Sooo… I've been up all night. ;) I was writing a fic that I intended to make a Shisui X Sakura pairing, but it got away from me and turned into a non pairing one. Now I don't know what the heck to do with it. (pout) So I put it aside for the moment, and just started writing this. Initially I was going to make it small chapters, like Time And Space Are Relative. But I ended up putting what I had into one chapter, up to the two thousand words or so point. This one is definitely a Shisui and Sakura pairing one. I can honestly say I'm really liking these two in a pairing.

In any case, a standard disclaimer that I don't own any recognisable places and people, and please enjoy! :)

Fragments Of A Life

Chapter One

"Natsuki? Kaito? Where are you?"

He stumbled forward, not knowing what was going on. He cursed the fact that he couldn't see, because he had no eyes as he tried to listen. Where was everyone? All he'd been able to hear so far were odd sounds that made no sense. There had been crashes, then the sound of things shooting through the air, then nothing. No animal sounds, no human voices, just the wind.

He was alone. The man who couldn't remember anything, not even his own name, sunk to the floor, terrified for the first time since he'd first woken up ten years ago. Back then, he'd been fumbling around not only in the literal darkness, but figurative as well. If Inoue-san hadn't found him, then who knows what would have happened to him?

And then there was Natsuki and Kaito, Inoue-san's two children. They were the same age as him, if their guess about his age was correct. The twins had accepted him readily, despite his handicap. They'd even been the ones to choose his name, since he couldn't remember his own. Now, he was Mitsuo. At least, until he one day remembered his own name, if he ever did.

It took a day before Mitsuo heard anyone, and when he did, it was Natsuki calling to him. With a smile of relief, he went towards her voice, only to…

Wake up.

The one who was called Mitsuo awoke with a start, eyes shooting open, though he saw nothing. Groaning, he held his hand to his head, trying to dispel the desperation and feeling of being alone that the dream had triggered. It had been a year, a year since everyone but him had been dragged up into… whatever that thing was. Kaito had told him it was a tree, and that they'd seen their dreams come true in the cocoons that had enveloped them.

Sighing, Mitsuo stood and went about his morning routine. Today, some shinobi were arriving from Konohagakure, in the land of Fire. A mission request had been sent to them, to help deal with some bandits that had taken up nearby. Here, in the Land of Tea, they didn't have shinobi of their own, so they would generally hire out to Konoha. Inoue-san would be greeting them, along with Kaito and Natsuki.

During the next few hours, and Mitsuo could sense the ninja arrive, leave, then return. That was a thing he'd always been able to do, and he suspected from that, and other things, that he had been a shinobi at some point, before losing his eyes and memories. He was quite convinced of it, and even kept up his apparent training, mostly only with taijutsu, since he couldn't see a real, or dummy, opponent to practice on.

"Mitsuo!" He could hear Natsuki calling him. "Mitsuo! The shinobi are back! Father is already talking to them."

"That's good," Mitsuo said.

Natsuki giggled. "At least now we won't have to be worried about that gang attacking us anymore," she said. "Oh, do you want to come with me so I can check them out? Father said I wasn't to leave without someone accompanying me, and you're definitely someone."

Mitsuo chuckled. "I think he meant someone who could see and make sure you kept out of trouble," he teased her.

He could almost feel her pouting. "That's mean, Mitsuo," she said, then grabbed his arm in hers. "Come on, you can make it up to me by escorting me!"

Mitsuo sighed, but allowed himself to be dragged away.

When they reached the area that the shinobi were, Mitsuo could feel them. He frowned when he realised that there was something familiar about one of them. It frustrated him to no end that all his familiar feelings over the years had been so far and few between. And now these shinobi were evoking the feeling? A feeling washed over him, like if he went there, he'd find answers. Real answers. It terrified him, and he hated feeling that.

Before he could baulk and make Natsuki take him back, they were there, and to his immense terror and delight, the familiar chakra flared in shock, and a voice choked out, "Shisui?"

OoOoO

It was a simple mission. Go in, deal with the bandits, collect payment, return to village. And yet, it turned out to be nothing like that.

Kakashi sighed. Why him? This was one of his last missions before taking over from Tsunade as Hokage, which was a prospect that was daunting him. How did he agree to that again? Oh right, he'd promised Obito.

"What are we going to do about him, Kakashi-sensei?" came Sakura's uncertain voice.

On this mission with him were Sai and Sakura, the latter of whom was looking at him worriedly. "Uchiha Shisui being alive is a big deal," Kakashi said. "Though his amnesia is… unfortunate, I'm sure that Tsunade-sama's orders will be to bring him back to the village."

"I could take a look at him," Sakura said. "See if there's anything physical or chakra related that could help. It's unlikely after this long, but…"

"Do it," Kakashi said. "Just as soon as Sai brings him back here."

The mission they'd been sent here for was already accomplished, but Shisui's presence was causing complications. Kakashi had already sent Pakkun to Konoha with a message, telling him to go top speed. Since then, Shisui had retreated to the home he lived in, and was refusing to see anyone. The village leader, Inoue Shinji, had gone with Sai to try to convince him to come out, though Kakashi was thinking that he should have gone instead.

With that in mind, Kakashi stood and said, "Come with me, Sakura, we'll go see him right now."

Sakura let a small smirk flash across her lips. "Don't trust Sai to successfully bring him here, do you?" she ascertained.

"He's gotten so much better, but Sai still isn't the most personable… person. Besides, I knew Shisui a little before. That might help."

They headed off in the direction that Sai and Inoue-san had gone in, only to find them outside the house that Shisui had obviously retreated to, looking frustrated. "Mitsuo, would you just come out?" Inoue-san tried. "These people know you, and I know you've always wanted to meet people who knew you, from before we found you all those years ago."

"I'm not Mitsuo!" they heard Shisui yell. "But I'm not this… this… Shisui either! And tell that stupid idiot that he can go stuff his stupid name calling up his ass!"

Kakashi sighed. Kami dammit, Sai! he bemoaned to himself.

"Sai you idiot!" Sakura yelled, whacking her team mate over the head. "What on earth did you say to him?"

"I was just trying to convey to him how much we value him by giving him a nickname," Sai said. "But he gave me a rather impressive glare for a blind man, and shut himself in that house."

Sakura whacked him again. "You idiot!" she yelled at him. "You've made things worse by doing that!"

"I'm sorry!" Sai cried, ducking away. "Please stop hitting me!"

Kakashi sighed. "Stop it you two," he said, then went over to the door. "Shisui, I'm sorry for Sai, and anything he said. He's quite a bit awkward with people, but I promise, we are working on him. Please, come out and talk to us."

After a moment, the door opened and a girl came out. Kakashi stepped back and raised a brow at her as she closed the door behind her and bowed shortly before saying, "Mitsuo, er, I mean, Shisui is willing to come out and talk, as long as the one named Sai either leaves, or says absolutely nothing."

"We're willing to agree to those terms," Kakashi said, fixing Sai with a glare. "You will be quiet, Sai."

"Yes, Kakashi-taichou," Sai agreed, then promptly buttoned up.

The door opened and Shisui carefully came out. Kakashi realised that his eyes were closed, and he wondered why, even as Sakura gasped beside him. "He's blind, sensei," she whispered next to him. "And I don't mean just that he can't see. His eyes are missing."

That, at least, fit with everything they knew, and everything that Sasuke had told them he'd seen in Itachi's memories just before his brother had died a second time as an Edo Tensei shinobi.

"If you've finished talking about me," Shisui said tightly, reminding them that his other senses were heightened due to his blindness, and he'd probably heard Sakura. "How about you tell me what you want with me?"

OoOoO

Mitsuo, or rather, Shisui, felt rather relaxed when the kunoichi Sakura's chakra entered his system. There was something rather calming about having her chakra course through him, and he wondered if it was just her, or if all medic-nin chakra was like this.

"Did I know you before?" he asked.

"Er, no," she told him. "But my team mate is your cousin."

"You don't… mean that Sai fellow, do you?" he asked, making a face.

She chuckled. "No," she told him. "My gennin team mate, Sasuke. He was an Uchiha, like you."

"Uchiha," Shisui, murmured, trying it out. "Uchiha."

"Does the name Uchiha ring any bells?" Sakura asked, but he shook his head.

"Not a single one," he admitted. "But… the name Sasuke… that seems familiar."

"That's good," she said in a tone that had him suspecting that she was smiling. "At least that shows there's hope that you'll remember. And if we can get you back to the village, in familiar surroundings…"

Anyone else might have thought her trailing off was a good sign, but Shisui heard something in her voice that had him worried. "What is it?" he asked.

"Oh, um, it's nothing!" she said, and he could sense the fakeness of her tone. "Just keep still, I haven't finished my examination yet."

Shisui nodded and let her continue without speaking. When she finally retracted her chakra, she sighed and said, "Well, other than your amnesia and your blindness, you're in perfect health, Shisui-san."

Shisui grinned. "That's good to hear," he said, then asked hesitantly, "Could… could you tell me a bit about the village? Er, Konoha?"

OoOoO

When Sakura found her Captain, he was talking with Sai and that village leader, Inoue-san. "Ah, Sakura," Kakashi greeted her. "How is Shisui?"

"He's in perfect health," she said, smiling. "Other than the obvious, of course."

"Is he able to travel?" he asked. "Pakkun returned from delivering our message. Tsunade wants him to return home ASAP."

"Oh, absolutely," Sakura said, noting that Inoue-san seemed sad at this, though that was understandable, considering the bond he and his family had formed with Shisui over the years. "And sensei… I didn't say anything to him, but due to my examination, I'm confident that if we found some compatible eyes, either I, Shizune, or Tsunade-sama would be able to return his sight to him."

"Truly?" Inoue-san said, surprised and a little awed. "Even after all these years?"

"It would require a complicated series of surgeries to repair the muscle tissue, nerves, and the chakra network that leads to them," Sakura said, "but yes, it can be done."

Inoue-san smiled brightly. "That is… good," he said, then turned to Kakashi. "It will be dark soon, and I have arranged somewhere for you and your team to sleep. I'm sure you will want to leave straight away in the morning."

"Thank you," Kakashi said. "We appreciate it."

OoOoO

Kaito and Natsuki were before him, with the latter sobbing softly.

"Do you really have to go?" Natsuki cried.

"You've been like a brother to us," Kaito said. "We'll… we'll miss you, Mitsuo. Er, I mean, Shisui."

"And I'll miss you guys, too," Shisui told them. "But this is something I have to do. By going with the Leaf ninja, I can find out who I really am."

"You're our big brother," Natsuki said stubbornly through her tears. "But… I hope you'll find everything that you're looking for."

The two of them hugged him, even as he heard Sakura's light step, and felt rather than heard, Kakashi arrive as well. Damn, that man was quiet.

"Are you ready, Shisui?" Kakashi asked, and Shisui nodded, pulling away from Kaito and Natsuki.

Once outside the village, Kakashi said, "Sai has created a large bird with his speciality jutsu. It will make it easier to get us back to the village as quick as possible."

The previous night, Kakashi had made Sai apologise, and after some things that Sakura had told him about her team mate, Shisui had agreed to give him another chance. "Sakura can ride with you, so she can keep a medical eye on you" Sai said. "I'll guide the bird as Kakashi-taichou and I ride a second one. It will be faster that way, rather than simply running."

Shisui nodded and let Sakura lead him over to the bird, where she and another, probably Sai, helped him get on board. "Ready? Let's go then."

So, I have a vague idea of a plot, but it's already blooming as I write this. I don't intend for this to be a long fic, or even a really short one, but we'll see how it goes.

Review please!