Well here it is, the fifth or third (depends on how you look at it) and much anticipated chapter! Or at least anticipated by me...Anyway what will unfold as Sakura struggles to get through the pain of separation? Did Ino really help her? Oh and the reason this is so late is because I've become obsessed with playing Kingdom Hearts 358/2 days. So fun~! All that's left is to get 20 challenge sigils...but the only challenge missions left are so hard! T.T

Disclaimer: Would you really sue an innocent, sweet girl like me for nearly forgetting this? Anyway I don't own Naruto or any of the characters therein...such is my life of woe.

Sakura's POV

I last for about 3 days. Three days, even with the support of Ino and working my thoughts to little stubs at Konohagakure's hospital. Then I break yet again, something I seem to be doing alot of lately but I suppose this was what one gets for opening up one's feelings. It has been oh...four days since I completely stripped off my protective shell that had been in place for years and 5 days since I had seen Sasuke. So little time to hold all that happened, I feel a bit overwhelmed to be honest. I suppose this flood is what keeps drowning my mind; insistently trying to erase the last shred of happiness. My thoughts are filled with my favorite ninja, but he's not here. I need to vent, to find some channel to direct all my rage and sadness to, to divulge all my secrets to. Naruto and I haven't talked much, and though we can sense alot about each other there are some things that have to be said. Too late now, with him gone Kami knows where...

Yesterday was horrible. A whole ANBU squad was nearly killed when they got too close to the Akatsuki's hideout; the whole hospital was abuzz with activity into the late hours of the night. All of them somehow made it but there were moments of panic when I feared I would witness another death. I suppose I could blame my actions today on this lack of sleep, however I would be lying to myself. It was from the wave of depression that not even Ino could purge. Stupid sorrow...or I suppose it's more of rage. Even now it hovers at the edge of my conscience, just waiting for the chance to engulf me. But I get ahead of myself, after I had grabbed maybe 3 hours of sleep I was awakened by Ino who hadn't stopped pestering me since...3 days ago. The days went by so slowly, I feel them blurring into a single long moment of torture in my mind. The blonde ninja dragged me out of my bed, eliciting groans and half-hearted swats at her arms. She sure was powerful, more so than me even with my special training from Tsunade. Fracture one in my hastily erected dam.

The next fracture came when I realized where she was dragging me. My bathroom, I hadn't been in there in...three days. Right, three days. Sure I felt disgusted with myself but that was all shoved into my subconscious mind. Why should I think about things that will only tear down my dam quicker? Ino started pulling off my clothes, causing me to recoil even in my groggy haze. Her hands were cold so I was slightly glad when she maneuvered my limp body into the shower and turned the water on. It was colder than her hands at first but soon it grew so hot it scalded my skin. This woke me up and allowed my anger to blossom at her unfeeling treatment of me. I had begged this day off from Tsunade to mope around in my apartment and Ino was ruining it. A guttural growl issued itself from my throat but I really did need a shower so I didn't leave the now moderate temperature water to beat her up. Instead I washed my hair for the second time in this bathroom. My bathroom.

Ino came back to find me slumped in the shower, asleep. I hadn't meant to but the water was just so soothing and therapeutic as it punched my skin with little drops. Of course she wouldn't let me sleep, her rough hands turned off the water and pulled me out, purposely jostling me and hitting my head on the wall. Waking to her pale blue eyes was rather annoying so I pushed her away and wrapped a towel around myself as soon as I stood up. She wasn't done mothering me though, so she led me back to my bedroom and sat me down on it, angrily stabbing a comb through the snarls in my short hair. Her mind was set on something; I could tell but not what it was. Her goal seemed to be to do something with my hair, she tried pulling it up on my head, braiding it, and then gave up, simply leaving it to dry. I felt so close to sleep that when she bustled out of the room, I laid down and inhaled his scent with all my might. This was the bed we had shared, the pillow our heads had rested on and faint as it was, there was a residue of his delicious smell. I was addicted to him; his smell his looks, everything. Sleep claimed me again and I'm guessing Ino took pity on me because the next time I woke up she was gone.

I curled into a ball, ignoring the sunshine that was pouring through his, no my window. I don't know which day I had started thinking of his apartment as mine, but it happened. Everything of his was mine and vice versa. I had no idea what my parents thought of my absence for the past 4 nights...no it was more because I had gone to tell Naruto...oh well, they could deal. I wasn't a child anymore and they couldn't order me around and set limitations on me. I already had enough limitations that were self-inflicted. Like my recent diet, I had only started it because Ino was on one. Then of course there was the dam that prevented any bad thoughts from spilling into my mind. Surely my brain must be withering from disuse, I hadn't really thought about anything deep since Naruto left. I limited myself to simple thoughts so I almost appeared like a half-wit. But hey at least I was a happy halfwit.

Again, I fell asleep. I have no idea why I slept so much but it was night. I could barely discern if my eyes were open or not, so I brought my hand up and poked them. That wasn't smart and my resulting "ow" seemed too loud. Even the sheets rustling was too loud, I felt deafened by the silence but every little sound deafened me too. I found myself wishing for Naruto and curled up into a little ball. He could be dead now for all I know...That thought made me want to melt. Ino could fix this I thought a moment later and hirriedly got up and out of my, no Naruto's bed. Upon rising, I realized Ino hadn't dressed me after the forced shower earlier so I rummaged through his, no my closet and pulled out the clothes I had brought over. Shifting through them made me realize how limited my color range was; I really only wore pink or red. Those weren't great colors for what I was about to do so I kept at it, certain I had something black and sexy. However, if I did it wasn't at his, our house and I sat back with a sigh. Then I got back to work and found a nice lowcut, dark red sweater. That went well with my black fishnet leggings but I still needed a short skirt. I spent another five minutes searching but nothing of the sort was found.

With a sigh I crept back to our, no my bed and buried my nose into his pillow. I missed him so much, everyone should've missed him so much but I seemed to be the only one. Everyone else was too busy with war preparations to remember their hero, Naruto. It made me want to strangle someone, or at least punch someone. That gave me an idea so I rose again and went over to to area I designated as Naruto's clothes. Sure enough, I found a nice pair of black pant that I could wear and not have falling down to my feet every couple of seconds. Then I grabbed some bandages and wrapped them around my hands for protection. I was going for some serious training. And Ino was coming with.

I ran to her house and knocked on her window, eliciting a muffled scream and several thumps. After a bit I knocked again and the window swung open, nearly hitting me off the edge of her windowsill. She glared at me so I just smiled and asked in a whisper

"You up for some training?" Her face grew into that classic "what the hell are you saying" sneer and my heart fell. I really wanted to beat someone up and...well...Ino said she would support me. So she should've came, right? But all I got was that sneer and a window slam that almost dislodged me again. I sighed and jumped down, running to the nearest training ground. If anything, I could beat up a log. When I got there I was surprised to see Neji. I thought the Hyuuga clan was so controlling they wouldn't let anyone out after dark. But it was for my benefit because now I had a sparring partner, willing or not.

"Hey Neji, wanna spar?" He gave me a glare that told me I wasn't supposed to know he was here and turned on his heel, strolling off into the darkness. I yelled after him, ticked off at being rejected twice.

"Okay, fine! Next time answer me you jerk!" Darkness is scary when you face it alone. It creeps into your heart and makes you imagine unspeakable horrors. Like, what if a giant spider suddenly came at me from behind that bush. I spent an hour fighting off my fear of the unknown before my energy ran out. It caught me by surprise because it had seemed so abundant before but now it was like I was winded. I could barely breathe and I had no idea where I was. My legs were sore from running so much and the quiet pounded in my ears. I wanted it to go away, I wanted Konohagakure to wake up and rise with the sun. Most of all I wanted Naruto to return.

I sobbed all through the rest of the darkness and found peace somehow. I can't explain it, it was like a veil had been lifted off me and I could see the sunshine. Literally. It came up and I rose with it, shouting for joy. I knew then that Naruto would return to me and I stretched myself, prepared for a full days work. I'd be ashamed if he returned to hear about me slacking off. My smile seemed too big for my face but it didn't diminish at all when I found out I was lost. I just lay right back down and hummed myself to sleep, filling the silence that surrounded me.

Yes that's chapter five. Yes I know it's bad, I can't separate paragraphs well, I probably misspelled a bunch of things but it's UP! I finally updated! So rejoice! And I had a happy ending. Well I guess it's bittersweet...but still, half-happy is better than no happy. And a hero will come to find her, don't you worry! And I apologize again for neglecting it...eheh...OH YES! Nearly forgot, please read and review!