Her eyes fluttered open, slightly burning from the intesity of the sun. Groaning she pulled herself up, it felt as if her body was suppose to ache, but it was as if she had taken some type of drug to numb the pain. She knew that there should be more pain, but there wasn't.

"Strange." Sakura mumbled to herself as she stood. She looked around at the scene in front of her. Trees snapped in half, at least a dozen other trees either laying on the forest floor or leaning on another. The ground was cracked, burn scorches decorated the ground and trees around her. The tell tale sign of a massive fight. She roughly ran her hands through her hair as she scanned the area. one, two, three... She counted the bodies on the ground. Six in total. She sighed in relief. None of them were a part of her team. Her team. She looked around again. Where are her team mates?

She scanned a few more times, then she noticed the tracks that left the battle field. No. They wouldn't have left her. She shakes her head as she follows the tracks. She slows as she stares at a corpse that lay on her path. She eyes it wearily. The face was contorted into a silent scream, the skin ghostly white, except the parts that were touching the ground. There the skin was a blackish purple where the still blood had settled. She let her eyes scan down to the dead mans torso, it had already begun to bloat, the arms locked into stiff positions due to riger mortis. Death must have happened days ago. She swallowed thickly.

No, they were just fighting these men. There is no way that it has been a few day. She knows that she was knocked out... Where the fuck was her team? The thought slams back into her head. If she were laying here for days... That meant three things. One: Her team was taken and she was left behind. Two: They were killed and their bodies were taken. Three: They left her. None of the thoughts gave her any comfort. She bit down on her lip and looked back to the trail. She wasn't the best at tracking, but it seemed pretty clear. There were three distinct trails left. It looked as if all parties were injured. Even injured though, her team would not have left her... Would they?

"Fucking great." She mumbles to herself as she begins to follow the tracks. If they had left her, ohhh man they were in for it. She attempts to calm herself as she follow the path. Then it hits her. They didn't cover their tracks. Kakashi ALWAYS covered their tracks. She looked up into the tree. Why had they not gone up? Taking to the trees always made it easier. The only reason they would not have would be because there are multiple injured. She snorts to herself as she looks closely at the two trails of dribbling blood.

Sakura felt her anger begin to bubble. "Those stupid no good boys! Bleeding to death, and what do they do? Leave the damn medic? How stupid can you get?" She growls to herself. She looks up and begins to quicken her pace to a fast jog. They were going in the direction on Konoha. "Let's bleed and run hmmm. Smart. It's not like I was there." She clenches her jaw. "I swear if I get home and they are dead, I will bring them back just so I can kill them again." She pants out. Great. Nothing like talking to yourself to feel sane. She huffs and pushes herself harder.

She ran for nearly a day straight before the gates of Konoha came into sight. She took a deep breath and lets her body relax at the sight. She eyes the gate guards. She prays that they won't stop her. She was not in the mood to sign in. No, she was in the mood to run straight to the Hokage's office and find where the hell her team mates went. She looks down at the ground and walks through the gates. They took no notice of her. Which relieved and frustrated her. Nice, just what the village needs, the guards being lax at their jobs. Really produces a feeling of security. She shakes her head. Those complaints can wait.

Sakura quickens her pace as she walks through the village. She slows when she sees a long blonde pony tail bobbing in front of her.

"Ino!" She yells as she begins to jog to catch up. "Ino! Slow down!" Ino doesn't even turn, she just keeps walking as if she didn't hear her. Which is impossible. The blonde often complained to Sakura that her voice carries over in the busiest and loudest bar. "Ino! For the love of Kami-sama! Slow down, you would not believe what happened!" Sakura yelled as she caught up. She was now walking right behind her friend. Ino didn't even flinch as Sakura yelled right behind her. Irritation was beginning to bubble as reached out to grab Ino, only to have her hand pass right through the girls shoulder.

"What the hell was that?" Sakura stills. She stares at her out stretched hand. "No, that was just a trick of my imagination. That did not happen." She mutters to herself. She slowly lets her eyes train back onto Ino who was now a half a block in front of her. "Ino!" She yells again and runs after her. Again she reached out to grab her and again her hand goes through her friend. "No... No way..." She pushed her hand through Ino's shoulder again. She pulled her hand back as it began to tremble. "INO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She didn't stop, or look back. No she just kept walking as if no one was screaming for her. Sakura suddenly became stuck to the spot she stood. She couldn't will her feet to move. She just stood in the middle of the side walk. She jumped a little as she felt people passing through her form.

"I can't be dead." She slowly shook her head. "No I can't be." She whispered as she felt another person pass through her right side. "I AM NOT FUCKING DEAD!" She screamed as she began to run to the Hokage's office. If there was one person that could help her it was going to be Tsunade. She runs inside the building and climbs the stairs taking three at a time. She runs to her Shishuos office. Thank god the doors are open, Sakura thinks as she barges in.

"LADY TSUNADE!" She yells as she runs in. She comes to a quick stop as she looks at around at the office. Now Tsunade had never really been that organized, but the state of her office was beyond something Sakura had ever seen. Her desk was filled with mountains of paper work, empty sake bottles all over. Then there was the blonde woman herself. She was sitting behind her desk, her forehead against her desk, while her hair tumbled down the sides of her face. Sakura stood with her mouth open at the sight. It looked as if she had given up. Sakura took a hesitant step forward.

"Tsunade?" She whispered as she walked closer. "Please wake up, please say you can hear me." The office door closed drawing Sakura's attention. She looked over to see Shizune walk in with a sad look on her face. "Shizune!" She yelled at the brunette. Nothing, she didn't even look over. "Come on look at me!" Sakura whined. Shizune just walked passed her form, not even sparing a glance. Sakura's shoulders fell as she watched her walk over and wake up the Hokage.

"I am sorry Tsunade-sama, but you really must wake up." Shizune said softly while she rubbed the Hokage's back.

"Just leave me." Tsunade grumbled with out lifting her head. Sakura watched as her back raised with a deep sigh.

"You know I can't. We are already so behind with paper work. I know it is hard, but it's been five days. The village needs her Hokage. Sakura wouldn't want..." Tsunade sat straight, stiff as a pole.

"I don't think I need to worry about Sakura, since she is no longer here," She snapped as her eyes connected with Shizune.

"I AM HERE!" Sakura yelled. Still no one looked over. Sakura stayed in the office for a while. She screamed, she jumped, she tried to knock over papers. Nothing worked. Sakura stood in front of both of them, panting hard. Please, please, just see me, she thought. She roughly ran her hands down her face. She was going to have to try some one else... Naruto.

She lept out of the window and took to the roofs. She ran as quickly as she could to the small apartment that Naruto lived in. Coming to a skidding halt she stood in front of the door. Well, how was this going to work? She couldn't knock... She slowly raised her hand and pressed it against the red chipped door. Hesitantly to pushed her index finger into the door. It was an odd feeling passing through something. When she was on the street she knew it was weird, but she was in such a state of shock that she didn't pay too much attention to it. Now letting her fingers slowly pass through the wood she really had time to disect the sensation. It was like a pushing and pulling all at once. The object did not want her in it, but drew her in at the same time. She hummed as she watched her forearms descend into the door.

"This is too weird." She sighed, then took the step through the door. It took her eyes a moment to adjust. It was dark, all the curtains drawn letting in no light. She kept walking through her team mates home. Now Naurto may not have been the most organized person either, but he had come a long since the time he was thirteen. The state of his apartment was worse then it had been in a long time. There were cloths and mail tossed on the floor, ramen cups and sake bottles cluttering all the counter surfaces. Sakura just shook her head at the mess. She made her way through his living area and into the bedroom. There he lay sprawled out. His head hanging off the bed near the foot board, arm's falling off much the same manner as his head, drool coming out of his mouth. A small frown pulled at Sakura's lips as she looked at her best friend. All around him sake and beer bottles. The frown deepened. Naruto was never one to drink by himself.

She gently reached out, her hand hovering above the mans face. Just as she inched closer a knock echoed through the apartment, causing both Naruto and Sakura to jump. She stood back and watched as his limp body rolled over and fell off the bed with a loud thunk, making Sakura wince a bit. Another series of knocks cut through the air.

"One fucking moment!" Naruto growled out as he pulled himself up. He sat for a moment harshly rubbing the heals of his palms against his eye lids. He stood and Sakura examined his face, his eyes red and swollen, dark circles under his eyes, is normal sun kissed skin now ashen. Ohh, Naruto, Sakura inwardly sighed as she watched him walk heavy footed out of the bedroom. She followed him, not feeling the need to scream as she had at Tsunade. He didn't see her either. She was a ghost. Closing her eyes for a moment she took a long deep breath then followed him to the door.

Naruto gruffly opened to reveal Sasuke standing there. He stared at Naruto for a moment his black eyes traveling the form of his friend. No emotion showed on his face.

"Let's go spar." Sasuke said in a soft voice.

"I don't feel like it." Naruto's voice was rough and sleep laden. He just shook his head and walked back into his apartment. Sasuke scowled at the fleeting form before her took a cautious step inside. Sakura watched as Sasuke let his eyes roam over the room, occasionally stopping at a certain pile, or container. Naruto just lifted a couple bottles of sake, giving each one a small shake until he found one that had liquid in it. He hastily lifted it to his lips and drank the contents. Sasuke watched him and crinkled his noise.

"You know holing yourself in here and drinking stale sake isn't going to make anything better." Sasuke stated in a flat voice. Naruto scowled and began his search again for any left over booze. "It's not going to bring her back..." He almost whispered. Naruto let out a snorty laugh.

"No shit." He grumbled before sitting on the couch.

"Would she want..."

"Fuck you Sasuke. What would you know what she would want? It's not like you really knew her. I mean you act as if her dying means nothing." He snarled as he looked at Sasuke.

"You are wrong." Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"What ever Uchiha, go spar. Let me deal with this how I need to. I bet you are just happy that she's not here to annoy you anymore." The venom dripping from Natuto's words had Sakura standing with her mouth open. What had happened?

"Stop it Naruto! You have no idea what I am feeling!" Sasuke glared at him visibly bristling. Well that was something unexpected. Since Sasuke came back he had spoken maybe twenty sentences to her. Her eyes widen as she took in the anger contorted face of the lone Uchiha.

"Yeah well maybe is you weren't such a stoic bastard, we would know. It doesn't matter, you treated her like shit! Before you left and when you came back. I don't want to hear how sad you are you prick." Sakura watched as Naruto stood from the couch and marched to stand inches away from Sasuke. His face contorted in rage. Spittle flying from his lips as his voice increased in volume. Sasuke snorted, blinking as his black eyes bled red. Sakura gulped as she felt the air electrify between the two. She would have never expected this, not because of her.

"You. Are. An. Asshole." Sasuke spat our of clenched teeth. The tomes in his eyes spinning wildly, in response red began to flood into Naruto's irises, his pupils stretching into slits. They had to stop this now. If they broke out into a fight the whole apartment complex would come down. How many people would be injured? Sakura ran her hand over her scalp and pulled her hair. Why did her team mates have to be so trigger happy about every thing? Her eyes flickered to Naruto as he let out a deep growl. She had to do something.

"STOP IT YOU IDIOTS!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she quickly found herself next to the dueling imbeciles. She breathed heavily-which she wasn't really sure if she needed to since technically she didn't have a body-as she watched their muscles slowly uncoil and relax. They still stood there glaring, but all battle inclinations started to drop. They hadn't looked in her direction, but there was a reaction. Did they hear her? They must have heard her!

"Guys! Did you hear me! Naruto, look at me! Sasuke, please just once in your life look my way. Please see me!" She yelled at them. They just stood there, staring. Both of their faces dropping into frowns and furrows of sorrow. Naruto broke out in a chocked sob. He turned and walked back to the couch gathering his head into his hands.

"Sometimes I swear I can still hear her." A chuckled sob left his lips. Sasuke just took a deep breath.

"You can hear me! I am here! Naruto! Sasuke" She yelled as she jogged between the two.

"I know." Sasuke said softly.

"I can't believe it. I can't believe she is gone." Naruto cried. Sasuke looked over at his friend his expression softening. Closing his eyes for a moment, he stiffly walked over to Naruto and sat next to him on the couch. Hesitantly he placed a hand on the blondes shoulder. The contact seemed to have opened the flood gates. Naruto began to sob, and ugly sob at that. Tears ran quickly down his cheeks, snot from his nose. He was hiccuping to get breath. All Sakura wanted to do was pull him into an embrace, but knew that no matter what, she would not be able to make contact with him. She looked over to see Sasuke with his hand still on Naruto's shoulder, looking down on the ground. She would have to leave this to him.

"I am not gone. I will find a way back." She whispered to her boys. Sighing she took to the streets. She had to figure out something and watching her team mates grieve was not going to accomplish anything. She walked through the village, past the training grounds, through the civilian sector. She wished her parents were still around, she thought as she walked past their old house. She wanted to feel the embrace of her mother, hear her father chuckle, have them tell her it will be alright. That though wasn't going to happen. Even if they were still alive they wouldn't be able to see her. She took a long breath, all she wanted to do was curl in a ball and cry. How was she going to get out of this?

After collecting herself she began to walk once again. This time she absent mindedly found herself walking in the direction of Kakashi's apartment. She slowed then stilled as she came to the front gated of his complex. She began to chew on her inner cheek as she let her eyes travel to the fourth floor. She had never really been close with her team leader/ex sensei. Yes they could hold a conversation without things getting awkward, but they never sought each other out during their free time. She took a deep breath, there is no way that he could possibly help? Was there?

She was still standing there staring up at the window of his apartment when she realized that she really didn't have any other ideas. She had already tried to make contact with the three closest people in her life, she supposed that Kakashi was closer then the rest of her acquaintances. Well maybe Sai was closer, but she didn't remember where he lived. Rolling her head and, well not cracking her neck, since technically she did not have a physical neck, she started to walk up the stairs.

Once again she pushed her form through the door, and the sight made her mouth drop open. She had only been to Kakashi's apartment a few times, which was when Tsunade wanted her to drop off mission scrolls or demand that the copy nin finish his mission reports, and it was always neat and orderly. His apartment at the moment, well it looked like the fifth secret shinobi war took place in it. There were broken dishes and glasses. His couch was over turned, the cushions srpead through out the room. His television, which made her winced as it looked like it was expensive, was sideways on the floor, a broken hole in the center of the screen. The walls were decorated with holes all over the place. Sakura shook her head. There was no way he was going to get his deposit back.

"Holy shit sensei." She muttered to herself while she scanned the chaos in front of of her. She walked further into his apartment turning to the living room . If she had a heart, she knew that it would have stopped beating as she looked down. Yes the destruction of his living space was alarming, what really made her sweat some major ectoplasm was there were several copies of Icha Icha torn at her feet.

Slowly she tore her eyes off of the destroyed literature as she noticed a flicker of movement just to the side of the over turned couch. She carefully walked over to see Kakashi, and the sight before her made her chest feel as if it was torn open. There he was sitting in the corner wearing wrinkled mourning wear. He had his knees up and his arms resting on them. His hands were bare and covered in deep cuts and swollen in angry bruises. She inspected them for a long moment. She was positive that most of his metacarpals were at the very least fractured. She looked to his face, his eyes were void as if there had never been life in them as he stared at a spot on the floor. His hair laying limply in front of his face.

Sakura never thought what it would be like for other people if she were to die. She knew that there was a good chance that her life would end while she was young. That was kinda a given when you sign up to be a warrior, but she never expected the fall out of her death to be so drastic. Yes, she could get Tsunade and Naruto, but to see Kakashi broken because of her, well she just couldn't make sense of it. Yes they were comrades, and acquaintances, but to destroy his place over her? Suddenly she felt very self centered. Of course it wasn't over her. It had to be something else, and whatever else on top of her, that is what caused this. That had to be it. She just wasn't that important to him for this to happen. She shook her head then let herself lean against the wall by him, well not really lean because of the whole going through things. They sat for a long time, not once had Kakashi moved. Sakura closed her eyes, she couldn't bring herself to try and gain attention of a catatonic copy nin, so she just sat.

She jumped as a pop filled the apartment, and smoke began to curl in the air. As the smoke dissipated she was able to see the form of Pakkun. His lazy eyes wide as he looked around the rental. Sakura looked over at Kakashi, he still had not moved an inch. The little dog sat for a long moment as he inspected the damage. Grunting softly he pulled himself up and began to walk to his master when suddenly he stilled and turned his head to Sakura. She sat still and narrowed her eyes at him, which he responded by cocking his head to the side. Responded. He fucking responded!

"Pakkun can you see me?" The words were slow and hesitant as they left her lips. His eyes never left her.

"Boss." He grunted..

"Pakkun tell me if you can see me!" She found herself on her knees scooting towards the pug.

"Ummm, boss." Pakkun said again.

"Go away." Kakashi's voice was strangled. Both girl and k9 looked over at the copy nin, neither of them had heard him talk in such a tone.. Well it had been a long time since Pakkun had heard it.

"Boss, I think you should..." Pakkun began as he looked back at Sakura.

"I said go."

"But boss..."

"I said fucking go! What do you need me to destroy the fucking summoning scroll so you leave!" He yelled, but he still didn't look up. Immediately the dogs ears pinned themselves to his head, his tail lowering and he began to cower.

"Pakkun tell him you see me! Please just tell him!" Sakura cried as she frantically crawled to the pug. He let out a low whine as he watched the distress cover her features.

"I am sorry kid." He said with a frown before another pop filled the room and he poofed away. Sakura froze on her hands and knees as she just stared at the vacant spot in front of her. The only living thing that had acknowledged her just left. The only hope she had had literally vanished in a poof of smoke. Desperation and rage bubbled in her chest. He could have used her name! He could have said " Sorry Sakura!"" Stupid fucking dog! She pounded the floor for a moment before standing up and letting out the most animalistic scream that have ever passed her lips. She screamed deep and loud as her hands went to her hair and roughly pulled it back away from her face. She felt as if she screamed for hours, but it didn't matter. She felt lost and any hope she had dripped away. Once she was done with her temper tantrum she turned her sneer to her ex sensei, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. He was looking at her.

"Kakashi?" She whispered as she looked down at him. He didn't respond but his gaze didn't avert. "Can you see me?" She asked as she took a step forward and crouched in front of him. She let out a sigh as his eyes did not follow her, instead stayed trained on the spot she was just in. He sensed something though he must have. She watched as he slowly closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I am going insane." He softly muttered to himself.

"No, no you are not." Her voice trembled as she said it. She watched as he sighed and pulled himself off of the floor. She followed as he slowly padded to his room. Sakura looked around, it seem that his rampage was not isolated to the front of his apartment. No his clothes were all over, the doors of his closet off of it's hinges, this bed off of the box spring. He did have a busy little burst of rage there. He sighed again before putting his bed back together. Once done he ignored the rest of the mess and threw himself onto the mattress. Sakura just stood as she watched him sleep. She frowned a bit. He still had his mask on. Then proceeded to mentally slap herself. Really was that important at the moment?

She felt that she should go, but she didn't want to. If one of his summons came she was going to make sure they saw her and said something. No she was not leaving Kakashi, not when he held the only hope she had, because Pakkun had seen her. She let her eyes roam over his form.

"Well might as well make myself comfortable," she muttered as she walked around the bed and began to climb on top of it. She felt tired, but had no clue if she could actually sleep in her current condition. Might as well try. So there she found herself in Kakashi's bed, laying facing him. She stilled for a long while and watched as he slept. Slowly sleep, or something like it began to pull her under.

She might have been out of it for a minute, or it may have been hours. She bet that it was hours as she opened her eyes to realize that the room was darkened with the shadows dusk brings. She looked over at Kakashi, who had turned in his sleep and was now facing her. She sighed as she watched his eyes roll behind his lids, and hoped that he could at least have a pleasant dream. Her eyes were then drawn to the scar the bisected his left eye. She raised her hand and ran a finger over it. Knowing that he was not going to be able to feel her touch. Well that is what she thought. The moment she made contact, both of his eyes flew open. He furrowed his brows as he lazily looked at her. No through me, she reminded herself. As soon as she thought that his eyes widened in shock. Or maybe it was terror, she wasn't quite sure.

"Sakura?" He breathed. Now her eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock. Kakashi suddenly shifted which resulted in him falling ungracefully from his bed. Sakura hurried and crawled to the side looking over the edge. His face was still contorted in shock as she looked down at him. She felt as if her stomach dropped out of her and her heart was going to pound out of her chest. Which really could not had happened seeing how she did not have either a heart or a stomach.

"Can you see me?" She asked pushing her hair out of the way as she stared at him. His brows furrowed once again. He could not bring himself to use his voice, instead he just looked up as her and gave a small nod.

I really could should not be starting something new... I couldn't help it.