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."

XxxOxOxOxxX

You could hear a pin drop in the room. Nagakura exchanged uneasy glances with Heisuke before shifting his eyes to Souji, who was sipping his tea calmly. Hajime appeared as stoically disinterested as always, but if one looked close enough, they would be able to see a spark of anticipation in his eyes.

"N-Ne, Sakura-chan, why don't you calm down and sit with us for a cup of-"

Sakura turned her furious gaze to Shinpachi, who immediately raised his hands up in mock surrender. "No offense, Shin-kun, but now would be a good time to zip it."

Refocusing her attention on Souji, she clenched her fists at her sides. "You! You irresponsible, reckless idiot!"

Unfazed, Okita looked up at her lazily. "You're giving me a headache. What got your panties in a twist, Pinky?"

With a sound that could only be described as a predatorial growl, Sakura marched over to him, and grabbed the front of his uniform.

"I'll show you a twist when I twist your neck!" she yelled in his face, tightening her grip on his clothes. With a grunt of indignation, Sakura pulled Okita up by his robes and started dragging him behind her, ignoring his protests and the sound of teacups breaking.

They made for an almost comic sight, and Shinpachi scratched the back of his head awkwardly as he watched them disappear in the distance.

"I got a few coins that say she'll kill him before the day is over."

"Shut up, Heisuke! Sakura-chan is not like that!"

"Nagakura is right, Todou."

"Oh, come on, Hajime. Back me up here!"

"I'm not partaking in a bet that's already lost. Haruno-san won't kill him-"

"You don't know that! Did you see how angry she was-"

"-she will only seriously maim him."

"Shoot! I didn't think of that!"

Shinpachi sighed dejectedly as he listened to his teammates, before turning to the final member of their group. Glancing at a suspiciously relaxed and silent Harada, he raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you going to say anything?"

Sanosuke put his cup down and shrugged. "Why would I? You charlatans are entertaining enough."

"Wipe that smirk off your ugly mug, Harada, before I do it for you."

Sano smirked. "I'd like to see you try, Nagakura."

Shinpachi rolled his eyes, but grinned, enjoying the lighthearted verbal matches with his teammate. "Aren't you even a little bit worried about Sakura-chan? Souji can be pretty harsh, ya know."

Sanosuke snorted and closed his eyes, leaning back against one of the wooded pillars that supported the roof. "Worried about Sakura? I'd be more worried about Souji, if I were you. If he starts antagonizing her in his usual manner, she might end up bringing us his balls on a platter."

"That's…encouraging." Shinpachi said dryly, taking in the relaxed countenance of his friend. "You have a lot of faith in Sakura-chan, don't you?"

The auburn-haired man feigned a few seconds of deep thought. "Huh, I suppose I do."

For a couple of minutes, they lapsed into comfortable silence, before Shinpachi finally decided to break it by asking the one question he had been dying to ask. "What happened inside the Ikeda Inn, Harada? I left you alone with Sakura-chan, and the next thing I know you are offering her your sword and allowing her to join the battle all on her own. What exactly did you see?"

Sanosuke regarded him silently for a few seconds before his lips broke out into a conspiring smirk. "I'm not telling you anything. I want to see your face when you finally see for yourself."

"Oh, come on, Harada!"

"Suck it up, princess."

"I officially hate you. Asshole."

XxxxX

Sakura slammed the door behind her and turned to glare at the man currently taking up space in her room.

"You idiot! You reckless moron!"

Okita regarded her lazily. "So you've said before," he drawled. "You're getting repetitive. It's boring."

Forcing herself not to punch him right then and there, she pointed at a futon. "Sit."

"I don't have time for this."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was I not clear enough?" she said sweetly before her eyes hardened again. "I'm not asking, Souji. Sit your damn ass down."

After a short staring match, the man finally relented and followed her instructions. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she kneeled in front of him. "Does anyone know?"

"No."

"Did you even mean to tell anyone?"

"No."

Stunned, Sakura frowned. "So, you intended to die alone?"

He seemed unfazed by the notion, but her observant eyes picked up on the tightness around his mouth. "This is my life. And my death. It's no one's business."

Before she could control herself, her hand shot out and delivered a sharp slap on his cheek. It wasn't powerful enough to hurt, but she hoped the sting would get her point across.

"You," she started. "Have no right to make that decision for them. Did you ever stop to think about them? About how Kondou and the other captains would feel if they were to wake up one day and find you cold in your room?"

He met her gaze, but he was not really looking at her, she knew. There was a far off look in his eyes, as if he was trying to block bad memories out.

"Do you know what tuberculosis does to you, Souji? It devours your lungs from the inside out. You start with persistent coughing fits that get progressively worse. Then the pain starts, and it hurts to even breathe. You get chills, night sweats, the fatigue is so great that you can't bring yourself to get out of bed in the morning. Then one day, the blood comes, and you keep coughing it up and it just doesn't stop. Kondou, Hijikata, Nagakura, Harada…They would all be forced to witness that until your flame was finally snuffed out. You don't get to hurt them or yourself like that, Souji, I won't let you."

He remained silent, but she could see the tension in his muscles, and she understood that as her cue to continue. Taking in his clenched fists, her eyes softened. "You conduct yourself like a selfish bastard, but you're not like that. Are you, Okita-kun?" She tilted her head to the side, relaxing her shoulders and making herself appear as non-threatening as possible. "This is your way of protecting them, isn't it? You're keeping everything locked up inside, so they won't have to suffer with you."

He averted his gaze from hers and that was all the answer she needed. She took his hand in both her own and squeezed it tightly. "I'll help you. I can heal you, and I will. But, Okita-kun, you don't have to carry your burdens alone. You have a lot of friends who would be more than willing to shoulder them with you."

"I…do not like depending on others."

Sakura chuckled, letting his hand drop. "I don't either. I hate it, actually. Gives me quite a headache." She grinned at him, noticing his expression begin to ease. "But we cannot do everything alone, Okita-kun. You, me, or anyone else."

"How did you find out?"

Sakura shrugged. "When I healed you the other day. In a way, my chakra is like a pair of eyes. It swept through your system and allowed me to create a vivid picture of what was going on in your body. To describe it simply, your lungs were like a beacon of glaring red light in a sea of healthy blue."

Souji nodded, deep in thought. "And you…you can heal me? You can make this red light disappear?"

The young medic's eyes softened. Regardless of how hard he tried to hide it, she could still hear the hopeful tone in his voice. "Of course I can, Okita-kun. Tuberculosis is not a death sentence where I come from, so don't you worry. You'll be as good as new in no time."

She saw him nod and took it for what it was; his own way of saying thank you. It was obvious that Okita felt uncomfortable accepting help, something that she understood all too well. Her heart went out to him.

"I will make you better, Okita-kun. But I have a few conditions."

He frowned. "Conditions?"

"Duh! What did you expect?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, and crossed his arms across his chest. "I'm listening."

You're too easy to tease, Okita-kun.

"Hm, let me think." Pretending to be deep in thought, she rubbed her chin with two fingers. "First of all, starting from today and until I deem your treatment complete, you'll meet me here every two days at noon for your healing sessions. Unless the world is coming to an end, you are not allowed to miss even one."

In the corner of her eye, she noticed a small smirk playing at his lips. He nodded. "Go on."

"Two, should you feel weakness at any point during the coming weeks and until the virus has been purged from your body, you are to come directly to me. No delays, no waiting until later, no stupidly putting your pride above your health. You run straight to me, no matter what I'm doing or who I'm with. Understood?"

"That is acceptable. Any more terms?"

"Just one. You won't try to shoulder your burdens alone ever again. You are precious to many people in this life, Okita-kun, and it's about damn time you realized that. Do we have a deal?"

He seemed to ponder it for a bit. Then, he nodded resolutely. "Deal."

Sakura clapped her hands in front of her happily, resisting the urge to throw her arms around him and hug him in delight. "Good! Now, let's get started on the first healing session, shall we? Please undo the front of your uniform and lay back."

"Hn," he snorted, smirking at her playfully, and she rejoiced at having the Okita she knew back. "If you wanted me undressed so desperately, you should have just said so."

She simply whacked him on the head. "Idiot."

XxxOxOxOxxX

As you can see, Kakashi-sensei, pure, unadulterated stupidity, and criminal disregard for one's wellbeing is not just a Naruto and Sasuke thing. And yes, I'm looking at you too, sensei.

You still haven't shown up for that physical I scheduled for you. Two years ago.

In any case, the raid didn't result in anyone getting seriously injured, which was a huge relief. I would hate to have to set up an ER unit with just a couple of stretchers and a few slings.

Speaking of the ER…please tell me my hospital is still standing. I have never been so far away from the fruit of my labors for such a prolonged period of time, and I'm anxious. Are you taking good care of it? Are my nurses handling the patients like they should? Are you guys watering the plants of my herbarium on the third floor?

I want a full status report, Kakashi-sensei! I mean it!

Also, let Genma know that if he wants to retain his ability to further the Shiranui line, I better not hear a word about him seducing nurses in closets again when I get back.

I mean that too.

In any case, I'm getting seriously homesick just thinking about my hospital, so I'll stop that line of conversation right here.

Chizuru, the only woman other than me residing here, is a big help. In a house full of rowdy men, the girl's a solace. Girl time, Kakashi-sensei. I pity you men. You won't ever know the therapeutic effects of girl time.

Chizuru has become my apprentice of sorts. Of course, I can't teach her medical ninjutsu, but I can teach her a few things about herbs. She's soaking everything up like a sponge. It's refreshing, actually. Even I - in all my experience courtesy of you, Naruto and Sasuke - get tired of babysitting overgrown babies after all.

Remember the last time Gaara asked to borrow my services for a couple of months for that inter-village seminar on effective response to unknown poisons while out in the field? Remember Naruto's reaction? Yeah, well…That's another thing you three have in common with some of the captain's here. Possessiveness…

XxxOxOxOxxX

"Remarkable."

Sakura chuckled, finding Keisuke's expression of awe rather endearing. His gaze never strayed from her fingers, observing every move she made as she pushed her healing chakra into one of the unlucky Shinsengumi soldiers who had gotten injured during the raid.

"And you're able to heal all injuries and ailments with this power?"

Sakura shook her head. "Medical ninjutsu can heal a lot of things that would have resulted in death, but it still has its limitations. No one can heal everything, Keisuke-san."

He absorbed her words like a sponge, likely filing them away in some corner of his mind so he may think on them later. "Is this how you healed my hand?"

Sakura smiled. "Largely, yes. However, your injury wasn't all that serious, so a lot of the work was done naturally, without any chakra. After all, there is no better healer than the body itself, and whenever possible, it should be left to heal on its own."

"Fascinating. I am needed elsewhere right now, but may I pick your brain at a later date, Sakura-san? I should very much like to learn more about your practices. Perhaps we may even adjust a few of them and implement them here."

Never one to back away from a chance to discuss her profession, Sakura smiled enthusiastically. "Of course, Keisuke-san. Come and fetch me whenever you want, and we can chat over a pot of tea. I hear the garden is the ideal place for interesting conversations."

The man returned her smile. "That would be lovely, Sakura-san, thank you." he said in the soft manner she had come to associate with him. "I must take my leave. Thank you for allowing me to observe your work, Sakura-san."

"Don't mention it, Keisuke-san. Please remember not to put too much pressure on your hand. The tendons have yet to mend completely, so please be mindful."

"Of course. Have a pleasant rest of the day."

"You too."

"Oh, Keisuke-san! A moment!"

The man stopped in his tracks and turned to look at her with a pleasant smile. "Yes, Sakura-san?"

Sakura scratched the back of her head sheepishly, blushing a little. "May I trouble you with asking someone to bring me a bowl of clean water and some fresh bandages?"

Keisuke bowed his head, smile still in place. "Of course. I'll make sure they are delivered to you promptly."

"Thank you, Keisuke-san."

With Keisuke gone, Sakura was left working in silence. She started humming to herself absently, a merry little tune she had picked up from a merchant's wife during a mission to Mist.

She checked the soldier's vitals one last time before moving on to the next one. She still had another half a dozen of them to run checks on, but she was pleased that no one was in life-threatening condition. They wouldn't be going out in the field for at least another month, and Sakura was more than willing to allow their body to heal the last of their injuries in its own time. Their chakra network was considerably underdeveloped, and their bodies could potentially go into shock or have severe reactions if she were to pour more chakra than they could handle into them.

She was ready to move on to the next soldier when she heard a knock, and she raised her head to receive the new arrival.

"Excuse me, Haruno-san, I did not mean to interrupt your work. Sannan-san asked me to deliver these to you."

The girl standing in the doorway with a nervous expression on her face was short and appeared to be close to the kunoichi's age, perhaps a year or two younger. Sakura smiled kindly, trying to alleviate the worry see could clearly see in the young brunette's dark eyes.

"You must be Chizuru," she said, still kneeling beside the injured soldier. "Please forgive me for not making your acquaintance earlier."

"Don't say that, Haruno-san! You have a really important job to do. I wouldn't want to waste your precious time."

Sakura giggled, the young girl reminding faintly of Hinata. "Please, call me Sakura. Come. Why don't you keep me company? It does get a bit lonely around here."

Chizuru smiled widely, and immediately moved to Sakura's side, kneeling beside her, and placing the requested items down.

"Now, what do you say you help me extract some poison from this man?"

The brunette looked up at her stunned. "I couldn't! I don't know anything about extracting poisons. I will only hinder you-"

"Nonsense!" Sakura cut her off, waving her concerns aside. "I hear your father is a doctor, right Chizuru?"

"That's true."

"Well, in that case, you must have seen him tend to patients many times before, correct?"

The younger woman nodded.

"Ah, see? I'm positive you'll be an excellent helper. Here," the kunoichi said. "Hold the bowl steady for me, and I'll extract the poison. This man has a miniscule amount in his system, and his body shouldn't have any trouble purging it, but I'd rather not take any chances."

Sakura placed her fingers on the surface of the water and daintily pulled a water bubble from the bowl. With practiced ease, she pushed the bubble in the man's chest, easily locating the poison in his right lung. Even though unconscious, the soldier's facial muscles twitched and his arms spasmed momentarily, but he quickly settled down. The toxin was relatively weak, and the amount was infinitesimal, allowing Sakura to extract it without any trouble.

In the corner of her, the medic noticed Chizuru's shocked expression and the barely audible awed gasp. "This technique can be pretty painful for the patient," Sakura explained, letting the toxin-infused water to fall back in the bowl. "But this man was lucky. This poison is most likely plant based, and unless you know how to increase the potency, the plants I noticed around this area aren't poisonous enough to cause any real trouble."

Chizuru nodded, glancing between the water bowl and the medic's fingers. "My father uses plants to make his medicine, but it never occurred to me that the same plants can be used to make poisons too."

Sakura smiled at the girl kindly, feeling decades older than her despite the meager two-year gap between them. "Poison making is an art, Chizuru. I can tell you from experience that poisons have many a time achieved what swords couldn't."

Chizuru hummed, apparently deep in thought. "That's scary to think about."

"The world can be a scary place." Sakura knew that better than most. Deciding the mood had gotten somber enough, the pinkette put a reassuring hand on Chizuru's shoulder. "But that's where us medics and good doctors like your father come in, right, Chizuru? To create a world of better chances." She squeezed the girl's shoulder, and flashed her a wide smile, hoping to lift her spirits. "Now, how about we check on the remaining soldiers together and then go herb hunting? I could use your help with picking up a few things from the storage rooms."

The young brunette's enthusiastic "Yes! You can count on me!" was all the reward Sakura needed.

XxxxX

"There you are!"

Chizuru gasped, startled by the sudden arrival, but Sakura merely glanced over her shoulder, her lips splitting into an involuntary grin when she saw who was leaning against the door of the storage room.

"Ne, Sano-kun, don't just sneak up on us like that. You startled poor Chizuru half to death."

The man chuckled, bowing his head to the younger brunette. "Forgive me, Yukimura. I'm merely the messenger."

Before Chizuru could answer, Sakura hanged the last bunch of herbs to dry and turned to face him. "A messenger who has been standing there for half a minute and still hasn't relayed his message? Why, you're a lousy messenger, Sano-kun." she teased, a glint in her eyes.

Sanosuke put a hand against his chest. "You wound me, Sakura. I must disagree though. Many a lass has told me that I know how to use my mouth in amazing ways."

Did he…Did he just-

His smirk was predatory, and Sakura's eyes widened, taken aback by the suggestive nature of his response. She felt her cheeks grow hot and she was certain that she was blushing to the roots of her hair. She met Sanosuke's eyes, and he winked at her. His gaze was intense in a way she hadn't noticed before and it sent chills down her spine.

Desperate to escape his deep amber pools of secret promises and the erratic beating of her own heart, she turned to Chizuru, who was helplessly glancing between them. "Chizuru-chan, these herbs need about seven to ten days to dry so make sure to come and check on them in about a week. Now," she said, taking a few breaths to cool herself down. "If Captain Harada would be so kind as to relay his message to us, that would be ideal."

Never taking his eyes off her, Sanosuke cleared his throat. "Yukimura, Sannan is looking for you. He and Kondou are looking into a few leads that could be connected to your father. They could use your eye."

The young brunette's eyes widened, and she quickly made for the door. She turned at the last minute to bow to them both. "Thank you, Harada-san. Sakura, please consider me next time you require assistance again." She left a moment later without waiting for a reply.

Suddenly realizing that she was alone with Sanosuke, Sakura wanted to smack herself. Letting Chizuru take off so soon probably wasn't the best idea…

"As for you…"

She was snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of his voice closing in, and she gulped when she noticed that he was close enough to touch. Sakura was positive he saw her shudder, but she tried to plaster an unaffected expression on her face.

"Well? As for me?" Thankfully, her voice did not reflect her internal turmoil.

"…Hijikata is looking for you."

Embarrassment and elevated heartrate momentarily forgotten, Sakura's eyebrow shot to her hairline. "Hijikata? Looking for me? Is he not feeling well?" She frowned at the thought. "Let me go grab my medical pouch from my room and-"

Sanosuke chuckled and grabbed her by the forearm right as she was about to sprint past him to fetch her supplies. "Slow down, Sakura. Hijikata is in perfect health."

"He is? Why would he be looking for me then?" She and Toshizo weren't exactly the best of friends. Neither had done anything to anger the other, and he seemed to respect her medical knowledge, but he wasn't exactly a social butterfly, so they never actually managed to develop any kind of close friendship. Not like she had with Shinpachi, and Oikita and Heisuke. Not like her and Sanosuke.

"He didn't share any details, but I suspect it has something to do with the raid. He's expecting us in his office. Don't worry, I didn't tell him about any of the stunts you pulled inside the Inn." He winked at her, giving her arm a squeeze.

Sakura hummed in response. "You didn't?" she replied in slight disbelief, and only a moment later realized her mistake. The predatory smirk was back, and his amber gaze pinned her to the spot.

Reaching up, he gently caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her face up to look at him. "Now, why would I do that? It would take away my status as special when it comes to you, and we can't have that, can we?"

Stunned to silence, Sakura was left looking at him with wide eyes and cheeks tinted pink. If I don't die of embarrassment, someone, show some mercy. Kill me now…

Not waiting for her to respond, Sanosuke dropped his hand to his side and made a show of bowing. "After you, my lady."

Snapping out of her flustered daze, Sakura huffed and marched forward. "Shut the door behind you! I won't have my herbs damaged!"

His laughter was the only response she received, but Sakura couldn't bring herself to glance at him over her shoulder as she walked, making sure to keep some distance between them.

She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to calm the frantic beating of her heart. She could sense his gaze on her, and the pleasant chills it sent down her spine.

Oh, no…Oh, no. No no no…Damn it, Haruno!

Hesitantly, she touched her chin where Sanosuke's fingers had been, and felt something in her belly do a somersault.

Congratulations, Sakura. You're officially in deep shit…

XxxxX

They never made it to Hijikata's office.

They were only halfway there when Sakura spied Toshizo's impressive form standing close to the Yagi residence's gate, talking to someone. The Vice-Commander's frame hid whoever he was with, but Sakura was thankful, nonetheless. Being in the company of other people meant that she wouldn't be alone with her thoughts. Thoughts that were wandering down an extremely dangerous path where an auburn-haired captain was concerned.

"There's Hijikata. Good." Sanosuke caught up to her in two long strides and only then did Sakura realize that he had allowed her to walk ahead on purpose, probably wanting her to stew in her own embarrassment.

She huffed inwardly. Jerk…

Harada's voice alerted Toshizo to their presence, and the dark-haired man turned around to meet them. "Harada, Haruno-san. Thank you for coming."

Pushing the past half hour to the back of her mind, Sakura smiled. "Of course, Hijikata-san. How may I be of ser-"

The rest of her sentence died on her lips when she spied who exactly was standing behind Toshizo. Eyes wide, a happy grin split her face and her whole body hummed with barely contained enthusiasm.

"Iba Hachiro?!"

TBC

Hey guys!

I hope you're doing great!

Now, I apologize in advance for the little rant that follows, but as it usually happens every time I start a new story starring Haruno Sakura, I got this thing to get off my chest.

Yet again, I received the "I hate Sakura! Why do you always write stories about her?!" message, so allow me to elaborate a bit.

Haruno Sakura is my favorite character. Ever. I started watching Naruto when I was 12, and it's the show that got me into anime in the first place. From the very first episode, I singled Sakura out, and as the show progressed, I just identified with her more and more. A girl from no special clan, with no tailed beast, massive chakra reserves, or kekkei-genkai, with a lot of flaws. A girl that gradually recognized her weaknesses and grew up to become a real badass, who got praise from everyone she met. I don't know about you guys but that's what I call being human. In a world of shinobi, chakra explosions and monsters, she was – in my humble opinion – the most human-like character of all.

Was she underused? Criminally so.

Is she still a freaking badass? Definitely so.

And that's precisely why I like her so much, and why she inspires me to write about her. Characters with flaws who make mistakes are the most relatable and, in my humble opinion, the most interesting to write about.

Darlings, you have better things to do with your time than read stories about characters you don't like and cause grief to those that do. Time spent on something you enjoy is never wasted, so you do you!

Anyway, to those of you that have read this type of rant under other stories of mine, I apologize for the inconvenience. To all those who read this for the first time, I said my piece so rest assured that there won't be any other rants.

Thank you very much for your patience and your support! I would just like to say that I appreciate every single one of you, and despite having never met any of you, I like to think of all of you as friends.

I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

As I mentioned in a previous Author's Note, I'm not gonna shy away from the romance. Sano-kun is smitten, he knows he's smitten, and he doesn't care to deny it. Wasn't one of Sano's dreams to fall in love, marry, and be a family man? Dreams do have a way of becoming reality, after all!

Sakura will be the harder nut to crack, though she too has started to realize that she is greatly affected by our dear Harada Sanosuke.

There's a major SanoSaku scene coming up next chapter, so that's something to look forward to. Stay tuned!

Please, take a minute to drop me a review and share your thoughts. It always makes my day.

Until next time,

Lots of love!