SasuSaku FanFiction (One Shots) 🌸

Karin (Part 2)

Burying herself in her work was effective in giving her the numbing sensation she was eager to have since that day. Since she's the head of the hospital, she has access to all the departments inside; hence, she could take over whichever task she wants, which was what she did as if her plate was not yet full with her regular work. If the only thing that would save her from sulking all day and crying all night was getting involved in her least favorite departments in the hospital, then she's fine with that.

For weeks, she had been ridiculously out of reach even to Naruto, Kakashi, and Shizune. And she hadn't heard about Sasuke ever since.

But there were some days, at those exact rare hours that she allowed herself to breathe, wherein she unexpectedly caught a glimpse of a raven-haired man with a redhead clinging unto him at the market. Whenever that happened, she immediately stopped on her tracks, bags of groceries almost falling from her grip, then opted to go home without even completing her shopping list.

She thought those few instances were already enough. However, there was one moment that she was left with no other choice but to face the man that makes her heart beat faster yet cripple it at the same time. She found him at Ichiraku, of all places, and she mentally scolded herself for listening to her unusual craving for the meal that their jinchuriki teammate loves. It was right after he paid for two to-go bowls of freshly cooked ramen that he turned and saw her, charcoal eyes widening at the sight of the pink-haired medic in her white coat.

For a second, she felt self-conscious. She hoped that he wouldn't notice the dark circles under her emerald eyes. She hoped that he wouldn't notice how those orbs weren't as bright as the way they used to shine for him. She hoped that he wouldn't notice that she was fresh from crying, partly due to a patient losing his battle with cancer just recently, but mostly due to her heart losing its battle in moving on from loving him since they were kids.

It was too late to even retreat from the small stall so they stiffly stood there, face to face, flabbergasted with the sudden encounter after a month of absence in each other's lives even though they were just in the same village for once.

Sakura tried to smile. "For Karin?"

There was a momentary pause as the wandering ninja threw a glance at the plastic in his hand. "Yeah."

"I see."

Sasuke just stared back at her, his lips parted as if he was about to say something.

And then her phone rang. Saved by the bell, alright. When she turned to answer the direct call from the hospital phone, she somehow considered believing that she saw from her peripheral vision how his shoulders slumped at the sudden interruption. But who was she kidding? She has lived a life wherein Sasuke finds her annoying. If anything, he'd be glad that she's going to be out of his sight immediately.

She then tipped her head over her shoulder after ending the call. "It's time for another surgery. Bye, Sasuke-kun...Take care of her well."

Then she headed back to work. She wasn't even able to order her own meal but it was better than spending another second with Sasuke who had been so expressive on his concern for the redhead medic nin. A new set of tears rolled down her cheeks, but this time, it hurt more because she couldn't deny that she missed seeing his face. But she also knew that she won't be able to move on if she'll keep on seeing him.

Maybe she'll just keep on healing others, then eventually her heart would heal as well.

-

Sakura exhaled in relief after taking a step back and glancing at the carefully stacked medicines in the pharmacy. The pharmacists would surely be glad at the accomplished work that Sakura had taken off their shoulders. It wasn't the first time that she bothered to lend them a hand, but she figured it was better to use her break there than go out and risk the happenstance of seeing Sasuke again.