Chapter 33

May 1, 2015

9:03 AM

I realized when I posted the last chapter that I didn't put in a disclaimer, so here's one for last chap and this one: I don't own Naruto, which is all-encompassing. Also, I'm thinking of not putting a disclaimer up anymore. You all know I don't own Naruto. So this is the last one, but this disclaimer is extended to all future chapters of Coming Home and any of it's future sequels which may come out of my mind ;) Now on to the chapter!

Chaper 33

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

"Hang up more blood, we're losing too much!" Nurses rushed around the small operating room as Shizune worked on Lina. Sakura had collapsed from chakra loss shortly after reaching the borders of Konoha, and was now resting in a bed somewhere in the hospital, leaving Shizune to fend for herself as Tsunade hadn't woken.

"You! Get over here! Start working on capillary damage in her lungs, while I get rid of the poison in her intestines." Shizune's face was coated in sweat, but she didn't stop. 'Fight, Lina, fight. Don't let go. Come on, fight!'

Kakashi paced outside the operating room. He'd shaken off the medics who'd tried to heal him, but finally let them take care of his bigger injuries. Daisuke watched him pace, and said nothing. It seemed his memories were really back, if you could even call them memories. After all, he hadn't forgotten anything after his injuries. Running feet came echoing down the hall, and Daisuke knew who it was. So did Kakashi.

"You bastard!" Kei launched himself at Kakashi and slammed his fist into Kakashi's face. Kakashi didn't bother defending himself, and simply took it. "What the hell did you do?! You did something, didn't you, otherwise how did she get like this? If she dies-If she dies, I'll fucking kill you!"

Katsumi pulled her brother off of Kakashi. "Stop it, Kei! Daisuke-sama, any news?" Daisuke shook his head. "They've still got her open in the operating room. No one's come out yet." Katsumi nodded. Kei faced Kakashi again and pointed a finger. "This is all your fault. Stay away from my sister. You hear me?" Kakashi didn't bother to answer, and Kei scoffed disgustedly. Kakashi watched the boy walk away, and he began to pace again. 'Lina...please hurry up and come back.'

XXX Nearly a week later

"I'm sorry, but she's not waking up. There's nothing more we can do but wait-" Shizune was explaining it all again to Kei and Katsumi, outside Lina's patient room. She hadn't woken up once since the emergency operation to repair her body. Dr. Emi Yamanaka had come in multiple times to try and coax a response, but nothing worked. She couldn't explain it to Shizune either. The brain had healed itself. Lina's corridor's were shiny and new, bright and white, as if there was no trauma lying behind the doors. But Emi knew it wasn't true. One step into any door now, just led to destruction. She wasn't even sure if Lina would ever wake up.

Kei bit his lip as he gripped Katsumi's hand. They thanked Shizune and walked out of the hospital. "Nee-chan. I'm going to go for a walk. See you at home." He began to walk away, headed for Kakashi's apartment.

Kakashi opened the door to see Kei standing outside. Kei barged in, ignoring Gai's greeting. He whirled around and was about to punch Kakashi when Genma and Raidou stepped in and pulled him away.

"Let go of me! He killed her! He killed her!" Kei yelled as he struggled against the two jounin. Kakashi's eye went wide and his heart dropped. 'No…'

"She...she's dead…?"

Kei snatched his arms out of Genma and Raidou's grasps and straightened up. "She might as well be. She's been in a coma for nearly a week, her muscles are atrophying, and they can't get her to wake up. Are you happy now? You did this to her." Kei's brown eyes, so like Lina's, were dark with anger and accusation.

Kakashi swallowed hard and walked out of his own apartment. Behind him, he could hear Genma and Raidou defending him, but they shouldn't have bothered. Kei was right. This was all his fault. He walked out of the jounin complex and a few steps away before he stopped and brought a hand to his face. But then a moment later, he was on his way to the hospital. 'Lina. I'm coming. Wait for me.'

XXX

"Tsunade-sama! Please, you're too weak!" The nurse protested, but Tsunade brushed her off. The look on Shizune's face was priceless. But something was wrong in the hospital, Tsunade's senses were tingling. She sat up straight. "Tell me what's happened."

XXX

Kakashi sat on the edge of Lina's bed and grasped her bandaged hand. There was little of her skin that was unbandaged from all the ink burns from Danzo, aside from her face, which was untouched except for her bandaged eyes, so Kakashi's could only imagine what she looked like underneath. He rubbed his thumb on her knuckles gently, as if it would coax her to wake up. Her hair was out of its bun, black waves splayed on the pillow. He reached up to cup her face. Her color was back, and she looked as if she could be sleeping, if he didn't look at the rest of her. Just then the door slid open.

"Kakashi. I heard a lot of things happened to you. Glad you're back." Tsunade clacked her heels into the room and looked down at Lina. "Now, what do you say we see if we can't get this foolish girl out of bed, ne?" Kakashi moved over to let Tsunade work, and she began to heal Lina.

…

"There. That should do it. It should take her a couple more days to heal, but she'll be awake soon." Tsunade mopped up some sweat from her brow and walked out of the room with the help of the eve-present Shizune. Kakashi looked down at Lina and softly gave her a kiss on her forehead. He wondered if he should kiss her lips too, but decided against it. He wanted their first kiss to be when she was alright again, and could see how deeply he cared for her. He wanted her to say "I forgive you" to him before he kissed her. He wanted her to look into his eyes and know that he was hers, had always been hers, would always be-

"Excuse me (Shitsurei shimasu)." Yuki spoke as she opened the door to her next patient's room. She stopped as her eyes laid on Kakashi and she ran to him.

"Kakashi-san!" Yuki flung her arms around him, so relieved that he was back. She'd heard that he'd been there when Danzo-sama had died, and she'd been terrified for his safety. Now, she leaned into him, their height mere inches in difference, and kissed his masked lips. But something was different about him. He'd stiffened when she'd touched him, but now, he kissed her like he always had, soft and tender.

Kakashi stood frozen in shock as his body acted on its own. He couldn't understand it. He still felt love for this woman. In his heart, he felt real, true, love for her. But in front of him was Lina, whom he also loved, just as much. It was so unbelievable it might have been written out of a sappy rom-com, if it wasn't real life. He had to force himself to stop kissing her and slowly extracted himself from her grasp.

"Kakashi-san?" Yuki pulled away, confused. She followed his gaze downward and saw who the patient was. Sasaki Lina. But...She looked down at her patient chart, confused. Her patient was supposed to be a middle-aged woman in her late 40s that had suffered an aneurysm on the way to the hospital. But one look at the room number and she realized she'd gone to the wrong ward, this was ward B, not ward A. Yuki looked back at Kakashi, and then down at Lina.

"Kakashi-san...is everything alright?" He seemed lost. Yuki tried to comfort him by placing a hand on his arm, but he pulled away.

"Don't." Kakashi withdrew himself from Yuki instinctively, although that wasn't accurate, because in the next second his instincts were telling him to hold her and kiss her breathless. What was happening to him? Kakashi swallowed hard and forced himself to look at her instead of Lina. "Yuki-san." He used the suffix to distance himself. "I'm sorry. I...we can't do this anymore. It's over."

"...Eh?" Yuki was stunned.

"I love Lina. I'm sorry. I know this isn't fair to you, but I love her, and I can't let her go. You and I...we're done." Kakashi tried to speak as clinically as possible without being cold. Yuki furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

"But what about us? You said you loved me." Her voice was hurt and small, but her tone was accusatory, and Kakashi flinched.

"I'm sorry. I can't explain it, but Lina is the one I'm supposed to be with. I'm sorry, Yuki-san. I really do-did, love you, but that's over now."

"You said 'do'." Yuki stepped forward, but Kakashi stepped back.

"I meant 'did'." He'd stopped apologizing. Yuki stared into his face, now filled with pain, and she turned away and walked out of the door. Tears fell as she walked down the hall, slammed her folder on the nurse's desk, and walked out of the hospital.

Kakashi sat down next to Lina and sighed as he put his head in his hands. How did everything get so complicated? He loathed how he'd turned into his old rule-abiding, cold self, how he'd pushed away everyone. How was he going to fix it all if Lina didn't wake up? She had to. She just had to. Kakashi couldn't hold back anymore. He pulled down his mask and kissed her soundly on the mouth. "Wake up, baby. Please wake up soon." He whispered against her lips and teleported away.

XXX - 2 days later

Lina tried to open her eyes, but something was covering them. Her body was stiff, and she could feel bandages and stitches running all over her. Her eyes were bandaged up, so she reached up to them as she tried to sit up. A gasp from somewhere nearby alerted her that someone was here.

"He-Hello?" Her voice was raspy, like she had been breathing dust instead of oxygen, and her lungs seared in pain. She coughed drily, bending over, and felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Sasaki-san, you're finally awake. Your family's been worried sick. Stay still a moment, I'm just going to get Sakura-san to help you take off your bandages." A female voice kindly patted Lina on her shoulder and quickly walked off. Not a minute later, three sets of heels clacked into the room.

"Sasaki Lina. I see you've woken up." Tsunade's voice sounded from beside her, and Lina tilted her head to the sound.

"Tsunade-sama. You're awake!" She smiled in relief. She couldn't see, but Tsunade's stern face had softened slightly as she saw the smile, but it quickly returned. Tsunade motioned Sakura to undo the bandages, and Lina squinted in the bright hospital lighting. It was mid-day, by the looks of it, and she was in a private room. She looked down at herself, and her face slackened. There was barely an inch of her body that was not covered in bandages, from her neck down to her feet. She felt a pain in her abdomen, different from where she'd been stabbed by Sasuke's sword. Yes, she remembered the fight. It came in bits and pieces, but she knew she'd been hurt. But before she could think any more, Tsunade was already lecturing her.

"What were you thinking? Leaving the hospital without authorization, taking out two border patrol members and falsifying documents for a out-of-country mission, disobeying every single order made by all specialists and even the interim Hokage...do you know how much trouble you're in?!" Tsunade's voice thundered through the entire ward, and every patient, nurse, doctor, family member, and even janitor stopped and cringed. Lina sat looking dully into her lap. Tsunade didn't know if she was getting through to the girl, but she knew her next words definitely would. She had no choice, after the meeting she'd had with the Elders.

xxx

"We cannot allow this to go on. The girl's obviously gone mad. What kind of example would we be giving if we let her free?" Koharu spoke sharply. Homura shut his eyes in thought for a moment before he spoke again.

"We have no choice. Tsunade, issue the order."

Tsunade gulped down a cup of sake and sighed. Poor girl, she knew what was going through Lina's mind, of course. But that didn't change the fact that the girl had broken so many rules she should be in the Konoha Genjū Keikai Shisetsu (Konoha Strict Correctional Facility), where shinobi who'd committed crimes against their own country were imprisoned and worked off their debt to society.

xxx

"Sasaki Lina. Because of your lack of respect to the rules and regulations in place in Konohagakure, your unwillingness to follow even the simplest of orders, your unfailing stubbornness and lack of any leadership quality whatsoever, I hereby strip you of your jounin rank." Tsunade spoke sternly. Lina's eyes whipped up in shock, but Tsunade wasn't done.

"You are hereby prohibited from leaving the village for any reason. You are not to take on any missions, no matter how small. You are not to participate in any examinations which may increase your rank, including but not limited to Jounin exams, ANBU exams, and Interrogation and Torture entrance exams. You are to move all your belongings out of the jounin apartment in which you currently live. Until further notice, you are to obey a strict curfew of 7am to 9pm. You may not leave your dwelling for any reason outside of those times. You may not exploit or exercise your previous rank on any individual or group of individuals, regardless of their rank. That is all."

Lina's face was white as paper as she listened. This couldn't be happening. Lina stared blankly down at her hands. She felt Sakura come up to her and whisper something.

"I'm so sorry, Lina-san. This isn't Tsunade-shishou's fault. It was the Elders. She tried really hard...I'm sorry." Sakura felt bad for the girl. After everything that had happened. She'd personally saved the life of the man she loved, even though he didn't love her back. She'd allowed Sakura to save him instead of herself. And all of it...what was any of it for? Sakura felt so helpless.

Lina tried to think through the fog. Everything was muddy, but one thing was clear. "Kakashi...What happened to Kakashi?" Lina finally spoke up. Sakura sighed in slight relief. If she was well enough to worry about someone else, she was probably in shock and this was her way of coping.

"Kakashi-sensei's fine. He was the one who fought so hard to bring you back. He and I were on Daisuke-sama and he kept calling your name every time you started to fall apart. I tried to heal you as much as I could, but you kept fading, but he kept bringing you back." Sakura spoke in reverence. Lina stared at her hands and nodded. He'd brought her back? She couldn't remember anything from when she'd...died. Her last memory was of Sakura taking her hand and apologizing for having to go save Kakashi instead of her. She remembered squeezing her fingers as if to say that it was alright. But now…

Kakashi pushed the door to Lina's room open and walked in. His arm was bandaged, as if he'd recently been in a fight. He stopped at the doorway and stared. She was awake.

"Lina…?"

Lina felt a lump form in her throat as joy and hurt all came together and formed a mess in her mind. He was alright. She hadn't been a burden. He was safe, at least. But he wasn't hers. No matter how happy she was, he wasn't hers. She faked a half-smile and looked back down into her lap.

"Hatake-san, I see you're alright." She forced herself to use his last name and the most formal suffix possible without becoming exaggerated. He'd told her not to ever call him by his name again. He'd told her that he was her superior. She had to respect his new wishes. Especially now that he really was her superior. Did he know? Had he heard Tsunade's lecture? She forced herself to continue talking in a fake lighthearted voice.

"I heard you were instrumental in saving me. Thank you. Really, I am so grateful for your help. I hope I haven't burdened you too much. You honestly didn't need to come see me, Hatake-san-"

"No." Kakashi stepped forward. He could see the pain in her eyes, and his own heart hurt. "Lina, it's me. Kakashi."

Lina looked up in confusion. "Hatake-san, you told me to address you as a superior. I'm just following your order-"

"Stop it. It's Kakashi. It's me." Kakashi was next to her now. His hand touched her face and Lina's stomach fluttered. She hesitantly looked into Kakashi's eye. "K...Kakashi…?"

Kakashi's eye softened into a look of joy and he leaned in closer to her. "It's me, Lina. I'm back." He watched her reach up to his hand on her face, but didn't touch it. She hovered over it, as if she was scared to touch him, and repeated his words.

"You're back…" Lina's heart was beating erratically, and she didn't know what to think. But this couldn't be real. It wasn't possible. Kakashi didn't love her. He'd made that clear. She looked down as tears formed in her eyes. "This isn't real, is it? This is a dream-no, a nightmare. You aren't really here." Her lips began to tremble, but before tears could fall Kakashi had pulled her chin up to meet his gaze.

"No. No, Lina. Look. This is real. Here, touch my hand." He let go of her chin and extended his hand to hers. Lina hesitantly touched it, feeling the connection. He grabbed her hand and placed it on his chest, over his heart. "This is real. Look-" He didn't care who else was in the room. He pulled his mask down for her, his face in plain view. "This is real. I'm real."

Lina stared into Kakashi's face, and slowly she reached up to touch it. She cupped her hand on his cheek, and a tear fell out of her eye. "Kakashi-...san?" She tested out using his real name but kept the suffix, just in case, but Kakashi shook his head and gripped her hand still on his face.

"No, Lina. Kakashi. It's me. Kashi." He used her nickname for him, and Lina's eyes widened. She opened her mouth and whispered. "Kashi…"

He couldn't hold it in. Hearing her say his name, seeing it in her eyes that she knew who he was, he was overcome. He leaned into her and kissed her mouth. Their lips sparked on contact, but the flames from within were what kept them going. Lina felt her eyes slid shut at the feel of Kakashi's lips on hers, and she slid her arms around his neck. She leaned into him as she felt his arms wrap around her body, and their lips tingled. The dance was so familiar, but so almost-forgotten, that it drew them in. Her hands were in his hair, pushing him closer to her. One of his hands was on her back, pulling her flush against his chest as he sat on her bed, the other hand tangled in her hair the way they both loved. Their breath mingled, their noses nuzzled, and Lina finally felt safe. She opened her mouth in a gasp when Kakashi pushed on a soft spot on her back; he took the opportunity to bite softly on her lower lip. Lina's hands were mapping his chest, Kakashi was kissing her cheek and biting on her earlobe.

"Lina." Kakashi whispered, and Lina tilted her head back. Kakashi buried his nose into her neck and kissed her softly, tenderly, before biting and licking. Kakashi groaned at the feel of Lina's hands on his face again as she pulled him back to her lips, and their tongues were tangled in an ageless dance. He'd missed this. He hadn't known how much until now, but now that he had it, he wasn't letting go ever again.

Lina reduced her kisses to soft chaste ones and leaned her forehead against Kakashi as she caught her breath. "Kakashi." She whispered, and Kakashi pulled her into another deep kiss. She could feel how much he wanted her, how strongly he felt, and tears fell. He was hers again. Hers.

Kakashi smelled the fresh tears and he opened his eye to see her crying through shut eyes. He leaned in and licked a tear off an eye before he kissed it, and did the same with the other. He'd heard her voice sound so small, and he wanted her to be her again. Bright, sunshine light that chased away his darkness. He would never forget how close he'd come to losing her. It had been far too close, but she was here now. He felt the sadness and anger he'd felt over the last week come rushing out all at once and he cupped her face into the crook of his neck as he leaned his face into her hair.

"I'm sorry, Lina. I'm so sorry." Kakashi's voice broke as he whispered, and he tightened his grip around her.

Lina froze in Kakashi's arms at the sound of his words, and began to remember it all. It was all coming back, and her body began to run cold, as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on her. The words he'd spoken in the hospital when he'd severed their relationship. The words he'd spoken to Yuki as she watched in the same room. The words he'd said at the bar as he made a scene in front of everyone. It was all clear in her head. How could she have forgotten? Yes, it felt incredible to hold him, but could she really go back to him? Would she really allow herself to become one of those girls who kept going back to a relationship that kept failing? She used to look down in pity at those girls. Poor, weak souls, she used to think. Was she one of them now?

"No." Lina whispered. She began to push Kakashi away. Kakashi resisted for a moment before he finally loosened his grip, but he kept his hands at her waist. He tried to look in Lina's eyes, but she'd turned her head away.

"Lina?"

Lina shook her head. "Don't." She took in a deep breath and said what she needed to say, even though her heart hurt before she'd even started saying it. "Hatake-san. Thank you for saving me. I really am grateful. And I'm very happy that you seem to be back to the way you used to be. But that doesn't change anything between us. You did want to be with me anymore, and I respect your decision. In fact, I think it's better this way."

Kakashi gripped Lina's waist tightly. "Lina, what are you saying? It's me, Kashi. I'm not who I was anymore. I want to be with you." He had to make her understand. All those things he'd said, he hadn't meant any of it. They weren't him. She had to know that. Didn't she?

Lina shook her head again and pulled his arms away from her. "Stop. Hatake-san-"

"Stop calling me that! Lina, listen to me. It's me, Kashi!"

"Stop it!" Lina yelled out, her eyes scrunched shut tight. "Did you forget what you said already? You said you didn't want me anymore. That you loved Yuki-san. That I was nothing."

"Lina, please, you have to know it wasn't true-"

"Wasn't it? I know what Pain's attack did to you. In the whole time, you couldn't lie. Of course, you also had a personality shift, but that could mean anything. For all I know, you were telling the truth the whole time, and you're lying to me now. Yes, that's what it is. I see now." Lina's voice was quiet. Kakashi reached forward and pushed his lips into hers forcefully. He didn't feel her resist, and he pulled back.

"Would I kiss you like that, like I did before, if it wasn't real?!"

"Yes you would. You did. All those nights I was foolishly falling for you,… but in the end, I'm nothing, remember?" Lina's heart was broken, and she didn't have the energy to try and fix it anymore. It was better just to move on. Let it go, hide it away, deal with it later, anything but look at it now.

Kakashi's hands shook and began to sweat, and he finally spoke the words he'd wanted to say all this time. If this didn't get through to her, nothing would.

"I love you."

Lina gripped her hospital gown and forced herself to look up at him with semi-dry eyes. "And Yuki? You said you loved her too. Don't tell me you're going to say you were lying about that too."

Kakashi was at a loss for words, so Lina decided to sever all ties all at once. She took in a deep breath and began to speak words that still sounded so cold. "Gods, you're slow. What, don't you understand already? I told you I didn't need you anymore."

Kakashi tried to stop her from continuing. "Lina, stop-"

"I don't want you anymore. We're done." Lina continued, her eyes filling up with tears, but she forced herself to keep going. She wouldn't become one of those girls who never knew when to give up. She wouldn't be the one hurt this time. She was protecting herself, that's all.

Kakashi reached to her and tried to hold her to him, but Lina stopped him with her next words. "Get out. You're hindering my ability to heal." Her voice shook in her own head, and she knew he'd heard the wobbles. Still, he got up off the bed.

Kakashi felt his heart break and shatter like glass at his own words thrown back at him. The pain he'd felt when he remembered what he'd said was nothing compared to actually hearing her say them to him. Was this what she'd felt? Had she begun to feel dizzy too? His chest was tight, he couldn't breathe. He got up and slowly walked out, though it was the last thing he wanted. He wanted to stay and fight for them. For her. But did he have the right to, after all he'd done? A part of him, a small part, wanted to crawl into a hole and force himself into an eternal genjutsu where everything was alright. But the other part, the larger part, kept him going, kept him walking until he'd found himself at his father's grave.

"Tou-san. I've lost her." Kakashi kneeled at the headstone and bent his head down. If he cried now, no one would see, because this was in a special part of Konoha that had been left to him by his father. It was part of the area that his parents had fallen in love in, as a young teenage couple. He looked down at his father's grave next to his mother's, and he swallowed the lump in his throat. He remembered clearly what his father had said as he'd been spirited away to the living again. "Don't forget to tell her you love her, Kakashi." And he hadn't. He'd told her. It had just been weeks too late.

XXX

Lina brought her eyes back down to her lap and let the tears flow silently. She gripped the bed sheets in her hands to stop herself from shaking. Hearing him call out to her, seeing him in shock at her words, it was so painful. But she knew she'd made the right choice.

Tsunade coughed and came back to Lina's side. "There's one more thing." Lina sniffled and quickly wiped her hand over her eyes. She raised her head but kept her eyes down.

"I know that this isn't the best time for you to hear this, and it's going to come as a bit of a shock, but I find that knowing these things all at once is better than dragging it out and causing more pain later. So prepare yourself, okay?" Tsunade laid a hand on Lina's shoulder in an uncharacteristically maternal manner. Lina finally looked up at her and swallowed.

"There was some scarring in your abdominal cavity. Your uterus… we did the best we could, and we got most of it, but unfortunately the poison had already gone in when we started looking at it, and by the time we got there, it was too late. Your fallopian tubes are very scarred, and your uterine walls were so diseased that we had to cut most of it out. You'll still get your period, although it will probably not be regular. Also...it is very unlikely you'll ever be able to have children."

Lina stared up at Tsunade, a sudden emptiness inside her body. She unconsciously moved her hand to her stomach. Tsunade looked at her and shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Lina." It was rare that kunoichi were able to have children to begin with, most women preferring to be sterilized upon graduation to chuunin status if they planned on continuing their careers. It was just easier, that way. But Lina had been so young when she'd lost so many of her loved ones at once, and as the future head of the family at the time, it was no wonder she didn't get sterilized.

Lina let her head fall to her chest and she nodded. The silence echoed in the room, and Tsunade and Sakura filed out, leaving her be.

XXX

"Yo, Kakashi." Gai saluted his friend and bowed at the graves of the Hatakes. Kakashi stood up but kept his eyes down. He didn't want to chat, or spar, or anything. He just wanted to wallow, but he also wanted to let it out.

"She's alive, Gai. And she doesn't want me."

Gai looked at his lifelong friend for a while before he spoke seriously. "Is it the same thing that Pain did to you? Something in the brain?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, her brain is fine. She just...she can't forgive me. And who can blame her?"

Gai laid a hand on Kakashi's shoulder. "Love conquers all. You know that."

"I don't think love can handle this one, Gai."

"Oh, stop being over-dramatic." Genma and Raidou dropped out of the sky. Neither had seen Kakashi since he'd...returned. Now, Genma reached out a hand, and Kakashi took it. They squeezed for a moment before pulled each other into a bear hug. "Glad to have you back."

"Glad to be back." Kakashi was grateful that he was silently forgiven. He didn't have many friends left in the world, and what few he had he'd insulted effectively enough that their anger had been understandable. Lina on the other hand…

"Listen. I know what she said, but you know as well as I do that she doesn't mean it. She loves you. So you're going to need to grovel and beg a little, but she'll come around." Genma said. He and Raidou, being the Hokage's guards, had overheard everything in their stealth modes, of course.

Kakashi nodded. "I know. It's just...she said the words I'd said when I was...you know."

"What do you mean?" Raidou asked. Kakashi hadn't told any of them what had happened in the hospital, and apparently, neither had Lina. He explained the scene, and looked up to see their faces slacken.

"Are you serious? You really said that?" Raidou was shocked. He'd known, of course, that Kakashi hadn't been himself, but rather an exaggerated version of his old self, but to hear what had actually happen...it was beyond cruel.

"Fuck, Kakashi." Even Genma was speechless. Only Gai spoke up.

"You weren't yourself! We all know that, and so does Lina. You have to show her that you mean it, that what you said wasn't true, that's all." Gai was confident in his plan, but not Kakashi.

"What if it isn't…?"

"What do you mean?" Yamato walked towards them. Kakashi slowly told them about his encounter with Yuki, and Yamato ran his hand through his hair. Why were things always so complicated for his senpai?

"Listen, Kakashi. It's simple. Do you love her?" Gai had had enough.

Kakashi nodded. "I do." Gai nodded back. "And will you do whatever it takes to get her back?" Kakashi nodded. "Of course, but-"

"Then it's settled. Go do what you need to do. Get your girl back."

"But how? She doesn't want anything to do with me."

"She said one thing and you're ready to give up? This isn't the Hatake Kakashi I know. You never give up. Don't start now." Gai was adamant, and Kakashi somehow felt hope. There was no point in moping. He had to get her back. He would get her back. Kakashi walked out of the small clearing that housed his parents and headed for her apartment.

XXX

Bang bang bang!

Lina, Kei, and Katsumi looked towards the door as someone apparently tried to knock the door down with their fist. Daisuke's hair bristled (he'd been summoned back by Lina to get an update on everything), but he nodded at Kei to open the door. Kakashi burst in and made his way straight to Lina, who was resting on the couch.

"Hey!" Kei grabbed Kakashi's shirt to stop him, but Kakashi shook him off and dropped on his knees in front of Lina.

"I'm not giving up, Lina. I'm not letting you go." He took her hands in his own. Lina looked down. She was so tired, after hearing everything from Tsunade. She didn't want to deal with this now.

"Hatake-san, that's enough. Please get out, I'm tired and I want to rest."

"Tell me you're not giving up on us."

"I'm not the one who gave up on us, you are!" Lina burst out.

"But that wasn't me! You know it wasn't."

"Do I? Here's what I know. You got an injury where you couldn't lie, and that also somehow warped your personality. Then, you tell me you never loved me or even cared about me, and that you and I are done. Then, you get your personality back, and I don't know if you got your ability to lie back yet or not, I'd need to ask Sakura or Tsunade or someone. And finally, now, you're telling me that you love me and want me back. So which is the truth and which is the lie? Which is real?" Lina ticked off each point with her fingers. Kakashi grabbed Lina's shoulders and tried to shake her.

"Lina, you know me. You know the truth!"

Lina could hear the desperation in his voice, and she wondered how he had the confidence to try and fight. When he'd told her, she'd just accepted it. Should she have fought harder back then? No, she shook her head inwardly. Even if she'd fought, she would have just lost him anyway. They really weren't compatible. She could see it so clearly now. She swallowed the lump in her throat and took Kakashi's hands off of her shoulders and held them in her lap.

"Hatake-san. Really, I am so grateful for everything you've done. I don't want us to end on bad terms, especially now that you seem to be yourself again. Or perhaps, you're back to being the shell you used to be, if your 'true' self is really the one that came out after you got hurt…" Lina was rambling. She took in a deep breath and spoke clearly. "Please just let this go. We aren't meant to be with each other. We both know that, don't we? Look at you, and look at me. We're light years apart. I don't want to force you anymore. I really…I really cared for you, so I want you to be alright. You wouldn't be happy with me. I'm messy, and complicated, and my personality makes it so that no one can ever come close-" She couldn't stop herself, but Kakashi cut in to do it for her.

"You think I don't know that? I'm in love with you in spite of all of that. Rather, I love you because of all of it. People aren't neat. We are messy, and complicated, and constantly doubting. But I love you." Kakashi wasn't pleading, but yet he was. Lina felt her heart ache as she prepared herself to lie.

"But I don't love you." There. She'd said it. Why did it hurt so much?

"You're lying-"

"I'm not. I-"

"You are!" Kakashi raised his voice over hers. "I heard you. In the hot spring. You said loved me." He didn't care how it sounded, how it made him look. How was she going to get out of this one?

Lina blushed hotly at the memory and she look down, tears almost ready to escape out of her lashes. "It's not true."

Kakashi extracted one of his hands and cupped Lina's cheek. "It is. Admit it. You love me too." He lifted her face up to look at him, and felt Lina's heat as she blushed more. He leaned in to kiss her, but Lina stopped him with a hand.

"No." She didn't know where she got the courage, the strength, but somehow she stopped him. She took Kakashi's hand off her cheek and placed it back in her lap. "Hatake-sa-"

"Don't call me that." Kakashi didn't know what was coming, but he hated the sound of his last name in her voice, said like that. Lina swallowed and tried again. "Kakashi-san…" Her voice broke as the lump went higher in her throat.

"It's true that I used to have feelings for you-"

"Yes. You still do." Kakashi was leaning close to her, but Lina didn't stop.

"-and it's true that I still have some feelings in residue…"

"Yes." This was it. She was going to admit it. She was going to give a condition first, as per Lina, but she was going to take him back. Kakashi was teetering on the edge of almost falling over in anticipation. 'As soon as she says it, I'm going to kiss her senseless.' That was the plan, anyway.

"But I can't be with you." Lina could feel tears coming up. Her nose was beginning to drip.

"...No." Kakashi whispered. "No, Lina, don't."

"I can't be with you , Kakashi-san."

"Why?!" Kakashi was angry, desperate, he didn't even know what he was. He couldn't think. Lina finally looked at him, and he could see tears.

"You broke my heart Kakashi-san. You broke it like glass, and now it's shattered, and dust, and I don't know-I don't know what's going to happen, but I know I can't be with you. I can't be with you because I don't think my heart can be fixed again, and it's your fault." Lina was shaking, a tear had escaped from her lashes, and was now making its way down her cheek. Kakashi felt his own heart shatter at her words. He'd broken her heart. He'd heard the saying before, read it in books, but this feeling. This must be what she meant. Hearing her say she didn't want him, saying she wouldn't be with him...this was heartbreak. The pain was searing in his chest, but Kakashi couldn't do anything. What could he do? What could he do to stop this pain? Had he caused this much pain to her? He understood why so few shinobi fell in love. After years of putting your life on the line, heartbreak was the one pain that had no guarantee or time limit before it healed. He'd always thought that the main reason was because very few could stand the pain of losing a loved one to death, but maybe it was this. Maybe all shinobi were so jaded that they didn't fall in love just to save their own hearts. But Kakashi had made up his mind. He wasn't giving up. That was Lina's job. He was the one who endured. He knew the facts. He loved her. She loved him. Even if he felt something for Yuki, he would always choose Lina. Not out of nostalgia or loyalty, but because she was the one.

Kakashi stood up and looked down at Lina from above. "I'm not giving up. I'm letting you rest for now, but I'm not giving up on us. So you might as well just give up on me giving up. I'm going to fix this, and then I'm going to make you admit you love me." Kakashi turned and walked out of the apartment. This wouldn't be like Rin and Obito. He would get her back.

Lina felt her stomach flutter at Kakashi's bold words, and her face flushed. Had he always been so assertive? Since when had she been the type to blush so easily? Since when had his voice been the trigger for her butterflies? She was confused, lost, but grounded at the same time. He'd said he wouldn't give up on 'them', but she was sure he was just saying that. He loved Yuki. It hadn't been a lie. Hard though it was to admit, Yuki and him did look good together, better than they'd ever had, she was sure. Yuki was smart, pretty, complimented his looks well. They could be the most perfect couple in Konoha. Lina dropped her head and let the tears flow.

"Ojou-sama." Daisuke padded over to her from over in the kitchen where he and her siblings had been standing guard. He stood on his hind legs and placed his front paws on the couch where she sat, and Lina leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his body. Kei and Katsumi came and sat beside her, their arms circled around her, and Lina let herself go. The sobbing stopped after about an hour, when her voice had become hoarse and weak, but the tears didn't stop for a long time.

- to be continued

Author's Note: Alright! New chapter! I'm on a roll! Except I start school in a week...but I will push out at least one more to not leave you with too much of a cliffhanger (aka this isn't the last one before I start taking my long breaks again, which is good, cuz that ending was cruel!). So, she's gone and done it again. Anyone else getting annoyed by her? We should make it a drinking game (for those of you who drink, cuz I don't): every time Lina pushes Kakashi away, you drink! XD Btw, I'm not responsible for anything you do while you're dead drunk, cuz that's what you'd be by the time you finished the game up till now.

How did you feel about Lina's demotion? I thought it was a nice twist to the story, make her lose one of the things that had made her feel like she could stand equal to Kakashi, and see what she does with it. Should I keep her a chuunin for life? Get her promoted after the war? This was also a part of the concept of 'Coming Home'. When she came back, one of the things she'd been looking for was recognition. And soon after she got it (in the exams), she went and lost it because she hadn't thought things through. It's a way of her growing up, I suppose. Sure, she may have the skills, but just because you're a bad-ass ninja who can take down Hatake Kakashi, doesn't mean you have the mental capacity to be a real jounin.

And now, of course, I have to touch on the issue of Kakashi getting weepy. I know, some of you were probably turned off by it, thinking "Come on! He wouldn't get all weepy! He'd just mope about and beat himself up!" But remember, he's just gotten his personality back, and with it came all the emotions he used to feel for Lina. He's conflicted by his still-strong emotions for Yuki, and knowing the heartbreak he caused Lina, and then subsequently losing her because of what he did, it's the exact same thing as with Rin and Obito.

Aaaanyway, that's all I've got to say about this chapter! Next chapter will be a bit of a mediocre one, it's sort of filler, but sort of not. You'll see. I don't recommend skipping it, because things do eventually happen, but fair warning that it's going to be a sad angsty pine-y one, and probably a bit slow. Lol I'm not making it sound very good, am I? Well, read it for yourself, after I've written it. Also, please visit my profile to vote for your favorite way to end this story. There's a poll up with a list of options, I would really like your input! Please note that I have allowed multiple choices with a maximum of 3, so feel free to pick more than 1 if you can't decide!

- Hina