He was tired...
He's been sweating all over...
His body felt heavy...
He was out almost out of chakra...
But their two enemies still stood right in front of them. With him was Guy (Gai), Bee and Naruto. They were fighting against Uchiha Obito, and Uchiha Madara. The leaders of Akatsuki. The cause of the great shinobi war. He wanted to faint right then and there but he knew he had to continue battling - for his friends, for his country, for the entire shinobi world, for peace. He was in the middle of exchanging blows against Obito, when suddenly Obito space warped near a pink-haired kunouichi and smacked her chest with a heavy blow which led the young lady's body flying away from its hard impact. Her head hit hard on a huge boulder and she spit blood. Everything happened so fast that he didn't had the time to stop him. All that was left was for him was to witness Obito's attack towards Sakura.
"Sakurrraaa!" He shouted.
All of them were surprised, including Naruto. Naruto ran right away to her friend's side, checking her pulse. Naruto noticed blood from her head which was due to her hard impact against the boulder. He then, called for help from medical nin's in the area to take care of her.
On the other hand Kakashi wasn't able to move a muscle. He was shocked at what he had seen. He didn't expect Sakura would join them in battle, but Obito noticed her right away that's why he was able to stop her instantly by using his space-warp technique. But he wondered, "Why her? Is it because she is the most fragile among us? No. I don't think so. Sakura's fairly strong. With a chakra like hers she could crush a mountain in seconds."
He went blank trying to analyze his enemy's motives. Then he stopped at certain thought.
"Wait. Could it be?"
"He's aiming revenge for what I've done with Rin?"
"But no! It can't be! How could he know? It's not even possible!"
"Having his sharingan on mine, could he see right through me?"
He continued asking himself. He was vulnerable at this moment. When suddenly, within a split second he saw Obito's face a few inches from his. And with a powerful blow, he felt his body fall to the ground.
"Kakashi! Oi Kakashi! Wake up!" Guy he's fellow comrade, trying to wake him up.
"Huuhh?! Whaattt?" Kakashi let out a sleepy groan.
"What do you mean what? We're going to be late for a special mission and you're still in bed! We'll you're not literally in bed but what I mean is you would still be asleep if I didn't came here and wake you up!" (blah blah blah - Guy continues to lecture)
Kakashi realized he was indeed not on his bed but he's on the floor. He must have rolled over recklessly while he was asleep. He mumbled to himself,
"So that explains my fatal knock down from my dream."
"Wait. A dream… That dream! No, it was a nightmare!"
"It's been a year now, and I still dream of that incident."
*SNAP!*
Kakashi's eyes widened in surprised when Guy snapped his fingers close to his face.
"Snap out of it Kakashi! Are you alright?"
"Honestly, I'm not. I don't feel so good today. I may have to decline to this mission. I'll just have to get ready and report to Lady Tsunade." Kakashi explained.
"Very well Kakashi. I'll go ahead then. I'll see you when I get back then will continue our contest as rivals!." Guy said with his sparkling smile and with so much enthusiasm which he believed was the energy from the spring of youth.
He sighed, "Yosh!" Kakashi replied.
A couple of hours later, Kakashi arrived at the Godaime Hokage's office. He presented a letter written in a white folded paper which was securely placed inside an envelope. Lady Tsunade pulled the letter from the inside and read the entire content. Kakashi stood right in front of her table while waiting for her response. He felt anxious as he adjusted his tights around the neck area which he felt was choking him all of a sudden. As soon as Tsunade finished reading the letter, she stared hard at Kakashi. He gulped in nervousness.
"So, you're asking for a leave from work?" Tsunade asked.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama." Kakashi replied.
"For how long?" Tsunade asked sternly.
"For a month." He answered.
Tsunade stood up from his chair and looked outside the window. She paused for a minute before giving any response. This made Kakashi even more nervous. He swore he could make use of a heater from his cold sweat running from his forehead. Then Tsunade said,
"I noticed that you've grown attached to her."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama."
"How long will you keep hiding it?" She asked.
"Until the right time comes... when she is ready." He replied in a calm voice.
"Very well. Your 1 month leave starts today. But let me remind you that you will be subject for on-call emergency special missions." Tsunade gave her decision.
"I understand Tsunade-sama. Thank you very much!" Kakashi felt relieved.
"And one more thing Kakashi..." Kakashi listened intently.
"Do not ever make her cry." The Hokage said, with a shot of glare towards him.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama. I understand."
He let out a big sigh as he closed the door from the Hokage's office. He shivered at the thought of Tsunade's threat to him that disobeying her would lead to a very troublesome consequence.
"Of course, I wouldn't want to see her cry all the more to be the reason for her tears."
He thought. So he just walked right pass the corridors making his way out of the building as he tried to brush off that scene from his head.
He was now on his way to Konoha's hospital but he decided to drop by first at the Yamanako's flower shop. There, Ino offered the most beautiful and freshest flowers they have in the store. Soon, he was bringing a bouquet of nice peached-colored roses and went on his way to the hospital. A few minutes later, he was now at the doorstep of a private patient's room. He slowly twisted the doorknob and opened the door. No one was in the room, except for the patient laying on the bed. He arranged the flowers in a vase and placed it on top of a side table. He then leaned closer to the patient's stretcher and greeted.
"Ohayou Sakura-san!"
Sakura was lying on the bed with her eyes closed. She didn't respond to Kakashi's greeting or to anyone who would come and visit her. She is in deep coma for a year now. That was after Obito's deadly attack that it was a miracle that her heart was still beating. After the war, Sakura has been admitted to the hospital and had several operations. The 5th Hokage, Lady Tsunade performed these surgeries by herself despite having hemophobia or the fear of blood. She courageously faced this fear by saving her young apprentice.
Kakashi never left her side and often visited her during day offs or even during after work. He felt guilty for not being able to protect her that day and he's heart was burdened with worry for he cared so much for the young lady.
Kakashi slid the curtains to the side, and opened the windows. Fresh air filled the room and bright light lit the place.
"Lovely day isn't it, Sakura?"
He then grabbed a chair and positioned it near the stretcher. Kakashi gently swept her pink fringe away from her forehead, and then gently held her hands unto his. He would then brush his hands unto her cheeks. Her skin was white and smooth. Kakashi admired her beauty and how pleasant she looked even with her eyes closed. He never was tired nor was he bored just by simply watching her, though he wished that she would wake up anytime soon from her deep slumber.
Then that former scene in the battle that occurred a year ago which led to his love's critical state, ran through his mind again. It was like a scene from a DVD which replayed and slow-mo'ed at that part when Sakura received that heavy blow from the enemy. He saw it. He was there. Yet he wasn't able to do anything. His eyes shut as he wanted to erase that vivid and horrible memory.
"I'm sorry Sakura... Forgive me...
I was not able to protect you..." He clenched his fist,
"I should have protected you, if only I saw it coming.
Obito was right, I am as good as trash."
The feeling of guilt made his chest tightened like it was about to burst. A tear fell from his uncovered eye when suddenly he heard a knock on the door. He hurriedly wiped the tear on his cheeks and the door opened. It was Shizune, a well-trained medical shinobi by Tsunade herself. She is Tsunade's prodigy.
"Ohayou Kakashi!" She greeted with a smile
"Ohayou!" Kakashi responded.
"Sorry for interrupting, but I'm here to check her vital signs." Shizune said in a gentle voice.
"Not a problem Shizune, go ahead and take your time." Kakashi replied in a cheerful tone.
He waited for Shizune and transfered on the couch which was across the patient's bed. He pulled a book from a pocket on his green jounin vest. It was 'Icha Icha Paradise'. Though he read the book for more than a hundred times already, he started at the first page again and concentrated on reading. After a couple of minutes Shizune concluded that her vital signs were okay. She offered to take over and watch Sakura for a while and encouraged Kakashi to grab some air outside. So he gladly agreed, since he hasn't eaten anything since morning.
He went to Ichiraku's Ramen shop and had a sumptuous meal. Together with him was Naruto who never misses a single day or a single mealtime without dropping by at Ichiraku's.
"Yo, Kakashi-sensei."
"Hmm?"
"Sakura-chan's still not awake, is she?" Naruto asked in a deep tone with a sense of seriousness.
"Yes, she isn't."
Naruto fell silent. He stared at his bowl of ramen and said in a very low voice,
"I miss her..."
"..."
Kakashi wasn't able to mutter a word. He stopped eating, as if his chopsticks has gotten heavy all of a sudden. He had to agree with Naruto. It was indeed very lonely not having her around. Even though she kept on nagging on him, Naruto and Sai, her annoying voice was something they were accustomed to everyday. And now, it made them realize that Sakura's constant nagging only meant that she cared for them.
Then Kakashi said,
"Well at least she's still breathing. We could only hope that she would wake up soon."
Naruto nodded. Naruto had another bowl of ramen and continued eating, while Kakashi had just finished his bowl. Then Naruto asked curiously,
"Yo, Kakashi-sensei, I noticed you've been visiting her all the time ever since after the war."
Kakashi was caught off guard with what Naruto said. He has to be really careful with his response, or else.
So he managed to reply calmly,
"I would do the same if it were you, Naruto."
Naruto just nodded and said, "Ahh... I guess you would."
Kakashi felt relieved that Naruto didn't question his reason. Later on he bid farewell to Naruto and left the ramen shop. He decided to go back to the hospital but then he changed his mind and headed home to pick up some stuff. Then planned he would drop by at a convenience store and shop for food. He thought of staying at the hospital tonight, so he would need a couple of things to bring then.
He arrived at the hospital at twilight. He was already at the room's doorstep. He read the room no. '237' and twisted the doorknob. The knob clicked and he pushed the door open. When he got in, he gasped.
Sakura was not there.
She wasn't in the bed, and the room was empty except for the flowers that he had set early today. He dropped his things, and hurriedly ran to the nurse's station. Cold sweat ran over him, and asked one of the nurses,
"Nurse, have you seen Sakura-san? The patient staying in room 237?"
"Yes. She was rushed to the ICU with Shizune and Lady Tsunade." the nurse replied.
Kakashi became anxious,
"Why? What happened to her?"
"Uhmmm.. Sakura-san seem to have lost signs of vitality. Her heartbeat had stop." The nurse answered in a worried tone.
Kakashi was even more worried. He rushed towards the Intensive Care Unit. He barged into the door, but the nurses blocked him and asked for him to wait outside. He sat on a bench with his head buried in his hands and waited anxiously. Later, Sai, Ino, Naruto together with Captain Yamato arrived and waited with him. All of them patiently waited for more than 6 hours now. Ino fell asleep on Sai's shoulder. Captain Yamato was seated on the bench beside Kakashi while Naruto kept walking to and fro feeling impatient and confused on what was happening inside.
Kakashi's heart wasn't as calm as his face, as he thought about the odds of her being alive. Then that scene replayed again through his mind. He shook his head before it could finish to that part where Sakura landed on a boulder. He now felt very worried as he felt the burden of guilt which added to his previous guilt for causing Rin's death.
"Please don't die on me now." A plea he whispered in his thoughts, hoping it would reach Sakura's conciousness.
The clock struck midnight and Lady Tsunade finally went outside the door. Naruto approached her and asked Sakura's condition. All of them waited for an answer. No one dared to blink. Then Tsunade spoke,
"Sakura is fine now. We had to do an emergency surgical operation in order to keep her heart beating. I also managed to safely remove a blod clot in her brain. She's now safe yet still she remains in a comatose state."
All of them sighed in relief. Then Naruto asked,
"When will she wake up?"
"There is no telling when she will gain back her senses. All we know now is that her vital signs are well, and there is no major threat in her condition as of the moment." Tsunade explained.
"Can we see her now Tsunade-sama?" Ino asked politely.
"Yes, she will be assisted back to her private room. You may as well wait for her there." Tsunade said with a faint smile.
All of them nodded and headed towards the room. Kakashi followed them. He didn't say a word, but he felt somehow relieved of what seemed to be a good news. He felt scared for that period of waiting. He couldn't afford to lose her. They all went inside the room and were seated patiently on the couch. Kakashi stood by the window and looked outside. It was dark. He feared that he would soon feel darkness in his heart if he'd ever lose her.
Suddenly the door opened and the nurses came in with Sakura lying on a stretcher. They transferred her body on the hospital bed, and fixed some of the apparatus needed to monitor her condition. Later on, the four of them stood beside Sakura's bed. Her face looked calm and her lips looked sweet and tender. Naruto touched Sakura's hand and stared at her. Captain Yamato then placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder as a gesture that he is not alone. Ino was on the other side having tears of joy with a mixed of sadness while Kakashi was still at the window, which was a few inches away from where Naruto and Yamato stood.
"Well, you got us all worried back there Sakura!" Ino blurted.
"She sure knows how to catch people's attention." Captain Yamato said cheerfully trying to ease the tension.
All of them laughed.
It was already late when the three of them decided to go home. Kakashi insisted to stay and watch over Sakura. Now he was alone with her. He removed his headband and his Konoha green flak. He sat on chair beside Sakura's bed. He held her hands and made gentle strokes on her face. It was already around 2:00 in the morning when sleep finally visited him. He then, removed his mask and kissed hersoft-pink lips and whispered,
"Oyasumi my Cherry Blossom."
(Goodnight)
The next day, he woke up from a sound of voices, talking and giggling. His vision was still blurry. The next thing he heard was Sakura's laugh. He hurriedly unzipped his sleeping bag which was right next to the couch. He stood up and rubbed his eyes. There were quite a number of familiar faces in the room surrounding Sakura. He then smoothed his hair, and walked closer to the patient's bed. He then inserted himself between Neji and Tenten who were at the foot of the bed.
Then their eyes met.
He gasped for a split second.
"Ohayou Kakashi-sensei."
The pink haired kunouichi whom he waited for so long, greeted him with a gentle smile.
Sakura was now awake.
~end~
Thank you for reading my fanfic! I really appreciate your views, reviews and faves.
I hope you didn't mind me, including some Japanese words. The fact that I am accustomed to watching the english-subbed episodes made me appreciate the Japanese language.
UPDATE: I've managed to finish all 3 chapters but will still be doing some minor editing and stuff.
NOTE:
In this story, Sakura is assumed to be around 18 years old.
I do not own the characters to this story. They are from Masashi Kishimoto's 'Naruto' series.