Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

A/N: It's not a really mushy Sasuke/Sakura fic, just something I stretched with my imagination after reading the manga. It's a spoiler for chapter 57 (I think it was chapter 57). There is one part with very subtle hint of Neji/Tenten.

As I said before, it's not very mushy. I chose this part of the manga because it was a big transition for team seven. The Chuunin exam was a big step for many of the characters, especially for Sasuke. In case you can't figure it out (nah, just joking), the whole story is in Sasuke's point of view. I hope it's not too confusing. Enjoy.

Remembering

"Oh! Sakura-chan!"

He remembered looking at the blond boy from the corner of his eye, knowing exactly what was on the loud boy's mind. Not because of the fact that the blond was predictable, but because if anyone knew her and saw her current state, they would be thinking the same thing as well.

"… What?"

He remembered seeing it in her eyes. She knew what the blond boy was thinking about as well. But she pretended that she didn't have a clue, as the blond boy rushed up to him and the girl he was sitting next to. Her eyes seemed different. Different from before they had started the exam. Different from right before he and the blond boy had passed out. Her attitude seemed different as well, but it was in a good way. Or at least he felt so.

"Sakura-chan… your hair!"

He remembered feeling the words echo in his mind over and over again. Like a broken record player. The sound of Naruto's voice in shock, noticing their female teammate's change for the first time after waking up. The blond had finally managed to spit out what had been bothering him when he saw his dear teammate. A lot of things can happen when you're unconscious…

"Oh! You mean this… Just trying to change my image! An image change!"

He remembered frowning lightly at her words and narrowing his dark eyes at her. A fairly obvious lie. Her one long and silky pink hair was haphazardly cut, and had blood and dirt in it. Yet, he never knew she was so good at keeping her emotions in check. Her eyes held no regret or sadness, and she plastered a fake, and at the same time convincing, smile on her face to reassure the kyuubi boy.

"I like it longer but… you know, in this forest it can get in the way…"

"Ah… I see."

He remembered trying not to snort at the confused answer. Another obvious lie. The blond boy didn't see. And he, himself, did not see either. Both boys did not understand why Haruno Sakura's hair was cut in such a manner. He, of course, got a vague picture on what happened, but no one ever told him or Naruto what happened while they were unconscious.

But in that period of time, both boys knew that a lot had happened.

"By the way, why are you guys here?"

He remembered seeing his blond teammate look at Nara Shikamaru and Akimichi Chouji expectantly. He and the blond boy were so very different, yet so alike in many ways as well. He was also wondering about the same thing. Why were the other teams gathered here? Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Choji, Yamanaka Ino, Tenten, Rock Lee, and Hyuuga Neji were all gathered in that area. He remembered how the atmosphere was tense and slightly awkward when the blond boy had asked the question. It was almost as if everyone was too afraid to answer. Even the laid back Nara did not reply to the question.

"Everyone came to save us."

Aa. He remembered the look on the pink haired kunoichi's face as she scratched the back of her neck, almost in a sheepish manner. Her answer was sincere and plain, and, yet, it was also puzzling and full of hidden secrets that only the witnesses knew about. Save them? Team seven was the top rookie team in their year. They didn't need saving. But then again, he and Naruto were unconscious, and had left her to fend for the team.

"I'll take it from here."

He remembered her voice ringing through the short silence and the swift movements of the older girl, Tenten, as she jumped down from a branch above. He didn't need to look up to know that Hyuuga Neji was standing in the place where his female teammate had jumped down from. The silent boy in the branch made no move to come down. The chestnut haired weapon specialist took her teammate from Yamanaka Ino's shoulder.

"SNAP OUT OF IT! LEE!"

He remembered watching in silent amusement as the weapon kunoichi violently shook her unconscious teammate. He heard a very soft and subtle affectionate snort coming from the branches above. He noticed, from the corner of his eye, that the Hyuuga wore a small and barely visible, amused smirk on his face. The taijutsu boy was jerked awake and blinked a couple of times before focusing on his teammate. He remembered ignoring their conversation, until his own teammate's sudden outburst.

"Oh! It's thick-brow!"

He remembered watching the older taijutsu specialist and his teammate, the weapon kunoichi, had looked up from their conversation in surprise. He remembered the blond boy's teasing expression, a wide grin on his face. He also remembered what happened next. And it had surprised him greatly.

"How dare you be rude to Lee-san!"

He remembered smirking inwardly as the blond haired boy was promptly smacked in the face and sent flying by his own teammate. The female teammate to be exact. It was a funny and pathetic sight. He remembered everyone else watching in shock. He, too, was stunned, but had refused to show it. He and Naruto were probably thinking along the same lines. What the hell happened while they were unconscious?

"Lee-san… Thank you…"

He remembered how his onyx eyes could not pull its gaze away from the scene. The older boy had looked at the pink haired girl in surprise. He, himself, was also surprised. He remembered the sincere tone of her voice. He remembered studying her, trying to see the changes in the delicate looking girl.

Her eyes were staring at the ground, as if she was thinking of the right words to say to the older taijutsu boy. The weapon mistress, Tenten, had looked up in surprise, as well as Lee, who wore a stunned expression. The girl who had rejected him at the beginning of the exam was now thanking him? He remembered that he was stunned as well. Too many things happened while he was unconscious and, although it was unlike him, his curiosity was killing him.

"Thanks to you I have awakened. I feel like I've become a little stronger."

He remembered her smile. It was soft and gentle, yet honest and bright. She was beat up and bruised, but it didn't seem to bother her much. And if it did, she didn't show it. He remembered the taijutsu boy's face as well. Unfortunately.

The older boy wearing the tight green spandex had looked like he was ready to cry a river. He remembered trying not to snort at the older boy, whose eyes were watering and bottom lip was quivering. The older girl had watched on, one hand on her pouch, always alert for a nearby attack. Which was a good idea since the group was practically doing nothing. He remembered being alert as well. The Forest of Death was dangerous and it was important to be on the lookout. So was the life of a shinobi.

"It looks like I need more handiwork…"

He remembered standing behind her and looking down at the taijutsu boy. He remembered that his hands were in his pocket and his expression was casually emotionless, but he was alert. Standing next to her had always made him feel important. Not that he was stronger, but she was there and supported him. He hadn't liked her and Naruto at first, knowing that the people he became attached to would one day be his weakness, but it was inevitable when you were on the same team with them.

"…Sasuke-kun."

Kun. He remembered wanting to scowl at the suffix. But, nevertheless, he had still acknowledged the taijutsu boy and gave his attention to the older boy. At that time, he had wanted to know why the older boy was so badly beaten up. The taijutsu boy was in no better condition than his pink haired teammate. He had noticed how the other boy, the Hyuuga, had remained standing on a branch in a nearby tree. He remembered feeling the cold, emotionless pearl eyes on his back.

"The Uchiha Clan sure is great. To drive off those sound nins, you are the owner of incredible power. I got my butt kicked."

He remembered being stunned at that statement. He couldn't believe it. He found it rather difficult to believe that the quick and agile boy that had almost kicked his butt before the beginning of the first test was beaten by amateur sound nins. Sound nins that he had been able to defeat. Were those sound ninjas that strong?

"Sakura-san…"

He remembered being blinked out of his thoughts by the taijutsu boy's voice calling out to his teammate standing next to him. She had looked down at his crouching figure, her face had an innocent and surprised look. He, too, had looked down at the hunched and bruised boy. The older boy was quite talkative even with depleting chakra. The taijutsu boy would need a lot of rest to regain energy. He didn't need his Sharingan to see that.

"The leaf lotus blooms twice…"

He remembered being slightly puzzled by the taijutsu boy's words. The pink haired kunoichi was baffled as well. Her face had confusion written all over it, yet she looked very innocent and naïve at the moment. He couldn't find the words to describe the lurch in his chest at the sight of her face. It was a face so sincere, calm, and even cute. A face she had never worn among her own teammates. She often held looks of anger or frustration around Naruto, and looks of admiration or hurt around him. But at the moment, she had completely forgotten about her infatuation with him and her frustration with Naruto. She looked at the taijutsu boy with such an innocent face, puzzled by his words, yet captivated at the same time.

He remembered feeling an unfamiliar emotion rise up in him. Completely directed towards the taijutsu specialist. He didn't try to figure out the emotion, at the time, because, in truth, he already knew what it was. He remembered how he inwardly scowled at the taijutsu boy for eliciting such a sweet expression from the pink haired kunoichi. He inwardly scowled at the fact that the innocent look was directed towards Lee… rather than at him.

He remembered being jealous for the first time and he remembered still wanting to know what happened to her hair.

"The next time we meet I will be a stronger man… I promise."

He remembered the determined look in the taijutsu boy's face. One eye was slightly closed and swollen; bruises and cuts covered his cheeks. Yet, the smile on the Lee's face had made him look at the boy in a new angle. He almost felt admiration bubble up in him, over the jealousy, for the injured taijutsu specialist. Almost.

"…Yeah!"

He remembered the sincere smile she gave. He had wanted to glare at the older boy, but couldn't for some reason. Was it because he wanted the smile to be directed to him, but didn't do anything to deserve it? Was it because he didn't want to care? He didn't know. All he remembered was that he watched on in silence. Her face was proud and honestly happy.

He had always seen her as a person who cared more about her looks than her training. He had always seen her as a girl who had no motivation whatsoever.

The girl who had chased him ever since he could remember, the girl who had kept her hair long because of him, and the girl who broke up with her best friend because of a crush… that was the past Haruno Sakura.

After, in his eyes, she was the girl who pushed herself to become equal to him and Naruto, the girl who could punch a lot harder than people would think, and, most importantly, a girl he had somehow ended up caring for.

But he remembered changing his mind about her that day.

He remembered knowing that that day was the day she had begun earning his respect, his trust, and… his heart. And every now and then, he still wondered what had happened while he was unconscious, and what had happened to her once long pink hair. But, as the years pass he grew less and less interested in finding out what happened that day. His concern about what he missed while he was unconscious that day, no longer bothered him. He never, once, wished to visit that day and see what had happened.

Just remembering was good enough.


end