Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. insert witty phrase indicating I do.

Ladies and Gentlemen, you are just in time for the best part of Act I. The stage has long been set. The final curtains ready to close. The intermission coming. I am attempting something that has been done before, but in my own way. Sit back, start scrolling, and let the old man announcer begin the curtain call. We need to sort our steps. Define the real reason we are here. Normally we are but mere observers, servants to the whims and direction of those we follow. It has been charged here that we, or rather I, interject something. Anything, almost, will suffice.

Take our setting, if you will; Uzumaki Naruto is currently saving Uchiha Sasuke. A promise made to the one he cares for most. It is, utmost, because of her. Do not think him a love sick twelve years' old. He wants to save Sasuke as much as Sakura wants him to. He needs Sasuke to acknowledge him. Kakashi certainly didn't. Or else he would have been there. That isn't here or there at this moment. We are here to find out what happens. You see. There are ideas.

People (some wiser, some not) decide that there is more. Or that there are other possibilities. So this is where we start. A Naked Singularity is full of infinite points. That's the crux. Where do we veer off? Make Kakashi be a factor in Naruto's life? His redemption cannot come so easily. Jiraiya takes him off early? Meh, mere children's play. Naruto's past made him who he was as a genin. It's more interesting. So where do we place our hands of fate? Simple. A request. More like a demand. One that could be ignored. Not for long, it is quite persistent. So join me in opening this curtain, eyes fixed on our two actors.

Kakashi bit his thumb, the blue energy coursing through his being. The rush complimented the technique. Soon Pakkun and his kin were awaiting their orders. His silent words were understood. They all darted, sprawling everywhere. Not a real sound they made. Sakura dragged her teacher's sleeve. "Take me with you!" Her pleading tone pierced his ears, even if he had no intention of complying. "Kakashi, take me with you!" Again, her voice firms, her conviction evident. He would not bend. This was beyond her level. Though he didn't know who was where, or fighting what, he could feel the air. Chakra levels were at their highest, some incredibly evil. She was not ready for this. He forgot one thing. Her controls over such energies were well beyond even his abilities. Without realizing it, she hit him. Trying to gain his attention, make her point, but she was too focused. So her energy built up, the hit released it. She might learn later what to do with that, but for now Kakashi understood. So, the technique again. This time a large wolfish canine was waiting. "You can't keep up with our speed, climb on, hold tight, and tell me what happened."

Kakashi was worried. He saw, indirectly, the results of three different fights, felt the energies dying around each location. Foolish boy. He'd give her the moon. Anything to make sure she was happy. His own . . . He never finished that thought. It surely wouldn't come to that. Then they felt it. Massive spikes in force. He could hear the Raikari. I'm going to catch more hell for this. He shook his head. "Teacher? What-" Before her sentence was done, the second wave of power shook them. Kyuubi. Son of a- "Nothing to worry about Sakura. We're almost there." Quickening their pace, Sakura's soft whimpers were the only sound made. Kakashi recognized the direction his students' energies were emanating from. Let's talk about irony. Irony is defined as a state of affairs that appears perversely contrary to what one expects. Or something like that. Given the weight of the chakra Kakashi felt, Valley of the End might be the very definition. Sakura was not doubting her decision to join Kakashi. Not in the least, but perhaps it wasn't the brightest of ideas. Joining him, she means. But if there was anything Naruto taught her it was one thing: once you decide something never turn back. You see it to its end, then you move on. It's still unsettling when it feels like the weight of the world is crushing you to the ground. The Forest of Death is still fresh in her mind. Orochimaru's killer intention is too. And to her, this felt very similar, and perhaps more so. Kakashi grunted, the destination in sight. The woods were disappearing, the lake and its contents were gaining size. The voices they heard were not entirely of their comrades. The soft whirling of the Rasengen belied the true intention. The screeching of a thousand birds drowned out anything else said. The explosion was exquisite. Said techniques hit flesh. Neither missing their mark. As the pursuers came into the clearing, they witnessed something tragic and beautiful. Kakashi and Sakura had to shield their eyes. The air grew warmer as the expelled chakra now engulfed their bodies. Rain pelted the entire area, the glow died down. Slowly Kakashi and Sakura's eyes came back into focus. Sakura's eyes were met by the beastly image of Sasuke's hand through Naruto's chest, but in her panicked state this didn't register entirely the implications. The Rasengen still there, Sasuke's hand forcefully ejected from its current home. Now the idiot will have matching scars. Naruto screamed, snapping all attention to him. Sakura couldn't have imagined it would come to this. What have I done? I didn't want either dead from this. I just wanted Sasuke-kun back. She watched them jolt away from each other, Sasuke's form reverting from his level two state. His demonic wings were out stretched and his eyes burned with murderous intent. Sakura watched him contort, his eyes becoming normal, the body his once again. She didn't see Naruto's body limp, hurdling straight for the river. Acting almost instantly Kakashi vanished, he moved to catch Naruto before he hit the lake below. Sasuke's name on her lips once more, Sakura began sprinting to his location. Kakashi had returned to the shore laying Naruto on the soft grass as he muttered softly, almost under his breath "There isn't enough time, ever, is there, teacher?" The make shift rain concealed Kakashi's unshed tears again.

The medic's were quick on the scene. They burst through the clearing making their way to the Uchiha, instinctively. With Sakura watching over Sasuke, they tugged her shoulder, needing her to move. She parted slightly to allow them further stabilization of the young man. She wanted to be angry at Naruto, but her boys were always rough and tumble. Her boys. She stopped. Team Seven had become a family, so it's only natural that her teammates become slight possessions to her. Then all hell broke loose. "You two, over here! NOW!!" Kakashi was a little angry. Naruto's 'emerging bloodline' wasn't emerging. His guest wasn't healing him properly. This concerned Kakashi; Naruto was going to bleed out. And apparently the medic's decided that all five of them were needed to attend one patient at a time. Kakashi felt one medic retreat, on his way back. Must have been to prepare the hospital? Sakura notices the unusual tone in his voice. Kakashi has been many things but scared wasn't one of them. Yet Sakura hears that faint fear under toning his voice. Minutes prior enter her head. The sight of Sasuke's hand retreating from its new home replayed. Sakura made her way over to Naruto. Her stomach lurched, but she will not give it victory. His body has calmed, the blood just pooling. She can see the ground beneath him. Through him, actually. Feverish, she slumps down, tears stinging her eyes once more. She rips his shirt off, and she is frantic. To what extent were you willing to go? The medic's have to move her, now his head is in her lap. Cradling him, unconsciously, she replays his words to her. His face doing that thing. That flash of sadness, then his usual smile. She realizes that he would have. Went that far, just to fulfill his word. Naruto eyes bleed open, he shifts slightly, painfully. He looks up to her, smiles ever so slightly. Wincing, he mouths' 'I did it, Sakura-chan' but all that's heard is the gurgling of blood. She can't help but a cry. The frantic murmuring is louder. Or had it been that loud, she never noticed. She looked at the medic's. The faint blue glow wasn't working. His body had been rejecting all forms of chakra. Though he's settled slightly, barely taking the healing power, he was still fading. "Kakashi, we are taking him back. We sent one back to alert Hokage-sama. Hyuuga Neji and Akimichi Choji are already heading back, in critical condition. This is as serious, we imagine Hokage-sama will want to be there." Kakashi assents, letting them load his students on stretchers. He exerts the chakra once more to get Sakura a mount. This is a beginning of an end. They just don't know it yet. He has a few questions for his Hokage, and perhaps for Jiraiya as well.

Sakura doesn't pay attention to her surroundings. Blurs of green and brown assault her, but her mind never waivers. Naruto was going to die. Sasuke was going to be a murderer. And she was still helpless, watching their backs. How had it come to this? Perfect chakra control couldn't keep up with the bundle of energy and the cold avenger. What could? Her boys were so much more than any other genin she's ever heard of. Suddenly she felt very lucky to be on this team. No matter the fights, the one up man attitude, the whole . . . thing . . . , it was more than she deserved. 'If only . . . ' each one of these ran through her head. With her control, if she knew any healing techniques, she could have saved Naruto. Eased his pain. Sasuke might have considered her useful. She would study medical techniques then. That problem solved did nothing to ease her mind of her teammates. The hospital in the closing distance didn't even make its impression on her.

"What's the situation?" Tsunade bellowed. Gaara peered over to see the sight of Naruto being placed on the entrance table. The hole in his body was being held together, to keep bleeding out, with chakra. Everyone gasped. Whispers like "Demon's lucky." and whatnots were buzzing around. Gaara arched his eyebrow, briefly. The whole platoon had arrived, some on carts, some by feet. The sand siblings were slightly impressed with the whole debacle. It had been a success. If only for Naruto's dogged pursuit. Yet here he was, a hole-y chest and all. Some eyes narrowed at the implication of why he had said hole. Tsunade realized the implications. She snapped at her staff. "You three, with me!" Their eyes betrayed their disdain. She caught it. "Wipe that look off your face, I don't care, I need you three. If he dies, you'll wish you were!" That straightened them up. "The fifth floor is mine. No one enters." They understood the meaning of those words. Her eyes narrowed further. "Hatake!" He shrank at that tone. Oh boy. "With me, understood?" He nodded. This was going to be a long day. Such a long, long day.

Author's note:

You're probably thinking, yeah, been there, read that. You might be thinking meh. Understand I'm taking a very Tolkien approach to this. Meaning that I'm writing thing's I'd like to read. I haven't found enough like this that was well written, so I figured I'd try my hand at it. To see if I'd enjoy reading it, and write it; well. I think that with enough of my patience I could create something there. I don't expect reviews. I don't need 'update soon.' I'm also sure that in these author note's I'll alienate every body reading this. Meh. Won't stop me. I'm really going to use this area to rant, vent, and otherwise amuse myself.