I don't own Naruto, but it means a lot to me.
The day the Third Great Shinobi War ends, Haruno Sakura retires as a fighter. No one blames her, after all. More than a few ninja who stared into the Jubi's crimson madness drop their kunai and swords the moment they return home. So many didn't return home at all. The shinobi world struggles to agree on much, but there was unanimous agreement that surviving the apocalypse was cause enough for an early retirement.
For a time, she lives a quiet, peaceful life.
She takes up gardening. She reads. The sun shines and children play, and her idiots aren't busy sticking knives and fists and lightning jutsu through each other's chests. It's a welcome change of pace.
For a time.
Sakura's retirement lasts a whole four years before it all comes crashing back. Naruto is the heir apparent for mantle of Hokage, and he casually informs her that he'll accept no one else to run Konoha's hospitals. He stands on her porch step - she had to remember to fix the lock on the compound gate. Not that it would ever stop him, but maybe he would at least think about using it - with an eager grin that's infectious and nauseating.
"Be my Chief of Medicine." He beams, like he's offering her everything she's ever dreamed of. Maybe, a lifetime and an apocalypse ago, it was. But now she's tired. She's done enough, saved enough people. Now it was time for her to live her life - and there was so much time to make up for. Her answer is immediate.
"Absolutely not."
Naruto's response is almost feral, like a street cat who secretly wants conflict to be the answer because that's the only thing he really and surely knows.
"I was thinking that was gonna be your answer, Sakura-chan." He says, bringing a prosthetic arm wide around her shoulders and pulling her in. Like a viper surrounding its prey. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist. The people need you!"
"Oh?" She answers, and she shouldn't because she isn't entertaining this. Her answer is final. For sure. This is not a discussion.
"What kind of people need my help?"
The blond beams from ear to stupid ear.
"Idiots, of course!"
There's a moment of silence as the words echo in the air. Naruto, clearly under the impression that his answer is enormously clever and wanting to give it dramatic effect. Sakura, less enamored, is just so confused by the declaration she isn't even sure where to begin.
"Idiots?" She offers. Naruto, oblivious or uncaring or both to her incredulous tone, continues eagerly.
"Yep!" He proclaims. It would have been easier to say no if he hadn't looked so proud while saying it. "This this town is full of idiots, Sakura, and you're the best idiot fixer there is!"
Sakura mouths the moniker to herself, mostly in disbelief at the unabashed pride the boy takes in the statement.
Idiot fixer.
They don't speak, but she's annoyed at how much she finders the internal monologue agreeing with the statement. Konoha was, in fact, full of idiots. That was irrefutable. She was, in fact, the most experienced in the entire nation at fixing said idiots when they got themselves into trouble.
"Full of idiots..." She whispers to herself, fingers absently brushing the parchment.
"Come on, Sakura-chan." Naruto begs like he's ten years old asking her out on a date, "You know it's true! I can't do it without you!"
"Do it without me?" She raises an eyebrow and balks. "There's at least ten other people who are qualified to take this position."
She's right, of course. The Slug Sannin may have only had two pupils, but Sakura and Shizune were as much teachers as they had been students. There was more than one medic qualified to lead the leaf.
"Bah." Naruto dismisses the rebuttal with a wave and a scrunch of his nose. "And you literally are better than every single one of them. And I want the best!"
"First off, don't be rude." Her eyes narrow as she scolds his hubris. "Every medic I worked with is more than capable of running Konoha's hospital so long as you don't stick your stupid hands in their way."
Naruto looks ready to challenge the insult, but Sakura's raised eyebrow silences him.
"Beyond that, why now?" She continues. "Why do you want me? At best, I'm a triage medic. We're not at war and we're not going to be at war. Why me?"
For a moment, his eyes look dark. Sky blue turned ocean. Deep. She's reminded of standing behind him as he charged headlong against a god.
"Just because we aren't fighting anymore doesn't mean the war went away."
There's something heavy in hearing profound statements come from Naruto's mouth. She should know, by now, he's capable of this. Familiarity still doesn't mean she's prepared. There's a silence before she responds.
"I have conditions."
Naruto's eyes widen in excitement, his nod fervent.
"Name them."
But the wheels in her head are turning. With a dismissive wave, she shoos the young kage-to-be from her garden and hurries back to her home.
"Tomorrow. Your office." She calls back. "I'll discuss my terms. I need to think on this."
Naruto blinks, completely blindsided by not only the response, but the notion of taking time to think things through as a concept. Sakura's door slams shut, and Naruto is left alone.
"...But that's a yes, right?"
Chapter 2/19. The whole story is ~25k, so this is one of the shorter bits.
I got a new job during the pandemic, and this was one of my decompression projects. It's a good job, but my hair is going grey faster than I expected!
I hope you enjoy, and stay safe.
- Free Drinks
