(A/N: Play music for more effect!)

As soon as she woke up, she was hit with the news. "The third Hokage died during the invasion. His funeral is in an hour and a half."

Sakura nodded at Sasuke, then accepted the black clothing he handed her. "Where is Ramen-boy located? What happened after I was knocked out," she asked. She watched as he turned away from her, facing the window with his bangs covering his face.

"Naruto woke up earlier. He beat Gaara."

"What about you," she prodded, her calculating eyes on his back. His posture was stiff and screamed that he didn't wasn't to walk at the moment, but she asked anyway.

Sasuke didn't reply. He didn't even look back at her when he left the room. As soon as he exited the room, he unclenched his jaw and squeezed his hands into tight fists. Frustration and a combination of other negative emotions continued to well up in Sasuke, but he only stormed off, pushing them to the back of his head for now.

:::

All three walked in silence to the service where most of Konohagakure's inhabitants would be, Sakura on the left, Sasuke on the right, and Naruto in the middle. "I do not understand what a funeral is," Sakura stated, still looking ahead. Sasuke didn't reply. "An intriguing social gathering, I assume in which everyone attending wears black."

"Sakura-chan," Naruto said miserably, "not right now."

The pink-haired girl stayed silent until the blonde sighed out of guilt. "It's where you go to respect someone that's died." This made Sakura stop in her tracks. I do not know if I respect that old man. He dared to stand up to Orochimaru... "Sakura-chan?"

She blinked, then saw Naruto and Sasuke now looking at her, both furrowing their eyebrows. "I am not attending this funeral." With that, she walked away to her apartment.

"What was that about?" Naruto frowned as Sasuke continued walking as if nothing had happened. "Does Sakura-chan not respect Ojii-san?"

"Tch, as if I care." The last Uchiha stalked away, showing his teammate the clan symbol on his back. The negativity surrounding the last few days came back in a wave as he continued down the dirt road by himself.

:::

The funeral procession itself was crowded, everyone speaking in hushed tones. Some were dressed up, while a few shinobi wore their usual outfits. Nonetheless, all of them held the same type of gloom.

Immediately after the funeral, Naruto decided to visit Sakura, wherever she was. When he asked Sasuke to come with, he didn't reply, but only walked away. "Oi, Teme! Why aren't you talking to Sakura-chan? What's wrong with the two of you, dattebayo?"

He didn't receive an answer, which was funny to him, because he had heard a couple of noises inside. Weird, Naruto thought, I guess I'll go later today.

:::

When Sasuke got into his own apartment, he peeled off his wet shirt from the rain and flopped on his small couch. His feet hung over the edge, and he shivered from how cold it was in the living room.

"Where is Ramen-boy located? What happened after I was knocked out?"

"Naruto woke up earlier. He beat Gaara."

Sasuke growled into the cushion. It was always Naruto improving, never him. He was supposed to be the best of the best, the sole survivor of the Uchiha Massacre. He was supposed to be strong. He was supposed to be there for the people he cared about. He should not have let Sakura take those sand kunai and the body-crushing grip from Gaara in place of him.

Instead, the dead-last was improving exponentially, and he felt like he hadn't learned anything other than Chidori.

It was him who was improving. It was him that was strong. It was him that rescued Sakura from Gaara. It was Naruto, of all people, that was the hero.

More training won't solve anything. I need power.

His hand began moving its way to his curse mark subconsciously when his thoughts drifted back to Sakura.

How is it she's always the smartest? How is she so strong? How did she get power? She always brushes it off like it's nothing. She should be grateful for what she has, he thought furiously.

Ah, power...what a wonderful thing.

Sasuke froze and sat up on his couch. "Who's there," he called aloud. There was no answer. After five minutes of sitting extremely still, he slowly eased himself off the couch and made his way to the bathroom to change so he could practice stamina and endurance.

:::

Sakura breathed in before taking her right foot and pulled it to her head from behind. (A/N: Think dancer yoga pose.) She would be holding that pose for the next thirty minutes while balancing on a wooden post. Instead of her usual kimono-styled top, she was wearing a small pair of black spandex short shorts and a red tank top.

Five minutes into her meditating, she heard a noise, then opened her eyes to see Naruto standing there, still dressed in his black clothing and huffing. "Sakura-chan," he shouted from across the clearing, "I'll explain what happened, —ttebayo!"

Sakura nodded, then got out of her position to listen to the blonde. "I thought Teme told you earlier, so to me, it didn't make sense when you walked away."

"Hn." The pink-haired girl grunted and looked behind him, causing Naruto to turn as well. Strange. I thought someone was there. Perhaps it was only my mind fooling itself.

"I know, right? Some parts of the town are a dump, dattebayo! Anyways, on with my story. When you got smushed by that sand thing, we thought you were actually dead..." He paused. "After you saved Teme, he got mad and started attacking with his Chidori. He kept passing out and then waking up from exhaustion, though. Then, Gaara turned into this huge sand monster, and I summoned a really big toad named Gamabunta and fought him. After I defeated him, dattebayo, you were freed and Teme caught you and took you to the hospital. And—right! You were probably gonna ask about Temari, right? She escaped somehow."

Sakura nodded in understanding.

"Also," he brightened, "there have been rumours about who will be promoted after the village is cleaned up! I've heard you, Shikamaru, and I have a good chance! Maybe even Teme, too. Who knows?"

Sakura shrugged at his question and turned back to her bag, where she pulled out a red-pink track jacket and pulled it on. While she was doing that, Naruto turned and spotted someone else not too far away. They got closer and closer until—"Hey, Pervy-Sage!"

"Hey, Kid. Sakura," he greeted, nodding at her and taking in her bare legs. "Why are you in shorts when it's raining? You're skinny and sickly enough as you are, so don't try and get sick."

Sakura only inclined her head and said, "Pedophile."

It took a few seconds for Naruto to understand until he yelled. "What, —ttebayo? You—you two know each other? Never mind that," he shook his head, "Why are you here? And most importantly...how does Sakura-chan know that you're a pedophile?!"

This made Jiraiya grin. "Never mind the last question. I'll answer the second to last first: because...the three of us, with your other teammate included, are going on an important mission outside of the village!"

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really, —ttebayo?! Can you teach me more jutsu and stuff? Are you gonna teach Sakura-chan and Teme, too?"

"Kid, Kid," the white-haired man said after chuckling, "calm down. We're going to retrieve the new Hokage!"

"Wha...? Really?! That's awesome, —ttebayo! What about Kakashi-sensei?"

Sakura crossed her arms and Jiraiya frowned subtly. "Mhm. Look, there's Sasuke." He pointed behind Naruto and Sakura.

"Teme!" Naruto waved over to his best friend. "Guess what? We have a mission!"

Immediately, the brooding teen looked better. His eyebrows were raised in surprise and his hands were in his pockets. He changed out of the funeral clothes already, Sakura noticed. "Hn," he replied, but Naruto and Sakura knew he was glad to get out of the village.

"At approximately what time will we leave to retrieve the Hokage?" The pinkette looked at Jiraiya.

He shrugged. "Tonight or tomorrow morning, maybe? What do you think?"

"Tonight," Sasuke replied, "I don't want anyone knowing what we're doing and pestering us to come with."

Did anyone spot the foreshadowing on Sasuke's part?

Will the next Hokage be Tsunade?

How will it play out, now that all three genin are going with Jiraiya?