A/N: Yay! No need for apologizing… I've updated on time for once! Amazing, isn't it? On another note… I'm actually pretty satisfied with how this chapter turned out, although I won't lie: It was a major pain to write, as there was barely any room for dialog. Well, I hope you enjoy! XD


Requiem of Despair: Chapter 7

Alleviate

Sakura ascended the stairwell leading to Kakashi's apartment, finally approaching his door. As she stared at the slightly weathered handle, the last few strands of her confidence quickly snapped.

He might be feeling better by now… and not need my help at all!

Her mind began tormenting her with possible humiliating scenarios. She could walk in, groceries and flowers in hand, to find him completely healed… getting ready for work. He would ask her if she thought he was really that weak, and what could she have possibly done to help?

Or worse yet, he could smile at her with his exposed eye and ruffle her hair in the same condescending…patronizing…demeaning way he always did.

She shook her head, attempting to erase the visuals created by her overactive imagination.

Or… he could be in serious danger. When she left him he barely had a pulse… and that fever! One of the highest fevers she had ever dealt with.

What if she opened his bedroom door to find the man's lifeless form sprawled half on his futon… and half on the floor? Obviously in an attempt to reach a telephone and call for help… and she had just left him to die. Alone.

After blinking away a few tears of frustration, she threw open the door and placed the groceries onto the kitchen counter. Sunflowers in hand, she slowly closed the distance between her and Kakashi's bedroom, and poked her head inside. He was still in the exact same position as when she had left him earlier… except now unconscious rather than starting at her with his scrutinizing eye.

Sakura placed the flowers on his windowsill before kneeling down next to her former sensei. His sleep was obviously restless, as his face was skewed into a pain-stricken scowl. Beads of sweat coated his forehead and his tousled hair was half plastered to his flushed cheek.

Once again she preformed the usual pulse and fever check-- nothing seemed to be improving-- and pressed a cool, damp washcloth to his brow.

She sat back on her heels and sighed. Besides this, there was absolutely nothing she could do to alleviate his pain…unless…no. She could not do that. Using chakra to cure illnesses required an immense amount of skill and practice, and she had only attempted it once before.

Attempted…and failed miserably. Not only had she lost consciousness for six hours, but her patient, a small raccoon with a stomach ache, had ended up worse off than when she had started.

But what else could she do? She knew that the damp washcloths didn't even put a dent in his suffering. As she looked down at his limp body she realized that, just this once, she wanted to be the person doing the "rescuing". She wanted to be able to save him from his pain.


That decided, Sakura left Kakashi's apartment in a frantic race to her own house to retrieve a few volumes of various medical journals. She flung herself through the front door, almost forgetting to kick off her shoes, and ran towards her bedroom… before coming to a halt at the sound of her mother's voice.

"Ah, Sakura-chan, just in time! I need you to help me clean up the house, we're having guests for dinner tonight." Her mother greeted with a smile while promptly shoving a mop and bucket into Sakura's surprised hands.

"Okaasan, I'm really in a rush! I can't do this right now…" Sakura pleaded after placing the mop and bucket down onto the wooden tiles.

Her mother's eyes snapped open and smile faded. "Sakura, when was the last time you helped out around the house?"

Sakura's mouth started to move in response, however she was cut off by her mother's sharp tone.

"Mmm hmm! That's what I thought." She continued, not waiting for Sakura's answer.

"Well, you're not getting out of your chores this time. These guests are really important, old friends of your father and mine, and I believe that their son is about your age…"

Sakura's mother's eyes softened as Sakura turned her gaze to the floor. She knew her daughter had never had a boyfriend, although she did fancy that Uchiha boy for a few years. Truth be told, she was glad that the boy had left the village. She didn't want her precious little Sakura tainted by that brooding, vengeful young man. A boy like that could never truly love her daughter the way she deserved to be loved. At best, he would have simply used her to rebuild his clan. Yes…it was better that he had left.

Of course, she would never tell Sakura this.

"Mom…" Sakura's suddenly determined voice snapped her out of her reverie.

"I cannot help you clean and I cannot stay for dinner. I need to gather a few things from my bedroom and leave as soon as possible for an important mission. By delaying me you are severely jeopardizing a person's life, so please… let me go." Sakura stated curtly, green eyes burning with a dangerous intensity, daring her mother to argue.

When had her daughter grown up so much? True, she was eighteen years old now… but she had never seen her this serious about anything.

"Yes darling…that's fine then. Just…be careful. What would I do if something happened to my only daughter?" Her mother whispered, pulling Sakura into a quick hug before bidding her farewell.

Sakura then gathered up as many books as her backpack and arms could hold, along with a few other tools of the trade, and made her way quickly back to her where her former sensei lay.


Upon arriving once again at Kakashi's apartment, Sakura carefully unloaded her collection of heavy books onto the small table near the kitchen before noticing the previously neglected groceries still lying on the counter. After quickly placing each item of food into its designated spot, she first checked to see if Kakashi was still unconscious, which he was, then settled herself down at the table with a hot cup of tea and began pouring over her textbooks.

First she had to decide which type of illness he had. She flipped through the pages of a diagnosis book while mentally listing his symptoms.

High fever…meaning a bacterial infection. Weakness of heart and body, headache, swollen lymph glands, labored breathing…

Pneumonia. It had to be pneumonia. She groaned while slamming her forehead into the pile of books beneath her. This was definitely going to be a lot of work.

Pulling an anatomy physiology book out of her bag she turned to the section on lungs. Since pneumonia is an excess of fluid in the lungs, she would have to first familiarize herself with their complex structure, and then find a way to remove that fluid with her chakra.

But that would only be the first part. Sakura grabbed a note pad and pencil from the pile and began scribbling down potential procedures.

She would then have to find the source of the bacterial infection… and remove that problem quickly before it caused his lungs to fill with fluid again. After that she would have to alleviate the pressure in his head that was causing the headache and fever.

Also, she would have to be careful that she didn't use too much of her chakra and end up hurting herself while trying to heal him.

I really wish I could have had more time to practice this… she thought briefly before gathering up her notes and heading towards the dark bedroom down the hall.


A/N: Once again… sorry for not getting to the juicy Kakashi/Sakura stuffs. I really only planned for this story to be at the most five chapters long… but every time I start a new chapter… inspiration strikes and I go off in another direction altogether! I get distracted so easily. -sigh- I guess all I can say is… thank you for bearing with me! I hope I'm not disappointing anyone. There will be much more Kakashi/Sakura interaction in the near future!

Thanks again to Cari for being the best beta-reader on the planet! Yes… planet. Don't argue, I'm right. X3

Oh, and thanks to all of my faithful reviewers! I could make a huge list and comment on every single one of them as I see some people do at the end of their chapters… but not only is that far too troublesome, it just looks bad. But that doesn't mean I appreciate your reviews any less! I cherish each and every one of them… and I truly thank all of you for spending your valuable time reading and reviewing this story! It means a lot to me. XD