A Heart Mislead
Disclaimer: Naruto, its characters as well as the story isn't mine. I can never be as creative as Masashi Kishimoto.
A.N: I have recently changed my pen name so I have decided to go ahead and repost this story.

I haven't written a story in ages... and I really do mean ages so I consider myself old, but new to the fanfiction era again. Hope you all enjoy and I hope to get this rolling in the right direction.

Prologue

It was hard to believe more than a year had passed. Each day went by the same as the other, but it was evident there was something missing from her life. Her heart was empty, void of the warmth and love she had shared for two people. They were gone, never to return to her world. She would never see the blonde who used to fill her life with excitement and annoyance. She would never see the dark haired boy who stole her heart, or dream of a future where she would bear his children and stay by his side until the day she died.

They were gone...

Sakura choked back a sob, her hand quickly flew to cover her mouth. Her body trembled as she watched the man before her engrave two names onto the sleek black monument that held every honorable shinobi's name. She felt an arm gently wrap around her shoulders in support, pulling her against a taller frame. Her quiet companion gave her a squeeze in assurance. She smiled warmly at the silver-haired Jounin beside her before returning her attention to the black marble. Two new names were forever immortalized with hundreds of others.

Uchiha Sasuke
Uzumaki Naruto

Ever since the day Naruto told her about his true self, the reason why chaos and hatred always seem to surround him, she found herself embracing him as more then just a friend. She loved him like a sister loved her younger sibling and she found herself bound and determined to protect him, just like she was committed to protect the one she loved with her whole heart. Both feared what fate was in store for their lost teammate, it tore at them knowing if they didn't act soon the next time they looked into the eyes of their friend, it wouldn't be him staring back at them.

In the summer of their fifteenth year they traveled together, searching for information to Sasuke's whereabouts. Ever since the hidden village of sound collapsed in a dramatic cave-in, it seemed as though the village had never existed to begin with. A large sum of bodies had been discovered in the rubble, but Orochimaru and Sasuke were nowhere to be found.

Then one day, by pure chance, they crossed paths with the one person they were both wanting to protect. Things hadn't gone the way they had planned, hurtful words were spoken that could never be taken back and blood had been spilled. But in the end Sasuke had returned with them. Either he had seen their reason, or it was for some other purpose they would never know, nor did they care to ask. All that mattered was he was with them, stood by their side and been reliable, even open to them.

Then a year ago, two years after their three man team was reunited, both young men were sent on an important mission that was still classified to this day, and never returned.

"It's still so hard to believe." Sakura sniffled, wiping at the tears that threatened to spill at any minute.

"We looked everywhere for them, Sakura. The Hokage held off making this official for as long as she could. She, too, had hopes for the both of them."

Sakura quietly agreed with him, and look they did. After Naruto and Sasuke didn't return from their mission by a reasonable time, Tsunade had sent out teams to search for them, to gather any information to their whereabouts. But as the days turned into weeks, and there was still no sign or word from them, people started to assume the worst.

Still not wanting to give up hope, those closest to the boys spent months looking. The Sennin, Jiraiya, concluded that Sasuke was not in Orochimaru's grasp, and the Akatsuki clearly didn't have Naruto. It seemed as though the boys had just vanished until a team on a mission of their own had stumbled upon a site where an intense battle had taken place, there was evidence that Naruto and Sasuke had been there, and the scene had shown signs of unspeakable horror.

With no true proof that either young man had been killed, Tsunade still kept the search going until a year had come and gone...

Sakura stepped toward the rock once the carver had vacated the scene. She reached out, tracing the names of the two she would always love. If she had been there alongside them instead of choosing to stay behind to study for her med-nin exam then maybe they would be there now... alive.

"It's not you fault, Sakura."

She sighed and glanced back at her former Sensei. She had heard that too many times from everyone who knew how her mind worked and she had yet to believe them. She slowly closed her eyes, saying a prayer for both of her friends, hoping that they would hear her and give her the strength she needed to get by the next few days.

"Sakura."

"Hmm?" She opened her eyes and read the boys names over and over, hoping that the letters would somehow scramble around and form another name... hoping that all of this was nothing more then a very bad dream. And that they were all together again, standing here to pay respects to those who had given their lives for them and their village.

"The Hokage wishes to see you later, when you feel up to it."

His voice was a fresh reminder that this was the way things were, that she was here to pay her respects to her teammates. "Thank you, Kakashi-Sensei."

"Will you be alright?"

She smiled warmly, knowing that his heart was in a good place. Kakashi, too, had suffered the loss of his students, his first and only Genin team. "Yes, I'll be fine." She couldn't hold back the surprised gasp when a small delicate pansy appeared before her. Its delicate pink-purple petals blocked her view of the two names she had been staring at so intently.

"I bought you this, in hopes to make you feel better."

"Liar!" Sakura taunted. "You picked it from the ground."

Kakashi cleared his throat, lifting the flower slightly so the roots, still soiled in dark wet dirt, dangled before her eyes. "It's the thought that counts, right?"

She could hear the playful banter in Kakashi's tone. They hadn't had a conversation like this in ages. And for once, in a long time, it felt good. Everything had always been so serious up to this point. She slowly reached up and took the flower, her fingers brushing against his as she took it from him, thanking him once again before he vanished in a plume of smoke.

Sakura gently laid the flower next to the monument never taking her eyes off of the two names that would forever hold a special place in her heart. With one final glance, she turned and walked away from her past, ready to push forward and accept whatever lied ahead of her. She made a vow to become the best shinobi she could, in memory of the two strongest people she knew.

Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto. They were her friends and her loved ones. And she knew she would see them again one day...