-A/N: Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Nartuo series

Italics like this mean its thoughts in a character's head

Love of Elements

Ch. 12 Outbreak

SONG: "No One Knows Us" – Banners

Sakura smiled as she rearranged the bouquet sitting in the infirmary. It had been over a week since the incident with Sasori, and over a week since her friendship with Sasuke returned to normal. The pinkette still wasn't sure what happened to make Sasuke seemingly avoiding her for two weeks, but she was so grateful to see him regularly again that she didn't care. Her jade eyes beamed as she tucked a violet blossom between the silky white poppies. Everything seemed so calm, despite the war with Air just weeks ago and Sasori's violence the week before.

Sakura gave a content sigh as she analyzed her floral work. It felt so nice to regain a sense of peace. She peered over at the small basket she had brought with her, covered in burgundy cloth. Her smooth lips tilted upwards. She couldn't wait to give Sasuke what was inside. Her cheeks tinted pink. I hope he likes it…

The pinkette's thoughts were broken as a teenage boy came escorted in by a familiar figure. Sakura paused a moment before recognizing him, "Commander Asuma, what brings you here?"

The tall man placed a hand on the teenager's shoulder, "My nephew here seems to not be feeling well."

Konohamaru forced a sigh, "I said I'm fine Uncle."

Sakura watched as a healer walked over and examined him. The woman's calculating eyes searched his face and she put a hand to his head, "You do seem paler than normal…and you have a bit of a fever. Why don't you lay down?"

Sakura watched as he gave a small grumble, but sluggishly made his way to the closest bed. Her lips tilted up in amusement as the teen disarmed his tough guy act. His mannerisms reminded her a bit of Naruto. She went to grab a medical clipboard as the healer began Konohamaru's evaluation.

_an hour later_

Sasuke carefully read the parchment before him. An expanded training facility for new soldiers had been proposed, and he wanted additional time to consider it's impact. It made sense after a recent war to pursue ways to strengthen his army, but he wanted to be sure the details before him was the best method. The Fire king's thought broke as he heard a knock. He placed his eyes on his office door, "Enter."

His chest unwillingly tightened as her beautiful, thin form entered the room. He kept his expression blank as he noticed the way her pink tresses flowed down her shimmering, sage dress. He breathed slow as his eyes fixated on her smile, "Sakura."

The pinkette tried to ignore the flutter of her heart as she took a couple steps closer to him, "Lots of paperwork today?"

Sasuke kept his eyes locked on hers, "Something like that. You?"

Sakura kept her hands tight behind her back, clutching the woven basket handle, "Nothing out of the ordinary. I've actually had time to research new medicines with so few patients."

The Fire king's shoulders relaxed a bit over the welcomed news, "Good." He finally pulled his eyes from her face and reevaluated her posture, "What are you hiding?"

Sakura widened her eyes slightly before giving an embarrassed giggle, "I should've known."

She nervously pulled her hands away from behind her back. Sasuke watched as she placed a small, woven basket on his desk. Burgundy cloth was hiding it's contents. He looked at her, inwardly curious, "What's this?"

She tucked some hair behind her ear and avoided his gaze, "Open it."

He observed her another moment before pulling the basket closer. He gently tugged at the soft fabric. He held his breath to hold his surprise as he uncovered the gift. Sakura shifted uncomfortably over the silence, "Naruto said you liked them."

Sasuke inwardly scolded Naruto, knowing the blonde was trying to nudge them together. His dark eyes inspected the small but plump, red produce. She had given him a collection of bite-sized tomatoes, often known for their juiciness. His mouth began to dry as he anticipated the taste of his favorite food, "What's the occasion?"

She pulled her hands together and put forth her best smile, "Well, I was just in the market yesterday and began to wonder if you ever get hungry spending so much time in your office. I thought maybe you'd like them…"

Sasuke looked back up as he could hear the uncertainty in her voice. His face lightly softened at her nervous form. He promptly tossed one in his mouth. Sakura held her breath as he chewed, hope nagging at her. He titled his lips up a bit, "I do, thanks."

A radiant smile spread across her face, forcing his jaw to tighten. She began to breathe easy, "I'm so glad."

Sasuke slowly filled his lungs, pressing down his reaction to her enchanting beauty. He gestured towards the chair in front of his desk, "Care to share about the medicine you've been researching?"

Her eyes brightened at the invitation, "I'd love to."

_several hours later_

Sakura hummed as she exited the dining hall, still beaming over her time with Sasuke. Their conversation had lasted over an hour and the Fire king had already eaten a third of the tomatoes by the time she left. Pink dusted across her cheeks over the success of her gift. She really needed to thank Naruto. She stopped in her tracks a moment as her conscience snapped back at her. He's a king.

She thinned her lips as logic came to her once again. Sasuke had gifted her the position of a noble after she had washed up on shore over two months ago, but at the same time her position had nothing to offer him. If she had learned one thing since waking up, it was that royal marriages were very political, and that two months of noblehood wasn't even a fraction of what the world expected at Sasuke's side.

She sighed and continued walking. She really needed to find a way to cast her feelings aside and just focus on their friendship. She needed to stop thinking of him differently than Naruto or any other guy. The pinkette blinked in surprise as she caught the same blonde slowly walking down the stairs before her. She walked towards him, "Naruto!"

The blonde glanced to her as he made his way to the bottom of the stairs, "Hey Sakura, you just get dinner?"

The pinkette gave a happy nod and was prepared to ask him where he was headed. She froze. Her jade eyes took in the odd paleness of Naruto's face, "Naruto, are you okay?"

The blonde tried to force a smile, fighting off the heavy feeling of his body, "Yeah, of course…I'm just a little tired."

Concern grew in Sakura's heart as she saw the weariness in his eyes. She gently placed her pale hand on his forehead. Her eyes snapped wider, "Naruto, you're burning up!"

Naruto closed his eyes, trying to focus, "It's just…a small fever…"

Sakura gasped as Naruto began to fall sideways. She swung to his side, preventing him from falling. She leaned against him and pulled his arm around her neck, "Naruto, we need to get you to the infirmary!"

The blonde dully nodded as he reopened his eyes and tried to steady his footing. Sakura helped him stand straight and wrapped her closest arm around his back, "I'll take you there. You just have walk with me."

Naruto gave a slow nod and fought dizziness as they made their way down the hall. Sakura led him carefully, periodically checking his expression. She frowned deeply. He really doesn't look good. She pushed forward as she bared some of his weight; the muscular young man was not light. She held onto him tighter as the infirmary doors were finally in view, "Just a little farther Naruto."

The pinkette eagerly pushed the doors open, ready to put her dear friend on a bed. Her jaw fell as she saw over a dozen medic beds full, "What's going on?! Where did all these patients come from?"

One of the busy healers glanced at her and Naruto, "It appears a fever is going around. He has it too right? Lay him down."

Sakura paused a moment, trying to process all the patients that had appeared in the last five hours. Her thoughts broke as she heard Naruto groan; she quickly moved him to a bed and helped lay him down. Her expression filled with worry as he shut his eyes tight, eager to leave his blurry vision. She checked his head again, "It's going to be okay Naruto. I'll make sure you feel better."

The blonde gave a weak nod. Sakura quickly turned towards the healers, "How can I help?"

An older woman answered while continuing to treat the man before her, "Check the medical charts and start making more medicine. I don't think this is an ordinary fever."

Sakura gulped, but quickly obliged.

_four hours later_

Sasuke quickly paced forward, his charcoal robe tied tightly around him. The king had just begun to fall asleep when a guard abruptly woke him, banging on his door about an urgent issue. Sasuke clenched his teeth, getting closer to his destination. In one day, over forty citizens had been submitted to the infirmary with a fever, and the number was still climbing. He needed more information.

His dark eyes widened as he swung open the wooden doors and was met by a room of chaos. Every medical bed was full, and extra patients were scattered across the floor, laying on blankets. The guard beside him spoke with a deep voice, "We're preparing a nearby ballroom to make room for more patients, but Your Majesty you need to leave. It could be contagious."

Sasuke looked around the room in alarm. His heartbeat raced in panic as he noticed Naruto, "I need someone to tell me more about what's going on." He searched around, "Where's Sakura?"

The guard answered, "She's in the greenhouse, working on medicine."

Sasuke immediately transported.

The Fire king quickly cast his eyes around the dark greenhouse, only lit by moonlight and a few oil lamps, "Sakura!"

The pinkette jumped, looking over her shoulder, "Sasuke?"

Sasuke walked over towards her, looking at the formulation equipment on the desk in front of her, "What's going on?"

Sakura looked at him in worry, "Some kind of sickness broke out, but we can't figure out what it is."

He looked at her with a serious gaze, "Do you have a cure?"

She looked back at the bowls of ground herbs before her, fear creeping in her veins, "I don't know. The normal fever medicine isn't working. I've never read about something like this. It's a fever, dizziness, and eyes turning black. The majority of the patients are male…"

Sasuke swallowed hard, "If it's not cured what will happen?"

Sakura looked back at him, anxiety crippling her heart, "We're not sure…but if the fever persists like it has been…."

A heavy silence stalled the conversation. Sakura could feel her emotions getting to her; she quickly turned back to her work, "I just have to think of something. There has to be some combination that'll work. I…I can't let Naruto and everyone…" Her eyes began to water, she ground the herbs harder, "I'll figure it out. I just wish I knew the source of the sickness."

Sasuke raised his arm, reaching out to her, but quickly pulled back. In the short time Sakura had been in Fire, she had learned more about medicine than the rest of the medical staff. If she couldn't figure it out then nobody else in his kingdom could. The pressure was overwhelming. Sasuke thought back to the crowd of patients, "I'll have the guards help question the patients about their activities this week, maybe we can find a common factor."

Sakura gave a small nod as she mixed the ground herbs into a pot of boiling water, "Okay, but tell them not to touch the patients if they can help it. We don't know how this is spreading."

Sasuke continued thinking, "I'll also send a lockdown alert to the kingdom, that should slow the spread."

Sakura looked back to him, locking his stare. She took in his face for a moment, "Okay, just…stay safe."

Sasuke watched the concern in her eyes. He forced a calm expression before transporting away, "You too."

_the next morning_

She watched as the warm liquid was poured into her ceramic cup. Sakura thanked the servant and eagerly drank the caffeinated tea. She had been up all night and could feel sleep coaxing her eyelids. The pinkette had managed to concoct some tablets to slow everyone's fever, but still felt terribly far from her needed success. Her face dimmed, the patient count had grown to almost one hundred and she imagined more would continue to come in.

She peered over at the middle aged man who was continuing to create medical tablets. She watched him a moment, calculating which step of her formulation he was on. He'll finish that batch in about fifteen minutes. She drew her jade eyes back to the book in her lap, with a replacement creating medicine it gave her the chance to research. Her stack of books held contents of various diseases and old medicine formulations. Over the centuries a few flus and skin diseases has occurred through out the world, but none similar enough to Fire's current predicament.

The pinkette sighed. The symptom that was really confusing her was that the patients eyes turned black as the sickness progressed. Poor Naruto had barely any cerulean left in his normally bright eyes. She paused a moment, looking at her stack of books. She pursed her lips before hastily gulping the rest of her tea. Her pale legs stood underneath the hem of her sage dress and she looked to the man grinding herbs, "I'm going to run to the library, I'll be back soon. Keep making more batches of that."

She didn't offer him the time to respond before leaving the room. She hastened down each hallway, eager to get to her location. Her tired eyes noticed the lack of people in the castle. People were either in the infirmary, hiding out in their rooms, or trying to help resolve the situation. Her long, blush hair swayed as she hoped she wasn't wasting her time.

Sakura eagerly opened the library doors and searched for the librarian. Her heart skipped a beat as she finally found the older woman, "Hello. Where are the medical books on the ocular system? It's urgent."

The librarian paid no mind to the lack of formalities, she knew the pinkette well and the predicament at hand. Sakura felt her chest tighten as the woman led her down a few aisles before pointing out the proper section. Sakura quickly began scanning book titles, "Thank you."

_twenty minutes later_

Sasuke's dark eyes scanned the unusually empty courtyard of his palace. Fire was known for it's large population, yet all he could see was a few guards. His tense face titled up towards a flock of birds flying by, minding the blue tint of their feathers. He felt helpless.

His pale hands gripped the marble railing of his intricate balcony. The risk of also falling ill kept him away from his sick residents, and with a lack of medical knowledge all he could do was wait. His face lowered as recalled Naruto's exhausted form on one of the infirmary beds. His chest tightened. There has to be something I can do!

His steely eyes roamed around, internally searching for ideas. His guards were being incredibly strict regarding his safety, which he understood but it greatly narrowed his options. He stilled as his eyes fell on a nearby flower garden, blooming shades of pink. He transported.

Sasuke frowned as he looked around the greenhouse to find an unfamiliar man where he expected Sakura to be, "Where's Lady Sakura?"

The lightly wrinkled fellow jumped at the unexpected voice. He gave a quick, awkward bow, "Y-Your Majesty?! She said she needed to visit the library. I believe she needed some new books to research."

Sasuke's dark eyes skimmed over the stack of books on the nearby desk, making the safe assumption she already read their pages. He inwardly frowned, knowing how much pressure she was working under. He glanced back at the man, noticing the mild exhaustion on him as well. He took a slow breath before disappearing once more, "Thank you."

The king blinked before glancing around his new surrounding of the grand library. He searched the aisles of books, eager to find whom he was looking for. He grew impatient as he recalled just how large the library was, it would be easy for a child to get lost. He considered calling out her name before halting in his tracks. His face softened just slightly.

Sakura was sitting on the floor, in an aisle, surrounded by books. She was leaned tiredly against the shelf behind her while her jade eyes focused on the ink before her, eager to absorb as quickly as she could. Sasuke watched for a moment as she pursed her tinted lips and slid her pale fingers to the next page. Even with the growing dark circles under her eyes, she was stunning.

Sasuke aggressively tossed the thought away and began making his way towards her, "Any luck?"

Sakura blinked out of focus and cast her eyes towards his familiar voice. She shifted in surprise as he approached her with his dark cloak clasped to his shoulders, grey and black silk thread creating the rest of his outfit. Sitting on the floor made his muscular frame stretch high above her. She lowered the book to her lap, "Sasuke…" she tried to force a smile, "Um, not yet…but I'm hoping if I approach it with a different angle I can find something."

He easily saw past her façade. It wasn't hard to tell she was worn, and knowing her, she was internalizing all the pressure of being responsible for a cure. Sasuke analyzed the books surrounding her, "The eyes turning black?"

She gave a small nod, "It's the only peculiar symptom compared to other outbreaks. If I can find the cause, maybe I can figure out a root source to treat. I just hope it's not too late…"

Sasuke openly frowned as her voice trailed off. It was hard to say how many days, or even hours were left before the sickness started taking lives. It was a weight he didn't want her to bear.

SONG: "Fall on Me" – A Great Big World + Christina Aguilera

Sakura's eyes snapped up as she heard Sasuke drop down before her. Her jaw fell open in surprise as he quietly leaned against the opposite shelf, grabbing a book with his firm hand. He ran a finger over the leather cover, "Read this one yet?"

Her face became puzzled, "No…what are you doing?"

Sasuke rested the book on his knee and flipped to the first page, "Helping."

Her voice felt caught in her throat as she watched his ebony eyes begin scanning back and forth. Her heart flinched as she felt the weight on her shoulders shift slightly, "But-"

"But nothing." Sasuke kept his eyes glued to the page, "There's twice the chance you'll find a cure soon if I'm helping. You can't read all these books on your own."

Sakura felt emotion rise in her chest and subconsciously clung tighter to the book in her hands. Sasuke finally locked his eyes on hers, "Caring for the whole kingdom isn't your burden to bear, it's mine. I won't let you suffer alone a responsibility you didn't ask for."

Her jaw tightened as she found tears fighting their way to her eyes. She had yet to admit out loud how much the stress had taken a toll on her, how responsible she felt for the lives at stake. Sakura's heart was bigger than most, causing her to fall harder into guilt than the average person. If she couldn't find a cure in time to save lives…to save Naruto's life…she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

Sasuke watched as she quickly blinked back tears and returned to reading the pages in her lap. He breathed a little easier seeing the stress begin to lift off her shoulders. Sasuke knew too well as king what it was like to have the heaviness of lives effected by every mistake. Sasuke couldn't count how many people had been negatively impacted by decisions he had made over the years, sometimes out of pride and selfishness, but even from times of trying his best. He didn't want Sakura to feel even a fraction of that burden.

Sakura paused from analyzing a paragraph, finally feeling her emotions settle. She genuinely smiled for the first time since before the sickness broke out. She kept her grateful eyes low, "Thank you."

Sasuke tilted his eyes back at his book. His lips curved up subtly.

_three hours later_

Sakura forced back a yawn as pulled a new book into her lap, frustration was taunting her. Sasuke and her together had found nothing. No hints, no signs of hope, nothing. Her jade eyes dulled as she could feel the lack of sleep creeping to her eyelids again. She tucked some hair behind her ear, yearning to muster the energy to keep reading, to keep fighting for a cure.

Sasuke looked up and frowned. Sasuke had slept a little, but Sakura had clearly not slept at all. The Fire king knew it would take a toll on her soon. He blinked his own tired eyes and placed his book on the floor, "We should eat."

The pinkette gave a small shake to her head, "I need to keep reading…"

Sasuke frowned, ignoring his tired limbs, "You need energy. A quick walk and bite to eat will help wake us up to read more."

She pursed her rosy lips, knowing she couldn't sit in the same spot much longer without falling asleep. Sasuke watched as she considered his words. He offered a sarcastic tone, "Should I make that an order?"

She rolled her tired eyes, slowly rising off the floor, "Okay, I'm moving."

Sasuke offered a mild smirk as he rose up as well. His expression lowered as he found it unusually strenuous to stand. He rolled his shoulders back and began walking, trying to disregard how exhausted he felt. Seems I need the break too. Sakura moved ahead, slowly feeling her brain wake as her pale legs moved forward. She followed Sasuke out of the library, grateful for the change of scenery. She walked by his side, imagining twice the amount of books she would have to go through without him. She smiled and looked up to him, "I really am grat-"

She stopped in her tracks as she noticed the strained expression on his face, "Sasuke…are you okay?"

He breathed slow as it seemed his body continued to grow in weight. He kept his eyes glued to the floor, "I didn't sleep well…Nothing that hasn't happened before."

Sakura's heart picked up pace. She fought the urge to reach out to him, "You've already helped me a lot, maybe you should go rest a while."

Sasuke could hear the sound of his heartbeat echoing in his head. He took a step forward, "I just need some food."

The pinkette drew closer to him, hearing his voice lower. Fear began to seep through her as she watched his footing veer to the side. He couldn't walk straight. She ran to him as he suddenly fell to one knee, "Sasuke!"

Sasuke felt his breathing grow ragged as heat waves finally began to blur his vision. Sakura desperately knelt down to him and grabbed his arm. Her eyes snapped wider, "Sasuke, you're burning up!"

Anxiety gripped her heart as she raised a hand to his head. He could barely keep his eyes open. Tears pricked her eyes. No, no, no, no! Her hands began to tremble, "Stay with me Sasuke! W-we have to get you to your room."

Sasuke shut his eyes tight, trying to fight his blurry vision. Crap. His consciousness was fading. Sakura wrapped her arms around his, growing frantic, "No, Sasuke. Stay awake, please stay awake." She looked around, "Guards!"

Tears finally sprung from her eyes as he limply collapsed into her chest. Her heart dropped. She wrapped a hand around his back and placed her opposite hand on his cheek, "No! Sasuke! Guards! Guards, help!"

She sobbed as she could finally hear the sound of clanking armor in the distance. She instinctively pulled him closer. The sickness had mercilessly claimed Sasuke as well.

_author notes_

I wrote this quite a while ago, but I'm sure you can gather where the sickness idea came from. I made sure to keep symptoms different and promise no death scenes will occur in the next chapter which will resolve the outbreak. Not big on spoilers but want to be mindful of potential triggers (have lost family myself from the pandemic), but I also wanted to give Sakura the chance to rescue others instead of always needing to be saved. I hope you were still able to enjoy and see the steps of SasuSaku growth!