Kakashi
He blinked heavily on his knees staving off the unconsciousness looming over him. His vision began to blur. He couldn't breathe, his body barely let him as he began to sway. He could barely make out Ame's face as the numbness grew. He barely felt it as his body fell to the floor. Blackness crept around his vision, closing in. Ame's screams felt muted but he knew she was screaming for him. She stretched out from the floor towards him
He blinked heavily and forced himself to breathe. The pain was indescribable. He watched as the blur of Ame suddenly erupted in a blinding silver light. So much so that he couldn't see anything else. His energy was slipping from his body. Tiredness began forcing his eyes shut.
"What're you going to do?! You think you can kill me? Come on hit me! Better make it count. Hit me!" She screamed and he forced his eyes back open only to see the silhouette of Akari surrounded by the blinding chakra. She was on her feet and he couldn't make out what they were saying until he watched fire being launched at her. She didn't dodge it and despite everything, Kakashi panicked and even tried to move but then- she caught it? The Jutsu halted as she held out her hand. The fire paled in the light of her chakra.
The rolling of thunder cracked the sky above them as the energy surged. The light of day dulled almost to the darkness of night. The skies were charged with lighting. The veil of darkness splitting above them with each voltaic spear. He saw her face in flashes. She looked otherworldly. Predatory but divine. She loved him so gently he forgot how fierce she could be.
She launched his jutsu back at him but the general dived out of the way.
"You shouldn't have dodged that," she sighed and he watched the General stumble backwards. He could even make out the fear in his face. Her shadow erupted in a force he'd never witnessed. It was almost a real entity. It didn't crawl to the victim as it usually did, no it charged. The earth shook from its presence and the General remained paralysed.
Aki was safe. She didn't need his protection. She'd saved herself and maybe even Konoha. He could leave in peace knowing she would live.
Ame
Time seemed to slow as she watched his silhouette fall.
"KAKASHI!" Ame screamed so loudly it shook her body.
Her body began to shake as she lay on the floor as if something was about to erupt from her. The silver charka in her system exploded out of her like a dam breaking. It soared out of her painfully as if it was draining her of her physical body. The silver hue brightened the forest for miles. The tremendous power rippled through her and she only had one thing to do.
"What're you going to do?! You think you can kill me? Come on hit me! Better make it count. Hit me!" her rage projected by power seemed to shake the very earth. Her eyes burned as her Byakugan activated itself. She saw more than she ever had. Could see for miles. Could see cells that made up the forest. Could see oxygen particles pass through the Generals lungs. He threw a fire jutsu at her but it was far to slow now. It felt more like a flame of a match as she stretched out her arm and caught it like a mere ball. She smiled darkly at the paling of the Generals face and launched it back to him. To her annoyance, he just about dodged it. It had only singed his shoulder and half his face.
"You shouldn't have dodged that" her dark smile only stretched across her face as tears began flowing freely down her cheeks. Darkness crept around her vision as the immense power tremored within her. It was too much. It was going to kill her.
"P-pardon me, please," he begged crying himself. Wailing for forgiveness.
"You are beyond pardon"
Everything went dark.
Ame
She awoke coughing as dust invading her lungs. Her eyes groggily scanned around her finding rubble and ruin. Her eye fell on Kakashi who lay chest down on the floor. His mask was torn off leaving only scraps clinging to his face. A deep hole the size of a fist hand punched through his anbu protection and through to the other side. His face was vacant and confusion and dread spread through her. She watched as his almost lifeless eyes struggled to look at her. His silver hair flowed freely in the breeze.
"What happened?" She coughed weakly crying and running to him. His eyes rose to meet hers, emptiness echoed. Her head pounded and a strange mass was building painfully within her.
"You." He wheezed out. Her hands began to shake followed by her limbs. No no no. This couldn't be real.
An overwhelming and familiar power hummed through her body growing and growing. It pushed through her veins like knives along skin. She grunted as she coiled over. She felt like she was going to erupt if she didn't let it out. It was fighting to escape. She ground her teeth together but forced her hands to hover over his chest.
"Akari," he coughed almost silently. She knew what she had to do. She would do what her mother had once done for her father.
"Taichou, Kakashi. Everything will be ok. Don't talk. Everything will be ok." Her hands pressed down on the hole in his chest. His eyes rolled back into his head at the pain and he gurgled, spitting blood out his mouth.
She could tell he was trying to say something but she needed to focus. She looked to him through her tears.
"Tell me," he wheezed. The blood spurted out of him harder as he spoke, "you like me," he repeated his words from days before causing her to falter. Her eyes went wide as tears began to loosen from her eyes. "Do you know," he wheezed almost indistinguishably, "how much I love you?" She watched wide-eyed as his eyes shut and didn't reopen as the silver chakra ripped from her chest into him.
Kakashi
Kakashi blinked in confusion when his eyes reopened. The pain in his chest was still there only he was lying on his back. He looked towards Aki still over him pushing down on his wound. Her eyes overflowing with tears. Her face was stained with dirt and blood. Her face contorted as if she were in pain and fighting it. Her strange silver chakra seemed to flow out of her as water flows downstream. He could feel it buzz through his body. He grunted trying to call for her and her head snapped from her hands to his face.
"Kakashi?" she breathed relief lacing her words. His vision was more focused and he could feel his arms.
He mustered up all the strength in his body and stretched his hand up to her face. The last words he would speak to her would be his true feelings. The back of his fingers carcasses her cheek lightly, wiping away the watery tears, finding their way to her hair. He loved her lilac. The way the sun danced through her hair, it was a halo. He slid it through the silky locks slowly. His arm was weak and trembled against her coaxing a sob to escape from her. He cupped the side of her face and she leant into it, crushing her eyes shut as she cried over him.
"I'm glad, you are the one here with me." He rasped out. A bolt of pain overcame him and his arm dropped weakly. He didn't see as her eyes snapped open.
"Taichou!" She called over him. "Kakashi please" she begged through sobs. His eyes began to close again.
"I'm sorry Kakashi." She held his hand, not that he could feel it. She held it up to her mouth and kissed it hard. "I can't let this happen."
The silver chakra that projected out of her like a thick cord only amplified. It snaked further into his chest. He felt a surge of her through his veins like water to dry ground.
"What," he couldn't speak through the strange paralysing pain, "What are you doing?" His eyes flared. It forced him to breathe in deeply as if life had just been forced on his dying body.
"I'm sorry, Kakashi," she kissed his hand again and brought it to her cheek. Her eyes wavered as she gazed into his. Panic waged war in his healing body. "I'm going to be selfish this time." His body was paralysed as her life force ripped through his body. The pain had magnified but it wasn't the same. The silver light beamed from his chest.
He watched her rise and stand over him, his eyes wide and scared. What has she done? He wanted to call out to her, scream for her.
A shadowy void snapped open next to her. An entrance. Feeling began to return to his limbs and he shook his head at her frantically, wide-eyed.
A tall, pale figure with hair lilac, eyes of silver, robed in white, emerged from the shadowy realm.
"Mother." His heart beat frantically in his chest. Her mother is Otsutsuki. He hadn't quite believed it from the General. Despite everything, his blood ran cold. Everything started to make sense, fall into place. He watched her bow deeply to her mother who watched Kakashi. He couldn't take his eyes off Ame.
He began to be able to move and he attempted to heave himself from the ground but the Otsutsuki waved a hand over him. Metal of black grew from the ground, coiling around his hands behind him, restraining him from moving. The robed Otsutsuki glided over to him and stared down. His chest heaved as panic ravaged through him. He stared up at her frantically. He struggled against the restraints as the strange silver chakra wove through his body continually. He tore his eyes to Ame who watched on with sadness pulling at her pretty features.
"Akari" he managed to utter, it barely escaped his throat.
"You are burdened with a glorious purpose Child. Emptiness is a treacherous feeling. It can lead to illusions and false truths. False feelings. Continue with your life, Hatake. You will be vital to the future of this world. You're needed here. Akari doesn't belong in here, she never has. Forget about what happened, live your fate." She turned and drifted towards the veiled entrance leaving him with hollowing words.
"Akari," he forced his throat to cooperated and her name fell off his lips weakly. She looked back to him, pain laced in her pretty features. The silver chakra flowing between them began to thin as life fully returned to his body. He glanced down and only skin filled the hole of his chest.
"Leave your lover, daughter" she looked back to the face of her mother. Only sadness and knowing hung in the Otsutsuki's face as she placed a hand on her shoulder. She nodded to her once but took the few strides between them and crouched in front of his face.
His wide eyes begged her. She stretched out her hand and her fingers slid through his hair.
"Please," he begged. He didn't know what he was begging for but he begged. He leant into it as she cupped his face, relishing the feeling of her but his panic only rose. His eyes clenched shut and shook his head from side to side. This felt like one of his nightmares and he couldn't seem to wake up.
"You helped me wash my soul of all its shadows. You showed me what true happiness felt like. I can never repay you for that." She smiled softly as heavy tears rolled down her face.
"Please, let me stay by your side," he croaked out, hot wetness began to fall down his own cheeks. Anguish passed over her features and she held his head in both of her hands. Her forehead came to rest on his. He exhaled deeply at the sensation and his tears flowed harder.
"Nothing lasts forever, baby," she breathed defeated. "I've seen it Kakashi. I watched the vision of your life. You are incredible." She paused, breathing deeply, "I'm so proud of the man you become. And I love all of what you are, and will become." He watched her eyes as she pulled away. "But I'm not a part of it. I was never intended to meet you. I know that now. There's no room in your life for me. And that's ok." Her tears fell as her smile tightened. Her voice wobbled. "I love you, Kashi. I think I always did, and I know, I always will."
"Aki please," he begged desperately but it only came out as a whisper through the tightness in his chest. "Don't say that, not yet. Tell me how you feel later," he pleaded crushing his eyes shut for a second, "tell me next time you see me." He felt a sob rack through his chest. He pulled against the iron restraints but he was too weak. He could barely talk.
A soft kiss was placed on his forehead and he opened his eyes as she rose to her feet. Her mother's hand placed on her shoulder again before she turned and disappeared into the shadowed portal.
"Ame." He warned weakly.
"I'm sorry Kakashi, I don't think there will be a next time." She smiled at him sadly as she backed up, not taking her eyes off him.
"Akari!" He called pulling against the restraints. She paused inches from the entrance.
"Tell me that you like me," her pained smile deepened as she repeated his words to him. This can't be happening, he can't let this happen.
"Aki. No!" He yanked against the restraints until his wrists freshly bled, "please!" one of her legs stepped backwards disappearing the blackness behind her. His breathing was erratic as he watched her limb disappear.
"I'll love you forever, Kashi," her smile faltered as she disappeared into the darkness.
He roared and thrashed against the metal holding him down. His breathing animalistic and his expressions wild.
"AKARI!" he roared until his throat was stripped.
The portal of shadow swirled and shut completely, leaving nothing but the darkened forest in front of him. As if she were never even there in the first place.
Everything seemed to go quiet, his heartbeat seemed to cease. He stared at the empty air, his eyes burning.
"Please" he whispered under his breath as if she might hear him. "I can't lose you, too." He was frozen there and the metal disintegrated into nothing. But he didn't move. Couldn't.
He stared ahead as if the entrance might reappear at any moment.