-In Dedication To Haley, My Best Friend-
…May She Find Peace In The Afterlife…
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Hold On To Me Love
You Know I Can't Stay Long
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"Can I open my eyes now, Kakashi-kun?" she whispers, gripping his forearm as he carefully leads her along.
"Not yet, Aiko-chan," he answers. "Wait a little longer… Now." He slowly pries her fingers from his arm, moving her hitai-ate up to her forehead so that she could see. Her sea-foam eyes widen in awe as she marvels at the sight.
"Kakashi-kun…" she gasps, a smile curving her soft lips upwards. "Kakashi-kun, it's gorgeous…" The orange and pink lights reflect off of her eyes as she stares out over the cliff towards the magnificently setting sun.
He slips his hand into hers, gently pulling down and forcing her to sit beside him.
"I love it, Kakashi-kun," she whispers. "I absolutely love it."
He smiles, concealing a slight blush as she lays her head on his shoulder. There is silence between them, not at all an awkward one.
She suddenly lifts her head scooting forward and peering warily over the edge of the cliff.
"Aiko-chan?" he questions, arching a brow at her.
She turns back to him, smiling. "Just checking, Kakashi-kun."
"Checking what, exactly?"
"How far I'll fall." She sits beside him once more, returning her head to his shoulder.
"Why?"
"Because I want to know how far I'll fall," she shrugged.
"I wouldn't let you fall," he whispers in her ear, his breath cascading down her neck. It was enough to send shivers racing down her spine as if trying to make her collapse. "I'd catch you."
"Is that so?" she questions slyly.
He gives her a stern glare, not caring that she was merely joking around. "Yes, and if you jump on your own, after I catch you I'll kill you."
She giggles, prodding his side. "Scary, Kashi-kun!"
He rolls his eyes, annoyed that she had used that nickname. "Don't call me that, Aiko…" he grumbles, knowing that no matter how many times he says it she wont ever stop.
"Why?" she asks, dropping her head to his lap as she rolls onto her back, staring up at him. "I like calling you that."
Words fail him momentarily as he strokes her dark hair. This was a position she often took, and he could never seem to get over it. Never. "Because," he answers breathlessly.
"Do you enjoy ruining my fun, Kakashi?" she teases, wrinkling her nose slightly as she playfully glares at him.
"Of course I do," he replies, chuckling as she sticks out her tongue.
"Meanie!"
Chuckling darkly, he stands and she falls to her back with a thud. "Hey!" she whines, gently kicking his ankle as she pulls herself up.
He grins at her, slipping his hand into hers.
A blush creeps onto her cheeks once more as they walk away in silence.
'Kakashi… Stay with me forever… Stay with me until the end…'
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All I Wanted To Say Was I Love You And I'm Not Afraid
Can You Hear Me?
Can You Feel Me In Your Arms?
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"Meh! Stupid target!" she pouts, glaring at the shuriken target. The metal weapons litter the floor around the post, but not one seemed to have made it to the mark.
"Having an off-day, eh, Aiko-san?" Yuki teases. "You've never missed one target so many times!"
"Shut it, Yuki-san," she grumbles, tossing yet another shuriken and groaning as it misses once more. "Dammit!"
A chuckle meets with her ear, and her face becomes crimson as Kakashi steps behind her, placing one hand on her throwing one and the other on her waist.
"You wont ever hit that thing if you keep trying so desperately," he says, pulling a shuriken into her hand as he guides her. "Now…throw." He jerks his hand, hers following as she lets the weapon slip from her fingers and watching in awe as it hits the target with ease.
She pokes her tongue out, haughtily moving away from him and looking in the opposite direction to conceal her blush.
"Oooh!" Yuki coos, giggling.
"Shut it, Yuki!" she snaps, blushing harder than ever. "It isn't funny! I could have made it eventually!"
Kakashi smirks slightly, shaking his head. "You're too cocky, Aiko-chan."
She grins, turning to him with most of the red from her cheeks disappearing. "I know."
Rolling his eyes, Kakashi places his hands in his pockets. "I'm leaving tomorrow," he says, softer now. "On a mission with Obito and Rin."
She smiles, her hand gripping his. "You told me. Just don't get hurt, and try not to fight with Obito, okay?"
He laughs slightly as they leave, having completely forgotten Yuki. "No promises there."
She giggles, waving as she turns and walks in the opposite direction. "Goodnight, Kashi-kun! See you soon!" Smiling that angelic smile, she turns and leaves him to stare after her.
'Aiko… Don't ever change… My precious one…'
---
Holding My Last Breath
Safe Inside Myself
Are All My Thoughts Of You
Sweet Raptured Light
It Ends Here Tonight
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She bites down on her lower lip, hands trembling as he grips the box tightly. 'Where is he? He promised to come here when he came back! He promised to come see me, first thing!' she thinks frantically, eyes desperately searching for him.
"Aiko-san…"
She jumps up, running to his side as he appears on the pathway. "Oh my god, Kakashi, what happened to you?" she gasps, running her finger along the scar on his eye. "Your eye…! But how? The… The Sharingan?!"
"Obito… Obito… He's… Dead…" he mutters. "He's gone, Aiko. Gone. He… He gave me his left Sharingan… I cut my eye… And he died… Aiko…"
She pulls him to her, hugging him tightly. "Cry, Kakashi. Cry for Obito. I'm here for you. I'm here. I'll always be here."
Slowly, she opens the box and pulls out a small silver kunai necklace. "Here, Kakashi. Don't ever take it off. Promise?"
He stares at her for a moment, taking the necklace and placing it around his neck. Looking at it closer, he smiles vapidly. The words 'Friends For Life' we engraved on the thing.
"Aiko-chan…" he wraps her in a hug, burying his face in her hair as she continues to urge him to cry for his friend.
'Kakashi, my friend… I love you… I love you so much…'
---
I'll Miss The Winter
A World Of Fragile Things
Look For Me In The White Forest
Hiding In A Hollow Tree (Come Find Me)
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Sighing, she ties her long hair up into a ponytail, leaving to stray strands hanging on either side of her face.
"Aiko-san! Hurry!" Yuki calls, aggravated.
Turning to Kakashi, she smiles. "I'll be back soon. Bye."
"Don't fight with Yuki too much," he teases, mocking her by repeating what she had told him so many years ago.
She scoffs, hugging him before turning and pausing at the door. "Very unlikely."
"AIKO!" Yuki calls once more.
"Coming!" she yells back, smiling over her shoulder once more before leaving the room. "Goodbye, Kashi-kun!"
He smirks slightly. It had been a while since she had used that name. Months, maybe, or even a year or two.
He watches her leave with Yuki on their mission, smiling sheepishly.
---
Closing You Eyes To Disappear
You Pray Your Dreams Will Leave You Here
But Still You Wake And Know The Truth
No One's There
---
Growing impatient, he stands and starts for the door. She was supposed to be back soon, any minute now with Yuki. So where was she?
"Aiko-chan…" Worry overtakes him as he opens the door. He stops, eyes widening at what he sees. There she was, standing there. But she wasn't the Aiko he knew. Her lively eyes were cold, empty as she stared up at him.
"Aiko-chan, what happened to you?" he asks softly, eyeing her warily.
She smiles bitterly, a horrid sight that is completely out of place on her sweet face. She had never looked at him like that before…
"Yuki… Yuki…" she mutters. "Don't trust that Uchiha boy on your squad. Don't underestimate him. The Uchiha's are strong, Kakashi. Much, much too strong."
He stares at her before finally realizing what had happened. "You saw Itachi…"
"He killed her. He killed her and it's my entire fault. If I hadn't have run my mouth, she would be alive. If I wouldn't have said anything, he wouldn't have killed her!"
"What happened?" he asks.
"We were traveling off the path, trying to avoid others. We caught up to him on accident; we hadn't even known he was ahead of us. We knew that he knew we were there, but he wasn't acknowledging it. We could have gone deeper into the forest—anything! But Yuki knew who he was, and she attacked. She didn't want to let him get away alive. She was thinking about how much good she would do Konoha if she got rid of him. She got beat up, and he was going to leave her like that, not dead but injured. But then I started screaming at him, calling him a coward and a fool. And he killed her, Kakashi. He killed her!"
Tears were streaming down her cheeks now as she allows herself to be pulled to Kakashi, sobbing into his chest.
"Don't blame yourself, Aiko. Don't. It's all right. Cry. Cry…"
'Now it's my turn to be there for you, Aiko-hime. My precious one… Cry. Cry for Yuki…'
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Say Goodnight
Don't Be Afraid
Calling Me, Calling me
As You Fade To Black
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"Rogue ninjas are in the village! Uchiha Itachi and, Hoshigaki Kisame! Yuuhi Kurenai, Sarutobi Asuma, and Hatake Kakashi are fighting them as we speak! They're after Uzumaki Naruto!"
Aiko jumps to her feet hearing the names 'Kakashi' and 'Itachi', running past the ninja and leaving to find them.
"Aiko-san, what is your hurry?" Gai appears by her side, confused.
"Kakashi and the others!" she shouts, moving past her fellow Jounin. "Itachi is here! After Naruto!" she calls over shoulder, not surprised when Gai is suddenly running at her side.
"KAKASHI!" she screams, watching in horror as the shark-man lunges at him.
"Aiko-san, don't worry," Gai assures her, jumping into the battlefield and blocking Kisame's attack.
She feels crimson eyes burning into her, and looks up to see the Uchiha's uninterested gaze lingering on her.
"You…" she mutters, staring at his chest to avoid the eyes. "You… You killed Yuki! YOU KILLED HER!" She ran at him, joining the others on the water as she made a futile attempt to attack him.
"You… My business here is not with you…" he states, kicking her away.
"Oh, the hell it's not," she snarls, standing and throwing an array of shuriken at the eldest Uchiha. "You killed Yuki… And I'll kill you…!"
He easily avoids the weapons, kicking her in the gut. Blood spits from her throat, sinking into the water.
'No… Not again… The wound is reopening… '
Blood seeps through her shirt, dyeing it crimson as she coughs up the same hot substance. She pulled out a kunai, tearing the bottom of her shirt open and gasping when she sees the large scar pouring blood.
"Aiko-san!" Kurenai gasps, staring at her.
"Kisame, we're leaving. Unfortunately, continuing this fight is pointless." He shoots a cold glance to Aiko before making his leave with the shark.
'No… No, not now… No…' she thinks, gripping her stomach as she coughs up blood. A black haze blurs her vision, and she fixes her eyes on Kakashi before she blacks out.
'Kakashi… Be alive… I love you…Please, don't leave me… Kakashi…'
---
Holding My Last Breath
Safe Inside Myself
Are All My Thoughts Of You
Sweet Raptured Light
It Ends Here Tonight
---
"Aiko, wake up! Wake up!" his voice desperately pleads. "Dammit, Aiko, wake up! They said you're dieing! Don't you dare die on me, Kobayashi Aiko! Don't you dare! Wake up… Please wake up… Prove them wrong… You aren't going to die… You're going to make it."
She groans, painfully opening her eyes. "Kashi-kun, shut up…"
"Aiko!" he shouts, jumping up and gently wrapping his arms around her, kissing her hair. "Oh god, Aiko… Thank god…"
"Kakashi… Kakashi, it hurts…" she cries, gripping his hand as she screams in pain. "Kakashi!"
"I'm here, Aiko," he whispers. "I'm here. I've been here all along."
"It's useless, Kakashi-san," a new voice says from the doorway. Tsunade, the Godaime Hokage. "She knows it, and you do too. She isn't long for this world." Turning to Aiko, she scowls slightly. "Aiko-san, I do not know you personally, but you should have told someone about that wound immediately when you returned from that mission."
"Aiko, what wound?" Kakashi demands, looking from one woman to the other.
"This one," Tsunade replies, gently pulling down the sheets and opening the hospital dress to reveal the gash on her pale stomach. "Itachi attacked you, did he not? And yet you led us to believe that he only attacked Igarashi Yuki."
"Kakashi…" she moans, gripping the wound. "I'm so sorry… I'm so, so sorry…"
"Don't say that… You'll live… You have to live…"
"I wont," she replies, smiling at him with everything she could muster. "Like Tsunade-sama said, I am not long for this world… Please, give me one last thing before I die, Kakashi-kun… Please…" She pulls his hand, bringing him down to her and pulling down his mask.
"Aiko," he whispers, his lips brushing against hers. "Aiko, I love you. Please don't die. I love you…"
"I love you too…" she whispers, pressing her lips to his.
The kiss deepens momentarily, before Kakashi pulls away with a gag. Staring down, her eyes are closed and her lips are parted in a smile. The smile that she would wear forevermore in the afterlife.
"Aiko… I love you, my precious one…"