Four years. Four years since Naruto had become Hokage, four years since Sasuke had finally returned to the village, and it had been four long years since she had left all that she had ever known. It was nearly impossible for her to believe she had spent any time away from this place, her home, at all. Yet, there was a difference. Still the same place with the hustle and bustle of konoha's many streets, streets with long forgotten destinations. There were the same buildings and shops that she had never realized she had missed until she passed them by. Not until she felt the strings of her heart tug in remembrance. Everything was the same. So what was causing her to feel so out of place? Wasn't it the same village it had been four years ago? Weren't these the same people whom she had once been well acquainted with? Sakura's heart said yes, but her head said no. she could see as she passed by that Ino no longer worked at her parents flower shop and instead a mousy girl, who couldn't be any more than twelve, stood behind the Yamanaka's counter. The small ramen cart that had been run by Teuchi now stood abandoned, left by the daughter who could no longer bear the burden of her father's memory. It was a skeletal reminder that the life she knew was gone, and it would never be the same. Was there still hope for her? Maybe, if she could only remember what she once had. There was Naruto, he had always been a source of happiness for her. Though even he hadn't been able to forgive her.

"I hate remembering."

"Huh?"

Naruto had spoken. He was so still it was hard to tell that he had said anything, but by the way he stared so intently at the Ichiraku stand she could tell, just by the look on his face. Sakura decided to press this issue.

"What do you mean?"

Naruto didn't even turn to look at her but the answer he gave was as if he was staring her straight in the eye.

"I mean what I said. What good comes from it? I can't go back to the past can I?"

Sakura could feel the ice rush to her heart and time seemed to stand still. Could Naruto possibly be talking about her? Naruto's frame looked unnaturally motionless, though she was able to see the small quivers that racked his frame. Like tiny tremors these quakes went unnoticed by the naked eye. To her eye however Naruto was quite visibly shaken. Sakura laid what she hoped was a soothing hand on Naruto's shoulder, only to feel him flinch beneath the added weight. She too hated memories. If only because he was no longer the blonde boy of her childhood.

"Do you know why this stand is empty, Sakura?"

Her silence allowed him to continue.

"The stand is empty because as soon as Teuchi died Ayame left the village. She couldn't take working her father's shop without him. I don't blame her though, I understand her. I now what she went through. The way he smiled, is a memory. All of the people who came to him seeking advice. Another memory. Even the smell of the food he dedicated himself to and taught her to love, she began to hate. Can you imagine what it was like to smell ramen and know that it wasn't her father who had made it? All she wanted was to forget the pain. That's what I mean."

Naruto's voice had risen with painfully full of emotion. This had nothing to do with Ayame at all. This was completely about him. The pain she had caused him. As Naruto turned and continued to make his way to the Hokage's mansion. Sakura followed. She wanted to forget too. He couldn't even begin to realize how badly she yearned to go a single day without her memory. And as she followed him, the past followed her.

The climb to the top of the Hokage's mansion was seemingly endless. With each step Sakura took upward she was slowly coming to realize how severe this was. The sorrowful girl trying to forget the past was gone now. And in her place was was a scared kunoichi. She was considered a rogue ninja, a traitor. Not to mention the way that she had dispatched all of the Anbu teams Naruto had sent to ensure her return. She had ignored a direct order of the Hokage. Ninjas died for things like that. Surely Naruto's duties as the Hokage of Konaha outweighed their friendship, or what was left of it anyway. Suddenly the door she was once so familiar with was not far enough away. How long had it been since she'd been there, been with him? Or better yet, how long would it take to create a suitable distraction? Not as long as it would take for him to open his door or turn around to find her missing again. Sakura's brain was unable to interpret the emotions her heart was feeling. In the blink of an eye she could see in her mind's eye the happy days she had spent here. She had always enjoyed visiting Tsunade. It made her wonder if she had stayed what kind of memories would she have had with Naruto? The pinkette took a long hard look towards the door, ready to make her escape. And then a thought clicked. She did visit Naruto in his office once. The night she had left Konoha. She didn't want that to be the last time she saw it. She wouldn't run away.

"Going in Sakura?"

The sound of Naruto's voice startled sakura out of her thoughts and she realized he was holding the door open for her. He was also looking at her again. That alone told her that she had made the right choice. No matter what awaited her inside she was sure she could face it if he continued to look at her.

"Yeah, I guess I am."

The Hokage's office was exactly as she had remembered it. The same window that had often served as a perch for Kakashi, the wall lined with portraits of Hokages from one to six, the same desk forever cursed with the burden of piles of documents and scrolls to be read, but there was something different. In the center of the floor sat a small child, of no more than one. He had been contentedly enjoying an invigorating game of catch the fly before he had been interrupted. Now he sat with is eyes wide open, staring intently at this new person. Sakura's reaction to Daisuke, however, was slightly less surprised. There was little doubt who this child's father was. It was more surprising how much she had expected this from him. After all who wouldn't have expected that the first thing Sasuke did upon his return to the village was produce an heir. Not her, she wasn't so naive. Not like she used to be. Before her mind could be flooded with bitterness, Sakura knelt down to the baby's height and studied him. As She watched the small boy she reached out to touch him. He wasn't a dream. Her senses gradually took in everything it could. Her fingers told her that his hair was soft and his young skin, smooth. Her sense of smell told her of the way his breath smelled like milk and his body smelled clean. Her eyes showed her that this person had milky eyes instead of black, and as he allowed her to touch him her heart told her that this was not Sasuke. No matter what he looked like. Naruto's voice, for the second time that day brought her back to reality as she began to drift away. Was he doing this on purpose?

"His name is Daisuke in case you were wondering."

Naruto's eyes attempted to be serious, but the fondness in his smile gave him away.

"Well whatever his name is, he's adorable and exactly the type of thing we medics live for."

It was apparent that Sakura's statement had puzzled him, and his eyebrows knit together when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Medics, live for babies?"

This was a typical Naruto question and Sakura could feel her heart beat speed up in the familiarity of old times. Old times. The thought of all of Sakura's memories now being "old times" quelled her heart beat. They weren't those people anymore. There was no point in trying to make things as they once were.

"Well, I mean, treating wounds feels great and all, but truly what a medic becomes a medic for is life. Bringing in new life, and saving old life. But always life."

Never before would Sakura have felt that Naruto's gaze could bring a blush to her face, but now as she stood before him and he watched her with such a look of fascination that soon she noticed her cheeks felt abnormally hot. She gulped, suddenly nervous.

"Wow Sakura I guess I never really knew you at all."

It wasn't until after these words had sprung forth that Sakura realized what Naruto had just said. Never really knew her? It was an odd feeling to know where she stood with him and then find that she didn't like where she stood at all. It was too late though and both the Hokage and the rogue ninja were quiet. Each distracted by there own thoughts. Eager to end the silence, and the newly discovered disappointed feeling settling in her gut, Sakura drew away from Daisuke and seated herself in a chair.

"Ok Naruto I'm ready. Give it to me."

Sakura found no joy in what she had said and yet here Naruto was finding it hard to hide a smile? Where had the stiff and serious man gone? The change in him had been like night and day. As if just being in the same room as Daisuke had opened up the heart he'd closed to her.

"Give what to you?"

"My punishment. I know that I am a defector and I know that I disobeyed a direct order from the Hok- you."

"Sakura, I've lost too many people that I've cared about. When you left. I thought that I hated you. I thought that you had done it on purpose, waiting til I became Hokage because you knew I couldn't chase you. If I had my way You would never have made it out of Fire country. As it is, you made your own choices. And now I will make mine."

He was quiet for a moment. Gazing at Daisuke in thought.

"I want you to come live with in me in order to watch over and protect Daisuke. I fear that he will soon be in danger and I simply am unable to be with him and be Hokage all at once. As of now I am his only guardian. If you will do this for me, I will not punish you for your crimes."

"But Naruto. What kind of danger could a one year old possibly come under? I don't understand. Why are you raising Sasuke's child? Where is he?" .

"This is not about Sasuke. It's about Daisuke. And right now he needs you... I need you too. You know that I would't ask if this wasn't important to me. If he wasn't important to me. You have till the end of the day to make your decision.

Daisuke began to fuss and Naruto turned on his heel towards the baby. No hesitation. It came naturally. As if he was his own son.

A/N: The plot thickens... Mwahaha, *chokes and coughs* Please review.