[Naruto AU, minor angst, fluff]

"Sai! Take the left! I'll take the right!"

"Got it, Naruto."

Sakura watched as her two teammates ran toward the enemy in their assigned direction. She clenched her fists and shut her eyes.

"You're still weak. You have a long ways to go to ever measure up to Naruto or me."

That's what he said... Wasn't it? She gritted her teeth. That was three years ago, but... He's right.

"Sakura?!"

"Sakura! Stay back!!"

No. Not this time.

She ran straight towards the enemy without another thought except that she had to keep getting stronger. Despite all the things she's done, she knew that she had a long ways to go.

"Shanaroo!!" Her fist came down into the ground just by the enemy. He fell between the cracks and was caught in her trap.

"Heh." Naruto chuckled, "this guy is way too weak. But... Be careful, Sakura. His Genjutsu is--"

"What?" Sakura stood staring at the man who, in turn, stared at Sakura with what looked like a death look. After a few seconds Sakura collapsed on the ground beside the enemy just as Naruto ran to her side.

"Sakura!!"

_________________

"She's not in any critical condition, but... Every C or B-Rank missions assigned to Team 7 turns into an S-Rank mission, doesn't it?" Kakashi shook his head, "you guys are just so lucky, aren't you?"

"Kakashi-Sensei!!" Naruto gritted his teeth and gestured to the unconscious girl laying in the hospital bed not too far from them, "this is not the time to be making up jokes."

"This man you guys brought into custody... You three didn't bother to read too thoroughly into his file, did you?"

"Huh?"

"It would've been a C-Rank mission if you would've taken that certain aspect under consideration." Kakashi rose a brow, "he's most popular for his mind jutsu. I know it wasn't Genjutsu by the way Sakura reacted to it. If you remember, Sakura is the most experienced out of all of you in Genjutsu. This mind technique is something close to Ino's."

"Should we bring her in, then?" Naruto looked at Sakura, "I mean... I'm willing to do anything to save her."

"I know you are." Kakashi sighed, "listen. Why don't you go get Ino on this, okay--"

"Who's Ino?"

Kakashi and Naruto nearly jumped out of their skin at the sudden question.

"S-Sakura!! You scared the crap out of me, jeez." Naruto chuckled and ran to her side, "you feeling any better?"

She only sat silently, staring blankly at the boy.

"Ah, listen. You'll feel better in no time, Sakura. I'm just gonna get Ino and we'll--"

"Who's Ino?"

Naruto blinked and chuckled weakly and slowly paled, "your friend?"

"Who...." Sakura looked around then stared at the two men before her, "who are you?"

______________________

"This can't be..." Ino sat by Sakura's side and looked at her carefully, "so... What's your name?"

"Sakura... Haruno." The horrified girl looked around, clutching the hospital bed blanket, "wh-where are my parents?! I need to see them!"

"Calm down!" Naruto held her arm to keep her from throwing her arms around in a tantrum, "we're trying to assess the situation--"

"Let go of me! I don't know who you are! I don't know who any of you are or where you even came from!"

Naruto stared at her, then looked at Kakashi and Ino, then back at Sakura, "S-Sakura... You really don't remember us?"

"It's memory loss..." Ino pursed her lips, "years and years of memory loss... I don't know how this happened, but... We need to restore those memories she lost. Think you can do that?"

"S-sure... I'll try, but..." Naruto gritted his teeth, "is this permanent?"

"As of now?" Ino stood up and shook her head sadly, "I don't know how to bring her memories back. Our mind Jutsu can only do so much, you know."

"Thanks for trying." Kakashi patted her on the back, "we'll do what we can as well."

Once Sakura had fairly recovered and had a long talk with her parents, she developed a small trust in her teammates to finally go out with them. Naruto, Sai, and Kakashi brought her through the village, re-familiarizing her with the area as well as an explanation of what was going on at that time.

"Do you..." Naruto took Sakura's hand and led her through the training fields full of memories, "please tell me you at least remember this..."

"I'm sorry, Naruto." Sakura shook her head slowly, "I'm trying, but nothing's coming to mind."

He pursed his lips and moved to face Sakura directly, "I didn't want to bring this up at all, but... Do you remember any other people besides your parents?"

"Mm..." She watched him carefully just before shaking her head regretfully, "no, I don't..."

"You..." Naruto swallowed hard, "you really don't?"

"No."

"Does this name... Does it ring any bells?"

"What name?"

"... Sasuke Uchiha."

Please, Sakura... If you have to remember anyone in the world, it has to be him. It doesn't even have to be me or Kakashi-Sensei, but...

"Sasuke... Uchiha..."

"Please, Sakura."

Sakura stared at Naruto as tears filled her eyes.

Hope filled Naruto's heart, "you... You remember him?!"

"I..." Sakura cried, "I'm sorry, Naruto... I don't remember ever knowing anyone named Sasuke Uchiha."

______________________

"Your form is still sloppy. It needs some work."

"Heh?! Who are you to be criticizing, eh? What training have you done lately? I mean, you're Orochimaru's pet, so of course, he's not gonna get all on you to train more... Yeesh."

"Quit complaining, Suigetsu."

"Jeez. Sour much?"

Sasuke Uchiha stood to watch as his teammate trained nearby. At that moment, a carrier bird flew overhead and descended nearby.

"Eh?" Suigetsu held out his arm and let the bird land to take the piece of paper, "oi, Sasuke. It's for you."

Sasuke walked over to him and took the paper as the bird left. He opened the long letter and just from the first glance at the handwriting, he nearly crumpled it and tossed it aside. But what caught his eye and kept him from doing so was a certain name.

Sasuke, this is urgent.

I know you've left the village and don't plan on returning. I also understand that you don't really want to have anything to do with me. But something came up, and Sakura's in critical condition. I don't really mean that in a way that says she's dying. She's healthy and well, but...

You just need to come back to the Leaf Village, Sasuke. Please.

She lost her memories.

"What?!" Sasuke instinctively clenched the paper in his fists, "th-this..."

"Huh?" Suigetsu looked at him, "is everything okay?"

Sasuke ignored the voice and kept reading.

We tried to help her restore them, but she's forgotten everything. She only remembers her parents and her own name. Other than that, she doesn't remember the village, Kakashi-Sensei, me, Sai, or even you. You need to come back. If anyone can help her remember, it's you.

Naruto

"Sakura..." Sasuke muttered under his breath, "she doesn't... Remember..."

That scene flashed in his mind. The moment he last saw her just outside the village three years ago. Just imagining it and the thought of her memory loss somehow made Sasuke tremble.

"Hey, Sasuke." Suigetsu set his hand on his shoulder, "you okay? What was that about?"

Sasuke was silent for a few moments before he folded the letter back up and slipped it into his pocket, "Suigetsu. Training's done for today. I know I swore I'd never go back there, but... We need to go to the Leaf Village. Now."

_____________________

"Why are we here?"

"Just wait." Naruto looked around impatiently and paced back and forth through the exit gate of the village, "we're gonna restore your memories, Sakura. I'll do anything, you know?"

Sakura looked at Naruto and the fear in his face, smiled sadly, and set her hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry... For whatever I did to get me to this point."

"No, don't apologize. Sai and I should've done more to make things clearer to you."

"Who's Sai?"

"Heh..." Naruto chuckled weakly. At the sudden feeling, he stood up, "he's here."

"Who?"

The two turned to look down the road and walking towards them were two men their age.

"Naruto." The dark-haired Shinobi looked at his former teammate, "what's going on?"

"Oi, Sasuke... Don't trust them so easily. What if this is a trap?" Suigetsu tugged at Sasuke's sleeve, "this isn't really the best approach."

"Where is she?"

Naruto stepped aside and pulled Sakura by him, "Sakura..."

"Sakura." Sasuke and Suigetsu stopped in front of the pair, "Sakura, do you... Remember me?"

Sakura stared for a long moment at the man's face. He could tell she was trying her hardest to put the name together, but in the end, his heart dropped.

"I'm sorry... Who are you?"

Sasuke looked at Naruto in horror, "what happened?!"

"She..." Naruto scratched the back of his head, "it's a long story. It was a mission, and--"

"Sasuke, isn't this your teammate?" Suigetsu pointed at the confused girl, "why doesn't she remember you?"

He didn't answer the question. He only looked back at Sakura, his gaze pleading, "Sakura, you don't remember any of us? Anything that's happened before now?"

"I'm sorry. I... I really don't." Sakura pursed her lips, "are we... Friends? Companions? Teammates?"

"No, Sakura, we're..." Sasuke stopped mid-sentence. He didn't know what to say. What... What are we? "Sakura, try to remember."

"Sasuke, we've tried everything. She doesn't remember anything following the Academy days. Even the Academy is fuzzy in her mind, she can't describe any of it." Naruto clenched his fists, "it's almost... It's almost hopeless, I can't believe it."

This can't be it. No, it can't just end like this. I need to do something about it. Sasuke looked from Naruto to Suigetsu, "stay here with the idiot."

"Huh?"

Without another word, Sasuke grabbed Sakura's wrist and vanished into a cloud of smoke. Sakura with him.

"Damn it, Sasuke!!" Suigetsu growled and looked at Naruto, "what's with them?!"

"Tch..." Naruto looked at where Sasuke stood, "I... I don't know. But... If Sasuke knows a way, then I want him to try."

_____________________

"Does this feel familiar at all?"

"Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei took me here yesterday. It doesn't." Sakura looked around the open field.

Sasuke looked at her, shut his eyes, and started walking off, "I need to take you somewhere else."

"Ah... Don't you think someone will see us?"

"It's in the middle of the night. I don't think that's possible."

Sakura followed close behind him and studied his face, "you look nervous."

"Of course I am. You lost your memory of everything..."

Sakura peered her eyes at him, "so... Who are you? I understand that Naruto is my teammate and Kakashi-Sensei is our Sensei, but they've never said anything about you."

He chuckled softly, "uh... It's complicated. We used to be teammates, but I left three years ago and didn't imagine I'd be back here because of you."

"Really?" Sakura sighed, "sorry to hear that..."

"I mean..." Sasuke leaned his head back, "I'm honestly not surprised I'm here because of you."

"Why?"

He looked at her, smiled, and looked away, "it's nothing."

They walked in silence down the narrow path that Sasuke knew like the back of his hand. The path that he painfully remembered every day and somehow wished he could come back to. He looked back over his shoulder slightly to look at Sakura, who was only staring sadly at the ground. Without another word, he cleared his throat, "okay. We're here."

"Hm?" Sakura looked around, "we're far outside the village. What are we doing here?"

"Sakura. Do you remember this place?"

She looked around at the monotone scenery. The only thing that really caught her eye was the concrete bench not too far from them. She looked up at Sasuke and shook her head, "not much."

"Not much?"

"This place... It feels familiar, but I can't put my finger completely on it."

"So..." Sasuke continued, "do you remember what happened here?"

"I know this place, but..." Sakura looked at the bench, "this bench... It's..."

"Come on, Sakura..." He pursed his lips and felt his palms getting sweaty, "you need to remember this..."

"I can't..." Sakura's lips trembled, "I'm sorry, I can't remember what happened here--"

"Sakura!"

She was cut off when Sasuke had set his hands on her shoulders and forced her to look into his eyes, "S-Sa..."

"Sakura, I can't let you forget everything we've been through." His eyes blazed red as they swallowed her into a Genjutsu, "please, remember... Remember me."

"S-Sasuke!! Don't go!!"

"You really are annoying..."

"If you go, I'll scream, and--"

"Sakura..."

"Hn."

"Thank you..."

...

...

That's right...

I think...

This bench, this is where...

"Sakura, you're still annoying."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm glad you're okay, though."

"Thank you, Sasuke!"

"Hn."

"Sasuke?"

"Sakura."

"Sasuke!"

"Naruto!"

"What?! Naruto, you idiot! Where the heck did you come from?!"

"No, Sakura!"

"Sakura."

"Huh?"

"You're still weak. You have a long ways to go to ever measure up to Naruto or me."

Sakura's eyelids burst open as tears spilled out, "S-Sasuke!!"

His name echoed through the empty darkness as she panted and trembled.

"Sakura?" He grabbed her shoulders and held her to stand up, "are you okay?"

Her shoulders shook with sobs, "S-Sasuke..."

"Do you remember now? This place?"

She didn't have to answer. She only slipped from his grip and collapsed onto the ground below him, "I'm so sorry... I was weak... I couldn't hold back... But that thing you said, I couldn't live with it and I jumped right into a dangerous situation..."

"What?" He knelt down in front of her, "what did I say?"

"That I'm weak and still have a long way to go to be able to measure up to you or Naruto."

He stared at her, "I never said that. Sakura, you're not weak. You've come so far and made us proud to know you. We all have our weaknesses. But you shouldn't run into situations head-first like that."

"I know... I'm sorry..." Sakura cried and clenched her fists against her knees, "I'm sorry, Sasuke, I'm sorry..."

Sasuke looked at her silently, smiled, and set his hand on her head, "you're still really annoying."

She looked up at him as he moved his thumb to wipe her tears, "S-Sasuke?"

"I have to go." He stood up and helped her, holding her hand firmly, "I only came to help you, so now that you're feeling better, I have no reason to stay here."

"Wait, Sasuke."

He moved to let go of her hand, but she held it tighter, "Sakura?"

"I..." She managed a smile, "thank you. I don't know what I would've done if I completely forgot everything forever."

"Yeah." He watched as her smile slowly faded, "I have to go."

"I know."

He smiled, walked back to her, and wrapped his arms tight around her, "it's good to see you again."

She blushed as a smile spread across her face. She nodded and hugged him back, "you too."

As Sasuke slowly walked off, away from the village, he turned around to see Sakura hadn't moved from her spot. She continued to watch him leave, making him smile to himself.

"Hn..." He chuckled, "Suigetsu probably headed back already, but..." He looked back at Sakura, "I'll remember this."  

~~~ 

Random fan of the day:  rid_edria

Written by xX_Fang_Xx