5

Sakura looked around confused for a moment before she turned to see her mother and her younger self walking down the street. Her younger self was bouncing happily cradling a small box as if it was meant for the Hokage himself. "Sakura settle down, my goodness dear," Mebuki tried to look stern but it rapidly vanished shaking her head trying to hide her mirth.

"But momma, today's Naruto-kun's birthday and I got him the coolest gift," the little rosette haired girl pouted slightly, "well you paid for it but I picked out, still it's a cool gift."

The older Sakura watched her mother look left and right during this conversation, her face lined with worry as people we're glaring at her daughter rather coldly. She stepped up next to her daughter protectively glaring down those people as they walked, "You didn't notice the glares, or the man following you," chibi-Sakura explained older Sakura turned to notice a chunin looking at her younger self and her mother with distaste as they pass after a few feet he began to follow casually.

"A pair of goggles dear, why those?" Mebuki asked her daughter.

"Because Naruto-kun wants something that will not only keep his hair out of his eyes but something that looks cool, believe it!" little Sakura shouted pumping her tiny fist. "I mean when he becomes Hokage he needs to look cool all the time, he's going to be my husband after all."

Mebuki sighed shaking her head again, but this time smiling softly gently patting her daughter's head. "I'm sure Naruto will love your gift, now remember we can only stay along enough for cake, ice cream, and watch him open up his presents. Your father wants us to go to the festival this year," the blonde woman explained.

Younger Sakura pouted clutching the present tightly, "rather be with Naruto-kun I don't like it when the village says nasty things about him. He's not a monster, h-he's my boyfriend," the little rosette haired girl frowned sadly.

Older Sakura felt the longer she was here all the memories leading up to this moment, her first meeting with Naruto, their playing, his constant protection from the bullies that tried make fun of her hair and her forehead. The first time they tried to spar and she ended up getting hurt only for him to kiss the injury and apologize. Is this how I fell for him so hard, Sakura saw both her younger self and younger Naruto sleep underneath a tree at first separate but as the day went along she saw her younger self scoot closer to Naruto until Little Sakura was using Naruto's chest as a pillow a light smile on her face. How old was I here?

You were six in this memory your feelings for at this moment had reached its apex. When the both of you awoke you made a pact that when you both became Chunin you would marry. In a sense that day the two of you became the youngest couple to ever be engaged in the history of the Hidden Leaf. Chibi-Sakura explained watching the memory fad and returned to the original only with Younger Sakura and Mebuki reaching Naruto's apartment.

XXX

Sakura knocked on the door feeling cheerful, today was her boyfriend's birthday to her just one more year closer until she would be his wife. She heard scuffling on the other side of the door followed it opening a crack, she saw a flash of her favorite blonde hair and the sight of a brilliant blue eye. "Sakura-chan?" came Naruto's questioning reply.

"Hi, Naruto-kun happy birthday!" Sakura stated cheerfully before she pouted, "going to let your girlfriend and future mother-in-law in or not?"

She saw her beloved whisker marked blonde nod before closing the removing the chain lock and opening the door to let them in. As soon as they enter he immediately shut the door and locked it again. Looking a bit confused, this had been the first time she actually was able to get to see him on his birthday in the four years she's known him. The way he looked scared her a bit, "Naruto-kun are you okay?"

Naruto looked out the window pensively for a second before shutting the drapes and sighed heavily, "my birthday isn't a very happy occasion Sakura-chan."

The rosette haired little girl frowned walking up to him, "so you don't have cake or ice cream, or presents?"

Naruto shook his head at the first two but nodded at the last, "I get a few presents from the old man and a few of the ANBU, and Sasuke's mom for some strange reason gets me something," Naruto smiled slightly, "Got a new wooden kunai practice set from her this year, Dog and Weasel both pitched in and got me this really cool practice dummy though I think Dog was offended by it," Naruto pulled it out showing a Jonin with silver hair, wearing a mask, and had his headband placed over his eyes, Mebuki started giggling. "What?"

"Nothing sweetie," Mebuki trying to keep the mirth out of her voice and failing miserably. "I take it, that Weasel was the one who gave it to you and said it was from both he and Dog."

Naruto nodded, "did Weasel pull a prank on Dog?"

Mebuki nodded in return causing the blonde haired boy to start cackling in laughter, he then shifted his attention to Sakura who had her head lowered, "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura sniffled, "I-I wanted to spend your birthday eating cake and ice cream with you Naruto-kun, and giving you my present."

Naruto scratched the back of head nervously he hated seeing his Sakura-chan cry, "Um, uh."

Mebuki sighed, "wait here I'll go to the store and buy a birthday cake and some ice cream," she shook her head again, "There is one store still open at this time, now you too behave until I get..," both children nodded as the woman went to the door, unlocking it and opened it. She was so focused on opening the door she didn't see the ridge hand hit her until it was too late and she was rendered unconscious.

XXX 6 years ago XXX

The chunin stepped over the woman casually seeing the demon step in front of the rosette haired girl. He snarled, "Protecting your whore, demon," the man launched at the blonde boy sticking a kunai into his gut. The boy slumped forward as the rosette haired girl screamed, "Shut up," the man snapped slapping the girl. "Be a good whore, keep quiet and I might let you and your mother have a sample of my goods after I take care of this monster."

The chunin pulled out a scroll unraveling it and brought out a pair of kodachi, "For every member of the village lost I'm going to carve their name's into you!" the man plunged both kodachi into the boy and the little rosette haired girl sit watching in frozen shock as the boy she had fallen in love was cut open. Before the man could take out the swords and start again Dog and Weasel appeared, one slicing the chunin's head off the other sliding in grabbing both Sakura and the bleeding boy out of the kill zone.

Sakura leapt out of the Weasel's arms and ran into the bathroom grabbing towels before running back in pushing them into the gaping wounds. "Naruto-kun!" she cried in panic trying her hardest to hold back the blood escaping from the large wounds.

"Sakura we need to get him to the hospital," Dog whispered gently trying to get the girl away from Naruto but she would have none of it.

The girl sat trembling keeping the towels pressed against the wound as she was watching Naruto get paler each second. She couldn't understand why the grown-ups hated her Naruto so much, he was so kind, gentle, with a warm smile, with a fierce desire to protect everyone even those that hate him. The whole enormity of the situation hit her and her mind began to shut down, she didn't feel Dog pull her away from Naruto, nor did she see Weasel revive her mother, she did not hear her mother scream. She was in a void the only thing she could think of was Naruto had been killed by some stupid grown-up that didn't want her Naruto-kun happy. What's worse if she hadn't wanted Cake and ice cream her Naruto-kun would be alive. "Naruto-kun," she whispered one last time.

XXX Present XXX

Sakura buried her face in her hands as the memory faded, that was why I blocked it out, guilt. Some asshole chunin wanted some fucked up revenge against the fox and was waiting for someone to open the door so he could attack and kill Naruto.

Yes, with the memory blocked when Naruto showed up alive you felt overwhelming happiness at the fact but without the memory to be associated with it and your own sense of guilt you reacted in the exact opposite way. Instead of throwing yourself at him in relief you punch him. His reaction was he felt he deserve it because he caused you to cry.

Baka, baka, baka, Sakura growled in anger at herself and tears, clutching at her head as the immeasurable pain exploded into her heart as she re-watched every punch and slap she delivered to Naruto the six years prior. With each punch Sakura winced more tears flowing down her cheeks as now her mind and heart fought. I don't deserve him; I've done so many terrible things to him.

Worth is in the eye of the beholder and to him you are still his Sakura-chan, still the girl with the kissable forehead, and the beautiful pink hair. He sees no other and wants no other, we are his and he is ours. You must learn to forgive yourself; Chibi-Sakura slowly began to fade. He's waiting for you to wake up and when you do, do not hesitate show him you remember and show that you care.

XXX

Naruto had jumped down when he saw Sakura collapse, "Ino what happened?"

His fellow blonde shook her head in confusion both of them kneeling over the rosette haired girl looking concerned, "I think she wants to get rid of the suppressed memory, she has a mental Kekkei Genkai. So she might have subconsciously activated it get over the block," the blonde girl snorted. "Can't believe I didn't see it, all those attempts at Sasuke-kun yet they seemed so half-hearted like she was doing it to fit in."

Ayame had them bring the rosette into the back putting her on set boxes with Naruto cradling Sakura's head on his lap looking at the girl sadly watching her face go through a myriad of emotions until her face got more and more neutral. A second later the girl shot up into a sitting position looking around wildly before her eyes settled on Naruto's Rinnegan ones.

"Naruto-kun?" Sakura whispered he blinked a second before she lunged at him wrapping her around his neck while burying her head in to his shoulder beginning to sob uncontrollably. Naruto gently slid his arms around her holding her tightly as possible without hurting her.

It took several moments before Sakura regain her control her body shuddered softly at the warmth that spread around her and the feel of safety that cascaded over her. She was in her lovers arms again after six years of alienation, "I'm sorry," she whispered into his chest.

"You remember that's more than enough for me," Naruto whispered back. "Still want to go through with our pact?"

Sakura's eyes flashed a second with a deep red blush, "More than anything, not letting some floozy's marry you just because of your eyes. You're mine have been since we were four, believe it!"

Naruto chuckles, "Now that's my Sakura-chan," he pulls back feeling her do the same. "Let's have some dinner then find out how we're going to train for the finals."

XXX

A few hours later after spending time with his favorite rosette haired girl, enjoying every kiss she gave Naruto found himself sitting in the middle of the training ground in the Namikaze estate going into a meditative trance to speak with his tenant. It took him a few minutes before he found his center focusing on Sakura until his world dimmed.

His mindscape resembled that of a wet stinking sewer with a huge cage taking up and entire side of a wall. Inside he saw a huge silhouette of the very fearsome Kyuubi no Kitsune. "Wow they certainly grow you biju to be massive don't they?" he muttered casually.

"Was that a compliment, ningen?" the huge fox asked.

Naruto nodded and smiled faintly, "I suppose so, I finally like to get acquainted with my tenant."

"Don't you mean prisoner? A tenant is allowed to leave ones home every now and then I've been stuck in this cage for the past thirteen years at least with my previous hosts I had some leeway," Kyuubi growled softly his snout passing through the bars.

Naruto frowned slightly, "This wasn't by my choice, how much do you remember about that night?"

"Nothing much beyond some blasted Uchiha in a mask, using his infernal Sharingan to invade my mind, I had no intention of being released that night. I may not have liked being sealed into Mito Uzumaki or your mother Kushina but they at least allowed by to roam free within them, allowed me to see the world and experience it through their eyes. In return for my free space within their bodies I gave them control over my chakra allowing them to perform a chakra cloak that put them on par with their husbands," the fox explained.

Naruto looked at the fox's snout walking up and gently patting the huge nose, "If I can I will do what my mother did," he paused raising his head, "this isn't a condition but I'd love your help with something?"

"That being?" Kyuubi shifted his gaze to the teen's eyes and the huge biju was stunned by what he saw. "The Rinnegan so you are one of his descendants, I see then what do you need help with?"

"Is it possible to resurrect people who have been dead longer than a month, using the Outer Path?" Naruto asked.

"It depends why would you need to resurrect them?"

Naruto crossed his arms and sighed heavily, "Because I don't want to use the bodies of the dead as my five paths, I refused to use the bodies of two of the Hokage's and my parents as walking dolls."

The fox smiled slightly inside his cage, "willing to face death to keep your morals, ningen. You truly are his descendant. Yes, you can bring them back into this world using the Outer Path but be wary it will drain you of your chakra for at least a week, so no training after ward." The fox shifted slightly. "Do you have a way to share your abilities, the Sage of the Six Path's used rings, he gave his wife one when they married, his brother one, his brother-in-law one, and his two sons."

Naruto smirked tapping his head band, "This is what we have all in common and it's pretty easy to overlook. I don't suppose you know the jutsu that bring them back do you?"

"It is called the Pure World Resurrection jutsu," the fox brought one of its tails through the gate and gently placed it on the boy's forehead.

Naruto winced at the knowledge he absorbed, "Man that's complex," he rubbed his forehead looking at the giant cage. "How do I release you in the way my mother did?"

"There's an island near the Hidden Cloud village that the Sage used to first divide the nine of us from the Juubi, it is where he mastered the monster's taint and where you'll need to go to master my chakra. If you are truly his descendant it will come easy to you," the fox explained.

With a sigh the blonde haired young teen nodded, "I promise I'll get you free of the cage at least, must be pretty cramped in there."

"You have no idea, try sleeping in a closet for thirteen years and you may understand half of what I'm going through right now. What I wouldn't give to get this crick in my neck a good roll."

XXX

Naruto/Yu Yu Hakusho Challenge – Write a crossover putting Kurama from the Yu Yu Hakusho as Kurama the Kyuubi from Naruto. Plot, story, pairings all left up to the writer, only stipulation, no character bashing.