It hurt.
It hurt so much it was near unbearable.
Sure, it wasn't physical pain, but the internal pain of knowing she would never love him hurt. To know he would never laugh with her, never tell her he loved her, never kiss her, hold her, make love to her. To never have children with her, never marry, and never grow old with her… he would be alone in growing old. His friend, his rival, was dead, as was the woman he loved, had loved since he was twelve years old. He was alone again, in a sense. Sure, Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei were both still there; Jiraiya was still the same, and grudgingly most of the village had learned to accept him due to his ambitions and will to help Konoha.
Naruto was 22… and alone again. Sakura had left. Left him and Konoha behind to go to Sasuke. He understood why she did it. He felt the same pain she had. That eternal wanting. She went to Sound, the home and village of their adversary, their key to happiness only if dead, the one who placed them in a never-ending hell. She said she would save Sasuke, that she had to. And she'd left, drugging Naruto, tempting him into demise. She'd offered herself, and it was too much. He'd missed everything; missed the sadness, the regret on her face as he'd accosted the smooth skin of her throat, missed the drug-laced senbon in her fingers. Then he had missed her, as she moved him onto his bed and left. Gone, out of his life, out his reach. And he couldn't move, couldn't stop her, couldn't go with her, he couldn't.
When he awoke due to Kakashi's vicious shakes, he couldn't remember what had happened, where he was. Only after the Hokage had relieved his body of the ailment had he known. He didn't ask for help, didn't want it, instead he said he needed to be alone. And when he was, he left, too. It scared him, to think his dream might be gone, but he would try his best to make Konoha accept Sasuke again once he brought Sakura and the Uchiha back home. And they would, because that was how it was suppose to go.,,
No one told Naruto life throws curveballs, curveballs and shuriken and even a few kunai and senbon. Life threw anything. Rocks, dirt, leaves… The rocks of life hurt, they bit into skin, made it bleed… dirt might hurt if thrown in large solid clumps, but mostly it hurt the pride and left one feeling sullied… leaves were for the lucky, meant solely for one to dance in, to live like Naruto wanted to, with kisses and love… a shinobi never got leaves.
And now, ironically, Naruto stood in the leaves, the scene before him mocking. Sakura lay, face up, in the dirt. The tale was blaringly clear, undeniable. The chidori had ripped through her chest, now jagged, bloody, heartless, gaping. Naruto knew she was heartless because that same heart that had loved so wholly, so beyond comprehension, lay crushed not four feet in front of him. Naruto's eyes followed the trench Sakura's chakra-laden fist had left, followed it to the crumpled body, the raven hair, and pale skin. Stepping closer, Naruto could see the various items stuck to Sasuke's body, Orochimaru's body. The twigs and leaves, the dirt, the rocks, dried blood crusted around their protruding selves.
And that was when Naruto knew that dreams didn't matter, when he couldn't cry, couldn't muster up the tears, nor the screams; that was when he knew dreams were stupid and fake and hollow. Dreams were entertained by those with will… he would never dream again.
Author's Note: Just a short drabble as a sort of introduction of my writing style. As said in my profile I will be adding a Sakura and Kakashi story soon, I want to get a bit further into the actual plot before I post it; I hate waiting for updates so I can't see why anyone else wouldn't either! Reviews will be much appreciated since this is my first completed piece of fanfiction, and only my second piece ever, but keep in mind this was written in, oh, five to ten minutes.