A/N: Wow, it's been a long ass while, hasn't it? I don't really have any excuses. I just haven't had it in me to write anything. A sort of writers block if you will. I could've updated, but it would've been absolute crap and personally, I hate when authors write just because they think they should update. Longest chapter to date. :D Anywho, enjoy and leave a review if you like!
Chapter 7: Carry On My Wayward Son
CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE
LAY YOUR WEARY HEAD TO REST
DON'T YOU CRY NO MORE
He didn't flinch at the blood showering down around him as he cut through the men surrounding his person.
It had taken over a month to zero in on the rogue ninjas' compound. And 4 more to fully intergrate into the inner circle.
Kakashi knew that Tsunade was going to have his head for taking so long. His mission exacts were to take out any and all threats found. However, it never said to do so immediately. It hadn't occurred to him until he'd been searching for the hideout that it didn't need to be his last stand. Yes, in any other case it was a suicide mission. Ninjas usually didn't infiltrate their enemies lives. It took too long for one thing. For another, if he were found out, he would have had every available ninja on his ass and even he didn't know if he would have made it out without severe injuries.
So, he took his time.
ONCE I ROSE ABOVE THE NOISE AND CONFUSION
JUST TO GET A GLIMPSE BEYOND THIS ILLUSION
I WAS SOARING EVER HIGHER
BUT I FLEW TOO HIGH
He wanted... No, he needed to get back to her, to his cherry blossom. His gut had been twisted since he stepped foot out the door. He could vividly recall the look of complete heartache on her face, and it pained his own that he was the one that put it there.
He finished slicing through the enemy to his left, spinning as he threw a kunai at the ninja coming at him from behind. Not stopping to wipe the blood dripping down from a gash across his forehead, he ducked and rolled, kunais and senbons clashing at the spot he stood a second earlier.
It was never truly meant to happen. They were entirely too different and yet, somehow she had wormed her way into his very soul, understanding him better than he understood himself.
THOUGH MY EYES COULD SEE I STILL WAS A BLIND MAN
THOUGH MY MIND COULD THINK I STILL WAS A MAD MAN
I HEAR THE VOICES SAY I'M DREAMING
I CAN HEAR THEM SAY
He was an old, emotionally frigid and broken excuse for a man. He never dreamed he would find someone to want him for more than a quick screw. But, she changed all that.
When he first met her, she was barely a girl, too frilly and violent, and quite certainly, scary as hell. He had no idea about what to do with her. She wasn't that talented, or interested in the skills he was teaching, so to his regret, he pushed her aside and focused on the boys.
Which wasn't that hard considering who they were.
The last surviving Uchiha, and the Kyuubi. Both immensely powerful and full of the need to learn. So, little by little she slipped further into the background, and if it weren't for her occasional outbursts, he would have forgotten completely.
CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE
LAY YOUR WEARY HEAD TO REST
DON'T YOU CRY NO MORE
Kakashi hadn't seen her for what she was, what she could be. Instead of focusing on her strengths and helping her learn skills for her talents, he had mentally marked her as a waste of time in regards to training.
Not that he didn't care for the girl, he did, rather reluctantly, as she grew.
When Sasuke left and went to Orochimaru, and Naruto left to train with Jiraiya, she went to apprentice Tsunade. They still saw each other around the village, but because he technically wasn't her teacher anymore, a strong friendship formed between them.
It wasn't long until they were grouped together for missions. Soon after that, he made it clear that if he had to have a partner, then she was the only one he would accept without complaint.
MASQUERADING AS A MAN WITH A REASON
MY CHARADE IS THE EVENT OF THE SEASON
AND IF I CLAIM TO BE A WISE MAN
WELL, IT SURELY MEANS THAT I DON'T KNOW
Being partnered changed the dynamics of their friendship, as they were no longer teacher and student, but equals.
It hadn't hit him until an escort mission to Grass.
They had been surrounded, he had taken the brunt of the thieves, and he hadn't seen when Sakura went down until it was too late. It turned out that their client was not an ambassador, but a mercenary paid by someone to take the copy-nin down in any way possible. And when it was clear that his side was losing, he jammed a needle into her Sakura's neck and quickly made his escape.
It wasn't an uncommon occurance for their enemies to abduct Sakura. It had happened too many times when she was younger. But, this was the first time that he knew of, since she started training under the Hokage.
Angry at himself and furious with the man that took her, Kakashi quickly knelt down, summoning his pack and instructing Pakkun to follow Sakura's trail, while he finished the thieves off.
It wasn't too long after that when he found her. The people guarding her were feeble and untrained and it hadn't taken but a minute to put them down like the animals they were.
She was passed out cold, chained to a table, instruments of torture lining the walls and the small tray beside her. He was sure that the shot had been a sedative, and he was also sure that it wouldn't take long for her chakra to burn it out. He broke her out easily, but his mind was filled with unwanted images that appeared in his nightmares.
ON A STORMY SEA OF MOVING EMOTION
TOSSED ABOUT I'M LIKE A SHIP ON THE OCEAN
I SET A COURSE FOR WNIDS OF FORTUNE
BUT I HEAR THE VOICES SAY
After that, he became more protective, more interactive with her. And that started the beginning of it. Though it didn't happen immediately. It was almost a year before anything occurred.
He didn't truly know what had set them off, if anything, but from the moment her lips had touched his, he was lost... or more importantly, found.
CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE
LAY YOUR WEARY HEAD TO REST
DON'T YOU CRY NO MORE
Kakashi leaned against the wall, his breathing heavy and his body filled with pain. He slid down to the floor, his left arm wrapped around his abdomen, trying to stop the bleeding from one of the huge gashes on him. He summoned Pakkun, telling him to go ahead and alert the Hokage of his arrival.
Reluctantly, and after much persuading, the canine left his friend bleeding on the stone floor.
He just needed to get up before he tried anything else.
The blood loss was starting to take it's toil, combined with the exhaustion of his body, he was close to being down for the count. But, he knew if he gave up now, then he wouldn't have a chance of making it back.
His fingers fiddled around with a pocket that thankfully, hadn't been torn, and pulled out a single pink pill.
NO!
It was his birthday, and he and Sakura were out on a simple reconnaissance mission in the east. She had been on edge since they left, twiddling her fingers and jumping from one subject to another. When they pulled over for the night, he said nothing and pulled out Icha Icha, knowing better than to intrude on what he had come to realize was her mentally arguing with herself.
After half an hour or so, she came over and sat on the log where he was, sitting close enough that their shoulders and thighs barely brushed against one another.
"Kakashi?"
"Hn?" choosing not to look up from his book.
"I-uh...well, you see... there was..." she stumbled all over herself, and he couldn't help the small grin that he hid underneath his mask.
Setting his book down, he turned towards her, his visible eye crinkling up. "Yes, Sakura-chan?"
Sakura blushed, looking down at her clasped hands.
Kakashi could see her working up her courage, though why, he wasn't sure. Though, he wouldn't be surprised if she made a grab for his mask. It wouldn't have been the first time.
She swallowed deeply, before meeting his eyes. "I'm not always going to be with you. There are too many things that can happen that can separate us while on a mission. Too many variables that could lead to you not coming back, or me not finding you in time." Her brow furrowed, and her eyes turned inexplicably sad. "You're always so worried with my welfare, that you never take care of your own."
CARRY ON, YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER
CARRY ON, NOTHING EQUALS THE SPLENDOR
NOW YOUR LIFE'S NO LONGER EMPTY
SURELY HEAVEN WAITS FOR YOU
She took a steadying breath and reached out to take one of his hands in hers, dropping a small pill case into his hands and clasping them with hers. "These are a last resort. If I'm not there, or I'm... dead, and you're dying, take one of these. There's two in there."
He knew he had a questioning look on his face, no matter how faint it was, and that she caught it. "It will basically freeze time. You won't be aware of any pain, your blood will clot and poison will be trapped in the same place as when you took the pill."
CARRY ON MY WAYWARD SON
THERE'LL BE PEACE WHEN YOU ARE DONE
LAY YOUR WEARY HEAD TO REST
DON'T YOU CRY
Kakashi looked at her, slight shock in his face. He had heard rumors about such a thing, but never thought it to be a reality. For her to get her hands on something like this... and for him no less.
She grasped his hands tighter, her eyes pleading. "It's not a free life, it only works for a limited amount of time, and once that time runs out..." She bent over, her forehead against their hands, pausing there before lifting up just enough to see his face. "Once time runs out, every thing that's wrong and killing you will come back three times as hard and three times as fast."
He kissed away the tears that had slowly been making their way from her eyes, and gently cradled her face in his hand. Leaning in and kissing her forehead before pulling her to him.
She held onto him, wrapping herself around him, and making his swear not to do anything stupid. All he could do was hold her, because he couldn't promise. He didn't know what his future held, and he refused to lie to her. She knew that, too. So, she just tightened her hold around his neck, trying to bury herself deeper into his warmth.
"As long as I'm able, I'll always come back to you." he whispered into her hair, unsure if she heard him, but needing to say it out loud.
He didn't know why Kami decided that this gorgeous girl would be his saving grace, nor did he really care at the moment... all he knew was that he was hers and instead of making him want to run, he felt as if he could fly.
Little did he know that only days later he would be assigned an un-ranked mission of suicidal proportions.
DON'T YOU CRY
She had made him promise not to use it unless it was a last resort. As he looked around himself, he knew that this was his only chance.
DON'T YOU CRY
Kami help him make it in time.
NO MORE
