Is this... heaven? A-am I dead? Where is his face? The light... i-it's darkened. It's gone... Am I?

Sakura

I prayed for our leader as they burried him. My snsai was no where to be seen, and my friend stood next to me. I guess I owe him, afterall he savd my life. So did my other friend. He stood infront of me.

I sniffled and looked at my feet. I couldn't help the tears slide down my face. We all wore black to mourn, but when the funeral is over, the always have a festival to celebrate the death and the spirit going to a paradise we called heaven.

Sasuke looked at me and gripped my shoulder, but that was all he intended. I didn't even glance up at him. I have spent atleest half of my life drooling over that boy. The lord of the fire lands finished up his speach of goodbye and asked us to attend the festival to lighten our heavy hearts.

I lifted my head just as Kakashi came into the crowd, scanning it for us. He caught sight of my short pink hair and walked over to us where the crowd started to clear. Naruto slowley dragged iver to us also. He was especially close to the Hokage.

"Are you guys okay?" Kakashi sensai asked, as he peered down at us with his only exposed eye. Naruto stood next to me, and Sasuke was next to him now as we looked at the ground.

I slowley nodded my head, and turned to the side overlooking the headquarters. "We'll be fine." Sasuke mummbled and he turned the same way I did and started walking. Naruto turned the oppisite way and walked to his apartmeant. Kakashi sighed and turned around and started to head back to wherever he was.

Sasuke stopped about twenty feet away from where I was standing. He sihed and sai, "C'mon, I'll walk you home."

I nodded once more and caught up to him. We walked pass the Yamanaka flower shop and the Ichiraku Ramen Bar.

"This is really hard for you, isn't it?" he asked me. I looked up at him in suprise. He never really talked to me anyways.

I hesitated before answering. "Well, I grew up with him around. We all grew up with him, and he was like my grandfather. He was my sister's personal sensai. He was around the Haruno clan alot."

"I didn't know you had a sister." he said non-chalantly. I loved her, but she was stationed in another village. Her name was Ayasae Turata Haruno, about Kakashi's age, too. Ayasae had just recaived informaion about the hokage's death and she wrote to me saying she would be depressed for a while and would come home to attend the festival and later pay her respects.

"Yes, I do. She should be here later." I whispered. Sasuke stopped infront of my house. He turned to me, and I looked at him.

"I hope your family recovers from this loss." he said, and vanished. I looked up and there he was, dashing up above the rooftops.

I looked away, and that warm wet feeling slid down my cheaks again. Now I couldn't help myself from crying about this. I couldn't really accept that he was gone. Old Sarutobi, was dead.

I slumped down onto the ground, standing on my knees, well, sitting on them. I burried my face in my hands, and sobbed. Death is one of the things I have to accept. Being a kunoichi, it came with the package.

A light but firm hand fell on my shoulder. "Please don't cry anymore, Sakura-chan... I hate when you are sad." said a feathery female voice. I looked over my shoulder to see a 29 year old woman wearing dark grey traveling clothes, and had a gold chain with a cherry blossom locket. "Ayasae.."

Ayasae

I hated to see her cry, and hunched down like that. Afterall she was my little sister. She was in her mourning clothes. Sarutobi... my dear teacher. His time had come. An old man dies, his people live. Of course it only works if the person you fight dies too.

She slowley stood up, and looked at me, examining me, seeing what was different. I haven't seen her in four years... Her hair was shorter, and she was alot taller. Still a bit flat chested though. Unlike me. She closed her eyes, and I pulled her into me, and hugged her. She cryed into my blouse, and the tears soaked my shirt. I patted her lightley on her head, and remained emotionless.

"OH! AYASAE!" I heard mother yelp, and rush out the door. Sakura pulled away from me and let mom hug me. Dad came out and smiled, putting his arm around Sakura's shoulder. She wiped away her tears and stiffled a fake laugh.

Mother squeezed me and pulle back, giving me a hefty kiss on the cheak and putting my head between her hands and kissing my forehead. Our parents where always emotional towards their children. Mother went to depression when I left Konoha.

Mother stepped back. She and Father where still waring their mourning clothes.

AFTER all of the greeting from the rest of the household, Sakura and I put on our festive kimonos. Her's was red with a pink obi that had a white and navy blue flower desine. Mine was light purple with a grey and white flower desine. I also wore a white obi with th same flower desine as Sakura's. I put my long hair down and spirol-curled my golden locks, andI put Sakura's hair in a flip.

She sat on her bed as I was in her bathroom that was connected to her room. I was putting on the last of my makeup and I glanced over at her. She was holding her knees to her chest and looking out her window.

"Are you ready yet?" she mummbled, falling off of her bed.

I looked at her again. "Yeah, it's good. The rain stopped too," I said, walking out of the bathroom. She stod up andsighed.

"Even the heavens weep of his death..." she whispered and started to head out the door. I followed her. Mother and father had already left so they could set up their food stand. She grabbed her fan I ave her for her birthday last year and I grabbed mine. She flipped it open and fanned her face as we walked down the street. It was dark, bu atleest the rain had stopped.

She looked ahead and put her fan away, and waving down someone. Just then, a blonde short boy came running over. He looked gloomy. My guess is he was close to the Hokage just as I was.

"Who's she?" he asked rather rudley to my sister and jamming a thumb towards me.

"Naruto! Mind your mannerss!" she said. I smiled down at the boy.

"It's alright sister..." I said.

"SISTER?!" he gasped. "I didn't know you had a sister! You two don't look anything alike."

True. Me and Sakura looked nothing alike. I have blonde hair and blue eyes while she had pink hair and green eyes. And so do our parents. It made me wonder all the time too.