To Love and to Love Again Chapter 2: Sakura and Sora
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER AND AUTHORS NOTE: I do NOT own Naruto. The awesomeness of the Naruto Manga and World is the creation of Masashi Kishimoto. This is Purely Fanfiction. All things Medical in this entire fanfiction should not be taken as serious medical advice or facts. PLEASE CONSULT AN ACTUAL DOCTOR FOR ANY MEDICAL INFORMATION/QUESTIONS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY!
The morning light cut through the gap in the curtains, giving the room and warm yellow glow. Unfortunately the path allowed a small beam of sun to land on the figure that lay in bed. As the sun moved higher in the sky, you could catch a glimpse of the pink hair that was being highlighted by the sun's rays. The warmth from the beam made the figure shuffle and groan a bit before finally turning over and having the offending light shine right in her face.
She opened her eyes before quickly shutting them again. "Damn curtains," she mentally cursed as she blinked several times to get rid of the sleep in her eyes.
She lazily got out of bed and checked the clock by her bedside. It was 6:15. "Perfect" she thought. She walked to her closet and absent-mindedly picked out a towel from the pile on one of the shelves. She took a look at the extra-large material with a picture of a bunch of dogs playing cards.
Bringing the towel up to her body, she hugged it tightly before putting it back on the shelf and choosing another one. She wasn't ready to use that yet and wasn't sure if she would ever use that particular towel again. It held too many memories, one of which surfaced into her mind.
They were at the flea market trying to forage for whatever necessities they'll need to move into their new apartment.
"A towel… with dogs playing cards," she said as she took it all in. "You can't be serious. That's the most clichéd—not to mention ugly—print out there. And you call yourself an artist?" she joked as she watched him hold it out in front of her.
"It's noted that the presence of something hideous is needed to further enhance your own beauty," he stated before he barely managed to dodge a punched aimed for his face. "Again with the violence," he sighed. "I thought the purpose of learning medicine was to treat injury, not provoke it," he said with such a straight face she had to let her anger go. He walked closer to her and wrapped the towel around her body and brought her into a bear hug.
"Well Sai, if I'm so ugly then I guess you can just sleep with yourself tonight… and every night from here on in," she muttered, letting the threat loom. She took a moment to remember the peculiar look she thought was horror that crossed his face before catching him off guard in a quick kiss.
"Kidding," she sang as she untangled herself from the offensive towel. She started to walk towards one of the other stands that were selling all kinds of furniture before she felt Sai's arms snake around her waist once again.
"You reconsidered because your need for me is too great. You can't resist me," he murmured as he began to kiss her neck from behind.
"Sai! We're in public. Keep your artistic hands to yourself… for now," she added with a sly smirk on her face.
"You've proven my point. You can't resist me," he repeated as he reluctantly let her go to browse around the furniture. The sound of her laughter only confirmed his thoughts.
Sakura smiled at the memory and picked another towel before heading off into the shower. She waited until the water was warm enough before stepping inside. If she wasn't awake before, she certainly was now. She let the warm water cover her entire body before busting out the shampoo and slathering her rose colored, shoulder length hair.
After she was done showering, she walked to her closet and picked out the suit that she had prepared for today. She had meeting with the CEO of Konoha Medical Center today. She was going to be starting her new position as the head of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Next to her suit there were rows and rows of scrubs that she would usually wear to work. Once she started, she would have to get some new ones with the Konoha Medical symbol printed on them.
She put on the suit which consisted of black pencil skirt and blazer with a light pink blouse for color. She would wait a while before busting out the stilettos. She checked the clock one more time. It was 7:00 on the dot.
"Time to wake him up,"she thought as she left her room and walked down the hall to stop at a door covered in drawings. She smiled as she read the latest work of art. It was a giant poster that read "SoRa's r0om. N0 GiRls AlLoWeD!"
Chuckling slightly, she opened the door and walked up to the window. She opened the curtains and turned to the sleeping figure sprawled all over the racecar bed with one foot dangling off the side and his blanket long forgotten in the corner.
"He sleeps just like you Sai," she whispered to herself as she approached him. She kissed his forehead and gently patted his back.
"Sora… sweetie it's time for school. You don't want to be late for your first day," she cautioned between kisses as she stroked his shiny black hair. Sora rubbed his eyes for a bit before opening them and adjusting his gaze to his mother. He can spot her from anywhere due to her unique hair color.
"….Mmhhhhhh…hi Mommy…what time is it?" he asked.
Every morning he would ask her what the time was. As soon as she would tell him, he would pop right out of bed and race to the bathroom to see how fast he could get ready. Every time he would try to beat his score of 6 minutes and 30 seconds. For a 5-year-old, that was pretty impressive but also quite hazardous. There were several occasions where he would trip on the rug, run into a wall, or mistakenly get soap into his eyes from rushing.
"Good thing I'm a doctor, otherwise I don't know what I'd do," she thought. Her first aid kit was put to pretty good use.
"It's about seven now but sweetheart don't rush it. I don't want a repeat of the toothbrush incident. Of all places for a toothbrush to be, up your nose isn't one of them. Now get going but be careful," she warned as she shooed him into the bathroom.
Sora laughed at the memory, though at the time it was no laughing matter. There was toothpaste on that brush and it burned his nose when he tried to breath. That was one trip to the emergency room that Sakura did not care to go through again.
She sighed and thought about what she should make for breakfast as she walked out of Sora's room. She purposely went past the bathroom to make sure he was alright. The boy was a hazard to himself. He was washing his face and not on the floor crying so it's safe to assume he'll be okay for now.
Sakura went down to the kitchen. There were still several boxes that haven't been opened that were piled up along the walls. Sakura and Sora had just moved to Tokyo after she was offered a position here. Originally they were from Kyoto, but after recent events she decided it was time for a change of scenery. She made some calls and managed to snag a position with one of the best hospitals in Tokyo.
"I have to remember to thank Tenten for this,"she thought. Tenten Hyuga was Sakura's good friend from high school through college. Her husband Neji Hyuga was a Neurosurgeon at KMC (Konoha Medical Center). After hearing about Sakura's situation, Tenten and Neji recommended Sakura for a position there.
Sakura's reputation alone would have been enough for any hospital to accept her. She was known as a prodigy during her medical school days. She managed to skip four years of school and still pass as number one in her class. She studied under the guidance of Dr. Tsunade Senju, an old family friend and legend in the medical field, before managing to secure a stable job as a doctor all before the age of twenty. Granted, Sakura did marry young and she was pregnant all throughout her final year at medical school but she persevered. Now she was twenty-five and at the top of her game.
Sakura pulled out a pan from one of the boxes and placed it on the stove. They moved into a nice two-story condo just a few miles away from the hospital. She cracked a couple of eggs over the top and let them fry for a bit. Then she put two slices of wheat bread into the toaster and also made some coffee for herself. While she let the eggs fry, she took out an orange and easily squeezed the life out of it so Sora could have his favorite juice.
"Nothing but fresh squeezed juice for my little boy," she thought as she finished preparing breakfast.
Five minutes later, Sora came bouncing down the stairs with his book bag slung over his shoulder. Sakura pause for a minute before she smiled and went up to Sora to plant a kiss on top of his head.
"What was that for Mommy?" Sora asked as he rubbed the spot she kissed. Sakura pouted.
"I can't help it. You look so cute that I just want to hug you forever!" she answered before enveloping him into a gigantic hug. She lifted him up and spun around the room with him until she put him down again but not before sneaking another kiss on his cheek.
"No more kisses!" he whined, but it didn't sound as serious as he had intended it to be for he was laughing at the same time.
"Okay that was the last kiss… no wait," she planted three simultaneous kisses on his cheek before saying "That was the last one I promise".
Sora furiously wiped his cheek to remove any evidence that he was just smothered with motherly love. It was his first day and he didn't want to walk in with kissy marks all over his face.
"Do you have everything you need for school? Book bag, lunch money, every piece of your school uniform?" she listed as she looked over his appearance.
"… I think so," he answered as he sat down at the table and began to eat his eggs and toast. Sakura sat across from him and watched him for a while as she sipped her coffee. Sora put the eggs on his toast and bent the slice of bread over to make a sandwich.
"He's his father's son in so many ways,"she thought. She remembered how Sai would do the exact same thing to his eggs and toast. He would also save the orange juice for last by gulping it down in one swig and that's exactly what Sora did when he was done with his toast.
Sora was about to wipe his mouth with his sleeve and that was one thing that Sakura will not have Sora doing to his new school uniform.
"Freeze mister! Use a napkin," she ordered as she watched Sora's hand stopped just before it reached his mouth. He sighed in defeat and reached for a napkin. His uniform consisted of a black blazer, white shirt, red clip-on scarf and gray pants. After breakfast was over, Sakura placed the dishes in the dishwasher and grabbed her keys.
Traffic was something to get used to in Tokyo but they made it to Sora's new school on time anyway. As Sakura pulled up to the front of the school, she looked behind her seat as Sora was stepping out of the car.
"Do you want me to come in with you?" she asked. Sora looked determinedly at the building.
"No, I'll be okay," he reassured as he closed the door. Sakura rolled down the window as Sora walked up to it.
"If you need anything just tell your Sensei and don't be afraid to call me if something happens. Have a good first day sweetheart. Mommy loves you!" she crooned affectionately.
"Love you to Mommy," he returned. And with that he started to walk toward the school. Sakura watched him until he was out of sight and then pulled out and drove to the hospital, which was only a ten minute ride away from the school.
She drove into the parking lot and parked her car. She stepped out and took a look around. Her eyeballs practically bulged out of their sockets. The place was huge! She had never before seen such a huge hospital. There was an elegant sign that read Konoha Medical Center right in front and from above she could see that there was a helicopter pad located on the roof.
"This place really does have it all," she thought as she snapped out of her stupor and walked towards the entrance.
She was even more amazed as she entered the building. The lobby was gorgeous with black granite tiles on the floor, large high ceilings with natural lighting and large paintings of what she was guessing the Edo period in Japan. It was pretty busy as a horde of people were walking this way and that way trying to get to wherever it was that they had to go.
Sakura walked toward the receptionist and got her attention. The receptionist looked up and asked how she could help.
"I have a meeting today with the CEO at 8.30 this morning. I need to know where his office is located," Sakura replied.
"Oh, so you're the new doctor that this hospital is all hyped up about," the receptionist noted. It's nice to meet you. My name is Keiko," she said as she extended her hand to Sakura. She was a middle aged woman with faded brown hair tied into a lose bun. Sakura shook her hand and introduced herself as well.
"Okay so you'll want to go to Mr. Sasuke Uchiha's office. It's on the top floor. Once you get there you can't miss it. There are only about three offices up there and they're all labeled. His secretary should be there by now and she'll help you once you get there," she informed.
Sakura nodded in understanding.
"You might want to grab cup of coffee for the elevator ride. It can take a while to get to the top of this building with people stopping you on ever floor. Trust me, you'll need it. There's a coffee cart just outside the entrance," Keiko offered.
"Thanks but maybe another time. I've already had my fill of caffeine today and the last thing I need is to be bouncing off the walls during a meeting," Sakura joked as she made her way towards the elevator.
She stepped inside the elevator and was once again amazed at how gorgeous it was. There were mirrors that lined the wall and small lights that lined the entire lining of the roof. The music wasn't that bad either.
"I wonder how nice the hospital rooms must be?" she mused. Just then, the elevator stopped. She was barely on the third floor.
"She wasn't kidding when she said I'd get stopped a lot,"she thought as the door flew open.
In walked a tall blonde man with the bluest eyes Sakura had ever seen. He was wearing a lab coat that wasn't button up with dark brown pants and a light orange shirt with the words "Ramen Lover" printed on it. His name tag read "Uzumaki Naruto: Physical Therapy". He had a carton of instant ramen in one hand and chopsticks in the other hand. He was at least a head taller than Sakura and he had this goofy demeanor about him. As the elevator doors closed, he turned to look at Sakura and paused.
The smile he gave her was filled with a happiness and affection Sakura didn't understand.
"Hi! I'm Naruto and I don't think I've ever seen you here before. You visiting someone?" he asked all the while slurping on his ramen.
"Amazing… his mouth is full, yet he speaks without any difficulty,"she thought as she gawked at him.
"You okay?" he asked when she didn't respond. Sakura then realized that she was being rude.
"Oh… I'm sorry. I'm Dr. Haruno Sakura. And no I'm not visiting anyone I'm here for a meeting," she answered. He gave her an enlightened look.
"So you're the one that teme's going to interview? Good luck with that," he wished as he slurped the last of his noodles. Sakura could only gawk at him again.
"You refer to the CEO of this hospital in such a manner?" she asked incredulously.
Naruto shook his head. "Oh no, you got it all wrong. He's not really that bad. He's just kind of hard to get to know. I've known that guy since we were in middle school. He never talked much but eventually we stared hanging out. Good guy really, but a little on the moody side. But don't worry I'm sure you'll do fine," he added reassuringly.
"Thanks," she muttered dryly. She wasn't that nervous before, but now she was and she had this idiot to thank. The elevator stopped on the tenth floor and Naruto got out. He turned to Sakura before the doors closed.
"Bye Sakura. If you're still here by lunchtime then come and find me. I'll introduce you to everyone," he offered as the doors closed.
She nodded before the elevator continued to go to the top floor. When she stepped out, she saw that this floor was different from all the others. It looks more like a business office than anything with black granite floors and white walls that were made to look blue with the dark lighting.
She saw the secretary sitting behind her desk and sorting through some files. Sakura approached her and got her attention.
"Excuse me. I'm Dr. Sakura Haruno and I'm here for a meeting with Mr. Uchiha."
"Let me call him for you," the woman said before she pressed a button on the intercom and spoke through it. "Mr. Uchiha, Dr. Haruno is here for your 8:30 appointment."
"Send her in" she heard from the intercom.
"It's that door down there," she directed as she pointed to the large double doors. Sakura walked towards them and as she got a little closer, she could see the sign posted above the doors: Uchiha Sasuke KMC CEO.
"Alright then," she mumbled as she placed her hands on the doorknob. She breathed in deeply and turned the knob and opened the door. The sight that was in front of her almost stopped her heart beating.
"…Sai?"