Obviously I don't own any of these character except for the child. Remember to review and rate!
Mikoto felt that is was only appropriate for her mother to die in the spring. The day of the funeral, the cherry blossoms had just begun to bloom, leaving traces of petals to dance in the wind around the funeral-goers. All the ninjas in the village and even from surrounding villages had come to put Sakura Haruno to rest.
"There are few in the village that will miss Sakura Haruno as much as I will…" the sixth hokage, Naruto Uzumaki, began. His head was tilted low, and Mikoto suspected that if the brim of his formal hat were to lift, the crowd would be able to see tears in his eyes.
Looking around, Mikoto couldn't help but feel proud. Her mother had been the apprentice of the great fifth hokage, an honor that many people didn't overlook. Not only had the whole town come out, but many people from other countries and villages had as well. The pink-haired medic had been famous, leaving many people saddened in the wake of her death.
Along with the rest of Konoha 11, Ino Yamanaka stood with Mikoto, her hand resting upon her shoulder, her muffled sobs usually breaking the silence in the crowd of funeral goers. Being only six years old, Mikoto knew that the cry baby should have been her, but instead, she found herself unable to even look at Ino; breaking the rules of a ninja and showing emotion. Instead, Mikoto found herself looking to her left, where Kakashi Hatake stood beside her.
His stance was tall, eyes clear and half opened, showing no distress at his former student's funeral. To everyone around them, Kakashi probably looked cold and almost too professional for such a sad occasion, but Mikoto could feel it in the grip of his hand that he was anything but calm.
The news had only arrived two days prior, while Mikoto had been staying with Kakashi like she always had when her mother was away. Naruto had arrived, late after dinner, still dressed in his formal hokage attire.
"A personal visit from the great hokage," Kakashi smiled, his one eye lifting up in amusement, "to what do I owe the pleasure?" Mikoto had been laying on the floor of Kakashi's small apartment, surrounding by the copy-nin's ninken.
"Kakashi-Sensei," Nartuo began, his voice too quiet. The amused look had fallen from Kakashi's face, his body going rigid,
"It's been a while since you've called me that," Kakashi began, "I must be in trouble…"
"Sakura," was all Naruto could get out, before he fell to his knees, his hat falling from his head. Kakashi's eyes widened, going down on his knees as well to grab Naruto by the collar and bring him closer,
"What about Sakura," Kakashi demanded his voice a little too loud, too frantic; he shook Naruto, "what happened, Naruto, where is she?"
"It wasn't even an S-Rank mission," Naruto sputtered, "it was just a simple reconstruction job. She was to help rebuild some hospitals in the water country that had been ruined by typhoon season."
"Naruto, I read her mission scroll," Kakashi prompted, shaking the man once more, "what happened to her?" Mikoto had gotten up from her spot on the floor, the dogs surrounding her in a protective circle; she slowly made her way to Naruto and Kakashi, her stomach feeling sick,
"Another typhoon hit the water country a few days ago, it hit the pop-up infirmary unit that Sakura had been working in."
"So she's hurt?" Kakashi began, but even Mikoto could see in Naruto's eyes that it wasn't so simple. Kakashi's mind was reeling, "You need a team assembled to safely bring her back, right? I'll go, Mikoto can stay with Ino, Mikoto?" Kakashi suddenly dropped Naruto, looking around until he found the small girl a few steps away, "Mikoto, come here, dear."
Mikoto obeyed, letting herself be wrapped up into Kakashi's arms, unable to distinguish if he was trying to comfort her, or himself.
"Kakashi-Sensei," Naruto cried, shaking his head as tears fell faster, his face scrunched up as if her were in pain, "they found Sakura's body today, she had been swept away in a mudslide; she used her body to protect the last of their medical supplies."
"No." was all Kakashi had said, before his eyes glazed over, heavy lidded as he retreated into himself, "Sakura is a smart girl, she would have called Katsuyu, or one of the other slugs to help her. Their bodies could have protected everything no problem. She wouldn't risk it herself."
"The water was too high, it had caused a mudslide, she probably didn't have the time to think, just to act." Naruto sobbed, "She was just thinking about protecting everyone else."
"Idiot." Kakashi murmured, all the panic that had been in his voice no longer existed, as he leaned back on his heels, rising to his feet with Mikoto in his arms.
"Sensei?"
"I'm sure you have a lot of work to do," Kakashi sighed, "I'll make the arrangements, as leader of Team 7, this is my job."
"That's not why I came…" Naruto began, but Kakashi smiled easily for the man,
"I know, I'm taking the burden for you, Naruto. Go home, get some rest. It's not like the hokage to make house calls."
Naruto rose to his feet as well, the anguish on his face now mixed with confusion.
"Kakashi…" but he had already turned his back to Naruto, taking Mikoto with him,
"I have to get this little girl to bed," and with a lazy wave he retreated to the bedroom, silently telling Naruto that their conversation was over.
Now as people began to make their way to the casket, Kaksashi remained at his spot, not making a move to go forward.
"Sensei…" Ino quietly urged, "It's our turn to go up…"
"You go on ahead," he whispered, his eyes never leaving the casket, "I'll wait."
When the burial was complete, and the funeral procession finally ended, the ninja walked out slowly, their heads tilted downwards in mourning. As the area became vacant, the only people that remained were the hokage, Kakashi, and Mikoto.
"Everyone else is gone." Naruto said, walking down to stand beside Mikoto, and taking her hand. "Go pay your respects."
Naruto's words seemed to wake Kakashi from his trance as he slowly made his way to Sakura's grave. Each step was slow, and as Naruto took Mikoto's hand he began to speak again,
"I had no idea…" was all he said before pausing for a good amount of time, Kakashi now right in front of the grave, his head bent low. "I had no idea that you and Sakura…"
"There was no me and Sakura," Kakashi deadpanned, "all that ramen's finally gone to your head." Naruto laughed, but there wasn't much humor in it,
"We got a hold of the will, Kakashi. She put Mikoto in your custody."
"I'm not the girl's father." Kakashi said bitterly, "why don't you-"
"He's not coming back," Naruto said bluntly, "he told us himself."
"Bastard."
"I guess we always knew that, huh?" Naruto sighed, "the Uchiha coward."
"Damned that Sakura," Kakashi spat, "idiot. Stupid idot, Sakura." But as he muttered his voice began to crack. Kakashi sank to his knees, his head resting flat against the gravestone.
"Sensei!" Naruto began to step forward, but remembering Mikoto, he seemed to have chosen to stay put.
The choking sound grew louder, as Kakashi pulled his mask down around his neck. The man let out a ragged breath as if he couldn't breathe, the tears running full force down his face.
"I know I'm too late, Sakura." He gasped, gritting his teeth together as if he was in pain, "but I love you."
Mikoto slipped her hand away from a shocked Naruto, taking careful steps to her new guardian. His naked face was nothing new to the young girl; having seen it long ago when he'd lounge around with her mother, the only other person he'd trusted to see his face. She put a tiny hand onto his cheek, just like her mother had when Kakashi had come to her, beaten and sad. Kakashi had always looked better with her mother anyway, she thought. When Kakashi realized she was beside him, he swept her up into a tight embrace, his tears staining her neck as he kept her close.
"I always wanted to call you papa anway…" she whispered, holding onto Kakashi just as tightly as he gripped her. When Kakashi laughed it sounded like he was gagging. His eyes were bright and swollen, the tears still falling, seeming to enhance the color of his shirkien. "I'm sure if mama was here, she'd say she loved you too."
It was another hour before Kakashi was able to stand, and another half an hour before he allowed himself to be dragged away from Sakura's grave; but not before placing one soft kiss upon the headstone and whispering his goodbyes. He had thought that the world had ended when he'd heard of Sakura Haruno's death, but that kunoichi of his had already found a way to heal him; like usual. The sleeping young girl in his arms was more than enough reason to live and to smile. And as he placed a freshly bloomed cherry blossom in Mikoto's soft pink hair, Kakashi couldn't help but let his heart cry one more time for the pink-haired kunoichi that had meant the world to him, and smile down at his new reason for living.