Chapter 6: Still Night Air

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A hand extened down to the, somewhat embarressed, boy. He gladly grabbed it and was pulled to his feet. The once unruly silver hair was now short and quite tame. The jounin still wore the all black outfit that he had during the raid. As usual, the sharigan was covered up by a mask. Still, Naruto was just happy to be able to stare into the grey eyes of a good friend.

Words wanted to come, but nothing. They croaked and gurgled in his throat. Kakashi would not do him the pleasure of speaking first. So the boy struggled for the right thing. What was the right thing to say. 'I thought I'd never see you again? How could you do this to me? or maybe... yes that would do.' "Hi."

"Hi," 'Not what I expected.' So the silence was broken, but only for a second. Soon both were quiet. The silver headed jounin smiled and leaned against the wall. Naruto nodded and returned to the bed. He sat down. His heart felt light and filled with joy.

Kakashi sighed. What should they talk about. There was a reason that he risked coming here. But now he had forgotten. He was just glad to Naruto alright. "Sakura.." he didn't mean to say it aloud.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto stood up. It sudenly popped into his mind. The blonde had almost forgotten about what happened between the two. "Y-you were the one to cut her." Kakashi's eye looked away. Naruto saw that it hurt his sensei to reminded; but before he could apologize, Kakashi spoke.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't worry! She's alright." Kakashi wanted to smile at the news. Yet, he still felt sad. "Kakashi-sensei." Naruto asked with a worried tone.

"It's good. She's alright. Can I see her?" he hadn't expected to say this. He didn't want to see her. He didn't want to face the pink headed genin. It would be too much.

But his thoughts were interrupted, "Yes!" Before Kakashi could protest, Naruto put on a smile and opened the door. When the jounin didn't budge, he grabbed his arm and pulled.

The night was growing old. But sleep would come. 'I was that close. That close!' the mind of the shinobi whirled. So much had happened in such a small time. What exactly did happen. "I tried to kill Kakashi," then he said a silent thank you to Kuzu for stopping him.

His hands pushed up through his burning red hair. The Dark User had never felt fear like he had. Well, not for so many years. It had been a shock to him. Ishida thought he should at least check up on his former companion. Just as he stood from the desk, the door busted open.

A frightned Kuzu flung open the door. His face filled with worry. It had been nearly two hours since Ishida left him alone. "What?" his voice remained calmed though as he prepared himself for the news.

"Master Ishida, Ka-Ka-Kakashi has escaped!"

The moon shone through the soft curtains. Her soft pale face lit up. It seemed as if life itself had taken hold of her. And all who had lived, dwelled inside. Making her soul glow with good.

They had to be quiet. Her breathing was shallow. But she was alive. The jounin still couldn't bring himself to smile. This is what he wanted. Her to live, him to move on. Naruto stood beside his teacher. Sakura was expose to leave the hospital today, but they had checked her house and found her room vacant.

Kakashi moved closer to the bedside. The blonde stood beside him. Softly he whispered to him, "She said you weren't the same." Worry and sorrow was in his words. So much did it come from him, that Kakashi didn't want to tell the truth.

"People can change a lot in two weeks, huh?" His comment would only make Naruto wonder more.

So they stood there in silence. Finally many moments had passed. The jounin moved to the door. It was hard for him. 'I'm sorry Sakura. I didn't mean to hurt you. I've changed. Maybe too much for this life.' His gloved hand gripped the knob. But just as the joints were begining to creak, there came a soft voice.

"Kakashi-sensei?"

A sigh came from the man. Sakura's soft voice echoed many times in his head. Yet his feelings for his students forced him to turn around. His eyes were soft and heavy with love for them. But in the shadow of those feelings, there was grief, regret, and a feeling of saddness so heavy no one could understand.

Naruto was now standing next to Sakura. He helped her up. The blonde was very silent. The only thing that could be heard was the shuffling of Sakura's blankets as she stood up. Her lip quivering. No tears would come. She had cried away all of them. The girl's eyes shaked with happiness.

"Your really alive?" Kakashi wanted to move away. He wanted to step out of reach. But it was too late. Just as Naruto had done weeks ago, she did the same. Before realizing it herself, Sakura's arms were wrapped around her dear teacher and friend. What could he do, but hug back.

"Escaped!" Kuzu's ears rang with Ishida's comanding voice. But the hurt of his ears would be nothing compared to the pain Ishida would bring upon him if he found out what he said was true. Kuzu was not the most intelligent of all people. Therefore he sent himself in to danger.

"Yed sir, he escaped." Even though his soul was shaking with fear, the foreigner kept his ground. 'I din't think he'd be this angry. Why did I let that blasted ninja go!' Ishida's face darkened even more. His brow furrowed to the center of his head.

Kuzu prepared himself for Ishida's wrath. The last thing he saw was Ishida coming towards him; then his eyes shut. Nothing. Nothing at all, this was unusual. One eye peeked open. Ishida wasn't there any more. 'Where'd he go?' he jumped a little as the door shut behind him. A breath was let out. Then a voice in his head said to him, 'Don't think it's over.' A shiver ran up his spine, "Ishida, an' dem mind games of his.'

The wind blew between the long strands of his fire red hair. He did not have time to tie it back. His fury had kept his blood hot and moving. How could he find time? The only thoughts running through his head were: Would he find Kakashi?- and how should he punish Kuzu.

"Never trust a man from the West." He mumbled.

The night had grown old. Dawn would show itself in a matter of hours. If Kakashi wasn't found then, he would turn back. Already Ishida was plotting his revenge. For to him, this was enough. He would not deal with an insobordinate shinobi. The men in his raiding parties had to be loyal. But most of all they had to listen.

Slowly Ishida noticed that the shadows grew deeper further ahead. "The wall," he whispered. Konoha was in close reach. Soon he would hide away in the woods and advance from there. If he were caught, there would be no mercy.

'I know you're in there Kakashi. You can't fool me.'

Sakura's vision blurred with tears. She looked up at her teacher's masked face. Still crying, and still holding onto him. A smile spread from cheek to cheek. Even though his hair had changed, the eyes were the same. They always would be. One grey and layed back, the other red and ready always to be covered.

The silver headed jounin looked into his student's eyes. He had trained himself not to cry. For showing emotion would show his weakness. But now he wished he could cry. His eyes were dry and nothing would come. Slowly he pushed the young girl away.

Naruto had been standing there. His friend's reaction to their teacher had been better than he expected. 'She doesn't blame him.' Kakashi looked over the pink head and saw his other student smiling. Sakura turned as well. "Naruto? What are you so happy about?" she inquired.

"Life," he said.

"Life?"

"Yes, Sakura-chan, life. It's going to be normal again. Kakashi-sensei is back! We can finally be team 7, team Kakashi." Now his arms were in fist and bent at 90 degree angels in excitement. Sakura smiled as well. It wasn't hard when you looked into the genin's blue eyes. They filled with happiness and satisfaction. True joy was there as well. But something made her wonder. It felt as if a heavy saddness had fallen over them.

Naruto lowered his arms and stared at their teacher. Sakura did the same. His visible eye was looking away into space. It was filled with a sorrow so heavy, it seemed to droop. For he knew the truth. The one and only truth. Nothing that Naruto had said was true, nor would it ever be true. This was because Ishida was still out there. The Dark User wanted Kakashi either with him and alive, or dead and buried beneath his feet.

The blonde moved closer to his sensei, "Kakashi-sensei?"

"You're wrong, Naruto. Nothing can ever be the same about life. Not as long as Ishida hunts for my life. Not as long as I am dead in this village," Kakashi's words pierced through Naruto's heart. Sakura finally brought her self fully away from Kakashi.

Now the blonde genin's heart filled with doubt at what Kakashi had said. "Your wrong You're back."

The jounin's brow forrowed, "Naruto, do you not remeber why Ishida kidnapped you in the first place!" His voice rosed to a yell. "It's too dangerous for me to be here." 'I've stayed too long already. I do not trust Kuzu to go and be silent all night.' Without another word, and leaving his students stunned and heartbroken, he moved to the window.

Naruto finally snapped to it and spun to his teacher. His hand reached out for him. But before it could grab his arm, Kakashi flung around and pulled Naruto down. Then his arm reached out and tripped Sakura. Just as she landed with a thud, there was a deepening in the night air. This made it hard to breath, and before the two genin's knew what was going on, the side of the hospital was blown to pieces.

Sorry if this took too long for me to update. Next chapter will come sooner. Please forgive me for my slowness. But I thought that I needed to rest my mind. Writing this grew tiresome to write day after day nonstop. Thank you for being patient.

Read on...