CHAPTER 3

"I see that your left arm has been cured," Asuma lights a cigarette as we head toward Kakashi's place.

"Yes," I lay my right hand on my left bicep, where the scar is. "I met Tsunade-sama after I left the village. She took care of my arm."

"She's that genius doctor that can cure anything, isn't she?" Kurenai asks. I nod in reply.

"She's a very nice lady...most of the time. It'd be even better if she could only stop gambling like there's no tomorrow," I pause, as an uneasy silence follows. I finally ask the question that I've been trying to ask since I ran into them. "What happened to Kakashi?"

"We encountered Itachi," he blew out a ring of smoke. I stop my pace abruptly, knowing how serious this means. Uchiha Itachi, one of the final two Uchihas left. The kid that wiped out his entire clan. What kind of child would be able to do something like that? I cannot imagine how serious Kakashi's wound is now that I've learned the opponent was Itachi. Asuma continues, "We fought. But we couldn't do much. It was a Sharingan-Sharingan fight."

"Sha-rin-gan-" I repeat each syllable slowly, staring at the ground. "The Sharingan he got…from that time?"

Asuma steals a glance of me as he inhales some nicotine. He isn't going to answer, because he knows that it was a rhetorical question. Kurenai doesn't understand, but she keeps quiet.

"How badly injured is he?" I continue staring at the ground.

"He wasn't physically, but mentally attacked," Kurenai explains. I look at her, waiting for her to continue, but all she says is, "He'll live."

When we've finally reached Kakashi's place. I hesitate at the door. "You are not gonna stop here now, are you?" Asuma blows out a triple ring. I grab the cigarette and throw it on the ground before stepping on it like I am trying to kill bug. "You don't have to take it out on me," he says, reaching for another cigarette from his pocket.

"Excuse me? Can you not smoke for once, Smokey? We are visiting a patient," I snap, knowing that his accusation is true. He apologizes anyway as he puts the cigarette away. I lay my hand on the doorknob and turn it slowly. After taking a deep breath, I open it. Inside the room, Kakashi is lying in a bed on the floor. A mix feeling of fear and love sears through my body. I promptly rush to his side, and reach out to his masked face, but withdraw quickly.

If I touch him, I won't ever be able to let go. I grab onto my shirt tightly to keep my hands off him (A/N: haha). He still looks so good, except that I can only see one of his eyes now. His silver hair is as beautiful as it has always been. But he looks exhausted. I try hard to hold back my tears, but fail.

"Don't worry, Makiko," Kurenai puts a hand on my shoulder. "He'll be fine."

"Don't worry about me!!"

He came nevertheless.

SLAASH~~~

Someone screamed painfully.

Kakashi turned his head, eyes wide.

I yelled something.

Tears filled my eyes. I couldn't see anymore. It was all red.

I heard another scream. It was Kakashi's this time.

And another. Mine.

One comrade, I killed.

Another comrade, I blinded.

More than just an arm, I lost.

This wouldn't have happened…Obito wouldn't have died...The mission wouldn't have failed…Only if he had left me alone, along with my puddle of blood. Only if he stayed put. Only if he didn't try to save me. Only if I wasn't there. Only if I never existed.