25. Only death can do us apart
.
He shook his head and sat down on the surprisingly comfy armchair. It did not take long for him to fall asleep while his hand was holding hers.
Beneath his scarred eyelid three tomoe slowly began spinning…
.
In the dark he saw her and locked her in his arms. Sakura relaxed in his comforting hug, she laid her arms on his.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She sobbed burying her face in his chest. "I was so stupid and careless. All I wanted was to save you from…"
"Ssshhhhh, we get you out of this. I promise."
.
"Not this time." She shook her head in hopeless disbelief and looked with fearful, teary eyes at him. "Kakashi, I am dying."
Shocked mismatching eyes scrutinized the truth in her words. Every piece of his body ached and screamed. "It can't be."
.
"I am certain, I can feel it. The poison is the strongest I have ever come across. It's eradicating my chakra with speed. It can't be stopped." She sobbed again in shock. "It will be over soon, Kakashi. I'm going to d.."
"No, you're not. I won't let you die." His hand cupped her cheek as her lips quivered and her tears started to fall. "Help me find a way. Sakura, I promise I won't let you die. Not now. It's not your time to go." Then he sealed her lips with his and hugged her close. "Stay with me, Sakura. We will find a way."
.
In the meantime Tsunade and Shizune were working outside the room. The Suna poison experts had arrived hours before dawn, they had already analysed Sakura's blood samples and had some more antidotes prepared. They went into the room to check on the pinkette's state and to administer her new medicine. Kakashi was curled up in the armchair, to his appearance he was still sleeping and holding her hand in his ungloved one.
The medics noted Sakura's vitals were going to stop soon with the continuous chakra depletion. The black-haired medic-nin whispered, "She gets weaker every minute, it's constantly getting worse." The blonde sannin could not hold back her tears anymore. She could not help her, even the Suna experts had no clue why her body did not react to the antidotes. They let the rest of team seven come into the room so they could be by her side.
.
All of a sudden a very dishevelled hokage woke up. "Sakura said that maybe Gaara could help. It's the only way left. Death is already scratching at her door. There's not much time left."
The former hokage scrutinized his words for a few moments. "Said? The kazekage?"
.
"Yes, she said it has something to do with chakra mending."
The great Uchiha stepped near, "I have an idea." He looked at the others. "Could you please leave us alone? And go get the redhead in as soon as possible!"
.
.
As there were only Tsunade, Kakashi, Sasuke and Gaara left with an unconscious Sakura in the room, the black-haired man started narrating the chakra bond clan secret.
"There is one last option to help her, but I'm not sure of the effects it may cause."
The great copy-nin stated, "It doesn't matter, if there is a chance for her to make it out alive we take it."
.
Sasuke looked at Kakashi, "She will be alive…", then he looked at Gaara, "and so will you."
Gaara agreed, "She saved me, now it is my turn to help her."
The others agreed.
.
As the Uchiha had recommended Tsunade drained all the remaining chakra of Sakura while Gaara laid meditating on a bed next to hers for shukaku could seep into her. The demon ripped out the foreign substance mended with all of her own chakra left, then he put a little of Gaara's revived chakra into her to grow. He had once managed to return from the dead with the help of Sakura and Chiyo, so there was a possibility this could be her rescue. The risk was immensely high, but there was no other way to set a starting point for her recovery. Her own original chakra in her body would never be able to recover again, but the given revival chakra contained a healthy part of her own original one. With some luck it would be enough for her to recuperate.
"If our theory about the pieces of Shukaku once left inside the kazekage had been right, then there should be enough left. Chakra bonds are highly interwoven with every cell of the body, but that could also mean that her end was inevitable."
"Do it!"
Tsunade took a deep breath.
.
The tension in the room was palpable as the woman on the bed died on intention.
Kakashi held his breath while she took her last breath.
Live, Sakura! Live! Please!
The minutes the chakra glowed as it flew from one body to another were the worst of his life. He could not do anything other than watch. Never had the infamous stern and aloof fighter felt so helpless in his life before. The emotions that surrounded him in those exact moments until he saw her finally breathe in again were indescribable.
.
After the chakra transfusion they brought her back to life and her vitals returned to a constant rate, even though they were still low, at least they seemed to be stable. The weakened kazekage was put in a bed in the same room, just in case they would need him again. Gaara slept peacefully and so did Sakura.
Kakashi stayed by her side and nobody who had not already known dared to question his strange behaviour.
"She will make it. Thanks to you." Tsunade whispered, patted his shoulder and gave him a tired smile before she left the room.
Do you hear that? You will live, Sakura. You're safe, you're alive.
.
Now knowing she would live he realised how depleted he was himself. Then the tousled silverhead fell asleep with her hand embedded in his.
Hope...
.
.
.