A/N: Sorry, I have this annoying habit of sometimes releasing really short chapters. I also release super long chapters from time to time too so... not sure what's worse. In the end, it depends more on what's happening in the story than anything else.

Another Dream

"Naruto-kun, wait," she pleaded. "I… I can't keep up."

I stopped running. I think a part of me wanted to tell her off right there. I wasn't my usual self, I guess, but I had excuses. I was tired, hurt, hungry, and now deeply annoyed. But when I looked over my shoulder at her, my other feelings couldn't help but shrink away to make room for a little compassion.

She was small girl and frail, clearly exhausted as she brushed away some silver strands of hair from her delicate face. Her gray eyes looked like they were locked in a perpetual state of worry, always darting left and right and trying to glimpse behind her as she hurried over to me. But whenever she looked at me, I would see fear there. She was scared of me.

I didn't blame her. I'd be scared of me too. In fact, she kind of reminded me of myself and my sad life. I felt bad for her.

She caught me looking at her and her expression turned into one of confusion.

I was about to 'kindly' suggest that we pick up our pace but two soldiers appeared from behind a brush and beat me to it. "Stop right there," one of them demanded. "Hand the girl over."

"Run!" I yell.

She did. Kind of. The girl was obviously not used to physical exertion of any sort let alone running. Almost expectedly, she tripped on something and fell face first onto the dirty ground.

One of the soldiers had caught up to her and reached down to pick her up. I suddenly became filled with a strange power and reacted on reflex, moving faster than I thought I could. The other soldier raised his gun and shot, most of the bullets missed. I dodged the rest, and when the distance between us was closed, I tore a hole through his chest with a swirling ball of energy that had magically appeared in the palm of my hand.

It worked. The soldier died faster than I could I pull my arm out of his heart.

The other soldier, now fearing for his life, dropped the girl and struggled to pull out his own weapon. I quickly lunged at him and slapped the gun out of his grasp, grabbed him with one hand at his collar, and shoved him against a nearby tree.

"Go," I warned him. It was simple, and with my furious expression, seemed to work well enough. The soldier turned tail and ran as soon as I let him go. No sense in killing when it wasn't needed.

But now, the strange energy that empowered me before suddenly vanished, leaving me feeling drained, completely. My legs turned to rubber soon after and I fell to the ground, trying to lean on a tree for support.

The girl was in clear view. She looked conflicted at first, but then came towards me. "W-what's wrong?" she asked, worried.

I felt sleep overtaking me fast, my eyelids were getting heavier and heavier. My body, already past it limits, needed rest. "Follow the path," I told her groggily, pointing in the general direction. "You'll be safe when you reach the camp. Go. Hurry."

"Go?" she asked. "But what about you?"

"No time," I said. "Just go."

By now, my eyes were already closed. Everything was dark except for my mental image of her. I felt her pull my head onto her lap and so I tried to protest. But she was so comfortable, and I was so tired. I wanted to tell her to just leave me there, to call out her name… what was it, again? I know she told me and it was on the cusp of my mind, wanting to spill over. It finally did. "Please," I said. "Tessa."

"No," she pleaded. "I can't leave you here like this. What if they find you? What's wrong? Let me help you. Naruto-kun? Say something! Don't sleep now, they're coming. What do I do? Wake up, Naruto-kun. Please. Wake up."

-x-

She woke me up once again, that girl from my dreams, or was it my memories? I couldn't tell. The weird thing was that this time, I had her name. Before, she would just be that cute silver-haired girl. Even so, I knew. She was someone I should absolutely wipe from my mind.

It was too bad then, that I couldn't. Not by a long shot.

I look at the clock… perfect timing as always.

I tiredly got up, performed my morning rituals, and left for school.

A/N: Pairings. Should I have any?