Ino was a great friend. It didn't matter what Sakura called her for, she would always drop what she was doing and come right over with a 'recovery kit' that consisted of a large tub of Turtle Trax ice cream, some tissues and some kind of cheesy black and white movie that featured a man that was obviously too good looking for the part and a woman that wore way too much make-up. Sakura curled up in a blanket while Ino doled out scoops of ice cream into a large ceramic bowl.

"You know forehead" Sakura grimaced at the childhood nickname but listened nonetheless, "I always knew he was a cretin. I never understood what you saw in him to begin with. I mean, sure in the academy he was great and every girl wanted him, including me, but after what happened to Hinata, I saw Sasuke for what he truly was."

Ino and Sakura both shared a knowing look regarding the young Hyuuga girl.

**Time jump- 5 years prior**

Hinata and Sasuke had started dating around the end of their junior year. Over the summer they apparently took the next step in their relationship. Promptly after Sasuke dumped Hinata after he 'got what he wanted' from her and completely ignored her. Unfortunately for the Hyuuga girl, she started showing signs of pregnancy after the first few months of her senior year. She soon dropped out to take care of her new-born. Everyone wondered why Hiashi didn't pursue Sasuke as the father and demand he help take care of the child. It just seemed like the whole issue was swept under the rug. Hiashi disowned Hinata instead and told her to get out of his house, and never return. Kiba told her that she could stay with him. He had always liked her since the academy, but knew he never had a chance with her. He couldn't stand to see her hurt.

**Time jump- back to present**

Ino glanced up from her own bowl of ice cream.

"Of course, in the end it worked out for Hinata. Her and Kiba have been married for almost a year now, right?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, those two are inseparable now and Kiba takes care of Akame as if he were his own son.

Ino nodded knowingly. Then she placed her bowl on the coffee table by the couch and pulled Sakura into a hug.

"You are going to find someone special, Forehead. Just give it some time. You never know. 'Mr. Right' could be just across the street for all you know. So don't look too hard for him and let him do some of the foot work for a change." Ino smiled and gave Sakura's shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Thanks, Pig. You really are a good friend." Sakura got up from her spot on the couch and grabbed the DVD. It was an old movie from the 1950s called "I'll Never Forget You." The two girls sat teary-eyed throughout the love story until the credits finally rolled at the end of the movie. Ino wiped her eyes with the tissues she brought with. The two girls hugged each other and Ino made her way out of the apartment and home. Sakura locked the door behind her and went to the bathroom to take a bath and prepare for bed.

The steam from the shower soothed her muscles and started to relax her body. She started to think about work and what she was going to do to hide the bruise on her cheek where Sasuke had slapped her. It wouldn't be so bad if she didn't have to face patients tomorrow.

Like Ino, Sakura worked at the hospital in the E.R. She had thought about becoming a practical doctor, but something about the emergency room and its quick pace appealed to her more. She felt like she could really make a difference and save lives in the E.R., instead of sitting behind a desk issuing prescriptions.

The water shut off and she stepped out to dry and put on her night clothes. After brushing her teeth, she lay down in her bed and closed her eyes. Sleep soon found her.

Naruto sat near his usual window at the station, watching cars drive by and people walk up and down the sidewalk. It had been a long day. He had been brooding over the discussion he overheard between the Chief and the Investigator. So it seems like we have a serial arsonist on our hands. I hope they find him fast before more innocent people get hurt.

Naruto and the rest of the guys at the station finished their dinner and started to get ready for bed. 'Hopefully we will have a good night tonight,' he thought. He laid his head down on his pillow and pulled his covers up to his chin and closed his eyes.

'Click'

The lights turn on and the loud speaker clicks, announcing an incoming dispatch.

"Attention all units, Multi-story structure fire, Tower on Ryan Park, 758 Saint Michael street, between Scott street and North Bayou street."

Naruto shakes his head to clear the fog of sleep and looked at his watch. 'It's 1:30 in the morning! Scratch that, did she say Tower on Ryan Park?'

Naruto jumped and slid down the pole to the engine bay and got dressed as fast as possible. He looked out the window to the apartment complex just across the street and his eyes widened. The whole sky was lit from the flames that were billowing from the 10th floor and quickly moving up to the next.

Sakura heard something loud beeping off to the side of her bed. She reached out from under the covers to hit the alarm clock. After multiple times slapping the annoying object with the sound not stopping, Sakura pushed the covers down off her head and immediately started to choke. There was a thick layer of smoke in her apartment and it was getting lower to the ground every minute. Quickly revisiting her childhood classroom activities of what to do when involved in a fire, Sakura got on the floor and started to crawl toward her front door. The smoke was getting thicker and it was hard for her to breathe. She finally makes it to her door, unlocks it and turns the knob, giving the door a good tug. It wouldn't budge. Getting low on air, Sakura frantically tried to pull the door open, but it was simply not going to open. Tears welled in her eyes and she crumpled to the ground in a heap. She was going to die. She closed her eyes and let the darkness of the unconscious take her. She knew no more.

Naruto made his way over to the building's alarm console. Most of the complex's tenants had already evacuated. As his eyes traced up the consecutive floors on the console, he noticed one door on the 11th floor had not opened yet. He looked at the name, Haruno Sakura. The light next to her name indicated she was still checked into her room. Naruto cursed and made his way to the stairs. He started to worry. He didn't know this 'Sakura' but he didn't want her to die. As he neared the 7th floor his legs started to ache. Carrying all his gear up those stairs was a tiring task. He could hear the radio traffic over his portable. The flames had now spread to the 11th floor. Naruto stared to panic. Was he going to make it in time? He started to feel that same strange presence again. His breathing leveled out and his body felt like it wasn't carrying any weight at all. He increased his pace to a sprint up the stairs, taking steps almost six and seven at a time, making his ascent impossibly fast for any normal person. However, Naruto's mind was far away from the question of what this power was. Right now, all he can think about is the girl still in her apartment, slowly suffocating. He reached the 11th floor landing and kicked the door open. Instantly he was greeted with heat. He made his way down the hallway to Sakura's apartment. He pushed on the door and noticed it didn't budge. That is when he noticed that the hinges to the door looked strange.

"They are welded! What the hell!" Feeling the surge of power from the unknown source again he grabbed a hold of the door frame and ripped the door out of the wall with ease. He saw something on the floor in front of him. He knelt down and noticed it was the body of a girl. He then noticed the pink hair and his blood froze.

'It's the girl from the park!'

He grabs a blanket that is lying across the back of her couch and wraps it around her to give her some protection from the heat. He picks her up and starts to make his way back to the stairs. He is almost there when part of the ceiling falls in, obviously overstressed from the supports being burned out. Naruto looks over to the elevator and a strange thought passed through his head. It seemed almost foreign. Definitely not his own thought, but he didn't have time to figure out who it belonged to, so instead he just listened to it.

"Feel my power. Focus on your hands and slide down the elevator cable. Do it now or you and the girl are dead."

Naruto didn't waste time arguing and did as he was instructed. He was shocked that the cable was not turning his hand into ground meat. He reached the bottom, his legs taking the impact with ease. Naruto ran through the main entrance and outside to the fresh air. He placed the girl on the ground and ripped his face mask off, discarding it to the side. He began to check the girl's vitals.

She had a pulse. That was good.

He placed his ear next to her nose and listened, waiting. His eyes widened in realization.

She wasn't breathing. He quickly started the steps for CPR, tilting her head back and clearing her airway. He placed his mouth over hers and gave her a breath of life. One more breath and he pulled back to listen.

She still wasn't breathing.

He gave her another breath, and another breath.

He paused, tears brimmed his eyes. He was not going to be able to save this girl. And then, her eyes snapped open and she cough violently. She gasped hard, her lungs burning for the life giving oxygen she had been deprived of.

It was a strange dream. Sakura walked down a hallway with many windows. Every time she looked in a window, she saw some part of her past. Memories. She briefly wondered why she was here. She neared the end of the hallway and there was a door with a bright light beaming from under the threshold. She stopped at the last window; her heart felt like it stopped in her chest. She watches the memory of herself trying to get out of her apartment. She suddenly remembers what happened.

"I must be dead." She started to cry. There were so many things she still wanted to do with her life. Now all of that was over because of a stupid door that would not open. She looked at the brightly lit door in front of her and wondered briefly if she should even bother. Her hand reached out for the door knob. Her slender fingers wrapped around it, and she gave it a quick turn.

Before she could pull it open, however, something 'grabbed' her by the waist and yanked her back, away from the door. She felt like she was choking again. Her vision went black.

Her eyes snapped open and she coughed violently. Sweet life poured into her lungs and she gasped for the much needed oxygen. Her vision began to clear. First all she could see was a blurry outline of a face, followed by some very blue eyes. Then she could see some messy, very sweaty and matted blonde hair. She felt something wet hit her face and she noticed that this person kneeling over her was crying.

"You're alive!" he shouted. He picked her up bridal style and yelled for a medic.

The blond haired man looked familiar to her but she couldn't place where she had seen him before. He looked down at her and smiled.

"You are going to be OK now. Don't you worry ok Sakura?"

She didn't have the energy to respond, so she just nodded her head. She didn't know this man, but she felt this strange sense of caring from him. Caring like she always wanted from Sasuke, but was always denied. She noticed the name stitched into his coat.

'Naruto'

Drained from the ordeal, she closed her eyes; a smile on her face.