Darkest Before Dawn

Fourteen

   The next day, Juugo was bedridden with a fever of 104 degrees. He constantly faded in and out of consciousness and could barely keep anything down his throat. Sakura ran a hand through his damp hair.

   "I'm going back to the pharmacy to see what else I can get to help you. Is there anything you want me to get while I'm out?" she asked. He managed to shake his head no and offered a small smile before going back to sleep. Sakura tucked Juugo's blanket tighter around him before popping some pills into her mouth and making her way out into the city.

   Unlike the night before, the streets had plenty of people, all civilians. She made her way to the pharmacy and approached the counter.

   "Good morning, Rin-san."

   "Sakura-san! Good morning! How's your friend doing?" asked Rin.

   "Not too well." Sakura sighed, "He's running a fever now. Do you have any remedies for that?"

   Rin nodded and motioned Sakura to follow her into the back. She followed cautiously and was met with the most extensive supply of herbs and chemicals she had ever seen. A steel table stood in the middle of the stock room and was covered in various tools and scrolls.

   "It'll take me about thirty minutes to make it. I thought it would be boring for you to wait out there by yourself so I brought you back here." Rin said. She turned around to grab some of the items on the upper shelves. "So where are you from, Sakura-san?"

   Sakura lifted her eyes to gaze at the woman's back.

   "Konoha."

   She saw Rin tense slightly.

   "Oh, really? I've heard that's a really nice place. Very green and has numerous medicinal herbs around the village. Are you a shinobi?" the woman questioned.

   "Hai. I recently turned chuunin. After that, I went to Hokage-sama, asked for a leave of absence as a Konoha shinobi to train myself, and he let me go. My hitai-ate's with him and my teammates are training with strong shinobi. My genin sensei is on a two year long mission, though I'm a bit worried about him."

   Multiple questions raced through Rin's head as she laid her ingredients on the steel table and began to work. A leave of absence? Didn't that make her a rogue? No, it couldn't because she had the Hokage's permission, right? Then why did she give up her hitai-ate? Rin settled on something milder.

   "You're worried about your genin sensei? Why?"

   Sakura sat on a stool on the opposite side of the counter and rested her head in the palm of her hand.

   "It's just that everyday, he goes to the Memorial Stone we have in the village. He spends most of his free time there because his teammate's names are engraved on the stone. He's told me stories and how he blames himself for their deaths. I don't think it's his fault, but nothing will change his mind about it." explained the girl. The rest of the time Rin spent making the remedy was spent in an easy silence. Once she was finished, they walked back up to the cash register and set everything up.

   "Thank you for everything, Rin-san." Sakura said. She turned to walk out of the store with the medicine in hand.

   "Sakura-san, if I may ask... what's your sensei's name?"

   Sakura looked over her shoulder, a knowing look in her eyes.

   "Kakashi Hatake. And you know, Rin-san, he really does miss his teammates."

~

   The very next day, Juugo was in high spirits with his fever completely gone and his temperature lowered back to normal. Him and Sakura packed their belongings and were completely prepared to head out into the world again.