Ahhh!!! Projects are coming after me! Sorry, but I might not update next week.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto or Simon and Garfunkel

Naruto erupted into the room occupied by Sasuke and Kakashi. "Guys!" he panted. "I can't find her anywhere!"

Sasuke moved an eye to look at him from the bed. "Dobe. If you mean Sakura, she's volunteering at the hospital today and won't be back for a while."

"She told us this yesterday." reminded Kakashi.

"Huh?" asked Naruto.

"Hn. Just pipe down, I'm trying to sleep." said Sasuke. Naruto went quiet and settled to read another scroll.

With Sakura….

Sakura was walking through the white halls of the hospital. The doctors were more than happy to have her help and lent her a doctor's lab coat. Sakura toured around with one of the nurses before going into the pediatrics ward and helping out the children there.

A room in an apartment complex was shrouded in darkness, a small desk lamp the only source of light. The scratching of a pen on paper the only sound. A person picked up two small sheets of paper and held them to the light. The words "For Sakura" and "For Ayame" were scrawled on the papers. "Perfect."

The rustling of clothes and the door shutting were the only sounds, afterwards, the silence of the calm before the storm and the air stagnant with something sinister.

It was around 8:30 when the guys went out for dinner. Sakura had just come back from the hospital and went into the inn lobby. She was dead tired. 'Ugh. Five reconstructive surgeries, three cases of acute respiratory failure, and a kid with a fractured leg. At least I helped them out a lot.'

Kisa sat smiling behind the front desk. "Hello Sakura-san. Welcome back."

"Hi Kisa-san. I think I'll go upstairs. Where are the guys?"

"They went out to eat. Something about all you can eat ramen."

Sakura chuckled. "Naruto. You'll never change. Hopefully he goes for the low-sodium broth this time." Kisa chuckled when she remembered something. "Oh, before you go, you have a message from someone."

Kisa handed her a small folded note. Sakura opened up and read it before sticking it in her pocket. "Kisa-san, I'll be back soon okay? Ayame said she wanted to ask me something. If the guys come, just tell them I'm out and not to worry." Kisa nodded and Sakura left.

---------

Ayame walked around to a small, secluded part of town. "Sakura?" she called out.

A purple-haired figure stepped out of the shadows. "Hello Ayame."

Ayame shrieked. "Yumi? You scared me."

Yumi stepped closer. "Oh, I did? Sorry."

"That's alright." Ayame looked up. "It looks like there's going to be a thunderstorm tonight. Sister, have you seen Sakura-chan? I was supposed to meet her around here."

Yumi chuckled sinisterly. "Foolish little sister. Did you really think it was Sakura who wrote that note?"

Ayame backed away slightly. "Well, if it wasn't her, then who was it?"

Yumi smiled. "You know, little sister, you sure are slow for someone who got the brains in the family."

"W-w-what do you mean?"

Yumi smiled wider before pulling her sister by her long tresses, the rain began to fall. "Did you really think they liked you? You're pathetic. They felt sorry for you. They secretly hate you. So do Keiko and Saita. They all wished you were never born."

"That's not true. They're my friends."

Yumi smirked and pulled her sister up before slapping her to the ground. Ayame landed with a gasp of pain. She struggled to get away, but Yumi was too quick. She grabbed her hair and pulled her head up. "Do you really think I'll let you off so easily? I'm not through with you yet." Yumi pulled her up before throwing her into an alley.

Ayame collided sideways into a dumpster. Yumi smiled at the small figure of her sister in the light of the storm. Her hair was tangled, she was bruised all over, and her lip was split. "W-w-why Yumi? W-why?"

Yumi smiled sweetly and leaned down at her sister. "Why? I'll tell you why." Yumi grabbed Ayame by her arm. "Because, you bitch, you've stolen everything from me! You always got the best in life. Father always liked you more. You've always had the easy life while I rot at my minimum wage job!" She smiled sickeningly sweet again. "In other words, I hate you and wished you just die and go to hell where you belong."

Ayame's eyes were full of fear. Yumi smirked and threw her against the wall. Ayame screamed in pain and fell unconscious. "YUMI!" Yumi turned around to see Sakura. She was soaking wet, the lightening behind her highlighted her fuming features. "Perfect." purred Yumi.

Sakura's POV

I was walking around the village trying to find the location on the note. The rain began to fall and I started running. I heard something crash into a metal object and shrugged it off as a cat spooked by the storm when I heard a scream. I ran into an alley to see Yumi over the crumpled figure of Ayame. "YUMI!" I roared. She looked back at me and smirked. "Perfect."

Normal POV

Sakura ran towards her fallen friend when Yumi smacked Sakura into the mud. Sakura picked herself up. "So you were the one who wrote the note?"

Yumi grinned. "Yes. I can't believe you fell for it. Kakashi can sure pick them, can't he?"

Sakura saw red. "Don't you dare insult him!"

"Aw, did I hurt your feelings?" Sakura said nothing and charged at her. She landed a punch, only to get kicked in the gut. She fell to the ground, Yumi smirking above her. "Pity, I thought you'd be more of a challenge."

Sakura glared up at her. "Just you wait."

-----------

The rain fell heavier now. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto poofed into the inn's lobby. Kakashi waved away the smoke when he saw Kisa by the window, looking out into the night. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"I'm worried about Sakura-san. She went out at around 8:30, but she hasn't come back since. It's a storm and I'm pretty sure all phone communications are down."

"WHAT?!" the boys screamed. Naruto looked at his watch. "It's already 10:30! She's been gone for two hours?!"

Sasuke's pale face became paler "We have to find her. Something's up." Kakashi said nothing and called Pakkun. "What is it Kakashi?"

"Sakura's missing."

"Oh dear. I'll help as best I can." Kakashi nodded and Sasuke and Naruto nodded back. They dashed through the doors into the rainy night. Kisa looked on. 'Please, don't tell me the story will play on. I don't want them to die!'

She shed silent tears in the rain. "Please keep them safe." she prayed.

Hello darkness, my old friend,
I've come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

The shinobi from Konoha were dashing across the rooftops when Naruto spoke up. "Do you think she'll be alright? I mean, this is Sakura-chan."

"But she probably has low chakra levels from helping at the hospital. She's vulnerable. Whoever planned this wanted to make sure she was weak." said Sasuke.

"Let's move!" roared Kakashi as he ran at break-neck speed through the rain. Sasuke and Naruto ran trying desperately to catch up. All three followed Pakkun. All three prayed for their cherry blossom's safety. All three prayed for the girl they all loved.

-----------

Sakura slammed into the wall. "What's the matter, Sakura-chan? Tired?"

"Shut it, you bitch!"

'Dammit. She planned to get me like this. If only I had more chakra left.'

Yumi smirked and tried to punch her. Sakura blocked her shot and tripped her. Yumi fell, but swiped at Sakura's legs making her fall. Sakura landed sprawled in the mud. Yumi rose to her feet. "Pathetic." Yumi kicked Sakura in the gut and wiped the line of blood from her mouth. "You're such a waste of space, Haruno. I can't believe how weak you are. If you're this bad, how much worse are your little friends?"

Sakura stood shakily on her legs and went into a defensive position. "I don't care what you say about me, but don't you dare talk about my friends like that!"

Yumi smirked and called her with her hand. "Make me."

-----------

Pakkun sniffed the air. "She's close, but I can't tell where. Sorry Kakashi."

Kakashi nodded grimly. "Ok. We'll scope this area together."

"Why not split up?" asked Naruto.

"Cuz we have no way to contact each other without blowing our cover and something else up."

Kakashi nodded. "Come on."

In restless dreams I walked alone
Narrow streets of cobblestone,
'Neath the halo of a street lamp,
I turned my collar to the cold and damp
When my eyes were stabbed by the flash of a neon light
That split the night
And touched the sound of silence.

----------

Sakura had been fighting for hours now. Her body couldn't take much more of this. CLANG! Sakura collided with the dumpster. "You're no fun. I'll let you rest while I take care of my sister once and for all." Yumi pulled out a gun. "I can finally have a life without her to mess it up for me."

Yumi cocked the gun and pointed it at the prone girl lying among the plastics trash bags. "Good night. Good night. Parting is such sweet sorrow." Yumi smirked as she pulled the trigger three times.

'No! I won't let her or anyone else die. I'm not weak and if I am, at least let me have the strength to protect my friends.' Sakura pushed off the dumpster and launched herself in the bullets' paths. She gasped as she felt the bullets enter her body, her red life-sustaining fluid running out of her. Time seemed to move slowly as she fell backwards.

"NOOOO!!!!"

Kakashi POV

We were running on the rooftops, I smelled the air. No help. I closed my eyes and felt for her presence. I shot my eyes open. "She's over there!" I said as I pointed to an area a few meters away.

Naruto and Sasuke nodded and felt my lead. We all slowed our pace and looked down into the alley. The lightning flashed and we saw a gun in Yumi's hand. Three gunshots rang out. Another flash and I saw Sakura falling, blood pouring from her figure. "NOOOO!!!!"

"Fools" said I, "You do not know
Silence like a cancer grows.
Hear my words that I might teach you,
Take my arms that I might reach you."
But my words like silent raindrops fell,
And echoed
In the wells of silence

Normal POV

Sasuke and Naruto stood in shock. "No. This can't be happening! No!" screamed Sasuke.

"S-sakura-chan? SAKURA-CHAN!"

Kakashi ran down the side of the building and caught Sakura, gently laying her down. "Kakashi?" she asked.

"Sakura. Sakura, please keep awake. Please. Sakura, stay with me."

Sakura reached her hand up to stroke his face. "Kakashi. I love you."

Her hand fell and her eyes closed. "No. No. No. Sakura, don't leave me. Don't go. Don't go. Don't go! SAKURA!"

And the people bowed and prayed
To the neon god they made.
And the sign flashed out its warning,
In the words that it was forming.
And the sign said, "The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls."
And whisper'd in the sounds of silence

There was no answer, and no words. Just the sounds of the rain falling around them and the sounds of silence.