Sakura Blossoms - SasuSaku

Chapter 5

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Sasuke

Sasuke is awoken to the blaring chime of his alarm clock, interrupting his nightmare right before the best part. 5 am wake up call just like every morning so he had time for a workout then a shower before he had to clock in at the lab. He liked the mornings because he was usually alone, the weight of his past experiences and his unyielding quest for atonement required ample time to sift through the thoughts frequently plaguing his brain.

He walked into his ensuite bathroom and quickly washed up before throwing on a random pair of exercise clothes. Before heading out the door he stopped in the kitchen and slammed a protein shake, tossing the empty bottle into the bin. He always made sure to make it into the bin. Itachi hated when he left his trash laying around, that was a sure fire way to piss his big brother off. He opened the front door and stepped out into the morning chill. Breathing in the crisp clean air before taking off at a sprint.

~

His morning workouts usually consisted of heavy cardio and calisthenics, he liked to get his juices flowing before a long day of abusing his brain. Sasuke hadn't always wanted to train as a medical scientist, but once Tsunade took him under her wing and proved he had a knack for it Sasuke was happy to dive head first into the field of medicine. Researching rare diseases and finding cures for profoundly ill people gave him a gleaming sense of pride. After using his body for destruction and terror for so long he felt redemption in healing the sick with his mind.

Lost in thought he was rounding a corner and ran smack into someone. He was filled with dread and confusion when he looked down and saw her face. How could she be here? Why was she here on this street at this very moment? Before she had time to process what had happened he turned on his heel and rushed off in the other direction sprinting home. He slammed the front door closed behind him and punched the door for good measure. Sasuke was filled with so many emotions at the sight of Sakura after years of yearning for exactly that. He had resented her for leaving him and that pissed him off even more. He didn't want to care at all. He was annoyed he felt anything for her. He wanted to hate her. He did hate her.

Even though his head was still spinning he had to get ready to go into the lab. He hopped into the shower and quickly dressed in his professional work attire. As he walked out of his room he stopped to check himself out in the full length mirror. Damn I look good in a suit, Sasuke thought to himself. Itachi was making himself breakfast in the kitchen and called out to Sasuke.

"Hey bro, what time are you gonna be home tonight? Obito and the guys wanted to know if you were down to party?" Itachi asked with a sly smile on his face.

"I'll probably be home at a decent time Itachi," Sasuke sighed, "but that doesn't mean I want to party with you guys. I have a real job and it's a bad look if I come in greasy with a hangover"

"Hey little brother, I take offense to that" Itachi feigns hurt and clutches his chest. "I showered last night so at least I'm only hungover today"

"Whatever bro, I gotta jet out to work. Be safe, love you." Sasuke quipped before heading out the door.

He wished his brother would leave the street life behind. Madara and his goons are nothing but trouble. If Sasuke could escape that fate, so could Itachi, right? It always felt like there was something Itachi wasn't telling him. Like his ties to the gang went deeper than Sasuke could fathom. The thought made his stomach churn with nausea. One day they'd both be free of the gang. Madara and Obito would cease to hold any power over us one day very soon, Sasuke would be sure of it.

~

Sasuke heard Tsunade before he saw her. It was usually that way. As he walked into the door of the lab he heard her bellow out "UCHIHA GET IN HERE YOU HAVE A NEW VERY IMPORTANT ASSIGNMENT!" Tsunade had always been a bit overzealous when it came to his training. She was abrasive and strict, but the results were flawless. In only 3 years Sasuke had learned and accomplished more than most medical scientists did in 10. He was what they called a prodigy, and Tsunade took pride in her protege. As he entered her office he noticed the nearly feline grin spread across her face. That usually meant trouble for him.

"Sasuke, you will have a client coming to visit you sometime before lunch. They will explain the case details to you then." Tsunade said pointedly. "You and I are this family's only hope. You will be taking point on this case, but I will be here for support. The most important thing is making a breakthrough in the research and finding a cure for the patient. Your talents are best suited for this task and I won't accept a refusal or failure on your part."

"Yes Tsunade, I will happily take on this case and hope to get the desired results as soon as possible." Sasuke said with a slight bow of the head "I understand the urgency of the matter and will begin work right away after meeting with the client."

"Thank you for your cooperation as always, my protege. This may seem scary at first but trust yourself and don't be afraid to open up." Tsunade finished and then turned her attention back to her computer signaling Sasuke's dismissal.

As Sasuke exited Tsunade's office he thought back on what she said. 'Trust yourself and don't be afraid to open up'? What was she on about now? He pushed thoughts of cryptic messages out of his mind and set his focus back on this new case. A rare unidentifiable disease that countless other scientists were baffled by. Sasuke loved a challenge and this would be no different. He rounded the corner and unlocked his office, trying to chase away lingering thoughts of Sakura and their fiasco of a run-in this morning. How could she be here now? Why did she bother to come back just when things had started to feel okay again.

When he had started to feel okay again. He set his briefcase down and sat behind his desk. Organizing stray papers from yesterday and trying to think of anything but her, when a knock sounds at the door. *Knock knock knock.*

Sasuke immediately hopped up to get it, his mind refocused on the matter at hand - the case. He reached down to turn the handle and open the door. His heart dropped into his stomach when he saw who stood on the other side of it.