She smiled at him – a brilliant smile that reminded him to breathe again – as she jogged to his side, with her hair flying about rebelliously, her cheeks painted red, and her eyes alive with the kind of fire that only one who lived for battle could feel.

Months later, Sanosuke would argue that was the moment he fell in love with Haruno Sakura.

XxxOxOxOxxX

Sakura felt a wave of relief hit her at the sight of Sanosuke alive, albeit a bit battered. Dropping the katana, she rushed to his side and threw his arm over her shoulders to support his weight, not giving the sounds of battle from above a second thought. Wordlessly, she started to assess the damage more closely, determined to make sure that the man was truly alright before taking off to aid Kondou.

She run her fingers over his ribs, aiming to ascertain the absence of any broken ribs, though any chakra healing would have to wait. First, she had to neutralize the threat, and heal Okita. The rest would follow.

Costal cartilage intact, true ribs one through seven intact…

She was broken out of her thoughts when she felt fingers on her skin. Looking up, she met Sanosuke's astonished eyes. He cupped the side of her face with one hand, and rubbed the blood splatters on her cheek, only managing to smudge them further.

"You…," he started, his voice an exhausted whisper. "You have a lot of explaining to do, my lady."

"I," she said, her fingers continuing their journey over his ribcage, "have to get you out of here and go help Kondou." Shifting his arm on her shoulder to a more comfortable position, she pushed them both to their feet effortlessly. If Sanosuke had any objections, he kept them to himself, and followed her lead. He was limping, she noticed, and made a mental note to take a look at his leg too.

"Sakura-chan! Harada!"

Shinpachi's frantic voice reached them the moment they crossed the door's threshold, and the man himself was by their side within seconds. He flung Sanosuke's other arm over his own shoulder and took the taller man's weight off Sakura.

"How's Okita? Did you give him the pill?"

Shinpachi smiled at her, though it looked more like a grimace than a real smile. "He fussed a little bit at first, but don't worry, Sakura-chan. I shoved the pill down his throat, no biggie."

Sakura chuckled, thinking of all the teasing she was going to subject Okita to once they were all in the safety of the Yagi residence. "Good job, Shinpachi." The battle upstairs was still going strong, clashing steel echoing through the broken windows.

"I have to go help, Kondou."

Shinpachi's eyes widened slightly. "But Sakura-chan! You've already put yourself in enough danger!"

Had this been any other situation, she would have laughed at how misguided these men were. "Take Sanosuke somewhere safe and have him sit up, will you Shin-kun? He's going to be just fine after some proper rest, but for now, watch over him and Okita for me."

"But Sakura-chan-!"

"Let her go."

Both Sakura and Shinpachi turned to the auburn-haired captain, who was staring at Sakura as if he were seeing her for the very first time. His gaze was intense, soul-searching, and Sakura felt something in her belly flip.

"Are you out of your mind, Harada? You would have a woman join the battle-"

Not paying his fellow captain any mind, Sanosuke unbuckled one of the two swords resting against his hip and presented it to her. "Here. You're gonna need this."

Stunned, Sakura's gaze shifted from the sword to Sanosuke's face. His lips quirked up in a smile. "You'll have to tell me all about those cool moves you pulled in there once we return home." He winked at her, a playful look in his eyes.

And Sakura understood. She understood that he was placing his faith in her. Faith in her abilities to keep his teammates and herself alive. It was both a blessing and a curse, she knew, to have people put their lives in her hands so readily. She was no stranger to the fear of failure, after all, but there was something unspeakably rewarding about others believing in her so. After spending the better part of her young life thinking herself a disappointment, this type of trust was more than she could have ever asked for. Warmth spread through her body, and she was certain that beneath the blood and grime, her cheeks were rosier than her hair.

She took the sword, her fingers lingering on Sanosuke's for a couple of seconds in a heartfelt gesture of gratitude. "I will, I promise." Her lips lifted cheekily. "Who knows, I might even teach you a trick or two. Ne, Sano-kun?"

Patting Shinpachi's arm reassuringly, she re-entered the Inn and raced upstairs, following the sounds of battle. Much like below, the whole floor was in ruin, with torn doors, broken windows and the ground covered in blood and splinters of wood.

Hearing someone grunt in pain, she followed the familiar sound to find Kondou cornered by a group of four ronin. His white uniform was covered in red splashes that she hoped were not from injuries of his own.

Pulling four senbon needles from her braid, she flicked them at the rebels with deadly precision, effectively hitting the back of their necks. They dropped dead before they had the time to realize what was going on.

Warring Era kunoichi tricks 1, ronin who are stupid enough not to cover their rear 0.

"Kondou-san!" she called as she ran to the man's side, checking him over for any serious injuries. "Are you hurt?"

The man looked at her, shock written all over his face. "Sakura-san? Why aren't you with Sano? You shouldn't be here! It's dangerous!"

Before she could answer him, her eyes flashed as her senses picked up on someone approaching from behind, and her leg kicked out, sending an enemy soldier crashing into the wall. Unsheathing her katana, she stepped between an obviously exhausted Kondou and four rebels trying to circle them.

"Kondou-san, stay behind me."

"I could never-!"

"You need to save your strength. I'm going to need your help with sorting through the injured once the Inn has been cleared of the rebels. So please, let me handle this. I promise to make it quick." She flashed him a smile over her shoulder. Before he could protest, Sakura jumped forward, twisting her body mid-air to avoid the swords aiming for her torso. Using her speed and smaller stature to her advantage, she slipped behind the rebels, and sent one of them flying with a swift kick. The familiar sound of his spine breaking told her that he wouldn't be getting back up.

She tore through the remaining three with practiced ease, her body twisting in ways the ronin had never seen before. She could smell the fear in the air. She could nearly see it sipping through their bones. That paralyzing knowledge that death was approaching.

She swung her foot, landing a powerful blow on a rebel's jaw, the man's neck snapping like a twig as he crashed into a heap of broken tables. Ducking low to avoid a swing at the head, she elbowed the man in the stomach before slipping her katana between his ribs, all the way to his heart. From her kneeling position, she changed the direction of her blade, and thrust backwards, feeling the vibrations of steel tearing through flesh and muscle up her arm. The last of the ronin dropped to the ground with an unceremonious thud.

Sakura stood, taking in her handiwork, and sighed. How disappointing. I expected more of a challenge. This barely counts as an Academy workout. She made a mental note to ask a couple of the captains for permission to train with them. Sasuke was a slave driver of a teacher and sparring partner. She'd never hear the end of it she returned home with her sword skills slipping.

Sheathing her katana, she turned to Kondou with a wide smile. "I didn't take too long, did I?"

Had it not been for the three Shinsengumi captains waiting to receive her care, she would have laughed at the expression on the man's face. He seemed lost, glancing between her and the ronin at her feet as if expecting to snap out of some kind of illusion at any moment. After about half a minute of awkward staring, Kondou shook himself out of his daze and scratched the back of his head.

"Kakashi did teach you well, Sakura-san. You certainly weren't lying about that."

Sakura's smile widened, allowing herself to bask in the praise for just a moment. Even though she owed Tsunade for everything the woman had taught her, and loved her dearly, she still felt the need to make Kakashi proud. He was, after all, her genin sensei and one of the people she loved the most in this life. Perhaps it was due to her two teammates hogging all his attention when they were kids or perhaps it was something as simple as genuine admiration for all that the man was. Regardless of the root, she still got giddy like an Academy student whenever he called her his favorite, and felt compelled to constantly exceed his expectations.

"I'll pass your regards to him in my next letter, Kondou-san, but for now, I have three captains I need to check up on and injuries to tend to." Without waiting for his reply, she turned around and marched out of the room and down the stairs.

XxxxX

Once the sounds of battle ceased, Sanosuke was almost certain the others could hear the frantic beat of his heart as he waited for their comrades to walk out.

He glanced at Okita. The man was propped up on a barrel, slipping in and out of consciousness. Nagakura, though less battered, seemed ready to faint from exhaustion despite his valiant attempts to keep his head from rolling to the side. He wasn't better off himself. His lungs burned, and his bones hurt. An ugly bruise was already starting to form on his torso, and he was certain it would grow to cover at least half his chest.

"Sano-kun! Shinpachi!"

His eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice, and he looked up to see Sakura jogging towards them with Kondou close behind. They looked disheveled, and their clothes were covered in dust and blood, but they appeared unharmed. He allowed himself a sigh of relief, a huge weight lifted from his shoulders.

"Sakura-chan!" Shinpachi sprang to his feet but regretted it instantly when a bout of dizziness hit him, and he staggered back.

"Oi, take it easy!" Sakura chastised him as she kneeled beside Okita. She run her hands over his ribs and checked his pupils, before tearing a piece of his Shinsengumi uniform off. The ugly slash wound on Okita's leg glared back at them, but it wasn't bleeding profusely which Sanosuke took as a good sign.

Sakura inspected him for a minute before motioning for Kondou to approach them. "Kondou-san, I need you to hold him down. I expect his system to fight my chakra at first, and he might hurt himself in the process."

Chakra? If Kondou was as confused as Sanosuke was, he didn't show it, and simply followed the woman's instructions. He used his bodyweight to pin Okita's arms down and nodded at Sakura to indicate he was ready.

She raised the sleeves of her shirt and sat on Souji's lower legs gently, putting just enough pressure to keep them down should he start thrashing around.

Sanosuke truly didn't know what to expect as he gazed at Sakura curiously. She had no tools or salves or medicine of any kind on her person. Not even a needle and thread to stitch Okita's legs back up. How did she expect to treat his wound?

The answer to his question came a few short seconds later, and he found himself gasping in shock at the sight. Nagakura nearly toppled over beside him.

Bright green light surrounded her hands, an unearthly glow that sprung from her fingers like igniting flames. Her palms hovered over Okita's leg, and just as she had predicted, the man's muscles started to twitch in protest.

"No matter what happens, don't let his arms go, Kondou-san." Her voice was gentle, self-assured, and she never took her eyes off Souji. "Come on, Okita-kun. It'll be alright in just a moment." The man was unconscious, but Sanosuke had no doubt that her soft words reached him even in his state.

"Harada, are you seeing this?" Shinpachi nudged him in the ribs, and Sanosuke grunted in pain. Had he been any less shocked, he would have punched Nagakura. Tearing his eyes away from Sakura, he glanced down at Okita's leg, only to suck in a breath.

The wound -that ugly, despicable reminder that any battle could be their last- was slowly closing, flesh and muscles mending back together until only smooth skin remained. Souji had stopped moving and despite the blood, it was glaringly obvious that the injury was no more.

Sakura spent the next couple of minutes pressing her glowing hands on different parts of Okita's body, lingering every now and then to heal a cut or a bruise. At some point, Sanosuke could swear he saw her frown at something, but it was gone just as quickly so he chalked it up to his tired mind playing tricks on him.

She treated Nagakura next, urging the man to sit still while she took care of his wounds. He noticed the relief on Shinpachi's face every time her fingers touched any part of his body. Her green light -whatever it truly was- seemed to rejuvenate the man and by the time she pulled her hands away, he appeared to be brimming with newfound energy.

Such power…Could see be an Oni? It would explain a few things, that was for certain. He had seen things during his years with the Shinsengumi, but nothing that could explain what he was seeing right then and there. Could this be why Kondou had gone through all the trouble to brink her here? Had he known from the very beginning?

It was obvious that Sakura was a lot more than just a medic, if the show she put up back inside the Inn was any indication. Such dauntless skill was rare even among the masters of swordplay. Which begged the question of how she had attained it. And more, importantly, why.

Just what are you? Though he understood her need to guard her secrets, he couldn't help but feel a little pang of hurt in his chest at the realization that she didn't trust him enough to tell him.

You hypocrite, he chastised himself. How dare you accuse anyone of keeping secrets. We have been hiding things from everyone…

Guilt welled up inside him, and for a moment, he was taken aback. It was odd, he realized, to be feeling like that. Usually, he had no qualms about keeping the Shinsengumi's secrets. He'd lay down his life for Kondou and his fellow captains if he had to. And yet, something about hiding things from her felt akin to betrayal. It was disconcerting to think about.

He was broken out of his daze by the feeling of a hand on his bicep, and he turned to find the cause of his internal turmoil staring up at him worriedly.

"Sano-kun? Are you alright?"

Her voice was gentle and caressed his ears softly. He tried to grin at her confidently, though he was certain it came out more like a grimace due to the pain. "Don't worry you pretty little head over me, my lady. I'm perfectly fine. Why, I could take those rebels on all over again right this instant."

She crossed her arms across her chest, clearly indicating that she did not believe a word he said. His grin only grew wider and she sighed dejectedly, shaking her head. Her hands started to glow green again. She pressed them to his chest gently, taking extra care not to put pressure on his bruises, and Sanosuke felt a jolt spread through him.

It was a strange feeling, foreign and unlike anything he had ever experienced before. His muscles jerked in response to the intrusion, but she did not back away. He could feel her power -this chakra thing, whatever it really was- flowing through his veins. The sensation was equal parts intriguing and distracting, but he felt himself relaxing by the minute as she took away the pain and soreness of battle.

Her energy was soothing, comforting. He found it rather odd that someone who could take lives as easily as she had would also posses the power to cheat death. This woman was a walking contradiction. Deadly, and at the same time, a harbinger of light.

He watched transfixed as the bruises on his body slowly ebbed away, as if absorbed by her delicate fingers. The green glow of her energy cast otherworldly shadows on her blood-dotted skin. Had they been strangers, he would have thought her a river nymph.

Even more distracting was the sensation of her hands on his chest. Her skin was warm, and Sanosuke couldn't decide if it was exhaustion that was making him dizzy or the heady smell of the crook of her neck.

When she finally pulled herself away from him, Sanosuke felt a pang of acute loss that he promised himself to address later. Sakura stood and offered him her hand. She pulled him up, lingering just a little bit to make sure that he wasn't experiencing any bouts of sudden dizziness, and then turned to Kondou.

"Now, Kondou-san, is time to tackle the hard part. Gather a team of men and tell them to comb through the Inn for any survivors. Shinsengumi and rebels alike." Her voice was firm, confident, and did not leave any room for argument. She turned to Shinpachi. "Shin-kun, I need you to take a few others and use whatever materials you can find to make a few stretchers. We'll need them to carry those unable to move on their own," she instructed, glancing at Souji, who was still unconscious. "Okita included."

Nagakura nodded resolutely. "You can count on me, Sakura-chan!" He saluted her and waved at Heisuke and Kanryusai, who were sitting a few feet away, tired but unharmed. "Oi! Get off your asses and follow me, you lazy bastards!"

"Watch your mouth, Nagakura!"

"Shut the hell up and move, Takeda!"

Shaking her head good-naturedly at Shinpachi's enthusiasm, Sakura turned to him. "You're with me, Sano-kun. You're gonna help me heal the injured."

Sanosuke frowned in confusion. "No offense, Sakura, but how in the world am I going to help you with that?"

She sent him a conspiring smile over her shoulder. "You'll understand soon enough."

Hours later, as he carried an unconscious and depleted Sakura in his arms, safely nestled in the crook of his neck, he finally understood.

XxxxX

A couple of days later, and with the aftermath of the raid resting in Kondou's hands, morning found the Shinsengumi captains enjoying their meal and a pot of tea.

That is until the door was almost torn off and a very pissed off Sakura marched inside the room. Her eyes, narrowed to slits in anger, immediately located her target. Pointing an accusing finger at him, her face contorted into a snarl.

"Souji! My room. Right freaking now."

TBC

Hey guys!

I hope you're all doing great!

It's been a tiring past week for me, and for a moment I thought of taking a couple of days from writing, but I just couldn't stay away from this story. Believe me when I say that I need my daily fix of SanosukeXSakura just as much as you do. :P

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

If it's not too much trouble, please drop me a review to share your thoughts with me. It always makes my day!

Until next time,

Lots of love!