Birds were chirping their little hearts out, the weather was perfect, the wind was gentle going along his skin, and physically speaking, Naruto Uzamaki felt at ease as he walked through the forest along the outskirts of Konoha. His pace was slow and calm, although his nose was starting to go haywire from a strong odor that contrasted against the nice atmosphere outside, and it was for this reason that he was outside the village gates in the first place. His attire was lax as well. He only wore a short-sleeved t-shirt, his quite visible and infamous pair of orange and black pants, and simple black sandals considering he was actually coming from his home. Gentle wind ruffled his blonde hair, and despite the calm of the forest his senses were on high alert.

Eventually, he approached a small encirclement of large trees, the deep green foliage making it near impossible to see what may be hidden within, and it was at that moment his nose burned with the stench that had gotten stronger as he followed it looking for the source. Just before he was going to finally settle his curiosity, he rehashed once more on what made him come way out into the forest in the first place. It wasn't as safe as it was inside the gates, but if someone were to attempt to ambush him there would be no doubt he would sense them first, but besides that the blonde did think it odd that he was alone following a scent he had suddenly picked up while he was at home eating.

Naruto would've looked to Kurama for answers about why his senses were so high on this particular day, but that would be useless considering he was asleep at the moment and fairly dormant now that they were in a state of peace in the fire country. He figured that because Kurama was asleep was the main reason why his senses were abnormal, even while he slept he would like his host to be safe from harm, so abnormal sense made more reason to leave him with. Unlike his host's natural optimism, he knew that anything could happen at any possible moment, and if fate wished it...everyone you love could be snatched from you no matter what the circumstance.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts via shaking his head, Naruto decided to hurry up and see what's causing such a smell so he could hurry up and get back to the village before anyone started asking questions. More importantly, Sakura was suppose to be coming back home from her mission in Rain and he wanted to welcome her at the gates. Although he would much rather prefer Sasuke was there along side him to welcome back their valued teammate, he knew the Uchiha wouldn't care to do so, just as well as continue to avoid the Leaf all the same.

The blonde parted branches out of his way, and eventually had to cover his nose and mouth as the odor grew strong and made his eyes water profusely. As he made his way through, he had to stop momentarily and wipe his eyes so he could venture forth without having a branch whack him in the face. Once his feet met soft open ground, his blue eyes opened and an immediate and abrupt lurching in the pit of his stomach made him turn and vomit what he ate previously before coming there. He spit the rest of the bad taste out of his mouth and tried to calm his now irate heartbeat, if he didn't calm down right now he ran the risk of either invoking Kurama into a state of false aggression or worse suffer a heart attack right then and there. How did he not recognize the smell? Naruto was no stranger to death and he was present when someone else's jutsu or his own tore whatever adversary that stood in their way apart, but the fact that he didn't recognize the odor before he even got to this place was something to be worried about. Had he not been on a mission in that long?

Naruto swallowed thickly and almost threw up again because of the awful taste still lingering on his tongue, and dared to turn around again only to be met with a carcass laying open and unguarded about ten feet away. There was no need to go up close to it, because one thing struck out to him like a beam of light in the dark, but this was nothing to look forward to. The most unimaginable pain went tearing through Naruto's chest and his hand clutched at his chest until his flesh went pink and purple from the force and he fell to his hands and knees. A little voice in the back of his mind told him there was no way it could be true, he just saw her, happy and smiling and scolding him on a daily basis, waving goodbye to him from the village gates in good health and everything. But there was no mistake, no one else around had pink hair to his knowledge, and no one else wore the same colors as her. Her clan insignia was visible even from where he was on the ground, and all he could do is reach for her while he was on the ground and cry as his heart poured open and imploded.

"Sakura-chan..."

The Leaf hospital was in disarray. The blonde flashed himself into the lobby of the place, his white t-shirt no longer the same ivory, and blood was spilling all over the floor. Carnage was on full display and the smell held everyone still and their gaping mouths and gazes went unknown to Naruto who could do nothing but stand in the middle of everyone. Medics upon medics, nurses, doctors, patients, they all knew who it was in his arms and it only took that one person among the mix to start a revolution and everyone else followed along. Her clipboard clattered to the floor, a loud clap shocking people out of their stupor, and her eyes widened until tears started to spill over. She drew up her shaking hands to her face and opened her mouth to let out the most blood-curdling scream anyone's ever heard.

And soon the rest of the hospital, the people remaining in the lobby including the men, began to let out their screams as well until it turned into a cacophony of a distorted chorus of songs.

Someone came barreling through the front doors, someone of authority of course because soon people began to clear out, but Naruto could only stand there with a dead girl in his arms and her entrails seeping out of her body and onto the floor where blood still pooled. He was shaken up, shocked into his blood thinning and running cold, his face was stone still but his muscles shock with horror, and at that moment small hairs on the back of his neck began to bleach white little by little. He was spoken to but the words weren't decipherable, he had gone deaf to the world and he could hear no one except for his tiny beating heart. A hand was put on his shoulder but he didn't feel it, and he was forcefully turned around to reveal what was in his arms and loud sobs were like tinkling pieces of glass to his vision.

More sun. More gentle breeze and white clouds. More green grass and idle chirping of the winged beasts that flew in the sky above them all. It was like some cruel joke someone upstairs was pulling on the bulk of them and yet there was no humor to be seen. Naruto to this moment was still waiting for the punchline and the big reveal.

Surprise! This was only meant to scare you and she's really holed up somewhere waiting for someone to rescue her.

Nothing. The reality almost made him want to cry all over again but he couldn't do that here because he wasn't allowed.

:::

He thought they all looked like little assembled soldiers standing there like that. Too many people grouped together in one place that couldn't possibly hold them all, but they seemed content with the close proximity. They needed it after all considering how truly unfortunate this day turned out to be.

Sasuke was allowed no where near the ceremony, but the eyes of a crow served him just fine as he watched through the black bodied bird perched a top a nearby pillar. He could see everyone and their faces, how stony they looked on the outside, and yet how broken they appeared on the inside. Jounin were present as well, and they stood near the back of the crowd, but the one of most importance was the one adorning silver hair. His particular mask was unreadable as he stood there next to others of his generation. Never the one to properly show emotion.

His finger twitched to the right a little and the crow moved its head accordingly, locking its sights on the Hokage that stood on the podium above everyone, her earthly brown colored eyes set downcast to show her grief. The true sign of her despair lied in her hands though, although down by her sides out of view from anyone else, the lifelessness from her fingers as they just hung there revealed that her will was sucked right out of her and instilled in the ivory, petite sized, box that held her student's remains.

"We are gathered today to honor the life of this village's most prized medic and my student, whom I've left...everything to" she spoke just loud enough for everyone to hear, "if I may speak freely even for this moment, without the title of Hokage attached to my name, I have to say that I feel just the same as someone burying their daughter. The bond we had as teacher and student was no secret to you all and if it wasn't for this village needing a leader at this critical point in time I would drop this hat right now and leave this god-forsaken place right now..."

Her words sparked surprise even in the Uchiha who watched from afar. He realized looking around that he wasn't the only one either, those that held their head down now gave her their up most attention and couldn't take their eyes off her. None of their past leaders spoke so openly and freely, revealing just what it was they were feeling so easily, it was a first and some old-timers just may call it blasphemy. Sasuke could applaud and also call the woman a fool, but he couldn't know the pain she was feeling and hoped he wouldn't have to in any lifetime. He's heard the stories about Tsunade though, and she's lost too much. It would take the fight out of anyone, even Naruto.

"Of all the losses I've suffered, this one probably stings the most. To watch her grow from being someone that relied on one thing to get by to actually becoming that thing that got her by was...astonishing. And now that vision of her reaching her peak has been snuffed out, and I will never know what because I can't bear it..."

The Uchiha could almost sympathize with her if he had the consciousness to do so, but what he could do was acknowledge her sorrow and pain. That was saying a lot for him and he would leave it at that. He knew what she meant when she said she would never know what exactly got Sakura killed, and that more than likely meant she would send no one on missions to find out. The vengeful spirit in him wanted to take that opportunity full force, but a piece of him knew that the pinkette would disapprove. She would go by what Kakashi said to her, and what she once said to him when they saw each other again after three years of no contact.

"Revenge solves nothing, Sasuke" she told him with no ounce of fear, "it only makes the hole inside of you bigger"

She had used that tone with him back then, the one that he hated even still, the one that said that she forgave him for everything he's done. How it made him seethe with anger. How naive was she? To forgive and to love so easily after everything he's done. Any right minded person would spit in his face if he bothered to show it again, but no...those two ex-teammates of his were absolutely insane. Even Kakashi who still believed that underneath it all there was still something left to salvage and it was getting harder and harder for him to prove to them that there wasn't and never will be. Never again. He could only imagine how weak and vulnerable he would be had he'd stayed in the Leaf and something like this happened.

Red spider lilies adorned the perimeter of the burial box, and on the top of it read Sakura's name and clan insignia, but Sasuke was more curious than that. He wished to know what she looked like inside of it, and his sharingan would grant him the access he wanted. It whispered from his lips and blood began to run from the creatures eyes as it peered at the object below. His vision was blurry for a moment before it cleared and his vision was being drawn to the oppressive aura that came from the crowd, and soon it was Kyuubi's eyes looking back at him instead of what he wanted to see, effectively scaring the crow into flying away from the danger that seemed to present itself.

:::

Naruto turned his head back towards Tsunade as she spoke and gave the directions for everyone, telling them to keep their last few words to a minimum so everyone could have their chance to say goodbye and present their flowers. The process itself went by smoothly and orderly, no one broke out of their masks at any given time during the whole thing surprisingly enough in Ino's case who was the closest female to Sakura aside from Tsunade herself. Nevertheless, the whole ceremony was beautiful and Naruto felt as if the even settled her death nicely if he was really thinking about it.

He knew Tsunade had no intentions of sending anyone out to figure out what really happened, but the blonde knew he would have to wait for now. It already angered him enough that it seemed like she didn't have the will to discover Sakura's killer, and that he would never forgive his Hokage for, but none of his bold talking or violent actions would help him here. Naruto would have to bite his tongue and simmer his anger at this moment in time, and he would have to wait for his door of opportunity to come up if he wished to do something himself. He would get his revenge if it was the last thing he did, and only then would he be able to truly mourn.

Once the ceremony ended and everyone was walking back to their respective homes or posts of duty, Naruto took an alternate route home waiting for a familiar cawing to descend upon him in a fit of animalistic rage. Just like he expected, the bird flew overhead momentarily and passed over him just to circle back around with talons and beak stuck out to gouge out his eyes, but the winged animal was caught easily in his bare hand. The blonde brought it close to his face, peering into its eyes and noticing the Mangekyou residing within, blood seeping into black feathers. Blue eyes narrowed in distaste as he continued to stare, seeing a piece of Sasuke's chakra network embedded within the bird and seething slightly.

"You attempted to look at her body and that was never part of the agreement," Naruto simply stated while the bird continued to struggle, "I allowed you the knowledge of knowing that Sakura-chan is gone, just as I have allowed you a blind spot to at least see the funeral. Your time will come when I am Hokage"

:::

The blonde's words echoed into the Uchiha's ears and the image of him flashed before onyx eyes as clear as the bird was looking at him. He frowned in response to what Naruto said simply because he was under the impression that out of all people Naruto would want him to at least see what extent of her injuries caused her to pass, but it seemed as though the blonde wouldn't have it. It didn't matter so much to the Uchiha, but he was curious and now that Naruto was so far against his inquiries it made him even more so. Just the subtle hint of hatred lying along the undertones Naruto's voice had Sasuke almost willing and anxious to travel all the way back to the Leaf just to see what was going on, but he would have to bide his time just like the blonde had to. They would both wait until Naruto became Hokage to make any kind of moves.

It was then that it was apparent Naruto had nothing left to say to the Uchiha and he immediately and effectively dispatched the bird. Simply by crushing it in his hand.

A/N: Had to re-make this because the concept behind it is still something I'm interested in. That and the fact that there isn't many Pein/Saku stories out and about under this genre and I want that to change. So here's the first chapter re-visited and re-born and it shouldn't be long for the second chapter if I take it slow so be on the lookout fellow lovers who support this story :3 this for you guys . ~Sasusakui