Memories Made Us

By Winter Thunder

Dedicated to: Tenshi no Hana-chan

Written as: A spinoff for Ch. 11 of Tenshi no Hana-chan's A Marshmallow Collection

Disclaimer 1: Written WITH permission from the authoress herself.

----Besides, 1) It's not like I can copy her great and awesome work and 2) It's against my personal ethics to plagiarize on purpose. (As in you do it with knowledge that it's actually someone else's. People don't always remember things, so I give the benefit of doubt)----

Disclaimer 2:

"Alyana-san. It is with great pleasure that I would like to officially turn the ownership of my story, Naruto, over to you."

"Kishimoto-sensei! I…I can't even express my gratitude! My thanks! Arigato gozaimasu a thousand times over!"

I'm dreaming. Nobody pinch me.

A/N: Since it seems no one enjoys OC's, (I blame those people that write awful stories about so and so being sucked into the Naruto world and falling for blah blah and so and so did this and blah blab blab. No offense, y'all, but you could put a little more effort into it or get a good beta.), I'm rewriting this. I'll leave my other version up, since I did get a couple slightly positive reviews, but I hope you all enjoy this more.

Haruno Sakura always knew she was a smart girl. She always knew what made her who she was today. Her memories. Tiny little snippets of time that would be building blocks for something much bigger. She wouldn't have lived her life the way she did, without them. But her question was – did he know what made them, them?

He fixed her slipper. They were four.

They traded ice cream and tomatoes. They were happy with a simple act of generosity. She was four, and he, nearly five.

He helped her home after she sprained her foot. She was five and a half, and he was six.

She saved his pride with a little white lie. This time, she helped him. They were both six.

He saved her from bullies, one of which was Watanabe Ami. He was seven, and she was almost there.

His clan was gone. He was eight. He almost drowned himself. And, again, their roles switched - this time, it was she who saved his life.

And she would do it again. She was not afraid to do so. But for now, she could only do three things. Train, live, and pray. She'd pray he'd remember their precious little memories. And she'd pray that they'd be able to make fresh, new ones.

He woke with a start. Tears forming in green eyes haunted his dreams that night. A lake. Diving in.

"What were you thinking?" she panted, her expression anguished. She shivered as a cold wind passed. "Y-you could've drowned! You could've died! I… I…" Tears welled up her eyes anew, and without warning, she had thrown herself at him with a desperate hug. Her warmth seeped in to him through their wet clothes. "How can I protect you if you do this kind of thing?!"

She cried horrendously loud against him, as if all the tears that he should've kept weeping were flooding out of her. She wailed and didn't let go of him, and he didn't push her away. He didn't want to believe it, but this was the last comfort that he didn't want going away just yet. Not just yet.

"Sakura…" he mumbled, letting his chin fall on her shoulder. "You don't have to protect me."

"Why not!?" she cried hysterically. "You're… you're alone now, aren't you? I need to… someone needs to… you need someone to be with you and take care of you! I'll – I'll come over everyday and make sure you get food and stuff, and… and… just let me do something for you, please?"

He wondered…had she changed? No, she probably hadn't. She was the most stubborn of girls. "I don't need to be protected," he said aloud, like a mantra, as if talking to his memory of Sakura. Then he swore. Why do these things have to come back at the most critical of times, dammit? he demanded to himself. This was the sixth night, for crying out loud!

He went through his day without thinking about it; it was all a routine. Yet something today changed this routine. Something tugged at the corner of his heart, persistently. It nagged him, forming a hollow pit in his stomach. He couldn't place it. He ran through his experiences with feelings. Hate…happiness…love…fear? No, it couldn't be. Yet it was. Sasuke hissed at himself. He wasn't afraid of anything. His old sensei's words rang through his head. It is not bad to be afraid. The weakest shinobi is the one who does not acknowledge his fears. He scoffed. The words of a weak, Konoha shinobi.

Yet he knew that he feared the night to come, and the memory that would come with it. Tonight, the seventh night. Tomorrow, the eighth. Tomorrow, the worst memory would come, and he would feel the one emotion he had vowed never to feel until his mission was done. But for now, he would prepare for the night.

At age six and a half, he was reminded of the life of a young boy. Sure, he still knew it, but being of the Uchiha clan wasn't really always easy.

"Haruno." No reply. "Haruno." The teacher called louder, looking around at the children about her. "Haruno Sakura." Still no answer. "Has anyone seen Haruno Sakura?" The teacher queried. A chorus of "No!" was her answer. The children's sensei sighed. Sakura wasn't the ideal trainee for a kunoichi, as she had shown thus far, but then again, she herself had been like that. The only thing was, if Sakura had unwittingly wandered off, or if she didn't want people to find her, she was hard to find. She grimaced. She couldn't very well go off to find her herself; she had to watch the others. "Uchiha!" the said boy looked up. "Since you were the first to complete today's exercise, please go find Haruno Sakura. The rest of you, practice! I expect you to do much better tomorrow!" Sasuke nodded silently and ran off to the last place he had seen her. He carefully looked for signs of where she went, but when he heard a light-hearted giggle, he knew where to go. He reached a tiny clearing, where he found the wayward trainee. He stopped dead at what he saw. The pink-haired girl was kneeling down, chattering brightly away to a clump of flowers. To be more exact, azaleas. Sasuke flinched. How on earth did he know that? That wasn't very manly! If his mother heard that...his mother. Oh. They were her favorite flowers. "Haruno." Sakura's chatter was cut off abruptly as her emerald eyes went wide at the sight of him. Thud.

"Sasuke-kun?" she asked curiously.

"No. It's Ghost-san." He rolled his eyes, shoving his hands into his pockets. She stared at him curiously for a moment, then smiled and started to laugh.

"You still remember that?" Tinkling bell-like laughter rang out through the small clearing. "You're so nice!"

"Actually, I'm not quite sure why I said that."

"Oh." She couldn't keep the disappointment from her voice. "Gomenasai, Sasuke-san." Her head turned away as she sat up, hugging her knees to herself. 'I should've known Ino'd be the only one that'd be my friend, or the only one to even acknowledge me.' She thought miserably. 'I just thought…when he helped me all those times…' Sasuke's eyes widened. He hadn't meant to make her sad!

"I was joking, Sakura." Emerald eyes swung back to him, sparkling with hope.

"Really?" He rolled his eyes again.

"I don't lie."

"Arigato!" she chirped brightly. She then turned her attention away from him and resumed chattering to the azalea bush.

"Sakura."

"Hai?"

"I was sent to retrieve you." He mentally winced at how old he sounded.

"Oh! Gomenasai! Am I late?" He raised an eyebrow. "Sorry, silly question, I know."

"Let's go." He turned to leave.

"Wait, Sasuke-kun! I have to say good-bye!" He turned around once more and walked to her.

"To who?"

"Azalea-chan, of course! I have to tell her! It'd be rude if I didn't!"

"Why are you talking to something that can't talk back?" his curiosity got the better of him.

"Sasuke-kun! Don't you know?" She sounded surprised. "If you talk to the flowers, they will bloom faster! That's what my mom says! And poor Azalea-chan only has three blossoms!"

"A-ah. We have to go back soon."

"Okay!" She stood up a little behind him, brushing off her knees. "Ne, Sasuke-kun…wouldn't Azalea-chan be sad if I left her so soon? Can't I stay a little longer?"

"No. Kiss it better or something!" he was slightly annoyed that she would ask him such a, a, a, a girly thing.

"That's a good idea! Thanks Sasuke-kun!" She leaned in gently. For a second, Sasuke that she was aiming for him, and a blush flared to life on his cheeks. But the moment passed and Sakura kissed one of the blossoms. "Bye-bye Azalea-chan! I'll be back soon, I promise!" She straightened her small form. "Sasuke-kun? Why are you all red?"

Sasuke's eyes opened before his treacherous mind could replay his idiotic reply. He hesitated, then relented. His head dropped into his hands. These little memories were coming back at the most inopportune moments. And he was starting to doubt his decision. Naruto and Sakura could always do that. Sakura especially. The memories, the tiny little moments of bonding, they were the only things tying him to his past in Konoha. He stiffened. No. Nothing was more important than his revenge, whether he died or not in the process.

Sakura woke with a start. 'What was that? That was…Sasuke? And me? When we were little…wait. I remember that! Only I never knew Sasuke thought…' Her mouth twisted into a sad smile. 'I want him to come back. But no matter how hard I wish, how much I pray, how much I hope…I know he can't.' Her eyes turned to the glittering stars above. 'Please, Sasuke-kun, please. Come home soon.' A tear tracked its way down a porcelain cheek. 'Onegai.' "I miss you so
much."

Orochimaru was dead. Sasuke had his team to take down Itachi. They all had enough power.

But first, they needed to rest, as much as he hated to admit it. They couldn't continue hopping from one side of one country to another. "We'll stop at the Lake of Memories." He told the people running behind him. Each replied with their own affirmatives.

"Sakura!" A sharp, commanding voice woke the running girl out of her dazed state.

"Hai, Tsunade-shishou?" She replied into her comlink.

"While you're close to the Lake of Memories, can you go there and pick up some herbs for me?" Her mentor asked before rattling off the names of the herbs.

"What about the report?" Sakura asked when the Hokage was done.

"You, Shikamaru, and Ino can tell me when you get back. I need those herbs just as much as that report. I've already told those two you'll need to stop there. I asked them to map out the surrounding forest while you gather those herbs."

"Map out?" Sakura asked while turning and changing her running course. Shikamaru and Ino were hidden, but she could feel them running with her as well.

"The Lake of Memories is a very, well, powerful body of water. It has a lot of chakra, or magic, either one, and it's a sort of jutsu itself." Sakura nearly fell out of the tree she stopped on.

"Keep running." Tsunade said dryly. She knows me too well. Her apprentice thought, shaking her head and complying. "The name in and of itself explains the 'jutsu.' You remember when you told me about how you know 'memories made us?'"

"Yeah. Why?"

"It's completely true for anyone and everyone. If someone has forgotten their past, and the stop at the lake, they are 'captured' by the jutsu. They don't even have to drink the water. The pull of the lost, forgotten, or pushed aside memories 'wakes' the jutsu. The person, or persons, are frozen to the spot they're in by the lake. They're forced to, in some cases, or they suddenly remember those memories. It's a powerful thing because it can suck in untold numbers of people, because they share those memories.

Anyways, I need those two to do some mapping because the power of the lake constantly makes the land shift and move. It changes a lot. That forest you're in? It used to be a huge, grassy plain. That's one of the more minor effects. Also, the chakra, power, whatever it is that the lake has, it throws a wide cloak around it, covering the entire forest. Its 'aura' creates a shield from chakra detection. People on the outside can't sense things on the inside and those on the inside have a hard to to sense each other. Sometimes, one can sense the other but the other cannot because one is in a part where the chakra of the lake has soaked more deeply throughout time."

"Oh."

"Oh? That's it?"

"Tsunade-shishou, are you sure you're not--?"

"I am not drunk and I am not making this up to make you feel better! You do that by yourself! I'm not doing it for you! I'm not you! I can only help, dammit!"

"Erm, I was actually wondering about the drunk part." She could practically see her teacher droop down on her desk with a large sigh and a dejected—

"Oh."

"But thank you for telling me that anyways."

"Sakura. Be careful. Sometimes, the lake can be very dangerous. If someone is dwelling too much on the past, they can be sucked in on a far larger level the mentally. And…no, never mind. Good luck." Tsunade's line went dead.

"Drama queen." Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Am not!" Tsunade hollered, knowing what her student would say when she abruptly cut off their contact.

"Tsunade-sama, are you sure it's okay for her to go there? We did have one report about the Uchiha being sighted in the region." Shizune was worried, again, about her slightly rash teacher.

"Ino and Shikamaru can help her and Sakura should hold her own for a while anyways. But I did make sure I have a squad close by—she'll be fine. Trust her."

Sasuke growled, irritated the Suigetsu and Karin were still at it. "Shut up!" he snarled, tested beyond all his patience. "We're almost there; so just be quiet!"

"Hey, Sasuke," Suigetsu called after a moment of silence, "Question. What the heck is the Lake of Memories?" Sasuke didn't answer as Karin started yelling at Suigetsu for being stupid and asking stupid questions. But he was tempted to join the girl in yelling or roll his eyes. He settled for the latter. Idiot.

Sakura chattered—quietly—away with Ino in her comlink as she searched for the things that Tsunade wanted. She frowned. I could just swear that this grows in Konoha. Dammit Tsunade-sama! "—it Tsunade-sama!" she snapped out loud.

"Billboard brow?" Sakura tensed. What was she feeling from across the lake? Three people, two unfamiliar, the other…I'm dead. She thought as she realized the identity of the third person. If I can sense him, he can sense me. Sakura mentally swore, while conveniently forgetting what Tsunade had told her.

"Pig, don't call me that."

"Bill—"

"Ino, shut up. I need you and Shikamaru, wherever you guys are—Shikamaru, you listening?—to stay close to the lake's edge. Stay close and stay hidden. We have some company." Sakura worked as she spoke, gently setting the last herbs in her basket before hiding it. "But I'd like to deal with it first. Okay?"

"Sakura," Ino began.

"Ino, Sakura will be fine. Let's let her see this through. Besides, she is the mission leader.

"Thanks Shikamaru." Sakura replied. "Don't worry, Ino-pig."

"Who said I was, billboard-brow?!" Ino fired back.

"Remember, stay hidden!" Sakura sped off towards the lake.

Sasuke-kun…what are you doing here?

Sasuke nearly sighed in relief as the set down by the lake. At least now there was room and Suigetsu and Karin could be far, far, far, away from each other. Juugo was quiet, and didn't seem like he was about to lose it any time soon, so they could rest well. "Get some rest. We move out as soon as the sun rises tomorrow morning." Sasuke said curtly. He opened his mouth to add, 'As fast as we can' when he felt someone charging across the lake. Someone very familiar. "Stay here. Don't go anywhere and don't follow me."

"Wasn't gonna."

"Why?"

"…"

"Just don't." He was off without another word.

Sakura. I warned you, the next time you come after me, I will kill you. Here you are now. I don't want to, but you're in my way.

"What? I don't want to?" Sasuke shook his head. This is why I told you not to come after me.

Sakura stopped in the middle of the lake, waiting. Her hands clenched into fists, ready to fight as Sasuke stopped a few feet in front of her. "Sasuke, what are you doing here?" She asked quietly. "If you've come to kill me, I do have back-up, if I need it." Her challenge hung in the air between them.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke ignored the threat. It wasn't as if Sakura could beat him anyways.

"I believe I asked you first." Emerald eyes borrowed his icy, emotionless composure.

"I told you I would kill you if you came after me again."

"So you didn't come after me; you think I came after you. Don't be so full of it. My life doesn't revolve around you, Sasuke-kun." 'Just pretend you've let go of him, Sakura. Maybe he'll actually take you seriously, for once. But then again, I don't really want to fight him.'

"I could say the same to you. I didn't come after you. Specifically."

"Itachi, then." 'Dammit! That's not fair! I said it first!' She took a deep breath. "Look, never mind. I didn't come all the way out here, when I have to do something, to fight. I wanted to ask you something."

Sasuke was a little more than surprised in the change in his teammate. Why hadn't she started yelling about taking him back? He wanted to ask, but at the same time, he couldn't care less.

"Do the words 'slipper,' 'Ghost-san,' 'ice cream,' 'tomatoes,' 'protect you,' and 'azalea' mean anything to you?" Sakura asked.

If Haruno Sakura didn't know Uchiha Sasuke any better, she could have sworn he jumped a little at the words. But then again, maybe she doesn't know him as well as she'd like to think. Just as Sasuke opened his mouth—to deny it, she was sure—the water beneath their feet moved. Not a wave, but big enough to make them move. White edged blue light flashed in their eyes and a voice that sounded strangely female whispered, 'Embrace the past, remember it, cherish it, but do not live in it. Remember your past.'

Their worlds froze as their minds were thrown into complete and utter chaos.

A/N: I realize it's possible for this to be extremely confusing; I tried to make it as straightforward as possible. There's a pretty big chance I'll be re-editing and re-posting.

So, if any of you were wondering about the eight night, all the up above when Sasuke was dreaming, it'll be explained in the next chapter.

Snaps for Tenshi no Hana-chan for creating The Marshmallow Collection! (I love Legally Blonde)

I hope you liked this!

Review! (And if you must flame, at least say WHY you don't like this. CC and all that jazz.)