Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Waking the Dead ❯ In Memoriam ( Chapter 1 )

Author's Note: I know I shouldn't be starting another multi-chaptered story, but the idea for this was too much fun to just put off. There will be possible manga spoilers for up to chapter 354 and possibly beyond.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Not a chance.

 

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Chapter 1

 

In Memoriam

 

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Sasuke stood in front of the memorial stone, one name in particular sticking out to him. The sky overhead looked ready to open up at any moment, but the Uchiha heir took no notice of the weather. It had been the same thing for the last five years and he wasn't about to break such an important habit for a bit of rain.

 

But as it turned out, once the sky let loose, it was decidedly more than `a bit' of rain. But Sasuke barely felt the rain cascading down his skin. He had forced himself to stop feeling the rain since it only brought back painful memories of that day; the day he sealed the fate of two Shinobi by leaving.

 

Sasuke made no outward move of recognition as a familiar presence appeared behind him, but he knew his former sensei knew he had been recognized, as he was every day. Kakashi came up next to Sasuke and the two men stood side-by-side in the rain, looking at the names of Konoha's heroes. They stood in the same way they had for the last five years, never breaking the habit unless they were on a mission or in the hospital - which was a rare occurrence for Konoha's ANBU captain and legendary copy-nin.

 

Finally Kakashi broke the silence. “The Hokage wants to see you, Sasuke.”

 

Sasuke appeared to snap out of a reverie. He shook his head lightly and water flew from his jet black hair. He nodded shortly before pulling the wooden mask from his hip and placing it over his face and disappearing.

 

Kakashi looked after his former student for several moments before giving one last look at the memorial stone. He noticed for the first time that a flower had been placed in front of the cold stone and blinked. It was the anniversary of his death, Kakashi remembered suddenly, a knot forming in his stomach. Sasuke must have brought the flower as he had done for the past anniversaries. The copy-nin's one open eye traveled up to the name Sasuke was commemorating and brushed his fingertips across it softly before disappearing himself.

 

Uzumaki Naruto, the memorial read.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

Sasuke leaned against the wall of the Hokage's office, drumming his fingers irritably on his crossed arms. It figured Kakashi would tell him the Hokage wanted to see him when his former sensei had also been summoned to the meeting. Tsunade sat at her desk reading a report, though her eyes seemed to be drifting. Jiraiya stood across from Sasuke, back against his own wall. The white haired Sannin appeared to be lost in thought. There was an unspoken tenseness in the room; they all knew what day it was.

 

Finally Kakashi strolled into the room, seemingly unconcerned about the fact he was late. Since Sasuke had begun visiting the memorial in the mornings as his former sensei had been doing for years and had earned his own reputation for tardiness at times, Kakashi had taken it upon himself to be even later than his former student. Sasuke rolled his eyes. The copy-nin was never one to be outdone in his quirks.

 

Upon Kakashi's arrival, Tsunade put down the report in her hands and Jiraiya pushed himself up from the wall. Sasuke, on the other hand, made no move. He preferred to watch whatever was about to unfold from behind his ANBU mask.

 

“Now that we're all here,” Tsunade began, “I have some troubling news.”

 

“What kind of news?” Kakashi asked, seriousness immediately entering not only his voice, but his posture. It had always amazed Sasuke how Kakashi could have such polar personalities. It was like N- no, he couldn't afford to think about that now.

 

“Orochimaru is moving,” Jiraiya said without preamble.

 

Sasuke tensed instinctively at the snake Sannin's name and at the looks from the other three in the room, he was glad he had the mask on to cover his obvious surprise. “Orochimaru is dead,” the Uchiha finally managed. The events surrounding the man's death still haunted Sasuke's nightmares five years later.

 

“That's what we thought,” Tsunade replied, visibly holding in her agitation.

 

“But?” Kakashi prompted.

 

“We have intelligence to suggest that the Sound village has mobilized and is on the move,” the Hokage said.

 

“Why does that necessarily involve,” Sasuke swallowed, “Orochimaru?” The slight pause was not lost on the other three in the room.

 

“They are moving toward one of Akatsuki's old hideouts,” Jiraiya answered. “The only person with a direct connection to both Akatsuki and Sound is Orochimaru.”

 

Sasuke did not miss Jiraiya cutting himself off during his explanation. The Uchiha heir's lips tightened. The only person with a direct connection to both Akatsuki and Sound besides Sasuke is Orochimaru, he had almost said. Despite his return to Konoha five years prior, Sasuke knew his betrayal of the village was something he'd never be able to escape from. He was living with that decision and its consequences every day. Despite the fact Tsunade had declared his time served for the time he had spent with Orochimaru, calling that punishment in and of itself, he knew he would never be seen the same in Konoha. No matter how much he tried to atone for what he had done and what those decisions had bred, he knew it would never be enough and had to live with that.

 

“What are they after?” Sasuke asked, doing his best to ignore his discomfort with the current situation.

 

“That we don't know,” Jiraiya admitted.

 

“Akatsuki was defeated five years ago,” Kakashi said slowly, “and all their known hideouts were searched. What could be of interest to Orochimaru now?”

 

“That's why I called you here,” Tsunade said. “This is too potentially dangerous to ignore. I want-” The Hokage was cut off by the sound of a knock at her door. “Come in.” The door opened and Sasuke blinked.

 

“Sakura?” he said before he could stop himself.

 

The pink-haired kunoichi blinked and looked around Tsunade's office in surprise. “Am I interrupting?”

 

Tsunade shook her head. “Come in, Sakura.” The younger woman closed the door behind her and waited to find out what was going on.

 

“Now that you're all here,” the Hokage said, “I have a mission for you.”

 

Sasuke stared at Tsunade, though because his face was hidden by the mask she couldn't see the sudden consternation on his face, of which he was secretly glad. “You want us to check this out?”

 

Tsunade nodded and Sakura looked on in confusion and surprise. The three remaining members of the old Team 7 had rarely gone on missions together before Sasuke was promoted to ANBU captain, and none since. Tsunade knew it was painful for all of them to be missions together since it had happened. Despite the fact it had happened five years before, the pain was still fresh, most especially for Sasuke.

 

Jiraiya held up an envelope. “All the information we have on the Sound's movements is here,” he said, handing it to Kakashi, who was closest.

 

The copy-nin took the envelope and nodded. “When do we leave?”

 

“As soon as possible,” Tsunade said.

 

“But today's the-” Sakura began but cut herself off and the room fell into an awkward silence.

 

“I know,” Tsunade said quietly. “Do what you need to do but I need you to check this out immediately.”

 

“Why us? There are plenty of capable Shinobi in the village,” Sasuke asked quietly.

 

“I already sent out a small team for reconnaissance when the initial reports came in,” Tsunade replied with a sigh, “but they never returned. Therefore, I need the best on this mission.”

 

“What if something happens to the village while we're gone?” Sasuke pressed.

 

Tsunade fixed the younger man with a level stare. “As you said, there are plenty of capable Shinobi in the village. I want you three on this mission.”

 

“But why not a four-man cell?” Sakura asked, obviously deciding to hold her questions about the details until later. “A three-man cell is irregular.”

 

“You three are the best suited for this,” Tsunade said simply. “Read over the information Jiraiya has provided and you'll see what I mean.”

 

“Understood,” Kakashi said, turning to leave. Sakura made to follow him. Sasuke pushed himself off the wall and turned for the door before Tsunade called him to her desk.

 

She handed Sasuke a necklace and the ANBU captain started. “Will you…?” she asked quietly, unable to finish the request.

 

Sasuke swallowed and nodded, putting the necklace in his pocket. He had seen the necklace before and knew what she meant when she asked him to do this. Turning from the Sannin, Sasuke walked out of the room, meeting Sakura and Kakashi, who had waited for him. The raven-haired man closed the door behind him and started walking, followed by his teammates.

 

Once they were outside of the Hokage tower, the three made their way to an overhanging and Sasuke pulled off his mask before turning to Kakashi. The older man nodded and opened the envelope. Sakura looked on curiously. Kakashi pulled out a pile of papers and blinked.

 

“I see.”

 

“What?” Sasuke asked. Kakashi silently handed him the top sheet of paper and scanning down to the middle of the page, Sasuke thought his heart might have skipped a beat.

 

The location the Sound ninja appear to be traveling towards is a former Akatsuki hideout in which the secret group removed Bijuu from their Jinchuriki. This is also the location of the battle that defeated Akatsuki.

 

“Right.” It was painfully obvious why the former Team 7 was best suited for this mission with this piece of information.

 

Sakura looked at the two men in confusion. Sasuke handed her the sheet silently and she looked over it, paling as she reached the same spot Kakashi and Sasuke had reached. “What's going on?” she asked finally, having missed the beginning of the meeting.

 

“We think Orochimaru is alive,” Kakashi told her. Sakura blinked in shock and looked over at Sasuke, who pointedly avoided her concerned eyes. “And the Sound ninja are moving under his command.”

 

“But that's not possible,” Sakura argued. “Orochimaru died five years ago. We saw… it.” She paused but what she was going to say hung in the air between the three: We saw Sasuke kill him.

 

“Apparently we were wrong,” Sasuke said, grinding his teeth agitatedly. He felt a soft hand on his arm and he fell quiet at Sakura's touch. The kunoichi had been a calming presence for him ever since they were kids and since it had happened, her concern for him had been essential in Sasuke keeping his sanity upon his return to Konoha. Only she and Kakashi really seemed to care about him, though Sai made his flawed attempts to connect with him. There was just something about Sai that Sasuke couldn't like - the man's presence made him feel replaced and unneeded - and he had never bothered to hide his dislike.

 

He was able to hold a working relationship with most of the ninja in the village - though since he was high in the rankings he and the others had little choice - but he never made any attempt at a social relationship. He had lost too much already and didn't think he could handle losing any more. Since Sasuke had returned to the village, he had shut himself away from everyone, throwing himself into his training in a vain effort to forget and had quickly graduated through the ranks at a faster pace than anyone since his brother. And while he could forget in the heat of battle, as soon as the adrenaline died down, the memories would come rushing back and the pain would return once more.

 

The loneliness and guilt of the last five years were worse punishments than anything Tsunade could sentence him with. Sasuke knew that and knew he deserved it all for everything he had done. But because he knew he deserved it didn't make it any less painful. If it hadn't been for Sakura, Sasuke didn't think he would have even returned to the village after everything that had transpired. She still loved him; Sasuke could see it in her eyes. But Sasuke never allowed himself to get any closer to her out of a self-loathing. She deserved someone better than him. But despite it all, he knew he needed her love just to stay afloat in the sea of darkness that had swelled up around him since his defection from Konoha.

 

Kakashi looked over at Sasuke. “You're in charge of this one, Sasuke. You outrank us both.” The younger man nodded silently.

 

“Do whatever you need to and we'll meet at the gate in three hours,” he said curtly.

 

Kakashi nodded. “I'll look over these papers, if you don't mind,” he said, knowing very well Sasuke wouldn't since he had something else to take care of.

 

Sasuke inclined his head. “That's fine.”

 

Kakashi nodded once more before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

 

“Sasuke-kun,” Sakura said slowly, “are you going to the memorial?” Sasuke nodded mutely. “I'll go with you.”

 

The Uchiha heir was about to tell her no when her hand slid down his arm and into his hand. She squeezed it. She had every right to visit the memorial today, too. She missed him as much as Sasuke did.

 

Sasuke squeezed her hand back and the two disappeared.

 

*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*

 

The rain continued to pour as Sasuke and Sakura stood in front of the memorial. Sakura bent down and placed a flower next to the one Sasuke had left earlier and gave a prayer before rising. She touched a name on the stone and swallowed back a sob.

 

“Naruto, I miss you,” she whispered tearfully. Sakura turned into Sasuke's chest, knowing he wouldn't stop her from crying. He put a hand around her shoulders and looked up at the sky, letting the rain hit his face and pretended they were tears. One day a year the former members of Team 7 allowed themselves to let out all their pain from the loss of their blonde teammate and friend. Sasuke hadn't cried since Naruto had died, but the pain inside seemed so strong it simply wouldn't allow him to cry. Since Naruto's death, it had rained on every anniversary and every year Sasuke had used the rain as a façade for his own lack of tears.

 

Finally Sakura pulled away and wiped her face with her already soaked outfit, allowing Sasuke to move forward. Sasuke pulled Tsunade's necklace from his pocket and placed it in the small bowl on the side of the stone for offerings. He closed his eyes. Tsunade had told him that Naruto had returned the necklace before he had set out to hunt down Itachi because he was worried he'd lose it. At Tsunade's shock, Naruto had grinned and told her that he'd be back for the necklace with Sasuke in tow. And when Sasuke had returned without Naruto, the Hokage had held onto the necklace in a vain hope that Naruto might return to reclaim it. By asking Sasuke to put the necklace on the memorial, she was officially giving up her final hope that the blonde might return. And as much as it pained Sasuke to do, he assented, knowing Naruto was never coming back.

 

“Dobe,” he whispered. “It should have been me, not you.” He smiled sadly. “But you always had to play the hero, even for a bastard like me. I didn't deserve to be saved.”

 

He felt slender arms wrap around his waist. “Yes you did,” Sakura whispered.

 

“I should have died that day, not him. It's my fault Naruto's gone.”

 

Sakura slowly pulled away from Sasuke. She turned her back to him. “Stop blaming yourself, Sasuke-kun,” she said, suddenly no sign of tears in her voice. “Neither Naruto nor I stopped believing in you. You made some bad choices, but everyone has.”

 

“How can you stand to be with me, Sakura?” Sasuke asked quietly.

 

Sakura smiled sadly, though Sasuke couldn't see it. She knew this was the only day of the year the Uchiha would be so open with his emotions so had to use it to her advantage. “You've asked me that every year since he died, Sasuke-kun.” Her hand drifted back and entwined in his. “My answer hasn't changed.”

 

Sasuke nodded absently, remembering the first anniversary of Naruto's death.

 

Sasuke stood in front of the memorial stone, rain pounding down on him though he barely felt it. The memories of the previous year had haunted his dreams every night. He felt rain dripping down his cheeks and absently wiped it away. He sighed, knowing no tears would come this day as much as he might want and need them to.

 

He felt a familiar presence come up behind him but made no move. Sakura came up next to him and looked at the memorial for a moment, words seeming to escape her. She kneeled down and placed a flower next to the one Sasuke had brought and gave a prayer before rising.

 

“Stop blaming yourself, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura said after awhile.

 

He blinked. “What?”

 

She looked directly at him and despite it being against his instincts, he looked at her. There was something about those green eyes that Sasuke couldn't look away from even when his natural feeling was to turn away.

 

“Naruto didn't give up his life so you would be miserable,” the pink-haired kunoichi said.

 

“It should have been me,” Sasuke said, looking at the ground. “He had his dream and now he'll never get to succeed.”

 

Sakura cupped her hand around Sasuke's chin, taking the chance he wouldn't stop her, which he miraculously didn't. She slowly brought his face up to look at her. “Protecting the people most precious to him was part of Naruto's very essence. And there was no one more important to him than you, Sasuke-kun. Even after you left, he never stopped believing in you and was willing to do anything to rescue you.”

 

“I don't deserve that,” Sasuke whispered.

 

“Yes you do,” Sakura replied vehemently, startling Sasuke.

 

“It was my choices that led to his death and I have to live with that.”

 

“But the important thing is that you are living,” Sakura countered. “That's what was most important to Naruto. I know he felt no regret over what he did because it brought you back to us.” A tear fell down her cheek. “And getting you back was more important to him than becoming Hokage.”

 

A silence fell between the two former teammates, both lost in memories of the year before. Finally, Sasuke was the one to break the silence. “How can you stand to stay by me?” he asked.

 

Sakura looked at Sasuke and smiled sadly. “Because I've never stopped loving you. And I never will.”

 

“I don't deserve it,” Sasuke said quietly.

 

“Maybe not,” Sakura replied, “but that doesn't change my feelings.” She looked at the memorial. “You were Naruto's most important person and you're also mine.” Sasuke blinked and looked at her in surprise.

 

“Why?”

 

“Because there is so much good in you, Sasuke-kun. You may not be able to see it, but I can. Naruto could too. That's why we followed you. You have so much to offer,” Sakura said, her voice cracking. “And that's why Naruto didn't hesitate to save you.”

 

Sasuke swallowed and opened his eyes. “I'll meet you at the gate,” he said, the aloof attitude returning. Sakura nodded mutely and Sasuke disappeared after one final look at the memorial.

 

Sakura sighed. “Why can't you see it, Sasuke-kun? Why can't you see your value?”

 

With one final look for her friend's memorial, Sakura also disappeared.