Never Say Goodbye

Chapter 1: Operation: The Guardian

"Sasuke, don't do it!" Kakashi screamed. His right arm limp at his side. To his right, a blonde boy with whiskers on his face lay in a dead heap. In front of him stood a dark haired Konoha Missing Nin. In his right hand was a black katana with a chidori running through it. "Sasuke, leave her alone! None of this was her fault!" He yelled vainly.

At the feet of the Missing Nin was a whimpering, pink haired kunoichi.

"She deserves this more than any of you," Sasuke snarled "the ungrateful bitch." He raised his katana and brought it down in a flash of white lightning.

"SASUKE!!!!!!!!!!"

"KAKASHI SENSEI!!!!!!!!" A blonde haired boy with whiskers on his faced called. Kakashi lifted his eyes from his orange book. "Tsunade-baa chan wants to see you!!" Kakashi's exposed eye widened slightly in interest then receded to its normal lazy gaze. He hopped down from the branch he was perched on behind the boy.

"Naruto, it's not wise to scream at the top of your voice like that." The blonde haired boy spun around to face his sensei. He scratched the back of his head and gave a wide, nervous grin.

Pop! Kakashi disappeared in a cloud of gray smoke. "Na..Nani? Kakashi sensei??" he questioned. "Sigh Where did he go?"

Tsunade yawned at her desk piled with scrolls and papers to be stamped. She stared lazily out her large office window. As she gazed at the vast village, her eyes fell upon the house of her pink haired apprentice. She was dreading the news that she had to give her.

Pop!

"You wished to see me, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked sluggishly. Tsunade whirled around in surprise and slammed her fists on the desk, putting two dents in the oak top.

" Dammit Kakashi, how many times must I tell you to use the door??" She roared. Unfazed, Kakashi stared impassively waiting for an answer. "Sigh I have an assignment for you. A long term A rank mission." Kakashi sighed heavily. More Daimyos needing jounin escorts? he thought to himself. "What are the details?"

"All you need to know is in this scroll," Tsunade said as she tossed him a small scroll "I thought hard and came to the conclusion that you are the only one fit for this mission." Kakashi caught the scroll like it were nothing and opened it fully. As he read his eye widened and his hand shook.

"How...When...Why me?" Kakashi stammered. Thoughts racing through his head on how he could complete such a mission.

"It will only last 8 months," Tsunade said with a stoic face "You are her former sensei, Kakashi. You are the only one who qualifies." Kakashi took one last look at the scroll, rolled it up and slipped it in his vest pocket.

"When do I start?" Their was a knock on the door. Tsunade looked to the door, then back at Kakshi.

"Right now," She said "Come in Sakura!" The door opened as a 17 year old, pink haired kunoichi walked in. Her emerald green orb-like eyes shone in the sunlight.

"You requested my presence Tsunade-shishou," She asked "Oh! Kakashi sensei!" She greeted her former sensei happily.

Tsunade sighed heavily as she got up from her seat and walked over to Sakura, motioning for her to take a seat. She sat in the chair next to her and blinked slowly. "Sakura," she began "We have just received notice from the kazekage of Sand village that...while on their mission...your parents were caught in a heavy sandstorm." Sakura's expression stayed stoic, showing nothing. "After sending out a search party...their bodies were found. I'm sorry Sakura, but there was nothing they could do, nor that we could have done." Tsunade finished off the last part holding back tears. Sakura still stared blankly.

"..."

Kakashi gazed upon Sakura knowing how much this must be on her. "...My parents," She asked quietly "...dead?" Tsunade put a hand on her shoulder. Kakashi watched as a tear rolled down her cheek. He turned his head, not wanting to watch his former student break down in front of him.

"I have appointed Kakashi as your legal gaurdian for the next 8 months, until you turn 18," Tsunade said between breaths "He will look after you. You have my permission to take the rest of the week off." Tsunade stood up and walked behind her desk. "I'm really sorry, Sakura." Sakura just kept the same look on her face. She lowered her head, stood up and walked out the door. Kakashi watched her leave. He felt really bad for his former student.

"What do you expect me to do?" He asked the Fifth.

"Talk to her Kakashi. You were her sensei, she finds it easy to talk to you."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head feeling slightly uncomfortable. It's not like he didn't care. He just never had such a responsibility before. Sure, he knew how he felt. He too lost his parents at a young age. Even worse, he walked in on his father's dead corpse when he was only 3. But he never had anybody help him through it. Therefore, he didn't know how to help Sakura.

Pop! Without another word he popped out of the office. Tsunade went back to her work reading a scroll. A tear dropped onto the document.

Sakura walked slowly towards her house, tears streaming down her face as she silently cried. How could this happen? She thought to herself. What will I do now? Who can I turn to? Naruto's going on ANBU training soon, Ino's on a mission, Shikamaru is in the village of sand. I'm all alone...i'm all alone... sakura broke down on the road crying. "I'm all alone!" She cried aloud. Kakashi watched from a distant tree.

"sigh Here goes nothing" He jumped down from the tree. With hands in his pockets, Kakashi walked up to a broken down Sakura and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. Sakura looked up with her tear stricken face. "You need some company?" He asked her. Sakura threw herself around Kakashi's waist, embracing him tightly. Taken aback, Kakashi stood for a few seconds with his hands in the air, then slowly brought them down over her back, rubbing small circles around her upper back. "Shh...It's alright Sakura. I'm here now." He did his best to sooth her. "Come on, i'll buy you something to eat."

"How bout a drink instead?" She asked.

Kakashi's eye widened. Sakura? His Sakura? And underage drinker? Then again, he had begun drinking at age 15. "A drink it is then." He said, leading her to the nearest bar. He kept his arm around her shoulder. Sakura rested her head on his side, snuggling into the the warmth of his jounin attire. Her tears soaked into his clothes as she continued to mourn for her parent's death. Soon she stopped crying and looked up at her former sensei.

"Kakashi sensei?" She said quietly

"Hn?"

"...Thank you."

Kakashi smiled underneath his mask. "Anytime Sakura."

Soon they reached the bar. Kakashi chose his usual booth in the back corner of the musty, dim lit bar. He called one of the waitresses over. She had long blonde hair and curvy figure. She noticed the look on both Kakashi's and Sakura's faces as they sat silently at the table. "What'll it be hun?" She asked Kakashi.

"Just the usual for me, Stella," He addressed the waitress "What will you have Sakura?"

The pink haired kunoichi looked at the other woman "I would like a large bottle of sake please." Kakashi raised his eyebrow at his former student.

"You sure you can handle that much?" He asked. Sakura just smiled weakly and looked at her napkin.

" I downed three of those after Sasuke left," She said timidly "It was the second worse thing that ever happened to me." Kakashi's mouth gaped underneath his mask. She really can hold her alcohol. He thought to himself. Throughout the 10 minute wait for the drinks, their was an unusual silence between them. Sakura too focused on the news she just received. Kakashi really didn't know what to say so he just sat silently. Stella returned with their drinks. Kakashi's usual bottle of sake with the 2 shots of 80 proof scotch, and Sakura's large bottle of sake. Immediately, Sakura poured herself a cup full and downed it. She then proceeded to drink three more cups before she let out a hiccup. Kakashi just stared in wonder over his second cup.

"You know you really shouldn't drink that fast, Sakura," he said "As your new guardian, I have to watch out for you for at least the next 8 months." Sakura looked up, face flushed above the bridge of her nose. Her body swayed a bit as she tried to maintain consciousness.

"Mmm Kakashi senseiiiii," she sang "I feel reeaaaaaallly drunk now hic and I also feel happppyyy!" Kakashi sighed heavily.

"Sakura i really think I should get you home now," He said "You're in no condition to be drinking so much." He paid the bartender and picked up his ex-student. She took three steps then fel sideways into another booth, laughing as she keeled over onto her side. Kakashi sighed and picked her up, bridal style. He carried her down the street to her house, passing his friends Gai, Genma, and Asuma on the way. All three jounin watched Kakashi as he nodded to each of them. Her house was about a ten minute walk from the bar, but another twenty minutes from his own apartment. He decided the best thing to do was to put her to bed and sleep on the couch to make sure she was ok.

They arrived at the house, Kakashi sighing in relief as he looked at Sakura seeing that she fell asleep. He tried the door, surprised to find it open. He walked through the hallways towards what he believed to be Sakura's room. Sure enough he was right. He admired her tendency to keep things clean and in order. He placed her on the bed and pulled a sheet up to her chin, since it was a warm night. As he walked away, he felt her grasp his shirt cuff.

"Please don't leave me." She requested, half-asleep. Kakashi smiled through his mask, and complied. He took hold of her hand and knelt down beside her bed laying his head on the bed as he watched her sleep. When he knew that she was fast asleep, he got up and walked to the living room. He took a look around, admiring the pictures of Sakura and her parents on the walls. He noticed a picture of team 7 when they first started. His eye crinkled as he smiled at the photo. Kakashi remembered all three of them back when they were only 12 years old. Naruto was the insecure one, Sasuke was the quiet tough ninja, and Sakura, though the weakest, was by far the brightest and had the best chakra controll. Just remembering the bell test and the mission in the villiage of mist made him feel nostalgic.

Kakshi yawned loudly and saw the big comfy couch on the left side of the room. He plopped himself down and pulled out his Icha Icha book. After a couple of hours, he adjusted his Hia-ate over his eyes and fell into a dreamless sleep.