Prodigal Son
Chapter 7
Sakura gave the room a quick look-over; her heart was beating faster and her throat got tighter when she found nothing revealing where Naruto might have gone.
'Oh god, Naruto. Where have you gone off to?'
With one last glance at the empty room; she sprinted out and caught a passing nurse, "Room 243! Where is the patient?!"
The startled woman could only shake her head and mumble, "243? Uh, gone?"
Sakura grimaced and released the nurse and began running through the hospital, dodging nurses and patients left and right. 'Oh god..oh god..'
Once clear of the hospital, the pink-haired medic flew into the air, pumping chakra into her legs and leaping houses in single bounds. She surveyed the village through clear, green eyes as she flew over Konoha like a great hawk in search of prey. How could the blonde have escaped so quickly after being so injured? Or if not escaped; who had made off with him?
"Yo! Sakura!" a voiced called out from behind her.
Surprised by being called on, Sakura forgot where her feet were, and slipped off the side of a tile roof she had been standing on. Before she had time to plummet 3 stories to the pavement below; a hand grabbed her wrist and halted her descent. "Shit!"
Kakashi peered over the edge of the roof and smiled at her. "My bad," he muttered.
"Hehe! Nah, not at all. Just caught me a little distracted," Sakura answered, peering cautiously at the ground below her.
With a grunt and a tug, the white-haired Jounin hauled her up onto the relative safety of the roof edge.
"You have been so busy lately we haven't been able to talk. Saw you speeding across the rooftops and decided I would try and catch you; no pun intended," explained Kakashi.
"Ah. No problem. I have been taking care of the umm yakuza guy that was captured yesterday," Sakura stated, smiling at her rescuer.
Kakashi quirked an eyebrow at his former student. "Yakuza guy?" he asked.
Sakura giggled and brushed the hair out of her face, taking a moment to relax in the presence of her friend and former sensei.
"Uhh, yeah. Naruto is his name," she said nonchalantly. "Ibiki put the hurting on him, then Hokage-sama had him released, and then I took care of him…and now.."
The white-haired Jounin smiled and nodded his head. "..and now you forget where you left him?"
Sakura giggled and shook her head, motioning with her hand around the village. "I always seem to lose my yakuza thugs. They are like my house keys, I lose em' all the time," she joked.
"Well, I guess I could help you find your patient if you don't mind the company?" offered Kakashi.
Sakura nodded and got to her feet. "Not at all," she said, happy for the company. "It helps to have an extra pair of..well - it helps to have an extra eye out."
"I am so offended right now; you have no idea," Kakashi mocked in a girly tone as he took off across the rooftops.
"Hey wait! Kaka-sensei! I was only joking!" protested Sakura as she leapt after him.
Shikamaru growled as he watched Sakura and Kakashi bound across the horizon of Konoha.
Not only had the white-haired Jounin warned him about confronting Team 7, but now he was playing watchdog too!
From his hiding place in one of the larger oak trees bordering the village's outer wall, Shikamaru had watched the whole exchange between Sakura and her teammate.
"Well if I didn't see Kakashi take off with Forehead girl, I would've sworn it was him spying on girls from the safety of a tree.." a voice whispered in his ear.
Startled, Shikamaru nearly fell from his perch in the tree. "Ah! W-what?! No!" he spluttered.
A pair of slender arms encircled his waist and steadied him before he could fall. "Now now, Captain. You really must watch your back at all times.." the voice cooed.
Shikamaru recognized the purring voice almost immediately and sighed in relief that he hadn't been caught by anyone else. "Isn't that your job, Ino?"
The platinum haired, bombshell of a blonde giggled and punched him in the back. "And what a clumsy back it is!" Ino roared.
Shikamaru swung himself around to face Ino. "What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning at her playfully.
"It's my day off," purred Ino.
Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at his teammate. "Did I give you the day off, soldier?"
"Sir, no sir! However, you did assign me a reconnaissance mission!" the kunoichi rattled off, saluting Shikamaru.
"Oh?" questioned Shikamaru.
"Mhmm. I was ordered to find all peeping-toms within village perimeters and paddle their asses for being perverted, sir!" Ino said in mock military fashion, winking at her captain seductively.
Shikamaru grinned and leaned in to kiss the platinum-haired girl, but met only air as Ino backed away.
"What's up?" he asked, giving Ino a questioning gaze.
"You tell me," Ino ordered, her tone going from flirty to stony in a millisecond. "Why were you spying on Sakura?"
Shikamaru gulped and rubbed the back of his neck; he couldn't lie to Ino.
As kids they had been assigned to the same Jounin instructor and grew to be close friends. Later in life they both were picked to join ANBU, and then later were put on the same squad, which Shikamaru became Captain of. While they had always been close friends, the danger and long hours of ANBU life forced them to consider each other as something more. Soon they had become lovers, then not lovers, then lovers again; the pattern had repeated itself more than either of them could remember. Both of the ANBU dated other people here and there, but kept a key to each other's apartment just in case.
"Well?" Ino repeated, crossing her arms over her chest impatiently.
"Eh, well it's complicated," Shikamaru managed to choke out.
Ino wasn't one to wait long periods of time for anything, and would make no concession on this matter either. Being the strong, dominating woman that she was; she decided to give her captain some incentive to hurry up. With a flick of her wrist, a senbon needle flew from her hand and stuck itself in Shikamaru's thigh.
"Ow! Ino! C'mon!" he bellowed.
Ino frowned and pointedly drew another needle from her sleeve. "Out with it," she ordered.
"Okay okay! I was trying to get Sakura alone to talk to her!" Shikamaru spat, ripping the projectile from his leg and glaring at Ino.
"What? Why?" Ino asked, more curious than angry. Anything that involved her rival, Sakura, was juicy news to Ino.
"Kakashi doesn't want me to talk to her about Team 7's latest mission. I am trying to conduct an investigation, but I am avoiding stepping on toes at the same time," explained Shikamaru.
Ino's face scrunched up comically as she considered his story. "What is this investigation about?"
"I don't know if it really concerns you.." Shikamaru began to say, but stopped when Ino waggled the needle in front of him.
"I have like 20 more of these on me."
"Sakura came back from her mission with various cuts and bruises, accompanied by a head injury of some kind. Nothing in the mission report says anything about a fight or incident, and Kakashi sticks by his report. I need to find out what happened on that mission," explained Shikamaru.
"Umm, who cares? She isn't dead, traumatized, or even remotely concerned about her scrapes as far as I can see. Why investigate it at all?" Ino deadpanned, picking her teeth with the senbon needle.
Shikamaru blinked dumbly and found he was unable to come back with a sensible answer.
"Exactly, Captain; you have no reason at all to investigate this, other than your own curiosity with Sakura," she finished.
"That's not it at all," the young Captain argued. "This is an official investigation; nothing more, nothing less."
"You can't lie to me, Shikamaru," Ino stated proudly. "I know you better than you know yourself; you are infatuated with Billboard-brow.
Shikamaru sat in silence and nodded his head dumbly.
Ino could tell he was a little ashamed to admit such a thing in front of her so she reached over and patted her friend on the shoulder reassuringly. "It's not a crime, Shikamaru."
"I will help you in your investigation," she continued. "But I don't want you to whine when it turns out to be a waste of time."
There was a pause before Shikamaru looked up at his friend and grinned weakly. "Thank you, Ino," he muttered.
She simply shrugged and dropped out of the tree in reply. Shikamaru chuckled to himself then dropped down to follow her.
Sakura caught up with Kakashi just as they came up on the Hokage's tower. "Might as well check here too," she sighed, shrugging at the white-haired man.
Kakashi nodded and turned to face her. "You go ahead. I just remembered something I have to do," he said, looking up the tower's long flight of stairs.
"Uh huh. Enjoy your book, Kakashi," Sakura teased.
The white-haired man chuckled and waved before disappearing in a puff of white smoke.
Sighing to herself, Sakura made her way up the stairs and into the tower; the steps seemed to wind around the red building an impossible number of times, and she was nearly out of breath by the time she reached the top. At the entrance, Sakura subconsciously smoothed out her hair and stepped inside the cool, stone building, grateful for a respite from the midday sun.
As she made her way through the tower, people would wave and greet her as she passed. Some of the people she knew, and some she didn't, but she returned the greetings just the same.
She reached the Hokage's office in a short time and stopped at the secretary's desk. "Sakura Haruno here to see the Hokage, please."
The girl at the desk smiled and nodded, pressing an intercom button and letting the village leader know he had a visitor.
It didn't take long and Sarutobi's voice came over the intercom, letting Sakura know she could enter.
"Good morning, Hokage-sama," she said, taking a seat across from the older man.
"Hehe. Call me Sarutobi, child; there is no need for titles," replied Sarutobi, smiling warmly at her. "What can I do for you?"
Sakura grinned and then put on a serious tone. "Sir, my patient, Naruto Uzumaki, has gone missing. None of the nurses at the hospital knew anything except he was gone, and I haven't heard a word from anyone as to his whereabouts," she explained, frowning confusedly at the village leader. "I was wondering if you knew anything that could help me."
Sarutobi groaned and hit a button on his desk. "Would you please send for Tsunade-hime," he droned into the microphone.
Sakura watched as the village leader frowned at the button as if it was supposed to answer him directly.
"I don't know exactly what happened to your patient, Sakura, but Tsunade might know something. She had quite a lot to say about him the other day," said Sarutobi.
Sakura pondered what he meant, but waited till Sarutobi had filled his pipe with tobacco before saying anything. "If it isn't too bold of me; what did Tsunade-sama say about Naruto?" she asked.
"I will let you ask her some time. Right now, it is best that I not discuss private discussions, Sakura," whispered Sarutobi.
She blushed and started to apologize, but Sarutobi waved it off. "You are curious about your charge; I can't blame you." he said.
"Thank you, Sarutobi-sama."
They passed the next few minutes in silence. Sakura lost in her thoughts, and Sarutobi lost in his pipe.
It didn't take long and the secretary's voice came over the intercom, startling Sakura and making Sarutobi sit up. "Tsunade-sama is here now, sir."
"You called?" Tsunade asked, sweeping into the room.
Sakura stood up and offered her seat to the Slug Princess, who took the seat with muttered thanks.
The pink-haired girl was a little perturbed with the Sannin's snobbish behavior but set aside her thoughts and got to the point of her visit. "Tsunade-sama, I am the medic in charge of the patient, Naruto Uzumaki. The Hokage and I were wondering if you knew anything about his whereabouts," Sakura explained.
Tsunade raised an eyebrow at Sarutobi, clearly surprised at the forwardness of the young medic. "And just who the hell are you?" the blonde asked.
Sakura was about to reply, but Sarutobi cut her off. "This is Sakura Haruno, special-Jounin and medic-nin of Team 7. She is a brilliant young lady, Tsunade; one of the sharpest minds to graduate from the academy," the old man explained, a tinge of pride in his voice.
"I am Tsunade," the blonde offered, getting up from her seat and nodding to Sakura.
Sakura nearly screamed in frustration as the blonde woman bowed, then turned and sat back down, offering no other information, as if Sakura should know everything else. Of course the young woman knew about the legendary Slug Princess, Sannin, and medical genius that Tsunade was, but that didn't excuse the blonde from offering a polite introduction.
"Tsunade, you really haven't changed all these years, have you?" Sarutobi scolded, frowning at the blonde.
Tsunade groaned and rolled her brown eyes, "I am sorry, Sakura, but Naruto is in my custody now."
The room went quiet, and Sarutobi shifted uncomfortably in his chair.
"What? B-but he is MY patient. You can't just snatch him out of his room!" Sakura blurted out angrily.
"Blah, blah, I know all about being a good caretaker; Naruto is perfectly safe with me. I just gave you some time off; enjoy it," said Tsunade, shrugging disinterestedly.
Sakura was furious. Sannin or not, the blonde had no right to take her patient!
"I don't give a damn! I want my patient back; you had no right to remove him from my custody!" she spat, staring the older woman down.
Sarutobi stood up from his chair and held his hands out to placate her. "Sakura, this is not the attitude to take with this situation." he warned.
"Respectfully, sir, I am not in the mood to curb my attitude. I want my Naruto back, and I will have him!" Sakura stated forcefully.
Both Tsunade and Sarutobi caught the last part of her sentence and sent her quizzical looks. "Your Naruto?" they said in unison.
Sakura frowned at them both in confusion before realizing what she had said. "Oh! Umm, I didn't mean it like that. I meant he is MY patient, and umm..it came out wrong," she explained, the color rising in her cheeks.
Unexpectedly, Tsunade started to chuckle. "Well, you have the spunk needed to be a good medic; I will give you that, Sakura. You have almost convinced me that Naruto is your property," she chortled, grinning at the blushing young woman.
Sakura was about to reply, but decided against it.
"I apologize for snatching your patient, but there is a lot more to him than a few broken bones and organ damage," Tsunade continued, "Naruto is extremely dangerous, and I don't think you can handle him, no matter how good a medic you are."
"Sakura is perfectly capable of handling herself and her patient." offered Sarutobi, leaning back in his chair.
Sakura nodded her agreement, crossing her arms and looking at Tsunade sternly. She was glad the Hokage supported her, because she wasn't sure just how much arguing she could get away with.
"You can't be serious, Sarutobi," Tsunade muttered, looking at the old man as if he was crazy.
"I trust Sakura completely," the old man stated, winking at the pink-haired kunoichi.
Tsunade was about to blurt something, but bit her tongue and closed her eyes. "And if his condition, worsens?" she asked.
Sarutobi simply shrugged and waved his room around his office. "You, Jiraiya, myself, and a whole village of shinobi are there to help if anything happens."
Sakura didn't understand what exactly the two were talking about. Naruto had a condition she wasn't aware of? She had run an extensive scan to find anything wrong with Naruto's body, and other than the wounds received from Ibiki's torture, she hadn't found anything that would warrant the attention of the entire village.
"What condition? Is there something I don't know about Naruto?" Sakura asked, looking at Tsunade expectantly.
The blonde woman shook her head in reply and forced a smile. "No, nothing. I'm sure you are more than capable of caring for him. You can come and pick him up at my place any time. We are staying at the old Uchiha compound."
Without another word, Tsunade stood up and left the room.
After the blonde had left, Sakura turned to the Hokage. "Should I be worried, Sarutobi-sama?" she asked, looking every part the serious doctor.
Sarutobi shook his wizened head and chuckled. "Not at all, Sakura. Go get your patient back, before Tsunade changes her mind," he advised, pointing at the door of his office.
Sakura didn't want to leave without an explanation, but knew the Hokage had basically told her it was time to leave. "Thank you, Hokage-sama," she said, bowing lightly.
Without further words, Sakura left the office and went in search of someone to help her reclaim her patient.
Kakashi watched Sakura leave the tower, a triumphant grin plastered across her pretty face. He didn't know what had happened, but whatever transpired between Sakura, the Hokage, and Tsunade-sama had obviously gone in his former student's favor.
He watched silently as she made her way onto the road and broke into a run. No Shikamaru in sight, so Kakashi decided he could leave Sakura alone for a while.
After he had parted ways with the girl an hour ago, he had went and checked on the other member of Team 7; he had found Sai painting in the woods at one of the team training areas.
'Hmm, probably should go see if he is still there. Alone,' Kakashi mused to himself as he exited the shadow of the building he had been observing Sakura from.
"That wasn't weird at all," a voice droned from above him.
Kakashi cast a look upward and was greeted by the smiling visage of his teammate, Sai.
"Yo. How long you been up there?" Kakashi asked, leaping up to the roof and taking a seat beside the pale young man.
Sai smiled at him and pointed at the disappearing red blur that was rapidly moving out of eyesight. "Ever since Sakura-chan came out of the Hokage's tower."
"Any particular reason you were spying on her?" Sai asked. "Has she caught your fancy?"
Kakashi chuckled and shook his head. "No, but she has caught someone else's; that's who I'm looking out for."
"Ah, Shikamaru," whispered Sai.
Kakashi groaned and lay down on his back to look up at the clouds. Everyone knew the ANBU Captain had a grade school crush on Sakura, everyone except Kakashi apparently.
"I don't mind that he likes Sakura, but I do mind where he pokes his nose in Sakura's and our business," the masked man said, turning to look at Sai.
Sai smiled and nodded in agreement. "It is not Shikamaru's place to interfere with Team 7's missions or members. Although, I believe he does so out of a sense of protectiveness towards Sakura-chan," he pointed out.
"Don't tell me you agree with what he is doing," Kakashi groaned.
"Not at all, Kakashi, I just read in my book about people doing weird things for the one they love, wither or not it is what their loved one wishes," Sai explained.
Kakashi sighed and looked over at his teammate. "You really need to stop reading those books."
The other man frowned sadly and Kakashi regretted his words.
Sai had been raised within ANBU, and had been trained to have no emotion. He couldn't form bonds with people, he couldn't recognize emotion; Sai had been trained to be cut off from other people completely. The ANBU had tried to raise a machine instead of a man.
The pale, emotionless, boy had left his life within ANBU however, and had joined Team 7 after Sasuke's defection. It had been rough getting used to the strange boy, but soon, with Sakura and Kakashi's help; Sai had started to learn social skills, and was blossoming into a likeable young man. He still had only a handful of friends, but people were slowly starting to accept him.
Even with all his emotional and social growth; Sai still had trouble, and would often refer to books he would read about emotion and social learning, which gave a slightly skewed view on things most people knew as common knowledge. It got annoying and awkward sometimes, but few people called Sai out on it.
"I apologize, Sai. I didn't mean to be rude," Kakashi offered.
"I know you meant no offense," Sai admitted, smiling at the masked man and patting his bag. "These books are a crutch to me, but I hope to be rid of them soon."
Kakashi nodded and got to his feet, looking out over the town a couple times before turning to his teammate. "Until Shikamaru decides to drop his investigation we need to keep an eye on Sakura. That mission is none of his business, and Sakura doesn't need to be bothered about it."
"I will keep an eye on her and an eye out for the ANBU Captain. You have my word," Sai stated confidently.
Kakashi nodded and left Sai sitting alone on top of the building.
Sai watched the white-haired man leave and then turned back to gaze at the village. The wind ruffled his jet-black hair, and he smiled into the wind before opening his bag and removing his painting utensils. Konoha shone like a diamond in the midday sun, and Sai was determined to capture it forever on canvas.
Hinata sat in her garden and hummed contentedly as she went through and removed weeds and grass that attempted to invade her sanctuary. Most of the nurses had ways to cope with the stresses of working at the hospital, and gardening was Hinata's.
She loved the feel of the cool, earth in her fingers, the gentle scents that floated from the plants, and most of all the peace and quiet that seemed to drown anything that stepped into the garden. The sound of the busy village seemed to fade into nothing when she walked among her plants and flowers, and the calming effect it had on the lavender-eyed girl was cherished.
Today was different however; Hinata could not relax her mind. It seemed to stew and brood over what Shizune had said to her. An innocent comment to be sure, but she was almost positive there had been a sense of pride in the other woman's voice. Almost as if Tsunade's assistant was gloating about having slept with the blonde criminal.
"What was she getting on about..?" she asked herself quietly.
Sure the women in the village would gloat to each other about their sexual conquests from time to time, usually at the hot springs after a few drinks, but what Shizune had barely hinted at was all together different.
The Hyuga heir wasn't exactly sure why it was bothering her so, but had come to terms that there just wasn't something right about the snippet of a conversation the two women had shared in Room 243.
Her thoughts were interrupted once again however, as one of the Hyuga clan's servants quietly entered Hinata's garden and bowed low before her.
"Hinata-sama, there is a visitor to see you." the man-servant said softly.
Hinata smiled at the young man and got to her feet, storing the conversation with Shizune in the back of her mind for later contemplation. "I will go see who it is. Thank you," she said, giving the servant a small bow before sending him away.
After washing the dirt from her fingers and changing her robe, Hinata made her way to the front entrance and opened the large wooden gate that led out of the Hyuga compound.
Slowly Hinata peeked her head out the door and smiled at the person pacing back and forth a few feet away. "Sakura! Nice of you to flatten the entranceway, I really do appreciate it!" she teased, surprising the pink-haired girl.
"Hinata! Are you free this evening?" Sakura asked excitedly.
Both women looked at each other, one bouncing up and down, the other leaning out of the wooden door apprehensively.
"Maybe. What do you need?" the Hyuga girl queried.
"I got back custody of Naruto and I need you to help me move him somewhere." said Sakura, beckoning Hinata with her hand.
Hinata raised an eyebrow at her friend. "Got him back?" she asked.
"Yeah, umm Tsunade took him for a while, and I didn't know where he was, but know I have custody of him, and I am going to go pick him up at the Uchiha compound." Sakura explained, pointing down the street.
"Uh huh. So they took him out of the hospital, because..?" the Hyuga woman asked.
Sakura shook her head and pointed back down the street. "I don't know really, but we got to go get him. So come on, girl! I need your help, pwease!?"
"Right. Ok, let's get this over with," Hinata sighed, closing the gate behind her and following her friend.
Sakura was like a kid headed to the candy store, skipping here, hopping there, and bouncing around excitedly. Hinata walked calmly, watching her friend's antics amusedly.
As the two walked, Sakura recalled everything that had happened since they had seen each other.
Hinata frowned when Sakura mentioned Shizune being the last on watch and must've had something to do with moving Naruto. 'Should I tell her?' she thought.
In the end Hinata decided to hold her tongue as the pink-haired bouncy ball continued bouncing around her reciting everything that had happened during her quest to find Naruto.
Hinata did, however, interrupt her friend when she heard about the night-time rendezvous with Shikamaru. "Ooh, Shikamaru walked you home?" she cooed, batting her eyelashes at her pink-haired companion.
"Yeah, he did," Sakura admitted disinterestedly. "Anyways, Tsunade hinted something about Naruto's condition, and when I asked her about it, she just left!" the medic-nin exclaimed, still bouncing around like a school girl.
Hinata sighed and stopped walking.
It took a few minutes for Sakura to notice and come back to stand in front of the Hyuga girl. "Why'd you stop?" she asked.
"Sakura, the most eligible bachelor in the village walked nearly a mile with you to your house and you don't blink an eye, but when anything about Naruto is even whispered, you freak out!" growled Hinata.
"Huh?" Sakura mumbled.
Hinata sighed and grabbed the pink-haired woman by her shoulders, shaking slowly. "Why are you putting up such a fuss about a murdering, thieving, yakuza gangster, when there is a respectable, handsome, successful, ANBU Captain that is pining for your attention?"
"I am not fussing over Naruto; he is just my responsibility. It is my duty to see him to good health and make sure he doesn't get killed while he is here," Sakura answered simply.
Hinata rolled her eyes and started walking again, pushing past Sakura none too gently. "Forget it."
"What? I don't understand what you are getting so mad about!" Sakura spat, getting a little frustrated herself.
Hinata just kept walking in the direction of the Uchiha compound, Sakura following in her wake.
No more words were said till they reached the entrance to the abandoned former home of Konoha's once proud, Uchiha clan.
The neighborhood was a ghost town and a grim reminder for Sakura. Sasuke, the only survivor of the Uchiha massacre, had lived alone in the compound for as long as she knew, and just walking through the entrance made her throat tighten.
Silently, the two women made their way to the house Tsunade had appropriated for her stay, not saying a word to each other the entire time.
Not until they were upon Tsunade's doorstep did Hinata turn and fix her friend with a stern glare. "Why don't you ever learn, Sakura?"
Sakura just sighed and looked at her feet, already feeling uncomfortable in the Uchiha compound, even without the Hyuga's disapproving glare.
"This place should've knocked some sense into you. You always pick the wrong guy, Sakura! Does danger appeal to you or something? Do you like living on the edge of heartbreak?" Hinata scolded.
"Don't, Hinata. This isn't what you think," Sakura whispered; her eyes were glued to the floor.
Hinata growled at her friend to get her attention. "Don't what? I was joking when I teased you about liking Naruto at the hospital! I thought you had learned something since Sasuke, but apparently not," the Hyuga hissed.
"Shut up! You don't think I am trying to heal from that!? You think I am trying to get my heart ripped apart again?" Sakura screamed in anger and hurt.
Sakura's green eyes finally came up to meet Hinata's clear, white ones. Invisible lightning danced between the two girls' eyes. The pain was evident in Sakura's eyes, but Hinata was too annoyed with her friend to care.
"I really don't know anymore, Sakura," Hinata sighed. "Once we get Naruto moved; don't ask me for any more help."
Sakura nodded and wiped away the tears that were threatening to escape her green eyes. She knocked on the door to the house and stepped back to wait.
It didn't take long before Tsunade came to the door and waved the two young medics inside.
The house was clean and well taken care of, complete with polished hardwood floors; Sakura wondered who was still looking after the house even after it had been abandoned.
Despite the decoration and well-groomed appearance, the large house felt lonely and cold, as if the life had been taken out of it when the Uchiha compound had been abandoned.
Tsunade led the two girls down a hallway and slid open a door at the end, ushering the two into a well-lit room.
"Here he is. Best move him before it gets dark outside," The blonde Sannin droned, leaving the two girls alone with the sleeping young man.
Sakura felt her throat loosen a little and felt the day's stress melt away when she saw Naruto sleeping soundly on a bed in the middle of the room. She slowly crossed the room and went to the side of the bed, leaning over gently to look at the blonde man. "There you are.." she whispered softly, like a mother tucking in her child.
Hinata frowned when she heard what her friend had whispered to the blonde man, but shook her head and went to the end of the bed. "Let's get this over with."
Despite their earlier fight, Sakura turned and gave Hinata a small, content smile. "Yeah. Thank you for staying."
"Don't mention it. How you wanna do this?"
"Let's set out that stretcher in the corner and carry him on that," said Sakura, pointing at the white object propped against a corner wall. "He isn't hooked up to any machines, so we can leave everything else but his sword, clothing and the blankets."
Silently the two women set up the stretcher and gently set the sleeping blonde on it, folding his arms over his sword and clothing so they wouldn't have to carry them.
"Ready?" Hinata asked, taking a hold of one end of the stretcher.
Sakura took one last look around the room, nodded, and then gently took hold of the stretcher handles. "Ready," she said.
It was a slow process, but the two women managed to haul Naruto out of the compound and through the darkening village streets without any problems. Neither of the women spoke; Sakura spent the time watching Naruto sleep, while Hinata scanned the road ahead for water puddles, sewer grates, or any other thing that might trip them up.
After about half an hour, they were within sight of the hospital. Unexpectedly, Sakura stopped, forcing Hinata to do the same. "I'm not taking him back to the hospital, Hinata," she muttered, wiping the sweat from her brow.
"What?" Hinata scoffed, turning around and looking at her friend expectantly.
"I don't trust the nurses with his safety. Will you help me move him to my apartment?" she asked, pointing down a side street. "It is just 5 or 10 minutes in that direction."
To Sakura's surprise, Hinata began to laugh quietly.
"What?" the pink-haired girl asked.
"Nothing. Let's just get this over with," Hinata chuckled, shaking her head in disbelief.
Sakura frowned, but didn't say anything as they hoisted Naruto to her apartment.
She didn't say anything when they struggled to haul the blonde up the stairs.
She didn't say anything when she smashed her hand against the door while trying to get the stretcher into her living room.
She didn't even say anything when Hinata snorted when they took Naruto off the stretcher and placed him on Sakura's own bed.
So by the time they had situated the spiky-blonde and made their way to the door; Sakura had finally prepared what she was going to tell her friend.
Hinata opened the door and stepped outside onto the stairway, rubbing her sore muscles and groaning tiredly. "I won't let anyone know you are harboring a criminal," she sniped.
"Hinata. During my last mission, Naruto saved my life," Sakura said, her eyes sharp and focused.
"What?" the Hyuga asked, turning around to look at her.
"I was captured for 3 days and held in a yakuza compound with a severe head injury. Naruto stayed with me that entire time, taking care of me and keeping me company. We were almost friends," Sakura admitted, earning Hinata's full attention by now.
"We laughed and talked the entire time, despite us both being prisoners. At least I thought he was a prisoner, till I found out he was actually in charge of the yakuza that had captured me." The kunoichi said, pausing for a bit to relive the memory.
"I cursed him and punched him in the face, because I was hurt and felt betrayed. I insulted his honor and chalked him up to be a dirty, deceitful, thieving, murdering, yakuza thug that you probably think he is. I was worse though, because I called him those things even though he had saved my life and stayed in a dungeon with me for 3 days! He had fed me, watched over me, even gave me a damn massage!" she cried, eyes starting to glisten with unshed tears.
Hinata shuddered and gaped like a fish out of water. "Sakura, I, what I mean-"
Sakura shook her head and smiled as tears trickled down her cheeks. "So what happens? A week later I find him beaten and bloody in a dungeon. The exact same position I was in, but worse. What do you expect me to do Hinata? You said I always choose the wrong guy, but you are wrong; they choose me."
Now both girls were sobbing. Hinata crossed the distance between them and drew her friend into a tight embrace; they both cried into each other's shoulder, oblivious to the world.
After a few minutes both girls' shoulders were soaked and their eyes red and puffy.
"You understand why now, r-right?" Sakura sniffled, pulling back from Hinata and looking her in the eye.
"Y-yes, silly," Hinata giggled, smiling shakily. "I'm glad you finally explained all of it."
Sakura smiled and wiped her eyes with her palm. "I should've told you before we got into that fight, but my mind was stuck on, you-know-who," she said, jabbing a thumb back over her shoulder towards the bed where Naruto was sleeping.
"It's alright. I probably shouldn't have jumped to conclusions," Hinata said, wiping her eyes on her robe sleeve.
"I'm glad you are on my side again," Sakura admitted, exhaling and brushing some loose strands of pink hair from her face. "I can't do this all on my own."
Hinata sniffed and pointed back towards Sakura's bedroom. "I might be on your side, but I still don't like the idea of you keeping him here. It's not too late to take him to the hospital."
"No. I am going to stick to my guns and take care of him myself," said Sakura, shaking her head resolutely. 'I can't have another episode like today's; I wouldn't know what to do with myself,' she thought to herself.
"And you are just going to forsake your duties to the hospital and your team?" asked Hinata, "How do you plan on disappearing to come check on Naruto?"
"I have the next week off," smiled Sakura, "And I plan on waking his lazy ass before that is up!"
Hinata giggled held open her arms for a hug, Sakura mirrored her actions, and both kunoichi embraced. Both were glad to clear the air, and both let out a relieved sigh as they held each other.
"You remember how much we used to do this when we were little girls?" asked Hinata. "We get into a fight and then end up crying, laughing, and hugging an hour later." She smiled and squeezed Sakura a little more.
Sakura started giggling again. "Yeah, those fights were over boys too," she said, pausing a moment and pulling back to look at Hinata, "Didn't you like Shikamaru back then?"
"Something like that," admitted Hinata, releasing her friend and looking at the darkening sky. "I should get home."
Sakura nodded once. "Yeah, ok. I will probably see you tomorrow."
Hinata sighed. The sun was setting rapidly and she would probably be late for dinner. She gave Sakura one last look, ran down the steps, into the street, and took off towards the Hyuga compound.
Sakura closed the door to her apartment and paused before locking it securely. She had never gotten into the habit of locking her door; there simply wasn't enough crime in Konoha to warrant it, at least that's what most people thought.
She looked over her living room and sighed.
The apartment had one bedroom, one bathroom, a mid-size kitchen, and a living room. It was simple, and identical to most every apartment in the ninja village. Sakura had been convinced it was perfect for a single, on-the-go, kunoichi such as her; single being the key word.
In the 3 years she had lived in the apartment, she had decorated every nook and cranny, but had never bothered with buying a couch. She had a sofa chair, love seat, and coffee table, but no couch, and nowhere to sleep.
At first she tried the sofa chair, squirming and rolling inside her sleeping bag for a good hour before giving up. The love seat wasn't much better.
That left only one option.
Once the lights were out, the kunoichi went into her room and quietly changed out of her clothes, slipping into a large, baggy shirt and some sweatpants.
Using the skills of a skilled ninja, Sakura snuck over to the bed Naruto had taken over. 'I am a kunoichi! I've slept in the dirt for weeks, and now I can't even sleep in a sofa chair!?' she scolded herself, watching Naruto for any sign of movement.
Moving as slowly and cautiously as she possibly could, Sakura peeled back the covers and slipped in between them. Naruto didn't make a sound.
She felt the heat rise in her cheeks when she thought about what Hinata would say if she showed up in the morning to find Sakura in bed with Naruto. She promised herself to wake up before the sun, just in case.
Laying her head on her pillow; Sakura sighed contentedly. 'Oh that is nice..' she thought to herself.
Naruto shifted in his sleep a little bit, and Sakura could've sworn she could feel the heat coming off of him. It was almost like she could reach out with her mind and feel the warmth he was giving off from not a foot away. The bed moved a little more when the blonde shifted again.
Time passed and Sakura's eyelids began to grow heavy. She could hear the crickets chirping outside; their song resonated throughout the sleeping village, and it put her mind at ease.
'Tomorrow is going to be so weird –'she began to think, before Naruto rolled again, this time far enough to bump into her.
Sakura held her breath when she felt his body roll up against her back. She didn't dare move, and her body seized up, freezing her in place. Her cheeks flared with heat and she almost giggled. Naruto had been so still and quiet up until the moment that she had almost forgot she was sharing her bed with the blonde.
She was about to slip out of the bed and take up residence on the floor, when out of nowhere; the blonde man rolled in place again, his arm flopping down across Sakura's waist, rooting her in place and preventing her escape.
'Fantastic,' she thought to herself, her cheeks burning. 'Just when I thought this couldn't get any more awkward.'
She waited a while, hoping Naruto would roll over again, but he never did. It appeared that the man's subconscious mind had made itself comfortable and didn't need to adjust anymore.
Sakura sighed and resigned herself to a long night of awkwardness; although, she realized it didn't feel bad sharing Naruto's warmth. Despite the uncomfortable position she was in, Sakura had to admit she wouldn't have minded if the spiky-blonde had pulled her closer to himself.
It had been a long time since she had shared a bed with a man, and even though her mind told her it was wrong; her body, being the lonely, female body that it was, wanted to be held in a lover's embrace. The cold wasn't doing anything to help.
'Get a hold of yourself, girl. This isn't the guy we want to be playing cuddle-bunny with,' she told herself, while subconsciously scooting backwards, closer to Naruto's warmth.
She was close enough to feel his breath on the back of her head.
Unexpectedly, Naruto shifted again, this time wrapping his arm around Sakura's middle and pulling her up against him, which made the pink-haired girl squeak in surprise.
Sakura felt her heart beating in her ears and her breath came in short, rapid breaths. This stopped completely when she felt Naruto bury his face in her hair.
"Mmm, hospital run out of beds, sweet cheeks?"
I practically put Naruto in a coma this entire chapter, but I needed him out of the way to introduce the other Main character, and some sub-plots. What do you guys think?