Key to this lockbox

Naruto sat along the bench alone, focusing on nothing in particular. Everyone's attempt to cheer him up was touching but his heart still felt heavy. He was suffering, his head felt empty and full at the same time. He was locked in a box full of rage and sorrow and couldn't quite find a way out. Frustration gnawed at his head at the notion of someone trying to talk him out of being upset. Footsteps was heard and black high heeled sandals came into view. Naruto didn't bother looking up nor did he really care who was there. He honestly wanted them to go away, even though he already knew who those boots belonged to.

Naruto's dry voice rang out "If your here to try to cheer me, please just don't".

He didn't hear anything, and the boots also didn't move from their position. So, he looked up and pink hair came into view. Her green eyes were darker than usual. Her eyes always reflected what she felt but now they were clouded with what Naruto couldn't understand.

Sakura had stayed in the hokage's office for an entire five minutes before she left to find Naruto. Tsunade told her to let him go, that he would need time, but she didn't feel right with leaving Naruto so brokenhearted. Her heart went out to him, she couldn't comprehend the pain of losing your very own master. Sakura, she loved Tsunade of course, and saw her as her own mother so sakura could only imagine what Naruto was going through, It was a fight sakura didn't know how to solve.

So here she was standing in front of Naruto, looking at his down turned head and tear stained face.

His rugged voice had refused comfort and asked her to go, his face lifted, and their eyes met.

Tear-stained cerulean blue met emerald green. Sakura exhaled at the look of him, his hair was disheveled and there was red around his eyes.

"Please just go" his voice was tired.

Sakura bit her lip and moved sit on the bench, his eyes followed her, exhausted.

She breathed deeply and looked over to Naruto.

"I'm not here to try and convince you to be okay with what happened, quite frankly I wouldn't even know where to start or help" her voice came out softly. Naruto stayed silent so she took that as a signal to keep going.

Gaining a little more courage " I don't know just how much pain you're in and I wish there was a way that I could take it away for you but there isn't.

Naruto heart hurt the more she went on. Everyone else tried in some way to make him feel better and while he appreciated the gesture, he just wanted them to stop and leave him be. Nothing was helping and it wouldn't change the fact that Jiraiya was gone, and Naruto couldn't even say goodbye.

Sakura continued "so I'm just here, we don't need to talk, we don't need to move. If you want to cry then cry if you want to rage then rage. If you want to just sit in silence then that's fine with me, I am worried about you and I know you need time and space but the worst thing you could do is bottle it all up".

Her words resonated in Naruto's head and heart. Here she was not wanting anything from him, not making him do anything but just being someone, he could count on. Naruto's heart was breaking but here she was ready to piece it back together. She let him out, she was always the key unlocking every door within himself and even know she was the key to this lockbox.

Sakura slowly grabbed his hand and looked him dead in the eye." He loved you, I know that there pain, anger and sadness all tied up in your heart. Grieve properly Naruto and let it out."

Naruto's throat bobbed, he tried to form word over the lump in his throat." H-he's never going to see me become hokage. He believed that I would and now he doesn't even get the chance to see it happen, I wanted to make him proud. I didn't even get to say goodbye or hear is last words"

That was it's that was all it took for the tears to come. Tear welled in his eyes as he leaned into sakura, and she pulled him in closer.

Sobs racked his body as he cleaved onto sakura. She didn't move and allowed Naruto's tears to fall along her shoulder.

Her arms wrapped around his neck her heart broke more with each new sob from Naruto. Anger and bitterness resided in her, Naruto some way or the other was always being hurt and there was nothing she could do to stop it. She bit her lip till it bled, frustrated tears leapt silently down her face as she listened to Naruto's heart wrenching cries.

"He gone Saks; he's gone." His voice broke.

Her hands snaked around his neck brushing against his hair. Here sakura vowed to herself Never again, never again would he face this alone; never again would she allow him to hurt this much.