Kawatta; Different
By: Kyoutai

Summary:
The mission ended in failure. There was no Sasuke with the ones who had returned. And because of that; everything had changed from there on. Things and people became different than what they used to be. And it would most likely never change back.

WARNING:
Angst, Shoujo Ai, and Shounen Ai. Oh yes, and events of the Rescue Sasuke Arc have been changed to my liking; don't flame me just because the events didn't follow the storyline...they're NOT supposed to, anyways. I've made the mood a lot darker; first of all. Heed these warnings! If you don't like 'em, then don't even read "Kawatta; Different".

The mission had ended in failure. They returned without Sasuke. They returned with wounds, bruises, broken bones, and carrying two fallen comrades. They made their way, tiredly, to the hospital...with help from a few from their welcoming party. It was understandable that the group didn't talk, you could see it through their eyes. They had failed the mission, and what was worse was that something had happened to each and everyone of them. They had all changed. No longer was Naruto the laughing troublemaker he was before, he became cold and distant. Sakura was one of the first few to actually see this change. And she saw it while searching for answers that everyone was practically dying to know, but afraid to ask. The gennin had gone through enough during that mission; they didn't need questions about it. Sakura asked on a day when the sun was shining through the windows; it mocked the sorrowful mood all the people in the mission were in.

"Naruto?" Sakura entered his hospital room, smiling slightly. She held a bouquet of flowers in her hands, as if it were a peace-offering of some sort for her comrade.

"..." Naruto kept his back to Sakura, staring outside the window and at the sunny landscape outside. It did mock the emotions that he was holding. Sakura looked over onto his empty bed with a soft sigh. The bed was still made, as if Naruto hadn't slept in it at all. She stifled a small gasp, when she saw a hitai-ate on Naruto's pillow. She immideately knewwhose it was, but she couldn't stop herself from asking:

"Naruto, is that--"

"Sasuke's." Naruto cut off Sakura, his voice cold. It was obvious he didn't wish to talk about anything dealing with Sasuke, especially that hitai-ate and the mission.

"...Sorry, Naruto."

"Don't be. It's our fault for not getting Sasuke back."

"You guys did well. I mean...you almost rescued Sasuke and --"

"Sasuke didn't want to come back, Sakura." Those words hit Sakura hard. ...Sasuke didn't want to come back? But then she thought of the night that he had left, and what he had said to her. She bit her bottom lip nervously, not wanting to remember. "Sasuke enjoys the fact that he is with Sound." Naruto continued, his tone not changing, "Sasuke feels like we were only something in his way...." If Sakura could see Naruto's eyes, then she would've saw that they were now filling with sadness. "I failed. I didn't get him back, Sakura. It was my fault."

"...Naruto..."

"Sakura, I'm a failure to this village," Naruto growled slightly. "I'm leaving."

"What?" The memory of the night Sasuke left now was coming back to her. She couldn't bear to see someone else go like that. "Naruto, no."

"Yes, I am leaving. I need to become better...and next time, when I come back, I want to be able to come back with Sasuke." Naruto paused a little, as if to let the words sink in, and then finally turned around. Sakura almost gasped. Naruto's blue eyes were glaring at her, filled with both anger, sadness, and regret. "And only I am going this time. I don't want to have anyone else get hurt."

"No, Naruto." Sakura stepped forward, and reached out for him with her free-hand. He smacked her hand away, with a loud growl. "Naruto...you can't. You're not a failure to this village!"

"Feh, I don't need your pity Sakura." His cold tone now had an undertone of regret and anger. "Everyone knows that if I hadn't hesitated during battle..." Naruto trailed off, looking towards the floor.

"...Naruto." His eyes snapped back up, and glared into Sakura's green ones. He walked over to his bed, and picked up Sasuke's hitai-ate. He looked down at the hitai-ate, and smiled slightly as he ran his thumb over its metal plate. Other than the deep scratch in the symbol of Leaf, the hitai-ate was in perfect condition. Had Naruto been cleaning Sasuke's hitai-ate, simply to keep his memory of Sasuke alive? It seemed like it took eternity for Naruto to stop staring at the hitai-ate. He looked over at Sakura, and frowned.

"Sakura," Naruto's eyes were filling with slight sympathy. "I want you to keep this." He walked over to Sakura, and placed Sasuke's hitai-ate in it. "I want you to keep it for Sasuke when and if he returns to us. When I come back to Konoha, I'll be ready to get Sasuke, then. I might even come back with the Uchiha." He smiled slightly, and Sakura smiled back, taking the hitai-ate. She was glad that Naruto hadn't totally changed. "Well, good bye...Sakura-chan." He walked over to the window, opened it, and lifted himself unto theits sill.

"Wait, Naruto!"

"Hn?"

"Naruto-kun...good luck." Naruto smiled back over to her, nodded in understanding, then was off. Sakura rushed over to the window and gasped a little. Naruto had become surprisingly fast, he was slowly becoming a tiny dot in the distance. She sighed, then looked at the hitai-ate in her hand, and then at the bouquet of forgotten flowers.

After Sakura had tied the hitai-ate safely hidden around her shoulder, she went to the room across from Naruto's. If not for the paper on the wall that said the patient's name, Sakura would've never guessed who it was. The patient had their long hair sprawled all around them, their breathing was deep and greatly troubled. They had some sort of writing all over their bare body; most likely from some sort of healing jutsu. The patient had almost kicked off all of their covers, and were shivering deeply. Sakura was about to go, when Neji opened one of his eeriely white eyes.

"What are...you...doing here?" He was wheezing, and Sakura could tell that it was hard for him to breathe, let alone talk. And she didn't even want to talk to Neji at all. Not only because he was sick, but because of how he acted. He was cold, distant, and believed himself to be superior to everyone; even if he didn't come out and just say it. It was the way he moved, and his eyes. "...Answer...me." His words sent her back to reality. The "superior" Neji was now sick and bedridden...he didn't seem so high and mighty now.

"Oh, I just wanted to see who was in this room." Sakura said, ending her sentence with a laugh to cover up any nervousness. She waved to Neji, then turned to leave.

"...Your laugh tells me...that you are...nervous. ...What's...wrong?"

She remembered that Neji was known for deciding things about people through their actions or words. That was another reason Sakura didn't like Neji. Plus, she never really interacted with him at all. She had no reason to like Neji. "Nothing. I'll be on my way."

"...Wait." Neji raised a hand weakly. "Can you...please...fix my covers?" Sakura blushed slightly, now completely noticing the fact that Neji was naked. Luckily, the covers had been covering Neji's waist and down, but still.... She walked over, and quickly pulled the covers up over Neji's neck. She nodded,turned on her heel, and was almost out the door when Neji called to her again. She turned around, a little annoyed with Neji.

"Sakura...who are...the...flowers for?"

"They were for Naruto." Sakura's eyes filled with sadness. She felt almost like crying, but she held in her tears. She didn't want to cry infront of the Hyuuga.

"...Naruto is...gone, isn't he?" Sakura really didn't like that. Neji's eyes really could see through everything. She started crying right then and there. Not because of Neji, no, but because he spoke of Naruto. She couldn't handle it all...her two teammates were gone. One, a hero, and the other a traitor. And still, she was nothing. She was only in the way...Sasuke had been right all along. "Why are...you...crying?" Sakura didn't answer him, she dropped the bouquet of flowers on the floor, and ran out crying. And while she ran, there was only one thought in her mind: she was useless.

Ino was feeling an unhealthy mix of boredom, annoyance, and tiredness. Today was one of her family's flower shop's busiest days. People came in to buy "get well" flowers, congratuatory flowers, and flowers of all types. And most, if not all, of the flowers were for the boys who had left for the rescue Sasuke mission. Ino sighed in frustration. "Hey Mom, I'm gonna go on a break, okay?" She needed air, and she needed time to think. Her mom simply waved at Ino, busy with a customer. Ino left the store, and hurried off to the woods behind her shop. She walked through the woods calmly whistling. She felt at peace here, especially since hardly anyone visited the woods. Eventually, she made her way to a grassy clearing, with only a simple sakura tree in the middle of it. She slowly walked over to the tree, but only stopped when she heard someone sobbing. Ino frowned, wanting to be completely alone to think. She sighed, and looked behind the tree. Her eyes widened.

"Sakura? What are you doing here?"

The pink haired girl looked up at Ino, her sobs shaking her body. "I-I-Ino...he l-left." Ino raised a 'brow, trying to think of someone that Sakura would care about leaving. She sighed, and was about to give up and ask, but Sakura spoke up: "Ino, N-Naruto left!" Ino didn't care much for Naruto, he was annoying as hell. But, she hated to see Sakura crying so much...crying so much for Naruto. If I left...would Sakura cry for me? Ino's thoughts were interrupted, though, when Sakura pulled her down by the wrist and hugged her. Ino blinked, a deep blush forming on her face.

"...Sorry, I j-just n-n-need to hold someone." Sakura was still crying, and Ino was still a little shocked at this. Why would Sakura hug her rival, her enemy...someone who hadn't been her friend for years? Then again, what was there to be rivals about? Sasuke was gone. Sasuke was a traitor. Why fight over someone like that now? Ino sympathetically patted Sakura's back, glad that Sakura couldn't see her blushing. "Why...why did Naruto need to go?"

"Feh. Maybe because he's just a stupid disgrace to our village."

"No, he's not!" Uh oh. That wasn't the reaction that Ino had wanted at all. She was roughly pushed away, and she nearly gasped when she saw Sakura's glaring green eyes. Ino felt as if Sakura was glaring a hole into her heart...she really hated when Sakura was like this. "Naruto was a great shinobi! He was better than all of us! It was Sasuke that was the disgrace. Sasuke!!"

Ino couldn't deny that Sasuke was indeed a disgrace to the village; no, he was more than that. He was a traitor. He had betrayed them all. But, Ino could argue about Naruto. "Sakura, haven't you seen Naruto? He --"

"Listen to yourself, Ino. Naruto was a great shinobi..." Sakura's words were more gentle now, but that glare was still there. "No, he still is a great shinobi, Ino. He protected all of us. He tried his best to get Sasuke back." Sakura stood up then, making Ino frown slightly. "Don't you see that? Doesn't anyone see that? ...Or do you still have that traitor on your mind? I bet you're still in love with him." Sakura turned and walked away, leaving a now dumbfounded Ino. Her eyes followed Sakura as she walked away, and finally spoke up when her mind slowly came to realize what exactly had happened. "Sakura..." Sakura turned around, that glare still on her face.

"...I never was in love with Sasuke." Sakura's eyes widened. That was a little hard to believe. Ino was always boasting about Sasuke, or getting on someone's case when they insulted Sasuke in any way at all. Even if they spoke of the way Sasuke wore his hitai-ate, Ino would be there defending Sasuke. "I was in love with --" The sudden sound of a flock of birds leaving their tree filled the air, cutting off Ino. And Ino had been glad that had happened. ...She wasn't all that ready to admit her feelings. Sakura looked at Ino in slight disgust, and then walked off. She didn't want to listen to Ino's words, whatever they might be. Ino sighed, but was kind of glad to be alone. She leaned against the sakura tree, and closed her eyes...drifting off into her own world.

A/N:
I was thinking of ending the chapter at the first line break, but I didn't think that would be sufficent enough. Although, I do think that there should be more to this chapter. -shrugs- The next chapter will have more to it, for I don't think that even this much was sufficent, but oh well. Review, if you could, please.
By the way, about the title...it's basically a work in progress. I'm not that good at writing titles to stories. -sigh- But, whatever. I think that it pretty much works. (And if you are wondering...Kawatta loosely translates to Different. I just thought I would add that little twist to the title...) ...Thanks for reading chapter one of "Kawatta; Different"! There'll be more to come.

Chapter one of "Kawatta; Different" completed on January 9th, 2005