Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any associated products.

Welcome to the first installment of We're Only Human. Normally I'm not a huge Sakura fan, but when inspiration strikes I have no choice but to obey. I hope you enjoy, and please review!

We shinobi may spend years in harsh training to strengthen our muscles, quicken our reactions, utilize our movements, increase our speed, and sharpen our minds, but in the end, we still bleed red like everyone else.

Haruno Sakura was no stranger to blood, being the apprentice of the most renowned medical ninja in the world. Nor did the more shocking scenes of splintered bones, punctured lungs, exploding intestines, or even decapitation disturb her. The medic knew how to turn her stomach to steel heart to ice when tending her patients, keeping her logical mind clear of unnecessary distraction.

The life of a shinobi was full of perils and hospital trips. Sakura's unusually high level of chakra control, sharp mind, and drive to succeed in everything she did made her the ideal candidate to learn medical ninjutsu, but her soft heart was a constant challenge. For years she had worked to shut down her emotions when she administered treatment. When the situation truly called for tears, she saved them until after a procedure was complete, knowing even the more dire cases might have a chance of life if she acted quickly enough.

Sakura had treated infants and ancients, and every age in between. She treated bumps and scratches, and internal bleeding. She treated civilians and shinobi, accidents and assassination attempts. In the field, she could kill as efficiently as she healed. She prided herself on her growth, on the fact that nothing could faze her until it was over.

Yet now she stood with the fluorescent light of the hospital ER beating down on her, feeling as though she was once again the green genin she had been at twelve years old.

"Both of them?" she asked in a whisper as she looked up from the clipboard.

Tsunade nodded curtly. "They're being transported here as we speak, as fast as possible. Their condition is grim." She paused. "I know this will be difficult for you, but I need my best on them. I don't imagine I need to explain why."

The older woman put her arm on the pink-haired kunoichi's shoulder. "I know shinobi are not really emotionless," she told the younger woman. "I don't expect you not to hurt. I know when they arrive you will. If that hurt drives you to work harder, do it. But don't let it overpower you."

Sakura swallowed and nodded. "I'll do my best."

"I know you will," the Hokage agreed.

At that moment the hospital doors swung open, and Nara Shikamaru rushed forward, carrying a limp form across his back. He looked at Sakura meaningfully before tenderly placing the body on the prepared stretcher. Immediately behind him was Akimichi Choji, who was carrying his charge bridal style. With equal care he placed the body down on the second stretcher. The two shinobi stepped back to let the medics address the situation.

Sakura didn't want to look, but knew she had to. Lying before her were her old teammates. Holding back hot tears, she assessed the situation.

Uzumaki Naruto was covered in cuts and bruises, his clothing ripped to shreds. His right arm was clearly broken, his left shin shattered. The most notable injury was the gaping hole in his abdomen where the kyuubi's seal should have been, out of which fresh blood was flowing. That was both good and bad – the flow of the liquid meant his heart was still beating, but if she couldn't stop the bleeding it wouldn't beat much longer. His breathing was shallow but obvious, giving her hope that she might still have enough time to save her blond-haired friend.

Uchiha Sasuke, by contrast, was unscathed but for one incredible wound on his chest. Looking it over, there was no question in Sakura's mind that the wound had been inflicted by Naruto's rasengan. Sasuke's breathing was so faint his body appeared to be unmoving, and had they been in the field she would have left his treatment for last, assuming he was impossible to save. Yet the wound was on the right side, opposite his heart, so there was still a small sliver of a chance he may survive. That chance, Sakura knew, rested on Tsunade's incredible skill and pure luck.

"He always said he would die if he couldn't bring Sasuke back to Konoha," Sakura said to no one in particular. Her voice was thick with emotion, but she was already moving to work as she spoke. She knew even with her training under Tsunade she still didn't have the skill to heal a wound like Sasuke, but with Naruto, she stood a chance. "Bring him to an OR!" she shouted at the nurses as Tsunade herself wheeled the Uchiha boy away. Sakura closed her eyes for a bit longer than a normal blink, willing herself to forget the way Sasuke's hair fell across his eyes. Unconscious, the deadly, hate-filled ninja looked peaceful. But she didn't have time to think about that now.

She turned to her own charge, gently touching his cheek. "You shouldn't have done it alone," she said softly. "But since you did, I'll do everything I can to save you now!"

Urgently, Sakura directed the nurses and lower medical ninja to hook Naruto up to oxygen and a heart monitor. She was relieved and surprised to see how strong his heartbeat was.

"Is that the kyuubi inside you?" she asked the unconscious ninja. Her hands began to glow as she began the healing process. Normally she would clear her mind at this time, but instead, she found herself remembering her time with the two boys, back when life was happier.

All the girls loved Uchiha Sasuke, but none so much as she did. Being placed on his team had been the best moment of her young life. Being on the same team as Uzumaki Naruto, however, had been nothing short of a nuisance.

"Troublesome, as Shikamaru would say," she said out loud.

One of her underlings looked at her confused. "What, Sakura-sama?"

Sakura shook her head and scolded herself for losing focus at such a crucial time. "Nothing. I need everyone to use as much chakra as you can handle. We need to close this wound now!"

Amazingly though, the wound was closing itself. "The kyuubi chakra is accelerating the healing process," Sakura announced. "Don't attempt to disrupt its flow."

"But Sakura-sama, this wound is where the seal belongs. What if the kyuubi is trying to escape?" a chunnin asked. "Wouldn't it be better to focus our energy on suppressing the chakra?"

Sakura stared at the younger medic, dumbfounded. "Are you asking me to expend valuable chakra on suppressing the kyuubi, chakra that could be used to heal the wound faster?"

The girl nodded slowly.

"Do you have worms for eyes?!" Sakura exploded. The medic looked startled.

"Do you see who's on the table in front of you? Do you know what he's done for this village – for you?" She turned to the rest of the people in the room, her hands still steadily administering chakra. "This is Uzumaki Naruto, the next Hokage!" She had never referred to him as such before, but the words came out of her mouth before she realized it. "Naruto has saved this village and your lives MULTIPLE times. He's put his life on the line for this village more times than I can count. He's made impossible promises, then attempted to keep every single one, at risk to his own life!" She saw that the chuunin was looking properly ashamed.

"I'm sorry Sakura-sama, I didn't mean to imply –"

"Shut up, I'm not finished," Sakura continued. "Naruto has had the kyuubi sealed inside him since the day he was born. Over the years, he's learned to fight not just using kyuubi chakra, but actually work with the kyuubi itself!" She paused for air. "Even if the kyuubi could escape, it wouldn't just let Naruto die. Now focus on healing this wound, and don't you dare try to mess with that chakra. Does everyone understand?" She gave her best glare, daring anyone to object.

"We understand, Sakura-sama," they said in unison.

"Good." She turned back to face her friend, noting that the heart monitor was beating faster and more erratically. "Naruto, don't you dare die on me. Not for him."

Sakura knew the pressure in her chest had nothing to do with the exertion of controlling her chakra. Her mind wandered to the other shinobi in critical condition. Her muscles tensed and she was overcome by a wave of complex emotion. Though Sasuke had tried to kill her, and she had attempted to take his life, she couldn't let go of her attachment to the boy he had been. When Sasuke had killed others, a small part of her still forgave him, reasoning that those people, such as Danzo, had deserved to die. But Naruto…

The heart monitor continued beeping faster. "Dammit Naruto!" she said in frustration. She paused to carefully examine the wound again, and saw that somehow, the organs were still in tact. "That's impossible," she gasped. Even with her level of skill, damage to vital organs was incredibly difficult to heal in a short amount of time. There was no way the she or the rest of the medics had healed them so efficiently. She turned to look at the EKG and realized that though his heart was beating quickly, it had fallen into a constant pattern.

"Kyuubi," she said in awe. "Okay everyone, the organs appear to be healed. Now we need to clean out the blood to make sure there isn't additional damage we can't see." She was fairly certain there wasn't.

The medics scuttled around and Sakura took a moment to collect herself. The damage had been incredible, yet the power of the kyuubi was even more so. Still, the ease of the case made her uncomfortable. The wound, almost certainly created by Sasuke's chidori, should have completely punctured Naruto's body. Even if the kyuubi had speeded the healing process, there was no way Naruto's body could have recovered so quickly, if at all. The angle of the wound also didn't account for the shallow damage – it was a straight shot, meaning it had been a direct hit.

Comprehension dawned on her. "Naruto!" she said to him, knowing he was still in no state to hear her. "Sasuke knew it wouldn't be a killing blow."