Crimson Hatred

Disclaimer: GAHHHH. It's obvious I don't own Naruto!!!

Chapter one: Death

"Sakura, please marry me," Lee got down one knee, for once forgetting about his rambling about springtime and youth. Sakura looked down at Lee. His eyes were shining sincerely. This man, who loved her for so many years and stood by her every time she fell, proposed to her. He hugged her whenever she cried, he made her laugh with his 'youth' antics. She expected this to happen, because she acted like she loved him too. It made her feel less guilty. She still loved Sasuke. No matter how she tried to shift that love to Lee, it did not work. Sakura closed her eyes for a few seconds. She could not bear to reach Lee's eager eyes.

Lee, he had done so much for her. Sasuke did nothing, except to hurt her and break her heart. Lee deserved so much more, but he loved her. With all his life. Sasuke… left her. There was no one else there for her, except Lee. She opened her eyes, her mind made her decision, ignoring her heart's protests. "Lee, yes," She looked directly into his eyes, filled with happiness.

Sakura played with the thin platinum band fitting snugly in her pinky. "Five more days," she thought. Five more days and she would be married to Lee. He loved her so much that she did not bear to hurt him when he proposed to her. They were engaged now.

The pink-haired kunoichi pleaded with her husband-to-be to accept the mission that involved Akatsuki because she knew he might find Sasuke there. Sasuke was looking for Itachi's whereabouts. He still wanted to kill Itachi. Lee accepted the mission. He could do anything for Sakura, even if it was dying.

Sakura was deep in her thoughts, thinking about the scene when Sasuke left her on the cold bench when he left Konoha to join Orochimaru. She smiled bitterly as she remembered him saying 'thank you'. That was the nicest thing he had said to her since the day she knew him. Her engagement band felt heavy on her finger. She remembered Lee. She did not really want marry Lee. She knew she did not love him, just grateful. She stayed on her bed, lying down. She was confused.

"Sakura, the Hokage wishes to see you IMMEDIATELY," a fellow ninja appeared at her door. She rushed out of her room and opened her door. The ninja did not dare to look into her eyes when she looked at him. Sakura had a bad feeling about this. Her heart began sinking. She rushed out of her house without locking up her house door, leaving the messenger ninja stunned at her doorstep.

"Sakura… Sasuke's found." Tsunade said when she saw Sakura coming out. However, Tsunade's eyes looked downcast. She did not look pleased to see Sakura. "Where?" Sakura enquired hurriedly. Sasuke's back! Finally! Lee was pushed out of her mind completely. She grinned, her mood lifting. "The hospital," Tsunade replied. All Tsunade saw next was a blur of pink and a swinging door as Sakura rushed out of the Hokage's office to the Konoha hospital.

She asked the nurse where Sasuke was. The nurse avoided her glance as she pointed to the mortuary. Sakura's heart shattered almost instantly. No, this can't be, she thought. Her Sasuke. The one she loved all her life…died? She took long strides to the mortuary. Sasuke could not be dead. What about Orochimaru? He would never let Sasuke die. He needed Sasuke. She took a long deep breath, futilely trying to calm her fast beating heart. One of her shaking hands pushed the door of the mortuary opened.

She felt somehow relieved when she saw Lee lying on a bed. His green spandex outfit was torn, ripped and slashed at various places. It was splattered with blood, oozing slowly out from his wounds. Lee, the man who loved her, died from his mission. Then it struck her. She asked him to go on that mission. She caused his death. Her face suddenly felt wet. She was crying, for Lee. She was guilty. If she was not alive, if she was not in Konoha, if she did not plead him to accept that dangerous mission… he would not have died.

She eyed the man next to Lee. He was raven-haired and his eyes were closed into eternal slumber. Blood streaked across his face and his clothes were in a similar state as Lee. The pink-haired woman stood motionless. A few seconds later, she heard a whimpering which sounded like it was from a wounded puppy which saw its mother's death. She heard it clearly in her ears and it did not take too long to realize that the sound was coming from deep within her. Her Sasuke, dead. Her Sasuke, never ever going to wake up. She stroked Sasuke's cheek. It felt cold. Tears were cascading down her cheeks. She tasted the salty tang of her tears and made no move to wipe them away. She then saw the ring on her finger. It was on her hand, the hand which stroked Sasuke.

Tired of all the pretence she made, she roughly took the ring out of her finger and threw it out of the window. Lee was dead. There was no need for the ring. She turned her face to Lee once again. "Sorry," she whispered close to his ear, although she knew he could not hear her.

The mortuary door opened once again and she jerked her head to see who entered. Naruto. He had been crying. She could tell from his puffy eyes. She ran to Naruto and hug him as tightly as she could. She felt very selfish as she did this. She concentrated her sadness in her arms and tried to pass it on to Naruto. A childish and impossible act. Naruto returned her embrace, slowly calming Sakura as she cried and cried.

"Uchiha Itachi," Naruto murmured, as hatred flashed across his eyes.

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A/N: HA!!!! MY SPACE FINALLY!!!!!!!!!!!! Geee. Will Naruto become the next AVENGER? I realized Sakura is not a really good person here. She's pretty selfish eh? ITACHI'S SO GONNA GET IT!!! Now REVIEW! And read my other fic, EXPERIMENTING FLOWERS!