Sakura sighed as she saw Sasuke gently knock on the door leading to the Hokage. They were there to debrief on the mission guarding the Princess slash Actress from Yuki no Kuni. Their boat ride was long, their walk back was long, and frankly she wanted a hot bath and a nap.
Suddenly a girl barreled through and pushed the door open, revealing Tsunade who was studying a scroll.
"Hokage-sama!"
Naruto stared for a second before pointing at the girl and turning to Sakura.
"Who's that Sakura-chan?"
She cleared her suddenly parched throat.
"She's a decoder."
"Something's happened."
Sasuke's words caused a chill to run through them all.
The women conversed quietly, but in the end, Tsunade only cleared her throat.
"You three have been assigned a new mission."
But we just got back.
Sakura didn't voice her words, the tone, the decoder, it was all getting scary.
"The Kazekage, Gaara, has been kidnapped by the Akatsuki."
Naruto lunged forward, but Sasuke grabbed his vest in time.
"This should be jonin level, however I'm pushing you three to it. Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, I know this is emotional on all levels for you three, but you must put the mission first. Got it? If any of you leave the mission for your own personal gain, I will have you exiled."
The atmosphere was tense. Itachi was apart of the Akatsuki, and the Akatsuki was after Naruto. Protectiveness overflowed Sakura as she grabbed their hands.
"Sasuke, Sakura you two should be able to both protect Naruto and Gaara. Make no mistake, from now on Naruto will be a target."
"I refuse."
Sakura's words rang in the silence.
"To let Naruto on this mission. Bring in Shikamaru."
"Sakura-chan!"
Naruto looked at her in disbelief.
"She has a point."
Sasuke's words were guarded, but before Naruto could cut in she did.
"What?"
"But Sakura knows that Naruto and I have already accepted this mission."
Her brows furrowed and she turned to him with anger in her eyes.
"Sasuke-kun! We'll be putting Naruto on a silver platter!"
They were arguing behind Naruto now, glaring at each other.
"You will go the Sunagakure, gather information and send it here. Follow their orders, and bring him back."
Tsunade's voice rang out, cutting their argument to an end.
"I'm taking the fight to them."
Naruto cracked his knuckles, determination set on his face.
Sakura pulled at his sleeve.
"No! You've gotten stronger but you're not that strong!"
She used her strength to grab both of his wrists and performed one handed hand singals until she was finished.
"Sakura!"
Tsunade's voice rang as a threat but Sakura just pushed her luck and thrust her hand onto Naruto's stomach. He groaned in pain and cried out to her.
"This is an insurance plan Naruto. I love you, but you can't use that chakra in front of them. In case we get separated, I've sealed it away more so than before."
Letting go of his wrists she walked up to the Hokage's desk and snatched the mission scroll she had quickly drafted.
Walking out of the room quietly, she heard the Hokage call out that they were to be at the gate in thirty minutes.
When she arrived home she immediately threw her laundry in her hamper and grabbed more uniforms. She knew Suna was hot, so she grabbed her sun tan lotion and extra deodorant before heading downstairs. Writing a quick note to her parents, she looked at the calendar before frowning.
I'm supposed to start today, go figure.
Grabbing some girl products from upstairs, she quickly left her house and met everyone at the gate. Naruto and Sasuke weren't talking to her, and Kakashi didn't know what happened back in the office, so he was confused.
They finally stopped long after night had fallen, and made great time on their way to Sunagakure.
Sakura panted as she leaned against the tree, they had agreed that they wouldn't use a tent tonight. The closer to Suna they got, the warmer it was getting.
"Naruto."
He shifted towards her whisper.
"I'm sorry."
"I know Sakura-chan, I'm not mad."
"You are. I can't understand what you're feeling, but I can't lose you, okay."
"Gaara, he's had nobody until last year. I had Iruka-sensei, then team seven. Everything bad happens to him. It's not fair."
"I know Naruto."
xxXXxx
Sakura gasped as they stood amongst the dead bodies.
"It was a retrieval squad."
She just nodded. They had to keep going.
Making their way through the bodies, they were surprised at who met them at the gates.
"Temari-chan!"
"Sakura, thank goodness. It's Kankuro! He went after Gaara, and he was poisoned, we can't make an antidote, he's in so much pain!"
She nodded before following Tamari's lead, motioning for the other two to follow her. Hallways, doors, corners, it was a long track to the room they were keeping him, but finally they reached it. Her hands went to her hair, pulling it up away from her face.
"Kankuro-san? It's Sakura, from Konoha."
Sakura motioned for the others to stand back as she talked to Kankuro loudly over his groans. When his hands went to scratch at himself, she yelled at him to stop.
Laying her ear on his chest she listened for something familiar before nodding. Bringing a light out of her medical bag, she forced his eyelids open and gauged the response time of his pupils.
"The poison was made from heavy metals. It gets into the muscles and destroys the cells. His chart please."
She didn't look at who handed it to her, but when she read it over, she made a sound of irritation in her throat.
"It's destroying his heart, and it could fail at any time."
"There's no way! Isn't there anything you can do?"
"We have to work fast. Even I can't guarantee the antidote in time."
"Use these fools then!"
Looking from Tamari to the two medical ninja in the room, she had their nod of approval.
"Okay. Let me write a list. Mean while, someone get me a bin of water."
After writing her list and receiving her bin, she took a deep breath.
"Hold him down, from all sides. Sasuke-kun, Naruto, you too."
She took a deep breath and steadied her own heart before her brain shut down and she worked mechanically. Gathering the blob of water in her hand, she suspended it over Kankuro's chest before taking another deep breath.
"Here we go."
Pressing the water to his chest, she used a little bit of chakra to push it forward, wincing at his cries of pain. She concentrated as the water coated his heart before she pulled back, watching the poison come with it slowly.
She did this process for every organ in his torso, and hours later had extracted most of it. Exhausted from the travel and chakra use she sighed as she emptied the poison into the newest bin.
"Okay, he's out of critical condition. But we can't rest yet. Start an IV drip, get some fluids and nutrients in him to help rebuild the damaged cells. How's the list coming along? We must hurry. Save a part of the poison, I'll need it for the antidote. The rest I want you to store in your archives, in case something like this happens again."
Taking a deep breath, she pulled her hitai-ate off and put her hair down for a moment.
"Sakura-chan! You're so cool!"
Smiling sheepishly, she nodded before looking back to Kankuro who was finally peaceful.
"You're just like that slug girl. I never thought they'd send a girl like you to help us."
Staring at the old lady who had blended into the background, she didn't know how to take what was said. Putting her hitai-ate back on, she nodded.
"Yes. Tsunade-sama is my master."
Someone came in and handed Sasuke a scroll. He unrolled it before nodding.
"Gai's team has been sent as backup. The Hokage had an omen."
"Tell her that I've arrived in time and am on my way to make an antidote."
Sakura washed her hands before checking on Kankuro once more. The IV was in place, and he should be getting nutrients soon.
Sasuke turned to the sibling's squad leader.
"How are you tracking Akatsuki? Your team is dead a few miles outside of the village."
A few gasps were heard around the room to those who didn't know.
"We have lost them then."
Sakura turned back to the elder woman.
"Don't let him move around. He'll be awake soon. You two, come with me please. I have bought us time, but not much."
xxXXxx
"I never thought Sunagakure would have such an excellent amount of medicinal herbs."
It was an hour into the antidote testing, and she was running out of things to talk about. She felt like she was becoming close to her own personal brink, but she pushed on. Grabbing a medicine dropper full of what she finally felt was the right one, she dropped it onto the small amount of poison and watched it fizzle out.
"We got it."
They smiled at each other before the two started to clean up. Sakura was able to fill four vials of the antidote, and she pocketed one for just in case they fought Sasori soon. Frowning at the thought, she pulled her hair out of it's hold and wrote down exactly what was in the antidote for their records, and handed two of the vials to the men, before personally taking the last vial to give to Kankuro.
Knowing her way back, she knocked on the door, becoming the center of attention. Kankuro was sitting up, his hands shaking and he looked hopeful.
"Don't look at me like that Kankuro, I have it right here."
Using an alcohol pad, she cleaned the area on his chest before plunging the needle in, ignoring his wince, and watched the poison drain into his system.
"Good. Drink a relaxing tea, and rest up. By tomorrow you should be better."
"Thank you Sakura-san."
Tamari hugged her tightly before their squad leader turned to Naruto.
"You three should call it a day. We have a room set up for you."
She didn't notice the moon was coming up over the horizon.
"We'll take it."
"But Gaara-"
She cut off the start of Naruto's rant.
"Naruto, there's nothing we can do tonight but rest up. There are difficult battles waiting for us tomorrow."
Sasuke nodded beside her.
"Sakura's right."
With that Sasuke literally pulled Naruto out of the room, much to the blonde's annoyance and Sakura turned back to the siblings.
"Kankuro, you did your best. Let us help now, okay? See you in the morning."
A wave goodbye and she met up with her team being led by a quiet ninja.
xxXXxx
Standing under the shower, she let the water cool her body down before bed. Finally shutting it off, she dried her body before wrapping her hair into the towel. Slipping on a pair of cotton shorts and a cotton tank top she opened the door for Naruto come in next and sat down on her cot, between the two.
Hands grabbed her face and she smiled before she was kissed and instantly warmth spread to her middle.
"Sasuke-kun."
Her whine was low, but with Naruto just now getting into the shower, her eyes became hungry. His hands grabbed her arms and pulled her into his lap. Growing bold, she rubbed herself against his crotch, feeling the growing erection.
His mouth moved to her neck, and his hands skimmed her thighs, making her wet.
"Can we? Please?"
He simply nodded, and she shifted, slipping back to take off her shorts, smirking at his blush. She had no underwear on. He slipped his pants down, exposing his erection. Leaving a leg still in her shorts for a quick way to get dressed again, she climbed back into his lap. His hands held her waist and their lips met, muffling her moan as he slipped inside.
It was only their second time having sex, but it was already better than the last with the lack of pain and fumbling around. Experimenting a little, she moved her hips in a circle, watching his head throw back against the wall. Smiling, she started to move on top of him, getting lost in the sensation building within her.
His mouth was on hers again, muffling her moans while teasing her tongue with his own. His hands grasped her waist tighter and guided her into a faster pace, and together they came. Feeling light headed and happy, Sakura kissed him deeply before pulling up and slipping her shorts back on. He slid his pants up and tied them. Once they were fixed up, the water shut off.
Sakura giggled before laying down, and grabbing a book from her bag. It was a romantic novel, not a perverted one like Kakashi read.
xxXXxx
Sakura and Sasuke sat on her mat, a map between them and a surprise visitor sitting beside it.
"This is where I tracked Gaara's scent. I didn't dare take a step further."
Pakkun, one of Kakashi's ninja dogs was scent to help them track Gaara and had arrived only a half hour before.
Sakura moved her hands to her hair, pulling it to one side of her neck, Naruto's soft snores making back ground music. Sasuke moved his hands over his face before sighing, a plan obviously forming in his mind.
"Got it. Thank you."
The dog bowed before leaving out of the door. Sasuke sighed once more before stretching.
"Wake up Naruto, I'm grabbing a shower. We leave in half an hour."
She looked up to him and nodded before smiling as his lips met hers in a soft kiss.
As he moved past her and into the shower that connected to the room she sighed. Moving up off of her mat she turned to Naruto before shaking his shoulder.
"Hey, Naruto! You have to get up!"
He just turned away from her and pulled his pillow over his head mumbling something about ramen.
"Naruto!"
When her hand touched his back she was startled when he pulled her into a tight hug.
"Hmm? Sakura-chan?"
Before he could utter another word she screamed and tossed him over her shoulder, hearing his head hit the floor with a resounding thud. She tuned out his whine while she gathered her clothes around.
"What's going on in here?"
That was fast.
"Sakura-chan threw me out of bed!"
"Good. We leave in twenty five minutes."
"Oh, did you find out where Gaara is?"
"Aa."
She closed the door behind her and immediately started the water. Waiting for the perfect cool temperature she brushed her hair out. With a sigh she shed her clothes and entered the cooler water, a grin breaking out as her body cooled instantly.
Quickly washing up, she changed into her ninja gear before putting product in her hair and letting it stay wet. She'd deal with the waves later.
"Naruto! You're turn!"
"Hai!"
The blonde rubbed sleep from his eyes with a stern look on his face.
When the bathroom door closed again, Sakura's eyes lingered before she was pushed up against the wall, and a set of lips covering her own. She immediately smiled into the kiss, giving in willingly as large hands gripped her small waist tightly. Her own were in his hair, still only slightly damp.
"S-Sasuke-kun?"
His lips moved from hers down to her neck and behind her ear, experimenting with closed to open mouth kisses, and from bites to licks.
"Hm?"
"B-Be careful okay? I can't lose you."
Feeling his body tense beneath her, she opened her mouth to take it back, but he halted her to place a kiss on her forehead.
"Idiot. I'm always careful."
A grin spread over her face and she caught one more kiss before Naruto came out.
xxXXxx
"You're found Gaara? Great, I'll be making arrangements but I'm leaving too."
Temari turned, gathering her bag from the floor.
Sakura held up her hand after checking on Kankuro.
"No, you'll stay."
"Sakura-"
"She's right, it's best you do."
Sasuke backed her up for the moment but she could tell he was annoyed that she spoke it first.
"I mean no offense Tamari-san, but you must understand that with Gaara gone, and Kankuro down and out you are the one leader left. You need to stay, and help Kankuro as well. He should be walking tomorrow, but he needs to strengthen his muscles again. I suggest walking first, around the building, climbing stairs, and weight lifting. I've left the exact ingredients and instructions for a drink should he need it. It'll help build his proteins."
As Temari set her bag back down, her hand went to Kankuro's hair, running her fingers through it.
"This village doesn't have many allies. Once word of Gaara's capture leeks out, others may attack. Konoha has sent reinforcements, so we will not be alone for long."
Sasuke steered them out of the room and into the hallway.
As they began to leave the village they were halted by an elderly voice.
"I'm going too."
The figure approached from the side, and she began to recognize who it was.
"Chiyoo-baasama!"
"I've been longing to see my cute little grandson for a while now."
Sasuke looked to be thinking about it for a second before nodding.
"Fine."
"Teme-"
"No arguing. We leave now, we're wasting time."
Sakura nodded before waving goodbye to Tamari.