Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any shape or form. All credit and copyright ownership goes to Masashi Kishimoto.

Author's Note: This is not my first Naruto story, but it is indeed my first attempt for pairing off Nara Shikamaru and Haruno Sakura. If you do not like or approve of this pair then I would appreciate it that you do not go about reading it if you plan on sending an uncivil review. Those that do approve then please go about enjoying it and tell me what you think.

*NOTE TO READERS*

My stories are not accurate due to certain
people within and/or appearing in it at times
that are impossible. If you are one of those
people that have a problem then please leave.
I enjoy creating stories and do NOT want to deal with
people flaming me just because parts are inaccurate.

Rubbing her hands tiredly against her face, Sakura let out a small sigh. The amount of work she had to get done was still pilling and no matter the amount of caffeinated drinks she chugged down wasn't keeping her any more awake then when she began working through the fiasco. Letting out a tired yawn, Sakura glanced at the small clock off to her right of her desk. It was only 1:30 in the afternoon and judging from the amount of work sitting within her inbox, she wouldn't be leaving until way pass eleven. With the last bit of her efforts to stay awake, Sakura lowered her head to the surface of her desk already finding herself being carried away to dreamland.

Letting out a tired yawn with a look of boredom shortly after, Shikamaru stuffed one of his unoccupied hands into the pockets of his standard Jounin issued pants as he head down another corridor in Konoha Hospital. Of all the people standing within the Hokage's office, the old woman had made him into a delivery boy. It wasn't that he had an issue, but he had other things planned throughout the day.

Stopping shortly, Shikamaru quickly glanced at the small plastic name plate attached to the wall to the right of closed door. Haruno Sakura Letting out a sight, the young man raised his hand, giving a little knock on the metal door before sliding it open. At least he gave a notice someone was entering.

"Oi Sakura, Tsuna-"

Stopping in mid-sentence when his eyes came upon an unexpected sight, Shikamaru had to blink a couple of times to taken in what was going on. Sitting there at her desk; Sakura was fast asleep. Taking a few silent steps forward not wanting to wake the sleeping woman – him being the genius that he was knew better – he took in an extra look around to find it a quite astonishing to see the woman oblivious to her surroundings. Slumped over an open patient's file with an arm being used as a pillow, a pen was loosely resting in Sakura's open grasp, her unusually, natural pink locks that was coming undone from the ponytail, poured around her.

He couldn't deny the fact that he was indeed a man, and as a man he found Sakura was quite beautiful in such a state.

With a small smile etching onto his lips, Shikamaru shook his head to rid the notions of something entirely out of character for him. He still had to hand deliver the reason why he barged in earlier. Taking the hand out of his pocket and resting it on the slender shoulder, Shikamaru gave it a slight shake to rouse the woman.

"Sakura wake up." At first it didn't work but after a second time and using a little more force the young medic began to stir from her sleep.

Letting out a groan from the force of being shaken, Sakura slowly opened her eyes to view a blurry figure. Reclosing them wanting to go back to sleep, the extra warmth on her shoulder still insisted to take her away from the wonderful dream of an unknown man worshiping her body that could only happen from behind closed doors and in the dead of night.

"Sakura wake up. Tsunade-sama wants to speak to you."

Tsunade-sama?

In her dazed state, Sakura groggily opened her eyes once more to view a familiar face hunched over. Bluntly ignoring the nagging of her inner self about who it actually was as she tried to recall why she had been a sleep, it suddenly came at her with full force. Her working for nearly three days nonstop, files that needed to be looked over, an abundant amount of caffeine with more files that needed to be done for the end of the week.

Tsunade-shisho!

Fully awake now, Sakura jerked her head up to stare wide-eyed at the man before her. "Shikamaru, what-"

As he let out another sigh he stuck out his arm that had a scroll in hand. "Tsunade-sama made me earn boy to give this to you; said it was important that you get it done ASAP."

Looking up at him blankly, and then with a huff Sakura glared down at the rolled parchment tired with a piece of string as if its mere present had offended her before taking it from the shadow manipulator.

"Great," Mumbling quite a few colorful words under her breath, Sakura dropped it on a file she had been working on earlier. "Just one more thing on top of everything else she wants me to do."

What's the point of getting worked up for?

With her shoulders slouching tiredly, Sakura knew that it was only going to make her more exhausted if she let everything get to her.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at the rapidly changing emotions Sakura had gone through within the short amount of time after waking her.

That would explain why she's been talked about as being the long lost daughter of Tsunade.

Even though they were friends, neither of them really ever spent time with the other person since everything from then till present day that kept them from actually getting to know each other. Plus, there wasn't any real reason for it too. He did his own things living his own life while she did whatever did or is doing.

"Well I'm only relaying what I've been told."

Stuffing his hands into his pants pockets again, Shikamaru found himself taking in the current frazzle appearance of the medic. With his gaze roaming around the planes if her face, he felt unusually irked. As the lines of exhaustion and stress noticeably marrying her features; he swiftly took notice at the rather high stack of pale yellow folders and papers sitting precariously on the edge of the desk, just over her shoulder. It was no wonder she was asleep when he came to her.

"Shikamaru?"

Blinking as he was pulled from his thoughts, Shikamaru looked down to meet emerald. He had been so wrapped up in his thoughts about Sakura's current state he hadn't heard what she had said; if it was anything. A mixture of curiosity and concern from Sakura was evident when she had placed a hand on his forehead.

"Hm?"

"Are you alright? You sort of just spaced out for a moment."

The hand on his forehead slid down to the side of his face to rest on his cheek for him to feel the unneeded, but welcomed warmth from the appendage.

What lovely hands she has…

Letting out a rough, "I'm fine" He oddly felt regret when the tension in his shoulders relaxed when she broke the contact by dropping her hand away.

"Oh, okay."

It appeared that she wasn't going to push any farther about his sudden out of character appearance. With that, Shikamaru knew he needed some space to think clearly; especially with how he was becoming attracted to someone he hardly made contact with.

"Well I better get going. I promised Kurensai-san I would go visit her and the kid."

Turning around, Shikamaru headed for the door, but before he left he dared himself with another look to see that Sakura was currently standing with her hands working on her hair as she faced the surface of her desk. She was already thinking about getting back to the work.

"Hey Sakura," Getting her attention, she towards him just when she finished putting her hair backup into a ponytail.

"Yes?"

"Take an actually break before your burnout. If you don't allow yourself to convalesce, especially with the line of work you're in, it can be dangerous if you're not in the right state of mind." Giving her a rather pointed look to express how serious he was; Shikamaru left a sppechless and flustered woman behind.

Author's Note:
Please note that this is merely the Prologue.
I cannot promise that the first chapter will be up shortly after, but I will make it an attempt to at least have it up by the end of the week.

~ sasyd