Chapter Four: Cold of Night

Disclaimer: No claim on owning Naruto here, but it's a superb anime!!!

Warning: A/U. This story will not end happily. Make sure that you keep this in mind...... Rating: P.G. 13 Sad, sad, sad... -sniffsniff- Pairing: KakKal (OC)

Author's Notes: And here it is! THE FINAL CHAPTER EVERYONE!!! I should tell you that this chapter gets very sad, and if you do not like death than please, do not read this.

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Chapter Four: Cold of Night

At daybreak, Kakashi's fevered mind woke its body up enough so that he found himself tied up in the middle of the missing-nin's camp. There was not a single soul in sight, except for a man holding a heavy sword, Kaldea and Kodo himself. All the other bandits lay in wait, ready to jump on the leader's signal.

Kaldea was extremely worried. As of yet they hadn't seen nor heard any sign of Kakashi's Hokage replying to the ransom note that had been sent to him, and if not than there was no way that she could even think of begging for Kakashi's life to be spared. If that happened, Kodo would have to use Kakashi as a tool to prove his point, and that he was quite serious.

By the time that the sun had reached almost mid-point in the sky, Kodo had enough of waiting. His eyes met Kakashi's directly.

"So you're not important enough for your beloved Hokage to even try to rescue. Bah, you're worthless. Kill him."

Kodo started to walk away. The man with the sword stepped up, jabbing downwards with it at Kakashi's heart. The jounin closed his eyes, almost welcoming death and the escape from his pain. What he felt was blood splattering across his face, and the pain slowly eased. But he was not dead.

Opening his eyes, Kakashi found himself alive and uninjured. No, the blade hadn't even hit him. But where was the blood...

Kaldea! She lay limply, draped across the ground in front of Kakashi. As tears came to his eyes and fell unbidden, the sounds of fighting and screams fell soundless in the background.

The Hokage could not arrive in person. But for Kakashi's many years of loyal service in the protection of Konoha, he just couldn't let the jounin be executed. No, he had sent a detachment of the jounin stationed at Konoha, friends and people who knew and grew up with the man. They were here to kick Kodo's ass and bring Kakashi back.

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Kakashi gently lifted the warm form of Kaldea up, and held her close to his heart. She was light, as if something was now missing. It was almost as if he was willing his strength into her; for her to get better.

She wasn't dead...yet. Her blue eyes opened, and a single tear fell from one.

"Kaldea, are you alright?"

Her lips parted, and her voice was just a soft whisper.

"Don't worry...I don't...like myself...I hate the things that I have done...I was...always hoping that my end would come sooner...but I...never could die....It seemed like a...bad yet...strangely beautiful dream...I've just met you...but I'll never see you again...Kakashi..."

Kaldea winched, her eyes closing partially. Kakashi shook her lightly, trying to keep her awake.

All around then were people fight. Blood splattering across the earth, bodies falling. Men and women who had families left behind, dead. But...Kakashi did not care. The beautiful woman who had given him her everything was dying...

"Kaldea!"

"I will die now. It's better this way..."

She trembled, and he could see the fear burning passionately within those blue orbs.

"You can't die!"

'I need you...'

His mind screamed, and he held the woman even closer in order to hear her ever fading voice.

"I'm...very tired....just allow...me to die now..."

She could barely move her hand over to Kakashi's, and she gripped it and willed him to stay strong.

"I'm here...and we're together..."

Kakashi whispered, knowing that their time together was coming to an end.

"Thank you Kakashi...I'm...happy...that I met you..."

Her hand squeezed once, and then her grip loosened. Her blue eyes slowly closed, and her faint breaths eased into nonexistence and leaving her lips slightly parted.

"Kaldea...KALDEA!!!"

The jounin screamed, his grief filling his entire soul. Kaldea had died hating herself, but in the arms of the one man who'd ever see her for herself, and not as some tool to be exploited.

The battle around him slowly ceased. Victory had come to the shinobi from Konoha; the bandits that they hadn't killed were tied up or crippled. Like the coward he was, Kodo had been caught trying to escape and leaving his men to the shinobi's wrath and had been immediately killed by Gai and Kurenai.

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As evening approached, Kakashi look out across the battlefield where both friends and enemies had been finally laid to rest. He had refused the help of his companions with his final task. He was stronger now, the poison leeched from his body. And it pained him to know that it had been Kaldea's blood which had been what saved his life.

He stood there at a fresh grave. The headstone was simple, and bore the name of the purest soul that he had ever met. Natsu Kaldea...

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End Notes: It's not over yet. –heheheh- The epilogue will be coming up very shortly, and it's going to be bittersweet to finally let this story go.

My request line is now open for a story request. Please send one in to take away my spare time...