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Forgetting Sasuke	By : CutieSakura Category: Naruto > General Views: 1229 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Disclaimer: Not mine.
~~~~~
�Gone?�
Her voice was unrecognizable to herself. The ringing in her ears was deafening. Sakura blinked, trying to bring Sasuke�s face back into focus.
�What do you mean �gone?�� she asked, finding her voice, trembling though it was. She raised her eyes to meet his. �Sasuke?�
Sasuke�s dark eyes stared into the depths of hers. �He�s missing.�
�Missing�� she echoed, biting her lip. Sasuke pulled her to him, holding her tightly.
�Kakashi,� Sasuke said over her shoulder, �Tsunade-sama wants all available jounin in her office immediately. I wanted to tell the two of you personally.� He turned to Neji, �If you�re able, Neji, we need you.�
Neji cast a glance at Lee�s body before turning to face Sasuke once more. His white eyes burned into Sasuke�s contrasting dark ones. �I�m with you.�
�We have to go now,� Sasuke said quietly. Sakura pulled back, nodding. Sasuke took her hand in his to reassure her.
Wordlessly, Kakashi stepped around Neji and lifted Lee�s body over his shoulder. Neji looked at him in surprise. �He won�t be left on the battlefield for others to find later. He was important to us.�
Neji nodded, expressing his gratitude with his eyes.
The four of them performed their seals, vanishing.
* * * * *
�What happened?� Sakura demanded.
Kakashi had taken Lee�s body to the hospital in order to avoid those issues in the hokage�s office. There was a group of high ranking chuunins and jounins, waiting for Tsunade�s explanation. Hinata was crying softly in the corner.
�He used a transformation in order to create a diversion and get behind Orochimaru,� Tsunade started.
�Like that time with Momochi Zabuza,� Sasuke offered in clarification.
�We were all focused on Orochimaru. We didn�t realize he wasn�t there until after Orochimaru was defeated. He should have been back, but wasn�t�� Tsunade sat back into her chair with a heavy sigh. �Jiraiya�s out right now looking for traces.�
Kakashi executed seals, whispering, �Kuchiyose no Jutsu.� Several dogs of varying sizes appeared, Pakkun among them. �Naruto. Find him, now!� The pack of dogs took off. �Now we-�
A poof interrupted Kakashi. Jiraiya appeared, saying �Tsunade,� his expression grave.
Sakura unconsciously squeezed Sasuke�s hand, aware of him only when he squeezed back. She felt him move closer to her.
Jiraiya held out a scrap of cloth to the hokage. �This was in the trees. Apparently they fled in a hurry.�
Sakura saw the blood red emblazoned on the black fabric. Her breath caught in her throat. �Akatsuki,� she whispered. She heard Hinata whimper in the corner.
Tsunade looked to Kakashi, Sasuke and finally met Sakura�s eyes. �We must assume they�ve taken him.�
�I would say that�s a fair guess,� Jiraiya said. �We should go��
�It�s�� Tsunade started, clearly pained. She took in the few chuunins and jounins in her office, all battle weary, tired, many of whom were injured. No one was in any condition to track Akatsuki, let alone fight them. �It�s not that simple.�
Sakura took three strides forward, slamming her fist down on Tsunade�s desk, �It is that simple!� she shouted, splitting the desk in two. �I will not lose him.�
�Sakura�� Kakashi said softly.
She turned on him, her green eyes blazing. �Don�t you dare tell me you�re going to sit by and do nothing, Kakashi. Don�t you dare.�
He shook his head. �I�d do nothing of the sort,� he replied, stepping up next to her, putting his hand on her shoulder. He looked at Tsunade, �I�m going.�
�So am I,� Sasuke said.
�I�m in,� Neji added, stepping up shoulder to shoulder with Sasuke.
�In,� said Asuma.
�In,� said Shikamaru and Ino in unison. Nara Shikaku and Yamanaka Inoichi nodded behind them.
�In,� Kurenai nodded, wiping her eyes.
�In,� Izumo and Kotetsu said in unison.
�I�m going too,� Hinata whispered.
Tsunade looked at the nodding heads throughout the room. There would be no stopping them, despite the injuries, despite the weariness, despite the devastating losses waiting just outside her doors. They were banding together to save one of their own, the only one they could. Tsunade sighed, and nodded. �Kakashi, assemble your team. You�ll leave immediately.�
�I appreciate the support. I can�t take everyone. Who still has good reserves of chakra?�
Asuma and Shikamaru nodded, as did Kotetsu and Izumo.
�I�m about out,� Kurenai admitted.
�As am I,� Shikaku added.
�Mine�s not great,� Ino said, �but I�ll do whatever I can.�
�No, Ino,� her father said gently, �you�ve done enough for today. You need rest.�
Ino turned to Sakura, who nodded in agreement with Yamanaka-san. �Alright,� Ino whispered. She turned to Shikamaru, �Be careful.�
�Alright,� Kakashi replied, �Asuma, Izumo, Kotetsu and Shikamaru. Neji, you said you�re on low-�
�You need my eyes,� Neji interrupted, �and I�ve got more than enough for that. I�m going.�
�I won�t argue with that.� He turned to Sasuke and Sakura. �We�re good t-�
�I�m going!� Hinata said more forcefully.
�Hinata-sama,� Neji said gently, �you�re weak, and you�re too emotionally involved.�
�I�m not weak!� she cried back.
�I meant that-�
�Hinata, you�re not up for this mission,� Kakashi said bluntly. �Neji�s right, you�re too emotionally involved.�
�But Sakura-� she said desperately.
�-has been a member of Naruto�s team, for a very long time,� Tsunade interrupted. �She�s a medic, and she�s been trained for missions like this.�
Hinata bit her lip, nodding. She wouldn�t win this fight. �Bring him back to me,� she said to Sakura and Neji. Sakura grabbed her hand and squeezed.
�Jiraiya?� Tsunade asked.
�I�m needed here,� replied Jiraiya quietly, his eyes on her.
She nodded. �Kakashi, your mission is to get Naruto back. Don�t engage unless absolutely necessary. Go.�
The group took off.
* * * * *
�It was here,� Sasuke said, leading the group to where the fight with Orochimaru had taken place. �Where we last saw-�
A dog howled in the distance. Pakkun appeared with a pop. �He�s in that direction, Kakashi. There are four and Naruto, moving at a fast pace. They�ve got at least a two hour head start.�
Kakashi took to the trees, the group following.
They moved in silence for hours. Sasuke stayed at Sakura�s side, Neji at her other. Her eyes stayed focused only ahead on Kakashi and Pakkun in front of him.
�Please� please let him be okay� let him be alive� Naruto� you have to be okay� I can�t lose you�� she chanted over and over in her mind.
�Sakura�� Neji said quietly. She turned her head to him, not missing a step, her foot pushing her off the branch. She waited for him to speak. �We�ll get him back,� he said determinedly.
She nodded. �Thank you.� He grabbed her hand, squeezing. �Thank you.�
She turned to Sasuke who nodded to her.
�
Neji and Sasuke� I love them both, and yet Naruto� I can�t lose him�� she bit her lip in an attempt to fight back tears, stopping only when she tasted blood in her mouth. �Naruto� you�d better be alright��
Another half hour passed when Pakkun spoke again, �They�ve stopped.�
�How far ahead?� asked Sakura, leaving Sasuke and Neji behind, catching up to Kakashi.
�Half a day�s journey, maybe?�
�We need to speed up,� Asuma said, stepping along side Kakashi. �We don�t have time to waste.�
They increased their speed.
�Naruto� please Naruto� hold on��
* * * * *
Neji shoved Sasuke hard, yelling, �Watch out!�
The two men toppled from the tree branch to the forest floor, hearing the bang of the explosion above them as they fell. Neji turned himself upright, landing gracefully on his feet, Sasuke beside him. �Thanks,� said the Uchiha. Neji nodded in reply.
The group had gotten split up in an effort to avoid setting off the traps littered throughout the forest. Neji wasn�t sure how he got paired up with the Uchiha and it didn�t matter. From the increase in the numbers of traps, Neji was fairly certain they were close.
�Can you see the others?� Sasuke asked.
Neji utilized his three-hundred sixty degree vision to locate the others, �Two, heading this way.�
He nodded, his Sharingan infused eyes looking out to the trees.
�Sasuke,� Neji said tentatively. Sasuke turned to him. Neji had never seen the unflappable Uchiha so undone. It was as though his chakra was singing around him, through him, at a frenzied frequency that surely no one could survive for long. In that moment, everything he was about to say vanished from his mind. �It�s not just about her� he�s panicked at the thought of losing Naruto.�
�Hyuuga, what?� asked Sasuke, agitated, looking again into the forest.
�Nothing,� Neji replied with a shake of his head, �it�s nothing.�
Two chakra pulses raced towards them. �What was that?� Shikamaru asked, coming into view with Asuma.
�Trip wire,� Sasuke stated. �Neji caught it and shoved me out of the way just before it detonated.� He nodded once again to Neji in silent gratitude.
�It�s hard to hate him knowing that he could be in the same position as me�� Neji pondered. He tried not to think of Lee, which made his chest constrict painfully, or of Tenten and Gai and how devastated they would be when they found out.
Sakura approached with Kotetsu, Izumo and Kakashi just behind them. Her green eyes went from Neji to Sasuke, silently asking if they were alright. Both men nodded.
�Neji, what can you see?� Kakashi asked.
Neji turned his attention once more into the forest, pushing more chakra through his eyes to increase his vision�s distance. He caught sight of a concrete building in the distance. He could feel the chakra radiating from the complex. �Over there,� he nodded toward the direction, �less than a kilometer away.�
�Understood.� He turned to the rest of the team, ordering �Proceed quietly.�
�Kakashi,� Pakkun said urgently, sniffing the air, �there�s a problem!�
�Problem?� asked Izumo.
Pakkun sniffed again, �They�re on the move!�
�Let�s go!� Kakashi ordered, taking off, the team behind him.
�Please� for her sake�� Neji silently prayed.
* * * * *
Kakashi led them through the entryway of a concrete building, which was strangely devoid of any exploding tags or seals. Sakura moved to Kakashi�s right, searching out Neji to get information.
�There are four on the move,� Pakkun said quietly, �but I can�t tell if Naruto is one of them.�
�Is one of them still here?� Kakashi asked, referring to Akatsuki.
�I can�t tell. There�s chakra in the walls of the building. It�s messing with my sense of smell.�
�Get that?� Kakashi asked the team. All heads nodded. �Search the area for any signs of Naruto. If you encounter Akatsuki, send an encoded chakra pulse through the building as call for backup. If you find Naruto, same rule applies. Understood?� Everyone nodded again.
The team took off down the vast corridor, littered with several doors on each side. Sakura took the door immediately to her left, peeking into the room and seeing nothing but a dead end.
�This room has six different doors�� Izumo reported from the far end of the hall. �Kotetsu, help.�
�Label the door with a tag,� Kakashi ordered, �so we don�t waste time going through rooms already searched.�
Kotetsu threw an exploding tag up on the door, disarming the device with a quick jutsu. The two of them went through the door, no doubt to search through the various other rooms the initial room led to.
�Asuma,� Shikamaru said quietly, �another corridor, with at least sixteen more doors.�
�You three,� Kakashi said, looking to Sasuke, Sakura and Neji, �take that hall. You�ll be more efficient with Neji�s eyes.�
Sakura threw up a tag on the door she was just at before turning down the corridor Shikamaru was standing at, nodding to him before going in, Neji and Sasuke right behind her.
They entered the corridor, longer and narrower than the first, lit only with dim running lights. Neji slapped tags on five of the doorways without even entering. �Empty dead ends,� he said in reply to Sasuke�s harsh look.
�That leaves eleven,� Sakura said. �Neji, take whatever rooms have three or more doors. Sasuke and I will take the rest.�
Neji nodded, his eyes locking with Sakura�s. She nodded back to him in understanding. Neji threw three shuriken, one landing in each of three doors. �These are mine.� He gave Sakura one last look before disappearing.
Sasuke threw up a seal on the room he entered, only to reappear two minutes later. �Closets,� Sasuke said, crossing the hall to another room.
Sakura found only another dead end. �Damn it! Why do I keep finding nothing but dead ends?� She threw a tag up on the door, turning to the next room, which had two doors. �Left or right�� she wondered. Her hand automatically went to the door on the right. She pulled it open, realizing the trap and replacing out of the rain of senbon with only a second to spare.
�Sakura?� she heard Sasuke call.
�I�m okay.� She turned to the door on the left, which led to another small room with two doors. Her forehead knotted in concentration. �I�ve got to be on to something�� The last doorway had been a trap. �Could this be as well, and if so, which door? I don�t have Neji�s or Sasuke�s eyesight... so how do I��
The answer was simple. She put chakra into the doorframe to get a read out, and any attack with the exception of exploding tags would have chakra behind it. The door on the right was clean. The door on the left she wasn�t about to open.
Sakura stepped into the room, her heart sinking as she was about to dismiss it as yet another dead end; just as she was about to leave, she noticed a crack in the floor on the far side of the room. She quickly crossed the room, shocked to discover a poorly concealed trap door. �Sasuke!� she called, hoping he could hear her, �Trap door! I�m going down!�
Pulling the door open, Sakura slowly descended the concrete stairs, mindful of any trip wires or traps that could be set off in the narrow staircase. About halfway down, she was able to make out a wooden door at the base, with faint light emanating from behind it.
Her heart suddenly began to pound in her chest; she was filled with a cold dread, unlike anything she�d ever experienced before.
Her hand shook as she turned the doorknob, her heartbeat thudding in her head.
The room was dark save for two torches on either end of a concrete table.
Lying atop the table was Naruto, still and lifeless.
�NO!�
* * * * *
Far away, someone was screaming in a voice sounding remarkably like her own, echoing from every direction.
Pale, shaking hands were hovering over Naruto�s unmoving chest. �No breath� no air� no pulse� no heartbeat�� she assessed quickly. �Dead� he�s dead� Naruto�� she stifled a sob. �No! You are not dying on me now!�
�Sakura�� someone said beside her. Sasuke maybe? It didn�t matter who. Sakura began summoning chakra to her hands.
�He�s� he�s still warm�� Sakura realized. �Too late by minutes� only minutes� minutes�� She bit her quivering lip.
�We�re too late�� another whispered voice echoed through the room. �Sakura��
A hand touched her shoulder. She turned to see Sasuke standing beside her, his expression pained. A feather light touch on her arm alerted her to Neji. �Sakura�� he whispered.
She looked from Neji to Sasuke and back to Naruto. �Give me a moment,� she said to them, surprised at how calm her voice sounded.
The two men stared at her for a moment, exchanging a look with one another, and then took a few steps back.
She began gathering every last bit of her chakra to her hands. �Dragon, horse, serpent, bird, dragon, tiger, serpent, ox, serpent, tiger, dragon, bird, serpent, horse, dragon,� she chanted silently, her hands flying through the seals.
She turned fleetingly to Neji, her eyes locking with his. �Neji� I love you,� she thought silently, desperately hoping by some grace he would hear her.
Neji�s eyes widened in comprehension, �Sakura, NO!� He stepped forward, too late.
She thrust her hands downward, an amazing burst of chakra surging through her body into Naruto. Neji and Sasuke both stared in horror as Sakura began to slump over Naruto.
There was rumbling; suddenly, with unbelievable force, Sakura was violently thrown back; Sasuke moved with lightning speed, catching her in his arms. �Sakura!� he cried.
Sakura blinked, looking only to Naruto. �It �� she took a step forward, pulling away from Sasuke�s protective embrace, �it didn�t��
�Sakura�� Neji stepped toward her.
�It didn�t work�� Sakura said softly, her voice cracking. She looked at Neji, her lower lip quivering. She turned to Sasuke, her green eyes filling with tears, �It didn�t work.�
�Sakura?� whispered Sasuke, reaching out to her.
She stepped away from both of them, heading towards Naruto. �The seals� the chakra� I did everything correctly�� her eyes flitted from Sasuke to Neji in search of answers, �why didn�t it work?� Tears were streaming down her cheeks. �Naruto�� her voice broke completely, �Naruto!�
Sakura threw herself over Naruto�s body, screaming her anguish, her body shaking with violent sobs. �No� no� no� no� no� no� no� Naruto��
* * * * *
Neji stared at Sakura, unsure of what to say or do.
Just behind her, Sasuke stared hopelessly at Sakura, at Naruto underneath her, completely frozen, his dark eyes glistening.
He couldn�t imagine feeling worse than he had earlier, at finding out Lee had died, but now� �Two people close to me, gone��
His thoughts went to Tenten, to Hinata, �Hinata-sama,� he said silently, �she�s going to be devastated.�
Neji�s thoughts of Hinata were put aside, looking once again at Sakura. �She�s completely destroyed�� Her cries ripped through him like a thousand kunai, tearing him apart.
Footsteps echoed throughout the room.
�Naruto,� whispered Kakashi, entering the room.
�We were too late,� Neji replied softly, looking at him helplessly.
Neji saw Kotetsu and Izumo enter just behind. �The building is empty,� Kotetsu reported, �they�re gone.�
�Do we pursue?� Izumo asked.
�No,� Asuma replied, stepping up behind Kakashi, putting a hand on his shoulder. Only with byakugan could Neji see Hatake Kakashi trembling.
Sasuke turned over his shoulder to look at Kakashi. His eyes were tortured.
Kakashi looked from Sasuke to Sakura, still draped over Naruto�s lifeless body. �Sakura��
�It didn�t� I did everything right, but it didn�t� I don�t know why� and now he�s� Naruto� he�� she murmured in broken sobs.
�Sakura, we have to go,� Kakashi said gently, his voice unusually quiet.
Neji stepped forward. �Sakura?� She didn�t respond. �Sakura�� he said more forcefully.
She spun around, her face red, contorted in anguish, her eyes light green and bright with tears; she didn�t even look human. Neji could feel his heart breaking. He stepped forward again. �Sakura��
* * * * *
Sakura�s eyes darted from Neji to Sasuke, to Kakashi, Asuma� �You don�t understand�� she said to them, trying to explain, trying to make them realize, �I failed him.� She turned back, �I��
�Sakura�� Neji said.
�Don�t,� she stated tonelessly, not bothering to turn around. �Just� don�t.�
�Sakura, please�� He reached out to her, tentatively touching her shoulder.
She spun around, her fist nearly connecting with his face. �Don�t touch me,� she yelled. She turned to Naruto�s body once more, her eyes filling with tears anew. �Naruto� I� I couldn�t� and now� Naruto�� she broke, her hands balled into fists at her sides, shaking.
Sakura felt powerful arms wrap around her from behind, pinning her arms against her. �Stop,� Sasuke whispered in her ear, his voice tormented, �Sakura, stop� for me.�
She looked over her shoulder to see him behind her, his eyes filled with pain, reflecting her own. He spun her around to face him. Sakura�s arms slid around him, clinging to him desperately, breaking down into anguished sobs against his chest.
* * * * *
Everyone was silent, unsure of what to do, what to say.
Sasuke held Sakura tightly to him, blinking, causing a single tear to run down his cheek. Neji stood, helpless as the rest of them. He could only watch Sakura come completely undone in Sasuke�s embrace.
Within moments, Sakura, emotionally exhausted and completely drained of chakra, collapsed against Sasuke.
Sasuke looked to Kakashi, who nodded. Sasuke gathered Sakura in his arms, carrying her out of the room.
Neji watched as Kakashi turned to Naruto, walking over to collect the body of his beloved student. Kakashi stood there, frozen, just staring at Naruto�s still form. He reached out to collect Naruto, but stopped, unable to.
�Kakashi,� Asuma said quietly, stepping up next to him, �I will.�
Kakashi looked at him in thanks, but replied, �I have to do this.�
Asuma nodded, �We�ll be outside.� He looked to the others in the room, ordering them out. Neji complied.
He found Sasuke sitting under a tree with Sakura wrapped in his arms. Neji stared at them, at him, unsure of what to say to the last Uchiha, whose family had been slaughtered, who left on a quest for vengeance but returned home to make amends; he went through so much, overcame so much, only to lose the only real friend he ever had. �There is nothing I could possibly say��
Sasuke lifted his dark, grief-stricken eyes to meet Neji�s, �Everything will be different now.�
~~~~~

A/N: I know things are bad, but I promise not everything is as it seems.
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Forgetting Sasuke