When they came back, she didn't cry.

When they saw her, they waited for the tears, the hugs, maybe even for her anger. None of which came.

She stood there with the rest of the Rookie Nine; she stood there with her fellow shinobi, because she was unattached. Because she didn't know them anymore.

Naruto; didn't want to know.

Because he had loved her, because he still loved her, because he had left her there, and he didn't want to think of her being alone. So he tried to look at anything else but her, anyone else but her, because he didn't want to know what damage he had caused. Naruto didn't want to know what he had done.

Kakashi; didn't want to look.

Because if he did he knew what he would see, and what wouldn't be there; he knew the bitterness that had settled behind her eyes, and the love that would never be there again. And he knew he could never blame her, because it was his own fault. Kakashi didn't want to look at what he had caused.

Sasuke; didn't want to think.

Because if he thought it would all go back to the day that he left, the day that he gave everything up, everything that could have been, the day that he gave her up. He knew that she had loved him; he knew what he did was wrong, and he knew that if he thought of her one more time he would break. Sasuke didn't want to think of what he had thrown away.

Sakura Haruno did not cry or scream or yell or punch. Because she was long past being angry, she was long past them. So instead she smiled. Because in a way she was happy that they were back, in a way she was happy that they were home. The rest of the Rookie Nine had insisted that it be her to tell them that the Hokage wished to see them.

And as the words left her mouth, Naruto took a step forward. Sasuke shifted to the side. Kakashi partially reached for her.

But Sakura raised her hand, a sign of goodbye, the goodbye she never got to say.

A piece fell into place that day for Sakura, the piece that had been missing for so long, the piece that had been missing since the day that they had left her behind.

Sakura Haruno let go.