Summary/Disclaimer: Time for another chapter of the Merc and the Medic. Enjoy the 2000-word chapter. I don't own Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto and a few others do.

(Sasuke's home.)

Sakura rested her head on the edge of Marmora's bed. She had kept replaying Kuraokami's words in her head.

There was a worse evil coming after Naruto and Sasuke with plans for Marmora. She wasn't very surprised by that, tailed beast or not, Naruto was one of the strongest Shinobi on the planet. Sasuke was also the same and most people went after his eyes.

There was a groan before Marmora's eyes slowly started to open his eyes.

"I feel sore all over… Ow, where's that knockoff Uchiha?" He muttered before Sakura snapped awake. Marmora blinked and looked at her.

"You ok? You look like you've seen a ghost." Marmora stated, he groaned and then looked around.

Sakura hugged him hard enough that there were almost crushed bones. Marmora was too stunned to react for a few seconds before he slowly returned the hug.

"I… Are you ok, Sakura?" He asked, Sakura nodded, Marmora hummed.

Sakura slugged Marmora hard in the chest and he wheezed before she grabbed his arm and turned him to him.

"You do something so stupidly reckless and brave next time, I'm going to break your arms and legs, carry you to Konoha, fix you and then break them again." Sakura said, Marmora's eyes widened in horror before they slowly closed.

"I… Don't remember much besides using the Samurai of the Snow move I've used as a kid… But ok?" Marmora said before he slowly rubbed the pain out of his arm.

"We beat Shin, correct?" He asked, he noticed new clothes and sandals.

Sakura let him get up before she left the room and stood outside the room while Marmora got dressed.

"You know, you never told me what happened before you slugged me. I only remember using the Jutsu and then my mind shut down. I don't know what else happened. I'm going to assume that since you aren't dead and we're back home it worked?" Marmora asked.

"Shin ran off after your Jutsu cut off his arm. Marmora?" Sakura asked before the door opened and Marmora walked out.

He now had a blueish grey jacket with a green undershirt with a hood, fully fingerless grey gloves. He also had fully black pants and ninja boots.

"Yeah?" He asked, pulling down the hood of the jacket, he was glad Shinobi didn't really get too hot or too cold usually.

"You haven't used that Jutsu before, have you?" Sakura asked, she didn't want to announce her meeting with Kuraokami to Marmora. She had no idea if he had met the god whose power, he had given the mercenary.

She cringed upon knowing that Marmora's parents were probably dead. Marmora had grown up with people who wanted his power, it was like Naruto only she doubted everyone hated Marmora.

"I used it once… When I was a teen, I passed out again and then I ended up being in a coma for a few weeks… Then again, I heard that I pushed it for a few hours." He stated, he ran his fingers through hair and hummed before he turned to look at the Haruno.

"I forgot why we were here, something about a baby, right?" He asked, Sakura nodded and then pushed off the wall.

"Karin is expecting soon." She stated, Marmora hummed and nodded.

"I never expected Sasuke to tie the knot with anyone, I heard he was the biggest loner in Fire Country." He stated, Sakura sighed.

"He is. I think we've already gone through that song and dance." Marmora heard from Sakura.

He reached out and gently patted the Haruno on the head, she slugged him in the arm playfully.

"You're an idiot." She said, Marmora chuckled with amusement.

"I'm also the one who paid off most if not all of your loan." He said, Sakura sighed.

"Marmora, do you mind meeting me at the gates to the village? I have something to tell you. I don't want to have Sasuke or Karin hear it." Sakura stated, she cursed at herself for being shy again.

'I can heal an entire army at once, but every time I have feelings for someone….' She thought before Marmora nodded.

"I'll be there, just let me grab something to eat. I wonder if I'm going to be able to get that job from the Hokage. I also wonder how my other job is going to be good. I don't have endless cash." Marmora said, he brushed off his gloves while Sakura walked to the door.

Marmora waved at her before he slowly ducked into the kitchen. Sakura continued to walk through the village. She sighed and hummed.

She continued to ran her fingers through her hair. She nearly collapsed onto a bench; she cracked her knuckles.

She knew she loved Marmora; she had fallen in love with Sasuke days after they met. She had chosen to throw herself into the fire and gotten nearly killed a few times.

She didn't want to kill Sasuke back then, but she knew after all the violence Sasuke laid upon her, she couldn't romantically see Sasuke the way she used to.

She did like Marmora. He was very reckless; he was unwilling to listen about his charka control. He was also someone who always got himself into danger, he was also very naïve.

She smiled. He was also brave, caring and smart. He had used his own money to pay off her loan, he had bought her a plant. He got along with her friends, he and her got along well with anything… Even if she was annoyed at his jokes and his needling to annoy her.

Marmora slowly walked towards her and slowly folded his hands behind him.

"Ok, I'm here… You've been acting like I nearly got murdered so tell me… Why am I here? We won, didn't we? I don't see Shin ripping my organs out." He said before he slowly sat down next to the Haruno.

"Your bothered by something. I get it, I'm the big idiot. I'll work on Charka Control. I spent 4 hours trying to master my Sea Swords and now I'm going to try to master the Aqua Salvo." He stated before Sakura turned to him.

"You are an idiot… But I still care about you… A lot." Sakura said, Marmora hummed.

"I get the very serious feeling you don't mean as a little brother or teammate… I don't mean to sound stupid. I do have to ask… Do you mean…" He started to say before Sakura blushed and nodded.

Marmora blushed and looked to the side, clearly flustered.

"You… I don't know what to really say…" Marmora almost whispered, Sakura turned Marmora's head to him. Marmora and Sakura both blushed.

"I know it hasn't been a while… So, are you willing to try off small?" Sakura said, Marmora hummed and then slowly blinked.

"No." He said, Sakura blinked in shock.

"No?" She asked before a vein started to form on her head as she growled.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN NO!? YOU THINK IT WAS EASY TO ADMIT I HAVE A DAMN CRUSH ON YOU?!" She yelled, a few people turned to look at them, Sakura breathed in and out and looked at the ground.

Sakura looked at the smirking Marmora and realized he was joking… He was joking to hide his own insecurities.

"You…." Sakura hissed out while she lifted trembling hands towards Marmora's throat, intent on throttling him while he smirked.

"Your adorable when your ticked off. You thought I was being serious with the no." He said, Sakura still looked ready to kill him before she slowly calmed down, taking deep breath.

"I am SO going to…" She started to say before Marmora cut her off.

"You are going to get me back? I'll be happy to see that… Sakura, we have spent the small amount of time we've been around each other? We've spent it messing with each other, joking, trying to rile each other up… I could see you wanted to say something you didn't want to say, the only way to make you say it was to rile you up… I'm way too nervous to say anything, you don't feel any better getting it off your chest?" He asked, Sakura huffed.

"I… Yes, but you're an idiot." Sakura said, Marmora rocked back and forth on his heels.

"You're the one who has a crush on me. I like you as well, you think I bought the houseplant for nothing? I went back the next day to thank Ino. You think I don't drive you up the wall for no reason? Your funny when you go from being prim and proper to ready to rip my skull out. Your always ready to get back at me… Sakura, if someone passed you up, they are an idiot." He said, Sakura blinked again.

Then she grabbed Marmora's shirt into a kiss, part of her grinned at Marmora's shocked expression before he slowly found the courage to put his hands on her sides.

It wasn't a deep kiss, both were still inexperienced, both pulled away and Sakura rested her head on his.

"I finally found a way to shut you up and get revenge at the same time." Sakura said, Marmora was finally able to speak again while he laughed.

"You know Ino is going to grill both of us and the others will ask how people who have only been around each other for…. 3 weeks if I'm right, fell in love?" Marmora asked, Sakura hummed.

"I said we take it slow. I went from crushing on my teammate to liking you… You're not getting it any easier with training just because we started dating." Sakura stated, Marmora laughed.

"You going to make me climb trees the same way?" He joked; Marmora got a smirk from the Haruno before she tapped a finger on her lips.

"Yep. You need to keep training physically to master Charka control and plus its payback for all the stupid jokes." Sakura said, he hummed with amusement.

"Ok, fine. I do like getting to see the tree tops." He muttered before both turned to look at the town.

"You want to go back to town? I'm going to guess you're never going to tell me what happened with the fight with Shin?" He asked, Sakura said nothing and Marmora shrugged.

"I don't think it really matters unless it nearly kills me." Marmora muttered before both started walking into town again.

"I can't believe Shin was behind Danuja's war against me and Dagger. I heard he's dead and now I guess that means we only have to worry about Shin and his clone army, huh?" He asked, Sakura shook her head, remembering the last words Shin had stated.

"I doubt it will be that easy, Marmora. We are going to have to head back to Konoha and go to talk the Hokage right after we get back." Marmora heard before he folded his hands behind his back and then tapped on a tree as he walked further into town.

"First we need to figure out what to do next… And you need to look at Karin soon." He stated before both continued to walk into town.

"We are going to train after that's done. I don't want you coughing up blood or injuring yourself trying to handle a charka move." Sakura stated, Marmora hummed while both walked towards Sasuke's house.

Both didn't see Dagger following them. He grinned.

Author Notes

Phew, another chapter done! I want to point out that just because Marmora and Sakura are dating doesn't mean their serious, I'm not going to rush their romance. Next chapter will be on Sunday or so and will show Marmora and Sakura talking some more and the preparations for Karin's baby. Until then, Lighting Wolf out!