Note: Sorry about posting the wrong chapter. They were right next to each other and named chapter 4...

Naruto got up much earlier than he normally did. Our rather, he couldn't sleep in at all. Worry clouded all his thoughts. Why did he always end up caring for strangers so much?

He sneezed and wiped his nose in annoyance.

He'd make a special allowance for Shina. He was just a kid, and not even a bratty one. He wondered if Sakura would have even let the child stay if Shina caused too much of a fuss.

When he reached the Hokage Tower, he nodded respectfully to some of the secretaries and continued on toward Kakashi's office. He hoped Kakashi would be there so early in the morning. For once, he lucked out. Kakashi had just entered his office with fresh coffee in hand when Naruto caught his eye.

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi winced and sighed, staring off into space with a bored expression. "Do you need to be so loud in the morning?" Naruto shrugged unapologetically.

"Sensei, I got a problem on my hands and I need some help."

"Not for the first time." Kakashi entered his office and Naruto followed quickly behind. "Make an appointment." Kakashi sat in his chair behind the desk as Naruto stubbornly plopped in a seat across from him. Getting Naruto out if his office would be no easy task. Kakashi sighed again, leaning back into his seat.

"What do-"

"So there's this kid found outside the village unconscious. He has a small concussion and memory loss. He's not in the records at the hospital either. So, I volunteered to help him get home or find his parents with no luck."

Kakashi stared at Naruto boredly. As usual, Naruto wrapped himself up in something complicated. In fact, Kakashi concluded Naruto somehow made the situation more complicated than it needed to be.

"And where is the kid now? The hospital?"

"Sakura-chan is looking after him."

"Sakura?" Kakashi blinked. He knew of Naruto and Sakura's deteriorating relationship, but stayed out of it.

"Yeah. She.. is gonna look after him today. We looked for his house for the last two days, but we only found an empty house."

"What house."

Naruto dug into his pocket and pulled out the note with the address.

"... This is the address?"

"Yeah. Nothing inside though. Needed a paint job too." When Kakashi stopped questioning, Naruto grew impatient. "So, what can I do?"

"You sure he said this is his house? "

"He didn't SAY it... but he looked convinced. Either that's his house, or his house is similar."

"This house?" Kakashi asked again as Naruto tapped his foot impatiently.

"What about it?"

Kakashi stared at him expectantly, but turned away when he didn't get the response he wanted.

"What does the kid look like?"

"Blond hair. Green eyes. I think the nurse said he's four."

"I'll let you know if we find anything." Kakashi glanced at the note again, waving Naruto away.

"That's it? What about a search team or an announcement or something?"

"Naruto." Kakashi's tone became serious. Naruto straightened in his seat. "There are plenty of children who go missing or get lost. There are plenty of parents who abandon their children or disappear without a trace. This one... interests me, but I have more urgent things to do."

They sat pensively in silence before Naruto stood.

"You're starting to sound more and more like old man Sandaime."

"You'll understand once you're sitting in my seat."

"Yeah yeah." Naruto turned, waving goodbye over his shoulder. Kakashi rarely caved into his pouting now a days. Maybe he was too old for it to work efficiently.

Kakashi glanced out of the window, watching as Naruto stalked away. He called a secretary into the office, requesting the legal belongings of his late teacher.

It never occurred to him that Naruto wouldn't recognize the home of his own parents.

Darkness covered everything. Branches and leaves scratched and pulled him as he made his way through a dark forest. He wanted nothing more than to find his way out. He wanted to go home.

A dark figured followed him. Stalked him. No matter how fast he ran, the figure followed close behind.

He tripped and fell. And kept falling, and falling, and falling deeper into a bottomless pit. The darkness crawled on him. Squeezed him. Suffocated him.

He sat up, gripping the covers tightly to his chest. Light streamed into the room through the thin curtains. The morning light chased away the dark corners of the room. It brought him little comfort. The house was quiet, but he heard shuffling coming from the hall.

"Mom?" No one answered. Shina crawling out of the blankets and got to his feet, surveying the dim light room. Although the house itself was unfamiliar, there were a few things around that he recognized. A dish sat high up on the bookshelf; a gift from his grandma to her, an 'airloom' his mother explained. He didn't know what that meant.

The orange hand-knitted pillow his father made for her sat on the couch. He remembered his dad telling him a long silly story about how he made it to help his mom sleep at night.

A portrait of his mother and his grandparents hung on the wall. She always looked so upset in the photo. She told him that his grandpa had just finished telling a dumb embarrassing joke.

Familiar objects, familiar people, familiar places… yet his parents didn't know him, neither did the ramen man or the nurse. His house was empty and so many things were simply missing. He wracked his brain, trying to figure out what happened. Is this just a bad dream? He pinched his, but as expected, it kind of hurt.

"Gotcha!" Hands wrapped around his torso, lifting him into the air. He squealed from the sudden invasion. The shuffling from the hall stopped abruptly and footsteps rushed down the hall.

"What's wrong?!" Sakura stepped into the living room anxiously scanning the room. Naruto stood frozen in the center of the room holding Shina to his chest.

Naruto mentioned the similarities she shared with Shina. To her, Naruto and Shina looked like twins, especially at a moment like this. Shina's hair was unkempt from sleep, and Naruto's messy hair remained unkempt. Their eyes were wide and mouths agape, an expression she only saw on Naruto.

Sakura balled up her first, narrowing her eyes at the elder blond.

"What are you doing in my house Naruto?!"

Naruto quickly set the child on the floor, waving his hands defensively.

"S-Sakura-chan, I was just coming to check on Shina!"

"You 'check' on him by scaring him half to death?!" Sakura grabbed Naruto by his jacket and dragged him toward the door.

His mother got angry like this, and his dad would smile just as much as he was now. Shina always wondered why he grinned during a scolding, but he already concluded that his dad kind of likes making her angry. He covered his mouth keep keep his giggles hidden.

Sakura threw Naruto out of the door, slamming it after him. She huffed in frustration.

"Sakuraaaaa," Naruto whined from beyond the door.

"Shina, let's get ready for the day, ok?" Sakura clasps her hands together and smiled, ignoring the commotion outside of the door. She thought maybe the conflict going on so early in the morning might upset him, but Shina only smiled and headed toward the bathroom himself.

They ate breakfast together before they finally left the house. As Sakura locked the door, she felt a tug on her pants. Shina pointed to the floor in front of them. Naruto was still on the floor, curled up with his knees to his chest. He put on the biggest act of childishness she's seen in awhile. Even his lower lip quivered.

"Seriously Naruto." Sakura huffed and picked up the chuckling Shina, stepping over Naruto's body..

"Sakura-chan, please?" He got up from the floor, hesitant to follow. When Sakura swiveled her head and pinned him with a glare, he deflated. She must be upset about night. Or at least about this morning. He put his hands in his pockets, sighing.

When they were far enough, Sakura placed Shina back onto his feet, but protectively held his hand. Shina turned slightly, waving eagerly.

"See ya later!"

Naruto blinked. And blinked again. He freed his hand from his pocket, waving back. Sakura shook her head disapprovingly, but even she seemed to be smiling a bit. A feeling welled up in his chest as they walked away. He felt it before in specific circumstances.

He was content with what he had. His friends were his family, that's what he truly felt. Or so he thought.

Having Shina call him 'dad', sitting at the table with him and Sakura… even watching her tuck Shina into bed. He was fine with what he had… but he wanted more. Not with just anyone. And not with…. her.

Naruto chewed the tip of his thumb anxiously. He slipped back into his old habits more and more. Habits Sakura deemed, 'inappropriate'. She avoided him for months all with the purpose of 'helping' him end their… 'relationship'. How could he express how badly he wanted to stick around and be with her? He could he avoid the guilt every time he remembered he owed Hinata so much? Why didn't he feel this way about her?

Shina was here. Sakura ignored him less. Now she spoke to him, even if they were only about the young boy they stumbled across. He enjoyed pretending things were the way they were before.

What would become of them when Shina finally returned home?

What would happen if… Shina never found his home?

Rustling in the bushes disrupted his train of thought. He only just realized how quiet the area around him became. How did he miss the heavy presence so close to him? There weren't many people who could sneak up on him now a days.

"Who's there?" He questioned.

Naruto tensed when the bushes rustled more. He waited, preparing to pounce or defend himself. When a rabbit hopped out of the bush, he relaxed for a moment. Seeing a rabbit this time of the year seemed normal… but it wasn't the rabbit that created the presence.

He had no doubt about it now. They were definitely his parents, even if they looked and acted a little strange.

His mother held his hand as tightly, she always did when they went out shopping together. Their surroundings had changed a little from what he remembered, yet everything was much the same.

They were his parents… but somehow, they had forgotten about him. Everyone had. They forgot where they lived, and they forgot what Konoha USED to look like. They even forgot that they lived in the same house!

Shina smiled to himself. As long as he remembered, then he had to help them remember too. The only problem he faced was figuring out how to do that...

"Here we are. I've wanted to shop here forever~"

Shina blinked, looking up at the shopping store. The place was familiar to him. After all, he spent hours inside with his mother shopping for clothes now and then.

"We come here alllll the time." Shina corrected.

"Oh, so your parents shop here?"

"Yeah." Shina glanced up toward his mother, determined to stir up some memories. "Remember?"

Sakura frowned. Shina seemed to genuinely mistake them for his parents before… but now she saw certainty in his eyes. She gently pulled him aside, crouching down to meet his eyes.

"Shina… I'm not trying to upset you, but we are not your parents." Sakura waited for some kind of realization to occur, but all she got was a frown. She frowned further. When had his confusion become… stubbornness? "Shin-"

"Excuse me miss, are you a customer?"

Sakura stood, glancing apologetically to the store clerk.

"Yes, sorry." She took Shina's hand again, pulling him into the store, not that he resisted. His problem was temporarily forgotten once her eyes caught the collection of children's clothes. She always wanted to come in and have a look, swooning over the miniature outfits that looked like they fit on a doll. Unfortunately, it was odd to browse a children's store as an adult with no children in the foreseeable future.

Thoughts about family filled her mind as she walked further into the store to the boy's department. She wanted a family. A husband, a child. A house to call their own, she's always had that kind of dream.

'Do you still think that's gonna happen?' Ino teased.

'Of course I do. And I'll do it before you.'

She cringed. Why did she say such stupid things, even as an adult? She berated herself, digging into a rack of t-shirts. Having a family wasn't a race. Besides which, the one she spent most of her life chasing before was missing in action. For all she knew, he already started a family somewhere in a far off land.

She shook her head again. Why did she still force herself to care? She felt like a child who never got that one piece of candy the wanted. It bothered her, even when she told herself to get over it.

Even worse, even Naruto's relationship bothered her. She spent so much time trying to push him away and toward Hinata. She thought she'd be pleased and happy for him. Instead, just the thought of them together… she couldn't pin what emotions ran through her. Guilt? Frustration? Disappointment… longing? No matter how much she ignored them, they always came back. He always came back...

"Mom?"

Distracted, Sakura glanced down, meeting Shina's concerned gaze. Her inward thoughts must have been obvious if someone was watching her. She refocused on her mission, leaning down to ruffle his hair. He seemed to like that.

"Shina, we're here to get you some clothes. Can you... go pick out a few you like and show them to me?"

"Really?"

"Yes. I'll be right here." Sakura smiled reassuringly. For a moment, he looked overwhelmed with the task. "As long as it's not orange…"

"I've got it!" Shina ran between the clothing racks, nearly tripping in the process. Everything seemed to be going so well! He got permission to pick out his own clothes AND his mother finally seemed to remember something. Too much orange clothing was not allowed, only his mom would say something like that.

Maybe she looked so upset because she was remembering…?

Shina held his head and groaned. Despite his best efforts, nothing made sense. One day, everything is normal, but the next, everything changed. He gently prodded the scab on his hairline. It was the only evidence left he hit his head at some point. He must have forgotten something too. Something that made everything flip upside down.

Shina leaned into a cubby, eyeing a well folded green hoodie absently.

The last thing he remembered was being at home. His mother was taking a nap. She was always so tired now that her belly was so big… something his mother was missing now. Had his sister already come? Shina shook his head, trying to focus on his memory.

For once, his dad had to go to work. They couldn't go for a walk in the woods like they normally would. He hadn't gotten a new book to read in forever, and nothing was on the tv. And so… he tried to go on a walk by himself…

A bang startled Shina from his thoughts. He stood, observing the area around him. Nothing had fallen, and no one was near him. Could he have imagined it? Shina shrugged refocusing on the green hoodie. He lost his train of thought, but he was pleased to find a jacket in his favorite color.

Another pang startled him a second time. It came from the window. He turned to look… but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He approached storefront window, placing his forehead against the glass. He squinted, peering out into the early morning traffic of pedestrians walking to work and to school. At least he didn't have to go to school.

Suddenly, a pebble smacked against the glass, right between the eyes. If the glass wasn't there, it would have hit him in the face. He yelped, stumbling away from the window and accidentally dropping the hoodie.

"Shina?"

"I'm ok!" He called out, answering his mother's concerned call. He approached the window, not daring to rest his face against it again. People walked by, unaware of his presence. No one looked suspicious or mean enough to throw a rock at him. Someone threw a rock at him. But why?

Another pebble appeared, but it failed to reach the window. It skipped across the ground, attracting his attention. Another pebble appeared after it. Then another. And another. The pebbles formed a line one by one. Rocks landed between the crowd, missing the oblivious passerbyers. Shina couldn't tear his eyes away.

At last, he saw source of the rocks. The forest. A hand reached out from the bush, slowly placing one last pebble onto the ground. The hand waved, beckoning him closer. Shina hesitantly shook his head. As curious as he was, he knew better than to just follow a mysterious hand into the bushes. The hand receded into the bush, but someone else stepped out in its place.

Shina gawked. His father stood in his black and red hokage robe and his orange pants. His hair just barely covered his eyes. He finally looked normal again. It almost seemed unreal.

"Papa?"

"Shina-chan, what are you doing here?" He put his hands on his sides, pinning him with a concerned gaze. "We've been worried sick about you'ttebayo!"

"You remember now?" This morning, his father still lost his memories. But now...

"Remember what?" His father frowned, scratching his head. "I don't remember forgetting anything."

"You forgot everything!" Shina's waved his arms, showing his frustration.

"Then, maybe I forgot that I forgot!" Naruto chuckled. He crouched down onto one knee, outstretching his arms. "But enough of that, let's go home now."

"...What?"

"Come quickly, Shinachiku. We don't want to keep Sakura-chan waiting, do we? She'll be upset if your sister comes before we get back." He beckoned him closer with his hands. "Let's go home."

"We can go home?"

"Of course." His father grinned, just as he always did.

Shina smiled. As much as he enjoyed seeing his mother tease and scold his father, he wanted to go home as soon as possible. He missed his house, his toys, and his room. He missed parents acting normally. He rushed into his father's arms, but something held him back.

He tried to pry off what was keeping him in place. He grunted and twisted, but even still, he couldn't get free. Confused, he glanced up. His father was still crouched there, smiling warmly.

"Don't worry, Shina-chan."

"Kai!"

Shina stopped struggling when someone yelled in his ear and a jolt of energy shot through his body. He twisted, shocked to find his mother holding him in place.

"Shina, what are you doing?" Sakura held him tightly, she had no intention of letting go. A small crowd formed around them, he failed to notice them standing there before.

He turned back to where his father was waiting for him… but he was gone.

"Shina, who were you talking to? Where were you going?" Sakura turned his head towards her. She carried a pile of clothes from store, forgetting to leave them behind when she realized Shina left the store. He walked outside to the edge of the forest before Sakura caught him.

"I was… talking to papa. We were gonna go home."

Sakura glanced toward the forest again. No one was there… or at least not anymore. Someone cast a genjutsu on him. A strong one.

"Miss!"

The flustered store owner rushed toward them. Her face was red from the effort of trying to catch up with Sakura's speed. Sakura took Shina in her arms, rushing over to meet the woman.

"I am so sorry! I had to catch up with him. I'll pay for everything right away." She bowed apologetically.

The woman huffed, but seemingly accepted Sakura's apology when she lead them back into the store.

Note 1: No, Naruto and Sakura did not lose their memories. It is the only explanation Shinachiku can come up with.
Note 2: Yes, someone placed a powerful genjutsu on Shinachiku from the woods.