If

I haven't written fanfiction for a really long time now. You'll find one of my old pieces of fanfiction still archived on this site going by the name Demons of Konoha under the penname Hakumei. I'm not sure if I'll ever complete that one, kinda lost my vision and RL took my attention away. (i also lost the password and login for the Hakumei account because I'm an idiot like that....)

You'll recognize the format if you've read my work before. ^^

SPOILER WARNING: I do not suggest reading this if you're behind in the Manga and haven't read up to 440. Because I happen to love the stories Kishi gave these characters and I will reference them. So if you don't want to be spoiled, please don't read. You've been warned...

------

If

By: 4SweetDepravity


Uzumaki Naruto was supposed to be a symbol of hope.

He was a symbol of the future. He had something that made him motivate people. He had given so many people a different outlook on their lives. Given a chance where other people hadn't. Because he thought he could see the good in people. And anyone who met him loved him in their own way. He was a treasure to Konohagakure. He had meant something.

That was until Konoha was just an empty wasteland of debris.

Because before Pein wiped it all out, the blonde boy with the endless blue eyes had meant something. He had been someone to admire. But that had been before it was all gone...

Before they had lost it all…

Uzumaki Naruto was dead.

+++

Haruno Sakura was supposed to have made something out of her life.

She had grown up a bit unlike the others. Her parents weren't known ninja in the village. She had to rely on the amazing mind she had been blessed with to get her through things. And she had sometimes needed a little bit of a push from her friends to get her on the right path. Because even the most brilliant mind had it's faults. And she had done everything she could to do something with herself. To make her something to be admired and possibly even desired.

But thankfully she really wasn't that focused on finding romance. She had moved past that a long time ago. And she had focused on what was important, on being a ninja. And being a ninja had saved her life. Because when the members of Akatsuki had fallen upon Konoha, She had been so sure that they were done for. While she stood amongst the remains of what had been her home village, she hadn’t had even the slightest bit of hope.

But that was when Naruto came back, as if he knew that she needed him. That she needed him to come back. And she had hope as she observed the fight that had transpired. As she watched Naruto and Pein fighting for what would ultimately be the fate of their world. Because if Pein won, and the Kyuubi was lost. There wasn't going to be much else to keep Akatsuki from winning. And despite knowing that they had lost Kakashi somehow, that they had failed their sensei.

She was blindingly confident that Naruto would succeed that Naruto was going to win. That the day would be saved and he would show them all. That he would show them, that he was a winner. That he was the future of Konoha once Tsunade was done being Hokage. Because it was Naruto and she believed in him.

She didn't remember exactly what had led up to it. What had led her to watching him fail, watching him lose, and ultimately watching him be taken to his death by the monsters that had ruined their home, she couldn’t remember that. She remembered her knees buckling, remembered falling forward as her eyes were wide. She couldn't blink she was in shock. And she could barely breathe. And she must've been pretty unresponsive.

Because when she finally found a way to move again, Sai was at her side. Pulling her to her feet, his normally cool and monotone voice. Harsh and full of panic. She remembered fighting him briefly, trying to get involved somehow. Trying to save him, trying to save Naruto. And she knew that Sai had struggled to hold her.

But eventually she ended up with the rest of the survivors. Ino clinging to her as Tsunade weakly gave out her orders. Sakura struggled to go back, not willing to give up. Because Naruto never gave up in a fight. That wasn't what Naruto did. And seeing Kakashi's body being carried along, she had eventually needed to be sedated. Because Sakura needed to go back She needed to fight.

But ultimately she realized that she was helpless. That she could so nothing to change the situation they were in. She had no great power left, and even her mind rationalized that they had lost. And nothing else was left for them to try not here, and not now. And that Naruto had lost and he was a dead by now. Dead and not coming back. And it was heartbreaking because she had failed in everything.

Haruno Sakura was still useless.

+++

Uchiha Sasuke was supposed to have stopped caring.

And after he got it, he was supposed to have something else to go on. So when he listened to Madara after his brother was dead. He had found a purpose, a reason to keep going. But he soon learned he had missed his chance at the real future he had been offered all along. He knew he had gone silent, staring at the ruins of Konoha.

He really wasn't even listening to Suigetsu as he loudly declared the place a dump. He didn't look to see that Juugo was watching him for the slightest sign of a real reaction. And he didn't even feel when Karin had moved way too close for comfort. He was trying to take all the destruction in and remember it. He was trying not to burn this image into his memory either.

Not like he had Itachi burned in there. Not in the same way.

Because he could see Itachi as he spoke those final words to him. He could still feel the way the pointed fingers had slid across his forehead. And the horror that had gripped his body when he realized that he cared. That he had still regardless of how hard he had tried. He had still cared for Itachi. That at the end of everything, Itachi was still the older brother he loved.

And he had killed him. Killed him like he was some faceless target. And then he had tried to act like it had done nothing to his character.

And that was really all it ended up being. An act. A well played act on his part, of his sanity after what he had done. Because before Madara had even gotten the chance to speak with him, to tell him the truth behind Itachi's actions. Sasuke was already breaking apart. Because he had killed Itachi and he still cared. He had still cared and he had made a grave mistake.

And Madara had made it even worse. By telling him that horrible truth, the real reason his brother had appeared to become a monster before his very eyes. Sasuke took out all his anger on a cause his brother would've never supported. And he knew this; he knew this better than anyone else.

He had seen Itachi, seen him prepare those final days for the grave task of murdering the Uchiha Clan. And he had watched it destroy the good teenager he had known as his older brother. And that Itachi had done all of that, all of that for Konoha. For the village that had meant something to the prodigy.

Sasuke frowned, pulling from his team and heading down to look at the center of the damage. He didn't doubt that Akatsuki had done this, that Madara was responsible. But he hadn't expected it to be this bad. And just like grieving after the death of his brother. A brother he was positive he no longer cared for before his death. He was feeling that horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach. A twisting sensation of nerves.

Because he realized he was concerned for the well being of the friends he had abandoned and left behind. For Kakashi and Sakura and Naruto. And while he walked the ruins, he wondered where were they when this happened. They had to have been here, because otherwise they would've been looking for him. And at the call of Suigetsu's voice he turned. Seeing that his friends had seemingly discovered something. So he moved to return to their sides, when he heard the crunch under his foot, of something solid.

And he shifted to glance at what it was. And his heart sank. Because the nerves were in full force as he unsteadily dropped to lift the object. Pulling it from the broken thread it was on, and looking at the way the setting sun shined on the carefully cut stones. Or gemstones, he wasn't really an expert in these things, in jewelry. But he did recognize the necklace.

Because as he had whispered to Naruto once, about leaving him alive on a whim. he had seen it beneath the loud orange jacket. And as with everything that seemed to be touched by Naruto. Every memory he had of the blonde. He remembered every little detail. And this necklace, this necklace belonged to Naruto. And it had the faintest trace and smell of blood on it.

He clutched the trinket and frowned. Feeling the overwhelming swell of emotions.

Konoha was gone. His friends weren't here. And he didn't know what had happened to the blonde.

So when he reached his friends. He already knew what his next move was going to be. Because there had to be survivors, and amongst the survivors there had to be a witness. Someone that would tell him the truth. Someone that had seen what had happened and could clear up the nervous haze that was gripping him.

Uchiha Sasuke was concerned.

------

(A/N: I will complete this story. A good chunk of the chapters are on my computer already. I just wanna space them out. Telling me my grammar is bad or something is fine. I don't have someone editing this. I'll try to make sure it at the very least makes sense. Any form of feedback is appreciated. Thanks! Expect the official first chapter as soon as it's back from editing!)