Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its character but...I sure do wish Sasuke owned me...tee hee...
HEY!! Okay so thank you all for the reviews!! Um, one scene in here may be confusing to some of you but if you do get confused, just read the note at the bottom. Alright so here's chapter 2, I hope you enjoy!!!!!!
Chapter 2: Into The Ocean
Sasuke inwardly cursed as his vision began to blur, the stench of death invaded his nostrils and clung to every fiber of his being. Why hadn't he seen that last attack? Why had Sharingan failed him? Oh well, it's all over now. He held back a helpless gasp as another surge of pain radiated throughout his body...Oh well, at least he'd die with dignity and pride...knowing he'd avenged his clan...but no...this wasn't right. Something was...missing...no...Oh well, at least he'd die knowing everyone will be okay...that Konoha was no longer in danger...neither were his friends...Oh right...her...that's it...that's what's wrong...damn girl...always so damn annoying...
------Break------
Sakura sighed as she finished writing her mission report on the large parchment scroll. Putting her quill pen down, she stretched her arms and looked over at the clock; 5:06 AM. Damn, she'd been up all night righting her report. She shrugged her shoulders, 'Might as well get ready for work...'. Standing up, she walked over to her dresser and pulled out her hospital uniform before walking lazily into the bathroom to take a shower. Stripping herself of her previous day's clothing, she stepped under the warm, soothing water pouring from the shower head above. With a sigh, she rolled her neck, letting the relaxing element wash over her tired body. There was a loud knock at her front door and a couple of rings of the door bell.
"Damn it..."
"SAKURA-CHAN!!!" Naruto called as he opened her door.
"IN THE SHOWER!" she called back with a grunt, 'Why'd I give him a key again? Oh yeah, for emergencies...'
"ALRIGHT! I'M GOING TO HELP MYSELF TO SOME RAMEN!"
"AT FIVE AM NARUTO?!!" 'What an emergency...'
"OF COURSE SAKURA-CHAN!!'
She shook her head, deciding it best not to respond. Finishing her shower, she stepped out and quickly dressed. Blow drying her hair, she styled it as needed and placed her ninja headband on behind her bangs, if you can call them that anymore. She nodded her head in approval of her appearance before making her way to the kitchen. At the table, Naruto was inhaling his breakfast ramen...as usual.
"Ohayo Naruto..."
"Ohayo Sakura-chan!"
Sakura gave him a smile before turning to make a pot of coffee, "How's Hinata-chan?"
"Great! She's been making me go on a healthy diet though..." he continued to ramble on though Sakura instinctively tuned him out.
"Oh my, Tsunade-shishou is going to have a fit if I'm late. I have to go Naruto," she said giving him a hug before turning to run out the door, grabbing her canteen of coffee in the process, "Lock the door when you leave!"
"Bye Sakura-chan!"
Sakura hurried to the hospital, taking quick sips of the caffeinated beverage in her hand. As she burst through the Hokage's doors she took a big gulp out of the canteen and huffed a bit, collapsing into the chair before Tsunade's desk.
"Sorry for my tardiness Shi-" she was cut off by a loud snore.
She looked up at her sensei to see her head and arms sprawled over the desk, her eyes shut and mouth hanging open. In her right hand was a sake bottle, seventy-five percent of it's contents downed. Shaking her head, Sakura sweat dropped. Reaching over, she shook her sensei. Tsunade's head shot up, looking around wildly.
"Wha- What's the problem?! The Sound?! Where is he?! Let me kick his ass!" she rambled.
"Hokage-sama! It's just me!"
The Fifth looked over at her and scratched the back of her head, sitting up she 'hid' the sake bottle under her desk, "Right, hello Sakura. What did you need?"
Sakura shifted uncomfortably, "Um, you told me to meet you here Tsunade-shishou."
"Oh right! Um," she shifted through some paper work, "We sent an ANBU team out about a week and a half ago to scout for a missing-nin but they were supposed to be back a few days ago. We finally got in touch with them late last night, when I called you, they should be coming very soon. I need to you to prepare for two severely wounded, one minor and set up a room for the missing-nin. Oh yes, also, get a recorder to follow you in each of the rooms. I want to know what happened on that mission."
"Yes Tsunade-sama," Sakura said and stood, bowing to her sensei and turned to leave.
"Oh and Sakura?"
"Nani?" she turned her head.
"I'll need you to monitor the missing-nin for a week or more. Depending on the council's verdict."
"Hai."
Sakura headed out of the door and towards the emergency unit, "Ok, I need four rooms clear now!"
"Yes Haruno-san!"
"Ino!" she called for the blonde.
"Yes?!" she called back.
"I need you to set up the fourth room for a missing-nin! That means ANBU around the doors twenty-four seven, restraints put on the bed if needed, and bars on the window!"
"Consider it done, forehead-girl!"
Sakura chuckled, "Considered, Ino-pig! Where's Shizune?!"
"Here!"
Sakura walked up to her and scratched her head as in calculating, "Okay, I'll need an-"
"THEY'RE HERE!" a man called from the entrance of the emergency unit.
"Shit! We're going to have to wing-it," Sakura cursed and ran towards the injured ANBU team.
Sakura wanted to hurl at the sight before her, "This...oh god...we're going to need way more rooms!!"
She counted roughly six severely wounded and four minor, "Who's the captain of this ANBU squad?!"
A man stepped forward with another man dressed in black hanging on one of his shoulders. Sakura almost cried as she recognized the pineapple shaped hairdo of the captain.
"Alright, I'm going to need way more gurneys people!" she heard Ino call in the background.
As the injured were carried away, Sakura rushed to Shikamaru who was severely injured, "Shika, oh my...I NEED TWO GURNEYS HERE STAT! Oh my god."
"Sakura," he choked, "Please save him..."
"Save who?"
"SAKURA WE NEED YOU OVER HERE!"
Shikamaru nearly fainted but cradled the injured man to him as he fell to his knees, "I SAID I NEED TWO GURNEYS OVER HERE NOW!!!!!"
"YES HARUNO-SAN!"
She bent down and helped Shikamaru up, trying her best to hold onto the other man also, "Shikamaru..."
Two gurneys followed by two nurses arrived at her side, one of them took the mystery man out of her arms and hoisted him up on one of the gurneys.
"Missing..." Shika choked.
Sakura turned, "THAT'S THE MISSING NIN! INO YOU BETTER HAVE THAT ROOM READY!"
"IT IS!"
Sakura looked back at Shika and helped him onto the gurney, "OK I NEED ABOUT FOUR OR MORE MEDICS DOWN HERE!"
"THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY HARUNO-SAN!"
Sakura ran in the direction they carried the missing-nin. Entering the room she saw three nurses hurriedly hooking him up to the IV. She ran over and tried to get a good look at him, 'Damn it, from that wound in his chest, I'd think he'd be dead by now.'
"Okay I need to get this blood off his face, I have to identify him as the missing-nin! He's loosing too much blood!"
A nurse ran to the sink and handed her a wet washcloth. Sakura hurriedly wiped off the blood and almost recoiled at what she saw.
"Oh my god," one of the nurses breathed, she shook her head, "I'm guessing you know his type?"
"AB," Sakura breathed, having treated him so many times; it was practically burned in her memory.
Shaking her head, she began to build the chakra up in her hands, "I won't be able to fully heal this chest wound! I need some stitches!"
"Should we restrain him Haruno-san?" the nurse asked carefully.
No, she wanted so desperately to say 'no' but she nodded her head, "His actions are unpredictable..."
Placing her chakra filled hands over his wound, she watched as it began to heal, "I need a chest X-ray to see if there are any broken ribs and such..."
"I'll get another medic-nin in here pronto," another nurse said quietly as she began to place the needle in his arm for the blood transfusion.
Sakura laid her hand on top of hers, she smiled sadly, "For such a tough guy, he hates needles. Here, let me do it..."
The nurse smiled sadly at her and handed it over, moving out of the way for the pink haired medic-nin. Sakura lightly rubbed the spot on his arm before gently easing the needle into the tender flesh. Securing it with tape, she gently loosened his restraints just a bit so that it was safe but comfortable. With a sigh, she reached over and pushed some hair out of his face.
A medic knocked on the door, "Haruno-san, we need you next door."
She turned and nodded, hurrying out of the room with him. Upon entering the room, she found that it was Shikamaru's. Hurrying to his bedside, she questioned about his wounds.
"We need help healing the wound on his chest."
"On his chest?" she looked over him and saw the exact same wound that the missing-nin had.
Quickly, she brought up her hand and healed it slowly, her other hand began to heal another wound on his leg. With a smile, she looked upon his peaceful face.
"What did you give him?" she asked.
"Just some painkillers, he fell unconscious just a while ago."
She looked up worriedly, "Do you know if he has a concussion?"
"No..."
Her eyes widened at the nurse, "He could fall into a coma."
Raising her hand to his head, she gently healed a cut on his forehead, "Stitch up the wound on his chest." Turning she hurried out of the room to check up on the other patients.
------Break------
'Kami...what is that beeping noise?Ugh...' his eyes began to slowly open only to see a blur of blonde and orange. 'No anything but this...please...'
"Dobe..."
"SASUKE-TEME!!! KASKASHI-SENSEI! TEME WOKE UP!!!"
Sasuke wanted to smile as he heard Kakashi's fatherly chuckle, "I can see that Naruto, now sit down. He doesn't need you in his face."
"Aww, but sensei-"
"Naruto, sit."
He heard Naruto grumble something about 'old perverts' and again tried not to smile, "Yo..."
Kakashi smirked, "Sasuke...you want some water?"
"Hn..."
He felt himself being helped to sit up and sighed, flicking out his tongue to add some moisture to his cracked lips. His vision finally cleared, allowing him to see Naruto curled up on a chair, surprisingly, now asleep. Kakashi was digging in a black bag, pulling out a water bottle and a paper cup. Taking a sip from the cup handed to him, he cleared his throat and looked over at the window to see pitch black through...metal bars? Well, that's understandable...
"What time is it?" he asked hoarsely
"About three AM. We've been hear since late last night. We just returned from a mission..."
"How long have I been here?"
Kakashi scratched his head, "I'd say about a day or two..."
Sasuke nodded...something was missing...damn it...Looking around again, he sighed...she's not here...perfectly understandable...little bitch...He shook his head slightly...What am I saying?...
"You just missed her Sasuke..." Kakashi sighed, as if reading his student's mind.
Sasuke looked down, "Hn."
"Go back to sleep; you can see her later."
"I have no idea what you're talking about...pervert."
Kakashi rolled his eyes as he watched Sasuke roll onto his side, closing his eyes to take a nap.
------Break------
Sakura worked as silent and quick as possible, reaching for the Uchiha's arm slowly. She jumped as his opposite hand flew up and grabbed onto her wrist. Looking down at him, she saw him staring curiously at her with onyx eyes. She glanced at his restraints to see that they were tied towards the middle of his arm, giving him enough freedom to move his arm across his chest, thus being able to grab her.
"Sakura...Hn..."
She stayed silent, her face emotionless, all new to the raven haired boy. Sasuke slowly let go of her wrist, letting his arm slide back. He cleared his throat and closed his eyes briefly. She continued on with her work as if nothing had happened, only a bit quicker now.
"Hey..."
She looked at him at the sound of his voice, in an almost robotic manner. He let a wicked smile play on his face as he looked up at her.
"Why don't you take these restraints off of me?"
"I'm sorry, no can do Sasuke."
He looked down, then raised his eyes to her once again, "I feel hurt Sakura, are you frightened by me?"
She smiled almost sadly before reaching over and letting her index finger trail down his cheek before landed on his chin, "Sasuke...I trust you not to hurt me...its not myself but those outside these four walls I fear for... I'm sorry..."
He gasped as he felt an intrusive pain in his arm...the arm she was currently holding. Looking down, he saw a tube of some sort, the sharp end of it protruding his skin. She smiled sadly at him as she held the needle inside of him, pressing down so that the clear deadly liquid shot into his already poisoned veins.
"I'm so sorry..."
------Break------
Sakura raised the fork to her mouth taking in the morsel of chocolaty-goodness. She smiled happily and did a small dance of her shoulders before taking another bite. After a long day of work, she had come home, taken a warm bath, slipped into a comfy robe, skipped dinner, and went straight to dessert. 'Hey, I deserve the calories...' she smirked slightly and leaned back in her leather sofa. She breathed deeply and let her mind wander. After he had awoken, Shikmaru had confirmed that there were some casualties, a few hours travel from Konoha. He hadn't been able to explain what exactly happened, since some of it was still a bit fuzzy from an awful concussion he'd gained. Luckily, he didn't fall into a coma and as far as she knew, he wasn't likely to. Thank Kami. With a deeper sigh, she remembered the recovered missing-nin but according to the Godaime; wasn't the missing-nin they had been set out to recover. She smiled sadly as she remembered the way Shikamaru had carried his former classmate into the hospital, almost as if he were holding something fragile. Like if he let go, it would lost for eternity. Which was most likely true in some twisted way. She sighed but..he hadn't forgotten of Sasuke's deed...his betrayal and made sure they kept him under lock-down. After all, his actions were unpredictable.
A shrill beeping noise brought her back to planet Earth as she jumped. Her eyes landed on her pager and inwardly cursed. She reached over to see that it was Ino paging her. Ino who was currently working the night shift. Ino who was currently guarding Sasuke for her. She jumped off of the couch and into her room to throw on her clothes.
Okay, so yeah, told you it was confusing. If you understood it, you get a bowl of ramen and a chewy cookie. If you didn't, re-read the scene above the confusing part and then see if you can get it. If not, you'll understand it by next chapter. Thank you for reading, please review!!!
Luv,
Angie