DISCLAIMER: I do not own the 'Naruto' and 'Naruto: Shippuden' series or characters.

NOTES: Scenes from 'Naruto' have been used.

TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

The sunshine blared down on my face as the sounds of birds tweeting and swooping from tree to tree woke me up. I groaned and sat up, rubbing my eyes and yawning. Immediately, I thought back to what Sasuke had just done to my teammates and shook my head sadly.

"I can't believe you were about to impale Naruto on your sword, Sasuke." I muttered and I got to my feet and stretched out my sore limbs as I walked forward to see where we had just arrived at. I realised that I was standing in the middle of a ninja training ground, right next to four protruding wooden stumps.

Wow. Now that brings back memories. I thought as I stared at the four stumps and perched casually on one of them, waiting for Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto to wake up. I didn't have to wait very long as I heard Sasuke groan.

I turned and saw Sasuke struggling to his knees and looking around at his surroundings.

"I've never liked this part of the vision." he mumbled and I watched him get to his feet and dust himself off and then tensed up when Sasuke saw me.

"You're not so special, Sasuke. Everyone hates this part."

I saw the furious expression on my cousin's face as he removed his sword from the scabbard and advanced towards me, ready to strike me down. I pulled a face at him and didn't bother drawing a kunai from my pack. It was clear that Sasuke hadn't done one of these for awhile – he had obviously forgotten the rules his father had told us when we first learnt how to do this technique.

"Put away your sword, Sasuke. You should know the rules by now." I snapped and looked away from him disgustedly. Sasuke paused and resentfully holstered the katana and instead chose to grab me by the lapels and yell at me that way.

"What kind of fucked up thing have you done now, Akima?" he demanded. I broke the hold Sasuke had on my shirt and roughly pushed him away.

"A simple trip back in time to relive our memories." I got straight to the point. Sasuke pulled a face at my explanation.

"What the hell for?" he yelled.

"For your own good, Sasuke." He snarled angrily and perched frustratedly beside me on the stump, letting his head fall into his hands like he used to do when he still lived in Konoha and was trying to have time to himself without Sakura or Ino fawning around him, which was an incredibly rare occurrence. I slouched back, enjoying the warmth from the sun and balanced my weight on my hands.

"You tricked me, Akima. Didn't I tell you that I didn't want to be saved? That there was nothing for me at Konoha?" asked Sasuke, incredulously.
"Yeah, you told me. Not Naruto or Sakura." I replied, dismissively.

Suddenly, I heard Sakura and Naruto stirring and I immediately jumped down from the stump leaving Sasuke staring at me angrily and headed over to Sakura, who was struggling the most to get to her feet.

"Oh! What happened?" gasped Sakura, shaking the grogginess from her head.

"Yeah. Where are we?" added Naruto. I smiled and gestured to the memory before us.

"We're in the past." I explained. "Or at least our essences are."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and noticed something out of the corner of his eye. Naruto looked at me like I was crazy.

"The past?" Then he noticed the stumps that Sasuke was sitting on and brightened.

"Hey! I remember those!" He cried and got to his feet, rushing over to them. Sakura and I followed him. Sakura placed her hand on the stump and rapped on the wood with her knuckles to see if it was real and not apart of her 'imagination'.

"This is so weird! It's like we were here only just yesterday." She said. Sensing somebody's stare burning into her she looked up and saw Sasuke staring at her. Sakura smiled shyly at Sasuke who glared acidly back at her and looked away again.

Voices suddenly capture our attention and all four of us look over to see a small group of ninja nearby.

The group consisted of: a young man with spikey silver hair, dressed in a black pants and a black long-sleeved top. Over the top of that was an army green jacket with the Hidden Leaf Village insignia on it, some black hobo gloves and ankle-length ninja boots. The young man was also wearing a mask over his mouth and his metal forehead protector over one of his eyes.

"Kakashi-sensai!" exclaimed Sakura, in surprise.

Accompanying him were two small boys of about 13 years old: one of the boys had messy black hair and black eyes. He wearing a dark blue tunic with a wide collar that had a small red and white fan symbol embroidered on his back, some white shorts, white and blue wrist protectors, white and blue shin guards and a pair of ankle-length black ninja boots.

It was the ugly scowl on his face that truly gave away who he was: a young Sasuke Uchiha from 2 years ago. The other boy had spikey blonde hair and blue eyes and was wearing an orange, blue and white jumpsuit with navy-blue ankle-length ninja boots.

"Hey! That's me!" yelled Naruto, practically bursting with glee.

"Congratulations! You've shown that you can identify yourself." sneered Sasuke, sarcastically. Naruto rounded on Sasuke.
"You can shut up, asshole!"

Both boys had kunai packs strapped to their thighs and were having an argument with each other. Much like the argument that had just occurred before.

There were also two girls, both about 13 years old as well who were watching them fight: one girl had shoulder blade length black hair swept back into two pigtails. She also had black eyes, and was wearing a purple long-sleeved top also embroidered with a small red and white fan symbol on her back, some black bike shorts, black fishnet hobo gloves, black and white shin guards and a pair of ankle-length black ninja boots. The girl's fingernails were also painted black.

"Akima? Wow, you've really changed." Sakura observed interestedly the difference between what my 13 year old self was wearing and what I was wearing now.

I looked down at what I was wearing. The only things that had really changed about my appearance was the fact that I was now wearing a loose short-sleeved purple t-shirt with a small button-up pocket on the left breast. I now wore knee high black ninja boots and instead of black fishnet hobo gloves, I was now wearing black lace hobo gloves. My fingernails were still painted a glistening black colour. Around my wrist was a simple, but beautiful silver bracelet that had been given to me by my last boyfriend, Gaara, who was now the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand Village. He and I are just friends now, but he is still fiercely protective of me. Almost as much as he is towards his older sister, Temari.

The other girl was slightly younger than the first girl but she had bubblegum pink hair also shoulder blade length and sharp, celery green eyes. She wore a white and burgundy female fighting dress, black bike shorts and navy-blue ankle-length ninja boots. The girl also had an abnormally large forehead.

"Likewise with you, Sakura." I returned to her friend. The girls also had their kunai packs strapped to their thighs as well and all four ninja children had metal forehead protectors like their sensai.

"Hey, that's so cool!" exclaimed Naruto, who was thoroughly enjoying this memory despite the fact that he and Sasuke at the time did nothing but bicker. Kakashi was apparently having a hard time shepherding his students together in a group so that the picture could be taken and they could get started on their first training session. But Young Naruto and Young Sasuke were not cooperating.

"Aww! Why do I have to be in a photo with him, Kakashi-sensai?" Young Naruto whined.

"That's my line, pinhead!" snipes Young Sasuke who was shaking his head at Young Naruto's immaturity, while Young Naruto snarled like a lion and shook with anger.

I watched as my younger self came forward and pushed the two boys apart and sandwiched myself between them to break up the fight.

"Listen, morons. It's time to take the photo now. So stop fighting!" Young Sasuke grinned at me and moved to co-operate but Young Naruto looked at me incredulously.

"You're taking his side? Why?" I rolled my eyes and took his hand which already felt clammy and we hadn't even started training yet, and lead him over to where Young Sasuke, Young Sakura and Kakashi were waiting patiently.

"I'm not taking anybody's side, Naruto. I'm just eager to get started on our first training session!" I explained grinning from ear to ear and let go of Young Naruto's hand so I could stand in my place in between Young Sasuke and Young Sakura who was scowling at where I was standing.

Ah, the good old days... I thought, bitterly and stared at the older version of Sakura who was smiling happily at the memory and apparently hadn't noticed the expression on her counterpart's face. Sasuke casually came over to me and draped his arm around my shoulders as he too observed the memory himself with an amused smirk on his face as he remembered giving Naruto hell.

Young Akima flung an arm around her cousin's shoulder and grinned broadly at the camera, as Young Sasuke wrapped his arm around her waist, while hooking his other hand in his pocket. He was still glaring insolently at Young Naruto who was just as equally pissed and mirroring the expression on Young Sasuke's face. Little, naïve Young Sakura chose to ignore the hostility and instead grinned angelically into the camera just as Kakashi ended the fight between his male pupils by restraining them by a simple touch of his hands on top of their heads. The camera flashed and a fond memory was born.

Naruto, while his teammates were observing the memory for the second time had gotten up from his perch on the stump after taking a very good look at Young Akima and Young Sasuke and how similar they looked and started to inspect us by walking around with slow, measured steps.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" asked Sakura, who also got up from her perch and came over to Naruto who was staring wide-eyed at Sasuke and my backs. Sakura looked at where Naruto was looking and she too gasped.

"What are you freaks doing?" demanded Sasuke who removed his arm from my shoulders and turned to face Naruto and Sakura and raised an eyebrow at their shocked expressions. Naruto looked at us accusingly.

"Akima, why have you got the Uchiha fan symbol on your back?" I looked at Sasuke who gave me a 'thought-you-were-going-to-tell-them' look and went back over to the stump and sat down.

"I thought it would be obvious by now." I answered. Sakura put her hands on her hips.

"What is obvious? Only members of the Uchiha family wear that symbol. The only reason why you would be wearing it would be that you're..." She stopped and looked at Naruto in horror when it suddenly clicked why I had the symbol on my back.

"Yes?" I prodded, amused and trying not to laugh as I stared incredulously at Sasuke who was looking mystified that it had taken them this long to figure it out. Naruto was having a hard time trying to picture it. "But your last name's Kimura, not Uchiha." he said, stupidly. I shook my head at his stupidness.

"Haven't you heard of cousins?" I drawled. Sakura rose to her full height, she didn't like my attitude that clearly matched Sasuke's.
"Well give us some credit. There weren't any clues or signs." I laughed humourlessly and Sasuke joined in.

"You guys really are thick!" he announced and turned away from us, leaving me to explain.

"Wouldn't our personality or appearances have given it away?" I pressed, trying to get them to understand.

"But your family is psychic. You told me yourself." protested Sakura, getting frustrated.
"Yeah, I did tell you. But I didn't tell you what abilities my mother's side of the family had." I explained, patiently. Naruto stood up and came over to me with a ambitious look on his face.

"Prove it then. We've seen your father's abilities. Show us your mother's." he challenged.

I looked at Sasuke who gestured to me to proceed with a bored expression on his face. I turned to one of the stumps not currently occupied by a person sitting on it and started making hand signs.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu! (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!)" and an enormous wave of fire burst forth from my mouth and engulfed the stump next to Sasuke. Sasuke didn't flinch but once the jutsu was through, he turned and smiled at me, impressed.

"You've been practising." he complimented me. I grinned modestly.

"Thanks."

Sakura and Naruto's eyes were out on stalks and were stunned when I had proven to them that I was in fact a Uchiha.

"I'm convinced. How about you, Naruto?" asked Sakura in a shaking voice. Naruto nodded.

"I'd better be careful from now on. I don't want to get incinerated." he agreed. Both he and Sakura approached the stump and inspected it but found that the stump had been completely untouched even though they clearly saw it get engulfed.

"But how-?" asked Sakura, frowning.

"That's part of the jutsu. Nothing here can be harmed or killed. Unless somebody on the outside tampers with it." I explained. Naruto and Sakura were still staring at Sasuke and I as if we were sideshow attractions.

"What?" I sighed, resigned. Naruto came over and was inches away from my face inspecting me. I could smell his breath on my face. I wrinkled my nose – the ramen we had briefly stopped to consume before discovering Orochimaru's lair was still on his breath.

"How come you both never told us you were cousins?" Sakura asked, defensively.

"Yeah. 'Cause now that I know, I can see a resemblance between you." added Naruto, stepping away from me and draping his arm around my shoulders. Sasuke turned back round to address Naruto and scowled at him.

"What sort of resemblance?"

Sakura stepped forward to answer his question.

"What Akima said previously: The fringes and the personality." Sasuke and I nodded. But Sakura apparently hadn't finished yet.

"What happened to you both to make you so cold and withdrawn?"

Sasuke and I looked at her frustratedly and insulted.

"Why are you even asking me that question? I'm the way I am because of the one event in my life that destroyed me!" snapped Sasuke.

"Your parents' murder?" asked Sakura. "Is that the only reason?" I shook my head.

"It was that, and my parents' murder that made us the way we are."

The sounds of laughter broke the awful silence that crept up on us after Sasuke and I explained why we were the way we were. It was team 7 who were finally getting down to their first training session with Kakashi, and yet again Young Sasuke and Young Naruto were fighting. The memory was safe, happy and comforting. But remembering the deaths of my parents and Sasuke's parents opened up gaping wounds that I had thought were closed completely, but had been slashed open again by Sakura's probing questions, and I didn't feel comforted at all.

I leaned forward and rested my head in my hands as the sorrow washed over me. I felt arms holding me and somebody kissing my head and whispering in my ear.

"You alright, honey?" it was Sasuke, I looked up at him and shook my head, burying my face into his shoulder as the tears came and dripped down my nose. Something card-like had fallen from my pocket unnoticed by me.

"What's this?" asked Naruto, holding up the card. I raised my head from Sasuke's shoulder and took the card from the blonde's hand. It was a picture of team 7 and on the back of the card was a picture of my entire family: the Uchiha's and the Kimura's.

"Mum. Dad." I whispered, loud enough for Sasuke to hear. I stared most particularly at the picture of the Uchiha children: the proud and arrogant Itachi stood beside his father with his arms crossed over his chest with a sombre expression on his face, and his father's hand was resting on his shoulder, while a very young Sasuke stood in the centre, in front of his mother and his Aunt with an equally as young me in ringlet pigtails piggybacking him. Both Sasuke and I were smiling happily as I pressed my cheek against his. I put the photo back in my pocket and ran. I wanted to escape my problems.

"Akima! Come back!" yelled Naruto and charged off after me. Sasuke stared daggers at Sakura who took a step back.

"You see what your tactless questions have done?" he snapped, tearfully and then he too got up and chased after me.

Hold on, Akima! I'm coming!

Sakura stared after Sasuke, seeing her chances of winning Sasuke's love fading as the guilt and remorse took over.

I ran as fast as my feet could carry me while the memories changed around me. Finally, I paused for breath in an alley and I recognised a wooden fence just beyond where I was standing. I hunched over struggling to breathe and I tried to alleviate a massive stitch that had formed in my side.

"Akima! Will you please slow down? We're trying to help you." gasped Sasuke, who grabbed my wrist thinking I was about to take off again.

"Thanks, but these are my demons to work out." I replied, gently taking back my wrist from Sasuke and straightened up just as I noticed our 13 year old selves standing near the wooden fence. All four of us looked incredibly bored.

"Oh! This memory!" piped up our Naruto who had just caught up with Sasuke and I and scared the shit out of both of us.

"Make some noise to let us know you're coming next time, dobe!" snapped Sasuke and leant up against the fence. I smacked Naruto on the shoulder for frightening me and turned back to the memory, just as Sakura arrived.

"Hey, what are we looking at?" she asked. I turned and smiled at Sakura before replying.

"The day we tried to see what was underneath Kakashi's mask."

Sakura's face deflated slightly. "Oh, great. Not again."

Naruto suddenly got inspired again.

"Yeah, but think about it. If we couldn't see it the first time, who says we can't try and see it again?" he speculated. The three of us frowned at the idea.

"Naruto, if we didn't see what was under there the first time, maybe we weren't supposed to." Sasuke, the buzz kill replied.

"Yeah. But it can't hurt." I backed up Naruto. Naruto grinned at me so Sakura and Sasuke sighed and reluctantly agreed. It was de-ja-vu time!

"Hey, you wanna see it don't cha?" Young Naruto was acting sneakier than usual. Young Sasuke who was standing with his back to Young Naruto turned his head and looked up at him irritatedly. While Young Sakura looked at Young Naruto suspiciously.

"I'd say it's time." declared Young Naruto. Young Sasuke was the first to answer.

"For what?"

Young Naruto was practically bouncing on the spot from excitement. Young Akima was balancing the point of a kunai blade on her finger, whilst simultaneously listening in on the conversation.

"C'mon, you know what I'm talking about. Kakashi-sensai's face!" Young Naruto snuck up on Young Sakura and shone a torch underneath his face, giving him the appearance of a scary face. Young Sakura yelled out in fright and annoyance, while Young Sasuke and Young Akima shook their heads at them, frowning.
Young Sakura belted Young Naruto in the face with her fist.

"WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH YOU!"

"Yeah, Naruto. Cut it out already." I had snapped, and I chucked the kunai blade into the air and watched as it plummeted at top speed to the ground before snatching it out of thin air and replacing it back into my pack and zipping it shut. I sucked absently on my finger as I had drawn blood balancing the kunai. Young Sasuke who had been watching the entire movement, smiled proudly at me, but rolled his eyes at Young Naruto and Young Sakura and turned to walk off.

"Please. This is lame. You can count me out..." Young Naruto had gotten back to his feet and was scowling at Young Sakura who was ignoring him, beaming and practically drooling over Young Sasuke. I stared distastefully at her.

"We finished today's mission and I'm outta here." he sauntered off. Young Sakura sighed contentedly.

"Yeah. You're totally right..." I pulled a revolted face at Young Naruto who silently agreed and both of us pretended to be violently sick on the ground.

"'Yeah. You're totally right'" I playfully mimicked Sakura who was standing beside me. Sakura glowered at me and Naruto started cacking himself laughing. Even Sasuke smirked at how ridiculous Sakura had sounded back then.

Young Naruto watched Young Sasuke making his retreat and a mischievous smirk crept across his face. He called out to him.

"What if he has lips-" Young Sasuke stopped in his tracks, listening to what Young Naruto had to say,

"... like a blimp?" added Young Sakura, playing along with Young Naruto's description. I remembered looking over at Sasuke with a playful smirk on my face as I watched his reaction. Young Sasuke tried picturing such a possibility and laughed slightly, but it wasn't enough to convince him.

"Go on. Try another possibility, Naruto." I had whispered in Young Naruto's ear. He nodded.

Yeah, just one little push... and he called out to Young Sasuke again.

"Or maybe buck teeth...?"

Again, Sasuke pictured it. Finally, it convinced him to join the investigation. Young Naruto grinned in triumph and he, Sakura and I high-fived each other.

The memory shifted around us till we found ourselves standing outside a local Ramen shop. Peering 'round the corner, the four of us saw our younger counterparts perched at the wrap around table out the front of the shop with a confused, but pleasantly surprised Kakashi sitting next to them.

"Well, this is out of the ordinary." said Kakashi, as a bowl of Ramen was placed down in front of him by the shop owner.

"Here! Thanks for waiting!" Then he and his daughter also waited with the four of us to see what was underneath the mask.

"The four of you treating me to lunch? I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed on me." Kakashi looked up and as expected a large pile of snow fell on his head. Young Sasuke picked up a sign with 'he fell for it' written in bright red letters and all four us shouted "HE FELL FOR IT!".

Only this was just something that Kakashi had thought up to figure out why we had just brought him lunch.

"Know what I mean?" he asked, suspiciously. All four us gulped and looked like deer-caught-in-headlights, shaking our heads vehemently at him.

Kakashi tried another scenario: like before, the Ramen shop owner placed a bowl of Ramen in front of Kakashi.

"Thanks for waiting!"

"The four of you treating me to lunch? I wouldn't be surprised if it snowed on me, TODAY!" Kakashi flinched, looking up, but nothing happened. The four of us waited patiently. Kakashi blinked confusedly.

"Or something..." and picked up some chopsticks, only to be sprayed in the face with some brown smoke. Young Sasuke picked up a sign with 'he fell for it' written in bright red letters and all four us shouted "HE FELL FOR IT!".

"Is that the idea?" he asked, warning in his voice. But again, the four of us shook our heads, denying his speculations.

Third time's the charm... Thought Kakashi and let his mind travel. The Ramen shop owner placed a bowl of Ramen in front of Kakashi.

"Here! Thanks for waiting!"

"The four of you treating me to lunch? You're not gonna drop a big pile of snow on me?" Kakashi flinches and looks up, arms over his head. But nothing fell.

"Or something like... that!" Kakashi flinches as he pulls some chopsticks from the holder, expecting a cloud of brown smoke to engulf him. Again, nothing.
Kakashi was getting paranoid. He settled down to eat his meal.

"Nah. I'm just being silly." He looks up and is punched in the face by an extending boxing glove which sends him flying out of the Ramen shop and flattened against the wall opposite. He moaned in pain. Looking up he sees the Ramen shop owner, his daughter who was holding the extending glove in her hands, and his students looking at him crumpled on the floor. Young Sasuke had a sign in his hands with 'he fell for it' written in bright red letters and six people shouted "HE FELL FOR IT!".

Kakashi stared sternly at his students with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Well?" All four of us cringed.

"C'mon. You guys are up to something, right?" Young Naruto started stammering.

"Wha-wha-wha-wha-What are you crazy?" and we all grinned sheepishly at Kakashi. Young Sakura smiled nervously at him:

"Kakashi-sensai, please you just got out of the hospital." Kakashi nodded.

"Now, uh, uh please. Why don't you just go ahead and eat?" Young Sakura encouraged.

"Honestly, Sensai. This is just a random act of kindness. No catches we swear." I added. I can be a very convincing liar when I need to be. The others agreed with me. This seemed to convince Kakashi.

"Well. Alright then. I suppose I should just dig in."

"Thank you for waiting." said the Ramen shop owner.

"The Roasted Pork is on us!" added his daughter, enthusiastically.

Young Naruto, Young Sasuke, Young Sakura and Young Akima watched with determination as Kakashi reached over and pulled some chopsticks from its holder.

Young Sakura's eyes narrowed and she waited impatiently as Kakashi broke his chopsticks apart.

Young Naruto was practically wetting himself with excitement as Kakashi went to pull down his mask, while Young Sasuke and Young Akima looked on with rapt interest. Young Akima had her hands clenched together so tightly her knuckles went white.

"Boy, this looks good!" oozed Kakashi, still suspecting we were planning something. I could hear it in his voice. Which might explain why what happened next, happened.

Naruto turned to Sasuke, Sakura and I as we watched the amusing scene in front of us unfold.

"Alright guys, we already know what's going to happen." he said bitterly.

I snorted with anger.

"Yeah. Don't remind me. I'll be seeing it soon enough." said Sasuke, arms crossed over his chest.

"Ino-pig!" muttered Sakura, cracking her knuckles. I was leaning against the wall watching Kakashi about to pull down his mask.

"I really wished I could've shoved a chopstick up Choji's nose." I muttered, bitterly. Naruto stepped in front of us brooding over what we failed to see.

"So we failed then. Doesn't mean we can't have a crack at it now!" he egged us on.

It was a good point.

"That's very true." agreed Sasuke, unfolding his arms and I saw the determination he had had that day return with a vengance.

"What are we waiting for?" asked Sakura, and she and the rest of us barrelled forward just as our younger counterparts gulped, waiting for the moment to reveal itself when...

"Hey, Sasuke! What a coincidence!" screeched Ino, with a huge grin on her face as she pounced on an unsuspecting Young Sasuke, whose face was slammed into the counter. All four of us were blocked from view by Ino, Choji and Shikamaru who chose that inconvenient moment to say hello to us.

I could've throttled them! While Young Naruto and Young Sakura screamed in fury. And all hell broke loose as the four of us tried in vain to push Ino, Choji and Shikamaru out of the way.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY, INO-PIG!" shrieked Young Sakura.

Thud!

Bang!

"AW MAN! I CAN'T SEE SQUAT!" whined Young Naruto.

"IF I MISS THIS CHOJI, YOUR ASS IS MINE!" I threatened the overly porked up ninja who was being placed in a head lock by Young Sasuke who was trying to fend off Ino – with some help from Young Sakura of course.

We were in the perfect position to finally see Kakashi's face, and even then we didn't have any luck, AGAIN! As our counterparts finally managed to move the offensive blockades out of their view, Kakashi had already replaced his mask over his mouth.

"Ah! All done! That was tasty!" We, the older counterparts were mystified when even we managed to miss what was underneath the mask as well.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" shrieked Naruto.

"Not again!" cried Sakura, horrified. My face dropped into my boots and I slumped onto the stool next to Kakashi, admitting defeat. It was Sasuke who pretty much summed it up.

"Told you we weren't meant to see it." he drawled. Naruto and Sakura turned and glared at him. Their eyes flashed from fury.

"Still, it was pretty funny when Sakura tackled Ino and Sasuke placed Choji in that headlock!" I chuckled. Naruto and Sakura stopped glaring at Sasuke to see that I was correct.

"HUH! SO FAST!" All four of us yelled when we had seen Kakashi had finished his meal and had replaced his mask back over whatever he was hiding, as Choji gasped for air underneath Young Sasuke's armpit.

"Hm? Something wrong?" asked Kakashi, confusedly.

"Ha ha. No. Of course not! What makes you say that?" asked Young Sakura, hastily as she held Ino by the throat. Ino was glaring at Young Sakura with a lump appearing on the back her head where Young Sakura had just bopped her. Suddenly, Young Naruto noticed something.

"What the-?" Young Sasuke looked too.

"Huh?"

The Ramen shop owner and his daughter had seen what Kakashi looked like underneath his mask, we realised. The daughter was in love, while the Ramen shop owner was impressed. Kakashi was confused, while all four of us were pissed off.

"OKAY! NOW I'M CURIOUS!" we said.

The memory reverted back to where we started with the memory, where we suddenly saw Young Naruto was having a hissy fit.

"That's it! Nothing's gonna stop me from seeing that face!" he declared.

"Yeah. Your determination and stubbornness still drives us up the wall, Naruto." muttered Sakura. Naruto sighed in frustration.

"Just watch the memory, Sakura." droned Naruto.

"Yeah, but how? You got any ideas?" asked Young Sakura. (Naruto grinned devilishly at Sakura who blushed in annoyance and thumped Naruto over the head. Sasuke and I chuckled at their squabbling).

"Don't you worry. We'll see it one way or another." promised Young Naruto, who was at again with the torch. This earned him another punch in the face from Young Sakura.

"I'M ASKING YOU HOW, YOU STUPID LITTLE TROLL!" she screamed at him. Young Akima sighed in annoyance. Young Naruto sat up, wincing, while Young Sakura started breathing like a hyperventilating hyena.

"Alright then, smarty pants. How do you propose we do it?" Young Naruto replied angrily, rubbing his head where a large lump was forming. That was where Young Sakura was at a loss for words.

"Well, we-" she started to say. But Young Sasuke interrupted with his plan.

"We'll just have to tail him around for the day."

I helped Young Naruto to his feet.

"He'll take off the mask eventually." Young Sasuke sauntered off again. Young Sakura beamed at him.

"Oh, Sasuke. I swear you're so smart."

Young Akima jogged after Young Sasuke.

"Doesn't that annoy you?" I asked him. "More than you know." Young Sasuke agreed and continued walking.

"Oh whatever. Good plan, Captain Obvious!" retorted Young Naruto.

"I'm sorry? What was that!" snarled Young Sakura, pulling Young Naruto close by his lapels and brandishing her fist in front of his face. Young Naruto stared nervously at Young Sakura's fist and cowered away.

"Uh, never mind..."

By the time that part of the memory was over, both Sasuke and I were laughing so hard tears were falling down our faces.

"Your face. It was priceless." breathed Sasuke, holding his sides. Naruto glared viciously at Sasuke. We spent the rest of the memory reliving our four counterparts shadowing Kakashi as he did his daily routines such as grocery shopping – where when he walked past a bookshop, he got excited over a favourite book that had been turned into a movie and when he raced off to buy tickets was quickly followed by us, but he instantly vanished which shocked us.

Then he materialised behind us and scared the shit out of us, inquiring what we were doing. Plan after plan failed until finally, getting fed up, I impatiently asked the obvious question:

"Kakashi-sensai what is underneath your mask?" Kakashi stared at us dubiously as Young Sasuke, Young Naruto and Young Sakura echoed my question.

"Is that all? Well, sure, I can show you what's underneath my mask." He went to pull down his mask and we all held our breath.

It's gotta be the blimp lips... Thought Young Sasuke.

It's gotta be the buck teeth... Thought Young Sakura.

C'mon! C'mon! I thought, impatiently.

WHAT IS IT? Young Naruto practically screamed in his head. Kakashi pulled down his mask to reveal that he was wearing another mask underneath.

"Yep. That was a totally pointless exercise." said Sasuke, as the memory faded and everything went black.

"Yeah, we all had so much fun..." added Naruto, who was holding the same stupid torch underneath his face. Sakura smacked him hard over the head once again as Naruto saw stars.

"YOU HAVEN'T LEARNED FROM THE LAST TIME HAVE YOU?" snapped Sakura. I reached out and snatched the torch from Naruto's hands.

"No. He obviously hasn't." I frowned disapprovingly and went to put the torch in my bag but froze when the memory stopped and we were suddenly standing in the middle of the woods, at what looked like the middle of the night.

"What just happened?" I asked. Sasuke immediately went into the defensive position, pulling his katana from his scabbard.

"I don't know but something just doesn't feel right."

Something moved in the distance. Turning, we saw somebody dressed in a dark hood moving silently through the trees.

"There's something funky going on here." said Sakura, stating the absolutely obvious.

"Now who's being Captain Obvious?" retorted Naruto and ducked the blow he knew was coming from Sakura. However, Sasuke snatched Sakura's wrist mid-swing and pulled it forcibly back to her side.

"The idiot's right. Your statement was kinda obvious." and he moved to follow the hooded person, while Naruto continued to rub the back of his head where Sakura had stuck him.

"Sakura's gonna give me a concussion someday." he mumbled and chased after Sasuke and Sakura.

I had a bad feeling forming in the pit of my stomach as I followed my team mates.