Chapter 3: Memories

It took me a while to realize, but I finally did it.

Naruto thought, looking at the beautiful black marble stone sitting right in front of the infirmary. He gently walks up to it, rubbing on it's shiny surface.

I didn't want to come here...it brings too much painful memories, memories...that I just don't want to relive.

He knows that he promised Sasuke he'll bring Sakura back, but thinking it carefully. He doesn't know know if he has himself back. How is he going to show her the way when he's lost himself?

The black marble stone had the words written on it:

Established by:

Sakura Haruno

Naruto Uzumaki

It nearly brings to his eyes, clenching his fist tighter. He didn't want to remember this. He didn't want to remember her when she was like this. He dropped on his knee's feeling the hard earth hitting his knee's.

The darkness surrounds him and he wished something he thought he would never wish in his life.

I wish I can go away! I wish I can leave this place!

Then, as if magic, there's a bright light from the stone and blinds Naruto, when he finally gets his vision back. The image before him amazes him. It's a white world, unknown of earth and Naruto finally felt empty. He's too stunned to think of anything else. He couldn't really feel.

The world then shifted right in front of his eyes and the color of the world begins to splatter itself on this white paper. The picture it created was life and the people standing side by side is not only himself, but Sakura.

Their standing in front of the infirmary and it's not build. Now that he thinks of it, he remembers this.

"Don't worry Sakura!" his 'old' self said. "We'll get it down."

"I don't know...having Sasuke coming back. The Hokage going on an adventure and everyone moving on with their life...I don't know." she sighs in defeat and the old Naruto pats her on the back, grinning, "You're not alone. I know I ain't much, but you got me!"

Naruto chuckles and Sakura stares at him tiredly, but smiles in the end after all. There is a slight blush in her face as she nods with a new kind of determination, "Then...let's do it together!"

"YEA!" Naruto screams out, happy he gripped onto Sakura's will and helped her out, even if it's just a little bit.

The current Naruto looks at all of this and a tear slides down his face. He was that person. The happy-go-lucky kid who would always put others above himself. He wasn't worried about his own life. He was just worried about Sakura, but is it really different from now. It's been several years since then and he's still giving his all for not himself, but someone else.

I guess...the only thing different is that I'm not so happy anymore...

Naruto thought, confirming that to be true. Maybe his body and mind is exhausted from constantly worrying about others without a gain on his side, maybe that's why his not so happy anymore.

The time stopped and the world began to mix into the whiteness it once was. The blank wall that appeared when Naruto first arrived in this new world is back, but it wasn't back for long. Just like before, the world changes once again and this time he's brought to a hospital room.

He could see Sakura kneeling against someone's bed side and it's in a hospital room. Naruto's heart twist and turns when he remembers where his at. He grips the roots of his hair, shaking in agony, "No! Not this!" it's a painful memory carved into his mind well.

"I wish I had more time..." the old, bitter woman said. Sakura's tears are all over the place and she looks like a mess, "Mom, just wait a few seconds. The doctors coming and he'll make it all better...I promise!" she exclaims, but her mother places her finger gently on Sakura's lips, "If you can't fix me. Then no one can."

It's not words of kindness, it's actually the truth. Sakura's healing abilities are definitely number one in Konoha and equal to any shinobi, if not better, in the ninja world.

"Don't say that mom...don't lose hope. Naruto would always say that-"

"Naruto this, Naruto that..." Her mother gives her a disappointed look, "You know I don't like you mixing with that demon boy. You're a Haruno for crying out loud. We don't mix with their kind." Sakura's mom had lots of family lost after the war against the Kyuubi, it's reasonable she has hate for Naruto.

"But mom...he's really nice and..." she felt something cut her, it wasn't anything physical, but mentally she knew that it had come to time where she had to choose either Naruto or her family.

"Sakura..." her mother said sickly, "Please, this is a once in a lifetime request. Do not mix with that boy. I rather you go out with Sasuke, but there's a lot of terrific shinobi's out there willing to take your hand."

"M-mom..." Sakura sniffles, wiping her new found tears with the palm of her hands. She's torn between the two and it was just after the infirmary was finished.

The reason why Naruto remembers this is because little did the two inside the hospital room know, Naruto was standing right outside the open door the whole time and he could feel the pain in Sakura's heart. He doesn't know if the pain in his heart is equal to the pain Sakura's feeling, but it hurts, it hurts so bad that he did something without thinking.

Naruto walks right in the hospital room, holding the flowers behind his back. "Heya!" he said, cheerfully, despite putting on the mask. He was selling himself quite well and they bought it. Sakura immediately stands up and straightens herself out. She smooths her casual clothing and smiles as Naruto shows her the flowers. It looked like a long time since Sakura smiled and Naruto felt glad he could at least see that.

That happiness quickly disappeared and he felt sick to his stomach saying the next words he had to say. He kept reminding himself that it was for the sake of Sakura, but each time he told himself to say it, it's like cutting himself a little every time.

"Sakura..." Naruto said, grinning, almost like a frozen smile stopped in time, "Let's take some time off from one another..."

Sakura's eyes widened, stunned, "W-what do you mean?"

Naruto doesn't even answer. The pain was too much and he quickly turns his head to the door, but suddenly stops when Sakura grabs his hand, "Naruto...please...tell me what you mean?!" she asked desperately, there was a look of loneliness in her eyes and Naruto turns around, his smile gone as he hides his face in the shadow of his hair.

"I'm no longer attracted to you..." Naruto whispers softly, and Sakura's body stood still as her grip becomes weak and Naruto finally leaves the room. He knows he couldn't allow Sakura to choose between him or her mother. In the end, it proved to be the right thing since Sakura was in good terms with her throughout her living years.

She was a lot happy back then, almost cheerful, but the person who was left to carry the burden was none other than himself again.

The world's colors disappear once more and Naruto felt tired of this. His wet tears drying on his cheeks, and he felt like he could retire from life right now. If this is the saying 'seeing your past flash in front of your eyes' his really tired of seeing his life and wants out.

It's just a cold and bitter reminder of how selfish he was to himself.

That's when the world recolors itself, but this time. It's not something Naruto could remembers. One of Naruto's brows raise, pondering what this memory could be and it's another hospital room, just not the one like before. This is a new one, expensive new equipment and furniture...now that he thinks of it. He hasn't been inside the new hospital rooms when it was done.

There's a beautiful girl laying on her bed and standing beside her is Tsunade, looking worriedly down at her student.

Then, out of nowhere. The girl's eyes open and she instantly sits up. Naruto watches her move, it's not Sakura, but it sort of is. Naruto could tell there's a small part of her inside that shell and that's more than enough for him.

"Sakura, you're awake!" Tsunade exclaimed, happily jumping in the air, but Sakura isn't as happy despite it being her own life. She looks blankly at Naruto who's supposed to be invisible to these 'past' people, but she's looking right at him.

"Naruto?" she said, and she suddenly stands up, forcing Naruto to lose his posture a little.

Can she really see me?

Naruto thought, waving his hand in front of her eyes, but that soon stops as she dashes right to him. Naruto surprisingly tries to cover himself, but her speed is incredibly fast, but before he could feel the impact. She runs right through him.

Naruto confusedly looks behind him and watches as Sakura dashes at the door.

Ah, that's right. She's looking at the door, not me.

The colors of the world soon to change, but it's still the same memory, it's just following Sakura. The beautiful designs and intricate shading makes it look like their really in the real world. There's just one little problem racing in Naruto's mind and that problem is:

Why does he have a memory that never happened. He usually guesses the memory after first seeing it, but this does not come into picture.

Sakura runs outside the infirmary, but slightly pauses. She takes a small step back and looks at the little building with a small smile on her face.

"Naruto..." she repeats and she darts forward once more until she finally reaches the black marble stone. Naruto looks at himself passed out in front of it as Sakura runs up to him and holds him close.

"Naruto..." she said once again.

"Naruto...?" she's kind of asking something, but Naruto's in this world. He can't respond to her.

"Naruto!"

Naruto's eyes suddenly open and the world that he once saw disappears in an instant. Naruto looks at Sakura and Sakura smiles, seeing him awake. She buries her flushed pink face into Naruto's chest until the only thing he could see is her pink hair and her beautiful blue eyes staring up at him.

"Naruto..." She whispers into his chest, as if speaking to his heart.

"Yea?" Naruto asked, feeling a little dizzy. It might be because he just went through memory lane, but he's still able to muster the strength to talk to Sakura. Tsunade finally arrives, but she doesn't break up the moment. She just stares at the two from a distance with a small smile on her face.

"Naruto...I remember why, I remember why I love you..."

NEXT CHAPTER: CHAPTER 4: The Shell has found a home