Chapter 2 Right Place Right Time

Sakura smiled at the prospect of returning to the Hidden Leaf Village. It had been far too long and difficult mission. She had been worried about the mission since her team consisted of two that had been under Orochimaru's influence but who better to track the Sannin down. They had been able to gather quite a bit of important intelligence on his movements though they had run into some of his followers but had also had their share of close calls. Sasuke and Naruto wanted to take the mission a step further and actually go after Orochimaru. Thankfully Sakura and Anko stated that what they had learned needed to be delivered immediately as well as needed to rest and organize a plan of attack. Not even Naruto could argue with that.

Anko put up her hand to signaling the rest to halt. The group landed on the branches of one of the taller trees in the area.

"What is it?" asked Naruto

"We are in the Land of Rain," replied Anko scouting the area, "This country isn't the most stable which lends itself to being a haven for criminals and missing-nin. So we need to keep our guard up."

"Hai!" all three said and nodded in unison.

"Also I'm starving" she said with a grin and jumped down from the tree to land softly barely making a sound on the grass. She rummaged through her pack producing four pre-packaged meals that were customary for ninjas to carry on away missions.

"Ah that's a woman after my own heart," Naruto said landing next Anko not so quietly as she had.

Sasuke jumped down gracefully making it look like he was just stepping down from a step stool. "Naruto all you think about is food." He made it sound like a reprimand but a small smile escaped his lips. He had really changed, Sakura noticed, since his return to the village. He wasn't so cold and distance. He didn't talk much about the time he had spent with Orochimaru but Sakura figured that Sasuke glimpsed the dark future in store for him if he followed that path and the passion that his friends showed in saving him. No matter how much one tries to be emotionless things like that have a profound impact on a person.

"Sakura," Naruto called up to her bringing her out of her thoughts, "if you don't hurry I'm going to eat yours."

She was in mid step when she felt something familiar. It was like an old friend she hadn't seen in a long time grab her shoulder. The familiarity was accompanied by a sense of dread and urgency. It must have shown in her face because in a split second Sasuke was next her.

"What is it? Enemies?" he asked his eyes already small red spheres.

Anko looked at her food and shook her head in disappointment. "Talk about terrible timing"

"Not enemies," Sakura said quickly. There was no need to alarm her teammates. She hadn't heard or seen anything, it was just a feeling. "But I think we should take a look over there." She pointed to a spot were some trees had been cut or knocked over. Now that she looked closely there was evidence of a fight.

The four of them made their way jumping from branch to branch quickly but with caution. Sakura didn't think there was danger but a ninja must always assume the worst.

The scene in front of their eyes was horrific. Corpses laid on the ground bloodied and in some cases too mutilated that it was hard to distinguish as human. There was no mistaking the uniforms and masks they wore though. They were Leaf Village ANBU.

Sakura saw through the corner of her eye, Naruto clench his fists in anger at the savages that had done this. She knew exactly how he felt. As a medical ninja, her job was to save lives. A small hope sprang in her heart even though her brain was telling her it was stupid to hope. There might be some alive and in need of her abilities. She ran to the nearest body and felt for a pulse. None.

"Sakura, it's useless. They are all dead," Anko said sadly looking at the heaps of bodies that were once proud elite ninjas.

"I have to check. I won't give up hope," she stated fiercely. Naruto had rubbed off on her and she was grateful for it. She checked one after the other. Putting her index and middle fingers on their necks for the faintest sign of a heart beat just to feel the coldness of death. The warmth of hope that had filled her heart was giving way to cold despair. She reach a man that was a few feet from the others his ANBU mask was askew revealing a cloth mask underneath. Sakura gasped recognizing it instantly.

"Please, let him be alive, please" she pleaded. She got to her knees. Her eyes closed tightly and holding her breath she touched his neck with her fingers.

Thump…Thump…Thump.

Her eyes snapped opened. It was faint but it was there, a heartbeat.

"He is alive!" she yelled. The joy and relief made her voice something between a cry and a laugh. The others came running to where the man lay.

"Kakashi!" Anko exclaimed.

"Kakashi-sensai!" shouted Naruto and Sasuke.

There was no time to lose. Sakura ribbed open Kakashi shirt. The bruises she saw on his chest meant that he had at least two broken ribs and by his labored breathing one may have puncture a lung. place her ear to his heart. She followed the sound of the blood coursing through his veins until she reach the sever femoral artery. Both injuries were serious and could be fatal. He had lost a lot of blood. Who knew how long he had been laying here bleeding out. She needed to stop the bleeding from his leg first.

Sakura focused her chakra into her hands, which began to glow with a soft green light. She put her hands on Kakashi right left. Using the chakra to slow the blood flow so he wouldn't loss anymore blood. She carefully closed but the artery and restored the blood flow. He might not be able to use that leg for a while but it should return to full strength. Next she focused on his mending his ribs. Carefully removing the piece that had pierced his lung and closed the hole. His breathing relaxed and his heartbeat become stronger. She wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.

"He will be out of it for a day or so and he need plenty of rest once he wakes up but he should fully recovered," Sakura said smiling up at the three worried faces. All three pairs of shoulders relaxed with relief at hearing the good prognosis. "We need to get him to shelter and not move him until he wakes though."

Without hesitating Naruto performed his shadow clone jutsu. The six Narutos picked up Kakashi gently while Anko and Sasuke went to step up camp.

Kakashi was moved into the tent that usually would be the sleeping quarters for the four them. The others took their sleeping bags and placed them around the tent where they could keep watch. Sakura stayed with Kakashi in the tent so she could monitor him. He would need around the clock observing for the next 24 hours.

Sakura was laying out her medical supplies and tools on a small folding table next to Kakashi's cot when Anko walked with a basin of water.

"Where do you want this?" she asked lifting the basin up a bit to show what she was talking about.

Sakura turned to face the front of the tent where Anko was standing. "Umm right here," she said motioning to the table. "Thanks for bring the water. I have to get his other wounds cleaned and then bandaged him up."

The older kunoichi placed her hand on the younger kunoichi's shoulder. "Good work," with that Anko lifted the flap of the tent and walked out into the night.

"I'm not done yet," Sakura told herself.

She picked up a small towel, dipped it into the water, and began cleaning Kakashi's wounds. She healed the deeper ones. Sakura was forced to keep undressing him to be able to work on all his injuries. In the heat of the moment when she ripped his shirt open, she hadn't really thought about it since it was life or death. He wasn't on the verge of death when every second counted and any hesitation would have meant the end. Now she was all to aware that before her was a nearly naked man with only a thin towel between them. What made it even more awkward was not just that it was man, she had treated many injured men. She had extracted a deadly poison from Kankuro of the Sand four years ago. This was not any man, this was her sensei. As her hands glided over his body she realized that she never really had taken a good look at him. Well, no she wouldn't have most of her time back then was spent staring at Sasuke. She noticed that Kakashi was lean but very muscle. His skin was smooth and surprisingly soft for a man. He was pretty much hairless except for a little trail of white hair that started right below his belly button and lead down underneath his boxers. Her eyes lingered at where the trail of hair lead.

"Sakura snap out of it," her inner self shouted, "That's Kakashi-sensei! I know you are nineteen now and have never been with man. But come on now get hold of yourself."

She moved her eyes upwards to avert them from where they might get her into trouble. They rested on his masked face. Sakura hadn't needed to remove the mask since most of his wounds had been to his chest and legs. How many times I had she wondered what was underneath that mask? She smiled remembering the time when Sasuke, Naruto and she had tried to get Kakashi to take off his mask in front of them. They almost succeed when they treated to him lunch if Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji hadn't step in the way. And the reaction of the waitress who had seen his face had made Sakura even more curious has to what Kakashi was hiding under that mask. This was her chance to take a peek and no one would be the wiser.

She reached up her hand and slip a finger over the edge of the dark cloth. Pausing a moment she whispered, "Time to see you whole face, Kakashi-sensai"

At that every moment Kakashi stirred and he uttered "Sa..ku..ra"

Sakura froze her finger still hooked on the mask. "Did he just say my name? Did he hear me?" Whatever the case was she had lost her nerve to unmask him. She withdrew her hand and decided to busy herself by prepare a syringe with a strong painkiller for when he wake up. She would try to see him as a patient and nothing more.