Thank you guys so much for the reviews. I've made this chapter shorter so I could post today instead of later.

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A Few Months after Graduation

Sakura looked round quickly as she heard her name shouted. Ino was running swiftly in her direction, decisively dodging people and objects in the way. Sakura stood still and waited until her blonde friend reached her before lying down her shopping bags.

Breathing heavily, Ino skidded to a stop in front of her, hands on her knees. "Tsunade….Tsunade needs….your help."

"What is it?" said Sakura, already anticipating a medical emergency.

"Team…team five just got back from their mission and one of them has been critically hit. The other two are in bad shape as well. Tsunade wouldn't have bothered you on your day off, but there isn't enough of her to go around."

"I'll be there in five minutes. I just need to take these bags back to my apartment."

"There isn't any time for that, I'll do it. You get to the hospital."

Her blonde friend rushed off with Sakura's shopping bags and Sakura headed in the opposite direction toward Konoha's only hospital. These medical emergencies cropped up all the time and Sakura was finding her expertise was becoming more and more needed.

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Sakura had rushed into the hospital wing to find a series of emergencies occurring. It was thanks to her, and her alone, that they were being sorted out and dealt with efficiently and effectively. Although she herself could not see it, her skill was growing with everyday. She was in the processing of saving one ninja's life when Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi came in the doors of the hospital.

"I need more gauze!" the kunoichi cried to the nurses standing around. "And somebody hold him down, I need to intubate!"

Nurses quickly moved to answer Sakura's commands. Sakura had her hands placed on a massive wound, blood spurting in large amounts between her fingers. She waited only a moment for more gauze and then she had taken the situation on herself. With quick, fluent movements, Sakura released the man's wound and did a few very brisk hand signals, creating a jutsu. Thin, slender threads of white intertwined themselves with the gaping wound and partially slowed the flow of blood. Now disregarding the wound entirely, she reached around for the instrument necessary and was on to intubation. Within five seconds she had the man lying completely prostrate on the table. Ordering the nurses to hold his thrashing body still, Sakura easily slid the tube down until she reached the body cavity she was looking for. Satisfied that his breath was coming in even enough amounts, she slid a hand under his shoulder and another hand under his neck. Careful not to rip the filaments covering his dorsal wound, Sakura rolled him partially to discover another cause for distress. The man was bleeding freely from his back. Sakura stared at the new wound for a second before it registered. Then she was yelling.

"I need gauze right now! He has a ventral wound bleeding out!"

Nurses hurried their movement behind her and then Sakura was handed the gauze that was so desperately needed. Sakura placed the gauze onto the ninja's back as nurses removed excessive amounts of blood. Shuffling feet behind her alerted Sakura to Tsunade's presence.

"How bad is it, Sakura? I haven't had any time for him with all the other casualties."

"Bad. He's got at least two major wounds and he wasn't breathing. I'd bet on several internal injuries and his neck has deep purple bruises rising up. I don't know where he came from but somebody did their job well."

"Surgery then? No time for a MRI?"

A large amount of blood erupted through the gauze and sprayed up onto the medic-nins fronts. "Definitely not," Sakura replied, hands back on the victim. She controlled the bleeding to a certain extent and patiently held the wound down. Out of necessity she said, "Somebody needs to cover the front with real gauze, I just made a twin because nobody brought the actual wrappings."

"You made a twin? You haven't been taught to do that yet," said Tsunade in surprise.

"I read it in a book. It's not that complicated. He needs more blood by the way, the chart says B negative. I sent a runner downstairs to get it, but they haven't come back. We might be out."

Tsunade rubbed her forehead in exhaustion. "We were supposed to get more in yesterday but the delivery never came…."

"Tsunade!"

"What? Oh—" said Tsunade and quickly grabbed the gauze from the nurses.

"Cover the front and then we'll roll him out. The surgery will have to be started immediately."

Tsunade wrapped his wound and then reached to detach the table with fumbling fingers. Sakura eyed her acts for a moment before she said, "Stay here and take a break. I'll do the surgery."

"But Sakura…"

"I'll do the surgery. You sit down."

Tsunade fell back into a chair and Sakura rolled the gurney towards the double doors. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi had been standing watching the scene take place and all three moved aside when Sakura came streaming past. She hadn't even noticed them.

A nurse nudged Tsunade briefly before the woman looked up and responded. "Yes?"

"Has she ever done a surgery of this nature before?"

"No," said Tsunade shortly.

"Don't you think someone should assist—"

"You go. But I doubt she will need any help. She's practiced on cadavers and she's a fast learner. She has instinct for it. She'll be fine."

The nurse nodded in affirmative and then quickly left the room.

Tsunade sighed and held her head in her hands. Exhaustion and overwork were blatantly displayed on her features. The hospital doors burst open again and a young EMT ran in.

"We're out," she said, gasping for air. "There's no more blood in the bank."

"Alright," said Tsunade rising to her feet. "Is anyone here B negative?"

Kakashi came forward. "I am."

Tsunade glanced towards him. "Alright. You're coming with me."

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Please review everyone. And yes, I realize there was not a lot of Kakashi/Sakura action here but it will come in due time.