Torture

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto...

Day One, enroute to Konoha---

Sakura clung to Kakashi's back as the group jumped from tree to tree, she watched the scenery passing quickly by. Sighing lightly she rested her cheek on Kakashi's back and drifted off to sleep.

Kakashi felt Sakura relax into his back and smiled behind his mask, glancing over his shoulder at her. Neji watched the way the old Team 7 now interacted, they were closer than before and seemed to truly care about one another, almost like a rather messed up family. Naruto was the little brother, Sasuke the elder brother, Kakashi the father, and Sakura, oddly enough, was somewhere between a doting mother and a malicious older sister. He noted also that he had been slightly off in his original judgment of Kakashi and Sakura's relationship. He did a quick re-evaluation:

They were obviously not lovers... yet. Though they already loved each other, they just didn't seem to realize it yet. It was almost as if they had no clue how they, themselves, felt. Odd. The way they looked at one another and spoke to each other spoke of deep understanding and trust. And yet, they would also bicker occasionally about the most inane things. If he had to guess, he would say that they would probably cross that line sometime during Sakura's recovery time. She would seek out comfort, and Kakashi would readily do anything he could to help her...

---

When they stopped 4 hours later so that Naruto could carry Sakura for awhile, Sakura stayed asleep. Her face and body were completely relaxed until Kakashi set her down to take the pack Naruto had previously been carrying.

Sakura's entire body stiffened and she bolted upright with a small startled scream. Her eyes wide, she looked around. Naruto, Sasuke and Kakashi had all moved quickly to her side, Neji had moved closer as well, though because they were not the closest of friends, but only aquaintances really, he hung back a bit and allowed those who truly knew her to take the front. Also, he was interested to see more of the way this group acted around each other. It was intriguing, if he did say so himself.

Tears appeared at the corners of her eyes as she looked into their faces and stood up, shaking it off the best she could, " I'm fine... well, I will be at least. Don't worry, lets just go..." she climbed onto Naruto's back and Kakashi pulled the pack up onto his shoulders while keeping his visible eye on Sakura.

"Sakura, are you sure? We can stop for a bit if you want... if you need to."

Naruto looked over his shoulder at her as he spoke, "Yea Sakura-chan, we can stop. Do you need to take a break?"

" I'm fine Kashi, Naruto... really. Besides, I haven't done anything to warrent needing a break and... I really just want to get home..."

"Okay Sakura-chan, if your sure." She nodded into the back of his shoulder and Naruto smiled brightly at Kakashi and Sasuke, who each smirked back, though Kakashi's face was hidden you could just tell he was.

----

The rest of the trip was rather uneventful, well, other than the small fiasco on the second night. Sakura insisted she could handle herself well enough to bathe in private. Naruto and Sasuke disagreed until Sakura hauled off and knocked them both over the head, stalking off with a towel and clean clothes, alone.

"See, she is already improving..." Neji smirked as he spoke to Kakashi, who was dragging the unconscious bodies of Sasuke and Naruto into a tent.

"Hai, I do believe she is getting a little better, we should still keep an eye out for her though... she's going to have good days and bad days, today is a good day thankfully."

----

When they arrived at the large red gates of their home, Sakura slid off Neji's back and walked forward until she was able to rest her forehead against the walls, her hands resting on either side of her head, sliding down the surface of the wall as she sniffled. The guys all just stood back, giving the medic nin some space as she cried against the gates, " I'm home... I'm home...I'm finally home."

After a few moments, Sasuke and Naruto walked over and helped Sakura support her weight, while helping her walk into the village as Kakashi looked on with something akin to worry.

Kotetsu and Izumo jumped up when they saw who had just entered, Izumo hauled ass to the Hokage tower to inform her of the teams arrival.

Kotestu walked over and smiled at Sakura, word had spread quickly of her predicament and the entire village had been worried sick. Not just her fellow shinobi, but the villagers as well. She was a well loved fixture in there home. She was a medic after all, she had probably healed everyone in the village at least once. From a splinter to a broken bone, a kunai wound to the large scale surgeries when someone was mortally wounded.

Once the medical team arrived, they came forward and took over. The remnants of the team following behind them as they carted her off to the hospital for an evaluation. Tsunade leading them all, barking orders left and right.

Not many had noticed, but a few did happen to see the way the Hokage's eyes softened every time she looked upon her pupil.

---a few hours later, after the physical exams were completed----

Sakura sat in the hospital room glaring at the wall. On her left side Naruto was rambling about ramen, to her right Sasuke was sitting quietly and Kakashi was leaning against the wall near the door looking at her sympatheticly. Neji had already left after making sure they would be alright. He wanted to go and inform Hinata of Sakura's return.

"So Sakura-chan, when you get out you are going to go to the bar with us right?!" Naruto asked, breaking out of his talk of ramen and the various flavors they had down at Ichiraku's.

Sakura smiled lightly and nodded. Before Naruto could begin yet another rant Sasuke reached behind Sakura's back and cuffed Naruto on the back of the head, "Shut up dobe."

"Hey! Don't call me dobe, teme." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grumbled for a moment, "Sorry Sakura-chan..."

Sakura gave a rather lopsided grin and shook her head lightly, "It's nice to be home... I missed you guys."

There was a knock on the door and everyone looked up as it slid open slowly to reveal Sai standing with Yamato, "Hey Hag, you okay?"

Sakura smiled at the nickname she used to detest, "Better now that I'm home, thank you Sai. How are you two doing?"

Sai smiled, really smiled and nodded his head, " I am well, thank you for asking. I have to go file some reports. I just wanted to check in with you before hand. See you later Hag."

Yamato stepped further into the room after the ex roots member left, "Sakura, Tenshi is well and safe, here in one of the ANBU emergency bunkers. She asked if when you were feeling better, if you wouldn't mind stopping by. She also said to thank you."

"Well next time you see her, please tell her I will definatly stop by. I should be out of here tomorrow afternoon at the latest. I just have to wait for a few test results before they release me."

"I can't tell you how good it is to know that your home safe Sakura. Well, I have to go now too, I expect to see you soon. Ja." Sakura and the other's waved as he turned and left.

Kakashi shook his head and smiled, "Okay boys, Sakura is probably pretty tired. Why don't you two go home and get some rest. I need to discuss some things with Sakura."

Naruto pouted a little as Sasuke drug him from the room after nodding in agreement. As they were leaving Kakashi made his way over and sat beside Sakura on the small bed.

" Ibiki will be by some time tomorrow to perform a mental evaluation and to make sure no information was leaked,"

Sakura opened her mouth and was about to protest when he continued," Now, don't start. I know you didn't say anything, you know you didn't say anything, but it is neccessary."

"Hai."

" Is there anything you need before I go?"

"No..." Sakura looked down at her hands, Kakashi reached over and took her chin to make her look at him, "Sakura, what's wrong?"

"Nothing... I mean... I just don't want to be alone right now I guess... Every time I wake up I am terrified that I am going to be back... there..."

Kakashi reguarded the young woman sitting beside him, she was looking down even as he held her chin to face him, "Sakura, do you want me to stay in here with you?"

"I... I don't know... I don't want to be a burden..."

Kakashi chuckled a little at this, "You aren't a burden. You just went through something extremely traumatic. It's alright, I'll pull the spare cot out of the closet like you used to do for us, 'kay?"

Sakura nodded, "Thank you Kashi... really, thank you. You have always been there for us, Naruto, Sasuke and I... Thank you."

Kakashi reached over and ruffled her hair lightly before standing and going to the closet and setting up the bedroll for himself.

When he was finished he looked up at Sakura from his crouched position, she was still sitting up and watching him.

"You alright?"

"Yea..."

Kakashi smiled and pulled the longsleeved overshirt up and over his head. Folding it messily, he set it on a chair off to the side of the room and stretched out on the cot with his legs crossed and one arm behind his head. He then lifted his hip and pulled Icha Icha out of his pouch there, flipping it open to the dog eared page.

When Sakura giggled a second later, he looked up at her curiously, "Nani?"

"Nothing really, it's just I haven't seen that book once since you came for me." Her smile wilted a little and Kakashi lowered the book for a moment before speaking as he brought the book back up, "Well, maybe you just weren't paying attention then."

Sakura could here the smirk in his voice and smiled again, "Yea, sure. Say what you want, you didn't pull it out once."

She smiled as she lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling while Kakashi continued to read for the first time since finding Sakura. She closed her eyes and thought back to the day she found out Sasuke had returned...

---Sakura's Flash back---

Sakura was walking home from and early shift at the hospital. It was about 3 in the afternoon when she heard Izumo and Kotetsu calling for a medic team and ANBU to report to the gates...

Without even thinking about it she turned and headed quickly for them. When she arrived she was frozen to her place.

There standing before her was a 6 foot something man holding a severly injured Sasuke in his arms, he was leaning down to place the injured man on the ground. Standing behind him was another young man who was carrying Zabuza's sword over his shoulder.

Breaking from her daze, Sakura moved forward and was approaching Sasuke's prone form when the tall one stopped her.

"Who are you?"

"Get out of my way... I need to help him..."

She went to push him away when he almost growled, "I don't even know why he wanted us to bring him here. You people are just going to kill him. Maybe I should kill you first?"

The tall man sneered as Sakura's eyes left Sasuke and she looked up at the man before her, glaring hard, "Get the hell out of my way! He was my teammate! I have to help him!"

She pulled her arm back and planted a chakra enhanced fist in his chest, throwing him back into the shorter man with the all to familiar sword. Sending them both crashing to the ground as she moved to Sasuke's side and began throwing orders to the medic team who had just arrived and telling the ANBU to get the hell out of her way while she worked.

She had not noticed Tsunade standing a few yards away watching the scene unfold, smiling proudly and motioning for the ANBU to stand down.

Once she had stabilized Sasuke she told the med team to take him to the ICU, where Tsunade or Shizune would handle him. Standing slowly and watching as he was placed on a stretcher, she wrapped her arms around herself.

The larger man began to approach her again before the ANBU halted him, taking him into custody.

Sakura stared at the ground once she had lost site of Sasuke. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes... why, why had he wanted to come back? That was what the tall guy said... he said Sasuke had wanted to be brought back to Konoha... but why?

Sakura turned quickly and took to the roof tops. She needed to find Kakashi or Naruto... she needed to see them now! Running as fast as she could, she made her way to the memorial stone. As she suspected, she found Kakashi standing there in front of the memorial stone. When she reached him she collapsed at his feet sobbing.

Kakashi had seemed startled when Sakura collapsed at his feet unceremoniously in a fit of tears. He crouched down, siting on his heals, "What's wrong?"

Sakura looked up at him through tear-filled eyes and lunged at him. Throwing her arms around his shoulders, "He's home... He came back! Sasuke... Sasuke's back... He, he is at the hospital... why did he come back Kashi!? Why?"

Sakura sobbed into his vest as he slowly put his arms lightly around her shaking shoulders, "I don't know Sakura... I guess we will have to ask him."

He had just sat there and let her cry, he had listened as she sobbed out the whole story. Everything about the two people who had apparently brought him back at his own request and how she had helped him...

--- End of Sakura's Flash back---

Sakura rolled her head to the side and looked at Kakashi, he had put the open book down across his eyes and would appear to be asleep. Sakura, however, knew better. He was probably thinking about something. She rolled over onto her other side and fell asleep, wondering what tomorrow would bring.