Cool, cool, a couple of reviews is nice. Well, here's chapter two. I wonder how Sasuke's death will affect Orochimaru in the long run...?

Chapter Two: Failure

Naruto couldn't sleep that night. He squinched his eyes shut, cuddled up in his bed sheets even more and tried to drift off. He just couldn't do it. Those black eyes, boring into his soul, it hurt him.

He was restless. It had only been a couple of hours since the funeral and memorial service ended.

Sasuke's name would be on that stone memorial.

It was quiet on every street, and not just because people were sleeping. Konoha had just lost one member of the powerful clan. Now there was only one left, but to Konoha, he had already been considered dead.

Naruto could not stop thinking about the last words Sasuke spoke to him, dying literally in his arms. His stomach hurt in pain, and he felt tons upon tons of guilt building up in him. He couldn't stand it.

Naruto got out of bed, and turned on a small lamp. On a small nightstand, there was a picture. The group picture of Team Seven, taken a couple of weeks before Sasuke died. Sakura was smiling, he was grinning widely, Kakashi was looking to the side and Sasuke pulled out a side profile, his eyes not facing the camera.

Naruto held the picture, a small tear rolling down his cheek, and he ripped the photo in half.

--

It was a foggy morning. The fog was thick, and Naruto had to push his way to the bridge, where he would meet Sakura and Kakashi. It was damp, cold and the grass was still dewy and Naruto felt even more depressed.

Sakura walked up, her head down low and her hair not as bouncy and shiny as it was before. Her eyes were dull, blunt and not the shiny green they were.

"Hey Sakura," Naruto said, but not directly at her.

Sakura exhaled, and stood in front of the bridge's rails.

"It's...so surreal...Naruto. I want to wake up and say it was a bad dream," Sakura mumbled barely coherently, Naruto looking at her.

"Yeah."

The two were in silence as they waited for Kakashi to appear.

"Hey you two."

Naruto and Sakura turned around, facing Kakashi, who was standing before them. He looked as if he didn't sleep in three more hours and forgot to drink some coffee on the way here.

"Hi."

There was not much to say, because the three were thinking. Kakashi relaxed his shoulders in thought, Naruto was leaning against the bridge, looking into the sky and Sakura crossed her arms, her eyes closed.

The loss of a team mate always hurt.

Sakura decided she would be the first to talk, to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Kakashi...what's going to...what's going to happen to us as a team?" she asked, her hands clasped together.

Naruto was a little surprised by Sakura's question. Kakashi looked at her and then replied,

"Honestly...I have no clue. Tonight I'm going to meet with the Hokage and we'll work something out. Until then...we're a trio."

"Just us two?" Naruto asked, obviously not hearing what Kakashi had said. Usually, Sakura would smack him and tell him he was a dope and should've been listening to Kakashi, but Sakura just didn't want to lash out anger at him. Especially not today.

"Yeah. Us two," Kakashi nodded.

"So...any training today?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi looked around, looked at the ground at his feet and then looked at the both of them.

"Mmm, you know what? I'm not in the mood. Let's start up tomorrow, okay?" he said, but Sakura and Naruto both knew Kakashi was being a procrastinator.

"Umm, okay Kakashi. Bye," Sakura started to walk away, leaving behind Naruto and Kakashi.

Kakashi made sure Sakura was far away and faced Naruto, and said,

"Naruto...try to get some sleep." Then Kakashi disappeared out of nowhere, and Naruto was left alone on the bridge. He started to walk back to his house. Maybe he could catch up on some sleep.

--

Kakashi, his hands behind his back, was facing the Sandaime at his desk, Konohamaru was sleeping under his desk.

"Kakashi...I am greatly sorry for your team's loss, and I am also a bit hurt...but life must continue on," he said, his old, calloused hands on his lap.

Kakashi nodded. He understood what the Sandaime was saying.

"Hokage...what do you plan for my team? Do we just...stay as a two-man cell? Or...?"

Sandaime closed his eyes.

"Unless you plan on entering Sakura and Naruto in the Chunin exams, you need a three man cell. You know the rules. The rules bend for no one."

Kakashi inhaled deeply and then exhaled through his nose.

"Hokage...there are no new genin to take Sasuke's place. We would have to wait a year in order for Sakura and Naruto to enter the exams, and I don't want them to be the same as Gai's team."

Sandaime was getting a little impatient.

"Well, Kakashi, you don't have a lot of options to choose from. Unless you can think of another student to take the place of Sasuke, then this meeting is finished," he said, his eyes looking down on him.

Kakashi clearly had a predicament.