TLH(does the scary voice) I'M BAack! I apologize profusely to all my fans, hopefully you haven't given up on me! Well, I am still muse-less albeit I have been dreaming but still. Time is short and I keep getting bogged down on useless stuff like homework and research papers for school. But anyways, here is update number 4, I hope you enjoy, this isn't necessarily one of my better chapters.

Disclaimer: See Chapter One

Chapter 4: Confront the Dead

"How the hell could you let this happen! How could you let her beat herself up like this? I mean, you guys are supposedly ANBU, RIGHT? You're supposed to be the best!" Tsunade was practically purple with fury as she berated and cursed the men before her.

The men had carried an unconscious and unresponsive Sakura back to the cemetery, greeted by a non-too happy group of young men, 2 Sannin, and 2 Kages. They had all been glaring at the crypt occupied by the dead Uchiha clan, with an aura of loathing seeping from them. Neji had been the first to 'see' them followed by Kiba who recognized the scent . . . of Sakura's blood. When they came into full view, Naruto's breath became ragged and he slumped to he knees, staring dumbstruck at the men. Neji nearly panicked as he assessed the damages done to her, no broken bones, cuts, or malfunctions in her chakra system went unchecked my his all-seeing eyes. Kiba was immediately at their throats with an intense fury in his eyes shortly aided by Lee's own raging howls of 'losing precious youth and beauty' and how he had 'failed to protect her with his life.' Before any more harm could be done, the silent Shino walked between them and took the unconscious woman from the ANBUs who were ready to accept any punishment given. He carried her over to Gaara who stood at Naruto's right side. Gaara looked him in the eyes; well as good as he could minding the sunglasses sizing him up and then to Naruto. The young Hokage was fighting the urge to beat the ANBU into a worse form than Sakura and whether to look at the woman his tortured mind yearned for yet could never have. He then decided.

It was as if he and Tsunade had become of one mind, because no sooner had the ANBU glanced up from the guiltless ground and onto the angry faces around them, than they were thrown to the ground with fists to the face. Naruto's fury was terrifying when he mixed it with his power and Tsunade . . . well, Tsunade was just plain scary. After the first blow, Naruto let Tsunade wail on the two both physically and verbally while he calmed down. Trembling with anger and determination, he slowly turned and walked over to Shino, Gaara, and now Neji who was still monitoring her condition closely. Naruto looked on the face of the woman who haunted his dreams and unconsciously reached out a hand to brush a few matted hairs from her cheek.

Withdrawing his hand, he sighed and crossed his arms, turning away from them. Being the Hokage meant that he needed to keep a cool head no matter what. He would hold in his anger at the ANBU, allowing it to fester and smolder just under the surface until he could take his aggression out in a more or less destructive way. He looked up into the gray sky and saw the snow falling lightly now. When he looked back at the woman in Aburame's arms his heart softened and he was overcome with guilt.

"What do you want to do, Hokage-sama?" Naruto looked up at the sudden address to see Gaara's dark rimmed eyes glaring at the ANBU.

"We need to take care of her . . . its starting to snow, and she already has depleted her chakra and spent far too much time in this whether in this condition," Neji spoke up, Naruto just nodded dumbstruck.

Gaara sighed and closed his eyes before turning them back to the pink-haired woman. He could take care of these men himself later, and he had a feeling he wouldn't be the only one wanting a piece of them. He nodded and looked to Aburame who also nodded and they turned to Naruto who couldn't seem to tear his eyes off of Sakura's face.

The guilt and bile was building in the pit of his stomach. He was going to need a medic soon as the build up was starting to make him feel ill. Finally when the feeling almost overpowered him, he turned his head away from her, the woman he loved . . . the one he thought he could save. He looked back at Gaara and saw the same smoldering inferno under the surface as was in him. Turning back, he noticed that Lee and Kiba had left Tsunade to rail on the men. Lee had silent steams of tears falling from his eyes, as he loved her too. Gaara had unnoticeably moved his left hand to clutch at the front of his Kazekage robes, though his gaze remained stony and impassive. Kiba was now pale and consoling the whimpering Akamaru in his arms. Neji had never taken his eyes off of Sakura, but Naruto knew he was waiting for him to nod and get Sakura to safety. Shino merely stood silently holding a broken woman, holding her as if she might break if he let her go.

Looking down at Sakura, Naruto suddenly felt a flood of envy at the Aburame man, holding onto his Sakura. Then the feeling passed to Hyuuga when Naruto noticed the expression on the man's face was not the normal stoic mask, but something warmer. Then he realized what was happening, and he had to viciously stomp down the urge to rip the woman from Shino's arms. Naruto realized he was not alone in his love for broken kunoichi; somehow she had managed to attach each of them to her. It wasn't that hard to tell, not even Naruto was that dense. He clenched his fist at the challenge and nodded to the men around him, and simultaneously Tsunade abandoned the ANBU's beating and appeared by his side.

"I shall get her to Konoha's hospital," she huffed only slightly out of breath from her escapade. She was not nearly satisfied but had done her part in chastising the two ANBU. She knew, however, that these men were far from finished with and would leave the rest to the men that now hovered around her apprentice. She gave a nod in Jiraiya's general direction and he appeared before them as Tsunade looked beseechingly at Aburame. Naruto, Neji, Shino, and Gaara flashed lethal glares at the famed 'Frog-Hermit' a.k.a. 'Perverted Hermit' and reluctantly handed her to him. Tsunade looked each of them in the face, judging their emotions by the chakra that was weaving around them through the air.

She cleared her throat before beginning, after her diagnosis of their chakra, "It seems to me, and to everyone else, that there is something you all want to say . . . either to yourselves, each other, or . . . her?" her statement had ended like a question as she curiously noted how all their eyes had watched the woman's transition from Shino to Sannin and then glance away when she had finished.

"Tsunade-sama?" Lee finally spoke, breaking through the uncomfortable tension that invaded her senses at her implications, "Just . . . take care of her . . ."

Shocked by the request and taking it as an insult at first toward herself, as if she wouldn't take the greatest care of her apprentice, she bristled at the insinuation and was about to give him a tongue-lashing worthy of Inner-Sakura. But before she had the chance, she felt the sudden change in chakra and realized how all of their eyes were on her; a silent plea was received. It was not her they had ever doubted, it was themselves. They doubted that they had ever been able to save her, so they put everything they could into that silent bargain. 'Take care of her. . . because we couldn't . . . because we need her. . . because we love her . . .'

She nodded and turned walking away, Jiraiya holding Sakura in toe, toward the general direction of the hospital and vanished as soon as they were of off the burial grounds. Utilizing ninja skill to bring the broken blossom to the hospital as quickly as possible.

The young men watched them for as long as they could when, finally, Shino spoke, "What are we going to do?"

—TLH—

Notes from the authoress—um . . .yeah . . .don't hurt me! PLEAZE (dodges flying object by hiding behind a bucket) okay, I understand that I let this go for longer than intended . . . you have a right to want to throw stuff at me . . . (stays ducked behind bucket) that doesn't mean I am willing to accept being hit!

Anywayz, as for the story, I suppose that counts as a cliffie, huh? That means more pain is on my way, doesn't it. . . oops. . . sorry. . . I realize also that this is more of a filler chapter than anything important, at least it was until I received a message curious of my pairings. Well . . . here's a picture I have started . . . THEY ALL WANT HER! O.o" There I said it . . . not much forethought into that one, but still . . . um . . .this chapter was really meant to show off the relationship between characters and such, and because I like beating up ANBU . . . aside from that, the italicized quote was something I felt added to it. XD . . . R&R, I really appreciate it, and to everyone who reviews, I promise to send you a personal thank you note (and I'll even give you cookies if your reviews make me happy) if I haven't yet . . . I can't help it, I Shikamaru level laziness . . .

Let me know if there are any grammatical errors that stand out terribly to you, I will fix thim ASAP. . .

Thanks . . . love ya bunches . . . —TLH—