Memories of a Forgotten Past

Chapter 1

AN: Just cleaning up some spelling and grammar errors. I don't have a beta so they're bound to occur.


unfulfilled

The rain matched the beat of her sandaled feet. She could feel every slap of her kunai pouch hitting her thigh as she jumped from branch to branch. Her breath was raspy; lungs burning from every mouthful of air. She was neither the champion of stamina, nor the frontrunner of speed, but today she would be. The life of somebody important rested on her shoulders.

His dead weight pressed heavily on her back; a struggled breath blew against her ear while his blistered arms lay limp across her chest making his legs feel like dead weight in her arms. The blood soaking into her shirt only acted as a reminder to her of what this man had done for her. She thought over all the countless times he saved her, and today she would save him. Whether the enemy nin catching up to her liked it or not. New resolve entered her eyes. Her legs suddenly beat harder against the tree branches. She loved this man too damn much to give up on him now.


"Wow Sakura-chan this place is way nicer than mine!" Sakura could only sigh as her loud and boisterous blonde friend's voice echoed across her new brand new apartment. Well, old brand new apart, the apartment was over thirty years old situated in a very old geezer part of town; she had already gotten some nasty disapproving looks from her elderly neighbours. A small giggle escaped her mouth; Kakashi-sensei only lives two blocks away.

Speaking of her irritably late sensei, he had yet to show his masked face at her moving in party. He better have a good excuse he lives so damn close! "Eh forehead if you keep frowning like that you're going to get wrinkles on that billboard of yours." Sakura turned around only to be greeted by a grin of her best friend and eternal rival carrying her love seat sofa with the help of a bemused Shikamaru.

"Shut it Pig!" Ignoring Ino she could barely contain another sigh as she spotted Naruto set down a box clearly labelled "kitchen" in her bathroom. She loved her blonde friend to death but sometimes his occasional dim-wittedness still hurt her brain. "Ugly." Sakura's left eye only twitched slightly at the familiar nickname. Turning towards her bedroom to where Sai's voice had come from, she moved to the entrance. Sai rouse from an open box, and stood in front of Sakura with a very curious look on his normally blank face, he held out his hand expectantly. "Could you possibly tell me what the purpose of this odd piece of fabric is?" Sakura's face went as red as the familiar lacy fabric held in his hand. "Sai, why the hell are you going through my things!?" Snatching her favourite pair of panties from his hand, she smacked him to the floor.

The door bell rang just as Sakura was strangling the confused look off her oblivious friend's face. Unclenching her hands around Sai's neck, Sakura quickly shoved her panties in her vest pocket, turned around, and walked towards her door.

There, standing near her door frame rubbing the back of his neck was her smut reading ex-sensei. Naruto seemed to already gotten the jump on berating his tardiness. The occupants of the room all stopped unpacking to watch the scene unfold "Kakashi-sensei you do realize that you're three hours late!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Yeah Sensei, you better have a good excuse for showing up after everything has actually been moved in." Sakura added, while poking a finger into his vest; she couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of it. Before Kakashi could give one of his trade mark excuses, the person who had been silently watching the scene finally decided to make his presence known.

"It was my fault he was late." His cold uncaring voice wiped the smile from Sakura's face.

"Oh... Hi Sasuke-kun."

"Eh, teme what are you doing with Kakashi?" Naruto bellowed, a scowl forming on his whiskered faced.

"I was sparring with him, dobe" Sasuke's return was still the hot topis even if it had been a year since Naruto, Kakashi, and Sakura had dragged him back home half dead. Naruto and Sasuke practically killed each other for the second time. Their bond had returned to as it had been before Sasuke left, but Sakura had found it hard to act around him. She couldn't deny that a part of her was still immensely in love with him, but since his return the tiny connection between them as kids couldn't have been more non-existent.

Plastering an amiable smile on her face, Sakura ushered both of them in. Naruto immediate wrapped his arm around Sasuke's shoulder and dragged him into the kitchen, mumbling something about making him a drink. Sakura watched them briefly before turning towards her old sensei. "Well since you're so late Kakashi-sensei I'm volunteering you to put together my bed." The mischievous smile on her face disappeared when she noticed the strange look on his face. Even with his mask on it was hard to ignore the solemn look that his visible eye emitted, as he gazed over her apartment. Sensing his discomfort, Sakura laid her hand on his arm. "Kakashi are you alright?" Her voice startled him suddenly. Kakashi turned towards Sakura and immediately put on his signature eye crease.

"What about your bed Sakura?" Frowning softly, Sakura ushered him towards her bedroom all the while glancing at his indifferent masked face.

________

"Are you sure you're going to be okay on your first night alone Sakura-chan?" Naruto drunken slurr caused Sakura to roll her eyes.

"Yes Naruto."

"Because if you want Sakura-chan I'd be more than happy to spend the night with you." A large grin spread across his fox-like face, as he wiggled his eyes up and down. Her fist on his head was her only response.

"Don't be stupid dobe." Sasuke's voice echoed from her hallway. Rubbing his head and smiling Naruto stumbled through her door to join Sasuke. Waving slightly, Sakura shut the door behind them, and leaned against her door. A small smile formed on her lips as she glanced around her perfect ideal first apartment.

It had quite the modest looking kitchen which was directly attached to a fairly sizeable living room. Her bathroom was located one hallway down next to her bedroom, and at the end of the hallway was a fairly large storage closet. She could already picture where to put everything.

Now, to see a man about a bed. Dodging a couple boxes and misplaced furniture, Sakura moved towards her bedroom door. It was about 10:00 a clock and Kakashi had still not left her room. A man of a thousands jutsu beaten by one queen sized bed. Rolling her eyes Sakura stepped into her bedroom only to stop at the door. Kakashi was sitting on her newly put together bed in the middle of her bedroom with the same look he had on his face earlier. Grimacing, the medic part of Sakura pushed her to slowly approach him and place a hand on visible and pale cheek. He doesn't feel warm.

"Are you feeling okay Kakash-sensei?" Shrugging her hand off, he got up and made his way towards her bedroom door. Turning around he placed his hand on the back of his head and gave her a familiar eyes crease again.

"I feel fine Sakura. Just used too much chakra while sparring with Sasuke. Congrats on the new place." Before she could retort, he gave a weak good bye and was gone before she could blink twice.

Well that was weird. Yawning softly, making a mental note to reflect on Kakashi's behaviour later, Sakura looked around her room to find the box of her bed sheets. She'd do some more unpacking tomorrow, but for now she was going to saviour her new independence.