Chapter 16 Gifts from the Uchihas

It took an hour to get Sakura off Sasuke. Ino went to heal but she refused adamantly. Kakashi took the angry kunoichi in his arms, she tried to pull away but he was too strong. He held her tightly against his chest. The warmth of his body and the gentle beating of his heart calmed her. She buried her face in the soft fabric of his shirt and sobbed.

Ino covered Sasuke in a blanket from one of the cells. Naruto summoned shadow clones to carry Sasuke back to Konoha. Fresh tears rolled down the tear stained faces of the blondes.

Everyone remained silent on the way back to Konoha. Quietly mourning the loss of a teammate, a friend, and a brother.

They reached the gates fairly quickly. Kakashi had sent Pakkun with word of what had happened to the Hokage. There was a small group awaiting them. Their ashen faces watched the returning ninjas grief stricken. Jiraiya walked to the Naruto shadow clones that held the blanketed Sasuke.

Shizune approached Kakashi. Her arms were outstretched to take Sakura.

He shook his head. "I'm taking her home."

There was definiteness to his statement that Hokage didn't insistence. "Shizune go with them and tend to Sakura's injuries." The brunette woman nodded. "Naruto and Ino, please come with me for debriefing." She glanced at the blanket covering Sasuke. A tear rolled down her cheek. "Jiraiya will see too…" her voice faltered "Sasuke."

Kakashi sat on the edge of an armchair, his back hunched, his elbows on his knees, his hands clasped. He stared at the sleeping Sakura. She had been through been though a lot in the last couple hours. He would have happily given his life to spare her the pain she experienced and would be experiencing once the tranquilizer that Shizune had given her.

"This is yours right?" Shizune handed him the leather belt Sakura had tied around her leg.

"He took the belt without looking up at her. "Will she be ok?" He asked his eyes glued to the sleeping kunoichi.

"Physically, yes, she will be fine." She was also looking at the younger woman. "I healed all her wounds and extracted the toxin disabling her chakra network but it will take a few days for her to regain her chakra. Emotionally, I don't know. She was kidnapped, tortured, and she lost a close friend. The scars left behind from those types of things I can't completely heal." She turned to Kakashi, kneeling down to be at eye level with him. "You are in love with her, aren't you?"

"Yes." He replied without hesitation. The answer came as easily and natural as if she had asked if the world was round. He wasn't surprised. His love for Sakura was a fact as undeniable and unchanging as the world being round.

"Good because she is going to need you more than ever." With that she left the apartment.

A day and half later

The sky outside Sakura's picture window was inky black when she opened her eyes. There weren't any stars visible. 'Appropriate' she thought to herself. She felt the mattress swift as someone sat on the side of it.

"How are you feeling?" Kakashi asked in his deep soothing voice.

She stretched testing her leg. It felt pain free but a bit stiff. She also felt a small amount of chakra running through her system. She realized how much worse she felt without it. Never being completely drained of chakra with her body unable to produce more, she never knew how dependent ninjas are on their chakra.

"Good, actually." She turned to look at him. "You, on the other hand look like shit." He had dark circles under his tired eyes and his hair was a mess. "Have you slept?" She sat up, propping herself up on the pillows.

"You really are a medic-nin through and through." He attempted a crooked smile. "Always worrying about others."

"Speaking of others." Her face darkened. "How are Naruto and everyone else holding up?"

"They are as well as to be expected." He paused "The funeral is tomorrow."

Salty tears stung her eyes at the mention of the funeral. Kakashi's arms wrapped around her before the first tear was shed. "Oh Kakashi…" She wept into his shoulder. "It's all my fault. If he hadn't gone to save me he would still be alive." The guilt was a heavy weight on her chest. Why had she been so slow to react to Kabuto attack? She was a jounin, for Kami's sake. She should have been able to fight him. She shouldn't have even been in the deserted woods that night. She could have gone home or better yet back to the bar to the arms of the man she loved. Not let herself be captured forcing the people dearest to her to risk their lives in rescuing her.

"Don't even think that." He voice was stern but gentle at the same time. "The only ones to blame are Orochimaru and Kabuto."

"But…" She began to protest. Kakashi placed his finger on her lips to stop her from saying anything.

"Sakura, listen carefully." He pulled her closer to his chest and stroked her hair as he spoke. "If something had happened to you and he hadn't gone or even if you came back alive but he hadn't gone, do you think he would have been able to live knowing he hadn't helped? Sasuke loved you. That is what shinobi do. We put our life on the line for what we love. Do you know how I got my sharingan?"

She shook her head against his chest.

"I was only a kid and part of the team I had be assigned to since graduating the Academy. The Great War was at it's most dangerous. The Fourth, our sensei, had given me a mission to lead alone since I had just become a jounin. Rin, the medic in our squad, was captured. I being a stupid kid at the time would have gone on leaving her behind. Obito, the other member of my team and an Uchiha, went to save her. He showed me how important it is for teammates to be there for each other. That the worst kinds of scum are those that leave their comrades behind. I went back to help. I lost my eye during the fight. But we saved Rin so it didn't matter to me. However as we escaping, a boulder trampled Obito on. He was trapped and half his body crushed. Rin and I tried to free him but it was no use. He knew he was going to die so he gave me his eye with the sharingan and told me to keep Rin safe. He was my best friend and he was in love with Rin. He gave his life to save ours. We can't let Obito's and Sasuke's sacrifices be in vain."

Sakura listened quietly to Kakashi tragic past and his heart softly beating. He had been through a lot and most of it he had gone through alone. She had never been alone. There had always been someone there for her. Now she wouldn't let him be alone either.

A week later

Sakura stood in front of the cenotaph. There stars shown brightly as she glanced up at them. It was the first night since Sasuke died that the stars had come out. It was if they do were mourning. Returning her gaze to the large memorial, her fingers lightly traced the freshly craved named and then a much older name.

"Arigato." She whispered into the cool night air.

A warm hand touched the small of her back. She didn't jump in surprise since she knew exactly who it was. That touch was unmistakable. It was as familiar to her as her own name.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm thanking two friends." She smiled leaning her head on his shoulder. "They gave me a great deal."

"They gave me a great deal as well." He kissed the top of her head. "Shall we go?"

"I have one more thing to say." She put up her finger for him to give her a moment. He nodded a took a step back to give her privacy. She knelt down close to the black granite putting her hand on Sasuke's name. "I promise to be happy. Thank you for giving me that chance." She got up and turned to Kakashi, smiling. "I'm ready lets go." She took the arm that he offered.

AN: Sorry for the delay but I was having internet problems. I will be posting the last chapter within the next day or so. Hope you enjoy it. :D