Of Waiting

Sequel to Of Redemption. Everyone heals in their own time. Sakura had done it in seven years: leaving Konoha, coping from Sasuke and forgetting a child she still hopes never existed.

Chapter I: News

Haruno Sakura ordered dinner at the small restaurant near the hospital. Being the head medic, she barely had time to cook, let alone pamper herself at the comfort of her own dining table. She was almost never home. In fact, she had practically been living in the hospital for almost a week now; only visiting home to get a change of clothes, clean a little or just check it up.

Hmm. Maybe it's time to ask Gaara for my own suite in the hospital, she pondered mischievously.

The Kazekage had grown a fondness towards the medic due to the services she had offered. Ever since she moved to Sunagakure seven years ago, the quality of the village's hospital went up, like those times decades ago when Chiyo-baa-sama had been one of the consultants. Maybe a pent house on top of the hospital could be granted to the best medical ninja in the Shinobi World at present times.

Or maybe not, she scoffed, as she received her plate. Knowing Gaara, she knew his stringency when it comes to expenses. He wasn't very extravagant a Kage – not that any Kage should be, or a shinobi for that matter – that every release of the budget allocation plans need to be fully reviewed by his scrutinizing eyes.

She cut her disposable chopsticks in half and started poking at her rice and tempura. Her staple diet. Rice and tempura (fish tempura, seafood tempura, vegetable tempura, any food that can be tempura'd, for Kami-sama's sake!) and miso soup. It had the essentials in it: go, grow and glow foods that could keep her stamina in good shape.

But her taste buds had been complaining, too. It was just like those times when she had to keep up with Naruto's unbelievable diet.

Sakura shook her head, as if to keep such thoughts away. And so she continued eating her dinner – without really tasting it, and concentrated on making floor plans in her head.

The night desert breeze was cool when she walked out of the shop. She headed towards another shop of sweets to at least make up for her abused palette and bought herself an anmitsu. Sakura wanted to linger a bit to check for any more goodies she could have while on duty. But there was someone on the third aisle she really didn't want to see.

Hurriedly, but discretely, she turned around and headed to the door. However, as much as she tried to take one more step outside, she couldn't. Her body was stiff as a vice, and in just seconds, was already moving back into the store on its own.

Sakura turned back around, and lo and behold! There stood Konohagakure's ambassador to Suna on his monthly visit. Nara Shikamaru had his hands across his chest, shaking his head while muttering 'good grief'.

"You're really troublesome, had to make me waste my chakra. That's not the proper way of greeting an old friend, is it?"

"Oh, Shikamaru! What a surprise! I didn't know you were in town," she faked.

"Save it, Sakura. You knew I was in town three days ago. I even left a package on your desk and I am guessing you just shoved it aside like you usually do," Shikamaru snapped, gripping her arms so she couldn't ran away as he released her from his shadow jutsu.

"Ah, hehe, you know, Shika-kun, why don't you and I go on a lunch date tomorrow to catch up," she cooed.

"Uh, not gonna happen, Sakura, but nice try. You know I'll be leaving tomorrow."

"Oh my, you are?" feigning surprise. "That's just sad! You know, there's this café –"

"Okay, stop doing that already!"

"Stop what, Shikamaru? Um, are you by any chance wandering around this shop looking for sweets for Temari-chan?"

Shikamaru laughed tentatively. "Nice try again, Sakura-chan. Please don't change the topic?"

She sighed in defeat. Pushing him away would be as difficult as pushing everyone else away.

"Shikamaru, I'm tired. I've heard what you have to say every month you're here for the past four years you've been a diplomat. Can we skip that and just give me good news? But save it for next month's visit as I need to go back to work."

Sakura walked back and tried to free herself from Shikamaru's grasps, but the latter only slung his hand on her shoulders to lock her in and led her outside.

"Hear ye, woman, good news number one, apparently, today is your rest day so I asked the staff if you could get off your overtime night shift, and they willingly offered you time off, and –"

"They what?"

"And good news number two, Hisa-chan got in to the Academy."

"She what?" Rage instantly took over her, shrugging his hands off her shoulders and pushing him to the pavement. "Didn't I tell you people to not let her in? Didn't I?"

"As far as I know, Haruno Sakura, the decision was not for you to decide," he retorted, as he dusted himself up.

Anger was getting out of hand from inside her; she had to shut her eyes and clamp her fists, nails digging deep into her skin in the process, just to grasp control. "I don't care what you do with her, or how you raise her. But I specifically begged you all not to let her grow up as a ninja!"

"Well, you can't blame the kid, can you? She's surrounded by shinobi. Her godfather's the Hokage. Her father's an ANBU, Naruto's always beside her teaching her shinobi tricks. And Ino, that woman had already taught her basic kunoichi lessons!"

With eyes still closed, she seethed. "So, what will you do once she opened her doujutsu? Sai doesn't have Sharingan, does he?"

Shikamaru didn't speak.

"That child would know she's an Uchiha, and since none of you would tell her the truth – and I don't want you to! – she'd be looking for me! And I don't want that either!" She was glaring now, as though her eyes alone were threatening him with his life.

"Ino has a better idea."

"Oh yeah? Humor me!" She retorted. It was already almost nine in the evening, but still the town proper was a bit busy with people. Several had already passed them in that sidewalk, with some being officials who recognized them, and some were just gossip mongers thinking they were witnessing a lover's quarrel from none other than the respected pink-haired lady doctor. But said doctor just didn't care.

"We won't tell her about Uchiha Madara. Instead, her real father was Sasuke. That way, the poor kid wouldn't have to go through another rejection from her dead father – not the way she had with her mother, right Sakura?" Shikamaru spat.

To which Sakura responded with a slap square on his face.

Standard disclaimer applies

Author's Note: As said above, this is a sequel to my first fic Of Redemption. To old readers, I'm very glad to have you back. To new ones, confused? Haha! You can read the first one, but if you're too lazy, don't worry. I'll put as much history here as possible to cater our new readers.

I hope you all liked this pilot, and I hope it's enough to keep your interest.

Just, enjoy reading and tell me what you think! :3