Responses To Comments With Questions:
Smile : Sakura already battled and killed Sasori while Rena was in the hospital, so there's no reason to worry over Rena taking any spotlight from her! :) (And I'm a huge SasuSaku fan so it's a pretty sure thing!)
Guest : I just wanted to confirm your pairing request, did you mean Naruto/Rena/Sakura as a threesome, or Rena with Naruto or Sakura? For now I just put it as a threesome but if I misunderstood please let me know!

Thank you Guest, lizyeh2000, Smile, Guest, leofrick, time-twilight, speedy-skye, opalwolf12, ereynon1 and Hitokiriii for reviewing!

Ignoring the voices constantly changing objections, she followed the pull in the back of her head.

She didn't know where she was going.

She didn't know how she hadn't run into anyone.

All she knew was that she had to follow that inkling – she had to find the source of the voice.

Her heart was heavy and light at the same time, she was excited and terrified. She so wanted to finally meet the person behind the voice, she wanted to prove that they were a real being and she wasn't crazy. She wanted to finally look them in the eyes… she just wanted to see them.

You'll be safe with me. Find me.

Her previously walking pace broke out into a hasty run. She didn't know how he also knew that she was heading in his direction, but she didn't have time to question that. She wanted to find him – she wanted to be with him. For once in her life… she wanted to hold someone and be held by them.

For the longest time she dreamed of this very moment. Meeting him.

She imagined it in multiple ways, both beautiful and frightening. But those memories and nightmares didn't matter in this moment.

When you find me, say "I'm five years old".

A small smile laid itself on her face at the memory, it was the first time they properly spoke to each other. It was perfect.

It felt like the squared tunnel was pushing in against her very being, trying to stop her from reaching her destination.

She pushed on harder.

She was panting.

Her body still wasn't fully recuperated from before she reached Konoha.

But she still pushed herself.

She needs to see him.

It wasn't a question. It wasn't a want. It was a fucking need.

After what felt like an eternity, she whirled to a stop in front a wooden and metal door – identical to the door that contained Sai.

I'm here.

With a deep breath, she placed her palm against the door, pushing it open.

It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the lack of lighting in the room. Her eyes narrowed when she noticed just a single cot pushed against the wall.

Was I wrong after all?

She walked further into the room, the door silently closing behind her.

A cool blade was placed against her pale neck. She stood still.

"Who are you?"

She knew that voice.

Without any fear, she knew he wouldn't harm her, she steadily said, "I'm five years old."

Instantly the knife was removed from her throat.

Can you hear me?

The voice behind her was soft, "I can hear you."

Rena felt something lodged in her throat, she couldn't believe she found him. She finally found the voice. Slowly, she turned around.

Once the two were face-to-face they both felt their eyes widen. Even in the darkness Rena could absorb his features.

He looked like her… but masculine. He was barely an inch taller than her, with the same shade of hair and style of bangs, same shaped eyes, nose and mouth. Her jaw was sharper than his and she had higher cheekbones. His figure was tense, and the way he held himself… she does the same thing. Where his body was jagged edges, she was soft curves.

Being in his presence just felt so right. Rena didn't know how to properly explain what she was feeling in words… It was as if she just realized she was missing a part of her, and she finally found it. She felt whole. She felt warm. She felt complete.

There was just… such familiarity around him.

The power that crackled around him swirled harmlessly with her own chakra, the way they peacefully danced together was like that of a lost friend. It was as if, they were one and the same.

Slowly, she raised her hand until it cupped the side of his face. He didn't make a move to get out of her light grasp. Her dark eyes shined with amazement and pure joy. "You're real."

The girl felt the slightest upturn of his pale lips underneath the pad of her thumb.

So much hope ran through her system, she hadn't felt that light in years.

The boy raised his own hand, delicately brushing his knuckles against her cheekbone, treating her like the perfect porcelain, terrified that she would shatter at the simplest of touches. That she would disappear like a beautiful dream.

"What's your name?" he asked, after what felt like an eternity of just staring at each other.

"Rena," she whispered.

She felt the wave of confusion that raced through his system when she spoke, she noticed the slightest crinkle in the inner corners of his eyes.

"Sasuke."

Rena jerked back in surprise, barely missing the hurt in his eyes from the sudden movement. His arm fell limply to his side.

"Holy shit, you're who we're here for!"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Who's 'we'?"

Both ravens felt themselves stiffen at the slight creak of the door opening. Before Rena could react, she felt herself grabbed and harshly pushed behind Sasuke. She was just tall enough to look over his shoulder.

Sai?!

The emotionless boy's eyes were shockingly hard, absorbing the situation in front of him.

"What do you want?"

Rena felt a shiver run down her spine at Sasuke's cold tone. It had no resemblance to the soft tone he spoke to her in just heartbeats before.

"I'm here, to take you back to Konoha," Sai confidently spoke, his face just peeking into the room from the cover of the door. "My original mission was to kill you but… instead I want to help protect the bond you two share, that Naruto so desperately wants to hold on to."

Sasuke scoffed. "A bond?"

Stay behind me.

Rena's eyes widened at the explosion that ensued, pushing her head against Sasuke's back to protect herself from the debris. A strong arm wrapped around her waist, yanking her through the air.

Play along. Otherwise he'll come after you too.

For the second time that day, a cool blade was placed against her narrow throat. But this time, it was Sasuke's katana instead of a kunai.

What the hell are you doing?!

Protecting you.

Rena subconsciously let out a growl of irritation. Her dark eyes clashed with Sai's emotionless ones. He stockly stood at the bottom of the crater Sasuke just created, while they stood at the top, the sun shining off their identical dark hair.

Her ears picked up the sound of multiple feet heading towards them – her teammates. Sakura bursted out of the tunnel, her gloved hand grabbing Sai's collar.

"Sakura! What're you doing?!"

"Quiet you!" she yelled. "I'm asking the questions here! And this time, you better not lie!"

Rena felt Sasuke's chest rumble against her back. "Well, well, well… if it isn't Sakura."

She felt something prick her heart at the astonished look Sakura sent Sasuke. There was so much care in her green gaze… But, then she picked up on the situation, her eyes widening in horror at Rena's position.

That's when Naruto ran from the tunnel, sliding to a stop next to Sakura. "Sasuke…"

"So, Naruto, you came too," Sasuke's face was blank. "I assume this means Kakashi's here somewhere…"

Yamato strode out from the tunnel, "Sorry, but Kakashi couldn't make it. I'm here in his stead. We of Team Kakashi are going to take you back to Konoha." The captains gaze was solely focused on the katana positioned against Rena's throat.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed once Sai raised his katana to them.

"Sai!" Sakura called out, her face stricken. "You are not still thinking of your mission?!"

Rena felt the male behind her lightly scoff, that odd monotonous voice meeting her ears. "Is he my stand in? He said something about wanting to protect the bond between me and Naruto but, looks like this one is just another weakling too."

You're such a dick.

"My top-secret mission was to kill Sasuke but I'm done following orders. From now on, I want to think for myself. I feel like you can help me remember Naruto… bring back those old feelings I thought were lost. The things that were once really important to me… As for you, Sasuke, I really don't know much about you except that Naruto and Sakura are willing to risk everything for you, to keep that special bond you all share alive, in the name of friendship. I still don't understand it fully, but I think YOU do, Sasuke."

One of those uncomfortable smirks made its way onto Sai's face. "So, I'm going to drag you back to Konoha and you're going to release Rena-chan."

Sasuke's face didn't even twitch. He tightened his grip on his katana, pushing it further against Rena's throat.

The Konoha ninja switched their positions to fight by his miniscule movement. Captain Yamato threw up his hands, ready to flip through deadly hand signals.

There was no way Rena was going to allow her new friends and the voice attack each other, especially with her in the middle of it.

So.

She did the only thing she could think of in that moment.

She slammed her head against his, knocking them both out.

The air around Rena felt… off. Different. Comforting. She felt her muscles relax, her nerves shrink and her breathing softened.

Her dark eyes cautiously opened as she pushed herself onto her elbows. She gasped at her surroundings, her blood running cold at the sight.

This is… my old bedroom…

Her eyes rooved across the all-too-familiar stone walls, the poorly constructed bed, the large bookcase and the single lightbulb that hung from the ceiling.

She jumped up, whirling around, only for her jaw to unhinge.

"Where is this?!" she screeched.

There was an unfamiliar bedroom directly across from hers, the two completely different rooms were attached… it was as if someone cut a perfect line across the two rooms and seamlessly glued them together.

The other room was of, a shamefully, much higher quality. The walls were a dark blue, and it even had a double window (that only showed a scene of pure darkness) with a dark wood bookcase next to it, the bed was queen-size with a plush comforter and multiple pillows and two dark wood bedside tables on either side, her eyes zeroed in on what was on the floor.

"Sasuke!" she cried out, hurrying over to his side. She shook his body, "Sasuke, wake up!"

"Sahiye-chan go away," he swatted at her nose, his eyes still closed to their surroundings.

The girl's features adopted a confused look. "Sahiye?" she repeated.

That's when his eyes popped open, jutting up into a sitting position. "Where the hell are we?" he asked, when he noticed what strange room they were in. "This is… my bedroom?"

Rena's gaped. "This is YOUR bedroom?"

"Not that side," he pointed to the recreation of her childhood bedroom. It took mere seconds for things to click in his brain, especially when he saw the females embarrassed look, her large dark eyes averting from his heavy gaze.

"This is where they kept you?!" he angrily yelled, jumping up to his feet.

Before she could defend herself, she noticed something… strange. Slowly, she straightened herself up from her kneeling position, stiffly standing. "Sasuke-kun… what's that?" she shakily pointed a long finger at a moving shadow located in the corner of 'his room'. The shadow was shaped like a snake, with beady red eyes, twirling its wispy body around the beautiful bookcase.

It felt so wrong, like it didn't belong in that room. It oozed anger and just pure evil.

The ninja turned to see what Rena was pointed at, elegantly raising an eyebrow when he didn't see anything. "What's what?" he turned back to her.

"You don't see it? The snake…" she practically whispered the last word, not knowing what the thing was. It continued to look at her, filling her with cold dread, but it made no move to attack or harm either of the two.

Sasuke turned around to try and see what she saw, but shook his head at her. "There's nothing there, Rena-chan."

"But- "

He swiftly cut her off. "No, we need to focus on what's important right now. Getting the hell out of here, but first why the hell did you head butt me?! I was trying to save you!"

Rena placed her hands on her hips, cocking her hip to the side. "Because you were about to attack my friends!"

"Your… friends," he slowly pronounced the words, as if he never heard them before.

"Yes, some of us have those."

"And the place you've been staying in his… Konoha."

"Yes."

"How did you get there?"

A face popped into her head, but instead of saying who the person was she responded with, "I was being chased and ended up at their gates."

She took in Sasuke's expression as his eyes widened in pure horror. "You met… that man?!"

The long-haired raven jumped back at his tone, "What-?"

"I saw it! In my head! I saw his face!"

"Who-?"

"Itachi!" the utter disgust in his voice from the man's name shocked Rena, before her face morphed into confusion.

"How did you-?" and just like that she felt unfamiliar images of a younger Itachi whirl through her mind. She saw him poke 'her' forehead, hold 'her' as they sat on the deck at the house she was staying at in Konoha, she saw him… bloody, standing above the slained bodies of a woman and man.

The two ended up staring at each other.

Sasuke had anger surging through his eyes, his jaw set, blunt nails digging into the skin of his palms.

Rena's mouth was slightly ajar, her eyes wide, her shoulders slouched.

"He didn't hurt me…" she practically whispered after an eternity of just staring. She…she didn't know how to respond to any of this. She felt so small. Like a child. A child learning one of life's unimaginable truths for the first time.

"Never, ever, trust a word that man says," the boy's words were absolute, the anger growing within his body if possible. Rena could feel the anger rolling through him.

"He told me to go to Konoha," was all she responded with. She didn't want to fight him. She didn't have the energy or heart to. Besides, they have other things to focus on like, where the fuck they were!

The boy opened his mouth to retort, but Rena cut him off, "Sasuke, please, can we just put this aside for now and try and find a way out of here? And what the fuck is going on?!"

Sasuke's mouth slammed shut, his teeth making an audible clicking sound, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm himself. He had to remind himself of just who was in front of him… there was no way he could hurt her in any way.

With all her inner effort, Rena sent calming vibes to Sasuke through their link, trying to drape him in the warmth of comfort and calm.

After another deep breath, Sasuke gave her a stiff nod. "Fine, but don't think this conversation is over. Now, how are we going to get out of here?"

Her shoulders drooped as her dark eyes roamed their surroundings. They widened when her eyes landed on a dark wood door that was definitely not originally there when they woke up.

Rena lifted her pale arm to point to the newly found door. "We go through there."

"You stay behind me, alright?" Sasuke's words were spoken in a way that Rena couldn't deny his request.

"Yes…" she softly responded with, shifting herself to stand half-behind Sasuke's left side.

As one, the two moved forward, it was Sasuke who pushed the door opened. It squeaked loudly, revealing a long corridor aligned with multiple torches to light their way.

Only Rena's left side of her body could be seen from behind Sasuke, whose eyes were dutifully taking in their surroundings.

"What is this place?" Rena echoed the boys' own thoughts, her wide black eyes taking in the dull grey hallway.

"I have an idea but…" the taller boy trailed off, uncertain of his own estimation.

Obviously, he couldn't keep his thoughts way from Rena who gave him an odd look at his thought. "You think… we're in our heads?" she slowly questioned, heavily confused by his deduction.

They steadily continued their trek through the straight hallway.

"It's the only thing that makes sense. I've been in other people's minds before, and it does make sense that we would share at least part of our head space with the mental link we have together."

Rena's eyes narrowed at the back of his head. "You've been… in other people's minds?"

He didn't supply her with an answer.

The girl rolled her eyes, slowly growing irritated the more seconds that passed. Their surroundings still haven't changed. The hallways wall and floors were pristinely cracked and the torches were all an even yard apart from each other.

"Do you think this place can tell us why we have the link we do?"

"Potentially."

It felt like a decade until two identical dark wood doors appeared through the darkness, in perfect diameter against the opposite wall.

With a shared look, Sasuke stood in front of the door on the right side, Rena taking the door on the left side.

Rena gently placed her hand against the cool wood of the door, pushing it open.

I swear College classes are always the worst during the weeks upcoming to Thanksgiving...

Voting So Far:
15 - Naruto
4 - Shikamaru
2 - Shino
2 - Gaara
1 - Sakura & Naruto
1 - Neji
1 - Ino