Lurking Within
(Part 1 of the trilogy)

Chapter 12:

"So this is what you do alone?"

Giving a quick glance towards his ex-student, Kakashi lifted his bottle of sake up in greeting. "It just so happens that you caught me on my break." Kakashi said, all the while patting the orange book in his breast pocket affectionately. Naruto gave a disgusted look directed towards the book before taking a seat next to his beloved sensei. Grabbing the full cup from his sensei's hands, Naruto took in the alcohol in one gulp. Wincing at the taste, Naruto gave a very animated response to the bitter liquid. "I will never enjoy drinking this." Kakashi gave a light laugh before taking back the stolen cup and filling it to the brim, "There is no reason for you to enjoy drinking."

Naruto gave a side glance, "And you have a reason?"

Kakashi gave a grim look in a simple reply.

"It isn't your fault."

Kakashi chuckled before throwing his head back, chugging the bitter liquid. "It has to be someone's fault. Better it be my fault than anyone else's." His calloused fingers softly molded over every groove of the porcelain cup as he became lost in his thoughts, his past, and his burdens. "She became this demon because of my incompetence. Everything I touch," Kakashi choked, "becomes tainted. She is no longer our Sakura. Our bright, warm, sweet Sakura, is lost. Instead, she is this demon. I have failed another one." He once more filled the cup to the brim, watching as the sake spilled over the edge, before allowing it to slide down his throat. The sake left a fiery trail, a small distraction before it also faded to a dull burn.

"Why do you insist she is gone?"

Naruto laid a hand on Kakashi's and gently pried the bottle out of the man's tightened grip. "She is still Sakura." Naruto tipped the bottle over and watched as the alcohol gently flowed on to the floor. "People change, Kakashi-sensei, and Sakura is no different. As we grow older, we carry more and more burdens. But that does not mean we are not the same person we were. Look beyond the superficial traits and you'll see that deep inside, in her core, Sakura is the same Sakura we've always known. She has simply grown up." Giving the empty bottle a good shake, Naruto paused with a sigh. "We've all been haunted by our own personal demons that we've never once considered hers. She gave us all her light and now she is cast into her own darkness. We took her light and warmth for granted. We always thought that she would stay the sweet innocent girl, who would perpetually bathe us in her warmth, that we never once stopped to help her with the burdens we entrusted on to her. Now that she has had enough, we think she is someone different."

"Have we turned her this way, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto looked up and at that moment, Kakashi wondered when his student became so wise. "Have we taken all her light and in return entrusted her with our own demons? Have we, once, truly thanked her?"

At that moment, all Kakashi could remember was the number of time his precious student healed him. All the times she stubbornly held on to hope and shone with the fierce light that she seemed to possess. Even during the bleakest moments, she always had a smile reserved for him. He always assumed that she was an optimist by nature. In fact he always thought that it was ironic that his team, save for Sasuke, was so optimistic about everything. Every mission that seemed impossible, every moment that seemed like it should've been the end, they managed to turn it around. His students have gave him a part of themselves, their hope. But for every moment that they were there for him, he could remember all the instances that he wasn't for them.

Naruto in need of a father figure or some sort of acceptance, rather than a disciplinarian.

Sasuke in need of not a teacher to gain power, but a mentor to make sense of his dark past.

And Sakura in need of a shoulder to lean on and guidance, not a distant mentor.

Choking on a realization, Kakashi blinked away the droplets of tears that threatened to fall. He blamed it on the alcohol. "Get some rest, Kakashi-sensei." Naruto said, clamping a hand down on to his shoulder before disappearing out the bar. His eyes remained on the empty cup lingering on his hands. His hands, rough and calloused from his years serving Konoha. They never failed him, except for tonight. In the lonely bar, huddled in the corner table, Kakashi's hands failed to cover the tears that streamed down his face. In the company of his own misery, Kakashi finally reached an understanding and acceptance that he had failed his students. But among that was also clarity; it is never too late to correct for his mistakes.

As commanded, everyone was ready to leave as soon as the sun's tendrils touched the dark sky. Even Naruto, who required a herd of elephants as an alarm, was awake and ready. The idea of his missing teammate being possibly nearby was enough to motivate the blonde. After Neji issued simple orders and had their routes laid out, he reassigned Gaara as Sakura's guardian; something she was none too happy with. "Let's go." Neji nodded to the trees and everyone fell into their own formation. Naruto and Kakashi guarded the rear as Neji led the way in the front. Aside from Naruto's incessant talking, it was relatively calm. It hadn't taken Neji long to realize that it was too calm. Holding up his hand, Neji gave the proper signals to drop to a battle formation.

Not a minute too late, they were attacked.

It was a quick fight with minor injuries. Neji almost regretted even unsheathing his weapon for the small skirmish. A wet cough drew his attention a couple of feet away. Turning the shinobi around, Neji noted the insignia for Sound carved into his headband. Perhaps what the demon had said held some merit, Neji begrudgingly thought. "You're too late." The shinobi gave another wet cough. He was drowning in his own blood, Neji realized.

"Heal him." He commanded to the medic of his group.

"Excuse me?" Sakura gaped at the rough demand.

"We need more information," was the only reply that Neji gave before turning to leave.

"Orochimaru-sama has won," the injured shinobi gloated in between his spastic coughs, "the Uchiha will die by the end of this week." This made Neji pause in mid-step. Stopping Sakura from anymore healings, Neji turned to Kakashi and gave a brisk nod. Understanding the dire situation, Kakashi lifted his headband up and began his version of interrogation. "They are preparing the ritual at one of the hidden base near here. It is perhaps a three day travel away." Kakashi said after a moment or two. "This explains why Sakura saw Itachi lingering around."

"We have a new mission then," Neji pulled out a scroll from his pack and unsealed it. "We are to stop Orochimaru at all cost."

A/N: Summer break from school (yay!) And the chapter I have been itching to write is next. Please leave reviews and I will update as soon as I can.