You're here.

I am.

Why are you here?

...

Today, the wind blows softly, coursing with it are small plumps of pinkish petals. The cherry blossom trees join the gentle howl, and bring life to a new springing season.

Underneath one of these attractive forest fortunes of beauty, lies a woman inheriting the same namesake, the same grace as the chakra flowing inside her body, the same life she provides from those dainty hands full of wise and hope of mending and not taking.

Yes, she is a kunoichi- the renowned strongest kunoichi vastly heard even from unreachable villages. Rumours do whistle very fast, complimenting the debut of fierce Lady Tsunade's disciple. This shared fist of a master and her student, alone, heightens the strength of a Konoha ninja in different interpretations.

" Spring, huh." Sakura, as her name implies, enjoys brooding under the shades of pink, whenever she has the time to idle about anything her mind wishes, and not focusing on preventing her headache from coming with all medical reports to handle.

" Naruto's out with Shino and Shikamaru, doing some crazy stuffs I assume. And here I am, lazing around with so many reports still not even glanced upon. "

Okay, maybe, she isn't exactly idle at the moment, but chose to be.

" Work it, girl. " She talked to herself. Her movements proved otherwise, it was like the very roots of the sakura trees, holding off her, speaking to her not to leave. " Oh good grief, I am exhausted, aren't I." She chuckled, barely hesitating but prevailed eventually and stood up.

Petals flew in her vicinity, and she couldn't help but raise her head and wonder up to where will they travel? How calming they join the swift to their hopeful destination. Will they travel in circles, and go back to where they belonged?

Will. . . Will they reach Sasuke-kun, I wonder. No matter how far he is.

.

.

Baka Sakura! Stop being so overdramatic!

.

.

.

" Sakura, good timing. I received delightful news for you. It seems your Sasuke-kun is going home today. "

" Oh. . . . What. . . ?"

She is sure someone out there is laughing at her. My gosh, Kami, what is this shocking coincidence? For real? All I did was wish for Sasuke-kun and You granted the very moment. How about those years I pretended to hate his very existence?

Kindly note the sarcasm there.

" Sa-Sa- He's going back t-today, Shishou? " She cursed her stutter. Get a hold of yourself, Sakura! Shannaro!

Of the years training with her very obedient and kind disciple, Tsunade has practically mastered her student's antics, speech or expressions, doesn't differ to her. She can already read her very very well. Plus the fact that Sakura, with her own level-headed mind singling to the word 'Sasuke', hasn't acknowledged the little teasing she added, regarding the previous traitor of Konoha as hers. " Oh? So now your hearing impairs, or you're that eager that your brain forgot to process words like news, received, seems, home- "

"SHISHOU!" Sakura protested, her master was surely making fun of her little fiasco. The other doctors in the room were shooting out terrified glances. Why wouldn't they? There gathered the two menacing Konoha women that could tear the whole hospital down with a punch, and one of the two looked like she can burst anytime. Realizing the looks she was given, the pink-haired kunoichi awkwardly grinned in apology and pushed the fifth Hokage out and to a special room.

" I understand you, Sakura." Her student gave her a bored disbelief look. " Really, I do, but I can't just let you flee and wait for your prince charming at the gates."

Seriously, there were so many errors on that sentence( Sasuke is NOT her prince charming- or more like he's not a prince charming AT ALL!), but Sakura chose not to protest, noticing Tsunade's silent warning.

" You have a duty here, Sakura, and lots of patients need you, and do I still need to remind you of the medical reports? Again?"

Sakura sighed, she knew someday her master will eventually catch her slacking from her assignments. "I will, shishou, just a little out of the weather these days. "

" Ah, why would that be? It should be your season of the year. " Tsunade chuckled, patting the top of her student's head. " Come on, a blooming sakura should not be sulking now, of all the possibilities to be."

Blooming, huh? " Do not mind me, shishou, I will be okay. Healing patients give me the happiness I need."

Tsunade smiled. This is the Sakura she has always known. This selfless, delicate woman never breaks easily, but once touched in places she decides to hold on, it bends rather easily. But never breaks. " That's more like it, girl. Go on, tell Shizune to free rooms for our valuable guests. ANBU never jokes about cracked bones."

Cracked bones?! Sakura gasped, opening her mouth to gain some answers, but a hand halted her.

"Calm yourself, Sakura. I sent a medic in the ANBU tracking team. There were just too many complications for a single healer, I presume, and that they might require a provision care under my name. After all, this is an A-rank I, the Hokage, administered, right? "

The pink-haired kunoichi knew better than to doubt her master's skills. " Alright, shishou. I . . uhm, I will notify Shizune-san now. "

The hokage nodded. " You do that. " When not a single trace of her student was present in the room, Tsunade sighed and raised a hand. " Report."

Immediately, two masked ANBUs fielded her vision, removing their masks in respect and retrieving a scroll to pass on to the higher up. Tsunade raised a palm once again. " Summarize for me, if you may."

" Yes, hokage-dono. " The pale man, with black ink hair who was Naruto and Sakura's previous teammate, at Tsunade's right spoke. " We were able to locate Uchiha Sasuke and three of his companions. Uchiha, from farther observation, along with a female red-haired, are unharmed. "

" And the other two?"

" One member, large man, created a small havoc in a small village. We perceived some witnesses, telling about unscrewed bolts in his head, which might have caused the disaster. "

Tsunade actually smiled at the small humour. If only heads do have bolts, then might as well bring screw drivers. " Good grief, they are unpredictable. "

" In many ways, hokage-dono. No one prevented the large man from breaking his femur and few bones from a fall. His other teammate with spiky teeth tried, but failed miserably. How lucky they were, we got a medic in the team. "

Tsunade was tempted to tell the man, Sai, that she intentionally planned a medic, but let it settle in. " And their chakra levels?"

This time, the female medic ANBU at her left spoke. " The priority would be the large man, Juugo's chakra was expectedly low from his outburst, and with broken bones. Karin, and Sugetsu were healed, only minor cuts that need another pass by. And Sasuke, some ribs and joints were damaged from receiving low brawny kicks from the enemies, but his movements were deem fine for someone with severe injuries. I apologize, hokage-dono, but the Uchiha was very persistent and . . . territorial. "

" That is given, I understand. I will be the one who will tend to Uchiha Sasuke, if that is the case. Well, or rather, my student will."

Sai smiled at this. "Ugly will be glad."

" If her confidence to face the Uchiha successor is up for the task, that is. – and stop calling my precious student ugly. "

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Sakura has been very occupied in attending overcrowding patients for hours, she hasn't even know has passed.

" You're in good shape now, Kite-kun! I can see the improvements with your foot!" This was her sixty-eight patient since her shift, but never a trace of tiredness crossed her face and only the smile of a selflessly kind person. " Do you think you can call your mom now? Let's tell her about it, hm?"

" Sure, Sakura-neesan!" The boy, Kite, cheered, flopping down the tracks and out of the room.

" Don't forget to call Hinata-neesan too, okay?"

" I will, neesan!"

Sakura followed the fleeing boy with a glance and a proud bearing. While she waited, her self-conscious got the best of her, as she neatly changed the sheets of the bed for next patient to occupy. As she was about to gather the used sheets to be placed on a bin to be distributed later on to the cleaners, her steps went to a complete stop.

The hairs on her back rose.

She has felt it.

" Sakura!" The call of her name composed her immediately.

A nurse came knocking at the door, alerting her of the presence. " Sakura? Are you okay? You're sweating."

With a silent curse to herself, Sakura draw out a hesitant laugh. " Oh yes, I'm fine. Do you need me of something, Yuuki-san?"

" Not at the moment, but hokage-sama does, yes, she sent me to notify you to proceed to her office."

She gulped. " I see, well, I can always check on shishou after my last shift and-"

" You have to pass that job on to someone else, I'm afraid. The Hokage is demanding your presence at once, Sakura. ASAP."

So there was really no escape on her part, was it?

With a sigh, the kunoichi dropped the blankets to a laundry bag and smoothed out the creases of her laboratory gown. " Alright, I shall proceed to shishou's office now."

This is just the beginning, but this time, I am ready.

I am excited to do this story. :)

And Sarada's mini mission will be updated soon!