RedMoon

Naruto Fanfiction

By Perfect Psionic Soldier

Dreams

Growing

Fading

Forgotten

Under A Moon

Bathed In Shades Of White

One May Say Dreams

Come True

But As Dreams Grow

They Also Begin To Fade

Until A Moment

When All Seems Right

They Are Simply Forgotten

So

Begins

New

Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto but I do own the original creations in this fic.

-Chapter Three-

Memories of Sakura

There was beauty under the open night skies as the sun began to set. The warm rays of the vanishing star caressed the land as it began to sink in the ever-present horizon that was always just a touch to faraway to grab.

Sitting on top of a tree, Naruto gazed at the vanishing tail of the setting sun. He had seen this picture so many times in his travels, the vanishing orb of bright red as it receded into the horizon, leaving only darkness in its wake…

But the scenery was ever constantly changing. Shifting with the seasons.

Here it was currently a backdrop of a vast forest; there it was a desert, a jungle, and an endless ocean of blue… He was constantly moving from place to place, fulfilling jobs and simply traveling in need in order to continue his searches.

It was this need that kept him alive since that single night. It was his final dream. To reach that place were he was allowed to exist… With a shake of his head, Naruto blinked away the thoughts as he gazed down to the sun once again as the last ray of sunlight left the forest, allowing the shadows to reclaim the world.

Night was beginning to settle and looking up into the open skies, he thought back to the events of the day as he usually did. Thinking back his only real memory from the day other then when he had visited his former team member in the hospital was when he visited his honored sister, the Fifth Hokage of leaf.

Naruto silently made his way to the Konoha Shinobi Office to meet with the Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden Among the Leaves. He had spent the morning crafting that single rose and as such didn't want to be bothered then. He preferred to be left in seclusion as he crafted Sakura's Rose.

Blinking, Naruto watched as a particularly fast cloud skidding overhead. He had been wandering for a third of his life now. Learnt many things during his travels, after that night. He had acquired and mastered skills that both revealed the beauty of life and the coldness of existence.

The rose was but one of a few skills he had learnt and perfected, which in its own way, rivaled those of his greatest assassination techniques. The difficulty was no less, in fact the rose was one of the hardest skills he had ever mastered, and even then, crafting one took hours of concentration.

However, the rose, though difficult, was something he held as great personal pride. It represented something other then death, and to him, it meant a form of peace that he could now only briefly touch and feel. Fleeting dreams and feelings that were still slowly, painfully fading with each passing day.

Standing in front of a pair sturdy wooden door with leaf designs engraved in the ancient oak. Blinking, Naruto took a simple breath as he began to open the door. He had breezed by the front desk lady, and since she knew who he was, she said nothing but had instead simply glared at him. He glared in return and smirked as she looked away in fear.

The door gracefully opened inwards revealing a spacious area. The wooden walls were filled with scrolls that stated odd and profound statements and sayings. They were to help the hokage of leaf concentrate on matters at hand and helped direct them towards the peaceful and great future of the village.

The center of the room was bare and at the other end sat a desk, were the fifth was currently sitting, her head bowed before a series of scrolls which she was quickly scanning through. She didn't look that happy doing her work, he noted with a smile.

"Your late Naruto." She stated solemnly without moving an inch. She didn't sound happy either. Perhaps it was the fact that he had been missing for over ten years that helped put the extra little bite to her words.

Shrugging, Naruto let out loose and relaxed smile. "Yea, but not by much. I was busy making a rose. You know how those things can take time."

Raising her head at Naruto's final words, Tsunade couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "A third one?" She had seen only one, the one meant for an important person that he wasn't able to protect. It was a thing of great beauty and was in itself, only rivaled by the surpassing tragedy that invoked its creation.

Naruto nodded as he stopped before the desk, a cheerful smile plastered on his face. Eyes closed and grin wide, Tsunade couldn't help but remember a young hyperactive boy in orange that seemed to take joy in jumping around a lot. It had been a mask she realized so quickly. Though the hurt had diminished with time, that night which drove him away also kept him away.

"I trust you been well?" Naruto stated as Tsunade got off her chair and grumbled at the assorted papers and scrolls scattered before her desk. She would have slept except for the fact that these scrolls pertained to the information given by Dieski Runmaru. The risky mission that had cost her two good people but their lives may have saved the leaf.

If what the young jounin stated was true, then Konoha village might be in for a war that they would rather not participate in. Though they were more then prepared now, the graduation classes after Naruto's departure were forged into fine shinobi's who knew the true meaning of the word, strong. Just like how Naruto once knew its secret.

Shrugging in return, Tsuande smiled as she motioned towards the stacks of papers. "I get overworked and yelled at every now and then, but I don't mind it all that much."

"I bet you get yelled at cause you fall asleep at your desk." Naruto stated with a smirk. He truly doubted that she had changed all that much since he left. The fact that she was just as seemingly youthful as the day he left, helped his argument.

"I do not!" Tsunade denied instantly as hundred of flashbacks went across her mind were she had to wipe drool off her face after a rather peaceful… nap. It wasn't her fault that the work was so damn boring and that she sometimes found herself resting her eyes! If they would just stop waking her up, it wouldn't be as big of a problem!

Slinging her left arm of his shoulder, Tsuande then began to give Naruto one of her greatest Taijutsu techniques ever created. It was devolped when she was younger and her beloved little brother was still alive. It was called 'The Evil Sister, Hundred Twist Drill!' Which consisted of her simply drilling her second index knuckle into whatever poor being was currently stuck her in headlock. They never escaped.

Squirming in pain, Naruto suffered quietly as he uttered out apologies. He remembered that technique and it hurt as much then as it did now. Demon apart of him or no, she was scary when angered! Which brought up the point of how her teammates had survived their genin days with her. Maybe they bribed her off with gambling money?

Then Naruto's life flashed before his eyes. His mind going into red alert, he tried to think properly but there was no hope. His body wouldn't respond! With a mewling yelp, he discovered that he was doomed!

Satisfied, Tsunade released the half dead boy to in order to execute her second technique, 'Angry Sister Devastating Crusher Blow'. With a tense, straight and steady hand, her finger resting together and pointed out, she prepared to slap that boy. Then dramatically simply smoked Naruto on the back of the head and allowed him to drop at her feet with a heavy impacting thump. With only 40 accuracy, it was meant to be used in tedium with stunning attacks, which resulted in 99.9 death of the younger sibling.

Stepping on his side as he was groaning in pain, she gave a triumphant pose as she let out a victory cry, her hands doing the universally traditional 'V' sign of victory. "Never! Ever! Mess with your older sister! As Justice is always on my side!"

Flinching in pain, Naruto couldn't help but smile at Tsunade's statement. Though they were never family by blood, they were in fact family. She had magically made it so. Slowly getting up, Naruto relaxed and letting down his guard, his expression softened as he watched her. Out of all the people he knew, only he could truly relax in her presence.

It was on his fifteenth birthday when Tsunade openly stated that she was going to adopt him. A young boy that no had liked nor even tolerated, to them he was nothing more then a demeaning memory. However, she accepted him, demon and all. She was what he had hoped for all his life, someone to acknowledge him as family.

It was on that day that Naruto found himself crying tears of joy that he had never felt before. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever consider family a thing that he could ever have, yet alone come true. He had truly felt that he was blessed. Nothing could have surpassed the joy he felt that day. Rival yes, but never surpass.

It was that day that he felt truly gifted with friends and at last family. Tsunade proudly stated her adoption and saw in him both the brother she had lost and the lover she once had. In him, she had once again found a dream and a family. Apart they were plagued with many hardships, yet together, together they were whole.

But that day was not to last. It was a short day later that that night occurred, while Tsunade was out on leaf business. With that single moment, he lost both friends and dreams. In a single instant it seemed that he was once again alone. Not wanting to drag his 'sister' into the mess he simply drifted off, visiting rarely.

Yet. Tsuande remained steadfast. She accepted him with open arms and not only forgave him, but felt remorse about that single incident. Though she could not have changed history in any way, even if she was present at that moment, it meant the world to him that she cared. Only she and Jiraiya seemed to have ever accepted him without a moment of hesitation or thought.

It was only his older sister, Tsunade, his teachers, Iruka, Jiraiya and Kakashi that kept him from harming this village. To this date he had never killed a single shinobi of Leaf. Even when they tried to hunt him down, even when they swore revenge, he left them alone. He ignored them all.

In their names he had even kept slight watch of their village as he moved about, learning and growing. He had stopped her small invasions on his own, whether the leaf knew was no conscience to him. As long as his family was safe, that was all that mattered.

Naruto's face contorted in uncertainly and pain, a emotion he rarely showed. He didn't even release he was showing his emotion until Tsunade moved. He was too engrossed in the last real memories of this place.

It took a few moments before Naruto released that he was in a warm hug. Falling into his sister's arms, he felt tears slide down his cheek, her next few words struck at his heart. Only she was able to do this to him. His older sister. Family.

"Your still family Naruto. Please remember this. Nothing will ever change that. Nothing." She whispered to him as she tightened her hug, afraid that if she let go he would vanish. That she would awake to find out that he never returned at all.

But something intervened, memories of a night of nightmares and injustice. He needed to go. He wanted to go. He was going to go. It was all he could do to stay here. Her hug, though endearing was something that he wasn't prepared for. He had lived in hate and darkness. He had briefly touched the light before he fell further from its accepting touch. He wasn't prepared for things like love. Even after all this time.

Pulling away from Tsunade's embrace. Naruto quickly dried his tears as he set his face back to an amused grin. This was his wall that no one would be able to break. It had protected him against nearly eighteen years of hatred and over ten years of wondering and combat. Not even his sister could break this defense. This was his absolute own defense against anything and everything. Only she had truly seen what was behind his wall and it almost frightened him.

"I'm sorry, Hokage-Sama. If you were ever curious, I would never intentionally injure the Leaf. But I am neither the person you once adopted nor the person you see before you." He stated calmly and distantly. He was no longer the person she thought he was, despite what had just happened. It was his old self, saying good-bye. Nothing more.

Nodding slowly, Tsuande slowly backed off as she took Naruto's words in strides. His personality had shifted a lot since the days of his youth as he seemed colder and the crack she had created a moment ago was proof of one thing. Though she knew that it would take work for her to bring back the person she adopted, she also knew that no matter how much he denied it, the original Naruto was still in there.

Naruto may have been buried under layers upon layers of hardened emotions. She also knew that she had to just keep at it. Or maybe someone else would break it instead. One day. She just hoped that day wasn't too far off. She missed her little brother. More they she could ever express. At the very least, he was still alive. That little bit consoled her.

"Then how long are you planning to stay in the village?" Tsuande asked as she casually walked back to her desk. She didn't want him to know how much it hurt her for him to pull away. To reject himself, to believe that he was completely alone, how empty he must feel. That fact was something that hurt more then his rejection of her feelings. She cared too much to let him suffer but was currently helpless and unable to advance.

Shrugging Naruto paused to think a moment. "A few more days, maybe more, maybe less." It all really depended on his mood but he felt that staying at least one night wouldn't hurt.

With a smile, Tsunade pulled something out of one of her desk drawers and handed him a small cloth bundle. It was very small and tightly wrapped in black velvet cloth. Moving back to Naruto, Tsunade simply pressed the small package into his hands. It jingled slightly as she passed it to him.

He recognized those sounds, but couldn't identify it. Curious at what it could have been, Naruto unwrapped the bundle and his eyes widened in surprise. This was something that he should have expected but simply didn't see coming.

It was the first Hokage's necklace. It was small, thin and perhaps only two centimeters long, made from an extremely rare black crystal that he once remembered was worth enough to buy three mountains. Once again it was before him.

He had returned it to her so long ago with the statement that the boy they both once knew was gone. And he was simply returning what was rightfully hers. It felt so right at the time, when he had formally left his home and ventured out into the world.

Yet before Naruto could even protest, Tsuande quickly stepped in. "This is for the memories of a young boy we once both knew… you should have it as you were the last person to see him…"

Gritting his teeth, Naruto knew he was cornered. He would have to accept, there was no alternative. Bowing his head in acceptance, Naruto took the small necklace and studied it for a moment. This was that he both wanted to keep and yet return. It was held something that was worth far more then just three stupid smudges of rock.

With a wry grin, he then disconnected the gem and its small bells from the necklace before he reconnected to the two ends together. It was intricate and easily reattached themselves to each other and with that, he palmed the gem in his right hand as he handed back the simple cord.

"I will keep the gem as I know you wouldn't keep it, but I will wear it in my own fashion. You keep the lesser half, I have to leave you something, but in this way, the past stays with us, in its own way…" Naruto stated vaguely as Tsunade smiled and slipped on the cord. It was better then nothing.

"We need to meet again, before you leave…" Tsunade stated as she was unsure of what else to say. She needed plans. Plans and a big chisel, she would find her Naruto again, even if it killed him.

With a nod, Naruto simply turned around and left. A small jingle in his right hand announced his leaving presence. Without pause he disappeared through the wooden doors, leaving behind a slightly irritated family member.

Returning to her desk, Tsunade found herself finger her new necklace. Though Naruto still refused the fact of life, that he was still family, she was going to hunt him down and brainwash the fool if need be. If the chisel didn't work, she might have to go to extreme measures.

"Naruto… the moment I return you to your normal self, I am going to personally strangle you to death for leaving me…" Tsunade promised silently as she watched one of her Anbu guards began to close the wooden doors shortly after Naruto's departure.

"You are sooo going to suffer…" she finished as the door closed with an almost silent thump of wood on wood. Her silent vow floating in the stillness of her room as with a sigh, she walked back to her desk to finish the days work.

It was the breeze that broke him from his meditation. The wind whipping around his body as it passed him without care, jingling his newly made earring. On his right ear hung his sister's gift, the odd nameless ore that was worth so much. It hung on a tiny metal ring that was pierced to his ear. Crude but that didn't matter to him.

He had pierced it himself of course as there was no one willing to go near him and he doubted he would let anyone near him with a sharp object. He was still disliked from the incident. Leaf was a nice enough place but they disliked him with a passion so great it might as well have been a village wide hobby of theirs.

With his piercing he had hung the two smalls bells on the tiny wire with the ore. He proudly wore it and though he would never admit it, he even missed the days when Sasuke outdid him along the times when Sakura yelled at him. Those were great days.

Getting up as he felt nostalgia settle in, he looked back towards were the hospital was and with a yawn he simply leapt from tree to tree and began to move towards a place were he felt he belonged. It was time to visit his oldest friend.

The wind picked up again, swirling around the giant tree, rustling its sakura petals in a gentle fashion as they danced together, putting on a show for all to enjoy.

Standing atop the tree itself, Naruto found himself staring at the night sky in amusement. He found himself feeling slightly at peace with the world. Tonight was a good night, he decided instantly. The winds were joyful and the tree was at peace.

With a wry grin he had his hands under his cloak and in quick deft movements instantly plucked a few free flowing petals from the wind. It was something he did as a child. To pluck at flowing petals atop the wind, since he had friends to play with, he made games of his own. Though he was admittedly horrible at it, it was fun nonetheless.

He had done this many times when he was younger, chase the vibrant petals as they crossed over the ground and flew freely through the open skies. Even though the villagers hated him, even though the other children ignored him, even though he was completely and absolutely alone… he still felt at peace under the embrace of the wind and in the presence of these trees. They were his true childhood companions.

This tree that he stood atop of, was a place of tranquility. There was no hospital then, there were only other sakura trees. It was his secret place to be alone, when he visited this place at night. This was his first friend that listened to his problems and accepted him and became his first friend. Now, years later, their bonds still held true.

It was only during the night, when there was no one out other then himself, did he feel at ease to venture around the town during holidays. It was during these time that there was no others to judge him, to criticize him, to hate him… and it was under this very tree that he felt the wind caress his cheeks and the rain of petals embrace him…

It was this tree that had seemingly accepted his presence with no prejudice, hate or even annoyance. It was here that he could simply let his tears flow in the open. He was always lonely but he could feel peace radiate from the tree, soothing his jagged emotions and answered his lonely calls.

He had hated the villagers and wanted to grow up to kill them all… but that dream had faded within this ancient tree's shade under the gentle moonlight. He had grown up in darkness and only within the embrace of the night and moon did he ever feel peace and comfort. This was where his true home lay, under the braches of his only friend.

The winds caressed his cheeks again as he looked up at the full moon while another gust of wind flew by. They were singing to him tonight. As they did every night but it was stronger as he stood on top of his friend.

It was stronger then the rest and reaching out with his right fist, he opened it, palm up. Instantly the wind picked up all the petals that he had on his hand and took them to the wind. Was the wind trying to show him something?

His good clear left and blank right eyes tracking them as he watched the petals breezed downwards and passed by a window were he realized that a person was currently standing. A person that he knew so long ago.

It took less then a dozen heartbeats before he knew who was standing there. He didn't need to see her pink hair or even her rose that she held to her chest. His mind had already figured out who she was by the fact of were the room was. That and something else told him about her. The winds whispered sweetness into his ears as he watched her.

He felt a twinge of sorrow as he watched his ladylove gaze up at him. He could have forced her to love him, he had the strength now, but that was the last thing he wanted to ever do. Even he, a demi-human had more morals then most of the scum he knew. It was how he stayed sane during the years. Self control and the quest for his peace.

He created his strength but for a single purpose. That purpose was to fulfill his need, his need that was backed by his aching soul, mind and body. The need had nothing to do with emotions of the past or even the present. The need that stemmed from the single night became his sole obsession, the obsession of completing the quest.

Looking down at what many would have considered a goddess of beauty, Naruto couldn't help but smile gently down at her, even though she couldn't see it. She was so pretty then, but since their time apart she had blossomed into a very fine and very beautiful woman. He once would have gladly gone down to talk to her, to be near her, once. His right hand twitched as he stared.

He could see it in her eyes, the confidence and strength of her spirit. She was no longer the helpless girl she was back then. No she was so much stronger now. However, all that was irrelevant. Though his heart might have said yes, his mind and body screamed no. There was no future with her. Nothing would have drawn her to him. He doubted that she knew it was he, standing here, looking down.

Looking into her eyes, Naruto's smile quickly melted into a frown. She was looking at him with strange eyes. He didn't recognize the emotion in them, but he knew that look. He ignored them, those comforting pupils, and instead focused on them with his right eye. This was something he had to do.

She was tired and confused. That much was obvious and it worked to his advantage. His right eye was legend, but no one knew what that legend was. It was thought that the eye was nothing more then show, a scar from the past. That perhaps it had a trick to it as well. But very few knew the truth. A truth that had been the demise of so many that dared challenge him.

The eye itself was a scar all right and thought it came from the past, it held so much more. It held his future. He could focus through it and utilize it as a focal point for genjutsu. It was extremely concentrated and very few people could ever defend against what they didn't know.

With a last look down at the only person to have ever touched his heart, Naruto turned and left. He had taken advantage of her weakness and from that he knew she would never even know what had happened. As a matter of fact, she would never remember that she had awoken this night. A foggy dream at best, foggy memories of a stranger at worst.

To her, it would only be a dream as she woke up and have a few moments of deja-vu. It was better this way. For her to never remember this night. If her eyes reflected what her heart held, then she would only encounter sadness and he cared a bit too much for that to happen.

It was better for her to forget him. He was nothing but a memory anyways and the person that she thought she knew died so long ago. No. She deserved so much better. And what had happened to Sasuke anyways? Didn't she still want to become his love slave?

Heck, he would gladly go to her and Sasuke's wedding if it guaranteed that they would never meet again.

This was for the best, even if she would never know, even after they never meet again, he found himself smiling. One of his greatest dreams during his genin days had come true. He had won the heart of his dream girl. Fate could be so cruel, not that he got many breaks, but he cherished them all. Sakura's moment of love for him was going to be a memory that only he remembered.

Even if he were the last person living on this world, he would never forget this night and her caring eyes. They offered him faint hopes of happiness and for a moment, her comforting gaze overrode his need. But just as people awoke from dreams, so must he let her go. Afterall, didn't it take true love to let the ones you care about to fly away?

He held her gaze as she turned her thought inwards, and finally satisfied, he simply got up and vanished as he felt the wind beginning to die down. Their whispering voices comforting him as he shifted to leave. His presence here was no longer comforting and he was beginning to get hungry.

Sakura blinked a few times as sleep demanded her body to listen. She tried to stay awake to think on… on… on something. What was she doing? She was looking out the window and then felt sleepy… so sleepy.

Crawling back into her bed, she then cradled the sakura rose to her chest as sleep overtook her. The comforting scents of sakura then began lulling her into happy dreams of a bridge.

At this bridge were a loner, a late teacher and a loud, hyperactive kid who was waiting to declare his love to her. Hollering her name as loud as he could in a greeting, Sakura found herself smiling as she ran over to begin the new day.

The night's memories then floated around in her subconscious. Waiting for her to wake up, as it would trigger a reaction that would pop it, forever sealing them into obscurity.

(" ) ( " ) ( ") Author's Corner:

Well I am done another chapter that took me a while and I got new editors! One is more or less being ignored, sorry shraven, until I get off my lazy bum and listen to his rather uhh, brutal but interesting editorials.

This chapter didn't move the story too much, but then again I don't really care cause I know everything and you don't, nyah nyah!

Other then that, I have the next chapter planned out and its going to be. interesting, I hope..

Other then that, I don't have much to say since I added this corner like a week after I wrote the darn thing. I mean. I just finished and wasn't lazy on my updating.

This sucker and the rest of my naruto stuff might get a updated version one day. maybe. ok, ok, so im too lazy to do even that.

Well then. Bye Bee!

Update: Well as most of you will notice, there is very little change during the first third of this chapter, but the last two thirds… well I did a lot of touch up and even added an extra scene and tidbits of things to come.

I wanted to keep the story itself within ten pages but all these additions are getting out of hand… oh well, I don't think that you really care, I hope You enjoyed!