Chapter 24

Rain patters against the window pane softly. There's a heavy chill in the air that Sakura's threadbare blanket doesn't combat against. Sasuke stirs from next to her, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"I need to get up," His voice is gruff and thick with tiredness.

The blackout drapes that cover all of her windows only let a soft radiance trickle into the room. Sakura opens her eyes slowly and sees him in all of his glory as he rises, letting her blanket fall from his covered chest. His hair is uncombed, protruding out in all directions as his fingers brush through it, trying to tame the locks.

It wasn't a dream.

Every kiss had been real.

And even better, she'd woken up next to him.

Sakura's head is woozy from the realization as she tries to take him in fully. She couldn't ever remember waking up next to Sasuke—during their missions he seemed to never really sleep much. His eyes are not puffy or heavy with exhaustion, so perhaps he'd rested well.

"It's still early…" She says, curling deeper into her duvet. The clock on her vanity said it was just seven—the sun had barely risen.

Sasuke can't look at her. His skin still buzzed from her lips. Covering her face with her blanket, Sasuke over her head, Sasuke discreetly adjusts himself as he stands. "I've got some errands to run."

Her hand flies out and grips onto his shirt, tugging him back. She hadn't even expected to see him this morning, much less press her lips to his mouth. The thought makes her shake, and she refuses to show her face.

"Can I kiss you?"

There's so much for Sasuke to do today, starting with the three dickheads scattered around her house. He had to go to the bank to rearrange some funds, and to the hospital for a physical, and Kakashi wanted to talk to him at the Hokage tower about some "assignment" that had conveniently popped. He rubs the back of his neck and thinks about her request.

Sasuke didn't regret anything about last night.

He had a lot of regrets in his life, sure, especially when it came to Sakura, but her actions had uncoiled a bundle of nerves within him that he didn't think would ever be released. Meditation was the closest he'd gotten to a high, but her lips brought him even closer.

Tentatively, Sakura pokes her head out, looking at Sasuke as he cleans his face with the inner collar of his shirt. He leans onto the bed and props himself on his elbow, opening his body position to her.

"Do what you want."

Bright emeralds upturn to meet his wholly.

She's even more beautiful than the hundreds of sunsets and sunrises he's viewed during his travels. She's a frigid summer and a steaming winter and a heap of other confusing oxymoron's his head can't follow. Sakura ignites a fire his bones, setting his skeleton ablaze.

It was easier to talk to her when she was hiding from his view, he guessed. His fight or flight reflexes kick in—he doesn't know whether to run or kiss back. So, he decides to do nothing once more.

She presses buttercream lips against his, brushing his mouth with a careful stroke. Sakura is not so timid this time, but her movements are still gentle and unpracticed. When her bottom lip angles against his own, leaving an invisible patch of moisture, his tongue darts out to taste before she's fully pulled away.

It's sweet, and though he'd never cared for sugar or honey, he finds that he's drawn to the taste.

When she opens her eyes sharply from the feel of his tongue, she stunned to see that he's already standing, adjusting his clothing to look a bit more decent.

She watches him leave, quietly securing the door firmly behind him, without a farewell. She smiles, though, curling back into herself—he was just as shy when we almost kissed on that bench all those years ago…

Sasuke makes his way upstairs to drag Kiba out of bed and kick all three squatters out of Sakura's home. He's surprised to see the dog-man missing, and that the room is clean and tidy. As he bounds back down the staircase, Sasuke walks into Shikamaru. The man offers hot tea and an explanation.

"Akamaru sniffed him out early this morning. Apparently Kiba's been running around on him."

"His dog?" Sasuke asks, accepting the heated brew. It's bitter and frothy, just like he likes it.

"Yeah, Kiba's been seeing uh…fuck what's her name…Tamaki!" He says, snapping his finger. "Naruto said you'd know her—Cat-Granny's granddaughter."

Sasuke did know her—she was thin, with brown hair and eyes, and like most young woman she'd had a crush on him long ago. It seemed like everyone was falling in love in Konoha, which meant a baby-boom was sure to come.

He mentally shivered at the thought of children. How unappealing.

"Naruto's still passed out," Shikamaru says as he walks down the hall and into the living room. "I've been trying to wake him up for the past hour."

Shikamaru doesn't mention where Sasuke slept. Being petty took too much energy, and since dating Tamari, he needed all of the stamina he could get. The Uchiha is as rested as he's ever seen him—but he's not glowing, so they probably didn't—

There's a light tap on the front door.

The two men look at each other. It wasn't either of their homes, but Sasuke was the one who'd been at her house the longest. That meant it was his job to greet whoever was knocking.

But, what if it was Sakura's mother or father?

His feet move consistently, one in front of the other as he nears the foyer and places a hand on the knob. Swiftly he jerks it open and Hinata's black hair twirls around as she starts to dip her head. She notices it is Sasuke, and then straightens aristocratically. Hyuuga's did not bow to the Uchiha.

"Sorry to bother you so early, b-but, is Naruto here?"

Their relationship was confusing to him.

Naruto had coveted Sakura in their youth, and he'd been blatant about it, too. Either something happened between Sakura and Naruto that caused him to fall out of love, or something happened between Hinata and Naruto that caused him to fall in love. Sasuke didn't know much about the bashful woman in front of him.

"I can't wake him up," Shikamaru says, popping from behind Sasuke. "Maybe he needs a good morning kiss."

Hinata sidesteps Sasuke and bounds to her husband with a heated blush. She's soft, much too soft, as she gently pokes his cheek. "Naruto?"

Not a peep.

With an outbreath, she gets into her famous Hyuuga stance. Powering up her Byakugan, the white-eyed princes thrusts her open-palm to the slope of Naruto's chest with a stunning and very painful smack; he wakes up with a huff.

Sasuke can only assume she's had to do this a few times.

"Mother fucker," he spewed, jackknifing from the impact. He blinks once—twice—and then turns immediately to upchuck the putrid, stomach acid-laced alcohol from last night. Hinata had been prepared, expertly grabbing a trashcan overflowing with bottles to catch the vomit.

"You didn't come home last night…"

Naruto's head throbs as his wife narrows her sight on him. She rarely got angry, but he could tell she was miffed. Naruto did, after all, tell her he'd be back later. He knows she he can't stand sleeping alone.

Just what the hell did those guys give him? He groans.

Shikamaru senses an impending argument with his keen, male intellect. With a curt nod and an apologetic wink towards Naruto, the man makes himself scarce and leaves.

Winter is almost upon them; the air is crisp and still.

"I know, Hinata, but Kiba came over and brought some serious liquor and—"

She turns, because she doesn't care to hear his excuses. It was different when a mission or an obligation took him away from their bed. Not handling his drink? That was…was…infuriating.

The awkwardness is a little too much for Sasuke, so he makes his way out after Shikamaru, inhaling the outdoor smells that were real and not simulated. He didn't think he'd miss the scent of breakfast and family bonding that wafted through this street, but he did.

Sakura walked down the hall, letting her freshly shortened hair dance above her shoulders as she greeted her staff. Ino met her quickly, popping out of an operating room with a bloodied robe. "Get in here and give me the dirty details, you slut."

Sakura whipped her head around, eyeing the uninterested nurses and clients that passed by. "Keep your voice down." She whispered. "I have to give physicals today, so we'll talk later!"

"That's grunt work," Ino replied, groaning. "I've got to repair this knee tendon, and you're gonna get to look at dicks all day? Just my luck…"

Her eyes roll, because Sakura knew that repairing muscles and bones was much more enjoyable than convincing ninja to get their annual shots and to turn their heads and cough. Sakura muses over firing Ino for sexual harassment. "Did you already get yours done?"

"Of course I did. Shizune gave you a onceover, too. You know, while you were…" She makes a fluttering motion with her gloved hands, like birds are haloing her head. Ah, after the second round of the Exams.

Sakura always monitored her own medical charts and history, but hadn't had the chance to do so yet. Just yesterday she was an un-kissed child that had just been shot through the stomach by her would-be lover. Today…well, it was different that was for sure. And probably even more eventful…

"Let's get dinner when you get off," Sakura says, calling over her shoulder. "I'm free at five and I've got a lot to tell you!"

There was an hour-long blur of nude athletics and cowering Chunin. Sakura had been instructed that all competing ninja were to be given a new round of vaccines and a physical examination. Normally her peers chose her for everything, which meant Sakura had personally seen most of her friends' private areas much more than any "friend" should.

She patted Ten-Ten's leg and removed her gloves, handing the woman a fresh napkin. "We're all done here, everything's in tip-top shape."

"That's it?" She asks, removing her feet from the stirrups. "That wasn't so bad."

Sakura rolls to the sink to wash her hands. She only had one more Pap smear to complete, and two more male physicals. Five O' clock couldn't come quick enough. "What, you were expecting more blood and guts?"

Ten-Ten gives an amused huff, ignoring the comment. "I saw you and wonder-boy on TV last night," She says, pulling away the cloth that covered her nude body unabashedly. "I was watching re-runs."

"We were on TV? How did I look?"

There's a knock on the door that interrupted them. Amu walked in with a timid delicacy, keeping her eyes downcast.

She was a nurse-in-training that Sakura adored. Not too many young women had the opportunities she had—at only 15, the mousy-haired teen had slowly clawed herself up to Sakura's trainee. Being a healer was a hard life, and Amu had certainly showed promise, that was for sure.

She bowed apologetically. "I'm sorry for intruding, Milady, but your next patient is ready."

Ten-Ten quickly dresses and follows Sakura out of the door while Amu cleans the instruments and switches them out with new packages.

"I'm super happy you got out of that damn test quickly, I was afraid I'd have to find a new doctor! Anyways, I hear it's a super weird Exam that's going on—is that true? I can't wait until they broadcast the winners next week."

Sakura looks at the pregnancy test attached to Ten-Ten's file.

"Well, it's weird…but understandable. There are so many people that participated, you know? The first round was the strangest, I'd say. I had a good team for both, so I'm more concerned with the finale."

Sakura clears her throat and passes the file in Ten-Ten's direction. "You're not pregnant."

Ten-Ten sticks her tongue out and winks, fixing the last button on her Chinese shirt. "Of course I'm not! Keep me updated with all of this and I'll see you around, okay?" She offers Sakura a polite good-bye and runs into Hinata, who was pristine and beautiful in her civilian clothes.

After they exchanged words, the reserved woman greets Sakura with a tight-lipped smile and a small wave of her hand. "Hello Miss Sakura,"

"Hinata, I'm so happy to see you!"

Sakura licks her thumb and changes the page of her clipboard. She goes behind the desk and pulls out a plastic cup, handing it to the voluptuous princess. "Pee in this and leave it on the counter, then head to that first room on the right. I'll be right in there."

The woman takes the cup with shaky hands. Sakura doesn't notice, because she's looking for her hidden file. The Hyuuga's were separated from normal civilians and ninja—just as Uchiha's….er…the Uchiha, was.

When she finds her medical history, the doctor opens the empty bathroom and takes the urine, dipping a pregnancy test into the yellow liquid just as Amu walks out of the examination room. She hands the cup to her assistant.

"Keep an eye on this for me; it should only take fifteen minutes or so."

"Yes ma'am," the girl says.

Sakura's head is spinning as she goes to her final patient. It had been a very…long afternoon. She knocks on the door and thumbs through the next file with a fuzzy mind.

The room has a familiar antiseptic scent, one that Sakura finds oddly relaxing as she slips on her gloves and tosses her clipboard on the counter. "It's just a few vaccines today and a physical; you're not really caught up, so we'll do one on each arm."

Sasuke watches Sakura prepare for the doctor. She hasn't looked up at him yet—she probably doesn't even know who it was—and she runs through a boring spiel about keeping up to date with shots and why it's important to visit the doctor regularly. Like he'd have time for all of that.

She pulls her hair up into a messy knot and turns, meeting his eyes for the first time.

She jumps. "S-Sasuke?"

He's not as shocked to see her. "How long will it be until the doctor comes in?"

The man is in need of a hot shower and another good-nights rest. He didn't mind seeing Sakura in her natural habitat, surrounded by needles…and gloves…and Popsicle-sticks that were supposed to be shoved down his throat. He just wasn't a fan of hospitals and it tended to make him testy.

He'd been waiting for, what, a half an hour now?

Sakura looks confused, but only briefly. There's a tap at the door and a young girl with honeyed eyes and tan skin pops in. "Here's your coat, ma'am. I…threw the other one away. I didn't think the smell would come out."

Sakura lets Amu slide the robe on for her.

"Thank you, and please keep that conversation private, okay? The whole village will go crazy with the news."

The young woman nods obediently, and when she turns her body freezes in place. She looks at Sasuke—not at his messy hair or his broad shoulders, but directly into his eyes. Not many people were bold, (or stupid) enough to do that to an Uchiha, whether they had the sharingan or not.

His eyes narrow as Sakura prepares her vials. She looks back to the assistant awkwardly, noticing that her presence was still active. A silence looms between the three, long after Sakura clears her throat.

Perhaps…Amu wanted an introduction? "I…um…Sasuke, this is Amu. She's my apprentice."

Slowly the plain-looking girl turns to her teacher. Her mouth opens and closes twice before she can pull together a sentence. "I would…like to learn how to give vaccines," The teen replies, meeting Sakura's eyes.

It was a strange request. Vaccines were almost just like any other shot. Had she not practiced on the mannequin hundreds of times? There was a huge difference between a lump of plastic and a living, breathing human though.

She obviously didn't know much about Sasuke if she thought he'd be a good pin-cushion. But her gaze is hardened and Sakura is brought back to her own determined fire, so she agrees.

"Sure, I'll call you in here after we're finished, if it's alright with Sasuke."

Sasuke watches Sakura lay the needles down on a piece of cloth. She approaches him once the door is closed, morphing from disciplined teacher to bashful maiden. "Sorry I didn't introduce myself, it's been a long day."

She curls a stray strand of hair around her finger. "Anyways, you look tired. I'll hurry this along."

"You're the doctor," he says almost suspiciously, like he didn't believe his words. She's a little surprised at the statement.

Sasuke had learned of her healing even before they met at Orochimaru's abandoned hideout, but he didn't think she worked as an actual…doctor. Wasn't that one of the hardest positions to gain? It certainly took more than healing jutsu. He's impressed.

Sakura pulls out a chart. "I'm used as a last resort for medical emergencies, so my chakra is kept untampered throughout the day." She taps on the purple diamond that stained her forehead; the one that his eyes were often drawn to. "I store what I don't use here, for a rainy day. I have plenty of time to run a hospital, and help with the work overflow. Now, go ahead and tell me about your health history and medications."

Run…run a hospital? "None," Sasuke says, and then hesitates. "I had surgery, once."

Sakura knew without knowing. His eyes hadn't always been so black, so lackluster…mostly because they weren't originally his. "Eye transplant?"

He simply nods.

"What about your diet? How often to you exercise?"

"I eat when I'm hungry. I work out regularly."

He watches her scribble down his words, switching back to a healthcare professional. As a boy, Sasuke had always been rather healthy…at least from what she remembered. He rarely ate ramen and stayed away from oily foods. In fact, his snack of choice had always been a fruit or vegetable of some sort. Maybe he was some sort of health nut…

The chair squeaks as she stands, pulling a stethoscope off of its resting place and adjusting it to her ears. She expertly checks his blood pressure with a cuff, and then pulls the plugs out to speak. "Please take off your shirt."

Sasuke didn't know why he was hesitant. He wasn't ashamed or embarrassed—he'd never cared about such trivial things before. But thoughts of early morning suddenly bombarded his mind—the hundred doughy kisses and her little dreamy sighs. He sucks in air and tugs the cloth over his head. She doesn't seem phased in the least.

But, being a doctor was different than being a lover, and she'd save her blushes for the bedroom.

"Take a deep breath," Sakura says, placing a cold circle on his back. He obliges, forcing himself not to flinch from the contact. "Perfect and another…one more time….good. Did the nurse take your height and weight?"

"Yeah," he responds. She smiles at him, and he's relieved that she's already examined his heartrate because he's sure it's risen with that look.

She takes her seat again and reads the next round of questions. "Are you sexually active?"

Sasuke blinks. What the hell did that even mean? Like, in his entire life, or recently? "Yes."

Sakura went on down the line, showing emotion at his response. "Do you have more than one sexual partner?"

He takes in oxygen, letting it in through his mouth and out through his nose, like he's smoking one of Shikamaru's minty cigarettes. This is awkward. "Not currently."

"What about within the past six months?"

"No."

"Are any of your sexual partners of the same sex?"

He scoffs. "No,"

"Do you use any method of protection?"

This was all too personal. What did that have to do with his health? He pulls down his tee shirt, growing frustrated. She was writing all of this down on that little pad of hers and for some reason that makes him even more angry. Why was it anyone else's business what he did or didn't do?

"What's wrong?" She asks.

She doesn't seem hurt or upset. In fact, her face held comfort and understand. She was a professional after all. Sakura had seen and heard all sorts of things.

Sasuke doesn't bother with excuses, however. He's uncomfortable, and he wants to leave; that's it. He stands, heading for the door.

She speaks as he walks away. "If you don't want to talk about this, it's your every right. Just tell me. Would you…prefer someone else?"

Sasuke looks down at the linoleum. It's yellowing from years of use, from thousands of footsteps crossing the threshold. This was an old hospital, but a good one, because it didn't smell like decay and rotting flesh. But for some reason, it feels like he's lying on a table and Kabuto is above him, slicing away at his skin and injecting him with all sorts of drugs and medicines.

Sasuke's not afraid of this—but it's not comfortable, either.

Her feet tap against the floor as she makes her way to him. Hesitantly, Sakura touches his bicep. "Can I dress your arm, at least? You have to take your vaccine, too, even if you don't want a physical examination. You'll have to forfeit the tournament otherwise. "

Sasuke allows her to pull up the sleeve from his forearm and re-wrap his prosthetic. She's better at it than he is, and it helps the numbness a lot. The man stares at the top of her head and at the hair gathered into an elastic band loosely.

"Doctor-patient confidentiality," her voice announces suddenly, hoping it will ease him. "I won't tell anyone anything."

She's so short that she has to turn her head completely upwards to take in his face.

Sakura falls in love with those extraordinary eyes all over again. The amethyst one is her favorite, because he keeps it hidden behind his fringe and only shows it when he meets her gaze. He lets her see things that are only for her after all—smiles, emotion, and in this moment, his rinnegan.

She wants to kiss him badly, but she's on the clock and that would be inappropriate. Instead, Sakura pulls out the stickers kept in her pocket for the good boys and girls that don't cry and stay for the full visit. The stamp is shiny and says, "Good job!", and when she smooths it over Sasuke's wrapped wrist, she can almost hear his eyes roll.

"I'll send in for Amu to give you your immunization. I'm going to be with Ino after work, by the way…so..." The normal phrase was, "Don't wait up for me." But she smiles.

"So...wait up for me."

She turns from him to hide her blush and opens the door, calling in her nurse's assistant. Sasuke waits for only a moment before Amu enters as Sakura exits.

This time she's not so stiff. The teenager carefully pulls a vial out of her pocket and turns the bottle upside-down before piercing the rubber stopper with a needle.

As she draws the thick liquid, she speaks. "You're Sasuke Uchiha, aren't you?"

Obviously, he wants to say. But he doesn't bother. It takes her a while to fill the syringe, so she tries a little small talk. "How long have you been back in the village?"

He drums his fingers on his knee, ignoring her question.

Amu walks to his side and rubs a prep pad against the tender flesh of his arm. She mumbles mysteriously, "Well, I know you won't be here much longer."

As soon as the toxin enters his skin, Sasuke knows he's been poisoned.

It feels as though his arm is on fire—burning from whatever she'd injected him with. He can feel his blood coagulate and attack the source. It's useless. Her attempted murder won't cause anything but a severe bout of nausea.

Sasuke grabs her by the scruff of her uniform, lifting her so that she hovers above the ground. "You're left wide open. If you're going to try and kill someone, don't be such a dumbass about it."

He stands and drops her to the floor roughly, not bothering to get any more physical than he has to. Unbelievably, he sways, feeling like he's in the Sage Realm drunk off sake all over again. Through blurry eyes Sasuke walks to the exit, fighting off a...thickening...from inside of him and leaving the mousy assistant to stare at his back with fear.

This...isn't just any poison. He thinks.