Disclaimer:

Don't own Naruto, If I did it'd be the least popular show on earth..


"Sakura." Naruto whispered. The 17 year old blonde was perched in a tree. His sun-kissed hair fell around his face. Spiking down in little pink prick points.

His hair, it had always made him stand out. Sakura had wanted ever since he returned from his training trip with Jiraiya to touch it. Only once, just to see if it was real. It was almost like she thought that if she reached a hand towards it. Lilted up her finger tips just a little bit. Brushed a pale hand against it, if it would melt. If the color would rub away. Heh, that was a stupid thought.

"Sakura-chan?" Asked the blonde. His hair glinting lightly in the light that dared to sway through the leaves of the trees.
"Un?" Sakura gasped out, her deep eyes wide.
Naruto shook his head slightly. He still wondered why she kept spacing out. Seems how that jerk had been out of the village for how many years?

"Gomen-nasai." Murmured the pink-ette in a light tone.
A cloud shifted in the irredesant sky. It was an average cloud, light, fluffy, and puffy. And like a normal cloud, whilst seeming so shapeless, completly retained the ability to block out light.
It was almost ironic, seems how Sakura's mood darkened then.
"He's never comming back, is he?" She stated out loud. Her hand adjusting her black glove.
Naruto didn't need to ask who 'he' was.


"Sakura?" The young 'kunoichi' turned her head to look at her 'comrade'.
"Uh.." She whispered out, her pale lips forming a little oval.
Naruto turned his head around in an exciteable manner. His sun-kissed hair still falling over his head band in a manner that made him appear almost 15. It was probably just Sakura's imagination. Or it could've just been the fact that Naruto had been through more than anyone should. As in surviving the first Chunin exams they went to. Surviving the Uchiha's betrayal. Seeing Gaara dead. Using the Rasen-shuriken to defeat Kakuzu. Mastering the Kyuubi's chakra, and blocking it out. And wearing that mask.

He looked like a standard issue machine most of the time. Giving quick ducks of the head to Tsunade-sensei, or only acknowledging you with short, curt, and harsh statements. She noticed that around Hinata, Gaara, and her he dropped it. Albeit he acted a little blood thirsty. And was harsh and cold then, but he still kept trying to make you give short fleeting smiles. And why did he drop it around her? What did she do to deserve that? Sure he had been smitten with her once, but that was once. All she had done was fawn over that Uchiha. Though she didn't do that when they left to this time line. She had no desire to, she only had a desire to reach Jounin.
And he hadn't grinned since 17 years ago. All together including this time line. Before they left it had been 12 years. Fleeting smiles, blood lust, or no emotion.

Sakura slightly tilted her head forward. That was the only indication that she was upset. Though that could easily be taken for nerves. Considering she had supposedly just become a genin. She was at least a master at disguising her emotions. A cardinal Shinobi rule.


A/N: I know it's only 560 words. But I needed a flash back, and I needed to update... so please forgive the shortness! I'll try to write some more. Thank someone I can't remember there username of, they just reviewed and reminded me I should write some more.

And they're shall be no real bashing in this fic. Maybe some Uchiha (sasuke-gaki) insults on the side, but they'll be between Naruto/Sakura/ and Hinata. that was not a pairing sign...

and maybe I should edit some... but EHHH I GOT TOO MANY STORIES TO EDIT! I might have misspellings... wrote this in Word Pad

Oh and they travelled back in time after Hinata's birthday... but Before Gaara's. So yeah... and by my 'calculations' Naruto was 29 when they came to this time and is now 34... what can I say, I have to have reasons why they've matured... and maybe I shouldn't make Hinata so nice... GAAHHH!

But I always imagine Hinata 'toughening up' and Naruto becoming Sadistic and becoming Smarter. And Sakura hating Sasuke. And Gaara becoming 'nicer' but still retaining his hard edge.