Heya. I was having a brainstorm last night, at like 1:30 am, and I thought up this plot. I typed it up today, and, well, here we are! It is completely the opposite from my other story, so I hope I did okay.
I want to thank all my reviewers from my first story, I was really ecstatic to hear from you!
Tell me what you think of this story. I did it kind of quickly, so I don't know it it's the best I could do. Review and give me your opinion!
The End
Kakashi frowned when the streetlights overhead flickered, dousing him and the surrounding area in the darkness of the night for a few seconds. The hairs stood up on the back of his neck, and he felt a small tinge of dread in the pit of his stomach. The lights returned to normal, and Kakashi shrugged the feeling off. He wasn't very superstitious.
He received the summons from Sarutobi the next day. All missions put on hold. Requesting the immediate return of all shinobi to Konohagakure immediately. The small tinge of dread returned. Kakashi met with the council of the small village he had been stationed in for a few weeks, and they granted him permission to leave. It was going to take him several days to get back to Konoha.
Kakashi was a couple of minutes travel from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. It had taken him about four days to return, and he had hardly stopped at all on the way. Kakashi hoped that whatever had happened wasn't too serious, but judging from the urgency and shortness of the summons, it probably was.
Suddenly, a disturbing scent wafted towards Kakashi on the air. He shivered even though it wasn't cold, and felt that feeling of dread return even stronger. The smell was very familiar to him; he had smelt it many, many times during his life as a ninja. No, what put him off was the fact it was coming from the direction of the village.
Blood.
Smoke.
Death.
Kakashi leaped through the trees even faster, not knowing what to expect when he came into the sight of the village. What he did see when the gates came into view was certainly worse than anything he could have expected.
Smoke rose from several locations within the walls, rising into the bright blue sky and floating away on the wind. The gates of the main entrance were gone, as was a large portion of the wall. Something powerful must have destroyed it.
Kakashi jumped down out of the trees and cautiously approached the village. He could sense no other presence throughout the whole area. Even worse, he could not hear anything. No voices, no birds, no daily hum of activity, nor even any fighting.
He encountered the first bodies a few feet away from the walls. Several Leaf shinobi, genin and chuunin, lay scattered amidst the wreckage and rubble of several buildings. Bloody kunai and shuriken littered the ground.
Kakashi knew then that the worst had happened. Konoha had been attacked, and the results did not look good.
The jounin journeyed deeper into the village, finding the fallen bodies of Leaf, Sand and Sound ninja everywhere. Looked like a planned attack between Sand and Sound. He had not encountered anybody he recognized yet, dead or alive.
As he moved towards the Hokage tower, the destruction and death grew worse. He began to pass bodies of his teammates and friends. A feeling of horrible sadness and anger rose in his throat. Sometimes it was hard to tell, but something always gave away the identity of the body.
There, the bright green of Might Guy's outfit.
The vacant, bright red eyes of Kurenai.
Ino's long, blonde hair.
The bright red triangles on Kiba's face.
The worst came, though, when Kakashi neared the Tower and saw those brilliant blue eyes staring up lifelessly from the ground, saw the unmoving Sharingan, saw those depthless emerald orbs. All three of them lay together. Looks like as though they fought side by side till the end.
Kakashi pulled down his mask and knelt down by his dead students' bodies. Looks like they got to see his face after all. He closed their eyes. Taking off his vest, he laid it over them and whispered softly, "I'm sorry I couldn't make it in time. Guess I was late again." He rose, a sad smile playing on his lips at the irony of it all.
Kakashi turned to look at the Hokage Mountain. The Fourth's face was gone, and the First, Second and Third were pocketed with holes. The caves behind them had been gutted. The civilians and Acadamy students could not hide.
With heavy steps, Kakashi entered the Tower and climbed the stairs to the Hokage office. The doors were blasted off their hinges. Several ANBU lay inside, who had obviously died to protect the Sandaime.
The man himself was lying on the floor, kunai embedded in him. The back wall of the office was gone, and several Sand and Sound lay outside. Looks like he had put up a good fight, but had been overwhelmed by sheer numbers at the end.
That was it for Kakashi. The Hokage was dead, his students, his friends, everybody. He was the only one left. What did someone do in a situation like this? Everything he lived for was in this village; he couldn't just leave. No tears came; he had used them all up long, long ago.
Kakashi lifted the bodies of the ANBU and the Hokage into a pile against the wall. He found a spare blanket in a closet, and draped it over them. With a small fire jutsu, he set the bodies aflame.
He left the Tower as the fire spread to the walls and furniture. Outside, Kakashi started moving more bodies. His mind was in a state of numbness. All he knew was he had to do something with the dead – this seemed most appropriate. Without seeing, without feeling, Kakashi started forming a pile of Leaf shinobi. He left his students and friends where they were; he would get them last. He didn't even bother touching the enemy ninja.
The Copy nin showed no emotion. The complete destruction of Konoha and the death of everybody he had ever knew, everybody he had cared for, everything he had lived for had killed something in him. Maybe he was finally breaking.
As Kakashi lowered down another body, he heard voices from near the Tower.
"Why is the Tower on fire? We never burned it."
"Look at these kids. There's a Leaf vest over them."
"Somebody must still be alive. See, some bodies have been moved."
Kakashi felt uncontrollable rage build up at the voices of the Sand ninja. He pulled out several kunai and stepped into view.
"What the hell? Where'd you come - " A kunai in the chest cut off his words.
Kakashi felled another two before they could react, but the remaining three dodged his shuriken.
"Ah, a final survivor. You must have just arrived, because we killed everybody else," the Sand ninja remarked, eyeing Kakashi's forehead protector.
"You're as good as dead now. Just like my village," Kakashi growled, losing it. He blindly rushed at the three Sand ninja, firing kunai one after the other.
Finally, at the sight of those who had destroyed his life, the tears came. Kakashi punched and kicked and threw, tears streaming down his face, unstoppable, and sobs wracked his body for those who he could not save, for everybody he could never save.
A fist met Kakashi's face, painfully stopping him and knocking him backwards. Kakashi lay on the ground, his nose broken, blood streaming from his mouth, and tears mixing with sweat, blood and dirt. He staggered to his feet, not caring anymore.
Sharingan no Kakashi drew himself up to his full height, eyes blazing with anger, sadness and desolation, his Sharingan uncovered and spinning madly. Tears streamed from both his eye and Obito's. The three Sand ninja watched him warily, but he did not move. One finally couldn't take it, and, with two final words, threw a kunai straight at Kakashi's chest.
"Goodbye, Konoha."
Kakashi was always the last one left. His old team had left without him. His new team was gone; everybody had left him alone again. Well, this time he didn't want to be alone.
Kakashi made no move to dodge the kunai. He felt it slip past his thin shirt, penetrate his skin and drive deeply into his heart. He felt no more pain than that which he had been feeling ever since he saw his students and comrades on the ground.
As Kakashi fell backwards, his thoughts were filled not with anger or sadness, but with happiness. I'm coming, Obito, Rin, Sensei, Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura. I promise this is the very last time you'll ever have to wait for me.
As the kunai hit the silver-haired shinobi, one thing confused the Sand ninja. One thing they would never understand.
Why the last Konoha shinobi, the great Hatake Kakashi, was smiling when he hit the ground.