Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.
Heavy clouds stretched across the sky in a somber blanket. Their humid weight seemed to sit over the entire village and muffled the sounds of life, and with no breeze to drive it away the oppressive presence dug its claws into not only the land but the people as well. Though behind the thick cover the sun sat nearly at its zenith, very few people walked the streets and those that did appeared nervous and eager to retreat to the safety of their homes as though light and warmth might drive away the stifling weight that hung over them.
Dull, lifeless blue eyes reflected the vast grey planes of the sky as their owner stared upward, lost in the wide expanse of uniform misery. The black clothes he wore fit the mood perfectly. Two strong legs moved at a slow, even pace almost without a conscious order from the body they attached to, grass, then stone, then dirt, then stairs passing beneath them until they halt before a door. Several minutes passed before the young man realized that the sky no longer filled his vision, but a wooden overhang that really never seemed quite so interesting as he found it in that moment, when he wanted nothing more than to disappear into the cracks between the planks and never return, or perhaps to join the clouds to look down on the earth in detached indifference. Perhaps it hurt less that way. Perhaps it didn't hurt at all.
He reached up to the knob with one tanned hand, fumbled weakly for a moment, then turned it, slowly shuffled inside, and kicked off his sandals. The warm glow of the light failed to bring any brightness to his heart, which still felt gripped in claws of ice so frigid they burned, the pain throbbing through every inch of his young body. He collapsed onto his bed without pausing to bother with the covers and stared listlessly at the ceiling, absently counting the many fine lines that formed on its surface over the years. Three dots clustered closely together seemed to swirl as he stared at them, and he almost saw the deep burgundy iris to go with them.
It's not your fault, Naruto. There's nothing you could have done to change what happened.
At least, that's what Kakashi-sensei told him after they returned to the Hidden Leaf. After they had failed. No, after he had failed.
The blue eyes blinked slowly, once, twice, then turned slowly to the right. When they managed to focus, he immediately wished they had remained on the ceiling rather than what lay before him now. A simple nightstand, with a well-loved photograph set atop its dusty surface alongside the forehead protector bearing the leaf insignia. But apart from that, the dried flowers that sat there, bound by a red ribbon tied in a delicate bow. The boy swallowed thickly past the lump growing in his throat. He remembered the day perfectly; a warm, sunny afternoon several days after the battle in the Valley of the End, a visitor arrived as he rested in the hospital.
Golden rays of sun slanted in through the open window and highlighted little clouds of dust motes as the slight breeze swirled them around the room. The comfortable warmth and softness of the cushions had long since lulled the bed's occupant into a doze, deep enough that at first he failed to recognize the distant sound as knocking. The sharp noise grew more prominent as he slowly dragged himself from slumber, calling a slurred "come in."
Soft teal eyes met his half-lidded sapphire orbs as the girl entered, hands behind her back. "Hey, Naruto," she says in an unusually kind tone. Not unusual, he supposed, given the circumstances. "How are you feeling today?"
"Not so bad," he replied, voice thick raspy from sleep. "I heal quickly, remember?"
His teammate sighed and sat in the wooden chair next to the bed, gently placing a bouquet of red daisies on his lap as she did so. "You know that's not what I mean."
He knew. Of course he knew. His wounds were no longer life threatening, and due to the Nine Tails his recovery progressed at an incredibly rapid rate. They both knew that his physical recovery needed not be worried over. This left, of course, only his emotional state after his complete and utter failure to bring Sasuke back to the village. Back to them. Back to his home.
He turned his head toward the window, unable to meet Sakura's gaze, knowing underneath her compassion he would see pain – a deep, unspeakable pain that raged within his heart as well, a pain that grew and grew and made him want to scream until his voice grew raw to make it stop. No matter how well she hid it, it was always there because if not in her eyes he would see it reflected in his own. Need she even ask, then? She knew better than anyone how the blonde boy felt when the strongest bond he ever knew was torn forcefully from him, connected only by fragile strings composed of pure willpower and an aching need to not be alone in the world any longer.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'm so sorry, Sakura. . .I couldn't bring him back. I'm sorry."
His lips formed the words over and over, a mantra, as though by their repetition things might return to normal. That if he apologized enough Sasuke would appear, wearing his signature sour expression and chiding him for being an idiot. But most of him knew that wouldn't happen, and set up the wall of words against the terrifying possibility that Sakura would withhold her forgiveness and offer up hatred instead. The gentle touch of her hand on his cut off the flow of babbling and brought widened blue eyes back to her face.
"It's okay, Naruto. There isn't anything for me to forgive you for. You did your best."
"B-but, I didn't-"
"I know. And we aren't going to give up on him. We're a team now, Naruto, and we're going to bring him back together."
Together.
A single salty droplet slipped down the blonde's cheek, over the whisker marks, and soon found itself followed by many others in a flow that he couldn't seem to stop.
"Damn it," he choked out. "Damn it! You said we'd bring him back together! That we were a team! How the hell…."
He fell silent for a long time, words caught in his throat as he stared through the haze of tears at the dried out red petals. "How are we supposed to bring him back together, when you've left me all alone?"
A/N: Reviews are encouraged, as is constructive criticism. Please let me know what you thought. :)