Kakashi woke that morning feeling as if his body was weighed down terribly, his vision immensely unfocused. He stared at the ceiling blankly, too awake to go back to sleep, and too tired to get up.

"Kakashi?" Gai said, popping his head into the room obliviously, "Come out, I'm making pancakes... They're almost ready, so you'd better hurry!"

The green shinobi proceeded to run back to the kitchen, where breakfast was in danger of catching fire.

Kakashi considered ignoring him, but he realized that at this point in his life, he needed to spend as much time with Gai as he possibly could.

Rubbing his eyes with a muted groan, the Hatake slowly rolled off of the bed, planting his feet onto the floor. The change in position immediately sent a strong wave of dizziness through him.

With a shaky palm pushing heavily into the mattress, he stood, trudging into the rest of the apartment. He hadn't even made it to the living room before he started to feel ill again, blood draining from his face to his feet.

Kakashi dragged himself on nonetheless, frowning as black dots began to dance in his vision.

Gai turned with an ecstatic smile, turning off the stove. "I didn't think you would come out this soon! You're in for a huge surprise, I sprinkled some chocolate—"

Kakashi crumpled to the ground in a heap, releasing a pained breath. His brows furrowing dramatically, Gai discarded his spatula and stumbled towards his fallen friend.

"O-oh my God," he started frantically, dropping to his knees and checking Kakashi's pulse with shaky, clammy fingers, sighing in relief when it was there, and somewhat strong.

Gai cradled his head in his arms, checking him for injuries from the hard fall, and pushing back his silver hair as he coaxed him to wake up in a frenzy. It didn't take long for Kakashi to gain consciousness however, as he'd only really blacked out for a minute.

He blinked his lone eye open lazily, realizing that he was laying in his friend's lap, but being too fatigued to make a fuss about it.

"Gai…"

"You passed out," Gai told him, knowing that the question was a few seconds from being asked. Kakashi gave him a slight nod, averting his eyes.

"I want to go back to bed," he said, rolling off of his temporary roommate, and pushing into the wooden floor with his elbows as he attempted to sit up.

Gai shook his head anxiously, a hand on Kakashi's back to help him.

"It doesn't seem like you're well...I should take you to the hospital," He told him, eyeing his pallor.

The Hatake pulled away suddenly, grasping onto the sofa as he jolted into standing position.

"I'm not going to a hospital again," he spoke in a low tone, his eyes dark and stormy as he stared Gai down.

"You can't just ignore this! We need to take everything seriously!" Gai said loudly, growing both impatient and increasingly concerned.

"I'm not going...I'm an adult and you legally can't make me," Kakashi retorted, leaning heavily into the cushiony arm rest of the chair.

Gai shook his head, looking up at the ceiling with watery eyes, crossing his arms. It seemed as if Kakashi had a death wish.

"Can you at least tell me why you're doing this? Why are you not taking treatment!"

Kakashi blinked a few times, willing the world to stop spinning.

"With two cancers at the stages mine are at, treatment won't give me much longer, Gai," he said gruffly, "And there's no point in taking me to the hospital over this...trust me, I'll be fine with some sleep."

He was scared that if he went to the hospital, he'd never come back.

With that, Kakashi turned and started towards his bed, gait slow and uneven. Gai quickly caught up with him, placing a supportive palm on his back without question, as it looked like he would fall over at any moment.

"Kakashi…" Gai started somberly, helping the Hatake get under his covers, "I just think that there's no harm in taking help that's being given to you."

He looked to his friend expectedly, eyes glistening with evident pain.

Coughing unceremoniously as he relaxed into his pillows, Kakashi returned the eye contact, almost flinching when he took note of how obviously hurt Gai was.

"Listen…" he began softly, vaguely feeling an aching sensation in his chest, "This isn't something I haven't experienced before. Getting dizzy is actually pretty common for me, and when I tell you that staying in bed helps, I'm being completely serious."

Gai sighed, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "Alright, if you say so…"

They both knew that what he was actually upset about was Kakashi not re-starting chemotherapy after his most recent surgery, and not even attempting to treat the lung cancer. It was hardly being mentioned though, because Gai knew it would be torture to make him go through another treatment at this stage of his disease.

The ailing shinobi exhaled deeply, his breath having a whistling, wheezy quality to it. Gulping down the thick globs of phlegm lying dormant in his throat, he closed his eyes, feeling the fatigue roll over him in overwhelming waves. Within a few moments, he had succumbed to his exhaustion and fallen asleep.

Gai sat at Kakashi's bedside with an evident frown, looking directly at the man with a furrowed brow. It had been a few days since Kakashi had collapsed on the way to the kitchen, and if anything, getting more sleep had lulled him into a steady state of debilitating tiredness.

"Will you please eat already?" Gai pleaded, eyeing the sandwich he had placed on the nightstand thirty minutes prior.

The Hatake cracked an eye open weakly, silently shaking his head. His appetite had vanished—it felt as if he barely had the strength to chew.

Gai nodded, standing to pick up a glass of water he had set next to the food earlier. "Ok, but you have to drink this. Stay hydrated at least."

When Kakashi failed to respond, his eyes having feathered shut again, his friend placed an arm behind his neck and gently lifted him up, bringing the cool drink to his parched lips.

The copy nin stole a few meager sips before abruptly pulling away, clutching his sore chest as he was struck with an onslaught of hacking coughs. Gai rubbed his back as if he'd seen this before, having become used to the sudden coughing spells.

Falling back into the bed with a groan, Kakashi took fast breaths, noticing that it had become much easier to strain his body and quicken his heart rate.

"Are you okay?" Gai asked him worriedly, pulling the covers back up to his collar bones, as he had already started shivering slightly.

"...mhm," Kakashi whispered, struggling to maintain consciousness.

"Kakashi, we should-"

Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

Gai turned on his heels with a start, wondering who it could be—they hardly got any visitors, unless it was Shizune dropping off food, which she hadn't done for a while.

Upon opening the door, he saw that it was Sakura.

"Good afternoon," she spoke with a polite smile, "I was wondering if I could visit Kakashi-sensei?"

He rubbed the back of his neck, hesitating slightly, before stepping aside to let the Genin in, knowing that she hardly got to see the man.

"But not for too long, okay? He's not feeling great today."

She nodded and immediately headed for Kakashi's room, knowing where it was from a past visit. Gai trudged toward the couch to sit, deciding on giving them some privacy.

Sakura timidly took a seat on the mattress next to her sensei, blinking as she took in his appearance. He definitely looked worse than before.

What had happened to him?

Kakashi's face was practically gray, and there were small rivulets of sweat trickling down his forehead—yet it seemed as if he were cold, given that he was shivering on his side, in somewhat of a fetal position. Glancing down, she noticed that he was frail and bony, thinner than he'd been just a few weeks ago. Sakura sighed, pulling the blankets further up his body.

She frowned as she realized that his breathing was fast and shallow, coming to the obvious conclusion that it wasn't a good sign. The Haruno rubbed his arm, as it felt like he was in need of some comfort, and she didn't know how else to give it to him.

He woke up groggily, finding it difficult to latch on to lucidity and become fully aware.

"Sakura?" Kakashi croaked hoarsely, his throat raw and swollen from having been coughing so frequently. He felt his heartbeat quicken, as he was very uncomfortable with the idea of any of his former students seeing him like this.

"Sensei...I'm sorry I haven't visited in so long," Sakura said, looking into his eyes guiltily.

She quickly noticed that his gaze was tired and drawn, almost as if it was hard for him to stay awake. A pang of sadness went through her as she observed the purple, dark shadows under his eyes, that, to her at least, made it clear that he was struggling, and drained of his energy.

"It's ok, Sakura," Kakashi told her softly, his voice nearly a whisper. He was honestly in no mood to talk to anyone at the moment.

Observing both his reluctance to chat, and his obvious sleepiness, Sakura stayed silent for a few moments, watching as her sensei's eyes began to droop. Strangely, she didn't mind the quiet atmosphere—she was content with just sitting there by his side, though it pained her to watch him shiver, or have such difficulty breathing.

She'd become accustomed to the idea of him having cancer, yet lately, it was hurting her more than it had before. Perhaps because it was becoming quite apparent that he was only getting weaker as the days passed.

Kakashi moaned incoherently, shifting his position in the bed, so that he was facing away from her. With a furrowed brow, he rubbed his chest with his palm, feeling a mounting pressure in his lungs every time he inhaled.

He finally opened his eyes, hacking wetly, as the rate of his breathing steadily increased to compensate for the fact that he wasn't taking in as much air. Kakashi didn't want to cough in front of her.

"Sensei?" Sakura questioned with a concerned frown, aware of his discomfort, "What's the matter?"

"Nothing..." he began with a grimace, lying without hesitation, "I-I…"

The Hatake gasped suddenly, grasping at his thin shirt as he wheezed for a proper breath. His chest was struck with a sharp pain every time he attempted to inhale.

Sakura stiffened. "What's wrong?"

Kakashi just screwed his eyes shut, clenching his teeth, not daring to move.

She stood abruptly, heading towards the door.

"Gai-sensei!" Sakura cried in fear, hurrying up to the man, who was leaning back on the sofa in silence, staring at absolutely nothing. He jerked out of his stupor, the obvious worry in her tone further souring his already unpleasant mood.

"Kakashi-sensei's hurting! I-I don't think he can breathe…" She told him hurriedly, already turning to head back to the bedroom. He followed right after her, cursing under his breath.

Gai examined his friend, finding that his visage had gone an alarming stark white, his breathing rough, with a distinctive whistling quality to it. He saw that Kakashi had curled up into a ball, his muscles clenched.

"Okay, let's get up, Kakashi," Gai started with a furrowed brow, having the idea that maybe sitting up would alleviate his chest pain, which had become somewhat frequent since the past day. He decided right then and there that he would call Tsunade soon and talk to her about his growing concerns.

Kakashi groaned when Gai began to rub his back in encouragement, shifting away from him so that he was facing up towards the ceiling.

"I know you're in pain...but I think this will help, my rival."

The Hatake numbly felt himself being lifted into a sitting position, not really wanting to be touched. A tingling pressure built up in his crowded chest, and soon enough, he was coughing so hard that he couldn't breathe. Kakashi clutched his chest with one hand, the other one gripping Gai's wrist in a tight, desperate hold.

"You're okay...you can do this," Gai encouraged softly, continuing to rub his heaving back. Glancing at Sakura, he saw that she was observing the scene with a serious look, her arms crossed as certain things clicked in her mind.

Panting profusely, Kakashi fell back into his bed, the collar of his shirt dark with sweat. He tremulously let go of Gai's hand, his arm falling flatly beside him.

Sakura jumped forward, procuring a half full glass of water she'd found on the nightstand. She put it up to his masked lips without a word, and he drank it greedily, still trying to catch his breath.

She wanted so badly to question her sensei about his new ailment, but she held her tongue, realizing that he wasn't in the right state of mind to bear her interrogation. He had enough to deal with on his own.

Kakashi's head lolled to one side, his eyes fluttering closed. He felt mortified about what had just happened, but he was too tired to let it concern him. He groaned involuntarily with a strained exhale, his whole body aching.

He felt a calloused hand rub his arm, finding that he somehow felt comforted by the gesture, which he'd become quite accustomed to in recent times. A second hand, this one possessing a softer touch, pushed his damp bangs out of his face, stroking his hair in a backward motion.

The Hatake sighed, his muscles relaxing as he approached sleep once more.

Tsunade eyed Kakashi with a weary look, fearing that her worst worries had come true.

Gai had given her a call earlier that day, telling her about how he was always in bed now, had a constant cough, and seemed drastically weaker than he'd been just a few weeks ago. Looking at the man herself, she saw that he was quiet and still, completely lifeless, except for the way he trembled, as if he wasn't covered in multiple blankets. His lungs sounded wet and congested, and somehow, he'd lost an alarming amount of weight since she'd last seen him.

Usually, when cancer patients approach the end of their lives, they become debilitated with fatigue, often sleeping for the majority of the day. And from what Gai told her about Kakashi being in bed all the time, all things considered, this was already looking pretty bad. Especially since he wasn't even accepting treatment.

"Gai," Tsunade started, her eyes narrowing, "How long has he been shivering like that?"

"He's frequently cold...but the shivering has been persistent since the beginning of the week."

She inched forward, putting a cool palm to his forehead. It was clammy and hot—it became quickly apparent to her that he was running a fever.

"He's rather warm," the hokage told Gai, getting on her knees so she was at level with Kakashi at his bedside.

"H-he's sick? I checked his temperature before and I could've sworn it was—"

"Kakashi, it's time to wake up," she cooed, rubbing his shoulder. After a few moments, he breathed out sharply, blinking to clear his vision. Parting his cracked lips, he attempted to greet her, however, no sound left his mouth.

He coughed suddenly, his chest becoming acutely uncomfortable.

"I think we should go to the hospital. It's possible that you might've caught an infection, so we should go soon," Tsunade told him, hearing as he continued to hack in the background.

She stayed silent for a few moments, watching as his coughs became deeper, and wetter, his visage taking on a delicate green tinge, as he genuinely struggled to breathe. Tsunade scrambled for a small trash can that was conveniently next to the nightstand, quickly handing it to him.

He took it without complaint, desperately sitting up and vomiting into the opening, water and stomach acid soon spilling into the plastic bag covering the container. Kakashi shook violently, quietly sniveling as he repeatedly dry heaved into the trash can, mucus dangling from his mouth.

Tsunade put a reassuring hand on his back, wiping his trembling lips with her personal handkerchief, before placing the container to the side. She paled upon taking a peek into it, finding that his vomit was streaked with red.

"Gai, we need to leave for the hospital now," she told the man standing behind her, "Kakashi can you get up? Or do you need help?"

"I don't want to go to the hospital again…I'd rather stay in bed."

The hokage turned to glance at Gai, giving him a worried look.

"It's not like I'm putting you on chemo," she started calmly in response, "I just want to check if you have an infection in your lungs. Is that too much to ask?"

Kakashi sighed deeply, rolling his lone eye to make it known that he was annoyed.

"...fine."

He peeled back the blankets and swung his sore legs off of the mattress with great difficulty, coming to a standing position. However, not much time had passed before his head started to pound, and his knees began to buckle. He heard a distinct ringing, his vision becoming misty and tainted.

"Kakashi? Are you alright?"

He groaned, his legs giving out.

Gai caught him before he collapsed to the ground, pulling one of Kakashi's arms over his shoulder, wrapping his own arm around his shrinking waistline. A feeling of fear and panic begin to brew in the pit of his stomach.

"Let's go," Tsunade said sternly, her voice rough and serious.

Together, they hurried out of the apartment, knowing deep inside that it might be the last time Kakashi would ever be in his home again.

"He has pneumonia."

Gai shook his head, eyes wide in disbelief.

"But...but, he can't handle this right now...there's gotta be some other reason for this...right?"

Tsunade sighed, crossing her arms. "He's extremely susceptible to getting lung infections, especially since his lung cancer hasn't been contained. This was almost inevitable."

The man took a long look at his best friend, whose teeth were audibly chattering, his cheeks flushed with a raging fever. He'd fallen asleep soon after being admitted, and had yet to wake up.

At that moment, Gai had never felt more hopeless. He knew that if things didn't get better, Kakashi was going to die soon.

Kakashi was going to die soon?

Tears began to spring from his eyes, his mouth turning downward into a dramatic frown. He felt his hands starting to shake as he became overcome with the feeling one would experience if they were to suddenly lose a best friend. He'd never really come to terms with the illness in the first place, so now that it was in its final stages, Gai felt that time had slipped through his fingers like sand, disappearing into nowhere.

He hadn't taken Kakashi on any trips, or done anything that fun with him—no, the last part of his life had been him laying in bed, barely being able to hold a glass of water on his own.

"Are you okay?" Tsunade said softly, watching as he broke down.

"Y-yeah," he stuttered, wiping his eyes furiously, "How much time does he have?"

The hokage's eyes drifted to her feet.

"Maybe a month, if he can fight this pneumonia. If not, then less," she spoke glumly, "Right now, Kakashi's body is doing everything it can to stay alive."

Gai nodded, gulping thickly. He closed his tired eyes, unable to fully comprehend that Kakashi was on his deathbed. This was all his fault—if he'd listened to his gut and brought him in earlier, then maybe he would've had a chance.

"We're going to start him on antibiotics," Tsunade continued, "However, his immune system is weakened, so it'll be harder for him to fight the infection."

He put his face in his hands, feeling utterly overwhelmed. With a sharp inhale, Gai stood, dusting off his jumpsuit.

"I think I need some air," he said quietly, pausing in front of the hokage politely, but not making eye contact. He went on to leave the room once she'd given him a nod of acknowledgement, his heart carrying a heavy burden.