Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any Naruto characters or any of their abilities.

Author's Note: This if my first fanfiction peice. Sorry if it needs a lot of work. Thanks

A Tragic Beginning

It had been two of the hardest weeks for Konoha's "Number One Loudest, Unpredictable, Hyperactive Knuckleheaded Ninja". His friend, who had become more like a brother, was dead. Uchiha Sasuke was killed at the hands of his own brother.

-----Flashback

Three years of training with Orochimaru had done nothing but level the battlefield. Itachi stilled had far more experience than his younger brother and the mangekyou sharigan. During the battle all Naruto could do was sit back and watch. He could help Sasuke when he needed it the most. Team Kakshi and team 10 had been able to take care of team Hebi without much of a fight though not much more could be done as the last two known members of the Uchiha clan battled to the death. They watched in horror as Itachi copied the Saske's Chidori. The two attacks met, and with his battlefield expeirence, Itachi was able to kill his brother.

As Sasuke's lifeless body landed on the ground, it was too much for Naruto. Something inside of him snapped. All his anger, all his frustration, all his hatred was unleashed on Itachi. Using his Rasenshuriken, he was able to defeat Itachi. It was he who was able to take out Sasuke's want for revenge. The Akatsuki member was killed by the very person he was supposed to capture but the victory was hollow. He had lost Sasuke; his friend, his brother.

-----End Flashback

The funeral for Sasuke had been about ten days ago but for Naruto those ten days had been the absolute worst in his life. He had barely left his small apartment; he had barely eaten or even slept. That day kept replaying in his mind over and over again. He couldn't save Sasuke. He had lost one of the most important people in his life and if he couldn't protect him, how could he even think about becoming Hokage when he couldn't protect him; he couldn't save him like he had promised what seemed now a lifetime ago.

On the other side of town a young, pink-haired kunoichi was having a hard time getting over the lose of her childhood crush but every time she began to think of that day she would look in the direction in which Naruto lived.

"As hard as this is for me, this is much worst for him," was her thought.

She had tried multiple times to coax her friend out of his apartment but to no avail.

-----Flashback (three days ago)

"Naruto come on let's get some Ramen, my treat and you can even call it a date."

"Sorry Sakura-chan, I don't feel much like getting Ramen today."

She had never known him to turn down free Ramen and even the potential of a date with her had always excited him.

"Please Naruto, if were to just talk about it you would feel a little better."

"What is there to talk about?!" he snapped, "I wasn't able to save Sasuke, I wasn't able to keep my promise and you want me to get over it like that!" He had slammed the door in her face.

He had never talked to her like that and though that was a surprise, she was more surprised by how much it had hurt her. She had found herself at the Hokage tower.

"You must imagine how much this hurts him; a boy who had never known family, who had never known what a kind word felt like. Losing Sasuke to him is like losing apart of himself. You just need to give him sometime, he will eventually return to his knuckle-headed self." Tsunade-sama had said.

"But this is unlike Naruto. He turned down free Ramen, he even turned down," she had blushed a little at the thought of what she was about to say, "a date with me."

"I know you care about him, Sakura, and so do I. Give him a couple of days and try again, I am sure by then he will be much better."

"Thank you, Shishuo."

-----End Flashback

She had taken the advice but yesterday was just as bad. He was even worse and she knew that if she didn't get him out today he may not ever come out of his apartment again. She had arranged with Ino to have her bring all of their friends and meet them at the Ichiraku Ramen Bar. She had her own mission, Naruto need his friends right now or they all would face losing him as well.

As she strolled towards Naruto's apartment building she couldn't help but feel as though she was going to save her friend from a fate worse than death. Naruto had been alone until he was placed in Team 7 at the age of twelve. He had lived on his own, not knowing who his parents were, or even having a companion but he always wore a smile to mask the pain. But after Sasuke died he no longer wore his mask and was no longer the happy person she had come to know and care for.

"Naruto, you were there for me when Sasuke left to go find Orochimaru. And now that Sasuke is gone; you need me."

As she arrived, a feeling of depression washed over. She knocked on the door, no answer, again she knock, this time she heard some stirring coming from inside.

"Naruto! Open this door, or I will open it."

"Go away, Sakura-chan. I just want to be left alone."

"Okay if that is the way you feel."

The door had splintered as she punched it. The inside of small apartment was just as depressing as it had felt outside. He was lying on his couch.

"I told you I would come in if you didn't open the door." Changing her tone of voice to a more sympathetic tone she said. "I know you miss Sasuke, I do too but to sit around and mope about it won't change a thing, he is gone and we are still here. You need your friends right now Naruto, you need me and right now I need you as well." She blushed a little as she said the latter.

"Sakura-chan, what kind of friend am I. I couldn't save him, I…"

"Right now, I am not worried about him, I am worried about you, so get up and get dressed our friends are down at Ichiraku waiting on us."

"But…"

"No buts. And this time I am not above forcing you to leave."

He did as he was told; after all she was much stronger than he was.

As they made there way down the street all eyes were on the pair, or more specifically, Naruto. In the past several days the villagers had all began to have different views about the young man. Some had begun to see him, no longer as the container of the Nine-Tailed Fox, but as a hero, he was able to defeat the criminal Itachi with only the lose of a traitor. Some saw him as a person who caused the destruction of one of Konoha's most powerful clan; sure he had beaten an S-ranked criminal but the other Uchiha had gone off to do the same. He needed to train and though he had decided to train with one of Konoha's biggest traitors, he did kill him in the end; didn't that prove his loyalty to the Leaf. Still others just saw him the same as he had been two weeks ago, a monster, a freak, and a relic of the past, something to be despised and hated.

Naruto's mind was elsewhere, that coupled with the fact that he had always received some of the looks he was getting, so he didn't really notice all of glares he was getting. Sakura on the other hand had. Those who had a low opinion of the blonde shinobi were now also looking down at her.

"How can she possibly want to be seen with 'it'," was one of the comments she had been unlucky enough to here.

"You have to admire her caring heart. To be seen walking next to such a thing, I wouldn't be caught dead with it," was another.

All eyes were on the two and she knew it. Though she was walking with Naruto to meet up with friends, she couldn't help but feel… alone.

"Was this what it was like for you growing-up, Naruto?" she thought as she walked beside him.

She couldn't help but look over at her friend with both pity and admiration.

As they approached Ichiraku's, Naruto couldn't help but see all of his friends had come to see him. And a small smile began to spread across his face.