Naruto walked to the hosptial front desk and patiently waited for his turn to talk to the nurse.
Sakura was standing beside him, but was silent. They had been training together in the usual grounds when Tsunade's bird flew in the sky above, summoning them to her location.
You never send a bird unless it's an urgent message and sending a messenger shinobi isn't fast enough.
"Can I help you?"
"Yes, Godaime called for us. Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. It's urgent. Where is she?"
The nurse didn't look happy after hearing that Godaime had called for them.
"This way please." She said sadly as she lead the way into the Emergency Room halls.
Once they got to the appropiate door, she asked them to sit and wait as she announced to Godaime that they had arrived.
Naruto fidgetted with his thumbs and Sakura grabbed his arm tightly. She was scared. She knew this place all too well and knew what it meant.
The door opened after about ten minutes and Tsunade motioned for them to come in. All the while, Sakura wouldn't let go of Naruto's arm, only grasped tighter as if she needed to brace herself.
Tsunade brought them into the morgue of the clinic. Her head hung low until she took a deep breath and looked up at the them.
"Naruto, Sakura. Kakashi was killed on his last mission. We weren't aware that the Akatsuki would be involved in this one. He's there. I wanted to call you here because, you two were all he had and this is the only chance you'll ever get to see him before we announce the funeral."
Naruto knew what she meant.
His face.
You can see it now, or never.
Sakura at this point was hysterical. She brought her other hand to her mouth and was shaking her head. But she knew it was true.
Tsunade walked out of the door and the rest of the medic team working there left as well.
Naruto walked over to where Kakashi was lying and grabbed the cloth covering his body. He looked up at Sakura, who just nodded at him.
Naruto then carefully pulled the sheet down and folded it over once they saw his eyes and rested it on the bridge of his nose.
That was all they ever saw of Kakashi, and it was all they wanted to see.
They wanted to remember him as they always did.
Seeing his face now would ruin all the memories they had of him.
Naruto saw his sensei's skin, more pale than usual and lifeless.
Mask or no mask, Naruto and Sakura could always tell what their sensei was feeling, but seeing this was unbearable.
Naruto broke down as Sakura rested her head on their sensei's shoulder and screamed as she pulled the knots out of his hair with her fingers.
Naruto reached under the sheet and grabbed Kakashi's hand and squeezed it tightly.
As horrible as it was, ninja let their sorrow for loved ones out before funerals, as not to break the rules.