Chapter 15

Sasuke's POV

The festival was only a few days away and there was still so much work to be done. It felt like he, Naruto, and Shikamaru were working on auto-pilot to finish up the last-minute preparations. Almost every street in the village was decorated in lights and lanterns, shop owners and merchants had their booths set up and ready, and the central stage was being built for the main performances. They rarely saw Kakashi because he was always attending meetings and lunches with the other Kages and elders.

"I'm so ready to get back to our normal duties." Naruto sighed, sitting back in his chair.

"Agreed." Shikamaru nodded.

"Just a few more days." Sasuke said.

"Our hard work is going to pay off. This is going to be the best festival yet." Naruto said grinning from ear to ear.

Sasuke swore he could see stars twinkling in the blond's eyes.

"Are you guys wearing yukatas to the festival?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes! Me and Hinata are wearing matching ones!" Naruto said excitedly.

Shikamaru threw his head back and groaned. "Great. I told Temari that none of the guys are wearing them."

"What's wrong with wearing them? You don't have to wear any pants!"

He and Shikamaru exchanged glances and cringed at the blond's statement. Shikamaru turned towards him. "Have you asked Sakura yet?"

He froze. "Asked her what?"

"Uh…to the festival?" Shikamaru said as if it was the most obvious question in the world.

"….I haven't."

Shikamaru sighed and Naruto slapped his head.

"What the hell are you waiting for?" the blond interrogated.

"Was I supposed to ask her? I didn't know you had to have dates for festivals." Now he felt confused. They could cut him a little slack; this was his first festival.

Naruto gave Shikamaru a look that clearly said, 'Is this guy serious?'

Hundreds of thoughts raced through his head. "How do I ask her? Just as friends?"

Shikamaru threw his hands up. "I give up." he said exasperated. "Sasuke, it's obvious you see her as more than just a friend."

"Yeah, even I could tell that Teme." Naruto muttered.

He fell silent. He had to get it through his head that these were his closest friends and they could read him better than anyone. His mind was suddenly scrambling to figure out the best way to ask her.

It wasn't long before they fell into their familiar rhythm and flew through the various tasks still left in the office. The only sound that could be heard now was the slight drizzle of rain pattering against the windows of the tower.

Something was bothering him. He couldn't place it; there was just a weird feeling in the air. He looked up to see if Naruto or Shikamaru was as bothered as he was, but they just continued with their paperwork.

He glanced out the window to murky gray skies. It was way past drizzling now. The rain was coming down angrily. He frowned. Something was happening, he just didn't know what.

Taking a break he stood up, stretched, and walked to the window. The usual buildings he normally saw were completely masked by the downpour.

"Hopefully the rain will stop before the festival." Naruto said, walking over to his side.

"Aa."

His mind wasn't focused on the rain at the moment. He just needed to find out what was feeling off. Sasuke walked back to his desk and grabbed the stack of completed files. He was thankful he'd been able to get through the most difficult part of his paperwork.

Was the rain getting louder? He stopped in place. No. He listened closely. Footsteps; they were getting louder.

His head snapped to the door right as a figure appeared. Ichiro. He was drenched in water from head to toe creating a small puddle near his feet. He was breathing in short, rapid breaths trying to replenish the air he'd lost running to the top floor.

The young medic's head snapped up and looked him dead in the eye, and all of a sudden it was like time stopped again. He could see Ichiro's mouth moving, but nothing was comprehending in his brain.

What did he say?

"Sasuke-san!" Ichiro screamed, breaking him out of his trance. The files in his hand were now scattered all over the floor. Somehow, he'd dropped them and not realized.

His brain snapped the pieces together and replayed the medic's statement in his head.

"Mai's dead."

"I need your help please." Ichiro begged half crying.

"Sasuke." He looked to the right of him and saw Naruto's hand on his shoulder. "Go. We'll take care of this."

Naruto's words snapped him back to reality and suddenly he was moving again. "Let's go." He called to Ichiro as he walked out the door.

"Fill me in." he said stiffly.

"We..we were just doing a routine check up on her when her heart stopped. We tried everything. Dr. Haruno worked on her for hours, but we…we couldn't do anything." he started crying.

"Where's Sakura?"

"She's in her office, but she won't talk to anyone." he said quietly.

Sasuke was silent.

"But we need her. Shoto's going to end up the exact same if he doesn't get a heart transplant, and she's the only one who can do it, but she told Ami to take her place, but Ami is not fully trained, and—"

"Ichiro." He stopped and grabbed the medics shoulders. "Take a deep breath. Everything will be okay. I'll figure it out." No idiot, don't make him promises you can't keep.

A thought flashed in his head. "Does Shoto know?"

Ichiro's face fell. "No. No one's had the heart to tell him." he said quietly.

Sasuke nodded. They were at the bottom of the tower now. He grabbed the young medic's arm and transported them to the front steps of the hospital.

"Does he need the transplant immediately?"

"He's not in imminent danger, but the sooner the better."

"Sakura will need some time to rest."

Ichiro nodded and they parted ways.

He walked briskly to Sakura's office not knowing what to expect. His chest felt heavy, but there was no time to process his emotions right now.

He stopped in front of her door and glanced down to see the light peeking from the small crack. He pulled out his spare key and unlocked the door preparing himself for the worst.

Sakura sat behind her desk going through paperwork as if it was any other day. They locked eyes and he immediately read the exhaustion and agony in her face.

"Come with me."

She gave him an almost angry expression. "I can't. I have work to do." she said blandly.

"You've done enough for today. You need to rest." He said walking up to her desk.

"I will after I finish this." she said looking back down at her work.

He grabbed the papers off her desk.

Sakura pushed off the desk and glared at him. "What the fuck is your problem?!"

"Sakura-" he paused. "I know what happened." He finished quietly.

Her lips pursed into a fine line. "I'm fine. I don't need your sympathy." She jumped forward attempting to grab back her papers but he was quicker.

"If you think you're the only one affected by this, you're absolutely wrong. And you're not fine, stop lying to yourself."

He knew he struck a nerve. She came around the other side of her desk and ripped the papers from his hand. "You don't understand! I was the doctor in charge of her. It was my job to heal her. She was depending on me." She screamed.

"Sakura, you can't blame yourself when you did everything you possibly could."

"It wasn't enough!" Her voice cracked.

He could see her wall beginning to crumble. I need to get her to let everything out.

He didn't say anything, but instead walked to the door and locked it. His susano arm came out in a flash and he performed the same hand signs he'd seen her and Kakashi do in the past, effectively soundproofing the room.

"What are you doing?"

He didn't answer. His left arm disappeared and he flipped off the light leaving them in darkness. On a typical night, the moon would be illuminating through her window, but now it was buried beneath dark storm clouds.

He walked over to her and pulled her into a tight embrace before she could say anything else. He didn't care if she fought or didn't hug back.

"Stop trying to hold everything in. Just pretend I'm not here." He said softly.

She began to slowly tremble against his chest. It took a second, but the muffled whimpers became sobs. He started to feel his shirt dampen with tears. It was truly heartbreaking. Yes, he'd seen Sakura cry plenty of times, but this time was different. These were tears of frustration, loss, torment, and anguish.

He embraced her tighter. "It's okay. Let it all out. No one can hear you."

And she did. Her cries became louder and she collapsed into his chest. He slowly lowered the both of them to the floor where he could lean against her desk and just hold her.

The crying slowly died down after a few minutes, and he could feel her clutching his shirt. "Talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking."

"I feel…I feel like I let everyone down. I made this whole speech to the elders and five nations about Konoha having the best medical team and hospital, and I even opened a children's hospital and..and I couldn't even save her."

"Sakura, you're acting like you've sat back and done nothing. You stayed up consecutive days just to get that antidote done. No one else could've done what you did. And do you think the five nations would have agreed to your plan if we didn't have the best hospital? You can't be so hard on yourself."

She sighed softly. "I don't know how I'm going to face Shoto."

"Let me tell him." He decided.

"No, I can't let you do that."

"I still think you should talk to him later, but let me be the one to tell him."

She started to speak, but he cut her off.

"Don't try to convince me otherwise. I'll go tell him and you start getting your stuff ready; I'll take you home when I come back."

He felt her slowly nod in his chest. He unwrapped his arm from around her and waited patiently for her to get up. Then, like it didn't happen, he turned back on the light and undid the jutsu.

"I'll be back okay?"

She nodded, not looking at him. He buttoned up his cloak to hide the damp spot where she had cried. He wasn't going to let anyone know she'd just broken down in front of him.

He left locking the office door behind him and saw a familiar blonde leaning against the wall in the hallway.

Ino.

"How is she?" she asked with a small frown.

He wasn't going to lie to her. Ino was Sakura's best friend and he knew the blonde knew her better than almost anyone. On top of that, she would probably know if he was lying; but, he also didn't want to reveal everything. He knew it was difficult for Sakura to be vulnerable like that.

"Like you'd expected." He met her questioning eyes. "I'm going to take her home soon though; she needs rest."

Ino nodded and pushed off walking the other direction. "I trust you to take care of her."

Sasuke wanted to take the time to appreciate the fact that Ino trusted him, but he had other things to worry about. He started walking the familiar path to the children's hospital scared to death about how to face Shoto. His legs felt like they were getting heavier with each step. All he could think of was his empty promises to the little boy.

Before he knew it, he was standing outside Shoto's room, and he couldn't wait any second longer. He opened the door and went in.

Sasuke knew death was something everyone processed differently. He left Shoto's room emotionally wrecked. He notified the nurse to check on the little boy more frequently out of sheer concern.

Shoto was hysterical when he laid out the news. Sasuke could read his thoughts and emotions clear like a picture. His initial reaction was realizing he lost his best friend; he was now alone in a foreign country by himself. Then the fear hit. Would he die too? What was Sasuke supposed to say? He couldn't continue to promise the boy anything. After Mai's death he wouldn't believe Sasuke to begin with. Then came the worst feeling. Hopelessness. He could see the boy giving up. He didn't care if he died anymore. He's just lost his best friend; his country was in shambles; he had no one.

The only thing Sasuke was glad of was that he'd told Shoto instead of Sakura. He didn't know if she could handle all of this in one day. He needed to talk to her after she had rested and had a clear head. Shit, he felt stressed. Shoto's life rested in her hands but he couldn't be the one to put all that pressure on Saukra.

Focus on one thing first. Just get her home.

He pulled out her spare key, unlocked the office and entered. Sakura laid curled on the couch fast asleep. The puffy swollen skin around her eyes were evident she'd cried herself to sleep. He was honestly glad she'd fallen asleep fast; he was worried she would stay up all night overthinking and blaming herself.

He looked around her office for her keys or coat or any of her personal belongings, but he couldn't find them anywhere in the office. He looked back at the sleeping pinkette. Waking her up was not an option.

I guess I'll take her back to my place.

He relocked her office, turned off the light, and summoned his susano arm. The soft purple haze illuminated the room as he tiptoed towards Sakura. Gingerly, he wormed his arms around her small body and picked her up.

Just like he'd done thousands of times, he activated his eyes and transported them to his home. He quietly carried Sakura to his bedroom which proved to be the hardest part due to the number of creaky wooden panels on his floor. He lowered her down onto the bed gently, causing her to stir slightly, but then continued to kneel down and remove the sandals from her feet.

That's the most comfortable I can get her.

Sasuke left the door open and returned to the couch where he could see the sleeping figure on his bed. He could feel his bones heavy with exhaustion. Now that he was sunk into the couch, everything came crashing down. Mai was really dead.

What was the last thing he had said to her? He didn't even remember. It wasn't like this happened out of nowhere; he'd recall visiting the children numerous times and watching them get skinnier and weaker. He just wasn't ready. Sasuke was heartbroken. The little girl never got to live and experience life; all she knew as war and sickness. Life just wasn't fair sometimes.

Sasuke woke up feeling groggy. He didn't remember falling asleep, but it didn't matter. He tossed and turned several times throughout the night. There were a few times he'd woken up to Sakura whimpering from the bedroom, but he would go check on her until she stopped and then return back to the couch.

He sat up and stretched his back. Sakura was still lying in bed, but he knew she was awake. He padded toward the bedroom and saw the pinkette staring at the empty wall. Without saying a word, he came and laid down next to her. It was a bold move, but he felt like it was the right thing to do.

They didn't speak at all, which was fine with Sasuke. He just wanted to let her know that he was there. He felt her move and suddenly there was a hand in his. He interlaced his fingers with hers and they stayed like that comfortably.

It wasn't until after a while when Sasuke finally asked, "Do you want to go take a shower? I can make you breakfast by then."

She nodded.

He got up and grabbed a set of spare clothes from his closet and handed it to Sakura before she entered the bathroom. As soon as he heard the water turn on, he headed to the kitchen to make her something. He was drawing a blank as to what he would say to her. It would be stupid of him to ask how she was feeling. Ichiro was depending on him to get Sakura to start the transplant, and he couldn't let anyone else down. But he was half scared Sakura would still say no.

He set his small table with the plates of food and got started on making some tea when the shower stopped. Soon, Sakura appeared in the kitchen wearing his oversized clothes, and all he could think was, She's so cute. It made him happy seeing her in his clothes. They didn't fit her one bit, but it was one of those things that looked right anyways.

He handed her a cup of tea, but she set it down and wrapped her arms around his torso instead. He hugged her tightly in return and buried his nose into her wet hair.

"Thank you." she mumbled from his chest.

He didn't need to ask what for. They remained in an embrace until Sakura let go and sat down at the table.

"I need to get back to the hospital. I have to start preparing for Shoto's transplant immediately." she said, starting to eat.

It was like a huge weight lifted off his shoulders and he smiled at her. "Aa. Make sure you eat enough." And he sat down with her.

Ino's POV

Ino loved flowers. She wholeheartedly believed they could cheer anyone up. There were many times where she had made small bouquets from leftover arrangements and brought them to patients in the hospital. And it never failed to bring a smile to their face; just to know someone was thinking about them.

She looked down at the bouquet of tulips she had made for Sakura. It was funny how many people thought the pinkette's favorite flowers were sakura blossoms because of her namesake, but in all actuality, she hated them.

Ino had been worried after she heard about Mai's death. She knew Sakura took her patient's death hard, and she just wanted to be there for her. She grasped the stems tighter as she walked down the hall. The room's open. She honestly didn't know what to expect.

She peaked her head into the office to see Sakura staring intently at a file. A breath of relief filled her lungs and she entered.

Sakura looked up at her and within seconds they were hugging. "I'm sorry Forehead." she said, squeezing her extra tight. That was all that needed to be said.

They broke apart and she finally looked at what Sakura was wearing: loose drawstring pants that had been rolled up at the bottom and a black oversized shirt with a small Uchiha crest sewn into the left corner. She raised her eyes at the pinkette.

"I stayed at Sasuke's last night."

Kenji's POV

Kenji's nails dug into his palms. He stood outside Sakura's office eavesdropping on the conversation between the two girls, and he did not like it one bit.

"I stayed at Sasuke's last night."

"How was that?"

Sakura sighed. "Honestly Ino, I think I'm more in love with him than I ever have been. He took care of me the whole night and just stayed with me."

It was silent for a second. "Damn forehead, I haven't seen you blush in a long time. You sure you guys didn't do anything else?" the blonde teased.

Kenji's stomach clenched tightly.

"Shut up Pig. We didn't do anything. You'd be the first to know if we did anyways."

"I better be. I just wonder—"

He'd had enough of this. His whole body felt twisted with rage and disgust. That asshole doesn't deserve her. She could do so much better. He'd never felt this way before; he always got what he wanted. Some traitor wasn't going to get in his way. His mind was already racing with plans to sever the relationship between the two of them.