Note: He screams, but no one hears him. He walks among the lost and the damned. Everyone he knew to be dead were his companions. How was it possible? Logically there is no way he could be...a ghost? Right?

Sasuke wakes up somewhere on the battle field. No one can hear him, no one can see him. He's never been more alone. Funny though, that the only person that can see him, and talk to him, is the last person he would expect. Itachi Uchiha. Strange however that he already killed Itachi, a year passed now. What in Kami's name is going on!

Be kind and Review. I have a basic outline of where I would like this story to go. For now, as with all of my stories, the longest Authors note I will have will be my first chapter. Here I say, this story will be essentially Sasu/Saku, but there will be Naru/Saku present. Those are the only two pairings I have planned. Though, don't ever put it past me to wiggle in other pairings, if the chapter calls for it.

This is just a really short, introductory chapter. The next will be much much longer, and more in detail. : ]

Pairing: Sasu/Saku, and Naru/Saku, also most likely gonna be a slight Ita/Saku thing...because I can!

Rating: For now, T but eventually, it'll be M

Goal: Next chapter will be up in about 2 weeks. Shouldn't be any longer, and it might be like 1 week if I'm on the ball.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Naruto.

It's down to this

I've got to make this life make sense

Can anyone tell what I've done

I miss the life

I miss the colors of the world

Can anyone tell where I am

-Away from the Sun- 3 Doors Down-

It was a sinking feeling, like holding your breath under water and slowly dropping to the bottom. Utter silence and desolation.

He became aware first of the sound of screeching, the hum chidori was still ghosting images behind his eyelids, and somewhere a steady thump was becoming a familiar rhythm to his bogged mind. He could vaguely hear panic, bringing with it a prominent amount of terrible noise.

A groan parted from his lips, and as he tried to sit up, he was assailed by a blaring pain in his head, making his vision blur and twist uncomfortably. All the colors before him melded into one mess and he dropped back into the mud. It squished unpleasantly beneath his head, but there was no time to dwell on it.

He came to the realization that he was going to die.

It wasn't something that he had to ponder. He could simply feel it. His bones were aching, his skin burning and stinging, his eyes hard to deny the pleasure of closing never to open again. His head was thrumming painfully, and try as he might, he couldn't move another inch.

This was the end. He was going to die, alone, laying in the mud, and without completing his ultimate goal. He could never destroy Konoha if he just simply died. Who would carry on his dreams of vengeance? More Importantly, how could he die without leaving an offspring. An Uchiha to carry on in his place.

It was because of him that the Uchiha name was dying off. All because he wouldn't let go of the darkness.

It was here, in the dark of the night, just astray of the great war, that the last Uchiha was going to part from this world, alone and on the flat of his back.

He opened his eyes, and was flooded with the feeling that one normally has after falling asleep for 2 minutes and waking up again. It was an awkward feeling, but not unfamiliar.

His eyes shifted to the left, and to the right, and he had the feeling that he wasn't alone. Experimentally he flexed his fingers, and wiggled his toes.

It was like he was in a dream. For all he knew, he certainly was.

"Narutooooo!" Came a shriek in a very familiar voice.

He found that sitting up this second time wasn't as hard as before, and in one fluid motion he stood and ran towards the noise.

Last thing he'd seen of Naruto, the blond was battling Kisame, rasengan rippling the sky and his determined battle cry coloring his blue eye's dark.

His feet carried him there quickly, and he jerked to a stop just in time to see Naruto land his final blow. Kisame flew through across the opening, and out into the darkness. Sasuke's eyes couldn't part with Naruto's fierce smile, blood leaking from the corners of his lips, as he turned towards Sakura, who had just appeared through the trees. She shot out like a bullet, her lips parted, her eyes wide and her knuckles drawn into a fist.

"Naruto!" She screamed, and he was watching it as it happened.

As Naruto's knees folded beneath his weight, and he bended into himself. Sakura was there before he fell. Sasuke didn't even know she could move that fast, yet she was there, her eyes already leaking tears, and her hands shaking as she carefully eased him onto the ground.

"Naruto-kun." She hummed, her right hand cupping his cheek, and her left pumping green chakra into his chest.

Sasuke stood frozen, his chest surprisingly tight. It had been so long that he'd seen the two of his team mates, with the omission of running into them on the battlefield, that he felt awkward just being hidden in the darkness there. .

Briefly, Sasuke wondered when she had grown so close to Naruto, and just how often moments like this occurred between the two of them. As he stood there, it felt like he was intruding on a private moment, something between just her and Naruto. "Naruto-kun," She echoed his name again, "You're going to be fine." She said quietly, and it was only a moment later that Naruto's hand came up, running through her hair before falling back to his side again with a thump.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto's voice was quiet, and deep, cutting through the distant battle around them, "Good timing."

Sakura laughed sadly, "I was a little late, but," The two stood up, Naruto a little stiffly, but otherwise, apparently unaffected by his previous wounds, "I won't be late next time."

"I never doubted you. " Naruto stretched, his hands reaching into the air, "Okay, Sakura-chan. We can't waste any time. The teme is out there somewhere."

Sasuke stiffened at the sound of his name. How was it they hadn't sensed him earlier? He looked around him, realizing for the first time how odd it was that he was allowed to simply stand there. He took a tentative step out of the cover of the trees, and into the opening where they stood. He was close enough that he could reach them in a few good steps, and yet, neither of them looked his way. Neither seemed to notice him at all.

"Dobe." He barked, his eyes searching them for signs of their panic. Signs that never came.

"Oi, you baka," He was beginning to panic. If this was some kind of joke, it was both the best and worst that he had ever seen. "Naruto!"

Nothing.

He watched as Sakura curled her fingers into a fist, and gave Naruto a soft smile, her green eyes shimmering brightly. "Right." She looked around for a moment like she was lost in thought, and her eyes practically connected with his, yet no recognition colored them. She merely looked right through him, and then back towards Naruto, "I think I saw him that way," She pointed in his direction, her finger aiming right at his chest, and he felt his stomach twist uncomfortably. Something was very wrong. "But it was a while ago. He's probably gone by now," She said dejectedly.

Naruto slung his arm around her, giving her a light squeeze, "That's great, Sakura-chan. We'll start there." He said happily, apparently ignoring the entire world beyond them. The only thing that mattered to his two teammates at this time was him. They were searching for him first and foremost. They were constantly searching for him, worried about him. He was so precious to them, that they were going after him without hesitation.

He felt sick as they quickly ran past him, never stopping to look at him even once. Something was definitely askew.

He looked down at his hands, flexing them experimentally. Could it be, that something strange had happened?

What was the last thing that he remembered? He remembered taking damage fighting one of the Nara clan, before getting away from the battle. He squinted, trying to force the memory to come to him. He hazily remembered feeling very woozy, most likely because of a poison of some sort, and then, nothing. He just remembered waking up.

Waking up all alone, and feeling like he had been healed. He turned and sprinted towards where he last woke up, and the direction Naruto and Sakura had headed off in. Looking back at it, it was strange that he woke up feeling so much better.

Why hadn't he noticed the inconsistencies before?

What was going on here?