Hello Hello, so sorry it took so long to get this chapter posted, finals and school, blugh but good news is it's finally up so readers please enjoy. I did good on my finals so my next chapter should be up quicker

WARNING: There are spoilers in here for manga 282 and so on but read if you must it's interesting, oops did I pique your interest.

Disclaimer- I do not, I repeat do not own Naruto

Well read on!

She stood still the smile slowly slipping off her face, her mind working fast to process what he said, she had known it was coming…his funeral she just didn't want to face it, to actually acknowledge and know that Uchiha Sasuke was gone he was gone and was never returning. Her emotions started their regular rollercoaster ride when something got out of control and the hungry beast that continuously lurked in her mind now rose, a bit sluggishly but waking up fast.

"Sakura…?" Naruto asked looking quite worried and peering at her closely "are you alright?" his tone and expression brought her back to her senses momentarily and she gave him a big bright, fake smile.

"Of course, it's just a bit of a…shock that's all" her voice softened and trailed off at the end and an uneasy silence enfolded them. Both struggled to say something that would either cause them to leave each other to go do their separate things or would make them talk, she liked the former a lot.

"Well I've got to go and you've probably got things to do neh" Sakura said as brightly as possible

"Yeah…" he hesitated looking down for a second "You can always talk to me you know that don't you!" Naruto burst out looking at her now with his blue eyes that made her want to laugh and cry at the same time.

"Thanks Naruto, I know that" another awkward pause

"Bye" Sakura said and turned

"Yeah…bye" he said also turning in his own direction

"Oh and Naruto" she said as an afterthought turning her head to him so both her covered right eye and forest green looked at him "Thank you, truly I could ask for no better friend." His face transformed astonishingly fast in to a bright smile that seemed to light up the world just a little bit more, it was also infectious she couldn't help but let her own smile, more real then the last one slip onto her face. Then with a wave she turned and headed for her apartment 'You don't know how much you've saved me Naruto' she thought, the smile though a little smaller was still on her face and her emotional attack was on the backburner for now she didn't know how long that'd last though, but she was grateful she wasn't suffering the attack now as well as the aftereffects. Her gaze was faraway thinking of things, but her mind was now shadowed with tomorrow's event it would be one of her hardest tests, the resolution that she would pass it was very low. Sighing she unlocked her apartment and stepped in, the gleam of sunlight striking the floors and making them a cinnamon tone was ignored as she strode over them. Stripping off her clothes as she went and dropping them on the ground carelessly she drowned out any other thoughts that said she had to do anything else other then take a shower. Right now…she didn't want to do anything, no not right now, with his funeral so close it would be to hard to get through.

Stepping into the shower she turned it on not caring about the temperature only when it was scalding her skin and making it an angry red did she lift her hand lethargically and turn it to a cooler temperature. She just let the water run over her, tilting her head back to get the spray on her face groaning as she washed herself she was moving sooo slowly…who cared she didn't.

The water was still running and she was still in the shower only know at the bottom, back slightly curved to support her on the rock of her showerwall, it was warm from her body heat, unlike her shower water that had turned cold with time, her arms were wrapped loosely around her knees but she didn't move even when she started shivering, she decided she really liked showers they gave her an effective excuse that allowed her to try and deceive her mind that, no she wasn't crying it was only the water from the shower head running down her face tracking to her lips and leaving a salty taste.

'Liar' she thought to tired to even say it spitefully, it was pathetic, she was pathetic and right now that was okay with her, with no one here to judge her or bother her, it gave her time to sort out a least a little bit of her emotions if not all. Deciding that she had wasted enough water she slowly stood up muscles slightly cramped from staying in the cold spray to long, they gave slight protests that she ignored. Turning off the water she stepped out slowly, the wood was warm under her feet and pulling a tower from the rack to dry and wrap around herself, she wrung her short rosette hair out letting the excess water trail down her back or splash on to the floor. Walking out she pulled on simple pants and a shirt she didn't want to go anywhere else today, tomorrow she would go out she promised herself, she had no choice but to go out tomorrow.

Waiting for the kettle to start whistling she studied her wrinkled and pruned fingers, raising them she rubbed her eyes tiredly it had been a long emotional day. The attack hadn't come but the depression was just as bad if not worse and the dark, gloomy mood stuck to her soul like duck tape. Hearing the sharp ear-piercing whistle from the black kettle she stood straight up from her leaning on the counter and walked over to the stove, tea would help, tea helps everything.

Lying on the couch she watched nothing her eyes distant, attention focused solely in her mind and on her thoughts. She'd had more negative emotions and depressing thoughts these last few days then she had her whole life! Her hitae-ate was placed on the coffee table to the left of her, the silver gleam of the metal throwing patterns on the walls. Her Sharingan was half-lidded and she slowly traced the smooth scar that went around it he had done a good job setting it in, the small taste of it's powers revealed to her today awoke a feeling of wanting to use it to it's full potential it was only right, she assured herself he had given it to her she had it now she couldn't just have it and not use, 'ANBU' she thought, 'I can use this the way Sasuke wanted in ANBU' she remembered when he had gotten into ANBU they'd partied all night long he was only 16 when he was accepted but his skills were very impressive it wasn't surprising he got accepted into ANBU, it would have been sooner but the village had to build back up the trust that he had destroyed when he left the village for Orochimaru's power. His quest was foolish she remembered his words from the Chûunin exam she remembered them very well. He was an avenger, she wondered if Itachi had never slaughtered his clan if he would have turned out different. Squishing the thought she already had enough problems without thinking and pondering on what ifs…it could very well lead to her insanity,she was already hanging onto her sanity with only a thread of her will.

Turning to her side so she faced the opposite wallshe sighed, it was just as white and blank as the ceiling she had just been staring at, nothing differentiated between the two. Slipping her eyes closed she waited for the images to assault her, first came sight, then sound, then smell she hated the smell more then the images, while the images eventually faded the smells stayed as though they were stuck in her olfactory sense. Even after she had woken up the smell of blood was what stayed with her and only faded after days, some nights the dreams were so vivid she thought she was reliving them again and again those times she'd tell herself she'd never sleep again, ever! Then she'd fall asleep again a sad cycle, she wondered how Gaara did it, when you think about it you did need sleep and slowly but surely she was being deprived of it how she could still function with only about 5 hours a week was beyond her, she wouldn't question it if it kept her away from the nightmares.

Shooting up awake suddenly, she had stayed on the couch falling asleep, running a shaking hand through her coral pink hair she gulped in air like a landed fish, sucking it in to combat the after effects. Pulling her legs up to her chest she wrapped her arms around them and clasped her hands in front. Burying her face into her knees she tried to calm her breathes if not her trembling and only succeeded in realizing how sweat-soaked she was. Her shirt stuck to her as well as her pants, she gave a long body-racking exhale of breath, it helped to calm her pounding heart slightly.

Swiftly getting up her feet thumped the wooden floors as she moved almost blindly in her apartment only memorization of where everything was kept her from falling, but she bumped her knees against the table as she passed ignoring the brief jolt of pain as the sharp edge caught her leg she headed to her kitchen ignoring the light switch and opening her fridge to pull out a chilled container of water, which she unscrewed and instead of drinking dumped on herself. THAT calmed her down and she breathed a little easier now placing the bottle by the sink for a refill, she found out it helped accidentally when she hada previous nightmare, in an attempt to quiet herself she had gotten up to get some water, but she shook so much that it had splashed all over her, and then everything had just calmed down, her heart had stopped racing the pounding of it receding quickly and her trembling stopped almost immediately. She'd stood in the kitchen for minutes blinking, trying to figure out what happened then she had glanced at her now empty bottle, then at herself and put two and two together. From then on she kept one in the fridge for her nightly terrors.

It was warm so she had nothing to worry about catching a sickness and she was a medic nin so she could alleviate the symptoms of a cold or sickness easily. Taking the time to glance at the clock to see what time it was, she squinted in the dark and saw the small dark hand on the 4, the longer in between 4 and 5. 'Shit' she grumbled and padding to her bathroom for another shower she showered quickly and went to her room pulling on a simple black long-sleeved jôunin shirt and pants she also put her wrappings on and vainly rubbed at her eyes. Taking a seat on the coach again she waited for the funeral time to come around, she kept her hitae-ate off since she was in her house, as soon as she left she knew she'd have to have it slanted over her right eye again, a visible testament to what Sasuke had left behind.

The time passed slowly but it didn't drag on, it didn't seem to pass by exceedingly quickly either though. Walking down the dirt-packed road she kept her gaze forward it was still early so not many civilians were up except the ones that were opening their shops for business. She met up with Naruto, he actually found her first leaping down from a higher level to land and catch up with her. His normally bright smile-ridden face was blank, and was pulled into grief. She imagined that she probably looked the same, when they arrived at were the funeral would be, his body was cleaned up it almost looked like Sasuke was alive again. She wanted to run to his body to shake him and pound on his chest yelling to him wake up wake up you can't be dead. It was a fruitless dream though he was gone, and all she had left of him was memories and his eye, his last gift. She shouldn't be so selfish she told herself she had more to remember him by then most people in the group of shinobi that had showed up, and a lot of shinobi had shown up. She stood next to Naruto and Kakashi in between them, she could see Ino next to Shikamaru there was Neji with Hinata and countless others some she knew others she didn't. Tsunde spoke the traditional rights said he completed his dream, 'but did he mean to die in the process' Sakura wondered.

Watching the pyre burn his body being slowly swallowed and obscured by the red and orange leaping flames, till there was nothing left. His name was carved into the memorial, another new fresh name to the ever growing list, everyone knew it wouldn't be the last one, how could it be they were shinobi, bringers of death and short lived with all the risks and missions they did living long wasn't in the job description. Sakura kept a firm hold on her emotions but when she saw Naruto silently crying the tears running down in streams from his eyes, her control wavered and she found herself sobbing. A comforting arm was placed around her shoulders and Naruto grasped her hand, the flames died down now, nothing was left but ashes, his soul was free from this world and without her last goodbyes to him, she'd remember this day always, it'd haunt her through the nights like her other memories twisted into something fiendish, terrifying. She'd remember the orange flames leaping and his face, beautifully cold slowly disappearing. The fire itself reminded her of his Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu, a beautiful technique, she would never be Uchiha really she didn't want to be but she'd learn his techniques only his, she'd take up his role not as an avenger but as the shinobi he could have been if his clan was never slaughtered by his brother. Yes, she resolved as people slowly started to trickle away to their ever constant shinobi lives that could only be put on hold for so long she'd be what Sasuke would have been, it seemed right to her. Hugging Naruto tightly, he invited her over for ramen tonight she'd probably sleep over their too she'd have to remember to bring a lot of sleeping pills, no need for him to be worried about her she'd cause enough trouble.

"We're here for you kay Sakura-chan" he said placing a kiss on her forehead,

"Thanks Naruto, I don't know what I would do with out you and Kakashi-sensei" she meant it wholeheartedly.

As he left, she turned to the pyre his ashes would be gathered and be put in the Uchiha family graveyard. Kakashi stood by her still and after giving her a pat on the shoulder and the murmured words of practice tomorrow he also gave her a hug one she gladly welcomed and returned. The support of her friends and comrades kept her sane she realized, kept her sane and whole in mind, with out them she'd be nothing.

"Don't be afraid to show your emotions" Kakashi whispered while she was pressed to his jôunin vest.

"I won't…" she said back, and he too left after a pat on the head like they were still genin and he was the sensei.

She was there standing at the monument staring at the newly carved name of 'Uchiha Sasuke' embedded in the stone a silent reminder of her teammate. She didn't sense him come up beside her but she saw him as he had stood next to her, also looking down at the memorial. Glancing at him from the corner of her eye, he spoke first

"He was an excellent Shinobi, a true warrior for his village" he sounded almost sad, his lined face was drawn but it always was and his bandaged head and one eye made it hard for anyone to read him, besides the fact he was in charge of Ne, that part of ANBU should have been disbanded a long time ago, she had heard from the Hokage that it still was in existence, Sakura knew this to be true since she'd had one of the members on her team Sai, he was a very…odd nin, with no emotions with which to speak of he creeped her out when she first saw him on the mission together with Naruto. Tsunde-shishou had told her more about Ne when she had returned and asked.Her master had done a very good and through job in filling in the blanks for her, it absolutely disgusted her the way that it was, from what she had seen of Sai, it made her very wary of the rouge part of ANBU.

Sakura didn't say anything to him he didn't seem to particularly care though

"Is there something I can help you with Danzō-san?" she asked trying to be polite

"No Haruno-san not particularly, I would just like to present you…with an offer" he said casually

Was he asking her to join Ne, that was scary, no way she would join she couldn't outright refuse him that'd make him sure that she knew a lot more then she was supposed to about Ne.

"What kind of offer?" she asked she kept her eyes on the memorial stone, eyes continuously tracing 'Uchiha Sasuke'.

"I've heard that you are looking into joining with ANBU"

"Yes" she said after a short pause, he was going to ask her to join.

"Then you will consider a special part of ANBU, where….your skills will be put into very good use"

'I bet' she said mentally to herself, she should have known he just wanted her for her Sharingan, Kakashi had warned her about how she would be in increased danger since she now held one of the most powerful shinobi weapons known in the shinobi world.

"Thank you for your offer Danzō-san, I'll be sure to think about it" she almost choked on those last words 'polite to the end eh Sakura' she said to herself.

"Thank you for your time Haruno-san" he turned to leave, passing her she didn't turn to see him go merely continued to gaze at her comrade's name. Only when she dug her hands into her pockets did she fell a smooth piece of rice paper. Pulling it out she looked at it, it was small made of a very expensive type, on it written in bold, black neat calligraphy was written

In "Ne"... You have no name, you have no feelings,

You have no past, You have no future. What you have is your mission,

That which supports the great tree of Konoha, unseen from within the ground,

is our resolve, our organization called "Ne".

Staring at it, he must have slipped it in somehow….but now what to do with it, she didn't entertain the idea of actually joining, but she got an offer from him what should she do with it tell Tsunde-shishou, Kakashi-sensai? She was at a loss what to do with it. Turning away herself she cast one more look back at the stone and then started back home, it would be a long night.

Next Chapter: "Are you ready for missions Sakura, Kakashi has informed me that you've succeeded in your training" Sakura paused thinking about it "Yes Tsunde-shishou, I'm ready alright, you and Kakashi, Hinata, and Kiba will be escorting a caravan nothing serious, but you do pass close to Oto" Sakura felt the rising excitement all her training she could now go back to missions her own dreams were slowly fufilling "Thank you Tsunde-shishou" she truly meant those words giving a smile to her master that conveyed it. Tsunde understood and responded with her own smile.

Alright what did you think is it getting better worse, my next chapter I'll try and get up much faster, so please be patient and I'll work as fast as I can Thank you

Oh and review that's alllllll ways helpful.