Pairing(s): It's NaruSaku. A tiny hint of SasuNaru, I guess, but it's more of a friendship relationship than love.

Author's Note: This is a oneshot and angsty.

It was inspired by something that happened in a roleplay between my friend Kerina and I.

I hope you enjoy:3

Tsunade stared at the trembling Naruto infront of her. Her assistant Shizune stood nearby, closer to the window.

It was bleak outside, sheets of rain falling from the sky in torrents. Dark clouds hung overhead, threatening to split with lightening and even more rain; occasionally, a clap of thunder would sound, starting those on the streets as they ran with their coats and belongings above their heads in attempt to keep the rain off.

The fifth Hokage bit her lip.

"Naruto, where's Sakura?"

It was a simple question, but it seemed to hurt the kitsune more than she'd thought it would; his spine grew rigid, cerulean blue eyes brimming with tears that never actually left their trails down his face. After a few moments, Naruto screwed his eyes shut, his shoulder shaking.

He'd been protectively clutching something in his right hand, hiding it behind his back.

Now, the jinchuuriki brought the hand forward and opened it.

A Konoha headband fell from his fingers, hanging limply. Naruto stared dully at it. Tsunade stared as well, slowly swallowing the painful lump that had formed in her throat. "Naruto..." He lifted his gaze, staring at the blonde woman for a moment before shifting his eyes to stare out the window. "She..." The kitsune trailed off, a choked sob leaving his voice.

For several moments, Tsunade, Shizune, and Naruto stood still and silent.

The dark haired assistant's head was bowed, her hands folded infront of her body with her eyes transfixed on the ground sorrowfully; Tsunade gazed at the headband before her gaze shifted back to Naruto's face; the kitsune just stared.

He stared out the window.

He stared dully at nothing, really.

Tsunade shifted. "I understand, Naruto. You can go. I'll have someone come check on you in a little while." The blonde nodded slowly, his hand clutching tightly to the headband once more as he turned and left the Hokage Tower. Everything hurt.

Naruto walked silently down the street, his head lowered and his hands shoved into his pockets. The jinchuuriki's fingers were wrapped around the headband - Sakura's headband.

He barely noticed the people around him, much less where he was going.

Cerulean blue eyes lifted, transfixing on the stone nearby; it was stone with the names of heroes who had died in battle carved onto it. Others were there, carving a new name into the rock with their chakra. As they finished, Naruto just stared at them, his eyes dull. They regarded him with sorrow rather than the typical hate he had grown used to before they disappeared.

He made his way toward the stone, his breathing shallow. It was easy to see which name was new. It near the bottom, the carving fresh and sharp compared to the more duller names. Over and over again Naruto read the name, embedding it into his mind.

Haruno Sakura.

Another choked sob left his lips. He murmured her name, his voice hoarse from the tears that now fell unchecked down his face, mingling with the raindrops; wet strands of blonde hair clung to his skin which seemed paler than normal. Slowly, Naruto tilted his head upward, staring at the bleak sky and closing his eyes. The cool ran fell onto his forehead and cheeks and eyelids, trailing down his face. Salty trails left from the tears were washed away.

It hurt.

It hurt so badly.

Pain clutched his chest as Naruto shuddered, already soaked through to the bone.

Sakura's name shouldn't be on that stone. Sakura wasn't dead. Yet that's what everyone believed; everyone had assumed she was dead. Why else would their loveable little jinchuuriki be so upset?

He drooped his head, eyes clenched shut as the tears fell. "Sakura-chan... Why did you have to go...?" Naruto whispered. The memories flooded back, memories he never wanted to remember.

The forest was quiet. The sky above was a bright blue and birds sang; the sun was shining, and there wasn't a cloud to be seen for miles. She stood still, staring about the forest for several moments. A shuddering breath left her throat. "I'm sorry, Konoha... Naruto..." Sakura whispered. "But this is what I have to do..."

Slowly, she reached up and untied the headband from its place, retieing it around her forehead. One hand reached into the pouch on her leg, drawing a kunai from within it. Sakura lifted it behind her head, closing her eyes. "Goodbye."

She wasn't given a chance.

Naruto's hand gripped her wrist tightly, restraining her from bringing the kunai down. "I'm not going to let you do this, Sakura!" the kitsune growled out, cerulean blue eyes alight. With his free hand, he snatched the weapon away, releasing her wrist.

The girl snatched it back.

"This is what I have to do, Naruto!"

A low growl escaped his throat.

Suddenly, he tackled the pink haired kunoichi to the ground, taking the kunai from her and tossing it to the side. It landed with a clank on the ground a few feet away. Naruto gripped her arms tightly as she squirmed underneath him. "Why are you doing this, Sakura-chan?! Why are you acting like this?!"

Sakura hissed.

"Let go, Naruto!"

"No! I'm not gonna let you do this!"

"Let go!"

A low snarl left his lips, the whiskers on his face growing darker. Cerulean blue eyes faded to red, and his hands became claw-like. "I told you no, damnit!" His claws dug into her flesh, causing the girl to let a pained gasp escape her lips. "Naruto! Please!" Maybe it was the pain in her voice, but suddenly the kitsune blinked, staring down at his friend. Slowly, he withdrew his claws, though his grip remained.

Another snarl left his throat.

"I don't want to lose you, Sakura-chan!"

At these words, her eyes grew somewhat hateful as she glared up at the blonde restraining her. Sakura's voice was icy and cold as she shouted back at him. "Either you lose me or I die!"

His breath caught in his throat.

Die...?

The word repeated in his head, over and over again, until it was embedded there. "Sakura-chan..." Naruto whispered. He slowly released her, sitting on the ground next to where she lie. Sakura sprang to her feet, making her way toward the kunai; she bent, her fingers wrapping around it. As she stood, her gaze shifted to her friend and teammate, who was staring at her in a somewhat dull manner. Naruto... I never meant to hurt you.

The kunai was lifted to the back of her head again.

With a sudden slash, her headband fell forward, the sound of its metal hitting the ground almost deafening to the kitsune. He shut his eyes. Sakura bent once more, picking the headband up. She stared at Naruto.

"I was going to burn it..." As she spoke, Sakura made her way toward the blonde boy, kneeling infront of him and holding her headband out to him. "But it's better if you keep it. Tell them I'm dead, Naruto." He opened his eyes, staring up at his friend; he could see the tears starting to gather in the corners. It felt as if his chest was constricting, tightening around his heart. Naruto, his hand shaking, took the headband offered to him. "... Fine, Sakura..."

Why?

Why tell them she was dead?

Why was she leaving?

These questions filled his head. Her words repeated themselves over and over in his mind, and Naruto found he'd rather lose Sakura than know that she had died because of him, that he could have saved her by letting her go but was too selfish to do that.

The pink haired kunoichi stared at him. He wouldn't meet her gaze.

"Naruto..." she whispered, leaning forward and pulling the blonde into her arms. "I'm sorry it has to be like this..." She tried to soothe him by rubbing his back with chakra laced fingers; she tried to calm him down.

A shudder went through his body.

Salty tears fell from his eyes, dampening the ground underneath them. Some of the tears fell onto Sakura's forearm. When he spoke, his voice was bitter and intertwined with pain. "If you're going to go, then go, Sakura!" Tear-filled cerulean blue eyes lifted, narrowed into a glare as he stared at Sakura. She stared back, slowly releasing him and standing.

Sakura didn't blame his bitter words.

She understood.

"I'm sorry, Naruto..." she whispered, tears falling from her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. They were her last words to him before she turned and darted through the trees, leaving Naruto to stare after her.

A low growl left his lips, his eyes clenching as he shook his head. "You're not sorry! If you were sorry, you wouldn't leave me, Sakura-chan!" he shouted after her, voice bitter once more. His chest constricted even more as a sob wrenched itself from his throat. Naruto fell forward, one hand clutching tightly to the headband Sakura had handed over to him, the other digging into the soil.

His body shook as he cried. And there he had remained for hours until the tears would no longer come and the sun had disappeared.

Only then did he return to his village.

Again his body shook at the memory.

He turned, sprinting from the stone and the old training grounds. The branches whipped at his face, arms, and legs as he ran. Naruto barely felt the pain; it was nothing compared to his emotional pain. He pushed his way passed the villagers, the tears falling down his face.

Why did this hurt so much?

Naruto pushed the door to his home open, slamming it behind him and leaning against it. Why, Sakura-chan? Why did you have to leave me? His eyes clenched shut as he tried to control his tears and his trembling. Minutes later, he pushed away from the door; a dry sob would leave his throat occasionally and he would tremble.

Cerulean blue eyes transfixed on the picture frame on the desk.

He stared at it, slowly making his way toward it. Naruto sat in the chair, staring at the old picture of Team 7. Kakashi stood with his hands on Sasuke and Naruto's head with Sakura in between the two young boys; it was from when they were twelve. Naruto shuddered as he gazed dully at the picture. He crossed his arms on the desk, burying his face into his arms.

Again, his body was racked with sobs.

"Sakura..."

Why?

"Sasuke..."

Why did you leave me all alone?

His chest constricted again. It hurt so much, it hurt to know he could do nothing to bring his friends back.

Naruto stayed there, his face buried in his arms, sobbing and trembling until he cried himself to sleep. And even then, his dreams taunted him with the fact he had lost both of his friends. And it was then, in his fretful sleep, that he realized something.

I'm not meant to be happy...

Reviews, critcism, and comments are greatly appreciated.

I apologize for any mistakes. I'm not perfect... n.n

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!