I've always talked about doing an alternate ending for Fated as it was a depressing ending for my favorite character. Finishing off Hirameki drew me back in a little so I resurrected this alternate ending and thought I would post it. This month is the 10 year anniversary of Fated but it doesn't seem that long ago that I wrote it. I hope you like it. It's kakasaku so if you are stumbling onto this and don't like that pairing, move on. If you haven't read the story, this won't make a lot of sense. These three chapters can take the place of chapter 21, 22, and 23 in the original story so feel free to go with whichever you like best.
Fated - Alternate Ending
Chapter 21 - Fated
Sakura was jarred awake by the force of her weak body crashing to the earth, her temple smacking the unforgiving dirt and her back bursting with pain. She sucked in some shallow breaths, willing the endorphins to hurry and give her some relief.
"Finally awake," the Hawk said evenly as he crouched beside her, dangling his gloved hands over his knees. He jutted his chin toward her. "You've got an audience now, Uchiha. Let's see those sharingan. If you do, I might let you live."
Sakura laughed out a sound between a strangled chuckle and a sob as she rolled her unfocused eyes up to her assailant. He was clad in a standard gray uniform complete with crisscrossing tracks of bloodstains, and he scowled at her with an older version of Komodori's face. He tilted his head to the side and lifted his brows, like she was an experiment he was observing. Maybe she was.
"You might as well kill me," she ground out, resigned. "I don't have sharingan."
She shifted minutely to relieve the pinch of her fingers under the restraints, but by the way her shoulder stabbed with pain with such a simple movement, she believed that it was very likely dislocated. The dire feeling made it difficult to catch her breath as she gasped through the swell of the pain until it began to mercifully subside. Groaning softly, Sakura lowered her forehead to the ground.
"You're Konoha's last Uchiha..." the Hawk hushed out.
"No – no, I'm not," she whispered into the grass. "I'm his widow."
A heavy pause fell between them as the Hawk scanned her face, calculating her honesty, scrutinizing and weighing her. If Sakura had possessed the sharingan, it was more than guaranteed she would have used it on him already, made him slide his own kunai through his smug face. How desperately she wished she had it at that moment.
The enemy straightened up and crossed his arms, impatiently shaking his head. "Well you're just a waste of my time. I thought we'd get a chance to use your eyes but apparently you are of no use at all." Some of the men that had gathered around them started to wander away.
"Just let me go then. I serve no purpose but to enflame the tension. Do you really want war?" Sakura half-whimpered.
"It's already war. But maybe you're important enough to bargain for?"
Clenching her jaw and railing against the tempting kiss of unconsciousness, she bit out, "Yes, like your brother?"
The Hawk's amusement ceased and he thrust his heavy boot into Sakura's chest, flipping her onto her back and excessively wrenching her useless shoulder. She gasped out a breathy shriek before she felt the darkness creeping behind her eyes more readily than before. Her green eyes rolled back into her head as she fought hard to stay lucid, stay present for her impending death.
"Maybe I'll just send you back in pieces."
Managing to fight off the darkness, Sakura felt nausea swirling and burning her stomach. Somewhere in her muddled thoughts she believed she could hear some noise – angry shouts, and calls - but her mind was having trouble processing it all amid the ache and sickness. For now, she couldn't even rebuke his last comment.
The Hawk stood beside her, glaring off elsewhere all of a sudden. Sakura was momentarily grateful because if he was looking away, he wasn't concentrating on her. Undoubtedly, she wouldn't be able to handle another kick to any part of her weak body.
Some commotion was approaching and her assailant finally seemed to feel the need to address it.
"What the hell is going on over there?" the Hawk shouted out to everyone.
Almost as soon as he'd asked, Sakura heard frightened calls and the clang of metal getting closer. She heard some heavy thuds nearby and then sudden warmth hovered above her along with what sounded like deep breathing. Forcing her eyes upward, she could see a bulky dog standing directly over her. Its posture was protective, and it looked down after she made a noise of surprise. The gleam of the Konoha headband tied around its neck caught her wide eyes.
"No," she whispered as she began to understand the implications of the dog's presence. "Oh God, no. Don't bring him here. Please don't lead him here. Please leave…" Her soft pleading continued as another dog darted into the crowd of ninja around her, snapping and growling. Everyone seemed to be hesitant to attack it, backing away and looking at each other.
The melee continued until two ANBU appeared, standing on either side of her prone body. One bore a backwards headband, and the other, silver hair. They both had blood spatter on them, but seemed uninjured.
"No, no…" she continued.
The enemy group surrounded the two dogs, the ANBU, and the pained medic. Kakashi turned to look at her briefly to make sure she was alive and in one piece. His headband was still down over his Sharingan, but his dark eye relayed so much concern and fear for her that she had to look away.
"Well, well. I thought I killed you." The Hawk grinned as he approached Kakashi, recognizing him from their last encounter.
"Obviously not," Kakashi responded in a bored tone, still keeping an eye on Sakura as the crowd gathered around them. He turned to Genma and mumbled, "How long?"
Genma glanced quickly at Kakashi, and then realized what he wanted. "About twenty minutes." At this, Kakashi nodded, making up his mind. Genma's eyebrows dipped with the cruel understanding of what Kakashi meant to do.
"Looks like I get another chance," The Hawk scoffed. "We've got forty men, and you have a tired companion and a broken medic. What's your play?"
"Why is she important enough to steal away from the Fire Country? It's the sharingan you want, isn't it?"
"No!" Genma barked.
The Hawk shrugged, ignoring Genma. "It may have been, but it seems she doesn't have it so I see no reason to keep her alive."
"How about I offer you a deal," Kakashi continued.
"No, we'll fight this out," Genma growled, trying to stop the downward spiral the situation was taking.
Sakura suddenly knew what was happening, and without warning the dog above her disappeared. Shifting her eyes to Kakashi, who was now standing up straight, she could see the shudder of his body with the tired breaths he took. He was drained of strength and chakra, but still he had come for her. The futility mixed with emotion and she felt her throat burn.
"Don't, please," she pleaded quietly to him. He turned and quickly pulled her up to put her on her feet beside him, getting a small shout of pain with the movement. Her restraints fell off her wrists with his tug in the right place. His arm held her around the waist so that her front was pressing into his side as her head fell to his shoulder. His other hand slid into her hair as he carefully held her against him.
"My chakra is gone. Genma is worn out and you're tired and injured as well. It's the only way," he whispered, although he didn't seem to care if anyone else heard. It wasn't a secret that they were exhausted and powerless. There was only one piece of leverage left.
The Hawk grew impatient. "What's the offer?"
Releasing Sakura a little and holding her with just one arm, Kakashi slid a kunai from his pouch, putting the enemy around them on guard. While still holding the weapon, he used his thumb to push his headband away from his sharingan. The tiny amount of the chakra he had left flooded immediately to it and Sakura felt his body tense with the pain.
"No - no, we'll fight. Please, don't do this. I'm begging you, Kakashi, don't do this." Sakura's words fell to sobs, knowing that he meant to bargain his own life for her and Genma. She continued to plead through her tears while his arm tightened around her, pulling her as close to him as he could get her.
The Hawk, on the other hand, seemed too pleased for words. So many of the other nins were nodding and whispering, excitedly pointing to Kakashi.
Kakashi lifted the kunai and held it against his cheek just below his eye. "Let them go back across the border and it's yours."
"Copy-ninja Kakashi. How foolish of me not to realize it during our first encounter. Komadori said someone used a sharingan on him so I just assumed it was an Uchiha. Son of the Konoha White Fang, Sharingan user, and elite ANBU assassin - today is indeed my lucky day. I have no doubt that you would put that kunai through your eye. What are your terms?"
"No, Kakashi. It won't happen like this," Genma growled. "We fight together and die together. If I knew this was what you had planned, I wouldn't have let you come."
Ignoring Genma, Kakashi nodded to the Hawk. "Let them keep their radios on, and they can tell me when they cross the border. Once they're there, I'll put down this weapon and give the sharingan to you."
The Hawk looked at some other man, possibly a medic, and seemed to have some silent agreement with him. Turning back to the weak Konoha ANBU still holding Sakura against him, he nodded sharply. "Deal."
Sakura's hand clenched Kakashi's vest. "No!" She grew angry, "I won't let you die to save me. I won't!" Her voice changed to desperate pleading. "Kakashi please, I love you. You can't do this. I'd rather die than let you do this."
"I know," he said softly. "But, there's no other way because I don't want you to die."
Genma was lost for words. He reasoned that Kakashi was right, but it was hard to accept. If they fought, they'd all be dead in a matter of minutes. This way was the only way - two would live instead of three dying. Even though the numbers were better, it was the hardest thing Genma had ever had to swallow. He looked over at Kakashi, unable to hide the pain in his face. If Sakura wasn't there, he never would have agreed.
Kakashi only nodded at him with a creased brow while still holding the sobbing kunoichi to his chest.
"I'll allow you to walk them to the edge of camp and they'll leave alone from there," The Hawk added as men approached them to pull Sakura away.
She began to fight, but Genma was there, pushing their hands off her arms. Kakashi allowed them to hold a kunai at his back, but didn't relinquish the weapon he had near his eye.
They walked amid a small group of enemies towards the edge of the camp. Darkness began to swell around them as they came close to the tree line around the clearing and away from the fires.
The Hawk turned away slightly as if he didn't want to witness any exchange the trio might make.
They stopped, and Sakura wrapped her good arm around Kakashi's waist. "It's not too late. Let's run. Let's try. I won't leave you here. I won't let you go." She sobbed softly into his vest. "We've only just started our life together. It's not fair to end it now. I've already lost this chance once, I can't lose you too." She continued to try to find the right words that would stop it all. She tried desperately to find the right phrase that would change everyone's mind and make it end. But the words didn't exist.
She tried to stare through him, into him desperately to find that thing to halt this dark path. If it were possible, she wanted to will him to listen, will him to understand that to lose him would kill her anyway.
"Sakura," he said gently as he pulled down his mask, "We can't stop this now. I'm content. It's horrible to say it, but I'm content."
Her wide eyes filled with disbelief. "Don't say that," she whispered.
"I'm not afraid to die. My worst fear is that I couldn't save you. I'm glad that I have this eye and that because of it, you'll live." He smiled at her. "When I first came here, I couldn't think of anything but death. You've given me so much to live for. I'm only sorry that I couldn't give you something to live for in return."
Her grip tightened. "I can't live without you."
"You can," he said gently. "You can live. Don't give up. Do this for me." He looked up at Genma, who still seemed resigned to anger, and nodded. Genma understood and approached the couple.
"I won't let you go. I won't agree to this. Genma and I won't agree to this!" Sakura continued to get angry, frustrated, and scared. There had to be some way to make him listen.
"Sakura!" Kakashi said sharply to stop her protests. Her wide eyes looked into his as the silent moment passed between them. His fingers lifted her chin. "Don't waste this moment."
Relinquishing his weapon positioning for just a short time, Kakashi kissed Sakura. He could taste the tears on her lips, and feel her fingers twisting, trying to grip him so he that couldn't get away from her. But prolonging it would only be harder. He kissed her deeply, and tried to stretch their moment because he knew it would be their last.
Genma had to turn away. The pain in their faces was too much to watch.
As they parted slowly, Kakashi smiled at her. "It's not the end. Don't you believe we'll see each other again? But when I see you next, I want your hair to be gray, and your face to have lines from a lifetime of laughing." He rubbed some of her pink hair between his fingers.
Sakura nodded as she felt Genma's hands clamp onto her shoulders. She winced in pain as Kakashi pulled out of her grip and stepped back. His fingers reached up to her neck and tugged her radio mic off, breaking it in the process.
"Take care of her for me, Genma," he said softly as he took another step back.
"Kakashi," she pleaded in a whisper as she reached for him. But he didn't return to her.
"I love you," he said meaningfully, quietly, and then slowly turned and walked back through the small crowd of men.
Sakura trembled in Genma's grip. This wasn't happening - it couldn't be. She couldn't lose him now. "No…" she began, shaking her head."Kakashi," she called out as more of the enemy began to turn away from them. "Please, Kakashi," she called louder trying to see him through the crowd of bodies that blocked him from view.
The Hawk looked at Genma. "Get going before I change my mind." And then he walked away as well.
Genma held Sakura as she began to fight his grip with her usable limb. "Kakashi!" she screamed, "Kakashi, don't go. Don't go!" She continued to scream and fight against Genma's strong hold as he struggled to get a good clamp on her. "Kakashi, please, please. Kakashi! Don't leave me!"
"Sakura, we have to go." Genma growled, not liking it any more than she, but understanding what Kakashi had just given up for them.
"I can't leave him! I can't leave him! He can't give them his eye. I won't let him. Kakashi!" she screamed in gut wrenching sobs as her leg gave out and she slid half to the ground, still struggling to get out of Genma's restrain. Her feet dug and slipped in the grass as she fought to get free. "Let me go, Genma! Damn it, let me go… Kakashi!"
Genma tugged her up against him hard, making her shout in pain. He held her so that her face was an inch from his. Her eyes were drowning in tears, the fear so clear in them. "He won't, Sakura!"
Her stunned gaze focused on his for a moment. His voice was a desperate growl. "He won't give up Obito's gift - to anyone. We can't waste the chance he's given us. We have to go."
Sakura had a moment to digest what Genma had just said as he picked her up and ran headlong through the trees. She dangled over his shoulder, the pain searing through her own shoulder and making her sick as she fought against slipping into unconsciousness.
But still she screamed for him as the camp disappeared in the darkness.
"Kakashi!"
"Genma… Genma, stop," Sakura huffed out in jagged breaths while bouncing over his shoulder. "I'm going to throw up. Please…"
Shaking with adrenaline, Genma halted abruptly and set Sakura down on her feet, making her choke out a painful sound with the rough shifting of her injured shoulder. Seemed vomit was his weakness and Sakura was grateful to find the thing to finally make him stop after long minutes of begging.
"Fuck. We've gotta keep moving. We aren't far enough away."
Sakura sank heavily to the ground, holding her useless arm tightly against her body. "How long have we been running?" She didn't even try to wipe the tears away from her eyes.
"Six minutes. We're still too far inside their border. I know it hurts, but we can't stop."
Sakura looked up to see him rubbing roughly at his eyes. She inadvertently sobbed once, but quickly composed herself. "Hel-help me, Genma." she managed.
"Help you what?" he growled. "We need to go."
"My shoulder is dislocated. We have to pop it back in. We can move faster if we do." She dropped her chin and struggled in a jagged breath.
Genma crouched down in front of her. "What are you doing?" he said weakly. "You're stalling."
Sakura's head rose as more tears raced to her chin. There was no stopping them but she steeled herself to go on. "He's willing to die for me, Genma, but I'm willing to die for him too. This is who we are, right? I won't just leave him there and I believe you won't either. If I wasn't there, would you have left him?"
Genma swept the headband off his hair and ran his shaking hand through the wet strands. "No. But I promised him…"
"We're only six minutes away. Even if they hurt him, we can still save him. Help me. Will you help me? I don't have time to find the right thing to say to convince you so you need to get onboard right now. I know you, Genma. You won't forgive yourself if you don't help me. I'd rather die than leave him there. I know you would too."
Genma's lips turned down in sad acknowledgement. And then he threw up his hands. "Fuck it. I wouldn't look good with gray hair anyway. Tell me what to do."
Sakura nodded and swallowed hard. "My shoulder needs to be set. Grab my hand and my bicep."
Genma's trembling fingers gripped her wrist and arm firmly. "Is this going to hurt?"
"It might, but even if I scream, don't stop until you feel it pop in." Sakura gave him a directed gaze, willing him to be tough through the quick procedure. Genma could be quite the softy when it came to women and pain.
He nodded in response, but tightened his mouth.
"All right, Genma. I'll explain it first because I may not be able to talk during. You'll need to rotate my arm slowly outward until you feel resistance while lifting my arm a little at the bicep. If you feel it pop in, bring my arm back to my front. Got it?"
"Okay. I can do this. Okay, Sakura. Okay."
She scowled. "Calm down, Genma. Just get on with it."
He nodded as he tightened his fingers and then began to swing her arm slowly out as he squeezed her bicep against her side and lifted. She felt the urge to arch her back with the pain radiating through the limb and she grunted out her pain. He moved it a little further and there was a sudden pop as the joint snapped back into place.
Sakura choked out a gasp and fell forward against Genma's shoulder, huffing heavily as stars danced in her periphery.
"Is it in?!"
"Yes…" she whispered, composing herself as chakra and endorphins rushed through to her fingers, working away at dulling the residual pain. It felt monumentally better. "Okay, let's go."
"Wait." Genma spread his fingers out in front of her chest and tilted his chin toward her. "We do this my way. You aren't field trained like I am. The medic is always back up. Reserve what chakra you have left because if we do find him, he'll need it. We have a little time so let's plan this properly. They were giving us fifteen minutes to get away. That gives us about six or seven now before we have to contact them. Kakashi will wait for our signal."
"I'll agree to anything that takes us back. Just tell me what to do."
Genma switched his mic channel for access to the base camp as he stared through her. "Lieutenant Shiranui to base."
"Base, go ahead."
"Lieutenant Hatake has been taken prisoner in an enemy encampment near checkpoint three. Requesting a team to retrieve him."
A slight paused ensued as they waited anxiously for an answer.
"Negative. Return to camp. Base will begin negotiation."
"Damn it, they aren't going to negotiate for him. Some asshole wants his eye. I'm requesting a squad to retrieve him. He'll be dead in ten minutes." Genma was half-shouting now.
"Lieutenant!" Ibiki's voice boomed through the earpiece. "You know I can't approve that."
"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" Genma hissed. "God damn it, Ibiki. We're going back in and I don't give a shit if you kill me when I get back. I need a squad for backup though. He's going to be injured and we'll need help."
"Who's we?!" Ibiki rumbled angrily.
"Shiranui, where are you?" a woman's voice cut in to the transmission. Genma's mouth dropped open. "Anko?" he choked out.
"Switch to another channel and let's coordinate. Do you remember the address of my first apartment?"
"Ah, yeah. Got it." She meant channel eight and he flicked to it immediately, cutting off Ibiki's continuing rant. "You on, Anko?"
"This is Hyuuga Neji, Genma. Shan has been sent back with another squad and we've returned to help with reinforcements. Give us your location."
Sakura got up from the ground and paced, grateful and shocked and frightened about what was happening all around them. What was Kakashi doing? Was he still alive or did they kill him immediately? The thought made her breathe out another sound of anguish as she squeezed her eyes shut. The planning was taking too long.
"Twelve clicks inside checkpoint three."
"It's your lucky day, Shiranui. We're two clicks inside the border on the east side of checkpoint three. ETA seven minutes," Anko added.
"That's cutting it close. Make it six if you can."
"Roger."
Sakura grabbed Genma's arm and squeezed. "That's too long…"
He shook his head. "It's not. They gave us fifteen minutes to get out. They'll hold him there until we radio back that we're safe. We can probably stretch it two or three minutes. As long as no one followed or is currently looking for us, we can wait here. And as long as he doesn't do anything until we radio, we'll make it. We can't do this without reinforcements because we are both skating low on chakra. You agreed we'd do it my way so shut up and let me think."
Weakly she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "Okay, Genma…" She felt his hand smooth over her damp hair.
"We'll get him back."
Kakashi stood among a few men in the center of the camp. He was silent and calm, but still held the kunai up.
Listening to Sakura scream for him had been the hardest seconds of his life. It took all he had not to turn and go back to her but that would have killed them all. The pain in her voice stabbed him and made him a firm believer in the cruelty of the life of a ninja. But soon, it wouldn't matter. He'd happily give his life for her - in this he was completely resigned.
She'd been something he'd never had before. Finally he belonged somewhere, had some happiness. Denying it from himself for so long had made it almost impossible to see joy until it was already upon him. She loved him, and he loved her more than words could articulate.
"If only we had more time, Sakura…"
"You can lower your hand. I'm not going to stop them from leaving. I'll ask that we put you in restraints now, though. It's been fifteen minutes. I'm sure your friends will be at the border soon," The Hawk said from right beside Kakashi as he pulled a cigarette pack out of his pocket.
Kakashi looked up at the drizzly rain blanketing the air in curtains of mist around them. He lowered his hands down and they were immediately clasped in front of him in leather restraints.
"Can you spare one?" Kakashi asked calmly, looking at the lit cigarette.
He pulled one out and handed it to Kakashi, who raised it to his lips with his bound hands. The Hawk flicked his lighter, but Kakashi shook his head. "Could you get me the one out of my pack?" he asked.
The Hawk nodded. Reaching into the pack on Kakashi's waist, the enemy pulled out the silver Zippo lighter with the engraved initials on it. Turning it in the campfire light, he admired the sleek, expensive casing.
"S.A," he said as he handed it to Kakashi.
"Sarutobi Asuma," Kakashi said quietly as he flicked it open and lit the cigarette. Taking a long inhalation, he let the numbness of the nicotine fill his lungs and relax him minutely.
"I've heard of him," The Hawk mumbled.
It must be four or so in the morning, Kakashi reasoned quietly as he scanned the cloud filled sky for a look at the stars. But he was sorely disappointed. For now, all could he do to stay focused on the inky clouds and think of her. Knowing that he would never feel her against him again was almost enough to make him break down.
But not yet.
There was more to do before he let them take him from this world - just a little more to do.
"What are you going to do if he's really bad? You're low on chakra," Genma mumbled as he paced, trying to tick off every scenario in his active brain.
"I know. But we're getting reinforcements. Hopefully there'll be a medic with them." Sakura ripped apart a leaf as she also paced nervously. "How long has it been?"
"Hah," a voice said from nearby. "We made in six." It was Anko, and Sakura had never ever been so grateful to see someone she disliked in all her short life. Her tired green eyes scanned the team which was rounded out by Kiba and Akamaru, Neji, and Anko. Just a small group with no medic.
"Shit," Sakura hissed.
"What's the plan, Genma?" Neji asked as Akamaru sniffed around him and moved through the small area they were situated in, vying for a scent.
Genma took a deep breath. "Simple. We go right back the way we came and meet up with him if he's managed to escape. If we get all the way to the camp and he's still there, we'll have to extract if possible. I can explain what happened on the way. But for now, we need to start moving closer. It's been fifteen minutes. I need to radio them and tell them we're over the border. Once I do that, everything starts…"
Everyone nodded and began checking their weapons. Sakura took a kunai from Neji, nodding a thank you as she pressed the cold iron ring at the end of the weapon against her trembling lips. Her eyes locked onto Genma as he flicked the dial on his radio to the channel Kakashi was on.
"Shit," Genma hissed. He could hear his friend's voice immediately hailing him among the static. "Go ahead, Kakashi." All eyes turned to Genma.
"Genma, what's your status?" Kakashi asked calmly.
"We're safe, my friend. We're coming back for you." Genma found he couldn't sound normal if he tried.
"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. Take care of Sakura for me. Don't let her suffer."
"You aren't dying today," Genma said earnestly. His teeth clenched in anger and frustration. "Double back, okay? Do you hear me?"
"I'll see you around sometime, Genma."
"Kakashi!" Genma growled as all he heard in reply was static in his ear now. "Fuck!" he yelled into the night.
"Let's go!" Anko spat out with impatience and panic. Genma didn't have to be told twice.
Kakashi eyed the broken radio on the ground and the smirk across the Hawk's face.
"You seem very pleased with yourself," Kakashi observed calmly.
"I like winning," he responded, his eyes fixed on the currently unusable sharingan. "But we both know you won't make this so easy for me. I guess we don't have to wait anymore. Make your move."
Kakashi nodded. "Perceptive."
"Before we start though, Hatake, how did you get it? Perhaps the same way I'll get it now?" the Hawk asked as he flicked his cigarette into the wet grass.
"No. It was a gift. I've held it above everything else in my life and I'll be dead before I let you have it." Kakashi tossed his half-finished cigarette away as well while blowing out some smoke into the drizzly air.
"Dead is fine with me," the Hawk said darkly. He glanced down to see Kakashi's restraints drop to the ground, another kunai already in his fingers. "I expected nothing less from the son of the White Fang."
Genma, Anko, Neji, Sakura and Kiba darted along, following Akamaru's amazing sense of smell while managing to avoid the enemy so far. They moved through the trees, but Anko grew impatient with Genma's slow, chakraless speed.
"Is the camp this way?" Anko hissed.
"I really don't think we'll find him there. If we do, he'll be dead," Genma said half-heartedly.
"You know, if we get caught on this side of the border, we'll all be dead," Anko growled.
"Yeah." Genma replied as if he wasn't listening, or didn't care in the least.
"What do you think he'll do?"
"I think he'll try to fight it out, and I think he'll die. Even if he gets away, he has to outrun forty men. And then on the off chance he evades them, he'll have to hide in enemy territory because he hasn't got enough chakra to go far. He'll likely be severely injured and it won't give us much time to find him – and that's if he did in fact double back." Genma whispered. "Sakura is out of chakra and you've got no medic."
Anko read Genma's stern look of concentration, disliking his negative doom-speak. The spike of fear rode through her stomach as she realized the impact of Genma's words. The Copy-nin dead? Never in her wildest imagination could she fathom that happening. She glanced back at Sakura struggling and fighting to keep up with the fresh group. From the hazy look she was giving everything, Anko surmised that Sakura might actually have a concussion. The fact that she was out of chakra didn't bode well.
"Come on Genma, you're too slow," Anko pressed, feeling the tingle over her skin of all the obstacles that would prevent their mediocre and poorly planned rescue. "I'm moving ahead with Kiba and Akamaru. Stay with Neji, and you and Sakura follow our trail."
Kakashi ran hard, panting with pain and fatigue as his breath came out in wisps of silver amid the warm drizzle. Shouts and footfalls sounded out from everywhere as they tried to close in on him.
Even though The Hawk knew what Kakashi had been planning, their fight had been a brief one. The enemy Jounin had wanted the sharingan, and it was exactly what Kakashi gave him in the end – though not in the way the Hawk had planned. The man had underestimated Kakashi's remaining chakra. That small amount he had left was enough to cloud the enemy's mind long enough to put his last kunai through his throat. Abject confusion flooded the Hawk's brown eyes as his final breath gurgled from his open mouth. The few men who had witnessed the lightning fast action were stunned to see their leader fall in a heap at Kakashi's feet. Sometimes disbelief was a great ally in battle.
Even Kakashi had surprised himself with his quickness and stealth on his retreat, being so drained of energy. But the eye was something he could never give up - not to someone like the Hawk, not to anyone. He'd die first. Adrenaline had been kind and given him enough strength to run. However, the larger battle ensued as Kakashi tried to make his escape. He was liberally pelted with kunai and shuriken. Even now there were some still imbedded in his side, stomach, and legs as he struggled to remain standing.
The blood was coursing down his pant legs in thick wet rivulets. It was more than enough for them to track him if they had someone with scenting ability, and made it truly impossible to get away. All his choices trickled away, so finding some low brush, Kakashi finally fell down and crawled under it to try to hide for a little while.
He certainly didn't need long. In his numb limbs and hazy thoughts, he could tell it was all ending anyway. His body was cold and weak but strangely enough, the pain was dulling away. All that was left was encompassing fatigue.
Slowly, Kakashi straightened his arm above his head, dangling the heavy kunai above the sharingan with his last ounce of strength. No matter what, he would never let them have it.
As his hand shook with the weight of the weapon, he found it difficult to stay like that. The sharp edge teetered above his eye ominously, the steel point calling for him to end his life the way it should have ended long ago. His thumb ached and shook in the centre of the ring.
Without knowing why, Kakashi laughed - just a slight breath of sound. It was almost comical – sadly, pathetically ironic. In the last few seconds of his life, feeling the death he'd always wanted stroking him with cold fingers, Kakashi knew he wanted to live.
"Sakura…I want to stay with you. I would have given you everything you ever asked of me. Forgive me for making promises to you that I couldn't keep. I wanted to keep them so badly. I wanted to spend my life making you happy. In the end, I've caused you more pain."
"I have never loved any woman, and I loved you."
"Forgive me."
The weight of the kunai became too much and his arm fell to the side as his eyes slid closed. It felt so good to give in. Shallow breaths came from his slightly parted lips.
It was coming fast.
Strangely though, instead of blackness and quiet, he found different scents filling his nose – able to place them all right away. They almost brought tears to his eyes. Konoha leaf tobacco, Rin's perfume and the weapon oil his father bought were so distinct. He smelled the scent of Sasuke's fire jutsu and the sweet shampoo his mother always used.
He tried to smile, but he was too tired.
Finally, a faint sound reached his ears - a laugh, a boy's laugh - Obito's familiar long-forgotten laugh rang in his ears as the feel of the wet forest ground on his back disappeared.