The Kage's personal library was freezing.

Annie was seriously shivering under a thick leather jacket, boots, blue scarf, and jeans. Outside, there was six feet of snow. Naruto was just as cold as she was, but he didn't show it, probably out of his need to be manly. Annie wanted heat up her hands with her fire jutsu, but she didn't want to accidentally cast these books on fire, or set off a sprinkler system—that would suck.

Years ago, Annie would've laughed at this temperature. New York winters were much colder—with mountains of snow that would laugh at the hills outside. She'd gotten too used to Konoha's freaking perfect weather.

"I could really go for some hot Ichiraku ramen right now." She whispered.

Naruto looked down at her strangely. "What ramen?"

Heat grew behind Annie's eyes. "Nothing. Keep looking down here. I'll fly around."

She stumbled into the air, then swooped over the shelves.

Naruto watched her go. What did she say? Something about the word Ichiraku? The name tickled his brain somewhere, but other than that, he had no idea what she was talking about. Annie had been bringing up strange things all morning—since they'd gotten here. She tried to remind him of this guy she called Kakashi, and all of these weird stories she had of him and his perverted books and his crazy training and his mask. Apparently, Naruto had known him just as well as she had.

He shuddered. He couldn't bear the idea that he was forgetting people.

Was he going to forget Annie when she left?

No. No, that couldn't be. He could never forget Annie—her smile, her compassion, her strength, her eyes, her laugh, her jokes, the way she made him feel like he was flying whenever she kissed him, but when he'd looked down, his feet were planted firmly on the ground.

He shook his head. Focus, Naruto. Focus.

He ran around the dusty library, so fast his feet were a blur.

Two and a half days.

Nothing in the fictional book section.

Two and a half.

Nothing here.

Never see her again.

Could there be a book section about technology?

Never kiss her again.

No microchip displayed in there. Maybe it was hidden.

She'll find someone else.

Could it be hidden behind a shelf? Inside a book?

If she gets hurt, you won't be there to save her.

Naruto stopped. These thoughts were ridiculous. Of course he'd see her again. Just...not for a while. He'd have to bribe Orochimaru to make another door, which would be hard, but not impossible. And, seriously, Annie could take care of herself. Especially in the world where she came from. She was the only person with the kind of abilities she had there. At least, as far as she knew.

And she'd see her family again. She wouldn't be totally miserable. After so many years, this was good. As for Naruto, he was probably going to have to learn to live independently again, anyway. For a while, he'd nearly lost sight of his first goal: Becoming Hokage.

But being Hokage would mean nothing to him if Annie wasn't by his side. He'd make stupid mistakes if Annie didn't have her common sense to straighten him out.

He punched a bookcase, and a book fell and hit his head with a thunk. He rubbed his head and picked it up, cursing at it.

He studied it for a second. The book title was in a strange writing, as was the rest of the text. He opened it, and something clattered on the floor. The microchip!

"Annie!" He whispered loudly as he picked it up. "I think I found it!" He stuffed the book into his jumpsuit pocket.

After a split second, Annie appeared upside-down in front of his face, her curly hair dangling. Thank goodness she wasn't wearing her dress.

"You found it?" She grinned. "Let me see!" She took the microchip from his hands and studied it with a curious look on her face. The silly look and her upside-down position made Naruto chuckle.

"What?"

"You just reminded me of when..." He stopped as the memory prickled on his brain. "Well, when Team 7 used to..." He scratched his head. What was he talking about?

Annie's big blue eyes batted at him. "Team 7? You remember Team 7, right?"

"I...well...Something to do with...Sasuke...And us...and there was...a teacher...lots of hard training..." He strained his mind trying to remember.

"That teacher was Kakashi! The one with the mask!"

"Sorry, Annie. I just can't remember Kakashi."

She sighed. "I bet Kakashi got saved a few times by Gai. If you were like everyone else, you'd have forgotten him weeks ago. But you still remember Team 7...that's...that's important..."

"Why?"

"Because Sasuke forgot, and look what happened to him!"

Naruto frowned. What did she mean, Sasuke forgot? "Annie, everyone's forgotten much more than Team 7."

"That's not what I..." She shook her head. "Never mind. Come on, let's get the chip to Orochimaru. We don't have much time."

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Annie ducked and dived through the golden clouds, Naruto holding onto her hand and letting the air currents push him up.

"Annie, I can run by myself through these woods! I'm slowing you down."

"No way! We don't have much time left together. And I need you."

Naruto nodded and pulled himself closer to Annie's face. "I know. I need you too."

She snorted. "Why would you need me? I'm the reason we're going through this massive disaster. If it weren't for me—"

He kissed her sneakily, his hand reaching around and tracing her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck. Her heart fluttered as it always did when he kissed her.

"When you came to my school on that first day, I was the one with the self-esteem issues. Don't you dare go home with them. You're still gonna be your old self. Confident, beautiful, smart, compassionate, and always ready to do what's right."

Annie blushed, then picked her chin up said, "You know it. And you, you're always going to be happy, kind, super hot, strong, and funny?"

Naruto laughed nervously. "Well...yeah, I'll try my best. I mean, when I'm an old crotchety dude I don't know how super hot I'll be..."

"Psh. I think wrinkles are sexy."

"In that case, I'll be a very fine senior."

"Oh, I think so." She picked up the chip from her pocket. "Shall we then?"

"I think we shall. Just one more thing." He swept his hand across her mouth. "I think I forgot something right..." He pressed his lips on hers, and they kissed all over again, his arms around her waist and her arms around his neck.

They broke and gasped for air, and he said, "..there. Got it!"

They flew away, shivering with energy from the kiss, Annie's smile wider than it had been for a long time. They traveled, all day, and into the night, until they reached village. Or what was left of it.

ONE DAY UNTIL ANNIE'S FIFTEENTH BIRTHDAY