A/N: This is the second of the five fanfictions I have thought up while I have been struggling to write the next chapter of my first story Becoming More. I hope you all enjoy the story just as much, if not more than, A Vixen's Pride. The next story will be Diamond and Citrine Eyes, and will be done in a few days time.

NARUTO PAIRING POLL NOW MADE FOR THIS STORY!

Failure.

That was all that could be felt throughout the halls and rooms of Konoha's main hospital. The feeling hung heavy in the atmosphere, and filled those who entered the building with a sense of loss. The feeling of failure and loss was mixed in a few into and even worse emotion. One so close to pure despair that it can be described as nothing more nor less than exactly that. Despair.

Neji

Hyuga Neji was in the largest room on the top floor that the hospital had to offer. His body was laid, with his torso exposed, on the of the room. His hair no longer held back by his forehead protector sat wildly around his shoulders and face. A seal that was spread across almost the entire floor of the room surround his body in a gigantic square with a four sided star on it that's points were on the outside of its edges.

The corners of the square were completely blackened with medic nin sitting in them. They were breathing heavily and occasionally switching out with each other. A tuff of Neji's hair was suspended above a hole just inside of his right shoulder with a faint glow of chakra surrounding it. Shizune was giving orders to the other medics not a make a single mistake or it cost them.

While his body was unmoving, Neji's mind was steadily rolling along. So I'm that bad off am I? Heh, seems I still have a long way to go. He mentally frowned as he replayed what he had heard the medics who were on their breaks talking about. Uchiha Sasuke... do you know what you have done? The pain you have caused? I pray for Naruto-san and Sakura-san.

Kiba

Kiba was in the next room over from Neji that was regular sized. He was bandaged slightly around the face, and laid motionlessly in the hospital bed. The wild boy looked over at his sister as she checked on his partner Akamaru. It hurt him to see the young pup so beaten up. "How is he Onee-chan..?"

Kiba's older sister, Inuzuka Hana, ran her hand gently over the injured pup. "For the moment he can't walk.." she sighed. "The muscles in his arms and legs were badly damaged."

The assessment was of his partner's condition did not sit well with him. "You're a vet aren't you Onee-chan? Can't you..." Kiba was unsure of what to say next. He just wanted his best friend to be okay.

"He's alright," Hana said kindly. "Don't worry, after some rest, his condition will stabilize." Kiba closed his eyes and nodded gratefully. A quick jolt of pain in his neck ceased the motion and caused him to suck in air. "More importantly the same goes for Kiba."

The boy chuckled momentarily. "Yeah. I got it." He was about to let himself slip into a blissful sleep when a thought suddenly hit him. "Hana-nee, do you know what happened? If Sasuke was brought back?"

The girl's face darkened briefly before she hid her emotions from her brother. "Just rest Kiba. That's all you should be focusing on right now is resting." Getting up from her squatting position, Hana left a tiring Kiba to rest.

...Damn, he thought having caught the look on his sister's face. Just... fucking hell. Sasuke you traitor... did you really think it was worth this... damn. No one would take Kiba for the overly emotional type, but even he knew this was a time to let the pain storm about himself. Tears were exceptable at this point.

Shikamaru

The young Nara genius sat fidgeting outside of the room his closest friend was currently still in. His hands would not stop shaking, and he was unable to find a comfortable spot to place all of his fingers though the splint on his left finger. The boy's mind was rolling through turmoil.

"There's no use fidgeting you know," a blonde haired girl said. She was sitting on a bench opposite of him with her legs and arms crossed before her. Temari, his support for their failed mission. A support that his friend never had a chance to receive. "Sacrifice is an inevitable part of missions like these," she said. "Didn't you receive emotion training for this stuff?"

Shikamaru put what little strength he had in himself to glare at the girl. "Training and actual combat are different," he said loudly yet softly. "In a mission you don't know what is going to happen and I was a team leader for the first time on a mission. Because of that, I understand that I'm not cut out for being a shinobi."

Temari looked the boy down. "Unexpected fragility... men are strange."

Standing, the shadow user looked down at the ground. "I shouldn't have been the team leader this time. I just trusted everyone else. I was laid back... I didn't have enough strength. This... all of this is my fault."

The blond shifted her gaze slightly into a more aggressive look. "Are you afraid of being hurt?"

For a moment, Shikamaru looked at the girl before he heard the worst possible sound. Loud frantic beeping from his friend's room, and the sound of people running around. He had no idea what he was going to say to Temari, but that no longer mattered. Not right now. Not when a nightmare was on the verge of reality. Plopping down on to his bench, the boy gave into his mangled emotions.

The girl watched as Shikamaru began to fall apart and glared at the spot above his head. (Uchiha Sasuke. I never liked or really trusted that guy, but to think he would go this far for power is ridiculous... to make his own comrades carry the burden of the effects of his betrayal.) Sighing, the girl went over to the boy and uncharacteristically comforted him.

Kakashi

The masked ninja sat atop the hospital roof as he looked over the village before him. Everything seemed to be as peaceful as it should be. Nothing seemed to be even the smallest bit of out of place. But he knew though, he knew nothing was right. That the world of all of the Genin had just taken an unfortunate turn.

Kakashi new he played a part in the turn. A part so big it sickened him. If he had just been a better teacher to Sasuke, no, to all of his students maybe this wouldn't have happened. The failure of Team Seven, the hole in one of his student's chest, the arrogance of the one who put it there, all of it rested on his shoulders.

The stone face of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze, looked down on him. The pressure of those eyes, the disappointment that would be in them if they were alive, was too much. Looking into the sky, Kakashi cried for his failures. Maybe it's time I changed myself completely.

These feeling that were running out their minds were even heavier in two other rooms on the building's top floor.

Choji's Room

The beeping came out of nowhere on to the unexpected medic nin in the room. They thought they had done everything right. Just now, someone was just about to inform the two ninja in the hallway that Choji was going to be fine, yet now something had gone wrong. Everyone immediately went into action after their initial hesitation.

The rushed to the monitors to find him going into sudden cardiac arrest. A case that all of them hadn't encountered in a a long if ever in there career as a medic nin. One medic tried to restart the boy's breathing, while another prepped a lighting jutsu into his hands. "Clear!" She shocked the boy's chest causing his body to heave up at the chest momentarily. One beat. Nothing. "Clear!" She again shocked the boy in hopes of saving them.

So that's what it's like to be shocked by a doctor. Not all that bad I guess. Then again I can't really feel anything anymore. Choji sat at a table with his favorite food before him untouched. He smiled down into it as tears filled his eyes. He knew that it was all useless. Man I wish I could eat some real food one last time.

Choji you better catch up with us later. The last thing he heard his friend Shikamaru say replayed in his mind over and over again. His smile was already sad, but now it was downright painful. He had all intentions of catching up to the others. To be the part of the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho with Ino and Shikamaru. To eventually beat Naruto's record for ramen eating at Ichiraku, and most of all to hold his baby sister that was soon to be born.

"Sorry guys..." Choji said making the medics all look at him. A smile was on the boy's face as tears trailed down his cheeks. The monitor let out a high pitched constant noise as his heart refused to beat anymore. Deciding that the boy had somehow already made his piece, the female doctor who had been shocking his heart slowly pulled up a seat and covered his body.

Akimichi Choji was dead.

Naruto's Room

The young blond sat in his bed, looking down at his hands like the world meant nothing to him anymore. He had failed in his mission to his Village, and more importantly his promise to Sakura. He had let Sauske, his one and only brother, escape him and run off into the slimy grasp of that snake Orochimaru. After everything he had tried to bring him back, he just was not strong enough to accomplish his mission.

(How could I have let this happen? I was supposed to bring him back home. Make sure that we all stayed a family. Damn, damn, damn, damn!) He shook as he balled his hands into fist. Tears began to stain the sheets below him. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry Kakashi-sensei. Sakura-chan. Please forgive me. He remebered what he had heard about everyone else's, who were on the Sasuke Retrieval Team, conditions and choked back a sob that had risen in his throat. Everyone. Everyone please be okay.

As he cried, he failed to notice the door to his room opening as Sakura silently slipped in. The pink haired girl watch him cry with an expressionless face as she thought over what she was about to do. She knew what was going to do, and decided to talk to the distraught figure before her.

It wasn't until Sakura placed a hand on Naruto's wrist that he noticed the young kunoichi in the room. "Hey," she said as he stared at her with wide, blood shot eyes. "I... heard about what happened on the mission..." The girl said the last part so softly that Naruto was unable to hear her words.

Naruto sniffed. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan, but what did you just say?" Not expecting to be slapped by his teammate, Naruto fell back shocked a sudden hand across his face. He used a hand to hold himself up as the other shakingly reached up to his cheek as even more tears filled his eyes. No...please no.

Sakura glared down at Naruto with her hand still out where it stopped after slapping him. "Don't you call me that. Don't you dare ever call me that! The only ones with that right are people I care about, and you're not one of them Baka!" She smiled as a part of Naruto's heart and soul visually died in his eyes.

"W-why Sakura-cha..." Another slap rung through the room as the girl again smacked him.

"I'm serious Baka. I never want to hear you call me that again. No, I never want to hear you even so my name again do you understand! You said you would bring Sasuke-kun back to me, and you dared come back without him!" Sakura grabbed the golden blonde's shoulder roughly and shook him cause pain to shoot throughout his body. "Sasuke-kun is the one I should be sitting with right now! Instead I'm stuck with you! Some sorry excuse of a shinobi that shouldn't even have been born!"

Not thinking her words had done enough damage, the girl grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. The light in Naruto's eyes were completely gone by now. All they were were two dull, lifeless blue orbs without no purpose. "You wanted to know what I said earlier? Huh? You want to fucking know?!" Naruto slowly shook his head as the tears in his eyes started to dry away. "I wanted you to die dammit. I wished Sasuke-kun had finished you off after he beat you! If Sasuke-kun isn't here, then you shouldn't be here either!"

Naruto fell all the back on to his bed as the let go of his face. He watched her waist, and saw her pull a kunai up from her weapon's pouch and cried on the inside. Thinking the words he could not find his voice to say. (She hates me. I knew she would. I couldn't keep my promise to her like I said I would. Maybe I deserve this after everything. No one will forgive me for failing the mission. Not even baa-chan will forgive me for this.) Closing his eyes, the boy waited for the inevitable death he was sure Sakura was planning to give him.

Sakura scowled at the sight. "Don't you dare close your eyes dammit. Open them! I want you to watch this happen." No longer caring about anything, Naruto did as he was told. It thrilled Sakura to see the boy so defeated. She would avenge the loss of Sasuke. Today, a blight is going to be removed from the world. Raising her hand high, the girl smiled. "At least you know how to die." Slamming down the kunai, Sakura sunk the blade hilt deep into Naruto's chest. Or she would have had her hand not been grab.

Sakura gasped as she looked at her hand while the other one was also grabbed at her side. It was encased in sand, and she was sure the other one was as well. If not for the sand, then the heart wrenching killer intent that she felt from the boy behind her would have told her who stood behind her. Sabaku no Gaara had her in his grasp. The girl trembled as she looked back into the boy's eyes.

"Sakura-san... what do you think you are doing to Naruto-san?" It was posed as a question, but the venom in his tone told her that her answer didn't really matter. Sakura just continued to stare at the boy with pure unadulterated fear. "It doesn't matter. You won't be able to doing anything anyways."

Sakura began to ask what he meant just as she felt the worst pain in her life flare up. She screams out in pain as her hand by her side was crushed. Tears fell down her eyes as the pain was too much for her to handle. The sand continued to crush the hand until it finally destroyed the bones completely and tore it away from her wrist.

Sakura continued to scream as the blood pump from her severed hand, and it flooded out onto the ground. Sand soon covered to stop the bleeding. She fell to the ground gasping for air as she tried to breath. "Please," she begged, "let me go. Let me go and I'll leave. Please Gaara just let me go." Gaara looked at the girl as tears cascaded down her eyes. Sakura was weak, and he knew it. Though the sand had only loosened when she quickly stabbed her kunai down into Naruto's chest.

Kakashi

The first time he heard the scream he had written off as Sakura finding out what happened to Naruto. The second time though, he knew something was wrong. Not wasting anytime on wiping away the tears falling from his eye, Kakashi jumped over the side of the building and landed on Naruto's window ledge before busting through the glass.

The first thing he noticed was the still screaming Sakura. One of her hands were gone, and her other arm was squashed horribly but still attached. Multiple arm long needles of sand had pierced through both of her legs. They nailed her to the wall upside down at crooked angles.

"Sakura what happened to you!?" The girl saw her sense had arrived, but could only gasp for air and sob. Kakashi growled as he looked up and saw Gaara standing over Naruto's still body. He felt more than saw two Anbu, who had been in the vicinity at the time, appear next to him as he glared down the red headed jinchūriki. "Gaara, what do you think you are doing!?" he demanded.

Gaara looked up from Naruto with a slight frown. "I am defending Naruto-san from his assailant. She attacked him, and I saw it fit to stop her. Please call for the nurses, I failed." For a moment Kakashi faltered before he noticed the kunai in Naruto's barely moving chest.

Soft, demented chuckling came from Sakura as she found the ability to talk. "Sen... sensei. I did it... I really... did it... I got revenge on him... now th... that baka can't hurt... anyone again... if Sas... Sasuke-kun... my Sasuke-ku... kun isn't here... he shouldn't be ei... either." The girl continued to laugh as Kakashi stared at her horrified. One of the Anbu left to get immediate medical help as the other approached Sakura's pinned up form.

Kakashi, for all intents and purposes, had been willing to not believe Gaara. To believe that the boy was just trying to cover his deeds with lies. But Sakura had crushed all thoughts of that. Had admitted with pride that she had tried to kill her own teammate, and for what? A foolish crush who had betrayed the village and hospitalized many of her friends? He shook his head in disbelief at what was happening.

The doctors burst through the door, and quickly grabbed Naruto's bed before running out with him to the emergency room. One of them stayed behind and looked at the pink haired girl. "What should be done with her?" the woman asked calmly, but it could be seen in her eyes that the sight disturbed her.

"That is up to Kakashi-senpai here," the Anbu who had stayed said. The voice was feminine behind the cat mask, and Kakashi knew who it was and what she wanted him to do.

Swallowing, Kakashi walked over to Sakura stiffly. "Take your sand out of her legs Gaara," he said monotoned. Sakura took a deep breath and smiled at her sensei. She believed that he saw things her way, and she was soon to be rewarded for her deed. Her beliefs were quickly shattered. "Me and Neko-san will take her before Hokage-sama and Tora-san," Kakashi said to Sakura's horror as he pointed to the Anbu who had just come back, "will take you to the I&T Department. Tell them to have Ibiki talk to you about this instead of Anko. We need to know everything that happened in her."

As Gaara's sand retracted from Sakura's body, she cried out in anger. "Kakashi-sensei!... How could you do... do this to me!... I'm... I'm your student!"

Kakashi looked at her with a cold eye. "Not anymore. As of now you are a traitor of the village Sakura, and prepare to pay the price." Where did I go wrong with this group?

Tsunade

Today was bad. Today was just plain bad. Firstly she can't find any of her sake thanks to Shizune's constant meddling in her drinking affairs. The young women obviously needed a man in her life. Secondly, she gets word that Uchiha Sasuke has become a traitor and abandoned the village. Which, of course with the shortage of available shinobi, only forced her hand to send out a freshly promoted Chūnnin and five of her best Genin plus call in back up from Suna. Now four of those Genin are hospitalized, Sasuke Uchiha escaped, and she still hadn't had a single drink since the day before.

As if that wasn't enough to give her the worst headache of her life, instead of being at the hospital treating the four injured Genin, she is stuck in a council meeting that sound have waited until the next day, just so the civilians could complain about their loss of the Uchiha and Naruto's. Of course nobody thinks the way she does. They all just wanted her to suffer. Yes, today was just plain horrible.

"What are we supposed to do now!?" a random male civilian yelled in aggravation.

"Yes," another one said, "that demon brat failed his mission, and now we are short one Kekkei Genkai thanks to him!"

"How could you have let this happen!?" another screamed.

"The best Genin in the world, and now he's gone! Gone to our enemies!" The other civilians cheered in with their agreements and complaints.

Rolling her eyes Tsunade ignored the civilians and turned to the shinobi side of the council. The only side that she believed should even be in the room. Hyuga Hiashi looked to be as stoic as ever as he stared ahead waiting for a chance to input his opinion. Inuzuka Tsume was grating her teeth as she stared daggers at the civilians for keeping her from her son as they just continued complaining. Aburame Shibi watched the entire room from behind his shades like any other Aburame would. Yamanaka Inoichi was shaking his head in disappointment in how little the council had changed over the years. Akimichi Chōza seemed to be holding in a lot of anger as he wanted to be by his sons side like Tsume. Nara Shikaku seemed to have fallen asleep with his eyes open. The man wasn't even breathing from what Tsunade could she.

Tsunade had enough of listening to the civilians complain before slamming her fist down. "Enough! You whining and complaining will get us nowhere if nobody is able to get in a word to make a decision!" The council room quickly quite as she leaned back into her chair. "Now, as for the failure of the mission, and the loss of Uchiha Sasuke, there is little left for us to do now but label him a missing ninja." Another outburst from the civilians rose at her words. "QUIET! There is nothing that can be done for the boy now. He made his choice."

A few of the civilians grumbled their displeasure as Shikaku spoke. "Well seeing as the Uchiha was lost on this mission, was anything of use found out about Orochimaru?"

Tsunade silently thanked the man for quickly changing the subject. "Nothing was found out about the man himself that we don't already know, but the four ninja who were killed on the mission were his personal guards and played a role in Sarutobi-sensei's death. Well three of them did."

Inoichi gave the Hokage a questioning look. "What do you mean Hokage-sama? Did he change out one of his guards for some reason?"

"No," Tsunade sighed. "The four that originally appeared were indeed the same four that assisted Orochimaru before. This time though, a fifth member showed up to fight. He was the leader of the group and already dying from a disease from what I was told by Lee and Sabaku no Gaara."

"Hm, then one of the original four must still be alive," a man wrapped mostly in bandages said. His name was Shimura Danzō. The man was a thorn in the side of the previous two Kages and the current one. Any time he raised his head, trouble was sure follow it making Tsunade immediately weary of the man now. "Who and where is this other member of the four?"

Just as Tsunade was contemplating answering or ignoring the man, the door to the council room burst open. Everyone looked to see Kakashi and the cat masked Anbu practically dragging Sakura into the room with a medic ninja and a blood trail following them. "Oh hell..." Tsunade sighed as she massaged the bridge of her nose. She was going to yell at them for barging into a council meeting unannounced when she noticed the state of the young pink haired kunoichi. "What happened to her and why isn't she at the hospital receiving treatment!?"

Pulling the girl up by her hair, the Anbu held a whimpering Sakura up in front of her as Kakashi spoke without a hint of emotion to his voice. "Please excuse our interruption Lady Tsunade, but I brought this Genin here for you to pass judgement on." Excluding Danzō, Hiashi, and Shibi, everyone on the shinobi council eye's widened at what was said. A Jonin would only bring his Genin student to the Hokage like this for one reason. Treason.

"Civilian council leave. This is for our ears only as of now." Anyone who wanted to argue against Tsunade could not find the will to at her tone of voice. It demanded obedience and immediate action. They all left without a word. Some thinking it might be for the best from pleading look in Sakura's eye.

Once they were gone, Sakura was brought to the middle of the room. One look at the Hokage told the girl that there would be no mercy for her what so ever. "What happened?" Tsunade asked seriously. Kakashi told Tsunade of what he came in upon in Naruto's hospital room and what Gaara told him of his reasoning for attacking the girl. To say the Hokage looked furious was an understatement. The women's fists were shaking and her entire skin had turned a beat red. Not just her face. Her entire body was red with fury.

"And what of the girl's reasoning for this?" Shikaku asked seeing that his leader would soon fly off the handle hoped the girl had an answer that might spare her slow gruesome death instead of a quick one. Today was just all around bad for people.

"I did it... for Sasuke..." she proclaimed as loudly as she could. Both Tsume and Chōza stared at her with ultimate dislike while the others were disgusted by her claim. Though it only got worse. "I had to do... this for Sasuke's... sake... and even the village's...we need Sasuke... not Naruto... he's useless to us..."

The room filled with a loud silence as no one dared to speak. Even Danzō knew it best to keep his mouth shut as the anger could visibly be seen rolling off of Tsunade's trembling form. Her chakra encased her body and seemed to increase the pressure in the room on everybody. Sakura seemed to be suffering from it the most.

Looking up, Tsunade showed nothing but hate and disgust in her eyes. "Normally this would be done elsewhere, but that would be a waste of our time." Sakura's eyes widen as she heard the worse noise in her life. The sound of a thousand birds chirping just behind her.

"Please... no... I was doing the village... a favor..." Tears streamed down the girls face as she turned to her sensei. The blank stare on her face terrified her more than anything else in her entire life had before. "Kakashi-sensei... please..."

Tsunade signaled the go ahead as Kakashi lifted his hand. "I'm not your sensei." Sakura's screams could be heard for miles as the Chidori was turned from a quick assassination jutsu, into a slow execution one. If it wasn't for the fact that everyone in the room had seen far worse on possibly a larger scale they may have needed psychological help after the sight. Not even the medical ninja was affected by what happened before her.

As Sakura's mutilated body was toted out, the medic stepped forward with a grim look on her face. Tsunade could feel that this day was just about to worsen considerably. "A report on the condition of the retrieval team members Hokage-sama. Inuzuka Kiba is recovering and should be ready for active duty in due time along with his partner." Tsume sighed happily at her boy's condition before finally relaxing into her seat. "Hyuga Neji is recovering though his wounds will leave him unable to perform efficiently for at least a month." Hiashi silent smiled that the boy was going to be fine even if it would take time. "Uzumaki Naruto is recovering, but it is recommended he seek mental help before returning to active duty." Tsunade flinched at the women's words. "Nara Shikamaru is also recommended for mental help and to be taken off of active duty." Gasp came from everyone as the medic took a deep breath.

The worst chill filled the room as she opened her mouth once more. "The cause of the recommendation... Akimichi Choji... survived the effect and treatment of the Three Colored Pills. Unfortunately he went into SCA and we were unable to save him. Akimichi Choji died exactly one hour ago."

One mission. Several decisions. Outcomes that people wish were not true. That is the life a shinobi leads. One that Choji leads no more. Feeling that it was best, Tsunade ended the council meeting stating that Choji's funeral would be held in two weeks' time so that all those who want will be able to attend. It took the help of both Inoichi and Shikaku to get their friend through the door and back home before he finally fell apart.

Tsunade wrote a quick letter to Sakura's parents, and handed them to the Anbu to deliver. Now she stood in her office looking out at the night sky as the moon sat high in the sky. It took her just to notice that it was in a complete lunar eclipse. Sometimes that is a good omen, but tonight it was nothing less of a devil's advocate. One new rogue ninja in the hands of our enemy. Two of our best mental obscured by horrors of reality. One traitor who never had a chance at success. And a boy who lost his life far beyond his time... "Shizune," she called to her assistant outside, "bring me a bottle of sake. I truly need it at a time like this." She heard Shizune agree with her without hesitation and appear with two bottles and cups instead of one. Tears were in the girl's eyes. Yes, this was a bad day.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the story. Until next time my friends!