Chapter 3

Konoha, now.

"Homura-sama," Crow, one of the Anbu in Bear's team sent to call the village Elders, kneeled behind one of them as he was having breakfast, "the Hokage requests your presence in the hospital morgue."

"The morgue?" Homura looked over his shoulder in surprise at the man kneeling on one leg with his head bowed low, "what is it? What has happened?"

"I am not at liberty to say, Homura-sama," the man in the Crow mask replied, "Hokage-sama will inform you of everything you need to know. I have only been ordered to inform you that this is an urgent order."

Homura, one of the village elders along with Utatane Koharu, and Shimura Danzo, frowned before turning his head away from the Anbu behind him. The man gave an almost imperceptible nod of the head before the Anbu flickered away towards one of the Konoha gates. In the meantime, Homura picked up his bowl of Miso soup while wondering what it was that had Tsunade call for him and possibly the other two Elders so early when they were still reconstructing damaged parts of the village. He knew that to do so meant that something very important had happened, and he couldn't help but fear whatever happened wasn't going to be good news.

While the Anbu under Bear's command informed the other two members of the Konoha Council, the Anbu code-named Neko was amongst a team scattered throughout the village searching for one Uchiha Sasuke. Her purple hair whipped behind her as warm wind rushed by while she shunshined from one location to another. She led a search of all the training grounds, the Uchiha District, at least the parts that were still standing, and the four gates that led into the village.

And so far, there was still no sign of Sasuke. And she started to get concerned.

It would be while the gates to the village were being shut that Neko thought to herself, 'a security measure following the death of the Kyuubi container, it has to be. Which means the murderer could still be inside the village,' she thought to herself as she shunshined along the main pavilion from the Hokage Tower to the main gate. She shunshined past the surprised Asuma, who was wondering why the gates would be closing so soon, before she stopped on a red coloured roof a few rows away from the main pavilion upon hearing one of her subordinates speaking into her earpiece.

"Four sentries found unconscious outside the East wall, Neko." Almost as soon as she received the news, Neko took off towards the wall. Shunshining down onto the grass just outside the Western wall a few minutes later, Neko stood next to five other Anbu as they stared at the four dead bodies laid at their feet. All the bodies were bleeding, their faces nearly unrecognizable thanks to the bruising that caused their faces to swell up. Frowning, Neko then turned around and stared out into the forest beyond.

'This is not good,' she thought to herself as she turned back towards the bodies before continuing to think, 'we've been searching for the last Uchiha, the Kyuubi boy was killed, and now we find four dead bodies outside the Western Wall several meters away from the Western Gate. This section wasn't hit during the invasion, so most of the sentries that were usually posted here were transferred temporarily to the East and Southern walls.'

She sensed more Anbu on their way, and turned to watch as five more Anbu landed next to her before looking back out towards the forest, 'the Uchiha is somewhere in the village, so could these bodies be connected with the death of the Kyuubi boy?' Neko then turned back to her fellow Anbu, "I'll inform Bear of the situation. Four of you get the bodies back into Konoha…" Neko then turned to the fifth Anbu in a white porcelain mask with red and black highlights, "Raven, get a tracking team and comb the surrounding area for any chakra signatures."

"What are you thinking?" Raven asked, his voice low as he looked at the bodies before turning his head towards Neko.

"An unknown enemy attacked the Kyuubi boy," Neko said, aware that she was lying to the others, as the other Anbu looked towards her in surprise, "and now we find four bodies at what would be the least patrolled section of the perimeter wall since there's practically no damage here. So it's possible that an enemy from outside the village slipped in through here to.."

"Hold up," one of the Anbu said, "the Kyuubi brat's… how bad was he injured?"

"Bad," Neko replied.

The man wearing the mask of an eagle shook his head, "damn, I saw that kid fight against the Hyuuga brat. That was something…"

"Yeah," Neko whispered as she stared at the bodies.

"And he fought against the Sand's Jinchuuriki… I mean on his own. A Genin fought and won against another container of a tailed beast…" a man wearing the mask of a sparrow said rubbing the back of his head, "damn. He was a troublesome kid but he had balls. Gotta him him that."

"So someone slipped into the village last night, just sauntered past the Elite Anbu of the village, and then badly injured its biggest asset without anyone knowing about it," another Anbu gruffy whispered while looking at the four bodies, "not good."

"Not good at all."

"I take it that this is a S-class secret?"

"SSS," Neko whispered.

"Damn," another Anbu said shaking his head, "heard people saying good things about the kid for the past few months."

Neko took in a deep breath before turning around and staring out at the forest while whispering, "there's nothing that way except for…" Neko stopped talking as she stared out towards the forest. She mentally pulled out a map of the area around Konoha and her eyes went wide open upon realizing something, "the Valley of the End… it's a nearly thirty-six hour journey that way and…"

Neko stiffened. Something that didn't go unnoticed by Raven, the one who was standing by her side.

"Neko?" Raven said as the Anbu in the Cat mask tensed up upon remembering the Sand-Sound invasion months ago.

"Neko?" Ignoring Raven, Neko thought back to her briefing following the Konoha Crush incident where the Sound were led by Orochimaru, with the Sannin having tricked the Sand into joining them, in attacking Konoha during the Chuunin exams. She, as well as the other Anbu, were briefed on the danger that Otogakure presented to Konoha… and she knew from maps of the Land of Fire and the former Land of Rice Paddies, the current location of Otogakure, that the Valley of the End was the closest border.

Neko looked back at her team, thoughts already swirling in her head of those who could be responsible. She knew it was a giant leap based on flimsy evidence, and she really hoped that Sasuke was still in the village; that the only reason he wasn't found yet was because he didn't want to be found. She was very aware, from her briefing, that Orochimaru wanted the last Uchiha in Konoha for some unknown reason.

'So if operatives from the Sound were sent here… they could have killed the Kyuubi boy and then kidnaped the Uchiha kid,' Neko thought before coming to a realization. She then whispered, "oh no."

But there was something in her gut saying that the boy wasn't in Konoha. She couldn't explain it, but the fact that Konoha's elite Anbu still hadn't found the boy – a Genin boy – was concerning. As was the possibility that enemy ninja slipped into Konoha to kill Naruto.

'Please let me be wrong,' Neko thought before saying, "you have your orders. Raven get a tracking team. I want a search up to five kilometres from here, if you still haven't found anything, contact me. I'm going to Bear with my suspicions."

"Understood," Raven said.

Neko then took off up the wall and then into Konoha, all the while she felt the chakra signatures of her team scattering. She then pressed her earpiece once, changing the frequency to the one her commander used.

"Bear," she whispered, "we may have a problem. I need to speak to you immediately."

"Understood," was the reply as Neko continued onwards to meet her superior officer.

Team 10, ten minutes after leaving the Hokage Tower.

"Hey, Asuma-sensei, what's going on?" Shimamura asked as the team stopped in their tracks when the giant gates began closing. Asuma frowned, he knew that the few times the gates had ever been closed was during the Third Shinobi War when some battles were too close to the village, or when there was an invasion force heading their way, or between eight in the evening and six in the morning.

'And the other reason would be if there is a battle drill,' Asuma thought to himself as he looked back towards the Hokage Tower, 'it's way past six in the morning, and there's no ongoing war at the moment. So this has to be a battle drill,' Asuma then turned back towards the gates, 'but even then, the Jonin are told about the drills before-hand so that we can adjust our mission timings.'

Frowning, Asuma was sure that their mission would now be, at the very least, be postponed. He looked down at his Genin and told them they were facing a battle drill and would have duties assigned to them.

"The three of you get back to the Hokage Tower and get…"

It was just then that Asuma saw Neko shunshining away overhead in the direction of the hospital, and then he saw several other Anbu making their way in various directions over the rooftops. At first, he didn't think anything of it; after all, the Hokage had the right to stage battle-drills at any time she wanted. However, it was still unusual for the Jonin in the village to not have been notified earlier. He looked over at Shikamaru who was just rubbing the back of his neck while yawning.

Asuma knew that the chuunin's were not told of the protocols regarding battle drills since it was the Jonins and the Special Jonins who were supposed to take command. But again, the Jonin commander, Nara Shikaku, Shikamaru's father, was the one who was supposed to notify the Jonin, and then the Jonin would notify the Chuunin so that they would be prepared. And again, nothing like that happened.

It was very unusual. Asuma looked back towards the Hokage Tower and wondered if there was something wrong. Either way, he had to get into drill mode as he ordered his team to head back to the Hokage Tower for orders while he went on to meet with Shikaku.

"If there are no orders, then go home and stay there, I'll give you the all clear to meet once this drill is finished," Asuma commanded before his team turned around and rushed towards the tower. Asuma then turned around towards the closed gates and wondered, 'what's going on? The Anbu are in a search pattern, then there is this sudden battle drill, and then…' Asuma narrowed his eyes at a familiar dog before it shunshined away, 'and if I'm not mistaken, that was Pakkun sniffing the air.'

Thinking it would be best to get briefed by Shikaku about what was happening, Asuma couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. Shaking his head, the Jonin shunshined away telling himself that it was just his imagination.

Konoha Hospital.

It had been five minutes since Naruto's body was wheeled into room 5A. Tsunade was the last to rush inside, but not before telling Kakashi and Gai to stay out in the waiting room until they received news from the Ninja Dogs, She then turned to the two Anbu guards standing on either side of the door, "Owl, go down to the morgue and wait for the Elders. Inform them I'll be talking to them through a secure connection from the operating theatre,"

"Understood, Hokage-sama," the Anbu known as Owl said before vanishing in a swirl of dust.

"Rabbit," the Hokage gruffly said turning to the second Anbu, "stay out here."

Rabbit nodded his head. Tsunade then turned towards Kakashi and Gai, and bit her lower lip before saying, "I'll have to see the kind of damage that's already been done. Healing him is going to be tough, he's already dead. The mystical palm technique works on those who are alive… so I'll have to go in and physically reconnect his main arteries. I.." Tsunade then sighed, "I'll have to use every bit of my knowledge and the technology at my disposal. I'll do everything I can to make sure we get him back. But this isn't going to be a 'touch and go' situation. This is going to be something that is near impossible…"

Tsunade looked away from the look of sorrow on Kakashi's face before looking over her shoulder and saying, "Rabbit, forget my previous orders. Jiraiya should still be in the village, find him. Check all the Onsen's… and then get him here. Tell him… tell him that Naruto needs him now more than ever. Tell him to head down to the morgue immediately."

"Hai," Rabbit nodded his head before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Tsunade sighed before she turned back towards Kakashi and Gai.

"If I'm not out of there within the day, that doesn't mean anything," Tsunade said, her eyes shifting down towards the floor for a few seconds with a look of sorrow at the thought of the boy who brought her to Konoha. She took in a deep breath before her eyes shifted up towards Kakashi and then to Gai, and back to Kakashi, "after talking with the Elders and Jiraiya, I'll be locking down this entire floor. Only medical staff will be allowed in." She then looked up at Kakashi, "I'll do my best, Kakashi. Gai."

The two Jonin nodded their heads.

"But prepare for the worst," Tsunade-sama whispered before she walked into the room, slamming the door behind her. Watching the door slam shut, Kakashi and Gai took in a deep breath as they stood in the hallway. The lights from above reflected against the dull red of the dried blood that was on Kakashi's arms and Jonin vest, the smell from said blood wafted through the empty hallway as the two of them spent the next few minutes staring at the closed door.

Gai glanced at Kakashi when the latter whispered, "so many people hated him for something that wasn't his fault. So many avoided him, ostracized him, scolded him… but he didn't falter, it pushed him."

"Tsunade-sama's the best medic in the world, Kakashi," Gai said, his hand now on Kakashi's shoulder, "he's in good hands.'

"And yet, no one dared hurt him because of the Sandaime's law," Kakashi said ignoring Gai's words of reassurance that Naruto was in good hands, "if anyone tried, then Anbu would sweep in. And that happened only once. For years he was left alone and… and now…" Kakashi looked to the floor, Gai pressed his lips together as he remembered the broken Kakashi who used to walk down the Konoha streets alone after the deaths of Obito, Rin, and the Yondaime. The Kakashi who Guy was seeing now was a reflection of that younger Kakashi as the latter continued, "and now, after he saved the village. After many villagers acknowledged him as the hero he should have been always been acknowledged as… he was murdered."

"I have faith that Tsunade-sama would be able to save him," Gai said, "and you have faith as well or you would not have brought Naruto to her."

"I have faith she would be able to save him, Gai," Kakashi whispered as he imagined the blood on Naruto's bed and on the floor, "but you didn't see his room… there was so much blood. Even with the two chakra sources keeping his heart and brain alive, I… I'm scared that the Naruto…" Kakashi stopped talking as he shook his head, unable to finish the thought that even if Tsunade would be able to save his life, the Naruto who would survive may not be the same one they had known.

"You have two other students, Kakashi," Gai reminded him, "they will need you too today. Come, while the Anbu search for Uchiha Sasuke, let us inform Haruno Sakura." Gai gently squeezed Kakashi's shoulder, "at a time like this, you need people who care around you." Kakashi nodded his head as the two of them walked through the hallway towards the elevators. They were going to go inform Sakura of what happened to Naruto.

"I need to go wash this blood off my arms and change my clothes," Kakashi whispered as the two of them stepped into the elevator, "I'll notify Sakura after that. I just hope the Anbu find Sasuke soon."

Gai nodded his head as the elevator travelled down to the ground floor. The doors opened before the two of them walked out into the crowded lobby where many civilians and shinobi were waiting for their appointments with doctors and specialists. It would be just as the two of them exited the lobby out the front doors that Pakkun landed in front of the two Jonin.

"Kakashi," Pakkun looked up at Kakashi, "I have a trail." Gai and Kakashi looked at each other, and then to Pakkun. The masked Jonin put the need to change his clothes to the back of his mind, capturing the man who killed Naruto was of more importance now.

"Let's go."

While Kakashi, Gai, and Pakkun took off, Neko had reached Bear's location and told him about the bodies near the Eastern Wall. She said that the enemy, whoever it was, could have beaten the guards and then slipped through the reduced security on that part of the wall so that they could kill Naruto. She hypothesised that the enemy, possibly Oto-nin and based on the fact that Anbu were not able to still find Sasuke, could have taken Sasuke after killing Naruto, "and they could be long gone if they escaped using the same route they used to infiltrate the village."

Bear nodded his head before saying, "I'll inform the Hokage. In the meantime, continue search pattern Alpha… until we have confirmation of your theory, we have to believe Uchiha Sasuke is hiding for some unknown reason in the village."

Neko nodded her head before vanishing, leaving a cloud of dust behind her.

The Haruno home.

Sakura snapped her eyes opened after an uneasy sleep. She was twisting and turning on her bed, waking up nearly every hour before trying to go back to some semblance of sleep. But once she did, she'd have the same nightmare against and again; she was standing over Naruto... the blonde on his knees while she grabbed his hair with one hand and the other holding a kunai. The point of the sharp blade only just touching his skin under his ear and behind the jaw.

"Sakura-chan?" Naruto in her nightmare would say in a quaking voice, the boy's body was trembling, he was unable to move because of who was prepared to kill him, "why?"

And in her nightmare, Sakura would always answer, "for Sasuke-kun, Naruto. You have to die so that I can be with him." And Sakura would snap her eyes open just after she pushed the kunai into his neck just as blood gushed out like a fountain. And her heart would always be beating hard and fast when she got up, her hand on her chest while she was panting. Pink hair covered her forehead and her eyes as her bottom lip trembled while remembering the look of hurt and betrayal in Naruto's eyes.

"Naruto," she whispered, closing her eyes as tears streamed down again for the umpteenth time that morning, "forgive me, please. Forgive me." Opening her eyes as she wiped her nose, Sakura looked out at the curtains that had covered her windows. She then turned around away from the curtains, her body heavy at this feeling of overwhelming guilt, and then simply sat at the edge of her bed while her feet were flat against her carpet.

There was a part of her insisting that she just stay at home and sleep, that she needed to sleep. She may not deserve it, but it was required if she didn't want to put herself and Kakashi in danger when the Hokage assigned two new Genin to Team Seven. She wasn't even sure if Team Seven would be broken up and Sakura reassigned to another team.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura remembered the plan. She needed to meet with Kakashi at the bridge before they went in search of their teammates. She got off the bed and shuffled her feet on the carpet as she made her way to the restroom. Turning on the light, Sakura stepped back and gasped in surprise when she saw Naruto standing there with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No," Sakura whispered, closing her eyes while she shook her head, "no."

"Come on, Haruno," Naruto's voice spoke while dashing forward before whispering into her left ear. Sakura spun away, her feet sliding on the carpet, "I'm gonna be in your head. I will see you naked, 'ttebayo. Whether you like it or not."

Sakura closed her eyes and shook her head, "not now. Please… not now?"

"You can't stop me, Haruno," Naruto chuckled as Sakura opened her eyes to look into his own pale blue orbs, "you know why you can't." As Sakura looked on, the word 'guilt' formed on Naruto's forehead as he grinned before saying, while pointing at the word that just formed on his forehead, "because if you forget what you did to me, then it already makes you the cruellest monster of them all."

"I am guilty," Sakura looked away from Naruto while she whispered, "I… I can't stop… I don't think I can… stop feeling guilty."

"Then tell Tsunade what you did," Naruto said, "tell her what you did and accept your punishment."

"It won't take away the guilt I feel," Sakura whispered looking back at Naruto with sorrow in her eyes, "you'll still… still be there…"

"Of course, I'm going to be here, Haruno," Naruto smirked, "like I said, you can never get rid of me." He then looked over his shoulder at the washroom, and then back at Sakura, "well then, I think it's time we took a shower together, don't you think?"

Sakura's hands trembled as she slowly took off her pyjama's, her eyes closed as the part of her guilt manifesting as Naruto looked on with a sneer. She gulped, the cool air circulating in her room brushing against her skin, before she opened her eyes and saw that there was no one standing in front of her.

"It's okay, Sakura," her Inner Voice whispered reassuringly as Sakura breathed a sigh of relief before a sob was forced through her lips, "I've kept the guilt away, for now. I'll do all I can, Sakura, but… but I don't know what else to do."

"I… I know that Tsunade-sama… I know I need to tell Tsunade-sama… but I… I'm afraid," Sakura whispered as she leaned back against a wall with the door to the washroom on her left side, "I'm so scared of what she'll say or do, or… oh God…" Sakura covered her mouth with her hands as her shoulders trembled while tears fell down her cheeks while thinking to herself, 'the penalty for killing a shinobi from the same village is death. I… I killed Naruto… I… I knew Sasuke-kun left the village and said nothing…' Sakura closed her eyes tight as she imagined the look on Kakashi and Tsunade's face, she imagined the faces in all the Genin in her graduating class as they stared back at her in disgust.

And she faltered, 'I… I can't… I can't…'

As Sakura slipped down onto her carpet, her back still against the wall, she was unaware that Pakkun landed at the front entrance to the Haruno's apartment building. Behind him, both Gai and Kakashi landed, the latter immediately staring up at the familiar building in surprise as Pakkun proceeded to sniff the stairs that led to the first floor.

"Kakashi?" Gai asked upon noticing the masked ninja's surprised look while Pakkun said that he smelled blood. Gai eyed Kakashi, who was staring up the stairs, before making his way to the front stoop where Pakkun used his paw to point out small drops of blood on the fourth and sixth step of the stairs. Gai crouched down and stared at the red drops before he brushed his finger against one of the spots that looked like dried paint. He then brought it up to his nose and sniffed before turning his head towards Kakashi, "it's blood."

However, Kakashi didn't answer. He stared up the stairs.

"Kakashi?"

"This… this is Sakura's apartment complex," Kakashi whispered as he looked back down at Gai who was shaking his head.

"That is just not right," Gai said as he got up and placed his hands on his friend's shoulders, "whoever killed Naruto lives in the same building as his teammate." Gai sighed before placing his hand on Kakashi's shoulder and saying, "we must continue on, Kakashi. We'll find out who killed Naruto and then we'll tell Sakura. That would be best."

The person who lived in Sakura's apartment complex killed Naruto. Kakashi wondered if this was just a cosmically cruel joke, that the man who killed the son of his sensei lived in the very same building as their teammate. Kakashi rolled his hands into fists, the image of Naruto lying in a pool of blood was making it difficult to control the anger that was just boiling under the surface. He mentally told himself that whoever killed him used a lot of strength, and channelled a lot of hate. And extreme amount of hate to be able to do what was done to the blonde.

There were a lot of suspects who hated Naruto… but Kakashi wholeheartedly believed that things started to change after the Sand-Sound Invasion, especially after it was revealed that Naruto was the one who defeated Gaara and protected the village. However, the hate still remained.

'Gai's right,' Kakashi thought, 'the person who killed Naruto lives in the building. We'll apprehend him, and then I'll talk to Sakura.' The masked Jonin new that Sakura wasn't too fond of the blonde member of Team seven, 'and that was just because she was more focused on making Sasuke happy. But still, I know Sakura cares for Naruto's well-being… they've been in the same team for a while already so…' Kakashi took in a deep breath, 'I promised you that everything was going to be okay back at the hospital roof, and I try to keep my promises, Sakura. Everything is going to be okay.'

Kakashi took another deep breath before nodding his head as Gai placed a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. The two of them then told Pakkun to take the lead. They followed the dog up the stairs to the first floor, and then the second floor, and then the third floor. Kakashi, Gai, and Pakkun were heading towards the door leading to Sakura's apartment.'

And Pakkun stopped at the door to the Haruno home.

'Please…. Please don't tell me that… no… I should stop this chain of thought. Sakura may not like Naruto... and yes he can be annoying and a loudmouth… but there's no way that anyone… especially anyone on our team could…'

Pakkun stopped at the door to the Haruno home.

'No.'

Pakkun looked up at Kakashi and Guy before pointing at the door, "the scent of blood leads me here, Kakashi."

'NO!'

Kakashi closed his eyes as he leaned back against the staircase's bannister, his body trembling with a mixture of emotions before opening his eyes once again. He was staring at the door as he recalled being invited into the Haruno home by Sakura's mother and father the day of the team assignments. He and the Sandaime came to visit the civilian parents, and the two of them were brought in for some tea and sweets.

'I'm back here again,' he thought before his eye caught Gai staring back at him. Kakashi then gulped before whispering, "this is Sakura's home." He saw Gai open his eyes wide before the two of them watched Pakkun open his eyes wide as well.

"I'm sorry, Kakashi," a surprised Pakkun said, "I can smell three scents… one is from a single individual, and the other two… including the scent of Naruto's blood, is from a single individual on the other side of the door."

"Could it have been the parents?" Kakashi whispered.

"Kakashi," Gai whispered, "I can take care of this. You should go to the hospital and check in with Hokage-sama. I'll take…"

"It has to be me," Kakashi whispered, his heart breaking at the potential destruction of his team – one member was killed, the other one suspected of the crime, 'or it could be one of her parents…', and another one missing. 'Please let this be some kind of a sick mistake. Please Gods let this be a mistake.'

Kakashi took several steps forward before knocking on the door. The group waited as footsteps from the other side of the door walked up, twisted the knob, and the two Jonin and the nin-dog stared at the light blonde haired Haruno Mebuki, "Kakashi-san?"

"She's not the one, Kakashi, I'm not getting the second scent from her," Pakkun whispered as a surprised Mebuki looked down towards the talking dog before looking up at the stone faced Gai, and then back to Kakashi.

"Kakashi-san, this is a surprise, is everything…"

"We need to talk to Sakura, Haruno-san," Kakashi said in a voice that was threatening to break, "we need to talk to her now."

Sakura, still leaned back against the wall in her room, froze upon hearing the voice of her Sensei. She knew it was too soon, they were supposed to meet later on after breakfast. They were supposed to meet at ten for their training session; this was too soon.

'No,' Sakura thought as tears streamed down her face upon realizing that something must have changed the schedule. She wanted to hide… she wanted to be as still as a mouse… but that hope was smashed when her mother called out to Sakura while stepping aside at the front door to let in Kakashi, Gai, and Pakkun. Sakura then heard a bark before realizing that Kakashi must have used his nin-dogs to search for the scent of Naruto's blood. Sakura quickly got up and rushed to lock her door before stepping back just as she heard the sounds of paws scratching on the door.

She began sobbing as her arms wrapped around her pink robe, tying the tie around her tightly. She was stepping back every time she heard footsteps rushing towards her door.

"Kakashi-san," Sakura heard the panicked voice of Haruno Mebuki, her mother, on the other side of the door, "Kakashi-san, what is it? What's going on?"

There wasn't a response as the footsteps ended right outside her door. Sakura was silently sobbing as she looked over at her closet, and realized that she hadn't washed her blouse from the previous night. She had found some blood stains on the front, but decided it would be best to wash it the next morning since her parents, bakers by trade, were due to head out around five in the morning. So it was a surprise for Sakura to hear her mother's voice at just after nine in the morning, 'dad must have already gone out… why… why is she..'

Tears streamed down her face as she silently sobbed while hearing a knock on the door, followed a familiar voice that was, at the same time, not familiar at all. It was a voice filled with pain, anger, and sorrow.

"Sakura," the aforementioned Sakura fell onto her knees sobbing upon hearing Kakashi's voice, her hands over her mouth as tears streamed down her cheeks, "open the door, please. I… I know… I know… I saw the body."

"Well, well, murderer," Naruto said leaning against the wall as he stared at the sobbing girl, "what do you know? Kakashi-sensei's here, looks like your plan's going down the dirt, huh?" Sakura sobbed shaking her head as she slowly struggled to stand back up on trembling feet, "kill yourself to escape what's coming, Haruno. Kill yourself, you monster!"

"Kakashi-san," Mebuki said, her voice now cracking with fear, "please… someone tell me what is going on? Sakura! Sakura! What's going on?"

"Sakura-san," Sakura looked away from the door upon hearing Gai's voice, "please, you need to open the door or we'll be forced to break it down." Sakura, upon hearing that, got back up onto her feet quickly and then rushed to her desk. Still crying, and her vision blurred from the tears, she picked up a piece of paper and then grabbed a pen.

"Sakura, I'm giving you until the count of four," Kakashi said, "I… I want to know why? I want to know… please… I need to know why you killed him."

"Who!" Mebuki cried out in anguish from the other side of the door, "who did Sakura kill! Sakura, please come out so that we can fix this. Please…"

"There's no fixing this!" Sakura yelled out between sobs, her voice broken as she wrote something on the paper. Sakura sobbed loudly as the tip of her pen was dragging against the rough paper, "there's no fixing this!" she sobbed out while writing out a message.

Sasuke-kun left the village. Heading for Orochimaru. I wanted to go with Sasuke-kun. To prove that I would follow him, he told me to kill Naruto.

I killed Naruto. I know I will not be forgiven for this, and I don't deserve it.

I only hope that he can forgive me in the next life.

I am sorry, mom. I am sorry, daddy. I am sorry Kakashi-sensei.

After having finished writing what she wanted to write, Sakura rushed to her closet, opened the doors, and then reached for her hip pack. She unzipped it and reached in to grab a kunai just as the door to her room was smashed open. She dropped the pack and spun the Kunai in her hand so that the blade was pointed towards her chest. Kakashi was the first one to rush inside just as she was about to plunge the pointed end of the Kunai into her chest. However, Kakashi was faster.

He grabbed the hand holding the Kunai just as Gai and Mebuki rushed into the room. They saw Kakashi push down the arm holding the Kunai while squeezing Sakura's wrist in such a way that her fingers let go of the weapon after her arms was put onto the side. The Kunai fell onto the carpet just as Kakashi brought his left lower arm against her neck and slammed her against the curtain covered window behind her.

He was panting as he stared into the tearful yes of the Genin girl, her breathing shallow as he leaned into the arm placed across her neck.

"Kakashi!"

"Kakashi-san, please stop!"

"Kakashi!"

"Please stop! I'm begging you!" Mebuki begged, her voice panicked.

Gai and Mebuki's voices seemed so far away as he stared into Sakura's eyes. Eyes that were full of fear and anguish, eyes that showed off her guilt as they looked back into his own. He wanted so much to push further, to lean in further. He wanted to kill her. He could now smell it… in her room… he could smell the faint stench of it.

It was Blood. Naruto's blood.

"Did you know," Kakashi growled at Sakura while he could hear Gai physically restraining Mebuki who was screaming at Kakashi for lenience for whatever it was that Sakura did. Kakashi didn't care for lenience right now, all he could see in his mind's eye was entering Naruto's room to find him dead. It didn't matter that the chakra signature of his sensei and the woman he called Onee-chan were found in his body, what mattered was that Naruto was dead.

There was no guarantee of bringing him back to the Land of the Living.

Now all Kakashi could see was the anguish in those jade eyes as he continued, "my father was a Hatake who married a girl from the Inuzuka clan." Kakashi panted as Sakura sniffed while tears continued down her cheeks, "my nose has a sense of smell that is just as strong, maybe stronger, than Kiba's. And I can smell Naruto's blood on you, and in this room."

"It's coming from here," Pakkun solemnly said pointing towards the open closet.

"Gai," Kakashi said, looking over his shoulder as Gai was restraining a sobbing Mebuki with a look of sadness on his face. The woman was being held against the wall ear Sakura's desk with her arms twisted behind her and the front of her weeping for against the wall, "can you grab… grab… whatever it is that Pakkun found?"

Gai looked back at his friend and nodded his head before looking back at the back of Mebuki's head, "please, Haruno-san, don't make it harder for your daughter than it already is. Don't… don't make it harder for any of us." Gai slowly let the sobbing woman go after she nodded her head. She turned around and leaned back against the wall, she placed her hands over her mouth while whispering between sobs at Sakura.

"What did you do? Oh God, Sakura, what did you do?" She was crying as Sakura closed her eyes and sobbed while Gai walked past Kakashi's back and crouched down as Pakkun pulled out a blood stained blouse. Gai stared at the blood on the blouse as he stood up before turning to Sakura.

"Why?" Gai asked the only question running through his mind. He stared back at the blouse in his hand before looking back up at Sakura who had her eyes closed and was sobbing. Gai knew that would be the very question his students would be asking him when he would have to inform them of what happened. He didn't have an answer. And from the way that Sakura was crying, he guessed that she didn't have a good answer why she killed Naruto.

'And it is a murder,' Gai thought to himself as he glanced at the panting Kakashi who looked as if he would break the pink haired girl's neck at any moment, 'the boy is for all intents and purposes dead.' Gai closed his eyes and shook his head at the absurdity of it all.

"Sensei…" Mebuki muttered. Gai was the first to looked away towards Mebuki who was reading something in her hand before looking up to stare at Sakura with a gaping mouth. As tears streamed down her face, Mebuki continued with shock evident in her voice, "Sakura… Sakura why? Why did you…? Why…?"

Mebuki dropped the piece of paper on the carpet before she stumbled back and cried with her back leaning against the wall, "my God, Sakura… why? What have you done? Do… do… do you know what…"

"Kakashi," Gain whispered into his friend's ear, "I can't imagine how you're feeling right now, but the Hokage needs to know that Sakura was the one responsible. The village is on unnecessary lock-down." Gai then walked towards the piece of paper which fell from Mebuki's hand while Kakashi, who didn't say a word, continued glaring into Sakura's eyes. In the meantime, standing over the piece of paper, Gai glanced at the crying Mebuki who was sitting on the carpeted floor, her forearm covering her eyes as she sobbed.

He felt sorry for the mother before crouching down and then picking up the paper. Gai turned the paper over, and then read what would have been a suicide note. As he read it, Gai's eyes widened before he stood up and turned around. He rushed to Kakashi while staring at Sakura, "when? When did he leave?"

Still nothing from Kakashi as he glared at Sakura while leaning slightly forward, the girl opened her mouth as she struggled for breath. Gai grabbed Kakashi's arm, telling him that it was the Hokage's job to pass judgement on Sakura before he turned his head towards the girl.

Guy's voice took on a sharper edge as he asked, "which way did Uchiha Sasuke leave the village? And when?"

"What?" Kakashi hissed, turning his head towards Gai who was staring at Sakura. He looked down towards the paper being held out towards him and then read the lines written in Sakura's handwriting. Kakashi then snapped his head towards Sakura and said, anger in his voice, "you… you…"

"If Sasuke has left the village, then he already has a good lead on us, Kakashi," Gai said, "I'll take Sakura to the cells in the Hokage Tower, you need to go to the Hokage with this and…"

"Sasuke told you to kill him?" Kakashi was panting as he glared at Sakura, "and… and… and YOU SAID YES?"

"I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry… I'm so sorry," Sakura whispered as she tried to fight for every breath as Kakashi pressed his arm into her throat. Gai and Kakashi could see that her eyes were nearly bulging as she gurgled out, "I… I'm sorry."

"Kakashi!" Gai said when he saw Kakashi about to crush her throat with his arm, "he's a member of your team. For now, so is Sakura."

"Murderer…" Kakashi hissed as tears fell down his mask while glaring at Sakura, "you…"

"Kakashi! THE BOY HAS TURNED TRAITOR AND YOU NEED TO INFORM THE HOKAGE!" Gai exclaimed trying to get Kakashi's head back into the present as he grabbed the man's arms and pushed him away, and off of Sakura who was now panting as she fell onto her knees.

Gai stood in front of the panting Kakashi, blocking Sakura as the grey haired Shinobi stared at Gai, "Kakashi, the Hokage needs to know what happened. I'll take Sakura to the cells, and you inform the Hokage." Gai stared into Kakashi's eyes and took in a deep breath before saying, "please, Kakashi. The Hokage's the one who is supposed to judge Sakura, not you or me."

Kakashi glared at Gai for another second before he turned, his eyes seemingly dazed for a few moments, before he vanished in a swirl of leaves. Gai sighed before turning back towards the crying mother and then to the sobbing Sakura who was in her knees with her head bowed.

Gai didn't know what to say – after all what could one say at a time like this. All he knew was that he was worried about Kakashi – Gai was afraid that the Copy Ninja was about to crash and burn again. Kakashi was the only survivor of his own Team Seven following the deaths of Obito, Rin, and the Yondaime; and now, once again, he was the only survivor of his team with Naruto dead, Sakura a murderer, and Sasuke a traitor.

"The team seven name is cursed," Gai whispered as Sakura slowly looked back up with puffy eyes and a red face. Gai shook his head before telling Sakura to get to her feet, "stand up." Sakura sniffed and that's what she did. She stood up to her feet before stepping forward and placing his hand on her left shoulder, "I don't know what was going through your head, and…"

"I… I loved him…" Sakura whispered as she wiped tears that were soon replaced by fresh tears, "he…" Sakura looked over at her crying mother, and her face twisted in anguish before looking back down onto her carpet, "he was going to leave Konoha and… and I even offered to go with him and… and he told me that I… I had to kill… kill Naruto. And…" Sakura stopped talking as she sobbed again, talking between breathes, "I… I… did… Oh God… I killed… killed…" Sakura broke down as she fell onto her knees once again.

Gai had to bend down, hold onto her shoulders, before looking in Mebuki's direction, "I'm taking her to the cells in the Hokage Tower. You will be notified of what will happen." And then Gai and Sakura were gone, leaving Mebuki sobbing in the room by herself at the turn her family's life had taken.

TBC.