It's strange how you don't realize how much you've ingrained someone into your life until they're gone. The village of Konoha found this to be true the day Uzumaki Naruto's light was put out. Now the Nine-tails is still showing no signs of reforming and the Leaf Village has hired a trio of unclaimed ninja to help retrieve Sasuke from Orochimaru. Slash fic. Rated T for now.

A mixture of pain and relief filled her face and she asked with what was left of her damaged voice. "Lie to me. Please, just one last time. Lie to me." For a second he was silent, then... "I hate you, Hermione." He choked out just loud enough that she could hear before a whisper from his lips sent a horrifyingly familiar green light speeding her way. Rated M to be safe.

A mixture of pain and relief filled her face and she asked with what was left of her damaged voice. "Lie to me. Please, just one last time. Lie to me." For a second he was silent, then... "I hate you, Hermione." He choked out just loud enough that she could hear before a whisper from his lips sent a horrifyingly familiar green light speeding her way. Rated M to be safe.

Draco finds himself in a dark room filled with regrets. The worst one is that it took loosing the one thing he had left, to stand up to his father. But he did it. He did it for her. - Preview to bigger story in the making. T for dark thoughts & cussing.