Chapter 2 Forgotten Friends of the Blinded Flower

Disclaimer: NO! Naruto is not mine…sigh

I won't be able to update often since holidays are over and my teachers have already started to pile me with essays, assignments, tests and homework. Don't be disappointed if I don't update the third chapter within the next month or so.

If you see 00 blah blah blah00 in black then it means that the settings changed or times skipped forward etc. and no, there are real words in between the 00's not blah blah blah

Black….everything was black

Sakura looked around in the black void

"H-Hello? Anyone there?"

She cringed as her voice bounced back to her, echoing those lonely words through her mind

Making her doubt her existence

She was alone, and there was no one there to see her

"M-Mother? Naruto? Kakashi sempai? S-Sasuke-kun?"

Tears began to slip down her pale cheeks

"E-Everyone…?" she whispered

Coldness began to set into her shaking body, frail arms coming around to wrap her thins torso as she curled up into a ball

More tears came….dripping off her quivering chin

Its crimson colors seeped into the blackness, surrounding her with blood red inkiness…and it dripped into her…easing into her head and sweeping through her mind with the blackness

And then a blinding whiteness shot through her, all her memories of her childhood flashing through her eyes before streaming out and into the stifling darkness, the laughing voices echoeing and fading as her memories faded away…

The blackness in her mind constricted painfully

She screamed

00Never Let Go, No Matter How much it hurts00

"SAKURA! GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF SAKURA! STOP IT!"

Sasuke winced as Sakura's fingernail scratched the skin on his cheek, breaking open the skin and allowing blood to slowly pool in the cut

Sakura continued to scream as she thrashed wildly on the hospital bed, her legs pushing away all that tried to get close to her, her right hand fumbling around her thigh; searching desperately for her pouch of kunai's while her left continued to claw everything that stood in its way, her head shaking side to side as she continued to scream and sob

Finally Gaara let off a frustrated roar, and in an instant, the sand from the gourd strapped to his back poured out and restrained the hysterical girl

Sakura screamed even louder as she felt something soft but strong wrap around her wrists and ankles, curling around her slim waist and neck, and twisting around her elbows and knees

She strained against the bonds, her harsh breathing quickening as her body numbing as it overflowed with oxygen

Her blood pounded in her ears

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!"

She drew in a deep breath and prepared to scream again

A cool hand covered her soft petal lips and muffled her pitching wail

"Calm down Sakura! Its us!"

Sakura simply shook her head and continued to sob

A pair of arms slipped around her waist and chest, warm firm hands held her back and strong muscled pulled her up towards a firm and warm chest, pressing and molding her thin form against the soft, comforting chest

Sakura fell against the figure's chest with a small cry, her long hair trailing down her back as the figure enveloped her in comforting warmth

Like a shield that protected her from the cruelties of the world

The smell of pine and dark earth reached her nose as her head rested on a firm shoulder, warm breath flowing across the sensitive skin of the back of her neck as strands of her tickled her cheeks

"Shhh…its alright Sakura, its me"

A soft low voice filled her ears, its melodious sound soothing her nerves as its magic raced through her body

Seeing her finally claming, Gaara summoned the sand back. The soft mineral that restrained her limbs flowed away

"W-w-who?"

Her cracked voice filled the silence

Sakura shook with unspoken emotions as the hair tickled her once again, the strong arms that held her tightening in response

Limp arms came up and hugged the figure weakly back, trembling with fatigue of her earlier rave

"Its alright Sakura…we're all here…"

Sakura nodded as silent tears flowed down her wet cheeks, the white linen bandage that covered her eyes soaked with red slowly beginning to seep through the rough material

"Yeah, we all came to see you Sakura"

"Mm hmm, Sasuke, Kakashi, Naruto, Hinata, Lee, Neji, Ten-ten, Kiba, Shikamaru, Chouji, Gaara, Temari, Kankuro….even me"

"You?"

"Ino-pig" kind gentleness seemed to warm the last two words in such a way that Sakura will never forget

"All of us" Sakura turned her head to the right, where a small hesitant voice had piped up

"I don't understand..." she croaked as Sasuke reluctantly laid her gently back onto the bed, Naruto piling some soft pillows for her to lie against, propping her up

Sakura uncurled her arms from around the warmth of Sasuke's back and held them to her face, feeling with small delicate fingers the soaked bandage

"I-I don't understand all this…who are you all? How do you know my name? Why can't I see?" the last words came out in a lost cry

Tense silent filled the room as everyone stared in shock and horror at the blossom that lay helpless on the bed

"I'll go get Tsunade" the others watched as Lee left the room, his steps speeding away

"Sakura?"

Sakura winced as a large calloused hand held her cheek gently, a thumb stroking away the tears with gentle and soft movements

She jerked away from the tender and gentle hand

Kakashi stared at her as she pressed into the bed, cuddling her chest as she shied away from him

"Please…I don't know any of you…"

The others glanced at each other

"Yes you do! Sakura! You always said I was annoying and ramen obsessed! Remember? You always had a huge crush on Sasuke! And you'd always whack Kakashi sensei for being late! HOW CAN YOU NOT REMEMBER US?"

Sakura trembled in fear as she tried to block the large bellowing voice from her head

"Shut up you idiot! Can't you see that your scaring her?" hissed Sasuke venomously as he held one of Sakura's trembling hands in his own

Naruto glared back as Tsunade burst into the room

"What's going on here? Lee came rushing into my office and told me Sakura has woken up but she does not remember any of you!"

Sakura jerked her face towards Tsunade, she was – to put in bluntly – terrified. This woman had the most authority voice she had heard by far and even without her sight she could sense the mediating presence of the hokage

"It is true, Hokage-sama"

She twitched as Kakashi spoke

"Sakura has indeed, lost her memory. The reason as to why she did is still unclear, but I can be certain that she has not a trace of knowledge of her life before the…incident…"

Sakura frowned as she felt Sasuke's grip on her hand tighten as the air tensed up another notch

What were they talking about? What incident?

Tsunade nodded

"I see…this situation has complicated more then I predicted…"

Sakura froze as she felt Tsunade walk closer to the bed, with unstable movements, she held onto Sasuke's shirt and huddled against his chest, shaking with terror as she pressed her sightless eyes against his black shirt

Sasuke stiffened but relaxed and wrapped his arms around her head and back

"Please" Sakura whispered in a trembling voice

"Don't come any closer"

Tsunade stopped in shock, her eyes widening as she looked down at Sakura, noting how lost she looked as she huddled in Sasuke's warmth

"I see…very well then" she said through white lips as she continued to stare at Sakura's trembling form

"I will not disturb you, however I must change your bandages and check your eyes"

Sakura pressed herself closer to Sasuke's chest

Tsunade sighed

"If you are that afraid, then I will allow Sasuke to stay by your side and if you wish, the others may stay in here as well while I treat you. Fair enough?"

Sakura nodded numbly, the more people in this room the better, even if she did not know any of these strange people.

Especially the one she clung onto

"We don't mind" piped up Naruto as he grabbed a chair and pulled it towards the bed

"As long as Sakura-chan doesn't mind"

The others nodded and slid their chairs around the bed in a circle, trying to dissipate Tsunade's authoritive aura, they could all see how terrified their fallen comrade was

It was the least they could do to help

Tsunade glared at the others before sniffing and turning around to the medical cabinet in the room, opening the cupboard doors and taking out a sophisticated medical kit with numerous other things

Sakura stiffened as she felt heard a large thump on a flat surface near her bed; presumably a bedside table

But she began to sweat nervously as she felt the bed sag as Tsunade plumped her weight onto it with a huff

"You'll have to sit up for this" she said softly as she opened the kit to take out numerous items

Sakura tilted her face back towards Sasuke's with a questioning tilt to her head, feeling slightly better as he gave a go-on squeeze to her hand

She turned around again and sat up, leaning slightly forwards as she let go of one of Sasuke's hands

Kakashi gently took her other one and held it softly, squeezing it in the most reassuring manner

Naruto scowled at his misfortune but eventually settled to having to lay his hand on her bare arm, rubbing it softly in an attempt to rid it of Goosebumps.

Tsunade turned around and ignored the three hands that gave Sakura her support

"I'll start by removing your bandages first" she muttered as she reached towards Sakura's head

Sakura tensed, but relaxed as Tsunade unclipped the latch that was holding the roll of linen together

Everyone watched with bated breath as she slowly began to unravel the soggy cloth, more and more of it peeling away to reveal the pale skin beneath

Finally she peeled off the last of the bandage and everyone could not help but stare in shock at the large ragged scar that slashed cruelly across her eyes

The tip of it kissed her temples and continued to drag across the lids of her eyes where it dipped in the middle at the bridge of her nose before traveling back up across her other eyelid in a jagged way before slashing smoothly again just below her temple on the other side

It was both ugly and beautiful

The scar was currently bleeding slightly, the area around the tip of her eyes and the bridge of her nose had opened and bled steadily, the blood already beginning to slowly clot and heal

Tsunade frowned at the deep scar and held the two of her index fingers over the scar, muttering under her breath as chakra formed at the tips and glowed

Touching the cut lightly the moved her fingers out slowly, watching carefully as her chakra streamed out and danced around the cut

Sakura sighed almost silently as warmth seeped into her skin, making her feel light headed and content

Removing her fingers from the cut Tsunade gripped lightly Sakura's chin and turned it left to right gently, nodding in satisfaction

"I'll clean your scar and rebind it, if you do not move or scratch it then you should be able to take it off in two days time"

Sakura sat there

Tsunade gave another heavy sigh and began to wipe Sakura's eyes with a medicinal cloth

Sakura winced slightly at the cold alcohol but sat still to allow Tsunade to finish off the job

Taking a roll of white cloth, Tsunade wrapped it firmly around Sakura's head and clipped it with a flourish

Dusting her hands off, much to the amusement of the others in the room, Tsunade stood up and packed away all the equipment before placing them back into the cupboard

Turning around, she eyed Sakura and Sasuke with a hint of sadness

Her own disciple was afraid of her…

With a heavy sigh she turned to Sakura

"You are welcome to stay in the hospital till you fully regain your health, although you are ready to leave already, if you don't want to stay here you can stay with me or one of the others" Tsunade eyed Gaara carefully

Sakura shivered at the thought of living with the older woman and pressed herself into Sasuke's arms once again

Sasuke looked down

"If she doesn't mind…she can stay at my manor"

Tsunade smiled

There you go, a bit of Sak/Sas fluff this chapter to those who love the pair. I changed my mind and twisted the story a bit more (I made Sakura lose her memory to those who didn't realize) this will give the other guys more chance to get close to her instead of just Sasuke Next chapter might contain a bit more Sas/Sak fluff and Kak/Sak

Oh my! I can't believe I updated so quickly! I spent 3 hours on this chapter, but I hope you guys like it!

Hope you guys liked it!

R&R

Japanese Noodles

AN: Oh yeah, I changed my pen name to wrinkles to stop a schoolmate of mine prying through my personal hobbies, hope you guys don't mind!