Summary: Uchiha Sasuke had never been one to seek attention... until now. Response to prompt twelve (silver lining) for SasuSaku Month.

Disclaimer: Naruto is (c) Masashi Kishimoto and Shueisha, Inc.

SMALL FAVORS

Uchiha Sasuke was a notorious fugitive of the Leaf, whose crimes were well-known throughout the Five Great Nations and beyond. His history of desertion, murder and general mayhem, not to mention his cursed surname, should have been enough to give anyone pause. However, once reinstated as a shinobi of Konohagakure, this was proven to the contrary. Many denizens of the village, the vast majority of those being female, came to consider Sasuke a tragically operatic figure; someone that had forsaken the path of vengeance and was now on the road to redemption. Oh, and his brooding good looks were not to be forgotten either.

At present, the onetime missing-nin was seated at the Ichiraku Ramen stand with his newly restored teammates. A vein was throbbing in his temple, while Uzumaki Naruto blatantly laughed to his left and Haruno Sakura furtively chuckled to his right. The source of his agitation and their amusement was a gaggle of girls whispering and making mooneyes in his direction a short distance away.

"It's nice to be home, eh, bastard?" Naruto ribbed amidst his laughter and a mouthful of noodles.

The jinchuuriki's table manners were as atrocious and nauseating as always, Sasuke thought with a turn of the stomach. He pushed his half-eaten bowl aside at the revolting display.

Naruto made a grab for the uneaten portion. "Don't mind if I do."

A third bowl was shoved in front of the blond male, thanks to Sakura. She then proceeded to stretch and rise from her stool. "You can have the rest of mine also. It's been fun, but I have to get back to the hospital. Injuries and illnesses await."

Sasuke could not contain his scowl. "You just got here."

"You work too much, Sakura-chan," Naruto grumbled through another heaping mouthful.

The latter remark was an understatement. Since the war, Konoha Hospital (and Sakura by association) had been flooded with their country's own medical issues as well as some of the more severe cases to have affected its allies. In the aftermath, civilians and veterans alike sought assistance for a wide range of mental and physical trauma. Sakura, renowned for her wartime efforts and being a disciple of the Slug Princess, was often specifically requested to render treatment for high priority matters. And, to Sasuke's growing annoyance, she refused to turn anyone away thereby sacrificing the better part of her time and energy for the benefit of those that were in need.

"The sick and wounded wait for no medic-nin," she said with a weary smile.

Sasuke countered, "Only because you don't make them."

For the first time in what felt like weeks, Sakura's brilliant green eyes locked with his and he was granted her complete, undivided attention. She carefully extended her right arm and ran a gentle hand along the slope of his cheek. He did not withdraw, instead basking in the feel of her soothing touch and chakra as a scratch from his morning training session was healed.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun," she teased with a wink. "You and Naruto-baka are still my favorite patients."

Naruto loudly protested the insult, food particles flying out of his mouth as a result. "Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke's left eye twitched as his moment with Sakura was ruined by the airborne remnants of Naruto's meal coming to land upon his person.

"Dobe," he threateningly growled.

"See ya," Sakura bade with a negligent wave.

The abrupt farewell distracted Sasuke from his ire. He frowned, watching the kunoichi's shrinking form as she trekked back to the hospital. "Dammit."

His admirers tittered nearby.

Really, Sasuke reflected, this situation was becoming more than a little frustrating. He had finally developed an interest in the opposite sex, and his preference had to be the one individual that was too busy to be receptive to his advances. Nothing, absolutely nothing, in his life was ever easy.

A smirk suddenly tugged at the last Uchiha's lips. Lucky for him, he had a lot of practice at setting and obtaining goals.

Naruto, oblivious to Sasuke's inner musings, gave him a commiserative slap on the back. "Look on the bright side, teme. You've still got me."

The smirk was wiped clean.

Talk about small favors.

THE END