Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

A spring breeze blew through pink tresses. Sakura was kneeling on the ground in front of a well kept gravestone. Tears ran down her cheeks though she knelt in silence. Soft footsteps approached.

"It's been a year already," a purple-eyed teen said, crouching down next to her. "Yet still we feel the loss as though it were only yesterday." He put his arm around her shoulders. Gratefully, she leant against him, welcoming the comfort.

"One day," she sobbed. "One day I'll have to move on, I know, but it's so hard to let go." Tears ran more freely as she cried into his chest. He remained still, a pillar for her to lean on.

"Move on when you're ready to," he said softly. "No-one's forcing you. It's hard for all of us."

Team Taka had been shaken by the loss just as much as the Rookie Nine. Karin had looked for comfort in Naruto, who had obliged. Juugo had grown closer to Team Gai, being helped by their constant support. Suigetsu... Suigetsu had, surprisingly, been hit the hardest out of the squad. No-one, not even he, could say why. Perhaps it was because he had spent the most time with him, no-one knew. It could have been because he was there... Unlike Karin and Juugo, he hadn't found someone to help him. Instead, he had buried his sorrow and become the support for others that grieved.

More footsteps could be heard as others approached. Karin, arm in arm with Naruto, Juugo, with Neji and Tenten. Kiba and Hinata with Akamaru. The silver-haired teen looked at them emotionlessly, but inside, he was consumed by envy. Everyone had found comfort. Everyone except him. They all sat or stood in silence, mourning. Years previously, that day had been filled with joy. Now all it knew was sorrow. Time passed; people began to leave until only Sakura and her comforter remained. Eventually, they too stood and made to go. The kunoichi walked away, but the shinobi stayed where he was, drowning in his own sorrow.

For five years, the same thing occurred. They would meet, mourn, then go, and he would be the last to go – often he stayed until midnight.

But on the sixth year things changed. The teen – now a young man – had lost all hope of happiness. Karin and Naruto were married, as were Tenten and Neji and Kiba and Hinata. He was depressed, but kept it hidden behind a mask. Years of comforting people while hiding his own sorrow were taking their toll. On the sixth year after the death he stayed long into the night, as he did every year. That night, he despaired. He knew he was depressed, but that didn't stop him from drawing a kunai and holding it to his wrist. Dark thoughts clouded his mind as he pushed the blade into the skin.

"No!" a beautiful voice cried. Another kunai hit his, knocking it out of his hand. He moved to pick it up, but something pushed him to the ground. He looked up to see Sakura looking down on him. Before he could say anything, she had grabbed his injured wrist and healed it.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you comfort us when it tore you up inside?" He sat up but didn't answer. "Why?"

"It's what he would have wanted," he said quietly.

"But he wouldn't have wanted you to torture yourself either," she said. Her arms wound around him and pulled him close. "It's time our roles were reversed," she told him. "You've kept it in for too long – let it out." And he did. They sat there for hours while he cried, while he released six years' worth of pent up sorrow.

After that, he changed. To most people, it was a side of him that they'd rarely seen. But to Karin and Juugo, it was the welcome return of an old friend. He never had a family, but visited the grave every year with Sakura until the day that he went on a mission... and a week later his body was brought back.

The next year, Sakura visited two gravestones.

Sasuke Uchiha

23 July – 28 March

Son of Fugaku and Mikoto Uchiha

Separated from his friends

The day he rejoined them

RIP

And

Suigetsu Hōzuki

18 February - 28 March

The boy from Kiri

And a faithful friend

RIP

Rather depressing, huh? I appear to have made Suigetsu the second main character... but, oh well. A hint of SuiSaku in there... not a pairing I really like, but nor is NaruKa – I put that in there so that I had a good excuse for KibaHina!

Well that's this sad tale at an end... hope you enjoyed it!

Here is some personal thanks for everyone who reviewed this story (prior to 29/1/2010), including flamers because they still took the time to type something: DarkAlliGator (6); xUnicornsRulex and Spaice (4); Dylan Millwood (3); Gold Luula and Tiger Priestess (2); ahriman, crazymel2008, delfina1987 (guest), fishgirlclw, Izzy (guest), Moment-4-Life, PsycheNyan, m1ck3y (guest), naruhina fan, SparkDazzleDeuz, SuzyQ (guest), Sailor GaOn Donut, zara (guest) and zara dragon (1).

Tsari