Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto!

Another update.

Sorry for another short chapter! :) Enjoy.


Chapter 3:

Tsunade had given Kakashi's team a teleportation jutsu to come back but the place that it teleported them too was just outside the village. Kakashi, holding the limp and barely breathing Sakura, made his way into the hospital faster than he had ever moved before. He burst into the lobby, slightly out of breath, his eyes searching for anyone who could help. Then he locked eyes with Tsunade, whose eyes widened, probably because he was covered in blood, in Sakura's blood.

"Save her." He managed to get out between breaths.

Kakashi watched as her eyes fell on Sakura, the clipboard in her hands crashed to the floor and then the whole hospital burst into action. Tsunade lifted the limp Sakura out of his arms and into one of the rooms.

But that had been hours ago. He was leaning against the wall, head buried in his favorite orange book. The book couldn't answer his questions though. Why had she been there? Why did Tsunade send her? What happened? Was she really so ready to die? The image of Sakura laying there, stark naked, hand chopped off, leg pretty damn close to being unattached, bandages around her eyes, covered in blood, and the pale look of death he had seen far too many times on his friends faces. Death had been calling her home. She begged Kakashi to leave her. But he couldn't.

"Damn it Sakura! Don't you dare leave me to this damn village alone." The hospital walls shook as Tsunade's angry thunderous voice echoed through the halls. Was he really going to have another name to visit? He slid down the wall into a crouched position.

"They are still in there huh?" Kenshi, his teammate, finally had made his way to the hospital after Kakashi had left the two of them in the dust. He handed Kakashi a cup of water and Kakashi threw it back. He was chosen for his medic skills, particularly when it came to putting people back together. He understood why the hokage chose Tsuna, she was very good at hunting and tracking but she hadn't been prepared enough for the slight at the compound.

One of the medics came out and Kakashi recognized her as one of the girls Sakura childhood friends.

"I'll replace you Yamanaka." Kenshi gave Kakashi as small wave and disappeared behind the doors.

The girl sank into the chair beside Kakashi. "Stupid Forehead," she mumbled. She looked at him for the first time and her eyebrows rose. "Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing here?"

Kakashi nodded to the door.

"I know Tsunade said you brought her in but you avoid hospitals like everyone avoids Guy-sensei." She paused for a few moments. "You know," Kakashi watched as she leaned forward, her blonde hair covering her face. "She wants to die. She's no fighting at all. Hokage-sama says if she can get through the first twenty four hours, then she has a chance."

Kakashi simply looked at her. Watched as she buried her face in her hands.

"She's died four times."

His eyes widened, luckily one was hidden behind his hitai but he didn't say a word.

"I'm sure you heard the Hokage that fourth time. I think she scared Sakura's ghost back into her body." She slumped into the chair, tears falling down her face.

Kakashi shifted against the wall, he never was the one to console a girl when she cried. He didn't really know how.

"There is so much wrong with her," Ino sniffled. "She's blind, completely. It's grotesque what they did to her."

"What do you mean?" Kakashi managed to choke out. She was blind? How could she still be on the mission after something that bad happened? Was that the reason for the battle or did this happen further back?

Ino answered his unspoken question, looking at him in the eye when she spoke a little over a choked whisper. "Kakashi-sensei, they tortured her. Her eyes look like they were cut out and then put back in. Her stomach is backwards. They took her whole stomach out and flipped it around. The amount of scars on her body, she has more scar tissue than normal tissue. Most of them are years old. Every portion of her back was…" She paused but the look in her eyes was something he had seen before. The look when they see what the devastation of war could bring. She looked him in the eye. "She was skinned."

That was it. He teleported out of the hallway and onto the roof. It was already dark out but Kakashi ran along the rooftops to the once place he could think. He dropped down and slowly walked up to the memorial wall, hands shoved in his pockets.

Sakura really was his favorite student. Out of all Team Kakashi, she was the lowest maintenance. But somehow she had weaseled her way into his life. Through stories and the offer of free food, she had wormed her way into his small bubble. After every mission they would talk about it, no matter how classified. She was a bright spot in his life. He had been there after she had her first real kunoichi mission. It took her a couple days but she had bounced back. She had grown into a fine woman and a strong kunoichi and Kakashi would only admit to himself he had a soft spot for her.

His fist balled up in his pocket. But this had taken it too far. He had been gone on a three-month mission and when he came back she was already gone. Under a guise that she was doing medic training in another country but why had they lied about the mission? Why had Tsunade allowed her to go on the mission in the first place? For five year she had been in that place according to the intel that was given to Kakashi after he brought Sakura into the hospital. She had defiantly been the one to bring it down but she also had been willing to die for it as well.

He waited a couple hours before going back to the hospital. It had quieted down and no one was outside the room where Sakura was. Kakashi gingerly opened the door and poked his head in. Shizune was the only one in the room. She was holding a clipboard and fussing over the machines. He cleared his throat and she jumped, spun around, regarding him with surprise.

"Is she…" Kakashi didn't want to voice the question.

"She's stable, for now. But the machines are doing most of the work. Tsunade will hate me but you can come in."

As he opened the door and walked into the room, he could feel Shizune regarding him in mild fascination. He sat in the chair that was pulled closer towards the bed. Kakashi looked at his former student. Though, there wasn't much to look at. She had bandages covering her neck and down, then from the bridge of her nose and all the way around her head.

"Sakura, you look like a mummy."

Shizune shot him a glare but he just gave her a usual eye crinkle. She started to leave but she looked at Kakashi.

"They say coma patients can still here you. Tsunade can only threaten her so much. Maybe you can talk some sense into her." Quietly, she shut the door behind her.

He felt slightly uncomfortable considering he was alone with a coma patient who happened to be his friend and ex-student. His feelings towards hospitals weren't helping. Finally he sighed and pulled out his book. Leaning back into the chair.

"I just got back from this mission. The plan was to take a scroll back home from an elite ninja who died to save her village. Who knew the scroll was actually a copy of Icha Icha Paradise – Special Edition."