.
.
32. Back in the Sand
.
"Why do I have to stay at the hospital again? In Konoha I've already been released!"
"It's for your own safety. Our experts want to monitor your recovery and especially the detoxification process." Gaara smiled at her. "Take it as an honor to be part of science."
.
They put her in a luxurious single hospital room which seemed to be especially made for the kazekage's family. Gaara and Naruto went out to set the papers. So, the remaining three Konoha-nin were left alone inside the beige colored room without a window. Sasuke looked at the other two, then at the hallway. He decided to grant them some privacy and excused himself politely.
.
Tatsuo wanted nothing more than to leave as well and made up an excuse to get her something to drink, but she grabbed his arm before he could go.
"Tatsuo-kun."
The ANBU with the white mask stopped dead in his tracks. He hoped that she did not recognise him, at least that's what he told himself.
.
"I hoped we would see each other again under other circumstances." She let go of his arm and he turned to face her.
He removed his white mask and returned her kind smile with a surprisingly forced one. "I know." It seemed that the years didn't change his affection either.
.
"I deeply apologize. You shouldn't have been forced to do this. Hokage-sama just doesn't know what happened between us."
Sadness washed the smile off of Tatsuo's handsome face and he whispered in a stern voice, "Do you know?"
.
The pinkette felt a sudden oppressiveness in her heart as his last words struck in. Defenseless emerald sought intruding blue. By the look that he gave her it was obvious to her that there had been more between them in the past than she could remember. She just could not put the pieces together, but before she could ask him any further, the others returned into the room.
.
Gaara approached her bedside and put a brief kiss on the back of her hand as for goodbye. "Your former teammates will give you some company while I have to go to work. I will visit you tomorrow. Get well soon!" He did not leave the room without scrutinizing the observing Uchiha for a few moments, then the red haired man left in a swirl of sand.
.
Tatsuo gave the kunoichi in the hospital bed a sad smile and said, "Goodbye, Sakura-hime." Then he put his white mask back in place and went outside. As Sakura saw him close the door, all of a sudden she felt such immense loneliness washing over that her whole body screamed, but she wasn't sure what it could want that bad.
.
Sakura-hime?
.
Out of habit her fingers began to trace the edges of her delicate necklace again.
.
.
The council met and got informed by Kankuro and the ANBU delegate from Konoha with the stunning blue eyes about the recent incidents. They gave the absolute necessary facts about the memory loss of Sakura and Gaara and that it would be best to don't raise too many questions and let time work.
.
"Who was responsible for the ambush?"
"There had been a group of rogues. As far as is known by now, they were all poison experts from Suna. All of them had been eliminated except for one witness who participated in the rescue."
"Fortunately there is no threat left to harm the political alliance between Konoha and Suna. The kazekage is out of the hospital, Sakura Haruno is hospitalized in Suna and granted the best possible care."
.
An ANBU delegation under Kankuro's lead would continue the further investigation. The two medics that helped with the treatment would continue their work at the hospital. Gaara was unharmed besides his temporary memory loss. Some of the members even appreciated the turn of things, because maybe that time it could work.
"It would be a very beneficial alliance for both nations!"
Tatsuo ignored his own feelings as the council members talked about possible outcomes, instead he tried hard to not raise any suspicion and hide it all behind an eye-crinkling smile. "Maybe. Who knows?"
.
Gaara accompanied Tatsuo and Kankuro out of the council room, while there would be an ongoing discussion. The kazekage would have to return soon.
.
"Thank you for your help, Tatsuo-san! Please pass on our regards to your Hokage."
Tatsuo bowed respectfully, "Our kindest hopes for a quick recovery, Kazekage-sama."
.
The kazekage nodded, "I will inform Konoha of the progress."
"Take good care of her." Tatsuo's worried eyes did betray his professional composure.
Gaara scrutinized him for a long moment, as if he knew the spoken words, but could not recall the situation in which they had been used, then he went back into the council room.
.
Kankuro led Tatsuo down the hallway to the staircase. "You're leaving already?"
"Yes. I shouldn't have come here anyway." The tall ANBU from Konoha sighed. "Hokage-sama is waiting. I'll substitute for Naruto anytime if it's needed, so he can visit his family. Just contact the hokage via messenger bird as always."
.
"Ok." The brother of the kazekage couldn't explain how, but he had the feeling he knew that man very well. Of course he had seen him before as Kakashi's companion on his travels, but he doubted that was the cause of what his guts tried to tell him. It was that slumped posture the guy used to stand in and the way he was speaking.
.
They were out of earshot now as they had left the building alone. Kankuro chuckled, "Hell, tell Kakashi that I miss our good old times and that it's a pity he isn't able to be here." He paused for a moment and his look became surprisingly stern. "I promise to watch over his… ehrm… I mean…"
.
Tatsuo cut him off. "Please do us all a favour and keep the bad guys away from our blossom." With an unmistakably renowned eye-crinkle the strange mysterious ninja put his ANBU mask back on and left. Right at that moment Kankuro perceived what was laid out in front of his very eyes. The legendary puppet wielder smirked as he watched the ANBU dash away into the direction of the gates. He could only imagine the heavy pain on his former wingman's heart.
Why does life always have to get him so bad? He deserves happiness, he deserves her.
.
.
Much to the pinkette's regret she would be put into hospital for about a month. Gaara visited her every day and they spoke about his recovery as he had been revived years ago.
"For me it was hard. The silence inside of me that I had to deal with and the weakness of my body. As soon as I was back on my feet I decided to never let that happen again. I would never be weak, so I began to workout relentlessly."
"I can't tell you how much I want to leave this room."
.
"Sakura, you have to spare yourself."
"I'm perfectly fine. I feel getting better everyday, but lying in a bed would not help me get back to my power."
.
"What do you recommend?"
"Could I please go for a walk? I haven't had fresh air since I arrived."
.
"Let me talk with your medics. Unfortunately I must go back to the office now. Try to get some rest, Naruto will give you some company later."
The legendary apprentice of Tsunade sighed and turned in her bed as Gaara left the room.
.
.
Sakura's body was still weak and hurting from her injuries. The gash from the poisoned arrow did not heal well and it took a lot of energy to reestablish her chakra and to mend her wound naturally at the same time. The Suna medics assisted her well, for them it was a great honor to treat the legendary kunoichi.
In the morning after breakfast she had therapy sessions, whenever possible Gaara and Sakura met at noon like they had done in the past during their courting.
.
From the next day on they went on a daily walk through the hospital's park. It was designed like a small oasis garden with a little pond in the middle and palms and fig trees surrounding it. They often sat down on one of the green benches to talk about their mutual memory loss and the bits they could recall like the establishment of the med school.
.
"According to all sources you did an amazing job, Sakura! Without you Suna would not be that educated in the medical fields. Now it is your turn to let them do their wonders." He stood up from the bench and lent her a hand to help her up.
"Thank you, Gaara."
.
"In a few weeks you will be able to finally come back home."
Home...
The word had some bitterness she could not understand.
The kazekage walked her back to her hospital room and kissed her hand before he told her goodbye and left to work.
The feeling in her gut told her something was not right whenever Gaara was in her near. Their brief kisses and touches felt good, but platonic and somehow wrong. According to his distant behavior there was a high possibility that he felt the same.
I want to remember. There must be something important that I'm missing.
.
In the afternoon her former teammates stopped by as usual to spend some time with her before she would have another healing treatment scheduled.
Naruto did not like the fact that she wanted to perfect the reverse healing chakra jutsu in the future. "This is witchcraft medicine!"
"No it is not", Sakura chuckled.
.
"Black magic!", the blonde stated warningly, "Even Sasuke says it's black magic!".
"No I don't!" Sasuke said in annoyance.
The pinkette bursted into full-hearted laughter until her wound hurt.
.
"Promise me to take care, ok? Forbidden jutsus are dangerous, you know!"
"I promise." Sakura was honest.
The last Uchiha grunted.
.
Oh how she loved to have a good laugh with her friends. The time at the hospital would be a lot more cruel and tense without having them around.
.
.
After a very strengthening day she lay back to sleep and let her thoughts wheel for a while. The treatments of the infected tissue emanating from her wound did hurt, nevertheless she knew they were necessary for her recovery.
Now I begin to understand your aversion to hospitals, Kakashi! I hope that you are well.
.
.