A/N: Yes, yet another story! I will keep chapters short, so please don't review and ask for longer chapters. I find drawing out chapters to 2-3k drains my creativity. I will try to force myself to write a chapter a day and finish this. This is slightly based on Moulin Rouge, but only the lyrics and a few plot points.
Enjoy!
Chapter 1: One Day I'll Fly Away
"You're Dying."
Not exactly the words a sixteen year old girl wants to hear.
Sakura stumbled backward slightly, holding onto a nearby chair for support.
Tsunade sat at the Hokage desk, a bead of sweat prevalent on her brow. She did not want to believe what the lab results showed. If Sakura were to die, she would lose her successor in the medical arts as well as the second generation sannin. Sometimes, life wasn't fair. Team 7 just came home from the mission to recover Sasuke, which failed. Tsunade had asked Sakura to stay behind to talk to her in private. The Godiame wiped a stray tear quickly, not wanting to look weak in front of her student. Sakura didn't notice, she was to busy with the fact that she would die soon.
"Have you had any fevers, weakness, lethargy lately?" Tsunade gazed down at the lab papers, shifting through them.
Sakura managed to sit down in the chair she was clutching just moments ago. She showed Tsunade the three claw marks on her arm. The injury was received when Naruto let the Kyuubi take control due to Orochimaru's taunting. Thankfully Kabuto was there and did a rare act of kindness. If there wasn't a medical ninja there to help her, she could have eventually lost the arm due to infection.
"It has taken a while to heal, I also had trouble controlling my chakra and breathing during that time."
"So it seems injuries make it worse."
"Hai."
Tsunade looked up at her student, whom had a very pale face.
"I want to remove you from Team 7 and put you in the hospital."
Sakura stood up, "No, please no! I want to stay on the team as a member, I need to help bring Sasuke-kun back and-"
"Sakura! If you continue training and going on missions, you will only have two years left to live! If you give up the way of the shinobi and sign yourself into the hospital for treatment…." Tsunade gritted her teeth in anguish, "It would give me time to find a cure.." If there was a cure for this disease.
"Tsunade-sama, I respect you as my mentor and as the Hokage of the Leaf Village, but if I were to give up my life as a shinobi…. it wouldn't be who I am."
Sakura's soft full lips turned up into a small smile.
That's right, she was like Tsunade in many aspects. Beautiful, strong, skilled and possessed a fighting spirit that couldn't be stopped.
With a long penetrating stare, Tsunade relented.
"Very well."
Sakura stood and stretched, wincing slightly at the small pain in her arm.
"Do you need me to look at that?"
Sakura shook her head, "No, it's mostly healed, all that is left is bruising."
The pink haired kunoichi went to the door, opening it slightly before turning back,
"One more thing… tell no one about my… condition."
With a single nod from Tsunade, Sakura gave her a smile of gratitude.
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
What more could your Love do for me? (Naruto)
When will Love me through with me? (Sasuke)
Naruto was currently on his third bowl of ramen when Sakura pulled the flap back and came in. She had changed out of her mission uniform for a red top with white sleeves and dark skirt.
"Ah, Sakura-chan! Would you like some ramen?" Naruto, always cheerful, grinned at his long time comrade.
Sakura smiled down at the loud knuckle-headed ninja, "Sure."
"So, what did Baa-chan want to tell you?"
Did I forget to mention that he's also nosy, sly, and a prankster?
Sakura ignored the question by snapping her chopsticks apart and digging into the steaming bowl in front of her.
"Ehh? Sakura-chan?" Naruto paused, tilting his head, noodles still hanging from his lips.
"Nothing you need to worry about, she just wanted to go over the new hospital shift," Sakura lied easily.
He seemed to accept this answer and continue to slurp down his meal.
Naruto had been shielding her from the world, trying to protect her heart and soul. Protect that warm smile that would grace her face when she was full of passion and love. Protect the carefree laughter when someone said something funny or when she was just so happy her heart couldn't contain it's emotions. Protect her soul from those who would seek to corrupt it. Protect her heart from breaking completely. He would always be her rock in any storm she faced.
You can't save me this time Naruto.
A bitter smile.
"Is your ramen bad?" Naruto had noticed the pause of her chopsticks, her gaze locked onto the steaming surface. It reminded him of the night when Sasuke left, the twelve year old Sakura who looked lost and forlorn. Naruto had been there to console her and convince her that she was just worrying to much and told her of how strong Sasuke has gotten. His best friend whom he considered a brother, may be a bastard and a jerk, but he would never leave the leaf village. How wrong and naive Naruto was back then.
Sakura shrugged and smiled, "No, I was just thinking of something. We should see Kakashi-sensei in the hospital later, report our mission to him at least."
why live life from dream to dream?
And dread the day when dreaming ends
Naruto pushed his bowl away, standing up while patting his well fed belly.
"I have to go change out of these clothes before seeing Kakashi-sensei."
Sakura smirked, "You're right, you don't want to gross out the entire medical ward."
"Ne, Sakura-chan, that was mean…." Sakura giggled.
Naruto grinned, his blue eyes flashing, "Meet you at the temple next to the hospital?"
"Yep!"
Lifting the flap, he gestured a farewell, and she watched the spiky hair disappear from view.
"I'm finished as well," Sakura said words of thanks to Ayame and her father before departing.
Maybe I can find some medical help in the library.
Turning right and bypassing some residences, the large Konoha Library stood impassive against the baby blue sky. Gripping the handle, she pushed open the door to be greeted by a gush of cool air and the smell of books. She skimmed down the many aisles of medical textbooks and found a few promising ones.
"Finally," Sakura had found a book on 'The Effects of Medical Drugs'. As she turned to checkout, she saw a familiar pale boy sitting at one of the tables in the back.
Huh? It's Sai.
The newest addition to Team 7 and Sasuke's replacement.
Offering a friendly smile, she came closer.
"Did you come here looking for art books or something?"
Sai looked up startled.
"Sakura-san…" He stared blatantly at the pink haired beauty.
Moving across the table, she pulled out a chair, noting many books splayed about.
"Oh, so you're a reader?"
Sai blushed in embarrassment and turned his head away, "Well… just a bit of one."
Sakura read the binder of a book, 'Fostering Better Interpersonal Relationships'.
Sai sure has a "human" side to him, she thought with a wiry smile.
A small silence elapsed before she spoke up again, "Oh, I almost forgot!"
"Naruto and I are going to visit Kakashi-sensei at the hospital. Did you want to come too?"
"Kakashi-sensei," Sai murmured, completely forgetting for a moment that it was the Konoha's Copy Ninja that was leader of Team 7 and not Yamato.
"Well you are in Team Kakashi with us, so it'd probably be best if you met him once anyway…"
Sakura helped Sai to put his books back and checked out 'The Effects of Medical Drugs'.
As they walked in a comfortable silence, she noticed Naruto sitting on the stone steps deep in thought.
"Naruto!" Sakura called out happily, waving to him.
"Ah!.." Naruto's gaze landed on Sai.
"What the… why is he here?"
Sakura held the medical book close to her chest and answered, "I happened to run into him at the library so.."
"Jeez… and here I was just devising a plan for us to go on a walk, almost like a date!"
"If you have time to do that, study ninjutsu or something!"
Funny how she paraphrased Sasuke in that moment, when she was a younger girl asked him out constantly on dates. Oh, how we adore love triangles. They bickered and bantered easily, Sai watched them; drinking every little detail in. Some words were exchanged when Sai wanted to participate in the group and give them nicknames. Sai nicknamed Sakura 'Ugly', in which Inner Sakura came out and tried to pummel him. Naruto was caught in the cross fire. Both males ended up with a swollen cheek each.
One day I'll fly away
Leave all this to yesterday
Why live life from dream to dream?
And dread the day when dreaming ends
As they gave their report to Kakashi-sensei, Sakura clenched the book in her hand.
"And while I probably can't hope to learn anything from books like these… about how peoples who experiment on humans think, well…"
Kakashi did not pause while reading his book, "In that case you'll just need to get even stronger than him, at a faster rate."
"Yeah, but how?" Sakura's brow beaded, sudden lethargy started to creep up in her veins. She fought it off.
He went on to talk about how this training would suit Naruto better than Sakura.
Sakura bit the inside of her lip, she was always being left behind and underestimated by her teammates.
Team 7 was suddenly interrupted by Asuma's team. Sakura watched as Ino fawned over Sai, speaking about how much he looked like Sasuke and in general how good-looking; as a friend, Sakura gave words of caution, which went unheeded. As the two teams decided to go to lunch together, despite Naruto and Sakura eating just two hours prior, they all departed for Yakiniku Q. As they left the hospital, Sakura noticed a flock of birds that were spooked and took to the sky. She paused to watch them.
One day I'll fly away
Fly, fly away
End of chapter 1