Withered Black Flower:

By:Terrified of Logic
Beta-ed by the ama-zing Kisa Kisa Yum Yum
And now help and collabing with the awesome KinkyK and JazzyJ

The words on the page swam and blurred before her eyes. The fatigue from last night was catching up and her body was feeling the strenuous effects of it. Her head ached, her arms throbbed, she felt like collapsing from the lack of chakra and her mind was in turmoil from last night's events and stress from Naruto's and Sasuke's dinner. She knew she had to rest- revitalize, even for two hours, but the determination to find Tsunade's cure drove her stamina well beyond her limits.

Several hours ago, civilians were rushed into hospital for severe burns and broken bones. Apparently, the new Akatsuki also know as Team Taka had exploded several houses. It was cruel and malicious and not under the agreement terms in fighting war, besides the war was supposed to be on temporary cease-fire. Did the attack breach the agreement? Probably. Then she probably had to sort it out and write a formal letter to Team Taka re-declaring war.

But at the moment Konoha was not in a state to fight nor did it have the necessary weaponry and nin to assist the war. The little boy she had been operating on had had his arm amputated, in the process the last of the anesthetic had worn off. The operation had been complicated because of the way the arm had been burnt and twisted, taking far too long and by the time the boy had come to, the doctors including Sakura had still been operating on him. The pain was too much and the boy had started screaming; he soon died from shock.

It was the first time a patient had ever died at Sakura's hands. This was why she had been renowned for being the best medic-nin. After the last breath had been breathed there was a silence. An almost accusatory look passed around the operating table, what had happened? What went wrong this time? The moment was brief but it was enough for Sakura to feel nauseous and guilty. The medic-nins quickly carried the boy to the morgue while others cleaned up and tried to aid other patients affected by the explosions.

Sakura herself just stood at the operating table, staring at the place where the boy had lain, previously alive though in agony, she had seen blood before but it had never been this vivid. She hadn't known it to be this crimson. Failure. The words resonated in her head and a lump formed in her throat. Fighting it back she stifled a moan. Three years… she couldn't face failure.

Not when she had learnt so much and proved herself to be so able. Not when she had finally earned her recognition through scientific and medical breakthrough.

In fact, she hadn't failed since she was…twelve.

"Sakura," A soft voice prodded her in the side.

"Oh good, you're awake." Another voice said.

Sakura came to, slowing opening her eyes and looked at her visitors. A shock of orange clothing and brown hair made her focus slightly.

"Naruto, Donguri…what are you doing here?" She asked and winced, her throat was dry and it made her voice raspy. She sat up straighter and glared at Naruto.

"Naruto come here."

"Why-ow!" He winced and rubbed his arm where she had punched him.

"That was for your appalling behavior at dinner, there was absolutely no need for you to have 'accidently' spilt water on Sasuke's shirt nor," She continued emphatically as Naruto sniffed, "Nor was there any reason for you to have flicked peas at him after you had eaten them."

At this point Donguri started to giggle behind her palm.

"He started it." Naruto mumbled petulantly.

"I don't care if he started it, you should be the mature adult and not lower yourself to his standards." Sakura crossed her arms.

"…Bah. Fine," throwing his arms into the air he exhaled, "anyway, the reason why we came to you is the Village is starting to become restless and the villagers are planning on rioting tonight. They say it's the shinobi's fault the Village was attacked and people injured. Also, Donguri and I have agreed that you're working too hard." Donguri nodded after this statement, eyebrows furrowing.

"Seriously Sakura chan, too much work is not good for your body. I know we're in the middle of warfare and Tsunade sama is lame, but you deserve some rest- and don't say you're fine," she said as she saw Sakura's head start to shake and open her mouth, "your eyes have this permanently tired look, you haven't changed in two days and you've written so many notes your right hand is twitching. Admit it Sakura, you're sleep deprived."

Sakura inhaled and closed her eyes, releasing the breath she held in.

"Let's just put it this way, if you're not in bed in an hour, I'm going to tie you to your bed. With my chakra infused ropes." he added with a wicked smile.

"…Fine." And this time it was Sakura's turn to throw her arms into the air. She picked up her bag and crouched on the window sill.

"Don't even try to sneak work away with you!" Naruto shouted after her as she disappeared in a blink of an eye.

Her desk had been miraculously cleared of all paperwork; Donguri met his eye and she shrugged her shoulders.

"She's impossible."

Sakura did indeed return home but she didn't go to sleep yet. Dropping her bag on the kitchen table she open the fridge and pulled out a beer, but she didn't open it. Condensation formed and ran down the sides, but even a cold can of beer did not tempt her to pause and drink it. Setting the can down she walked upstairs to her room and the door was miraculously open this time.

Standing in the shadows, she observed Sasuke sitting at the window, silent and absolutely still. He didn't seem like a man infected by poison or in fact, had any disabilities at all. She knew he could sense her, but he didn't say anything. She glared at him. Why did she let him in the house anyway? Why was she tending to him any how… she ignored the tiny voice in her head that had started to reason with her.

"You might as well just talk if you have something to say, instead of staring from the shadows." Sasuke spoke curtly from his seat.

Sakura narrowed her eyes further and without a sound spun on her heel and left the corridor.

The little voice in her head grew louder.

The reason why you're so upset is because even after all these years, you still want his respect and admiration…I know I'm right. Don't even try to deny it…

Sakura leant against the wall, legs barely supporting her body weight. Then abruptly slamming her head back in frustration, a sob escaped her lips. She rubbed furiously at her eyes. "Don't cry. Don't be a baby." She told herself off severely. "Don't you dare cry." She hissed quietly, eyes shut tight. But despite her words, tears rolled down her cheeks. Letting her legs give in, she slid down the wall and cradled her head loosely between knees, arms at her sides.

If anyone could see her now she was the ultimate picture of hope that had died, courage that had waned and strength that had deteriorated. In other words she had failed herself and she was weak. The very image she had sought to change and rectify.

She awoke to the sound of the evening bird's song. She sat up, the throw blanket falling around her. Putting on her shirt she yawned. The couch and living room had turned into her room temporarily. She needed to work. She had lost so many hours and needed to make up for it. Deciding to skip dinner she settled herself at the dining room table, strewn with books and papers. It was just as she had left it last night before the crisis.

The crisis… she refused to think about it. Thinking about it would be admitting that she had failed and that would not happen again.

Dragging a book toward her, she picked up where she had left off, Poisons and Chemical Through the Ages, chapter fifty-three.

"Sakura… oh Sakura." he said while trailing off. He was really hoping that she was taking a nap or something. He didn't think it was possible for someone to fall asleep in the position she was in and stay asleep. Her head was resting flat in the middle of some medical book he couldn't see. It was obvious she was over working herself again even after he told her to take a break. It was upsetting to see her this way. Falling asleep where ever she went, looking physically and mentally stressed, the new age lines that were now present on her face, and the constant dark cloud that seemed to loom over her.

Where was that smile, those sparkling fresh eyes, her shining hair, her laughter, everything. Where was the old Sakura? But more importantly, where the hell was Sasuke? They live in the same house together. He was positive that Sasuke had seen her in this position and he decided to just leave her there. Pfft, jerk. Naruto's anger quickly fueled and his eyes darted to the hall. He considered shouting Sasuke's name and making a big deal about it till he remembered Sakura was asleep.

He considered picking her up and moving her, usually when he woke her up, she got up and went back to stressing herself out with work she didn't need. While contemplating what to do with her, he didn't notice the other presence that had just entered the room.

"What are you doing here?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder with slight disgust evident on his face. "I came to check up on my friend and to see if she was getting rest. Obviously she isn't."

Sasuke tersely looked at Sakura. "She's asleep isn't she? That's called resting, idiot."

"She's asleep face down in a book. That's not resting. Why didn't you move her or something?"

"I wasn't aware that I was her baby sitter." he mumbled while reaching for a cup in the kitchen.

His left eye began to twitch and his fist started to ball. "You aren't the baby sitter, but she's definitely baby sitting you against her will. The least you can do is actually give a damn about her."

Sasuke didn't bother to face him. He just continued to make tea and disregarded the blonde like he usually did.

Naruto rolled his eyes and went back to focusing on Sakura. He ignored the fact that she would wake up in his arms as he carried her back to her room. He slowly moved the book from underneath her head and was able to maneuver her into his arms without causing to stir as much as he thought. She snuggled closer into his arms and he tried not to chuckle. She was really worn out.

She woke up to pain and noise. Her head was pounding, her neck had a kink in it, and she heard shouting. It took Sakura a moment to gather her surroundings. She was in her bed, wearing the clothes from yesterday and her body felt horrible. Her eyes drifted over to the clock on her night stand. It was twelve in the afternoon. What was she doing in bed at time like this? She had work to do.

That thought suddenly vanished when she heard the shouting again. It was obviously Naruto was in the middle of a heated argument with Sasuke, whose voice you could barely even hear over the curses and insults. What they were talking about was something she couldn't comprehend. Key words like jerk and Sakura were said especially loud. At least they weren't having a full out battle to the death. Shouting was fine since it was all she could handle.

She attempted to mumble something to herself, but instead nothing came out. Sakura ended up clearing her throat and going to get a cup of water from the bathroom to get her voice back. She quickly dismissed her appearance in the mirror and went out to face the boys. As soon as she stepped out, she was greeted by Naruto's lovely voice.

"You're just a fucking jerk!"

"Why do you keep telling me the same thing over and over? I think I would know this by now." he retorted while looking at the blonde.

His eyes narrowed. "I'm telling you, because you obviously can't get it through your head. You need to stop acting like one."

"You need to stop telling me what to do and get out this house." he shot back with a glare.

Sakura looked at both of them from the hallway and walked close enough to make her presence known. Both boys stopped their staring contest and looked at her. "Can I please know why the both of you are arguing now?"

"Sasuke's a jerk. That's all you need to know."

"Naruto's just finding petty, irrelevant things to make an argument."

She gaze drifted between the two of them and she shook her head. She was still too tired to shout and pound on Naruto. She still had that slight neck pain and she could feel the pounding in her head through her body. This was a time for words not violence. "Any how, Naruto what are you doing here?"

"I came to check up on you and to see if you were taking a break. I wasn't that shocked to find you face down in book at the dinning room table." he stated with a small grin.

Sakura looked at the table and saw her material spread out. When she woke up she thought she had fallen asleep in her bed, but was too tired to take her clothes off. "So you moved me to my bed?"

"Yup, I didn't want your body to be in any more pain than it already was."

"Thanks," she said with a smile, "is there anything I can do for you right now?"

He smiled. "Of course there is. Keep your ass in bed and work there. At least you won't fall asleep hunched over in a chair. And you don't have to worry about someone moving you to someplace more comfortable." he trailed off while looking at Sasuke. He in turn, rolled his eyes and left the room.

Sakura watch Sasuke retreat and sighed. "Fine, I'll take your advice, but first I need to go out into to town and do some shopping. I'm low on a couple things. Plus I need something to get rid of the pain in my body. I'm thinking chakra pills."

"Can I come along?"

She smiled. "What kind of trip to the store would it be without Naruto telling me what to buy."

She sighed to herself as she unloaded the groceries. With Naruto and herself combined they were able to get in and out pretty fast. Even with him constantly dragging her to buy junk, things he wanted, and random stuff that would obviously go to waste. He offered to help unload the stuff, but truthfully she just wanted peace and quiet. Her body still ached from her sleeping position earlier and she still wanted to work with her medical books. For her, she was wasting time by doing little things like shopping and hanging out. She wanted that antidote in her hands and fast. But to a poison that she had never even seen or heard about...it was a difficult task to make an imaginary antidote.

She shook her head clear of the thoughts and almost had a mini heart attack when she noticed Sasuke lying on the couch looking at her. She was so caught up in her own thoughts she didn't even notice him. He wasn't a ninja for nothing. Sakura occasionally forgot that he lived with her until she got home. He didn't cross her mind as much you think. He was an important and key figure at the moment in time, but at the same time, she was drowning in work and obligations that he seemed like an insignificant ant in a busy forest.

"Do you need anything?" she murmurmed after she broke their eye contact.

He looked at her a moment more before shaking his head, turning to look out the window.

She nodded and then looked at the kitchen clock. Three in the afternoon. She needed to start working on dinner by six, so she only had three hours to skim her books. Three was good, but she still wanted to check on her shishou. Even though she knew that as soon as she'd walk into that hospital, she'd have the urge to work herself to the bone.

Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke looking at her once more. "Came I help you with something?" she asked with slight annoyance. She hated being stared at, no matter who it was. He shrugged and looked back down at the magazine in his hands. She instantly got frustrated and went back to packing things in their rightful places. Every so often she would look up, and he would be looking. It was driving her insane. "Look Sasuke, either you have something to say or you don't. Why are you looking at me?"

He gave her a glance over before speaking. "You look really over worked."

Her eyebrows rose. Why would he care about how she looked? "I am if it wasn't obvious enough. Why do you care?"

"You asked why are you looking at me. I'm looking at you because I'm surprised you're still functioning properly."

"Functioning properly after what? No sleep or…." she trailed.

"After losing rest and your personal life over looking for an antidote for me."

Her slightly twitched. "Don't forget, this isn't just for you. Tsunade needs it just as much as you do, in fact she needs it more. Remember I'm only helping you because you asked nicely. If it wasn't for that, I honestly would help you at all." She turned around to start making tea in anger. Uchiha's and their huge ego's. When she turned around to reach for a cup, he was only a couple inches away. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not in the mood Sasuke."

He looked down on her. "So are you saying, if it came down to it, and you had one antidote, you would choose Tsunade?"

She slightly tensed at the question, because in reality she didn't know the answer. Tsunade was her teacher and Hokage, Sasuke was someone she loved and cared for deeply, a teammate, and Naruto's best friend. Even if they weren't on good terms yet, he was still important. "As of right now, I couldn't choose," she said truthfully, "but you need to stay on my good side. Cause if you fuck up, Tsunade will definitely be chosen over you, no problem. Then you definitely won't be able to continue with your plans to destroy Konoha, could you? " Sakura finished with venom before shoving past the Uchiha towards her room.

Once she was in her room, the realization of what she said to Sasuke hit her like a truck. She was still tired and irritable and snapped on accident. A couple times she felt like she needed to go back and apologize, but it was Sasuke. He never apologized for anything he said or did to her and Naruto. He wasn't worth it. It would be a waste of breath and time.

She shrugged it off and after going through her nin-pack she withdrew two soldier pills and kept a chakra in her pocket. She winced and the dusty, almost musky taste of blood and swallowed the crushed remans of the pill. It was three forty, time for her to check on her teacher and get back as fast as possible to get to work. She wanted improvement in her studies, to be one step closer to the cure, instead of sitting there with papers of notes and dead ends. By the end of the night, she wanted to feel like she was doing something right and not wasting her time.

Sakura sat in the hospital cafeteria with a cup of steaming coffee and a blueberry muffin. She honestly didn't know why she grabbed it. It might have been just to take Tsunade off her mind. Her teacher was in the same state she always was, unmoving and unresponsive, the sight still upset her like the first time. Plus she fought the urge to stay and help out with the couple of patients that walked in. She needed to get back home, work on dinner, ignore Sasuke, and work on this cure. It never left her mind.

"What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay home." Naruto said while sitting down next to her.

She glanced at him and rolled her eyes. "Why are you even here? I'm sure you have a life."

"I do, but Kinomi dragged me to the hospital with her. She wanted to check up on someone."

Sakura nodded. "I thought Donguri said she was in a fussy mood."

He shrugged. "She didn't seem all that fussy when I saw her at Ichiraku and asked me to come with her."

"Maybe the two of them had a fight." she mumbled before reaching for her coffee.

He gave another shrug. "Maybe, you girls can fight about anything."

Sakura gave him a look out the corner of her eye. "So can you boys."

"Not true! Me and Sasuke would never have a fight over a girl or how one of us looks better than the other or about clothes and crap like that," he emphasized while tugging on clothes and pointing to his face, "plus are you gonna eat that muffin?"

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Take it Naruto. And boys can still fight about anything, just not the same things girls fight about."

"She has a point Naruto." Kinomi said as she came up from behind.

Naruto tried to swallow the muffin down, before replying. "Two girls against one guy, not fair in an argument."

The two girls gave each other a look. "Anyways," Kinomi started while sitting down, "how are you Sakura?"

"I'm good I guess. How about you?" she answered

She raised an eyebrow. "You guess? Well I've been better. I don't feel like going into it, but yeah." she finished with a small smile.

Sakura nodded. "I understand. Who'd you come to visit here?"

"An old friend, but enough about me. How's searching for the cure, living with Sasuke, and are you even getting enough rest? You look nice, but you still look physically tired."

Her pink eyebrows raised at her forwardness. "Well um, I haven't got much progress with finding the antidote. I'm still searching non stop and loosing rest over it."

"Definitely. I found her face down in a book earlier today." Naruto claimed with a small grin.

Sakura glared and Kinomi giggled. "Sasuke didn't move you?"

"Same thing I said to him! He's a jerk. I ended moving her myself." he said while smiling at the memory.

She sighed. "It's Sasuke, what do you expect. And living with him… is a little complicated, but doable for the time being. And no, I'm not really getting rest. I just can't stop thinking about finding the cure so I lose rest and stuff over it."

"Hm, thats believable. But do you even know what you're gonna do once you find the cure? Like are you gonna try to make more of it and keep it in the hospital just incase?" she asked with interest.

Sakura opened her mouth and stopped. She never really thought that far. She just thought about finding the cure, not patenting it and trying to make more. "I'm not sure exactly. I obviously thought of making enough so that I can cure my teacher, but I never thought about making more to save it."

Naruto's blue eyes widened. "Wait… you're not gonna cure Sasuke?"

"Huh, oh yeah, I forgot he was sick." she mumbled quickly before she reached for her coffee. Which wasn't a total lie. Sasuke looked and functioned fine. He didn't seem like him immune system was being slowly attacked from the inside.

Kinomi raised her eyebrows. "Is Sasuke even worth curing? I mean, I can tell he's a jerk, and he's done some fucked up stuff to you guys, and barely even gives a damn about the two of you. Is he worth it?" she finished while giving glances between the two of them.

Naruto and Sakura shared a look. The question obviously caught them off guard. Was Sasuke worth it? He obviously wasn't, but… they just couldn't do that to him. They were a team and shared memories, he still held a place in their hearts, but was he still worth it? Definitely not.

Sakura looked down at her watch. Five thirty. She needed to start dinner and begin on the journey of over working herself and losing sleep. She gave them both a small smile. "I'm sorry, but I have to go." She hurriedly grabbed her cup and the couple of books she grabbed from her office and quickly walked away.

Kinomi and Naruto made eye contact. "Do you think she doesn't wanna help him?"

He opened his mouth and replied slowly. "… I honestly don't know. I mean, she use to have feelings for him and everything."

"Well, since I'm a girl, and we know each other so well," she started with narrowed eyes at him, "I don't think she'll help him if he keeps acting like an arrogant jerk."

"Well yeah… It's just, I don't see her being that mean to not help him." he said with a slight sad tone of voice.

She nodded and reached for his piece of uneaten muffin. "True, but I don't see her helping him unless he changes how he acts to her."

Naruto scowled at her eating his muffin, but looked at Sakura retreating through the door. Maybe Kinomi was right. Maybe Sakura won't heal Sasuke. Maybe things won't end well for the former Team Seven.