Lifeless

Life. The forest teemed with it. From the dancing, tree leaves to the abundant wildlife to the flowing streams. Every inch of the forest expressed its unparalleled beauty. On the ground, various insects crawled about, making their way through the ever-changing terrain. And in the air, brightly colored butterflies flew about from flower to flower, pollinating as they went. Birds, hares, fish; all living beings with a part to play.

The birds were a sort of orchestra and like it or not, they never quit their jobs. Faint chirps could be heard as one bird sung its song, and even fainter chirps resounded in the distance as other birds replied. The hares were different. They were quieter, quicker, nimbler. A certain type of tourist attraction that rewarded the attentive. Keep your eyes peeled and you may just spot this fleet-footed creature darting through a brush before burrowing its way down into its humble abode under a tree. But the real wonders to watch were the fish. One look in a stream would reveal a silver scaled creature swimming freely, enjoying life in a different type of world. A world lurking just beneath the surface.

There was a certain beauty in it all and the way life radiated from everything echoed a quiet brilliance. It was nature in full force. Naruto for one was starting to appreciate it more and more. Now that he had stopped traveling, it was getting easier to see the beauty. He sat crouched on the edge of the riverbank, shirtless, and solemnly watching the water sparkle as it trickled through various sticks and stones. He had already taken a drink earlier and although it wasn't the best water he'd ever tasted, he couldn't complain. After traveling for a whole night, just about any water tasted good. He had also taken a quick bath since the fox said it would knock people off his scent – no loose-ends type of thing.

His jumpsuit was currently drying off on a nearby tree branch, so he had thrown on some shorts and opted out of wearing a shirt. It was pretty hot out anyway. Cupping his hands, he splashed a handful of water onto his face, sighing silently at its rejuvenating powers. He remained still for a moment, feeling content to let every drop sink into his pores before moving again. When he was satisfied, he trudged back to the tree his clothes were resting on and sat down, leaning against the tree trunk. He had been playing a waiting game with those far off chakra signatures and it looked like it might finally be over. His eyes glanced back in their direction as he spoke silently. "It looks like they kept moving. I can't sense 'em anymore..."

"Yeah." the fox replied. "We should do the same. As soon as your clothes are dry, we head out."

"Got it," Naruto said, ruffling his still-wet hair. "So, what do I do in the meantime? Sit around and twiddle my thumbs?"

"You should probably take a nap. You've been going since the middle of the night."

Naruto shook his head. "No can do, fox. I haven't set up any traps and I definitely don't have the time to. If someone sneaks up on me, I'm toast." With a squint, he added, "I thought you were supposed to be the brains of this operation…"

"I'll watch your back."

"And how exactly are you gonna do that?" Naruto asked, looking up at his hair as he messed with two still wet blond locks.

"It's actually pretty simple." the fox replied. "Just give me control of your body for a bit and my chakra will protect you."

Something between a huff and a chuckle escaped Naruto's lips as he replied. "I don't think I trust you that much yet."

Slight shuffling was heard as the fox moved around in his chamber. "Even though I got you this far?"

Naruto thought about it for a bit, then shrugged the statement off. "Maybe you did, but I still don't really know you."

"Hm," the fox grumbled, eventually moving his head to rest on his paws. "Whatever."

"Hey, don't sound so grumpy," Naruto said. "I'm just looking out for my best interests..."

"Touché." the fox said, grinning slightly. After a brief span of silence, he added, "So, what's it gonna take for you to trust me?"

"Hmmm." Naruto pondered, using one hand to start stroking his chin. "Well, now that I think about it, I don't even know your name. I think that's a good start."

"Hm, I guess that's fair." the fox mumbled. "My name is Kurama."

"Kuraaaaama, huh?"

"Yeah, just not that many A's."

"Ok, I gotcha," Naruto said, nodding. "Pretty cool name actually."

"You really think so?"

"Yeah. I mean, all this time, I thought you didn't tell me cause you had some crappy name like Sasuke…"

A raspy chuckle echoed from the confines of Kurama's chamber before he shook his head and put his head back on his paws. "You're something else kid."

Naruto smiled slightly then returned to messing with a few blond locks, eventually twisting one over the other as he spoke. "People don't usually laugh at my jokes."

"Eh," the fox replied. "That one was relatively funny."

Naruto couldn't resist a cheeky smile. "Maybe this little partnership of ours can work out after all."

Before he could say anything else, he was greeted by a familiar but largely unwelcome sound.

~~grumble~~

Both eyes narrowed before dropping down to look at the offending organ. Well, that just wouldn't do at all. He gave his stomach a quick pat then said, "All that traveling has me hungry. Maybe I'll make some ramen…"

"With what?" Kurama asked.

"Well, I've already got water," he said, nodding towards the stream. "I just need some firewood and-"

"Wrong answer." the fox said, shaking his head. "You can't start a fire out here kid. The smoke's gonna give you away. We're already on the lookout for those other chakras and there no telling who else is out here."

"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that," Naruto said, scratching his head. "So I'd have to wait til night?"

"Yep."

Naruto scratched his head harder. "Well, this is annoying… It's early morning. I can't just stay without food for a whole day."

"Well, you don't seem to need sleep so you shouldn't be too bad off."

"Haha," Naruto said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I don't want to starve."

"Well, then you should've packed something other than ramen."

Naruto's face got stuck between an angry pout and a sneer as he pondered his reply. "Well, maybe if the brains of the operation had suggested that, I would've done it..."

"So now this is my fault?"

"Uhhh, yeah." he retorted. "If you would've just made me pack a breakfast bar or something, this wouldn't be a problem. Now I'm stuck out here in this mosquito-infested forest with nothing to eat and a big orange fox for company…"

Kurama leaned his head on one palm and rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and go pick some herbs or something."

"Easy for you to say," Naruto mumbled. "You're not the one who's about to starve to death."

"Look, the forest has lots of fruits and different stuff you can eat, just find something you like. Jeez..."

Naruto considered the suggestion for a moment then sighed dramatically. "Fine…" he said, slowly rising from his sitting position.


Crowds. Thick flocks of people dressed in different colors, living different lives, and walking different paths. The streets of Konoha were home to many of them and Tsunade was currently in the throes of one. The crowd had materialized around her without her noticing, but she wasn't surprised. Sadness had a way of doing that to her. It would engulf her and leave her blind to what was happening around her. One moment, the streets carried an eerie silence and there was barely a soul in sight; the next, they were bustling with the shuffles and bumps of the morning rush.

She inched her way through the crowd, rubbing shoulders with random people as she tried to snake through the swarm of busybodies. Her efforts were successful but slow, and in the end, she found her mind wandering to more pressing matters. She had gone to warn Jiraiya about the council's plans but found he was already gone. A part of her was glad he had already left. It meant he was that much closer to finding Naruto, but still... If someone like the Roguehunter was really "joining the hunt", so to speak, she needed to let Jiraiya know. Sending him a hawk later sounded like a good idea.

As she walked further, the crowd slowly dwindled, and it wasn't long before she was completely alone. The dwindling crowd size wasn't surprising since she was heading into Naruto's neighborhood now. It was more on the rundown side of things, although it didn't look too bad at first glance. There were various buildings scattered around in various states of being. Some of them looked close to new while others looked like they were on the brink of collapse and others looked like they were stuck somewhere in between. It was a relatively quiet neighborhood, and the only sounds that reached her ears were the faint laughs of a few kids playing at some far off playground.

As his apartment loomed into view, she dreaded what she would find inside. Would it look like the place had been upturned in a fit of rage? Like he couldn't take it anymore? Or would there maybe be signs of restraint? A method to the madness?

She had no idea what to expect, but as she approached his front door, she couldn't stop a silent gasp from escaping her lips. There below the doorknob was a streak of fading blue paint, almost invisible against the dark brown of the wooden door panel. She quickly stepped onto his doorstep to further examine the defect, eyes searching every angle. She hesitated briefly, then lifted her hand to trace two fingers along the mark. A part of her was almost expecting to feel something. Perhaps some clue as to what the mark meant, but no such revelation ever came. All she felt was the coarse wood under her fingers. After realizing the door would offer her no more information, she simply frowned and turned away, letting her eyes fall shut.

~sniffle~

Both of Tsunade's eyes fluttered open as the sound rang through her ears, knocking her out of her stupor. At first, she thought she might have imagined it, but a few seconds later, she heard it once more.

The door to the apartment slowly creaked open and Tsunade peered around the edge. One glance revealed a sniffling Sakura sitting at the feet of Naruto's bed and hugging her knees to her chest. She turned towards the doorway looking a little startled at first, but after a moment, she just looked away. Her eyes were red, even more so than the last time Tsunade had seen them. The poor girl was probably devastated hearing Sasuke had left and now the one person who would've been willing to fight to get him back was gone too.

Tsunade half smiled then opened the door a bit more. Light crept in through the open slit illuminating a small portion of Sakura's body before Tsunade spoke. "Hey…" she whispered.

Sakura didn't respond. She just sat there, motionless, and obviously a shell of her former self. The silence between them seemed to be so all-encompassing that Tsunade decided not to move for a while. She just stood in the doorway with the outside light curling around the edges of her body. There were no words.

When she felt enough time had passed, she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. It was only now that the outside light was gone that she realized how dark it was. She looked for the light switch and casually flipped it on. The first thing she noticed was that the place was clean. Maybe there was a method to the madness after all. "You shouldn't just sit in the dark by yourself," she said silently.

Sakura remained unresponsive.

Tsunade frowned then decided it would probably be best if she tried to at least do something to comfort the frail girl sitting a few feet away from her. She could already see the innocence fading away. The childish notion of life being stripped away piece by piece and leaving the harsh reality in its wake. Tsunade imagined it was painful, at least it had been in her experience. One glance at the girl was all it took to see that she was nowhere near ready for any of this, but then again, no one ever really was. Her hair was still such a vibrant pink. Tsunade supposed it was because she hadn't seen the grittier parts of life as she had. The parts of life that change you forever. Maybe that would soon change as well. Her own hair had turned a pale blonde long ago.

Tsunade smiled a sad smile then approached with silenced steps. When she was a few inches away, she smiled softly and asked, "Can I sit?"

Sakura's shoulders lifted and fell.

Tsunade half smiled then sat next to her. The two sat in silence until Tsunade finally felt like it was the right time to speak. "So, you heard what happened huh?"

Sakura slowly nodded.

Tsunade sighed then put an arm around her back, shaking her reassuringly. "We'll get him back."

She was largely unresponsive, but after a while, she said in the simplest voice. "I knew something was wrong." She hugged her form tighter before adding in a whisper, "He didn't want ramen…"

"You were with him last night?"

"Yeah," Sakura whispered. "We went on a date."

Despite everything, Tsunade smiled. "Did you guys have fun?"

"Not really. We just talked about Sasuke…"

"Oh…"

There was a brief pause before Sakura shut both eyes, trying to hold back tears. "It's my fault," she said. "I shouldn't have brought up Sasuke. I knew it might make him upset, but I just wanted-"

"Shhh…" Tsunade said, hugging her a little tighter. "Don't ever say that again. It's not your fault. He made his choice, Sakura. They both did."

After a few more sniffles, Sakura whispered, "Yeah, and they both left me."

Tsunade frowned, trying to find the right way to explain what couldn't be explained. "Look, Sakura," she said, hesitation apparent in her voice. "I'm sure it might feel this way, but they didn't do this to hurt you. Right now, they're just lost. I'm sure they both still care about you."

Sakura shifted around uncomfortably as she replied, "Sasuke knocked me out so I couldn't follow him, and Naruto didn't even say goodbye."

Tsunade thought about the statement then sighed, finding herself at a loss for words. For all intents and purposes, the little girl was right, and she was starting to feel a little annoyed that the two idiots had left her so little to work with. She tried to think of something comforting to say, but it all sounded too cliché and she suspected it wouldn't help the little girl sitting beside her in any significant way. In the end, she decided it would be best not to say anything. The silence felt more fitting anyway.

They sat there for what seemed to be an eternity with neither of them saying a word. The silence was strange but not unwelcome and it blanketed the room in a way that resembled a traditional blanket. It was heavy and carried a certain warmth with it. The only thing that could've added to the effect was if the lights were still off. Maybe Sakura was onto something earlier.

With nothing else to do, Tsunade found herself glancing around the room panel by panel. The floor was clean, miscellaneous objects were neatly arranged in their proper place, and even the walls looked like they had been touched up a bit. The nagging smell of ramen had even been taken care of. It was very different from what she knew Naruto's room to be before, but the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. A Naruto who left the village would be a different Naruto in many ways. This was probably just one of many.

As time passed, she grew restless, well aware of the fact that they could sit there for the whole day if they wanted to. To be honest, that thought actually sounded slightly appealing. To just sit there with things not feeling quite as bad as they actually were. Having other people around always made it easier to bear a burden. It brought a sense of togetherness. Like you weren't struggling alone. But there were downsides as well. Wallowing in self-pity meant nothing would ever get done, which left the question of whether it was really ever a good idea to do so. Tsunade had come to her conclusion long ago. Change required action, not brooding. So, she let out a reluctant sigh, deciding it was about time to go.

She shifted from her sitting position and prepared to get up only to feel something rub against her side through the thin cloth of her coat. It took her all of two seconds to remember what it was, and when she did, she actually found it in herself to smile a bit. She leaned to the side slightly, then reached into the pockets of her green coat pulling out a blue notebook with discolored yellow pages. Sakura glanced at it, but it didn't hold her attention long.

Tsunade wore a weak smile then said, "I've been carrying this around all day."

"What is it?" Sakura asked.

"Something Naruto left behind," Tsunade replied, flipping through various doodles and writings. Some of them made her smile and some of them made her frown, but she kept going until she arrived at the note she was looking for. She flattened out the page a couple of times upon reaching it, then held the small book out to Sakura and said, "I think he'd want you to read it."

Sakura looked at it for a moment, then silently accepted it. She didn't start reading immediately, but when she did, Tsunade could see the emotion creeping into her eyes. Every time her eyes finished flitting through one line, they more quickly skimmed the next. By the time she was done, her eyes carried a certain sadness in them and even the lifeless exterior she was sporting couldn't hide the raw emotion pouring out of her face.

She stared at the scratchy writing for a while longer before whispering, "I never knew he felt this way..."

Tsunade gave a slow shrug. "I don't think anyone did."

Sakura frowned, eyeing the note sadly. "But why didn't he say anything?"

"He said it all there, Sakura. He thought he could take care of himself."

Sakura thought about the answer and a few seconds later, her frown deepened as she looked away. "Guess he was wrong…"

"Yeah," Tsunade said. "I guess so…"

After another span of silence, Sakura asked, "Do you believe him?"

"Believe him?"

"He said he'd come back."

Tsunade tightened her grip on the little girl's shoulder. "Don't worry, Sakura. We're already working on it. He'll be back."

"What about Sasuke?" she asked.

"We'll get him back too," Tsunade replied. "Ok?"

There was a moment's pause, but in the end, she replied with a small nod, and although it was barely visible, there was the slightest of smiles there too. Tsunade was glad to see that she was at least trying. Maybe there was some hope after all.

Tsunade smiled then rose to her feet and stretched with both arms over her head, letting out an awkward groan that sounded like a cross between a monkey and a banshee. It was mainly meant to make Sakura laugh and she was very pleased when the little girl's smile widened. Not the full effect intended, but something, nonetheless. A little laughter could hurt at a time like this. She let her arms fall to her sides then said, "Alright, Sakura. I'm gonna be needing that now." nodding towards the small notebook.

Sakura handed it back to her gently, although it seemed a part of her didn't want to let go. Tsunade accepted it graciously, making an intentional effort to cup one hand over the hand Sakura had used to give the book back. She quickly pulled the little girl onto her feet and brushed off her shoulders. She looked at her from head to toe then decided to pass a few fingers through the now messy pink hair. The girl should look at least somewhat presentable before they returned to society. At last, she curled her index finger and tapped the bottom of her chin twice, whispering, "Be strong."

Sakura looked down shyly but responded with a small nod. "And chin up," Tsunade added. "Now, come on. Let's get out of here."

Sakura nodded then gathered herself and followed Tsunade towards the door. As they approached the front door, Tsunade reached for the light switch once more but stopped when she noticed a broken alarm clock and picture frame resting on Naruto's nightstand. She stopped in her tracks realizing that it was very possible that she didn't have the full picture before. Maybe there was some madness before the method... She examined both items meticulously. The alarm clock was foreign to her, but the picture frame wasn't. It was resting face down, but she knew the picture underneath full well. It was the picture of Team 7 from so long ago, back when they were actually a team, although a part of her now wondered if there was ever really a time like that.

Tsunade reached for the oh so familiar picture but stopped short when she noticed Sakura turn away.

She paused momentarily then gave a soft smile and said, "If you don't want to see it, we don't have to look."

Sakura remained silent but kept her gaze pointed in the other direction. Tsunade gave an understanding smile then opened the door. "Ok, we won't look." Sakura walked outside and Tsunade followed behind her, shutting the lights off as they both found their way back into the world.


Author's Note

PLEASE leave a review on this story if you're enjoying it. It's more encouraging than you know and I really enjoy reading them (however short or long they may be). Constructive criticism is also welcome, and you can even PM it to me if you don't want to feel like you're flaming the story lol. In any case, be sure to drop a follow and a favorite if you enjoy my work!