Wow I'm actually back and writing again! Haha. The end of Naruto has spurred my love of wanting to write fanfiction again, and I want to finish this story finally. Hopefully people will read this even though I stopped writing for 4 years...oops hehe.

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-sensei still owns everything.

Chapter 4: Hopeless Feelings

It's Hinata! She's been kidnapped!

His words clung to the air as everyone stood silent in shock for a moment. Then everybody suddenly burst into action. Kakashi was quick to give instructions.

"Naruto, Sai. Go with Kiba and Akamaru to follow Hinata. Take Pakkun with you so that we'll be able to track your movements as well. I'll go to Tsunade-sama so we can form a team to go after them. Kiba, do you know how many we're dealing with?"

"There was a squad of at least 15 of them...I couldn't make out any symbols on their forehead protectors. Shino was injured and had to be taken to the hospital, and I ran straight for you guys. I'm glad you were training near the gates. I don't know if I'd . . . I didn't know what else. . ."

Kiba seemed at a loss for words. It was no wonder; his sweet, gentle, teammate had been kidnapped, and no one knew for what reason. Everyone was anxious to leave but Sakura couldn't help but notice her name never came up during the planning process.

"And what of me, sensei?" There was almost a biting tone to her voice, as if she knew what Kakashi was going to say next.

"You've only just recovered, Sakura. There's no need to aggravate your condition if we have enough people to go after Hinata. And we do. I'm not trying to say you can't handle it, but Tsunade-sama herself wouldn't let you go back into the field unless she knew you were fully recovered. I'm sorry, Sakura...I know you and Hinata are good friends, but there is no way I can allow you to put yourself in harm's way...I also cannot let you put anyone else in a hard spot if you are slow because of your injuries."

She knew Kakashi was only being reasonable, but she couldn't stop the tears that were threatening to fall down her face. They simmered below the surface as she watched the rest of her team and Kiba head for their respective locations. It reminded her too much of her childhood; Naruto and Sasuke surpassed her in every aspect and it seemed like her climb to catch up was a never ending staircase she would never get to the top of.

She meandered her way to the hospital and reveled in the sterile smell of the place. Nurses were running back and forth and she could hear Shizune barking orders at all the workers. She easily walked behind the counter and checked the forms to find out what room Shino had been placed in. The nurses paid her no mind, as she was Tsunade's pupil and helping out at the hospital all the time. As she made her way to the room, Tsunade burst out, looking frantic.

"Oh, Sakura, thank the Third you're here. I need you help, Shino's been poisoned."

They ran back into the room. Shino was bleeding profusely from a large gash in his leg, and his skin had turned an unhealthy sallow color. Tsunade pushed her hair back more; it had started coming loose from its ties.

"I've tried a blood coagulant but the bleeding won't stop. I haven't seen this type of poison before. It's managed to make his blood extremely thin and numb his kikai bugs so they're not able to filter out the poison. We're going to need two people to do this. Sakura, I need you need separate his blood from the poison, and I'll pull it out slowly from the cut on his leg. We'll have to quickly perform a blood transfusion afterwards as well. Once the poison is gone from his system his kikai bugs will be able to function normally again. Everyone but Sakura, OUT."

The nurses scrambled from the room and left Sakura and Tsunade alone. With no time to think at all, they sat down opposite from each other and each held their hands over Shino's bleeding leg. Their hands glowed green and Sakura closed her eyes in concentration. Separating the poison from blood was a very tedious task and sweat started to collect on her forehead. She could feel the small stream of poison being tugged on, and she slowly let it go. Tsunade was pulling the poison from Shino's body into a vial. They would analyze it in the lab later.

An hour later Shino was finally able to get his leg healed and was hooked up to an IV. Sakura and Tsunade walked out of the room, both exhausted. Tsunade beckoned Sakura to follow her. They made the short walk from the hospital to the Hokage Tower and walked up to the top floor. Tsunade sighed and slumped in her chair, exhausted. She rummaged around a drawer and brought out a sake bottle and 2 cups.

"Have a drink with me, Sakura-chan."

"Oh no...what do you want to talk about? You never offer your alcohol to anyone."

Tsunade barked out a laugh and filled the tiny cups to the brim.

"You know me too well, you know. I never thought I'd find someone I could be this relaxed around again." Tsunade looked contemplative for a few moments, then waved her hand in front of her face as if she was trying to dispel an image. Downing her sake, she patted the chair next to her and motioned for Sakura to sit.

"Kakashi came to me earlier to get permission to gather a team together to go after Hyuuga Hinata. He also mentioned that you might be feeling. . .somewhat under the weather."

Tsunade smirked as she saw Sakura's eyebrow twitch and her fists clench together.

"That baka-sensei. There's absolutely nothing wrong with me, shishou. I have absolutely no idea why he would say that. I am completely fine."

Tsunade raised her eyebrows as she poured herself another cup of sake. "Are you trying to convince me? Or are you trying to convince yourself? You should know me better than that, Sakura-chan. Don't lie to me. I know you wanted to go with them to rescue Hinata. She's one of your closest friends, after all."

Sakura let out a faltering breath as she buried her face into her hands.

"It feels like my genin days all over again. Everyone else has left on an important mission, and I'm left behind wondering who will come back and who might die in the field. I'm useless at the moment and they all know it. I'm more of a liability than an asset. All these years I've worked so hard to become who I am, so I won't be left behind anymore, and it's like I'm right back where I started. I trust in them all, I know they are more than capable of handling things. Ino is a good healer too, but-"

She looked up, tears trickling down her face.

"But I'm not there to help. What if something happens to Naruto? To Sai? To Kakashi-sensei? I don't know if I would be able to live with myself knowing that I should have been there. I could've healed them, or brought them back to Konoha to the hospital. Something. Anything! I can't lose them, not after. . . But that's beside the point. I'm useless to everyone just sitting in Konoha biding my time until they return home."

Tsunade downed another cup of sake, glared at Sakura, and punched her through the wall.

"Shi-SHISHOU. WHAT WAS THAT FOR?"

Sakura cluched her head as she hobbled back into Tsunade's office. A couple of heads poked through the hole to see what was going on. Once they saw Sakura yelling at Tsunade, they all shrugged and went back to what they were doing. They were used to hiring genin to fix various holes in the wall ever since Tsunade became Hokage. Once she had alcohol in her system, there was no knowing WHAT things she would start throwing.

"That was to WAKE YOU UP. I definitely didn't teach you all these years to have you grow up as a whiny pre-teen! What happened to the strong woman that I'm used to seeing, huh? Just because you've been left behind doesn't mean you're not needed or wanted. You're one of the best medic nins I've ever had the honor of teaching. Soon you'll surpass even Shizune. What do you think wouldn't happened to Shino if you hadn't been there and I hadn't been able to find Shizune? I definitely didn't raise a sappy brat. Get some spirit back in you, Sakura. Everyone will return, and you'll be here to greet them and treat their injuries. And they'll be happy to see you, their Sakura-chan, smiling at them when they come home."

Sakura paused and cracked a grin. Soon, she started giggling and eventually it turned into full laughter.

"I was wondering why you didn't bring me to the forest for you usual 'pick-me-up' fight. I'm used to destroying trees with you, not having heart-to-heart conversations."

Tsunade scoffed and sipped on more sake. "You're injured. I can't have you hurt yourself more than you are."

Sakura's jaw dropped and she gaped at her teacher indignantly. "Yea SURE. We can't train but you can DEFINITELY punch me through a wall. That won't open up my wounds, not at all."

"Mah, mah, Sakura-chan. Drink your sake and chat with your beautiful young teacher. We haven't had a chance to spend some time together in a while."

Laughing to herself, Sakura sat down and picked up the sake Tsunade had so willingly poured for her. She knew her shishou was right. She was needed in this town and by her friends. She couldn't let small things get her down. She would be back in the field as soon as she healed.

I needed a small chapter to get me back in the groove of writing! Hopefully the Tsunade/Sakura interaction is as silly as I wanted it to be~

Please R & R!

:] ~sakuya