Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto
Chapter 17
So you guys ready for the time skip, and a chapter dedicated to Sasusaku? :D Here it is!
Time skip: Two and a half years later
It's been nearly three years since his last proper encounter with Sakura at the hospital. During these years he stayed in the village and trained with fellow jounin status shinobis. He learned speed and strength from Gai, evasion and various other ninjutsu from Kakashi, and countering futon attacks from Asuma. He had to admit training with these senseis was far less rigorous and controlling than with Orochimaru. He actually had a life outside of training and getting stronger, but despite this he still drastically improved over these few years.
Gai was an eccentric teacher to say the least. He had attempted to force him to wear that ugly green spandex jumpsuit as a symbol of the 'spring time of youth.' But, his attempts ceases when Sasuke chidori-ed his ass into the Hokage tower. After that, Gai stopped bringing up the green spandex issue, instead he focused on training Sasuke the same way he trained Lee. Every morning, he would put on the numerous weights around his ankles and torso and sprint around the village. Every day Gai would push him to do more than the previous day. After the morning jog, he would then proceed to do several hundred or even thousand pushups (depending on Gai's mood). This was all meant to further improve his taijutsu strength. And after just a few month he was starting to feel the effects of his training with Gai. His speed increased dramatically, he became even faster than when he trained with Orochimaru, and his taijutsu attacks became heavier. It would not to say he could smash boulders with a finger, but he could easily break a few bones with a single punch.
Gai's training took up majority of his mornings, while Kakashi and Asuma would take rotational turns training with him in the afternoon. Though he did spend more time training with Kakashi than Asuma. Now, while Gai was an overly eager teacher, Kakashi was far more laid back. They had their normal sparring sessions which resulted in both members going all out, and after which Kakashi would teach him one or two genjutsu or ninjutsu techniques he picked up during his years as a shinobi.
Night time was the only down time Sasuke had, and he would spend it wondering around the village. Occasionally glaring at those pesky fangirls who just won't leave him alone. Some times he would bump into a fellow rookie, and briefly exchange pleasantries. (or rather they would talk and he would just grunt in response). Call him anti-social, but he could just never open up to these people. They weren't within his comfort zone, and his comfort zone was small. Consisted of namely three people. Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi.
Since Naruto was away with Jiraiya, Kakashi was the only person he had actual decent conversations with these few years. And Sakura...well she became a sort of enigma to him, and that really annoyed him. During these few years he could count with one hand the amount of interactions he had with the girl. Not counting some of the times he would bump into her on the street, there had been only three times since he had decent conversations with her. Once during the chuunin exam, second time during the jounin exam and the last time was roughly a year ago when he landed in the hospital with near fatal wounds. When he woke up that time, she was by his side with a plate of apples. Seriously what was with her and apples. But that was the last interaction he had with Sakura. He was either too busy with missions or training, and she was either out on missions or slaving away in the hospital. Hell, he had thought that maybe if he got himself injured and sent to the hospital more he would see her, but he was wrong. Sakura had become the head doctor of the hospital so that meant that unless you were dying you wouldn't be able to see her.
To be honest he was starting to miss her constant chattering and presence. Before when they were genins (the first time round) he found her to be annoying, but not as much as how annoying she has gotten now. Even though she was annoying with her constant whining for dates back when they were genins, it made him feel needed. It made him feel special. That glowing girl back then would always give him that one dazzling smile that was reserved just for him, and would tell him everything. When he saw her again during the war, he could tell she changed. She was strong enough to hold her own battle and no longer needed him to stand in front of her protecting her. This annoyed him. He had always felt needed whenever Sakura was in trouble and he was there protecting her, but her lack of need for his protection during the war really rubbed him the wrong way.
Especially with this second chance they were given, she continued to find ways to annoy him. Sure she stopped hassling him for dates but he still would have like that more than her current behavior towards him. She stopped opening up to him, that smile that was solely reserved for him was casually given out to everyone, but the thing that pissed him off the most was the closeness she had developed with Naruto and that annoying replacement, Sai. It peeved him, how she was so relaxed around Naruto and Sai, how she was able to joke around and be herself around them, while with him she seemed more on guard, and less herself. Whenever, she was with him, she hardly cracked jokes. He didn't blame her for her behaviour around him, given their past, but what surprised him was that she was still willing to be his friend.
So beggars can't be choosers, right?
"Uchiha-san, I heard Uzumaki-san is returning soon."
Sasuke gave a small nod towards the newly appointed Jounin on his squad. He was never going to admit it out loud but he missed the dobe. At least with him around, he would always find some sort of way to bring team seven together or force them to go out and do things.
"We're approaching the village." The short orange haired male on his squad exclaimed as he pointed eagerly at the looming doors of Konoha. They were finally home. "Man, I've been dying to see my girlfriend again...if you know what I mean." He gave the purple haired male beside him a lecherous grin.
Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes at the level of maturity on his team. He had been sent on a scouting mission with a group that he has never worked with before, so that already bother him. Matters only got worse because, on this mission he learnt that while his comrades were abled shinobi's they were as immature as you can get. They were either play fighting with each other or trying to pick up random village girls. So, yes he was glad they were home.
"Tazuki." The orange haired male turned to face Sasuke. "Submit the mission report to the Hokage."
The boy gave a small whine, but agreed nonetheless. He had been really looking forward to seeing his girlfriend.
.
.
.
As they finally set foot into the busy village, his team scattered off. Sighing, he stuffed his hands into his pocket and headed off to the hospital. The gash he had received on his arm from his previous mission was starting to fester. Glancing down at the mess across his arm, he was really doubting the staffing chooses at the hospital.
When he had gone to the hospital from his last mission, this cut on his arm was just a cut. Yet, somehow that idiotic brunette nurse managed to make it worse. It seemed like the whole time she was more focused on his face than his wounds. God, how he wanted Sakura to be the one to treat him. At least he could count on her to not make his wounds get worse.
.
.
.
"Sasuke!"
He was half way to the hospital before he saw a short blond ran up to him. Her blue eyes shining with excitement. He mentally groaned. Sure, she had gotten over her infatuation with him but she was still so very loud and annoying.
"Yamanaka."
Stopping in front of the tall muscular boy. She stared at him and couldn't help but ogle. Over the years Sasuke had fill out and grown tall. He lost all of his childish features and took on more manly look.
"Forehead-girl's looking for you. She says you're due for your physical."
Sakura was looking for him? He felt an indescribable emotion swell up inside of him. "Hn, I'm heading there right now."
"Great! I'll walk with you." Ino chirped as she fell into the pace beside him.
"Why?" His reply was cold. He didn't want Ino to walk with him. She was just going to annoy the crap out of him.
"I'm going to visit Shikamaru." Ino replied as she scrunched up her hair into a messy pony tail behind her. "He was injured on a previous mission by some poison senbons, and Sakura's been treating him since."
"Hn." He couldn't care less.
"So you know I've been seeing Shikamaru with that blond girl from Sand." Ino blathered on to the stoic male beside her. She was never a fan of silences so she decided to keep herself occupied by chatting, even if the boy made no replies. "What's her name again? - Temera? Timara? Temari? - anyways what's the deal with her and being around Shikamaru? God doesn't she have her own teammates to bother?"
Sasuke kept his face impassive. Why was she talking to him about her petty issues? She should know by now that he doesn't care...at all.
"And not to mention she's like a year older than him. Doesn't that kinda make her a cougar? Or does she have to be like ten years older than him for that to be?" Ino huffed, as they continued to walk down the busy street towards the hospital. "Honestly, I don't understand those sand siblings. Especially her." She ended her rant with a frustrated growl.
Sasuke cut a glance at the fuming girl. "You like Shikamaru?" He didn't care, he was just curious. After all wasn't she like his head fan girl when they were children?
Ino's faced flared about twenty different shades of red, as she stared at the Uchiha. "W-What? No. You're crazy, I don't like him. I-I...he's too troublesome for me and…" She sputtered as she tried to keep her emotions under control.
"Hn." He grunted as he turned off one ear from Ino's continuous rant of denial. The god's were punishing him for something.
"And why do you even think I have any romantic feeling for that lazy jackass? He's too ugh...just ugh…" Ino continued her rant.
Sasuke sighed. The hospital just couldn't get close enough.
Finally what seemed like an eternity, they at last reached the large Konoha hospital. Sasuke had finally gotten why Shikamaru always called this girl 'troublesome.' She really never shuts up. He was half certain that he got blisters in his ears simply from hearing her speak.
Sliding open the large glass doors of the hospital, the two ninjas walked in.
"Matsuda-san, where's Sakura?" Ino bounced over to the front receptionist. A middle age lady looked up from the ancient looking computer she was currently working on and shook her head. Thin strands of brown hair fell before her face.
"I'm sorry, Yamanaka-san, but Haruno-sama is not available right now."
"She has to do Sasuke's physical exam."
The lady looked over at the stoic male beside Ino and shook her head once more. "There will be another doctor sent to do his exam, Haruno-sama is too busy for non emergency cases."
A look of disgust crossed Sasuke's face as the thought of some overly obsessed fangirl examining him crossed his mind. Judging from their skills in treating his arm, he was half certain that a harmless physical exam would result in his death.
"Sakura personally requested to see Sasuke." Ino was starting to get annoyed. Seriously these people are too up tight about the rules.
"I'm sorry-"
"It's fine Matsuda-san." Another voice cut the woman's voice off. Two heads turned to the pink haired girl behind them. Sasuke took notice of the physical changes in the girl. For starters she was a bit taller than when she was a genin, her face more sculpted and less chubby, and her long pink hair was now just above her shoulders.
"Forehead!" Ino grinned at her best friend. "How's Shikamaru?"
"He should be released tomorrow." Sakura laughed at the ecstatic look on the blond's face.
"Can I…?"
"You know the room." Her amused expression never left as she watched her blond friend sprint down the halls to her teammate's room. "HEY… NO RUNNING!" Ino's speed only slowed a bit.
"So Sasuke-kun, why don't you follow me to the examination room." She offered the boy a smile, before turning her heels and walking down the left wing of the hospital. Stuffing his hands back into his pockets he trailed after the girl.
"So haven't seen you in awhile." Sakura said as she rooted through the cabinet of folders situated in the corner of the exam room. While Sasuke made himself comfortable on the waxy paper of the exam bed.
"Your fault for not accepting non emergency cases."
Finding the folder she was looking for, she turned to the boy with a small chuckle. "Well, one of the burdens of being head doctor."
"Why are you doing my exam?" Sasuke asked as he stared the girl who was busy scanning the contents of the folder.
Looking up from behind the reading material she gave him an amused stared. "I know how obsessive those fangirls can be, so I thought I'd spare you the torture of being examined by one of them."
Sasuke slightly frowned. Did she at least miss him?
"So before we begin is there anything bothering you." Sakura asked as she placed down the folder, and pulled out a stethoscope from her white lab coat and hung it across her neck.
"Hn." He grunted, as he stuck out his arm. The white bandage around the wound was stained a yellowish color.
Walking over the him, Sakura carefully unwound the bandage and disposed of it in the empty basin beside her. She slightly winced when she saw the cut. The skin around it was an angry red and the cut itself was oozing a milky yellow puss. "Did you get this from your recent mission?" She asked, as she grabbed a nearby cotton ball and dabbed gently at the wound.
"No."
It was Sakura's turn to frown. "So what you just decided for it to get worse before you sought medical treatment?" Her tone was slightly accusing.
"No, your skilled doctor failed to stitch me up properly." His tone was bored.
Throwing away the cotton ball, she reached for another. This time she doused it in rubbing alcohol, before placing it on the wound. She felt his muscular arm twitch under her. "Who was the doctor." She tried to kept her voice calm. She knew how idiotic this batch of new interns were and to make a mistake like this? On her teammate? She was going to have fun firing that dolt.
"Some short girl with brown hair and purple eyes." He stared up at the girl who had a surly expression.
Sakura gave a curt nod she knew exactly who he was describing. After cleaning the wound she gathered green chakra and began healing the cut. No matter how many wounds she healed the human body always amazed her. The way the skin tissue stitched up under her touch and the muscle reattaching itself. "Well, I've healed it, but due to the lack of proper treatment you'll need an antibiotic shot."
A scowl appeared on Sasuke's face. He was never one for needles.
"All right, take off your shirt and lets begin the exam." Sakura chirped as she turned around to take out all the necessary materials needed.
Grunting Sasuke complied with her wish and tossed his shirt aside.
Turning back around to face Sasuke, she felt her breath slightly stutter and a faint blush appeared on her face. She stared at how the muscles rippled under his skin with every movement. "S-s-so...let's start with weight and height." She motioned to the scale to the side of the room.
Sasuke hid a smirk when he noticed her uneasy expression and a faint blush on her face. It pleased him to know that he still had this kind of effect on her.
Sliding around the weight, she stared at the numbers. "Weight: 140 and height: 5'9" She jotted the answers onto the clip board. "Not much as changed from your last check up."
Sasuke stepped off the scale and padded his way back to the bed. He remained silent as Sakura continued with her exam. After half an hour Sakura was finally finished. "Alright, almost done just need your shots - oh don't give me that look Sasuke-kun."
Taking out three needles, she walked towards him.
"Three?" Sasuke gave the needles a glare.
Taking the first syringe with a pinkish fluid in it, she shot it into his arm. "One for rabies." She pulled the needle out and tossed it aside, before grabbing the second one. "One against any possible infection you may pick up on your missions." Taking the third needle she jabbed it into his arms. "And an antibiotic for that wound."
Sasuke's grimace deepened. He knew one day his fangirls was going to be death of him.
"There all done." She gave him a smile before tossing out all of the garbage into the medical waste bin.
"Thanks." He muttered, as he put his shirt back on again.
"Sasuke-kun?" She watched as the boy look up from putting on his sandals. "Next time you come to the hospital with any form of injuries just come directly to my office on the first floor and I'll heal you."
"Aa." Sasuke smirked at her. Finally no more fangirls.
"Oh and Sasuke-kun?" He stared at the suddenly nervous looking girl. "Um...if you're not busy do you want to come with me for ramen tonight?"
"Hn...sure."
Sakura looked up from her twiddling fingers and beamed at the boy.
It was night time before Sakura finished her shift at the hospital. During this time Sasuke remained with her. She talked to him about her missions and her job at the hospital while he gave her small grunts signaling that he was listening to her. For some reason he didn't seem to mind it as much when Sakura talked non stop.
.
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Finally arriving at the small ichiraku ramen booth the pair sat down and placed their orders.
"Why did you cut your hair?" Sasuke asked, as he took a bamboo chopstick from the tin container before him.
Gingerly touching the end of her hair, she replied. "The last mission I went on, the enemy scorched off a good chunk of it, so I decided to cut it when I returned. Besides I always like it short."
Sasuke frowned, he didn't particularly like the notion that Sakura had been in some form of danger and he wasn't there to protect her.
"Why? Do you only like girls with long hair?" Sakura jokingly teased as she poked him in the shoulder.
"What?" Confusion etched onto his face.
"When we were kids, there was this rumor that you only like girls with long hair." Sakura tossed out nonchalantly, as she stared at the two steaming bowls of noodles before them.
"That's idiotic."
Sakura gave a small laughter as she saw the dead pan stare he gave her.
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.
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"So Naruto's coming back tomorrow." Sakura said as she swallowed her mouth full of noodles.
Looking up from his bowl, a nostalgic look crossed his face. "I know."
"I think we should go wait for him tomorrow...at the front gates."
"Hn."
By the crack of dawn the next morning, Sasuke trudged himself to the front gates of Konoha. Just last night he promised Sakura they would greet Naruto as he arrived. Yawning he rubbed his temples as he approached the large gates.
"Sasuke-kun! Morning!"
Sasuke stared at his short female teammate. How the hell could she be so chirpy in the morning?
"Aa."
"Naruto and Jiraiya-san should be arriving shortly." Sakura continued to grin. Team seven was going to be complete again.
"Aa." Sasuke respond broke off into a yawn, as he leaned against the large village gates and closed his eyes.
Thirty minutes later, there was still no signs of the blond. Sakura by now had taken a spot beside Sasuke. Her early cheeriness dissipated.
.
.
It was another ten minutes before a familiar blond came into view. His previous orange and blue jumper was replaced with an orange and black one. All the childish features left his face as more defined adult features took it's place. Judging from the way he carried himself it was obvious he's gotten stronger, and from that short 4'9 height he grew to almost 6'0. However, one thing that didn't change was his characteristic grin.
"NARUTO!" Sakura pushed herself off the door and waved eagerly at the boy.
Naruto's grin grew wider. "SAKURA-CHAN, TEME!" He picked up his pace and sprinted towards the gates, leaving behind a smirking Jiraiya.
"Dobe." Sasuke smirked when he saw the blond both him and Sakura into a crushing hug.
"Still an asshole, I see." Naruto shot Sasuke his own smirk. Not letting his teammates go he stared at the village.
It was good to be home.
From here onward be warned my story will have parts from the manga but some will not follow the manga...
Any way's please review :D