Healing the Scars

Chapter one

A/N Thanks to the three people that reviewed so far! I really loved hearing from you guys and hearing that some people liked how the story started out. I'll try to update on a regular basis!

Two Years Later

Sakura bolted up in bed, panting as sweat beaded her forehead. She glanced to see her surroundings only to realize that she was in her room. The clock read four am, and she didn't have to be at the hospital until seven. She sighed and rubbed her face with her hands, burying her body under the comforter on her bed. It was always the same dream, watching them die and having Sasuke just stand there. God, all he did was stand there and stare at her, like he didn't realize what he had just done. Sakura lived alone now, she did everything alone. There wasn't any need for anyone else because she already lived a life of love. Now all she needed was to maintain her success as an ANBU captain and as a skilled medic with perfect chakra control. She kept up her parent's home as her residence seeing as she inherited it after they died. She cleaned her parent's things into the basement and moved her things into the house, therefore changing the feel of the home. Kanagi's things stayed in their old room, she couldn't bear to move it after his death. She didn't go into that room often. When she really missed them, she would go in and sit on Kanagi's bed and wear one of his shirts to bed that night. She cried herself to sleep, but didn't show her friends her pain she felt inside. As she laid curled up on her bed for another hour until five, she gradually got up and went to the bathroom to shower. Feeling the hot water drip down her body, it relaxed her a bit more. She wasn't a little girl anymore, and she wasn't weak. She could protect herself and hold her own and she demanded that everyone know that. After her family's death, everyone tried to take care of her, but she refused any help. It made her feel better to be alone, because she felt like nobody understood. Of all people to kill her loved ones, it was ironic that Sasuke had been the one to kill them. It just goes to show you how heartless he is. Changing into her blue scrubs and white hospital coat, she left and decided to start her shift early. What else was she going to do?

It was a beautiful day outside, and it reminded Sakura of the days that Kanagi would wake up early to walk her to the hospital. Sakura kept her eyes down on the dirt road in front of her, as she felt the sun's ray's surface to meet the dewy ground of the early morning. Taking in deep, clear, breaths, she walked through the double doors of the Konoha hospital, receiving nods and smiles from the nurses. Politely returning the favor, she heard the chorus's of, "Good Morning Haruno-sama! Hello Doctor Haruno, there's a patient in room 303 for you." Picking up her charts and punching in her time slot, she started her pre-ops and post-ops. She had a surgery in an hour and decided to go to the clinic to check some patients before then. Seeing a young boy sniffling in a corner bed with his mother in tow, Sakura walked right over to them smiling.

"Hello there! What seems to be the problem?" She asked to the boy and his mother.

"We think he may have broken his arm." His mother said, shooting the boy a glare. Knowing that the boy was uncomfortable, she shifted to look at the mother.

"Thank you for bringing him it, perhaps you'd like to wait in the waiting area through that door while I check this out?" The women complied and walked right out of the clinic. Sakura smiled at the boy, knowing how nervous he was. "So what happened?" She asked.

"I fell outside when I was playing." He whispered.

"Alright, well, I think your mother is right when she says you broke your arm. Let me just get a nice nurse to cast that for you. You seem like you like green, how about we get you a green cast?" The boy smiled and nodded, clearly excited about his new cast. I called a nurse over and walked away to tend to my surgery.

The surgery ended up lasting around four hours, the man in question having been badly injured and in critical condition from a mission. Tsunade and I walked out of the operating room, tired from recreating a mans organs. We washed up and changed scrubs before going to Tsunade's office.

"So, how've you been Sakura?" She asked.

"Fine, Tsunade-sama, how have you been?"

"Oh, you know, being Hokage and all. It's a tiring job!" She laughed.

"I can only imagine!" I said.

"Sakura, Naruto tells me you've been hiding out in that house of yours a lot lately. It's been two years Sakura, you have to get out of that house more often.' I cringed a bit at her reference to my family's death.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama, I've just been very busy lately."

"Too busy to go to lunch with Naruto and Hinata every now and then?" She asked skeptically.

"Hai, I take double shifts at the hospital to stay busy. I want to be useful to the village."

"Sakura, I'm giving you three days off from shifts at the hospital, no missions either. You need a break. Have you cleaned out Kanagi's room yet?" I winced and visibly cringed again.

"No." I whispered, "I haven't."

"You should think about doing that soon Sakura, you can't keep living like this. Kakashi misses you too!" I felt bad at not seeing my friends often, but they pitied me. I hated feeling weak, and I hated how they always saw me as weak. Kakashi-sensei had visited when he wasn't on missions, but I hated having people at the house as well. They would question why Kanagi's things hadn't been cleaned out.

"I'll call Naruto and see if he wants to grab ramen tonight, if it'll please you."

"No Sakura, I want it to please YOU." She sighed. "I have a surgery in a bit, you can take the rest of the day off. One of the other doctors will cover for you"

"Hai, thank you Tsunade-Sama." I nodded and walked out of her office as she took a large swig of sake and sighed heavily. I hated how everyone was paying so much attention to me, I just wanted to be left alone.

Sasuke's POV

I was in trouble, as much as I hated to admit it. My chakra was depleted and I was bleeding from a ton of cuts and bruises from my battle with Orochimaru. The important thing was that he was dead, and I had escaped. The large gash in my side needed stiches, and I was feeling light-headed from blood loss. I was trying to get away from the hideout, trying to find a town. Before I knew it, I was on the ground and my vision was blurry. My head was pounding and I felt chakra presences coming toward me. 'Get up Sasuke, what the hell?' I thought. I saw a blur of orange before I passed out. Someone had found me.

A/N
I'll try to update one more time before Sunday, when I go out of town and won't be able to update. Reviews are much appreciated and will help get my butt to a computer to update! Thanks guys!