Missing memories chapter 11

A few months passed, and Arashi was now five months old, and Natsumi had become closer friends with Tetsuo. They often went out for walks or had dinner together, sometimes at his place, sometimes at hers.

Tonight Tetsuo had said that he wanted to take Natsumi out to dinner, and told her he’d reserved a table for them at a really fancy restaurant.  But if they were to eat there, then they had to leave Arashi at home with Haku and Zabuza.

Natsumi had agreed, and was now preparing for the dinner. She had decided on a sky blue suit, a white buttoned shirt and black high heeled shoes. She tired to put her hair up somewhat stylish, but failed and asked Haku to help her.

“You’re impossible,” Haku giggled. “Sit down and I’ll help you.” He somehow managed to get control of Natsumi’s spiky hair and put it up in a bun up on her head, only her bang still free and framing her face. “What do you think?”

“It looks great,” Natsumi said smiling. “Thank you.” She didn’t know it, but she was blushing a little and her eyes shone.

Haku smiled. “Natchan, you really like this man, don’t you?”

“Well… yes, I mean… of course, why else would I go and have dinner with him? Tetsuo-kun is a nice guy…”

“No, no, you misunderstood me,” Haku cut in. “I mean; you really like him.”

Natsumi’s blush deepened. “How did you know?” she whispered.

“Natchan, I’m your friend, and we live together,” Haku said. “How could I not know?”

Natsumi smiled, and looked truly happy. It warmed Haku’s heart; she hadn’t looked like that in a long time. He felt really bad for Sasuke though. When these news would reach him, he’d be completely devastated.

“I never thought it would come to this,” Natsumi said. “Not between me and Tetsuo-kun.”

“Maybe now he’ll start calling you ‘Natsumi-chan’.” Haku smiled when Natsumi blushed again. She had matured a lot since Arashi’s birth, but she still blushed more than she’d ever done in her life.

The doorbell rang, and Natsumi stood up. ”That must be him!” she said. She hurried over to the door and opened it. “Hi, Tetsuo-kun.”

Tetsuo was dressed in a dark blue suit with white shirt and black tie. “Wow, Natsumi-san, you look beautiful!” he said and kissed Natsumi’s cheek.

Natsumi blushed and looked away a little. “Y-you think?”

“Yes! You’re always beautiful, but I’ve never seen you like this. You’re breathtaking.”

“Thank you, Tetsuo-kun.” Natsumi kissed Tetsuo’s cheek, then she turned to Haku, who had Arashi on his arm. “Bye now Aa-chan, Mama will be back later.” She kissed the beloved face before looking at Haku. “Thank you so much Haku-chan, for looking after him. I’ll be back around twelve.”

“Have a good time you two,” Haku said smiling. “And don’t worry Natchan; Aa-chan is completely safe with us.”

Natsumi waved one last time before she sat down in Tetsuo’s car. Haku waved after the car then he closed the door. “Now, Aa-chan, it’s time for some quality time with your dad,” he said to Arashi.

Haku and Zabuza had planned for Sasuke to come over and get to know his son when Natsumi wasn’t home, and what time could be better than this? He didn’t necessarily get to know that she was on a date. She just wasn’t home.

Haku looked at the time; Sasuke would arrive in five minutes, so he collected a few of Arashi’s things, turned the lights off and left.

“Great timing,” Zabuza said when Haku closed the door to the stairs. “He’s here.” The doorbell rang and Zabuza opened. “Come in Sasuke, Haku and Aa-chan are in the living room. I have to go and clean up in the shop, so we won’t see each other.”

Sasuke nodded as he took his shoes off and hug off his jacket. He found his way to the living room and saw Haku sit in the couch with Arashi in his arms. “You better hurry, Sasuke-san,” he said. “I think he’s about to fall asleep.”

Sasuke walked over and Haku gave the boy to him. “Perfect, then I can start dinner,” Haku said and stood up.

“Wha…?” Sasuke looked like a living question mark. “I don’t know a thing about kids, what should I do if he starts screaming?”

Haku smiled “You’re his father, you’ll figure it out.” With that said he left Sasuke alone in the living room and closed the door to the kitchen.

Sasuke looked at the small boy in his arms, and Arashi looked at the adult that held him. He reached out his small hands and touched Sasuke’s face for a few minutes then he smiled. Sasuke felt his heart melt. His son smiled at him, and it was the most wonderful thing he’d seen in a long time.

“You truly are a miracle,” he said softly. “Aren’t you, Aa-chan?” Arashi smiled and took hold of Sasuke’s finger. Sasuke smiled and kissed the small hand. “Papa loves you Aa-chan,” he whispered. “He loves you very much.”



Natsumi didn’t know what to think. She and Tetsuo were sitting at the restaurant, and had a really nice time, but Natsumi still felt something was missing. At first she thought it was because she missed Arashi, but that wasn’t it.

She didn’t remember, but this was the restaurant where she and Sasuke had celebrated their engagement. A lot of the waiters and waitresses had recognized her but hadn’t said anything about her change of man. They just assumed she was either cheating, or that she and Sasuke had called the engagement off.

Natsumi tried to listen to what Tetsuo was saying, but it was something about this restaurant that made her head ache. It was like it tried to trig her memory. Before she could stop herself, she put her hand to her temple and groaned.

Tetsuo grabbed her other hand over the table. “Are you okay, Natsumi-san?” he asked.

Natsumi shook her head. “My head hurts terribly,” she said. “I don’t know why, maybe I’m getting sick…”

“Let’s go home then,” Tetsuo said. “I can see you don’t feel well.”

“I’m sorry Tetsuo-kun…”

“Don’t be, it’s not your fault.” He smiled at her, asked for the bill, paid and they left.



Sasuke handed Arashi to Haku. “I should get going,” he said. “Not only do I have a big test tomorrow, but I also have some meetings I have to attend to.”

Haku nodded. “I understand. I’ll call you next time Natsumi asks us to watch Aa-chan, if you’re free; you’re more than welcome to drop by.”

Sasuke nodded and kissed his son’s cheek. “Bye Aa-chan,” he said. “Papa has to go now, but I’ll see you some other time.” He looked up at Haku and Zabuza, nodded goodbye to them and turned around.

He heard Arashi cry as he put his shoes and jacket on, and had to forcefully stop himself from running back in and kidnap the boy. He put his helmet on, got on his bike and drove off just moments before Natsumi and Tetsuo got home.

Natsumi didn’t bother to go and tell Haku and Zabuza she was home, they had agreed on watching Arashi over the night, and Natsumi was too tired and her head hurt too much for her to have the energy to deal with everything.

Tetsuo followed her inside and helped her get her jacket and shoes off. After she’d changed into her nightgown, washed her makeup off and untied her hair, he tucked her to bed.

“I’m sorry Tetsuo-kun…” Natsumi said again, almost asleep already.

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Tetsuo said smiling. “Go to sleep now, and promise to call me in the morning, okay?”

Natsumi nodded in her sleep, and Tetsuo, who was fiercely blushing, leaned over her and kissed her gently on the lips. “Good night Natsumi-chan,” he whispered as he caressed her cheek before he left.



A warm hand, so gentle… It was resting on her stomach, caressing it gently. “We’re gonna have a baby,” a warm voice whispered in her ear. “I can hardly believe it…”

“Me neither,” she answered. “I can’t believe that there’s a little person in there.”

He kissed her stomach. “And what a beautiful little person it will be.” He looked at her face, his eyes like onyx black orbs in the face of an ivory statue. “Just like his mother.” He leaned up and kissed her mouth carefully, then more hungrily. “I love you Natsumi.”

“I love you too S…”

Natsumi sat up in bed; panting and sweaty. Her head felt like it was going to burst, and she felt slightly nauseous. What was it that had awakened her? It wasn’t Arashi; he was sleeping at Zabuza and Haku’s tonight. “What was that dream?” she whispered. “Something about a man… with black eyes and pale skin… Who was it!?” She thought as hard as she could, but just as she was about to remember a name, pain went through her skull like lightening.

She fisted her hands in her hair and screamed. Then she covered her mouth with her hands, hoping she hadn’t woken anyone up. It didn’t seem like it. Tennouji was awake though.

He stood up from the blanket he was lying on and walked over to the bed. He put his head on Natsumi’s knee and whimpered a little as he slowly wagged his tail. Natsumi smiled at him and caressed his head. “Come here boy, you can sleep with me.” She patted on the bed next to her, Tennouji took a leap up, and soon they were both asleep again. And this time, Natsumi didn’t dream at all.



When Natsumi woke up the next morning, she didn’t even remember that she woke up during the night. She did remember that she’d promised to call Tetsuo though, and did that first thing after she’d gone out of bed.

“Yes, Tsuzuki speaking,” he answered in a tired voice.

“I’m sorry Tetsuo-kun, did I wake you?” Natsumi asked, not even thinking of introducing herself first.

“Natsumi-chan, is it you? How are you feeling? Is your head still hurting?”

Natsumi blushed a little; he had called her Natsumi-chan. “No, I’m fine now. I’m so sorry for last night Tetsuo-kun, I know how hard it must’ve been for you to get a table there…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Tetsuo said. “Your health is much more important. And you’re absolutely sure that you’re fine?”

“Yes, completely sure. I have to hang up now, I bet Aa-chan’s hungry.”

“Okay. See you.”

“Bye.” They hung up and Natsumi took on her midnight blue robe and a pair of matching slippers, brushed through her hair a little, put it up in a ponytail and climbed up the stairs to Haku and Zabuza’s house with Tennouji close behind.

Everyone was already up, and breakfast was waiting on the table. It was Natsumi’s favorite; steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish, rolled omelets and rice balls with pickled plums. She hadn’t been able to eat it when Haku did it last time, since she was sick then, and he hadn’t made a breakfast this big after that.

Haku and Zabuza were sitting by the table; Arashi was crawling around on the floor. He smiled and started to crawl in a fast pace towards his mother when he saw her. Natsumi smiled and took him up in her arms. “Good morning my little prince,” she said and kissed the boy’s cheek. “Mama’s missed you too.”

Arashi babbled happily and caressed his mother’s cheeks. It was his way of showing affection. Natsumi thought it was because she always stopped him from yanking Tennouji’s tail and fur, and instead showed him how to treat Tennouji in a more gentle way.

“Sit down and have breakfast Natchan,” Haku said. “And tell us about last night!”

Natsumi opened her robe, unbuttoned her nightgown’s upper part and placed her hungry son by her heavy breast. Arashi highly welcomed the hot milk that soon flowed into his mouth. “It was nice at first,” she said. “The food was delicious. But after a while, I started to feel uneasy, and my head hurt. Tetsuo-kun drove me home around eleven thirty. I think I woke up sometime during the night of the headache, but I’m not sure.”

Haku put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry Natchan. But there will be other times, right?”

Natsumi nodded, then a faint blush appeared on her cheeks as a little smile played at her lips. “I called him this morning, I’d promised him I would, and he called me Natsumi-chan…”

Haku squealed and hugged Natsumi’s shoulders. “I’m so happy for you!”

“I’ll kill him painfully if he ever hurts you,” Zabuza said. “Let him know that.”

Natsumi sighed. “No I won’t, since it won’t be necessary to tell him that. Tetsuo-kun is a nice person Zabuza; he would die rather than hurt me.”

Zabuza snorted. “I’d still kill him. Just in case…”

Natsumi giggled and shook her head. “Zabuza, you’re so overprotective. You’re worse than Naruto sometimes.”

“Don’t put me in the same category as that dimwit!” Zabuza said. “At least I have a brain!”

“Please don’t call my brother stupid in my presence.”

“That won’t stop the fact that it’s true.”

“Stop fighting you two!” Haku cut in. “And eat up, then I think we should take Tennouji and Aa-chan out for a walk.”

Natsumi and Zabuza both agreed with Haku and ate up. “I’m just gonna go wash up,” Natsumi said. “Since you’ve already dressed Aa-chan, is it okay he stays here with you?”

“Of course,” Haku said. “Go get dressed.”

Natsumi left for her apartment, without Tennouji running around her feet for a change, he was having breakfast now. After taking a quick shower and drying her hair, she started thinking of what she’d wear. She opened her closet and took a skeptical look on the clothes inside. She saw short skirts and really tight shirts. Somehow, she felt really reluctant to wear them, even though they had been her favorites before.

After some time of digging, she found a pair of jeans that had belonged to Naruto and took them on; she needed a belt to keep them on her hips, then she picked out a white button shirt that she remembered to be Kiba’s. Lastly she put up her hair in a messy ponytail. She’d been thinking of cutting her hair lately, she found it annoying to have hair that reached her hips now that she had to put it up every day so that Arashi wouldn’t pull in it all the time.

When she was done, she went upstairs again to find everyone ready to go. “You ready Natsumi?” Zabuza said where he stood with Arashi on his arm.

She nodded. “Where’s Tennouji?”

“Here he is,” Haku said from outside the door. “He desperately needed to pee, so I took him out in the yard until you got here.”

Natsumi nodded, took her jeans jacket and boots on and they left.

Natsumi maneuvered Arashi’s baby carriage and Haku held Tennouji’s leash while Zabuza just walked half a step behind them smiling; they were a real sight. They really looked like two girls in the beginning of their grown lives. One had a child already, and the other had a dog to start with. Zabuza knew that that was how others saw them, especially since they both looked so happy.

‘If only people knew…’ Zabuza thought. ‘One of them can’t even remember her own fiancé, and the other is in fact a man, a homosexual man. None of them live an easy life.’

Without himself noticing, Zabuza had stopped walking and was just watching them, talking and laughing. They were both so beautiful to him, shining with love and life.

When Natsumi and Haku realized Zabuza was far behind them, they stopped and turned around. They smiled at him.

“Zabuza-san, what’re you doing over there?” Haku asked.

“Get your lazy ass over here!” Natsumi called laughing. “Aa-chan’s looking for you!”

Zabuza laughed and hurried his steps up to them. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“Ah, Momochi Zabuza, always the philosopher,” Natsumi joked as she rolled her eyes.

“Hey!” Zabuza said.

Haku giggled and took Zabuza’s hand. “She’s just joking Zabuza-san.”

Zabuza smiled. “I know.” Then he bent his neck to kiss Haku, but he turned his head away.

“Za-Zabuza-san… people will see…” he mumbled while blushing ferociously.

“I don’t care,” Zabuza said. “And no one else will either… they think you’re a girl anyway.”

“But…” Haku’s resistance had fallen, and he welcomed Zabuza’s kiss.

He didn’t even notice that he let go of Tennouji’s leash to put his arms around Zabuza’s neck.

Natsumi noticed that the two men had stopped when a wet tongue licked her hand. She looked down and met Tennouji’s brown eyes. “What have you done, boy? You ran away from Haku-chan?” She turned her head and saw the two men kissing. She didn’t call out to them, she just smile and continued walking. They could catch up with her, or just go home. That was the most likely option.



Natsumi had been right; she didn’t see Zabuza or Haku again during that walk, and Haku had sent her a text message telling her they’d gone home. She’d smiled when she’d read it. It had been written in haste, and with the most terrible spelling, and she’d more or less guessed what it was supposed to say.

She sat down on a bench and took Arashi out of the carriage and unbuttoned her shirt so she could feed him. Natsumi didn’t realize what view she gave by passers; a young mother feeding her son in such a wonderful area, with the green leaves of the trees shining like emeralds and the sun kissing her tanned skin. It was beauty that almost made your eyes burn.

And burn it did, but in another way. Natsumi didn’t know it, but two pairs of eyes were watching her; a black pair and a brown one. The black pair watched her with a mix of sorrow and love, and the brown with lust and affection. Natsumi closed her shirt and smiled at Arashi. Both owners of the pairs were just about to make themselves known, when a voice stopped them in the last second.

“Yo Natchan, that sure as hell wasn’t yesterday.”

Natsumi turned her head at the voice and smiled. “Hi Akio-kun, long time no see.”

Akio smiled and nodded. He wasn’t alone, Tadao was with him, and they both sat down next to Natsumi. “Whose is the kid?” Akio asked.

Natsumi smiled. “This is my son, Arashi.” She kissed the soft cheek.

Akio’s jaw was at his knees, and even Tadao looked surprised. “Since when do you have a kid!?” Akio exclaimed.

“Aa-chan’s five months old now,” Natsumi answered, and Arashi giggled as he grabbed onto his own foot.

“Why haven’t we been informed?” Tadao asked, a bit more calmly than Akio.

“Tell you the truth, things have been very hectic, and, since every one of my closest friends, no offense, has been with me through the pregnancy, I assumed everyone I know already knew about Aa-chan.” She blushed. “I’m sorry.”

Tadao and Akio looked at each other with surprised faces; since when did Natsumi looks this cute and innocent without putting any effort into it? “Mah, it’s okay,” Akio said. He had his hand in his hair and a slight blush over his cheeks. “I mean, it’s understandable; you had amnesia and suddenly you were pregnant…”

Even Tadao smiled. “I’m just glad you still remember us…”

Natsumi smiled at them. “Thanks guys. That really means a lot to me.”

Both guys smiled and Akio was just about to say something, when Natsumi bolted up from her seat. “Oh no! I’m gonna be late!”

“What’s wrong Natsumi?” Tadao asked.

“I was supposed to go to Naruto and Hinata’s new apartment today!” Natsumi put Arashi down in his carriage and looked at her friends. “I’ll call you guys some other time, okay? Bye!” Then she ran off.

Tadao and Akio looked after her where she ran. “She’s grown…” Tadao said. “Yet she’s become more innocent and honest.”

Akio nodded. “Yeah… does becoming a mother really change someone that much?”

“I don’t know. But remember, Akio, Natsumi’s been through so much, much more than we know about or could even imagine, and I guess that plays a big art of it too.”

They watched her until she had disappeared from their field of vision, and then left the park, unknowing of the two pairs of eyes that were watching them.