Title- Just Let Me Help You

Chapter 5- A Decade is a Long Time

AN- Sorry, I couldn't find the song that I wanted to make the story flow! ;; However, next chapter will have one, and so on and so forth

In a kindergarten classroom, in the center of Konoha, a group of children crowded around their teacher, wide-eyed and listening intently. "Nin knew what he had to do," the teacher said in a mysterious voice, her own eyes wide with dramatic flair. "He had to save his friends! He fought ferociously with the giant lizard, slashing this way and that with his kunai. The lizard became weaker, but so did Nin. He was about to give up, when he remembered how, even though he was the outcast of the town, he promised to protect everyone who lived there. He especially thought of Shuru and Sira, his teammates. With one last burst!" she waved her hands in the air, and the children jumped. "of energy, Nin lunged at the lizard, pushing him over the edge of the cliff. But..." The teacher stopped.

"Sensei, sensei, finish the story!" A little boy begged. The others nodded and chorus their agreement.

Their teacher hid a grin, and frowned slightly at them. "Oh, I don't know...you guys know what happens, and every time I finish it Yuki cries."

"I won't cry this time, sensei, honest!" A fragile-looking, brown-haired girl protested.

"And even though we've heard this story before, it's our favorite one!"

"Finish it! Finish it!"

Their teacher laughed. "Alright, alright." She took a deep breath, then continued in the same dramatic way. "But, as Nin pushed the lizard over the cliff, the demon grabbed Nin, and pulled Nin after him! Nin was brave, though, and his last thoughts were that his friends would have been proud of him. Although he would never fulfill his dream of leading the town, he had died doing the job that the leader would have done, and he had protected his friends from the monster. Even though he was the outcast, and hated by the town, he was still glad that he had died doing an honorable thing."

Silence filled the room, before sniffles were heard. "Aw, Yuki, you promised," a boy groaned.

"B-but, it's s-so saaaaaad!" Yuki wailed, pushing her hands into her eyes in an attempt to stop crying. "P-poor N-nin never a-a-asked to be and outcast! And h-he diiiieeeeeeed!"

The teacher went over to her and wrapped her arms around the crying girl. " But Yuki-chan, remember that he died happy! He would never have to be made fun of again!"

She sniffled, and nodded. "O-okay, sensei."

"What happened to his friends? What happened to his friends?" Another girl asked, curious.

The teacher smiled. "Well, most of them went on to be wonderful guards. Sira was a guard for three years, before she decided that she would rather teach than fight. To this day Shuru still blames himself for Nin's death, and for fighting against the town when he was younger the town makes sure that he can never leave, which is something called house-arrest."

"Sakura-sensei! Sakura-sensei! Tell us another one!"

"Yeah! Tell us the one where he wrote all over the famous statues!" The class giggled.

"No! I like the one where Nin fights Hiro, and ends up sparing his life!"

"Naw, that's a sissy one! How about the time when he defeats Nesuki? I love that one!"

Sakura laughed again. "Settle down. It's nap time, now!" The children groaned, but she just kept smiling. "Come on, onto your mats! Maybe if you're good, I'll tell another story if you all go to sleep, okay?"

Silence filled the room. A silence that was soon broken in about five minutes by the sound of soft snoring.

Shaking her head in amusement, Sakura silently crept out of the room, using her old skills as a ninja. She continued through the school until she reached the front desk. "Tetsuya, I'm going for a walk," she told the receptionist at the front desk. "My class is taking a nap right now- would you mind watching them?"

"No problemo, Haruno-chan!" he replied, grinning. "Your kids love me. Of course, they love your crazy stories more. Where do you think them up?"

Her smile faltered, but she forced another in its place. "Oh, I have my ways," she murmured, before heading outside. Once there, she dropped her smile, and she rubbed her head, sighing. It seemed like so long ago...who was she kidding, it was a long time ago. When Gai had brung them the grim news...and Kakashi had told them Naruto's secret. And now the day was here once more, to haunt her...

"Sakura-chan!" Hearing someone call out her name, Sakura turned. "Aren't you supposed to be teaching class right now?" Ino inquired, grinning.

"Hi, Ino," Sakura smiled faintly. "And yes, but Tetsuya stepped in for me. It is the kids' nap time, and I have nothing to do then anyway."

"Tetsuya, huh? That man's crushing on you, Sakura!" Ino announced gleefully.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I would never cheat on Lee-kun, pig girl."

"Big forehead."

They both chuckled at the insults that they had once flung at each other, before falling silent. Sakura sat down on a bench and gazed at the wondrous sight of the fresh, powdery snow covering the trees and blanketing the ground. It wasn't often that it snowed in Konoha. The last time it did was... "How long has it been, Ino?" she asked with a weary voice.

Her best friend seemed to pick up what she meant by the question. "Ten years," Ino answered quietly. "To the exact day." She sat down next to Sakura. "Sasuke-kun always gets restless in the fall, in a bad way. I've caught him reading the same letter five times in less than a day." She rubbed her temples. "It's so...troublesome. Ack!" Ino looked at Sakura with a serious look on her face. "Shikamaru is rubbing off on me. If I do that again, hit me. Hard."

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, you're becoming lazy, too. Have those cloud-watching dates of yours become habit?"

Ino punched her friend playfully. "It's not as boring as it sounds. Besides, I want to enjoy all the time I can get with Shika-kun. Who knows when the next war will jump up?"

"Probably not for a long time, Ino. You don't have to worry about it." Sakura scratched her head. "So, how are the Sasuke-patrols going?"

"Ugh, don't remind me. Like I already said, he's so mean in the fall! He still insists on going down to the slums everyday. Do you know that he told the people Naruto was helping down there that Naruto was the Kyuubi's vessel? And that most of them didn't care!" Ino shook her head in amazement. "They said that it wasn't his fault for what the Ninetails did. They even had their own memorial service, since the village council decided that he didn't deserve a proper one," she spat, anger in her eyes. Sakura nodded in agreement. None of their group of friends would ever forgive the council for trying to just forget about Naruto. Tsunade had begged, pleaded, and even threatened, but they stood firm. "But Sasuke gave away over half his fortune- half! to get the kids proper clothes and food. They call him Sasuke-nii-san. I think he's even forgot about trying to bring back his clan. He seems so...happy with them. He likes being a big brother."

Sakura smiled. Ever since she began to teach the young children she found herself smiling more often. "Naruto would be proud of the change in Sasuke. I mean, about the part of going down to the poorer section of the village. The old Sasuke would just stay in his house, or train."

Ino groaned. "Oh believe me, he still trains. Every flippin' day he trains. He invited me to train with him one day, and he nearly killed me!" She frowned. "Even if he has changed from the old Sasuke, there's still one thing that hasn't changed. He still wants to kill Itachi. And he can't wait until he can get out of the village to do it."

Sakura became silent, and the two of them sat like that for awhile, with the wind gently blowing their hair; the new snow glistening; and dark, as well as bright, memories rushing back.

"F-father, I'm g-g-going on a w-walk with K-k-kiba-kun," Hinata told her father as she wrapped her scarf around her next. "I-I'll be b-b-back a-after dinner, s-so don't w-wait f-f-for m-me, okay?"

"Why are you going out with that boy again?" He demanded. "He is nothing but trouble, Hinata, I've told you that a thousand times! He's not one of us!"

"I-I d-don't c-c-care," she said in a soft, yet defiant tone. "Y-you s-said the s-s-same thing a-about N-n-naruto-k-kun."

Her father glared at her. "Hinata, I don't know what's gotten into you the past few years, but whatever it is, it's going to stop right now! This is the last time you are going to talk back to me!" he started, angry. "Either you stay here tonight or you can forget about this being your home."

She stopped what she was doing and ducked her head. A minute went by, a minute in which her father felt as though he had won, before she looked up at him with defiant eyes. "F-fine. I-I-I won't b-be c-c-coming b-back. This is the an-n-niversary of N-n-naruto-k-kun's d-death, a-and I-I'm n-not going t-t-to not g-go to the m-m-memorial s-service w-with K-k-kiba-kun just b-because you d-don't l-like him! And y-y-you treat me l-l-like a child! I-I'm twenty-two, f-f-father! I-I can d-do what I w-w-want to d-do. I-I'm sure S-s-sakura w-won't mind me staying with h-her f-for awhile." Struggling her way though her rant, Hinata took a deep breath. "G-g-goodnight, F-f-f-father." She turned and walked out of the door, head held high.

Kiba met her by the front gate. As soon as he saw her walking quickly and with such a ridgid stance, he became worried. "Hinata-chan, what's wrong?" he asked her.

She smiled slightly at him, but her eyes held fear. "I-I-I told h-h-him. I t-t-told h-h-him that I-I-I-I'm not a child anymore." Hinata looked away. "H-h-h-he won't l-l-let me b-back into the h-h-house. He k-k-kicked me out."

"Hinata!" Kiba said, shocked. "That's...great!" He grinned and enveloped her in a huge bear hug.

"W-w-what do you mean?" she asked, puzzled, but happy that he was holding her. He was so warm...

He let go and looked her in the eyes. "Hinata, you're free! You can enjoy life now! Get your own house, run life the way you want it to be. He can't tell you what to do anymore!"

Hinata realized what he meant, and her heart felt a little lighter. Free! Then she noticed something puzzling. "Um, K-k-kiba-kun? Where's A-a-akama-ma-maru?"

"Oh. Right here!" He opened her jacket to show her a shivering Akamaru. Kiba laughed. "He hates the cold!"

Hinata giggled, and they started walking down the road. They didn't want to be late to Naruto's memorial service. After all, a decade is a long time.