A/N Amnesia fics are hard to make believable and i hope i did the idea justice.
Word count: 1,798
The first time he locks eyes with her in years she is wandering the streets of a small civilian town.
It's quite a shock considering she was thought to be dead.
He knows she sees him, and he braces himself for the inevitable conformation, but she simply looks at him for a moment before continuing on her way. He saw no recognition in her eyes and he was no clue how to feel about it.
All he can think is:
What.
The.
Fuck.
He follows her for the next few days watching her every move as if it was all part of a grand puzzle that he had to figure out or risk dying. She goes about her business, saying hello's to villagers and buying groceries, and working at her job as the hospital's receptionist.
It's nothing extraordinary, and that in its self is the problem, not only does she not recognize him but the way she moved – the cat-like grace she'd previously had was gone – even the way she talked was completely different.
He was slowly coming closer to the disturbing idea that Sakura didn't remember him, didn't walk or talk the same way because she simply didn't remember any of it.
It's a disturbing theory but one that seems to be more likely every moment he watches her.
After all Kunoichi don't trip over their own feet.
A Kunoichi wouldn't settle for a desk job.
And the Sakura he knew never ever would have forgotten him.
It's on the eve of the sixth day that he finally approaches her.
She's tired and her arms are full of groceries and he decides that if he doesn't do it know then he never will.
So he drops down in front of her and when she drops the bags – like he knew she would – he bends down to help her gather the fallen produce before offering to walk her home, she accepts and he follows her.
It isn't long before they reach her apartment building and she turns and casts a smile at him before leading him up the steps. Once he's inside the apartment he sets the groceries down on the Kitchen Island and turns to find Sakura wrestling with the tea kettle that was wedged between two pans.
"Shinobi-san I don't suppose you could help me?"
Sasuke chuckles but none the less walks over and unwedged the kettle, delivering it into her waiting hands.
"Thank you, Shinobi-san."
"Hn, your welcome."
She smiled and hummed under her breath as she prepared tea, Sasuke just watched her, the routine was so very familiar to him and yet it was different as well. Sasuke found that he almost saw things in an overlay, old Sakura with this new Sakura who trusted strangers far too quickly.
It was enough to make his brain hurt.
"Shinobi-san I must thank you for helping me with the groceries back there it was much appreciated."
Sasuke paused.
"Hn it was nothing."
Sakura turned towards him sweeping pink hair out of her eyes, and smiled, a playful glint lighting up her apple green eyes.
"Hmm maybe to you but it was a great help to me, I'll have to find a way to make it up to you."
Sasuke smirked.
Sakura nodded, just a bit dazzled by the way his eyes flashed when he smirked like that. He chuckled and swept across the room so he was standing right in front of him, his breath dancing against her lips, and for one moment Sakura feels like she's a braver person and she could kiss him.
But all to quickly the bravery flees, and Sakura takes a shakey breath and steps backwards. Sasuke smirks again and then:
"Hn I'll see you tomorrow Sakura."
"Wait Shinobi-san – "
But he was gone in a poof of smoke. Sakura coughs and uses her arms for fans as she shakes her head. It's only a half an hour later that she realizes he'd known her name without her even telling him it.
Sakura laughs and swats at his arm.
"Shinobi-san stop now you're just lying."
Sasuke frowns, he'd been trying to tell her about her chakra enhanced strength. Explaining the basic mechanics – because that was all he knew – hoping to jog her memory, but now she was laughing and not taking it seriously.
Perhaps the Sakura he knew was never coming back.
He sighs.
"Sakura, how did you come to be in this village?"
Sakura's whole body goes rigid, a small gasp escaping her formerly laughing lips.
"How – how do you know I haven't lived here my whole life Shinobi-san?"
"Besides your reaction just now? Your hair, I have yet to see a single blonde or red head, let alone someone with pink hair. You're the only one. Another thing is the way the villagers treat you, they like you and would help you if you needed c, but their wary of you. Now I'll ask again, how did you come to be here?"
Sakura sits very still for a moment and Sasuke fears she's stopped breathing, but finally she looks up her eyes scared and so very familiar.
"I-I don't know. I can't remember anything from before three years ago. All I know is what I've been told. The villagers found me on the outskirts, bleeding and near death, they took me in and cared for me until it became apparent I didn't know who I was, but was fully capable of working."
"They gave me the name Sakura because of my hair, set me up an apartment, and a job as the hospitals receptionist and I've been here ever since."
"The worst part is that I know I don't belong here, you see Shinobi-san I know I was once like you. They've never said anything to me directly but I've heard them whispering that when they found me I was decked out in an ANBU uniform, I know I don't belong here, but I can't remember anything else."
Sasuke sighs.
"You're sure you were once a shinobi?"
He knows she was but he needs Sakura to acknowledge it, because if she can then maybe she can remember someday.
Sakura nodded.
"Then rather you remember or not, all your training should be engraved on your brain. It's only a matter of accessing that data through practice. Which brings me to my next question, would you like me to train you?"
He's hardly prepared for her to launch herself at him crying and nodding yes, but it does nothing to damper the sweetness of the moment.
It's the third week of their training. And Sasuke knows he can't put off going back any longer.
But at the same time he can't leave Sakura here. Not when she was just starting to get back into the swing of things, she had just relearned how to walk on water and climb tree's with her chakra. He couldn't leave her here, he wouldn't leave her here.
So it's after one of their more intense spars when they're both laying in the sweet long grasses of the summer fields those he brooches the subject.
"Sakura where I come from – Kohana – there is a clan called the Haruno, there known for their chakra control and their pink hair."
Sakura turns to him a lock of pink hair lying against her cheek, and her apple green eyes alight with fresh and fragile hope.
"Do you think –?"
Sasuke nodded.
Sakura sighed and turned her head back to the sky.
"Shinobi-san, will you – will you take me back with you – just I need to know, I need to know who I am, and if this 'Haruno' clan knows something then I need to know too. I have to find something out, I can't live like this."
Even though he never thought of leaving her, he's glad she wants this.
"I'll take you back with me."
She doesn't speak for a very long time but when she turns back to face him there are tears on her face and dancing in her eyes.
"Thank you."
They arrive within the hokage office by jutsu, startling Naruto out of his light sleep.
"Teme? TEME What the fuck your three weeks late, your never late completing a mission what the fuck happened?"
Sakura steps forward before Sasuke can stop her.
"Hokage-sama, it's my fault that Shinobi-san is late getting back."
Naruto's mouth falls open before he's running out from behind the desk to where she's standing, and Sasuke's in front of her before Naruto can reach her and he glares.
"Dobe she doesn't – "
But Naruto's to quick the second time around and he's around Sasuke's back in an instant his arms wrapped tight around Sakura, and Sakura's very confused and only a little scared.
"I'm sorry – but – do I – do I know you?"
Naruto positively deflates.
"Sakura-chan?"
"I'm sorry but I don't know who you are. Do you know me?"
Naruto turns towards Sasuke his eyes pleading for it not to be true but Sasuke just nods, and Naruto thinks something breaks inside his heart, he'd thought she was dead for so long, and now he had his sister back but she didn't remember him.
It was the most bitter of ironies.
"She doesn't remember dobe."
Naruto nods before stepping back.
"What's your name?"
"Sakura…"
Naruto smiles softly and walks back behind his desk.
"Well Sakura, I'm guessing you'll want to stay here in Kohana for a while so how about I set you up a temporary apartment and a job?"
Sakura hesitates but something inside her is busting at the seams at the sight of the blonde and so she hesitantly nods.
"Well then I'll start making arrangements."
The blonde man grins at her as if she's long lost family and she finds she's more confused than before.
Sakura is making tea for her and Shinobi-san – he still won't tell her his name and everyone else is surprisingly tight lipped about it – when it strikes her, and suddenly she remembers the tea pot crashes to the ground.
And she rushing into the living room where Sasuke is sharpening his katana.
"SASUKE!"
And Sasuke looks up a light in his eyes that had been absent for so long, and she's launching herself at him laughing and crying as he spins her around in a circle, and she feels safe and warm and when he pulls back he's not smirking but actually smiling.
"Say my name."
"Sasuke."
She grins.
"Sasuke."
And in that moment he crushes his mouth to hers in a desperate kiss. Only to pull back moments later shock filtering across his features, she chuckles and pulls him back down for another.
The moment was perfect.