Starting off the fanfic in Chapter 1 is the very premise of Sasuke's death. Naruto, Kakashi, and especially Sakura are devastated by the event, and a somber funeral is held for the fallen genin. Naruto is stricken with Survivor Guilt, the war-worn Kakashi felt like he failed Sasuke as his responsibility, and the heartbroken Sakura is all but catatonic.
It was a small, sad procession which returned to the hidden village of Konoha—smaller than it had been when it had departed. Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto walked slowly, bearing between them a loaded stretcher covered by a blanket. Haruno Sakura walked behind them, her eyes red and fixed on the ground directly in front of her.
Uchiha Sasuke did not walk with them.
Chapter 2:
Sakura is subconsciously avoiding Naruto because of the traumatic event, which hinders the team and disheartens Naruto.
Keiji's backstory, in which he lost his entire team to Kisame.
Chapter 3: Due to Team 7 not participating in the Chuunin Exams because of Sasuke's death, Naruto is not present to cheer on Hinata, who is bullied by Neji into forfeiting the fight. Her already terrible self-confidence is worsened to the point that she decides to give up as a ninja and run away from Konoha.
Naruto tried to imagine how Hinata could be feeling and found that he honestly couldn't. For years while he'd been growing up almost no-one had believed in him other than Iruka-sensei, but no-one had demanded anything of him either; every one of his goals, even becoming Hokage, were the ones he'd set for himself. And he'd never doubted himself either- in fact he'd clung to his confidence and determination to persist in the face of ridicule. To have people expecting so much from you yet not expressing any confidence that you could deliver, until you didn't even believe in yourself- Naruto couldn't even begin to imagine how bad that would feel.
From the ending of Chapter 6 and continuing into Chapter 7, Team 7 bears witness to [the destruction of Konoha.
