Disclaimer: As much as I want to, I don't own any of the Naruto characters!

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Blame

I sat curled up against my bedroom window. I wanted to cry, to let everything out, nut I couldn't. I haven't cried a tear since they bought Naruto back to the village.

Lee and Neji found us. I was cradling Naruto in my arms, his blood all over my body. I was dimly aware of Lee's arm on my shoulder and his voice making no sense, I didn't care. My eyes were fixed on Naruto. His skin was pale and his lips were tinged with blue. His golden blonde hair drifted over his face.

Suddenly I felt somebody trying to take him from my arms. I tightened my grip, pulling Naruto closer to me and burying my face in his shoulder. "No!" I cried, I began to cry again. But the person wouldn't give up. "No! Leave us alone! No! No! No!" my wails grew louder. Then I felt a firm hand on my arm and someone softly calling my name. I looked up and stared in to the comforting face of Lee. His face was etched with sadness and his eyes glistened with unshed tears. "It's ok Sakura-chan, let him go, it'll be alright." His words were like an unspoken lullaby. Slowly my arms went numb and my grip loosened and I let Naruto be pulled from my arms. My head began to spin, darkness wound itself round me, cutting off the light, and then it covered me completely.

When I woke up I was laying in a hospital bed. My head thudded violently, I raised a hand to my forehead to find it find a bandage wrapped round it. Naruto, his name was the only thing inside my head.

"Sakura!" a joyful cry exploded in the room, making me wince. Ino threw herself at me and hugged me tight. "Sakura! I'm so glad that you're ok!" I stared at her blankly. "Where's Naruto?" I whispered my voice barely audible. Ino averted her gaze, her eyes welling up with tears. "Sakura... Naruto is… is"

"Naruto isn't here Sakura." I looked up. Tsunade-sama stood in the doorway; her eyes were red and sore, behind her stood, Shizune and Kakashi-sensei. She walked in a placed Naruto headband in front of me "I'm sorry Sakura. There was nothing that I could do. He's not coming back."

"I know, and it's my fault." I said, my voice emotionless as I grasped the headband. Tsunade looked shocked, I heard Ino gasp.

"What! Sakura, no way was that your fault. It was just something that happened!"

"No. if I hadn't gone after that sound ninja, if I had listened instead of going off on my own, then I wouldn't have gotten caught and Naruto wouldn't have come to save me and he wouldn't have died. He died because of me. I killed him…"

"Sakura…" began Ino. I turned away, staring through the open window at the sunset. The golden rays flittered over the faces of the Hokages, illuminating their features. Naruto had always gone on about how it was his dream to join them, to be one of them, a dream that he could now never fulfil.

Ino start to speak again, but somebody cut her off. Couple of seconds later I heard the sound of footsteps leaving the room. "None of this was your fault. It was Naruto's choice." Tsunade-sama whispered softly as the door clicked shut.

I was released from hospital the next day.

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So this is where I am now. The window glass is cold against my skin. My hair is knotted and unbrushed, but I don't care. Its been two days since I left the hospital and I hadn't left my room. Naruto's funeral was tomorrow.

Suddenly I heard footsteps and voices coming up the stairs. There was a gentle knock at the door followed by my mother's soft voice. "Sakura, Inos here." I continued staring out the window. The door opened and closed. I could feel Ino's eyes on the back of my head.

"Hey Sakura." No reply. "Sakura, its Naruto's funeral tomorrow, are you going to come?" Again I didn't answer. A group of kids raced through the street below, their shrieks of laughter echoing on the sunlit buildings, so innocent, so carefree, and so unaware of the terrors that life brings.

"Sakura, answer me!" A minute passed before I spoke.

"What right do I have?"

"What! Sakura, what are you on about?" demanded Ino

"What right do I have to go to his funeral, it's my fault he's dead," I breathed

"No Sakura! It wasn't your fault; you've got to stop blaming yourself!" Ino cried

"Shut up! You have no idea. I killed him. I have no right to be anywhere near him!" I hissed, still facing away from her.

"So that's it! Your just going to sit here" your not even going to see him, or say goodbye!" shouted Ino, her voice rising.

"I don't deserve to live."

Suddenly I felt Ino's hand on my shoulder. She wrenched me round and slapped me hard across the face. I froze, my cheek stung terribly, Ino had held nothing back. I turned to stare at her, eyes wide. "How can you say that!" she spat. Her face was contorted with a mixture of anger and sorrow, and her eyes were hard, cold and bore into me with intense fury. "How can you say that!" she repeated. "After everything you and him went through together, you're just going to let it end like this!"

"I…"

"No Sakura. He gave his life for you and you're just going to sit here and waste his sacrifice. He cared about you so much, but you could never see it. Now you're going to forget and sit here and feel sorry for yourself! He chose to give his life for you, it was his choice." At that Ino turned and rushed out of the room. I hung my head in my hands and curled up against the window. She was right, everything she said, she was so right.

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Hey the next chapter is finished. I think that this is turning into a Naruto/Sakura fic, which is a bit strange because I don't really like Naru/Saku pairings

Oh well XD