A/N: Hi everyone! I'm incredibly sorry for the late update! I had a note on my profile regarding the matter, but I guess not all of you read it. I'm currently busy with exams, so I don't actually have the time to write. This chapter was already halfway written, so I decided to take some time off and complete it. However, don't expect another one until about the end of the month!

That said, please enjoy this chapter!

This chapter is dedicated to Collussess, for entertaining me with the evil muffin and gingerbread man, inspiring me to complete this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Recap: Her touch seemed to break him out of reverie as he suddenly blinked a few times and fixed his gaze on hers again. A slight frown appeared on his face as he stared at her for a few seconds before breaking the silence that had fallen between them again.

"Sakura?"

Towards the Light

Chapter 8

Tsunade sat in her office, signing the piles of paperwork standing on her desk. Normally she managed to procrastinate by doing something different at another part of the village, but she was waiting for somebody, so she had to remain in her office. It was most definitely not her favourite job, but she did it because she knew it was her responsibility to do it sometime or another. She pulled another document towards her and sighed when she noticed the piles of uncompleted work looking no less than it had looked when she had started.

A knock sounded on the door and she eagerly pushed the document away and ordered the person to enter. The door opened to reveal a middle-aged blond man with long hair tied into a ponytail and his forehead protector tied across his forehead, as well as a teenager girl with her blond hair tied into a high ponytail, wearing a purple outfit. They both stepped into the office and bowed in front of the Hokage. Shizune entered behind them and took her customarily place at Tsunade's side.

"You called for us, Hokage-sama?" Inoichi asked the Hokage respectfully. Tsunade leaned back in her chair and formed a tent with her fingers.

"Yes, I did. I am in need of your talents," she told the two blondes in front of her. They both looked respectfully at her and waited for her to continue. She stood up from her chair and moved towards the window, staring out of it at the Hokage faces on the mountain before she addressed the two blondes again.

"I don't know whether you have heard about this yet or not, but we had finally found Uzumaki Naruto," she said solemnly and turned to look at the two shinobi.

Inoichi stared wide-eyed at the Hokage and Ino eagerly took a step closer to the Hokage. "Really? When? Where is he? Why didn't you tell us?" she asked Tsunade eagerly. Tsunade knew that Naruto had been one of Ino's friends before his disappearance, even though they weren't close friends. The news that he had finally been found had to be great news to her.

A sad look flickered across Tsunade's eyes and she turned away from Ino's impatient stare to gaze out of the window again. She knew that the news about Naruto's memory problem would hurt the eager blonde in front of her, but she had to break the news to the Yamanaka. She turned her gaze back towards them again and looked solemnly at them.

"Team Kakashi had found him three days ago at the border between the Country of Fire and the Country of Rice Fields. Apparently, they didn't find him, but he found them. He stumbled into their campsite," she told the two blondes in front of her. Ino calmed down slightly and returned to attention, attentively listening to the Hokage. Inoichi broke the silence that had fallen between them when Tsunade paused to order her thoughts again.

"You want us to confirm that it's really him, don't you?" he respectfully asked the Hokage. Tsunade turned her gaze toward him and sighed softly.

"We have already confirmed that he is indeed Uzumaki Naruto. No, Inoichi, I want you to investigate his mind," she told the elder Yamanaka.

Ino frowned slightly at Tsunade's words. "Why?" she asked confusedly. "If you had already determined that he is indeed Naruto, then why do you want his mind to be investigated?" Tsunade closed her eyes for a few seconds before she turned her gaze towards the younger Yamanaka.

"Because, Ino, something had happened to him and we don't know what. He had lost his memories: all of them. He doesn't even remember his own name," she told Ino solemnly. Ino's eyes widened and she stared desperately at Tsunade, as if she wanted the Hokage to tell her that it wasn't real. Tsunade held her gaze for a few seconds before Ino finally tore her eyes away.

Inoichi's eyes softened slightly at his daughter's depressed state before he turned his attention back towards the Hokage again. "So, you suspect that the cause of his amnesia is psychological and want us to confirm it, is that right, Hokage-sama?" he asked Tsunade.

She fixed her gaze upon Inoichi. "Yes Inoichi, that's exactly why I want you to investigate his mind. I have already confirmed that the cause of his amnesia is not physical, as there is nothing physically wrong with his brain. He has a few strange impulses, but the impulses cannot cause memory loss. That is why I want you to investigate his mind. I also want you to try and search for his memories. We need to know what had happened to him, but we cannot know at the current stage, since he simply doesn't remember. On some subconscious state he does remember, since he says that he sees flashes of images and he also reacts towards certain things," she told Inoichi and took a breath before continuing. "There is only one problem: right now, he doesn't trust anybody. I think he trusts Sakura on a subconscious level and apparently he has decided to trust me as well, but when he first saw me, he made it quite clear that he didn't trust me at all."

She turned her gaze to Ino, who had been listening patiently. "Ino, would you mind stepping outside for a bit? I need to discuss something with your father," she told the blond girl in front of her. Ino bowed respectfully and walked out of the room, leaving Tsunade to talk to Inoichi without Ino's presence.

Tsunade turned to Inoichi again. "That's the reason why I called for Ino as well. You have more experience in this and you know exactly what to look for, but you and Naruto never really knew each other, so I'm not sure whether he will trust you enough for this technique to be utilized at its utmost potential. I've heard that trust is rather important if you want to uncover as much information as possible. That's where your daughter comes in. I know that she doesn't have the experience you do, but it's possible that he could trust her subconsciously, since she was his friend before his disappearance. Therefore, it's possible that she could discover more. What is your opinion about this? Can she do it?" she asked the thoughtful Yamanaka in front of her.

Inoichi's brows pulled slightly together and he subconsciously touched his chin as he contemplated the question. Tsunade waited patiently for a few minutes until he finally raised his eyes again and met her eyes.

"I believe that Ino is capable of doing it, since she had done it a few times under my supervision, but like you said, she is still a bit inexperienced. I believe that it would be better if you allowed me to investigate," he respectfully told the Hokage. "There is also the chance that he won't trust her at all and thus, she won't be able to help. However, I would like to request that Ino is present as well. That way she would be able to help me return to my body should any problems arise. It will also be good experience for her to see a psychological test done the Yamanaka way," he requested respectfully.

Tsunade made a tent with her fingers again and pondered Inoichi's answer. It was what she expected he would answer and to be honest, it was what she preferred as well.

She fixed her gaze on Inoichi again. "Then we will do it that way." She turned her gaze towards Shizune and indicated to her to let Ino come in again. Shizune bowed in acknowledgement of the order and opened the door to let Ino come in. Ino took her place next to her father again and waited patiently.

Tsunade turned her gaze to Ino. "Ino, your father will investigate Naruto's mind in order to obtain the necessary information. You will sit in on this as well; to help your father return to his body should any problems arise. I want the two of you to meet me in two hours' time at the waiting area of the hospital. Are there any questions?" she asked them authoritatively. They both shook their heads. "Then you are dismissed," Tsunade told them.

They both bowed respectfully and left the office. Tsunade stared after them for a few seconds, lost in her own thoughts. "I hope this will work," she muttered softly. She knew the only thing left to do regarding the matter was to wait for the results.

She glanced at the paperwork in front of her before she groaned and stood up. She was not in the mood to deal with piles of paperwork standing on her desk and she wanted to look in on Sakura and the confused blonde again. She shot the piles of paperwork a dirty look and walked towards the door of her office.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune exclaimed angrily and took a step forward. Tsunade turned her gaze towards her assistant.

"What is it, Shizune?" she asked nonchalantly.

"You can't leave now! You still have work to do!" Shizune exclaimed and pointed towards the piles of paperwork.

Tsunade looked at the piles. "I can do it later," she said and left the office. Shizune hurried after her, still trying to convince her mentor to return to the office and complete the paperwork. Tsunade shot an irritated look at her black-haired assistant. "Shizune, it's not as if the paperwork will run away. I'm just going to look in on Naruto and Sakura. I'm sure it won't take the entire day."

Shizune still tried to reason with her mentor. "But Tsunade-sama, in two hours time you have the appointment with Inoichi-san and Ino-chan and after that, you still need to discuss the new budget with the council!"

Tsunade waved the matter away with a dismissive wave of her hand. "Then I'll do it tomorrow," she stated and ignored the rest of Shizune's pleas.

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Sakura stared incredulously with wide eyes at the blonde in front of her. He looked at her with complete recognition and his eyes bore a hint of hope and disbelief. She sat in shocked silence, her mind spinning. Did he really remember her?

They continued to stare at each other for a while until the slight hope in Naruto's eyes started to diminish and slowly disappeared. He dropped his gaze from hers and looked slightly sideways. "I guess not," he murmured softly. His words acted as a trigger to release her from her shocked paralyzed state and she leaned slightly forward.

"No, wait! You're right! You're right, Naruto. I am Sakura. I was just...surprised. I didn't expect you to suddenly remember my name," she told him, her voice turning gentle at the last sentence. He turned his eyes back towards hers again, an unreadable emotion prominent in his eyes and his eyes softened slightly at her words.

"Neither did I," he confessed softly. "It surprised me as much as it did you," he continued.

Her eyes widened slightly in surprise at his answer. She had not expected that. Her eyes softened again and she smiled gently, taking his hands in hers. His gaze flitted down and he stared bemusedly at their hands, but he did not try to break free from her touch.

His gaze drifted towards hers when she started to speak again. "At least you're starting to remember." She paused slightly when she felt the hesitation rise in her. She hadn't thought about it, but just because he could remember her name didn't mean that he could remember their bond. It was quite possible that he couldn't remember who she had been to him. She tore her eyes away from his cerulean ones and looked away.

"Do you...know...who I am...to you?" she asked softly with a hint of fear in her voice. She was afraid of his answer: afraid that he wouldn't remember. She continued to look away as a pregnant silence fell between them, but looked at him when he broke the silence. He had turned his gaze to the outside again so she did not know what kind of expression he had on his face.

"You are...my teammate; my...friend," he said and turned his gaze skywards to stare at the ceiling. "You are..." He turned his eyes back to her and a small loving smile appeared on his face. "...also the person I love," he answered her softly. She felt her heart lift at his words. He remembered her. A happy smile crossed her face and she tightened her hands softly around his.

A knock sounded on the door and Sakura turned her gaze to the door to see her shishou enter. Tsunade smiled at them and a curious expression crossed her face when she saw the happy smile on her apprentice's face and the slight smile on the blonde's face. She gently closed the door behind her and looked at them with an expectant expression.

"Did something happen?" she asked curiously. Naruto and Sakura looked at each other for a few seconds before Sakura turned to her shishou.

"He remembers me," she told the blond woman. Tsunade's eyes widened at Sakura's words and she turned her eyes to the blonde sitting on the bed.

"Really?" she sceptically asked him. He calmly met her gaze and nodded. A wide smile slipped onto her face. "That's a relief to hear. It means that you're starting to recover," she happily told the blonde. "How did that happen? Is there anything else you can remember?" she asked him curiously.

He tore his eyes away from hers and stared out of the window again, clearly pondering over her question.

"I'm not sure," he replied softly. "I don't know if the people I see in my dreams are memories or not, but I think they are. Although, even if they are, it wouldn't really matter. I only remember their faces; not their names nor what they're supposed to mean to me."

Tsunade's eyes saddened slightly at his words. "So it's like that," she murmured softly. She raised her voice again to address the blonde. "So how did you remember Sakura? Did it happen gradually or did something trigger the memories to return?" she asked professionally. Naruto pondered her question for a few seconds.

"I think her words triggered it. The moment she called me that it was as if the memories just flooded into my head," he finally answered. Tsunade shot her pink-haired apprentice a suspicious glance before she fixed her attention on the blonde again.

"What did she call you?" she asked him, interested. A faint smile tugged at his face as if the memory replayed itself in his mind.

"Baka," he replied softly. Sakura widened her eyes at his words. The term had just slipped out of her mouth without any thought, as it was the term she had always called him by. Even after she had accepted that he was not the idiot he had seemed to be in the past, she had kept using the term as a playful joke. They had both known that she didn't mean it when she called him that, so it was quite a surprise to her that it was that word that acted as the trigger. Then again, maybe it wasn't that big of a surprise. It was a word that had been common to him and also a part of his daily life, so it was actually understandable that it made him recall her.

"Baka? You remembered her because she called you an idiot?" Tsunade asked incredulously. Naruto sheepishly rubbed the back of his head and Sakura felt her heart lift at the familiar gesture. It was the first time he made that gesture ever since they found him.

"Well, yeah. I wonder why that is...?" he replied, his voice soft in contemplation.

"I think," Sakura started to explain to them what she thought, "the reason you remembered is because it's a word that had been common to you before..." Her voice drifted off to silence. She struggled to find the words to explain exactly what he opinion was. "What I'm trying to say is that maybe you remembered, because your mind recognised it since it had been common to you and thus remembered the memories associated with it," Sakura explained. Tsunade thought deeply about it before she agreed with her apprentice.

"That's a very valid reason," she agreed. "It explains why he would remember." Sakura attentively fixed her gaze on Tsunade, but turned it back to Naruto when he spoke again.

"So are you trying to say that all you need to do is say random words to me?" the blond former Jinchuuriki asked incredulously. Tsunade contemplated his question before she answered him.

"I doubt it's going to be that easy, Naruto. There are a lot of aspects we need to look at first before we can be certain," the blond Hokage replied. "We'll know better once we have the results of the test happening this afternoon." Silence fell between them as a look of discouragement slipped onto Naruto's face.

"Is that so?" he muttered softly. Sakura felt her spirits fall slightly at the sight of her teammate's disappointment. He had always been the one to lift her spirits when she had been down in the past, so it was difficult for her to see him so down. She softly placed her hand on his shoulder and gave him a slight smile.

"Don't worry: I'm sure everything will turn out fine," she gently told him. He flashed her a small grateful smile and turned his attention back to the blond Hokage.

"So what exactly is going to happen during the test?" he asked her nervously. She gave him a reassuring smile before she explained what would happen. He listened attentively to her until she finished explaining.

"Somebody is going to go into my mind?" he asked incredulously, but Sakura could see the hint of panic building up in his eyes. Tsunade sighed at his words before she spoke again.

"Naruto, I don't know what happened to you this past year, but you have to trust me in this. It is the only way we can determine for sure what is wrong with you. I can assure you that you won't be hurt by the person conducting the test and it's really important that you have to trust me," she told him firmly. Doubt flashed across his eyes and he hesitatingly glanced at Sakura for reassurance. She smiled gently at him and nodded her agreement with her shishou's words. He turned his gaze back to Tsunade, his eyes still bearing an apprehensive look.

"How can you be sure that he won't hurt me?" he asked her apprehensively.

Tsunade sighed and gently touched his hand. "Please Naruto, you have to trust me in this," she begged him solemnly. He searched her eyes for any lies and swallowed nervously before he mutely nodded his acceptance. Tsunade smiled at him and gently squeezed his hand before she let his hand go. She stood up to leave, but he interrupted her before she got far.

"Can Sakura...be there during the test?" he asked uncertainly. Both females looked at him in surprise before Tsunade nodded.

"Of course, Naruto. If it makes you feel better, then she's more than welcome to observe," she told the blonde. He smiled hesitantly, but still gratefully at her. She left the room, leaving the two teammates alone.

Silence fell in the room when the blond sannin left the room. Naruto stared out of the window, lost in his own thoughts. Sakura just sat on the bed in silence, gently stroking the back of his hand with her thumb. She didn't know how to break the silence. There were so many things she wanted to tell him, but somehow she felt it wasn't the right time to voice her thoughts.

The blonde sighed and tiredly closed his eyes.

"I'm tired of this," he murmured softly; so softly Sakura almost didn't hear him. Sakura blinked in surprise at his words. His mood change was completely unexpected.

"Tired of what?" she asked him curiously, grateful for the chance to begin a conversation. He leaned back against the bed and shielded his eyes with his arm.

"This. Everything. Not knowing," he replied softly from beneath his arm. Sakura felt her heart clench at his tone of voice. He sounded so...broken; so empty. This wasn't the Naruto she knew. The Naruto she knew would never give up on anything. It tore her heart to see him this broken.

She felt the fury rise slightly in her. If she ever found out who caused the blonde to be this broken, she would definitely have her revenge. Nobody hurt the people close to her without retribution. She would make sure that whoever placed the blonde in this condition would be sorry they ever messed with Konoha. She knew the Hokage would want her revenge as well.

"Don't be so down: I'm sure everything will turn out alright," she gently told the blonde, hoping that she could break him out of his depression. He didn't reply. She could see the hopelessness radiate from him.

A heavy silence fell between them again. She didn't know how to break it: she didn't know how to handle the broken blonde in front of her. He was too different from the teammate she had lost.

The blonde sighed heavily and turned on his side, facing the wall. "I need some time to think," he murmured softly. Sakura's eyes narrowed sadly at his words. She knew that he was struggling with a lot of things right now, but it still hurt in some strange and unfair way to hear him ask her to leave, even if it was phrased differently.

She stood up from the bed. "I'll go then. I'll come back when it's time for the test," she told him softly. Again, he remained silent. She quietly left the room and softly closed the door behind her, thinking about the blonde behind the door.

He wasn't the teammate she grew up with and eventually fell in love with anymore. He wasn't the cheerful friend that always made her feel better when she was down either. He was a broken, empty, hesitant stranger that merely took on the appearance of their lost friend. She didn't know what to do anymore. Her entire world crumbled down when she realised the extent of damage dealt to him. For the first time, she started to doubt whether he would ever return to the person he had been before.

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Naruto stared out of the window, lost in his own thoughts. The voice in his head didn't leave him alone, constantly taunting him about his inability to remember the things precious to him. He was anxious about the upcoming test, but he did not know why he was anxious.

Maybe it's because you're afraid the test will make you recall your memories, seeing as you're afraid of remembering. Naruto forced his mind to block the voice out. It was constantly taunting him, trying to make him recall memories he didn't want to recall. Sure, he wanted to remember the people that he had been close to before...

He abruptly forced his thoughts away from that line of thought. The moment he started to think about it, he could feel the emotions well up inside him: fear, anger, hate and many others he didn't know how to handle.

See? You're afraid. You're only running away. But you know what? You will never be able to escape your past. It is who you are. Don't deny it!

Naruto drew his knees up to his chest. No matter how he tried, he could not block out the voice. It was as if it revelled in causing him pain.

Believe me, I don't like doing this, but this is the only way! If you keep denying yourself, before long it will be too late!

Naruto grabbed his head between his hands. He just wanted the voice to shut up, but it refused to. It continued to demand answers from him he didn't have.

'Shut up. Please, just shut up. Don't make me remember,' he desperately pleaded in his mind. He could feel the disappointment radiate from the voice's presence, but he forced himself to ignore it. He didn't understand it anyway, so why did he need to pay attention to it? He could hear the voice sigh in his mind in frustration.

Listen to me, if you don't pull yourself together SOON, everything you've worked your entire life for will be for naught. Everything you've ever achieved will be gone, destroyed. Please, listen to me! Remember! Remember who you are! Remember what our freedom cost you!

Naruto opened his clenched eyes in agonized confusion. The voice just continued to make him more and more confused, but the worst was that he felt compelled to listen to it. It was as if his very heart itself begged him to listen to the voice.

'I don't understand. What do you mean, 'remember what our freedom cost you'? What did it cost? Why would everything be destroyed? What have I worked my entire life to achieve? And what did you mean when you previously said that you are me?' he desperately asked the voice in his mind. Nothing made sense anymore. Just when he finally thought everything was turning out to be alright, the voice started to confuse him again. He didn't know what to do anymore.

He could feel the voice sigh in defeat. I guess it's still too early for you. He blinked in surprise when he noticed the voice retreat to the back of his mind again, leaving him alone again. However, his surprise was short-lived, seeing as the door decided to open at that moment, revealing a certain busty blond woman. She entered the room with two other blond people towing in behind her and Sakura following them.

Naruto blinked again in surprise at the sight of them. Surely it wasn't time for the test yet, was it? A quick glance at the clock on the wall confirmed that he had lost track of the time for a while. He allowed his eyes to search the faces of the two newcomers. He saw a brief image flit across his mind at the sight of the girl. He suddenly had the thought that he was supposed to know her, but he did not know in what way. The man he couldn't place at all.

Tsunade cleared her throat, causing him to turn his attention back towards her.

"Naruto, this is the person that will perform the test," she said and indicated towards the blond man standing slightly behind her. Naruto blinked at her words and turned his gaze towards the man. He was a normal middle-aged man with greenish blue eyes, blond hair tied into a high ponytail on top of his head and his forehead protector tied on his forehead.

Naruto blinked again in surprise at his thoughts. Forehead protector? He tilted his head in confusion. Didn't he use to have one as well?

"Naruto? Is everything alright?" he heard Sakura ask concernedly. He turned his gaze to her and looked her in the eye, trying to order his confused thoughts. Why did he have the idea that he had a forehead protector as well?

He blinked again before he frowned slightly in confusion. "Didn't I use to have one too?" he asked her in puzzlement. A confused silence suddenly dominated the atmosphere in the room. All of the people stared at him in confusion. The silence reigned for a few more seconds before Sakura finally broke it.

"Uhm, used to have what too?" she asked him, hoping he would clarify the question that was in everybody's minds.

He turned his eyes towards the forehead protector again. Sakura noticed his gaze and followed it, staring at the forehead protector in confusion until she finally seemed to understand.

"Oh! The forehead protector?" She hesitated for a second and glanced at Tsunade for confirmation before she turned back to Naruto. "Yeah, you also have one," she confirmed.

He continued to glance at the forehead protector on the man's forehead. Emotion welled up inside him at the sight of the forehead protector: emotions he didn't know he had. He could also feel the voice inside him experience the same emotions, as well as satisfaction.

'Why are you so satisfied?' he asked the voice in his mind. The voice seemed to ponder the question before it answered him.

Because you're finally starting to acknowledge who you are. Naruto's eyes went wide in surprise. Did he really start to listen to the voice?

"...ruto? Naruto, can you hear me? Are you okay?" he suddenly heard a voice say. He blinked once to clear his mind and noticed Tsunade and Sakura look at him in concern. They both relaxed when they noticed him looking back at them.

"What happened there? You just seemed to block everything out," Tsunade asked in concern. He shook his head in an attempt to clear his thoughts.

"I'm fine," he declared and turned his attention to the two blondes staring at him in confusion. The girl especially seemed to have a very strange look on her face. "Do I know you?" he asked the man politely. His question caused the atmosphere in the room to turn more solemn again.

"As I was saying, this is Yamanaka Inoichi, the person who is going to perform the test. His daughter is just here to ensure nothing happens to him while he performs the test," Tsunade told Naruto and indicated to the man. Naruto searched the man's face for any signs of falseness before he nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on Inoichi.

He turned his gaze to the blond girl standing next to Inoichi. Another image about her flashed across his mind again: a scene where she leaned against a railing, talking animatedly to him. A slight frown appeared on his face again.

"I think I'm supposed to know you," he softly told the blond girl. A look of surprise flitted across her face and she hesitated for a second before she nodded once. He felt a strange emotion build up in him; once he didn't understand. However, he did understand that he could no longer ignore the flashes, hoping they would go away. He desperately wanted to know what they meant.

You're finally starting to understand. He could feel the expectation from the voice, but forced himself to ignore it. Instead, he focused his gaze on Inoichi.

"Let's do this test," he declared determinately.

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A/N: And that's another chapter! Once again, I'm sorry for the time it took me to update. I've had a really bad case of writer's block during this chapter as well, so I'm not really 100% satisfied with this chapter. However, I believe the writer's block is broken, so hopefully the next chapter will be better.

Also, I want to ask you guys to tell me what questions you have in this story. Seeing as I'm the author, I tend to forget which questions the readers have regarding this story. So if there is anything you want answered, please tell me so that I can be aware of it.

Also, I'm not really sure if I'm using the correct words in certain parts of the story, for example, using 'for' instead of 'to' and so on. So if anybody notice any faults, please tell me so that I can be aware of these errors.

And that's that! See you in the next chapter! And please remember to review!

Random question: Do you have any idea how difficult it is to write something that's supposed to be serious while you're having a discussion about evil cookies and muffins?