Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Masashi Kishimoto does.

~Recap~

Naruto and Minato looked at each other and as if to confirm their mutual agreement nodded their heads.

"Okay. Fine. Are their certain terms that we are to comply to while we are on this...break?"

"I only have one little tiny request."

"What might that be?"

"I want Sakura Haruno to heal me."

~Recap end~

Naruto looked incredulous. "Are fucking with me? I'd rather die a thousand times than allow you to even fathom touching Sakura-chan."

"Then die a thousand times for all I care. I request that girl. I will not take another as a replacement. You cannot substitute a diamond with a fake."

Minato, following the conversation intently until now, intervened. "What makes Sakura so important and unique that you absolutely have to have her? Why not request another medic? One who is equally capable of healing a person such as yourself?"

Obito threw his head back and let out a roar of laughter. "You still don't get, don't you?" Naruto wasn't about to let Obito lock him in a conundrum.

"Get what? Better answer before I pommel you into the next life."

Obito stalled only for a moment before deciding what to say. "Where's the fun in that? Why don't I let you figure this 'puzzle' out by yourself? My patience is wearing thin, and we're all in dire need of a respite. However, I'm feeling a wee bit generous today so I'll drop one tiny hint." Naruto and Minato both closed in. "Sakura Haruno is not what she appears to be. Her past is a convoluted maze that not I can completely comprehend. Her past is what made her what she is today, a very powerful shinobi."

The explanation could not have been simpler; however, Minato could not accept such a laconic answer. "Obito, is there by any chance you could go in depth about Sakura?"

"Nope I already explained it to your son and I'm going to reiterate again. Sakura Haruno is not someone you can simply trifle with. I could explain it to you, but I don't care enough about you to do that. If you absolutely can not handle not know the truth, then ask her yourself. Don't take too long though. I don't take too kindly to people stealing what is mine."

Naruto was just about to open his mouth to tell off Obito when he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"Damn! He got away! We need to go after him!"

"Naruto! We can't afford to gamble with his offer! We may be powerful, but this certainly doesn't feel like the end. I think it's better if we go back to base and ask Sakura herself. Maybe she has the answer to all our questions." And with that, they turned and ran like the wind back to have some of their burning questions answered.

~At the base~

"Sakura, we have another patient in critical! Come as soon as possible!"

"Coming! I'm...almost...there...just another stitch...hang in there Yuki...your wound is almost sealed...just need to keep it together..."

"SAKURA-CHANNNN!"

When Naruto practically screeched her name, Sakura jumped in her spot and missed the last stitch. "Damn it, Naruto! Can't you see I'm in the middle of a fucking operation? Go away...oh Minato-san!"

"Hello Sakura. Sorry for Naruto's abrasiveness, but there are some things that we need to ask you. Now."

"Oh, okay. Let me just finish with this patient and I'll be right with you." Sakura then went about changing thread the needle and finishing the last stitch, before setting off with Naruto and Minato to talk in a more private location. As they were quietly trodding through the mud, Sakura sensed strange auras coming off of Naruto and his father. Using genjutsu, she read Naruto's mind, covering her trace.

(a/n: Italics are Naruto's thoughts. Bold italics are Sakura's thoughts.)

Damn how am I going to phrase my sentences without Sakura getting suspicious? Is it possible that she herself may not even know what powers she possesses? Wait...can I myself even fathom what powers she possesses? What am I going to say? What am I going to say? WHAT AM I GOING TO FUCKING SAY? Maybe Obito was just trying to screw around with me. A good night's sleep might do me some good. Maybe Dad can cover for me...

What did Obito say? Did he spill the goods? This isn't good, but I can't give away my restlessness. Poker face Sakura. Poker face must remain on at all times. I can't have Naruto and the others find out about me just yet. It's still not time to reveal who I truly am. I have to stay in character. Maybe I'll throw in a tantrum just so Naruto will think I'm still "normal".

They walked to a secluded area in camp shrouded by tall firs. Sakura turned to face Naruto and Minato, "So what's on your minds?" Naruto scrunched his face, creased lined his forehead, but still could not come up with any witty openings. Even Minato himself couldn't find the appropriate words. A heavy silence covered the atmosphere that left the three fidgeting uncomfortably. Sakura, whose patience had just run out, was the first to speak up.

"Well, if no one has anything to say then I'd better get going. I still have patients and time is everything."

"Wait Sakura." Naruto stretched his arm and pulled Sakura back until their faces were only inches away. "Are you hiding something?"

"Why would you think I'm hiding something?"

"..."

"This is ridiculous. Is that all? I think you're going to have to be a little more specific, Naruto."

"..."

Wow. He just fed me the opportunity to throw a tantrum. Thanks Naruto!

"SERIOUSLY, just fucking tell me whatever's on your mind!"

Placing a cold hand on her in an attempt to pacify her, Minato quietly spoke.

"Sakura, Obito asked us if we could have a temporary respite. He asked for you to be his personal medic. Also mentioned that you were hiding something. Hiding something from your past. What are you hiding Sakura? How did Obito personally know your name?"

"He wants me to be what?"

"He wants you to be his medic. He wants you to heal him."

"Out of the blue...he just asked that."

"Yes."

"Oh, okay...THEN WHY DIDN'T YOU START OFF WITH THAT? I just wasted ten minutes of precious time!"

"Never mind that Sakura. If you don't want to go, it's understandable. There's no telling what he might do to you."

Taking all the information in, Sakura closed her eyes and started to analyze possible outcomes. After a few moments of debating with herself, she opened her eyes again and spoke with quiet confidence.

"I'll go." Sakura's confirmation didn't register in Naruto's mind as he already thought of what he would say if Sakura had said no.

"Okay I'll go tell Obito that you can't...wait what?"

"Yeah I'll go."

"Sakura-chan! You might die!"

"I will not."

"Why not?"

"Like you said, Obito seems to know me personally. If I'm that important to him, then he can't kill me. I'm willing to take that gamble."

"Sakura..."

"Naruto, look at all those people in the medic tents. Hundreds pour in day after day. Resources are exhausted to the extreme and most of the senior medics haven't had a wink. I myself am running on an hour of sleep. If I don't go there's no telling what Obito might do." Minato, unlike Naruto, saw the wisdom in Sakura's words. He knew that as a medic she couldn't ignore the physical pain that clouded the once pleasant environment. They badly needed this respite. And Sakura knew. The only thing that Minato could not wrap his head around was the fact that Sakura had so easily accepted her "fate". Surely she would have shown a little more...apprehension? She was certainly hiding something from them...but not was not the time to ask. There would always be later.

"Naruto, let her go. She's already made up her mind."

"Dad..."

"Naruto..."

"..."

"..."

"Fine. Sakura, you better come back in one piece or there will be hell to pay." Sakura managed to crack a smile for Naruto.

"Idiot. Like I'm going to die in that bastard's hands."

"That's my Sakura!" Sakura then pivoted towards the tents to gather her supplies and weapons. She couldn't leave without some protection.

"I'll be back soon."

"Do you know where Obito is, Sakura-chan?"

"I'm going to follow his chakra trace. He doesn't have any energy to hide himself anymore so it'll be easier for me to track him."

"Okay..."

With that Sakura bounded skyward and landed on a branch. She glanced back down at Minato and Naruto and they gave her a silent thumbs up. She nodded and in a second was gone. With every step on a different branch and with every little tiny slap on the face by leaves, Sakura's facade broke down. Her smile dropped, replaced by a neutral face. She stopped when she realized she was out of range of the camp and hopped down from the trees to change her appearance. Rustle here and there and out came Sakura from the bushes with a noticeable dark aura around her. She was no longer wearing the red tank top she normally, but what adorned her upper body was a cropped short sleeve that exposed her midriff. Her cream-colored skirt was replaced by clingy black shorts that hugged her body in all the right places. With that, she ran back up the tree and continued the journey to where Obito awaited her. "Obito, you better explain yourself when I get there..."

~Back at camp~

Sasuke, who had just had himself bandaged by Shizune, caught Naruto as he was walking back from departing with Sakura.

"Teme! You look better. Obito certainly did a number on you."

"Hm." Sakura wasn't around to greet him. Weird. Normally she was the first one to. "Where's Sakura?"

"She left."

"She left to go where?"

"You cannot tell anyone this." Naruto gestured to Sasuke to bring his ear closer. "Sakura went to go meet Obito. He requested her as his medic."

"Why would you let her go, you moron?"

"It was her decision." Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. Seriously, Sakura left on her own accord? That seemed out of character for her.

"I know you're worried for her, but she's going to be fine."

"Hmph." Ending on that note, Sasuke went off somewhere to think to himself. He had an amalgamation of feelings, but there was one that stood out above all. Worry. It was a foreign concept to Sasuke. He didn't think too much of it though. "She'll be lucky if Obito decides to be lenient on her..."

End of second chapter! Whew, I finally introduced our stoic protagonist! Got to admit, it was a bit hard writing from the perspective of such an antisocial person, but hey it was a wonderful challenge. I don't know when the next chapter will be up, but I'll post ASAP. I still have to finish my summer homework; I'm such a procrastinator. Anyways, that's enough for today! Reviews are always appreciated!