Amnesia
Chapter 10: Trees
"Right, let's talk about Naruto," Ino began, sitting opposite her friend at their usual spot in a small coffee shop that they liked to go to on their lunch breaks.
"Do you think he likes me?" Sakura blurted out loudly, she then grabbed the drinks menu and hid her face, pretending to read, while the couple sat on a table opposite them looked at her oddly.
Naruto told her that he loved her... But then why would he act so quiet if she was trying to share her feelings back? He told her that a few weeks ago. Perhaps he didn't like her anymore. Now that she had no abilities or memories, what good was she to him? What was she worth now?
"Are you kidding? Did you receive some other brain damage we didn't know about?" Ino smirked, amused at her apparent stupidity.
Sakura raised her head to look at Ino. "I'm serious... It kind of got awkward when we were training together, I was talking to him about my feelings and I thought he'd figured me out but then he got so quiet..."
"Were you talking about Sasuke?" Ino frowned.
Sakura shook her head slowly. "No... Naruto, I think, I was just saying how I felt and I thought he might think that I like him."
"Naruto has always been blind to your love." Ino sighed.
"It's like he's forgotten I kissed him a few weeks ago...and now these feelings..." Sakura trailed off before asking, "Why did you bring up Sasuke?"
"If you mention 'Sakura' and 'loves' to Naruto, he'll think 'Sakura loves Sasuke'." The blonde shrugged.
"Why?" Sakura mumbled.
"That's how his brain works. He still thinks you like Sasuke, he is still trying to bring him back for you. If you didn't mention his name when you were weirdly confessing to him, like how you talk when you try and explain your jumbled thoughts but just confuse me... He'll think you were talking about Sasuke," Ino concluded, shaking her head.
Sakura nodded slowly. "He did freak out when I said I hated Sasuke."
Ino raised an eyebrow. "Hate Sasuke? No, Sakura, he's your teammate and you want him back, but you don't love him either."
"Are you saying this because we're rivals because of Sasuke?" Sakura asked.
"No, Forehead." Ino laughed. "We're rivals because I'm better than you but you're too stubborn to believe it. We're stronger without Sasuke... Saying that, he is hot, I wouldn't mind dating him for a little while."
"I thought he was scary," Sakura murmured in reply.
Ino laughed.
"It's not funny."
"But he's still good-looking, right?" Ino grinned.
"I guess."
"But Naruto's also good-looking, right?" Ino wiggled her eyebrows.
Sakura didn't answer.
"Come on... Say you like him, include his name."
"I... I'm just confused, Ino." Sakura sighed.
This was not what she was supposed to be thinking about, but tonight if she was going to be kept up by her swirling thoughts, those thoughts would contain a certain someone who made her feel...weird.
"You're always confused! Sort out your thoughts, woman." Ino laughed.
"I don't have all my thoughts, Ino!" Sakura snapped back without thinking.
Ino's smile fell, she was silent for a moment before adding, "Maybe not, but you have your feelings. Your brain may be injured but you always went with your heart anyway."
"My heart won't help me heal people or be a ninja again," Sakura grumbled back.
"So you're confused about Naruto, frustrated with yourself..." Ino shook her head.
"Frustration is one way of putting it. It's devastating to try so hard and get nowhere."
"For a very long time, you tried very hard and got nowhere, ask Tsunade."
"Tsunade won't help me unless I can control chakra, she'd probably think I was trying to sneakily get information off her to help me get my abilities back." Sakura frowned.
"You'll get it, Sakura, but how do you expect to unlock the abilities you've lost if you're so messed up emotionally? Focus on sorting out your love life or sorting out your ninja career."
Sakura nodded. "I'll keep trying."
Ino's eyes widened. "You're picking your career over Naruto?"
Nodding slowly, Sakura continued, "Naruto isn't going anywhere. I can enjoy being around him regardless of whether we're dating or not. But me learning to be a medic again will help not only him, but Konoha, and I don't want to let him down either. He was trying so hard to help me. If I ever get my abilities or memories back, then I'll confess to Naruto, I'll tell him how I really feel. That I might possibly feel something."
Ino raised an eyebrow. "Then I hope you get your memories back soon, Forehead, for both of you...and my amusement. I'll hold you to that promise, by the way."
"I still need to clear things up with Naruto though, at least make him realise I wasn't talking about Sasuke, right?" Sakura asked.
"Right."
"OK thanks...I'll do that now." Sakura stood up, turned around and headed off in search of Naruto, still in deep thought.
As her friend walked away, Ino wondered if Sakura could really wait that long to explain to Naruto how she felt – Ino certainly didn't want to wait that long.
"That 'training' with Sakura was 'cute', I hear." Tsunade hummed, sat in her usual chair.
Naruto changed from being frightened (the last time he made Tsunade wait, when he was told to go and see her, Sakura had to bandage him up in several places... The extra attention from his teammate was pretty good though) to embarrassed. His face reddened slightly. "Why was someone watching us? I was there, she wasn't alone."
"Like I trust you after you and Kakashi lost her last time." The sannin shook her head.
"How was I supposed to know Sasuke would somehow get into Konoha and bait her away, when I was beating up Kakashi-sensei for Sakura-chan!" Naruto frowned. "I was putting everything into that spar, to avenger her!"
Tsunade smirked. "And you took her away without permission. Even without that, I just don't trust you, full stop."
Naruto slumped, lowering his head, he pouted at the floor.
"I'd usually let Sakura deal with you, but since she can't control you right now-"
"You spy on us," Naruto interrupted.
"Yes."
"But our training session was private!" Naruto whined.
"You didn't seem to do much training at all." Tsunade smirked. "Can she use chakra now?"
Naruto frowned. "No."
"Because you made her try a training exercise for after you can form chakra." The Hokage laughed.
"Well maybe if you help her," Naruto suggested.
Tsunade frowned. "No. I took her on as my student when she had near perfect chakra control, I moulded what she was good at, I didn't teach her from scratch."
"Then how can I help her?" Naruto asked.
"You could try not being such a pussy of a teacher."
Naruto looked confused.
"Sakura fell out of trees so many times and didn't get a single scratch on her. She didn't get to where she was through nice teachings. I was cruel and gruelling, look where that got her."
Naruto thought about it. He'd always felt sorry for Sakura; Tsunade was a really strict teacher who was not afraid to half-kill her student to get a message across. Jiraiya was also a tough teacher and it worked. But this was Sakura! He couldn't be mean to her. He couldn't let her get hurt, even just a little.
"You've got to let her fail, Naruto," Tsunade added seriously.
Naruto looked up with a smile on his face. "I'll never let her fail."
Tsunade smiled and shook her head. "Then good luck, kid."
"She can do it though, right?" Naruto asked.
"I never said that." Tsunade frowned. "My experience tells me that the odds are not in her favour."
"And what does your heart tell you?" Naruto pushed.
"Who am I? Sakura?"
The door knocked and Sakura herself stepped in. "Did I hear my name?"
"Yes, Naruto was just talking about you," Tsunade informed her.
Sakura closed the door and walked up to stand by Naruto, she smiled at him. "Was he now?"
"Uhh, yeah." Naruto rubbed the back of his head and grinned back.
"Good, I need to talk to you and I wondered if we could train again tomorrow?" Sakura asked nicely.
Tsunade laughed.
Sakura turned to frown at the Hokage. "What?"
"Good luck with that. Maybe he'll try and teach you to walk on water next." Tsunade smirked.
Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Can he?"
"I highly doubt it," Tsunade shot back, amused.
Naruto pouted and Sakura frowned again. "Don't be mean! I think he's a good teacher."
"He tried to teach you how to control chakra, when you can't even form it." Tsunade laughed again.
"That's more than you," Sakura replied, slightly annoyed.
Tsunade stopped laughing and Naruto tensed. Was there going to be a fight? He'd have to pick Sakura up and run, if the Hokage decided to take that personally. He sighed in relief when Tsunade smirked again.
"I told you, learn the basics if you want my help," Tsunade reminded her.
"...Did I try really hard and get nowhere when we used to train?" Sakura asked.
The sannin raised an eyebrow. "Trying to get information about our training sessions now, huh?"
Sakura sighed. She knew the blonde would take it like that.
"You were slower than I expected you to be on the combat side, at first, but you picked up the medical side quicker than anyone I've met before. You were a natural medic." With all traces of teasing aside, Tsunade added, "And I told you, amnesia can make people lose their natural talents."
"Yeah yeah," Sakura mumbled.
Tsunade's smile returned. "Not that that matters, you don't listen anyway."
"Exactly, I won't listen to what amnesia is trying to do to my brain either." Sakura frowned.
"It doesn't work like that. Amnesia has already affected your brain."
"Well I'll just kick amnesia's butt! And remember again." Sakura smiled.
"If amnesia was a person, I have no doubt that you would have beaten it senseless by now, but good luck with doing that to undo the effects it's had on your brain." Tsunade shook her head.
This was comforting for Sakura, when anyone spoke about her amnesia with her, the conversation went sad. But Tsunade, surprisingly, was the least serious about it. They joked about it, as cryptic as it was. Her mentor constantly told her she couldn't overcome her amnesia, and for some reason, it just made her want to try more.
"So I'll see you for a 'kicking amnesia's butt' training session tomorrow, Naruto?" Sakura turned to her teammate.
"Sure!" Naruto grinned.
"OK, at the same place, at 9 a.m." Sakura smiled back and turned to exit the room.
"Have fun kissing in trees tomorrow." Tsunade smirked.
Sakura paused and looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow. What had he told Tsunade about their training session? Why would he tell her about that stuff? Or was it Ino? She realised he was going bright red and glanced at her mentor. "Honestly, Shishou, I'm a perfectly professional student!"
Sakura left the room and Tsunade raised an eyebrow. She had expected that her comment would have made her apprentice blush or stutter in an amusing way. She wondered just what really was going on in her apprentice's brain damaged head. It affected the pink haired medic in ways she wouldn't quite expect. That wasn't always as fun. Naruto however, was still easy to embarrass.
Tsunade smirked. "Are you the unprofessional teacher then? Trying to kiss your student?"
"No!" Naruto spluttered quickly, awkwardly denying it.
"Mmhmm."
"Granny!" Naruto pouted. "I just want to help Sakura-chan, but it was fun at the same time..."
"Fun huh?" Tsunade smirked.
"Not like that! She's my friend and..." Naruto trailed off before mumbling, "It's not like she cares for me beyond that."
"If someone tries to kiss you in a tree, I think it means they like you."
"But-"
"Honestly, Naruto, how blind can you be? She looks at you the same way she did before she hit her head."
Naruto nodded.
Tsunade studied him. "You don't think she liked you before she hit her head either do you?"
He grinned idiotically.
Tsunade face-palmed. "I know Sakura can be oblivious to you-"
"Sakura-chan is very observant," Naruto interrupted.
"And you can be oblivious to her-"
"I'm never oblivious to her." Naruto frowned.
"-Feelings," Tsunade continued, ignoring his interruptions.
"I know how she feels." Naruto shrugged.
The Hokage raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
Naruto nodded. "She loves Sasuke."
As soon as the words left his lips, Naruto seemed to shrink a little before he managed a pathetic, wry smile.
Tsunade sighed. "And you would be OK with that?"
"Of course."
"Well unlucky, kid, because she doesn't like Sasuke." Tsunade shook her head.
"Even now she has this unconscious connection to him that she can't explain," Naruto answered, placing a hand over his own heart.
"Why do you think that?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.
"She said."
"Did she use Sasuke's name?" Tsunade asked, even though she knew the answer.
"No."
"She wasn't talking about Sasuke, it should be obvious who she was talking about." Tsunade rolled her eyes.
"...Who?" Naruto asked sincerely.
Scowling, Tsunade reached for the heavy book, that she had thrown at Sakura before, and launched it at the blonde's head. Unfortunately, he dodged and it slammed into the wall behind him.
"What was that for?" He frowned.
"Maybe a book to the head will knock some sense into you," Tsunade grumbled. "I now know how it feels to be Ino."
Naruto looked confused.
"She always takes on the frustrating task of putting you two together," Tsunade explained.
"...I don't want to date Ino." Naruto frowned.
Tsunade twitched dangerously. How annoyingly slow could he be?
"I'm going to go now," he said quickly.
"Naruto Uzumaki." The Hokage raised her voice.
Naruto continued to back slowly towards the door.
"Sakura was talking about you when she was discussing how she felt," Tsunade spelt it out so he couldn't twist it.
Naruto paused.
"Why is that so hard to believe?" Tsunade sighed.
"Because..." Naruto trailed off. "What do I do for her? I only cause her trouble. I've not brought Sasuke back yet. I'm just not good for her."
"You do more for her than anybody else does," Tsunade said seriously. "Do you not take note of how much she smiles around you?"
"She said I was an idiot." He smiled and shrugged.
"And smiled afterwards?"
Naruto grinned, indicating a clear 'yes'.
"Maybe you should watch how Sakura reacts to you instead of trying to come up with your own interpretations for the things she says."
Naruto didn't answer.
Tsunade smiled. "There is only one conclusion when it comes to you and Sakura."
"We'll be best friends forever?"
"Sakura has always said I was like a mother to her... I'm waiting for the grandchildren."
Naruto choked, his eyes widening in surprise.
"As long as they don't turn out like you, boy," Tsunade added.
Naruto pouted.
"Blind," Tsunade muttered.
Naruto's pout increased and he mumbled, "I'm not blind."
"Oblivious then."
Naruto was silent for a moment, thinking about Tsunade's conclusion of his and Sakura's relationship; he really wanted that to happen more than anything in the world. He looked up seriously and asked, "Why do you think that will happen?"
"When it comes to feelings and love, Sakura is always barking up the wrong tree. She spends all her effort trying to climb one tree and can't do it no matter how hard she tries, the tree is slippery and she just falls down. She returns to a tree that will protect her from any weather, that she could climb any day, which makes her smile and happy and when she realises that is the only tree she needs, she doesn't know which branch to go along, or if the tree wants to be more, or if she deserves it... And she's plain embarrassed and generally confused... Get what I mean?" Tsunade asked.
"No..." Naruto titled his head to the side before adding, "But I'd like to be that second tree."
Tsunade sighed and reached under her desk before pulling out a large bottle of sake. Naruto shook his head in disapproval but the sannin opened the cap and took a large swig, smiling afterwards.
"You're terrible! You're lucky Sakura-chan isn't here." Naruto frowned. "I should go and tell Sakura on you right now."
"Sakura won't do anything about it anymore." Tsunade hummed.
"Well I'll tell Shizune!" Naruto threatened.
"Do you want a bottle?" The Hokage offered.
"No, I don't drink."
Tsunade shrugged. Sometimes that worked with Sakura, it was all fun and games then.
"You're drunk aren't you?" Naruto asked. "With all this talking about twigs and stuff."
"Only slightly." Tsunade smirked.
Naruto shook his head and left the room.
Tsunade sighed again. It was a strange feeling wanting her apprentice to come in, blow up in rage and take her alcohol off of her. Yes, she'd complain if her sake was taken away, but she'd admit she liked that process. Seeing her apprentice mad and dangerous was one of the few joys in life.
Then again, so was alcohol.
Sakura walked onto the training field, smiling when Naruto was already there. It was 9 a.m., the time they were to start training together this morning – he must have been here early, eager as ever, she couldn't help but be happy about that.
"Morning, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned and ran up to her.
"Hey, Naruto, how are we training today then?" She smiled, continuing to walk towards the trees.
He walked with her. "I've been thinking," he began, "about something Tsunade said."
"Same here, I wanted to talk about yesterday," Sakura replied.
"What about?" Naruto asked.
"About what I was talking about when we were on our break..." She trailed off. "Why? What did you want to talk about?"
"Tsunade said I was a pussy of a teacher and she's right."
Even after her 'Naruto really does like you' talk with Ino, she began to feel doubt again. What if Naruto really wasn't bothered with the whole 'are you talking about loving Sasuke?' thing – it didn't seem to be on his mind now, like it was for her all last night and this morning, even after she told Ino she wanted to focus on sorting out herself and her career first.
Sakura frowned and stopped walking, turning to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, she smiled. "I think you're a great teacher."
"You didn't actually learn anything, Sakura-chan," Naruto pointed out.
"Sure I did... I learnt that feelings can actually still be remembered even after a brain injury." She smiled.
Naruto coughed. "Yeah, that's completely medically correct."
Sakura nodded. "There you go, I learned something."
Naruto avoided eye contact. "Anyway, Tsunade pointed out that I wasn't tough enough as a teacher, now it's not like I'm going to hurt you but perhaps you're not learning it because I'm too soft."
"Then what do you suggest?" Sakura lowered her hand from his shoulder and tilted her head at him.
Naruto hummed. "I don't know, my teacher pushed me off a cliff to teach me a summoning jutsu."
Sakura's eyes widened and she took a step back. "You're not going to push me off a cliff are you?"
Naruto laughed. "Of course not, Sakura-chan."
Sakura smiled and began walking again. "You'd catch me anyway, right?"
Naruto nodded but then added, "Do you think that's why you're not learning anything? You know I'd catch you if you fell, so there is no bad side to failing?"
They reached the trees and sat down. Sakura looked at him seriously. "There's a lot on my shoulders for failing. If I don't learn or remember my abilities and memories, I let everyone down."
"That's not true," Naruto frowned. "Nobody expects that of you."
"I expect if of me." Sakura smiled weakly. "And it makes everyone sad if I don't and I can't help my friends and Konoha..."
"You don't have to heal people to help them. You could just stand in a hospital room and the people would feel better, you just have that healing effect."
Sakura's smile widened at his words. "I'd like to do a little more than that."
"Then you will." Naruto looked at her, determined. "You'll remember, I'll help you."
"Do you think danger would actually force me to remember?" Sakura hummed. "That would make sense. I punched Sasuke when I was in danger, channelled chakra even if I couldn't form it. I know you won't physically put me in danger, but perhaps if I just feel it, enough to stimulate some kind of unconscious connection, then I'll be able to push myself to use chakra."
Naruto nodded, although he didn't seem too keen on the idea.
"Can you take me to the top of this tree?" Sakura asked. Looking up through the branches and leaves of the tree they were sat underneath, she added, "Right to the top."
"Sure," Naruto replied, grinning, he squatted down and held out his arms behind him, indicating for her to jump onto his back. She did so and he ran up the tree vertically, twisting up the trunk to dodge the branches until they reached the top of tree.
Sakura looked around at all the other trees and Konoha from this view. It reminded her once again that this place was beautiful. From where they were, she pointed over his shoulder into the distance. "What's that massive tower over there?"
Naruto followed the direction she was pointing in. From where they were they could see a large tower in the distance, surrounded by other tall trees. He answered evenly, "That's the central tower in the Forest of Death."
"Forest of Death?" she repeated. "That sounds dangerous."
"We had our Chunin Exam there."
"I don't remember that..." she mumbled.
"Did Sasuke or Kakashi not show you?" Naruto asked, although he didn't seem surprised.
"Sasuke was there? And no, neither of them showed me that place."
"Yeah..." Naruto swallowed. "That's where Sasuke was...bitten by Orochimaru."
"Bitten?" Sakura's eyes widened.
"Cursed," Naruto replied, sounding slightly pained.
From this position, Sakura was glad she couldn't see Naruto's face. She hated seeing him in pain, physically or emotionally. "Can we go there?" she asked, changing the subject. If she wanted to know more about this, she'd ask someone else, she knew how the topic of Sasuke really hurt him. That reminded her of what she needed to tell Naruto.
"We're not allowed inside," Naruto answered.
"Just to the outside then?" she pleaded.
Naruto smiled. "OK, If you want, but why?"
"Interest and maybe I'll just feel some danger being that close."
And she possibly had something stupid planned, she was glad he also couldn't see her face, because he'd know she was up to something.
They walked up to the gates of the Forest of Death and her eyes widened. The place not only looked a lot bigger this close-up, but also dark and eerie. "It looks creepy," she commented.
Naruto laughed. "The forty-forth training grounds. It is creepy. There's man eating bugs, man eating tigers, man eating snakes, man eating plants, all kinds of man eating things and traps and-"
"I get the picture," she interrupted. He wasn't helping her stupid idea seem less stupid, she already knew he wouldn't let her do it.
"But the worst part was Anko."
"Anko?" What awful thing was this 'Anko' that was scarier than all the other things in this forest?
"Yeah, the jonin who was one of the proctors for the exams. I'm glad she wasn't actually in the forest too, because she freaked me out."
Sakura laughed and Naruto grinned at her.
Sakura walked up to one of the gates and peered in. "So why can't we go in?"
Naruto raised any eyebrow. "It's forbidden, it's dangerous and it's only used for specific training exercises or big events like the Chunin exams."
"Dangerous huh?" Sakura mumbled. "You sound like someone who breaks the rules, Naruto."
"I always follow the rules," Naruto informed her smartly.
Sakura stepped back to stand by him. "I bet you do..."
He laughed.
"Ever broken in for fun?"
Naruto shook his head. "It's not fun in there, Sakura-chan. They barely even bother with maintenance. The fence at the 44th gate was damaged a while back, Konohamaru pulled a prank on his sensei, but they haven't fixed it yet."
"Oh?" Sakura looked at him.
"Some animal got out." Naruto laughed. "Shikamaru had to track it. It turns out he's not just good at thinking like humans and being one step ahead. Seals were put in place to keep all wildlife further back into the forest."
"I see." Sakura hummed.
"You can't get in without protection anyway. You step through that gate and you'll set off alarms." Naruto shrugged. "You don't really want to go in though anyway, right?"
Sakura smiled., "No, I told you, it looks really creepy."
But she did want to know more. This broken fence business intrigued her. She knew she couldn't ask Naruto though; he already seemed suspicious of her.
"You definitely wouldn't be able to get in anyway, you're being watched like a hawk," Naruto added, as if to try and put her off further.
Sakura looked at him and his eyes grew even wider when he figured out what he had just said.
"I'm not going to let you out of my sight!" He laughed awkwardly, trying to backtrack.
"I'm being watched?" Sakura looked at him seriously, all other thoughts forgotten.
"I told you, Sakura-chan! Someone has to be with your at all times!"
"...And when I'm alone?"
Naruto sighed. "You're likely being watched then too. Tsunade didn't trust just me to look after you either. Someone was even watching our training session yesterday."
Sakura was furious.
Just because she was brain damaged did not mean Tsunade had the right to have her followed everywhere she went! Her life was still private and should not be exploited and analysed for research into amnesia or something!
Naruto noticed the danger rising in his teammate and quickly added, "She's just trying to protect you. She doesn't want you to do anything stupid or something like that. Not like you'd do anything stupid! You're extremely smart and-"
"Naruto." Sakura smiled sweetly in a manner that did not help calm him at all. She opened her pouch that she carried around with her and looked in it. "I'm glad you told me, I appreciate it."
He relaxed slightly.
"But I am seriously going to give Tsunade a piece of her mind." Sakura's annoyance became obvious again. "I'm going to...throw a book at her!"
Naruto raised an eyebrow as Sakura pulled out a heavy looking book from her bag and waved it about in anger. She honestly had no idea how she could threaten the older woman and that made her even more infuriated.
"I wish I had my super strength, chakra control, whatever! My life is private. What right does she have to spy on me?"
Naruto looked at the book she was waving about to try and catch the title.
Sakura's anger faded a little when she realised what book she brought with her this morning. Still confused and very interested after her talk with Ino yesterday, she had gone to her bookshelf and pulled out this book... She had spent a couple of hours reading it in bed last night before putting it in her pouch to bring with her if she found the time to read it later on. She handed it to him slowly.
"Love: The Biological Basis and Scientific Explanations," Naruto read out the title slowly before frowning and opening it to flick through the pages.
"It's uhh, about things like the limbic system, the nerve growth factor, the chemicals behind love," Sakura explained.
Naruto frowned. "It's rubbish. What about the heart?"
Sakura looked confused. "Technically, the heart is a myogenic muscular organ used to pump oxygen-rich blood throughout the body."
"No, Sakura." Naruto smiled. "The heart is the most important part to love! Newer research should show you that it's very important. It's what drives the process, creating your lombic system, nervous growth and the chemical stuff."
"Really?" Sakura mumbled, reaching out for her book, she turned it over and began to study the back cover. "I've not read anything about that research."
Naruto's smile widened. "Your heart is where the feelings come from! It's what makes you love...somebody."
"Yesterday, when I was explaining my feelings..." Sakura smiled weakly. "I wasn't talking about Sasuke Uchiha."
Naruto's smile fell slightly and his eyes widened, before he said, "I know."
"And- wait, you do?" Sakura frowned.
All this time she had been worrying about nothing! He knew... That meant he acted awkward because he didn't like her back then. She lowered her head. So what? That's what she expected, that was probably best for him. Best for her! She wanted to concentrate on her work anyway, she said it herself.
"Yeah." Naruto rubbed the back of his head.
There was a long silence.
"Sakura-chan, I'm sorry I misunderstood what you were trying to say." He smiled.
She raised her head to look at him. What? Was this some kind of rejection or...?
"There are two types of trees," Naruto began.
Sakura looked at him oddly. "I'm pretty sure there are more than two types of trees."
Naruto cleared his throat. "You can't climb the slippery tree."
"I know I can't." Sakura frowned, raising her arms in the air, as well as he voice, she shouted, "I can't climb any tree!"
Perhaps he shouldn't have brought this up when Sakura was already angry at Tsunade for spying on her. Naruto swallowed. "I didn't mean that."
"I was trying to have a very serious conversation with you!" Sakura added. "I don't want to know your opinion on nature right now."
Naruto waved his hands frantically back and forth. "No no no! I was trying to, arrgh, Tsunade said it, and I was just trying to explain-"
"Tsunade put you up to this? Whatever this is?" Sakura frowned. "You're spying on me now, are you?"
"Of course not, Sakura-chan!" Naruto's eyes widened.
"I'm going over there right now to give that woman a piece of my mind!" Sakura announced loudly before turning away from him and stomping off.
"Wait! Let me explain!" Naruto called after her.
"I'm sure Tsunade will explain!" Sakura shouted back.
Naruto sighed. He sure hoped the Hokage could explain to his angry teammate the tree thing, he probably shouldn't have repeated it, but he thought it would have made him seem sweet or smart or something. He also hoped Tsunade didn't get mad at him for letting the 'you're being watched' rule slip.
He looked back the Forest of Death again, shivering at the memories. He also hoped that Sakura's suspicious behaviour was not her trying to plan something dangerous. Naruto looked at Sakura marching off in front of him before he lowered his head. He'd messed this up hadn't he? He was so confused.
Sighing again, he followed Sakura on her mission to verbally (and possibly physically) attack her mentor.
All of a sudden, Sakura remembered everything. She began to glow before she vanished into thin air.
XD
No.
This is the author notes.
That was a reference to the 'Road to Sakura' filler episode that recently came out where Sakura has amnesia... At first, I was comparing it to my story, how the characters would act, what Tsunade would do to analyse Sakura's memory loss etc... But then it quickly took its own turns and by the end I worried that I'd never be able to take this story seriously again XD.
This chapter was unplanned. I had a little idea which was supposed to transition to the main idea from the last chapter, yet I end up writing 5000 words before I'm at the point to introduce it - which you'll see in the next chapter ;). At the end of the last chapter I stated Sakura and Ino were going to talk, by the time I came to write this chapter, I'd forgotten what I was going to have them talk about specifically XD. One sentence that I wanted to include ended up turning into a conversation about comparing people to trees... It kind of got a little weird there, I apologise! XD. That's also why I named this chapter 'Trees' as a bit of a joke.
Last week, I had a surge of motivation in the early hours of the morning and started writing this chapter as well as finishing another story and writing a second chapter to another story. I also once again had the whole of the ending for this story planned out in my head – by morning, the motivation and the majority of the ideas for the end of this story had been forgotten.
'M-J', if you're reading this, I'd love to see a picture of that scene from the last chapter too! :D.
Thanks to everyone who still read, reviewed and favourited my stories even though I was fairly inactive. I've not been able to forget about this website with all the emails and notifications that I've received. I think it's crazy to still get about 1000 people read my stories in a month, even if I've not uploaded anything.
Woo for chapter 10!
Thanks for reading! :)