Author's Note: Okay, so when I tell you this is a slow burn, it's incredibly slow. Tenzo won't show up for a chapter or two if I remember correctly. I'm over 100K into this mess and I just need someone else to flail and care about these dorks as much as I do. I'm hoping to post a chapter a month give or take, but we'll see, no promises.

Subtle changes became more noticeable as Sakura traveled deeper into the forest. Less sunlight broke through the canopy overhead, allowing the temperature to dip toward a more comfortable range. Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief, even as the cool air raised tiny bumps along her arms. After four months in Sunagakure, the sudden chill felt more like winter than early autumn.

Sakura inhaled, breathing in the deep, earthy smell of home. The rapidly approaching dusk painted the leaves in rich hues that she hadn't seen in over a year. She'd spent the last sixteen months outside Konoha as an ambassador. Sakura had been tasked with traveling from village to village, sharing Konoha's healing knowledge, while learning from other medical nin in turn.

The mission had been successful, allowing Sakura to master dozens of new techniques. Some, she would put into practice as soon as possible, and others she wished she'd never seen. Sakura's notes were a jumble of shorthand scribbles that she hadn't taken the time to clarify. It would take weeks before she could make the mess comprehensible to anyone except herself. A warm bath and her bed sounded far more appealing than organizing paperwork.

The sunlight faded toward gold as the familiar gates of Konoha came into view. Adjusting the pack on her shoulders, Sakura dropped to the ground and ran a hand across her dusty clothing. There was nothing that she could do to make herself sppear cleaner, but she took a couple of seconds to run her fingers through her hair at least. It had grown longer over the past year, and she still hadn't decided if she wanted to keep it that way or not. Sakura added that to the list of problems for another time.

Content that she'd made herself as presentable as possible, Sakura continued into the village. Thankfully, the area where each visitor was required to check into or out of the village was nearly empty. Two familiar shinobi were seated behind the large, wooden desk. Well, Izumo sat. Kotetsu leaned back until his chair looked dangerously close to spilling him on the ground. Both of the men flipped idly through the papers in front of them.

Grinning, Sakura rapped her knuckles against the wood. "Don't let Tsunade-sama catch you slacking off like that. Do you really want to go back to toting books?"

Kotetsu's chair thumped back to the ground, and his dark eyes flicked up. They widened in surprise at Sakura's presence. "Well, well, well," he drawled, lip curving into a smile. "You decided to come back after all. I was starting to think that some dastardly foreigner stole you away from us."

"As if," Sakura laughed, falling into the easy banter. When she'd been apprenticed to Tsunade, Sakura had gotten to know Kotetsu and Izumo fairly well. One day, Sakura had overheard the pair complaining about the menial work that Tsunade assigned to them and commiserated at the unfairness. That had been the start of an unexpected friendship. Sakura winked. "They're savages compared to Konoha nin. Even our civilians are better than their best shinobi."

"All of them?" Kotetsu teased, the thin strip of bandage across his nose wrinkling with his smile.

Sakura had never found out why the man wore it. She frowned at Kotetsu's knowing look, but refused to rise to the bait. She might be close to him and Izumo, but she wasn't about to reveal her personal life. Especially since they acted more like big brothers in that regard. Izumo had growled more than a few heated curses about a certain Uchiha before Sakura left, assuming he'd been a large part of the reason.

Slamming the door on that thought, Sakura nodded. "All of them. Look boys, I promise that we can catch up later, but right now I just want a hot bath and my bed, maybe a little food."

Izumo clutched at his heart like Sakura had wounded him. "And, I thought we were friends."

"Acquaintances at best," Sakura teased, stepping closer to the men. She patted Izumo's shoulder. "If anyone unofficial asks, tell them that you haven't seen me. At least until tomorrow morning. Please?"

Kotetsu shook his head, then rolled his eyes for good measure. "You won't stay to chat and you're going to ask favors? I'm not sure that I like this new Sakura."

"That's a shame," Sakura answered, dropping her voice so that the men had to lean closer to catch the next words. "The new Sakura remembers that stupidly expensive sake you two prefer. You know, the one that's only available in Kumo? But, since you don't like her-"

"Sakura, who?" Izumo interrupted before Sakura could finish the rest of her thinly veiled threat. "Haruno Sakura? Oh, I don't think she's supposed to be back for a few more days at least."

Laughing, Sakura flashed a smile. It was nice to be back among people who knew her well enough to trade barbs with rather than being stuck with only official formalities. "Good man."

Sakura signed off on the mission roster that Izumo had in front of him. While she might be able to avoid most people knowing that she was back, word would reach Tsunade almost immediately. Hopefully, the blond would give Sakura at least one night to herself before demanding a report. She needed that much time to get her thoughts together.

Turning away, Sakura cut through the crowded streets. She had arrived in the village near the evening rush. Shinobi and civilians alike were hurrying home after a hard day of work, training, or missions. If luck was on her side, the crush of bodies would hide the pinkette long enough to make it to her parent's house without being accosted. It wasn't that Sakura didn't want to see her friends, she just wanted to wash off the travel dirt before having to answer the inevitable barrage of questions.

Medical shinobi weren't the only ones expected to share their knowledge after the war. Dozens of tokubetsu and regular jonin had done similar stints in the Allied Nations. Most weren't as long as Sakura's, though. She couldn't help but wonder if Tsunade had possessed an ulterior motive for sending her away following their victory against Kaguya. Had it all been some screwed up effort to protect her from the fallout?

Tsunade had pulled Sakura aside before they reached Konoha following the final battle. Ostensibly, she'd been checking on her apprentice after the carnage and flurry of healing that followed. Sakura had been younger and stupider then, she realized that now. She'd been giddy at the thought of having Sasuke back in Konoha. Tsunade crushed that daydream before it could take root. She confided that while she could save Sasuke's life after his battle with Naruto, she didn't know if she had the clout to protect him from execution. He had been a war criminal, after all.

Sakura had wept and begged Tsunade to use her position to secure Sasuke's life. Then, not sure if that would be enough, Sakura had turned to Naruto and Kakashi. The latter needed more convincing, but eventually agreed to speak on Sasuke's behalf. Then, the whirlwind of rebuilding, forging alliances, and drafting treaties had taken over every spare moment until there was no time to think about anything but the next project. While Sakura had been included as Tsunade's apprentice, she knew that they'd excluded her from the meetings centered around Sasuke.

A few weeks after returning to the Leaf, Tsunade and Kakashi had summoned Sakura to the Hokage's office. They'd explained the exchange of knowledge initiative that they were starting, and what part Sakura was expected to play in it. Sharing information didn't come easily after so many years of secrecy, but Sakura had done her best. The agreement was intended to foster continued cooperation and hopefully avoid feelings of distrust that could lead to more war.

The time that Sakura spent in each village varied wildly, with the longest stretch being in Suna. She'd found the hardy plants that survived in the desert's heat fascinating, and Garaa had more than accommodated her curiosity. Through the years, Sand shinobi had found a use for nearly all of the flora that grew in the arid climate, or at the rare oases that dotted their land. Sakura couldn't help but wonder how many lifetimes of study she had benefited from.

While Sakura wanted to spend longer absorbing everything that she could in Suna, it wasn't meant to be. Tsunade sent a formal request directly to Gaara-sama for Sakura to be returned to the Leaf. Sakura tried not to be angry or view the letter bypassing her as a slight. Besides, she was happy to be back in Konoha. As enjoyable as travelling was, she was ready to get back to real life.

Sakura almost made it home without incident. Almost. Two streets away from her parent's house, a yellow ball of exuberance barreled into her. The collision nearly tore Sakura's feet from under her. "Sakura-chan! You made it back in time!"

"Of course I did," Sakura laughed, pulling away from Naruto's fierce hug. She looked up, realizing that he'd grown even taller in their time apart, and met blue eyes that somehow still held impossible optimism. "How are you?"

"Always busy." Naruto's grin hadn't changed at all, nor had his infectious laughter. "Granny and Kakashi-sensei constantly have me on missions these days. They say I need more experience if I'm going to be Hokage."

Sakura smiled and nudged her former teammate with her shoulder. "They're right, you know."

Despite being out of the village for so long, Sakura still knew of its inner workings. She had exchanged letters with Tsunade during her travels, mostly complaints about Kakashi's laziness or Naruto's eagerness. The latter's dream of becoming Hokage had grown closer, but there were still obstacles to overcome. While most people recognized Naruto as the savior from the war, others recalled his childish antics during their academy days.

Tsunade's letters had hinted that Naruto needed more life experience. Or, maybe she thought that he needed to experience more life before accepting the role. Tsunade had suggested something similar before sending Sakura away from Konoha, and the pinkette didn't like the comparison. In fact, she suspected that the only reason she'd been recalled to Konoha was because Tsunade had finally decided to follow through with her threat to pass the mantle on to Kakashi.

Jerking back to the present, Sakura realized that Naruto hadn't stopped talking while her thoughts wandered. She brought her eyes back to his face, trying to ignore the pang of longing that sparked in her heart. Some memories were best forgotten. Completely unaware of her distraction, Naruto grinned. "Do you wanna go get some ramen? Ichiraku has this new-"

"Maybe some other time," Sakura interrupted, trying to keep her face neutral despite the hurt that twisted through her. Seeing the blond's face fall, she moderated her tone. "Later this week maybe? I've been traveling for days, and I really just want to sleep."

Naruto forced one of his sunshine smiles. "Yeah, sorry. I wasn't thinking."

Sakura started to turn away when the boy called out a second time. His words made her blood turn to ice. "Have you seen Sasuke?"

Despite everything, Sakura's chest tightened at the mention of Sasuke's name. She hated the butterflies in her stomach and the sickening taste of bile in the back of her throat. Dammit. Naruto looked at her with guiltless blue eyes devoid of malice. He had no clue what he was asking. Sakura forced a tight smile. "I haven't, not recently."

Naruto inclined his head, oblivious as ever. "He was in Konoha a few days ago, but I don't know if he's still here."

"That's great," Sakura lied, keeping the false smile plastered on her face. "I've got to get going, though. My parents are expecting me. I'll see you around!"

Without waiting for a response, Sakura turned and jogged in the direction of her parent's house. The familiar sight drew a sigh of relief from her lips. She didn't bother knocking; Sakura didn't want to risk Naruto being behind her if she paused. As she closed the door, Sakura leaned back and gave herself two heartbeats to drown in the hurt from Naruto's question before draining emotion from her face.

Mebuki chose that moment to sweep around the corner, wiping her hands on a tea towel. With a surprised gasp, she swept Sakura into a hug that nearly crushed the girl's ribs. She rambled happily, complaining that she hadn't known that Sakura was coming home today or she would have prepared her favorite dinner. As the words washed over Sakura, it was easy to pretend that the tears filling her eyes were happiness.

Despite the exhaustion plaguing her body, Sakura woke early the next morning. The warm yellow walls were confusing until her mind caught up. She was home, in her own bed, not stashed away in a small apartment in Suna. The once familiar surroundings felt suffocating in a way that Sakura couldn't put her finger on, like she no longer fit the space.

While Sakura loved her parents, she thought that it might be time to start looking for her own place in Konoha. Her mother would hate it, of course, but she would eventually understand. Over the past year and a half, Sakura had realized how much she liked having a space that was completely hers. While traveling, she'd been afforded an apartment, or at least a private room, in each of the villages she'd visited. Sakura had felt like an adult for the first time in her life, answering to no one but herself.

Stretching her arms above her head, Sakura groaned. The physical activity of the past few days left her muscles achy, a sure sign that she needed to get back into a regular training routine. Sakura had found sparring partners often enough, but that wasn't the same as a consistent regimen. Kakashi-sensei would be terribly disappointed if he knew how lazy she'd gotten. The complacency of peace had dulled her.

Before getting out of bed, Sakura drew a deep breath and sought the quiet inside herself. It took only a few moments to find the stillness that focused her mind. She had picked up the habit of meditation in Kumo after a discussion on the ways that stress and anxiety affected the body. Today would be busy, full of meetings and reports, things required of her as a shinobi. Additionally, Sakura had a few other tasks that she needed to take care of.

For a moment, Sakura focused on simply being. Tension bled from her muscles as she released her expectations of herself. She would do the best that she could today, and it would be enough. She didn't allow herself to think about the difficult conversations or forced laughter that would be part of the day. Only the steady cadence of her breath existed. In and out, in out.

Feeling calmer and ready to face the problems ahead, Sakura climbed out of bed. Her pack remained where she'd dropped it in the corner of the room, filled with dirty clothes and the odds and ends that she'd collected on her journey. It needed to be cleaned out, but the chore had seemed too daunting the previous night, and she didn't have time this morning. She'd worry about it later. Besides, the majority of items that she'd brought back had been sealed into scrolls to save space. It could wait until she had time to sort it properly.

Sakura opened the bag and rifled through its contents. She tossed an armful of dusty clothes into her hamper when she couldn't find what she wanted. Before going to sleep, Sakura had scrubbed her flak vest clean at least. The familiar habit had been soothing after her conversation with Naruto. No, don't think about that, Sakura chided, feeling some of her calm ebb away.

Finally, Sakura produced a clean pair of jonin blues from her pack. While traveling, she'd alternated wearing her signature red qipao and black pants, the Leaf uniform, and a mixture of local clothing. Today, however, it felt right to slip back into her uniform. The promotion to jonin had come as a shock to Sakura, but Tsunade acted as if it had been long overdue. Before the pinkette left the village, she'd been raised with hardly a murmur of surprise from the gathered shinobi.

Pulling her thoughts back to the present, Sakura dragged a brush through her hair. After securing it with her headband, she debated whether or not to put on some makeup. It took only a second to laugh at the absurdity of that idea. She'd worn it rarely over the past year and a half, but it certainly wasn't an everyday occurrence. Sakura frowned at her reflection in the mirror, then swiped on enough concealer to disguise her exhaustion and called it done.

When Sakura stepped outside, shinobi and civilians crowded the streets. It was still early enough that most of them were on their way to work or training, but late enough that she would pass unnoticed. The previous night, Sakura had made a list of everything that she wanted to accomplish on her first day back in Konoha. Reporting to Tsunade-sama took priority over everything else, however. By now, the Hokage knew that Sakura had returned to the village. She had no interest in ignoring that responsibility and incurring Tsunade's wrath.

Sakura assumed that the meeting would take most of the day. Tsunade would undoubtedly want a full recording of everything that Sakura had learned on her mission. Then, there would be an accounting of Sakura's responsibilities now that she was home, as well. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if she would be relegated back to helping at the hospital, put on the regular mission roster, or some hybrid of the two.

If there was time, Sakura planned to check on Ino today, or tomorrow at the latest. Despite writing dozens of letters, she hadn't known what to say to her one time best friend. 'I'm sorry' felt too insignificant in the face of everything that Ino had lost. Then, it was too late to say anything at all. Sakura felt unwavering guilt that she hadn't been around for Ino after the war to help her through Inoichi's death.

Sakura was surprised to see light in the Hokage's office since Tsunade usually woke up with a hangover. Or, at least, irritable about the sun being so bright and people being so loud. From Tsunade's letters, Sakura knew that the woman was looking forward to leaving the office. She had probably been running poor Kakashi ragged, trying to teach him everything that he needed to know while simultaneously pawning off the duties that she didn't want to take care of personally.

Sakura had painstakingly prepared a report of her journey and the various techniques that she'd learned while away. She doubted that Tsunade would take the time to read everything, but it felt better having her thoughts organized. Sakura's personal notes were still in disarray, but she had an outline to offer if questioned. It should buy her a few days, at least.

Slipping through the familiar corridors, Sakura stopped to compose herself outside the heavy wooden door that led to the Hokage's office. Either Tsunade had dismissed her guard, or they hadn't arrived yet; the hallway was empty. Sakura heard noise on the other side of the doorway, so she raised a hand and knocked. The murmur of voices died down, then Tsunade questioned who it was. Exhaling slowly, Sakura opened the door.

Tsunade's lips curved into a smile before Sakura moved completely into the office. "So, you finally decided to come back," she teased, shuffling the papers in front of her. "Cutting it close aren't you, brat?" Sakura grinned at the term that she'd come to view as an endearment. Tsunade had used it a lot in Sakura's training, generally with a smile, but not always.

"It's good to see you, shishou," Sakura answered, dipping into a bow proper for the woman's station. Then, she offered a smaller one to the shadow who stood by Tsunade's shoulder as always. "And you, Shizune."

"Well, how did you find the world?" Tsunade wrapped her hands around the steaming mug of tea in front of her with the barest hint of a smirk hidden behind it. "I hope you got your fill. Shizune and I have big plans for you."

Sakura arched one eyebrow at Tsunade's unexpected cheek. "Big plans?" When neither of the women answered her question, Sakura sighed. It was going to be one of those meetings.

Digging out her report, Sakura laid it on Tsunade's desk and proceeded as if she wasn't curious about their meaning. "Here's a list of the various techniques I studied. It will take some time to develop practical applications for each, but there are a lot of potential advancements here."

Picking up the papers, Tsunade glanced at them, eyes scanning over the words. After a long moment, she laid them back on the desk and looked up at Sakura. "These will come in handy when you're running the hospital."

Nervous laughter bubbled through Sakura's lips as she looked between Tsunade and Shizune like they'd lost their minds. Neither so much as cracked a smile, now. "What?"

"I want you to take over the hospital," Tsunade repeated. She waved a hand vaguely in the direction of the building then rolled her eyes. "Honestly, why do you think I took you on as an apprentice in the first place?"

Sakura tried to form a response, but the words wouldn't come. She had anticipated being expected to work at the hospital, even hoped that she wouldn't have to start as a first year, but running it? She wasn't ready, she didn't have enough training, there were more experienced medics, she-Tsunade's honey brown eyes narrowed at Sakura's continued silence. "Unless you don't intend to practice medicine in the future. Which means we've both wasted the past year and a half."

"I do," Sakura assured her mentor. She couldn't imagine a life in which she didn't work in the medical field. But this, this was something else. Finally, she sighed. "It's a lot to take in at once."

"You're starting to sound like Kakashi," Tsunade complained, rubbing her temples. "I'm not ready, I need more time, blah, blah, blah. Time's up, girly."

Sakura bristled at the words, and Shizune stepped in to soften them. "You're ready for the medical side of it, and you have more field experience than most. I've been grooming a civilian medic to support you with the administrative side. Plus, he's a damn good doctor in his own right. You'll do fine."

"She doesn't need to be coddled," Tsunade snorted, rolling her eyes again. "She needs to stop hiding in the shadows like a timid little mouse."

Anger flared to life in the pit of Sakura's stomach. Tsunade had said something similar early in Sakura's training. She'd warned the girl that she didn't have time for an apprentice who was content to lurk her teammates' shadows. Sakura hadn't appreciated the insinuation before realizing that it was true. Naruto and Sasuke were always more powerful than her, and she'd let them be. But, that was years ago. Sakura had grown since then, she was her own woman.

"I'll do my best, Hokage-sama," Sakura answered, voice tipping toward annoyance before she caught herself.

Tsunade laughed, a rich, full sound, as her smile broadened. "So, the time away gave you a little backbone, did it? That's good. You'll need it."

Before Sakura could respond, Tsunade continued. "Shizune can take you around later today to help you get a feel for the place. Unfortunately, I have my hands full teaching Kakashi how to be the Hokage."

The trio discussed Sakura's journey in more detail, the sights she'd seen and the people she'd met, now that business had been taken care of. They didn't touch on any of the jutsu, not yet. It was nice to catch up on simpler things for a few minutes. The banter eased some of the tension that Sakura felt from Tsunade's earlier manner. Maybe the woman would forgive her nervousness about the hospital.

A knock interrupted their chatter, then a familiar face peeked into the office. Genma flashed a brilliant grin in Sakura's direction. Much like her friendship with Izumo and Kotetsu, Sakura's relationship with Genma was a relic from her apprentice days. She'd found him funny for the most part, if a little too flirty for his own good. The man brought his attention back to Tsunade once Sakura returned his smile. "Kakashi is here to see you, Hokage-sama."

Tsunade waved for Genma to show Sakura's former mentor in, then sighed and seemed to steel herself for a fight. Kakashi stepped into the room completely unchanged by the past year and a half. He bowed briefly. "You summoned me, Hokage-sama?"

Kakashi's shoulders still slouched with indifference as he glanced at Tsunade. His dark sleeves were rolled away from the hands stuffed into his pockets, just as Sakura remembered. Somehow, Kakashi managed to exude a sense of boredom and arrogance at the same time. But then, he'd always done that. The only notable differences that Sakura could see were the new jonin uniform and the two eyes that widened at the sight of her. "Welcome back."

Sakura dipped her head, surprised by the nostalgia that washed over her. She had grown closer to Kakashi in the weeks immediately after the war. Team Seven had been complete at the end, broken and bleeding, but alive. Then, Sasuke challenged Naruto, and chaos erupted a second time. Kakashi had been beside Sakura when she finally fought through Sasuke's genjutsu.

Slamming the door on that memory, Sakura offered a genuine smile. "It's good to see you, Sensei."

"You two can catch up on your own time," Tsunade snipped, drumming her fingers on the desk. "You were supposed to be here an hour ago, Hatake."

"Maa, maa," the man soothed, making a calming gesture with his hands. "A black cat crossed my path so I had to-"

Tsunade rolled her eyes so hard that Sakura was surprised that her head didn't come loose. "My fist is about to cross your path. When are you going to start taking this seriously? Your inauguration is tomorrow. As in, the day after today. Do you have any idea-"

Shizune tugged Sakura's sleeve, pulling her aside. "Come on, they'll be like this for the next six hours or so. Let's get you settled at the hospital."

Sakura nodded, frowning at the spectacle in the office. When she had first heard that Tsunade picked Kakashi as her successor, it had come as a shock. The man shrugged responsibility whenever possible, doing the bare minimum the rest of the time. He was an accomplished shinobi, true, but that wasn't the same thing as having leadership skills. There had been glimpses of such capabilities on their missions, but they were few and far between. And, not everyone was privileged to those either. Truth be told, Sakura had been equally surprised that Kakashi had accepted the role.

Pushing the thought from her mind, Sakura followed Shizune from the office. They paused when the door swung open to reveal Shikamaru entering the building. Sakura had been looking forward to needling him for weeks. The man had spent some time in the Sand while she was there, a couple of different trips actually. Sakura caught him and Temari having a candlelit dinner at one of the fancier restaurants, once. It looked a lot like a date from her point of view.

"Planning on seeing Temari anytime soon?" Sakura asked, fighting to keep the grin from her lips. "I promised Gaara-sama that I would send some special seeds from Konoha back to the greenhouses, and since you seemed to enjoy spending so much time in Suna . . . "

Shikamaru snorted under his breath, hint of a blush climbing up his neck. "I'll let you know if any of my missions take me back there."

Sakura's grin widened. "Right, missions."

Brushing off Sakura's teasing, Shikamaru nodded. "I've got to get this paperwork down to the cypher division, but maybe we can catch up some other time? it's good to see you back."

Before Sakura could make any additional comments, the man disappeared into the crush of shinobi hurrying through the hallway on the various tasks that kept Konoha running. She shook her head after him, grinning as she followed Shizune from the building.

Half a dozen people called out to Sakura to welcome her back in the short time that it took them to reach the hospital. Those who didn't speak nodded hello; the acknowledgement filled Sakura with a sense of belonging.

Shizune kept up a constant stream of information while they walked, names and details that flew over Sakura's head. The woman paused on the tree lined path to the main entrance. "Are you doing okay?"

"There are just a lot of memories here," Sakura responded, shaking her head to clear the thoughts. "It just took me by surprise is all."

Shizune nodded while approaching the automatic door to the hospital. It hissed open, and they stepped through. "Things haven't changed much since the war. You know most of our procedures already, so it's getting back into the swing of things with patients. Did you do much of that while you were gone?"

"Not really," Sakura admitted, feeling self-conscious even though nothing in Shizune's tone suggested judgment. Most of Sakura's time had been spent researching new techniques and teaching familiar ones to other medics. "It was interesting to see how foreign hospitals and clinics did things though."

"This way," Shizune indicated, leading Sakura through the bustling halls. The woman pressed her badge to a couple of sensors, then branched off to the right. Pulling a key from her pocket, Shizune unlocked a closet that must have been flattered to be termed an office. Someone had stuffed a small desk and chair on one side while a dilapidated exam table filled the other half of the room. There was barely room to walk between them.

Sakura raised one eyebrow at the state of the room, and Shizune shrugged. "I know, but it's all we have right now. At least it has a desk. My first office didn't even have that."

Sakura dropped her bag on the desk, raising a small cloud of dust. Without asking the plan for the rest of the day, she shrugged out of her flak vest and hung it on the decrepit chair. She pulled a lab coat from her bag. Sakura doubted that she would see any patients today, but she wanted to look the part just in case. Especially considering the information that Tsunade had just hit her with.

Once Sakura had changed, Shizune led them back through the warren of hallways. Most of the doctors and nurses snapped to attention when Shizune passed by, busying themselves with whatever was at hand. Obviously, she had taken on more of a leadership role at the hospital while Tsunade was busy training her replacement.

Shizune stopped near the central nursing station, a large u-shaped desk crowded with medics enjoying a lull in the day's patients. The conversation slowed, then stopped altogether when she tapped one of the men on the shoulder. "Takeda-sensei, may we have a moment?"

The man must have recognized Shizune's voice because he turned toward them immediately. Sakura's mouth fell open as she gazed up into a familiar face. The piercing blue eyes, partially obscured by square glasses, hadn't changed at all. The man's black hair was shorter now, closer cropped to his head, but there was no mistaking him. "Kazuko-sensei?"

"Sakura-chan," the man answered, a small smile appearing on his face "What are you doing here? How have you been?"

Before Sakura could answer any of the questions, Shizune's arms crossed over her chest. She looked between the pair of them with an unreadable expression. "You two know each other?"

Sakura dipped her head in acquiesce, then combed through her hair with her fingers. Maybe she should have taken more time on her appearance this morning. First impressions were hard to shake, after all. "Kazuko-sensei was a first year resident when I trained with Tsunade." Sakura answered. "And, he was far kinder to me than he had any right to be."

"You were so insistent that you made it damn near impossible to refuse. Always underfoot and in the way, trying to learn everything you could. Like you couldn't just chakra everything away with the wave of your hand." Kazuko's easy laugh made Sakura blush. Most of the civilian medics hadn't been patient with a fifteen year old girl showing them up even though they saw the uses of medical ninjutsu. Kazuko had been amused by her desire to learn traditional healing and had proven kind enough to teach her.

Sakura's flush deepened at the words. Hopefully, she had grown up since then, even though her desire to learn as much as possible hadn't changed. "Your training has served me well. There have been many times when I couldn't use chakra to heal. The skills that I learned from you saved dozens of lives during the war."

"I'm glad you made it through. I heard the stories about Konoha's pink-haired medic and how she quite possibly turned the tide." Kazuko's smile widened enough to flash perfect, white teeth. "Of course, I had no doubt who that description belonged to."

"My role was over exaggerated," Sakura interrupted, cheeks burning like a bonfire to the point that she had to turn away. "Naruto and Sasuke were the ones who ended the war, with Kakashi-sensei. I'm just glad that I could help a little bit."

The memory of Gaara arriving on the battlefield with the horribly injured Naruto flashed through Sakura's mind. If the Yondaime hadn't carried a portion of the nine tails still-no, she couldn't think about that. Sometimes, Sakura still had nightmares about the way Naruto's heart had stopped despite every ounce of chakra that she pushed into his body. Shuddering, she brought herself back to the present. The panic was over, and Naruto had survived. They all had.

Sensing the sudden shift in atmosphere, Kazuko dropped his head. "Well, thank you for your service, either way."

Shizune coughed from behind her hand, dark eyes shifting from face to face. "I suppose this will make the transition easier than we expected."

"Transition?" Kazuko asked, turning his gaze toward the woman for the first time since their introduction.

"Sakura will be taking over the role that Tsunade, and more recently myself, have been filling at the hospital." Shizune delivered the words like they were a comment on the weather, instead of a statement that would change everything. "Kazuko, meet your new boss."