi on Konoha's active roster, Sakura was surprised that her shishou was in the office this late…or this early depending on how one looked at the time. She wondered if he had been on duty or if the Hokage had sent a hawk to him.
"You ready?" He prompted her. He knew that Sakura didn't like wallowing in her own emotions. She much preferred to handle her grief by getting to work, doing something, making something move. Above all else, she hated feeling useless.
Sakura's eyes hardened with determination at Sasuke's prompting. Right. Pitying Kurimaru wouldn't change anything. He didn't need her to feel sorry for him; he was going to serve that function himself. What he need from Sakura was her support and strength until he could manage on his own. She clenched her fist and pushed off the monument to stand up. She had work to do. She needed to appeal to Fugaku-san and Itachi-san for an audience with the Uchiha elders.
Streaks of pink and purple began to light the blue sky, heralding a new day. As the sun rose, Sakura looked out over the village glimmering and waking, feeling Sasuke step closer to her. The fabric of his cloak floated in the slight breeze, brushing against her arms and surrounding her with his natural warmth. If all went as she planned, this would be a fitting scene. The man behind her was an Uchiha, and she desperately needed the clan behind her to help Konoha's children the way Kurimaru needed help now.
Sasuke knocked quietly on the door to his family home, knowing that his mother would hear it despite the low volume. Sakura stood at his side with her fists clenched; she hadn't released the tension since they'd dropped down from the Hokage monument and made their way to the compound. Sasuke reached his hand down to wrap around her fist, coaxing her to release the stress she had to be putting on her muscles.
After not long, Sasuke heard faint footsteps coming and unhurriedly released Sakura's hand. He was surprised to see his father open the door, looking strangely alert for how early in the morning they were visiting. Despite their profession, he and his father were not morning people; their bodies were more inclined to wake up around 9 am. Itachi and his mother were always the early risers, seeming to roll out of bed perfectly groomed and smiling at the possibilities brought forth by a new day. Waking up to their brightness every morning had been utterly annoying.
"Sasuke, Sakura-san. Is everything alright?" His father's sharp eyes scanned both of their bodies, looking for any trace of blood or dirt. Not seeing anything out of place, Fugaku gave a slight raise of his eyebrow, imperceptible to Sakura, but clearly a question to Sasuke. Sasuke tilted his head to Sakura, and Fugaku turned his full attention to his visitor.
"Fugaku-san," Sakura bowed deeply. "Forgive me for calling so early, but there is something urgent I'd like to speak with you about." Sakura tried to keep her tone neutral, diplomatic, but her temper and energy hadn't cooled in their slow walk through the village. Her determination had only been heated as she walked through the village, smiling to this villager or that who came out to get started on their activities for the day. The stroll intended to give the sun more time to rise for them to meet Fugaku at a slightly more appropriate hour had also given Sakura more time to rehearse and think about her mission. She didn't want to seem rude, but she didn't have the patience for pleasantries. Luckily for her, the Uchiha patriarch seemed to share her sentiments.
"Is this a clan matter?" Fugaku questioned directly, noting the ferocity settled on the pinkette's brow and the way his youngest angled his body towards her.
"Yes, Fugaku-san. I am here under an official capacity as the Director of Operations for Konoha's hospital."
"Hn," Fugaku nodded, and Sakura almost laughed at the stern face and syllable that resembled Sasuke so well. "I'll alert Itachi; come in." Fugaku stepped aside, letting the pair into his home. While Sakura and Sasuke removed their shoes, he sent a ferret summon to his eldest, informing him that his presence was needed.
From the kitchen, Mikoto tossed Sasuke a look that wasn't quite a glare but was obvious that he still wasn't off the hook so soon. Then her face morphed into one of shock when she saw Sakura behind him. She glanced between the pair, then shot a look of concern to her husband who shook his head.
"Mikoto-san, forgive me for troubling you so early," Sakura bowed. Mikoto smiled and shook her head, bringing a fresh pot of tea to the table.
"Nonsense Sakura-chan. You are welcome here." Mikoto poured a cup of tea and served it to Sakura first, who gratefully took the warm liquid. She waited for Fugaku and Sasuke to be served their tea, then took a deep breath, feeling the warm of the green tea filling her lungs with comfort. Her body warmed gently as she sipped the hot beverage, waiting for Itachi to arrive.
Not long after Mikoto had served everyone, Itachi entered, taking off his shoes and joining them at the table. He greeted everyone and gratefully accepted the tea his mother had poured for him.
"I hear Konoha's hospital has some official business with the Uchiha?" Itachi turned to Sakura. She nodded, redundantly confirming what he already knew from his father's message.
"Fugaku-san, Itachi-san. I'd like an audience with you and the Uchiha elders to discuss plans for the children's psychiatric hospital in Konoha." Sakura waited, watching as both men took sips of their tea. Itachi set his cup down, sending the pleasant sound of tinkling ceramic throughout the room. He placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his linked fingers, assuming the thinking pose everyone in the room was well familiar with.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Konoha council has not approved plans for a children's psychiatric hospital for us to discuss," Itachi challenged gently but firmly. Despite the harsh phrasing, Sakura knew that Itachi wasn't trying to be cruel or rude; he was simply asking the question she knew would be first.
"True the council hasn't approved of plans… but I'm very thorough in my research, and I believe I've found a way to move forward with the hospital that won't need the council's approval," Sakura tilted her chin up in determination and stubbornness. She had to appear rock steady and immovable to convince the clan head and future clan head; if she couldn't convince them, then there was no way she'd be able to sway the Uchiha elders. Hell, she wouldn't even get to speak to the Uchiha elders.
"You've found a way…" Mikoto raised her eyebrow suspiciously. Of course she liked Sakura, but she wouldn't let her clan be a puppet against the council. "Legally, I presume?"
Sakura's face lit up with shock. "Of course legally, Mikoto-san! I would never put the Uchiha clan in danger." She clenched her fist on the table to keep herself from rising. The wood groaned slightly under the strain. How could she even think that Sakura would dishonor them by asking them to commit treason?!
"My wife asks an important question. The Uchiha have not been a favorite of the village in the past. We aren't planning to involve ourselves in a contest of wills between what is effectively a village squabble, no matter how noble the cause appears," Fugaku crossed his arms, evaluating the young woman in front of him. The fire and determination of youth was well and good, but the power of the elderly with a grudge carried far more weight. Konoha's council was made up of senile bigots who had spent their considerable years amassing power; whatever the girl planned, giving any credence to Sakura's ideas would put a larger target on the Uchiha's backs than already existed. They couldn't accept that unless she had a very well-constructed defense.
"Sakura isn't one to boast about her abilities without being able to back it up. If she says she's found a way, she means it," Sasuke was just barely able to keep the growl out of his voice. Fugaku and Mikoto looked over to him, then shared a look. Annoyance rose on his shoulders that he still wasn't able to decipher the way his parents communicated with only a look.
"And if she can't back it up this time, Sasuke?" Mikoto pressed sharply. Sasuke narrowed his eyes. The room was growing thick with tension, and Itachi felt it was time he stepped in. Itachi had been observing both his parents' and Sakura and Sasuke during their test of wills, each raising valid arguments. The Uchiha couldn't afford to politically isolate themselves, and Sakura had not become head of Konoha's medical operations by being lax and cutting corners. It was time for her to lay out her plan if he and his father were expected to call an audience with the elders.
"You say you've done thorough research," Itachi addressed their guest, cutting off whatever response his little brother had been about to give. "What have you found then that makes you so certain you can 'back up' going against the council's wishes, as my brother puts it?"
Sakura turned her attention to him, but it was clear that she was speaking just as much to his father and mother. They'd managed to rankle her pride; she would need to have much thicker skin if she wanted to address the Uchiha elders. No doubt they would be contentious from the moment she walked into the meeting room. It was time for him to see first-hand what she was made of.
"Forgive me, but I asked permission from the Hokage to see the archives of Konoha's negotiations with the clans and the negotiations between clans," Sakura explained, knowing full well that she was treading on thin ice. Revealing such information to the patriarch and matriarch of the clan could get her and her shishou in a lot of trouble, but the information was her ace in the hole.
Mikoto, Fugaku, and Itachi all narrowed their dark eyes to sharp slits. No critical documentation on the Uchiha clan was kept in the archives, or legible to anyone not possessing the Sharingan, but to be alerted after the fact that someone who belonged to none of the clans and had no official government capacity to access such information had indeed been given access was unsettling at best. Hokage's apprentice or not, Sakura was still civilian born.
"And what exactly were you looking for in those archives," Fugaku's voice came out with devastating chill. Sasuke shifted his body towards Sakura, knowing that his father wouldn't physically attack her, but wanting to show his support of her.
"I didn't set out to look through inter-clan negotiations. In fact, I didn't pull any of those scrolls. I needed to examine the relationship between Konoha's government and clan governments, starting with Shodaime."
"And why look at relations between the village and clans when, as my father pointed out earlier, this is a village struggle?" Itachi followed up. He had some idea of the strategy Sakura must have come up with, and he was sure his father did as well, but he still wanted to hear her angle. He was curious just what her plan was that she was so confident with taking on people nearly 3 times her age and with as much more clout.
"Because as you pointed out earlier, the council hasn't approved plans for the psychiatric hospital, and Konoha's children, including clan children, don't have any more time to waste. Clan specific actions are immune from council approval, and the Uchiha are even more uniquely situated, given what I've read from Konoha's negotiations with the clan during the Nidaime's tenure." Sakura arched her brow and smiled triumphantly like the cat who ate the cream. She knew that both Fugaku-san and Itachi-san would understand where she was going with her plan.
"Hn," Fugaku and Itachi smirked while Mikoto smiled, leaving Sasuke a bit confused as to why his family seemed to shift their attitudes all of a sudden. Mikoto stood to collect the empty teacups from her husband and youngest son and poured her eldest another cup. Sakura gladly accepted another cup of tea as well and swallowed it down to hide her nervousness. She pulled out the two scrolls and handed them over to both clan heads.
"These scrolls contain all the research I've gathered on the deficit of current mental health services and how it affects our children and shinobi population, including the costs of shinobi deemed mentally unfit to serve on active roster. The scrolls also include estimated initial construction costs and how the hospital would sustain itself. I've also spoken to some contractors and asked for draft blueprints of the layout; those should be finished soon. The Yamanaka clan has provided me findings on mental health and its effect on shinobi from their clan archives, and the Nara will be doing so shortly as well. I hope all of this will be sufficient to show that I can in fact back up my request." Sakura inconspicuously bit the inside of her cheek as Fugaku and Itachi unsealed the scroll and took a look at her plans. Their Sharingans skimmed over the documents quickly, memorizing every piece of information the instant their eyes settled on the characters.
Sakura felt so much riding on this meeting, and it was only the first step with the Uchiha clan. She hid her trembling hands under the table and felt Sasuke cover her hand with one of his own. She didn't dare look at him, but she felt the reassurance in his touch. Then she felt his hand shift, sliding up her thigh towards the edge of her shorts, and nearly punched him through the shoji wall. The pervert! Feeling her up in front of his family! And yet, when she used her peripheral vision to glance over at him with his head bowed slightly and the faint, upward tip of his lips, it was helpful to remind her to breathe. She took a deep breath, waiting for them to finish perusing what she'd spent so many hours compiling.
Fugaku and Itachi set down the scrolls, having digested enough information to see that, true to form, Haruno Sakura had left little detail to chance. She was incredibly thorough, belaying how important this hospital was to her. She had not chosen the Uchiha on a whim or in the hopes to quickly bypass the council. They both glanced at each other and nodded.
"You're quite the politician and it is quite the gamble, Sakura-san. You have much faith in the weight of the Uchiha," Fugaku gave her a small smile. On anyone else, it would have been nothing, but coming from THE Uchiha Fugaku, that small sign of approval meant the world. It was almost as if he'd given her a smile as luminous as the sun. Sakura's face broke out with a bright smile of her own.
"I didn't study under Tsunade-shishou for nothing, and it's a well-known fact that the council knows the Uchiha clan won't bow quietly." Sakura declared proudly. After such a terrible day and a half, she was really needed some progress.
"We'll bring your request to speak at the next clan meeting to the elders. I'll have one of my crows deliver their decision. Have a write-up prepared for me just in case; if they say no to having you in the meeting, I will deliver your proposal myself," Itachi gave her a small smile as well. Sakura stood and thanked them both profusely, bowing deeply at her waist to show her gratitude but also to hide the tears that were bubbling in her eyes from the emotional rollercoaster of the last few hours. Both clan heads waved her off lightly, smiles still gracing their lips.
"I'll walk you out," Sasuke stood and placed his hand on the small of her back, leading her towards the door. They slipped their shoes on and stepped outside.
"Thank you, Sasuke. I really needed you back there." Sakura grasped his shirt between her fists and rested her forehead on his chest. Sasuke wrapped his arms around her, holding her steady. Sakura took deep breaths, filling her lungs with his familiar scent.
"I didn't do anything. That was all you," He whispered quietly to her, lips brushing innocently against the upper shell of her ear. He could feel her legs trembling from sheer exhaustion as her adrenaline finally gave out, and he tightened his hold on her slim body. He knew if he didn't send her home, she would collapse from all the energy she'd used first on her hospital shift, then saving the boy, and now negotiating with his family.
"Do you need me to walk you home?" He asked. He started to feel the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, no doubt from his nosy parents and brother trying to get a peek through the window.
"No," Sakura shook her head, fighting off a yawn. She'd be fine; she just needed to black out to the world for at least 12 straight hours. Sasuke unwrapped his arms around her and placed his hands firmly on her shoulders, waiting until she was looking at him to speak.
"Eat something, and then sleep. No soldier pills," Sasuke glared at her, barely managing to keep a straight face when she groaned.
"I know," Sakura grumbled. She really did not feel like going through the effort of making real food, and she was sure she was out of instant ramen. "Geeze, which one of us is the medical professional again?"
"You are, which is why I'm ordering you. Doctors make the worst patients," He flashed his Sharingan with an arrogant smirk, clearly warning her that he would hypnotize her if it meant she actually ate something before passing out.
"You suck," She grumbled again, but smiled and nodded as he released her. She waved and began walking towards the entrance to the Uchiha compound.
"She certainly is a bold one," Fugaku smirked with his arms folded. He shook his head at his wife's spying through the window near the front door.
"You don't think perhaps too bold? Taking on Konoha's council; they aren't going to forget that." Mikoto tried to get a better angle through the window, but Sasuke had strategically blocked her view with his body. She couldn't see anything!
"Possibly, but we will see how she handles the elders," Fugaku replied through a yawn. He created a clone to go into his office while he prepared to retire for an early morning nap.
"I must admit; I think this is the only time I've ever looked forward to a clan meeting. I am curious how she will handle the elders, and how they will handle her," Itachi hid his smirk behind the guise of drinking the last of his tea. Fugaku and Mikoto nodded their heads in agreement. It would be an interesting meeting indeed.
Author's Note: To everyone who reads, gives Kudos, leaves favorites, leaves reviews, follows/subscribes, bookmarks, or any other way you show your interest, a huge thank you. I'm glad that you are receiving something from me telling the story I want to tell.