This is a sequel to "The last minute", hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei

…

The day had been terribly long, her shoulders felt tense and her feet ached from being on her feet for so many hours but this was what she had always wanted so a little fatigue was nothing she couldn't bear.

After five years studying medicine, three years specializing and one more year as an intern, Sakura was finally living her dream of being a resident surgeon at Konoha Central Hospital.

The hours were long, the time to rest was short but she was living her dream, she had participated in several surgeries, she was helping people and she felt happy to be at this state in her life, excited about the future.

Like every day, at the end of her rounds in the surgery department, Sakura took an hour to help in the ER in minor cases, it was a moment that she appreciated because it meant seeing less complex patients, some with flu others with fever and sometimes she had seen some sprains.

What she liked most about this time was the few free minutes between patients, a quiet moment to think and have a cup of coffee.

Only 20 minutes left to finish the day, a hot bath and a glass of red wine were waiting for her in her apartment. The life she had didn't leave much room for anything else, there was no one waiting for her at home.

Sakura sighed, this was the bad side of having time to think, her mind traveled to complicated places, she was not sad or anything like that but it was inevitable to think about these things from time to time, it was part of life.

She always been an overthinker in everything in life, she felt this was a good thing, most times, because she could make good decisions but other times she felt that maybe she should just let go, something that was not natural for her. Ino always told her that she took things too seriously, but that's the way she was, she liked to take things seriously, she enjoyed giving her all in everything she did.

They knocked on her door and that cut her peaceful moment, it was time to return to reality.

Just one more patient.

"Come in"

Any thoughts about her life, her future, her job, or any rational thought faded from her mind when she saw her last patient of the day.

Tall, dark hair, sharp jaw, pale skin, deep black eyes and a scent of fire and wood.

She wasn't sure how long they stared at each other until somehow her brain started functioning again

"Sasuke-kun?" it´s been years since she said that name out laud, it tasted bittersweet.

He seemed to come back to reality when he heard her voice and moved to sit in the chair in front of his desk.

"Sakura" same deep and husky voice like she remembered.

"Yes ... it's me, I can't believe it's you"

"Hn"

Yes, this is definitely Sasuke-kun

"How long has it been?"

"Nine years" he said instantly, as if he had the answer on the tip of his tongue.

"I didn't think I'd see you again ... I knew you went to Suna to study and then Naruto told me that you got a good job over there so, I didn't think you'd come back" and she meant it, this was completely unexpected specially in this circumstances "Sasuke-kun, what are you doing here?"

He seemed to ponder his answer for a moment "My father has decided to retire from the family business so I returned to work in our company, the truth is that I was planning to come back anyway, this only speeded the process"

Sakura was surprised by his honest answer and couldn't help but smile at him, amusement dancing in her features "That sounds very interesting Sasuke-kun but I meant what to do here at the hospital"

Sasuke felt like a fool, of course she was referring to the hospital "Ah yes..I am only here to please my mother, I have passed out a couple of times this week, but it is nothing"

"Well I'm the doctor, so let me see if it's nothing" with this Sakura stood up and went to where he was sitting, took out her stethoscope and began to examine him. She asked basic questions to determine a diagnosis. Her hands moved smoothly, her voice soft and her eyes attentive to her task, totally professional, although inside her heart was pounding fast inside her chest.

"Well Sasuke-kun, from what I see this clearly a case of fatigue, you have not been eating well, sleeping well and you are overworking yourself, so your mom was right, you need to rest"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at her clearly in disagreement with the diagnosis.

"I see that you are still as stubborn as ever"

"And you are still annoying"

Sakura felt her cheeks color at the memory of that special nickname he had for her. She peered up from the recipe she was writing and her heart beat even faster at the image of Sasuke smiling, no, smirking at her with that bad boy attitude that despite the years he still had.

"Here you go Sasuke-kun"

Sasuke took the recipe, nothing new, just some ibuprofen and the indication to drink more water, eat more fruit, and rest.

"Will you behave or you´ll be a hard patient?"

"I'll try to be good" he threw another smirk at her and Sakura blushed like she was 17 again.

He didn't say anything else, he just sat there staring at her so Sakura spoke again, felling anxious under at his gaze "Well, it was nice to see you Sasuke-kun"

He got up and just nodded before leaving the office and Sakura was again alone with her thoughts.

"MMMMhhhhh" she rested her head on the desk, physically exhausted from the workday and emotionally overwhelm from what just happened, the boy she had been yearning for a whole summer suddenly appeared and with him a million emotions. She had spent so many years without seeing him and her mind already made up with the idea that they would never meet again, but here he was "Ugh, I should at least asked for his number"

A knock on her door again cut off her ramblings thoughts. It was Ino, she always came to see her at the end of the day to gossip and talk for a while before going home.

"Come in Ino! I have something important to tell y…Sasuke-kun?"

There he was back, like a mirage, something her imagination created to bring back memories she thought were long forgotten. But it wasn't her imagination, it was real and he was here.

"What´s wrong?"

He stood in the doorway, his face unreadable.

"I know it's sudden but ...would you like to get coffee with me one day?"

And there it was, that feeling she hadn't experienced in nine long years. He stomach was tingling, the felling spreading through her arms to the tips of her fingers.

"I would love to"

….

Big date coming up in the next chapter, thanks you for reading and I would love to read your feedback