Disclaimer: I, Lady Sassy Sas, do hereby disclaim all rights to the wonderful world that is Naruto...sadness :(
1. Home Is Where Your Heart Is.
"Sakura…" He bowed his head and stared at his feet. He was standing underneath the Sakura tree where it had all began. Where he had first asked her out; where she had very first kissed him; where they had both agreed to move in together; where they had both talked about having a family; where he had proposed…
Hatake Kakashi stared at his feet. The feet that his fiancée had always enjoyed tickling or massaging. Another thing he would miss. Sighing he leaned back against the tree, letting the trunk support most of his weight. He still couldn't get the sound of her heavy panting or the seriousness and barely contained panic out his head as she told him and their teams to run.
He still replayed the image of her going into the compound and ¾'s of an hour later flinging herself out of the entrance and onto the ground. Her giving the signal to get the hell away and, then not a second later the image of a ball of fire engulfing her and the pain staking scream that followed half a second after.
She had given her life for a mission, while also protecting her team mates. She had made him so proud. She took his teaching and used it as well as being able to complete the mission. The day they had trudged back through Konoha's gates, one person short, was a day he'd never forget.
Izumo and Kotetsu had been about to ask for their papers when they noticed there was one short; they didn't have to ask who.
As they entered the Godaime's office it had been without cheer. Kakashi strode purposefully to the desk and set down his mission report. Honey irises met the wolf mask and the one obsidian eye behind it.
"Mission was completed. One fatality." He deadpanned. He wasn't good at showing his emotions but in that moment all the sorrow, pain, guilt and anger he was feeling radiated out that one jet black eye. And in that moment Tsunade's hand flew up and covered her mouth as her eyes gazed around the room, seeking the woman she had practically raised as her daughter. But there were no female profiles in amongst the group of male ones. She quickly composed herself.
"Well done. You're all being given two weeks off. Dismissed" She stared amongst them all before turning her eyes back to the man who was holding himself stiffly before her. As she heard the door shut behind the last ANBU operative she turned back to Kakashi. "You're being given a month off, Kakashi."
Kakshi merely bowed his head. He just wanted to go…get away from everyone and take it out on the forest that surrounded the village. On the people who had killed his fiancée.
"Kakashi…what..happened?" Tsunade asked weakly.
He turned his one good eye on her and glared balefully. The killing intent rolling off of him in bone chilling waves. But she knew it wasn't for her. For all that Kakashi was, he didn't misplace blame on those he was close to or cared for. But as she stared into his eye, as he took off his mask, she knew she was going to be drowning in her sake for the next month and try to forget the tale of what had happened to her apprentice, her daughter, her Sakura.
"We headed out. About two days into the trip we settled down in a small village and made plans about how we were going to infiltrate and get the intelligence we needed. Sakura had made sure the room was sealed tight so nobody could listen or spy on us. It took nearly a full day to come up with a fool-proof plan and a safety net just in case it didn't work out for some reason. Of course, Shikamaru came up with the more in-depth planning when Sakura had outlined what she thought would work. Nara, myself, Sakura, Shikaku and Sai were up all night planning. We then explained the roles that the others on our teams would be filling. All was well.
"We stayed an extra day and night to make sure we were all up to strength then at dawn the next morning Sakura got us all up and we continued on our way. About half a day in, I could tell she was very tense, which I know is not like her. When I asked she just told me to forget about it. I did and left her alone with her thoughts but as the day grew she completely tense and quite jumpy. Something was up. This time I called for a halt and then dragged her away so I could ask and she'd have to tell me. She had said that something wasn't right, there were no traps no signs of human life. And then she told me to stay still and listen. There were no signs of forest life either, no birds singing or squirrels fighting."
Tsunade frowned and her brow furrowed. She knew Sakura had an extraordinary mind and that she could see through genjutsu's as easily as Kurenai but she never knew that her apprentice was so attuned to the forest or what went on around her. Kakashi stared out the window in the direction of the derelict compound where no remains of his partner's body was found. His hands clenched even harder. He took a deep breath and contined.
"I told her to keep her guard up and relayed the information through the two teams. The whole way there, there was tension. When we got there, Sakura called for a halt and we all stopped. She spread us out in the formation previously planned and we all settled down to watch the compound. Sakura was a wound up spring, she could not ease the tension or get rid of the unease she felt. And that's when she changed the plan.
"Originally, I was supposed to enter the compound and give instructions based on what I saw but Sakura decided she'd go in and only her. Nobody was to follow until she gave the go ahead. Anyone who disobeyed would feel her wrath," he chuckled at this and shook his head as multiple images popped up in his head of Sakura hitting Naruto over the head or himself at times, "Anyway, she proceeded to the doorway cautiously and ever so slowly entered. We both had concerns about the intelligence we had been given. For the operation this group was supposedly running the compound was too small and there wasn't any signs of life.
"Five minutes after she had entered we lost contact. We kept trying over the next fourty-five minutes to contact her but the endeavour proved fruitless. Just as I was about to go in after, our earpieces crackled and then we heard her panting heavily and the sound of something in the background. I asked her if she needed back-up but she told us to turn tail and run. Her voice was panicked. Two minutes after that, she dived out of the entrance and looked towards us and gave us the signal to flee but we were all rooted to the spot. Two seconds after that, a huge ball of flames shot out of the doorway and engulfed her. Her scream…" at this Kakashi gulped and tried to force the bile back down his throat, "She screamed and ear-splitting scream half a second after that. Ten seconds after that, the compound exploded and the rest caved in on itself. No remains were found." At this, he let the tears fall freely and let out a sob.
And Tsunade, although not one to outwardly give affection, physical or emotional, except to Sakura, Naruto, Shizune and Jiraiya, came around her desk and cradled Kakashi against her as they both wept for Sakura.
"She'll never be forgotten, Kakashi. She'll have her name put on the cenotaph and the whole village will be present at her funeral. It will be compulsory to attend." Tsunade said in a soft but firm voice.
Kakashi nodded his head but then raised it, "Ne, Tsunade-sama? Could I request something?"
Kakashi watched as the workers fixed the wooden stumps around the Sakura trees. The place had been turned into a memorial site per Kakashi's request. One small plaque was nailed to the tree which he was currently leaning against.
Haruno Sakura
World's number one Medic-Nin and the Godaime Hokage's Appprentice
23 years
Loved and cared by all.
"Home is where the Heart is."
He lightly traced the engraving with his fingers and sighed yet again. It had been a week since they had returned and every waking moment he was trying his damndest to keep breathing and living, for her. For it was what she wanted.
"Kakashi?" she breathed softly against his neck, her head tucked into the crook of his shoulder where it met his neck.
"Hmm?"
"Kakashi…" she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, hesitating, not sure how to say what she wanted, "What happens if…if one of us dies? Before the other, I mean."
Kakashi frowned and let his eyes slide to the top her pink hair. He watched as his hand lazily drew circles on the back of her shoulder. She was lightly playing with is sparse chest hair. He took a deep breath as he mulled over her question. What would they do if one of them died? Well, the other would go on living, he supposed. But then again, wouldn't that be hard? Even though it was primarily the guilt of saving his comrades instead of completing the mission that his father had taken his own life,
Kakashi also thought it was because of his mother's death as well. Sakumo was never the same after she had gone. Suicide was ruled out in his books. He had forgiven his father a long time ago, when Pein had destroyed the village. He had told Sakumo that. He had seen Rin, Obito, his Father and Minato-sensei during his brief death experience.
"I don't know, Sakura." He replied with a slight sigh, "Why do you ask?"
Sakura stilled in his embrace and this in turn made Kakashi become still. He knew from experience when she tensed up or went completely still, that he would not like what she was going to tell him. Like the time she had accidently washed his Icha Icha Paradise. Luckily for him it was only 3rd edition but still….
"Sakura?" he gave her a little shake, coaxing her to tell him.
"Kakashi, I-" she sighed and sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the bed and putting her face in her palms. Now, Kakashi was worried. And his curiosity was at a high. He sat up as well leaning on his palms and gazed intently at the back of her neck.
"Sakura?" he asked gently.
Shivering she spoke through her hands, "I joined ANBU."
Kakashi's eye widened considerably and his mouth hung open slightly. She had joined ANBU? Well, that would explain some things over the last year or so. Her new and work-until-you-drop training regime, her diet, her sleep patterns or lack there of. How she always asked to spar with all Team Kakashi/Yamato going at her and Kakashi had to use his Sharingan and Naruto his Senju mode.
She had been bruised and bloody by the end of it all the first few months but as it became habitual she got better and improved by miles. She was able to hold her own against all four of them and had even beaten him, Sai and Yamato during one sparring session; nobody could beat Naruto.
"Kakashi?" Sakura's voice interrupted his train of thought.
Kakashi wrapped his right arm around her waist and brought her back against him, "I'll ask Tsunade-sama to put me back on the active duty roster,"
Sakura stiled before she craned her head to the side and back to look up at him, "…What?"
Kakashi smiled softly, "I'll ask Tsunade-sama to put me back on the ANBU active duty roster. There's no way in hell that I'm letting you go out there by yourself. I'll try and get you put under my supervision and if not me then someone who I damn well know, who can sure as hell protect but at the same time not be over-bearing, who can teach you how to survive. You're too precious to me Sakura."
"I love you, Kakashi." She sighed in contentment and leaned back fully into his embrace, giving him a feather light kiss on the inside of his arm.
"I worship you, Sakura." He kissed the top of her head and smiled.
"Kakashi…if either of us does die.."
"Sakura…"
"No, let me finish. If either of us does die, we have to promise each other that we'll go on living until we can live no more. Until fate has deemed it so for us to die. Promise me, Kakashi, that you'll go on living no matter what. That you won't try to get killed on solo missions, that – if you can – try to find happiness with another woman..." Sakura finished softly.
Kakashi was tense. He didn't want to promise her that. He wanted to promise her a long life, happily married with children of their own. He wanted that. But like every other shinobi, he knew that it was unlikely, especially if you were in ANBU. Asuma and Kurenai had proved that you could fall happily in love and have a family. He had no doubt that he would've proposed if he had lived..or maybe he had and they just never told anyone.
And then, as he looked down at Sakura, he frowned deeply, "I promise, Sakura."
"Oi! Kakashi!" a rather loud and obnoxious voice called to him. He turned his head just in time to see a lively Naruto bounding his way over to him.
"Ah. Naruto," he give his lazy hand wave.
"Kakashi-sen – Kakashi. What're you doing here? I thought you'd be planning the wedding with Sakura-chan?" Naruto looked at him with confusion.
Kakashi's eye twitched and he looked at his former student with such sorrow. That's right. Naruto was on a mission of his own when it happened. I guess he hasn't heard. Kakashi sighed and looked up at the pink blossoms over head.
"What's wrong, Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi didn't have the heart to correct him, "Hey, why does everyone look so down? Has someone died?"
At this, Kakashi shut his eye tightly and looked down at the ground again, begging the tears to stay away, "Ah.."
"Wha-who? Who died, Kakashi? Was somebody important? Anybody close to us?" Naruto asked with frantic trepidation. Kakashi looked his former student in the eye, realising he couldn't bring himself to tell him who exactly had died. So, instead, he moved away from standing in front of the plaque and to the side.
Naruto looked at him questionably before going to read the bronze plate nailed to the tree. Kakashi waited for the screams of outrage, for the barrage of punches and kicks landing on his body. So, when he felt arms encircling him, his eye opened in surprise to find the orange and black clad ninja hugging him.
Naruto pulled away but kept one hand on his former sensei's shoulder as his eyes sparkled with un-shed tears, "I'm sorry, Kaka-sensei."
"Ah…"
Naruto then turned and placed his right over the plaque and gave Sakura a silent prayer before speaking out loud, "We'll find whoever did this to you, Sakura-chan, and they will pay dearly for it!" and with the faintest hint of a breeze, the blonde was gone.
Kakashi sighed and stared at the plate again before one lonesome cherry blossom fell before his eyes and landed softly in the palm of his hand and a gentle warming feeling crept over him.
"Looks like you'll be waiting for me, yet again, Sakura. I will keep my promise to you, I swear."
Well, that's the first chapter uploaded and I am writing the second one at the minute.
Thanks to WebOfSmiles and Lil-BabYAnG3L for adding this to their alerts and faves and for reviewing. I shall be replying ASAP
Lady Sassy Sas xXx