Amnesia

Chapter 14: The Dream Theory

"Wait." Naruto stopped her in the middle of her explanation. "You're not in here because you hurt yourself?"

"Oh no." Sakura shook her head. "The worst I did was scrape my arms." She looked at her now perfect skin that she had scratched falling off the Forest of Death tower. "But I guess Tsunade healed me," she mumbled.

Naruto frowned. "Why did Granny allow that to happen? And then get you to believe you were going to die!"

"Because," she answered calmly, "it really helped us out with this amnesia thing."

"How is that helping?" he asked. "I'd rather you be safe than hurt with fragments of your past memories."

She didn't think Naruto would take the whole thing well. The entire time she had
new memories of him, he was protecting her from everything - even from herself.

"I am safe. I know the danger won't help me so I don't need to seek it out anymore... Tsunade thinks that my moral unconscious and heart are really fighting my amnesia. This is a good thing!" she exclaimed, a big smile forming on her face.

Naruto smiled back. "That sounds about right, Sakura-chan."

He wasn't going to scold her right now. Her smile showed true happiness and hope that he wasn't willing to dampen.

Sasuke Uchiha returned to the site where he had killed his former best friend Naruto Uzumaki. He wasn't quite sure why he returned, he had been happy that he'd finally gotten rid of the nuisance stopping him from completing his new goal. With Naruto out the way, with Sakura memory-less, with Kakashi surely only having hate for him after what he'd done... Destroying Konoha should be easier. Nobody would be willing to accept him back any longer. He had smashed the bonds between his old hometown and all its citizens. He would have no feel guilt for crushing it.

Frowning at the floor, he peered at the place where he had struck Naruto... Truthfully, he had been pretty beaten up as well. He wondered if Sakura would have attacked him in his weakened state if she had her memories - he doubted it, her first concern would be Naruto. Pity, he didn't see his pink haired ex-teammate doing very well without her number one idiot protector. It had been easy to use her as bait, he should have thought of it before. Her memory loss was all perfect timing but he assumed he could have done it if she didn't have amnesia.

He wondered for a moment if she would ever get her memories back. Would she hate herself for letting Naruto die? Would she hate him? Actually be able to kill him this time, if she tried? He doubted she could, but she surely wouldn't want him to return to Konoha anymore would she? He often frowned upon the fact that they were still trying after six years, after several bloody fights leaving both sides injured.

For their most recent fight being so bloody, he expected there to be blood stains on the floor. Kakashi was good, but he was no professional medic, there would have been blood when they moved the body. There was no puddle of tears or signs of distress. He'd noted Sakura could create some pretty big holes in the ground. Perhaps if she did have her memories, she would have punched the ground out of anger or sadness... But she didn't, so she couldn't have saved Naruto, right?

He looked around for signs of life from his old rival. All these thoughts of what Konoha would do about him now he had killed Naruto Uzumaki were likely hypothetical. He had an annoying feeling deep down the boy was still alive. He'd had this lingering feeling since the incident. How, he didn't know. Naruto should have died, with no medic there.

Could Sakura have healed him? She didn't know how to heal anymore, unless she was lying to him. She fought him like she was a civilian, but there was still some kind of spark in her, in her eyes. Sakura had always had a strong will. Still, he doubted her ability to learn to heal Naruto in such a short space of time.

If Naruto was alive... He'd just have to kill him, again. He should have finished off the job last time. He didn't quite know why he didn't. It was to send a message, he thought. To make my ex-teammates suffer. He could try and get back into Konoha again. He wondered if they'd searched the Uchiha district, found the secret entrance he had used to enter and exit freely.

Frankly, he was a little surprised it hadn't been discovered beforehand. Perhaps it was because only an Uchiha's blood could open and seal it - and now, he was the last Uchiha, hell-bent on getting his revenge. This time, if he found Sakura, maybe he should just kill her. Killing the Hokage's apprentice - a popular leading medic and Naruto's best friend - now that would send a message.

"Right, Sakura," Sakura spoke to herself. She was currently lying in bed, staring at the dark ceiling. "We're going to dream a memory tonight."

But what memory? She'd dreamt of the Forest of Death because she had been heavily emotionally conflicted about it all. She had kept thinking about that fencing around the forest, the trees, the tower, what Naruto had said to her, why she wanted to go in so badly. She needed an image to focus on, to lodge into her subconscious to dream about. You dream of what you think about right? Several people flashed through her mind: Naruto, Tsunade, Shizune, Ino, Lee... She wanted to remember her times with them.

After today, she really wanted to remember about her herb skills, with all the writing she had done in that book... She seemed to have had a fascination with it. To an extent, she even wanted to know about her 'paperwork skills' then maybe she'd get to talk to Tsunade more, weasel some extra help or teachings from the sannin. She wondered if the 'learn chakra and I'll teach your medical chakra' deal was still on.

When she next looked at the clock it was 2 a.m.

She growled in frustration and rubbed her temples. Her thoughts were too active for her to drift off to sleep, but didn't they need to be?

Two more hours past and she was still wide awake.

Uncomfortably hot, she kicked off her bedcovers and headed into her bathroom. It was dark, but she easily found her way, used to her surroundings already.

Turning on the bathroom light, she turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face before looking at herself in the mirror. She stared into her own eyes, as if her reflection held all the answers. "Who am I?" she mumbled. "Who are you Sakura?"

She stood there for several minutes in silence. The only sound to be heard was the running water of the tap.

After searching her emerald gaze and finding only her own confusion, she sighed and turned off the tap before heading back to her room.

Tired, she just hoped she could get to sleep this time.

When Sakura awoke in the morning, she furrowed her eyebrows in thought. Had she dreamt of anything? She didn't remember... She sighed deeply, not really feeling like getting up.

What could she do today? See Naruto and ask his thoughts on all this? She could ask him to describe something to her before she went to bed, then she had a thought to try and hold onto when she went to sleep. That was logical. Surely he'd be up for a sleepover.

In the meantime, she could go to the library and borrow some books on dreams. She unfortunately didn't have much literature on dreams in her bookshelf already. Not that she'd have much reason to before now.

Now that she had a plan, she forced herself to get up and get ready for a day of research.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork, when the door knocked and Ino Yamanaka walked into the room. "There you are, Ino," she greeted the younger medic.

"Tsunade-sama, what did you want to see me about?"

"I was thinking about studying Sakura's brain activity, I wonder if your father could take another look at her, since he looked at her before."

"Sure, I'll take Sakura to my house later, unless she knows about it already?" Ino questioned.

"She knows I wanted to do some tests. She didn't know I wanted to ask Inoichi to take another look," Tsunade replied. "Speaking of Sakura, did you tell her she was better now than before she had her amnesia?"

"Maybe." Ino smirked. "She knows I was only joking though. She was a little down at the time."

The Hokage shook her head before asking, "Do you know where she is now?"

"She's working in the hospital..." Ino raised an eyebrow. "Don't you know?"

"What?" Tsunade frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well at first she was rambling on about dreams, then she was bandaging up some little girl's arm." Ino shrugged. "I think everyone assumed you gave her permission to do whatever she was trying to do."

The sannin sighed. She wasn't surprised really. Standing up, she ordered, "Fetch Shizune to cover for me whilst I go and see what that girl's up to."

"Shizune's there too." Ino smiled.

"Is she now," Tsunade mumbled, "I'd better go join in the party."

"Like this?" Sakura pulled away to study her work.

"Perfect!" Emi, a young female medic grinned behind her.

Sakura smiled back. At first she had gone to the library and picked up a big book on dream theories, but then she thought why not ask Shizune-san? So headed to the hospital. Shizune seemed friendly and Tsunade had said she used to have medical discussions with her. If the Hokage wouldn't help her learn medical chakra, maybe someone else would. When she got to the hospital, she found a group of medics, who were all really friendly towards her.

A young brunette called Emi started talking to her. Sakura brought up relearning some of the ways of being a medic and the girl offered to help her.

Emi was shorter than her. She looked and spoke as if she were younger too. She had shortcut brown hair to her shoulders and had a real baby face. She had light blue eyes that sparkled with joy. Sakura was happy to see how enthusiastic she was about helping her, Emi looked beyond excited. So far they'd gone through all sorts of bandaging techniques and to her surprise, it was easy.

Emi's younger sister, Kiku, was helping them. Kiku was just like a mini Emi, enthusiasm and all, she was only seven years old.

Sakura eventually spotted Shizune and when she brought up dreams, Shizune said she had a good book she could give her. Then said she'd be happy to teach her some things about herbs and antidotes. Sakura was just waiting for the older medic to get back.

"We could try leg bandages next Sakura-san!" Emi suggested.

She smiled back. "Great. Shouldn't we remove the old ones first? Your sister is going to be a walking mummy."

Emi giggled.

"What's going on here?" Tsunade's booming voice echoed around the room.

Sakura and Emi jumped and turned around to face the sannin, who didn't look too pleased.

"Hey, shishou." Sakura smiled nervously.

"What are you doing, Sakura?" Tsunade asked.

"Emi-chan was just helping me with some bandaging techniques." Sakura smiled at her new friend.

"I heard you were bandaging arms," the Hokage mumbled.

Sakura and Emi stepped to the sides to reveal a young girl - one arm was bandaged in a sling fashion to her shoulder, her head and right eye was also wrapped in bandages.

"Is she injured?" Tsunade frowned.

"Umm...no." Sakura swallowed. "But she volunteered!"

"She's my little sister, Kiku," Emi added, managing a weak, unconvincing smile. "But we have permission from you Hokage-sama, right, Sakura-san?"

Sakura laughed nervously. "Of course I have permission..."

Tsunade sighed before stepping aside and pointing out the door. "I'm sure you have other work to do Emi."

"Right." Emi bowed before rushing to the door. "I'll get back to work!"

"Emi-chan, you forgot your-" Sakura called after the younger medic, but she'd already gone. "...sister."

"Kiku," Tsunade looked at the bandaged girl, "go with your older sister."

Kiku sat there, looking up at the Hokage with wide eyes, but then the young brunette only shuffled so she was sat further behind Sakura.

"Kiku," Tsunade repeated, annoyance lacing her tone.

Kiku peered around Sakura, but gripped the pink haired medic's arm tightly.

"Shishou," Sakura frowned, "I can take her to Emi."

"I'm here for the party!" Ino announced loudly as she walked into the room.

"Ino, take Kiku to Emi please," Tsunade ordered.

Sakura stepped to the side and Ino smiled at the sight. "What has Sakura done to you?"

Sakura smiled back. "What do you mean? She looks good!"

"Come on, Kiku," Ino offered her hand to the young girl. "Let's find Emi...again."

Slowly, Kiku accepted the offer and walked with Ino out of the room, keeping her eye on the Hokage until she passed her.

"Why scare the children?" Sakura mumbled.

Tsunade smirked and replied, "It's my job. We can't have her running about the hospital."

"She seems used to the place," Sakura stated.

"She is. She has to come with Emi since her mother works all day." Tsunade shrugged. "She's always liked you though, both her and Emi have."

Sakura lowered her head. "I don't remember them at all. I didn't know that."

"Emi certainly looks up to you. You used to help her out when she was first learning."

"I guess that's why she was so happy to help me." Sakura smiled. "Everyone is really friendly around here."

"Sakura, you've worked here for nearly six years, these people respect you." Tsunade shook her head.

"Since you won't help me until I've learnt to control chakra, I reckoned these people would. They let me help out! And I'm learning things that don't require chakra." Sakura smiled.

"I didn't give you permission to use your position at the hospital to distract the other medics from their work." The Sannin frowned.

"But I'm helping," Sakura mumbled, her smile turning into a pout.

"Bandaging uninjured people?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

"I took blood earlier!" Sakura grinned.

"...From someone who needed a blood test?"

"Yes."

"Who let you do that?" Tsunade frowned.

Sakura avoided eye contact. "Why? Do you want to shout at them? I've forgotten their name I'm afraid."

Tsunade closed her eyes and rubbed her temples tentatively. "You give me headaches, girl."

Sakura smiled innocently.

"I found Emi." Ino walked back into the room. "And, Sakura, Mayu said the patient's blood test came out fine."

"That's great news." Sakura smiled back.

"That is unless you did the blood test wrong," Tsunade grumbled.

"But I didn't," Sakura insisted, "I'm good at this stuff."

"I'm sure you could do it in your sleep." Tsunade shrugged. "It looks like you've not lost all your skills."

"Now just to learn chakra control," Sakura mumbled before smiling at her mentor hopefully.

"Why don't you get Emi to help you?" Tsunade snorted.

"Maybe I will." Sakura frowned.

"Good luck with that. Emi can't use the Mystical Palm technique. She does more of the civilian practical side of medicine and healing," Tsunade added.

"Darn," Sakura grumbled.

"Oh and Sakura," Ino interrupted. "Naruto's been looking for you for hours."

Whoops. She forgot she had told Naruto she'd meet him later today. "Where is he now?" she asked.

"He's found his way here." Ino shrugged.

"I'd better go find him." Sakura smiled.

"Do you expect me to just let you off the hook?" Tsunade questioned.

"Yes please." Sakura smiled.

"No more interrupting medics' schedules?"

"I said I'd help out more," Sakura added sheepishly.

"Instead of you helping out, how about we do some tests on you instead?" Tsunade suggested.

"All right." Sakura agreed. "Sounds good to me."

"Want to sleep over at mine, Sakura?" Ino asked.

"Actually, I was going to ask Naruto if he'd sleep at mine tonight."

Ino raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"I'm trying to unlock my memories through dreaming. I thought maybe he could talk to me, put an image in my head for me to focus on, you know?" Sakura shrugged.

"Why can't I do that? Why does it have to be Naruto?" Ino questioned.

Sakura didn't answer.

"I guess you don't love me as much."

"That's not it, Ino." Sakura shook her head. "We could try it if you want. I just thought Naruto would help me..."

"Chill, Forehead." Ino smiled. "You can use your boyfriend in this experiment of yours, but as long as you hang out with me later okay?"

"Okay and he's not my boyfriend."

"Geez, how long does it take for you to ask him out?" Ino rolled her eyes.

Sakura shuffled uncomfortably. "I didn't say I was going to."

"Want me to for you?"

"No!" Sakura's eyes widened.

Tsunade laughed. "Want me to?"

Sakura pouted. "Please stop ganging up on me."

"You're so easy to tease." Ino grinned. "It's only a bit of fun."

Shizune entered the room, a large textbook in her hand.

"Shizune-san," Sakura looked up at the older medic, "help me please, they're being mean."

Shizune gave the Hokage a displeased look to which Tsunade returned and stated, "Why aren't you working, Shizune?"

"I am." Shizune smiled and walked over to Sakura, handing over the book.

"By helping Sakura?"

"Yes." The medic nodded. "Isn't that one of your ongoing orders?"

"Not by helping her sneak around the hospital and distract the medics." Tsunade frowned.

"I think it's good for her," Shizune replied. "She's been brightening up patients' days by visiting them and it's a change from stressing over things she can't do yet. You're not the only one who can teach her."

Tsunade frowned, inwardly cursing Shizune's positive logic.

"You're not jealous of other people teaching me are you, shishou?" Sakura tilted her head.

"Pfft, they can have you." Tsunade shrugged.

"I would prefer you if you would help me. I'd be more likely pick it up or remember something then," Sakura added.

"I might help you if you do some paperwork for me," the Hokage propositioned.

"All right," Sakura agreed. She was interested in just what she'd get to do.

"You can teach Sakura that, Shizune," Tsunade shot the younger medic a smug look.

Shizune looked at Tsunade and then to Sakura before sighing and nodding.

"Great." Sakura smiled. "Are we still up for a lab lesson though Shizune-san?"

"Of course." The older medic smiled back.

"Sakura-chaaan," Naruto called out from down the hall.

"In here," she shouted.

Naruto stepped into the room before giving her his trademark grin and walking up to her.

She smiled back and hugged him. "Sorry I never came and found you."

"That's okay. I know you've been busy." He pulled back and smiled at her.

She nodded before looking up at him. "Can I ask you a favour?"

"Sure." He grinned.

"I need you to sleep with me."

Naruto choked.

The room went silent. Sakura looked at the other women, Ino and Tsunade looked amused while Shizune seemed surprised.

"What?"

"Not the best choice of words." Ino smirked.

"He knows that I mean." Sakura looked at him, he'd gone a little red. "A sleepover, talk to me before I sleep, try and help me build up a picture of something, I guess stay, but..." Now she was blushing, her motives were completely innocent.

"Tell her a story, like a dad or older brother," Ino elaborated.

Naruto slumped and lowered his head. He looked sourly disappointed and upset by that analogy.

"Right," Sakura mumbled.

"After your date?" Ino smiled.

"Date?" Sakura repeated.

Naruto looked up and asked her. "Want to go for ramen, Sakura-chan?"

She nodded. "Come on then."

She went to head out the room and Naruto followed her.

"Have fun on your date." Tsunade smiled.

Sakura replied, "It's not a-"

"With your boyfriend," Ino added.

Sakura gave up. Shaking her head, she left the room without humouring them.

"Give her a break." Shizune shook her head.

"But they're a cute couple don't you think, Shizune-san?" Ino asked.

"Yes, but you don't need to embarrass them." Shizune smiled.

"Oh, Shizune," Tsunade placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Yes we do."

On their way to Sakura's apartment after ramen, Sakura started flicking through her book that Shizune had given her.

"That's interesting," Sakura noted as she walked alongside Naruto. "Every time you recall a memory, you're still creating a new connection to your brain, so it's the same as you having a new thought."

"You read too much, Sakura-chan." Naruto grinned.

"Shizune-san did go to the trouble of finding me this book," Sakura pointed out before closing it. "Sorry I'm being rude."

Naruto shook his head. "No way. It's great to see you so enthusiastic about something."

"What do you think of my dream theory?" she asked.

"I dunno, Sakura-chan," Naruto gave her a small smile. "The only things I get out of my dreams are that I'm hungry."

"Are all your dreams happy then?"

"No, when ramen flies away from you it's definitely a nightmare." He shivered.

Sakura laughed.

"All my dreams with you in are really happy though!" He grinned.

"What do you think about lucid dreaming then?" Sakura asked. "Controlling what you dream."

"How can you control seeing a memory if you don't remember the memory you want to dream about though?" Naruto mumbled.

"I guess... It's just I dreamt about the Forest of Death and I'm sure that was a memory. I thought..." she trailed off.

"It's worth a try. What do I need to do?" Naruto followed her up the steps to her apartment.

"Talk to me, try and build up a picture of a memory for me to think about before I go to sleep," she replied, taking out her keys to open her front door.

"Sounds easy. What do you want me to talk about?"

"Any memory we share," she mumbled and opened her door. "I've been doing a lot of medical things today. Have any stories about me healing someone that would stand out to me?"

"Umm." Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm not usually allowed in the room when you're healing someone."

"Why?" She laughed, taking off her shoes and placing them by the front door. "Do you distract me or something?"

Naruto smiled and replied, "Nothing could distract you from a patient."

"Well I don't know then," Sakura mumbled. "I didn't really plan this out did I? I just dragged you into it."

"But sleepovers are fun!" Naruto grinned. "I guess I can tell you about the time you healed Kankuro..."

Sakura headed to the kitchen. "Who?"

"Gaara's brother."

She didn't reply.

"He's the Kazekage of the Sand." Naruto grinned, following her and leaning against the kitchen counter.

She frowned. "Oh. I guess I should know him then. Was he the Kazekage when I was eight?"

Naruto laughed. "He's our age, our friend."

"We have some powerful friends huh?" Sakura smiled.

"Yeah...and you saved his brother's life."

"Tell me about that tonight?" Sakura asked, getting out two cups for drinks.

"Sure."

At bedtime, Naruto followed Sakura into her bedroom and looked around. "Want me to sleep on the floor, Sakura-chan?"

She couldn't make him sleep on the floor. She didn't really think it all through, it could potentially be awkward. "And have you talk to me from on the floor? That's a little weird don't you think?"

"I'll be like a radio! You'll hear me but not see me." He grinned before sitting on the floor next to her bed. He lay down and announced, "Welcome to story time on Naruto FM!"

She laughed and got in the right side of her bed. "Seriously, Naruto, get in the other side, I'm not going to invite you over and then make you sit on the floor."

Naruto got back up and looked at her. "Really? You'd usually hit me if I got so close."

"Naruto," she grumbled.

"You don't have to tell me twice!" He laughed. He got in the other side.

They both looked at the ceiling in silence for a while.

"So what happened in the Sand Village?" Sakura asked.

As Naruto began to speak, she tried to focus on the details - she tied her hair up, her patient lay on the table in front of her, she was ordering the Sand medics about to get her the equipment she needed.

"And you were all 'it's a heavy metal poison!' Then you got this bubble and-"

"What?"

"You said the poison was made from heavy metals or something...and then you used this bubble to take out the poison and...I didn't really understand what you were doing, but you sounded cool."

She laughed but continued to listen.

"...In the end you removed all the poison and took down your hair and shook it before putting your headband back on, then you went off to create an antidote..." Naruto yawned. "Which you did of course."

Sakura hummed. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to imagine the picture. "Well thanks, Naruto."

She opened her eyes again and turned to look at him. He was sleeping.

Smiling to herself, she tried to sleep also, his words still repeating in her head.

When Sakura woke up in the morning, she tried to hold onto any fragments of her dreams. She sighed, not really remembering what she dreamt about at all.

She opened her eyes and pulled her arms out from under the covers.

Her eyes widened when she saw her hands were glowing green with medical chakra. She turned to Naruto, intending to wake him up in her excitement, but then stopped herself.

Naruto was still sleeping and he was rather cute whilst he slept, but then he started talking...

Author Notes:

I'm undecided on how big a part Sasuke will have in this yet. Then the whole Sakura not being able to sleep was inspired by myself, I was awake till past 5:30am the other night for numerous reasons.

Thank you for 50 favourites, 68 follows and 84 reviews, as well as all the PMs. It's great to talk to you about whatever.

Maybe Amnesia will be a few more chapters. A good few of you have been telling me to take my time, which is appreciated. The rest of you say update soon XD. That's also appreciated, but I'll try and find the middle ground. If I take my time this story will probably end up being longer, but we'll see. Thanks for your continued patience :).

I was thinking perhaps I could write longer chapters but it might be longer between the updates? Feel free to say whatever you'd prefer. I've not really included any other original characters in this story - not that I'm going to - I doubt Emi and Kiku will make another appearance.

Also, you know Tsunade's and Ino's teasing is just teasing right? I enjoy writing them like that, but they're not supposed to come off as actually selfish and mean. It's all in good fun.

This chapter was really random... And so are these author notes. Trust me. I deleted 90% of them.

Thanks for reading :).