Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or the characters within. Just a fan with an excess of imagination and a penchant for writing thoughts down.

Sakura woke up the next morning feeling peaceful and content. Last night had been the most fun she had enjoyed in a long time. They had stayed up late, eating junk food, watching movies, and indulging in some girl talk. Tenten and Hinata were still sleeping on the couch and floor respectively, right where they had been when the last movie had ended. All of them must have passed out, since the tv was still on and no one had even tried to clean things up. Sakura noticed that one of her cohorts was suspiciously missing. Ino. Where was she at? She looked around and quickly realized that Ino was nowhere to be found inside the apartment. She must have either left or...ahhh, there she is. Ino was leaning on the railing of the balcony, seemingly staring off into space. Her body language denoted a sense of tension and stress. Sakura approached cautiously and placed her hand on Ino's left shoulder.

"Hey Pig, what are you doing out here by yourself?"

Ino was silent for a long moment, continuing to stare out at the surrounding landscape. Sakura almost wasn't sure she would answer at all, until Ino straightened and pivoted toward Sakura. Her face was a mask of indifference as she focused her gaze on Sakura.

"You are leaving Sakura."

Sakura was puzzled by Ino's abrupt statement. Of course she was leaving. They had all talked about it late into the night, about how Sakura was leaving, what was happening with her work at the hospital, and her parents packing their things. She had told them all about Naruto and his reaction, which had led to an offshoot conversation about Naruto and Hinata. Hinata had revealed to them that Naruto had asked her to move in with him and that she had agreed. Hinata was one big blush as she talked about it, but her eyes had lit up and she had be unable to wipe the smile from her face. It had helped Sakura feel more at ease with her own leaving. Hinata would be here to help Naruto get through things without her and Sasuke around. Hinata would make sure he wasn't feeling lonely and abandoned.

Ino had shared all of her own progress in her relationship pursuit with Sai. Good lord, those two were quite a pair. Sai was even more emotionally stunted than Sasuke, but had a much more wicked sense of humor. Ino was in possession of enough emotions for the two of them, and had a temper to boot. Their relationship would probably be full of ups and downs, but Sakura was happy that her best friend and her team mate were finding happiness together.

Hell, even Tenten had opened up about her secret love for Neji. Who knew the two of them were making plans for the future before the war? Sakura definitely hadn't. Neji always seemed like such a stoic stick in the mud, but the side of him that Tenten had described sounded like a completely different person.

That was neither here nor there. Right now, this was about Ino and her blunt comment.

"Yes Ino, I am leaving. We talked about this last night."

"I know, but you are leaving, for real leaving, and who knows when you will return...if you will return…"

Sakura had no idea how to respond to her best friend. Ino looked like a powder keg about to explode. Her face was turning red and her eyes kept blinking rapidly. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and her whole body was stiff and poised for motion. As Sakura was sure that she was about to explode with action, Ino seemed to sink into herself and just deflate. As the tension slipped away, her eyes got moist and her arms crossed and her hands cupped her upper arms. The tears finally started falling and Ino just seemed to lose all composure.

"I don't know if I'll ever see you again! What if something happens out there? What if you need help but none of us are there?!"

Sakura enveloped her best friend in the tightest hug she had ever given her. She had not even considered the dangers that would probably be present out on the road . In her mind, she was going to be with Sasuke, and that meant that she would be safe no matter what. Ino and the other rookie 9 were still wary of Sasuke and hadn't been able to trust him again the way she and Naruto could. They still saw him as a danger and a rogue nin. It made sense that Ino would then be worried about her. Although her and Ino had always had a crazy rivalry between the two of them, they had grown close as young girls and that friendship had always continued to grow. As women, they were the absolute best of friends, and Ino was scared she was losing her and their friendship.

"Ino, I promise I will be safe. Sasuke will take the very best care of me that he can, I know he will. But I don't need him to look out for me! I'd kick anyone's ass if they tried to mess with me. I'm not the disciple of Tsunade-sama for nothing! Do you really think I can't take care of myself?"

"But what about if you guys encounter another monster like during the war?! How are you supposed to survive against that?!"

"Pig, Naruto and Sasuke took care of that monster! It's gone! I need to be with Sasuke. You've known how I felt since we were little girls. There is no way I can let him leave without me again. I PROMISE I will be fine. I'll write to you guys every chance I can, and we will come back to visit when it's possible. We aren't leaving and then never returning. I know it's hard to believe, so I want you to believe in me instead. Have faith in me, and my abilities. I've never lied to you, and I'm not lying now. I will see you again, and if you and Sai get married, I will be there!"

Ino's face flushed red as soon as Sakura mentioned marriage to Sai. She swung around and presented her back to Sakura, too embarrassed to continue that line of conversation. She collected herself, mortified that she had broken down in front of Sakura.

"Well Forehead, I will never forgive you if this is the last conversation we have and you miss my wedding. NEVER. So make sure you take care of yourself, and kick his ass if he isn't treating you right."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief as Ino seemed to shake some of the melancholy she had been enshrouded in. She still carried a stiffness that was normally missing, but she wasn't slumped over and brooding any longer. Sakura moved forward and bumped Ino's left shoulder with her right.

"I promise I'll be there InoPig. I wouldn't miss it for anything."

The two friends smiled and stood in communal silence as they watched the sun rise above the trees, the other two ladies oblivious to the drama they had missed.

-/b/-

Sasuke stared at the building in front of him. All that was left was a shell that hadn't collapsed yet. It had once been a home, filled with warmth and joy. Inside harbored all his memories, snippets spent with his family, fragments that reminded him of the happiness found with family. Now, the building had been vacant for many long years, years that had allowed nature to reclaim the landscape and begin the natural demolition of all the man made structures. Eventually the entire complex would be reduced to rubble with no visible signs of the hundreds of inhabitants that had once called it home.

Before Sasuke had known the truth about Itachi, this building had embodied all of his sorrow and rage and reminded him of his vow of vengeance. After Itachi's reality had been revealed, this had all come to represent the sins of the Uchiha, and the Village as a whole. It fueled his need to avenge his brother and clear his name. Now, this crumbling building and all the surrounding structures were taking on a new meaning in Sasuke's life. The decaying remnants of the Uchiha clan were his legacy, the legacy he would pass down to any children he had.

When he had been seeking revenge for Itachi, he'd never allowed himself to envision the future. The one time he had done so, it was to become Hokage and take control of things. Thankfully, the Dobe had beat some sense into his head and helped him to abandon that line of thought. Now, he was allowing himself to tentatively think about his future and where he wanted it to go. Sakura was a huge part of that equation. They would be traveling together and alone. His entire life had taken on a new journey the moment she had offered to join him on his travels and he had accepted. His every intention had been to travel alone, silently and solitarily atoning for his sins. Instead, he would be one half of a team traveling and atoning. Sakura was probably going to be exposed to some of the horrible things he had done while he had been allowing himself to be ruled by hatred. She would probably be disappointed by what he had allowed himself to become, but Sasuke knew she wouldn't hold it against him. She had stuck by his side through absolutely everything and her support of him had wavered but remained strong. She wouldn't have offered to travel with him if she wasn't absolutely sure of him.

Sasuke had rarely felt this sense of peace in his life. Definitely not since the massacre of his clan and the death of Itachi. Sakura had done this. Naruto and Kakashi too. Team 7 had never given up on him, no matter how deranged or loathsome his behavior. They had always banded together and supported him, and he would spend the rest of his life repaying them for their loyalty and support. He wouldn't be here and able to repent for his sins without them. He had no intention of squandering this chance he had been given, the chance to be something his family would have been proud of.

Once more, Sasuke looked up at the building in front of him. He was determined to carry these memories forward with him. He would not allow the mistakes of the past to prevent the redemption of the future. He would help keep the Uchiha legacy alive and share the traditions of old, but they would never again reside here in the Uchiha district. This land would forever sit as a stoic graveyard for the lost souls of his Uchiha brethren. There was too much blood in the ground here to ever happily rebuild in this place.

Sasuke closed his mismatched eyes and breathed deeply. He reached his hand out and laid it flat on the doorframe. He would always carry them with him, always strive to live a life they would be proud of...with Sakura. With Team 7. With Konoha.

"Wish me luck. I'll carry your souls with me always."

With those parting words, Sasuke turned and strode away with purpose, his cape billowing out behind him on a sudden gust of wind. If he had turned around and activated the Rinnegan, he may have seen the hundreds of Uchiha spirits that all lined the streets watching him leave. His mother, father, and brother at the forefront...smiles on their faces. They all watched him until he was gone and then they faded as though they had never even been. There was still hope for the future of the Uchiha clan.