Disclaimer: Don't own any characters from Naruto... the court case on my ownership of Itachi should be going over well... his making good time in putting a lot of other people out of their misery.

Pairings: ...sigh none in this chapter...just to let you know...

"...blah..."

...blah...

/flashback –"memory"/


Friends, Teammates, and Lovers

She gazed over the field of dry grass, watching her brother talk with his new friend. She had been surprised by this, the blond haired boy suddenly showing up at their door step asking if her youngest brother was home. No one at their school even wanted to talk to her little brother let alone wanting to be friends with him; to them, having to sit next to him in class was enough.

But to her surprise, this boy was like Gaara. He had no friends either. Many thought he was jinxed. Which wasn't true at all; he was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time when something bad happened. She smiled when she heard her brother laugh muffled only by distance. Not that I mind. Gaara needs a friend...those nightmares have been starting up again.

She frowned. She didn't like waking up every night from Gaara's screams. Her own nightmare was enough. Blood on the wall... her body mutilated. Limbs gone...still can't get a good look at her face...don't think I want to really. No, she didn't want to, but for some reason she felt she needed to. She shook her head, throwing her thoughts back so she wouldn't dwell on them. The nightmare was gruesome, horrible. There were other dreams but none as haunting as the one that continued to deprive her of a good night's sleep.

"Temari, you're not following them are you?"

Temari looked down from her horse to find her brother Kankuro looking up at her. She wrinkled her nose; his dark blue jeans and brown work boots were covered with dirt with the ever possibility of there being manure as well. Her brows knotted in a frown. "No, dear brother, I was not following them. And even if I was, what makes you think I would tell you?"

"Never mind then, jeez. It was just a question."

Her frown grew. "And what are you doing here anyways? Shouldn't you be piling the manure in the back of the truck? I know it takes longer then twenty minutes. Or were you trying to follow them?"

A pink tinge on his cheeks was her reward as Kankuro looked away crossing his arms over his chest. He seemed to be thinking of what to say next but finally threw his arms up in defeat. She grinned making sure he returned to his work as he walked away. Taking one more glace at the duo Temari nudged her chestnut mare into a trot.

The day had past with nothing much else happening. He really didn't care much because talking to his one and only friend was enough. And what was best of all was that Naruto was staying over. He had never had a friend and frankly, he could never figure out why no one would talk to him. It had always been one of those group things where everyone decides that they are against you and they'll do anything to keep the new kids away and to themselves.

He hated them.

"Hey, did you make this?"

Gaara looked over to where Naruto was holding up a wooden flute. "Yes, I made it," he said, hoping that Naruto wouldn't put it against him.

"Awesome! Do you play?"

He smiled.

Ino kept her ass planted in her seat, bored out of her mind and was having a hell of a lot of trouble trying to figure out the odd feeling she'd been having all day. It all had to do with the new girl: long pink hair, green eyes the color of emeralds and a style that screamed "punk". An extremely smart girl with a bitch attitude, "To smart for your own good," was starting to look like a compliment. But it was odd that she felt like she'd known the girl from somewhere before some time ago; a long, long, long time ago.

Keep telling yourself that past lives are real and you'll be the next, first and only female president in the next lifetime! She thought to herself. The new girl, Sakura, had made a show of coming to school in something stylish. Which was the problem as they had to wear uniforms; however, she was the new girl and they really couldn't hold it against her.

The door opened, "Sit right here and don't say a thing. I'm going to speak with your parents."

Ino kept her ass planted in her seat, bored out of her mind, and was having a hell of time trying to ignore the pink haired new girl she had been contemplating earlier. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that what she was wearing was by no means extravagant but nor was it mundane. In fact, it looked exactly like the school...uniform? Hold on a minute...

"You like?"

She blinked, "what?"

"Do you like? I changed the uniform a bit. I mean, really, there's nothing in the school rule book that said we couldn't do something to the uniform as long as it wasn't too different."

Her eyes fluttered, "You read the rule book?"

"Well, yeah!" exclaimed the new girl. "I'm not about to go breaking any rules when I just got here! But I had no idea the teachers would react so, well, I guess I just saw nothing wrong with my changes to the uniform I didn't think about what the teachers would do."

After a few moments of silence, "my name's Sakura."

"...Ino."

Lifting up his camera, he made sure to move slowly and silently. He didn't want to scare the crows. He pressed the button on the digital camera, the quiet beep click the only other noise. Neji smiled, perfect.

"HAAAAAAAAA!"

Neji jumped in surprise, spinning around so quickly that he nearly lost his balance.

"HA! I HAVE FOUND YOU, MY RIVAL!"

The muscles of Neji's left eye twitched, "rival?" He couldn't believe what was happening. This strange –perhaps insane –older teen had just jumped out of no where and had challenged him; sort of. What was more disturbing was his whole look. The other was wearing a one-piece green jumpsuit with orange leg-warmers on. He had a bowl-shaped haircut and the bushiest eyebrows he had ever seen! I think I'm going to be sick...

"Ah, who are you?"

The older boy blinked...and then he grinned. "HAHA, YOU KNOW WHO I AM ALREADY, KAKASHI! BUT SENSE YOU WANT TO PLAY IT THAT WAY..." he stopped and...

"Kakashi? Who's Kakashi? My name is Hyuuga Neji."

The other boy faltered, "whoa –what?"

"My name is Hyuuga Neji," he repeated.

"Neji?" the older boy leaned forward suddenly looking Neji right in the eye as if determining whither or not he was lying. Then, without warning, the other hugged him.

"IT IS YOU! I HAVE FOUND ONE OF MY OTHER STUDENTS...oh, I'm so happy..." and then he started crying into Neji's shirt.

Neji on the other hand was struggling to get out of the hold and get some air. "Can you..."

"HAAAAAAA!"

Both boys turned to see another boy about Neji's age bust out of the bushes. Stopping to do a few poses and the grin, the other boy started yelling much like the one before. What was worse was that they both looked exactly alike.

"HAHA, I HAVE FOUND YOU MY RIVAL, NE –eh, Gai-sensei?"

Neji was suddenly dropped to the ground, something rather large breaking into a few pieces beside him. The two of them looked vaguely familiar...

"Lee?"

"Gai-sensei?"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

And the two hugged. The scene was...a disturbing one. And then it clicked, the memories came pouring in nearly overwhelming his senses. Neji curled in on himself, the pain from the memories becoming real until it was all over, and his death playing in his mind ended it all. Neji looked up to find another person –a girl this time –holding her hand out to him. He took it and was lifted up from his place on the ground.

"Welcome back, Neji-kun,"

He smiled, shocking the other three. The past was in the past, for now and always. Change is good. Naruto was right, we make our own destinies with our own actions. He would have made a good Hokage; he would have been one of the strongest, always.

"I'm glad to be back, Tenten."

Gaara woke up screaming, waking the other person in the room, and he couldn't stop. He gripped his head hard, trying to stop the screams from his recent nightmare. Why can't they stop? Stop, stop, stop STOP, STOP, STOP! And they did as someone pulled him in against them, saying soothing nonsense that calmed him.

"It's ok, it'll be ok. It's just a nightmare, Gaara, it's over now."

But they never stop, they never really go away. "Naruto?" he whispered.

"Mmm?"

"Don't leave me,"

Naruto looked down at his old friend and ally trying to determine exactly what he meant by what he just said. He shook his head; there was a reason why I always listened to my heart. He looked down at the head of reddish-brown hair and kissed it. He held on just a little tighter.

"I'm not going anywhere, Gaara."


I'M STILL ALIVE! ALIVE I TELL YOU! ahemAnyways, I'm sorry (drops to her knees and bows low) for not updating sooner but school and downright laziness stopped me from doing it sooner. Also this chapter will be in two parts as banging my head against any hard object will not get rid the writer's block that I'm still suffering from. There for you will have to what longer for the second part.

It is two weeks till finals and, as I am a senior, will have a lot on my plate before I can get back to this fic as well as my other fanfic. Therefore, there won't be much of me for some time. Gomen nasai.