Disclaimer: The following is purely a fan created work of my imagination. All characters and references are owned by Kishimoto senpai. Any questions?

Life Restored – Chapter 3

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Quietly exiting her patient's room, she blew a few strands of pink from her eyes as she closed the door shut behind her.

Her patient had fallen during the reconstruction of one of the residential buildings and had suffered a severe compound fracture in his left leg. She sighed heavily as she reviewed his file. His operation had been earlier this morning, and he had done well. The extent of his injury wasn't revealed until they'd reset the bone. It had torn through several layers of muscle, and had required the skill and chakra of two of their best medics to repair the damage.

She was exhausted.

Her chat this morning with Ino had taken a lot out of her, as did her small panic attack at her surprise visitor. A quick glance at the clock in the hallway told her that she would soon be out of work.

Right at seven.

Sakura rolled her eyes as she stuffed her patient's file under her arm and brushed her hair back from her face. Squaring her shoulders, she promptly headed for her office, determined to shed her white coat and sneak home before Naruto noticed she had no intentions of showing up tonight.

"Sakura-san! Sakura-san!"

Whirling on her toe she caught sight of the harrowed receptionist as she raced towards her. "Emergency case just arrived! His heart rate is falling and—!"

"Where is he?" Sakura interjected sharply, all business and calm.

"Emergency bay two." The receptionist answered automatically, holding out her hands toward Sakura. Without a second thought Sakura passed her the file she held before taking off at a brisk jog for the emergency level. She hadn't asked for a name, as most of her patients were shinobi. But because if she knew who it was, emotions got in the way of who she was healing and thoughts of the terror and pain she would feel if something happened to them…

Tonight was just going to get more exciting, she thought, tying her hair up as she ran. A grim smile tightened her lips. At least now she wouldn't have to sneak home. But the thought of letting Naruto down also pulled at her heart too. The moment she entered the emergency bay, however, all thoughts ceased. Her mind was on her patient now, who was bleeding from multiple areas on his torso and one nasty gash on his head. She watched as the other medics began to cut away his clothing and noted underneath all of the blood and dirt what he was wearing.

He was ANBU.

Sakura's stomach tightened and her eyes narrowed as she studied the extent of his injuries while the emergency team hurriedly prepped the bay. The man wasn't panicking or thrashing about as most cases in his condition. He was utterly calm, his eyes closed as if he were sleeping, and his heart rate falling erratically. Sakura's heart leapt into her throat as she recognized the jutsu.

A nearby nurse pressed a soldier pill into her hand, and Sakura popped it into her mouth immediately, swallowing it down fast. She was going to need the extra boost; it was going to be a long night. Quickly snapping on a pair of latex gloves, Sakura shut her mind off and focused on what she excelled at.

Healing.

Sasuke sat atop the roof of Hokage tower, eyes closed briefly as he let himself feel the light breeze and the warmth of the setting sun…Though he would never admit to doing so. Sharp eyes carefully opened to stare into the falling sun, narrowing a little as he watched it burn the clouds behind the trees.

He silently rubbed the palms of his hands down the sides of his dark pants, wiping away blood.

His sparring with Naruto had gone well today. He was feeling confident that his presentation to the village council would go well, especially given the fact that he had been seen training and sparring with the blonde idiot nearly every day the last two weeks. The corner of his mouth turned up in a smirk. That wasn't the only person he'd been seen with either, he knew. But unfortunately his former pink haired and fiery teammate had made herself difficult to confront directly.

Sasuke felt his smirk widen. She was interesting, indeed. His mind flashed back to their encounter that they had before his return. Something that seemed to be on his mind constantly since he'd returned to Konoha…

It was nearing the end of the war, shortly after the battle against Akatsuki, when Sasuke found himself in bad shape. Itachi had warned him from using their bloodline limit far too much, the Mangekyo Sharingan taking a substantial toll upon the user as a result. And sure enough, blood streamed from the bottom of both eyes as he staggered deeper into the forest, seeking refuge. He had sustained a few injuries during the battle, none of them too detrimental to his life, but his chakra levels were dangerously low.

The sound of rushing water greeted him like a breath of fresh air, and he found himself at the edge of a river shortly thereafter. His hands submerged into the water, bringing them up to his face and washing the blood free from his eyes. His vision was still terribly blurry, but the coolness of the water helped soothe the burn and focus his mind through the haze of pain. His sharp senses then alerted him that he wasn't alone, and his sword was in his hands as he stalked toward the presence.

The echoing of his footsteps a few minutes later told him that he had found himself inside of a small cave beside the river.

He swallowed his curse as he realized he'd alerted whoever it was to his presence, and he easily dodged a flying kunai a second later. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the other shinobi's chakra signature, as if the scent of her wasn't enough of a dead giveaway.

"Sakura."

The other shinobi froze, one chakra infused fist raised by her face as she readied herself for a fight. "S-Sasuke?" She whispered.

He didn't move. Encountering her far from the battlefield in the middle of the night was an unlikely, if but rare chance. He read her easily, noting her condition as he scrutinized her. Even with his hazy vision he could see she was injured as well, her body barely holding the strength to keep her upright.

Sasuke took a small step towards her, and she disappeared.

The loud crack echoed throughout the cave as her fist collided with the side of his face. He didn't even see it coming and hadn't expected it. But he was ready and on his toes for her next blow, which he caught with some difficulty as she threw what strength she had remaining into the punch. Countering her balance, Sasuke subdued her easily and pinned her body against his just as her knees collapsed.

He felt her shoulders trembling and it took him a minute to realize she was crying.

His anger slowly bled out of him, replacing it with mild annoyance. He gently lowered them both to the floor, cautiously anticipating another attack from her. When it didn't come, he realized the extent of her injuries; Blood was rapidly seeping from a nasty wound on her side, staining his sleeve bright red. There was a gash somewhere near her hairline as her soft and bright pink hair was matted with red. It was no surprise she'd been this far out. But regardless, he opened his mouth and asked her anyway.

"What are you doing here?"

She weakly pushed him back, rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. "Isn't it obvious?" She whispered before her words were cut off by a fit of coughing. She winced as blood came up her throat and into her hands. She pushed herself away from him, doing her best to support her weight on her arms as she propped herself up against the wall of the cave.

She refused to meet his gaze.

"Naruto told me to run; that he would find me later. Kaka-sensei disappeared as he fought Obito. I don't know what happened to them, but I'm no good to either one of them as I am right now. I needed to heal myself before I went back to the battlefield."

"You plan to fight in your condition?" His voice was bemused. Not mocking, just…curious.

Sakura's fist clenched. "I would expect no less of myself." She whispered. "I am a shinobi of Konoha, and I have a duty to my teammates and my village."

He took the hint.

She reached for her medical pack and pulled a few field dressing kits free. Sasuke watched in plain amazement as she staunched the bleeding on her side, and began to suture the wound together. "Why do you not heal yourself, Sakura?" He asked softly as he watched her wince with every stitch.

"My chakra is low." She murmured. "This should do it to get me through the battle until I can get back to the village."

She pegged him with a hard stare that left his stomach tightening.

"You've strained your eyes too far again, haven't you." Her voice was hard, her inquiry rhetorical. She glared at him for a long moment before she dropped her eyes back to her wound once more. "I know you're only allowing me to live for pure amusement, Sasuke." She commented as she finished stitching herself up, her voice unreadable as if discussing her own demise were no more of a big deal than discussing the weather.

Sasuke felt his eyes narrow as he pulled his katana free and laid it casually across his lap.

"I have no reason to kill you." He murmured softly as he watched her.

Sakura ripped the surgical thread free from the needle and it broke with a sharp snap that even elicited a wince from the stoic Uchiha.

Raising herself up on her knees, she lifted the base of her shirt just enough to expose the wound, before she began to wrap herself with bandages around her middle, sealing off the wound temporarily. She didn't meet his gaze as she did this, though she could feel his eyes on her the entire time. The lean muscles of her abdomen flexed as she twisted herself back and forth, securing the bandages nice and tight. When she was finished, she cut the bandages with a kunai before discarding it beside her.

"Is that so." She sat herself back against the wall of the cave once more, her breathing ragged as she pegged him with a hard stare. "Then will you do me a favor?"

He arched an eyebrow at her, his eyes never deviating from her face.

"Tell me everything."

His eyes closed as he felt the smirk drift back to his features once more.

"Still wanting answers, Sakura? You haven't changed—"

"I want to know if what Itachi told Kakashi is true or not." She interjected, and she watched his eyes snap open in response.

Sakura hid her smile. Gotcha, she thought.

Sasuke's glare made her insides twist as he sat forward, his expression dangerous, all traces of mockery gone. "Why do you feel you need to know, Sakura?"

She glared right back at him. "Because, Uchiha, I want to know if defending the village that I've lived in and fought for my entire life has been worth it. The only ones that know of what Itachi said apart from Kaka-sensei are Naruto and I. Word has not spread outside of Team 7, Sasuke. But I want to know here and now if everything that Kaka-sensei learned is true."

Sasuke's glare wavered a little as he looked at her. The ferocity in her burning emerald eyes shook him to his core. She certainly wasn't the naiveté little shinobi she was all those years ago, and she certainly wasn't as weak as he'd known her to be back then. The knowledge that burned behind her eyes penetrated straight through every shield he'd built and the kunoichi he was staring at now was unlike anyone he'd ever encountered before.

"Yes," He murmured softly, "It is true."

She felt her eyes well with tears as her head fell back against the cave wall. She squeezed her eyes shut and her jaw locked as she processed everything that was racing through her mind in that moment.

Sasuke watched her closely, noting her response to the information he'd just given her. Why he had granted her request was beyond him. He usually just blew people off when it came to him and his personal business. But Sakura wasn't just anyone to him, no matter how hard he'd tried to crush the bonds he had created with her, Naruto, Kakashi and the village.

"Does this change how you feel towards Konoha?" He asked his voice hard with hatred.

Her eyes snapped open and she pegged him with a furious glare. "Towards my village? No. Towards the elders who ordered the slaughter of a prestigious clan and integral part of the village?" Her eyes narrowed and he saw a level of disdain lower to that of almost hate. "Towards the slaughter of innocent people?"

Her voice was dangerously low as she whispered, "Yes."

Sasuke felt his stomach tighten and he felt his face twist with disgust. "Why do you even give a shit, Sakura?" He spat.

Her fist tightened and she lunged for him again, this time he barely caught her fist before it could collide with his cheek.

"I let you hit me once," He warned. "Not again."

"I give a SHIT, Uchiha," She spat, "Because I stupidly still love you! I have spent most of my life training to save lives, and I have been fighting to protect a village that is guilty of murder! I have been doing all of this under the guise that Konoha isn't corrupt like Otogakure or Kirigakure are! All of this time I have been living under a lie! How can YOU of all people accuse me of NOT giving a shit?!"

She glared right up at him, her fist captured in his strong hold as she ranted, tears brimmed her eyes as she yelled at the man who had broken her heart so many times over the last ten years…

Something stirred in his heart.

He was silent as he stared at her, disbelief coloring his features as he looked into her deep viridian eyes.

After a long moment, Sakura moved to get away from him. "Let me go, Sasuke." She whispered. Her gaze dropped from his face as she looked down to see where he still clutched her wrist. She gave her arm a light tug, and he slowly unclenched his fist, releasing her. She gently rubbed her wrist as she measured the extent of his injuries.

"Here," She whispered softly after a long moment, pushing herself up onto her knees as she inched closer to him. He didn't move away from her, but his hand shot up to block her from coming any closer. She sighed quietly before gathering what little chakra she had remaining to her hands. "Let me at least clear your vision, all right?"

His eyes narrowed, but she pushed through and gently cupped his cheeks in her hands.

"Why?" He croaked his voice so thick he barely recognized himself.

Sakura shook her head, silent tears trailing down her cheeks. "I'll do this one last thing for you, Sasuke. And then you'll never have to see me again."

His arm dropped away from her.

She scooted closer, to where she could kneel between his knees, her hands gently resting on either side of his temples as she manipulated her chakra into his optic chakra pathways. She felt the damage done from too much strain, and she slowly set about repairing the broken and strained pathways before she began repairing the nerve damage he'd done. She recognized his chakra present in his eyes still, and with a heavy sigh she threaded her fingers into his hair, lightly caressing.

"Sasuke," She whispered gently, "De-activate your Sharingan. I can't fix you if you keep using the very thing that's hurting you."

She felt him relax against her, and she had to hide her smile. She kept up with the hair stroking with one hand as she channeled her chakra with the other.

He was in Heaven. For a moment, there was no other way to describe the wondrous feeling he felt now. The pain was vanishing with a cool rush, as if he was submerging himself into cool water, and the muscles in his eyes were relaxing. He realized that no one had stroked his hair like that since his mother had done it when he was a child. The action brought back memories of her and for a moment he was thankful his eyes were closed.

It was over far too quickly.

Sakura withdrew from him, her hands shaking a little as she pushed herself back. His eyes opened, and he had to hide his shock as he saw her clearly for the first time in years.

She'd given him back his sight.

"Sakura…"

She forced herself to her feet as she walked on unsteady legs to the mouth of the cave, where she knelt and dipped her hands into the water below the waterfall. She cupped her hands and lifted them to her lips so she could drink.

She felt him approach from behind, and knew that he was getting ready to leave once more.

"You've given me back my power." He whispered softly. His words resonated in her heart, even over the roar of the waterfall, she heard his every word. Forcing herself to stand, she looked up at him.

"I restored your vision, Sasuke, that's all."

He reached forward and clutched her arms tightly. "Not going to ask me to come back to Konoha?" He murmured, his eyes never leaving her face.

A sad smile took over her features. "No, Sasuke, I'm not. Konoha is not where you want to be anymore, I've accepted that. And after…after all that's happened, I don't blame you." She drew a deep breath as she blinked away her tears. "But…I want you to know that…I will always love you." She offered him one last, faint smile before she lowered her head and started to pull back from him…

His lips crashed onto hers faster than she could've expected. Her surprised gasp only drove him harder and he deepened the kiss even more. One hand snaked around her waist and the other threaded into her hair, holding her gently as he kissed her fiercely.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she slowly kissed him back, her knees trembling, her heart thundering away in her chest, and her fingers threading into his hair again. She never even saw it coming.

Sasuke tore away from her a few minutes later, leaving her gasping for breath. His eyes burned with intensity as he looked into hers, his fingers fisting in her hair. "I don't deserve you," He growled, pulling her head back before claiming her lips again.

She cried out as his teeth sank into her lower lip, but she was silenced a second later. She held him as tightly as she could, wincing as he brushed her side with his arm. Pressing herself up on her toes, she kissed him hard, her teeth nipping his tongue. His response was immediate, and he dipped her back, supporting her fully in his arms.

When they broke away, both shinobi were breathing hard. Sakura's breath came in sharp gasps and Sasuke did his best to get his features under control. She rested her forehead against his as she caught her breath, feeling his hair tickle the sides of her face. She pulled back from him to meet his gaze, and was surprised to see bright crimson.

It was the last thing she remembered.

Sakura emerged from the surgical suite three hours later.

Her head was pounding and her stomach was twisting painfully. The procedure had barely been a success, the ANBU shinobi coded twice during the operation, but they thankfully had been able to resuscitate him with a few short chakra bursts to his heart. Sakura felt her vision start to fade as she rubbed her eyes with one hand.

Office. She just needed to get to her office.

Barely coherent, she accidentally bumped into someone in the hallway, and she about bounced right into the opposite wall as a result. Mumbling a half-hearted apology to them she continued her trek down the hall and up the flight of stairs to her sanctuary.

The door to her office opened far too easily, but she paid no notice of it as she tossed her white coat onto her desk before going to collapse on the small couch she had in her office. It took her a second to realize that her normally soft and plushy couch held an occupant, and her eyes shot open to see Naruto grinning gently down at her.

"Hiya Sakura-chan!"

Her gasp was followed by a very sleepy, "I'mssorry, Naruto." She rolled off of him, or started to, at least until Naruto seized her legs and stood up, gently laying her back on the couch again. "Just rest Sakura-chan. Tsunade no baa-chan said you'd been in surgery all day long. You need to sleep."

She nodded sleepily, feeling her eyelids drooping again as she snuggled deep into her couch.

Two arms plugged underneath her and scooped her up off the couch.

Her eyes snapped open as Naruto scooped her up. "It's okay Sakura-chan! We might've missed out on dinner, but we're not gonna just leave you to sleep here in the yucky old hospital!" Had she been more coherent and awake she would have countered that by saying that the hospital had just recently been rebuilt, so it technically wasn't old any longer. The new surgical suite she'd spent most of the afternoon in justified that.

But she didn't argue.

She felt Naruto toss her up a little to get a better grip on her, but then she felt herself being put into the arms of someone else. Her mind was too far gone to really care, at least until she heard him speak.

"Dobe. You find her keys yet?"

His voice resonated in his chest and warmed her all the way to her toes. But she held still, feigning sleep. She would face her inhibitions and fears tomorrow. For now, she didn't want to think, didn't want to worry.

"Yup! Let's go!"

She felt his grip tighten on her as he carried her out of the office, and he tucked her face into his chest to shield her eyes from the bright florescent lighting as they headed out of the hospital.

Sasuke looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms. She was lighter than he imagined as he cradled her against his chest, her mess of pink hair spilling over his shoulder and arm as he carried her home. He hadn't been certain earlier this morning if she'd been planning on blowing off their team dinner, and he'd known that no matter how much incessant banter the dobe provided, nothing would ease her nerves around him.

Not until they had a chance to talk.

He'd taken full advantage of their current situation, however, when the Hokage had informed Naruto and him that Sakura had been working in the hospital all day long. She'd taken two soldier pills throughout the course of the day, resulting in her current condition. Tsunade worried she would come down with a cold from the intense amount of strain Sakura had put on her body. And despite the training he knew she'd undergone, the exhausted kunoichi in his arms was in need of some serious R&R before she would be back on her feet.

So he and the dobe had set about making sure that she got it. They were her teammates, after all, the blonde idiot had said.

And he hoped…with some level that he would be able to talk with her. About what happened after they parted in that cave a year or so ago.

Sakura snuggled against him in her sleep, a soft sigh escaping her.

Sasuke smirked. If only she knew who was really carrying her home…

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A/N: Another chapter down! :D Well? What did you guys think? *grins*

If it wasn't already apparent, I had a total blast writing this. It was difficult, keeping them both in character, but I think given the particular…circumstances that things ended up pretty well. Hehe…Poor Sakura. XD

Anyway! Feedback is much appreciated! Thank you guys so much for reading! See you all next chapter! :)