Chapter III:

Setting the Agenda

It was now noon, and Makaze was looking out of the window from his bedroom in the Konoha Hospital. He had been given a new set of pants and jacket, as his old ones had been near completely wrecked by whatever it was that had wrecked them. Luckily, his cuts and bruises were all of minor nature and, much to Makaze's relief, none of them required stitches. There were a few bandages on his arms and hands but nothing that restricted his movement very much, and out of a desire to keep the bed tidy and undisturbed he sat on a nearby wooden chair instead.

He had a notebook and pencil in his hand; one of the doctors had given it to him in hopes of it helping him improve his past memory or at least help reinforcing his current one, and since he had nothing better to do, he decided he might do some writing while he sat.

"Addressed to Makaze." He wrote; then stopped, staring contemptuously at the word he had just written. He moved his pencil down to scribble it out; but his arm, hands, and fingers wouldn't allow him to touch it. Once it was written it was there for good it seemed. Sighing, he looked away, out the window, for a few moments, and then continued writing.

"The doctor recommends that I writing down my thoughts and feelings as a way to help strengthen my long term memory skills; or rather, what is going to be my long term memory seeing as they extend less than three days as of now. This morning I spent a few hours taking medical tests, or what the doctors referred to as an "extensive checkup", to make sure that my recovery will be a smooth one. What they did confirm to me was that the part of my brain which deals in long term memory is "messed up" according to them. I believe the term specifically is "dissociative amnesia".

According to them, I haven't actually lost all of my memories. I've lost a fraction of what are called my declarative memories, which include knowledge of abstract facts as well as of particular events, except I've only lost the latter kind. For example, I happened to already know what a hospital was before I was admitted; I also knew what doctors and nurses were, and it's clear to me now that I know how to read and write so I probably haven't lost any or at least most of my trained skills, but I don't remember how I learned these things; I just know them. For the same reason someone could forget about who their music teacher was yet still be capable of singing, but the individual might not know that they could sing proficiently until they actually tried it because they never remembered doing it before, how strange is that? I didn't know for a fact that I was able to write until I went and did it, because I never remembered doing it in the first place, and yet I knew was writing was! But there's one thing that bothers me, how is it that after everything I've forgotten, I am able to remember that my name is—" He stopped himself quickly, not wanting to write that word on paper a second time. He shook his head feverishly, and then changed the topic. "Anyway Right now, I've been told that I'll be getting the results of my other tests relatively soon; so I'll just write while I'm waiting to get them…"

He paused again, thinking of what he could say.

"…I honestly have little thought on what to write right now. I feel a sort of 'emptiness' in the fact that I know nothing about myself, and cannot think of any sort of… I don't really know what to call it. Perhaps that should be the topic of this discussion… I'll break a paragraph here, as this can be my prologue.

A Good way to explain what I am talking about is going back to a conversation I had with Naruto Uzumaki, On the way to Konoha I was kind of weak and my head was fogged up, and Kakashi-Sama had been helping me walk on my own two feet the way back. And while we were walking I recall that Naruto had told me it was his intention to become "Hokage of Konoha" (Like I talked about before I was able to remember who the Hokage was) Anyway… I suppose that is a good goal. More importantly than the goal itself, was idea of a goal. It's a sort of hope for the future that a person invests in and applies themselves to; it's also something that I don't feel I have.

At the time, I wondered if goals were exclusive to Naruto, and asked Sakura what her goal is, she said she didn't really have one. Naruto whispered, though very loudly, that her goal was 'Sasuke-kun' He said it in a very feminine voice, for some reason, at which point Sakura hit him the second time that day. I wasn't quite sure what this meant either, how can one person, be another person's goal… unless of course Sakura was aspiring to BECOME like Sasuke. But why would anyone want to be like him? But that doesn't explain why Naruto said it in a feminine voice, or why Sakura hit him because he said it. I'm trying to figure out why someone as nice as Sakura hits someone as nice as Naruto in the first place, maybe it's a joke? But then she really needs to know that she's being too aggressive…. Once again, I didn't feel it was safe to ask for a clarification; even if it was a joke, those punches look very painful.

I wasn't tempted to ask Sasuke about what his goals are; the two of us haven't spoken since... our little incident. I tried to apologize for my earlier behavior but I doubt he accepted the apology. He avoided eye contact with me the entire time also, it was very awkward.

This inability to fully understand what Sakura and Sasuke's goals is very frustrating. But regardless, maybe if I can understand the reasoning behind the creation of a goal, I can make one myself. As it seems that the creation of a life goal is what makes a person's day to day experience seem purposeful. Perhaps later, if I get the chance, I should ask Naruto Uzumaki about it, yes… I think I'll do that.

Makaze stopped the pen in his hand and paused in thought for more ideas. He looked out the window. His eyes shifted to bright orange flower in a vase that lay on the nightstand. Makaze flinched, and resumed writing.

I had completely forgotten about two things; Sakura came in earlier this morning after the tests to talk with me (and it's very important that you don't forget about it). She had this purple flower in a very tiny little vase; I think she said it was an aster flower. According to her it's a flower that's supposed to bring good luck in healing. I felt very happy having someone to talk to, especially given how boring it is around here. I made a promise I would repay her in some manner, although she said it wasn't necessary. I still believe I should figure something out…"

Makaze paused again and nibbled on the bottom of the pencil while he thought, then wrote:

"Would that constitute a goal? I'm not sure. Anyway while we were talking, she asked me a few questions, like how I was feeling and things like that. There was really very little for me to say; the worst feeling I have is the feeling of being cooped up in this room. In terms of my physical condition though, I feel fine; which is what I told her. After that, she asked me if I knew anything about a man who wore a grey cloak with a leather bandolier. I never remembered meeting such a man, but there was something oddly familiar about the description she gave me. Sakura says she saw him near me while I was unconscious. I gave her the honest answer… I feel bad that I couldn't have been of more help to her, since she seemed very intent in knowing. I hope maybe one day I can meet this man face to face, so I can tell her something she might find valuable.

Makaze paused and looked over his work. As he looked on he heard the sound of footsteps nearing the door

I'll stop writing for now." He quickly scribbled in the notebook.

Makaze put down his pen and looked up at the door as it slid open. A nurse walked through the door with a clipboard wrapped in her arms. She looked around the room and smiled at him.

"You know, I thought this room would be a wreck by now. I've never met a boy your age that didn't trash his bed within a few hours in visiting; that is unless we restrained them to such an extent that… Well." She laughed. "Yet it looks like you haven't even touched it yet. Did the orderly come into the room yet?" The nursed asked him

"No, I haven't touched the bed yet." Makaze replied "I tried to keep the room as I found it."

"Ah… if only my kids were like you…" She sighed. "Oh, I'm off on a tangent here. I came here to give you your results." The nurse entered the room completely and raised the clipboard to her reading level and began speaking.

"You have no serious infections, broken bones, or damaged ligaments. There's some other information on here, but I don't know if you would understand or care to understand; but it all checks out as positive with the exception of one thing; your blood loss. Kakashi noted that you experienced dizziness and lack of balance, which is explained by the blood loss which we found. But from our judgment, it is minor blood loss; nothing fatal or dangerous at this point. Your cuts should heal in a few days, and once we find a suitable living space you'll be free to—"

"Excuse me." A hospital secretary had peeped his head through the open doorway and looked at the nurse. "Are you the nurse of this room?" He asked her.

"Um…Yes."

"This is for you." He handed her a small note and walked off. The nurse read the letter to herself silently. She then looked up and sighed.

"I apologize for the inconvenience, but my supervisor wants a blood sample from you."

"I thought you said I had blood loss problems, isn't that somewhat… contradictory?" Makaze asked confusedly.

"Well… it won't be enough to cause any problems."

"Alright…" Makaze replied, shrugging. "Did the note tell you why I have to do this? It's not that I have a problem with it… I'm just curious."

"No, unfortunately it didn't, sorry."

"It's alright." Makaze smiled and the nurse walked out. Makaze then dropped the smile and sighed.

Elsewhere, on the roof of a building some distance short distance away lurked Team Ten. Yamanaka Ino had a pair of binoculars and was spying into the window of Makaze's hospital room. To her left and right were her two unmotivated accomplices Nara Shikamaru, and Akimichi Chouji. She had heard rumors of Team Seven returning to Konoha with an extra 'member' alongside them. She had found a perfect position to observe the room without getting noticed but at the same time would have to wait until the person she was dying to see stood up.

"What are we doing again?" Chouji asked

"I've said it a hundred times; we're investigating Sakura's new lover." Ino replied, lowering her binoculars.

"How do you know that, for certain, exactly?" Shikamaru asked

"Sakura never told me who the flower was for. The one she bought earlier today, she tells me everything if I ask her, with one exception; anything relating to Sasuke. I did some investigating of my own, and found Sasuke was at training grounds, but Sakura was headed for the hospital, so I knew there was someone else. After that, I persuaded the border patrol to tell me about the rumors of team seven coming with a Cloud Village Shinobi, they told me that he was a boy about the same age as Sakura. Unlike you two, I put two and two together. Anyone who can distract Sakura from Sasuke has to be something amazing…"

"I COULD have put two and two together, but then, unlike you, I'd realize that all of this is a waste of my time. I'll pretend that I can understand why this whole flower thing is an issue to you, but I still don't understand why you had to enlist Chouji and myself in your petty personal matters. It's troublesome, really." Shikamaru whined

"Keep your voice down! And I'll only say this once, you are here to cover me, and make sure there are no other girls spying on this kid either, I want to be the first one to meet him. You're also here to make sure Sakura doesn't see me, since I last saw her leaving the hospital a few hours ago."

"You are being paranoid, Ino, Sakura could be visiting a sickly relative, like a grandmother." Shikamaru suggested.

"Ooh! Shikamaru! An amazingly attractive grandmother!" Chouji joked. The two boys laughed and exchanged high fives. Ino grunted contemptuously and looked back into the binoculars, as she tried refocusing the lenses back to the window, she saw the back of a figure leave the bedroom and shut the door; Ino had lost her chance.

"GRRrrr! You two made me lose him!" She seethed, squeezing the binoculars between her hands.

"Your charade has failed." Said Shikamaru, amusedly.

"Let's just go eat lunch." Chouji suggested.

"Look! If you are not going to be any help, you can leave!" Ino yelled.

"That's the most selfless thing you've ever said to me all day." Shikamaru replied, still laughing. "But seriously, why not just go into the hospital and visit this individual yourself. Or ask what time 'he' is leaving." As the two Team Ten boys jumped from down from the rooftop, Ino sat cross-legged and contemplated that idea…

…At relatively the same time, Sasuke brooded in the team seven training yard. It had been his intention to focus on perfecting Chakra control from when he had learned it a few weeks prior. Doing so was especially important since Sakura had taken to it so easily. And worse yet, he was dangerously close to being on par with Naruto. Unfortunately, a recent barrage of missions, useless ones in his opinion, took away any free time he had to him to train. Ironically, the thoughts which wracked at his mind that day made it impossible for him to stay focused in the least.

"How does Kakashi know that this… 'Makaze' is telling the truth?" Sasuke wondered "Is there really something particularly interesting about that crybaby of a cloud village boy that Kakashi would see it important enough to bring him here? Why did Sakura see a 'cloaked man' when I could not? What does it all mean! And how did he…"

"Damn-it! Sasuke." He muttered to himself, then went back to scaling the tree vertically; taking each step slowly. Almost immediately after did his thoughts begin to drift once more.

"The idea that someone can be forced into calling themselves something is crazy. How does Kakashi possibly believe it's true?"

"Just shut it out. You're. Training…" He said loudly to himself. "Shut. It. Out." Yet it was no use.

"The way I felt when I looked into his eyes…" Sasuke thought to himself "Those weird light-blue eyes…" For quite some time, Sasuke had used the fear and dread he felt from that day four years ago as a means to fuel his vengeance. "What was it that I saw? Was it real?" But this was different.

"SHUT UP!" He kicked off the tree he had been walking on and flung a kunai he had been holding at the bark of the tree. Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine the thing that relaxed him the most; images of himself kicking Naruto's ass in a fight in front of everyone, and doing it in an effortless and elegant fashion. As his breathing slowed down he heard the noise of approaching footsteps and turned around, Kakashi was behind him.

"How goes the training?" Kakashi asked.

"I think you already know the answer to that question." He muttered.

"I do? Tell me then."

"I keep getting distracted." Sasuke replied

"Oh well if you put it that way, I'll leave." Kakashi turned around and started walking away.

"Kakashi sensei, you've been watching me; you know what I'm really talking about…"

"I am not going to read your mind on command, Sasuke." He said firmly.

"The crybaby." Sasuke muttered contemptuously.

"What about him?" Though he did not understand Sasuke's problem with Makaze fully, he knew Sasuke felt particularly irritated about him, perhaps even more than irritation and certainly there was something greater than mere distrust that motivated it. He'd grown tired of Sasuke using the term crybaby to describe him, but he also knew Sasuke could argue at any time it was less of an insult than 'Makaze', and he wasn't going to enter a debate about whether it was appropriate to be calling Makaze that term.

"Why do you trust him?" Sasuke asked, speaking louder and more assertive than usual "How do you know anything he says is true?"

"I have my reasons." He explained calmly "The Hokage agrees with me as well. For a Shinobi, that should be enough for you. But if it makes you feel any better, He's in the hospital right now and the staff there will be able to figure out precisely whether or not he really has amnesia, and if so, to what extent."

"…Fine then." He snapped bitterly "But what about his name? Does someone really have the power to strip a part of someone else's own free will from them, permanently, like their ability to call themselves what they chose?"

"I am going to take some time to explain to you, as well as Naruto and Sakura what I know about Makaze's condition in the near future. But the short hand answer is yes, it is possible." Kakashi explained

"Why can't you say it all now?" Sasuke asked assertively. Kakashi sighed

"Because I am going to wait… and so are you." He waited before speaking again. "What I also wanted to know is if there was something in particular about what happened, between you and… Makaze… Something besides the fact that you don't believe he's telling the truth about his… problem." There was a long period where neither Kakashi nor Sasuke said a word.

"…Sasuke…"

"If you can keep secrets from me… I feel entitled to keep secrets from you." Sasuke eventually replied, bitterly.

"I take it that means if and when I do explain things, you'll come forward?"

"We'll see."