The people of Konoha were gathering at the front of the Hokage building, all of them in black. Once everyone was there, the funeral began. After several speeches were spoken, a woman with long golden brown hair walked up to the table and placed down her flower before the two photographs. She smiled weakly at the picture of the Sixth Hokage, her successor, Naruto Uzumaki. She remembered when she had first met him, back when he and his master at the time, Jiriya [A?N: I know that his name is spelled wrong], were sent out to get her as the Fifth Hokage. Naruto had a lot of guts, hope, and dreams. She knew that one was achieved for sure, his success of becoming Hokage. That boy had reminded her of her little brother, and she got the chance to see him grow up when her little brother didn't get the chance.
His smile was large, and his cerulean eyes sparkled in the picture. The Hokage cap was on his head, his blond spikes of hair peeked out from underneath just a little bit. The woman smiled at the photo, remembering the young man very well. "You did great Naruto," she said.
She then looked at the picture beside the Hokage's, and it showed a beautiful young woman who was about the same age as Naruto, but with shoulder length pink hair and jade green eyes. The mourner nodded to the picture of the pink haired woman, and she whispered, "You did your best, Sakura." Sakura was her apprentice, and she was like a daughter to her. She remembered the determination in the pink haired girl's eyes when she asked her to train her under the ways of a medical ninja. Tears stung her eyes, and a tear fell from her eye. She had to step away and let the other mourners proceed.
A young man, around the age of fifteen, walked up to the table and placed his flower along with the other youths of the village. The boy stared at the picture of the Sixth Hokage, and his eyes brimmed with tears. He remembered when he was in the Academy, and Naruto was a Genin, that he used to challenge and look up to him. He was so inspired by Naruto that he, too, dreamt of becoming Hokage. "I will become Hokage, you'll see," the boy whispered. He walked away for the others.
A man with tall silver hair that was spiked to the side walked over to the table and placed his own flower down. He stared at the two pictures, remembering them as Genin and in his squad still. He remembered the survival test he gave them, and then the missions they went through together, watching them grow. When their third teammate, Sasuke, had gone to Orochimaru, Naruto and Sakura had worked so hard to get strong enough to bring him back. He remembered their determination for the mission, and he respected that. They were all like a small family, protecting and supporting each other. A grim smile came to his lips, though nobody would see it under his mask. He murmured, "Both of you, rest in peace." He stepped down for the others.
A young blond woman walked up to the table and placed her flower on the black covers. She smiled weakly at the picture of Sakura. They were best friends since the Academy, and when their crush got in the middle of their relationship, the two had become friendly rivals. She remembered well how they raced through the streets to get to class, and how they mocked the other with nicknames. No one really understood how they could be so rude to each other and yet still support the other, but that was what made their friendship so special – no matter what, they still remained friends. The young woman wiped a tear from her eye and walked away to a man with his black hair in a ponytail. He hugged her tightly and watched the others proceed.
A man with his brown hair in a bushy ponytail walked up to the table. He stared at the two photos and remembered the two as Academy students in his class. He remembered Sakura's smarts and manners, and then he remembered Naruto's rambunctious attitude. Naruto may have failed so many times and was one who would normally be a pain in the neck he had grown quite fond of the boy. When the Chunin Exams were taken in their village, he was proud to see Naruto and Sakura as well as Sasuke pass the second test of survival. Time had gone by so fast, and now here he was, at their funeral. The idea of them dying so young made a tear fall again. He turned and walked away fro the next person.
Another young woman walked up to the table, but she had long bluish-black hair. Everyone watched her carefully as she stopped in front of the picture of the Sixth Hokage and stared at it. She placed her own blossom down between the two pictures on top of the other flowers. She remembered Naruto and his unique aura that would made even a stranger smile in his presence. His smile and attitude was so charming; remembering such things made her smile. She had admired Naruto for his determination to become the most successful ninja in Konoha and take place as the Hokage. He had actually inspired her to do the same and get better as a ninja, working hard for her father's approval. The young woman recalled how kind he was to her, how much he cared for her, how much he loved her. A lone tear fell from her eye, and more were soon to come. She looked over at the photo of Sakura and nodded in thanks. You put your life on the line for him, she thought, and for that I give you my thanks and hopes that you will rest in peace. She took one last look at the picture of Naruto smiling, and then she left the table.
The last person to go up was a young man with bluish-black hair that was spiked in the back. He paused by the table and set his flower down, and he stared at the pictures. He remembered the times they spent as Team Seven with their sensei, Kakashi. He remembered their Academy days where he and Naruto were from such different backgrounds, but they ended up being similar later on in life. He remembered how Sakura was a crazed fan girl and how she always wanted him to notice her as a great kunoichi. After he left for Orochimaru and met them again years later, he saw how strong both of them had become. Later on, he returned to the Hidden Leaf, and they all caught up with each other. The young man remembered how he had started falling for his old teammate, Sakura Haruno. He had started dating her, and eventually he took it a step higher, asking for her hand in marriage. She gladly accepted, and he was happy that time. Now, here were his two closest friends, no longer in this world, leaving him behind. He stared at the picture of Sakura with such sadness, and then he left the table.
The funeral was soon over, and the villagers started filing out of the area, heading back home. People murmured to each other, not talking loud or normal like any other day. The young woman with bluish-black hair waited while everyone left, her white eyes still staring at the table of flowers. A young man with spiky brown hair walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, and he smiled a little. "I'm sorry about Naruto, Hinata-chan," he said.
She nodded, "Thank you, Kiba-kun." He walked away with the crowd, and she stared after him. The blond young woman stopped by her as well. "Yes, Ino-chan?" she asked.
"Do you want to come with me to get some tea and dumplings?" the woman asked.
"Sure." The two ladies walked beside one another. Hinata looked over across the now empty area and saw a lone figure standing by a tree. She frowned, and Ino followed her gaze. "That is Sasuke-kun over there, right?" Hinata asked.
"Yeah," Ino replied, "Poor guy; he and Sakura were only married for two years."
"Should we ask him to come with us?" Hinata really hated to see someone so sad take the fact that his loved ones were no longer alive by themselves. On the other hand, she didn't know what she could do to console someone like Sasuke Uchiha.
Ino thought about Hinata's question for a minute, and then she answered, "I don't really see any harm in asking." She smiled at her friend, and the two of them walked over to the young man.
Sasuke noticed Ino and Hinata walk over toward him, and he looked at them, indicating that he indeed sees them. Ino and Hinata stopped before him, and Ino smiled. "Sasuke-kun," she said, "Hinata and I were wondering if you would like to come with us for some tea and such. What do you think?" The Uchiha stared at Ino's smile, and then he looked at Hinata's innocent smile.
"It would be best if you come," Hinata added shyly. "Such an occasion shouldn't be taken alone."
Sasuke was silent, thinking about his answer. Then he replied, "I'll go…"
Hinata smiled. "Great, let's go then." Ino nodded, and all three walked away toward the closest sweetshop.
***
The three were drinking their tea in silence. Hinata quietly ate a dumpling while Ino did the same. Sasuke silently stared into his cup of tea. He never uttered a word at the table while Hinata and Ino had very simple conversations: how their day was, what their plans were for the week, what their mission frequency was, and more.
"I wonder who the Hokage will be now." Ino pondered idly as she stirred her tea. Her words made Hinata pause in her eating, and Ino noticed. She was about to say an apology when Hinata resumed eating.
"I'm thinking that Kakashi should be Hokage," she said after she swallowed her food. "Do you agree, Sasuke-kun?"
The Uchiha didn't reply, only paying attention to his tea. Hinata made a small frown, but she excused him. She turned her gaze to Ino.
"I think that would be great," she answered. She looked at her watch. "Oh, my shift at the hospital is going to start in ten minutes; I better head over there to be on time.
"Alright, have a nice day Ino-chan," Hinata said.
"You too Hinata-chan," Ino said. "See you later, Sasuke-kun."
Sasuke simply nodded. Ino still took it with a smile, and then she paid their bill and left. Once Ino left, Hinata finished her dumpling and stood up. "I should probably head home now…I'll see you later, Sasuke-kun." She walked away from the table.
The Uchiha noted her slow footsteps and slightly hunched figure. It seemed that the news was starting to fully affect her. When she disappeared around the corner, Sasuke sighed and stood up. He left the shop and headed to his house.
*~*The Next Day*~*
Hinata was slowly walking through the village. She watched people walk by her, children playing in front of the Academy. Memories came back to her, and she started to walk away from them and toward the training fields. On her way there, she saw couples holding hands, looking at each other with the look that said that they had found the one for them. Hinata sped up and tried ignoring their faces. All of these things were reminding her about her relationship with Naruto. She caught her breath at Ichiraku Ramen Shop, and she could not escape the memories there.
She saw her and Naruto sitting there, eating some of the famous ramen:
"Hey Hinata-chan," Naruto said.
"Hm, what is it Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked. She turned her head to look at him, and he had a noodle hanging over his pursed lips in a long mustache.
"Look how this noodle mustache makes me look wiser! Hahaha!"
Hinata couldn't help but giggle at his joke. Naruto smiled and slurped up the noodle. He returned to his food, and after a minute Hinata tapped him on the shoulder. He looked up to see Hinata with a noodle mustache too. "What do you think?" she asked.
"Very stylish," he commented. "Though I pull it off better, hehe." He grinned, and she smiled back.
Quickly, Hinata walked away from the shop. She continued to wander around the village, avoiding and running from the memories of Naruto and herself.
***
The sun was setting, and Sasuke was walking through the training fields, heading home after a day's work of target and combat practice. He wiped his forehead as he walked, brushing off the sweat and dirt on his face. The Uchiha paused at the sound of sobbing. He slowly turned his head to the right and saw movement behind a tree. Sasuke quietly stepped over toward the tree, and when he moved to where the tree was no longer blocking his view, he saw Hinata. She was sitting on the grass, her back against the tree and her face hidden in her hands. Sasuke frowned at the sight, and then he cautiously approached the Hyuuga and knelt in front of her.
"Hinata," he said, "what happened?"
The young woman suppressed her sobs and peeked from behind her hands. Her hands lowered, and her eyes were surprised. "S-Sasuke-kun? What are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing, but since you asked first I was training just over there," he pointed to where he walked in, "and I was heading back home when I saw you. What are you doing here?"
She sniffled, "I…I was trying to…run away…"
"Run away? From what?"
"…M-my memories…I kept seeing Naruto-kun and…I couldn't take it…" Hinata resumed crying. "I miss him, Sasuke-kun. I wish he didn't die."
Sasuke sighed. "I wish that he didn't either, Hinata, but it happens. He died saving our village, remember that." He looked at her directly in the eyes. "I'm sorry to say it, but he's dead, Hinata. He isn't going to come back to life. The only way he remains the least bit alive is through your memories. He wouldn't want you to forget him, and he wouldn't want you sad. Respect his sacrifice; live a good life for him."
"He proposed to me!" she yelled. Then her tone went down to a whisper. "I love him, and I was going to live a good life…with him, Sasuke, I can't do anything without him." She hugged herself and cried, but then she felt a hand hold her chin and lift her head up. She now stared into Sasuke's deep, dark onyx eyes.
"I know what it feels like to lose someone you love," he said lowly. "I miss her so much, but she, as well as Naruto, would want us to live on. Naruto loves you, and he put his life on the line to protect you. Sakura did the same thing for me, for Naruto, for you. We shouldn't sulk over their death and turn ourselves into an emotional wreck. Be strong, Hinata. You can live a good life without Naruto, and I am not meaning this like you should forget him. Remember him, keep him close, but don't shut yourself out to life. I already did that once, and I'm not going to do that again.
"Take it from me: don't live your life down. Continue your life, okay?"
Hinata nodded slowly, and then she wiped her eyes with her jacket sleeve. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she said.
Sasuke nodded. "Now, it's getting late. I'll walk you home." He stood up and offered her a hand. She smiled weakly and took it, and he pulled up on her feet. The two began to walk toward the Hyuuga compound in silence. Hinata stole glances at Sasuke, and he didn't seem to notice.
Sasuke-kun, Hinata thought. You must be lonelier than ever…you lost your entire clan, and then you lose your wife and best friend. I have only lost a boyfriend, yet I feel so empty, so horrible…you must feel terribly lonely and sad. How can you be so strong to take all these blows and still remain sane?
They stopped at the main doors to the Hyuuga compound. Sasuke looked at Hinata. "Well, here's your stop," he said.
Hinata nodded and bowed. "Thank you for taking me home, Sasuke-kun," she said.
"You're welcome." He watched as she opened the door and walked inside. The young woman turned to take one last look at the Uchiha, and then she closed the door. Sasuke sighed and walked away from the doors, back to his own home.
***
Sasuke turned off the shower and reached for his towel. He dried off and wrapped the towel around his waist and stepped out of the shower. He walked into his bedroom and got dressed into grey sweatpants and a black T-shirt. Sasuke then sat on his half of the bed and stared at the other half. The young man sighed and lied down and stared at the ceiling.
Naruto, Sakura…you both chose a crazy time to leave like that. Let's hope that Hinata…that I…can handle your deaths. Naruto -- I don't know if you can, but still -- try reassuring Hinata that she'll be fine.
The Uchiha closed his eyes, and an image of Sakura came into focus. She was smiling her sweet smile, and her radiance was so warm that Sasuke smiled to himself. The young woman's green eyes sparkled like emeralds that were reflecting firelight. Her hand came up to her lips, and she blew him a kiss. Her smile became a small frown.
"Please forgive me," she said as her image started to fade away.
"I do," Sasuke replied.
Sakura smiled again, and that made him feel better. "Thank you…" She then disappeared into the darkness.
A small tear fell from the corner of Sasuke's eye, and it rolled slowly down his face. "Good-bye…Sakura…"
That's all for the first chapter. Please review. Chapter 2 commin soon.
~RedWolf210