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Chapter 1: A Healer and her Patient

An unusually chill wind swept across the desert, whipping up stinging sand clouds to threaten unwary travellers passing through its domain. A lone ninja turned up the collar of her seldom-used cloak as she approached the village. The sun had set several hours ago and with it the remaining warmth the desert had to offer. The shinobi plodded onwards, battling against the fierce wind which was common in these parts. Small decidedly feminine fingers wrapped the folds of her dark cloak even more tightly around her form as she reached the parameter of the village.

It was hard to discern the colour of the cloak from a distance but even those that lacked keen eyes could discern that it was plain and unadorned – in other words, this traveller was unlikely to be one of the Akatsuki. Besides, the watchers on the wall had never heard of a female Akatsuki member; it was obvious from the cut of the cloak that a distinctly feminine form lay beneath its shrouds.

Even so, the watchers on the wall tightened their grip on their weapons. There were many people that travelled the desert at night and not all of them friendly. It would be sheer irony if the Kazekage were to be assassinated now, after all their precautions.

Of all this, Sakura was only vaguely aware of as she approached the Sunagakure, clutching her scroll like it was a life-line. In a way she supposed it was. The sand shinobi would be on red alert after the attempt on Gaara's life and this scroll was the only proof of who she was. Of course she was nervous.

This was the first time the pink-haired kunoichi had travelled such a distance alone but that wasn't what bothered her. It was the mission itself. To be perfectly honest, she would have refused the mission point-blank if the Hokage hadn't asked her personally. Not for the first time she wondered if she could do this. But she had to. She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm her erratic thoughts.

As she neared the wall, the sheer number of shinobi that diligently guarded it became painfully obvious. She had no reason to be afraid, she told herself as adrenaline began to course through her veins. She clutched the scroll from her shishou tightly and wished that she could believe that. She knew that if she was considered a threat, she would be eliminated immediately.

Normally, Sakura would stroll right up to the gate and have her identity confirmed there but these were exceptional circumstances. To approach the gate now would be nothing short of suicide. A commander barked instructions at her to remain where she was as a few shinobi slid off the wall and came to confirm her identity and business in the Suna. She threw back the hood of her cloak and waited in anticipation with shimmering jade eyes as the ninja neared her spot.

Sakura could almost feel the tension emanating from the silent shinobi. No one was taking any chances today. But who could blame them?

She could see the faces of those sent to investigate her clearly now. Aside from their tanned skin, the only similarities between them were the dark shading under their eyes, the tightness around their lips and eyes and the cautious way in which they moved. They had the look of men that had not slept for a few nights.

Sakura cast her mind back to three days ago upon receiving the urgent message in Tsunade's office.

Tsunade looked up from her massive desk, lacing her hands together as she did so and surveyed her trusted student carefully.

"You sent for me, shishou?" Sakura began questioningly.

"Yes, I did" Tsunade confirmed, her tone unusually serious. "This is an emergency message from the Sand" she motioned towards the partially unfurled scroll on her desk. "It requests you, Sakura in particular."

"I don't understand. What would the Sand want with me?" Sakura asked her vibrant eyes alight with confusion.

"Earlier tonight, a member of the Akatsuki infiltrated their village. He fought with the Kazekage and is now being detained there. The village require the assistance of Konoha ninja to help track down the remaining Akatsuki member as after all, the Akatsuki are our forte."

Tsunade's brow knit together in annoyance. This scroll wasn't the first of a series of disturbing events that had reached her ears in the past week or so. The Akatsuki were on the move once more and the incident in the Sand was just the latest of these events.

"Sakura, I wouldn't usually ask this of you – given the current situation – but I would like you to go to the Sand village prior to the other ninja. As the message suggests, they clearly requested you for your medical ninjutsu. Backup will be sent as soon as I can assemble a team. Any other information on the situation you discover you can report back to me".

"Isn't there anyone else?" Sakura asked urgently. "Healing that member of the Akatsuki for their questioning; that's what they're asking me to do isn't it?"

Tsunade raised her hand. "Sakura, I-"

"I can't betray Naruto like this! You of all people should know that!" It was almost impossible to keep the anguish out of her jade eyes.

"I know, but there is no other way!" Tsunade replied with some authority. "If you do not go then Konoha will have no idea of what is going on there. Sakura, I don't want to force you on this, but it's very important".

Sakura sighed in defeat and ran her fingers distractedly through her pink hair.

"What about Kakashi-sensei and Naruto?" she asked. "Don't they know of this?"

"They will be informed but for now I would like you to go alone. Be ready to leave in half an hour. Reinforcements will be sent tomorrow morning".

"Shishou are you sure-"

"Sakura" Tsunade replied, her tone filled with a note of finality which left no room to argue. "I admit that the request is suspicious at best but this is the best decision I could make in the circumstances. Please trust my judgement".

"Y-Yes! Of course" Sakura apologised before making her way to the exit.

She did not hear Tsunade sigh to herself "Let's hope it was the right one".

The three figures strode off through the dusty streets, leaving sandy footprints in their wake. The buildings towered over them to dizzying heights. They were quite unlike anything Sakura had ever seen yet she didn't spare them even a single thought as she followed her two shinobi escorts deep into the heart of the village.

"This way!" A faceless sand shinobi motioned to the pink-haired kunoichi as she entered the infirmary. Hurriedly, she was led down a dimly lit corridor to the room at the end on the right. Before entering, the nameless shinobi pulled her to one side.

"His condition is critical. He needs urgent attention right away". The sand shinobi informed the konoha medic. "You have been informed of the situation?"

She nodded an affirmative. She knew what to do.

"As a precautionary measure two guards will be posted outside the room at all times" he continued. "Though they should not be necessary providing he is not healed more than is required".

She entered the room alone. A lone light bulb flickered to life as Sakura took in her surroundings. It was a far cry from the bright, clinically clean rooms she was used to working in. Her hand strayed over the metal medical tray – upon which bandages, medicines and needles lay – as she edged closer to the dark shape lying on the bed in the centre of the room.

"I shouldn't be here…" The pink-haired ninja spoke to the room at large.

This was not a new thought. Questions of why she was here, why she was doing this, of why she was even considering this had bounced around her brain ever since she had accepted the mission three days ago. It was morally and ethically wrong in every sense! She should not have to do this! It felt like too much of a betrayal to Naruto.

Sakura's breath hitched as she neared the body on the bed. The situation seemed almost surreal. Here she was; Sakura, konoha medic and chunnin alone in a room with one of the notorious members of the Akatsuki! She gulped down any last vestiges of panic and crossed those last few paces to the bed. The Hokage was counting on her after all.

Her immediate reaction was surprise. The man lying unconscious on the bed was only a few years older than she was. She tried to ignore the unhealthy wheezing sound of his damaged lungs as she began to examine him.

At first glance, it was clear that the damage was indeed severe. An ordinary civilian could have said much the same. To put it simply, he looked like he'd been through hell and back again. His long blonde hair covered half his face while the other half was covered in bruises and congealed blood. His left eyelid had turned an interesting shade of purple and his lips were split in two places.

Automatically Sakura turned her attention to his torso. His skin was so bruised it had taken on an ugly mottled hue except for where a deep wound had penetrated his left shoulder. Upon further examination, the medic discovered a shallower but potentially fatal wound in his right side. Both wounds had been bandaged but with little care.

It was then that Sakura began to wonder if it would even bother them if the man died.

Still, it was important to ascertain the extent of the damage and Sakura was not one to let a patient die on her that easily no matter who they were. Akatsuki or no Akatsuki, she would treat him the same as any other patient, albeit that she could not heal him fully. She wasn't quite sure of her feelings on the interrogation of the wanted criminal when interrogation meant beating the prisoner within an inch of his life, healing the worst of his wounds and then hauling him in again for another round, especially when she was the one doing the healing. It was rare that the prisoners lasted very long.

Sakura reached into the familiar swirl of her chakra and began to channel it from her hands into the Akatsuki member's chest. She probed gently, searching to discover the degree of his internal injuries as she placed her hands at various points on his torso. The level of damage was what she expected. His injuries were not quite as severe as the sand shinobi had implied but were dangerous nonetheless and needed to be treated before they became infected.

With a sigh, she completed the diagnosis and then focused on healing his shoulder and side. It was a fairly straightforward task and Sakura's mind began to wander. It was only then that she began to realise just how well-defined his chest was, the silkiness of his hair, and his distinct jaw line –

No! What the hell am I thinking? She jerked herself out of her reverie – in which she was contemplating what the exact colour of his eyes was – and stopped the flow of chakra. What the hell was wrong with her? She'd seen plenty of male chests before, being a medic, but she'd never had this problem before!

"Focus Sakura, focus!" she said, furious with her disobedient thoughts. She was almost done anyway. She couldn't risk healing his injuries any more or he could become dangerous.

She increased her pace, eager to leave the room and the disturbing young man that lay there. Methodically she tidied the equipment away and then made to leave the room.

"You needn't have bothered, yeah".

Sakura spun round, expecting an attack but then relaxed when she saw his dark form lying on the bed. In an instant she had abandoned all logic at the thought of facing an Akatsuki alone. The fact that he could barely stand, that he had chakra bands on his wrists, that he was in no fit condition to fight – none of that had registered in her mind. She had acted on purely on impulse.

"Oh believe me, I wouldn't have". Sakura couldn't quite believe who she was talking to. "Try not to move too much. Your wounds aren't fully healed yet."

As she exited the room he called after her "What's your name?"

She paused with her hand on the handle.

"It's Sakura".

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