A/N:Thank you to cutiekyoto, CookieKrisp, KaylatheNinja and Jenjenjojo1012 for your much appreciated feedback! This is for you! :)

Eien no Shasai

(Edited Version)

Chapter 10;

Darkushita Tenshi

Fallen Angels

Kindness is a killer in a world of war.

-x-

His Sharingan took in every detail, even as he shot forward at high speed with sparking Chakra in his palm. The very last second seemed to move at a snails pace. He saw everything that happened, yet he couldn't stop. He was moving too fast. He saw the boy step in front of Zabuza, the fierce look of protection in his eyes. That boy was going to throw his life away for his master and those eyes held no regrets for doing so.

The nanosecond before his attack made contact he saw a whir of black and gold before red swallowed his vision, erupting from around his hand as his Chakra tore through flesh and muscle, blood leaping out of the body to paint wild patterns in the air, splashing onto him and trickling down his face. His arm stopped, yet his hand was still warm. He didn't feel the cold air on the other side of the boy's body. It confused him for a moment until his mind caught up as soft golden hair whispered its caress against his sticky cheek.

That boy had jumped in front of Zabuza.

And at the very last instant of time, Kari threw herself in front of that boy.

The sudden realisation of what had happened, the sheer horror of it... Kakashi felt as though someone had thrust their hand down his throat and ripped his heart out his mouth.

His Raikiri had plowed straight through Kari's tiny body and half way through the boy's.

The boy let out a low moan as blood bubbled out his lips, the last of his life energy being placed into tears as they flooded down his face.

"Ka..." he whined, her face pressed into his chest, the top of her head resting neatly under his chin. She vomited blood, the waterfall of red splashing down hers and Haku's fronts from where they had been staked together.

Kakashi felt as though he had been plunged into ice when he felt Kari's Chakra crackle slightly before dying completely.

"No..." the Jounin said in disbelief. Kari wouldn't. This was her enemy. She knew that... didn't she? Why? Why did she jump in the way?! "Kari..."

Her little hands were still holding onto his jumper, her fingers still bent into the folds. One of the boy's hands held her waist to him, the other held tightly to Kakashi's bicep.

"Za...buza...-san..." Haku croaked as blood slid out of his mouth in thin streams. His eyes were still glazed by tears, becoming duller, darker.

The Ninken disappeared in puffs of smoke, leaving Zabuza standing bloodstained.

"What happened?" Sakura gasped as the mist cleared further. Her hands flew to her mouth as she caught sight of two more figures.

"My future is death? Wrong again Kakashi," Zabuza sneered.

-x-

"Where did that guy go?" Naruto cried in confusion as he glanced left and right. "Kari-chan's gone too! What's going on?" Through the thinning mist Naruto spotted some figures and rushed towards them. "Over there!" But as the scene sharpened, his pace slowed until he came to a stop. "Wha... What's going on here?"

"Is that the masked boy?" Sakura whispered as she tried to see the figure between the two Jounin. A glint of gold in the middle caught her eye and her sharp mind immediately put the puzzle together. "K-Kari-chan...?" Her eyes immediately blurred with tears as she tried to stifle her sobs. Was that... between Kakashi and the masked boy... Was that her team-mate? And the blood, there was so much of it! The scene was just too horrible to bear.

"Great job Haku," Zabuza chuckled. "And Kakashi, your kid deserves praise as well."

Kakashi felt nauseated. Both kids were already dead, their bloody bodies burned into his mind by his Sharingan. Forcing himself to focus he noticed Zabuza grab his huge cleaving knife with the full intention of cutting through both Haku and Kari to get to him.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura screamed, her voice hoarse from the tears that broke free despite her best efforts to stop them.

"I sure picked up something useful, giving me this final chance!" Zabuza cried in victory. Kakashi used his free arm to scoop the kids closer to him, allowing him to jump away with their bodies. He landed and pulled his arm out, the mixture of the two's blood flowing down his elbow and wrist, clinging to his fingers before dropping like ruby rain to the ground.

"Kari...-chan?" Naruto murmured his eyes catching a glimpse of her mutilated body. "K-Kari-chan?"

"Naruto, stay there!" Kakashi said sternly and the boy did so, falling to his knees as his usually tanned face turned the colour of fresh snow.

"Kari-chan..." he moaned as tears started to leak out his eyes, his face contorting with despair.

Kakashi lay the two fallen ninja side by side and gently closed the two's unseeing eyes. He took a longer moment to look at his fallen student, his hand moving from her eyelids to her cheek, noticing how cold it was beneath his touch. She was covered head to toe in a variety of scratches, the occasional senbon peeking out from her still body. Her long lashes didn't flutter as she lay completely motionless. She was caked in blood, she even had blood around her eyes as though she had been crying it. The Jounin moved to tough a velvet ear, pointed and furry in a similar way to Kita's.

She was killed by her own kindness.

With all his strength of will, Kakashi stood, ignoring the pull to stay close to her fallen body. He would mourn later, for he knew he had the rest of his life to live in regret. He would avenge her early death. He would avenge the innocent little girl who had wormed her way into his guarded heart. He would avenge the life of the precious girl and the loyal boy who threw his life away.

"This is my fight," Kakashi murmured as his eyes blazed.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried as she noticed him. She took a moment to sniff and swallow a sob. "You're alright!" She glanced around him, noticing someone missing. "W-what about Sasuke-kun? W-where is Sasuke-kun?"

Unable to answer, Naruto looked away. He couldn't tell her. In the same way she couldn't openly tell him Kari was dead. Sakura's face went lax from shock as she realised a second member of their team had been killed.

"Kakashi! This is no time for sight-seeing!" Zabuza roared as he charged towards him but was thrown back by a vicious kick to his mid-section.

"I'll go with you Sakura, then you won't be breaking your sensei's order," Tazuna said kindly to the shaking girl. Sakura took his hand and ran towards where the icy mirrors had been a little while before. As she passed him, Naruto also leapt into a run, rushing for Kari's body.

"Okaa..." Kita said as she reached where Kari lay. "Okaasan." Kita placed one paw, then the other on Kari's arm and lifted herself onto two legs for a clearer look. "Okaasan... sleep?" Kita asked puzzled. Why was she sleeping in a big battle? Was she really tired? Or was she hurt? "Okaasan!" Kita demanded jumping slightly to push her paws into Kari's arm. "Okaasan wake up!" The wolf started to panic when Kari didn't stir. People weren't this still. Their chests rose and fell, they made noises. Her paw slipped slightly and she looked down at the mess of red liquid that seemed to have been sprayed everywhere. Smudges of red had already appeared on her snowy coat and Kari was absolutely smothered in it. "Whats this?" Kita asked and wrinkled her nose at the metallic rusty smell. "Kita-chan doesn't like it." Frustrated and anxious, Kita pawed at Kari's cheek, trying to avoid pressing on the lines where the red stuff was coming out. "Okaasan! Kita-chan doesn't understand!"

"Kari-chan!" Naruto cried as he ran and crashed to his knees next to her making Kita yelp. "Oh..." he moaned as he began to shake, the true horror of her death coming into sharp focus. The gaping hole in her chest was sickening and vomit rose in the back of his throat. "Oh no... No, no, no..."

"Naruto-kun!" Kita said, hopeful he would clear up her confusion. But he didn't look at her. He placed a hand under Kari's neck and lifted her, her back resting on his legs as he wrapped his arms gently around her and began to rock back and forth. "Kita-chan doesn't understand! Naruto-kun! What is this?" Kita begged but he didn't hear her. He was just moaning Kari's name in a broken whisper, a mantra as he rocked.

"Kari-chan... Kari-chan... Kari-chan..."

-x-

Sakura also fell to her knees when they reached Sasuke.

"He's cold..." she murmured as she touched his cheek. "This isn't an illusion..."

"Don't mind me, it's best to let it out and cry," Tazuna said gently. He was shaken to his core at seeing Kari throw herself in the line of fire and all but tear her body in half. Seeing the boy up close, still and pale... it was almost too much.

"I... I always scored full marks on the ninja academy exams. I memorised over one hundred sayings, I always wrote the correct answers. On one days test this question appeared... 'Write down shinobi saying twenty-five' I wrote down the answer as usual..." Sakura's face crumpled as tears raced down her face. "'No matter what situation... A Shinobi must keep his emotions on the inside... You must make the mission your top priority... and... and... you must have a h-heart... that n-never shows t-tears'" Sakura sobbed. Sakura threw herself onto Sasuke's chest and started to sob her heart out. At the sound of Sakura's cries Naruto also started sobbing, holding Kari closer, ignorant to the blood that soaked through his pants.

"Kari-chan... It hurts... It hurts... You can't be... Open your eyes... Kari-chan... please... please... please..."

-x-

"Why can't I keep up with him?" Zabuza thought in frustration as he panted further down the bridge. Kakashi was fighting with new passion, stronger, faster, more ruthless. As Zabuza swung his knife towards his enemy again, Kakashi backhanded him in the jaw, cracking the bone with the sheer force.

"You can't beat me in your current state," Kakashi stated, holding the back of Zabuza's neck. "You haven't noticed..." Pulling out two kunai Kakashi prepared to strike. "This is goodbye youkai!" Ignoring Zabuza attempting once again to behead him, Kakashi plunged a kunai into Zabuza's shoulders. "Now both your arms are useless." Zabuza's great knife fell to the ground, no longer of use to it's crippled master. "You can't even form a seal. You're getting your ass kicked, how disappointing."

Kari's death had brought out the Jounin's uglier side. He wanted Zabuza to suffer. He wanted Zabuza to feel the slightest bit of pain those two kids felt, the slightest bit of guilt and loss he himself felt.

"Zabuza."

Looking round, Kakashi saw the arrival of multiple people. The shortest man was at the front, dressed in a crisp suit with a nasty sneering face.

"Gatou, why are you here? And what's with all these men?" Zabuza demanded.

"The plan has changed. Well... actually I planned to do this from the beginning. Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here. I never planned on paying you any money," Gatou said smugly. "Hiring a ninja from a normal village is expensive and they may betray me, so I get you Nukenin who are easy to dispose of afterwards. I have the ninjas battle each other and once they're weakened I kill them off with sheer numbers. It doesn't cost me anything, good plan don't you think? The only problem in the plan was you Zabuza. 'Kirigakure no Youkai'? What a joke if you ask me. Cute little crybaby devil."

"We can easily kill you now!" the crowd of Gatou followers cheered.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry, this fight is over," Zabuza said. "Now that I have no reason to go after the bridge-builder, I have no reason to fight you."

"Ah, you're right," Kakashi said and picked Naruto up from where he was looking up at the sudden arrivals. He jumped back, holding the squirming boy back, ignoring the pangs in his heart when Naruto would whine for Kari, calling her name over and over.

"Oh yeah," Gatou said having walked over to Haku's and Kari's bodies. He placed the tip of his cane on Haku's chest. "I owe this one. You squeezed my arm until it broke. Heh, he's dead." With no shred of remorse, Gatou kicked Haku in the face.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING, TEME?" Naruto screamed as Kakashi tried to stop Naruto's aggressive struggles.

"Oi, look at their numbers, don't just jump in!" Kakashi hissed.

"Oh?" Gatou said as a wry smirk came over his face. Using his cane he tilted Kari's face. "A girl? What a pretty little thing."

"Oi boss! D'you think she's a virgin?" One of the men shouted and hoots and laughter erupted in the crowd of Gatou's men. Kakashi tightened his hold on Naruto as the boy roared in fury, feeling his own blood boil. That man was not getting Kari's body.

"GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS AWAY FROM HER!" Naruto bellowed. Furious at being held back and desperate for some sort of justice Naruto rounded on Zabuza. "Say something too! Weren't you friends?"

"Shut up kid, Haku and the girl are already dead," Zabuza said lowly.

"Don't you feel anything at all! You guys were always together!" Naruto screeched in outrage.

"As I was used by Gatou, Haku was used by me. That's all it was, I've said already... In the world of the Shinobi there are those who use and those who are used. We Shinobi are merely tools. I wanted his blood not him. I have no regrets," Zabuza stated.

"Hey, do you really mean that?" Naruto growled.

"Stop Naruto, We aren't fighting him anymore," Kakashi urged. He understood Naruto was upset, he truly did. But he needed to let it go.

"Urusai! My enemy is still him!" Naruto declared, breaking free of his sensei's grip to thrust an accusing finger in Zabuza's direction.

"Who is this annoying kid," Gatou scoffed.

"Haku... He really loved you!" Naruto shouted pointing to the bodies of his best friend and the kindhearted boy. "He loved you so much! Kari-chan understood that! That's why she tried to protect him! Do you really feel nothing? Do you... really not feel anything? If I become as strong as you, will I really become like you?" Naruto didn't know at which point he started to cry, or whether he had stopped crying at all. He was just so angry. Kari knew that Shinobi were people with feelings, that's what she died to prove. And this guy, he ignored what she died for? "He threw away his life for you! Without his own dream... to die as a tool... that's just too sad... Kari-chan didn't want that!" Towards the end, Naruto's sobs made it difficult for him to keep speaking but he did, for her. He hoped she was proud of him. She was the only one who ever did seem pleased with him...

"...Kid..." Zabuza murmured, "You don't... need to say anymore..." With shock, Naruto noticed tears silently falling from the man's eyes. "It pained him to fight you. He didn't fight for me, he fought for you guys too. He was too kind... He thought I didn't know, but I noticed the difference... He smiled so much the last two or three days I thought his face would split in two. He was meeting that girl in secret... She made him happier than I've ever seen him to be..."

Naruto glanced down as a weak smile crossed his face.

'Kari-chan... That's why you didn't come back for two nights. You were showing him happiness.'

"I'm glad I got to face you in the end. Kid, you might be right. A Shinobi is still human, we may not be able to become emotionless tools. I've lost..." Zabuza bit through his bandages and they loosened to reveal his mouth. "Kid! Lend me your kunai!" Naruto flung his kunai in Zabuza's direction and the Nukenin caught them between sharpened teeth. Noticing the deadly gaze focused on him, Gatou retreated, running into his crowd of followers.

"Enough! Kill them!" Gatou squealed.

"Sure thing! One badly injured ninja against these numbers? You think you can win?" one of the men scoffed. Zabuza's remaining Chakra blazed and the men faltered, swearing he was turning into a monster before their very eyes. "Y-youkai!"

Gatou trembled behind his men as Zabuza sliced through them with his single kunai, racing through the crowd, ignoring the weapons they thrust into his back. Zabuza grinned as Gatou screamed like a coward when they finally came face to face. Gatou's designer suit smelt of urine, soon to be replaced by the scent of copper as Zabuza stabbed him in the belly.

"Die already!" the men cried, slamming yet more weapons into the demon's back.

"If you want to go to the same place as your friend then go!" Gatou croaked out in fear.

"Unfortunately, I don't plan on going to the same place as Haku or Kari," Zabuza said and looked up, the most ghastly, demonic grin on his face. "You and I are going together, to hell." Gatou clearly choked. "Even the unremarkable 'Kirigakure no Youkai' can become a real demon in hell. This will be fun! We'll have plenty of time to see if I'm a real baby devil!"

In one slick swipe, Zabuza cut Gatou's head clean off his shoulders, watching the detached head roll through the crowd of followers with the expression of terror forever etched into it. He glanced up at the remaining men and they all screamed like children. Feeling his energy drain, Zabuza spat out the bloody kunai as he fell first to his knees and then completely onto his front.

"Don't look away Naruto," Kakashi said as the boy looked troubled. "This is the end to a man with a difficult life."

"Yeah..."

-x-

'Did I die...?'

"Uuu... Sasuke-kun..."

'I remember... wings...? Wait. Sakura? It was Kari sobbing over me a moment ago... Am I...?'

"Sakura..." Sasuke croaked his eyes slowly opening to see the flash of pink he remembered as his team-mate. "You're heavy..."

"UWAAH!" she wailed and Sasuke winced as his ears, one of the only things that previously didn't hurt, now rang with the pain of her high pitched crying. "Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-kuuuun! WAAAA!"

"Sakura..." the Uchiha grumbled as she held him too tight making his injuries throb. "That hurts." maybe he nicknamed the wrong team-mate idiot, Sakura's far more worthy of the title than Kari is.

"Ah... s-sorry..." Sakura sniffled. Thinking of Kari though, she and Naruto were nowhere in sight. Sasuke managed to sit up, despite Sakura's hands trying to persuade him to stay down.

"What about Naruto and Kari? And that masked kid?" Sasuke asked holding his throbbing ribs. Expecting Sakura to begin shouting about how he shouldn't move or something of the sorts, he was surprised at her silence.

"Sakura?"

"N-Naruto's fine," she began as tears started pouring out again. "The masked kid is dead... and... and..."

"Dead?" Sasuke interrupted. "Did Naruto kill him?"

"N-no, I'm not sure... Something a-about protecting Zabuza," Sakura said with a sniffle. "I had faith in you Sasuke-kun! You even prevented attacks from your critical areas!"

"And Kari?" Sasuke prompted, eyebrows furrowing as he realised Sakura had purposely missed her out.

"She... she... she..."

"She what? Sakura what happened to Kari? Is she hurt?" the Uchiha demanded, remembering the terrible state she was in when he had faded into darkness. "What happened?"

"She... She... She's dead!" Sakura sobbed as she broke down all over again.

"No..." the Uchiha murmured as his eyes widened. Sakura was just mistaken... She had to be. Kari was stupid and reckless but she was strong. She was a quick healer, she was fine... wasn't she?

"I'm sorry Sasuke," Tazuna said, eyes lowered in remorse. "Kari is dead."

"How?" Sasuke asked hoarsely.

"W-w-when the m-masked boy died..." Sakura sobbed.

"Baka!" Sasuke snarled punching the concrete beneath him. "That baka!" That stupid girl let her heart get in the way! What was she thinking? No, it wasn't true. It couldn't be.

"N-Naruto will be relieved," Sakura sniffled, trying to draw the conversation away from something so painful. "N-NARUTO!" Sakura called and the blonde boy turned. His blue eyes caught Sasuke's figure and his heart swelled, hardly daring to believe it was true. Sasuke raised his hand in a sign that he was alright, but couldn't look at Naruto. His face was soaked in tears and his clothes were drenched in blood.

"Sasuke is alright, I was worried..." Kakashi said in relief. "If only..." he stopped himself before he could finish. No one had survived his Raikiri, and Kari had been hit near her spine and her main organs. He hoped the lung he hit filled with blood quick enough so that she didn't feel too much pain.

"Oi, oi, oi!" the remaining Gatou followers shouted. "You guys are too at ease!"

"Damn ninjas you killed our meal ticket!"

"You guys are dead!"

"We're gonna pillage this city and take anything of value!"

"Let's go!"

They charged with battle cries, weapons raised in the air.

"This is bad..." Kakashi sighed.

"Kakashi-sensei, don't you have some kind of special jutsu to defeat them all?" Naruto asked.

"I can't, after Raikiri, Kuchiyose and Sharingan, I don't have the Chakra!" Kakashi admitted. The incoming mini-army was halted when a spear landed in front of them.

"If you come any further onto our island, we villagers will stop you with everything we've got!" Inari shouted with the village men standing bravely behind him.

"Inari!" Naruto cried.

"Don't you know, a hero usually shows up at the last minute!" Inari said with a grin, repeating what Naruto had said a few hours earlier when he had saved Inari and his mother from Gatous men trying to capture a hostage. Inari was newly inspired by Naruto's bravery.

"I'll help out! Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" Naruto cried as five replica's of him poofed into existence. Kakashi repeated the action, but instead of five, at least a hundred appeared.

"So... You want some of this?" a clone taunted.

"No we don't! Let's get out of here!" the men cried and turned and ran, tails between their legs. As the villagers cheered, Kakashi approached his fallen enemy.

"It looks like it's over... Kakashi..." Zauza murmured. "Ka...kashi... I have a request..."

"What is it?" the Jounin asked.

"I want... to see his face..." Zabuza said with a pained expression. Seeing a similar emotion to how he felt, Kakashi slid his hitai-ate down over his aching Sharingan eye.

"Sure."

"It's snowing!" Naruto gasped.

"Snow at this time of year?" a villager mumbled in surprise.

Haku... are you and your friend crying?

"Thanks Kakashi..." Zabuza said as he was placed next to his comrade.

You've always been by my side... I'd like to be by your side... at the end...

Stretching his ruined arm across Haku's body, he managed to brush the tips of his fingers against Kari's cheek.

"I'm sorry... Thank you..."

He then turned to Haku, touching his cheek in the same place.

"If I could... I'd like to go to the same place as you..."

A snowflake hit Haku's cheek and slid, almost like a tear into Zabuza's hand as he allowed the darkness to take him.

"He... was born in a snowy village," Naruto sniffled.

"I see," Kakashi said gently. "He was like Kari, souls as pure as the snow..."

The Jounin tensed as two cloaked Shinobi appeared. Their masks were legitimate, the Oinin had finally caught the great Kirigakure no Youkai.

"Aa, we're too late," a smooth male voice said with a hint of sadness.

"Man up, we have to take them back," a second female voice snapped.

"Hai, hai," they stepped forwards and lifted the bodies of their runaways, leaving Kari alone in the pool of blood.

"Ne, hope you're okay kid," the girl mumbled before they disappeared with the bodies.

"Kakashi-sensei..." Naruto murmured.

"Okay, you can go to her now," Kakashi relented softly, letting Naruto run ahead with little Kita at his heels as he walked slowly towards his fallen student. His heart went out to Naruto, watching the way he immediately went and cradled her body to him. He would miss her most, she always smiled at whatever he did.

"Sensei," Sakura called out as she helped Sasuke walk over. Kakashi nodded and joined them, the walk slow until they finally reached her. Sakura was the first to crack, turning away from Kari's body and crying into her hands.

Whether Sasuke knelt or fell, Kakashi wasn't sure, but he was surprised when the Uchiha lifted his hand to place on hers.

"She cried over me..." he said, his face looked angry, but his voice and his eyes gave him away. "She... she was really upset..."

"Even if you didn't notice," Kakashi said quietly. "She became deeply attached to all of you."

"She's really gone," Sasuke murmured, unable to look at her face, or at Naruto, whose face was pressed into her shoulder, his body shaking with sobs. "No living being feels this cold..."

"Psh... I'm naturally cold..."

"Kari-chan!" Naruto squeaked as he pulled away, Sasuke's grip tightened on her hand, Sakura looked back and Kakashi lifted his hitai-ate to make sure it wasn't an illusion. Her Chakra flickered like the smallest of flames and he heard the patter of her weak heart. His Sharingan noticed the layer of weak Chakra surrounding the damaged areas, offering just enough support to keep her alive.

"Geez... why's everyone crying?" Kari murmured wincing at the horrid migraine crashing about inside her skull.

"Kari-chan!" Naruto shrieked and went to throw himself on her but Kakashi hurriedly pulled him off.

"Baka! You'll hurt her even more!"

Kari sighed and grimaced against the pain. It felt like a huge spiked elephant had come and sat on her.

"Haku..." she said suddenly and looked to the side. Her expression became panicked when she saw he wasn't there and went to turn in an attempt to stand. The pain seared sharply and her arms wrapped quickly around herself to stop herself being torn apart as her eyes rolled back and vomit spilled out of her lips. Kakashi wasted no time scooping her up and ran.

"Where's a doctor?" he said urgently and a villager pointed him in the right direction. "Everyone, wait at Tazuna's!"

-x-

"Oh, little miss!" the old lady Ume sighed as she poked tubes and bandages and rattled pills and needles. Tazuna's spare room had been turned into a makeshift hospital room and Kari was utterly unimpressed by all the fuss. Tsunami and the old lady Ume had bathed her, wrapped her, injected her, stitched her back together, linked her to old rusty machines and belted her to the bed after her fourth escape attempt.

"How is she?" Kakashi asked from the corner of the room. He'd been hovering around them worriedly since Kari had been cleanly wrapped up (he had been thrown out when she was to be bathed and dressed) and panicked at the old machine as to whether it was suitable for the drastic injuries Kari had achieved.

"She's a little miracle, she is. A lot of rest and hopefully she'll be fine," the old lady Ume said simply before tottering away to deal with Sasuke. After setting things up, Tsunami had been left in charge of Kari's recovery having once been a protegee of the village doctor. The woman kindly left the room in case Kari was going to have another tantrum.

"Kashi!" Kari moaned in protest as she attempted to wiggle out of her binds. He had accepted the nickname reluctantly, it could be worse.

"You will stay there," Kakashi said sternly and she reluctantly obeyed. "Do you have even the slightest idea about how stupidly reckless you were? How close you came to being killed?"

"Yes," she said stubbornly, not in the mood for his lecture. She raised an eyebrow at his silence, surprised she was being let off so easily.

"Don't... ever... scare me like that again," Kakashi said and Kari blinked.

"Kashi," she said confused. "What's wrong?"

He put his head in his hands, elbows resting on the edge of the bed. Wiggling a little, Kari succeeded in nudging his elbow. Irritated when she was ignored, she managed to somewhat free her arms and tried to lift herself up.

"No," he said and pushed her shoulder down to keep her horizontal. Frustrated, she instead grabbed his head and pulled him to face her. The Jounin managed to stabilise himself with his arms before he landed on her.

"What's the matter?" she demanded. "I haven't exactly got any freedom, so I can wait a very long time for an answer."

"How... I nearly killed you, how can you act like it's nothing?" Kakashi asked quietly. His hitai-ate was lifted up onto the top of his head and he was rendered speechless when Kari suddenly smashed her forehead against his in a headbutt.

"Itai..." she whined rubbing her sore forehead while her sensei gaped at her, a hand pressed to his own throbbing head. "Of course I don't blame you! Its hardly your fault I got in your way." Irritated she was just being gaped at she once again yanked his head over but instead of attacking him, she lightly placed her forehead against his. "Cheer up, you're still my favourite sensei."

"Kari..." Kakashi said dumbstruck. This incredible little girl never ceased to amaze him. Her adamant forgiveness (though she deemed there was nothing to forgive) made him feel considerably lighter. As gently as he could he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and held her to him, which she delightedly returned.

"Love you too, stupid sensei."

He felt a hint of a tear in his eye and was surprised at himself. He hadn't cried in a long time.

"You owe me so much grovelling, ice-cream and pocky and mochi and..."

Ah, that must be his wallet crying.

-x-

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