| "Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was a tragedy." | Unknown

| "I'm fine, just a bit of a mess." | Unknown

Another summoning appeared. I committed in my crystal jutsu and stabbed multiple crystals into its body. I breathed heavily from the exhaustion. That was the thirteenth summoning that I destroyed.

Every time I get close to the Pain that uses summonings, he merely summons more and pushes me back. I focused around Konoha. There were several pains in the village, but the best one for me to attack right now is this Pain. I could sense Kakashi fighting two of them.

I gritted my teeth. I should leave this Pain to the ANBU and I should help Kakashi. The beast blew fire at me. I performed basic earth seals and created a giant earth wall. I didn't care about protecting myself, but I cared about the people. I will protect these people with everything within me.

The fire stopped. I jumped over the earth wall and unsheathed the dragon sword on my back. I centered my chakra and inserted it into the sword. I manipulated the nature of the chakra into wind chakra and swiped my sword toward the creature. The beast cried out in agony and vanished back into its realm.

I landed lightly on a building. The ANBU leapt to my position and stood behind me.

"Great job, Nara." Said one.

"I'm going to leave the summoning Pain to you guys. I'm going to fight another one to help protect the people. With a wide range of strong jounins, it should help in saving more people."

"Well said, Nara-san. Good luck."

I smiled, sheathed my sword, and jumped to the eastern region of the village. I would go help Kakashi. Even though he is strong and brilliant, fighting two at the same time would prove difficult. I sensed Chouji and his father near Kakashi. With those two against those certain styles of Pains, they are only helpful in distractions.

My heart dropped and tears filled my eyes. I couldn't sense Kakashi's presence…

"No…" I whispered under my breath. Chakra enveloped my feet as I launched myself forward. The two Pains left the area, but I couldn't sense Kakashi. This couldn't be.

I landed and switched my eyes to see as the dragon. There he was embedded in the ground, dead. He was dead? This was Kakashi. We've been through so much, and now… now.

"Kakashi-san." I was able to pull him out of the ground. I looked into his closed eyes. My heart was broken. I was able to trust him. He was my closest and best friend. He was mine and I was his. I loved him.

I pulled off my glove and intertwined our right hands together. We were both broken and it was hard for either of us to trust anyone. In the midst of all the chaos, he was told to watch over me and make sure I was emotionally stable. We became friends after that. He wanted to understand me and my pain that I hid within me.

I held both of our hands together. Our scars faced each other. It was the covenant that we committed to all those years ago. I hovered over his body and placed my forehead over his. My eyes were closed shut as a few more tears flowed from them.

"I love you, Kakashi." I whispered. I let go of his hand and stood up. I wiped my arm across my eyes to get rid of the tears. I breathed in, held it, then breathed out.

I felt all the Pains retreating. Why are they retreating? I felt one of them lingering over Konoha. What is he up to?

I could feel him gathering a large amount of chakra into his hands. I exerted chakra into my feet and flashed under him. I could assume where the origin of the attack would commence. I performed the seal and waited for the precise moment.

I heard him yell out his jutsu. I commenced in the crystals. Where the attack was originated, I created a circle around that area. As the jutsu enlarged, my crystals were forced backwards. I added extra crystals in the open areas, so the people would be protected. As his ultimate push ended, I stopped focusing.

I stood on top of one of the crystals and breathed heavily. That took everything left within me, but I knew I still had to find something else to help aid in the fight. I looked around at the devastation. I was able to stop the main blow of the attack, but it almost cut completely through my crystals. That was extremely powerful to break through my crystals.

My body toppled over, and I couldn't stop from falling to the ground. One Pain gripped my arm and threw me forward. Another one caught me in mid air. He tightened his grip on my throat.

His demon eyes stared into mine. "You're strong enough to save some of Konoha." I unsheathed my sword and brought it down towards him. Another Pain stopped my arm. Then a third Pain stabbed a sharp blade like weapon into my seal on my stomach. I coughed up blood from the pain, but I refused to cry out the pain. My left hand automatically attempted to cover the pain on my body.

Instead, a grin appeared on my face. "Something funny?" the one gripping my throat asked.

I saw shock materialize on his face as crystals exited the ground and stabbed into him. I aimed for all the metal rods in his body since that is what is keeping this thing alive. The other Pains jumped far away from me.

My body collapsed to the ground. My stamina had finally run dry.

One Pain picked me up and tossed me to another one near the wall. He pinned me to the wall's surface and another pain pulled out rods from his body. I watched helplessly as I was held against the wall arms apart. He stabbed the rods into the palms of my hands and the calves of my legs.

My chin was lifted by the Pain that stabbed me. "Don't die, Nara. You are a vital aspect to me. You will help bring peace to the world, my dear."

I coughed blood out of my mouth. "This is what you call peace?" My voice was hoarse.

"With your power, you will save the world."

"You will kill families, children, dreams- all in the name of peace?"

"You will help control the Bijuus we have collected."

"You mean the creatures you extracted from people by killing them?"

"It leads to the same conclusion."

That was when a huge puff of smoke appeared. I knew it was a summoning jutsu, but who summoned? The Pain summoner was standing before me, and I didn't sense him summon anything.

As the cloud of smoke dispersed, I saw a giant toad with Naruto on top.

I closed my eyes with a smile. He was in Sage mode. Congratulations, Naruto. I leave Konoha to you now.

.: :.

I wrapped excess cloth around the holes in my body. I jumped over to where Hinata was. "Hinata, are you alright?" I asked as I pulled her arm over my shoulders. I had to get her away from the Kyuubi form. I was too weak to help out Naruto at this point. All my strength would go to getting Hinata away from this hole.

I sensed Sakura near the edge. Taking Hinata to her would be the best thing I can do now. I jumped away from our position. Even with my eyes in the dragon form, everything was darkening. I couldn't focus clearly.

I landed near where Sakura was. I collapsed to the ground with Hinata next to me. I couldn't move anymore. Everything hurt. Everything ached.

"Nara-sensei!" I heard Sakura's faint cry. I could feel her hands pull me over to examine how bad I was. "Kygutsae, use your power to heal Nara. I will focus on Hinata."

.: :.

I leaned against the rock. Gai's team arrived. Lee and Ten-ten went to Hinata. Neji looked over to me. "Nara-san…"

Gai reached our location as well. I heard him gasp as he looked at me. "Nara-san!" he pulled me close to him. "What happened?!" He asked.

"It was Pain of the Akatsuki." I faintly replied. The slug filled them in on the details. I forgot that the slug hid in my clothes during my battle with the Pains.

I saw Gai forming tears in his eyes. I smiled. He can get emotional at times. "That is so wonderful how you gave your all to help save Konoha! With all my power, I will protect the woman of my rival!" His teeth sparkled. "And that's a promise."

Kakashi. My heart filled with pain again, but I refused to let the smile vanish from my face. Now wasn't the time to say anything.

I looked up to the sky. There were tons of lights in the air. "What's going on?" Neji asked.

Tears fell down my cheeks as I sensed more people in Konoha. "Pain is… bringing the dead back." I said with a low voice.

The slug nodded. "Yes, Naruto's talk with the true Pain went well. Pain gave the rest of his energy to save the people of Konoha." He informed us everything about what happened. She even talked about what I commenced in the battles. She was telling this to everyone in Konoha?

I felt Neji and Gai surround me and pick me off the ground. I was still too weak to stand on my own. I couldn't even stand with them holding me up.

"Come one, Nara-san. Let's go see your man bring back a hero." I smiled. As he and Neji stepped forward, it proved difficult to carry me like this since I had no energy. Gai looked at me with another smile.

"Is okay with you if I carry you to Kakashi?"

I smiled in return. "I can't get there by myself, and it seems difficult to be helped like this."

He lifted my limp body into his arms and Neji stayed close behind him. I've never seen Neji act like this to anyone else. Does he respect me?

We all greeted Naruto as he was carried here on Kakashi's back. To see Kakashi alive thrilled my heart to no extent. We all clapped for Naruto. He saved us all.

Gai carried me to Kakashi. He looked at me and paused. I could see the hurt in his eyes, but also the happiness that I was alive. Neji still trailed behind Gai and I. Kakashi took me from Gai's arms and into his. I could feel the tenderness and the longing while I was in his arms.

The tears filled my eyes again. "You saw what happened?" He asked.

"I didn't see it, but I sensed the conclusion."

He held me tighter. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

I smiled up to him. "There's no need to be sorry. It's not reality anymore."

He pulled me closer and kissed me on my forehead through his mask. "But this is."