Chapter Three: Reacquainted

"And what do we have here? A confession?" A new voice interrupted from behind me and a cold shiver ran down my spine.

Naruto looked up and his sad countenance immediately changed into one of anger.

I, however, turned around slowly. I was afraid of who I might see. When I had finally turned enough to see who it was, my throat went dry and my blood froze.

And I almost laughed.

Green. All I saw was green. Of course there was the orange leg warmers and red belt that broke color code of the monstrous forest green spandex onesie. His expressive eyes were large and the chronic furrowing of his thick eyebrows gave him an intense look. His straight bowl haircut only helped to make him look like a person who was a neat freak that had control issues. A neat freak with control issues that favored green, form fitting, second-skin-like spandex.

I covered my mouth as I attempted to hold back my laughter. I couldn't help but cringe, though, when he spoke again. It was the kind of voice that would make my temple vein pop out if I heard it in excess. Like Naruto's.

"Naruto! I have finally found you! And as you promised, you and I, Rock Lee, will now fight in the ultimate test of our youth!"

Before I could snicker, I looked back at Naruto and found that I had to double my efforts in attempt not to guffaw at Naruto's sour face.

My amusement, however, did a complete 360 when said green-spandex man directed his attention to me.

"And who is this person you are talking to? Perhaps another youthful comrade?"

I refused to look up at Naruto, who I was sure was grinning. I had to get out of the picture.

"Excuse me," I muttered and tried to move away to the staircase. But a hand wrapped around my waist and spun me around so quickly that my head felt dizzy. I blinked my eyes quickly to rid myself of the nauseating feeling. And then,

"Sakura?"

I stiffened when the stranger mentioned me name. I didn't like the way he said it, like he knew me.

"Naruto! Is this who I think it is?"

"The one and only," Naruto replied. He was grinning. It's evident in his voice.

Thanks for ratting me out, Naruto.

"No problem," he said.

I blinked. Did I just say that out loud?

My confusion was interrupted when a rib-crushing hug knocked the breath out of my lungs. I was lifted off the ground by a strong force.

"The years haven't done anything to your youthful beauty Sakura-chan! In fact, I think you've become more beautiful!"

"Thank you?" I gasped. This Lee guy was going to seriously suffocate me if he didn't put me down. "Put me down…"

"We could hang out just like old times! Remember when we played hide-and-seek and I'd always find you but you were always up in a really high tree and I'd have to go up using my super speed even though I don't have any cha– "

Lee's rambling was cut off when Naruto smacked a hand on his mouth to silence him. Naruto then grabbed the front of Lee's spandex suit and lifted him up, effectively lifting me higher off the ground.

I could feel my head swimming.

"Listen you taijutsu monster, you better stay away from Sakura-chan. I don't want her to hang out with the likes of you!"

"Put me down." I could barely manage a squeak. My blood was rushing to my face and I could feel myself dropping off into unconsciousness yet again.

The next thing I knew I was waking up to Tsunade's stern brown eyes. When she backed away from my face I could see that I was lying on my bed. Beams of light streamed past my curtained window, giving my room a peaceful atmosphere. When I focused my attention back to her, she wasn't looking at me. I saw her put her hands on her hips and turn her attention to the side. I turned my head and saw Naruto and Lee sitting obediently on the floor with their hands face down on their laps. Their faces looked contrite, as though expecting a punishment.

"Sakura just got out of the hospital. What on earth possessed you to squeeze the air out of her and make her faint?"

"It's Lee's fault, Grandma," Naruto squeaked.

"Hey – " Lee started.

"I don't care whose fault it is! You both had a hand in this."

"But – "

"No Naruto. You knew that Sakura isn't up to her full health yet and you still didn't stop Lee from putting her down."

Naruto's crestfallen face made me give a reluctant sigh.

"You are both not allowed to see her until I say so," She continued.

I panicked a little. How long would that be? Was Tsunade going to keep me inside all day, every day? I know I don't have many friends, but now that I've kind of reunited with my friends, I don't want to let them go. I opened my mouth to protest but Tsunade was talking again.

"Okay, maybe that's a little harsh. You both may visit her." Everyone but Tsunade visibly relaxed. "But you can only visit one at a time. You two are not allowed to be in the same room when Sakura is there."

I rolled my eyes. Tsunade was acting a bit overprotective, but I didn't know her very well so I couldn't really object at the moment. She was probably only like this because I was still recovering.

"Is that understood?"

"Yes," Naruto and Lee chorused at the same time.

"Good. Now get out of my house and let Sakura sleep," Tsunade instructed and began to shoo them away.

Naruto was halfway out my bedroom door when he waved at me.

"I'll see you around, Sakura-chan! Get well soon!"

Tsunade watched as the two males made their way out of the apartment before casually walking back into my room. She wore a weary smile.

"Those two are such a handful. For some reason they're always fighting."

I couldn't help but giggle. It definitely did seem that way.

"Anyways, I was telling the truth when I said that you should sleep, Sakura. You received multiple blows to the head that it's a miracle that you didn't get a hemorrhage. That's a good thing but I don't want to take chances. Having a head injury is serious and I don't want you to suddenly start fainting just because those two idiots cut off all oxygen to your brain. You'll be just as bad as that Hyuuga girl, except you'll be losing brain cells. And you're going to need those brain cells for the things you'll be going through soon."

Her words about being my teacher in medicine crossed my mind and I nodded in understanding.

"When will we begin?" I asked.

"Not until I'm positive that there aren't going to be any complications resulting from your assault and from what happened today. Maybe in a week or two we can begin lessons. Oh, can you read?"

I nodded again. I may not remember people or events that happened to me in the past but I do know how to read and speak, which struck me as a little odd. Sometimes Jiraiya would lend me educational books about wildlife or geography. He was surprisingly good with words and if I ever had a question about a word I couldn't pronounce, he would always lend me a hand the next time I would see him.

"Very good. Well then, I'll leave you so that you can sleep. If you need anything, I'm just around in the apartment. I don't have to go to the hospital tonight."

"Okay. Thank you shishou."

Tsunade stood up and left.

And I was alone again. I sighed and bounced my head on my pillow before pulling the bedcovers over me. It may have still been daylight outside but I really could use a moment's shuteye. Staying in the hospital, moving into a new home, reuniting with two past friends (as well as finding out that one of them was my best friend), and fainting all in one day was quite taxing.

I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.

OooOooOooOoo

When I woke up again my room was dark. I slowly sat up in my bed and rubbed my eyes as they adjusted to the night. I stole a peek out my window and saw a streetlight not far away, illuminating the sidewalk. The street looked empty and I bet there weren't a lot of people out. Judging by how dark it was outside, I'd say it was probably midnight. The moon would be up and also casting it's gentle rays. Sadly I couldn't see it due to the roof of the building next door.

I wanted to go back to sleep but I couldn't. I was wide awake. So I got up from my bed and stumbled around a bit, quietly cursing when my smallest toe hit a leg of the table in my room. Narrowing my eyes at the table, I saw that there was stuff on it. I cautiously touched it and noted that it was fabric. Clothes, perhaps? After a couple more minutes of feeling around, I found the light switch and flicked it on. The light momentarily caused me to shut my eyes in response to it's brightness, but after a moment I opened them and looked at the table again.

It was indeed clothes and they didn't look like the clothes that I had gotten from Jiraiya when I lived on the streets. No, these clothes looked new. I excitedly walked to the table and perused through my new wardrobe. There were shirts, black biker shorts, tank tops, pajamas, sweaters, and other items. I blushed when I saw a number of bras and underwear scattered on the center of the table. I didn't think Tsunade would buy my undergarments. And although it was a little embarrassing, it was still a gesture that I appreciated coming from her.

But what really caught my eye was the red fabric that I happened to spot on my dresser. I curiously walked over and touched it's fabric. It was silk. I unfolded the fabric reverently and gasped when I saw that it was a kimono. It wasn't completely red though. It was blood red at the top but as my eyes drew south the blood red color darkened into a deep maroon at the bottom. Scattered across the cloth were flower petals that looked like they were being blown in the wind. They weren't cherry blossom petals though. I looked back at the top of my dresser and saw the rest of the garments that accompanied the beautiful kimono I held in my hands.

Tsunade-shishou has a lot of money if she can afford a kimono like this.

My excitement eventually wore down so I proceeded to put away my clothes into their appropriate places in my dresser. As for the kimono I'd have to ask Shishou what I should do with it since I didn't have a closet to hang it in. I left it on top of my dresser and went to sit on my bed, still awake but now with nothing to do. I heard a slight wind blow outside my window and a thought popped up into my head. I quickly, and quietly changed into biker shorts and a black tank top, stepped out of my room and headed to the front door. I could hear Tsunade snoring in another part of the apartment but I didn't bother to check on her. When I reached the front door I saw that there was a pair of sandals near the boots that I used to wear. Giddily, I slipped my feet into them, pleased to know that it fit me perfectly. I was amazed at how much Tsunade knew about me even though we had just met today.

I crept to the front door and very slowly turned the lock, hoping that it wouldn't click once it was unlocked. To my dismay, it made a loud click and I paused, listening for the sounds of sleep from my benefactor. Thankfully it seemed like she hadn't woken up. I smiled to myself and turned the knob of the door and carefully swung it open. No loud creaks or noises sounded from the door and I slipped out of the apartment before I could change my mind.

Konoha at night wasn't that cold. It was only during winter when I would sleep in the shelter. During the other seasons, however, the evening temperature was nice enough to sleep outside. So when I stepped outside in my tank top and shorts I felt completely at ease in my tank top and shorts. As I reached the street I glanced both ways and underneath the street lights strategically placed in intervals. As expected, there wasn't a single soul out. If I'm unlucky enough, I'll happen upon another drunken loser. This time, however, I'll be extra careful.

I started down the street to my left. If the mental map of Konoha I had in my head was correct, there was a bridge nearby. Tsunade apartment wasn't completely on the outskirts of the city, but it was far enough from my usual haunts. If I were to continue walking straight down the road I'd reach the city walls in about two hours. The bridge was probably ten minutes away.

As I continued my journey I sucked in the night air through my nostrils and exhaled through my mouth. The last time I was out this late was a little over two days ago but it surely felt like forever. The night didn't scare me and neither did the creatures that crept around in the shadows. I was basically one anyways. The upside two my life outside was that I knew Konoha's streets just a little more than I should. I knew where to go and what places to avoid. This proved to be a valuable asset since I needed it to find my way around without running into Kabuto and his needles.

The bridge came into view and I quickened my pace. It was one of those nicely arched wooden bridges. On both ends of the bridge were trees that had just sprouted leaves. Later on in the season there would hopefully be cherry blossoms. Below the bridge was a wide river that flowed peacefully. I stood at the railing and listened to the sound of it flowing and closed my eyes, tilting my head back. I opened my eyes and view the moon that was hanging directly in front of me in the sky. It's gentle light made me smile and I closed my eyes once more.

The soft thump of footsteps against wood shattered my peaceful world and I instantly began to monitor the individual also on the bridge. They were pretty good at keeping quiet and I had to admit that I almost thought that what I heard was just a figment of my imagination. But then I heard the footsteps again. This time they were much closer. I opened my eyes and tilted my head to the right to see who else had joined me on the bridge.

Cool obsidian eyes met my vision and I stood my ground, not willing to turn away. The light from the moon casted shadows on the left side of his face but revealed to me that he had a straight nose. His hair, although as dark as the night, reflected the moon's light from his spiky hairstyle. The bangs framing the sides of his face made him look delicate but for some reason this handsome creature seemed to be anything but delicate. His hands were in the pockets of his dark jeans and the dark shirt he wore contrasted with his pale skin. He had a powerful, magnetic presence and I couldn't help but dump all of my attention on him.

He was looking at me, approaching me slowly until he stood just two feet away. I turned to face him. I wanted to offer a smile but I felt like my facial muscles had frozen. I wanted to back away but I felt glued to my spot. I wanted to say something but my mouth was sewn shut. What had this guy done to me?

After a few minutes of drinking in each other's appearance, he spoke first.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

I wanted to melt at the sound of his baritone voice but I didn't, thank goodness. His question, though, did snap me out of my temporary muteness.

"Why?" I croaked. I wanted to smack myself. Why does my voice croak whenever I'm in an awkward spot?

He blinked but the air he upheld still didn't change. He still didn't seem to register any particular emotion.

When the beautiful stranger didn't say anything further, I realized that he still expected me to actually answer his question. I wanted to huff at his slightly presumptuous behavior but I refrained from doing so.

"I couldn't sleep," I answered honestly. When you're used to staying up at night and getting only a few hours of rest it becomes a habit. And habits die hard, right?

There was tension in the air between us even though there was a nice gentle breeze going about. Like a fish out of water and searching for hydration, I was scrambling for words to fill the less than lively conversation we were having.

"What about you?" I managed.

"Same," he answered after a pause.

"Oh."

His gaze on me was heavy and it felt like he'd eventually bore holes into my eyes if I didn't turn away. So I tried really, really hard to look back at what had previously held my silent praise, the moon and it's ethereal beauty. When I finally looked away I felt like the hold he had on me had dissipated and my mouth could work again.

"It's really nice out tonight."

For a moment I thought he had left but a peripheral glance told me that he had stood and faced the railing as well, his attention on the moon. I smiled inwardly.

"Hn," was his only reply. I didn't know whether or not I should feel annoyed at his lack of zeal for conversation but I didn't want to immediately judge this guy. Something told me there was more to the eye when it came to him.

So for the next few minutes we stood and basked in the moonlight, with the river flowing below and the night breeze brushing by. I had gotten tired of standing after five minutes so I lifted myself until I sat on the railing. He didn't join me but he drew closer, probably to make sure I wouldn't fall. No words were said but in his presence I felt like none were needed. I had gotten accustomed to his quiet demeanor and, surprisingly enough, I found it to be relaxing.

When I felt like I had stayed outside too long I climbed down from the railing and faced my taciturn companion, who had also turned to face me. His gaze, this time, didn't seem to paralyze me and I was grateful enough to flash him a smile.

"Well, it was nice hanging out with you, um…"

"Sasuke," he whispered. It was so low that I almost didn't catch it. But I did and my heart beat faster now that I knew his name.

"Sasuke-kun, right. My name is Sakura," I offered in return. "It was nice meeting you."

He nodded.

I had nothing more to say so I bid him goodnight before turning around.

"Don't come here alone next time," he suddenly said.

Turning slightly to give him a backwards glance, I looked at him curiously. I turned around to face him again.

"Oh, it's alright. I'm used to going out late at night," I answered casually. It isn't a big deal, really.

He then shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, but his eyes had a hard look to it.

"Just warning you," he muttered and turned around to walk in the direction he came.

I pursed my lips and looked to the ground, not knowing what to make of Sasuke. His statement just made him all the more mysterious and I felt the urge to follow him and pepper him with questions. When I looked back up to see him go, however, he was already gone.

OooOooOooOoo

The night that I met Sasuke was still fresh in my mind a week later. I never saw him again. The reason being I never went out again after that night, but not because I didn't want to.

When I got home that night Tsunade was waiting for me. The second the door shut behind me she was spewing worries and chastisements all over the place that I was surprised she hadn't gone blue from talking too much and not stopping for air. After that night she made sure that I didn't take any naps during the day. One way of doing this was by having Naruto or Lee stop by during the afternoon. She even let me go out with them into the city to have lunch.

Today was such a day. And today it was going to be Lee's turn to take me to lunch. Lee said he wanted to take me to a popular café in the inner part of the city. He said it was where I used to go whenever Naruto wouldn't drag everyone to Ichiraku Ramen, his favorite restaurant. I wasn't too keen about being in the bustling part of Konoha but since it was a part of my past I agreed to go with Lee.

Whenever I'm out with Naruto or Lee I noticed that they would always talk about who I was back when we were close friends. It was refreshing but it was like I was learning about a whole new person. The Sakura they knew was a stranger to me. The Sakura they knew sounded like a bubbly little girl who had dreams about becoming a great doctor. The Sakura they knew was friends with everyone in school, even the mean girl Ino.

The Sakura they knew had a family. She had a stern but caring mother and a doting father who loved to laugh. According to Naruto and Lee my parents weren't around often since they were busy with work but they did describe what my parents looked like. From their descriptions I had my father's hair color but my face was that of my mother's. I couldn't imagine them and I didn't want to try. I didn't feel anything for the parents I don't remember seeing, but I was told that I loved my parents very much.

The walk to the café didn't take very long because Lee had dragged me along as he speed walked to our destination. When we arrived I saw that it was a cute, happy kind of café with a moderate amount of people sitting at tables outside. Two large glass windows were in the front of the shop. Behind one of the glass windows were the products that the café sold. Things like cake, cupcakes, a selection of pastries, cookies and other baked goods. The other window had customers sitting in booths enjoying their purchases. I was instructed to find a seat outside while Lee went inside to buy something.

When he came back we began to consume our green tea, dango, and a slice of cake. I had to admit the food was tasty and I wouldn't mind coming back for more. I was listening to his him as he told the story of how him and his beloved (and very likely eccentric) teacher, Gai-sensei, went on a trip to Wind Country to join a taijutsu tournament in Suna. On their way to Suna they were ambushed by a group of bandits and then,

"Gai-sensei and I fended them off with the power of our youth flowing through our legs and fists! We were perfectly and in sync! Our punches and kicks landed with such power that I felt rejuvenated after we beat those bandits to a pulp!" He bellowed.

I scratched the back of my head at his overenthusiasm. He was already standing, his seat knocked over, with the other customers shooting us glances ranging from shock to annoyance at his loud voice. I bowed my head in apology to some of the nearby customers. I then turned back to him and forced a smile onto my face.

"Lee, how about we finish our tea and dango before we finish your story. I think the tea is getting cold," I said. Hopefully this little distraction would be enough. I was planning on whisking him away to a quieter part of town so that he could talk all he wanted.

Then his face looked like it hatched an idea, lighting up in excitement.

"Sakura-chan! I have an idea where we can go today!"

It didn't look like he was going to calm down any time soon so I stuffed the last piece of cake into my mouth, downed the rest of my tea, and picked up my dango before dragging Lee away from the café. When I finished chewing I turned to him and saw that he was still excited about his plan.

"So where to?" I asked.

"The training grounds!" He said gleefully as his eyes danced in anticipation.

OooOooOooOoo

The training ground Lee had brought me to was a small clearing in a secluded area of Konoha Park. I had never been in this part of the park since I was only here whenever I had to pass through or to sleep. But according to Lee, the training grounds were all located in Konoha part, just in a deeper, restricted area to prevent injuries to bystanders. The sign in front of the training ground read 'Training Ground One'. I stood to the side near a tree and watched Lee as he performed his basic moves.

To say that I was surprised at Lee's skill is an understatement. I was sure a fly had flown into my mouth and flew back out when my jaw dropped as I watched Lee execute his more advanced moves. His moves were practically bordering on inhuman and I had to wonder what his training was like, what Gai-sensei was like. Watching Lee made me gave me an idea.

"Hey, I have a favor to ask," I began when he took a break and sat down next to me.

"Anything for you, Sakura-chan!" He cheeped.

I stifled a grimace and smiled at him.

"Could you teach me a few simple defense moves?"

Lee's large eyes widened and his thick brows rose in surprise. He obviously wasn't expecting a request like mine. But he quickly recovered and stood up, one hand on his hip, and the other hand forming a fist with a thumb sticking out in a show of approval.

"You've come to the right person, Sakura-chan! I'll teach you everything you need to know!"

My grin grew and I stood up with and walked to the center of the clearing with a jump in my step. I was excited.

OooOooOooOoo

"Give me a break!" I cried. My knees were quivering and the muscles in my arms were nagging at me to have a moment's reprieve from Lee's monstrous lesson in defense. I crumbled to the ground and lay flat on my face, my arms and legs positioned carelessly about.

The sun had almost set and the temperature was starting to cool down from the heat of the day. I don't know how many hours we were at it but I was downright exhausted while my friend/temporary teacher/companion didn't look like he had broken a single sweat. I was annoyed.

Lee had the gall to chuckle at my prone form on the ground. I then felt my body being lifted into the air as Lee hefted me onto his back.

I was going to piggyback him? That's fine as long as I don't move any one of my extremities. I'm pretty sure my face looked like it went through hell and back. I bet my hair looked like a bird's nest. It probably had a few twigs and leaves in there too. I apathetically closed my eyes.

Lee was quiet as we walked out of the secluded area of the park. When we reached the entrance to the park was when he had stopped and began to talk to someone.

"Who's that you're carrying Lee?" A girl asked.

"Oh, it's Sakura-chan. You remember her?"

There was a gasp and a slight shuffling of feet before I opened my eyes and blearily stared at a girl with two hair buns on her head. She wore a white button up long sleeve with the buttons off to the side rather than down the center of her top. Her maroon pants stopped just below her knees where there was a garter that prevented it from falling further. Her hands were in fingerless gloves. Her light brown eyes were looking at me with a mixture of shock and concern written on her face.

Next to her was a person with long brown hair and a headband strapped across his forehead. Their light colored eyes had me wondering if they had an eye disease. By looking at the face I couldn't tell if they were a girl or boy because he had the kind of face that would make you think twice of their gender. He (I eventually deduced him to be a male) also wore a white long sleeved top with the sleeves loose like those of a kimono. He wore loose white pants.

The girl flashed me a bright smile before leaning in to give me a small hug despite our slightly awkward position.

"Oh Sakura it's good to see you again! Where have you been?" She asked.

"Um," I said unsurely and glanced between the two new people. The other one with light eyes was glaring at me.

Lee came to my rescue.

"That's Tenten, Sakura-chan. And the person next to her is Neji. They're my – er – good friends," he said simply.

Tenten's eyes widened a bit and she looked at me with confusion clouding her pretty face.

"You don't remember me Sakura?"

I shook my head. "Sorry Tenten. I'm just recently finding out I had friends."

This just made her all the more confused. I then told her that I had lost my memory. This helped a bit and she relaxed a little.

"I really wish I could remember though," I said honestly. Tenten didn't seem like a bad person and I having her as a friend was probably real fun. She didn't seem like the type that would cower in fear of Neji, whose glare had intensified.

When he didn't say anything to me I decided to make the first move.

"Hello Neji-san."

He scowled at my greeting.

"You," he hissed. "Should go back to the alley you crawled out of."

OooOooOooOoo

A/N: Oh snap! Hostile Neji right off the bat!

Bet you weren't expecting it to be Lee in the beginning of the chapter, eh? I wasn't expecting it either! It was originally going to be Kabuto, but I have other plans for him. I just recently found a book that helped me figure out the structure of my story and now I have an idea of where I want this crazy ride to go. This chapter is hot off the press since I had to rewrite the one that I had prepared last week. So if you see any mistakes, please point them out. I plan on going back and editing the chapters once I'm done.

Here's a shout out to kelpiejh for guessing correctly who I had originally planned to show up in the beginning of the chapter. Another one goes to JohnnyLove for your encouraging words. And for those of you who put this story on your alert list, thank you so much! I hope you're all enjoying my story so far.

You know the drill peeps. Please review!

Chynee