Chapter Thirteen

Clinical Trials: Round One

Sakura had barely slept.

The winged beasts that had taken up permanent residency in the pit of her stomach had kept her tossing and turning for most of the night. Her skin still blazing with the heat of Kakashi's kisses. The mouth that he'd kept hidden from everyone for most of his life had been on her neck. The feel of his lips was better than anything she could've possibly imagined… He'd known what he was doing. Selfishly, Sakura hoped it was because he was naturally gifted in that department, and not because he'd had way more experience than she thought… Not that it mattered. Whoever came before her was none of her business. She didn't need to have a 'body-count' conversation with him.

"Kitsune," a voice said behind her and Sakura startled. She turned from the microscope and faced the Commander, who had forgone his mask, and lifted a dark eyebrow at her. "Jumpiness in a ninja is not exactly comforting."

Oh, go throw yourself into the waterfall, she thought at the turn of an eye roll. "I was concentrating on the serum. Have you ever heard of knocking?"

"This is my depot," he said in response.

Sakura merely jutted out a hip in annoyance.

"You're not wearing your mask."

She smiled sweetly, her eyes nearly disappearing into thin slits as she retorted, "I told you last night that it was impossible to see down the microscope with the mask on. That little detail hasn't miraculously changed in the last twelve hours."

Sasuke snickered, folding his arms behind his back as he bent to peer through the aquarium glass at the sleeping violet-spotted salamander. "How's the antidote coming?"

"So far so good. The serum should be ready to put to trial tonight." She'd been working tirelessly to perfect the components and make sure everything would be ready ahead of schedule – mostly because her traitorous body wouldn't let her sleep… She'd reported back to Headquarters before the sun had risen, and her lower back was beginning to stiffen from the strain of her work.

"The scouting group should be coming back tonight. I dispatched a unit of men to River Country after I received your transport scroll and had them take positions around the outpost hut."

Sakura nodded. "You're anticipating the arrival of the relief unit."

"Yes." Sasuke straightened, dragging an index finger along the counter as if to inspect for dust that wasn't there. "I think it's important our spies are there to gather intel on the conversation that arises because of your little… attack." He'd said it like an accusation – like Sakura was solely responsible for being spotted by the enemy in River Country.

"As I stated in the mission report, it wasn't something that could have been avoided. Kakashi and I had no choice but to take out their unit," Sakura said defensively. "Besides, that's just less men you have to worry about when we take on Hattori."

"Maybe," Sasuke allotted. "I am well aware that sending the two of you to River Country was a necessary risk, but if Hattori's men were stationed at that outpost, specifically watching the borders of Fire Country, it is my belief that Hattori has already figured out what we're trying to do."

"Already came to that conclusion," Sakura said, crossing her arms.

"Hattori was already a hard target – harder now that he suspects we'll achieve making an antidote against his poison. His men will protect him at all costs."

"Then we need to protect the Rain Kage at all costs. He wants her dead so that he can rule. He'll have to come through us to get to her." Sakura shrugged.

"So, you suggest hiding in plain sight?"

Sakura raised a slim pink eyebrow. "Who said anything about hiding?"

Sasuke presented her with a half-smile, a hint of his white teeth glistening. "You think like an operative."

Sakura refused to comment so she gifted him with one of her own sardonic smiles.

"We're holding a meeting tonight. Eight o'clock. If your serum is ready by then, we can put it to trial after," Sasuke said.

Sakura nodded. She hated clinical trials and testing on lab rats, but she knew it was unavoidable for the bigger picture – the greater good and all that. She'd already done the calculations for the body-weight of the rats and knew precisely how many units to inject so she wouldn't accidentally make them suffer more than necessary. If that was successful, which, she was certain would be, they would move on to testing the serum on a human.

"Make sure you wear your mask to the meeting," Sasuke said, if only to goad her.

"Get out of my lab, Uchiha."

Sasuke chuckled and merely closed the door behind him.

At seven forty-five that evening, Kakashi entered the depot with his ANBU mask in place to make sure he was presentable for the meeting. He'd assumed Sakura would still be in the lab, unable to drag herself away from perfecting the antidote. He'd given her space, afraid that they would both be too much of a distraction to one another if he'd shown his face in the lab after he'd awoken this morning…

Kakashi was not one for idleness, though most would argue that he was in fact the epitome of laziness when not on a mission. It was all part of the grand guise, all part of the mystery and stereotype surrounding the Copy-nin. Besides, he would much rather people think what they wanted of his aloofness than for them to know the truth: That he often rose before dawn and walked to the Cenotaph, paying his respects to lost teammates, since the grief born from their losses was still something Kakashi carried with himself every day. It wasn't that Kakashi cared about others' opinions of him, or that he was afraid to be seen as 'sensitive', but some things a ninja needed to keep private – held close to his heart.

Kakashi wagered that most of his life had been that way – and he was content to keep traveling that road of reclusiveness, albeit for his teammates – and particularly, the pink-haired woman of his dreams… Kakashi found himself wanting to share all the little nuances of his life with her, all the little seemingly meaningless aspects of his day – and that, was an entirely new concept for him. He wasn't sure when it had happened, or how… but he didn't foresee that realization going away any time soon.

Kakashi knocked once on the lab door before pushing it open and letting himself in. Sakura glanced over her shoulder, dressed head-to-toe in that form-fitting black attire and white lab coat. She'd braided her hair back today, letting the tail of it lie over one of her shoulders. Sakura beamed up at him, and kicked a stepping stool across the floor – it came to a complete stop at Kakashi's boots where he stood in the middle of the room. Sakura strode over to him, stepped up onto the stool at his feet, and then threw her arms around his neck as she lifted the ANBU mask from his face.

"Hi," she said, still grinning at him.

Kakashi returned her smile even though she couldn't see it, and tightened his arms around her waist. The height of the stool had put her at face level with him. "Aren't you worried someone will see?"

"No," she said, toying with the hair at his nape, "and besides, Sasuke gave everyone strict orders to stay out of the laboratory quadrant while I was working."

Kakashi frowned. "I didn't get the memo."

"I made him leave you out of the equation," she assured him.

"Oh, well now I feel special." His tone was light and playful.

"You are special." Sakura tipped her forehead to his, her hand sliding across his chest and resting over his heart. "Especially to me."

Kakashi squeezed her even tighter, not wanting her to think he didn't appreciate her vulnerability in admitting that. 'You are special to me, too' seemed like a cheap copy of her sentiment. He would have to find another way to express his appreciation and vulnerability later.

"I barely slept last night," Sakura said.

"Why's that?"

"Because I couldn't stop thinking about you," she admitted.

Once again, she was being extremely open with him, and Kakashi… liked it. He liked it a lot, actually. He also liked the softness in her tone, the desire hidden within it. Gods, he was going to go into that meeting with a hard-on if he wasn't careful. "You're killing me, woman." Kakashi loosened his grip, if only to put a little space between their aligned bodies and get his brain back in the game, because damn if her body didn't feel like heaven pressed up against his…

Sakura giggled. "Come on, White-Fang, we have a meeting to attend." Sakura stepped back off the stool and grabbed her fox mask from the counter, sliding it on as they exited the lab. "Sasuke wants me to start clinical trials after the meeting. I was just double-checking my calculations to make sure everything is ready for the poor rat…" she sounded miserably glum.

"I know you don't like testing on animals Sweetheart, but you'll be able to save it," Kakashi told her as they walked through the maze of hallways.

Sakura looked up at him from the side, her expression hidden by her mask, but she lightly bumped her shoulder into his arm. They made it to the Commander's office, and chose seats beside one another as the rest of the operatives filed into the room.

The Commander was standing in front of the large map on the wall, gazing up at it in contemplation before turning to face everyone at the table. "Our spy team just returned from River Country and reported that Hattori's relief unit finally showed up at the outpost," Sasuke said, not wasting any time getting straight to the point. "Naturally, they were concerned to find the outpost building empty, and after searching the surrounding area for a couple hours, came to the conclusion that their unit had either abandoned post, or were taken out by Konoha enemies."

Kakashi sat up straighter, his hand sliding to the top of Sakura's thigh under the table reassuringly.

"A testament to the thoroughness of our team, Hattori's men found zero evidence to support either case, but sent two of their men back to Rain to report their findings to Hattori," Sasuke said. "I think it wise that from this moment forward, we act as though Hattori believes that Konoha elite are responsible for the take-down." Sasuke stopped at the head of the table, turning his face towards Sakura. "Kitsune will begin clinical trials for the violet-spotted salamander antidote this evening. When that is successful, I will require human participation for the second round. If that is a success, I will send a team of elite into the rebel camp. Kitsune's antidote won't stop the black salamander poison, but if one of our own is subjected to it, the antidote should delay the symptoms long enough for a new antidote to be created against Hattori."

No one questioned the risk involved. That wasn't the way of the elite. Each and every one of them accepted that this mission could very well be suicide. Everyone except maybe Sakura, Kakashi emended… He knew her well enough to know that she would cling to the smallest grain of hope at any cost, which had saved him more times than he could count.

They learned that Sasuke had sent another unit of spies to follow the men returning to Rain in hopes of discovering a more precise location for Hattori's hideout, and a way to infiltrate the camp without being discovered by the enemy. The Black Ops had reason to suspect that Hattori was weaponizing his poison, and giving it to his rebel army to use in battle. The mission objective was simple: Locate the poison store and bring back a sample for Sakura – oh, and try not to die in the process… The black salamander antidote was the key to the whole operation… The leverage the Ops needed against Hattori in more ways than the obvious. He wouldn't want it in the hands of Konoha nins', and Kakashi was willing to bet he'd wage war to see it destroyed. Which meant – destroying the brilliant woman behind its making.

Sakura was going to need extra protection, and they were going to need backup…

Sasuke dismissed the elite from the meeting, but Kakashi and Sakura stayed behind. "How long will it take to test the antidote on the rat?" he asked.

"I don't know, this has never been done before," Sakura said. "I'll need to monitor its symptoms and see how long it takes the poison to act on the rat's nervous system. It might be seconds in comparison to the minutes it takes to wreak havoc on a human."

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully. "Let me know when the trial is successful, and then we'll move on to testing a human subject."

"A human volunteer…" Sakura said adamantly. Kakashi knew she would refuse to do this if the person wasn't willing to participate.

"The clock is ticking, Kitsune," Sasuke said.

"I'll meet you in the lab," Kakashi told her. "There's something I want to talk to the Commander about." Kakashi didn't need to see her expression to know she was frowning at him.

"Okay," she said, her tone thick with apprehension. She excused herself from the Commander's office, and Kakashi waited until he could no longer hear her retreating footsteps before facing Sasuke.

"There will be a target on her back now," Kakashi said. "Hattori may not know who she is yet, but we can't risk any one of his rebels finding out."

"I agree," Sasuke said. "She is far too valuable for the mission. In fact, it wouldn't be possible without her."

Kakashi pushed his ANBU mask on top of his head so Sasuke could see the small fraction of his face that he didn't keep covered by his own mask and leveled his tone. "She's far too valuable as a person." The mission wouldn't be possible without her skills, true enough… but Sakura's value as a whole was far more meaningful. Surely the boy who was once her teammate could see that.

Slowly, Sasuke removed his own mask and stared into his former sensei's face. "Oh, I see… you think that because I didn't choose to be with her that I don't value her life."

Kakashi said nothing.

Sasuke held Kakashi's gaze for a moment longer before turning away and looking at nothing in particular as he said in a quiet tone, "I did her a favor, Kakashi. She always deserved more than what I could give her."

No disagreement there, Kakashi thought. But was he really any better? Could he give Sakura all the things she deserved? He doubted it, but he was far too selfish to stay away from her. Maybe that made Sasuke the better man.

"I'm assigning you to protection duty," Sasuke added. "Haruno doesn't go anywhere alone until after this mission is complete. We can't risk something happening to her… as a person," Sasuke said.

The Copy-nin swallowed hard before nodding once. Despite their budding relationship, Kakashi very much doubted that Sakura was going to like having a guard keeping watch over her – even if it was Kakashi.

"Oh, and Hatake…" Sasuke said when Kakashi had reached his door. "You're the better man for her."

Kakashi didn't know what to say, so he said nothing as he met Sasuke's gaze, and then let the door of the Commander's office swing shut behind him.

Sakura heard the slight metallic groan of the laboratory door hinges and turned her attention to the Copy-nin as he crossed the threshold. His posture had changed, shoulders sagging as if the weight of the world were currently on them. "What's wrong?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi swept a hand up the back of his neck, working at the muscles there. "You're not going to like it."

The pink-haired kunoichi crossed her arms and tilted her chin up at him. "I think I'll be the judge of that. Out with it, Hatake."

Kakashi pulled the ANBU mask from his face and let it hang limp in his grip as he said, "You do realize that because of what you're doing, you have become the most valuable asset to the mission…" he started. "There will be a target on your back if Hattori finds out you're responsible for creating the antidote."

Sakura nodded. "I considered that."

Kakashi sighed. "Of course you have…"

"You're the one who taught me to always be thinking several steps ahead of the enemy," Sakura said.

"Sasuke wants around the clock surveillance on you until the mission is complete."

For a single moment, Sakura was struck speechless. When she'd fully processed what Kakashi told her, she started laughing. "Well, isn't that convenient for him." She snorted. "Is that what you had to talk to him about? Because you were worried about my safety?"

Kakashi took a step towards her. "You know I believe that you can handle yourself in any situation, but I did feel it was necessary to mention that you would undoubtedly become a target."

"Don't look so contrite, Kakashi. I'm not insulted. I know you think I can take care of myself," she said. She closed the distance between them, taking the ANBU mask out of his hand and setting it on the counter so that she could take his hands in hers. "I'm not exactly thrilled I'll have a tail on me at all times, but as long as the Op doesn't come into my house and try to baby-sit me, I promise I'll learn to tolerate it."

"Sasuke assigned me, Sakura…"

Sakura felt color rise to her cheeks. "Oh. Well, in that case… mi casa es su casa." She grinned up at him. That was unexpected, she thought, and way more favorable than the alternative.

"You won't be able to go anywhere alone," he told her.

"Yeah, I got that part." She shrugged. "It could be fun." Sakura considered that maybe she was sharing too much of her feelings with Kakashi, but he didn't seem to mind, and his actions were letting her know that he was sharing her sentiments.

"Sakura…" Kakashi pulled her closer, wrapping an arm around her while the other still held her hand. "We should set some ground rules. For the mission." His thumb stroked along her inner wrist. "As much as I want to keep exploring what's happening between us, we still need to put the mission first. We can't get caught up in our desires and risk jeopardizing the mission. People, including you, could get hurt if we aren't in the right head space."

Sakura's lips spread into a slow smile at his words. Kakashi sounded very much like a man who was trying to convince himself to do the right thing when every fiber of his being was screaming at him to act on his desires. Sakura knew he was right, but she was not going to make this easy for him… "You want me to behave myself, got it."

Kakashi narrowed his visible eye. "Not exactly what I want, per se."

"I think we can handle it, Kakashi. We're both adults." Sakura let go of his hand and stepped out of his embrace as if to prove this, and turned towards the counter. "Put those gloves on and help me for a sec?" She nodded towards the box of sterile gloves and headed for the small refrigeration unit on the counter. "I've already drawn up the poison and the antidote, we just need to administer the injections."

"Sure," Kakashi said, doing as she instructed.

"The clinical reports indicate that the patient affected by the violet-spotted salamander poison will have similar symptoms to those affected by the black salamander poison." Sakura pulled two needles from the refrigeration unit – one with a clear liquid, and one whose serum appeared to be thicker and purple in color. "In humans, the first thing they experience is oral paresthesia, but we may not be able to detect that in the rat."

"Burning or prickling sensation in the mouth, right?"

Sakura smiled. "And swelling, yes." She wasn't going to tell him she was impressed to learn that he already knew that. "After that, paralysis sets in, effecting the limbs and moving inwards until the whole body shuts down. Unlike the black salamander poison, the violet-spotted salamander poison won't cause fever, nausea, and or vomiting." Sakura uncapped the purple serum and reached into the elaborate rat cage and gently retrieved a large, gray-and-white spotted rat. "I'm so sorry Dexter, but I promise I'll save you."

"Dexter?" Kakashi lifted an eyebrow as Sakura administered the poison. The rat barely even noticed the little pinch under the skilled and dexterous hand of the medic-nin.

"Yeah," she said, "it helps me to name them."

"Why do I feel like that actually makes it worse?" Kakashi took the used needle from Sakura and deposited it in the safety receptacle as Sakura placed the rat back in its cage.

"It only makes it worse if I lose him… If I don't, I'm taking him home to live with me and he'll never have to be poked or prodded at again."

Kakashi chuckled. "Do you do that with all the rats you save?"

"No, but I usually make sure to set them free in the woods…" Sakura leaned on the counter, her gaze fixed on the rat she'd named Dexter. The rat wiped its little clawed hands over his nose, acting as though his mouth were irritating him. "Oral paresthesia," she glanced at the clock, "two-minutes after injection." The minutes ticked on and the rat seemed to grow more lethargic. It tucked in on itself, eventually going completely still. "Full body paralysis, thirteen minutes after injection." Sakura reached into the cage, gently cupping the rat in her palm as she pulled him back out and quickly administered the antidote. She placed him back in the cage, and held her breath while she waited for science to work its magic.

Another two minutes ticked by before the rat twitched its little paw. Seven, before the rat was standing on all its legs again, and ten before it began moving around. "It worked," Sakura breathed, her eyes still glued to the rat in its cage.

"See, I knew you could do it," Kakashi said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Sakura released a breathless laugh, pressing the palms of her hands to either side of her temple. "I'll just have to reconfigure the calculations for human trials, but that should be easy enough. After that, I'll need to replicate the antidote just to make sure we have plenty on standby if we need it."

"I would recommend sleeping first," Kakashi told her. "It's getting late and you said you didn't sleep well last night."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Just because you've been assigned to protect me doesn't mean that you're the boss of me, Kakashi-senpai."

Kakashi narrowed his gaze. "I think you like me bossing you around."

She did… but she was never going to admit that out loud. "Being bossy is my role," she said.

"Mm," Kakashi murmured, his tone deep and apparent in its wanting.

Sakura only giggled. "Come on, Kakashi. Let's go home." The human trials would come tomorrow, and although Sakura was elated by her success with Dexter, she was admittedly tired. She checked to make sure the rat had plenty of food and water before taking Kakashi by the hand and leading him out of the laboratory. Their masks were back in place, but even if they hadn't been in disguise, Sakura decided she didn't care if the whole world saw her holding his hand.

Hello loves,

kcann17 - Thanks so much for listening to the Sleep Token song in Chapter 12! I'm glad you liked it. I appreciate your review, too!
HisSecretLover18, , and thereddqueen - thank you all for commenting!
90melk - WOW, I am blown away by your kind review. Thank you so much for tuning in to the story; I'm really glad you like my writing style and how I'm portraying the characters. I hope I do them justice. 3

Thank you all for reading!

XOXO,
~Sparrow