Future Memories

A Naruto fanfiction by FatefulGravy

Previously: Naruto splits from his team and tackles a giant snake. Hinata collapses and meets her future self. She is left trapped in her own mind while Naruto is unconscious after his battle.

Chapter 3

Preconceptions

Sakura stood guard. She'd been sitting there for hours, there was no one to take over for her after all. Sasuke lay behind her, sheltered under the roots of a large tree, he hadn't made a move since the battle, since that freaky Grass ninja had bitten him.

'I couldn't do anything,I was too scared, I let Sasuke-kun down.'

Sakura had been unable to move after suffering the effects of the Grass ninjas killer intent. She had only been able to watch as Sasuke stabbed himself to beak out of it, but then froze again before being smashed by that giant snake. He'd barley struggled back to his feet when the Grass ninja made his neck stretch out and bite Sasuke, leaving a strange mark behind. She'd just huddled in fear, she couldn't make herself move.

At least he was still alive though, he was breathing and he had a pulse, however erratic it was. Which was more than she could say for Naruto. Sakura hadn't seen the blond ninja since the initial attack on them. For all she knew, he could have been killed.

'Am I really this weak? One teammate missing possibly dead, the other unconscious, and all I can do is sit here crying.'

She stood up and turned to look at Sasuke behind her.

'If I had been stronger, Sasuke would be okay, Naruto would still be here, they'd probably be arguing, we'd have both scrolls and would reach the tower in the morning, if only I was stronger.'

Sakura walked over and knelt besides Sasuke, his face was clenched up in pain. She laid a hand on his forehead, it was warm, much to warm, did he have a fever? Or was it because of that mark?

"This is all my fault, Sasuke, Naruto, I will become stronger, more like you two, you always protected me, from now on, I'll protect you too. I promise."

'Wake up brat!'

'Huh? What?'

'WAKE UP BRAT!'

"Gah! What the...argh!"

THUMP

Naruto's surprised awakening sent him plummeting from the branch he rested on to the ground below, grumbling he picked himself up.

'Stupid fox with his stupid loud voice making me fall off the stupid branch.'

'Quit the moaning, it's night and you need to check on your team. The one that smells of blossoms wont be able to stop the sound ninjas on her own.'

'Its not like I helped before, er..last time, whatever, anyway fuzzy eyebrows team will show up the Sasuke will go crazy and everything will be okay.'

'You have already changed things from how you remember them, you were not involved in the fight with Orochimaru, therefore any number of things could be different. Blossom or the musky one could be injured or immobile, do not place too much trust in what you think is going to happen.'

'Fine, I'm going I'm going.'

Sakura had nearly fallen asleep when she heard someone approaching. Sitting up she came face to face with a group of three ninjas, forehead protector showing the sign for Sound.

'They didn't even try to sneak up, they must think I'm weak too...They're probably right.'

The one on the right, with black hair in a style similar to Kakashi's, took a few steps forward before giving her an amused look.

"Orochimaru-sama sent us here to kill Sasuke. You, little girl, are in our way, move or be killed."

'Orochimaru? Kill Sasuke-kun? Kill me! I've got to get out of here!'

In a frenzy she looked around for an escape route. In front, behind, nothing. She was surrounded.

'But I have to run, it's the only way they wont kill me!'

Frantically looking around she glimpsed Sasuke's body out of he corner of her eye. He was still unconscious, his face still in the same position as earlier. Earlier, when-

-she knelt next to Sasuke, checking his temperature, feelings of guilt running through her head. "This is all my fault, Sasuke, Naruto, I will become stronger, more like you two, you always protected me, from now on, I'll protect you too. I promise."

-she had promised. Promised to protect them as they had protected her.

'I gave my word, I cant run away.'

'What is she doing?'

'The Sound ninjas, want the musky one, she stands between them and their goal, this is pack.'

'Should I help? You said she wouldn't be strong enough on her own.'

'A vixen is strongest when she defends her pack.'

The three Sound ninjas took a few steps towards Sakura, Naruto tensed, ready to jump to her defense.

'Wait brat, she has to do this herself.'

'What? Why?'

'Just watch.'

"Last chance little girl, move away or we will kill you."

Sakura stood still, facing Sasuke's body, her back to the enemy.

"Looks like she wants to die, Kin, take her out."

"Right away Zaku."

The female member of the sound team pulled out a kunai and hurled it at the stationary Sakura. She didn't even have time to turn before the deadly instrument caught her between the shoulder blades.

"To easy...what!"

The Sakura pierced by Kins kunai disappeared in a puff of smoke, replaced by a log.

"Kawarimi? Seems like the little girl wants to fight after all. Stupid, she should have just run."

Two kunai came flying out of the trees towards Kin, who dodged them easily.

"I cant just run away", Sakura said from her hiding place high in the trees, as she through another pair of kunai, which hit the ground as they were also dodged.

"Fool, you cant hope to defeat us, why throw away your life? Out of the way!"

Several more kunai hit the ground around Kin, creating a circle of kunai which the sound ninja stood in the middle of.

"I have to stand my ground, to defend those precious to me, I wont give in."

Kin pulled out several of her own kunai and though them to where she believed Sakura to be hiding, in response a barrage of kunai, shuriken and even rocks flew at her. She was now surrounded by spent weapons.

"I made a promise, a promise to protect them as they protected me, and even though I have already failed once, I wont go back on my words, thats my way of the ninja!"

Naruto let his jaw hang open, it seemed as if his absence had caused changes.

'Fox, she's stealing my lines!'

'Perhaps this is a change for the better.'

'I think so, I just hope she doesn't get herself hurt.'

"Foolish, you...huh! What the hell!"

Around Kin the spent weapons all disappeared in puffs of smoke, each replaced by a tiny slip of paper. Distracted, Kin failed to see one final kunai come flying towards her, an explosive note attached to its handle. As it hit the ground and ignited, all the small slips of paper, actually mini-explosive notes, simultaneously exploded, blinding Kin and causing small injuries. As Kin flinched back stunned, the large explosive note blew, creating a large crater and leaving one unconscious, severely injured sound ninja.

Dosu, the one sound ninja who had remained silent till then, spoke up.

"You, what did you do."

Sakura, still hidden in the trees, answered him.

"Mini-explosive notes disguised as weapons using henge. The small explosions stopped her from seeing the large explosive note right next to her. It was inspired by my teammates use of henge and a Fuuma Shuriken."

"Impressive, you defeated Kin using only academy techniques. The two of us however, will not go down so easily."

Zaku lifted his hands up and pointed them in the direction of Sakura's voice.

"Take this! Zankuuha!"

Taken by surprise, Sakura was only able to half dodge the blast of air pressure as it ripped through the trees, and was sent flying out of her tree towards Dosu. Managing to land on her feet she looked around just in time to dodge a punch from Dosu. Unfortunately for Sakura however, Dosu's arm emitted sound waves, which caused Sakura to stumble around before collapsing and throwing up. Sakura was completely disabled.

Hinata sat on the edge of her Island, feet dangling over the edge. She had explored the small, floating island for a couple of hours, but had come to the conclusion that there was nothing there but rock.

'Why is my mind represented by a floating piece of rock?'

Over the hours she had been there Hinata's thoughts hadn't wondered far from that question. When she was in her body her mind was never empty, there had always been thoughts and memories.

'It doesn't make sense for this to be my head, its too...empty. But if it isn't my mind what could it be? People are supposed to be made up of three parts. Mind, body and soul. Future me is in my body, and this cant be my mind, so that leaves the soul.'

Hinata looked around, the sky was a light purple, almost lavender, the colour of her eyes.

'If this is my soul it would reflect how I really am, my deepest emotions, how I really feel.'

She looked out over her little island, and the endless sky beyond it. She was the only one here, on her own.

'If this is my soul, and I'm the only one here...does that mean I'm all alone? Do I have no connections to anyone? Am I just me? Just Hinata? With no one else? Just me, all alone.'

Naruto saw Sakura collapse after Dosu's attack. Worry filled his stomach, hadn't Shikamaru's team been here before, where were they? What about Lee? He had been here before?

'Dammit fox she needs help.'

'You will be more help in the long run if they believe you to be dead.'

'Er...how, exactly?'

'You need scrolls, and they are injured. If you are believed dead you can use the element of surprise to get the scrolls when they are brought to you.'

'Brought to me? Oh..Kabuto right? But still, I can help here, shes out of it so she wont know I'm there.'

'That other team is here as well, hiding in the bushes. They will see you.'

'Then I'll just have to die again!'

'Huh?'

'Watch and learn foxy.'

Naruto removed his jacket, then created a single shadow clone.

"Here, put this on." He handed the jacket to the clone, who put it on over its black shirt.

"You're job is to make sure Sakura is safe and then get hit by that air blast thing, got it?"

"Yes boss, but I don't see why I have to be a sacrifice." Naruto blinked, his clone was arguing with him, odd.

"Just get on with it, stupid clone." The clone snorted, and started towards the battlefield, still grumbling.

'Why give him your jacket?'

'The clone will be destroyed. Usually there would be nothing left, but with my jacket on it will look like the real me was hit as there will be some remains.'

'And it will look like you were killed in the attack. But what if the clone is hit too early.'

'He wont be, we have plenty of practice dodging attacks that cause damage even if they don't hit you.'

'Yes, I suppose you do.' Neither Naruto nor the Kyuubi sounded particularly excited, as if they were remembering something they would rather not.

'It will be different this time brat.'

'Damn right it will fox.'

Zaku saw Dosu reach down to finish off the pink haired girl. She had put up a good fight, taking down Kin like that, but in the end she would die. He turned away to go and finish off his target, Uchiha Sasuke. Just as he reached the sleeping Uchiha, he hear a sickening crunch behind him.

'Thats the end of you, little girl.'

Having thought that Dosu had finished off the girl he was extremely surprised when said sound ninja crashed into the tree next to him.

"Hey you! How dare you hurt Sakura-chan!"

Zaku turned to see a blond, orange clad ninja sporting a leaf headband.

"More of you? You teammate seemed to think you were already dead."

'Another weak ninja, this wont take long.'

Before Naruto could respond Zaku started his attack. Rushing in, he executed a series of rapid punches, all of which his opponent dodged by a considerable margin.

'Why is he dodging so far, its like he's afraid I could hurt him with only a glancing hit. Perhaps he saw Dosu's attack?'

As the fight continued Zaku was becoming increasingly annoyed. He had no jutsu apart from his Zankuuha, and that was no use in a fist fight. Even worse, his opponent had only dodged, no blocks and no attacks. Zaku was tiring out.

'I have to end this soon.'

Determined to finish it Zaku jumped back from Naruto and set himself, palms of his hands facing the enemy.

"I'll show you my most powerful attack, Zankuukyokuha!"

Zaku's most powerful attack ripper towards the orange clad ninja, leaving a trench in its wake. Naruto was unable to dodge, and vanished in the destruction. As everything settled, the remains of an orange jacket settled to the ground.

"Got...huff...him."

Inside the real Naruto's mind an interesting conversation was taking place.

'A great sacrifice.'

'Yes, it was.'

'It will be missed.'

'Yes, it will.'

'I though you'd never get rid of that awful orange thing.'

'Hey! I though you were being caring!'

'Me? Caring? Never! You should know that.'

'Anyway, what now?'

'Dosu's out, and Zaku's exhausted, Shikamaru's team will finish him or Sasuke will wake up and do the same, we get a scroll and go on our way. Simple.'

'While we lie in wait for Kabuto, right?'

'Right, and I can practice rasengan while waiting.'

'Good, I do believe joining with you future self has made you smarter.'

'Shut it foxy!'

'But your still just as easy to torment.'

Hinata was still sitting on the edge of her island, head in hands.

'Am I really all alone? Will no one help me? I cant get out of here alone! I'm...too weak.'

The air In front of Hinata flickered, but Hinata, with her head in her hands missed it, she looked up just a second too late.

'Too weak to do anything, thats what everyone thinks, the teachers at the academy, the clan, everyone.'

The air in front of her flickered again, but Hinata, lost in despair failed to notice.

'Even...even father says I'm weak, weaker than everyone.'

The air shimered, flickered, then seemed to fold back upon itself, revealing another island much like her own. Hinata looked down at it, it floated slightly below her own island. On the edge of the island, arms folded against his chest and looking at her with contempt, stood her father, Hyuuga Hiashi.

FatefulGravy's Jutsu Dictionary

Kawarimi no Jutsu (Ninjutsu)

The body substitute skill is a commonly used evasive skill. Replaces the ninjas body with a local object while the ninja moves out of the way of the attack.

Used by: Nearly all ninjas

Henge no Jutsu (Ninjutsu)

The most basic skill required to become a ninja. Allows the ninja to transform into something else to confuse or misdirect their opponent.

Used by: All ninjas

Zankuuha (Ninjutsu)

The ninja controls air pressure through tubes in the arms to form large and powerful blasts. Zankuukyokuha is the same attack at full power.

Used by: Zaku Abumi