Tsunade groans as she sits up, rubbing her temples and sighing irritatingly. There are piles- no, towers- of paperwork on her polished chestnut desk, and there is absolutely nothing Tsunade hates more than paperwork. Shizune had locked her in her office, and threatened to dump all her sake in the sink if she didn't finish off her overload of work.

This is one of those rare times that Tsunade wonders why she even bothered coming back to Konoha, and why she even agreed to being Hokage. There was so much work involved, so much stress, so much pressure and headaches and definitely not enough sake. She never had time to gamble anymore or to go out for a night for a small drink, because there was always so much work.

Glancing at the heavily locked door, she smiles amusedly, and wonders if Shizune has forgotten the fact that Tsunade could just punched the wall and escape that way if she got too stressed out. But if she did that… well, she'd have to find somebody to repair it, and that would be a waste of time.

Glaring viciously at the paperwork, she shoves it roughly aside and folds her arms, laying her head down on them. Her mind is spiraling with stress and heavy work and most of all, yesterday's events.

She couldn't believe her ears when Sakura, her beloved student, uttered out that she did not know who Sasuke was. It shocked Tsunade to no end. She knew that Sakura had spent many, many years trying to forget the Uchiha brat, but she had never been able to. Now, it seemed like she really, truly did forget.

But it was strange. It was almost like the girl had amnesia… except Sakura only forgot Sasuke. Her smart student had recognized everybody in the room except for Sasuke. There wasn't any explanation for this strange situation that Tsunade could think of, nor could she remember ever having to deal with an issue like such. Tapping her chin, she thinks maybe it's time to check over her old medical scrolls, just in case it has anything on this kind of issue.

A knock on her door interrupts her thoughts, bringing her back to reality. A moment later, Tsunade hears the locks on the door opening and Shizune's head pops into view.

"Lady Tsunade, Uchiha's team is here with their mission report," she says, pointing to the unseen group outside the door.

Letting out an exaggerated sigh, Tsunade gestures for Shizune to allow the boys in, raking her fingers through her messy golden hair.

The Hyuuga prodigy, the Uchiha brat, and the Inuzuka boy walk in casually, and brat places a thick report file onto her chestnut desk.

Flipping through the report, Tsunade gives a slight nod of approval, and looks at the boys, who do not move in their place in front of her, almost as if waiting for her.

"Is there something you would like to discuss with me?" she asks, placing the file down and lacing her fingers together.

Sasuke clears his throat. There's an unsettlement in his dark obsidian eyes, something laced with worry and irritation.

"We were ambushed by the Kumogakure." He says, face expressionless. "On the way back from Ame, several Kumo nin ambushed us."

Kumo…ambush…The news doesn't take long to sink in. "What?" Tsunade hisses, slamming her palms against her polished wooden desk, rattling it. The fact sink in, resulting in pure shock. "Are you sure?"

The Hyuuga prodigy steps forward, arms crossed. He nods swiftly, expression serious as the Uchiha brat and the Inuzuka boy looks on uncomfortably. "Yes, Hokage-sama," Neji says, smoothly. "We managed to take them down, but it was not without struggle. From the level of resistance, it was clear that they were very talented shinobi."

A sigh escapes Tsunade's lips as she sits down, exhausted. From all of the day's events, her head felt like it was ready to explode. A drink could really help…

"What I don't understand," the amber-eyed woman murmurs, lacing her fingers together elegantly, "is the fact that Kumo attacked. We may not have the best relations between us, but we are allies. They stood alongside us during the war." Her eyes narrow, thinking hard, and an idea bounces to mind. "Are you sure they were not rogue nin? Perhaps they were shinobi that have abandoned their village."

"No," the Inuzuka boy interjects, shaking his head. "Not one of them were rogue. Not a single scratch on their hitai-ate."

"I was just speaking to the village leader the other day!" Tsunade proclaims, annoyed. "Surely he did not change his mind with two days!" Outside, her temper is flaring, but on the inside, Tsunade secretly worries. What happened to the allied relations between the two nations? She couldn't plunge her village, her comrades… the entire future of Konoha into another war. Tsunade knows the gruesome horrors of war- the scarring feeling of losing someone precious forever, the terrified feeling at the pit of your stomach when you see the red silk covering the luscious rolling green hills of the village and splattered over the sharp, courageous faces carved in the Hokage Mountain.

Most of all, Tsunade knows how much the generation had suffered. How her very own apprentice had suffered. Sakura is a brave, amazingly strong girl, Tsunade knows, and she always gives her very best at everything she does, but Tsunade also knows that, as a medic, not everyone could be saved. As someone people come to, as someone people relay their lives on, it's crushing not only physically but also mentally when someone's life slips through your fingers.

Sighing, Tsunade slides down into her chair and leans her pounding forehead against her hands. Her exhausted, worn-out, healing hands. "I'll have to speak with the Raikage again to see what's going on. Thank you, boys," she says quietly, almost thoughtfully. She takes a moment to look at the Uchiha brat again, and is not at all surprised to see the unsettling look in his eyes to be still there.

Tsunade then ushers the boys out of her office; not because she wants to be alone to think, but she thinks that they deserve a well rested week after this busy mission. The three boys bow respectively, and start heading out the door. Just before Sasuke is about to exit, Tsunade finds it in her to call out, "Hey, Uchiha!"

He turns, eyes slightly widened, and doesn't say anything; just looks at her questioningly.

"I'll try my best to see what has happened to Sakura," she says carefully, and she watches his eyes narrow slightly. "But as of right now, I have no idea what she has nor can I think of a cure for it." At the sight of Sasuke's gritted teeth and frustrated scowl, Tsunade adds sharply, "Don't give me that look, you brat. Don't think you can pull of that look as if you don't care. Don't think we don't know you, Sasuke. You can pick out a random civilian here in Konoha and they will tell you firsthand that you have feelings for Sakura. Hell, some of them approached me and asked if you two were secretly dating!"

She hears a hiss as the Uchiha brat sucks in a breath. For a few moments, it's silence in Tsunade's office. The Uchiha brat's looking out of the window, like he's deep in thought, and finally he cracks the silence by saying softly, "Thank you, Tsunade-sama." It's in the most genuine voice Tsunade has ever heard Sasuke Uchiha speak in and the tone of voice shocks her straight to the core.

Before she can make a comment or even reply, Sasuke walks past her out the door, closing it lightly behind him.

-x-

"Yes, Ino, I'm positive. Never been more sure in my life."

Sakura puts up a hand to stop her best friend's protesting. For the past two hours, Ino had been interrogating her on whether or not she knew that dark-haired jackass. Sure, she really should be a little nicer since he saved her and all that, but still. He got angry at her for no reason. She didn't know him, so case closed. She did say "thank you" and show him her gratitude, didn't she?

Despite all this, Ino and Naruto (who had left a few minutes ago to walk a certain stuttering Hyuuga by the name of Hinata home, to ensure her safety) continuously persisted her into remembering this guy.

Sasuke Uchiha.

Sasuke Uchiha.

The name is like a foreign taste, stumbling on her tongue. She's never heard of it before; much less know anyone of that particular name. She doesn't know why it matters so deeply, though. Maybe she and Sasuke had been close? Maybe she and Sasuke were teammates? Sakura doesn't know. The only thing she knows of Sasuke Uchiha is that he grew up with her and the rest of the Konoha shinobi, just as Hinata had said earlier this morning.

The thing is Sakura isn't lying when she says she can't remember. Searching for any memory of the strange guy, even of a fragment of it, was like looking out to the water at sea during nighttime- pitch black and utterly empty. Surrounded by darkness.

"Well," Ino says, resigned, "I hope Tsunade-sama finds out what happened to you during your mission, forehead. And I'm sure Sasuke will push on this case, anyway. He didn't seem too happy at all when you brushed him off." Ino checks the pearly black-and-white analog clock hanging on the wall, and stands up.

"It's getting late. I'm going to head back to help my parents clean up and close the shop, and then I'll go pick up some food at the barbeque. I should be back in a few hours. If Naruto comes and wants to take you to Ichiraku's, tell him no because I will kill him if he does. I'm bringing you food."

Sakura smiles gratefully and nods. Ino's about to leave when, on impulse, Sakura's hand shoots out and snatches her best friend's sleeve.

"Ino," Sakura murmurs, eyes filled with anxiety, "Ino, just tell me why you're pushing this so hard. Tell me why you and Naruto won't let this go. What was that boy to me?"

There's sadness laced in every word when Ino replies, "I wish I could tell you, Sakura, but that's something only you would know." Ino smiles, a heartbreaking smile that Sakura knows is meant for her, because Ino knows things now that she no longer does.

"That's why you have to try to remember, Sakura."


note: and gearing up on this story again. it's been a while, yeah? sorry for the wait and thank you all for your amazing support of this story. it's slowly unraveling bit by bit but i'm not nearly a quarter of the way through yet. i'm enjoying this crazy little plot.

tell me what you think, i love hearing from you all!

-A