Disclaimer: Naruto and the rest of its oh-so-hot characters are property of Kishimoto Masashi.

I Dreamt of a Butterfly

Chapter Two

"…hit his head, as a manner of speaking," Tsunade was saying in a low tone to Naruto and Kakashi. "He got a major concussion. There was a wide gash along the side of his scalp… His skull is fractured, and some part of his brain is affected. That's why he's lost his memory, and that's why he's now…"

"A harmless retard," Naruto finished for the Fifth Hokage, his mouth curling into a snarl. His fist shook, and without warning he spun and slammed it hard into the wall behind him.

He had voiced what no one else had dared to mention. "Naruto," Kakashi began in a warning tone – for Sakura and Ino were sitting only some distance away from them in the hospital lobby. But it was apparent from the look of resignation and sorrow in the copy ninja's eyes that he understood, too. His greatest student was now a toddler living in the body of a man. Kakashi closed his eyes.

"There's no way we can return him back, then?" Naruto asked in a trembling voice.

Slowly, Tsunade shook her head.

"You must understand," she said, very quietly. "Sasuke came back to Konoha on his own. It is not simply a coincidence. His memories of Konoha are still intact. Something, possibly his survival instinct, brought the route here to his mind's surface. If he can't remember anything else, it's because he's suppressing it…"

No one spoke a word.

"I think we can all understand why," the Fifth spoke, with an air of finality.

And there was something n the air – something that had been left unsaid. It as a question that had risen in everyone's minds…

If Sasuke were to regain his memories…

What would he do?

What would become of Konoha then?

And then as though by some kind of unsaid agreement, everyone turned towards the pink-haired shinobi sitting at the end of the hallway. Sakura's eyes were red and swollen from crying; but now she seemed the picture of calm as she clutched the edge of her seat and stared down at the floor.

"Sakura-chan?" Ino said, as Sakura brushed her dress briefly and stood up. "Are you going to see…?" She could not speak his name without some kind of difficulty.

Sakura turned slightly and raised a visibly trembling hand.

"I'm going home," she said loudly in a voice that was too cheerful to fool anyone. Her smile, as well as her eyes were overly-bright. "It's going to be a long day for me tomorrow. I've got a big mission to complete… I need my rest…"

Without another word, she spun and fled from the place. Ino called after her, but Naruto held her back with an outstretched arm.

"It's better for her this way," Naruto spoke, his voice hard and quiet. "It's better for him, too. It's what's best for them, and for all of us…"

o

o

o

"Don't you know? Sasuke's back! Huh? You knew? Why didn't you go to see him? Sakura? Sakura!"

It was the same thing everyday. People who had just returned from seeing Sasuke would pop up on her doorstep, concerned about her and curious about the reason behind her absence in the hospital room. She'd brush off the questions, saying she was always too busy on missions. But for the more pesky ones, she ended the conversation by shutting the door in their faces. Ino in particular had been trying to speak to Sakura fro days without success.

"Do you have any idea how selfish you can be, Sakura?" Kakashi now spoke to his student, his tone bordering on the edge of impatience. "Your oh-so-cool, oh-so-powerful and handsome Sasuke never had a chance to live his life over again – until now. Why can't you accept what's happened to him?"

"Because he's not Sasuke!" Sakura shrieked in reply. "Because he's not the Sasuke I knew!"

And then, completely ashamed at herself for screaming at her sensei, she slammed the door hastily in his face.

There was a heavy downpour the next day as Sakura returned dejectedly from her lessons at the Hokage's living quarters. Hyuga Neji, though still as cold and distant as ever, had kindly consented to let her spend the rest of the rainy afternoon at the Hyuga residence, which was almost right beside Tsunade's house. As she stepped into the compound, she heard a familiar voice ask,

"Hinata-chan? What is this?"

"Rain," Hyuga Hinata's voice replied.

Sakura stood transfixed at the sight of Sasuke standing in the rain, drenched to the skin in a moment. There was a happy smile on his face and his eyes were closed as he raised his arms up towards the overcast sky.

Hinata's voice once again jolted Sakura back to reality. "C'mon indoors, or you're going to catch a cold!" Sakura stared as the girl dragged a very reluctant Sasuke out of the rain under the porch. At that same moment the two caught sight of Sakura and froze – as though they had been caught doing something, unsure of what to say.

Against her own will, Sakura found her legs carrying her forwards. She found herself asking Neji, in a strangled tone, "What… is the meaning of this?"

"He's already fully recovered from his wounds," Neji answered. "Tsunade-sama put him here to be under our observation. It's also near her place, so she can come over anytime she likes."

Sakura approached and she became dimly aware that Hizashi Hyuga and Jiraiya were also present, speaking together in low tones. Sasuke's face spread into a wide grin as she came nearer.

"Pink hair!" he cried, pointing.

Sakura felt an overwhelming urge to hit him. She forced it down and made herself sit down across from him without a single word.

"H…Hi, Sakura-chan," Hinata began nervously. "So many people have been dropping in for the past few days… we were wondering when you'd come…" She paused. "Naruto-kun came along earlier too… but… Sasuke didn't want to see him. For some reason, seeing Naruto-kun agitated him…"

Sakura said nothing.

Didn't want to see him?

She thought of Tsunade's words.

"His memories are still intact… Something, possibly his survival instinct, brought the route here to his mind's surface. If he can't remember anything else, it's because he's suppressing it…"

Sasuke was leaning forward to peer closely into Sakura's face. "I know you!" he declared cheerfully from his cross-legged position on the floor. He was paying no heed to the fact that he was dripping all over the place. "You were there – when I came here…"

Sakura said nothing.

And Hyuga Hizashi picked that moment of silence to ask Jiraiya, "So you think Orochimaru will come to get Sasuke back?"

Sasuke's head jerked up at this statement.

"Who's Orochimaru?" he asked, eyes very wide.

There was a long silence.

Sakura beat everyone to the answer. Her mouth opened and she heard herself telling him, "Orochimaru's the leader of the Sound Village. You left to join him three years ago. He wanted to use you as a new body to accomplish his goal of immortality. Because you have the Sharingan."

The look of shock and appall on everyone's faces made Sakura want to laugh.

"What? I don't understand!" Sasuke cried, his voice rising up in the sudden rush of frustration that welled up in him. "What's the Sharingan?"

Hinata rushed to the rescue.

"You don't have to worry about anything anymore, Sasuke," she told him. "POrochimaru's a monster, that's all."

"Monster?"

"Yes, a monster… big, and fierce… they like to bully people… they're bad people… Ugly, and horrible, and like eating up nice young boys… Don't worry, we're more powerful than him!"

Sasuke's mouth spread into a wide, relieved grin.

"Then you all will protect me?"

Sakura's heart broke at those words.

"Of course," Hinata reassured him with a soft smile.

Something snapped in Sakura right then. She dove forward, grabbing his shirt in her hands.

"Why? Why do you need someone to protect you? Are you that helpless?" She couldn't help it – once she had begun, she could not stop. "Are you really that helpless? Uchiha Sasuke? Huh? Huh?"

He stared up at her in bewilderment. His eyes were nothing like what she had remembered of Sasuke.

He said, "I'm weak."

Sakura hit him.

The quiet that followed this was deafening. Sakura's hand stung with the impact. She got up, turned and ran. No one called after her; no one stopped her. Soon she slowed to a jog and then to a walk, and went home alone under the pouring skies.

Author's Notes: M'kay, I hope that didn't confuse you all TOO much… and I do hope that you guys don't start hating Sakura or Sasuke or ME from reading this chapter. I'll try to explain and clear things up the next time if this chapter was a little too difficult to understand. Anyway! Thanks for the nice reviews! And continue to look out for the next chapter… it should be up by the next week (since all I have to do is type it in!) Adios.