Ch.1 Reminiscing

Eighteen year old Sakura closed her eyes. She concentrated with all her power. Slowly ribbons of memory began to weave through her mind. First came the team 7 picture. Then the so many times that she and Naruto had greeted Kakashi with the "your late sensei" routine. The lame excuses he had tried to pull over them. Sasuke, giving a smirk as once again he had come out champion over Naruto during a spar. Then faster and faster the memories came. No longer just happy. The cruel night Sasuke had left the Hidden village. The time Gaara had hurt Lee so badly during the Chunin exams. How Lee had recovered from his fatal wound on inner strength alone. The day she had declared herself and Ino rivals. Sakura felt tiny droplets run down her cheeks. She heard Tsunade "Focus Sakura, think of the good. Negative thoughts will only weaken it." the hokage called.

"HAPPY THOUGHTS GIRL!" came Inner Sakura. She was right. This was a chance she couldn't risk losing. Tsunade-sama had finally agreed to teach her the powerful plant control jutsu after 3 weeks of restless and shameless nagging and whining on Sakura's part. If she messed up now Tsunade might think she was not strong enough to handle such difficult techniques. She couldn't let that happen. She had been in the shadow of her comrades for to long. She refused to be the laughingstock of her teammates. But also maybe she would no longer be ignored. Her parents thought she was a useless little thing, not worth their time. Her teammates saw her as the friend who needed to always be protected. Her sensei thought she was the girl of the team. That she would never be as promising as his two protégés and wasn't worth his time. She was going to make a name for herself and then people would notice her. Sasuke had returned but this wasn't for him. He was a pretty face that hid a heart of ice. Now the just talked and sparred. They weren't even really friends, just old teammates. Beside he was a monster. No if she gained power it would be to make the rest of the world acknowledge her. He no longer mattered.

Sakura suddenly realized that she knew just the memory to use. It was so happy that the chakra would flow easily enough for her to master the justu. The pink haired woman focused on the joy that had filled her heart as she had watched the two figures stagger over the horizon from the gates of Kohona. She had run towards them with eyes leaking like a hose. Naruto and Sasuke were back. Her boys were home.

Keeping her eyes closed, the pink haired konouchi raised her hands and performed the signs perfectly. Then she thrust them above her head, palms up and flat. She proceeded to slam her hands together in front of her stomach. But as she did so thoughts kept flooding her mind. Sasuke glaring at her, repeatedly telling her she was annoying, turningherdown, callingherweak, turninghisbackonherfrowningather. Faster and faster the painful overpowered the happy memories. Then her hands slammed together and things went wrong. Her teacher had told her that if she did everything correctly she should begin to sense the nature around her. But all she felt was a strange hollowness and then suddenly it felt as if every cell was on fire and millions of bolts of electricity were being forced into her. She couldn't open her eyes. She heard herself let out a piercing scream that could only come from one who had spent an eternity in hell. Sakura found the world fading out and finally Sakura left the realm of the conscious.

Sasuke glared at Naruto panting heavily. Naruto, even though he was panting also, grinned back. "Gotten weak, ne Sasuke?"

"Shut up dobe. I'm doing damn well considering your using the Kuyubi's chakra." Naruto's face gained an embarrassed expression.

" Heh, busted. But its not like I haven't beaten you before or anything!" Naruto's expression quickly became smug. " I could beat you anyday, even without this dumb demon!"

A chuckle was heard from the tree above them and both boys spared a glance at the silvered haired masked man sitting comfortably on a high branch, his back to the trunk of the tree.

"Will you ever learn, Naruto?"

" Shut up sensei, I've beaten this bastard before." Naruto snapped.

"Yes but that was only because you backed up your attacks with strong emotion. In a "Friendly" spar you and Sasuke are still about even." Their teacher rebutted. "Take a break now."

Both boys nodded and walked over to the shade of another tree to cool off. Naruto began babbling away and Sasuke just tuned him out and began to reminisce.

He, Naruto, and Sakura (who was not with them today because she was training with Tsunade) were all 18 now and Chunin. Sakura had just barely passed and she had only taken it so they could stay together. Sasuke had come back about 5 years ago but for about a year after Naruto had dragged his sorry ass back here he had been in the hospital for mental trauma. Then he had been under house arrest for about 7 months. He had finally been allowed to live his life again but even then he had sensed he was being watched. The Hokage was not taking any chances. About a year ago he had sensed less and less surveillance and now he was finally felt he had been accepted as no longer a threat. He and his friends had chosen to forget the past and move on with their lives. But the memories remained.

Sakura had begun to respect his wishes for her to stopped trying to grab his attention. However he suspected she was just afraid of him because he had done such horrible things. Even so she still stopped by when he was in the hospital and often came to his house to spar and talk. It appeared she had decided to take the ninja way of life seriously. Naruto had teased him and spared with him and gotten him into pointless arguments to keep him occupied. And Kakashi, well he just sat back and watched sometimes providing him with information of what had gone on while he was gone. Kakashi was the only one who Sasuke could have an intellectual conversation with.

Out of nowhere a large dog and his owner raced by, leaping over Sasuke and obliterating his train of thought. He lept up and doged as a swarm of insects followed close behind. Shino followed his bugs. Around Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi had pulled out of the way as well. Sasuke realized that they were not the only team training in the area, but generally they didn't intercept like this. Clearly, the running boys had a lot more attention on their pursuer than their surroundings.

Naruto, leaping out of the way of a stray beatle, crashed into said pursuer…Hinata and Naruto hit the ground in a tangle. Naruto had wrappen himself arounf Hinata to cushion the blow. Groaning, Hinata glanced up at the obstacle/saviour, and turned an inhuman shade of pink. Naruto just grinned down at her from the crouch he had risen into. Kakashi could swear the boy looked a little pink himself.

"S-s-sorry, Naruto-kun" Hinata mumbled, getting up. Her long dark hair was dishevled. Naruto kept a hand resting on her back.

"No problem! Glad I caught you. Are you okay?!"

"Y-yes thank ! You've got a cut Naruto-kun!" She gently reached out to brush a tear in his upper sleeve.

Hinata couldn't believe how little the young man though about himself when other's where around. He was so wonderful! Such a good ramen chef too, she thought with a mental giggle. Hinata had a very precious memory from fairly recently. It involved both of these traits.

She had been training late into the evening by herself. Neji had not been pleased with her effort in a spar that day, and in a way the extra training was punishment. Staggering along the road as the sun began to set she met with Naruto. He was entering his home with groceries. Seeing her state he had rushed up.

"Hinata, come inside! You're worn out!"

"N-no. It's fine Naruto-kun! Thank you though."

"No. Please come in. Have some dinner with me. I want to make sure you get home safe and fed!"

"You cook?" She was genuinly surprised.

"Just ramen."He replied with a chuckle and a head scratch. Hinata decide that made much more sense. She also decided that Naruto looked very cute with that little smile on his face.

Tugging her wrist he had led her into the house. The ramen he served was well prepared and he kept her giggling well into the night. Amazed at the passed time he walked her to her door without mishap, and dissapeared back into the night.

Back int the training are, an angery bug chirped for her attention.

" Sorry, I'm coming, tell Shino." She told it. It sped away to report, and Hinata pulled away wit a "Bye Naruto-kun!" to resume the chase.

Kakashi and Sasuke shared a glance as Naruto gazed after her.

Suddenly a piercing scream loosely resembling a million dying souls burst through his thoughts and his head snapped up. Sasuke immediately zoned in on the direction from which the scream came and he and his companions jumped to their feet and flew in that direction.