Shinobi battles are most often bloody, gory, and quite commonly include at least one fatality, if it is a serious battle. The outcome of every battle, no matter how insignificant the argument may be or short or long it becomes, depends upon the intelligence and ability of any individual person.
Sometimes, even if an individual is skilled and smart, the outcome is not in his or her favor.
Kakashi had pulled through many battles, many gruesome and brutal, but he always managed to persevere. Whether it be for the sake of his village or his comrades, he always pulled through alive, victorious or not.
But, being such a skilled ninja and always in battle, everyone who knew him knew his time was limited. Only for so long could a shinobi be useful and effective.
As Kakashi lay beneath the pouring downfall that was the rain, he knew his time had finally come. With blood pouring out of his body every which way, he knew not even the Lady Tsunade could heal him now.
Sakura, on the other hand, was trying desperately to save her sensei. She had once learned the story of Tsunade and Dan from Shizune, and this felt awfully the same. Though she, of course, had never loved her sensei that way, she loved him just as passionately as her beloved teacher.
In the middle of the Fourth Ninja World War, she feared her sensei would lose his life. He wasn't making a sound, though his heart beat was still there, however faint it was.
She was blind to the many ninja behind her, in the open field, battling the Sound and Rain ninja. She was oblivious to those who sought to help her. She could only concentrate on her hands, which were flying to and fro in an effort to save her fading sensei.
"Say something, Kakashi!" she cried, tears filling her eyes. "Please, please, anything!"
"Sakura…" he murmured, just barely smiling, "calm…down…"
"Calm down?" she echoed hollowly. "Calm down?" What a ludicrous notion.
Though her fellow ninja were taking to her other bodies for her to heal, she could only look at her sensei, who seemed so resigned to his fate.
Kakashi was peaceful. He didn't feel the pain of the many lacerations throughout his body. He wondered, casually, if this was how Obito felt that day…
Obito. Would he see him, at the pearly gates? No…Kakashi had always thought himself scum for what he'd done that day. Kakashi thought sincerely he'd definitely go to hell. If there was such a place.
The rain, coming down so swiftly, seemed like the screen of a movie theater through Kakashi's eyes. Sakura wasn't even there, only the cloudy sky and his imagination.
He began to see an image. I'm delirious, Kakashi thought, chuckling to himself. But that's ok. I'm dying anyway. What would it matter?
Obito. It was Obito above him. Smiling like he always did, whenever they completed a mission successfully. Only he seemed a bit sad, too.
What's wrong, Ob? Kakashi asked, tilting his head ever so slightly to the illusion. Sakura didn't notice. Why so down?
Kakashi, he said, moving his lips. Kakashi was silently shocked. How he'd forgotten the way Obito moved…looked, even…sounded. He could hear him clear as a bell, way down here, under the pouring rain… I'm happy to be reunited with you, of course, but—
Why? thought Kakashi, would you ever be happy to see me? Didn't I kill you?
The illusion of Obito cringed. No, Kakashi, no. But I'm killing you. I'm making you want to come to heaven, aren't I?
Kakashi realized that part of him did want to rejoin his friend and tell him how truly sorry he was, how he regretted his past decisions. But he couldn't say this to his old partner, for it seemed Obito didn't like the notion. So he settled with a neutral ground.
It's my time, Obito, and anyway…I'm dead anyway.
Not necessarily! Please, Kakashi, pull through!
Why? Don't I deserve to die? After what I did to you?
You didn't do anything to me! And you don't deserve to die. Think of your comrade, Kakashi! Sakura!
Sakura. Kakashi finally noticed Sakura, who was bending over his heart, but realized too late that by doing so he'd made Obito vanish.
"Obito," he murmured. What had he said? Sakura? Sakura!
"You're gonna make it, Kakashi," Sakura gasped, through the tears. "You're gonna make it."
Am I? Suddenly, he wanted ever so much to become well again, to protect Sakura, to stop his battle, this war. It reminded him of the Third war, and he realized that other little Kakashis and little Obitos could be out there right now.
He struggled to stay conscious, though it was fading fast. Sakura, he thought. Stay here…in the battle field…stay…here…
"Sakura, Sakura!" Sakura heard her name be called. She looked up to see a fellow medic looking down at her urgently. "I'm sorry, but he's gone! He's gone already!"
Sakura looked down and found that it was true. She felt her eyes sting. Well, she thought, he went without a fight, ready for it, happy for it, right?
She looked down, ready to see a peaceful expression upon her friend's face, and only saw struggle and heartache upon his stressed features.
Her entire body relaxed in a sort of shock, and she did absolutely nothing for a couple of seconds. She didn't even breath.
"Alright," she said impassively. "Bring the next one."