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Adorned in black. Everyone in Konoha was adorned in black. One of the darkest days since the Third Hokage died, who left leaving a feeling of sadness and bitterness at the world for the Leaf villagers to sort through. Uzumaki Naruto's death, the man who had dreamed of leading the village who had scorned him ever since he was a child, would lead that same fate.

"Why am I here?" Sasuke wondered aloud. It almost received a slap to the face from Hinata, but she was too sad and angry to care.

Hinata couldn't get mad at him anyway, she hadn't ever told him why he was brought along; or why he was shrouded in black, stood in front of by Hinata. Hanabi securely took a spot behind him after being instructed to by her sister. It was like they were his bodyguards or something. It was uncomfortable. He felt helpless again. Before, if anyone were to attack him, he would have done away with the threat immediately and been on his way before the assailant's body hit the ground. But now, but here, he was broken, exposed, and an easy target. It was like being stark naked in front of all of these people. It made him feel significantly colder.

An elder took a spot beside a picture of Naruto at his inauguration into becoming Hokage…the 7th Hokage of Konoha. It was nostalgic for Hinata, who was front and center at her dearest friend's inauguration. She felt sick again, like his murder was her fault. Like if Neji and Sakura could so easily blame Sasuke for this, maybe she could, too.

No. She refused. She prayed that this plan of hers would hold some results. Good ones. For her sake.

Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.

The funeral went on and on and Sasuke was getting bored. Well really, he was getting more and more disturbed. The cries, the moans, the sadness, it all made him quite disturbed on the inside. This especially when this sadness, moaning from the pain, and the cries of never ending sorrow came from Hinata. It was something that made him feel so strange, so…so much like an asshole.

He had lied to Hinata. He knew Naruto. Sasuke knew Naruto in ways some of these people never have or ever will. They were brothers in Naruto's eyes and without admitting it, Naruto was a brother in Sasuke's eyes as well. Oh, how like a brother he was. But then they went their separate ways…never to speak again. He hadn't told Hinata this because she probably would have assumed that there was bad blood in between the two and maybe he had found and killed Naruto. If he couldn't be sure about something, Hinata shouldn't be.

Sasuke had not shed a single tear when one by one people spoke kind words about his once dear friend. Or when people were so sad, so distraught over his death, that they could not say a single sentence without letting out a sigh or moan or a tear. Why couldn't he be sad like that? They were friends, right?

No. That was a long time ago. It was the past.

Maybe the past was coming back to haunt him?

What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,
That he should weep for her? What would he do,
Had he the motive and the cue for passion
That I have?

The funeral moved on slowly for Sasuke, it was like what he imagined Hell to be. Moans and cries…never ending moans and cries. For Hinata, it was agonizing as well, but for different reasons. What if Sasuke did show signs of being Naruto's killer? How could she, who just lost the love of her life, handle losing someone like Sasuke? How could she handle knowing that the man who had come to be like a dear friend to her, killed the man whom she loved so dearly? Hinata couldn't. She couldn't accept that. She accepted that she couldn't accept it. But, what were to happen if these fears came to pass? Then she would be accepting that she couldn't accept something that now became acceptable! It was a haunting paradox that she couldn't wrap her brain around. Maybe if she just killed herself now all pain and suffering would end, her mind could be at ease…

"Hinata," Hanabi began, after the tribute, "the wake is starting now."

The moment of truth was here. It seemed now that the curtains were rising, the play was about to begin. Cast and characters were all together, Sakura and Neji beside Hinata as Hanabi was wheeling Sasuke in between them. It was the most agonizing moment of Hinata's life and more tears fell, maybe this time they were not for Naruto, but maybe for what Hinata was about to lose. She was about to lose it all.

Why am I clinging to Sasuke so much?, she thought as the line moved at a deathly slow pace.

Finally, Hinata's time had come to say goodbye forever to Naruto Uzumaki, the person who gave her so much hope for the world. He looked so peaceful in his eternal rest. His eyes were shut, his mouth was slightly curled up, like he wanted to smile for the world, one last time. It brought more tears out of the former kunoichi's eyes.

"I…I just…" she had a hard time getting her words out, "I just want to thank you Naruto, fo-for every-th-thing. I…l-love you." And just like that, she moved aside as Sasuke got his turn.

"Is there anything you would like to say, S-Sasuke?" Hinata asked the crippled man as she sniffled and wiped her face.

Sasuke looked at his friend's body. Naruto's lower half was covered by a white blanket. Was he so mangled down there that the covering was necessary? It made Sasuke cringe inside. His eyes scanned up the corpse and stopped on a single point. There was a large, jagged burn mark on his face, like he was burned with fire or…

"Lightning," he mumbled.

"What?" Hinata said, her heart trying to escape from her chest.

"He was burned," he said clearly, "what a way to die."

Hinata, Neji and Sakura studied his face hard, though they tried not to call attention to their staring. His face was relaxed, but his eyes were filled with sorrow. It certainly did not prove he was a killer. Earlier that evening, Neji stated that he thought that this might be the case and instructed Hinata and Hanabi to study him over the next week or so to see if shows any sign of remembrance or guilt.

Hinata's heart and mind were not at ease yet and would not be for at least another week.

Just then, as everyone was about to move on and let the next few people say goodbye to their leader, Hanabi and Hinata heard a sniffle that was neither of theirs. They looked back at Sakura and Neji's faces which were completely devoid of tears at this point. Then, Hinata and Hanabi's eyes strayed towards Sasuke Uchiha's face, the cold-hearted man with a chip on his shoulder had two tears rolling down his countenance.

Hinata Hyuuga scrutinized Sasuke; her eyes were full of bewilderment and fear.

Did this mean Sasuke remembers?

Did this mean she would lose him? Forever?

The play's the thing
Wherein I'll catch the conscience of the King…

Cool points to anyone who can tell me were all these italicized lines come from! They may not be completely accurate, seeing as I got them offline...(because someone felt the need to steal (literally, steal right from out of the classroom!) my [blank! Hint: Shakespeare] book in the 8th grade ._. ) but I just had to use them! They were perfect for this chapter!

This chapter was kind of dark and I wanted to leave it that way so that's why I did not move on from this funeral and why this chapter is so short. I wanted you guys to leave depressed believe it or not. (Haha, I'm crazy like that!)

So yeah...Until next time!

~M.o.t.C