UPDATE: Story will only be updated on AO3 under same name (Collecting Memories) and username (venussnow).

The reason is that I will no longer be able to use the document management system on here, and instead I'm going to just have to write directly into the platform and only AO3 let's me do that! On AO3 it is up to CH17


Summary: In the Hidden Leaf... Sasuke demonstrate his complete lack of self-preservation


"In the woods?" Naruto asked with his head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

Sakura's face was bright red and if it wasn't for the fact that she was looking at her husband as if he had just slapped her, she probably would have turned around and slapped her best friend/Hokage so hard across the face he'd fly into the next century.

Shikamaru, sensing the incoming attack, turned to Naruto and mouthed the words Shut-up as clearly as he could.

Naruto still looked confused, but he slowly nodded his head.

"Let's get you home." Shikamaru intercepted. Awkwardly smiling and giving Ino a cue to follow along.

"Yes!" Ino quickly added. "You can talk this through in private. Just the two of you!"

"I thought it was a nightmare." Sasuke continued through gritted teeth, completely ignoring them. "I have a kid." He looked at Sakura accusingly. "HOW? WHY? AND WHY WITH YOU?"

Naruto finally seemed to understand the situation. "Don't talk to her like that!" He interjected.

"It's fine Naruto." Sakura looked like she was going to punch the living shit out of Sasuke. "He's not himself."

"I'm not myself?" He gaped. "You're not yourself! None of you are!"

"It's not fine." Naruto was reeling. "He can't talk to you like that and he can't see Sarada like this." He walked up to Sasuke and despite being smaller than him he appeared to be towering over him with a menacing aura. "You need to apologize right now."

Sasuke, undeterred, straightened up and peered down at Naruto. "I'm not sorry. At all." He pointed a finger at Naruto's chest. "And who the fuck is Sarada?" He demanded.

"Your daughter." Naruto restrained the need to slap Sasuke.

"A daughter? With Sakura?" He scoffed. "I have never had sex with her. You? Probably. But me?" He shook his head in disgust. "Never."

Naruto and Sakura's faces dropped at the same time.

Shikamaru and Ino immediately stepped in between Naruto and Sasuke. "Well! He's clearly sick!" Shikamaru added.

"Sick! Super sick! His memories are jumbled up! He doesn't know reality from fiction!" Ino quickly added.

"Let me take him back to my place." Shikamaru added quickly. "Meanwhile, you guys go and get Sarada out of the house! Temari shouldn't be home and Shikaida is on a mission. I'll hold him over. Meanwhile, Ino can give you a full report of his… current state."

Naruto still wasn't talking. His mouth was a perfect circle.

Sakura looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

"You? A wife?" Sasuke sounded flabbergasted. "You said marriage was a drag."

Shikamaru glared at him. "You have no sense of self-preservation, huh?"

"Absolutely none. I take medication for that. Which reminds me..." A thought occurred to him suddenly. "Naruto, I need my medication. Go get it."

Naruto seemed to snap out of it. "Get you what you jerk?! I'm not getting you anything! How dare you talk to us like—"

"You're on her side again?" Sasuke's eyes bulged. "What is wrong with you?"

Naruto's eyes momentarily went red with rage, and Sasuke fell back.

"Literally. What the fuck is wrong with you? What are you?" He swallowed. "Am I high?" He racked his brain.

He couldn't remember anything past Tuesday afternoon when he and Naruto started drafting a charitable trust for the Hyugas. They had requested Naruto specifically, and his dad assigned him to help because they needed it done by Friday. He then had gone home, worked out, and… and what else did he do?

"What day is it? What's going on?" He mumbled. Naruto and the others were talking, but he couldn't hear them.

I blacked out. He thought and tears started streaming down his face.

I did relapse. This is proof of it. I'm seeing the monsters again. He let out a sob.

"Doctor. Please. I need a drug test." He was shivering as he spoke. "Please."

Ino looked at him with pity in her eyes. "There's nothing in your system. We tested you while you were asleep. You're clean Sasuke." She placed her hands on his shoulders. "You're clean."

"Then why the fuck am I still seeing the monsters? I haven't skipped my medication. I haven't—"

"Sasuke." Ino's voice calmed him. "We know you're clean. You haven't done anything wrong. Go with Shikamaru. Tell him everything you can remember. We'll meet up in an hour and we'll get to the bottom of this. Together."

"Together? So… so y-you… you believe me?"

"Yes." Her voice was stern but soothing. "We all believe you."

He exhaled. "T-thank you."

Shikamaru grabbed his shoulder. "C'mon. Let's head out."

Sasuke nodded and started walking out with him. He didn't bother looking at Sakura or Naruto as he did.

Naruto was still upset. How dare Sasuke insinuate such a thing between him and Sakura? He would never. Not only was she his best friend, but he was married to his other best friend. The only person Sakura could ever be with was—

Realization suddenly dawned on him.

"Ooooh. That's what he meant in the woods."