Lost to Sight
Chapter 1
The Name
There was a new name on the memorial stone. Hatake Kakashi hated looking at it. It was a lie. Of that the famed copy ninja was convinced. It was a shame that no one else shared his belief.
Nearly four years had passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War. The dead had been put to rest, and the living had moved on. Konoha was doing well. Reconstruction was almost complete, and Tsunade was considering handing over the responsibility of being Hokage to a successor. It was still up in the air who her successor would be, but rumours seemed to indicate that it would be him. Kakashi hoped not. He wasn't done searching yet.
Kakashi looked at the name again, wishing he could take his kunai and remove that engraving from the monument.
"It's time we accept that she died at the end," Tsunade had said.
"I will not," Kakashi had been adamant. "She is alive."
"How can you be so certain?"
"Because I saw her with my own eyes. The fighting was done, and she was fine."
"Yes, I read your report."
"Then you know I was with her when we came upon Naruto and Sasuke, each missing a hand and bleeding."
"Yes, she did fine work stabilising them."
"Then how can you declare her dead?"
"Because no one has seen her since she left your side. You said she wanted you to keep an eye on them while she went to get help. No one saw her. No one's seen her, and it's been almost four years, Kakashi."
"That doesn't mean she's dead," he said.
"Kakashi," Tsunade had looked so troubled then, "You've heard the legend of Tomomi?"
"This isn't some fairy tale!" Kakashi had been so angry then.
"No," Tsunade had agreed, "but during the first war, Tomomi's comrades were in the direst of situations. They had won the fight, but were dying from their wounds."
"And Tomomi healed them."
"Yes. And then they found her body. She was the first one who died, without their notice. But her spirit took form and lingered in this life to save her comrades. Story, or truth? Perhaps she is just like Tomomi."
"I cannot, and will not, accept that."
Kakashi didn't want to believe that she was dead. He had been right next to her. He had touched her, and she was real. Not some lingering spirit watching over her precious people before departing. It angered Kakashi that even Naruto had accepted her supposed death. Had moved on. He'd married Hinata and their first child was on the way.
The blond liked to check up on him. His visits always ended the same way. With Naruto trying to get him to move on, and with Kakashi standing firm.
In the nearly four years since the end of the war, Kakashi had used up all his leave time to search for her. When Tsunade refused to grant him more time, he'd started taking mission after mission, pushing himself to his limit to complete them under the allotted time, so he could use the remaining time in search of her.
Kakashi didn't understand why he felt so compelled to find her. Perhaps after all the loss he'd suffered throughout his life, he needed her to be alive, or to at least find closure by finding her body if she truly had died at the end of that war.
Tsunade had accused him of being obsessed. Perhaps he was. Or maybe his gut feeling was on to something.
The sun made it's way down, and he spared one last glance at the name before heading home to prepare for his next mission.
Haruno Sakura
"I will find you."
A/N: This isn't planned. Writing it for fun and relaxation. Updates will be sporadic.