Chapter 5: Unexpected Visits

Sakura looked up from her work to look out the window. Her thoughts were on the exchange last night with her and Kakashi. For the first time in months they spoke to each other since that night at the hospital. It was now turning to the early fall and they haven't spoken or seen each other since the beginning of summer. Odd that both of there interactions were at night and in the hospital.

Seems to me that he's been coming to hospitals lately, even if he says that he despises them Inner Sakura said.

Sakura only grinned at that comment and the fact that they got over their differences. She sat up a little from her desk and stretched; she went home last night around 1:30 and came back at 6:00 this morning. Dr. Suzuki needed help with some of his appointments scheduling, a consultation for a doctor's meeting that would be happening in Water Country a few months from now, and also she had to talk to all the nurses on her floor. Dr. Suzuki was soon leaving for a scheduled mission in Lighting Country and needed to have his schedule totally rearranged due to his absence. Talk about a full schedule.

She resettled herself in her chair and reached forward for her cup of coffee.

"Knock, Knock"

She looked up and saw Dr. Suzuki leaning his arm against her doorframe.

"Oh, Dr. Suzuki" she said getting up with the paperwork that he wanted. "Here is the consultation date for the mission in Lightening Country, your escort will meet you next week on Wednesday at 6:00 in front of your house—don't be late—then you will be escorted to Lightening Country and will arrive by Saturday around noon. Your scheduled return date is on a Tuesday a month from now"

She heard her boss sigh from the long explanation.

"Why does it take that long?" he asked looking up from his reading. She only shook her head as she walked over to her coffee maker. The doctor followed her and took a seat on her sofa.

"You apparently don't travel much" she said pouring him a cup of coffee. "Traveling to Lightening Country takes time if you are a civilian but as a ninja it takes less time"

"Define your definition of 'less'"

Sakura grinned as she settled the pot back in its home and turned to give the doctor the mug.

"Well, it took about a four to five hour journey if we are in a hurry"

She heard a gurgle and looked up to see her superior gag on his coffee. She silently chuckled at him.

"Anyway, your appointments are set on hold till you come back"

She heard him groan from the statement.

"You must really not like traveling?" she said raising an eyebrow. He nodded his head.

"I had a bad….experience the last time I traveled cross Country"

"Do tell" Sakura asked crossing over to her desk to pick up another manila folder. She heard him huff slightly.

"I got sick the last time I traveled and I was traveling to Water Country at the time"

Sakura nodded her head in understanding; she didn't like traveling when she was sick. She was a medical nin so she had the luxury of not being sick that much. She walked back over to her couch to regard the man in front of her.

"Well, I just hope that this trip will be less painful" she said handing him the folder. "You have two appointments scheduled for today, one with a Mrs. Umeda in about twenty-five minutes about her sprained ankle she had two weeks ago, then you are scheduled for a five o'clock with a little girl named Chiro about a cough her mother noticed yesterday"

"How old is the little girl?" he asked getting up as he walked toward her door as he flipped through the patients medical records. He stopped near her door. She got up to follow him, but stopped a few feet away from the door.

"She is going on six years by next week on Tuesday"

Sakura watched him read over the two folders, she always noticed that his eyebrows creased together whenever he was annoyed with something.

"You need anything?" she asked, trying to get what was bothering him. He looked up at her with question. "You look annoyed with something"

She noticed the lack of response as she looked at him.

"When was the last time that you went home and actually talked to your wife?" she innocently asked.

The doctor only sighed and let the folders rest on his hip as he scratched his head with his other hand. He drew in a breath.

"I don't know, last week maybe? I've been sleeping here at the hospital to catch up on some work… she really has been worried though"

Sakura nodded her head as she crossed her arms over her chest; she was getting a hang of reading people. Ever since she became a medical Nin, she was taught to always watch her patient's movements and their body language. One could pick up on something by just the slightest movement when it involved discomfort. She leaned forward and slipped the two folders out of Dr. Suzuki's grasp.

"Why don't I take care of these for you and why don't you go to your wife?"

The older man looked at her, baiting either or not to listen to the comment.

"I don't know…"
"Look, Dr. Suzuki, you haven't been home in little over a week and don't you think that you kind of deserve to go home and see you wife?"

He looked down at the ground.

"Also you're going to be gone for about a month, why don't you take her with you? She would enjoy it and also it would make your trip less painful"

Dr. Suzuki looked back up at his assistant, with a look of forfeit.

"What would I do without you Sakura?"

She only smiled.

"Go, take your wife and get out of Konoha"

He gently shook her shoulder in thanks as he retreated down the hallway. Sakura only watched him a bit till her sudden appointment scheduling came to her mind.

Later on that day when both of her patients were taken care of Sakura sat back in her office chair slightly exhausted from her days work. Early that morning she had to finish Dr. Suzuki's arrangement papers then she had to deal with all the nurses on her floor, schedule a shipment of medical supplies to restock the supply station, and also take care of Dr. Suzuki's patients. She sat back in her chair and stared at her paper covered desk. It was not as nearly as chaotic as Tsunade's but it was close. On one side of her desk were the folders of patients that were put on hold till Dr. Suzuki's return and the other side consisted of papers and more medical documents that had yet to be done for the rest of the month. It was only a Friday night and pandemonium was planned 5 days before Dr. Suzuki's departure.

She drew in a sigh as she looked down at her desktop calendar. In various spots, notes were written down of appointments, meetings, and also counseling appointments. She leaned forward and took up a pencil; she only then settled it back down on top of her desk to contemplate going home. But since her superior was gone, she had a very lax schedule.

"Don't you look like a hard worker"

She turned her head at the voice and found Genma. He only grinned at her from his leaning position at her office door. He stood leaning his back against the door frame with his arms crossed over his chest with his orally fixated toothpick in his mouth.

"What are you doing here Genma?" she asked with slight surprise. She hadn't seen the Jounin in a while, not since about a month ago when he came in for treatment from his previous mission.

"Nothing, just checking up on you" he said.

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him as she got up from her chair to take up the group of medical textbooks that were collecting on her desk.

"I hope your not asking me to tend to you again?" she asked while she walked over to her bookshelf. She remembered when he came in from that mission he nearly groped her when she turned around. Luckily Dr. Suzuki came in the room to ask her something.

"No, but what if I said yes would you tend to me anyway?" he asked with a smile.

Sakura only chuckled slightly as she reached up to slip a book on its shelf.

"But there has to be a reason why you are here. You normally don't enter hospitals without having one" she said. "You are nearly as bad as Kakashi"

She slipped another book onto the shelf. There was a slight pause from the ninja; he probably noticed the mention of the silver haired man.

"I was going to ask you…." He started. Sakura looked at the binding of the book she had to check the volume number before she shelved it. "…what were you're plans tonight?"

Sakura halted her reach with her nearly complete book shelving. She turned around to find the man in her office and sitting in her desk chair.

"Are you asking me on a date Genma?"

He only smiled as twirled the small piece of wood between his lips.

"As a matter of fact yes"

Sakura shifted her awaiting books to her other hand as she looked at the ninja. She then turned back around to her bookshelf.

"What do you say?" he asked from her desk.

Sakura halted again and lowered her book filled hand. She stood there a minute thinking about it.

"No"

She placed the book back on the shelf.

"Why not?"

Sakura whirled around; he breathed that right into her ear. She didn't even hear him approach her, damn he was good. Sakura backed into her bookshelf due to close proximity; she was corned by Genma's large body.

"Because"

"Because why?" he repeated.

Sakura couldn't even hear herself; he was so close to her. When was the last time did a man ever come that close to her? Sakura could almost smell him, but she could feel his body heat coming off him. Sakura calmed her heart beat as she collected herself. She looked straight in his eyes with firm expression. Sakura brought the remaining books she had in her hands in front of her chest.

"Because…..?" she said softly while looking at him, he leaned a little closure as he brought an arm up to lean it against the bookshelf giving him an excuse to get into her bubble. "….I said so"

She pressed the books into his chest as she ducked under his arm and walked past him. She smirked slightly at her actions. Inner Sakura threw a punch in the air.

Way to go!

She bent over her desk to look at tomorrow's schedule; she really didn't have anything planned. Everything that was needed was already done or could be done on Monday. So she really had a free weekend. Hopefully Genma did just happen to look onto her desk when he sat down into her chair.

"So…?"

Sakura looked back over at him, he shelved the books she gave him and right now was slouching against her bookshelf.

"So what?" she asked wondering why he was still here.

"So when do I pick you up?"

Sakura looked at him like What the hell are you talking about.

"Does he not get it?" she thought.

"Genma what are you going at?" she asked slightly aggravated.

"Nothing, just taking a fellow Shinobi out"

"No, didn't you hear me, I told you no"
"Yah I heard you"

"So—"

Genma butted in.
"Sakura when was the last time did you have any fun let alone get out of this hospital?"

Sakura stopped talking to think of the question. When was the last time did she go out? She spent most of her time at the hospital and other than that, she really had no time to do anything.

Genma looked at the Kunoichi and smiled due to her lack of response. He just happened to glance down at her desk calendar, when he sat down in her chair, and noticed that she pretty much had a lax schedule due to her Dr. Suzuki being out of town. He walked past her toward her door.

"I'll be at your house by 9 o'clock" he said, he turned in her doorway. "Dress in something nice, but nothing formal"

Genma watched her profile stand in its reminiscing stance. He watched her till she slowly nodded her head accepting the offer.

"Remember 9 o'clock" he said turning from the room. He walked down the hallway with a grin on his face.

"About time she came out of her bubble" he thought to himself. "She could really use it and also I think a certain Shangarin user would too"

Sakura looked up at her clock as she entered into her house, the face read a little after 7 o'clock. So she had about two hours till Genma came over to pick her up.

"Great" she muttered. "Other than that, I don't have anything 'nice' to wear"

She dropped her bag near her door as she walked up her stairs towards her bedroom.

That will fit that is Inner Sakura reminded her.

"Thanks for the input" she replied as she opened her bedroom door. She looked at the dressers that held her clothes, all her old non fitting clothes.

She glanced over at her clock, 7:05.

"I'll give myself about 20 minutes to clear my drawers out to see if anything…to the gods I pray….if anything will fit me"

You better pray that something fits because we have no idea what Genma has in mind for us

Sakura reminded silent. Inner Sakura was right, Genma just happened to not fill her in on where they were going to be going.

"Well, let's do this" she said crossing over to a dresser.

20 minutes later

Well so much for that Inner Sakura said leaning back and examining their problem.

Sakura slumped from her sitting position. Not one article of clothing was large enough for her to wear not to mention all her bras or underwear. She had absolutely no clothes to wear.

The clothes that she was wearing for the past few months were a combination of Tsunade's and Shizune's. They were fine with her borrowing their clothing, well really their old stuff due to it not fitting them.

Sakura still didn't have the heart to go shopping and get new clothes; she kept giving herself excuses that she didn't have the time.

"I should have gone shopping when I had the chance" she muttered going down the stairs to find some boxes to put the clothes in. "It would have saved me the trouble"

Your fault Inner Sakura said. Also that dress that you bought you can no longer wear it

"Well that will make Ino really happy"

She halted her search regarding the blonde; she really hadn't seen any of her friends since then. She did see them in the hospital when they came in from missions but they really didn't stop to say hi or even give her a call. They would only talk to her when she was doing them a service. But they still kept their distance. They acted like they weren't sure if it was the same Sakura in front of them. They didn't say anything but she could see it in their eyes. Is it really her? Is this the girl that I grew up with? Tsunade said to give them time to open back up to her.

"Yeah and it's been a little over a few months" she thought closing a closet door.

The only people that she really considered friends were….Naruto. But what about the other Jounin's? Well Genma was pretty easy to talk to if he wasn't in the mood for flattery. But then there was Kakashi. But he was still having his regrets for what she did for him, even though their conversation last night seemed to patch things up between them.

She really didn't have a chance to talk to Kurenia or Anko, she treated Kurenia a couple of times and she seemed like nice company. She better talk to her more often. But Anko was just loud and also she kind scared Sakura a little with her I'm-Going-To-Get-Orochimaru Attitude. Shizune and Tsunade were alright but she considered them as adopted mom's more than friends. Gai was just plain creepy and Asuma well he was normally around Kurenia for that matter.

She sighed as she searched her house for a box; no one except Naruto came to her mind.

"Speaking of which I haven't seen much of him lately" she said looking around.

Noticing a box in the corner of her kitchen she grabbed it and returned back upstairs.

I wonder where he ran off to

"I just hope that numbskull realizes that him ever going out with me is now shot out the door"

She chuckled slightly as she stuffed all the clothing into the box. All the clothes barely fit in the box but due to her packing skills she managed to cram them all in. She lifted the box up and shifted it to get a better grip on it.

"Now what to do with it?" she said as she left her bedroom. "I don't know if anyone would want these? I wonder if—"

A knock sounded at her door. She halted her steps toward the kitchen to stare at her door. The knock sounded again, so she wasn't imaging it.

She settled the box down and went to answer it. She opened it to reveal Genma.

Genma thought it would be best on his part that he arrived early at Sakura's house. But he also wanted to give her something. He glanced down at the white box he carried under his arm; the box was fairly large it had to be in order to carry the item that it stored.

A smirk rose on his lips remembering the looks he received when he purposed the item back at the store. Thought it odd that a gentleman (him a gentleman? Ha!) like him would buy an item like that.

He arrived in front of Sakura's door in less time then he expected, he thought her heard footsteps inside telling him that she was in fact home. He swirled the toothpick that he had in his mouth as he reached out to knock on the door.

He waited a while before he knocked again; he heard the footsteps come toward the door.

He gave her a grin as she opened the door.

"Hey cherry blossom, thought I would stop by" he said with a smile. He looked at Sakura and watched her narrow her eyes and look back in the house at something, he presumed a clock.

"Genma what are you doing here?" she asked with question after returning her gaze on him, "You are not supposed to be here for another hour and a half"

"I know" he said walking towards her and pushing his way inside. "Thought I would stop by anyway"

"What are you doing?" she said allowing his bulk of a body to enter into her home. "Who said you could--"

"Here" he said handing her the large white box. "It's for you"

He didn't see her expression but he could have guessed that it was a mean one, he only continued his way toward the living room and plopped himself nonchalantly on her sofa.

His gaze wandered around the place noticing her nice taste in furniture, surprisingly everything wasn't all pink but in friendly shades of blues, greens, browns, and reds.

"Genma"

His gaze returned to the pink haired kunoichi. He could only smirk at her position. She had the box on her hip with her other hand on her lower back; her expression was that full of anger and also a bit of confusion.

"What are you doing?" she asked with a tone of voice that reminded him a lot of his mother.

"Waiting for you to get ready" he replied swirling the toothpick in his mouth. He propped his feet up on the low coffee table that sat in front of the sofa. She eyed them but then returned her attention back to the box that she had on her hip then back to the toothpick wielding man in her living room.

"Fine" she said turning to go back upstairs. "I hope you have patience"

He heard her climb the stairs and the familiar snapping of a bedroom door.

"You can count on it" he muttered. "Because you're going to be the one in need of it"