Author's Note: And here's the chapter all of you have been waiting for... Well, kinda... THIS IS NOT THE FINAL CHAPTER! There's an epilogue and then a lengthy AN after this one that'll have its own special chapter. I'm terribly sorry the story is coming to an end, but I promise when the AN comes up at the end of this story, I'll be posting the first chapter of the sequel up as well. That way, no one has to wait until I get off my rear and post it. I'll also be having a series of contests to commemorate the beginning of the sequel that I would LOVE for people to join in on. I already have the link up to it on my profile so everyone can read the specs of it.

Kakashi'sRubiMoon: O.O NE?! I didn't mean to put such grief on a pregnant woman! I'm so sorry! I promise I have tons of good news in store later, during the sequel. Does that make you feel better? O.O -bows- I'm so sorry.
Aniwolfgirl: I know. T_T He will be... Read on and see how Kakashi feels sweetheart.
MissTheScreaming: Aww, thank you! I wanted to end it in a way that kinda made Sayomi look more human. Goodbyes are hard for anyone and even she needed to be dropped down a notch. Of course I give a damn about my readers! -huggles- I hope you enjoy this chapter, sweetheart!
Guest: Shits about to hit the fan. -snaps fingers- XD
Smiles: I'm sorry sweetheart, but all good things must come to an end. I have so much in store for the sequel, so at least we have that to look forward to. =3
Midnight: OMG I'm really, realllllyyyy dying to get to the sequel. Is it really that obvious? T_T I just love all the weird things I'm gonna do to all of you in it. XD I wanted Mei to come back in, if only for a brief chapter. I mean, before Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke, there was Mei and Youko. Since Youko is... ahem... Mei needed a little bit of the limelight. Without her, Sayomi would still be hiding in the shadows instead of making friends and loved ones. Though, we all know Sayomi is preggers now, which means there's some weird shit gonna happen in the sequel. Like I mean, super weird. I can't say anything more though... Ahem... I hope her last meeting with Kakashi holds up to your standards, my dear. I tried to make it as OC as possible, but also had to consider everything they'd been through together. Enjoy, my love!
Guest: (silentdove93?)I assume it's you! =3 Anyways... You always review, so I don't even worry how late it is. XD And your reviews always make me laugh, I swear. I'm going to go work on my degree-dropping glare. It sounds like something I'll need to know in the future. Heh... XD Yeah, Sayomi was a bit depressing in her encounter with Mei. Like you said, goodbyes are hard and I wanted it so be proven when she said so to her adoptive sister. I mean, they love one another... deeply... and the Mizukage needed a chapter all her own instead of a shared one. They will see one another again, so Mei believes, and if they do their reunion will be worth the goodbyes. So, how has three days of checking your email every hour for an update gone? XD I update this a hell of a lot faster than I had intended, but I have things to do and get taken care of with the sequel. Not only that, but I'm really, REALLY excited for the sequel. Aww, I'm glad I can make your bad days good, sweetie! Like I said before, your reviews make me laugh every time, so that goes both ways. ^^ By the way, I love your sappiness during insomnia. XD

Remember, there is a contest page on my profile to begin when the sequel does. Please check it out. Also, this is NOT the final chapter...

XXXVII: Hatake Kakashi, My Love

Konohagakure was in full swing of another festival. It appeared to be the very same as the one I had attended years ago. How long had it been since that night? Had it really been so long? Where had the time gone?

Once, I considered myself brave and wise, but now I could not even face those I had come to find. I would watch them instead, but there was only one that I wanted to find. I needed to find...

And I did.

Though the ANBU were keeping a close eye out for any intruders, I had prided myself in being able to hide in plain sight. I did so, though makeup covered my markings and my hair was piled on top of my head. So far, none had even recognized me, thankfully.

Had I been gone that long?

The festive kimono I had stolen from an unconscious female now covered in the woods was not something eye-catching or extravagant. It was completely white, save the silver obi around my waist. In a way, I could feel the irony, though this is not what made me uncomfortable.

I did not wear my mask.

None knew what I looked like beneath the fabric I had always worn and with the makeup on my face, no one would ever believe I was Kobayashi Sayomi. I did not wear a hitai-ate, as I had it hidden in the very small pack I had buried in the woods with my clothing. I was nothing more than a civilian, as it should be.

The first person I saw that I desperately searched for was Sakura. Her hair was still short and she wore her finest clothing. She was with another girl, one with blonde hair- Ino, I think her name was- and they seemed to be speaking to one another pleasantly. Another girl was quietly watching in the background, twiddling her fingers with a profound blush on her pretty face. She was a Hyuuga- Hinata, I believe- and obviously not very outgoing.

I did not catch Sakura's attention, knowing she would see through my ruse, but instead left a single white rose in her pocket as I passed. She would find it later and I knew the smart kunoichi would realize who it was from.

The next I hunted for was Naruto. Unfortunately, the boy was still gone with Jiraiya and could not find him anywhere. Instead of wasting more time, I made my way to his old apartment, which he still kept, and placed another white rose on his pillow. It would be wilted by the time he found it, but regardless he would know I was here, telling him goodbye in my own way.

Finally, when the Genin were taken care of and I had worked my courage up enough, I searched for him. He would be easy to find, you would think, but he was actually a bit harder than you would believe.

Through the crowds, I hunted for him. Hatake Kakashi was nowhere to be found, and I did not dare ask for his whereabouts. I could not afford for anyone to recall my voice, my mannerisms. I would have to do this alone or leave without ever seeing him again.

That was one thing I refused to do.

There was one last place I had yet to search, a place I should have checked in the beginning. With nimble, unheard footsteps on bare feet, I took to the shadows of the forest and headed for a distinct clearing I could remember easily.

And that was where I found him.

Hatake Kakashi was known to religiously make his way to the K.I.A. stone of Konohagakure. He had his own loved ones engraved on the angled rock and it brought him some semblance of peace to be there with them.

I never approached him, but instead hid just in the line of trees. I watched him, taking in everything about the man I loved so dearly, the man I had shared an intimate moment with so very long ago.

The man I had wronged.

He did not deserve the stress it would bring to know of my misdeeds, my errors. He did not deserve the heartache it would cause if he cared for me the same way I cared for him. No, Kakashi deserved to have a woman that would be completely faithful and love him unconditionally until the end of his long life.

I was not that woman.

I refused to find my voice to call to him, knowing I would hate myself later if I did. I would not let Kakashi know I was here until I was gone. If anything, it might be a way to forget me easier.

Had he forgotten me as I had begun to forget him? Had his memory began to erase the way my face was contoured, even beneath a mask? Had he forgotten the lightness of my hair and the way my eyes resembled the oceans? Perhaps he had even forgotten my scent...

Now, as I looked upon him for the last time, I remembered everything. I would never begin to forget again until I died, and even then I would recall him in the afterlife. The musky scent that reminded me of the trees, hygiene products, and the way I could see his lips rise under the mask in a smile would be forever engraved on my soul. Where the Gateway had taken part of my life, Kakashi would be the one to fill it with his memory.

I had a note to leave him, one I hoped he would later burn and move on with his life. I loved him too much to simply leave and have him believe I was either a rogue or dead. He deserved to know the truth, to an extent, and I would at least give him that. But would he ever find it? Would he go into my old home here in Konoha and discover the gift I would give him?

I would make sure that he did.

I took one final look at him, savoring that man... My day, my bright and shining day embodied in the form of a Jounin from Konohagakure no Sato.

This was the last time I would ever see him.

"Kakashi..."

-( Trust is a Sacred Vow )-

Hatake Kakashi
First Person's Point of View

"Kakashi..."

That voice again, the one that had haunted me... She was always on my mind these days. Often, I found myself thinking about her when I had other priorities to manage. I could not stop; I had realized far too late.

I loved her.

The night I had become intimate with Kobayashi Sayomi was a night she had made me realize I wanted her beside me for the rest of my life. I cared for her in a way I had never cared for another woman. Rin had become something akin to these feelings for me before I had to do the unthinkable to her. I could not allow Sayomi to become what Rin had.

I did not want to kill her too.

"Kakashi..."

There it was again, that sweet drawl that made my heart beat painfully. Could I ever escape it, I wondered. I had a feeling I would keep the memory of that beautiful woman to my grave, whether I wanted to or not.

And I wanted to.

"Hatake Kakashi..."

Wait, it was too real. Even in my wildest dreams, I did not hear her voice so clear, so perfect. I had begun to forget the way she smelled, the way her lips felt like feathers on my own. Her sweet taste had left my mouth dry every time I tried to recall it, for I could not even though I tried endlessly.

I missed her.

My eyes darted around at last, tearing away from the K.I.A. stone I frequented. Had my eyes deceived me, or had I caught a flash of an angel in white near the trees? My mind had been playing tricks on me ever since she left, but this one seemed more tangible, as if she were really there.

I could not give up the hope that I was right and I pursued that alabaster flash for all I was worth. It led me back to the festival I had refused to attend, though I could see a glimpse of shining, pale hair in the lights that danced around her. She was here, I knew it.

Without a care for those around me, I pursued that fleeting image, praying I would find her at the end of my troubles. It was a false hope, but I clung to it desperately as I figured out where this shadow was leading me.

I wound up at her old home on the outskirts of Konoha.

The door was open and beating gently against the wood with the wind, beckoning me. I did not hesitate to make my way into the very building I had refused to go to since I had heard she might be a rogue with the Akatsuki. I could never believe that.

The Kobayashi Sayomi I knew was not a rogue kunoichi.

She was a hero.

Making my way silently through the house, I went to the only room I would know that she might be. It was not her old quarters I pushed the door open to, but instead Uchiha Sasuke's.

What met my eyes made my heart beat faster and harder, aching for her.

Upon the pillow of the precisely made bed were a single white rose, a sack of what I presumed to be money, and a scroll with my name written on it in familiar handwriting. I picked it up, afraid the illusion would slip through my fingers, and my heart only raced faster when I realized it was solid.

I tore open the scroll and my eyes skimmed the words across. I think my heart broke then and there, but I can never be sure. The words hurt more than any wound in battle could.

Hatake Kakashi,

This letter is not something I want you to keep forever. I want you to forget me and only remember that I did once exist in your life. I never can again, I'm afraid. It pains me to say this, more than you'll ever know, but I mean it with all my heart.

I will never return to Konoha, Kiri, or anywhere you can find me. I have fled to a new destiny that might very well kill me. No, I am not part of the Akatsuki. They are the very people I run from. I escaped them days ago and I know it won't be long until they are hot on my trail.

I have many things to tell you, but many more I cannot. Uchiha Itachi is not a monster, firstly, and I pray you will never regard him as such. I will not disclose what I have found out, but know he loves his brother more than he values his life or any other. He is the one to set me free under the condition I am never found by any that know Kobayashi Sayomi. I am a kunoichi that keeps my promises.

Uchiha Sasuke is safe and alive in the lair of Orochimaru. He aided in my escape and Youko's as well. He will one day kill that serpent and on that day, I will know in my heart he is truly safe. He will also try to kill Itachi when the time comes, but I fear he will learn all that has been kept quiet from him over the years.

I have learned my true heritage as well. I am a child born of rape. Orochimaru used the one woman that survived his experimentation decades ago to produce the perfect specimen for a new host body. I am that specimen, Project 352A. He is another that will try to find me, as his arms are not only useless but now missing because of my escape.

Youko is no longer a part of this world. He was killed in action during the fight with Orochimaru and Kabuto. He died to save my soul from being ripped from my body in a forbidden jutsu I should have never used. In his last moments, he asked me to continue to live for him and protect all my loved ones in a way only I can. I will honor his memory and I love him to this day. If you wish to honor him, his grave is on the outskirts of Otogakure, marked by a boulder that I carved for him.

Haruno Sakura will one day grow to be a Medical Kunoichi unlike anything this world has seen. I know she will do great things and I wonder if her, Sas, and Naruto will become the next Legendary Sannin. I have a vague feeling this will happen. Where Sakura has Tsunade, Naruto has Jiraiya, Sasuke has Orochimaru. They are destined to become more than they will ever realize.

Uzumaki Naruto will become Hokage one day, and will abolish the Akatsuki. When that day comes, if I am still alive and unknown, I will show my face once more. This will not happen for years, of that I am certain, if not longer. I know he will do what he wishes and I know he will be the greatest Hokage Konoha has ever known.

Uchiha Sasuke is not evil, either. He will one day aid his teammates and they will become one again. Team Seven is not a distant memory, but a future dream that will rock the very core of this world. He will be one of the ones to save this dreaded earth from becoming nothing but ruin, though it will take time.

But it is not only my hopes and dreams I impress upon you. I want you to know, Hatake Kakashi, that I will love you until my last breath. You have changed me in a way I did not know was possible. I love you more than anything, truly, and would die to keep you safe. I know you could not possibly take that and thus, me leaving is what must be done. I have wronged you in ways you will never realize, and I hope you can forget my existence so you may live a full and happy life.

Though, I will love you forever. You are my day, the sun that shines on me, and when I greet each morning I will remember you. I will remember your scent, your touch, and the memory of us together forever. You are one of the reasons I will continue to live and not take my life in a show of cowardice.

Live for me, Hatake Kakashi, but do not search for me. You will never find me until the day comes where I want to be found. Even then, forget me... Please forget of my existence.

I love you more than you will ever know.

Forever,
Kobayashi Sayomi

Za Youma

P.S. Please keep this money safe until you believe all three of my beloved Team Seven is capable of needing it. It is everything I have ever had to my name that I have not yet given away. It is so they can live happy lives as well. I trust you with this task, Hatake Kakashi.

My throat closed up with emotion and I forced any tears that wanted to leak to stay hidden away. I was a shinobi and I would not cry so foolishly, even if I was alone. No, I was not alone. She was here with me.

She always would be.

"Sayomi."

I rushed outside, hoping to catch even a glimpse of her. I was rewarded with that, and what I saw made my entire body cease to respond and stay stock-still.

There she was, dozens of yards away at the edge of the trees that made up the forests surrounding Konoha. She was dressed in all white, like an angel, and no mask was on her face.

Though I could not make out her features from this distance, I knew she was just as beautiful as I had believed.

"Goodbye."

And then she was gone.

I would not pursue her, as she asked, but part of the letter I could not hold a promise to. I would never forget her, whether she wanted me to or not, and I doubted I would ever care for another woman the way I did for her. She was like a shooting star; you could only catch a glimpse of such a thing before she was gone.

I would love her for eternity.

And one day, I would find you. Even if I have to search to the ends of the world, I will see you again, Kobayashi Sayomi.

I promise.

Next in 'Trust is a Sacred Vow':
And the end has come. Sayomi's story has been told; she has done the final deed she wished to accomplish. It was time for her to disappear, time for her to become the ghost she was rumored to be, one that could not be found and would not be forgotten. She wished things had gone differently, she wished this life would have been a little less cruel to her, and she wished for those she cherished to be safe and one day rock the very world with their greatness. For now though, she would cease to exist.