-DISCLAIMER-
I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ITS CHARACTERS

Okay! New chapter! Sorry for the long wait… It's kind of a short chapter but whatever. Anyways, enjoy!

"Well now that you're all here, let me tell you something," 'Sakura' said. She spoke in a creepy manner, as her voice was nothing more than a memory of herself and did not exist (in a way). She continued to speak, "The person who killed me, is someone amongst yourselves."

Everyone gasped. Whispers of astonishment and fear were heard while many people were still recovering from shock.

"Now let's wrap this up, shall we? I'll be visiting a few of you lucky people tonight in your dreams, so stay tuned!" And with that, she vanished into thin air.

-X-

Sakura's visit definitely had a strong impact on people as it was the No. 1 topic in Konoha Manor, and people just couldn't stop talking about it!

"Who could it be?"

"Loads of people wear dark blue, it could be anyone!"

"I'm really scared! The killer could strike again."

"Who's Sakura going to visit tonight? I certainly hope it's not me."

As people got ready for bed, still a bit traumatised from the morning's 'little' incident, they were anxious as they were clueless about who the 'lucky' residents were. Many attempts at pulling all-nighters failed, and eventually everyone fell into a deep slumber.

Naruto and Shikamaru were the first to be visited by Sakura, as she appeared in their dreams. Tossing and turning, both males were having a hard time sleeping as Sakura was playing events back in their mind. In Naruto's head, he was experiencing the first part of the murder from Sakura's point of view.

His feet wouldn't move from the spot he was in, and he was momentarily frozen in place as the killer closed in to him. Unfortunately, he couldn't make out any details or facial features of the killer, which was a great let down. But one thing was clear. He knew that Sakura was rooted to the spot for a reason, but he didn't know what it was. It felt like... Shock.

Naruto woke up in a cold sweat and knew that he had a vital piece of information, thanks to dead Sakura.

Meanwhile in Shikamaru's head, he was getting the second part of the treatment. Starting from where Naruto had left off, he could instantly feel the terror and surprise flowing through Sakura as he was rooted to the spot. But Shikamaru noticed something missing. Something that was so easy to miss. It was just something that the killer laid out to throw them off track. And in an instant, Sakura was killed with a stab to the heart, and Shikamaru awoke with a scream.

-X-

Ino was the last of the victims, and as Sakura's best friend, she received a special message.

"I'm counting on you and the others Ino."

"But wait, Sakura! Can't you just tell me who killed you?"

"I'm sorry, I can't. The killer placed a seal on me after I died so I couldn't tell anyone who killed me in the afterlife."

"But how am I going to find out who did this to you?!"

"Don't worry, the other two have two vital hints as to who killed me."

"The other two? Who are they?"

"Naruto and Shikamaru."

"Shikamaru? Why him of all people?"

"I left him a hint that nobody would have noticed it except for him." Sakura paused for a moment and looked down sadly.

"Well I guess this is goodbye Ino, remember you are my best friend and I have always treasured my moments with you, as they are some of my best memories. Remember that fight at the Chūnin exams? I enjoyed that battle the most as it brought back so many wonderful memories. Dead or alive, I will always treasure you in my heart, and don't forget, I'm counting on you and the others."

"WHA- PLEASE! DON'T GO! JUST- PLEASE... Please stay... I-I can't live without you," Ino burst into tears.

"Don't worry I will always be in your heart and your memories. Farewell Ino, I hope to see you again someday."

And with that, the dream ended, Sakura was gone forever and Ino lay there sobbing on her bed until sunrise.

-X-

Early the next morning, Tsunade gathered everybody in the main lobby.

They were all there, except for three people.

"Hey Tsunade baa-chan? Where are Naruto, Shikamaru and Ino? Do you think they were the ones?" asked Sasuke.

"Well, I don't see a reason why they're not."

As if on cue, Naruto and Shikamaru both walked in to the lobby with tired looks on their faces, yawning and groaning.

"You two certainly look happy," chuckled Kiba, smiling at his own comment.

"Shut up Kiba, we didn't ask you to say anything," Naruto grumbled, very annoyed by the dog lover's attitude.

"Troublesome. Sakura visited us last night. Actually she didn't visit us at all, she just played events over in our heads. It was a re-enactment, *yawn*, of the murder," Shikamaru said sleepily, rubbing his eyes and trying to fully wake up. Everyone else started to chatter with a zealous vibe, fuelled by the hope and excitement of finding out who the killer just was. But stopping everybody's chatter, Naruto butted in.

"Actually, we didn't see the murderer's face, which was a major let down, but we both managed to find two key pieces of information, but lets wait until Ino gets here, otherwise she'll get left out."

"GUYS!"

Ino came rushing down the main staircase, her voice portraying pure excitement but her face seemed to tell a different story. Tear streaks stained her skin, while her eyes were bloodshot and her long eyelashes were crusted together in large clumps. It was obvious that she had been crying a lot.

"Ino! Where have you been? We were so worried about you! You look terrible," Tsunade exclaimed, her emotions a mix of relief, happiness and anger, but then soon went on to ask the girl what information she obtained last night.

"Never mind that, Ino, what did Sakura tell you when she came?"

"A message. She said that she was counting on us all and that I would always be in her heart." Memories of last night flooded back and gave Ino the challenge of holding back tears.

"SO WE CAN'T GIVE UP! WE HAVE TO BRING WHOEVER DID THIS TO SAKURA TO JUSTICE!" she screamed. The crowed cheered in agreement and were set with a new sense of determination.

"For Sakura..." mumbled Naruto as he hung his head down and smiled at the floor, memories of his years training as a Genin coming back. "For Sakura..."

-X-

After everyone had settled down, Naruto and Shikamaru proceeded to tell the others what had happened last night. As Naruto experienced the first part if the murder, he went first.

"Ah well, I'll try to explain the dream the best I can, here goes. I was experiencing it from Sakura's point of view and I was rooted to the spot for some reason. I don't know what it was, but it felt like she was in shock or in fear. So it seems that Sakura really DID get caught off guard... Oh! And another thing, I couldn't make out the killer at all, even though I was standing right in front of him. He just looked like a shadow... I couldn't even see any traces of blue clothing anywhere." Naruto hung his head in disappointment.

"And my dream stopped just as the killer was closing in on me. Talk about cliff-hangers..."

"Well, I can tell you what happened after that, as my dream started where yours left off," said Shikamaru. " When my dream started, I was in Sakura's position. Already I could feel the shock coursing through my body, it was not pleasant. So anyway, I saw the killer close in on me, and bam, just like that Sakura was dead and I woke up screaming."

Shikamaru smirked. "It was a very short dream, but there's something missing, do you know what it was?" Everyone was clueless, even Tsunade, and soon they were trying to pry the answer out of Shikamaru.

"You really don't know? Well, I guess it is a bit hard to pick up. There were no drugs at all. It was just a scam to throw us off track and that would also explain why the drugs were scattered around Sakura's head. Well, whoever the perpetrator is, they were pretty smart to think up that trick, but it won't fool me," he said, winking while tapping the side of his forehead with his finger.

"Damnit, he didn't fall for it!" thought the killer who was playing along with the act. "I need something else, but what…?"

END CHAPTER TWO

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