1.

- S -

Many deep breaths later and Sakura still wasn't prepared to face her patient. After all, looking Sasuke in the face for the first time since his return while he faced a handicap was a situation she had never imagined. Similar to Naruto, she expected him to not be an easy patient.

When she slid open the white recovery room door, his eyes lifted to meet hers with a hardness behind them. No, he hadn't been completely sure about returning to Konoha. No, he wasn't happy about having to rework his skills to compensate for living with only one arm. And no, he was not happy about being under her care while he regained his strength. That much she knew from his lashing out at her assistant.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun."

He didn't answer her. Their last interaction when she had healed he and Naruto had been rather emotional and she assumed he felt uncomfortable for it. Sasuke would more than likely be satisfied to not see her upon his return. Especially in this new role where there wasn't an apple or knife in her hand, and she was dressed in medic attire. She began to check his vitals in the silence that stretched between them.

"Your red blood cell is getting back up. I do plan to keep a close eye on the white cell count – your body has faced infection in your arm multiple times." She hummed lightly as she went about adding a new bag of blood for transfusion through an IV.

"How long have I been unconscious?" Shying away from him upon hearing his voice was a result of his attacks on her, a completely rational evolutionary defense tactic, but it only served to thicken the air.

"It's been a week since we brought you and Naruto back to the hospital. Naruto woke up a couple days ago and I discharged him." Sasuke being 'behind' Naruto in his healing process was yet another factor in his clearly building irritation.

"Aa."

"Naruto would really love to see you and you're stable enough to have visitors." He stared at her for a few moments before he processed that she was asking his permission to invite visitors.

"Only Naruto."

"Not Kakashi?" Her teasing tone did nothing to lighten his scowl. "Not that he has much spare time, but I'm sure he'll come by – late of course." Glass clinked as she shuffled things around on the counter next to the sink while she spoke.

"Haruno-sama!" A brunette nurse entered the room, avidly avoiding looking at Sasuke. "Our John Doe has begun to hemorrhage and we are no closer to identifying him!"

The man's tone was shrill and an air of calm confidence overcame Sakura's figure. She began dishing out orders to the nurse while grabbing Sasuke's chart off the counter. Dealing with Sasuke was stressful and intimidating, being a medic in an emergency came as naturally as breathing.

"Get more blood, call Ino to scrub in if she's not in surgery, and notify the head nurses I'm scrubbing in so they won't disturb me unless absolutely necessary." The male trailed behind her like an obedient pet and she said one closing comment as she slid the door closed behind her. "And for fuck's sake Mae better not be in my operating room. I don't have time for her fainting at all the blood."

Heavy footfalls faded away and it was only after the surgery did Sakura realize she'd never said goodbye to Sasuke..

-sak still

"Did I look calm?!" Sakura all but shook the poor male nurse in an attempt to get a faster answer.

"Um, Haruno-san, you were a very good doctor. Very professional!" The young man squeaked out in fear. She released her death grip on her clipboard and let her body relax. After the urgency of the surgery had worn off, she felt the effects of re-uniting with her teammate full force and she'd tracked down the nurse assigned to Sasuke.

"Do the rounds for the rest of the patients, they all just need vital checks. Dismissed." The man accepted the clipboard she handed off to him and he began to walk away down the hall when she added a closing remark. "Oh and, Izuhara, if you breathe a word about anything you've seen today, I will have no problem making an accidental comment to Tsunade about the number of times I've caught you sleeping with other nurses in the break rooms."

"AH! Yes, Haruno-sama. Privacy is of the utmost importance!"

Where the hell is Pig?

Before Sakura could begin her search, Naruto came sprinting around the nearest hallways corner screeching like a banshee. "SAKURA-CHAAAAN!" She barely dodged his flying leap, leaving him sprawled out on the hospital floor. He stayed down less than a second.

"They told me Teme is awake! We have to reunite!" He grabbed her with his remaining arm and pulled her along behind him, having already gotten Sasuke's room number from the messenger who called on him. "TEME!" Naruto all but kicked the door down and Sakura smacked him across the back of his head instantly.

"Listen up you brainless idiot, I haven't re-done this entire hospital for you to come smashing through doors whenever you get over excited!" The blonde was crouched below her still hovering hand whimpering when Sakura snapped back to reality. Their first non-battlefield Team 7 reunion and she was bashing in Naruto's head in front of Sasuke. Perfect.

Never down for long, Naruto bolted across the room and pulled Sasuke into a hug. "Teme, you looked uglier than normal after I beat you to a pulp. You should be grateful Sakura-chan fixed you up!"

"Tch. At least I don't wear orange jumpsuits and have ramen on my shirt." Naruto immediately scoured his jacket to find the offending noodle left on it.

"Naruto, be nice. He just woke up. Sasuke, take it easy. You're still recovering – both of you are. It was a painstaking process healing your limbs and I don't have the energy right now to do it again." I can feel the migraine I'm going to get.

"When can we start training?" Sakura sighed at the anticipated question that she had hoped would occur after at least 5 minutes of peaceful reunion.

"Well…It's going to be a difficult and long process, but I've spoken with Tsunade about it. I will be personally overseeing both of your healing and rehabilitation." Sakura folded her arms across her chest in an attempt to personify the confidence she was lacking. She was entirely unsure of how the Uchiha would respond to the news of having to be around her for an extended period of time. Not to mention it would be time working on a physical handicap which would put him in a vulnerable position. "Tsunade and I have been working on transplant arms, but those may not be viable, so I'm the best you have for now."

"No." The sharp sting of disappointment reminded her how sensitive her heart was to the ex-missing nin.

"Teme—"

"No. The war is over, but that doesn't mean everything goes back to how we were as genin."

The room fell deathly silent for a moment and Sakura's jaw had fallen slightly open. "Sasuke I—I'm here to heal you, I'm not asking anything of you."

"I want someone else."

Naruto's anger was palpable when he stopped using the Uchiha's nickname. "Sasuke you can't say th—"

"I don't want Sakura as my nurse."

When she'd brought him back with the help of Obito, there was a moment of eye contact and a touch that had given her hopes for his ability to reconnect with his ex-teammates. I don't expect to be the next Uchiha matriarch or be a fraction of what Naruto means to him, but I would be content to be his teammate and healer. Steadying herself, Sakura gathered her courage.

"That's not up to you." The pissing match between the men stopped and two pairs of eyes stared at her. "I'm the only medic qualified, in skill and clearance, to oversee you two. Sasuke, I'll let you rest for now but once you're cleared for discharges and handed your sentence, I will begin daily work with you both."

With that, she left.

- N -

Naruto watched her leave with a saddened expression. He turned back to the black haired man in the hospital bed. A flash of their genin days entered Naruto's mind seeing Sasuke in the bed wearing a black t-shirt and a sullen expression.

"She's the best at what she does. At her age, she matches Tsunade in strength and healing. And Baa-chan is ancient." Sasuke showed no response to the blonde's statement. "You shouldn't be so rough on her."

"I don't want her as my nurse."

Rage flickered in Naruto's chest and he responded with anger. "She's not a nurse, she's a doctor and head chief of this hospital." Squaring Naruto with a bored expression, Sasuke made it clear that detail didn't seem significant. "She runs this hospital. She matches the skill of a Sannin. We couldn't have won the war without her. She's not the girl you knew, and you should remember that when we start training."

Silence stretched for a moment before Naruto shifted into excitement. "You've missed so much I need to tell you about! Most obvious is that I've become stronger than you…"

As Naruto droned on with the village gossip and where Rookie 9 members were now, neither man was aware that the pink haired shinobi had stayed in the hallway just outside Sasuke's room. Naruto's fierce defense of her skill made her smile, but her happiness was short lived. Team 7 was not what it had been, and it never would be, for the better or worse.