Between figuring out what that bastard of a rouge ninja poisoned her with and planning a wedding, a certain pink haired ninja was feeling a little overwhelmed. Her husband to be wasn't much help either. She would ask his opinion about wedding details and he would tell her whatever she wanted was fine. If he wasn't careful he was going to end up in a pink tux that matched her hair and she was going to have puke green flowers just because he wouldn't speak up. Her master had also given her some bad ideas but they could get somebody hurt or divorced before they ever got married.
"Naruto," Sakura whined from the couch in the living room, her nose in another wedding magazine Ino had brought her.
He came out only in boxers with a towel over his shapely shoulders. He still felt like the nightmare of her dieing was some kind of trick. She and Granny had explained to him over a dozen times what had happened to her, her body shutting down to death like conditions but he didn't know a poison in existence that could fool even his sage mode. Granny had told him it was possible it had been his fear that made him not notice her small pulses of life.
"What is it my love," he teased leaning over the back of the couch to look at the magazine with her.
"What do you think about this dress?" she asked, pointing out a modest one.
"I think you'll look good in anything," was his safe answer.
It backfired, in all the wrong ways. She wasn't sure what she wanted from him but always giving the safe answer was getting boring. Her fist clenched and she was gearing up to hit him when the little blue demon popped in.
"If she'll look good in anything why not wear nothing?" Haruko asked, her eyes skimming over a date book. She was there to wrangle the Hokage, he was already late for an important appointment. The counsel had a few opinions about the up coming wedding so he had to go and find out all the requirements and traditions they were going to have to follow.
"Nothing, there's an idea, I do look good naked," Sakura pretended to ponder.
Naruto paled, she looked very good naked and he didn't want to share that knowledge with anyone who didn't already know, peeping ANBU. He also feared his student was rubbing off on his future wife. Saying things just for a reaction. He had been pretty docile lately. Maybe she wanted more of his input on the wedding matter. He ripped the bound pictures from her hands and flipped through it quickly.
"That one," he pointed out handing it back to her and retreating back to his room to get dressed for the meeting.
Sakura was surprised by his choice. There were some less than tasteful dress out there women got married in and she feared he would pick a slutty one but he picked a simple classic looking dress. It also fit her body type and hid most of her newly acquired scars. Now she wasn't sure if she still wanted to hit him or if she wanted to kiss him.
While Naruto was gone for the meeting Sakura headed to the laboratory where her master was working on figuring out the poison. It had booth of them stumped and they were the best in the village with this kind of thing. She wasn't worried, sooner or later one of them would decipher it.
"Please tell me you brought either coffee or something stronger with you," Tsunade asked as Sakura entered the room.
"Sorry, I'm showing up empty handed this morning," Sakura laughed.
"I guess we're even, I have nothing new to tell you about the compound. It feels like it should be obvious but its so obscured by something that I can't unravel it. If I could just pin down the base of it," she started mumbling to herself and ignored Sakura.
Being use to this kind of treatment from her teacher it didn't offend her anymore.
"What if the antidote was already in my blood stream? Maybe it doesn't just put you in a death like state, maybe I would have died if he hadn't given it to me and that sick son of a bitch revived me just to watch me die a different way?" she pondered.
"Alright, get out I have to work," the older woman ordered.
Sakura didn't bother protesting, she would just be in the way if she stayed. When her teacher got focused like this it was just better for everyone if she had space. The younger woman rolled her eyes and headed for the door. She had started working part time at the hospital. She got called in for all the serious cases. Making the rounds she checked on her four patients who were recovering nicely after a heated battle with some dangerous wild animals.
As she finished her inspection of the last one a panicked nurse found her and explained there was an emergency she was needed for but the frazzled nurse wasn't making much sense. Sakura was trying to comprehend the incomplete sentences and the various noises of nervous energy the girl was making. Nursing might not be the best line of work for someone with her personality traits but Sakura was interrupted in her doubts of the girl when she came to the sight of an open chest cavity with beating heart and operating lungs.
"Alright, prioritize, lets get this put back together and closed up one layer at a time," she ordered as her trained fingers went to work.
Too busy to notice who was on her operating table she didn't let any emotions cloud her judgment but as the body began helping her in her work she felt the familiar chakra of the fox. Once he was conscious he was going to get it along with that Sasuke, as she began to recognize this as his handy work.
"Some of this could have been avoided if you informed me you two were going to be training," she scolded the ninja in the dark corner.
"He got out of the meeting early so he wanted to train a bit before he had to get back to paperwork, didn't think it would escalate that fast, honestly," Sasuke huffed.
Once his perfect chest was put back together, Naruto sat up with a moan.
"Next time have your medic on hand or I'll use your bodies for experimental surgeries," she threatened darkly making her way to the door.
"We're going for round two if you want to come watch," Naruto offered surprising everyone in the room.
"Fine, sign your paperwork and I'll meet you there," she nodded leaving the room.
Once back at their training grounds the boys got right back into training, not waiting for the girl. Naruto had the upper hand and was about to rasengan the crap out of Sasuke when a kick sent him flying one direction and that same kick sent the his intended target another direction. The bewildered boys looked up from their positions in the dirt to see the last member of Team Seven wearing combat clothes, her head band, and her hair pulled back in a pony tail. She adjusted her black gloves and took a fighting stance.
"I never said I would sit back and watch like the old days," she grinned.
Sauske leaped at the chance to test her skills. She evaded every attack until he activated his eyes, then she had to block as best she could. Naruto joined the fray attacking both of them with shadow clones. He was surprised with how fast they poofed into smoke. Both teammates then turned their attention on him. He landed two strong hits on his opponents, one in the gut to Sakura and to the jaw on Sasuke.
He rubbed his sore jaw and smirked, "the way I hear it Sakura dominates in the bedroom and you're a helpless push over."
Naruto laughed, "the way I hear it Tomo makes you keep your ANBU mask on when you come to her bed."
They attacked each other again, this time with more force. Sakura now knew why things escalated so fast between these two.
"I hear your student is ready to join my harem," Sasuke taunted.
"I hear Jun," Naruto started but was hit hard by a black glove covered fist and sent flying into a tree.
"Say one bad thing about Jun and you won't walk right for a week," Sakura threatened.
"Are you in love with my wife?" the raven haired ninja joked as he got ready to attack her.
"Why do you think I spend so much time over there," she winked suggestively.
Both males were taken back by her attitude. Cocky gins fell across both their faces as the punches started flying again. Sasuke and Sakura sent Naruto flying away from the battle, then Sasuke smashed her into the ground.
"See you're nothing special," he snarled pulling back a fist to punch her.
"That's not what your wife said last night," she jabbed, in truth she had said it but not in the way she made it sound.
His full force came hurtling down at her face but before it made contact she was gone. He looked around to find her in Naruto's arms.
"What the hell?" two stunned ninjas yelled.
"I figured out how to reverse my dad's technique, instead of teleporting me to her I brought her to me, wasn't sure if it would work, sorry I used you to test it out," he apologized as he set the woman down.
"I'll live," she smiled, she thought she was done being surprised by him but once again he left her awestruck by his abilities.
