Sakura over the next few weeks just couldn't shake the bad feeling that she had, out of nowhere Kakashi had stopped sending his hounds with updates. Everyone kept telling her that maybe he had found White Zetsu and he had to conceal his chakra and just couldn't find an opening, but something just didn't sit right with her. It wasn't until snow had thickly covered the ground and the lakes had begun to freeze over did news about Kakashi come in.

Sakura tossed and turned all night; she couldn't sleep at home anymore and the only time she could get any amount of decent sleep was when she slept at Kakashi's place and in his bed, pulling the pillow closer to her face as she inhaled his scent. He smelled like burning ash and rain, a small hint of wet dog but not truly noticeable unless you spent copious amounts of time around him. Sakura finally fell asleep sometime into the early evening.

Chasing relentlessly, still fight and I don't know why

Awoken by noise and being jostled roughly Sakura reached for the kunai she slept with under the mattress only to find it missing, shooting up and looking around she discovered the room contained a single Anbu Black Op member, it was one she had known from previous S rank missions. Had they been discovered? How could she explain this away? Sakura cleared her throat best she could "I..it's not what it looks like! I.. Kakashi asked me to look after his house while he's gone!"

The Cat masked Anbu stared at the pinkette with a stone expression, the news of Kakashi's death had reached the Anbu only 2 hours ago, the Hokage had ordered them to pick Sakura up and bring her to the Hokage tower to deliver the news. They were ordered not to say a single word to her "I have orders to bring you to the Hokage Tower Sakura."

Sakura's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest at any moment, she scrambled to untangle herself from the silk black sheets that decorated the bed, her face felt hot and her skin clammy. She could hear a ringing in her ears. "Can you please tell me what this is about? I deserve some respect" Sakura was trying to stay calm, if it was Naruto that summoned her, she was fine right? But what if it was the council? What if they found out?

The Cat masked Anbu stood firm with her orders "I only have orders to bring you, not to give you any information. I do not have any information Sakura, apologies."

Sakura nodded as she dressed warm, a pair of warm thermal leggings under a pair of red pants, a white turtleneck under a red crop top and a heavy winter jacket. Grabbing a hat to shield herself from the copious amounts of snow falling outside Sakura pulled her boots on. Heading out the front door with the Anbu she made sure to lock the deadbolt as well as the bottom handle. She always joked it was a just in case to Kakashi, but really it was a habit she learned due to her apartment getting broken into by some genin a few years back when they picked the dead bolt. Now she bolted both to make it seem like too much work. The walk to the hokage tower was silent, all Sakura could hear was the ringing in her ears and the crunch of snow beneath their feet, the walk felt like it took ages. Once they reached the tower and walked up the stairs and down the long hallway, she quickly realized she was alone. Bracing herself for whatever hell awaited her, Sakura knocked on the large oak doors. Hearing Naruto's "come in" sent some relief down her body, but that was short lived when she opened the doors and saw his face.

Cause you are the piece of me, I wish I didn't need.

Naruto losing contact with Kakashi suddenly didn't bother him too much, it happened time to time on S rank missions, hell there was a time it happened with him on a mission, and he caused Lady Tsunade to panic. What worried Naruto the most was the fact Kakashi hadn't sent any type of contact in 3 weeks. Turning around in his chair Naruto sighed "Pervy-Sage what do I do? This isn't like Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto watched the snow fall and decorate the roof tops and streets. Summer shops closed the second the snow started falling and now winter shops were opening, and kids were riding around on boards and skates. Smiling to himself he thought of his wife Hinata, she was pregnant, and they just found out they were having a little boy. The joyful thought was short lived when a pigeon arrived, Naruto stood up quickly, it was soaked in blood. Opening it up to read it Naruto swung around to meet the gaze of his advisor and long-time friend Shikamaru who seemed out of breath, not like his usual composed self "Shikamaru" Naruto was reading the letter as his hands dropped, the letter with it. Naruto fell to the floor tears falling "Kakashi is…"

If our love is tragedy…..

Shikamaru was at the gate coming home from his hopefully last time in Sunagakure, Temari finally agreed to marry him and move to Konoha. While at the gate Pakkun arrived in a puff of smoke, he was covered in wounds and blood. With him was Kakashi's headband and vest. Shikamaru could barely piece together what was happening when his body lunged into action, reaching for Pakkun and somehow managing to find words screaming for who ever was listening to call the medic team.

Before Kakashi's demise he used the last remaining chakra he had to send Pakkun to the leaf village and a letter via bird to Naruto detailing his relationship with Sakura, begging Naruto to not punish her and to please tell her how much he loved her. With Kakashi's final breath he said goodbye to the hounds who were with him since the very beginning of his ninja days.

Pakkun appeared in the leaf village in a cloud of smoke, slightly disoriented due to his injuries and he wondered if this is what team 7 felt when they first started traveling with him. Shaking his head slightly, he didn't know how much time he himself had, he had to find someone. As luck would have it Shikamaru had just walked through the gates on his way home from Sunagakure. Once Shikamaru touched Pakkun, he allowed himself to relax. No more needing to be tough, this was it for him "S..Shikamaru, I need you to listen" Pakkun coughed as the blood from his wounds quickly found its way to his lungs, making his ability to talk harder than before.

Shikamaru sat on his knees, with Pakkun rested on them gently shaking his head "no stay quiet, help from the medic team is coming! Where's Kakashi! Just hold on!"

Pakkun shook his head "Kakashi is dead, he ended White Zetsu but like a true villain, he had the last laugh, he dealt Kakashi a final blow before wilting into the ground. Please…" Pakkun was slowly slipping in and out of consciousness, he could see the bird that Kakashi sent flying overhead "Shikamaru, take care of Naruto and Sakura" Pakkun closed his eyes as his heart stopped.

Naruto could feel Shikamaru's presence as he pulled himself up, palms on the desk taking a deep breath in "I never imagined that a day would come that Kakashi would die on the battlefield, I should've sent him with a team. I told him to scout, not engage."

Shikamaru knew just by Naruto's reaction and words that he knew as well, nodding Shikamaru walked over while gathering his breath and put a hand on his shoulder to soothe him while setting Kakashi's headband and blood soaked Jonin vest on the oak desk. Shikamaru knew all too well what it was like to lose not only a father figure but also a teacher. Naruto had lost so much in his lifetime. "You know as well as I do, that in missions there comes a time when you have to engage." Shikamaru watched as Naruto picked himself up.

Naruto nodded, sitting back in his chair as he slowly composed himself "I need Sakura to be woken up and brought in here right now. Kakashi told me everything, they've been together in secret over the last 3 years. I mean I had a feeling but to know for sure, I must be the one to tell her. Not just as her Hokage but as her friend and as her teammate." Naruto ordered a single Anbu member to head to Kakashi's home where Sakura would likely be to retrieve her.

Naruto looked at Sakura, Kakashi's headband and vest still sitting on the desk, a blood stain seeping into the wood at this point. He didn't want to hide it from her, taking a breath he motioned for her to sit down "Please Sakura have a seat." He didn't mean to be so informal, but he was slowly losing his own composure. Walking around the desk he got on his knees, so he'd be eye level with her. "Sakura, I know about your relationship with Kakashi, but that's not why you're here. I am so sorry. Kakashi was Killed in Action. He is dead."

Sakura hadn't even noticed the items on Naruto's desk as she walked in, when he motioned for her to sit, she felt like she could cut the air with a kunai with the tension in the room. When Naruto mentioned that he knew about their relationship her heart sank, but his next words shocked her even further, a scream escaped her lungs as she flung out of the chair and into Naruto's arms crying, screaming. Every single emotion of grief, Sakura felt it all at once. Eyes went to Naruto's desk and that's when she saw the blood-soaked vest and blood-soaked headband that was decorated with scratches, if the blood wasn't an indicator a battle happened, the scratches on the headband was. Sakura lifted herself from Naruto's chest, rubbing the tears from her eyes as she looked at him, he was putting on a brave face just for her. "I…it's my fault! We got into a fight right before he left, he was so focused. I was pressuring him!" Sakura couldn't hold it together, every single word came with a hiccup and a voice crack, her body shook with all the emotions she was feeling.

Naruto expected the reaction he got from Sakura, holding Sakura as she screamed and cried into his chest, the screaming muffled as he squeezed her as tight as he could. Out of the corner of his eye Naruto watched Shikamaru excuse himself, now that Sakura knew, Shikamaru had permission to slowly give word to fellow shinobi starting with Might Gai and Iruka, going down the list of those closest to Kakashi. Holding Sakura, Naruto sighed. When she finally broke from his chest, he shook his head "You know as well as I do, he put that argument in the back of his mind, he sent me a letter and told me he loved you." Naruto decided against telling her anything else Kakashi wrote for fear how it would affect her.

Cause you are the piece of me, I wish I didn't need.