A/N: Okay... This is an old one... Probably one of the first fics I've ever wrote in third person and it was during the time I started to think more about what happened to those who staid at the village during the three years Naruto and Sasuke were away... I'm sure Sakura had to train a lot, and I know her feelings for her teammates brought her some sad moments sometimes too... It's something that once crossed my mind and I hope you all enjoy it! Also, I tried my best to correct some mistakes, but I'm sure there are a lot more in the middle of these words. The story was not reviewed by my betas, so take it easy on the rude comments, okay? Try to have fun while reading it!

And please, leave me Reviews!

You only realize how long it's been when the memories start to fade. That is the moment when all of the things that used to be simple, start taking precious hours away as you try to remember them. If you forget, then no one will ever remember. And if no one remembers, then they will be gone forever.

During those three years dedicated to surpassing their old-selves, the team 7 didn't realize how hard it had gotten to get used to the idea of never meeting at the bridge again. All of them suffered on their own way, but only one of them was obligated to see that empty place every day. Only one of them couldn't ruin away from the memories of their glorious days.

The pink haired medic in training was the only one left behind with the solid memories of the old days. She had to make her way pass that bridge every day in order to meet her new master. Her taijutsu training was set on the training grounds 3, and she would even have lunch at Ichiraku after long hours of studying. Her routine was almost the same, but there was one thing that drastically changed it.

They wouldn't be there by her side. They wouldn't be there for her anymore.

Just their shadows would.

Still, with so many things surrounding the pinkette, something awkward started to happen. Slowly, she started to forget about how life with them was like. She just couldn't remember the little things anymore.

Haruno Sakura started to forget about her beloved teammates.

The first time she realized what was happening, she was with the Hokage and they needed a description of the sharingan heir for the missing records. Her heart would ache every time the memory of a lonely boy running towards the darkness hit her mind, and seeing those files with his name was just too much for her to handle. It felt as if she was turning him into a missing nin. It felt like she was betraying the love of her life and all of the words they have ever exchanged.

She was betraying his last words.

And that's why she took so long to finally help the Godaime. Sakura didn't want to be a traitor, but eventually, she realized that helping her master would also help him staying alive.

" Okay Sakura. I need you to describe Sasuke for me."

"Hai, shishou…" She took a deep breath, sighing afterwards. " He's taller than me. Raven hair, deep, dark eyes that can easily turn into red ones... There is also the Uchiha fan on the back of his shirt…"

The blonde woman nodded as her assistant wrote all the necessary information. She had done quite well, Tsunade thought considering the tabu involving Uchiha Sasuke in her apprentice's life. She was proud of the Haruno girl, but then, on the last question, something strange happened with Sakura. Something hit her and made her realize something she would have never imagined before. With that one last question, the pink haired girl finally realized how things were definitely not okay.

" One more question, Sakura… We also know that Sasuke has the curse mark on his neck. In which side is it?"

" The curse mark? Well it's on the... the... Gosh I know it…" She swallowed dry, feeling her heartbeats getting faster. " Right side?"

The insecurity in the pinkette's voice made the assistant stop writing and look at the Godaime. It was clear to everyone that Sakura wasn't 100% sure of that answer and that answer was incredibly important. She couldn't write something that wasn't true, right?

" Are you sure? I've always thought it was on the left…" The assistant said, looking straight at the pinkette.

" Yes." The Godaime started, also eyeing her student. " it was definitely on the left... I remember it from when he was trapped in that genjutsu."

Suddenly a shiver passed through the rosette's spine and a glimpse of her memory returned to show his hand reaching to the left side of his neck. She had made a mistake. Small for many but huge for her.

—

The week that followed such unexplainable lack of attention from Sakura's part, showed a girl decided to make a list of the Uchiha's characteristics. Sakura thought that if she wrote them down before going to bed she wouldn't forget anymore, but every time she tried to add something, his face seemed more distant.

He seemed to slip even further into the darkness of the oblivion.

" Damn it! Why is this happening?"

The girl took the frame with the team photo and directed her emerald eyes to the Uchiha. Such a handsome boy with a great future around the village, and for what?

Nothing.

" Sasuke... Hn, you really are a genius…"

The pinkette threw her tired body on her bed and fell asleep quickly thanks to the exhaustion caused by her training routine. For she had recently started to suffer from insomnia, the exhaustion was the best medicine, and after some minutes, she was already dreaming, or better saying, having nightmares.

She could see herself in between her two team mates and their sensei. They were kids once again and the photographer was already prepared for the photography. Her long hair was shining and her smile was evident on her face.

It certainly felt good living that moment again…

And so, the counting started.

3

Naruto was bragging about how he could easily beat Sasuke.

2

Sasuke was starting to fall for Naruto's stupid try to annoy him.

1

Kakashi placed both hands on the boys' heads, and Sakura closed her eyes in a smile. It was all perfect again, but when she opened her eyes, she saw what had happened.

After the flash of light thrown at their eyes, the female member of the team 7 opened her emeralds just to find herself alone and wearing her older clothes. No one was around her anymore. The trees were no longer filled with leaves and an old man slowly approached her.

" Here is your photo. I hope you like it."

Sakura aimed her eyes at the picture, just to find her old and classic team photo with blurred faces instead of her friends ones. It wasn't possible to identify the ones by her side. They were just a mix of colors poorly staining the picture.

They would soon fade away.

And without them, she was alone.

As her soaked eyes slowly opened to find the reality, Sakura got up in a rush and accidentally hit her hand on her nightstand that contained the photo. The picture was shattered on the floor, and the broken glass had made her hand bleed a little. Soon, the drops of blood fell on her sheets, and right after them, her tears were painfully soaking her clothes.

Why was that happening to her?

The kunoichi quickly stood up and changed her clothes. She tripped some times, but still managed to step out of her small apartment.

She had to get out of there.

Maybe some fresh air or even eating something would be good for her, she thought.

And that was when she made her second mistake. But that also where she found her answers.

—

The pinkette, as if by impulse, went to the only restaurant in the village that will always serve a good food, not mattering how late it is. She went to the one restaurant that will forever be in her memory, and according to her teammate, the one restaurant with the best ramen in the world.

Sakura went to the Ichiraku ramen shop, a place filled with good food, and a lot of good memories. And those were the kind of memories she needed at the moment.

They would bring the old days back. Or that was what she wanted them to do.

" Hey Teuchi-san! I'm hungry today!"

" Oh Sakura! It's good to see you! What are you ordering today?"

" uhm... Bring me that idiot's favorite! The... The…"

Her smiling face suddenly faded.

It was happening again, she thought. She was forgetting about them again, but this time it was Naruto's favorite dish.

How could she have forgotten? He ordered that basically every day!

There was something really wrong happening to her, and for a reason she did not knew, Sakura was afraid of it.

She was afraid of forgetting. Afraid of how her memory was simply letting them go.

She was afraid of loosing them forever. And as soon as she realized that, something inside her mind just told her to run.

Run from the restaurant. Run to her house. Run after her boys.

But before she could excuse herself, a voice cut through the silence that had been stablished. A voice that had been long lost in the path of life.

" Miso. Make it two Teuchi."

" ... K-Kakashi-sensei!?" Her eyes widened, as her lips were left parted in awe.

" Kakashi! Wow! It's really good to have you both here! I'll be back in a minute."

The owner of the ramen shop excused himself, and left student and teacher alone so they could talk.

And they surely had many things to talk about after the world destroyed their team.

Sakura was still in silence as she couldn't still forgive herself for forgetting about her team mates. Her eyes were looking at the restaurant table, as her fingers were playing with the chopsticks, almost breaking them in anger. It was clear that she was losing her mind over the latest traumas.

She was about to collapse in her thoughts, and her sensei was completely aware of that.

Kakashi had to help her. As her mentor, he was the only one who could.

" So, are you going to tell me why you're sad and why the team photo was broken?"

So he was at her house, after all…

" ... I don't really want to, Kakashi-sensei…"

" Well... Then I'll just enjoy my lunch with my dear student!"

Sakura sighed. She couldn't keep that from him. He was as involved in that as she was, and if there was one person in that entire village that could offer her some comfort, this person was Hatake Kakashi, the copycat ninja.

The jounin responsible for the team 7.

" Kakashi-sensei... Have you... Forgotten about your team mates?"

At last, she let the reason behind her fears out. She was finally opening up, he thought. And after that declaration, he already knew how to help her.

The masked man placed his hand on her head in a kind way, caressing her pink locks. He had a smile under his mask as his eyes were showing a tender side of the gray haired ninja.

" I haven't ... And you won't either… Don't worry your little head about it, okay? You know... I've never told you much about my old team, have I?"

Her emeralds turned to him and her curiosity blossomed. It was true, she had never heard about his past. Maybe that was a good opportunity for them to create a bond that can only be shared by teacher and student.

The pinkette showed him interest and the wise sensei continued.

" My sensei was an incredible man. He was fair and he was always trying to take care of us like we were a part of his family... Maybe that was why we all got so happy when his wife got pregnant... He deserved to be happy…"

"A baby? And is this child still alive, sensei? Do you know where he or she is?"

" It's a boy… Yes, he's still alive, and right now… Let's just say he's on a very important mission outside the village."

" Oh… I get it. Will you introduce me to him someday? The son of the Fourth… I'm impressed I don't know him yet."

" I'm sure you're going to like him…"

"Hn. I hope so."

" Well, and there was also my friend, Uchiha Obito. He was just like Naruto… Always late and with no commitment with the team... We used to fight all the time, especially because he couldn't use his sharingan! Can you imagine that? An Uchiha without a sharingan?"

Sakura let out a small chuckle at the thought. An image of a grumpy Sasuke failing to use his bloody heritage certainly brought her mood up a bit. She remembered how happy he got when the second tomoe appeared on his eyes. He really wanted to fight against Naruto to prove his superiority after that. And she was more than excited to cheer for her beloved Sasuke-kun.

Kakashi, then, continued his story. He knew he had brought her a good memory of the old days, and he was certain that her heart was also a lot warmer after that.

" Obito and I were great friends... Just like Sasuke and Naruto... fighting was a way of proving our friendship…"

" What happened to him, Kakashi-sensei?"

" He... He became the hero he was supposed to be... He died protecting us…"

" Oh... I'm sorry, sensei…"

Kakashi shook his hand in front of his face in order to show her that everything was fine. It had been a long time already, and he was also an adult, so the 't really have to apologize for anything. Still, Sakura couldn't help but feeling guilty. Those were his memories, after all.

Those were his friends.

" Well, there was also Nohara Rin... She was the kindest girl I've ever met. She was always worried about us, and her medical skills were really good. Obito loved her and he made me promise to take care of her... She reminds me of you, Sakura... Always worrying about us and trying hard to take care of your team mates... I see a lot of her in you, but I know you can surpass Rin."

Sakura's cheeks suddenly warmed up. It was the first time that her sensei had been so nice to her. He was showing her a side of him that not even Gai knew. Maybe she really was a special student.

Without Sakura realizing, Kakashi started talking once again.

" Sakura... I told you all of this because I know you won't ever forget them. Just like I've never forgotten my old team mates, you won't ever forget those two. They're still going to come back and we will all see them fighting again. Believe me…"

A smile crossed her lips, as her chest seemed to be a lot lighter than before. The truth in his words were powerful enough to sooth her worrying heart, and for being her sensei, Kakashi's advices held a great importance in her heart.

He really is an amazing sensei.

" Thank you, Kakashi-sensei... Thank you very much... I-I was afraid of forgetting... And I don't want to... I can't let them go so easily... You guys are my family, and I love all of you... I can't lose you…"

The copy ninja felt good for having helped his beloved student. He had always had a special care for Sakura, even if he never really showed her. For him, she has always been an unique ninja. Maybe it was because of the way she tried hard to keep up with Sasuke and Naruto, or even because she still held that beautiful youth that Konoha loved so much.

Yes, probably because of that.

The Ichiraku owner, then, finally returned with their orders. Two miso ramens, as the Uzumaki boy loved. It was finally lunch time.

Both of them thanked for the food, and started to eat the ramen in their bowls. The girl was feeling so much better that she didn't even try to see his face under the mask like when they were kids. Peace ruled her heart once again, and all of their memories together started to re-appear on her mind. Memories of all of them together, fighting, smiling and laughing as a true team should be.

Her precious memories were now visible in the middle of her clouded thoughts, and it was all because of the wise words of her jounin mentor. They were certainly a good duo.

Student and teacher.

Both of them eating, laughing and waiting.

Waiting for the time to retrocede.

Waiting for their boys to return.

And someday, they would.

" Kakashi-sensei... I bet your sensei was good, but I know you're better. You're the best and the strongest sensei of all, SHANNAROU!"