Title: Image
Author: Yours Truly
Published: October 6, 2005

10 years after the Chuunin Exam: Sakura's Future

Sakura stood in front of Tsunade's desk. She shook her head, much to the hokage's dismay.

"Why not!" Tsunade slapped both hands down on her desk, and stood up to look at Sakura at eye level. "Sakura, you have refused promotion, missions, and orders to fight! Why the hell are you closing yourself off from the rest of the world?" Tsunade glared, and Sakura returned it with an empty stare.

"You should know…" she spoke softly.

Sasuke was a missing-nin. Ever since he had let Naruto charge suicidal into an attack that killed him, he'd become completely reserved, and had disappeared. One day, Kakashi came to see Sakura where she was working. Sakura looked up hopefully when she heard him enter.

"Lee-san? Have you gotten…" her voice trailed off as she saw her old sensei. She stood, and bowed slightly, not taking her eyes off him. "Kakashi-sama," she said, addressing his superiority to her. He looked at her with a remorseful look.

"I found him." He said. Sakura knew what her sensei was talking about. Kakashi had been assigned the mission to hunt down and kill Sasuke, specially, because of the knowledge he had, of the way his pupils thought. Sasuke was dead. Shock hit Sakura's body hard, and she started to shake.

"No," she stated. She was trembling now, and she sat down, her eyes still focused on Kakashi alone. "No!" She clenched her fists, and looked down, then shot a glare at Kakashi, full of disbelief and hatred. "You couldn't have! He was your student! Your friend! You always said he was like you, and you killed him so easily that you can simply…" She didn't finish her statement. Kakashi looked at her straight in the eyes, with a strict tone.

"You know as well as I do, that there was nothing left of him at all, anyways," he said. She looked down, and held her head in her hands, with her knees supporting her elbows. She still shook, and she spoke softly.

"I...know," she shuddered, "But you know as well…that I wanted to be the one to bring him back." Tears stained her features. She looked up. "Did...he?" Kakashi shook his head, though reluctantly.

"No. He neverspoke of you."

Sakura finally answered. "Because there's nothing to inspire me, to train or to battle, anymore, Hokage-sama." Tsunade knew what she was saying, and continued.

"Sakura-chan. Listen." She said in a kinder tone. "Sometimes you hesitate. Other times you run." Tsunade looked her straight in the eye. She noticed, that Sakura's eyes had no emotion anymore. She closed her eyes, then opened them again. "And sometimes, you close your eyes and jump, just to get on with life."

Sakura nodded, but her eyes shone with unshed tears. "Yes," she replied, "But what if his image is burned to the back of my eyelids." She turned, and went to the door. One hand on the wall, she stopped. "If I close my eyes, I'll only see what I fear to."

With that, she left the hokage's office.