Trudging his tired feet ashore, Kakashi was feeling a bit under the weather, his slothful body sore and cumbersome. Making his way across the loose sand of the beach, his body throbbed with ache, his tired eyes seeking some place to rest before scouring the island town. But first, he needed to feel better... and fast.
He had run at full speed over the choppy ocean swells while being pelted with rain all night. His lungs burned as they heaved for air, leaving him dizzy. Even though the area he found himself in now was hot and humid, he felt cold, his body shivering to produce the slightest bit of heat. He was tired before this ordeal began, but now found himself to be completely exhausted. Maybe a quick nap would recharge his batteries, but Kakashi knew sleep would not find him. His mind was too cluttered with thoughts and anxiety, the pressure and responsibility he felt upon his shoulders would not allow him to sleep so easily.
The mission was grating on his nerves unimaginably, and his stubborn self was ready to finish this mission once and for all. These thieves had been a stain on Konoha's past and a crick in his neck for far too long. To think he had been so close, almost had the absconded ANBU under his thumb, only to be had with a few cheap tricks that he had missed during his exhaustion induced carelessness... it really was a shame.
Cursing his lack of proper sleep that was a direct result of his unyielding drive, Kakashi was graciously looking forward to the vacation he had arranged upon his return. He was very much in need of a little rest and relaxation.
Hanging his head as he dragged his languid body up towards the rocks that dotted the posterior side of the shore, he picked out a small cluster that would have to do for now. The hotels around here probably wouldn't be too pleased with, or even accept, the waterlogged money of a sickly traveler. Wearing from chakra exhaustion and the subsequent bug he probably picked up in the cold stormy waters during his unfortunate scuffle, Kakashi collapsed into the dark sand, his back and head falling to rest against the cool slab of stone behind him.
Exhaling, out of equal parts frustration and disappointment, Kakashi let his breath wash away any remaining anxiety, knowing it would only serve to inhibit his recovery. He just needed some descent sleep, and perhaps some food, so he could quickly get back out to sea. Now that he knew what they were up to, he just needed to find them again. He needed to catch these traitorous bastards, once and for all.
It just required a different approach.
The infamous copy nin would never admit it aloud, but as much as he didn't want to involve other persons, he was struggling to take them all down on his own... or at least in his current state. Running his hands through his pale locks that had flopped down into his face, Kakashi tried to think through his encumbering thoughts, closing his exposed eye as he fell into a serene quiet.
Only allowing the sound of the crashing waves to pierce his concentration, the dawdling man tried to coerce his body into a tranquil state, the warmth of the sun penetrating through his dampened clothes, warming his bones. Off in the distance, his skilled ears picked up on a the light hum of someone on the beach.
They were singing.
They weren't too close, but close enough to pull him out of his momentary peace and back into his woefully wasted funk. As if being called to by an entrancing siren, Kakashi sat and listened with his unparalleled hearing capabilities as a woman's melodic voice sang out, her words riding along the meandering breeze that swept over him.
Quirking a bewildered brow, Kakashi questioned the whereabouts of his jaded siren. Sitting up, he peaked his spying head over the jumble of rocks he had crawled between, chancing a glance at the mysterious source, only to find the beach as barren as it had been upon his arrival.
But the songstress persisted.
Maybe he was more tired than he thought, but as he honed in on the voice, he felt a small pang of hurt for its owner. It was such a delightful day on this island paradise, the sun's rays made the aqua and azure blues of the water sparkle, and the refreshing salty breeze cooled the skin from the sweltering heat of summer. It hardly seemed to be the atmosphere for such a crestfallen ballad.
The sweet sound of her voice betrayed the underlying theme of the lyrics, each word she breathlessly muttered conveyed every emotion befitting someone who had been hurt. It sounded so refreshingly honest and pure. With her words pulling at his heartstrings, Kakashi stood to his feet, replacing his mask in his quest for the somber siren who'd caught his attention.
He curiously scanned the area of the coastline for the songstress, and it wasn't long before the investigating eye found his target. There, walking along the swash on the opposite side of the boardwalk, was the woman that had caught his attention. She was a vision in the palest of pinks as her long and wavy hair blew all around her, making her look like quite the mermaid against the tropical backdrop nature offered.
"An actual siren, huh?" Kakashi chuckled to himself.
As the wind swept through her hip length hair, his gaze lingered as her long dress pressed against her body, hugging every curve as the breeze undulated the fabric behind her in its wake. Raising an appreciative brow at being able to clearly see through the thin material of her dress as the sun filtered through the thin red fabric of the garment, Kakashi grinned mischievously.
Following the line of her body down, he noted she was carrying a basket full of findings she had gathered on the beach. Apparently, she had been out there doing a little searching of her own, but how she had managed to not catch his eye sooner, amazed him. His Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed amidst all his ogling, Kakashi couldn't help but be completely mesmerized... she was bewitching.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked along the beach, following her every move. With his eye never leaving her sight, he watched as she approached the stairs to the boardwalk, her voice now quiet as she appeared lost in thought. His eye continuing its downward path over her body, he noticed the elegant trim at the the bottom of her crimson dress, littered with hundreds of light pink cherry blossoms.
Whilst admiring this minute detail, Kakashi grinned with the most bittersweet of emotions as his gaze fell to the shifting sand beneath his feet. She reminded him of someone he once knew, a stubborn former student that had the same affinity for the little flowers.
It was then that realization set in, snapping his head back to her, his eye widened with excitement as it washed over each of her features searching for any signs of familiarity. It had been ten years since he'd seen her, so there was no way of knowing what she would look like now. She was nearly eighteen last time he laid eyes on her, so to pick her out of a crowd now, he would need a closer assessment.
As his siren made her way through streams of people, heading deeper into town, he cautiously ascended the stairs to the boardwalk. Stealthily, he made his way through the crowd, stalking her like prey... watching her every move with uninterrupted concentration.
He had to know.
He knew he looked out of place, and for a brief millisecond almost entertained the idea of removing the dark cloth that perpetually covered his face, all for the sake of blending in.
Set in his ways, the Sharingan user decided against it, pulling out his trusty reading companion, frowning slightly as inky droplets of water trickled out from its saturated pages. As he was only using the book for cover among the moving crowd, he pulled it up to his face, figuring no one would notice that little detail in his pursuit. His pupil peeping out over the tops of the warped pages, Kakashi watched from the other side of the street in admiration as he found himself enamored with this young, familiar woman in question.
Looking back, he had always known Sakura to be heavy handed and severely temperamental, often losing herself in bouts of aggression. But this woman was none of that. She moved lightly on her feet, greeting the day, and apparently everyone else, in town. With a friendly wave and the brightest of smiles, this woman offered everyone she passed a warm hello, her soft giggles filling the spaces in between the clatter of the busy crowd.
Following along with the honest beauty, Kakashi found himself on the main street that ran through midtown. Palm trees, opulent water fountains, alfresco dining tables... if he had been feeling any better, Kakashi was sure he would have appreciated the cozy atmosphere a little more. It really wasn't such a bad place to be marooned.
When the woman suddenly stopped outside a tiny shop, the pleasantly occupied man halted his mimicking path. Reaching into her basket to fetch her keys and open the door, Kakashi scanned the pastel sign over the rose-headed woman, and had to stifle a chortle as he watched her slip inside the quaint medicinal shop.
"Coastline Clinic, Office of Dr. Aya Kaminari," he mouthed beneath his mask.
With a cover name like that, it had to be her.
Completely captivated by this new version of Sakura he saw before him, he had no idea he would bump into her here of all places.
From his vantage point across the street, he leaned against a support column as he curiously watched her unpack her basket. She hung bundles of herbs and seaweed in front of her display window and set out a few large sea shells on its sill, taking advantage of all the natural light beaming into her shop on the main square. Paying close attention to her familiar facial features, Kakashi noticed her green eyes, the beacons of sun light streaming though making her eyes glow a striking shade of chartreuse.
She was doing well, that much was obvious. And deep down, Kakashi was ashamed that he had assumed otherwise. He never wanted to underestimate her, but he should have known she was strong and smart enough to take care of herself. The list of things Kakashi should have known seemed to lengthen by the day.
As she worked, Kakashi thought about making his move, lifting a foot to take his first step across the large cobblestone street towards the shop. Before he could go any farther, he saw a whimpering boy run inexorably through the door, and halted in his approach, leaning back against the building behind him. Kakashi really couldn't help his infatuation with the blossomed Sakura as he admired the serene and happy portrait she painted. Watching her work behind the counter of her own shop, he didn't see some terrified runaway, he saw a strong woman, in complete control of her own life.
She was officially his hero.
He had gained so much respect for her when she had went missing, although initially he was more worried and concerned for her well being. After some time passed, he assumed something terrible had happened, and she merely wanted to commandeer her own life, taking back her freedom to live in a calm normalcy. Or at least, that is what he told himself. In fact, it was something he often thought about, but never fully envisioned.
For shinobi, it was a pointless mindset to entertain. Having one's own life just wasn't in the cards for people who sold their lives and skills for money and the sake of their country, it was a life of death and despair. But it was obvious Sakura had experienced something that wouldn't allow her to accept that any longer, and fought to gain control of her life once again. Now that she had pulled it off, Kakashi found he was somewhat conflicted.
This was a problem.
In his revelation, he was suddenly struck with nagging regret as he watch her tend to the young boy. He was now stuck in a highly unfavorable situation. As a prominent figure in the ninja world, holding a certain position of authority as intermittent Hokage, he should throw her in shackles and drag her back to face the consequences in Konoha. But after seeing her sweet smile and hearing her joyous, airy laughter that flowed on the back of the cool sea breeze bustling through town, he just couldn't do that to her.
He wouldn't.
After all these years, she deserved to have her own life, and little by little, he began to entertain the idea that maybe he deserved his own as well.
Humming softly as she hung her assemblage of vegetation in the large store window, Sakura caught herself smiling. It had been a slow day in her shop, and for that, she was grateful. Not that she didn't enjoy the company or business that the townspeople, her people, provided... it just meant that everyone was healthy and doing well.
She had realized upon landing in the small port city, that she was a nurturer, a healer by nature, and that fighting fate would only cause the pain inside her heart to grow. So she embraced who she was, and gave herself the title of 'doctor,' and soon, the word was out. Spreading like wildfire, her presence was the talk of the town.
The island officially had its first clinic.
Her role was actually none too different from that in Konoha before the diplomatic changes. Whether they were hemorrhaging shinobi, or geriatrics battling arthritis, Sakura took her job just as seriously. She was a professional, trained by the best, and enjoyed helping people. It was that simple. Sakura liked being of use to the people around her.
Nothing had changed, yet it seemed as if everything had changed.
Granted, she had to keep her chakra healing a secret, but if there were no prying eyes, she would surge her healing energy into the sick and injured, for she hated to see anyone suffer. She promised herself she would dedicate the remainder of her years helping to extinguish any and all the suffering she could, hating the fact that she was once forced to be a source of excruciating pain and suffering to those whom had trusted her with their lives. Sakura would make damn sure she'd honor that trust at all costs, paying her debt to society one ailment at a time.
The townspeople were naturally skeptical at first, mostly due to her young age. Others were weary of the strange newcomer, but soon realized the benefits of having a medic of her caliber close by, and not a long boat ride away. She honestly thought it would take them a while to warm up to her, but within weeks of landing, she was already seeing patients.
She remembered the elderly woman by the name of Yuna, who worked night and day in her prized vegetable garden. Shima had known her for years, as she sold her produce near his fish stand, and one day he saw her faint. Being the gentleman he was, her dear friend rushed the frail and barely conscious woman all the way to the clinic for her to be treated. Judging by her reddened skin and profuse sweating, Sakura knew it was probably nothing more than heat stroke exhaustion and dehydration. After prompting Shima to place her on the examination table behind the privacy curtain in the corner, she gave him the task of going to quickly collect a bucket of ice to bring her temperature down.
After his hasty departure, Sakura laid her hands to Yuna's dampened forehead, her chakra surging in to establish some vitals, frowning as she noted her racing but weakened pulse rate. Taking another look at the older woman, she quickly went into medic mode. In her faint state, Yuna moaned in pain, her eyes shut tight, missing the glowing emerald of Sakura's healing hands as she pumped chakra into the woman's body. She worked quickly to calm her inner thermostat, prompting the heart to slow down to a steady rhythm, allowing her to fall into a deep sleep for recovery.
With her heart and breathing rate returning to normal, Sakura allowed her cooling chakra to flush through all the veins, arteries, and small capillaries to chill her tissues and absorb the excess heat Yuna's body had produced while she worked in the smoldering heat of midday. Wiping her brow with the back of her hand as her patient was beginning to look more comfortable and less flushed, Sakura sighed in relief. At times, keeping her chakra abilities under wraps while dealing with the sick or injured, was not always an easy task. With the watching eyes of a worried loved one or a curious crowd, the pressure to perform was almost unbearable, she could not risk blowing her civilian cover. Thankfully, no one had noticed yet.
Initially, there were skeptical and outlandish rumors, usually painting her as a witch. But when she was the only one for hundreds of miles who could help, no one dared to express their opinions directly. Not if they ever wanted her help when the time came.
By the time the winded man made his return, Sakura had removed the woman's shoes and had pulled her hair away from the back of her neck to release excess heat and was fanning her, dabbing away the rivulets of sweat that had streamed down her face. After a cold compress to the forehead, courtesy of the ice water she now had, Sakura thanked her helpful companion as Yuna rested comfortably. To this day, Sakura still receives heaping baskets of some of the best vegetables she has ever tasted.
It was memories like this that kept her heart from opening the dark chest of secrets she had stowed away many years ago. This was her life now, and she was finally feeling like she was exactly where she was meant to be. She wasn't out fighting wars, or sewing people's limbs back together, and she wasn't running herself ragged with the lonely lifestyle of being an in-demand kunoichi medic nin. She could just be, and that was more than she felt she deserved some days.
Startled out of her thoughts by the bell ringing on the shop door as it opened, Sakura returned to reality as she eyed a pouting chocolate haired boy.
"What is it this time, Jiro? Were you tormenting the crabs on the beach again? You know their claws can pinch you. We've been over this already..." Sakura lectured, placing a hand on her hip as she glanced at the fingers the boy was holding up for her to see.
"No!" he huffed in frustration. "I haven't tried to catch any crabs for weeks now. You would be so proud, Aya-chan!"
"Well, if that's the case, Jiro-kun, than I am very proud of you. But, what where you doing this time?" she eyed the still pouting seven year old sternly. "Is that... did you burn yourself?"
"Um... well, ya see... it's a funny story, actually..."
Raising a brow, she cocked her head to the side, wordlessly betraying her disbelief at the would-be funny story, hoping he would cut to the chase sooner rather than later. Kids, she had learned, could always amaze her with the outrageous details and reasoning behind each of their 'accidents.'
"Um... okay, so I was at the market... just minding my own business, and out of nowhere this food kart caught on fire. Aya-chan, you have to believe me, I was only trying to help put it out! I swear!"
"Jiro," Sakura interjected firmly, not believing a single word the mischievous child had to say. "Were you trying to steal the grilled unagi again?"
Watching the child's shoulders slump in defeat at having been found out despite his best efforts, the amused woman stifled a chuckle as she ushered the boy over to her sink behind the counter.
"Sorry, Aya-chan... it smelled so good. My stomach commanded me to do it!"
"Oh, Jiro, whatever shall I do with you, hm? You know your mother wouldn't appreciate hearing about this, you're lucky it's only a first degree burn." She had seen far worse burns on a person, but the medic thought she'd spare the child the gory details of paper bombs and fire jutsus.
"Aya-chan, you're n-not gonna tell okaasan about this are you?!" the wide-eyed boy pleaded as fear was struck deep inside him.
"Only if you promise not to steal anything again. Are we clear? Your mother works very hard to put food on the table, so there is no excuse for you running around being a criminal. I don't want my Jiro-kun to end up in a lonely prison cell one day, okay?"
Lowering his head in shame, the complacent boy mumbled his apologies as Sakura let the stream of warm water run over his offended fingers.
"Itai! Itai! Aya-chan... i-it burns!"
"It only feels warmer because your skin is burned. I'm sorry, but it'll be over with soon enough. With burns, you have to flush the area with warm water to release the heat under the skin so it doesn't blister. Trust me, that'll hurt worse than just some warm water."
"You sure know a lot about stuff, Aya-chan. You musta been the smartest girl in your village," Jiro beamed, forgetting his burns as he looked up at Sakura with the cutest blush on his chubby little cheeks.
"That's sweet, Jiro-kun, but I was far from being the smartest. There were others who were much, much smarter than me," Sakura smiled politely, trying to ignore the barrage of faces that flashed through her mind.
"Really?!"
"Yes. My shishou was undoubtedly the smartest, but there were also others whose talents outweighed my own, by a long shot. I was always considered the weakest out of everyone."
"Nope. Not my Aya-chan, that's impossible. You're the bestest 'round here, no doubt about it. Everybody says so."
"They do, do they? Why do I feel like you're lying to me again?" Sakura giggled, turning off the water and dabbing his little fingers dry.
"Oi! I'm not lying this time. I promise! Shima-oniisan always tells everyone you're the best, and everyone always believes what he says!" Jiro blurted, wincing slightly as she dabbed at his sore fingers.
"Okay, Jiro. I believe you," Sakura stressed, ruffling the boys' spiky hair before turning towards a large, spiky-leafed plant on her counter. Breaking the tip off of one of the long fleshy leaves, she rubbed the cool jelly of its insides over his fingers, soothing the irritated flesh.
"Is that... plant blood?" the boy asked with a disgusted look on his face, his nose turned up as she smeared its contents on his fingertips.
"No, silly. It's Aloe. And the 'blood' is actually a gel called Aloe Vera. It's mostly just water, but there is a special compound in this specific plant that helps with skin discomfort, like burns. Once this dries, you should be good to go, okay?"
"See? You're the bestest!" Jiro smiled widely as he wiggled his sticky fingers for her to see.
"If you say so," Sakura agreed reluctantly, rolling her eyes at the kid and all his cuteness.
"Oh!" Jiro exclaimed as if forgetting something important, "Did you want to go to the Full Moon Festival with me this weekend?"
"Maybe," she teased, "But you have to promise to be on your best behavior, okay?"
"I promise, Aya-chan! We'll play games, and watch the lanterns launch, and I'll buy you all the ice creams you want!" the little boy beamed, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"Sounds like a plan," she smiled warmly, handing him a lollipop.
"Thanks Aya-chan!" Jiro called over his shoulder, giggling as he ran out of the shop unwrapping his treat.
"You're welcome. And Jiro... no more shenanigans! I mean it!" Sakura yelled after the rambunctious child in her motherly tone, knowing she would probably see him before then.
She always did.
Shaking her head, she was reminded of another boy. A boy with blonde hair and blue eyes that was always getting into trouble and hurting himself. Both he and Jiro even shared the same noodle obsession, it was too uncanny, really. Jiro was far less complicated, but he was a lively character and she really enjoyed having him around. His mother was a single parent, and often worked long hours, so Sakura didn't mind his company. He was a bright student, and would certainly make a good assistant one day.
Walking back to her counter, busying herself with organizing the dried stock of flowers and herbs from earlier in the week, she caught herself smiling again. She really did love that kid. Both of them, if she was being completely honest. Even though she hadn't seen or spoken to any of her friends in Konoha, she still missed them... all of them, and hoped they were doing well.
One could only hope.
Unlike her quaint island oasis, the tides in the shinobi world changed by the minute. One moment you were walking on firm ground enjoying the view, the next, you were struggling to keep your nose above water. Life was fast and fickle for those whom walked that path.
With the bell on the door chiming once again, Sakura didn't even turn around to face the probable person.
"Jiro... I swear to Kami, if you're hurt already, I will tell your mother!"
"Was someone a bad little boy?" a familiar voice answered playfully.