Amnesia
Chapter 21: Hearts Uninhibited
Sakura had changed her mind.
This was not for her. It was for Naruto. She didn't want him to wait a second longer without an apology and reassurance. That didn't mean that she wouldn't tell the truth. She was going to pour her heart out. Tell him everything.
Regarding his answer, well, it was time for her to be selfless. All she wanted was for him to be happy and she would slot into any role that helped him reach that goal. Any nervousness she felt about what he was going to say was squashed down mentally, although she couldn't quite catch her breath.
Her shallow breathing was nothing to do with the fact that she had hightailed it straight out of the hospital and into the streets of Konoha. She had found herself to be a very athletic person. She was not one for displaying and communicating emotion, though.
There was a brief moment where she was amused at her predicament. This problem was nothing to do with her amnesia, really. It was a stupid, girl problem and it terrified her. She stopped in the middle of the empty street and took a few deep breaths to calm herself.
It did not work.
Instead, she tried to turn her nervousness into excitement. Finally she would get to see Naruto after what felt like a confusing, somewhat awkward lifetime.
Closing her eyes, she pictured him standing before her, his smiling face.
"Naruto," she breathed to the silent path ahead.
"Sakura-chan."
Her smile was instantaneous.
Sakura opened her eyes to see him standing in front of her, just a few feet away. His smile was small, but when hers steadily grew, his did too. It never got as wide as hers – Naruto seemed slightly wary of her intentions – but she was so glad to see it in person.
"I have missed you," she told him.
"I've missed you too."
"I needed that wake up call. I told you I would find you again."
He nodded uncertainly. He still couldn't read what she was going to say. She didn't blame him for that. She had been flaky ever since she first woke up in that hospital bed. She had pulled and pushed him in every emotional direction she experienced on a daily basis. Now, she just wanted to be simple with him. She wanted both of them to know where they stood when it came to their relationship and her amnesia.
"I am never going to leave you again. You are so important to me."
His eyes widened.
Sakura didn't understand why he was surprised. Was he expecting her to say the time apart had been great and she realised how little she needed him? That would be insane. She had come to terms with just how much he meant to her.
She took one step forward and looked him dead in the eyes.
"I love you."
Naruto didn't move a muscle. He didn't speak. He froze on the spot, his eyes still wide in shock. She watched him for the tiniest of reactions but he gave away nothing.
She didn't want to backtrack. She meant what she said and had never been so serious. She had got her words right for once.
Her shallow breathing picked up again as she tried to find the words that would prove her feelings. Her mind became more of the frazzled mess she was used to when it came to this boy and romance.
"Naruto – I – these past few weeks have been so long, and I have missed you every minute. When I was happy, when I was sad, I couldn't get passed your image in my head. I was worried I had hurt you. I was mad at myself. The moment I said goodbye I regretted it. I've tried so hard to get myself together, but I am so sure of my feelings now. I don't want to waste any more time, with anything, but especially not you.
"My heart would go crazy every time I saw spiky blond hair." She laughed at herself. "It's racing right now, just the thought of you... I promise you, Naruto, I love you."
He opened his mouth, closed it again, and then it opened one more time and hung there.
She walked closer to him, to the point where she had to tilt her head to look him in the eyes. She was revving herself up for rejection, almost wincing in anticipation. More importantly, she just wanted any kind of answer. She had a feeling it would change her life. She loved him. The more she said it, the more relieved she felt that she finally understood her feelings.
If he did not feel the same way, she needed to know what he wanted from her. Being friends would be...great... They have always been friends and they always had so much fun. In her mind, they were best friends. Anything less would be sad, but she wanted to respect his wishes. He deserved to have the final stay on their status.
If he never wanted to see her again, she wouldn't blame him, she would understand. She would say OK. She wouldn't be OK, but that would be her problem. She couldn't imagine him denying her though. No matter what, he would not hurt her. Therefore, above everything, she wanted his answer to be the truth.
She couldn't imagine feeling the same way about anybody else. Ever. But she was not going to force anything between them.
"Naruto, I have babbled my heart and soul out to you, so please say something."
"Something," he muttered and his face softened as he looked down at her.
For a moment, the strongest urge to hit him washed over her. Her fists balled at her sides, and her face easily hinted at her irritation as she gave him a look that said she did not appreciate his comment.
It was then that he gave her an ear-splitting grin; he laughed and pulled her into the tightest bear hug imaginable.
"I have always and will always love you, Sakura-chan."
The weight of all her worries melted away. She smiled into his chest and hugged him back with a grip that rivalled his own.
Earlier, in her mind, she had wanted him to be angry with her. She had put him through pain and wished he would get some kind of payback for that. Yet, in the here and now, her festering thoughts and emotions were sliding away. This moment was too perfect to spoil.
All she could do (and wanted to do) was engage in light banter with him. She pulled back and teased that her new boyfriend was absolutely terrible with romance; he just couldn't get his words out straight which almost made her think he didn't like her back. His gormless demeanor had made her panic.
He teased her back. He said that his new girlfriend was constantly giving off mixed signals and confused him entirely – he was fairly sure he was dreaming and all of this wasn't real. She could second that about him as well, and inwardly admitted that she wasn't good with all this stuff either.
She would be angry if this was a dream. She had enough realistic dreams to write a book and this moment was too important to not happen while she was awake. If this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.
After pinching him to prove how real it was, and ignoring his pout, they went for ramen.
They caught up with everything that night.
The words flowed out of her mouth so naturally that she told him every single thing that happened to her while they were apart. Even the sad and the awkward moments came off as light conversation. She didn't linger on a single downer and ended every sentence on a positive note.
When it came to what Naruto had been up to, he looked a bit sheepish. He had been training a lot. That's all he really said about what he had done with his time. He had not visited his friends like she told him he should do. Ino had chased him down a couple of times so he found several new training (and hiding) spots.
She asked him if he ever looked for the mean girl who had broken up with him. Naruto commented that he had told that wonderful girl that he would always be there. After she asked if he had occasionally been stalking her, she acted annoyed at his awkward laugh and terrible change of conversation topic, but secretly, she was over the moon.
So she delayed the serious talk. For hours. Days. Naruto's smile was so wide and infectious that she wouldn't dare weaken it in any way. She was in love. He was in love. It had got so much stronger since she said it too. Since she accepted it, a floodgate within her had opened up and would never shut again. She wholeheartedly believed that she could never feel any different, no matter what. For better or for worse, they would be together.
Not that she could handle a marriage right now. Life was a little more complicated than that. She wanted to take it slow and Naruto didn't show any signs of wanting their relationship to be any different. He let her take the front seat and initiate everything. It didn't surprise her exactly. After everything they had been through together, Naruto managed to be right next to her at every moment without asking for a single thing in return. He affected her with his words and his thoughtfulness, and his facial expressions especially, but it was clear to her that he could not be more respectful.
She understood how he could do that and how he felt. She would do everything for him and if he needed, not push him in any way, shape or form. But their relationship had changed now. It would take them time to get used to it. She was looking forward to Naruto not worrying about pushing her emotionally. She didn't mind him trying to be romantic.
Despite their speed at learning to be a couple, they were serious about each other. She couldn't imagine it not being a lifetime thing... So she needed to also learn to breach the serious topics. In their situation, it was unavoidable. Even though she would support Naruto in anything, she wanted him to have an opt-out option when it came to her mental state. She wanted him to live a full life with everything he wanted.
"Sakura-chan..."
She looked at him. She had not realised he had been watching her this whole time.
Naruto's expression was curious, serious, he studied her closely. "What is it?"
But, Naruto, I don't want this happiness to end. Why do you have to know me so well?
He could see straight through her, despite what he said, he knew when she held words back.
They were currently sat on her sofa in her apartment. They had spent a lot of time there. The night was creeping in and the light they found themselves in only hours ago had dimmed progressively. They could just about see each other now. While they probably should move and go home, neither of them quite had the willpower to pull away. It was a strange atmosphere, calm and quiet. For a little while, they had been left to their own thoughts.
She was still technically staying at her parents, but more often than not she was with Naruto. Officially, her parents didn't know they were dating, but Sakura was sure they knew. She had avoided their sly looks and comments about what and who she was spending so much time with.
There was another unavoidable moment. When Naruto dropped her off at her house, one day her parents were going to give up their patience and be standing there. She knew it. Naruto would probably be a bit of a dork with his introductions and her parents' somewhat acted over-protectiveness was going to throw him off and embarrass her. That's why she had avoided it so far. She should really warn Naruto about her parents.
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto said again, breaking through her thoughts.
"Ah, I'm just thinking about what my parents are going to say when I tell them about us."
That was an honest answer. Her thought trail had quickly jumped from serious-serious topics to her non-serious, but important ideals about life. Really, that had always been the case with Naruto. Yes, she was struggling with the concepts of her amnesiac mental state, but then again, she wanted her parents to approve of her boyfriend. He meant that much to her.
Sakura sighed. It was all a distraction and an excuse. Naruto could see that too. He was still waiting for her real problem.
"OK," she began, "I'm worried about something that may affect our future."
"I'll be with you forever, no matter what," Naruto said with no hesitation.
Naruto's feelings, she had discovered, were so simple. He loved her and nothing would change that, affect it, or make him view her in a different light - whereas she worried about everything. She wondered if they were in opposite places, whether he would want her to leave him because of his brain issue, especially if it developed further.
Anterograde amnesia.
"You need to make an exception to that rule," she replied.
He titled his head and pulled a confused face. "What?"
"You know about my recent brain scans and that everything looks OK and likely that I won't get worse. However, if I ever fully develop anterograde amnesia, you have to avoid me for the rest of our lives."
"Why?"
Sakura smiled at him sadly. "Because whatever your plan is romantically for us, it will be impossible. If in the future, you want to get married, you want a family, with me... It can't happen. I'll be stuck in a state and never be able to recall our future."
It broke her heart to imagine it. She could see Naruto living with her and being unable to progress their relationship. She simply wouldn't be able to retain new memories and experiences and they would forever go through the same cycle again and again, her thinking it was the same day over and over. She told him this.
Naruto was not deterred. He gave her an honest smile. "My only 'romantic goal' is for you to be happy. I'll just have to make you happy every day and then if one day you do develop that, you will wake up believing that the day before was great. I would have to see you. I would still be happy."
That sounded like so much effort to her, but to him it was simple and instinctive. Why had she been so worried to share her thoughts with him? She thought it would rock the boat and their happiness would shatter, even if it was only for a moment, but in the end she just liked him even more.
Her eyes filled with tears. "You're very sweet."
He grinned.
She wiped her cheeks and dabbed at her wet eyes. "We can make this work. We're complicated but I want it to work. We could write a book! 'My girlfriend has amnesia. She's a nightmare'. Then, I wouldn't need a job at the hospital, I could be a writer. I've already been keeping a diary and it's relaxing, you know?"
It wasn't that serious of a thought. She still wanted to help out at the hospital, even if she never could fully be what she used to be. This diary she had been writing in every night had been a great comfort though – especially recently after a few happy days in her life. On the day she told Naruto she loved him, all she added was a smiley face and a little heart, unable to express how she felt before she went to sleep.
Sakura stopped her rambling because Naruto's smile was ridiculously wide. "...What?"
"I like it when you say you're my girlfriend."
She liked it too, but even now, she didn't often share those sorts of things openly.
"But what about my book idea? Do you think I could do that?"
"You can do anything."
"Obviously not," she muttered.
His smile fell slightly and she immediately chastised herself. "You've got to stop taking me seriously. If my amnesia gets you down, you're not allowed to be with me."
"Your sadness is what gets me down, Sakura-chan."
"It's not allowed to, because your sadness is painful for me."
That comment didn't help him.
"So from now on, we lie to each other when we're upset," she concluded.
When he gave her a half-confused nod, she hit him on the arm. "Don't you lie to me. Ever. You already do."
He pouted at her. "Sakura-chan."
"We will always tell each other the truth, even when we're sad. Can we make that a rule?"
He nodded.
"The second rule is to never be sad."
He laughed at her.
"You signed up for this. I told you I'm a mess."
He moved forward and hugged her, surprising her.
"I–" his breath hitched, "–like you as you are, mess and all."
"You're supposed to say I'm not a mess, jeez," she muttered into his chest, but hugged him back tightly. Despite her teasing comments, she didn't want him to pull away. In his arms, she really was that bit happier. He was the flick that pushed her over to the no matter what happens, I have enough. Anything could happen and she would be OK.
It made her happy to think that he liked her so much when she showed him how emotionally turbulent she was. He liked her so much that he almost said he loved her. She was fairly sure she felt the same as he did. If he was as glad to be with her as she was to be with him, then she 'liked' him too.
However, there was obviously something amiss with him. Naruto had been happy and happy to be with her, spend time together and talk for hours, but she knew there was something up. There was something in his eyes, something he was holding back, like a silent fear he was not prepared to share with her.
Naruto didn't seem like someone to say 'like' instead of 'love' to his girlfriend. She had caught this behaviour over the last few days, the odd action that implied he was holding himself back. Maybe he was hurt over what she had said before their break from each other. She could apologise again – go back to her original idea of asking him to be mad at her and get it all out of his system.
They pulled away, watched each other, smiled, trying to continue the conversation with their eyes. Naruto still seemed troubled, though.
"Also, no holding back feelings or thoughts that keep reoccurring – we need to share these things with each other."
Naruto held his breath.
"What's wrong, Naruto?"
Knowing someone works both ways.
He lowered his head. "I've been selfish."
She moved forward to comfort him but he edged away from her touch. She looked at him, more sceptical than serious. "Just try and make me believe that."
"I was going to confess to you after I brought Sasuke home."
Sasuke again. He was always driving a wedge between them. She realised this pre-dated her amnesia. Things had changed now.
"I guess I pipped you to the post." She smiled. "Why does that make you selfish, Naruto? What were you expecting when you confessed?"
His sad smile made her heart lurch. "I was expecting you to be happy with him, still, not me. I should go out right now and drag Sasuke home before you decide you love me."
"All I'm hearing is I'm a selfless idiot."
He wasn't convinced.
"Sasuke frightens me," Sakura admitted. "He nearly killed you. Do you think he could be as good for me as you are?"
"I'd make him."
"I think that makes you the better man."
The dark was creeping in now. They sat there in the fading light, facing each other on the sofa. Sakura couldn't help but think how beautiful he was – on the inside and out. They were completely open with each other, in a rare serious moment.
"I don't want to love him. And I love you. What do I have to do to make you believe me?"
He stared at her, like he was looking through her, like he was looking for the lie. But then he smiled.
She reached down for his hand, entangled it with her own.
"I love you."
"I love you."
She kissed him and he completely relaxed, kissing her back.
She didn't bother leaving the house to go to sleep. She rested her head on Naruto's shoulder and closed her eyes. He leant his head on hers.
"Naruto," she mumbled sleepily.
"Sakura-chan?"
"If you ever have a haunting thought or if you're upset about something, please tell me," she requested, tired but sincere.
"Okay," he whispered.
"Because helping you with things like that, like you do for me, is all I hope I can do."
They woke up on the sofa. Sakura was the first to open her eyes and she manoeuvred so she could lie on her back with her head resting in Naruto's lap. Like this, she could watch him.
He looked peaceful. You wouldn't tell all that he was going through. She, on the other hand, was a bit of a mess. But Naruto was a silent worrier, a silent hero. It occurred to her that their lives had never been simple. It wasn't just after she hit her head, a lot more was going on around them.
Even with all that, Naruto was still worried about Sasuke. Naruto was still worried about a promise to her, about her feelings for the Uchiha. She hoped she had cleared that up last night; it was Naruto she loved. Yet she still worried she hadn't done enough to convince her boyfriend. Times like this made her hate her past self, but love her present company.
She wished she could truly start again. Erase her bad past from not only her head, but Naruto's, from Sasuke's, from everyone she hurt. She wished she could dish out selective amnesia to everyone she cared about. Take away sadness. Replace it with joy. Take away fear. Replace it with love.
It was this deep thinking that Naruto woke up to.
Naruto smiled at her sleepily. "Morning."
"Morning. I've been thinking."
"Mm?"
"Can we visit the Uchiha District?"
Her words were an instant kick to his consciousness.
"Uh," Naruto's eyes widened, "we have before, after Sasuke left, once."
"I want to go, once more."
Naruto rubbed at his tired eyes in an attempt to process this more seriously. "Are you looking for memories?"
"No. I'm looking for closure."
The cold morning matched their somber mood. They had eaten breakfast in relative silence, contemplative of what they might feel on this visit. Sakura was aware that this was as big a thing for Naruto as it was for her – for very different reasons. Not just because of Naruto's confession to her last night about not telling her he loved her until Sasuke was home, but because Sasuke was his best friend and he was still away from home.
The Uchiha district, in the corner of the village, abandoned and aged, managed to outdo the chilly weather. In fact, it could have been sunny and this place would have still looked sad.
"Looks cold," Sakura concluded.
They were barely through the entrance.
Naruto's brave smile fell a little. "That's exactly what you said the first time."
Without speaking, they walked side by side passed the empty buildings.
Despite it all, Sakura could picture people living here, families and friends. She could see passed the rundown sites around her: a whole clan of people used to live here, in Konoha, the village that was still her home. Losing a place like this, and all its inhabitants, was tragic.
The massacre leaving only one survivor and setting said child on a vengeful path was heartbreaking to imagine. That survivor was her teammate and her friend. That survivor was lost and alone and angry.
She didn't feel anything new for coming here. She wasn't bombarded with memories or feelings of love. She was, however, determined to bring that survivor home. Sasuke Uchiha couldn't get rid of that goal even after she had amnesia. Even if he hated her now, hated the whole village, it was just tough luck for him.
Konoha meant so much to her – saved her after her brain injury, both physically and mentally – this place and its people could have the same benefits for Sasuke. Sakura was sure that Naruto could save Sasuke on his own and bring him back to the light, but she wouldn't let either of them be alone.
Sakura stopped walking and after a few paces Naruto did also. He turned to look back at her. He looked as vulnerable as she felt, but that same determination shone through his eyes.
"He still frightens me," she admitted, "but he is our friend, our teammate, a member of Team 7. I want to bring him home."
Naruto's fists balled at his side. "He frightens me too... what he has become. We will get him back though, we have to."
Sakura nodded. "I understand... I really do understand."
"Not many do. So many of the villagers are against him now."
Sakura could see why. Sasuke had done some horrible things, sure, but she kept grasping at those images of a young boy, at that Team 7 photograph at her bedside. This place was a screaming reason for Sasuke's derailing. But as Sakura met Naruto's gaze, she knew they had plenty of reasons of their own to save Sasuke.
Sakura realised that while Sasuke did drive a wedge between them, that wasn't as strong as the way he brought them together. Here stood two determined ninjas with a lifelong goal of bringing home their third half. Nothing would stop them, not even Sasuke.
"I can't do a lot right now," Sakura smiled sadly, "to drag him home. But I will work on it. And I believe in you, and Sasuke, and that we can bring him back."
Naruto straightened, smiled and stretched his arm to give her an encouraging thumbs up. It was like a silent thank you, a silent promise. "We can do it, Sakura-chan."
Sakura smiled back, walked up to him and encased his outstretched hand in her own. She pulled him onwards and this time they walked hand in hand.
By the time they reached the outskirts of the district, the weather had picked up a bit, as if egging on their growing sense of purpose.
Sakura even spotted something out of the corner of her eye that looked like a small red flower. She turned fully to look closer and approached it with confusion, Naruto just behind her.
There had been no wildlife around here at all – as if it didn't have permission to grow – but it looked like something had been growing alongside one of the houses.
"Look, Naruto–" Sakura trailed off.
A flower had been growing out of a dismal patch of soil alongside this house. It wasn't an ideal place to begin with; the roof above it would block sunlight and rain and it had no space to grow into. It looked like it had tried to survive regardless of its conditions. It was alone attempting to live in an unwelcoming place. It looked like it had done OK to begin with, too.
However, it had been trampled on several times, kicked into the ground until it was no more than broken, crumpled petals and a battered stem.
"Do people come here?"
Naruto stared at it, wide-eyed. "Nobody's been here for years."
Then who (aggressively) killed this plant? And would that answer be of any use to them in their search for Sasuke? The thought made her anxious, and she tried to dampen the hope that was building up inside her. This was odd and unexplained but it could be something, maybe?
"Can we find out who it was?" she asked Naruto, trying to sound normal.
Naruto met her gaze and she could tell he was as nervous and hopeful as she was.
"We can try."
Naruto's clone fetched Kakashi Hatake.
Kakashi stared, like they had, for a while at the broken flower. Then, without a word he summoned a small pug, a ninja hound Kakashi called Pakkun.
Sakura wasn't expecting the deep, gruff voice from such a small dog and it surprised her when he greeted her by name. Of course she knew him, she thought, just another friend she was meeting all over again. It didn't bother her though, because they were here on a curious mission.
Pakkun sniffed the flower and his whole body jumped to alert. "This is Sasuke's scent."
"Are you certain?" Kakashi asked, sounding like he already knew the answer.
"It's faint, but it's definitely him."
And so a whole team of ninja hounds were summoned. Kakashi instructed Naruto to inform Lady Tsunade of this find right away and a clone went racing off.
Sakura's nerves increased – not because she was afraid, but because she wanted to be useful to this search.
"Well done, Sakura." Kakashi placed a hand on her shoulder. "Great find."
For one of the first times since she woke up in that hospital room, she felt a genuine rush of pride.
The scale of the operation, while small, included the efforts of the Hokage herself. This was big news to all of them.
Tsunade smiled when she saw Naruto and Sakura together but was quick to focus on the task at hand.
It was a concentrated search. The scent was old but it could help them identify how Sasuke had gotten into the village undetected. Not only that, but if they could find his point of entry, and go unnoticed by the Uchiha, they could track or even trap the missing nin if he ever set foot here again.
"If we could lure him back, could we lay a trap for him?"
Naruto got excited at the idea, but the Hokage – who was stood with both of them as Kakashi's dogs searched the area – stopped their brainstorm. "If we find where Sasuke got in, I'm in my right mind to block his entrance. Lure Sasuke Uchiha to Konoha? I think not."
"But, Granny!" Naruto whined. "We could bring Sasuke home."
Tsunade looked as if she was about to shoot down the idea again, but stopped herself when she saw two sets of hopeful eyes looking back at her. "Don't get ahead of yourselves. This flower was protected from the weather from the walls and roof. There is a chance Sasuke's scent is lost beyond this point."
Naruto became increasingly fidgety as the search dragged on. Just like her, he wished he could be doing more to help. He had searched the area with several clones but the team of dogs preferred to work without his questions and distractions. He went off in search for Kakashi, hoping for a positive update.
Sakura remained in the streets, staring at the dismal flower. Sasuke stamped it into the ground. It had been so small, a weak but pretty existence.
Tsunade approached her and stood by her side. "Why were you here, Sakura? I would hope chasing Sasuke is not in your plans to recover your memories."
Sakura did not take her gaze off the flower. "It's not in my plans to recover my memories, no. It's a separate goal. This wasn't to do with me, shishou. Naruto and I are going to bring Sasuke home. I know you disapprove of him and of us chasing him but he's our friend."
The Hokage was silent for a long while and Sakura feared she might argue against their plans – ban them from chasing Sasuke. What could Sakura do in her current state? She couldn't fight Sasuke. Surely that was a good enough reason for the Hokage to hold her back, physically if need be. Sakura didn't want Naruto to do this alone, though. She didn't want any more secret missions with him and Kakashi disappearing into the night, possibly hurting themselves, getting themselves killed, without her as backup. She would find a way to be of use, no matter what.
Last time she met Sasuke she was unprepared, she was frightened, but now she was a different person. She was stronger, mentally, even with a damaged brain. Sakura was about to open her mouth to convey this to her mentor – to convince her – but Tsunade placed a hand on shoulder and squeezed it.
"I know, Sakura. I know you'd chase Sasuke against my wishes, regardless. I'll make sure you're prepared if it ever happens."
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto came bounding back towards her. "We've found something!"
What Kakashi and his team had found was a cobbled wall. On the wall was a faded mark, inked in black, it looked like the Uchiha crest. It was surrounded by other strange markings. This wall sat innocently in one of the houses, downstairs in a basement.
"What is it?" Sakura asked.
"A seal," Kakashi answered. "Tsunade-sama?"
Tsunade frowned at it in thought. "It could definitely open a passageway."
"How has this been missed?" Kakashi murmured.
"There are many things about the Uchiha we don't know. This could have been covered up, or only recently activated by Sasuke."
"At least that explains how Sasuke got in," Sakura said. "There's got to be another entrance on the outskirts of the village hasn't there?"
Tsunade nodded. "Definitely."
Kakashi glanced at her. "That's how Sasuke got back to you so quickly. He led a false trail for us to find. He must have used this tunnel to outrun us. The entrance has to be between here and the base we found."
Tsunade looked at Naruto and Sakura. "We'll look into it. For now, the two of you can go. There is nothing further for you to do at the moment."
They went to complain but Tsunade held up her hand. "I will call you into my office when we have investigated it further. We'll put together a team but the two of you have to be patient. Something like this is to be handled with extreme care.
Sasuke thinks Naruto is dead. He won't come waltzing back any time soon and I highly doubt he would be stupid enough to be lured here. At the least, we can patch up a hole in our security and that's very important. But do not come back here. It could be dangerous."
Despite her disappointment, Sakura acknowledged the order with a nod. She agreed with Tsunade. She didn't know about seals, nor did she think they could lure Sasuke back easily – how many years had they been trying to do that?
Naruto took more convincing. He didn't want to leave, not when they had found something so promising.
Sakura wrapped her hand around Naruto's arm and gave him a gentle tug towards the stairs. "Come on, Naruto."
Tsunade smiled at them. "Listen to your girlfriend, Naruto."
Despite her comfort with her new relationship, Sakura found herself blushing. They hadn't told anybody yet, but it looks like Tsunade knew, so did Kakashi now.
Naruto (who took any mention of their relationship status very well) finally cracked a smile. "I always listen to her, Granny!"
Sakura snorted and pulled him along with her. "Yeah right!"
"Eh, Sakura-chan?!"
"Your listening skills are terrible, Naruto."
To give the boy credit, he concentrated on the things she said a lot more than the words spoken by others – but he also zoned out a lot when he looked at her and she was certain he had selective hearing. She knew he was the type to do stupid and dangerous things. She knew he was going to make her worry a lot and go against her wishes when he decided to do something that he thought was the right thing to do.
However, their feelings for each other were no longer suppressed. If one of them was going to do something stupid, they both were. They were a team now, more so than before. Even if Sakura had amnesia and she wasn't as 'scary' as she used to be with her 'monster strength' and threats only a medical ninja could make, she was going to find other ways to rein him in and keep him safe.
Their life went beyond her mental state and it was about time she juggled it all more effectively. Friends, amnesia fighting, her duty to Konoha, her relationship with Naruto, their goal to bring Sasuke home... There was so much to do. It was time she had several plans of action.
Author Notes:
Finally, I am back into Amnesia. The Naruto ending was a firm kick to my motivation – especially given the very first scene of this chapter – but this will never be abandoned. I will finish it. ASAP.
Thank you for all the nudges during my lack of updates. I appreciate the support and your reminders to get my act into gear were seriously needed sometimes. I've been out of the fandom completely which worried me when it came to writing these characters again.
If anybody happened to look at my profile in the last couple of months you would see my disgruntled effort to wrap my head around finishing this story. I reread it all again and touched up some parts. Now I've posted this, I have no excuses not to get the rest done.
I had originally planned to write the rest of the story, edit it and then post it all. However, the two moments of this chapter were inevitable. Both of these plot points have been planned for years and therefore I'm less nervous about posting this. I might only post the next chapters after the whole thing is written, but we'll see – I don't want to take that long wrapping it up either way.
Regarding this chapter, the first scene with Naruto is one I have written many times. Since I decided what was going to happen here, occasionally I would be inspired to write it. It would be similar each time, but different. It wasn't always an 'I love you' confession, although it always did imply strong feelings between Naruto and Sakura.
I think for better, I used none of those pre-written scenes (all written on my phone late at night when the inspiration struck), and typed a new one on my computer. I do still occasionally fit in pre-written scenes that I have written over the years which shape the plot among new ideas. Each chapter, these notes and scenes I want to include are getting less and less, either used or binned.
I am getting to the point in my writing where I decide to cut bits out: sentences, dialogue, even paragraphs, and with this chapter I cut near half a scene and took the plot in a different direction. I was also tempted to take out part of Naruto and Sakura's second talk where Sakura starts rambling... I didn't cut it and I might regret that later on.
In my reread I was very aware that Amnesia is too long (some chapters especially); the plot has issues (with hindsight Sasuke might not be in it at all and the NaruSaku build up would have been done differently), I'd cut big chunks out if I could in an attempt to streamline the main themes etc. That's why I am so tempted to draft the rest of this story and then edit it, possibly adding things but more likely removing parts before the chapters are posted.
I'm going to do my best to tie up the loose ends. I think my writing has improved a lot since I started this over three years ago, but I'm still learning.
Feel free to provide feedback on any part of the Amnesia plot, my writing or my publishing plans for the rest of this story.
Thanks for sticking with me! I appreciate it.