A/N Here it is. Thank you for waiting. The more angsty version. Enjoy.

Many hugs and thank-you to Cindy Medeiros, RaningDay, TheFeyRa, Darkredblossomgodess for reviewing!

Thank you to TheBlackRose123, TheFeyRa, and Darkredblossomgodess for adding this to their story alerts.

Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. The quote below is.

The scariest sight

Is when you look up at the dark night sky

Just to see

An orange monster

That fills the sky

With screams and howls.

Sakura

Three days have gone by and the red haired boy is still not back in school.

That night is Naruto's birthday party, and Hinata is very excited. Her pale eyes are joyful, and she barely managed to keep the party a secret from Naruto. But Sakura couldn't share her excitement.

Gaara was still absent.

Sakura really doesn't know why that bothers her so much (You want to be a mother) since it really is none of her business. It isn't.

So she could hardly pay attention to Asuma-sensei's lectures, or Kakashi's shouts of encouragement, or even Gai-sensei's 'good guy' poses.

But Sakura has to be happy, for both Hinata and Naruto.

"Sakura? Sakura?"

Sakura looks up sharply, to find Hinata staring at her with a worried look on her face. "A-Are you okay? You seem distracted."

Sakura forces a smile, her gaze wandering away to glance at Temari before snapping back to the Hyuuga girl. "Who have you invited for the party?"

"Sasuke, Kiba, Shikamaru, Shino, and… That's it." She said, counting off on her fingers.

The pink haired girl is surprised that Hinata didn't invite her own cousin, but doesn't question it. "Who's Shino?"

Hinata points to the table on the opposite end of the lunchroom, where a boy with a trenchcoat is sitting, sunglasses on and hands shoved into his pockets. He is sitting next to Kiba, who asks him something curiously.

"What's that he's holding in his hand?"

"Shino-kun likes bugs. He collects them." Hinata explains.

Sakura nods, turning back to her (disgusting) lunch and stuffing it into her mouth. Hinata picks at her food, and then tries to hide when Naruto comes near, voice as loud as ever.

"H-Happy birthday Naruto-kun." Hinata squeaks from behind Sakura. He smiles widely. His smile gets even wider when Hinata asks him if she can go to his house after school.

"Of course Hinata!"

Sakura echoes Hinata's 'happpy birthday' and continues eating.

"Hey, have any of you seen Gaara lately?"

Sakura's heart almost stops and she forces herself to gulp down the milk instead of spitting it in Naruto's face. "Why do you ask that?"

The blond boy gets a questioning look. "He's my friend, isn't he? Why shouldn't I be worried about him?"

Hinata looks at the ground, muttering something under her breath. Sakura catches the words 'Dangerous' and 'Evil'. Apparently Naruto does too, since he defends Gaara immediately.

"Gaara isn't dangerous!" He bursts out. Hinata shrinks away and whimpers.

Naruto's face becomes soft again, and he apologizes. Sakura, feeling out of place, quietly leaves the lunchroom.

(Because you never fit in.)

It's music now

And we're studying Mozart

And there's only one month until this quarter ends

Then we get to pick what we want to do

(You're picking art, aren't you dear?)

No I'm not.

(Of course you are.)

Sometimes I think I'm going mad

When I hear these voices inside

My messed up head

And I feel

Like a bubble

That's about to POP!

But I'm still thinking about the party

As I walk out the door

And I see Hinata is passing out invitations to the party.

I help her scurry away

When Naruto comes by.

It's after school now

And I'm at Hinata's (Neiji's) house

Hanging up the streamers

Blowing balloons

And I laugh like everyone else

When Kiba accidentally slams the door

Into Shino's face.

Shino's tall

Has a deep voice

And likes to collect bugs.

In fact,

He has bugs in his hand right now,

And Akamaru is chasing some of the ones that stray off.

Sasuke it sitting in the corner

With his dark eyes that gleam

Staring at all of us

Then going back to guarding the door.

It's almost time for Naruto to come.

We're fortunate

That Neiji is out of the house

Along with his father

For a tournament.

There's still some fussing

But everyone still hides

When Sasuke announces

"They're coming!"

So we all hide

And Shikamaru cuts the lights.

We all hear Naruto's voice outside

Shouting, "W-Why are we-"

As soon as he opens the door

Kiba and I shout 'SURPRISE!'

Sakuke grumbles something

Shino nods

And Akamaru barks.

We all stand there for a moment,

Naruto in shock

With Hinata standing behind him

Blushing like crazy.

Then at the same time

We all bust into laughter (minus Sasuke and Shino)

Naruto jumps toward us

Pulls us into a group hug

And shouts, "You guys are the best!"

Soon, the music's blaring

The cake is being served

Everyone's laughing

And talking

And smiling.

For the first time,

I am a part of it too

Doing the same

As everyone else is.

Naruto is the star of the show

Cracking jokes

Stuffing cake into his mouth

Opening presents.

The presents are the best part.

Kiba gets him a headband,

Shino a beetle (I don't get the point, but it's the thought that counts)

Shikamaru a new orange jacket,

Hinata a giant pie, made into the shape of a heart (He doesn't know what it means),

And Sasuke some kind of small knife. (Kunai, he says.)

Naruto accepts all of it

With a smiling face

And now I feel bad

Because I only got him a small blue headband

With a metal plate.

He just waves me off

"The party was a gift itself."

(Friend.)

The party's still going steady

Even when I see the stars look down

And they seems so small

Compared to the ones I see

Every single day.

It seems like the party is so calm

Peaceful

Perfect in the universe

That it almost seems like a dream

When Hinata runs in

Her pale eyes wide and shaking

And with a strained voice

Shouts,

"FIRE!"

And soon everyone's bolting to the door

Running all over

While Shino calls the fire department.

I can faintly see

The red flames coming closer

Licking in the multi-colored stars around it.

I hear Kiba shouting for Akamaru

Who has been lost somewhere

Among the flames.

I stand there in shock

Remembering the boy with flame red hair

Gaara all over again.

Until someone shoves me from behind

And the smooth voice of Sasuke

Shouts (almost pleadingly)

"GO!"

So I do.

I'm out of the black smothering building

There are red lights everywhere

Water is being sprayed

And sound of coughing and crying fill the air.

I can barely see

But I make out Hinata

Sobbing

Crying

Begging

On the shoulder of the boy

Whose birthday has been ruined.

But he doesn't shout

Or scream

Or even glare

But comforts.

(That is something you will never know.)

Kiba is crying

For the very first time that anyone's seen

Hugging a limp

Charred

Non-breathing puppy

That has fluffy fur

Which is now burned on the edges.

Men tell him to get off the ground

Let go of the dead animal

But he is shouting

"HE WAS A FRIEND!"

And no one can convince him otherwise.

Officials are telling Hinata

That there were no serious damages on the house

But it seems she doesn't care at all

Since they can't fix her soul

And I look up at the stars

Which seem to be glaring coldly at me

Knowing that I am a disappointment.

Tears fall to the ground

And I think of

How unfair

The world

Is.

Ino

Ino's hair is messy and wild and sticking out in weird angles. Most of her body is covered with ash and her clothes are tattered. The blond's usually glamorous face is smeared with makeup, and she gets out from the gutter she escaped in. Her knees are scabbed and bloody. But she doesn't care.

She could've done more. Much more. She could've killed them all (that is, if she had used all her alcohol) and burned them to a painful death. But somewhere, there was a shard of kindness in there (Stop being so soft. Weak.)so she spared them.

But she knows, somewhere in her shattered heart that she couldn't, and wouldn't ever do that.

Shikamaru who has abandoned her (but he doesn't hate you), Sakura who caused all this (No, you did that yourself),and Hinata…

She is glad that at least someone's soul has been crushed.

She is glad that at least something died.

Ino yearns for revenge. Revenge.

Someone. Please. Join her corner of misery.

(But you know that somewhere in there, you would never kill a person.)

Shut up.

A/N As you can see, Ino's part is still the same.

Poll time! Who do you like best of these characters?

A) Hinata

B) Gaara

C) Sakura

D) Lee

Constructive criticisms are always appreciated; so are questions.