Forgotten Memories

Sakura surveys the calm waters, her hand against her face in a sort of salute to block out the sun. "Where happened to Kakashi sensei? I really hope he's okay."

"I bet he's fine, Sakura," Naruto says, walking up beside her. "He'll turn up any minute now."

We all stare out at the body of water, our eyes searching for any sign of life or motion anywhere.

"There's no point in just standing here all day," Sasuke says, breaking the worried silence. "The water went out of control after there last attack and they could have went anywhere."

"So what? We just leave him?" I ask, guilt swelling up in the pit of my stomach.

"We can't just be out here in the open waiting around. Its too dangerous. Zabuza may come back any minute. We need to take the bridge builder back to the Wave country." Sasuke stares unflinchingly at me.

I knew he was right; it all made perfect sense and we needed to get out of the area and finish out mission.

I sigh and tear my gaze from off the dreaded lake that almost swallowed us all into his depths and look into Sasuke's dark orbs.

"Kakashi sensei is a skilled ninja anyway. Nothing like this would stop him," Sasuke concludes.

I roll my eyes. "Yeah, whatever, I guess your right."

"I bet your sensei will turn up eventually," Tazuna pipes in, walking past both me and Sasuke and back to the trail leading to this country. "I would really like to get back home before the sun sets though if you guys don't mind."

Settle down, I tell myself sternly. I hear my other voice inside of me growl lowly, almost ravenously. I ignore it with great focus. It just seemed like Tazuna had no sympathy, but then again I sometimes didn't either. "Kakashi sensei will be fine. Let's just get out of here."

Sakura's eyes gleamed with sorrow but she reluctantly took her position beside Tazuna. She kept glancing back towards the body of water though as Sasuke took up the main lead.

"I swear if we ever see that Zabuza bastard again, it's payback time." Naruto finishes his threat statement with his fist pounding into his own hand. He takes his spot beside Sasuke, but keeps a couple feet distance away.

I take up the rear. Sakura glances back at me, her expression unreadable. A thought crosses my mind. What did Sakura think about all of this? Did she blame me for this outcome? I ball my hands at my sides in anger. I could feel the thing within me practically smile with excitement.

A shiver then rolls down my spine, setting all my senses on high alert. I gaze behind me; at the line of trees in the far back. It was like I could feel a presence there, watching us all with contempt and curiosity. But the sensation vanishes as soon as I first felt it. Weird...

**************

We arrived in the Wave country about two hours later. We had to take a boat beside the huge unfinished bridge leading into the country. I glance at the person rowing our boat, his thin muscles tensing with every row up and down.

"So, Tazuna, this is the bridge that your going to reconstruct?" Sakura asks in a low tone.

"Yep," he replies shortly.

"Wow, it's really huge." Naruto says enthusiastically.

I then feel Sasuke freeze up beside me. I turn to look at him staring out at the water to the side of us, his eyes a bit wide.

"Sasuke! What are you doing?" Sakura screams at him.

Sasuke just suddenly sprang out of the boat and sped out several yards away, and stopping and kneeling besides a silhouette laying face-up in the water.

"What is he doing?" Sakura asks no one in particular.

"Wait.... what is that?" I say to no one either. I squint my eyes and lean more over the edge of the boat to get a better look. "Oh my God..."

"What?" Naruto leans over the small boat like I was.

"Hey, your going to tip the boat over and--"

I interrupt Tazuna. "It's Kakashi sensei!"

***************

Tazuna's house was small, but quaint. We arrived just a few minutes ago and had just set an unconscious Kakashi down on a mat in the back room. His body was beat up pretty bad; bruises lined up and down his torso and chest.

I decide to go outside for a bit of fresh air, wanting to get away from the suffocating confines of the home.

*your sensei is fine... why do you still feel guilty*

"I do not," I reply quickly.

*of course you don't*

I gritted my teeth in frustration. "I don't feel guilty. Kakashi sensei is going to wake up and we're going to get back to our mission like we're supposed to."

I look down at my reflection in the water below the small wooden platform in the back of Tazuna's house. I stare into my light green eyes, the color resembling the incrimination I felt.