Hey guys.

This is my first fan fiction so please forgive me if its not that good. I would really appreciate it if you could please give me feedback. Like, if I've done something well or I need to improve on something, that would be really helpful to a new writer like me. Thanks and I hope you like it :)

The day had started off as any other day had for the past week. Team Seven would rise in the morning, eat breakfast with Tazuna and his family, and then either go guard the bridge or practise tree climbing depending on the individual's level of chakra control. All three genin had finally mastered the tree climbing exercise, and so the whole team - save Naruto who was still recovering from exhaustion - had trooped off to guard the bridge. It had been a pleasant morning, Kakashi had finally recovered from his fight with Zabuza, everyone was in a good mood. Everything was going fine.

That is, until they reached the bridge. That was when everything started going wrong.

Sakura had been too busy casting longing glances at Sasuke to notice Kakashi's gesture to stop. She only realised when she collided with his back. Although most of his face was covered, the chastising glance the Jonin shot her was all too clear. Blushing, she mumbled an apology and backed up. Redressing the problem at hand, Kakashi turned back towards the bridge, scanning the structure for any sign of movement.

"It's too quiet," he mused "Normally we would be able to hear the sounds of the workers by now."

"They could be taking a break" Sasuke suggested.

"It's too early for a lunch break. And besides, we would still be able to hear conversation." Kakashi's normally lazy eye had become calculating.

"Could it be Zabuza?" The missing-nin drifted through Sakura's thoughts. His icy glare and monstrous sword had been the contents of her nightmares for the past week.

Kakashi's brow furrowed. "Quite possibly"

They continued forward, this time surrounding Tazuna more tightly, forming a protective triangle around the bridge builder. As they walked across the bridge five distant shapes could be seen lying on the ground. Sakura was squinting, trying to make out the shapes when Tazuna released a sudden, anguished cry and pushed past their defenses to run to his fallen comrades.

"Wha- What's this?!"

As Tazuna grieved over his friends and Team Seven repositioned their defence around him, a slight haze descended on the bridge. It slowly thickened into a mist, growing heavier and heavier, obscuring the group's surroundings.

Kakashi was the first to notice, "Here they come!" he shouted causing everyone to tense and the shinobis' hands to hover over weapon pouches.

"Kakashi sensei, this is… this is his hidden mist jutsu, right?" Sakura's voice sounded weaker to her than she would have liked. The mist was so thick by now that she couldn't see further than a meter away from her.

"Long time no see, Kakashi" the ominous voice drifted out from the mist, seemingly coming from all directions. "I see you're still with those brats. He's shaking again, poor kid."

This comment caused Sakura to glance at Sasuke. He was, as Zabuza said, trembling. But he also wore a smirk on his face so she didn't think that his shaking was from fear. The thought lifted Sakura's spirits. Sasuke-kun was never afraid. After all, what was there to fear when he was so strong and cool?

The mist suddenly cleared enough to reveal the multiple clones surrounding them and Sakura's newfound spark of confidence died in an icy wash of fear.

Sasuke's voice cut through the silence and returning that spark. "I'm shaking from excitement."

To her right, Kakashi gave his trademark one eyed smile and simply said "Do it, Sasuke."

What happened after that was a mash of tense stand offs and blood filled fighting. At one point, Naruto appeared in his usual dramatic way and cemented his title as Konoha's Number One Knucklehead Ninja by getting caught in Haku's kekkei Genkai trap along with Sasuke.

Sakura had not been involved in the fighting, stationed as she was to protect Tazuna. Most of the time her attention was concentrated on Sasuke in the ice dome. At one point she even tried to help him by launching a kunai into the dome only for it to be intercepted by Haku. Watching the senbon fly and Sasuke and Naruto's desperate attempts to defend and retaliate, it took all Sakura's willpower not to disobey her orders and run to their aid. But disobeying her orders meant abandoning Tazuna. She would not do that. She had taken responsibility for his safety when she had accepted this mission and she would not go back on her word now. Besides, what could she do to help Sasuke anyway? She was only a skilless genin and their opponent was too fast and too deadly. She would not stand a chance.

'Sasuke will be fine, he is strong. He will come out on top in the end, he always does'

He always does.

Then why was she sitting here now, after the fight, weeping over his beaten, lifeless form. This was not happening, how could it? Sasuke was too strong for this. This was just a cruel genjutsu someone had placed over her, or… or a nightmare. She had somehow fallen unconscious and was dreaming.

But the cold form she hugged close, the motionless chest under her tearstained cheek, all felt too real to be a dream. And the seal formed with numb fingers along with the broken "kai" she uttered did not reveal the real world behind the illusion.

He was gone. Sasuke was… he was… dead.

The sobs intensified. Sakura felt like she was choking. Choking on a huge lump lodged in her throat. It was cutting off her air ways, condemning her for letting this happen. Because it was her fault. She was the one who stood on the sidelines while everyone else was fighting for their lives. She was the one to hide behind everyone else's strength.

'If only I had just forgotten the mission. If only I had gone to help them. If only I could have helped them. If only… I were stronger.'