The Sound foot soldier stepped away from Orochimaru's ninjas. With measured steps he calmly walked to the Konoha warriors.
"Sasuke, what are you doing!" Orochimaru hissed.
"I've realized my rather enormous mistake and I'm not letting you destroy my…home." Sasuke's voice was deep for a 15 year old. He drew his Kusanagi and activated his Sharingan. "You can either leave or fight me but I won't let you hurt my precious people."
"Foolish boy." Orochimaru said and removed his own Grass Cutter from his body. The snake sannin smiled, fangs gleaming, and charged his student. Sasuke roared in anger as he met his teacher. Sasuke showed his skill with his sword but the grasshopper had yet to grab the stone and surpass his master. Orochimaru caught Sasuke's blade with his own and knocked it out of the Sharingan master's hand. Said Sharingan master pulled out two kunai and managed to cut the tendons in his teacher's wrist. Orochimaru grabbed Sasuke's extended wrist and pulled him against his body. "It's a shame to loose you but I can always have Kabuto remove your eyes." The snake sannin grabbed the kunai from Sasuke's captive hand and shoved it into the Uchiha's heart. Sasuke gasped and choked on the blood welling up his throat. His blood stained his teeth and leaked from the corner of his mouth as he dropped. When his body hit the ground the ninjas charged each other.
The Konoha shinobi fought for their safety, precious people and now for their fallen son who'd returned home. Naruto fought Kabuto, Sakura healed injured Leaf nin and Kakashi did his best taking on Orochimaru. Sadly it wasn't enough but before Orochimaru could strike the killing blow Sasuke stood up, gaining the sannin's attention. Kakashi saw him in his peripheral vision and his silver brows dipped. Sasuke was shaking and putting a visible effort into standing.
"Don't kill him." He snarled and wrapped his pale fingers around the kunai.
"Sasuke, no! You'll die!" Sakura screamed from her place on the ground as she healed the torn ligaments in a leaf nin's legs. Orochimaru grinned sadistically and picked up Sasuke's Kusanagi. Sasuke wrenched the kunai from his chest and threw it with deadly accuracy at Orochimaru. Blood poured from his wound. Sasuke stumbled; his cold eyes never left Orochimaru until his kunai made contact with the snake sannin. The throwing knife tore out the left side of Orochimaru's throat, spurting blood and showing bone.
Kakashi forced his battered body to move and caught Sasuke's dying form before it hit the ground.
"SASUKE!" Sakura screamed and rushed to her former teammate and sensei. As soon as she reached them she began trying to heal the wound to his heart.
"Sakura, move! Work on Kakashi." Tsunade knelt next to the raven and placed her hands over his wound. Green chakra blurred her hands and the wounds nit together. Kakashi blacked out from over using his Sharingan eye and when they tried to move the two to the hospital no one could get Sasuke away from the slate haired man. Kakashi had a deadlock grip on his student.
"Sasuke-chan, what are you doing here? You should be at home." A soft voice was speaking to him. A soft voice he hadn't heard since he was eight.
"Okaa-san?"
"Sasuke-chan, you should go home, you're still needed there. Sakura-san, Naruto-kun and most of all, Kakashi-san needs you. You need them as well." She said.
"Okaa-san, where are you? Where am I?" He asked, terror coating his voice.
"I'm where I'm supposed to be, Sasuke-chan. I can't stay much longer but let me tell you this. The massacre was Itachi's attempt at saving you and the clan. His attempt ended badly and he should join us but you can't let your ambition lead on this path of self-destruction. Don't destroy yourself, Sasuke-chan." Her voice faded at her last sentence.
"Wait, Okaa-san, what if I need you again!" He cried.
"You can find me in the two places I'll always be, Sasuke-chan. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye…" Mikoto's voice went silent.
The first thing Sasuke felt when he came to was something warm and gray around his hand. Then he noticed the orange and pink near him. So from what he gathered he determined that Kakashi was holding his hand and Sakura and Naruto where standing/sitting somewhere to his left.
Kakashi was speaking to Sakura when the smaller hand he was holding gripped his own tightly. Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura all looked at Sasuke's face. His eyelashes fluttered like he was trying to open his eyes. "Sakura, get Shizune." When Sakura returned with Shizune Sasuke's smokewash'd eyes were open. Shizune checked his vitals before she announced, excitedly, that she had to let Tsunade-sama know that Sasuke was awake and in apparent good health.
"You know, this might just be the best birthday I've had for a while." Kakashi said. He was stroking Sasuke's hand with his thumb without realizing he was doing it.
"It's September 15th?" His voice was husky from disuse and slightly distorted because of the food tube going down his throat. "But the battle was in…" Sasuke paused to think. "March?"
"Yes, it was. You've been in a coma for six months." Tsunade answered from the door. She gave him a physical and had a Hyuuga check his chakra system before giving him a full bill of health. "Naruto, Sakura, please leave, I need to speak with Sasuke." She turned to Sasuke once the two were gone. "Okay, now, while you were in your coma the council and I deliberated about what to do with you." Tsunade said as she took the food tube out. "The council and I are going to put you with a guard until further notice. You are not to be out of his sight unless you are with Jiraiya or myself. Understood?"
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Sasuke was looking down at his blanket-covered legs.
"Alright, your guard is Kakashi. I'll let you guys go and get settled." Tsunade pat Sasuke's leg and left. Kakashi got a fresh set of clothes and helped Sasuke put them on.
"Do you want to try to walk out of here?" The Jounin knew he should be carrying his ex-student or at least get him a wheelchair but he also knew Sasuke would protest. Sasuke nodded and walked shakily from his room. He got halfway down the hall before his trembling legs gave out on him.
"You okay?" Kakashi asked lazily. One arm clamped around Sasuke's shoulders the other held his book up to his face. Sasuke hesitated before admitting, in a soft low voice:
"I'm just a little weak on my feet." Sasuke closed his big black eyes and rested his head on Kakashi's chest. A small smile stained his lips, though it was hidden by his mask. Kakashi shifted his arm, caught Sasuke under the knees and lifted him up all the while managing to read Icha Icha Paradise.
"You made it further than you should've been able to after being in a coma for six months." Kakashi said as he carried his charge home. When they got to Kakashi's apartment Naruto and Sakura where already waiting outside the door. Naruto wanted to make a crack about Sasuke being carried home but he refrained since Sakura would've hit him and that it would've been mean. "Sasuke can you get my keys from my vest?" Half asleep he did as he was asked and unlocked the door; his movement had woken him enough to disengage the lock. The Jounin set his charge on the couch then went and got some food and water for the three of them.
"Sasuke, we saw your tattoos…the ones on your back. Do they have meaning?" Sakura asked, referring to the sakura blossom on his right shoulder blade and the fox on his left.
"They're symbolic. I trust the two of you to watch my back. The blossom for you and the fox for Naruto." He said.
"What about Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked.
"I didn't get a chance to get his yet."
About a month later came home from a mission to see Sasuke sitting on the couch, Jiraiya, who was supposed to be watching him, was not in sight.
"Jiraiya just left." Sasuke said noticing Kakashi's look, which was actually kind of difficult do to the mask covering three-fourths of the man's face.
"That's a violation of being your guard." Kakashi murmured as he sat down.
"Cut me some slack, the most aggressive thing I've done since this guard duty started was taunting Naruto." Sasuke said with irritation lacing his voice. Kakashi just looked at him. "Alright, won't happen again."
"Good boy." Kakashi said and pulled out his book.
"I've got something to show you." Sasuke said suddenly. Kakashi made a noise to show Sasuke that he was paying attention. The 16 year old pulled off his shirt. Kakashi winced internally at the raised scar over Sasuke's heart while his interest was perked at the bandage in the center of his charge's chest. Sasuke pulled the tape on the top part of the bandage without flinching. Under the bandage was an attractively done scarecrow, a bright orange book in its hand.
"How come it's not on the back with the others?" Kakashi asked, already knowing the scarecrow was 'his' tattoo.
"Its kind of corny, the reason, I mean." Sasuke hid his blushing face by putting his head down, his long bangs helping by covering his cheeks and eyes.
"You can tell me." Kakashi said softly.
"I trust them with my back, but I trust you with the rest of me. Heart and soul included."