A whole month passed since Kakashi had woken up. His condition was much better now thanks to the Fifth's and Sakura's treatment. He would have left the room which replaced the hospital, if most of the village had not been destroyed…along with his apartment. Luckily it didn't smell here like it had in the hospital. Otherwise he would have escaped the very first day he opened his eyes again here.

The day before yesterday, when Gaara of the desert -Kazekage of Sunagakure- had arrived in Konoha, the preparations for the ritual had begun. Tsunade and Gaara locked themselves up in the new office of the Hokage and apparently discussed the occurrence of everything.

Naruto and the rest of the citizens of the hidden leaf village were currently rebuilding their hometown. Everyone was busy doing something. Everyone except for one person.

Sakura was sitting on top of the Fourth's stone head and was thinking about what she would have to do soon. She couldn't imagine that she would leave Konoha and travel to the past. Actually she wouldn't leave her village, she knew that, but 16 years ago she wouldn't know anybody. There would be no Naruto, who would get on her nerves…no Tsunade, who would order her around…no Ino, who would make her angry every time they would meet…no anyone, who would give her the feeling of being home…

Sakura sighed.

"Deep in thoughts, aren't you?" A deep, male voice said behind her.

She turned around to see Kakashi approaching her with his hand greeting her.

"Aren't you supposed to rest, Kakashi-sensei?" She asked giving him a dark glance.

"Well, it is kind of boring in this room because I am out of books and nobody has visited me for the last two days", he said evenly sitting down next to Sakura.

She looked again towards the village and sighed again.

"You know, I would have come here before and would have enjoyed the view, if I had known that this would happen", she told him with a bit of regret in her voice.

Kakashi followed her glance and watched the remains of the village just like his student did.

"You have the chance to do that", he mumbled.

"I know", she whispered.

Although Sakura only said these two words, Kakashi could hear the rest of it, too. He knew that she had wanted to say:

'I wish I didn't have to go.'

He felt sorry for her. She would have nobody back then who she could entrust everything…she would know nobody and would have to keep her secret half a year. She must feel terrible at the moment…and even worse with each second the ritual was getting closer. Kakashi tried to come up with something in order to cheer her up, but he wasn't the type who could do that so easily.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

He looked down to Sakura and met her gaze for a second, before she lowered her glance to the ground.

"Hmm?"

He had no idea, what she could possibly want to know.

"What were you like back then?"

With that question she caught him off guard. He wasn't prepared for that. Unwillingly his thoughts trailed off and he remembered the most painful years in his life. Obito…Rin…and the Fourth…the pictures of them filled his mind.

IT'S A MYSTERY HOW YOU EVER BECAME JONIN!

…

I GIVE YOU MY SHARINGAN…

"Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked waving a hand in front of his face.

Once his glance refocused on her, he locked these memories up in his mind. He shouldn't think about things that can't be changed. Not even by Sakura.

"Sorry…I just remembered something…well... to answer your question…I think you won't recognize me once you will have traveled to the past. I mean, of course you will recognize me in the 16-year old boy, but my behavior will be a mystery to you", Kakashi told her watching her reaction.

"What…don't tell me you didn't read your precious book back then", she giggled.

"Haha…I meant my character", he rolled his eye at her, "I was not very friendly and…very suspicious of everything. I guess I will give you a hard time, when you are in the past", he smiled at Sakura.

"Mmh…and the Fourth?" There was something in Sakura's eyes, which Kakashi didn't miss.

"No chance, Sakura…he had a girlfriend and she was pregnant that time", he laughed quietly at her expression.

"Idiot! I just want to know what he was like…it doesn't happen every day, that I meet the legendary hero of Konoha!"

Kakashi couldn't help but laugh at Sakura's pink cheeks.

"Don't worry, Sakura…I only wanted to tease you a bit", he laughed and then got serious again, "The Fourth was the kindest person I knew…he trusted anybody and never thought bad of anyone…he was a damn good teacher, too", Kakashi carried on telling Sakura from the time 16 years ago and she listened eagerly.

As time passed and it got dark, Kakashi and Sakura were about to leave, when an Anbu appeared in front of them.

"Kakashi Hatake, you are to come to the Hokage's office", the Anbu said.

Sakura looked up to Kakashi, who nodded and watched the man in front of him disappear again. She could tell that his eyes got smaller…of course she knew what Tsunade wanted from him and that meant that the ritual would start the next days. Kakashi noticed Sakura's worried glance and smiled down at her.

"Seems like I have to go now…don't worry too much, Sakura, everything will be fine", he said.

She tried to give him a smile, too, but failed miserably. Kakashi ruffled her hair and then disappeared after a quick 'Bye'. Once again Sakura let out a sigh and made her way down the rock.

~ 14 hours later ~

Everything was finished. The ritual could begin.

"Are you ready, Sakura?" Tsunade asked her placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Do I have a choice?" Sakura's voice was a little shaky.

"Not really."

"Then I think I am ready."

Sakura turned around.

"I guess, this is our farewell", she said trying everything to hold back her tears.

All of her friends had gathered around to say goodbye to her. It wasn't easy for Sakura to look in their faces without knowing if she would see them ever again. Maybe in a couple of years, when they will have grown up to teenagers again. If she survived the attack of the Kyuubi in half a year 16 years ago, she wouldn't be their friend but just another teacher for them, maybe.

"I'll miss you, Sakura-chan", Naruto said looking to the ground and it seemed as if he was holding back tears himself.

"I'll miss you, too, Naruto", she whispered.

"We know you can do it, Sakura", Sai said stepping forward.

Suddenly everyone said something which should encourage me. Though I was very grateful that they had faith in me, I was about to cry. It was more painful than I thought it would be.

"Sorry I am late", Kakashi's voice came from behind the crowd.

Just in that moment everyone's head turned around. Quickly I wiped away the single tear, which escaped from my eye and I silently thanked Kakashi for being late.

"The last man finally made it", Tsunade called over Sakura's head.

Gai, who was standing next to his team- Neji, Tenten and Lee- looked from Kakashi to Sakura and said:

"Sakura, during your mission you could cheer little Kakashi up a bit…he needed some company back then. I am sure he would like a sweet girl accompanying him", he grinned.

Sakura looked over to Kakashi.

"I am not so sure if that would be a good idea", Kakashi began.

"Me neither!" Naruto exclaimed glancing at Sakura as if he wanted to say 'Stay away from him'.

"I am rather worried that my former self will kill her…considering my attitude towards some things", the Copy Ninja smiled at Sakura.

"Okay, enough with the chit-chat…it's time to start", Tsunade said turning around.

A last few goodbyes were whispered and then Sakura and Kakashi made their way towards the Fifth Hokage.

On the ground there was a black circle with three triangles -with the same distance between each other- on top of it. With a closer look you could see that the black line of the circle consisted of an incantation. Gaara was already sitting in one of the circles prepared for the ritual. Tsunade sat down in a second triangle and started to explain.

"Kakashi, you will stand in the third triangle and wait for my sign. Then you will create your Chidori and attack Sakura with it. Sakura, you will just stand in the middle of the circle and concentrate on the time 16 years ago…nothing more."

Kakashi and Sakura took their places and waited.

As the Hokage and the Kazekage started to form seals, the atmosphere for Sakura got tense. The air got thicker and it became hard for her to breath. Her sight got blur and then she heard a strange but also familiar noise…as if thousands of birds flew towards her.

"CHIDORI!"

Then Sakura saw a flash of blue and heard someone shouting 'Tankén Tsukíhi no jutsu!' as everything around her started to move. She felt a light pressure on her stomach and then she fell.