"Please don't talk to me like you know me," the pink haired doctor said snidely, pointing her nose in the air as she mimicked that of a snob. She had just spent close to twenty hours in surgery, making money and saving a life. She wasn't in the mood for the annoying presence of the imaginative world in her head. She wanted to go to her office, clock out, take a nap, eat, then go home before she had to start it all again tomorrow.

The male's laugh resounded in her head; Sakura fought back the cringe she knew was about to happen. "You know that isn't true, Saku-chan!" The shrill statement did nothing to ease her from the stress that had been swallowing her whole. The hospital was getting out of hand now that a new illness entered her city, not only had she been busy with her people but that of people from other cities seeking her help. Sakura had been so busy no wonder she was conjuring people in her imagination!

"We know far more than you want to admit," came the next voice; soft and lazy amusement and was followed by a prideful 'hn'. The third one didn't talk nearly as much as the other two, something Sakura was thankful for. On her good days she could handle the imaginary figments know as Naruto and Kakashi. Sakura knew if Sasuke had joined in on their mockery she would have lost her mind by now, which she wasn't she hadn't actually done. Because who hears voices in their heads anyway? Sakura was just going crazy from the lack of sleep, which as doctor she knew it wasn't something that unusual. What was unusual was that Sakura hadn't just imaged one or two or three figments she imaged a whole village.

"Why do you deny something you know is true, ugly?" Speak of the villagers and they shall appear. Sai was one of her more recent additions, joining the team of three who were usually in the front of her mind; the ones who seemed to be with her through everything. The most annoying, granted most of them were annoying, but the three -four?- in the front really got her gears grinding; so much so that smashing things in real life almost seemed possible.

Sakura's eyes darted to a nurse strolling by, she quickly closed her mouth to avoid the snappy reply she would have made and would then have earned her a questioning look form the nurse. As doctor the one things Sakura did not need was people questioning her sanity. Eyes now focused straight in front of her and trying her best to block the screeching laughter Naruto couldn't control. "You guys are children," she hissed angrily. She made a sharp turn, offering a tight lipped smile to the sweet receptionist at the desk, continuing down a hall before she came upon her office. Sakura quickly entered, careful not to slam the door behind her before drawing her blinds.

She heard Kakashi tsk and she swore if he had been real she would have landed a solid punch to the middle of his face. One day she would die and she'd get the chance to seek her revenge on all the trouble they had caused her through the last few months. Just the idea of Sakura being able to exact some justified revenge filled her with a giddiness that shouldn't have been there.

Sakura sluggishly made her way to the couch, her body even heavier as she allowed it to rest. The idea of her boys kept her mind awake, "Go to sleep, Sakura." Sasuke's voice was soft and demanding and she found that she didn't want to ignore it. Even knowing how insane it made her to hear other voices Sakura couldn't help the comfort she found in all the people she surrounded herself with.

She nodded her head and reached under the leather sofa, pulling out a blanket she had hidden there for times exactly like this. She curled up on the couch with her hands tucked under her head. "Goodnight," she mumbled tiredly.

She felt a ghost like touch to her forehead, knowing it had been Kakashi and his imaginary kisses. "Sleep well," he said soothingly.

A calming hand ran threw her hair, pulling the thin elastic she had used to keep it pinned back out. "We'll watch over you, Saku-chan. Like we always have." She smiled at the protectiveness of Naruto, knowing he'd keep an eye open for anything that would come her way as she slept. Even if they were just figments they kept her alert even in sleep. Sakura reached a tired hand up unaware that she had made contact with a real hand, too far gone to think anything strange of the regular late night occurrence.

Sakura's eyes were now shut tightly, her chest rising in soft successions. Sai dropped to his knee's, folding his arms on a small sliver of empty space next to Sakura's thighs, his head following suit as he watched her sleep. He sighed, his own tiredness catching up with him, it was never easy drifting over to her and today had been a particularly long fight. His eyes drifted close not a moment too soon before Sasuke was leaning over Sakura and placed a soft peck against her cheek.

It would still be some time yet before she realized they weren't as fake as she would have liked to believe but the time would come. Sakura would have to choose where to be, in her world or with them in their world, a world she truly belonged.