-18-
„Often an entire city has suffered because of an evil man."
Hesiod (800 BC), Works and Days
„Genius might be described as a supreme capacity for getting its possessors into trouble of all kinds.
Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902)
„So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for people to work."
Peter Drucker (1909 - 2005)
It was a late afternoon, when Sakura literally ran into Sasuke's office, interfering with his speech to the team.
"Sasuke, why is-" she stopped as she saw three people, ready to leave and standing in front of Sasuke like soldiers.
"Oh, sorry…I'll…wait outdoors" she flashed an excuse smile.
"Nah, we're done anyway" Sasuke shrugged.
"Uchiha, are you sure?" Shikamaru cocked his eyebrow.
"Definitely" Sasuke nodded "now go and have some rest"
"Oh, rest from what? Hiding our lack of activity from Tsunade?" Karin pursed her lips "and what will you do?" her gaze travelled up and down Sakura's long, red skirt-covered legs and long-sleeved, red blouse.
"Make Itachi's life miserable, obviously" Sasuke smirked "now, out you go" he emphasized the last word.
"Right, right, we're going" Temari sighed "just when you get in trouble, don't blame us" she warned.
"You're supportive as ever" Sasuke noted ironically, watching his teammates leaving.
"Where are they going?" Sakura asked when all three left.
"I gave them a week off" Sasuke shrugged.
"But, Sasuke, this is dange-WHA! What are you doing?!" Sakura almost yelled when Sasuke caught her by the wrist and dragged out to the corridor.
"I'm taking you someplace safe to talk" Sasuke explained and they both hurried down the hallway. When they reached the right door, Sasuke opened them and pushed Sakura in. He locked the door with a key from the inside and turned the light on.
"Nice place" Sakura complimented ironically, looking around shelve-stuck cubbyhole "is this really necessary?"
"Well, the way you ran in, I suppose you already know that Itachi is working here, right?"
"Right. So, what the hell is going on in that retarded head of yours?"
"I got an evil plan" Sasuke widened his eyes at her, but couldn't stop smirking.
"Is it cunning?"
"Very"
"Great. Now add another paragraph into your plan: TALKING to Itachi"
"Sorry, babe, Itachi isn't exactly known for skills in diplomacy. Actually, neither am I"
"So, you're just going to do…what? Turn an entire hospital and its staff into a battlefield?"
"Devious, I know" Sasuke frowned his forehead "how did you find out anyway?"
"My…friend told me. Why?"
"Was it that paper-face guy?"
"Yeah" Sakura said slowly "why?"
"How does he know?"
"I don't know" Sakura shrugged "he usually knows a lot out of nowhere"
"Right. So, is there something else you'd like to say?"
"Besides GO TALK TO ITACHI?" Sakura arched an eyebrow,
"Yes"
"No, why are you-" Sakura had to shut up, because Sasuke swung in with a kiss and slowly pushed Sakura against the only wall what wasn't covered with shelves.
"This place has its purpose here, you know" he said with a devious smirk.
"So I figured" Sakura kissed him too, slowly moving her hands under Sasuke's shirt "is this the reason you brought me here?"
"This and I didn't want Itachi to see us. Cause, you know, then he'll start his bullshit again and then I'll have to punch him and then we'll end up-"
"I get it" Sakura put her finger on Sasuke's lips "now, Uchiha, shut up, do me and go talk to Itachi"
"You're ruing it" Sasuke said, moving up her thigh, right under the skirt.
"Sorry, but this is the only way to deal with you" Sakura let out a laugh, already sounding like a purring cat.
"Devious" Sasuke smirked and kissed her neck.
"I know" Sakura said and moaned as Sasuke moved his hand under the panties.
"Keep it down" he warned her in a whisper.
"If I can help it"
-x-
2 days later…
The entire third floor was shacking from a high sound of electro guitar…and it all came from no other office than with the sign "Sasuke Uchiha M.D." on the door.
What's worse, everybody made way for angry Tsunade Senjou, who literally flied through the hallway. She pushed Sasuke's door open and watched how he plays a black, flying V guitar, connected to the huge stereo speaker on the floor. Sasuke's black shirt said: Pop-music pisses the hell off me.
As Sasuke finished, Tsunade started to speak.
"Have you got any idea of what you're doing now?" she asked. Sasuke shrugged and played another little piece. He stopped again and Tsunade talked.
"Where's your team?" she demanded.
"We all agreed that we're tired of endless work, so I gave them a seven-day off" Sasuke shrugged again and played another piece.
Pause.
"You had no authority to do that"
"My name on the door, my department, my staff" Sasuke explained.
Another piece.
Pause.
"My building, my floor, my people. And don't play dumb, Uchiha"
Another piece.
Tsunade sighed and walked to the speaker. She unplugged the wire and waved it in front of Sasuke's nose.
"You've spent the last ten days, doing absolutely nothing. Concert is over"
"In which twisted universe does a mastering Jimi Hendrix two-finger vertigo count as absolutely nothing?" Sasuke cocked an eyebrow, clearly stating that Tsunade was making zero sense to him.
"And before the concert started?" Tsunade rammed fists into her hips.
"I had my team doing research" Sasuke shrugged.
"On crosswords. Is that your idea of a research?"
"It does a particularly good influence"
"Uchiha, this hospital is on the verge of receiving one HUNDRED million dollars, to do a real, advanced research and you are spending your time, getting laid in a janitor's closet!"
"Ups. You know, it's hard to control myself, when I'm caffeine-free. Not that you'd understand"
"Ok, listen, you will solve this" Tsunade threw a file on Sasuke's desk "the woman has an unexplained hand paralysis and has just lost her sight. And it's not vascular or drugs"
"Breast cancer" Sasuke shrugged.
"She doesn't have breasts" Tsunade sighed. Sasuke's eyes widened.
"Ok…this is going to be a tough case. I have almost no knowledge of alien physiology"
"I don't mean literally. She had an inherit breast-tissue cancer and took a surgery to remove the infected area"
"Admirable. So it's renewed. Can I go back to the concert now that I diagnosed her?"
"No, you will check on her"
"I can't, I don't have a team" Sasuke shrugged.
"Then call them back!" Tsunade yelled.
"What for, I don't have a case"
"Yes, you do. And if you're not able to work with your brother, go and set things straight with him. TALK to him!"
"No wonder Sakura is your friend. You pronounce the word "talk" in the same manner" Sasuke tsk-ed "I heard that one way too many times"
"Then don't listen to me, listen to her. TALK to him" Tsunade whirled around and walked towards the door.
"If I talk to him, can I go back to playing guitar?"
"No"
"If I give up the guitar, could you talk to him?"
"NO! You have to deal with your problems. No matter how much of a jerk your brother is. Actually, being a socially handicapped jerk runs in your family, so, I don't think there'll be much problem communicating with him"
"Interesting, I never thought Itachi could overcome Jiraya in bed. Cause, from the manner you talk about him, I'd say he didn't even ride you till-"
"Go to hell, Uchiha. SOLVE the case and TALK to Itachi. Oh, and while you're at it, CALL your team back" and she left with a whirl of the wind.
Man, that was annoying. Guess Itachi's mangina really didn't serve its purpose. Gross!
-x-
Ino entered the hotel room she and Sai practically lived in and collapsed on the bed. Then she sat up again and began removing her jewelry, putting rings on a cabinet by the bed. Sai walked out of the bathroom and watched her for a while.
"Where were you?" he suddenly asked, no emotions whatsoever in his voice.
"Oh, just another model, wanting to get a shot in Paris" Ino said lazily "I had to literally push her through. Those Frenchmen have such high standards it's not even funny. And the girl is perfectly-shaped too"
"Interesting. Since your last call was from Konoha Hospital. I'm confused" Sai walked over to her and looked down, no emotions on his face "is there something wrong?"
"N-no, why would there be. I was just…looking for investors there" Ino said, a little nervously "you know, some doctors are incredibly rich these days"
"Yes, especially Itachi Uchiha. Pity he's not a famous doctor"
"Itachi? What makes you think I-"
"Enough" Sai said calmly and pushed her back, making her fall on the bed "you cut Itachi a way to Konoha's Medical Committee, didn't you?"
"What? Why would I-"
"Don't lie" Sai said in the same, calm manner "you pushed him through, to ruin hospital's business"
"NO! Itachi would never-"
"Harm his own business? No" Sai narrowed his eyes, looking straight to Ino's baby blues "but harming his own brother wouldn't do any harm to his business, would it?"
"I don't understand. Why are you saying this!" Ino looked at him with a flashes of fear on hr entire, shaking body.
"Oh, I'm sure you do" Sai kneeled on bed and trapped Ino between himself and the bed "you helped Itachi, because you knew he's going to cause trouble to his own brother. Now, I wouldn't have said anything, but" Sai make a pause "his girlfriend being my best friend kinda DOES make it my business"
"And what are you going to do, huh?" Ino demanded, provokingly lifting her chin.
"Not much I can do about that business stuff" Sai explained, still calm as ice "I'll leave that to Sasuke, he's quite good at power-play games, from what I heard. However, I still can banish the bitch who directly caused it"
Silence.
Ino looked at the man she loved and couldn't recognize him anymore. Sai was cold, emotionless, empty…not even fake-smiling as he usually did. No. This can't be happening. No.
Sai suddenly grabbed Ino by her waist and turned her over, attaching himself to her back. He leaned forward, to reach her ear, and whispered.
"Do you know the difference between making love and rape?" he asked. Ino's eyes widened. Everything around her suddenly became cold and paralyzing.
"No" she whispered mutely.
"Raping hurts"
"Please…"
-x-
"So that was your master plan?" Naruto widened his eyes at Sasuke, when they and Hinata were sitting at a small café, eating lunch.
"I suppose Tsunade wasn't too happy" Hinata giggled silently.
"Are you kidding? She was delighted with joy" Sasuke announced ironically.
"I tell you. When I'm not around, you come up with the strangest ideas no man could ever think of" Naruto complained and dug chopsticks into his ramen noodles.
"Right. And when you're around, everything's under control? Don't make me laugh" Sasuke shrugged and dug his fork into a bowl of salad "you screw things up worse than I do"
"Sasuke, you still haven't talked to Itachi" Hinata reminded him the painful truth.
"Ah, well…" Sasuke rubbed his hair. Hinata had this power to make him feel uncomfortable about things and even awaken buried feelings of guilt. Good thing I pushed her under Naruto. I'd have ended up like a puppy dog with guilt-print management issues "I'll talk to him as soon as I see a proper opportunity"
"Which will never come!" Naruto yelled, pointing chopsticks at him "and you will do everything to make Ze Oborzunity disappear like my patient's tuber last Christmas"
"Idiot, the tuber didn't disappear. You just seemed gloomy for no reason that I switched X-rays to make you get out of your gloom" Sasuke scoffed, followed by Hinata's giggle.
"Not funny! I was really petrified, you know?!"
"Oh yeah, only that I did the petrifying, cause I was amazed of how fast you can run around the hospital, screaming your lungs out" Hinata and Sasuke now both giggled.
"Something fun that I missed?" Sakura asked as she approached the three. She gave a short kiss to Sasuke and hugged Hinata and Naruto "so, what's up?"
"Nah, it's nothing. Just Naruto, running around naked" Sasuke smirked.
"HEY!" Naruto yelled. The rest laughed.
The waiter served glasses of juice to the four and Sakura spoke a toast.
"So, this is to us. And also to some of us, who's GOING to set things right with his brother" she gave Sasuke a meaningful look.
"Yeah, yeah, to that too" he sighed "also to the fifth member of our little gang" he showed to Hinata's barely, but already visible belly.
"Also, to new relationships" Hinata smiled to Sakura and Sasuke sitting close to each other.
"And last, but not least, to the conquer of evil in our hospital" Naruto flashed a huge smile.
"Definitely" Sasuke agreed.
"Cheers!"
--
A/N: If anyone had a crappier week than I did, please don't show yourselves to me, cause I won't believe you anyway. My pc broke down, I had the nastiest fight with my mother, my grandmother moved into neighborhooding house (like five meters from my WINDOWS) and now I have a soar throat….not to mention school and all that pain in the ass math. Oh well, what doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, right?...RIGHT?! Anyway, thanks for reviews, support and….everything you guys are great about.