Second Chances
Summary: For Kakashi he knew it was the end. Staring into Sasuke's merciless eyes he knew it was his time to die. As Sharingan's meet Kakashi new it would be his end, he never expected to wake up 5 years in the past with a chance to right past wrongs. (Time Travel)
Do not own.
Chapter 1
Kakashi Pov.
It was all over. My entire body was worn and tired, my chakra supply almost non-existent. My soon to be last thoughts turned to my old team, a team that I had failed so badly. My apparent favoritism of Sasuke had destroyed any real relationship I could have developed later on with Naruto and Sakura. So focused on the Uchiha I didn't see how much potential Naruto and Sakura had until it was too late. Until they both had other teacher's, teachers who saw their true worth and actually taught them.
If there's any regrets I had, it was not training team 7 to the best of my abilities. Looking back on it, I know I failed as a sensei. While I failed all my team, I failed Sasuke most of all. I never dreamed he'd actually betray the Leaf, any concerns I had, I dismissed. I knew he wanted power so I taught him the Chidori, it didn't occur to me that he wanted more, he wanted a sensei to make him stronger, not just to teach him a single strong technique. I treated him as a fussy child; I gave a lollipop to placate without actually solving the problem.
If I had the chance to go back I'd do everything different, favoritism wouldn't be in my vocabulary. But that's impossible; time can't be undone, so facing death I stand tall one last time. Facing the greatest enemy I'd ever confronted I use the last of my chakra to awaken my Manykyou Sharingan. My blood red eye meets his and I know this is where I die. This was always how I was always going to die.
Staring at him now I try to imagine that young boy who told me he wanted to avenge his clan. The young boy who had a purpose in life. Looking at him I try to see any part of the young boy I had taught all those years ago. If I could see just one flicker of that old Sasuke I know that I'd break down and beg him for his forgiveness before he killed me, because that young boy deserved an apology. But I can't see anything in his eyes except anger and hate, no trace of the boy I once taught remained.
Sasuke, my favored student, my biggest mistake. I stare into his merciless eyes and see nothing, no soul just an empty void. But even that isn't enough for me to seriously consider killing him. I came into this battle already injured from a previous mission, already exhausted and without a will to fight my previous student. It was a battle lost before it had truly begun. I knew and accepted this as my end.
His own Sharingan forms into the eternal Manykyou, eyes taken from Itachi. Eyes that once looked to Konoha with love now stare without emotion, cold, dead eyes. I ready my final attack but as our Manykyou Sharingan meet, a void forms between us, lightning crashes and I'm pulled in. I open my mouth to scream but no sound forms.
My body twists and turns, ripping apart and forming again. Finally it's over, my world stops turning. I sit bolt upright in my bed. I convulse and stumble out of my sheets, falling to all fours I retch and empty my stomach of all its previous contents. Glad that I didn't wear my mask to sleep in, I start at the complete randomness of that thought, I just lay on the floor beside my own vomit shivering until I finally find the strength to roll over.
It feels as if I laid there for hours before I finally manage to pull my self into a semi upright position. Using my dresser I make myself stand and manage to sit on my bed instead of collapsing onto it like I wanted. Through my pounding headache I try to make sense of what was going on. My thoughts weren't making sense and I couldn't understand why I was safe in my apartment instead of lying dying in a forest.
Narrator Pov.
Kakashi hesitantly began to look around his apartment searching for any clues as to whether this was a Genjusu. Finding nothing out of place Kakashi begins to hyperventilate. Crying silently Kakashi falls to the floor again and just lays there. He couldn't decide what to do; for once his genius brain had deserted him. He knew that this couldn't be real. Unless his last mission and fighting Sasuke was all a terrible nightmare he shouldn't be here.
Kakashi barely noticed when his vision began to swim, his uncovered Sharingan playing havoc with his shattered nerves. In his panic induced state Kakashi never heard the knock on his door. He did notice however when a worried Asuma entered his room. He heard him ask if he was ok, but Kakashi had no answer. He must be dead after all, why else would he be seeing a man who died almost two years ago?
Kakashi couldn't help the insane bubble of laughter that burst forth from his throat. Here he was having a panic attack when he was dead! He was almost certain this type of shit didn't happen to other shinobi. A concerned Asuma knelt by his head.
"Kakashi? Can you hear me?" Asuma asked alarmed, Kakashi couldn't even begin to answer, he was to busy trying to laugh and choke at the same time. "I'm taking you to the hospital Ok?" Asuma asked, "So don't attack me when I pick you up Ok?" edging closer, Asuma ever cautious about being around a clearly delirious Jounin slowly picked Kakashi up and grew even more concerned when all Kakashi did was continue to laugh hysterically.
Quickly making his way out of the apartment Asuma took to the roof tops knowing he needed to get a broken Kakashi to the hospital as soon as possible. Asuma so worried for his fellow Jounin's sanity he never even felt triumph for seeing his face. All Asuma could think about was that Konoha had done it again; pushed a genius too far and created another Orochimaru or Itachi. Infusing chakra into his steps Asuma pushed himself to the max as the hospital doors came into view. Quickly calling for a medic Asuma wondered exactly what Kakashi's last mission involved. As far as he knew since leaving the ANBU Kakashi's psyche had improved significantly. Sure he still spent hours staring at the memorial stone and reading porn, but that was better then some of the habits certain shinobi developed Asuma thought thinking of Guy.
As Kakashi was quickly issued a bed, Asuma passed him over and just stood awkwardly in the reception as Kakashi was raced away. Not sure what he was expected to do Asuma followed slowly behind the medic's tending to Kakashi. Catching up with them he was shocked to find Kakashi thrashing about in distress. He was about to move forward and see what he could do to help when the medics saw him.
As soon as he was spotted the head medic ushered him aside and asked him about Kakashi. "Please I need you to tell me when you found the patient? Where you found him? What caused this reaction?" As the medic continued to fire off questions Asuma was frustrated by how little he knew. The medic seemed to realize Asuma was as lost as they were and quickly backed off knowing there was no point to push the clearly stressed out man.
Not knowing what else to do for now the medic ordered a sedative to be given to Kakashi. As Kakashi slowly fell into the land of dreams his wild thrashing and laughing slowed and finally stopped. As his eyes began to close he picked Asuma out from the crowd surrounding his bed, silently pleading with his eyes for him not to leave. Kakashi was utterly confused with what was going on, the only thing he knew was that he was dead and Asuma was the only one here he knew who could give him an explanation. As his eyes finally sagged shut Kakashi found it typical that it was once he was given a sedative that he finally managed to calm down and think rationally, or maybe it was because of the sedative? Either way Kakashi finally entered the realm of sleep.
The medics all breathed a sigh of relief when Kakashi stopped his thrashing and fell asleep. Moving aside they set Kakashi up to a monitor and began to head out of the room, not able to do anything until the patient woke up, hopefully more coherent.
Once the medics left Asuma made his way over to sit by Kakashi's bedside. Asuma was confused, Kakashi and he had never been overly close, yet that desperate look in Kakashi's eye just before sleep took him was enough to make Asuma wait for him to regain consciousness. Asuma had never been more thankful for checking in with Kakashi about there brand new Genin teams. At his father's request Asuma had gone to Kakashi's in hopes of convincing him to actually accept this Genin team, instead of failing them like all his last ones. Instead he'd found Kakashi the Copy Cat Ninja having a panic attack.
Knowing that Kakashi wouldn't wake for at least the next few hours Asuma pulled out a scroll and tried to concentrate on that instead of the mystery laying on the bed. Settling into the hard plastic chair Asuma began to read. It was going to be a long night.