"Having voices in your head is normal. Listening to them, common. Arguing, acceptable. However, when you lose the argument, you're in trouble." -Anonymous

Disclaimer: Naruto is Kishimoto's toy. I'm just playing with it.

Warning: Language.

Dear Gaara,

Hi there! In case you've forgotten—it's me, Sakura! The pink haired girl from the Chuunin Exams.

First of all, I'm so sorry!

I forgot to write to you until Naruto reminded me. :(

I'm very sorry and I hope you can forgive me. But moving on to happier things, I'm currently journeying with Naruto and my Shisho (Jiraiya—who by the way, is loaning me his messenger frogs) in search of the Fifth Hokage. So far the journey has been alright.

We first ran into two members of the Akatsuki (Itachi and Kisame) but Jiraiya sent them away. Now we're gathering information for our search in the town but we'll also squeezing in a lot of training time. Naruto's learning a super cool move and I've been practicing with my summons.

But enough about me. How are you? Are you feeling any better from your fight with Naruto? I hope so. How's Temari and Kankuro? Tell them I said hi, please!

To reply to me, just write out the letter and hand it to the froggy. :) He'll give it to Jiraiya who will give it to me.

I hope to hear from you soon! And I'll be writing to you daily so… expect to hear from me tomorrow!

Groveling at your feet,

Sakura

P.S. Naruto says hi.

( ｡◕‿‿◕｡)

The next day went off as usual. The morning was slow and relaxed as I practiced my (pathetically) only ninjutsu over and over. Naruto continued to practice his own move.

It was time for lunch—before I summoned Doku and Gedo—when Jiraiya came back.

He smiled at us.

I stopped in my latest attempt at my Earth Flow Wave and glanced over at him. Naruto grinned and waved at Jiraiya.

"Hey you two, how's training?" Jiraiya asked, pulling out two items.

"Fine," I said as Jiraiya tossed me one of the items.

I caught it, finding it to be a lone strawberry popsicle. I grinned at it before I stuck it in my mouth. The other kind was a blue popsicle—the kind you split in half to share with two people. Jiraiya split that one and handed one half to Naruto.

Naruto stared at it a moment before his face broke out into a splitting grin.

"Thanks Pervy-Sage," Naruto said happily.

"Thanks Shisho," I echoed.

"Right. I came to see how your training has been going, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "Sakura, I hope you don't mind if I focus on Naruto for a bit."

I waved my hand dismissively. "Actually that's fine. I think I'll take a break from my exercise and read my only medical book. Damn I really should have brought more."

I shook my head and sighed ruefully at my foolishness as I headed over to the shaded tree. I pulled out my thick, big ass book that seemed to weigh far more than it should and began to read. While I read and sucked on my popsicle, Naruto and Jiraiya trained.

( ｡◕‿‿◕｡)

A final week passed.

A week of training, sleeping and training some more on our part.

A week of getting constantly drilled about herbs by Doku and Gedo.

A week finally passed.

And now, instead of being at the training grounds like usual. We stood on a roof and stared out at a collapsed tower. Naruto to my left and Jiraiya to my left.

"…What happened here?" Naruto asked as he stared at the rubble of what was left of the tower.

"I have a pretty good idea," I muttered. Jiraiya gave me a sidelong glance but before he could comment, screams of help interrupted him.

A group of people ran on the ground below us. Jiraiya noticed one of them and called out. "Hi there, long time no see."

A lone man stopped and looked up at us.

"What happened?" Jiraiya asked.

"You should run too," The man said, his voice rising with panic. "There's a monster up there!"

"Monster?" Naruto asked.

"What kind of monster?" Jiraiya asked, his voice holding a slight edge to it.

"A huge snake! It destroyed the castle instantly!" The man exclaimed.

I frowned and looked back at the rubble. That was a castle? Oops, my mistake. While I was looking over at the rubble, the man took his chance at Jiraiya's silence and fled.

"We're going," Jiraiya said.

"Yes, Shisho," I murmured. Naruto grinned and gave a mock salute.

( ｡◕‿‿◕｡)

After a full day of jumping from roof to roof in search of Tsunade, Jiraiya finally came across a bar. Naruto and I walked behind him slowly, Naruto complaining this was all pointless and we should get back to training. Though, Jiraiya successfully ignored the complaints.

He stopped outside the bar

"Let's have dinner here for now," Jiraiya said.

Naruto glanced at the bar and glowered. "This is a bar! This is no place for Momma and me."

"It'll be fine—not like I'm telling you to drink," Jiraiya drawled.

I placed a hand over Naruto's shoulder and gave a slight smile. "Don't worry it Naruto."

"Hmph," Naruto grumbled but let it slide. Jiraiya walked into the bar and glanced around. Naruto and I walked in right behind him.

There, in the back corner was Tsunade and Shizune.

Tsunade and Jiraiya noticed each other and stared.

"Tsunade!" Jiraiya exclaimed, pointing his hand dramatically.

Tsunade stood up and glowered. "Jiraiya? Why are you here?"

"I finally found you. Boy, am I tired," Jiraiya said as he began to walk towards her.

I tugged Naruto along behind me as Jiraiya took his seat across Tsunade and Shizune at the table. I slid in after him and finally Naruto right behind me.

Silence stretched between us as the waiter came to take our order. Naruto ordered fried fish and Jiraiya some sake and rice. I let Naruto order for me—seeing how he was hogging the menu—and he ordered me fried crab. Yum.

Only when the food arrived was the silence broken.

"What a day…" Tsunade muttered. "Seeing old acquaintances everywhere."

Jiraiya drowned his cup of sake. "Orochimaru, you mean."

Naruto munched on his fish and I stabbed at my crab with one chopstick.

Tsunade drowned her own cup of sake.

"What did he want?" Jiraiya asked.

"Nothing. Just wanted to say hello," Tsunade said. She pulled out a deck of cards and began shuffling them.

"That doesn't sound like SPID to me," I said.

The others glanced at me. Shizune blinked and was the first to respond. "Spid?"

"Snake-Pedo-In-Disguise," I clarified. "Nickname I came up from him at the Chūnin Exams when he tried to kill us."

Tsunade gave a snort of drunken laughter. "Snake-pedo, eh?" She placed the deck of cards on the table. "So what do you want from me?"

Jiraiya took the deck, shuffling them as well. "I'll get straight to the point." He placed the cards back on the table. "Tsunade, the village has requested that you become the Fifth Hokage."

Tsunade froze along with Shizune. Naruto choked on a fish and I patted his back. After a moment of tense silence, Tsunade began passing out the cards between her and Jiraiya.

Naruto finally swallowed his fish. I rubbed his back sympathetically. He shot an alarmed and confused look at Jiraiya.

Jiraiya ignored him and picked up his five cards, looking at them. "Have you heard about the Third?"

Tsunade picked up her own cards. "Orochimaru killed him, right? I heard from him directly."

"Orochimaru killed the old man?" Naruto echoed, alarm and anger beginning to show through his voice. "Who is this Orochimaru guy?"

I glanced over at him. "He was disguised as that crazy examinee that tried to kill us."

Naruto paled. "That was him?"

I nodded my head. "He's one of the three Sannin of Konoha."

"So why would he do that? He's from Konoha, right? So why?" Naruto asked, bewildered, his voice rising.

"Who is this kid?" Tsunade muttered, eyeing Naruto with annoyance.

Naruto and I bristled. Before I could defend my son, Jiraiya spoke. "Uzumaki Naruto."

Understanding dawned on Tsunade's face. Naruto's eyes narrowed in anger. "Hold on a minute. You guys have answered my question. Why the hell would Orochimaru kill the old man? And what the hell do you mean she is to become the Hokage?"

At his rising voice, Jiraiya shot him a dark look. Before Jiraiya could do anything however, I placed a hand on Naruto's arm.

"Naruto," I chided. "Calm down."

"But Momma—"

I tugged him back into his seat and he complied with a huff.

I smiled. "Thank you."

"I'll say it again," Jiraiya said. "The village has requested you become the Fifth Hokage. So what is your reply?"

Minutes passed in tense silence. Naruto grumbled in annoyance, his impatient nature getting the better of him. Finally, Tsunade set her cards down. "Not possible. I refuse."

Jiraiya smiled—despite everyone's (with the exception of me) shocked faces. "I remember that line. I asked you to date me long ago. You said the same thing and turned me down."

Naruto, finally recovering, gave a groan of annoyance. "What the hell is going on here? Pervy-Sage you told me we were coming to bring this lady back to the village to heal Sasuke and Kakashi and all of a sudden you ask her to be the Hokage? And she even refused. What the hell?"

"Calm yourself, Naruto," Jiraiya drawled, his smiling face replaced once again with a more somber one. "Only Tsunade is capable of being the next Hokage. During the last war, she contributed greatly to the Konoha's victory. Her combat and medical skills are still unrivaled. Also, Tsunade is the First Hokage's granddaughter. Combine that with her abilities, and she is most suited to becoming the Fifth Hokage. If she does become Hokage, she will have to go back to the village and there she can heal the two you mentioned. Also, this is a decision made by the Konoha's highest decision makers—the Elders."

I snorted at that one. Jiraiya shot me a warning look.

Tsunade gave him an amused look. "Your apprentice seems to be ruder, stupider and uglier than the previous one."

"Hey!" Naruto and I exclaimed.

I bristled. "I may have a flat chest and a slightly large forehead but that doesn't mean I'm ugly. And I wouldn't say I was stupid either!"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Not you. I was talking about the brat next to you."

"What the hell?" Naruto shouted.

I snickered and Naruto stuck his tongue out at me. Jiraiya gave us an amused look. "Well it's hard for anyone to beat the Fourth in those fields. His capabilities as a ninja were unrivaled in history. He was talented with techniques, incredibly smart, and popular. He was also handsome like me."

I cackled at that last part and Jiraiya shot me a dirty look.

"But even the Fourth died young," Tsunade muttered. "He threw his life away for the village. Life isn't like money. Only an idiot bets his life so easily." Beside me, Naruto bristled with anger. "My grandfather and the Second wished to end war but they wasted their lives before they could accomplish that."

"You've changed Tsunade. I don't know what you've been thinking, but you put it in words."

Tsunade chuckled dryly. "I'm in my fifties, even if I look like this. Time changes people. Sarutobi-sensei is the same. If an old man tries to act brave, of course he'll die." She sighed. "The title of Hokage is stupid. Only an idiot becomes one."

Naruto apparently had had enough. He leapt from his spot on the table, Jiraiya and I barely managed to grab him in time before he could touch Tsunade.

"Stop," Jiraiya commanded. "This is not the place Naruto."

I sighed. "Naruto, quite struggling."

When he finally did stop struggling, we released him. He stood on the table and glared down at Tsunade darkly. "Anyone who makes fun of the Fourth or the old man—and I don't care if they are a girl—they deserve a punch in the face!"

I face-palmed.

Tsunade stomped one of her feet right up on the table to meet Naruto at eye level. "You've got some guts to say that to me. Step outside, kid."

Jiraiya and I sighed.

( ｡◕‿‿◕｡)

Outside of the bar, on the dark and empty streets I patted Naruto on the back. "Naruto, you should rethink this. Despite her appearance she is one of the Sannin."

"I don't care! She deserves what's coming to her for what she said," Naruto growled.

I frowned. "Naruto, I just don't want you getting hurt…"

"I'll be fine, Momma! Now let me do this."

I shook my head and glanced over at Tsunade. "Please be gentle to my son. He may be a rash idiot at times, but damn it he's my rash idiot."

Tsunade snorted. "Aren't you a bit young to have a son?"

"Aren't you a bit old to be so easily baited?" I shot back.

"Sakura," Jiraiya warned.

I sighed. "Fine, Shisho… Tsunade, I'm sorry I wounded your already fragile ego."

Tsunade glowered at me. "You brat, now I see why you didn't deny being rude earlier, just who the hell do you think you are?"

"His overprotective mommy," I sniffed.

Tsunade scoffed and I took that as a victory on my part. Smiling happily I moved to stand beside Jiraiya.

She turned her gaze back to Naruto. "Back to what we started. Seeing how I was one of the Sannin of Konoha there really isn't a need to get serious on a mere Genin."

"What did you say?" Naruto growled.

Tsunade held up one finger. "One finger. One finger will do against you. Come on, little boy."

She motioned him to come over with said finger.

Naruto was now shaking with his anger. He a low voice he muttered. "Don't play with me."

He then charged towards Tsunade, throwing three shuriken at her. She dodged them with ease. In same motion he pulled out a kunai and prepared to jab her in the stomach. With her single finger she deflected the kunai and grabbed hold of it, spinning it out of Naruto's hands before she brought the butt of it up against Naruto's forehead protector. His headband came flying off and he was sent reeling back.

She bent over and brought her single finger in a flicking position right at Naruto's forehead. She flicked Naruto's forehead and he was sent flying backwards, crashing into the ground roughly. He stood up shakily, his eyes filled with annoyance.

Before he could attack her again, his headband and kunai fell to the ground in front of him.

"Oi, brat," Tsunade said. "Let me ask you one thing before you pass out. Why do you care so much about the name Hokage?"

Naruto's annoyance faded away as his gaze slowly hardened. His voice was low when he answered. "Unlike you, I'm going to take on the title Hokage for sure. Hokage… Being Hokage is my dream."

Tsunade's eyes widened briefly as she stared at Naruto. Her posture relaxed as she was lost in her own brief memories. Naruto too this opportunity to attack her with his incomplete Rasengan. Tsunade's eyes widened in shock as she stared at the move. Right before Naruto was about to hit her with his ball of blue chakra, she jabbed her finger into the ground. The ground split underneath her touch, tripping Naruto in the process and canceling the justu.

The cancelation of the jutsucaused a mini explosion in his hands that sent him flying back again. He landed in the crack she had created, effectively getting stuck. He struggled in vain to pull himself out.

I shook my head and moved to pull him out.

"Ouch," Naruto muttered, rubbing his backside.

I snickered. "I'm not healing that for you."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah Momma."

"Jiraiya," Tsunade said sharply. "Are you the one teaching the brat the Rasengan?"

Naruto looked up at the mention of the justu. Jiraiya replied smoothly, "I'm his teacher, after all."

"Heh," Tsunade scoffed. "Only you and the Fourth can use that technique. Are you acting like a teacher and teaching him something he can't master? Don't give him any ideas! That's why this kid likes to daydream that he's going to become the Hokage one day."

Naruto stood up roughly and shouted, "I'm not daydreaming! Idiot! You idiot! I can master this move in three days!"

Tsunade look a bit taken back at his outburst but smirked. "You said it, kid. A man never takes back his words."

Naruto scoffed. "I'm not going to take back my words. That's my ninja way."

"Then let's make a bet."

"A bet?" Naruto asked.

"I'll give you one week. If you can master the move within that time, I'll acknowledge that you can become the Hokage… I'll even give you this necklace," Tsunade pointed to the crystal she wore around her neck.

Shizune looked at her sharply. "Tsunade-sama! That's an important…"

"I don't need a crappy necklace like that," Naruto said, shrugging.

"Don't say that, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "That's a unique crystal which could buy about three mountains if you sold it. It used to belong to the First Hokage."

Immediately Naruto's face lit up and he smiled smugly at Tsunade. "I guess that's fine."

"Okay," Tsunade said, smiling. "But if you can't master the move in a week, you lose. I'll take all your money."

"Eh?" Naruto shouted.

"Hey," I said. "I'd like to get in on this bet too."

Tsunade glanced over at me, raising an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yep. I bet that Naruto can master that move," I said—trying my best not to sound too smug. "If I win, you have to agree to help train me. If I lose, I'll give you all of my money and I'll be your slave for three days."

"I thought Jiraiya was already your teacher," Tsunade said with narrowed eyes.

"I said help train me," I clarified. "I've already begun my studies as a medical nin—I just want help to improve in that area. As much as Jiraiya is a capable teacher, he isn't a medical nin."

Tsunade stared at me a moment before she smiled. "A slave for a week and you have a deal, brat."

I grinned. "Pleasure doing business with you."

( ｡◕‿‿◕｡)

By the time we finally got a room in a hotel, it was way past midnight. I had already dressed out into my red nightgown and was relaxing on my bed. Naruto was about to head into the bathroom to change when the someone knocked at the door.

"Eh?" I murmured tiredly, glancing up at the door.

Naruto frowned and moved towards it. It opened the moment he got near it, revealing it to be Shizune.

"I am sorry for the late night visit," She whispered. "But Naruto-kun, I need to speak privately with you."

Naruto frowned. "I need to get plenty of rest today and train tomorrow. I don't—"

"I'm sorry," She interrupted. "but I don't want you to get the wrong image of Tsunade-sama. Also, I need to tell you about the necklace."

Naruto sighed and stepped aside, allowing her in. In the same motion he rolled his eyes. "Like I care about that old hag."

"Tsunade-sama isn't the person you view her so harshly as. Please don't talk about her like that when you don't know anything about her!" Shizune said sternly. Her last words were shouted and once she said them, she instantly softened. "I'm sorry… I shouted…"

I cleared my throat.

Shizune looked sharply over at me while I stood up from my bed. "I think I'm going to take a walk. Be back in a little bit."

I grabbed my shoes and then slipped out the window, barely catching Naruto's and Shizune's goodbye to me before I was already jumping up on to the roof.

I jumped over to the next roof, shivering slightly as the night wind whipped around me. I cursed myself for not thinking to grab a jacket but didn't really do anything about it. Instead I kept jumping from one roof to the other, searching for that particular front gate.

After a minute or two of jumping, I finally found it. The one where Tsunade sat on top of as she stared down at her precious necklace.

I leapt from the nearest roof to land right before her.

She didn't even look up at me. "What are you doing here?"

"Checking on you," I said simply, sitting down across from her.

At that, she did look up. Her cheeks were flushed a delicate red-tipsy on the verge of drunk, then. Her eyes were slightly glazed over, she still held a guarded curiosity in them. "What do you want?"

"I already told you," I said as I drew in closer to myself in a vain attempt at warming up.

"Why?" She asked bluntly.

"Because I'm not an idiot."

Her eyes narrowed slightly and I shrugged again. "Sometimes it's better to get lost in your memories with someone by your side."

She snorted.

"And sometimes it's easier to talk about your problems with a stranger than it is with a friend," I continued. "Right now I'm a stranger and I think I can be a pretty good listener when I want to be."

She gave a weary smile and looked back down at her necklace, her eyes taken a new light to them.

I eyed her for a moment before I crawled towards her. She stared at me carefully until I reached her. I sat right next to her, leaning against the same stone wall she leaned against. Unconsciously I leaned closer to her, towards the warmth, while at the same time looking away from her.

"You know," I said. "I don't normally do mushy stuff like this. Really, I don't. But I swear, this month has been off for me."

She gave a bitter laugh.

"May I pet your hair?" I asked bluntly, turning back to face her.

She gave me a very unique look. A look I was beginning to get used to.

I shrugged. "You could have just said no."

"No, that's not it... do you ask that question a lot?" Tsunade asked.

"No. This is the first time. Though, I have wanted to ask Duck-Ass that question but if he allowed me to play with his hair I'd be too tempted to spray paint it hot pink or something…"

Tsunade sighed and shook her head.

"So… may I?"

"I don't care," Tsunade muttered.

Taking that as a 'yes', I began to pet her hair. It was surprising soft and smooth.

Silence stretched on to minutes between us and ever so slowly Tsunade relaxed. Her eyes closed and I knew that her mind was once again drifting through memories. I didn't interrupt her, just added what little comfort I could give to her.

"It's funny," Tsunade murmured, "the memories you keep of a dead beloved. How you can laugh at the sad ones, but it's the happy ones that break your heart."

"I don't find it funny at all," I said dryly. "I find incredibly twisted in an ironic sort of way. But that's life and life's a bitch. If it were easy it'd be a slut."

Or a praise-whore.

You shut your damn face.

I don't have a face, idiot.

I thought I got rid of you…

Whatever, admit it, you like me. I'm growing on you.

Like a damn tumor.

Tsunade gave a snort of laughter.

"My son's all fired up for training," I said.

"Your son," Tsunade said blandly. "How in the hell did you get a son?"

I shrugged. "Naruto doesn't have any family—or didn't. I guess I just sort of adopted him. At first he was like my little brother but I figured I might as well step it up a notch and adopt him."

"Why?"

"He's adorable," I said. "I mean, you've seen his face. He has whiskers like a friggin' cat or fox. That's absolutely adorable. Not to mention he has a childish personality and an air of naivety and innocence that makes me want to glomp him really bad. That and I want Hinata to be my daughter-in-law but I can't have that unless I have a son and she loves Naruto so…"

I stopped. "I'm rambling. Sorry. Want me to stop?"

"No. Keep talking. Who's Hinata?"

"Hinata is my bestest of bestest friends," I said. "She's adorable too. But she has daddy issues… But I love her anyway—as a friend, mind you—and she's helped me train since we graduated from the academy."

"Keep talking," Tsunade said quietly, her eyes closing.

"Uh…" I searched my mind for more stuff to talk about. "Duck-Ass is our other comrade. He's the last Uchiha in Konoha. He broods a lot and sulks but at the moment he means well. He's dead set on trying to murder his older brother. His hair looks like a duck's ass so that's why I call him Duck-Ass. I, sadly, used to have a fan girl crush on him while I was in the academy. I feel so ashamed of myself.

"Um… Kakashi is our sensei. He's a pervert. He reads Shisho's books and loves them…"

I trailed off, unsure if she wanted me to continue.

"Continue," She murmured.

I nodded my head and I continued to ramble more about pointless shit. I got the feeling she was only using me as a way to temporarily escape her own memories that threatened to haunt her. I didn't mind though, if that was her way of coping I didn't blame her. I would have done the same.

My voice was horse and my throat was dry by the time the sun finally came up. I was tired as hell and wanted nothing more than to crash. Tsunade must have had the same thoughts because she yawned tiredly before pulling away.

"I should probably head back," I said. "Naruto might have had a mini heart attack when I didn't come back right away. Better make sure he didn't die."

Tsunade gave a wry smile. "Well then… goodnight Sakura."

"Good morning Tsunade-sama."

She rolled her eyes and I stood up, stretching my stiff muscles. I yawned tiredly and jumped down from the gates, putting in what little energy I had left to running back to our hotel room.

I yawned one last time when I climbed in through our window, only to find Naruto was already dressed and ready to go for the day.

"Momma, where have you been?" Naruto demanded.

"Getting lost on the road of life," I muttered sardonically.

Naruto looked horrified. "Don't tell me you're going to start using those lame excuses like Kakashi-sensei."

"Probably."

I collapsed into my bed and pulled the sheets over me. "Goodnight Naruto. See you whenever the hell I bother to wake up."

"Good morning, Momma," Naruto chuckled

I snuggled further into my blankets and slowly, I allowed sleep to take me.

( ｡◕‿‿◕｡)

To Sakura,

Hello. I did not forget about you and it is nice to hear from you.

I am fine. I feel fine. Temari and Kankuro return the greeting.

Return my greeting to Naruto as well, please.

Goodbye.

-Gaara

Ahaha... Gaara is so anti-social in the beginning. It's so cute.

And yes! The special surprise is the Letters With Gaara will be at the beginning and end of every chapter. :D

Hmm... What's Sakura's age?

I designed this Oc to be just a generalized Oc girl falling into the world and swapping bodies with Sakura. Like I said in the beginning this story was for shits and giggles so to be entirely honest I never gave the Oc much thought. I know, I know, how terrible of me. Shame on me, the authoress, for not putting so much thought into my own Oc. Oh well. The average Oc's falling into this world range from 15-29. I'll simply say that Sakura is older than 11 and younger than 30. The rest is up to your lovely imaginations.

And yes, I did do a double update as I won't be able to update on Friday or any other day in the week... I quite like the ending of the next chapter. I wonder if that makes me a sadist?

Reviews are love.

See you next Tuesday