Pompeii
Chapter 37
VesperChan

His hair was getting longer and now he was having to do things with it. Sakura had offered to cut it, but Yamato had said he preferred it longer now that he had the option of growing it out. It felt better to be a little more rugged and a little more wild.

Of course Sakura teased him about turning into a wild bearded man before he reached out to try and smack her, complaining about how 'she knew he had issues growing facial hair' or something like that.

"It's a little messy today. Don't you want to put it up?" she asked, eyeing it critically.

His hair was lovely in its texture, and it made her envious, but Yamato was still learning how to take care of it.

He reached for his hair and started to pull it up with his hands, combing through with the nails of his fingers before letting it all fall back down. Behind him the radio was on with old songs plucked out on a banjo and old box drum about the fey in the wilds and the heroes who went after them. Sakura recognized the tune.

"I guess it would be nice to have it off my neck a little more," Yamato muttered.

Sakura pulled a hair tie off her wrist, one that was bright yellow and matched the floral design of her tank top and ballet flats.

Yamato eyed the hair tie before leaning into her. When Sakura didn't do anything, he but her with his head and grunted, pointing to his hair.

"Big baby," Sakura muttered.

She reached for his hair and combed through it much like he had earlier, taking care not to scratch him with her longer nails. She checked to make sure she didn't miss anything before tying it all up in a low ponytail that she ended up folding into a bun.

"There, now you should feel a little cooler when you're outside. Where have you been, recently? I haven't seen you about as much these days."

Yamato shrugged before walking over to a part of the living room and reaching for something behind the couch. Sakura thought it might have been a guitar, but it was the wrong shape for it. It looked handmade apart from the strings she recognized as his last Amazon Prime order-the one he needed her account for.

"I've been trying to teach myself how to play."

"You like to play?"

Yamato sat down and settled the instrument that was too short and too fat to be a guitar over his knee. He didn't pluck, but he did start to move his hand up and down the neck of it.

"Maybe? I don't know until I try it out some more. I've never had the opportunity to see for myself what sorts of hobbies I should gravitate towards. But, I know I like music, I always have, so this seemed like a safe thing to try."

Sakura felt her heart swell with warm pride.

"Play something for me?"

He looked up and grinned. There was something that twinkled in his eyes, something meant and reserved solely for her.

"Because it's you...alright."

Sakura looked down at the resume on her lap and then back up at Sai. She tried not to, but the sigh slipped out and was noticed.

"I need to make improvements," Sai said.

"No, I...honey, I don't think the issue is with this resume. You've done a good job crafting it. But I'm a little confused about the choice. You want to work at the grocery store? They have customers...you need to….interact with."

Sakura hated how her words came out sounding like they were directed at someone far more inexperienced or younger than didn't want to do that to Sai after he worked so hard to get where he was.

It hadn't been that long ago that she felt the pressure from others to reform herself and fix her bedside manner. Oddly enough, the way she remained nonplussed and unshaken by patient needs turned out being the thing that made her such a perfect fit for Pompeii. But Sai wasn't Sakura and Sakura wasn't Sai.

"Maybe the grocer is not the ideal career opportunity for my unique skills, however, they are short of staff and acquiring the job would be less challenging than others."

"Still, the customer service aspect seemed to trouble you last time."

Sai's expression doesn't change and Sakura knows he hasn't taken offense.

"We were out of that size so the only other option was to lose weight. I was trying to be helpful."

"Babe," Sakura tossed the paper back to his lap and sagged down in her seat. "What are we going to do with you?"

"Make me cookies?"

Sakura couldn't hold back a snort or a smile. "My cookies have not been coming out that great, lately."

"You're worried about something?"

She rose from her seat and stretched her arms behind her back, lifting her face to the roof of her apartment room and watching the pattern of the plaster flicker from the simulated fire coming out of her television. It had been raining a lot more recently with the onset of the monsoon season and it made her want to cuddle in slippers and blankets in front of a fire. She didn't have a fire, so she compromised with the next best thing.

"I'm not going to be worried about anything," Sakura sighed like she was making a decision. "Help me get the ingredients. I needed to bake something for Ino's party, it might as well be cookies. If they come out terrible we can stop at the grocery to drop off that resume and pick up treats worth eating."

"I always like eating what you make," Sai commented in a matter of fact tone that was so painfully Sai it made Sakura warm.

Another far off boom of thunder echoed outside and the pair looked to the window of her balcony where the first few drops were starting to come down. It had been raining almost every other day for the past week or so. More than one person wanted to blame Pein for it, but Sakura heard some of her patients say that cursing the handsome god would only be taken as prayers and payment for rain, so it was better to keep your mouth shut about it all and hope he stays off wherever he is spinning storms out of prayers.

He hadn't been back in weeks, and the car she returned hadn't been touched or seen since. She wanted to feel anxious about it, but now that she knew where he was, she didn't. Even apart, it felt no different.

"Was I invited to this party?" Sai asked her.

Sakura blinked, tearing her eyes away from the rain streaks. Sai had one hand inside the flour jar, grasping for the measuring cup buried at the bottom. Sakura always forgot to take them out.

"Shouldn't you know that?" Sakura asked before batting his hand away to reach in and remove the cup.

"I am not sure. I received no communication about this event, but Ino mentioned leaving that up to Naruto, so it is possible he forgot about me. He's been...absent."

"There's a bug going around that's heartier than the common cold. Naruto's had it off and on the worst out of everyone I know. That's not a secret or patient confidentiality, by the way. I don't want you to think that-"

Sai waved her words away. "You were only saying what I already knew. He's been absent so often at the grocery store, which is why I am applying. He was out all last week, but fine the week before that. He might be there at the party tonight."

Sakura felt her stomach roll. "I hope he stays home and gets some rest. There's only so much I can do and it's frustrating when you reach the end of your usefulness."

"None of us are useful for everything always. For all of us there is an end of our usefulness. What do we do when we reach that point? What do other do with us when we reach that point? I think about this more than I would like to admit."

He took the measuring cup out of her hand and used it to count out the number of cups of flour the recipe needed. Sakura let him mix the first few dry ingredients before slumping forward to drape her arms over his shoulders and stop him where he stood. He made an irritated sound, unable to move as freely, but Sakura just hugged tighter.

He complained to her about trying to work and eventually she let go of him to sit back and watch him put the ingredients together. It was a while before he noticed she wasn't helping, only watching.

"Is it me bringing the treats, or you?"

He handed her a dripping spatula she had to cup to keep her floor from getting dirty with batter. He dragged his index finger through the end of the spatula and then licked it clean before turning back to the work.

He hummed as he worked and ten minutes later the cookies were in the oven and Sai was cleaning his hands and complaining about the texture of cookie batter not being as good as the taste. She didn't feel the need to comment, but Sakura couldn't help but laugh, and it's almost as bad as a comment judging by Sai's reaction.

The cookies ended in something less than a disaster, pleasing Sakura greatly. Sai declared her baking funk was over and submitted an informal request for lemon bars.

"I'll make you your lemon bars if you help me with my hair and makeup. You did such an amazing job last time," Sakura said.

"It's only because it's on you. I don't like working with others."

Sakura rolleld her eyes and remembered the disaster that was the beauty salon. Ino had never looked closer to murdering someone. At this rate, Sakura was fearful for Sai's life if he flubbed any more job opportunities. One of them was going to end up in blood or bruises, at the very least.

The party was to watch a livestream of a solar eclipse or something close to that, Sakura wasn't really sure. Ino seemed ready to host a party for any odd reason and so Sakura didn't question it when she was invited.

If Sakura considered it, she realized she had been separated from some of her friends a lot more recently. That might have been because she was no longer a hot new commodity, being the 'new girl in town,' or it could have been because of something else. Maybe something in the forest. Maybe something less drastic.

Even the Uchiha raven and crows were scarce these days, or if they were around, they were far off watching from a distance. She tried to pretend that didn't give her anxiety, but it was hard. Sai and Yamato were balms to her soul. She didn't know what she would do or feel if they hadn't been there.

Sakura scribbled a note on her nightstand to make a call to the Uchiha and check in on Izuna to see if he needed another treatment. His lungs were coming along great and she missed the visits, to be honest. Just….after Itachi…

Sakura let the pen roll off her nightstand, leaving the note blank.

She changed out of her casual wear and stepped into a pair of dark blue straight leg ankle biters and strap heel sandals. It was a party after all, so she put some care into choosing a dressy top that complemented the curves she had and imagined the curves she didn't.

She was going through her collection of cheap earrings when Sai let himself in.

"Let me do your hair first," he said, lightly smacking her hands away from the bangles.

"I want something that hangs."

"That would be smart since this is an off the shoulder top, good eye."

Sakura beamed at the praise before her chin was roughly yanked up and her hair was pulled into his fingers. Sakura kept her mouth and eyes shut, already trusting his choices. He tugged at her hair tight and then pinned it back before weaving fingers under the strands and teasing them out. Sakura opened her eyes and looked in the mirror as he finished and smiled at the messy, low bun that had been too artfully crafted to be truly that messy.

He moved in front of her and touched the skin under her eyes before starting to smear cream there. Sakura winced at the cold feel, but let him paint her as he liked. Sai was good with his hands and had an eye for art. It was such a shame he couldn't find a fit in a field where those traits were valued. His personality was too rough for a beauty salon.

"Sai!" Sakura gasped, eyes flying open.

"Shut them," he commanded sternly.

Sakura did as she was told but didn't settle her lips the same way. "I want your resume. I'm going to drop it off somewhere else. Forget about the grocery store."

"What are you thinking?"

"Trust me."

He clicked his tongue, but a few seconds later his brushes left her face and she heard him move. When she saw herself in the mirror she knew her suspicions were sure.

She grabbed a clutch and the pair left together. Sakura made Sai stop outside the tattoo parlor and dropped off his resume as well as a few sketches she had of his laying around. Sai stayed outside, staring up at the sign while Sakura put in the good word.

A handful of minutes later she had secured an interview on Thursday 4:30PM.

The whole rest of the way she was smirking like the cat that got the cream.

They were actually meeting it what looked like a renovated firehouse that Shikamaru was living in along with his buddy Choji. The pair split their time there and at the family homes. There were a few families hoping that wasn't a trend that would catch on with their sons and daughters. Family was a big deal in Pompeii.

A few faces looked up and greeted Sakura with enthusiasm but then slid to Sai and then stiffly back to Sakura.

Ino cut through the crown to kiss the side of Sakura's face and then tug the plate of cookies out of her hands.

"Come on, let's get you something to drink, drink."

Sakura could smell the booze and it was almost like highschool all over again, only this time they were supposed to all be adults. "Ino, it's one in the afternoon."

"What? It's our happy hour."

Her eyes were too wide and too blue to not be innocent. Sakura felt she couldn't be surprised anymore by anything Ino said anymore.

"It's good to see you too, Sai. You've been as elusive as ever. Sorry about the job not working out. Still friends?" the blonde cooed.

Sai nodded but seemed at a loss for words, which was okay because Ino just launched herself into the next thing she had planned on saying. In typical Ino fashion, all was forgiven and forgotten.

Something about Gaara doing this, Temari doing that, the Hyuga this, the Uchiha that. Sakura was glad for how much easier it was to keep up with the news and how much more impactful things seemed. These weren't just names anymore. She knew most of these people.

"Where are Shikamaru and Choji, anyway? I should see them and thank them for hosting this party," Sakura said, looking out into the room where two dozen or so people were gathered to lounge on couch arms and turned round chairs. The television was on showing the eclipse as it happened across the country. Sai took up a spot in front of the television.

"Where do you think the lazy snore hound would be? He's sleeping on the roof again. He says the monsoon clouds are some of his favorite to watch and that he'll come back in if it starts to rain again. I think Sasuke went up there, actually. A good bet if you're looking for that Uchiha is to search for the high places." Ino shrugged. "It must be a bird thing."

Sakura accepted the drink put into her hands and sniffed once before sipping at the rim. She looked up when she noticed Ino was waiting patiently for a comment or reaction.

"Is this...cider?" Sakura asked. "I thought the season was still a month or two off."

"Funny about that, 'cause it's imported stuff. We're bringing a lot of stuff in from the outside because our own stuff is on the down low, but just for a season. It's great for variety. Sip, sip, I think you'll like it."

Sakura did like it and told Ino as much.

Ino moved on, taking a drink over to Gaara and encouraging him with a laugh like a bell to 'enjoy himself' a bit more. Moments later she was moving on to someone else, trying her best to make sure everyone was enjoying themselves like a good host would.

Sakura took Ino's occupied space and sat down next to Gaara. Thankfully he seemed to perk up at the sight of her and not stiffen like he had around Ino.

"You look like you're having fun," Sakura lightly tease. "How have you been?"

"Better since seeing you. It's been a...while?"

Sakura nodded, trying to remember the last time they had seen each other. "Not that long, though? What would you consider a long time?"

"It matters how much I want something, I suppose." He sniffed at his drink and set it aside with a worried expression. "But it's not just you. More families have become more busy with the summer season, that's how it is every year I think. I've not seen Naruto in a couple weeks either."

"Have you been sleeping, lately?" Sakura asked, reaching to brush hair out of his eyes without thinking. She paused only after her hand had made contact, realizing how inappropriate the contact might be since she hadn't asked permission. "Sorry, bad doctor habit."

Gaara managed a shy smile and shook his head. "No. Good doctor habit." He looked up at all the edges of him seemed to melt around her. "It's nice seeing you again here like this. You look nice."

"Thanks, but I can't take credit. I had help with my hair and makeup. I was never good at those things growing up when I was supposed to be learning such things."

"We all have shortcomings, nothing to be embarrassed of." He shrugged his shoulders and averted his eyes. "Also, you don't really need...to be good at something like that. You look pretty no matter what you do."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something back but the door to the front opened and she hear the conversation that made her head turn along with Gaara.

"Naruto! You made it, brat."

"Don't call me a brat, Kiba."

Naruto and his twin were in the doorway but something was wrong about the way the blonde was standing, hands buried in the pockets of his windbreaker and smile wan. His skin wasn't healthy with the usual tan, and his eyes seemed agitated.

Menma muttered something Sakura couldn't hear from the distance, but guessed it to be something chastising based of both boy's body language. Something like, 'you really shouldn't be here, Naruto.'

Sakura couldn't help but agree when the doctor in her screamed at all the symptoms of an ill person that was pushing himself. Her eyes were wide, soaking all of him in with horror.

As if feeling it, his eyes met hers and the wan smile stretched wide.

"Sakura!" his hands slipped out of his pockets and he made a beeline for her. He looked so happy even if his brother was a vision of worry.

Sakura felt her heart stop when Naruto didn't even make it halfway across the floor, but staggered and collapsed in a sick, sliding smile, and dizzy eyes.

Several voices shouted at once.

All Sakura could feel was dread.