"Sakura, there's something wrong with my mouth."

"Yeah. You never shut it," the roseate replied, looking through the scroll she was reading without even glancing up at the blonde, even as she could feel his glare bear into the top of her head. She sat on the floor of library between two bookshelves, scrolls half opened and draped over her lap as she searched for information for an experiment she was performing at the hospital.

"Seriously, Sakura-chan! It hurts really bad!" he whined, and sat down directly in front of her, forcing her attention to him. The desperate look on his face was the only thing that made her sigh, and set aside the scroll to kneel in front of him, and tap his chin.

"Fine. Open," she ordered, and with relief in his eyes, he acquiesced. Immediately she was overwhelmed by the strong smell of Naruto breath and barbeque ramen. "Thanks for breathing your ramen breath all over me," she grumbled with a swat to his cheek. Shrugging, he made an odd sound as he tried to make up an excuse with his mouth wide open, but stopped when she fixated him with a glare. Her attention focused back in on his mouth, and even though she was no professional (at least not in the mouth field) she could identify the problem with ease.

"You have a cavity."

And for the look of horror she received, she might as well have told him he was going to die.

"No, I can't!" the blonde protested, absolute dread clear in his tone. He looked anxious, but she shrugged and sat back down to give her scrolls her attention.

"Fine. Don't trust my opinion. But you have a cavity, and you need to get it fixed for the pain to go away." Picking back up her scroll, she glanced up at him, and sighed when she still saw that horrified look on his face. "Naruto, it's not that bad. Just go to the den—"

"Can't you fix it?" he interrupted. "I mean, you're a medic, and—"

"Not trained to fix teeth. It's just not something we really do." And it was true. Some medics knew how to heal teeth, but normally it was easier just to send even a shinobi to a local dentist to get their dental needs taken care of, though mouth surgery was often performed by both. "It's not that big of a deal. My dentist does a really good job, I can refe—"

"I can't go to the dentist," he interrupted again, face paling at the idea. His tone seemed so decided—so sure. Sakura huffed.

"Well, then you get to wait until you have to get surgery and a root canal," she retorted, noting the increased terror at the thought. "What is so bad about the dentist? They're just like regular doctors, except for your mouth."

Scowling, he shook his head. "They are not! They're… Weird and evil people who only live to jab innocent people in the gums and make them bleed and feel pain."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh. "I don't know what dentist you've been to, but obviously you didn't see a very good one." She had meant it playfully, but the hurt look that he gave her confirmed the truth in her words. Her face fell a bit, and she frowned. "Awww, Sunshine. Bad experience?" she questioned gently.

"I was five, and they didn't numb me while I got a filling," he grumbled. "It was awful."

"Well, now you're old enough that you can make sure they do. But you really do need it done, Naruto," she told him, awww'ing over the mental image of a little Naruto having to go through something like that. "Or else it'll just get worse." His dejected face told her that he knew, and wasn't very happy about it. "We can go see my dentist now, and set you up an appointment if you like?"

Fairly suspicious, he looked none too pleased with the idea. "I… well, I really don't…"

It was obvious this would go nowhere unless she took control of the situation. Groaning, she stood and left the scrolls where she had left them, knowing she'd be back later, and pulled on his hand until he followed suit. "Come on, Naruto. I'll hold your hand if I have to."

But she didn't really think she'd have to literally hold his hand.

Walking into the dentistry alone had set the blonde on edge, a tension keeping him stiff in posture and demeanour in a way that was so different than his normal strut. Although he had let go of her hand once they had begun to walk, now he sought it again, and she squeezed his reassuringly as they walked up to the receptionist.

"Hello, Miyu," she greeted the old woman, who smiled up at the pair.

"Hello, Sakura. You just had your cleaning done a few weeks ago, so I'm supposing you're not here to schedule an appointment?"

The roseate shook her head, and nudged the blonde a bit. "No, but Naruto here has a cavity that he needs filled, and I was wondering if he could see Dr. Yako about it."

Miyu smiled up at him, and he only paled even more and fidgeted. "Of course! Actually, if you want, he has the afternoon free—he could see him now, if he doesn't have a regular dentist elsewhere."

Naruto shook his head slightly, swallowing in apprehension as Sakura continued to lead the appointment. "That would be great! Thank you so much."

"Then I'll be back in a moment, and we'll check you out, Naruto." The old lady stood slowly, and made her way into the back rooms to speak to Dr. Yako.

"See, Sunshine? Not so bad?" she teased him, swinging their joined hands playfully. But even then, he didn't smile or reply, his eyes reflecting the fear he was quite clearly feeling. She frowned again, and reached up to pat his cheek. "Hey. It's going to be okay, okay? It's just a dentist—and you're a big manly man, right?"

"I'm scared of the dentist, is what I am," he croaked in return, and it was almost heart-breaking to see him—usually so bright and bubbly and fearless—brought down to this by a bad childhood memory. The door to the back opened, and Miyu was on her way back. Sakura squeezed his hand again.

"Well, I'll be here the whole time, okay? So there's nothing to be afraid of."

He could only nod in reply.

"He's ready to see you now, in the examination room. Sakura, you can show Naruto back there, can't you, dear?"

"Of course. Thank you, Miyu. Come on, Naruto," she encouraged, and tugged him along to the back.

A hour and a filling later, and they were leaving the dentist and walking hand-in-hand down the village street until they reached the library again, Sakura grinning triumphantly and Naruto running his tongue along his teeth experimentally.

"I told you it wouldn't be that bad," she said, hitting him lightly with her elbow. He smiled, though the left side of his mouth was still affected by the numbing shot, and so it was a bit lopsided.

"Yeah, but I don't think I'd've done it if you hadn't gone with me," he told her, and let go of her hand, scratching the back of his head awkwardly. "So… I uh… Thank you, Sakura-chan."

"Of course, Sunshine." She laughed, pleased to see him so much more relaxed in comparison to how he was earlier. But then he was hugging her really close, and she was again struck by just how scared he had been—and how important it was to him that she had stayed through the whole thing. She hugged him back, and couldn't help the smile she gave him after he pulled away with a grin of his own, stuck his hands in his pockets, and walked along his merry way, leaving her to return to her library and her books.