Chapter One: Naruto

Sakura groaned. She was currently lying on top of something very warm and the sunlight was attempting to wake her up. Go away, she told it, I want to sleep in today.

"Sakura," a deep voice intoned, "Will you get off me?" It was then that Sakura realized something was wrong. She sprang up as if she had been bitten. You. Glaring at Sasuke, the kunoichi had begun to gather chakra into her hand, preparing for a punch. Sasuke noticed this. "You can't hurt me Sakura; remember what the old man said?" Sakura wished that she hadn't.

"It wasn't… a dream?"

"Take a look around." The streets of Konoha were filed with tons and tons of people. It was back to its past glory, no longer ruined by war. It felt so wrong to be back there, especially since she still looked sixteen. "Sakura, we have to ask someone what day it is."

"I'm not going anywhere with you. I don't give a rat's ass what that old man said; I am not working with you, you sonofabitch traitor." Sasuke sighed as he got up, patting himself to rid his body of any dirt.

"You don't have a choice. Let's go." Sakura suddenly wondered why Sasuke was talking to her so calmly. It was as if he had never killed Naruto and they were just old chums off on another mission. What was wrong with him? Had he suddenly lost his mind or something?

"Like something you see?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Sakura gave an unwomanly snort. "I'm not particularly attracted to fools, Sasuke. How can you be so calm? A week ago, you attacked and killed Naruto. Do you remember him Sasuke? Do you even realize that you're an S-class criminal in our bingo books? That I had just been on a mission to retrieve you and even kill you if necessary?"

"No one knows who we are right now Sakura. We're back here because we've come to save Naruto."

Naruto.

Naruto. Naruto. Naruto.

Alive. Alive.

NARUTO.

It took a while before it finally sunk in.

"I-I… Are we really going to do this?"

"We don't have a choice." Sasuke replied. Strangely, he sounded… pleased, almost, as if the prospect of seeing Naruto made him… happy. But it wasn't possible, Sakura told herself, it was just her imagining things. After all, Sasuke was the one who killed him. No matter how nice Sasuke was to her, she couldn't let herself forgive him for that fact.

But Sasuke was already trudging along to the busy streets below, earning someappreciative looks from various women in the village. He turned back to face her again. 'Come on.' He seemed to say to her wordlessly, and for once, Sakura made no argument and followed. The females glared at her menacingly, but she ignored them, and even… pitied them. 'He's a fool and a bastard.' She wanted to say to them.

After all, she had no right to criticize them. Wasn't she the one who had once fallen in love with the gorgeous avenger before? The one who pledged her love to him on that dark night?

"Excuse me sir, but what day is it?"

The man told them all they needed to know. Apparently, they were at the very beginning of their ninja careers. "Wouldn't it have been easier if the man had sent us to when you had killed him?" Sakura mused out loud. Sasuke only shrugged in response. He turned his attention to finding a place for them to stay.

"We have no money, Sasuke." Sakura complained. She was starting to get ticked off by Sasuke's very presence. The initial bubble of joy she had when she found out that Naruto was still alive seemed to wear off slightly. It was enough for Sakura to make a critical assessment of the situation.

In all honesty, Sakura felt foolish.

What was she doing? Believing in the words of a senile old man and trailing after Sasuke like a puppy. Had she forgotten that he was dangerous? That it was just all a hallucination? Why was she doing this? It was only going to hurt her more in the end. It was all a dream and when she woke up, it would shatter into a million pieces.

Sasuke being there and helping was enough proof that it was all a dream.

He was taking it all so calmly too…

"How do you stay so calm?" Sakura asked after a moment's hesitation. "Aren't you worried that… that this is all a dream?" He didn't answer her, but she knew.

He was thinking the same thing.

Asking the same questions.

And a. little piece of Sakura's heart went out to him… only a little though. They had to stay together, that much was clear. Food? Shelter? The mission? How were they supposed to keep track of it all? All her worries abruptly flew out of her mind. That voice. Naruto.

She ran and ran as fast as she could, dimly aware that Sasuke was right besides her, shooting her a strange look. But then, he heard it too and they knew.

"Naruto." Sakura's words came out as a husky whisper.

"Naruto." Sasuke agreed. And something in his heart lifted at the thought.

Ichiraku's. Sakura made a sharp right turn and quickly lifted the flaps at the entrance. She was met with the surprised faces of Iruka and Naruto. "Eh?" The blonde's words were drowned out as Sasuke appeared beside her. "Eh?" Naruto asked again, his eyes bugging out a little. Sakura huffed from the exertion of the sprint.

"Are you guys okay?" Iruka asked concernedly.

Sasuke nodded and eased Sakura into a seat. The Uchiha still had his composure; the run had not taken anything out of him. It just showed Sakura further how much stronger he was than her. "We're new in town and haven't had anything to eat for a while." Their ex-sensei smiled.

"Let me treat you then. I can help you settle in." Sakura only nodded, still in too much shock to say much else to him. Naruto was eying her suspiciously. Finally realizing what a mess she must've looked like, she smiled fondly at Naruto, who blushed and looked away.

"Uh…"

Giggling, Sakura ordered a bowl of miso ramen from Teuchi. Sasuke ordered the same, seating himself gracefully next to her. Soon afterwards, Naruto began to eye her and Sasuke again.

"Something on my face?" Sakura asked innocently.

He shook his head vigorously. "No, it's just that you remind me of Sakura-chan."

"Really?" The kunoichi fluttered her eyelashes. "Is she pretty?"

"Hm… not really. Her forehead is kind of large." If it was possible, Sakura already wanted to beat Naruto into a pulp. The corners of Sasuke's mouth lifted a little. "But… Sakura-chan is Sakura-chan, and I don't care how she looks. She's not really stunning like you are lady, but she's pretty in her own kind of way." Naruto looked down, a deep red staining his cheeks. Sakura's heart wrenched in her chest.

She had been such a fool to treat him like she had before. Sakura might've never developed romantic feelings for Naruto, but she could've been a better friend.

Sakura then made a promise. She would teach her younger self that beauty and Sasuke weren't worth her time. She smiled faintly as Naruto began to gulp down his ramen again. She was just dying to keep the conversation going.

"Is that a headband? Are you a shinobi?" the blonde's chest puffed out a little. Hook, line and sinker.

"Yep! I'm the greatest ninja ever!" Naruto exclaimed, showing off his ninja headband.

Off to the side, Sasuke snorted.

"What did you say, bastard?"

"You don't look like a ninja to me, kid."

"Don't call me kid! You're only a couple years older than I am."

"I'm also about three feet taller than you." People were starting to stare, but when they saw Naruto, they shot him a nasty look and brushed it off as usual Naruto behavior. Sakura glared at them fiercely in retaliation.

"That's it! You and me, right now, bastard!"

Sasuke shrugged. "Don't blame me when your head is in the ground."

Sakura gave him a look, one that said: 'sit-down-now-or-I-fucking-barbeque-your-ass-Uchiha.'

Sasuke grunted and sat back down reluctantly. Iruka tiredly rapped Naruto on the head. "Don't be rude, you baka, these people are new in town. The least you could do is try to be polite." Naruto frowned.

"Fine, but I have to leave now. After all, I want to wake up early for Kakashi-sensei's SUPER-CHALLENGING mission for only elite ninjas tomorrow." He aimed the last part at Sasuke, and stalked off.

"Sorry," Iruka apologized as his student's back became smaller and smaller, "he's always like that."

Sakura smiled. "No, no, it's my friend's entire fault. Do you mind taking us to see the hokage-sama?" Iruka nodded and motioned for them to come with him.

Sasuke had not missed the double meaning behind the pink-haired shinobi's words.

-(x)-

Sakura sighed as she felt the warm rays of sunshine flit on her back. Somehow, they had gotten past the hokage, claiming that they were running away from their own village because nuke-nin had attacked and burned it to the ground recently. They had no papers, but their excuse made up for it. There was no suspicion in the hokage's eyes. In the end, they said they would do shinobi work for the village if the hokage could give them a place to stay and money for rent and food.

Seeing as they were still looking for jobs for both her and Sasuke, Sakura figured it would be good to train for a while. Reluctant to leave the Uchiha alone and needing a sparring partner, the kunoichi had dragged Sasuke with her. Or rather Ai dragged Takeshi to the training grounds where they had first worked together as a team.

"Come on Takeshi. I refuse to leave you alone; god knows what you do in your spare time." Probably torture innocent bunnies, inner Sakura supplied.

"Hn."

-(x)-

"You pass." The ominous clouds above started to dissipate as Kakashi smiled. "In the shinobi world, those who break the rules are trash, but those who don't take care of their friends are even lower than trash." Naruto's eyes started to water. I'm finally a ninja!

"Let's go home." Kakashi started to walk away, Sakura and Sasuke trailing behind him.

"Wait for me guys!" Struggling with him bindings, Naruto started to yell, but his teammates didn't seem to notice.

"Forgot something?" Ai's cool voice flitted through the training area. Takeshi was besides her, smirking at the struggling Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke turned around. Kakashi smiled sheepishly as his visible eye crinkled in amusement.

"Hey! It's you guys!"

Ai winked at Naruto. "You bet." Taking out one of her own kunai, she struck the log with perfect aim, slicing off all of the ropes binding the blonde.

The younger Sakura was currently drooling over Takeshi (1). 'Oh my god! He's so hot… even cuter than Sasuke-kun, no! I have to remain faithful to my Sasuke-kun.' While said 'Sasuke-kun' was currently glaring at Takeshi. Something about him… He reminds me of my brother…

Takeshi was returning the glare with a smirk. "Like something you see, ochibi?" Sasuke was fuming.

"Do you want to fight?" He asked. Takeshi shrugged dispassionately.

"You're not strong enough yet to fight with me."

If it was possible to kill someone just by looking at them, both Takeshi and Sasuke would be dead already. Sasuke suddenly took out a kunai, "Then fight me, or are you chicken?" Takeshi took out the katana at his side. I need to teach my younger self once and for all how weak he is. Ai and Sakura watched worriedly from the sidelines.

"Takeshi-kun, what the fuck are you doing?" Ai asked uneasily.

"Stay out of this." I need to teach a lesson to this squirt. After all, this is all part of our mission isn't it? So Sakura, stay out of my way.

Sasuke charged forward, weapon in hand.

(1) Whenever I refer to future Sasuke, it'll be Takeshi. When I refer to past Sasuke, I'll say Sasuke. Sakura will be the same thing, but with the name Ai. I will always do that unless past Sasuke and past Sakura aren't in the area. I wish I could have some easier way of doing it, but I don't. Sorry about that.

Thanks for reading, as always. Someone last chapter said that they'd like to see Sakura's new form. I did draw a picture on this request, but trust me, it is not pretty. I have absolutely no artistic talent at all (--;;) Still, if I ever do the time I'll put it on deviantart and notify you anyone who wants to know.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

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