Chapter 19: The Death of Hatake Kakashi

"How long has he been Raikage?" Kakashi asked.

"About 20 years now." Yamato responded into his glass. That's before I first met him Kakashi thought to himself. How can such a high class leader act as a common man? And why would he become the feudal lord of Lightning country? All sorts of questions whizzed through the Copy Nin's mind. He stood up from the table.

"We'll be in touch." Kakashi said.

"Till next time senpai." Yamato replied and poofed away. Kakashi turned to walk out when suddenly two large men stood in his path.

"May I help you?" Kakashi asked flatly.

"You are that Copy ninja that we've been hearing about," a man said behind Kakashi, "There is quite a large bounty on your head." The Copy Nin turned around to see a man in a white suit with a pipe standing very formal like just 5 feet behind him.

"So I have heard," Kakashi replied, "and I'm guessing you seek this bounty?" The man put the pipe to his lips and smirked. Kakashi sensed the two large men advancing on him. He sighed, might as well go easy on these guys. He took a quick step towards the pipe smoking man, listening to the burly men falter in step and collide with each other. His eye formed a half circle as he smiled underneath his mask. "I'm sorry, but I have no time for games. I have somebody waiting for me." The man in the white suit scowled and snapped his fingers. Kakashi felt two chakra sources heading his way. Maintaining his composure, he performed the kawarimi symbols with his hands behind his back. Two nins clad in black garments sliced right through the log that replaced him. "The Demon Brothers work for you now?" Kakashi chuckled. The man in white was fuming now.

"You leave me no choice, Hatake Kakashi." Shockingly, he performed lightning fast seals. Kakashi's eye widened. THAT jutsu? "Death Clock Jutsu!" Kakashi felt his soul being ripped from his body. He appeared from his hiding spot behind a Japanese maple tree. The man in white smirked. "You have approximately 10 more minutes to live Hatake." Kakashi panted heavily. How could he know that jutsu? The Copy Nin raised his Hia-ate and glared at the man. He used the taijutsu speed he copied from both Rock Lee and Maito Gai. With God like speed he disappeared and reappeared in front of the man kicking him in the jaw sending him through the ceiling of the first and second floors.

"Indoors, right. No room for secondary lotus." Kakashi reminded himself. He winced at the pain in his chest. 9 minutes. Kakashi leapt to the first floor but was stopped by the Demon Brothers who wrapped him in chains. Shit. He cursed himself. They tightented their hold on the Copy Nin causing the chains to cut into his flesh. 8 and half minutes, what now Kakashi?

Sakura walked out of the hotel observing her surroundings. "So many stores!" She breathed taking in the great pleasures the town had to offer. "Maybe I'll get something to eat first." She headed North down the street and noticed a large crowd of people far ahead. Wonder what's going on? She asked herself. She continued walking and found that the crowd was outside a huge teashop. She hopped up and down, but saw nothing. She then focused the chakra in her feet and took a huge leap. To her utter horror she saw a silver haired jounin faced down on the floor. "KAKASH!" She screamed.

The Copy Nin thought fast on how to get out of this death hold which he had been in before. Last time however, he was able to make a kawarimi, but not this time. He then narrowed his eyes and poofed out of the hold. The chains fell to the ground and left the Demon Brothers baffled. Kakashi came up behind the first brother and snapped his neck. He pulled out a kunai and launched it into the chest of the other. 7 minutes. He launched himself to the man in white who had enough time to free himself. Kakashi charged a raikiri and ran towards the man. He grabbed the wrist of the Copy Nin and held it low so as not to harm his abdomen. The man smirked and with lightning fast speed pulled out a hidden kotetsu, which he jabbed into the gut of Kakashi. It was like a white hot pain searing through his inner organs. Kakashi gasped and winced. Fuck! He thought to himself. His eyes opened to look at the man in white. "Consider yourself lucky Hatake," He began, "the jutsu I hit you with earlier wouldn't have let up unless you killed me. This I assure you is a better way of dying than having your soul fully extracted from your body." Kakashi's sight was starting to fade. What now? He thought, is this it? What about the mission?

An image of Yusuke Tanaka came into focus.

What about Konoha?

The village view faded into setting.

What about…

Sakura's picture came into mind.

Sakura…

An outside force yet vaguely familiar filled his body.

Sakura…I promised Sakura…

The chakra was visible outside of his body.

"I won't leave you I promise." The memory of his promise to her flashed before his eyes. And like a flash of lightning, Kakashi's right arm broke free from the man's grasp and slammed the raikiri into his abdomen. Malice shot like a flamethrower from his eyes. Or maybe that was the amaterasu that his bloodline limit had cast. Black flames engulfed the man in white. His screams were heard throughout the shop. All that was left were small ebony flames that were in a pile before Kakashi's feet. He sighed and pulled the kotetsu from his stomach. Using his hand as a source of pressure for the wound, Kakashi made his way downstairs to the front curtain. His vision was going in and out of focus. Must get to Sakura… he willed himself through the curtain. A crowd of people were outside all shrieking and gasping at what they saw and Kakashi's battered form. The last thing the Copy Nin saw was a head of pink hair hopping up and down behind the crowd.

…Sakura…

The pink haired kunoichi burst through the crowd sending people flying in different directions. Oh please don't die on me! She ran to the unconscious form and flipped over his body. His sharingan was exposed and his onyx eye had lost life. Sakura had thought the worst. She immediately formed five quick seals and green chakra formed in her hands over his bleeding wound. 4 minutes passed and the wound still wouldn't heal. "C'mon Kakashi stay with me!" She cried. Tears started to pour from her eyes. Kakashi laid there lifeless, his arms laid up turned on his sides. Sakura's chakra diminished, and her hands flopped to her side. She stared down her dead lover, tears spilling from her eyes like a river. She threw her head on his chest and sobbed loudly.

"No," she whispered, "You can't be gone."

You can't be gone…

"Kakashi!" Sakura called out on the training fields. "Where are you?" The silver haired jounin jumped down behind her from the treetops, silently. He crept up to the oblivious pink haired girl. Slowly, he lowered his face to her ear.

"Right here." He whispered. The pink haired girl shrieked and ran forward with lightning speed. "Ah..Ahaha!! Sakura come back!" Kakashi laughed calling after his fleeing companion. She stopped and turned around. She was fuming mad.

"Don't do that!!!" She screamed running back to Kakashi, her hands balled into fists. She started swinging punches into a cloud of smoke. "Huh?"

"Behind you again." Kakashi's voice whispered. Sakura jumped and turned around to land a fist on Kakashi's jaw. The Copy Nin tumbled backwards 4 times and collided into a tree. Sakura gasped and ran over to the heap of her lover.

"Ohhh I'm sorry Kakashi!" She knelt down and lifted up his head. His exposed eye was in swirling. Sakura sweat-dropped. "C'mon you sissy I didn't hit you that hard." Suddenly two strong arms grabbed her waist and pulled her into a sitting posture, back up against the jounin's flak vest. Sakura rested her head between on his sternum. It was 12:30 on a Sunday afternoon in July. The cherry blossoms were in full bloom, and the kids were running around since they didn't have to go to the academy. "Mmm, why can't everyday be like this?" Sakura whispered, taking in the scent of cherry blossoms in the air.

"Because we are shinobi," Kakashi replied, "our life is devoted to duty, not pleasure." Sakura did not like these words. She didn't like the fact that one day she might die in battle. Kakashi rested his chin on top of her head. "But once in a while, beautiful days are allowed." Sakura smiled and turned her head to kiss Kakashi's masked lips. "Never leave me Hatake Kakashi."

"I won't, I promise." Kakashi replied, his eye in a half curve.

"You promised you wouldn't leave me." Sakura said between sobs. She lifted her head slowly from the Copy Nin's body. "You promised me that day in the grounds and just half an hour ago." Her face filled with anger. "Don't you die on me now you hear!" She screamed. She raised her right palm and thrusted it onto Kakashi's wound. "RASENGAN!!" The chakra started to swirl in the Copy Nin's chakra center. The flame was rekindled and chakra started to pour throughout his body. If you could do it, so can I! Sakura thought to herself. The only downside of this was that, her chakra was almost depleted. Sakura winced, as the last of her chakra left her. Not enough She said to herself. How do I get chakra fast?? She looked around and saw a food stand. Chouji eats before every fight! "Hey! I need a bowl of ramen quick!!" The man watching from his food stand hurried and ran the finished bowl to Sakura. She gulped down the helping and felt some chakra replenish into her body. She repeated the process. "RASENGAN!" more chakra poured into Kakashi's body. This better work! Sakura halted the rasengan to save energy and checked for a pulse. She looked at his lips. CPR might be the only way now. She had never seen under his mask, and knew that Kakashi would throw a shit fit if he found out that she exposed his face to this crowd of people. If it means saving his life,she slowly reached for his mask.

Kakashi. A voice called out. Kakashi!! It cried again. Kakashi woke up in a white hall.

Wha? He said, feeling groggy and tense. He looked around and saw nothing, except for three figures standing off in the distance. He walked closer to see who the three figures were. He gasped as the figures came into focus. There they were; Obito, Rin, and Yondaime. Hey don't think that you're dying on us now, asshole! Obito said, as he smiled at his old comrade.

Kakashi, you have someone that loves you now, and who you love in return! Never give that up! Rin exclaimed.

Kakashi. Yondaime spoke up. Kakashi listened wide-eyed and shocked at his former sensei. Your time is not now. Go to her, and take care of my son will you? Kakashi nodded, as tears welled up in his eyes.

Kakashi. A fourth voice said from nowhere. Kakashi recognized the voice. It's been a very long time since he heard that voice. I am proud of you son. His father's image came into view right behind his three comrades. Kakashi couldn't hold back as the tears poured from his eyes. Thank you father.

Now GO! The four people exclaimed.

Sakura gasped as a hand shot up and grabbed her wrist, her fingers lightly touching the end of the mask. Her heart rose up ten fold.

"What did I tell you about being nosey?" Kakashi whispered in pain. Sakura threw her arms around Kakashi's neck.

"I thought that I lost you!" Sakura cried into Kakashi's shoulder. He lay there weary and surviving only on will power and the chakra that Sakura had transferred into him.

"That's the Copy Nin!" Somebody screamed from the crowd.

"Get him while he's down! There's a lot of money to be earned!" The crowd started to advance on the two. Sakura prepared herself to defend Kakashi at all costs.

"Grand Fireball Jutsu!" A familiar voice called. A giant ball of fire burnt the front row of attackers.

"Kuchiosen no jutsu!" Another familiar voice called. Immediately the two were in the sky on top of the great Gamabunta. Sakura was puzzled.

"Sasuke? Naruto?" Sakura said with confusion. The two ANBU nins stood in front of their former teammates with their backs turned, observing the attackers below.

"Ne, Sasuke," Naruto called, "Guess we failed the mission huh?"

"That may be," Sasuke replied, "but sacrificing your friends in order to complete the mission would've made us worse than trash." The two nins turned their heads to smile at their comrades. Sakura smiled with tears in her eyes. Kakashi smiled with the utmost pride in his students. For a split second, he could've sworn instead of Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto, he saw Obito, Rin, and Yondaime. He closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I'm getting too old for this shit." The reunited team 7 laughed.