This is my first fanfic ever. I hope I didn't mess things up. If I made any mistakes please tell me.
I do not own Naruto.
Beep Beep Beep
Her Alarm clock was annoying her to no end, her inner self screamed 'Throw it out of the window!' she slapped it out and moaned into her pillow. Not that early again! Tsunade is really a slave driver when it comes to shoo other ones. Finally Sakura got up and stretched yawning, then slowly walked into her bathroom for a quick shower and brushing her teeth. After she had dressed she left her apartment, deciding to clean it after work for the third time this week. A part of Sakuras mind refuses to believe that Shizune was able to keep her sanity, since she was around the now fifth Hokage for so long. The only thing that made her smile was the simple fact that Ino was taught mostly by her and not Tsunade. To see the blonde nearly flipping was cure to her soul.
Things still weren't back in complete order, since Akatsuki was very active the last time. Many things have changed and most of them thanks to Naruto. A little smile rushed over her face. When she remembered back to the Academy days, that blonde was so annoying and loud. Now he's still loud but more like a brother to her. To really admit it, Sakura had missed him and was happy to have him back. Today was her 19th birthday, but she knew that Tsunade wouldn't make the day easier for her because of it. Shizune promised her she would talk to the Godaime to make sure that she gets the afternoon off. During the last two weeks Sakura spent more time in hospital then at home. She developed dark bags under her eyes and hated her reflexion in the mirror. 'Hell, at the moment everything's getting on my nerves.' she thought while walking to destined place. "Morning Sakura." Shizune yawned. "Morning.", she replied. "How's her mood?" she asked the older one. "As always." was the answer. "Oh, sorry Sakura, I nearly forgot! Happy Birthday!" Shizune smiled and hugged her. "That's for you.", and with a big grin she handed her over her present. It was a little box and Sakura was curious about its contents. Slowly she opened the wrapping and then opened it. "Oh my! Shizune are you crazy? That's beautiful!" Sakura was holding an elegantly silver necklace with a small silver cherry blossom, which had a little fake diamond in the middle. "You're welcome." said crazy Kunoichi answered. "It's meant to be a guardian for you out on missions, since you've got Naruto around I thought it would be a good idea. He's a guarantee for trouble." Sakura grinned at her. "Right. And not only him, Kakashi-sensei too." both of them laughed, until they were disturbed by the call of the blonde dictator upstairs. "SHIZUNE!" "Ew.", Sakura made. "Either we woke her or she drunk up her Sake." Shizune grimaced: "Or she found the new paperwork I brought her while she slept and pretended to work." Sakura giggled. "It doesn't really matter what it was, I think. But it would be the best if we show up, otherwise she would flip cause we're late." "Yosh! Then let's go."
They knocked on the door, and waited a short moment before they entered. "You called, Tsunade-sama?" Shizune asked politely. "Yes, I do! What's up with you two making such a noise so early? I was trying to sleep." "You've nearly slept through the last day! Who do you think is going to do all this stuff?" she asked her in her usual Tsunade-scolding-tune. The blonde sighed. Sakura could've sworn she heard something like Shikamarus often used 'what a drag', and couldn't help but smiling. "Sometimes I ask myself why I agreed to be Hokage." she murmured. "Alright! Now, I called you because I want you to do something for me. This is the list of all things I need you to procure, now leave." she waved Shizune out of the room. "And Sakura, I want you to check these patients in the hospital. Some of them returned seriously injured form their last missions. And when you're with the last patient, this stubborn bonehead, say hello to him from me. If he refuses to take his medicine again I'll have to make him stay at the hospital for at least two more weeks." Sakura took the card index maps from her and bowed. "Hai, Hokage-sama.", and turned around to leave. "Sakura." The blonde stopped her. "If you should wonder where Ino is, she has the morning off and starts at noon." "Ok." She said, and was about to leave again. "Sakura." She stopped her again. "Yes?" "Happy Birthday!" Tsunade grinned, and handed her over her present: a pair new gloves and a pair blow rings. "You can hide them under the gloves, so you're punches become even harder." She smiled at her. "And you've got the afternoon off. But now hurry and make your round." "Hai!" she said smiling and left her office.
At the sister's room she put on her sister's smock and went through the patient's data. She was curious who the 'stubborn bonehead' was, and nearly laughed out loud as she read the name: Hatake Kakashi. She grinned. She knew he hates hospitals, and telling him Tsunade would make him stay here even longer would make him take his medicine voluntarily. It wasn't already time for her round, so she decided to do her paperwork first, so she won't have to do it later or tomorrow. Tsunade had made Kakashi the last one to check because she knew they would chat and it wouldn't matter then. Naruto recovered quickly, so he was able to leave two days ago. It was nearly half past six when she started her paperwork, and five past nine when she finally finished it. "Done." She sighed. "Now I'll do my round and then I'm finished for today." she massaged her temples and stood up. Two and a half hours of bandages changing, constitution checking and many many words later she stood in front of Kakashis door and knocked.
"Hmpf." Came the grumbling sound from the inside. As she opened the door she said: "No need to grumble, I'm not here to kill you, you know." She said smiling. "Sakura?" he asked tired, and turned round to face her. "I think that's how my parents named me. Even if some people you know call me nicknames like 'mini-Tsunade'. Which is definitely not funny." She stated, and looked at her former sensei. "So you're the stubborn bonehead." she said teasingly while pulling a chair next to his bed. "That sounds typically Tsunade." he said sighing. "Yep. But that's not all she ordered me to tell you. If you go on refusing to take your medicine she'll let you stay here for another two weeks." He grumbled again. "Come on Kakashi-sensei! It's just a chakra restraining medicine. You only won't be able to do any jutsu for a week, that's all. And that's just a little death to die if you're able to leave the hospital, right?" "Hmpf." Now it was her turn to mumble 'what a drag' under her breath. "If you act like a kid and refuse like that, don't you think you might lose some serious face here?" "Ok, ok. Then give me that damn pill and turn around." he give in. "I warn you! Don't you dare try cheating on me!" she said in a very Tsunade-like manner. "If you refuse to take the pill, I'll give you the stuff i.V., got me?" "No needle near me!" he said quickly. She handed him the medicine and turned round as he asked her to.
She had to resist the urge to turn around and finally caught a glance of his face. His first attempt was to threw that damn pill anywhere, but that would've been too childish. And Sakura was right; he already lost to much of his face because of that second-bell-test-thing. Inside he sighed. He knew this medicine too well, and he hated it. Last time he had to take that one, Guy challenged him and he wasn't able to perform a jutsu, logically, and lost. "Have taken it.", he said, after swallowing. "Fine. And I see that you're still alive." she grinned. He pulled a face behind his mask. "Well, that's all you want to say?" he said mockingly. "No, not really. Since you've taken that stupid medicine, you're allowed to leave the hospital today. But you have to show up for a short check every second day, so we can control your recovering, got me?" "Yes.", he grinned. "Ok, that's all. I leave you now and send you a nurse with your clothes." She said winking and stood up. When she reached the door he asked: "Have you got the afternoon off?" "Actually, yes." she smiled. "Ok then, how about lunch?" "Why not?" "Then it's set." "I'll just finish this here." Sakura said while waving with his card index map. "Then I'm ready." She just opened the door, when she heard a shout: "Hey billboard-brow!" Kakashi grinned; he knew too well what'll happen next. 'And there she goes.' he thought grinning. "INO-PIG! How dare you! Insulting me in front of my patients.", and she slammed the door behind herself.
"He he, just kidding." Ino grinned. "Happy Birthday, Sakura-CHAN.", she put as much heart into that –chan, so Sakura would stop with her Ino-I-kill-you-right away-looks. "Here, that's for you." And she handed her best friend her present. A pink nightgown with a sleeping puppy printed on it and a pair of pink fluffy slippers. "If I were you, I won't show it to Kiba. You know how he is when he sees puppies." Ino grinned. "Oh really? Thanks for that advice Ino!" she answered sarcastically. "And if I have to tell you: no one will ever enter my apartment when I wear it. Especially NOT Kiba." she poked her best friend and then smiled. "But thanks. It's kind of funny." "Sorry that I can't celebrate with you. But our slave driver won't allow it." "I know, I know. But her mood isn't that bad today. So just let her be and everything's fine. I won't be here tomorrow, because it's my day off this week. So if there's something really important, come around." "Ok, but I don't think that I'll have to." she grinned, and saw Kakashi appearing behind her in the door. "I think you should go now, except you want Tsunade to give you more work to do." "No. Thanks Ino." She took off her sister's smock, took her present and turned around. Instead of facing an open door she faced a curious looking silver haired Jonin. Shocked she nearly dropped her present, Ino giggled and Kakashi smiled visible eye curved up. "You shocked me!" she stated. "I see." He replied. "Now, can we go?" he asked. "Yes. I think so." "Better leave quick." Ino grinned, and disappeared to do her work. "So, where do we go? Ichiraku?" she asked. "No.", he answered. "But you'll see in a few minutes."
They walked through the village and were getting nearer the training grounds. "I thought you said something about lunch?" "Don't be impatient. You'll see." Was the only thing he said. 'Shannaro! Who does that always-late-coming-porn-reading-calling-himself-sensei think he is?' growled Inner Sakura. 'I mean it's our birthday! Slap him! He didn't even mention it!' 'Shut up' shot Sakura back, and her inner self went quiet. A slightly annoyed look rushed over her face, but she remained silent and kept on walking. When they reached their former training ground he finally stopped, putting his most read Icha Icha book away and said: "So, here we are." 'Cool, very nice. Empty area.' Her inner self moaned. 'I told you before, stfu!', shot Sakura back again. And before her Inner Sakura could reply anything, a smoke bomb exploded right next to her. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAKURA!" and as the smoke cleared she saw them all. The former Rookies and Team Guy where there, except Ino, who was working. But as she looked closer, Sai was missing too. Not that this fact was bothering her. Tenten and Hinata were holding a big b-day cake, a sulking Naruto behind them. "Just don't notice him. We thought it would be safer if we take that baby here. He just would've dropped it." Tenten said with a big grin. "Thank you! That's so nice!" After shaking every ones hands, getting hugged from the girls and Naruto and after punching the last one they finally sat down to eat. From Team 8 she got a new set of Kunai which can be controlled by chakra; from Team Guy (thanks to Tenten) a big box with Shuriken ('Guy thought about green spandex.' Her friend later told her), from Naruto and Kakashi a poems book and a book about herbs and medicine from Shikamaru and Choji. The last one really surprised her.
It was quite a funny afternoon, even thought that all of them got back to their habits after eating the cake. Choji was munching his chips again, Shikamaru watching the clouds, Neji just sitting there doing nothing and so on. The girls were chatting and laughing, Kurenai with them, and Naruto was talking to Kakashi, who pretends to listen but was actually reading. After a while Kurenai stood up, and said goodbye, because her babysitter only had time for a few hours. "Sad that you have to leave." Sakura said a little sad. "Yeah, but it's hard to find a good babysitter, and I don't think that Konohamaru is able to look after him longer. Sometimes he's really exhausting." "Who? Konohamaru?" "No!" "Oh, sorry!" And they laughed, but in a way Kurenai still looked a little sad. She always tried to be strong, but Asumas death was a shock and ripped her apart. Pretending to be ok was her try of coping with it, but they all knew it was just fake. "Hug him from me." Sakura laughed. "Sure. Have a nice day. See you." And then the Jonin left.
"Do you still miss him?" Tenten asked Sakura after a few minutes of silence. "Hm." Sakura made. "To tell the truth, I don't really know." "How's that?" asked Hinata. "See, it's a long time. Even Ino is over it." Sakura said slowly. Tenten gave her an unbelievingly look. "You're serious?" "Ok, ok, Sai is not really a good choice…" answered the pink haired Kunoichi. Know even the other ones were listening. "Sakura, that was a serious question." "And a serious answer. See, I don't know if he ever comes back and even if, that doesn't mean that he fells anything for me. A part of me still wants him back, but another part shouts to go on with life, because it's short and should not be wasted. Would you spend your whole life waiting and hoping? I don't want to regret waiting and wasting when I die. That's simply all." "But I thought you were friends?" asked Hinata quietly. "That's what I thought too." Answered Sakura sadly. "But friends don't leave each other, fighting each other. He nearly killed Naruto, and that more than one time. I won't call that friendship, would you?" "No." said Hinata. "See? Neither would I." "So, when do you start going out then?" Tenten grinned. "Not the next days." Sakura grinned back. "I'm too tired to even clean my apartment. There's no way to go out on a Date at the moment. Tsunade won't let me. Sometimes I think it would be better to live completely at the hospital. It would shorten the ways immense." "Come on, that's more than just sarcasm. You need to go on missions again." "Tell that my slave driver." She said laughing.
A few hours later, as it starts to get dark everyone left, and Sakura walked home tired but happy. 'Quite a nice day, Shannaro!' her inner self gave a thumps up. 'Yeah.' She replied back. After she entered her apartment and put her presents on her couch table, she went to her bathroom for a shower and brushing her teeth. She put on her pyjamas and fell on her bed. It only took five minutes till she fell asleep.
Jeez! There were so many mistakes in my time-line, I had to correct them (In the first version of the story I've even forgotten to write how old Sakura is, sorry for that). Hope you still like it.