Amnesia

Chapter 2: Awkward Conversations

Tsunade was pressed up against the door as Sakura's mother began speaking. She was pushing any anxiety she felt, not because of potentially being caught (that wasn't going to happen), but due to what her apprentice might say.

"Sakura, what do you remember?" Mebuki asked.

This wasn't exactly illegal, it was 'medical interest', they needed to know exactly what Sakura was going through to try and help her. It was quite obvious that Sakura didn't remember her and so she couldn't play the trusted friend. That didn't matter though. Tsunade would get answers and she would find out everything that her apprentice was going through - at any cost.

Naruto came dawdling back down the hospital corridor, he saw her, and at a gesture silently joined the Hokage. Naruto does this all the time anyway. She always caught him eavesdropping on her and he didn't need much encouragement to spy now. At least he usually had good intentions.

Tsunade only had good intentions here, and she was still a little annoyed at Mebuki's stubborn demeanour - even if it was through protectiveness and worry for her daughter's health. Mebuki needed to understand that Sakura had a lot of close friends that could play a very positive part in daughter's life, especially now.

Mebuki also needed to get it through her head that as her mentor, Tsunade was not going to go easy on getting answers about Sakura's condition. Her apprentice was so talented, unfairly good willed, a joy to teach. Sakura deserved so much more than this. This situation she found herself in could not have been more unfair.

When Sakura came back to her, unconscious and brain damaged, Tsunade vowed to herself that she would do everything in her power to help the girl. The same applied now and it always would. She was prepared to play rough and she was definitely prepared to give Sakura some tough love, even if she had likely lost the trust and respect that they had gained for each other over their years of working together.

Sakura was sat in her bed in deep thought. What do you remember? It wasn't a simple question. She did not know where to begin and her head was still aching. She was constantly aware of the dull thud pulsing in her brain.

"I...not much. I couldn't remember anything at first, but I know who I am. I can see, by looking at these people, who they are... I'm eighteen now?"

Her mother smiled weakly. "You were always very observant. Yes, all those people you recognise are around eighteen too."

Eighteen. Sakura still couldn't believe it. She didn't quite know what she expected to be doing at this age, but she didn't expect this. She was a medical ninja - apparently a very good one. What made her make that decision? She never thought she would achieve anything... Most people were happy to make her believe that. Apart from Ino.

Ino had always defended her, made her believe that maybe one day she could be as confident and as strong as her best friend, and one day achieve as much as Ino was sure to have done by now. Was Ino just too good for her these days? Had they simply grown apart?

Ino called her out on the one thing she had been so sensitive about, her big, ugly forehead, and so casually too. Sakura would like to hope that she was more confident in herself and that her looks didn't affect her so much anymore, but she had no idea what she was currently like.

The questions about herself and friends were building up by the second. She hoped her mother could give her the answers. Even though she apparently hadn't been living with her, she assumed she still saw her mother frequently. It would feel strange any other way. "What happened between me and Ino?"

Her mother was silent for a while and it was discomforting. Had she done something awful to the blonde?

"Why is she an influence on me?" Sakura pushed, desperately wanting answers as soon as possible, the suspense was a growing irritation. This surprised her. Confusion took her top spot when it came to how she was feeling, but she wouldn't deny feeling a low bubbling anger, a snap of annoyance at certain things. She wanted answers and people were not giving them up easily.

"Well you've always been sort of rivals," Mebuki answered, looking past her, staring at nothing in particular.

Rivals, huh. She had somehow grown confident enough to try and rival her self-assured friend? Her eyebrows narrowed in disbelief.

"Why?"

Sasuke. Tsunade may not have known Sakura as long as her mother, but she knew a lot about her. She probably knew more about Sakura and Sasuke than Mebuki did - and she did not want that subject being brought up. She subconsciously leant a little closer into the door, whilst Naruto shuffled at her side. Perhaps the boy felt bad for eavesdropping on his teammate – or just awkward about the girl talk he was listening in on.

Naruto definitely wouldn't want Sasuke being discussed either. The remainder of Team 7 had already gone through enough hardship concerning that boy. Tsunade would admit that it would be interesting to see Sakura's current thoughts on the Sasuke, and on a lot of other things in their lives. Sakura had been so naive, so innocent, until she went through some horrible experiences. How much did those experiences make her who she was?

"Oh you know...boys," Mebuki said blankly.

Sakura was completely taken aback. "Really? Who? Anyone I saw today?"

Boys. She hadn't even begun to think about romance! Did she have a boyfriend? Had she had boyfriends? She could at least be somewhat relieved that she didn't wake up to find herself married or something because that would be insane.

She wouldn't be surprised if she didn't have a boyfriend though, she didn't exactly perceive herself as a man killer. Killer...she was a ninja! Had she killed before? Or did she mainly heal? The occupation was a sure promise of drama, how much drama had she forgotten? She couldn't begin to imagine it.

"No, nobody you saw today," her mother answered, pulling Sakura out of her inner-ramblings.

"Naruto?" Sakura guessed.

Naruto...the way he had looked at her. They were close now. She remembered him as a small boy. She didn't seem him around a lot but he always looked very lonely. Sakura didn't understand why. If she had the chance, she probably would have spoken to him.

However, Ino picked her up and her world changed. Plus, Sakura's parents had never seemed to let her linger when Naruto was in sight.

"No."

"Wasn't he the one I liked when I was really little?" Sakura asked, her mind lingering back to the possibility of romance in her past.

"You were certainly interested in who he was," Mebuki stated, seemingly trying to skip out on any kind of detail that Sakura was really hoping for.

"What happened?" Sakura encouraged.

Naruto had been sat there when she woke up. He was her long term teammate and friend. He must mean something to her, right? Was it ever romantic? He had looked so concerned and shocked by her initial reaction of his face not even registering in her brain.

"You were not allowed to talk to him."

"Why?" the pink-haired girl muttered, the confusion increasing within her once again.

"He was a naughty child, a bad influence." Mebuki shuffled a little in her seat.

"You say everyone is a bad influence on me, I think you're just being over-protective," Sakura said with dry amusement.

Her mother laughed awkwardly. "Well...what can you say? Ninjas are crafty people."

Was she a crafty person? Was Naruto? Ino? Sakura wanted to groan in frustration. She was asking questions, only for the answers given to spur more questions. For all she knew, she was an incredibly crafty medical ninja, who killed several people and dated lots of guys. No, she couldn't imagine herself like that – but she couldn't even imagine herself as a medic! With lots of friends!

To think her friendship with Ino, that at the time she thought was so solid, could be broken over a rivalry for a boy. Who was this mystery man?

"Who was the other guy then?" Sakura asked, trying to phrase it so simply that it in no way could be avoided.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

There was a strange soft thud at her door and Sakura briefly looked at it, expecting a knock. When nothing happened, Sakura looked back at her mum.

"You remember him?" her mother asked slowly, taking her turn in wanting answers.

"Ummm, the boy who's family got killed?" she said quietly.

She certainly remembered the name. Even she knew about the Uchiha clan. The topic was often avoided or glossed over by the adults and other children. So she fell for an Uchiha? The only Uchiha if her memory served her right (which she guessed it wasn't doing right now).

"Yeah, him."

"Really?"

"Yes."

There was a small silence as Sakura tried to take in that fact. She lost her friendship with Ino over rivalry for a boy, Sasuke Uchiha. She didn't remember much about him at all. She wasn't friends with him at a young age. She couldn't remember seeing him about. Was he ever her boyfriend? Was he Ino's boyfriend? Were they even friends?

There was no Sasuke sitting waiting for her, like Naruto and Tsunade, when she woke up. Maybe they had a nasty breakup or something. She really wanted to know what even attracted her to him in the first place because he couldn't be that great if he wasn't here to support her now - unless she really had messed things up with him in the past.

That's how her mind seemed to work. What did she do to make Ino dislike her? What did she do to make Sasuke avoid her? How in the world had she managed to get a grip on a successful career and social life? She couldn't imagine herself having the courage to chase an Uchiha, nor did she know why she did in the first place.

Sakura once again voiced her question aloud, "Why did I like him?"

"I guess I always encouraged someone like that, but really, I have no idea," Mebuki answered honestly, shaking her head.

It was unlikely they dated then. Her mother didn't seem to know much about him and they unlikely discussed why she liked him in the first place. Boys seemed to be an awkward topic with her mother in general, perhaps she was so socially awkward that she'd never had a boyfriend and therefore this was a totally new topic to talk to her mum about.

"Where is he now?" Sakura pressed on. "Sasuke?"

"He left Konoha."

Ah. That was why he wasn't here then. Had she really driven him that far away? Had she chased him out of Konoha with her affection? She'd like to think if anything, it was Ino who scared the boy off, though she hoped neither of those theories were true. "Why?"

"I don't know, ninja stuff I think, you never really talked about him after he left. Increasingly over the years, we've talked less and less...and when you started training with the Hokage, well I rarely saw you," Mebuki said, her eyes downcast.

"I'm sorry," Sakura apologised quietly.

She had not only moved out, but lost contact with her mother? And her father too? She seemed to have grown distant from everyone she knew, Ino, her family... Were they replaced with crafty ninja friends? She felt guilty. Her mother had been so supportive in her youth, for her to grow up and not want to talk to her... Then again, she guessed that was a part of growing up. What teenager still spoke to their parents on a regular basis about their problems and (apparently in her case) boys?

"It's okay, I don't blame you, the life of a ninja is...busy. Listen, I don't want you talking to any of your old friends, or Naruto," Mebuki mother spoke just as quietly.

That was surprising. Just what was it about her current friends that her mother deemed so bad? And Naruto too, the boy sat waiting for her, he hadn't said anything that set off her alarm bells yet.

"Why?" Sakura frowned, her confusion evident in her voice.

"Because you need some time to sort these things out. Seeing these people is only going to confuse your judgement. You want to take a step back and decide what you want," Mebuki replied confidently, nodding at her own plan.

It did make sense. She didn't know what was what right now or who all these people were. She didn't even know what she wanted. "How do I do that?" she questioned.

"We'll help you, just promise you'll try and avoid these people, okay?" Mebuki asked, giving her daughter a reassuring smile.

Sakura opened her mouth and went to speak but then looked at the door again. She swore she could hear shuffling outside. Standing up, she walked over to the door and opened it. As she did so, she saw Naruto standing there, arm positioned as if he were about to knock. He looked guilty.

"Hello...Naruto," Sakura greeted him blankly, hinting that she was suspicious.

He smiled nervously. "Hey, Sakura-chan, can I come in?"

"How long have you been standing there?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, ignoring his request.

"I wasn't sure whether to knock or not," he said awkwardly.

"Well my mother was just visiting," Sakura explained, glancing back at Mebuki sat by the bed. This was the boy her mother specifically just told her not to talk to.

Naruto looked up at the woman sitting on the chair and then entered the room. He walked in front of her mother and held out his hand. "Hi, Mrs. Haruno, I'm Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura's teammate."

Sakura watched as her mother slowly shook the boy's hand, but then asked, "Were you eavesdropping?"

Naruto froze. Sakura was about to find out if he was the type of person to lie because she was fairly sure he had been.

He lowered his head sheepishly and said, "I'm sorry, I just wanted to ensure Sakura was OK."

"It's rude to spy on people." Mebuki frowned, clearly annoyed by his antics.

"I didn't have any parents to teach me these things when I was little," Naruto replied with a small smile.

That was right – she didn't once remember seeing Naruto with an adult, or anyone for that matter. She took a step towards him out of pity. She said apologetically, "Naruto, I'm sorry."

He turned to his friend and his smile automatically widened. "It's okay, Sakura-chan, I'm cool with it."

Sakura smiled in reply and her mother's frown increased. "Naruto, would you please leave the room?"

Naruto nodded and walked back to the door before giving Sakura one last smile. "See you later, Sakura-chan."

Her second first impression of the boy (apart from being really confused by him initially sat right up in her face and ignoring the fact that he was just eavesdropping on her conversation), was he certainly didn't seem bad. His smile was genuine; he came across as a caring friend.

Sakura turned to her mother. "I don't see why I can't talk to him."

"He was just eavesdropping on us."

"To make sure I was OK," she pointed out.

Her mother sighed. "Sakura, you are at a metal age when you take what people say too seriously."

Sakura shrugged. "Well if he's my teammate, I don't blame him."

"And you were too logical for an eight year old."

Sakura smiled but then put a hand on her head. "So I can't remember over ten years of my life."

It didn't matter how many questions she asked. Ten years. Gone. Forever? She sincerely hoped not. She was trying to remember, but she didn't even know what she had forgotten! Her little theories that she was coming up with were crazy and (hopefully) unrealistic. This was sickening.

She didn't hear what her mother said next, her head was pounding. Bringing her other hand up to her head also, she shook it as her vision began to go blurry. The constant headache she had grown accustomed to started to throb violently, leaving her unaware of her distorting surroundings.

Her mother ran out of the room. Conveniently, Tsunade and Naruto were talking not far down the hall. "Come quickly!"

Tsunade barged into the hospital room, instantly at her apprentice's side. "Sakura! Are you OK?"

Sakura held her head in her hands, covering both her forehead and eyes. "My head..." she murmured in pain.

"It's okay, Sakura," Tsunade replied, but it sounded muffled to Sakura's ears, like she was speaking from behind glass.

Everything began to fade...

Tsunade was more determined now than ever, to get it through to Sakura's mother, that she wasn't to be questioned on her decisions concerning her apprentice. This was serious and Sakura's recent display of head pain was only adding to their troubles.

"Mrs. Haruno, I know that you don't want any of us seeing your daughter...but the truth is, she needs a ninja, a medic or a friend by her side at all times. If something were to go wrong, she needs to be seen straight away in hospital, brain damage is unpredictable."

"Are you saying I cannot look after my daughter?" Mebuki said, although the fight had drained out of her voice, replaced solely with worry.

Tsunade's own voice softened. They shared the same fears. "No, Sakura needs medical attention. She also needs a friend, someone who she can trust to reassure her. This is going to be a tough time and there is only so much a mother can do."

"Fine, but you better make sure nothing bad happens to her. Ever," Mebuki warned.

The Hokage nodded. That, she agreed on.

Giving one last glance at her daughter's hospital room, Mebuki Haruno walked away from the scene. When she heard Naruto charge out the room and say "she's awake!" she looked around at him and smiled, but continued down the corridor.

Tsunade entered the room and walked up to her now awake, but tired-looking apprentice. "Hey, Sakura, how are you feeling?"

"Like I just got shot in the head," she mumbled back, once again rubbing her forehead.

Tsunade gave her a sympathetic smile. "You need to stop trying to remember so hard, you're going to blow up your brain."

"But...it's got to be somewhere right? I can't just forget," Sakura argued, obviously stressed.

"There is a chance it can come back to you yes, it may just be temporary, but thinking about it too much isn't going to help," Tsunade explained.

Sakura sighed. "Is my mother still here?"

"No, she went home."

Sakura nodded. "Good, I don't want her to worry. Can I go too?"

"What?" The Sannin raised an eyebrow.

"I feel like I've been here for ten years," she grumbled.

Naruto laughed and Sakura smiled at him. Tsunade was so glad Naruto was here. He would look after her in ways she couldn't. She needed to be tough here for all of them.

"I'm sorry, Sakura, you can't leave, I'll come back to check on you later though, OK?" The Sannin left the two teenagers in the room.

As bad as it sounds, she was very glad Sakura's mother was no longer there.

Sakura was relieved to be alone with Naruto because she had a feeling she could get some answers from him. He also sat there with a very genuine, relieved look on his face that truly made her believe they were friends and that he cared for her. The fear regarding her situation, that had gripped her heart so strongly, loosened a little.

"So, Naruto...anything I need to know about my life?" Sakura asked, trying to break the ice. He didn't seem awkward at all, but she wasn't sure just how comfortable their friendship was.

"Well," Naruto grinned, "you're a popular medic ninja with extreme strength. Everyone loves and respects you, you have tons of friends and you're the prettiest girl in the world."

For a moment, Sakura didn't answer and then she laughed, not believing him one bit. "You're just joking, right?"

"No!" Naruto didn't hesitate and his eyes widened at the accusation.

"I don't believe you," she said honestly, shaking her head. He must be a joker.

Naruto grinned in reply. "Well that's my opinion."

Heat rushed to her cheeks. Unused to any kind of compliments, especially regarding her looks, she stared open mouthed. "You think I'm the prettiest girl in the world?"

He nodded enthusiastically.

She bit her lip to prevent the embarrassed smile she wanted to give him. Her previous questions once again lingered in her mind. Romance. "Are we...you know, a couple?" she asked, trying to sound less interested than she actually was.

Naruto pouted slightly. "No."

"Oh..." Sakura trailed off. That shouldn't surprise her. Perhaps he was one to go around complimenting every girl he saw - and the comment he made before just came naturally to him. It was probably nothing special at all. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

His pout increased. "No."

Whilst he only looked sulky, she couldn't help the grin that tugged on her lips. "Don't pull that face."

"What face?" Naruto replied, confused.

"That one!" She giggled as he only made it worse. It was an extremely cute face. Then she paused. "Wait, do I have a boyfriend?"

Naruto looked at her for a moment and she held her breath. The moment of truth was here.

"No, thank God," Naruto said eventually.

"Why?"

"Because I would have to beat them up."

"Why?" she repeated.

Naruto scratched his head. "Well I...I uhh-"

Sakura smiled. "Do you like me?"

It was blunt of her – but for all she knew, she already knew the answer and she really wanted to know the truth.

Naruto swallowed, but then he met her gaze steadily. "Always, Sakura."

Sakura opened her mouth to reply, she wanted to know everything about their friendship, but Ino burst into the room. "Forehead! How's your big head?"

Sakura turned to the bubbly blonde, annoyed at the interruption and nickname. "You know, Ino, you're mean."

Ino smiled in reply. "Oh I know, but so are you."

Sakura pouted. "Am not."

Ino turned to Naruto. "Isn't she Naruto?"

He frowned. "No."

"But she's always mean to you Naruto, turning you down, punching you across the sky, telling you off."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Really?"

She looked down. How could she be so cruel? Why the hell did he like her if she punched him and told him off all the time? Why was he here if she treated him so badly?

Ino saw her friend's change in mood and scooted closer. "But anyway, we all know it's because you like the guy."

Sakura's eyes widened and Ino nudged her and winked. "However, you are both blind to each other's affection, maybe it took a really bad blow to the head to see it?"

Sakura looked at the male. He was funny, kind, cute... Did she like him? Did she like him when she remembered her life? He had made her feel so comfortable in such a horrible situation.

Naruto turned to Ino. "Stop patronising her, Ino."

He protects her and sticks by her side.

Sakura smiled. He really was blind. She had only just met him (kind of) and already felt some sort of attraction, but whether that was because of her past, she didn't know. At the very least, she appreciated his affections.

Ino smirked. "It's what I do best, Naruto. We're rivals, it's how we communicate."

Sakura looked at her rival, hoping she could provide her with the answers her mother could not. "So, we're rivals because of Sasuke Uchiha?"

The room around her froze and she noticed it, but waited for an answer anyway. She was getting further with her friends than she did with her mother. While Naruto seemed awkward on the topic of romance, at least he answered her bluntly and honestly – although from what he had told her, she wasn't sure if she could trust his judgement.

He was either bigging her up to make her feel good about herself, or one of the blows she'd apparently inflicted on him must have given him some brain damage too. Ino seemed like she would tell it to her straight, even if the truth was cruel. Sakura appreciated the truth right now, harsh or not.

Ino shrugged it off. "I guess that's what started us off when we were kids, but it's other things really. Our friendship is not only about rivalry."

Sakura smiled. She definitely had a good feeling Ino would talk and so she continued, "My mother said Sasuke left for ninja reasons, what were they?"

Ino looked at Naruto, her facial expression not giving much away, causing Sakura to study her female friend even closer. It took her seconds to figure out that Naruto gave a lot away through his facial expressions and body language. Ino looked like a harder nut to visually crack, but she sure liked to talk a lot – always had. A gossip was a great source for finding out about herself and the people she used to be acquainted with.

"He wanted to leave to become stronger and kill his brother for what he did to the clan," Naruto spoke calmly, but something about him made Sakura want to move further away from him. He was suddenly gravely serious...distant. Her whole first thoughts on his personality just went out of the window. The boy was no longer happy, easy to read or comforting to be around.

Generally interested in the story about Sasuke and how it could change Naruto so dramatically, she nodded encouragingly at him. "Whose team was he on?"

Naruto looked her in the eyes and the realisation hit her. "Ours."

He seemed deeply upset. Sakura swallowed, that would explain it. "I'm sorry," she apologised earnestly. While she wanted answers, she didn't want to unsettle him. He was too nice to hurt.

The sadness in his eyes vanished quickly and he smiled at her, reverting back to the happier, loving friend again. "It's okay, Sakura, you didn't know... I'm going to go and get a drink, do you want anything?"

She shook her head and he got up and left the room. Sakura turned to Ino, concern in her eyes. "Did I say something?"

Ino crossed her arms. "You don't really want to bring up Sasuke in front of a member of Team 7."

"Who?" Sakura frowned in confusion.

"You, Kakashi or Naruto," her friend explained.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Kakashi? The masked man? He was here earlier."

Ino smiled. "Yeah that's the one. You know, you are lucky, he hates hospitals."

Sakura chuckled. "Why?"

"Who knows, that man is a mystery. Shame you've forgotten what he looks like, hottest man alive." Ino grinned.

Is that why he hid his face? She had originally thought he was some kind of surgeon. It was surprising to find out someone like that was her teammate. He wasn't in her age group, that was for sure. Team 7. Her, Naruto, Kakashi and Sasuke. She couldn't picture it.

To begin with, she didn't know what Sasuke looked like. She vaguely imagined a black-haired boy, but she wasn't sure. His hair colour might have been a dark brown – even if she saw him, she wouldn't recognise him. It looked like Sasuke wasn't a topic she could ask people about either, whilst that only made her more curious, she didn't want to upset or anger Naruto. She could ask about Kakashi though, right? The 'hottest man alive'.

"Really?" She titled her head, trying to figure out if Ino was telling her the truth or not.

Ino winked. "Yeah! You should try and sneak a peek!"

She would have to see it to believe it. If he was as gorgeous as the blonde claimed, she would definitely try and take a look the next time she saw him. Even if he was normal looking, he had her interest peaked – though everything was interesting to her currently.

Sakura nodded. "OK! Just don't bring up Sasuke in front of him or Naruto."

"Well...I wouldn't really bring up Sasuke in front of anyone." Ino shrugged.

"Why not?" Her eyebrows pinched together in thought.

"He's sort of a bad guy," Ino said carefully.

Again, very interesting, but she couldn't ask for more.

"Oh...sucks to be us," Sakura murmured.

Ino laughed. "Why?"

"We used to like him right? Do I still..." Sakura trailed off.

Ino frowned. "No, Sakura, you don't. We got over him a long time ago."

That was a relief. She would hate to still be pining after a guy who was far out of reach. But Sasuke was her teammate, what happened was so sad... Was she as attached to him as Naruto was? Could she not even think or hear his name without having to leave the room to have a private moment? Naruto seemed like a loving friend; of course he'd be upset over Sasuke leaving Konoha. Yet now Sasuke seemed like their enemy. If he wasn't a very nice person, perhaps it was good that he had left.

Sakura smiled and nodded at her friend. "Good, thanks, Ino."

Naruto walked back into the room. He seemed happier again and more composed.

Ino saw him and decided it was her turn to leave. She answered without looking at her, "No problem, Sakura, explaining things to you is what I'm here for."

She waved and headed towards the door, winking at Naruto on the way.

"Wait, Ino," Sakura called after her, stopping the blonde before she left.

Ino turned around to look at her friend. "What?"

Sakura smiled at her in appreciation. "You always used to protect me when we were kids, thanks for that, you haven't changed a bit."

Ino stuck her tongue out in reply. "You know I find that rather insulting. I'm a lot prettier, don't you think?"

Sakura laughed and stuck her tongue out at the blonde in return.

With a smile on her face, Ino left the room and closed the door.

"Thanks, Forehead."

Naruto smiled at Sakura. He never knew Ino meant so much to her, yes, he knew they were rivals due a certain someone - although he never knew the extent of their friendship. They were always arguing with each other, but now he had a lot more respect for the blonde. He had always frowned upon Ino because she tended to tease Sakura in a way he never agreed with. His best friend was so pretty. How anyone could put her down about her looks, he'd never know or understand.

"You know, Naruto, you don't have to stay here," Sakura began.

"Of course I do," he replied blankly.

All he had done was stay in this room. He had never been so worried, frightened even. Before this, Sakura had never had any kind of major injury that he had been around to witness. The fact that he had been there when it happened made it so much worse. He could never imagine losing her, he was just so glad she had woken up, amnesia or not, he couldn't lose her. To see her be physically OK and smile at him, he was relieved beyond belief. He'd make sure she was happy now, safe and...loved.

Something about facing the fact that she may not have woken up rattled him deeply. He had never told her how much she meant to him. He had wanted to wait until he had brought back Sasuke for her, but now, she didn't even know who their old teammate was. He wasn't sure how he felt about that yet. If she didn't know him, could she love someone else?

At least she wouldn't share his pain over the loss of their teammate anymore. He knew how much Sasuke meant to her. He still planned to bring Sasuke back. He would still keep his promise to her, even if she couldn't remember him making it. Maybe one day she would remember.

She smiled at him. "Because you like me, right?"

He grinned and nodded. At least she knew he was there for her now, that he liked her, even. It was so strange but he didn't care because she was alive and smiling.

But Sakura's smile slowly faded and her expression darkened. "And if I never remember who I am? If I don't remember my past?"

Naruto turned serious. He hated seeing her sad. "Then I'll still love you, Sakura."

Her eyes widened at the word. "But surely my character has developed in the years I've forgotten? Surely I'm different?"

Naruto shook his head. "You will always be the same to me, Sakura. The more you change, the more I love you in different ways. The more we've grown together, the stronger my feelings have become."

Sakura's eyes began to fill with tears. "And I don't remember any of it."

A single tear fell and he leant forward, wiping it away with his finger. She looked up at him and he saw the fear in her eyes. It was a look that he would never allow to last.

Standing up, he smiled. He held out his hand towards her.

She pulled back her covers, swivelled her legs out the side, and pushed herself out of her hospital bed. She took his hand and met his gaze.

He grinned. "Let me show you our memories."

Opening the window, he turned around and picked her up, pulling her against him piggy back style. She squeaked slightly as he jumped out of the window and he laughed.

Author Notes:

The next chapter is where the NaruSaku really starts.

That's the end of scenes with Sakura's mother in for now. There will be some Sakura teasing throughout the story - mainly by Ino - because I really enjoy writing it. If you read a couple of my other stories you'll likely find banter between Sakura, Tsunade and Ino (usually at Sakura's expense) and it's always for fun and humour purposes.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I really like to reply to them all. I like to get your opinions on my stories or on characters or manga plot lines...on whatever! If you don't want your name showing up on the reviews you can always send me a PM. I will never ask for reviews, but I like to reply to any that you do post - if an anomalous review is the only way you do want to voice your opinion, that's fine with me! This goes for all of my stories, you awesome people. I've been getting nice reviews with no way to thank you. So thank you in advance to anomalous reviewers and to all of you reading, of course.

Thanks for reading! :)