To Only See Again
One-shot
Warning: fairly light shounen-ai. Last chance to turn around if you insist on being hide-bound about the purest form of expression out there in this cold world.
Disclaimer: too tired and depressed to come up with something witty. I don't own Naruto.
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Start-To Only See Again
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Kakashi looked out the hospital window one more time. Before turning back inside the insidious white washed walls. Metal lined doorways, linoleum floor. Inside one of these rooms was his Life, his Love, his Happiness...and inside one of these rooms his Life, Love, and Happiness lie dying.
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"Kakashi-kun! I've got a mission! You should no better than to do...er...that!" Kakashi smiled coyly at his love. "Oh? You mean..." he reached his hand beneath Iruka's shirt again, and tweaked the nipple, "this?"
"Ka..ka...shi! S-stop! I...mmmm, ah! Have to...go..." Iruka looked lovingly into Kakashi's eyes, "Kakashi-kun, you know I will be back... you need to stay and rest! Why look! You can't even get off the bed to seduce me!"
Kakashi sheepishly grinned up at Iruka, "It still works the same..." Kakashi snaked forwards and locked Iruka into a passionate kiss, "promise?" Iruka melted like butter into Kakashi's embrace, assuring the Jounin that he would be back. "Of course, always." Iruka kissed the top of Kakashi's head, that was nuzzling into his chest, and got up.
"Now come on, a promise for a promise, so say you'll eat?" Kakashi looked pained, he had been nauseous for the past week, hadn't really gotten and kept anything down. As a result he was getting to be a little unhealthily skinny and pale.
Oh the things we do in the name of love. "...fine...promise to get back faster? It'll give me more motivation to heal..." Kakashi winked and let the sentence trail off into all the possible ending scenarios for a early return and hale Kakashi.
It had the desired effect, and Iruka blushed slightly, even after almost a year... "What ever you say..." Iruka turned with a wink of his own and left the room, Kakashi settled into the bed, he didn't really like staying inside, even when sick. But if it meant he would be able to heal up faster and get to have passionate sex with Iruka...
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Kakashi smiled a little behind his mask, memories kept him alive long enough for Iruka's passing. They were all he had, now. Everything and everyone he had ever known was either dead, MIA, or just gone. Naruto and Sasuke had been taken down by Itachi. Sakura had pined away after a MIA Lee, and Gai...
Gai...Kakashi never knew how much he would miss the annoying spandex-wearing Gai, until he was gone. But they were only chips in his armor. Iruka was the killing blow... he wouldn't make it past this final strike.
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Kakashi hadbeen gettingbetter, was in fact almost completely healed, when he woke late one night from a nightmare. The same one he'd been having for three days. Two of which Iruka and his ANBU partner had gone over time on the mission. He hadn't been worried.
Then he heard the knocking on his door. There was a rain-storm so it was faint at first, but it grew urgent, and he could hear the small burst of chakra meant to get his attention. He was out of bed and dressed for trouble in record time, weakened muscles partially protesting, but the rush of adrenaline soon eclipsed them as he saw Tsunade in his door way. At first he had thought her cheeks drenched because of the rain.
But she looked up, and her eyes were blood shot. And suddenly, Kakashi new that he had every reason to worry. He could feel his eyes already beginning to well up with tears and grief, "Kakashi-chan... I'm so sorry, but Iruka-sensei... Iruka is in critical condition...and he...he..." Wordlessly, Kakashi grabbed the proffered Forehead Protector. The one he knew quite intimately was Iruka's.
"Can you take me...to him? Tsunade-sama?" Tsunade nodded silently, and Kakashi stepped out into the rain and let it hide his tears. "Then lets go."
The beginning of the end...
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Kakashi stood outside the thin door. Hands in his jackets pockets. Staring straight at the shiny room number, seeing so many things reflected back in his one visible eye. Laughter, light, Iruka, pain, haunting weariness. He could hear heels clicking on the floor and new that was Tsunade, working, personally, on Iruka. They were all they had left of their once thriving generation.
Even the kids they had watched grow-up were all mostly dead and away beyond reach. Soon it was only going to be her, and he could see that knowledge in her eyes as she opened the door. So much was conveyed with eyes now... so many signals...
Maybe that's why the gods took away Iruka's sight first. So he could live his final, fiver-ridden, days in total darkness. A hand on his shoulder, waist, face, going unacknowledged. It was for the best, that Iruka end his days at last.
Tsunade nodded.
Kakashi nodded. And removed his mask, before hugging Tsunade, she was startled momentarily, but recognized it for what it was. A good bye. He whispered that in her ear... 'good bye, watch out for Sakura for me...'
Again they nodded. Kakashi didn't bother pulling up his mask, he wouldn't have to care any longer anyways. He stepped into the vacated room, where Iruka lay, pale, and writhing on the hospital bed. He heard the click of heels on the floor moving away and he went to Iruka's side.
He methodically unplugged all the machines. Just taking out their electrical power momentarily, so they had a moments peace before the machines reflected Iruka's dead state. Kakashi crawled into bed with Iruka, and put his hands around the fevered, tossing, chounin. Who instantly stilled.
"Ready, love?" Kakashi could swear he saw, through his tear blinded eyes, Iruka's eyes open for the first time in a week, and knowledge the world. Acknowledge his world, his Kakashi. At a unseen signal, Kakashi brought out his gift kunai, the one from Iruka, and slit his wrists with it. Just as Iruka's body could be felt relaxing against Kakashi's cooling body.
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Tsunade heard the machines. But she didn't turn around. She just kept walking down the hall. Mind in a blank daze, steps only taken because of the auto-pilot imbedded into her very being. She was the last great Nin of Konohoa.
And she didn't have any ninja choices for the next Hokage. The entirety of Konohoa would be gone after her death, the other countries would take advantage of the zero ninjas. Fore there really weren't any left. They had all passed in death, grief, or insanity.
Tsunade was the last of the Hidden Leaf Village's ninjas. And she couldn't take it anymore. Every step she took was in remembrance for some long-dead ally and friend. Her automatic steps took her right off the roof of the 12 story building.
"This is for you!"
owari