Whirlwind

Chapter Three

-Healing Annoyance-

Kankuro ushered the group from Konoha into the Kazekage's office. Sakura was the last to enter the room, and the sight that she saw before her was almost appalling. Gaara sat in his chair, fingers laced together so tightly that his knuckles were stark white. He looked even more tired than she remembered, his dark rimmed eyes blacker than before. What could have possibly happened to force the Kazekage into this state? Sakura glanced around the room, taking note of Temari's absence. Hadn't Temari always been the one to meet them at the gate when they arrived instead of Kankuro? But before Sakura could ask about her missing friend, she blurted out the unthinkable, "So where's Sasuke?"

The tired eyes of the Kazekage shot up at the mention of the Uchiha, and his hands slammed on the desk as he stood abruptly. His set his icy glare on Sakura, the sand in the air surrounding her and pressing against her skin in an irritating manner. Sakura was wide eyed now, her face showing nothing but shock and fear. "Don't you DARE ask about that poor excuse of a shinobi!" Gaara yelled, and despite the fact that Shukaku was gone, he seemed more demonic than before.

"Gaara!" Naruto yelled, getting between Sakura and the furious redhead. "Calm down!"

"Calm down?" Gaara chuckled darkly, walking around his desk, his eyes now on Naruto. "Calm down? That rouge poisoned my sister!" he said, rage building suddenly. Naruto stood, determined and protective, in front of Sakura, who was trying to get another look at Gaara.

Temari was poisoned by Sasuke? How stupid could she be? She bit down on her lip, mentally hitting herself for her mistake. No wonder Gaara was so angry, his sister was dying and he was never good with emotions. Not to mention the fact that she should have asked about the blonde woman before even wondering about the Uchiha.

Sakura pushed Naruto aside, who was ready to fight and get Gaara back to normal the only way he knew how. Sakura stepped in front of the Kazekage, suppressing the fear that shot up her spine. "Gaara, I'm sorry! Please take me to Temari. I brought herbs from Konoha that should be able to help." She said, trying to placate him and watching his eyes for his reaction. She could see his anger begin to dissipate, but what he did next shocked her. Without a word he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer to his body. The next thing she felt was the scratchy sand swirling around them, and when she opened her eyes they were in the hospital, in front of a room with Temari's name written on the board.

Sakura was in awe. She had always wondered what it felt like to travel the way Gaara did. The sand hadn't felt rough or harmful, it was warm and almost soothing. She glanced up at the sand master and noticed how close she was to him. He interrupted her thoughts with his monotonic voice, "Come on." He pushed her forward, his hand resting on the small of her back. She couldn't stop the blush that rushed to her face and the drop she felt in her stomach. How could someone like Gaara make her feel like that? She shook her head and tried to rid herself of the odd sensations. They entered the dimly lit room, and she knew that it was time to focus.

Gaara reached for the light switch and the room was immediately illuminated. "There she is," Gaara pointed towards the only bed in the room. There lay Temari, pale and clammy, sweat dripping from her forehead. Her blonde hair didn't seem as vibrant as it had once been. It was clear that she was dying…and quickly.

"No one here has the expertise in medicine to help her…please…Sakura…" Gaara began, looking away from her form and trying to keep his voice steady. "Sakura please save my sister," he said finally, obviously grieved.

She set her face in grim determination. No matter what, she would make sure that Temari survived. She looked Gaara in the eye and said, "I will do everything in my power to save your sister." With that, she walked over to the bed, and began to scan Temari with her chakra. This sort of thing came easy to her, and in a matter of seconds, she knew everything that was wrong. She turned to talk to Gaara, only to find that he had soundlessly moved next to her.

"Well obviously her shoulder is suffering from severe third degree burns. Those will take a while to heal. On top of that, she's been poisoned with a substance similar to snake venom." She informed him.

"So then what must you do to stop the poison from killing her?" he asked simply, looming over Sakura. "How long will it take? If you need anything from our greenhouse, tell me immediately and I will take you." He stood a whole head taller than her, and was standing so close that she could feel the heat radiating from his body.

She turned, gently pushed him away, and said "Well first you need to back up and give me some space. Second, I have all the required herbs. I just need a mortar and pestle to mix the herbs together for the antidote."

"A what?" he asked blandly, confusion apparent on his face. "Forgive my ignorance, but I do not know what that is." He admitted, he was skilled in fighting, not this medicine magic. Before she could answer, the sand in the air picked up and swirled about the sand master. The next thing she knew, he was gone. It wasn't too long before he appeared in the room once more holding the instrument she required. "This is it, correct?" he said, offering the tools to her. She knew he was worried and trying to help, but it was still an odd reaction from the great Kazekage.

"Yes it is, thank you." She took the instruments from him and walked over to the counter. Taking off her pack, she began to get out all the things she would need. Turning to fill a bowl with water so she could draw out some of the poison, she let out a startled noise when she ran into Gaara, who was once again standing right behind her. She looked up at him, annoyance written all over her face.

"Gaara! What the hell? I thought I told you to give me some space to work!" she said.

He stared at her blankly, obviously not comprehending why it was such a big deal that he was looking over her shoulder. He was simply observing and watching her work. It was interesting, and he wanted to make sure she was doing it correctly, but then again he didn't know how to do it himself. "Are you sure that's what you should be doing?"

She raised a delicate brow at him. "This is the same method I used to save your brother. The only difference is that I didn't have you breathing down my neck." She pointed to the other side of the room where a chair was located. "Now go sit down in the corner like a good boy, and let me do my job."

Gaara slowly crossed his arms and gave her a threatening look, "Excuse me?"

She mimicked his action, and stuck her hip out in a defiant manner. "You heard me. It's either that or get out of the room. Now."

He couldn't help but laugh, a small smile creeping over his face as he leaned forward, invading her space once more. "Why don't you make me…little girl."

Deciding that it was too late back down, she grabbed his collar. "Fine." She then dragged him to the door, and with a final warning to stay out, shut it in his face. She made her way to the sink and filled the bowl with water. After a few cycles of drawing out the poison, she decided that it was safe to begin making the antidote.

She began to measure out an odorless, white powder, when a voice suddenly said, "Are you sure that's the right amount?"

Jumping, she somehow managed not to spill any of the powder, and turned to find Gaara back in the room.

"What are you doing in here? Don't you know how to follow orders?" she frowned.

He looked angry now, but then who wouldn't be after having a door slammed in their face. "I don't know who you think you are, but I'm the Kazekage. I can do as I please." He informed her through clenched teeth. He reached forward, grasping her behind the neck, and pulled her face to his, until they were inches apart. "So you learn how to follow orders."

Never one to back down from a fight, Sakura held her ground. "In the city, you are the Kazekage and in charge. But in a hospital, when someone's life is on the line, I am in charge. So I suggest you step aside, and let me do my job. The longer you get in my way, the smaller Temari's chance of survival is." And with that, she grabbed the hand holding her to him, and slowly released it from her neck.

Her words took effect quickly, and he allowed her to remove his hand from her. She was right, but of course he would never admit that aloud. His hard stare was the only thing he gave her as he walked to the back of the room and leaned against the wall. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest and he remained stubbornly quiet. Although he was ignoring her, he kept his eyes on her form, watching every little thing she did with her supplies.

Once that episode was over, it took her no time at all to finish making the antidote. When it was ready, she walked over to Temari and helped her to sit up. The blonde groaned, causing Gaara to rush over and help support her. Sakura, never one to accept help ungraciously, gave him a look of thanks. Then she tilted Temari's chin and began to pour the clear liquid down her throat. The blonde began to struggle as the antidote touched her tongue.

"Drink up Temari. You need to finish everything in the cup." The pink haired medic said soothingly.

Gaara held his sister gently, not uttering a word or even sparing Sakura a second glance. He was upset, and his sister's agony was not helping his bad mood. "It will be alright Temari, Sakura is here to help you."

At the sound of Gaara's voice, the blonde quieted down. When the contents of the cup were all gone, Sakura gently wiped Temari's mouth and helped Gaara lay her back down. "She will be okay now, right?" The redhead asked, his eyes containing slightly veiled concern. Sakura gave him a reassuring smile.

"Yes. She will wake up in a few hours." She said.

"What about her shoulder?"

She walked to the other side of the bed, standing next to Gaara. "Let me see what I can do." With that she placed her hand on the injured appendage, and let her green healing chakra flow. Gaara watched Sakura closely, his interest sparked. He had never actually watched the medic work before, and he couldn't help but notice how she seemed to be in her element, just as he was when on the battlefield.

It took almost an hour of straight healing, because the burns were so severe, but finally Sakura finished. The only indication that she even had a burn was a patch of red skin, similar to a burn that you would receive from the sun. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Sakura sighed and placed her hands on her hips. "Well, that's all I can do for her. The burn should heal on its own in a few days. She just needs to apply some Aloe Vera on it three times a day."

Gaara nodded, relieved that Temari was safe from harm. He looked from his sleeping sister to the woman who saved her. His scowl deepened. He should thank her. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before uttering something rare. "Thank you….Sakura."

She shook her head, waving her hands in front of her face. "It's no big deal. I'd do anything when one of my friends is in trouble."

Gaara couldn't help but stare at her in surprise. "Friends…" that was probably not the word he would have chosen for her. Her actions earlier had indicated that she was angry with him. So why the sudden change? And there was also that incident from the chunin exams seven years ago. In his mind, she had every reason to hate him, all these years later. When he looked back at her, he saw the uncertainty creep over her face.

"We are friends, aren't we Gaara?" Sakura asked, now doubting herself. Maybe that was the wrong thing to say to the Kazekage. Now that she thought about it, he probably didn't even like her. They didn't even get along very well, if earlier wasn't an indication. He probably thought she was exceedingly annoying…just like Sasuke did. Causing her to feel pain, as thoughts of the rogue boy usually did, Sakura gripped her chest, right over where her heart was located. An action she performed without conscious thought.

Gaara tensed, knowing that stance and what it meant. He had felt that pain so many times in his childhood. That pain of wanting others to recognize your true worth, and love you for it. Her heart was hurting, just like his had for all those years. He stepped closer to her, taking the hand that was tightened over her heart in his as gently as he could. "Yes," he said quickly, giving her hand a small squeeze. He didn't even know why he was comforting her, but his instinct told him that it was the right thing to do.

Sakura blinked, a little shocked. The Kazekage just kept surprising her, "Yes?" she questioned. She didn't really understand his response, since he had paused for a long time.

"I do not wish for your heart to hurt. It is my duty as Kazekage to make sure my…friend's…yes, my friend's hearts never hurt." He explained, trying to be kind, even though it was a new concept for him. He looked back towards his sister and began pushing Sakura from the room. "I would like my sister to rest in peace and I feel we are disturbing her." He explained once they were outside the room and the door was shut.

Sakura nodded in agreement. Gaara had grown into such a fine man, and she couldn't help but feel jealousy. She felt as though she were the only one who hadn't changed over the years. Though, that didn't mean his attitude didn't still get on her nerves. What was with him earlier, was watching her work really that interesting? She sighed and met Gaara's faded green gaze with a smile. "Well I'm glad Temari will be ok." Growing uncomfortable from their shared contact, she began to pull her hand from his. As if realizing the same thing, he released it quickly, letting his own fall back to his side.

"Gaara! Sakura-chan! There you two are!" an obnoxiously familiar yell came from down the hall.

Sakura twitched a delicate brow and glared at her blonde friend, who had begun running down the hallway towards them. "QUIET DOWN NARUTO!" she shouted back. "People are TRYING to rest!"

Gaara couldn't help but smirk at the irony of her statement. Naruto reached them, panting and sweating, "I've been looking everywhere for you two." He shook his fist in the air, obviously upset. "You just up and disappeared!"

The redhead just sighed, running one of his hands through his hair. "Naruto…think about it. Use context clues."

Sakura nodded, holding her finger up, like she was scolding a child. "Yeah Naruto, it was pretty obvious as to where we went."

"I asked Sakura to help heal Temari, who had been injured and poisoned pretty badly…so when we disappeared, the only place we could've gone would have been the hospital." Gaara stated. Realization dawned on the fox boy's face, and he slammed his fist into an open palm.

"Of course! When you put it that way, it does make sense!" he grinned happily, rubbing beneath his nose.

Both Gaara and Sakura sighed in unison and looked to each other, startled. Recovering quickly, Gaara held out a hand and said, "Come on Sakura, you may stay in my mansion while you're here. As thanks for healing my sister."

At that statement, a light blush dusted Sakura's cheeks. "That's okay Gaara. I'm fine staying in the hotel with my team." It wasn't that she didn't appreciate the offer, but she always felt out of place among such fine places. And staying in a mansion would definitely make her feel inadequate. She always did prefer the simpler things in life anyways. But the redhead would brook no argument.

"Does it not honor you that the Kazekage has offered for you to stay in his home? Is it not good enough for you?" Gaara wondered, his thoughts racing to accusations of her holding herself above him. Or maybe even fear of him.

Not wanting to be misunderstood, she hastily replied "No it's not that! I just don't want to be a burden! Your thanks is more than enough. What I did for Temari I did because I wanted to. Not because you asked me, and not because I thought I was going to get anything out of it."

He understood where she was coming from, but in this way he would show his superiority, as a means of getting back at her for questioning his alpha male instincts. That decided, he leaned closer to her, locking their gazes in a battle of wills. He would be the victor this time around. "Really, Sakura. I insist."

He was trying to back her into a corner, but she would have none of it. "Well I really should stay here to keep an eye on Temari's recovery. If something should happen when I'm away-"

"Then one of the nurses can take care of it and a message will be sent to you immediately. You said so yourself that she would be fine. Do you doubt your ability as a medic? What would Tsunade-sama think?" that Kazekage taunted, his smirk already forming on his face.

Her brow furrowed in anger. Nobody questioned her ability as a medic, not even the Kazekage. She lifted a delicate finger and poked him in the chest. "Now listen here and listen good buddy. I am one of the best damned medics you will find in the country. When I say someone will be fine, I mean they will be fine. Don't you dare question my abilities. The next time you do, you will find yourself thrown through the nearest object." She poked him once more for emphasis, and before she could retract her finger, the temperamental redhead seized it.

"Well, if you insist, then you should have no problem in proving that by staying in my mansion." And before she could protest, he whisked them away in a cloud of sand.

Standing in the middle of the hospital hall was a confused Naruto. He began to look around for his friends. "Damnit! There they go again leaving me behind! And I needed to talk to Gaara too!" He scratched his head in confusion. "What was it they said about context clues…..? Heck, I don't even know what context clues are!" Giving a defeated sigh, the blonde jinchuuriki decided to just wait until morning.