Kakashi felt slightly numb as he watched from a distance.
If it wasn't for Gai's hand on his shoulder, he was certain he might fall out of the tree.
The earth rumbled as another cry came from the epicenter.
He swallowed thickly.
The past three weeks had passed by in a blur. If it hadn't been for Gai just being there, Kakashi might have died as well.
Everyone was gone.
"How long has she been doing this?" Kakashi mumbled, leaning up against the Green Beast.
"Every night since 'that' night." Gai whispered. "You wouldn't guess it during the day, if you saw her. If you saw her." Kakashi raised a brow, but Gai took no notice, his jaw was set, eyes glued to the spot where they could hear trees being ripped out of the ground.
There was a strangled cry.
"She spends almost all her time with the baby."
"Baby?"
Gai nodded. "The baby is all that is left of the Fourth Hokage. They say that when the Nine Tails disappeared, the only thing left was a crying baby."
"Is the baby the Nine Tails?" Kakashi's rasped.
Gai shrugged. "The Third is very adamant about it not. That he is like the previous vessels, only the keeper, not the source of the great power. Sakura told the entire Ninja community that if anyone tried to harm the baby, she would not hesitate to kill them."
Kakashi's eyes widened at Gai's statement, before they moved to the clearing. "No one would-"
"There has already been those who have tried." Gai's voice was short. "If it weren't for the ANBU, we would be down some of our strongest Jounin." Kakashi felt Gai's grip on him tighten. His foot slipped of the branch. "It's causing conflict with the Elders and the Hokage. They fear that Sakura might try to take the Nine Tails and use it to aid her own village."
"She wouldn't-"
"We don't even know who that village is."
Kakashi was silent. Gai went on. "The third trust her. He wants her to show the child the goodness in peoples hearts, because he knows he will have a tough life."
They were silent for a moment as the sound of destruction subsided and the only sound left was the cries of a young woman.
"Why are you showing me this, Gai?"
Gai laughed sadly, "She needs someone, Kakashi. Someone to give her the strength to move on. Her clan member and confidant are dead. And you need someone who feels the same sorrow you do. Only then will you rise from the sorrow in your hearts."
III
Kakashi stood outside the small apartment he'd been to a thousand times.
Except now it had a new resident.
Residents.
What looked like the Konoha crest was on the front door, but from the lectures (rants) from Kushina, he knew it was a symbol of their clan.
Pain ripped through his heart as he knocked on the door.
"Sakura. It's me."
It was three minutes before someone came to the door. A dull green eye peered out from a crack in the door.
"Can you open the door?"
"No."
His mismatched eyes glared at her one eye for what seemed like an hour before she spoke again.
"What do you want?"
He clenched his balmy fist, taking a deep breath. He felt like a child again, asking for permission to become Jounin. It seemed like a lifetime ago. "I need you to train me for ANBU."