Chapter 2

His strides were long and rushed, and before she had time collect her thoughts, he was before her. Glittering jade eyes bored into her with a powerful rage as a sneer twisted his face into a look of distaste. Her hands clenched nervously at her sides and his eyes caught the movement with a quick, fleeting glance. His lips stretched into a poisonous smile.

"Move," He hissed, voice dripping with venom.

Chills raced up and down her spine like ice on her skin, and she tried amicably to control the urge to bolt. His unforgiving eyes showed that if she did not move out of his way, he would kill her where she stood. Not for a second did she believe he wouldn't harm her. She knew very well he would. It was as clear as glass that he wouldn't hesitate to get what he wanted.

Cold sweat formed on her palms and her blood ran cold as she swallowed thickly. Of course she wasn't standing there like an idiot of her own accord. She desperately wanted to flee, but it just so happened the connections from her brain to her limbs had been temporarily severed. Fear was coarsing through every vein in her body and red flags were going off in her head. She wished over and over that her body would just get out of his way, but Fate seemed to have other ideas.

She began screaming to herself, willing herself to take just two steps back, room enough for him to squeeze by her and leave. Still, she moved not an inch. Inwardly, she wailed helplessly and clenched her fists. She regretted the movement instantly as she watched uncaged trepidation flash in the crazed eyes of the man before her.

His arms slammed onto the doorframe behind her, startling her so violently that a scream ripped from her lips, only to be cut short as she snapped her mouth shut. Cold, hate-filled eyes bored into hers like a murdering drill, and she stood, frozen, staring up at him with frightened eyes. If there had been any hope of running a few seconds prior, hidden beneath the shock of being faced with this man, it was flung out the window now.

"Move," He repeated in a sinister voice.

If she could have turned right then and ran away, God knows she would have.

However, she was forced to stare into the overly bright eyes of the patient and witness the finality of a decision he was contemplating. His face went blank as his breath washed over her, hopelessly obscuring her thoughts. The muscles in his arms retracted as he shifted, and she knew that he was about to grab her. What would happen after that, she didn't know, but it wouldn't be good. It would painful and terrifying, and she didn't want it to happen.

If the Tsunade hadn't interfered at that moment, Sakura would have most likely been nothing more than a body on the floor while the dangerous man before her sprinted down the hall to find some means of hiding.

"That's enough, Gaara."

His glassy eyes widened a fraction, and Sakura could plainly see the rage and helpless frustration scream from their depths before they dulled, and he dropped to the floor. Sakura stared at the empty space before her where the man had previously stood in silent awe. She was alive. She was alive, but was he? Immediatly, adrenaline rushed in and out of her body so quickly it left her knees quaking and chest contracting painfully, making it hard to breathe.

Her eyes gazed shakily at the older woman with worry and confusion.

Tsunade sighed heavily and pushed stray blonde strands of hair away from her face with a free hand while the other pocketed an empty syringe. Her honey gold eyes stared down at the man on the floor with some regret and sadness under her proffesional facade.

"Haruno Sakura, I'm guessing?" she said, eyes slowly rising to meet Sakura's emerald orbs.

"Y-Yes." Sakura stuttered, forcing herself to overcome the shock still pusling through her body.

"I'm Tsunade. Welcome to the Konoha Institution for the Mentally Unstable."

A forced grin spread across Tsunade's face as she extended her hand out to Sakura for a greeting shake. The young woman shook her hand firmly, and let an answering fake smile appear on her face.

"Well, I know that this was probably not the welcoming you were expecting," she gestured to the young man on the floor between them. His face was a blank stare, his mouth open slightly as quite breaths whispered past his lips. "...but if you will follow me to my office, I will explain how everything works here and give you your assignment."

"Yes, of course. But...." Sakura trailed off and looked down once more at the young man.

"Mercital,"Tsunade stated, answering Sakura's silently asked question. "It's a hypnotic or antispasmodic drug." At Sakura's confused gaze, she explained further. "You won't know of it, I invented it myself specifically for the patients emitted into the facility. Don't worry, I got the approval and papers that make it legal. It's an official medication as of five years ago, but is strictly prohibited out of the institution. So no smuggling any out."

Sakura nodded distractedly as she looked down at the man. "Is he aware?" she asked slowly.

"Dully. Since not one person is exactly the same, not every reaction to the drug is the same, either. There is no significant difference, though, it you were wondering. That would be too risky to the patients' health. However, some would experience a calming numbness while another would feel nothing but the urge to curl up and sleep. Mainly, it will just cool them down and make them easy to handle." Tsunade gestured to the patient. "Gaara, however, experiences a complete and total shutdown of himself. He can't really move or talk, and he fights it so violently because he despises the feeling of being nothing. Right now, for him, everything is sluggish and undetectable. I wouldn't be surprised to discover that he doesn't even know we are here right now."

The realization of the thievery of the drug shook Sakura to her core. As she gazed down at this man, Gaara, she felt guilt rise up and leave a bitter taste in her mouth. To force someone to go through this, the feeling of not existing, was inhuman and immoral. It was wrong.

A sudden image of his crazed look and murderous intent flashed through Sakura's mind, and she flinched. Was it wrong?

"Well, come on, then," Tsunade said, breaking Sakura from her lingering thoughts. "Let's discuss your furture in my office."

A grunt caught Sakura's attention and she glanced over to the corner of the room. Tsunade, too, paused and grimaced as she took in the sight of her employee, Daichi, sitting in a chair mending his nose. His wrist flicked and a crack echoed around the room, setting Sakura's teeth on edge. Tsunade sighed and cleared her throat, gaining the giant of man's attention.

"Thank you for your help, Daichi. After you take Gaara back to his room, I'll prescribe you some painkillers for your, erm, nose." Tsunade's lips twisted into an apologetic smile. "He's sedated now, so he won't put up much resistance."

"Yeah, I know the drill." he replied gruffly, wrinkling his nose carefully, testing it. "This is going to be a bitch in the morning."

"Not if you take the right pills this time. I'll meet you in my office in a few hours. Be careful with him." she added, nodding down at Gaara she turned and made her way down the hall.

Sakura followed after Tsunade quickly, shooting a final parting glance to the man laying dazed on the floor. If she hadn't been so distracted trailing after her soon-to-be boss, she would have sworn that his dull eyes rolled and locked with hers with a look of unforigivable loathing burning in their drugged depths.

XXXXXX

The walk to Tsunade's office was short and silent, aside from the shuffling of feet behind Sakura caused by the patients and quiet whimpers from within the cement walls. Every other second she was forced to swallow down the rising anxiety and set her determined gaze upon Tsunade's back. It was taking more will power than she had bargained for to ground herself and keep her thoughts in check.

After making two left turns, the pair came to a plain looking door and stepped through. Immediatly Sakura knew this was Tsunade's office by the furniture piled into the limited space. A desk was pushed against the back wall with a standard office chair squeezed between the desk and wall and a metal filing cabinet standing coldly next to it. A rickety looking chair sat in front of the desk for guests

In the back corner on either side of the desk were dull grey filing cabinets, with a key sticking from the top drawer lock pad. A hanging lamp from the ceiling dimly lit the interior of the room and its occupants.

"Take a seat Sakura, and we will begin." Tsunade gestured to one of the two chairs in front of her desk while she went to sit behind it. Sakura followed and sat in one of the metal, uncomfortable, chairs across from the desk.

"Tsunade-sama?" Sakura called out firmly.

The pink haired woman did not want to be an intern here, and was hoping not to get stuck with all the paperwork. She had come here to help the people, not be a pencil pusher. Damn it if she was stuck with papers, so help her she would tear this place down!

"Yes?" Tsunade looked at her expectantly.

Cooling her inner self down, Sakura clasped her hands together over her pale scrubs, and looked her boss in the eye.

"What exactly is my job here?" she inquired.

"Mmm. Well, to be honest I was going to have you running charts and giving check-ups to the minor patients ," Tsunade caught the slight scowl on the young woman's face and chuckled. "But then I saw how you acted in front of our Gaara."

Sakura remembered how she had frozen up, and inwardly grimaced. Tsunade must have taken her lack of carrying out Gaara's orders as sheer bravery and stubborness. That would probably come back to bite her in the ass soon. She shouldn't have been frightened, though. This was a job where she would most likely have to deal with his attitude on a daily basis. She would never freeze up like that again, she reasoned. Next time, she would stand up to him. She would put him in his place and refuse to show fear.

"So, I have decided to let you take on the responsibility of a patient. Judging from your paperwork, you seem up for the job." Tsunade stated, drumming her fingers on the disorganized desk top.

Sakura stared at the woman across from her with bright eyes. Just like that she was going to get a patient of her own. "My own patient?" she asked slowly, watching Tsunade nod. "I don't have to start out as an apprentice or anything? No trailing behind one of the other nurses? No learning the ropes?"

Tsunade shook her head. "No. I feel that you can handle this. From what your professors told me, you are quite the fast learner. Getting exemplory grades, graduating top of your class, president of the Honor Society...you're very own patient should be a cake walk." The blond gave a contradicting smile. "Don't make me regret my decision, Sakura. I have never promoted someone on their first day here, but I have a special feeling about you."

"I promise you will not be disappointed." Sakura answered quickly. She did not want to give Tsunade any reason to think that she wasn't worthy of this oppurtunity.

"Good," Tsunade snapped and pulled out a notebook filled with photocopied papers off her messy desk. "These are the basic rules and regulations of the facility. Read them, memorize them, obey them. One slip up and your out. A mistake on your part could mean a complete set back for a patient. The risk is too high, so do not step out of line, Sakura."

"I won't." Sakura took the notebook and held it steady in her lap.

"Then you may go. You can sit in the rec room to read over the syllabus."

"Um, Tsunade?" Tsunade glanced up at Sakura who was now standing before her desk clutching the folder. "You haven't told me who may patient is yet."

A slow smile curved Tsunade's lips and she leaned back lazily in her chair. "Oh, yes, I almost forgot the best part." she said, eyes twinkling mischeviously.

Sakura smiled in relief.

"You're patient will be Gaara Sabaku, file case 22487." Tsunade said, voice sounding rehearsed as if she had given this same information to other desperate nurses before Sakura. "I wish you good luck, Miss Sakura. You most certaintly will need it."

Sakura's smile vanished. It had most certaintly come back and bit Sakura right on the ass.

I hope that was enjoyable! Better than the original maybe? Please review! This was the rewritten version!