Hey guys!
Wow, I'm already starting Chapter 3!
This is the first time that I'm actually not procrastinating :) Yay me!
Well, enough talk, let's start the chapter!
Disclaimer- I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, because it would have turned into a romance by now. :)
Chapter 3- I'm Sorry
It's been hours since the retrieval team left the clearing and was heading towards Konoha. Now it was night and the forest was dead quiet except for the sounds of the shinobis' footsteps on the branch of the trees. All the shinobis were tired, especially Naruto, who was holding an unconscious Sasuke, but of course being Naruto, he didn't show it at all.
"Naruto…we have to rest here. If we go any further, all of us are gonna faint, especially you," said Neji.
"Sasuke needs medical treatment right now! If we stop and rest, his injuries are gonna worsen!" said Naruto.
"Don't worry about that, Naruto. I have something that's gonna help Sasuke," said Neji as he sat down leaning onto a tree, while the others sat down on the floor, taking their packs off of their sore backs.
"What is it?" said Naruto as he gently laid Sasuke on his back on the ground while he sat next to him.
"Since none of us are medic-nins, Tsunade-sama gave me this just in case anything happened," said Neji as he pulled out a small blue vial from his pack.
"This vial, when drunk, can freeze all the wounds in a person's body from getting worse or bleeding. This lasts for 5 hours, so after 5 hours, the wounds are going to start again," said Neji as he handed it to Naruto.
"Wow…Tsunade-baa-chan made this?" said Naruto, holding up the bottle of blue vial.
"Actually no. She told me that Sakura-chan made this," said Neji, leaning back against the tree.
"Sakura-chan…she's always with us, helping us when we need it. Now, she's gonna help Sasuke," said Naruto.
Naruto opened up Sasuke's mouth and poured the vial in. He held it there until Sasuke drank it, and when he did, Sasuke opened his eyes and sat up coughing and gasping.
"Ugh! W-What was in that?" said Sasuke as Naruto patted his back.
"It was a vial to stop your wounds from getting worse. It lasts only 5 hours, so we're gonna have to rest fast and then get you to Konoha," said Naruto.
"Hn," said Sasuke.
"Oh, and Sakura-chan made it," said Naruto.
Naruto could see Sasuke momentarily freeze at hearing Sakura's name, but he didn't know why Sasuke was like that.
"Hn," said Sasuke, as he walked over to a tree and sat leaning against it.
He closed his eyes from seeing a confused Naruto to the rest who were just watching him. He wanted to fall asleep, but he couldn't because he was thinking about a certain person.
"Sakura…" thought Sasuke.
He was thinking about all the times that she helped him with things from something simple as lifting a package or helping him drink water to things complicated and hard such as helping him through the curse seal and getting him back to Konoha to get treated. Now, she was helping him again with her vial.
"I always called her weak and annoying, but she wasn't at all. She was the best kunoichi in Rookie 9 and she always worked to make others happy…especially me," thought Sasuke.
Then he thought about that night when he left Konoha.
"I was so mad then because it was Sakura that tried to stop me from leaving, and that made it harder than it seemed. She was so close to stopping me from leaving with all her talk about making me happy and giving me the life I wished for. Even with everything that she had done for me, I just left her on a cold, hard bench," thought Sasuke.
"You don't deserve her at all, Sasuke. After all that you've done to her, I doubt she's gonna forgive you," said his inner self.
"Sakura…I'm sorry…" thought Sasuke as he slowly fell into a deep sleep…
The Next Day…
"Haruno-sama! Haruno-sama! Wake up!"
"Ugh…what is it?" said Sakura as she got up from her bed and looked down from her window, where a shinobi was calling her name.
"Tsunade-sama said your break is over! She said she needs help with a critical patient right now!" yelled the shinobi.
"Hai! I'll be there quickly!" said Sakura as she took a quick shower, dressed in her regular attire, and headed out the door, running as fast as she can to the Konoha hospital.
She ran into the hospital, put on her white doctor gown that a nurse handed to her, and hastened straight for the operation room. When she got to the entrance, she saw Naruto and the other Rookie 9 guys sitting there, waiting.
"So this is the special person they brought back home," thought Sakura as she acknowledged Naruto with her eyes.
"Sakura-chan, I beg of you, please save his life," said Naruto, pleading to Sakura with his eyes.
"Hai. I will try my best," said Sakura.
"So this guy is close to Naruto?!" thought Sakura as she saw Naruto brighten up.
"Thanks, Sakura-chan. I know you'll do your best," he said, as he started talking to the other guys.
Sakura walked into the operation room, where Tsunade was already working on the patient. She walked over and asked Tsunade about the patient.
"What's his condition?" said Sakura.
"He has a few minor bruises and cuts that I can treat easily. But there's this horrible wound in the abdomen area that is gonna be hard to treat. Neji used your blue potion that I gave him to stop the bleeding, but I'm afraid that the wound started all over again, worsening every second. He has 4 broken ribs, but fortunately, none of them punctured his vital organs. So while I heal the minor injuries, Sakura, I'm afraid you're gonna have to heal the major ones," said Tsunade, looking over at the patient's face.
Sakura was so eager to look over, but she decided to get a better view of this guy when he was better. Where did she gain this kind of patience? Well, she got it over the years of hard-core training. So, Sakura took off her black gloves and pulled up her sleeves.
"Okay, let's do this," she said.
Two Days Later…
"Ugh…Where am I?" said a voice as he got up from the uncomfortable bed. He smoothed his jet-black raven hair with his right hand and looked up. He was terribly blinded by the bright fluorescent lights above him from not opening his eyes for a while. When his eyes refocused, he looked around at the room and could only see one color: white. So by this knowledge, he knew he was in the Konoha Hospital. He groaned in despair. He just absolutely HATED hospitals. Finally when he looked down, he managed to see an outline of a body sleeping in a chair next to his bed.
"No matter how much he has grown, he's still Dobe," thought Sasuke.
"Dobe, get up!" yelled Sasuke.
"…Huh? Wha?" said Naruto, lifting his head from the bed and rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.
"Dobe, get your lazy butt up. How long have I been in the hospital?" said Sasuke, trying his best to avoid the puddle of drool formed by Naruto while trying to remain on the bed.
"Hmm…about 2, 3 days? You've been out for quite a while, Teme," said Naruto, finally straightening up in the chair.
"Hn, I see," said Sasuke.
Suddenly, the door opened and Tsunade walked in.
"Ah, Uchiha. You're finally up," said Tsunade.
"Hn."
"Well, I needed to tell you a couple of things before I leave you to your comfort."
"Hai."
"First, since the renovation of the Uchiha Compound isn't finished yet-"
"The renovation of MY compound? Who said you could-"
"Uchiha, let me finish before rudely interrupting me," said Tsunade, irritated at Sasuke's usual behavior.
"Since the renovation of the Uchiha Compound isn't finished yet, and since you are in no shape to be able to live on your own, your friend and teammate, Uzumaki Naruto, has decided to lend you the hospitality of his home. He will also be watching you for any suspicious activities and report them directly to me."
"Oh joy…" said Sasuke, looking over at Naruto, who was smiling his goofy grin back.
"Second, since you are not in any condition to undergo any interrogation at the moment, you will report to the Hokage Tower a month from today to receive your punishment," said Tsunade.
"Hn," said Sasuke, although deep inside, he was relieved by the fact that he had more time to prove himself worthy to the village.
"Third, although your body has made a quick recovery, you must not leave the house to do excessive and hard-core training. If you do, you will have to suffer the consequences. Just try not to overdo yourself. Think you can do that?"
"Hn," said Sasuke, although he knew that he would break it anyway.
"And last but not least, the doctor who healed and treated you is on her way at this moment. She will check your health condition and give you the go on whether you can leave the hospital today or not. She used all of her chakra the day you came and had to use a potion on herself just so she could heal you less painfully. But you don't remember any of that, do you?"
"Hn," said Sasuke, trying to remember anything that happened since he came through the Konoha gates 3 days ago.
"Hmm, figures. Well when she comes to check, I want you to thank her for her hard work. If it wasn't for her, you would have been dead by now," said Tsunade.
"Hn," said Sasuke, actually grateful for the doctor and flinching at the thought of him dead.
"Well, I best be on my way. Naruto, don't forget to come to the Hokage training tonight at 6," said Tsunade, already on her way out the door.
"Hai, Tsunade-baa-chan!" said Naruto, waving as she left.
"Hn, Hokage training?" said Sasuke, smirking at his best friend.
"Yeah, that's right, Teme! I'm gonna be the next Hokage! Tsunade-baa-chan thinks I'm good enough!" said Naruto, joyfulness leaking with every word.
"Well, congrats, Dobe. Although you don't deserve it," said Sasuke.
"Hey! You take that back, Teme!"
"Make me!"
"Knock! Knock!"
"Oh crap! I forgot to tell you something, Teme!" said Naruto hurriedly, while looking serious.
"What?"
"Your doctor is-"
"Good morning, gentlemen," said the woman, who had her face behind the clipboard at the moment.
Naruto stiffened at the sound of the new voice, but gave Sasuke a reassuring smile. Sasuke felt that this voice was familiar, but he just couldn't pinpoint it.
"What's the matter with him? I've never seen him so serious, so frightened, yet so excited," thought Sasuke, as he looked over at his "doctor" and tried to recognize the person.
"Sakura-chan…" whispered Naruto as Sasuke froze at the sight of the shining pink hair and what Naruto had said to confirm it.
"Hey Naruto- what's wrong with you?" said a light, soothing voice from behind the clipboard.
"It's nothing. You're here to check on your patient?" said Naruto as he glanced over at Sasuke, who was still frozen staring straight at the clipboard, trying to see the person behind it.
"Yes. Now he's been in critical condition, so since he's going to your house, you must take good care-"
"Sakura," whispered Sasuke.
Sakura suddenly stiffened at the new voice and slowly put her clipboard down from her face and her eyes widened in shock.
Sasuke could see how much Sakura had changed since last year when he saw her and her team at Orochimaru's hideout. Although she kept her hair short, it was starting to get longer again. She also grew an inch taller; her body became curvier and more prominent, even in her white doctor coat. He saved her eyes for last. When he saw her green emerald eyes a year ago, they were shining and bright with anger, rage, fear, worry, and coldness. Now, when he saw her eyes, he expected something along what he saw then. But, oh, he was terribly wrong. The emerald eyes of Sakura wasn't hers; it wasn't shining and glowing and full of emotions like it should be; it was a dull green without any emotion in them at all. Only by her shocked form was he able to identify any form of emotion.
"Sakura," said Sasuke, a little calmer this time.
"Uh, gentlemen, please excuse me," said Sakura as she suddenly ran out of the room and zipped between the doctors and nurses in the hallway, making her way through them.
Sasuke was just about to run out the door and catch Sakura when Naruto held him back.
"Sasuke, I think it's better if I go to her right now. I'll explain everything to you later," said Naruto as he ran out the door and down the hallway that Sakura had gone down a minute ago.
Sasuke laid back down on the bed and covered his eyes with his arm. He was replaying the scene that had just happened less than 10 seconds ago over and over again in his mind.
Her voice. Her eyes. Her face. Her frozen composure. Her running away from him.
Her. Her. Her.
That was all that he could think about: Haruno Sakura.
Why had she run away? What had happened at that moment?
"How could you be so stupid?! Of course she ran away from you!" his inner said.
"What do you mean?" said Sasuke.
"Look, all that you've ever done for her is call her weak and annoying, be mean to her, made her cry, made her suffer, and made her angry. And of course, you left her on a hard, cold bench that night. Sasuke, did you really expect her to run in calling your name, and hugging you and welcoming you back home, just like the old times? What made you think that she would forgive you?" his inner said.
"You're right. I expected that kind of response from her. I wanted her to call out my name in happiness. I wanted her to run up and hug me like there's no end," said Sasuke.
"Wow, well look what happened," his inner said.
Now everything clicked in Sasuke's head.
"Of course she ran out. It's because she hates me and doesn't want anything to do with me. She hates me for making her cry, making her sad, making her angry. She hates me to the ends of the earth," said Sasuke to himself.
"Exactly. I don't know how you're gonna solve this mess, Sasuke," his inner said.
"Sakura…I'm sorry. I'm sorry about everything I've ever done to you," said Sasuke, putting his hands over his troubled face and just waiting for Naruto to come back.
Yay! Chapter 3 done!
Haha, well I bet a lot of you are thinking like how Sasuke's thinking; that Sakura is very mad at him and doesn't even want to see him.
But oh boy, are you guys up for the surprise!
Well I'm not gonna tell you anything! :P
Those who are curious are just gonna have to wait until Chapter 4, where the whole behind story is unleashed!
Thanks for all your reviews guys! I really appreciate it!
Continue to Read & Review!
Love, Cilla :)