Hi guys! I decided to break the chapter into parts. As a result, this is just the first scene out of three (making up the entire chapter) I'll be posting, but that will also mean I'll post more often. No, not gonna lie I'm doing this because I love your comments and posting more often but less quantity will probably help more people find this story hehe. I'm evil MWJAHAH

Anyways, hope yall enjoy as this is one as its absolute Sakura fluff!

More Than Enemies

Sakura blinked her eyes open. Her bedroom smelled weird… Did her mom go on one of those cleaning sprees again? Confused, she sat up, only to discover that she was in a hospital bed. Erm. What?

Sakura felt oddly exhausted as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"Oh, you're awake."

Blinkining, Sakura turned toward the source of the noise and found her mother perched on an uncomfortable-looking hospital chair, one of her knitting projects resting on her lap.

"Mom?" Sakura whispered. "What's going on?"

Mebuki's face softened and she carefully stood up, setting her needles aside in order to sit by her bedside. She stroked Sakura's cheek.

"You wouldn't wake up."

Sakura blinked. "Huh? What are you talking about?" She was surprised at how croaky her voice came out.

Mebuki continued to stroke her cheek for a minute, then let go. She sighed. "The other day, Shizuka-san tracked down your father. You hadn't shown up for work and she was worried. We went looking for you, of course, and we found you in your bedroom, asleep. At first, we all thought it was just a scare, but no matter what we did, you wouldn't wake up…" She grimaced, as though recalling some awful memory. "We were so, so worried, Sakura. I just didn't know what to do! You weren't reacting to anything. Not even cold water or a slap. And then your sensei came. Bless the man. As soon as he showed up, he knew what to do. He told us that you were suffering from a condition called 'chakra exhaustion'. Apparently, if it's severe it can be lethal. He said that, as you hadn't died yet since the previous night when you'd presumably gone to sleep, then you were out of the danger zone already. Even so, we were all very worried still, so we took you to the hospital just in case."

Sakura stared at her mother, aghast, trying to take it all in. Nearly a minute passed in silence.

"...how long have I been asleep for?" she croaked at last.

"Four days."

That was – that was insane. Sakura stared at her mother with horror. All the shifts she must've missed! And her training! She was horribly behind schedule now – not to mention she'd told Ino she'd meet up with her – and oh, no! Sasuke! He must think she'd stood him up–

"Your friends are worried." Mebuki's tired voice interrupted her train of thought. Now that Sakura thought about it, her mother looked like a wreck – and promptly felt even worse.

"My friends know I'm here?"

"Yes. Apparently, your sensei told the Sasuke boy, and he informed the others."

"...oh."

"Did they… did they visit me?"

Mebuki nodded.

"And did they say something while they were here? About… about me being – being weak, or, or… or…"

"No, they said nothing of the sort." Mebuki fixed Sakura with an upset look. "In fact, Ino-chan was worried sick about you and even her parents came by to ask me if they could escort you to that party of hers once you got better. Apparently, she made them postpone it just for you." Sakura felt her eyes start to water. "And the Sasuke boy and the other kid came by too. Sasuke boy said something about getting you silkworms, but I told him that it wasn't necessary. Your other friend tried to sneak in food, but I think your teacher told him off for that."

"You mean ramen containers?" asked Sakura with a smile.

Mebuki blinked, confused. "How did you know that?"

Sakura giggled. "Lucky guess."

Her mother huffed, appearing gratified at seeing her daughter smile.

"And did Kakashi-sensei come by?" Sakura asked shyly.

Mebuki nodded. "Yes, he did. He was very worried too. And angry at you as well, I think. You're in for an earful from him, Sakura-chan."

"Oh…" Was it weird that that made Sakura happy? She searched from another topic to distract herself. "And? What do the doctors say? When can I leave?"

Mebuki frowned again. "Well… that's actually very interesting, dear. Apparently, your… chakra core, I think they called it, is undergoing some kind of massive growth… by a factor of three, I think the man said… and anyway this growth ratio is apparently highly unusual even for clan children. The doctor insisted that such things only happen after extreme, prolonged training. Your sensei seemed to think that 'survival instincts' or something like that had come into play as well." Mebuki crossed her arms ominously. "Care to explain that?"

Sakura had half a mind to bury her head under the covers and ignore the question, but she knew that she couldn't do that, not any longer. She straightened.

"I've been training before going to work everyday, mom…"

Mebuki frowned. "But you start at nine."

"Er…"

"Sakura, from what time to what time have you been training? And what does Kakashi mean about survival instincts?"

Sakura stared at the bedsheets, her lips clamped shut.

After minutes of silence, she heard her mother sigh. "Sakura, sweety… why didn't you say something if your ninja career is that important to you?"

Sakura looked up, startled. "But I did say something."

Mebuki frowned.

"It's true," Sakura insisted. "In the other arguments we had. It's just – after grandpa and everything– how could I…? How could I be selfish then…?" She felt tears prickle at her eyes, and then her mother's warm hug. She heard Mebuki sigh, felt the rustle of her hair as she shook her head.

"When did you get so mature, Sakura-chan?" Sakura smiled tentatively. "But also so stupid!" her mother continued, drawing away from her to glare angrily. "You need to have more regard for your own health! I swear, Sakura, you drive me insane sometimes… do you even realize how worried your father and I were?"

Sakura lowered her head. "Sorry, mom. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"...it's alright. I know you didn't. But promise me you'll be more careful, alright?" Sakura nodded. Mebuki sniffed, then composed herself. "Your father left to attend the shop, by the way… We've been taking turns."

"That's okay," Sakura mumbled. "I really feel fine – you don't have to worry so much."

Her mother sighed. "How can we not, Sakura… Next time, just tell us what's going on with you, okay? I feel terrible for not noticing myself, but I've been busy with this – side project I have – and your father's workload is unbelievable right now as well, and…" She paused. "I suppose what I'm trying to say is – if you really want to be a ninja so badly, then we won't stand in your way." Mebuki bit her lip, and for the first time in her life, Sakura saw her mother look frightened. "But please be careful, ne?"

Sakura nodded slowly. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be a ninja anymore at this point. She just wanted to be ready for whenever Shi-chan's disaster of doom struck.

"I promise I will be, mom."

Mebuki smiled. "Come, sit up and I'll braid your hair for you. Would you like that?"

Sakura would very much like that. It felt very relaxing and also nostalgic, though she was embarrassed to admit it, so she shook her head. "I'm not a kid anymore, mum!"

Mebuki chuckled. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. Just… we're a team, okay? Don't forget that, Sakura-chan. You and I, and your father too, of course, we can get through anything. But we have to stay together for that, okay?"

Sakura smiled at her warmly. "You're right, mom. And you know what else? I will never abandon my teammates."

Mebuki smiled. "Exactly."

After that conversation, Sakura felt much better. She was glad to have cleared the air with her parents. Suddenly her prospects seemed brighter and the tall mountains of her worries no longer insurmountable. Sakura felt a lot more optimistic, in fact. She even endured Kakashi's inevitable angry lecture in good humor. (Though the man was somewhat terrifying when mad, she managed to get away with hugging him at the end so in her opinion, it had been totally worth it.) Then Kakashi disappeared (in the middle of the hug! The berk) and showed up with Sasuke and Naruto in tow five minutes later, and that was the cherry on top, the culmination of her happiness.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan! You're awake!"

Sakura grinned at her blonde teammate.

"Astute observation," Sasuke said from Naruto's right.

Sakura grinned even more.

"Well, you're my students. Of course you're astute."

This. This was her second family.

Unable to hold it in any longer, she tapped Naruto on the shoulder. "Group hug?"

Both Kakashi and Sasuke looked mortified at the mere idea of (yet another) hug, but Naruto with his boundless energy and usual cheer, corralled them into it. For the record, the hug did turn out sort of awkward and squishy, but Sakura wouldn't have had it any other way.

After the hugging was over and done with, much to certain parties' evident relief, and Sasuke and sensei had regained their beloved personal space bubbles again, a comfortable dynamic settled over them. This dynamic consisted mostly of Naruto chattering away about what he'd been up to (apparently he'd stumbled upon a suspicious-sounding character which he'd creatively dubbed 'the pervy sage', and then subsequently 'conned' said suspicious character into 'training' him by following him around in the form of a naked girl), Sasuke made the occasional derisive interjection to his story whilst Sakura yelled at Naruto and scolded him about how following suspicious characters around town was definitely not the way to go about things!

Meanwhile, Kakashi watched them with an odd expression on his face, one which Sakura couldn't interpret to the best of her ability. He seemed conflicted? Determined? Sort of tense but content? It was weird.

Then Naruto discovered Sakura's 'pet project' on the nightstand.

As a matter of fact, whilst confined to her hospital bed, Sakura had continued to practice her chakra control with the chakra threads whenever no one was around to see. It wasn't like she'd get chakra exhaustion from something as insignificant as a little bit of thread weaving, right?

She'd actually improved a fair bit at the exercise and was excited to show Tetsuya the results. Her control had improved to the point that she thought she might be able to she pull off Tsunade's genjutsu at this point!

In any case, she'd been controlling the threads with her chakra and had got to the point where she could skillfully weave bracelets in doing so. And of course, Naruto had immediately spotted said bracelets, realized Sakura must've made them herself (though he seemed to think that she'd done so the normal way) and then proceeded to not very subtly insinuate that he wanted one without actually saying so outright.

"Aw, those bracelets are really cool, Sakura-chan."

"Thanks, Naruto."

"It must've taken you forever to make them."

"Only a small forever," Sakura told him bemusedly

"I didn't know eternity could be quantified," Sasuke muttered drolly, but Naruto was not to be deterred.

"Uwah! And I really like the color of that one! Were you thinking of me when you made it? 'cause I think it would look really cool with my outfit!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at his antics. He was being so obvious…

"Well," she said magnanimously. "You can have it, if you want it that badly."

"REALLY?" Naruto looked at her as if summer vacation had come early, his eyes positively sparkling.

Sakura smirked. "Believe it."

"Do you really, really, really mean it, Sakura-chan?"

Sakura nodded dutifully.

"Really, absolutely, one hundred percent?"

She rolled her eyes. "Really, absolutely, one hundred percent."

"YATTA!" Naruto did a little dance whilst Sakura handed him the bracelet – or tried to – he was too excited to tie it up right then. Kakashi took it from him (and Naruto didn't even notice in his excitement), inspecting the little trinket with interest.

"But this is…" Kakashi's eyes narrowed and he glanced at Sakura suspiciously.

Sakura knew immediately that he'd figured out it was made up of chakra strings, and also that she'd been practicing chakra control when she shouldn't have been.

Kakashi stared at her with a narrowed eye.

Sakura tried for an innocent smile.

Thankfully, Naruto was there to interrupt as usual. "Huh? What's going on with you two? Hey, Wait! That's my bracelet! Give it back, sensei!"

Kakashi gave him an exasperated look. "Don't you want me to tie it for you, Naruto?"

"Gah, I'm not one! I can tie it myself!"

"If you say so."

Five minutes and a lot of cursing and 'hn-chuckling' later, Naruto gave up and let Sakura tie the bracelet for him (he appeared to think that Kakashi would ruin it somehow) much to everyone else's exasperation. Once this was done, Naruto seemed even more pleased with himself and started practically vibrating with energy as he regarded his new bracelet.

And then it happened.

Sasuke shocked in surprise.

All three turned toward his as one.

"What is it, Sasuke?"

"Sasuke?"

"Hnh? What's with the look, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was facing the bracelet intently. "I can… I can sense the bracelet," he concluded after a moment.

"Haaaah? That sounds like bull, believe it!"

Kakashi sighed long-sufferingly. "It's not, Naruto. Those are chakra-strings that make up the bracelet. You must've channeled some of your chakra into them, that's why Sasuke can sense it."

His sensing range had improved very quickly due to his blindness, needless to say.

On her part, Sakura was pleased by this discovery. "Oh, but that's great, Sasuke! This means we can put chakra strings all around your house to make locating things easier!"

The members of team seven stared at her in shock.

There was a beat of silence, then:

"Sakura-chan, you're a genius!"

This was followed by some heated debate, and then Sasuke deciding that he was entitled to a bracelet also, Naruto subsequently declaring that if they wore it, then so must Sakura – and consequently Kakashi – and this then somehow leading to a long-winded squabble over who got what bracelet. Sasuke hilariously ended up with a flower patterned one that Naruto kept insisting was 'very mannly', Naruto's was orange with a red and black stripes, Sakura had picked a blue and teal one and Kakashi reluctantly agreed to keep the last one, which was hot pink, much to his annoyance – though Sakua suspected he would stow it in a drawer as soon as he got home. Naruto clearly didn't, because he announced that these were their 'friendship' bracelets forever and always, though five minutes later claimed that they were good luck charms instead, sparking yet another argument with Sasuke about his having the memory of a mosquito. Kakashi and Sakura traded glances and sighed as one, but it was a fond sigh, because all was well in team seven land. Or so Sakura thought. She likely wouldn't have said the same if she'd noticed the considering looks Kakashi had levelled her with whilst she was turned away.

So there y'all have it! Part one is almost done… if I work up the motivation to finish it anyway.