Notes: The Sequel. Why is he taking English? Maybe it's an advanced class and he's getting back credit. By now you've all figured out that this NaruSasu stuff so I really shouldn't have to repeat myself. All the names used in the previous chapter were fictional. Naruto's name is Takayori. (You'll notice this is never mentioned.) Yes, that's made up too. His attitude is quite different in this one... actually, partially because he kept his memory, while no one else did. Well, Orochimaru might remember, but he'd probably be in junior high or kindergarten or something and... yeah, don't mind me.

I try to keep the names of the stages similar so that way everyone can tell immediately if they're reading something related to another stage.

Stage 12-b: Sometimes You Surprise Me, but Sometimes I Wish You Would

When I first met him, I knew who he was. He didn't seem to recognize me at all, which I figured was not much of a surprise.

We each got a wish the moment before we were born, and my wish was to remember us. For a long while, I thought we weren't really meant to be in this lifetime, since he was nothing like the idiot he was before. He was actually rather bright, as much as I didn't want to admit it at first. It got to the point where I'd have to ask him for help on my biology homework, to which he would just smile. No gloating, no frown -- just a smile. And after the third time that happened, I knew I had fallen for him again.

It was like falling in love with someone else... and yet the same one as before. He didn't even have the yellow hair or eyes -- he looked like a normal Japanese boy -- straight black hair, dark brown eyes. I didn't even know how I recognized him... but when I met him, I knew it was what I had wished for.

I knew I didn't look the same either -- my dad was half-Japanese from the US, while my mom was born and raised here. As a result, I had red hair and blue eyes... and freckles. I didn't care too much for the freckles, but at least I didn't have girls falling for me left and right. It made things easier.

At first, I was sure that he didn't recognize me. And then one day he called the class rep "Hinata." When I looked at him, he tried to laugh it off, saying that it was like a nickname or something, but I knew better. I didn't know if the girl really was Hinata or not until much later, however. In any case, my suspicions were doubled when he let me visit his house one day. I met his little brother, who was about four years old at the time. "I call him something else, sometimes," he said once. "It's like his nickname." Nickname or not, thinking of his little brother as that was disturbing.

But after that, I was a regular visitor at his place and I got used to it. You can get used to almost anything in this life, after a while, I guess. He really was adorable, although really serious. He actually reminded me of myself, "before." I taught him a few simple card games that my father had taught me, like Go Fish. In the middle of a game, he asked me something strange, though.

"Why do you always call niisan usuratonkachi and not his name?"
I thought about how to answer that.
"Well, you know how you have a nickname?" A nod. "Well, he has one too -- but he doesn't know it yet. And I don't want to accidentally call him by that."
"What is it?"
"Hmm... can you keep it a secret?"
And eager nod. He even made me do the pinky joining -- all with a serious face. He really was adorable.
"His name is Naruto, Itachi-kun."

I found out later that he really did keep his promise, because months after that fateful day in the library, he asked me what his name was.
I refused to tell him.

It wasn't for any specific reason like power or anything, but like the fact that my previous older brother was now the cute kid that Naruto doted on, I figured that the past really didn't matter much anymore. The only reason why we remembered now... was because we had wanted to. It was almost like our lives now settled our ghosts from before... and the name Naruto, I thought, didn't mean anything for him.

Getting back to high school, though -- we graduated easily enough -- my grades weren't spectacular and his were good -- and we somehow (hah) made it into the same college. Actually it was partially luck on my part and partially manipulation that we got into the same college. I convinced him that he could get into an internship instead of a club for college... but if he really wanted to play a sport, this was the best way to go. We somehow managed to stay in contact, meeting up almost every single week or even every other day at some points, despite having two completely different majors.

In the third week of the fifth semester (we were twenty by this time) that everything suddenly changed. It was around that time that I was thinking about whether or not I would ever tell him my feelings, when he finally remembered me. I didn't know how he could have... until I found out why (he explained right after that), and then I simply didn't know how he didn't. I had been calling him names the entire time and he didn't even remember me! He actually remembered Kakashi and Itachi before he remembered me!

The first few weeks after that were rough, to say the least.

Would we keep the same "relationship" as before, or would we still just be friends?

"Actually, there is one thing you kept in looks," he said one day, walking to class.
"And what would that be?" I asked in a disinterested voice.
He grinned and whispered in my ear, "You're still cute when you blush."
I gave him a look. "Stop trying to harrass me."
"I'm not harassing you; I'm just telling the truth."

A lifetime ago I would have thrown something at him, but now, as we argued, I figured maybe, just maybe, this future might turn out the same way as before. For us, anyway.