Sorry for the late update. Enjoy!
PS I do not own "Naruto" it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto ©
I try to live without you
Every time I do, I feel dead.
I know what's best for me,
But I want you instead
I'll keep on wasting all my time...
"Over and Over" by Three Days Grace
Kakashi drove the shovel into the dirt. The man scooped and threw the mould near him. Only few shovels more and he'd reach the coffin. The Copy nin wiped out the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve but didn't stop digging. Naruto and Sai watched him terrified. Right after they returned to Konoha their team leader announced that he needed to take care of something first before reporting to the Hokage. The boys, of course, followed him and since then they've watched him silently digging up Sakura's grave. The Jinchuuriki had tried to stop him and pour some sense into his head but his ex-teacher only had pushed him roughly away. The blonde now sighed and turned around to his teammate.
"Sai, go and tell, baa-chan that Kakashi-sensei had finally lost it.", he whispered, "Nobody else. Only to her… I don't care if you have to break into her office or whatever, dattebayo…"
The raven-haired boy nodded and turned around when he suddenly stopped and looked at his blonde teammate, "Ok, but…what exactly had he lost?"
A vein popped on Naruto's forehead and he growled annoyed, "Just tell her what I said…" The raven boy disappeared in a poof of smoke leaving his friend to look after their captain. Not that he could do much if the Copy nin decided to do another stupid thing.
Kakashi drove the shovel one more time into the dirt but this time a metal jingle was heard and the silver-haired jonin threw the instrument away, kneeling down. His hands started brushing of the soil until the outline of the coffin could be distinguished.
"It must be some sick joke…", he murmured under his breath, "Sick joke."
Carefully gripping the handle on the side of the chest, Kakashi sighed heavily. "Sick joke…". The Copy nin pulled the lid up and opened the coffin. His eye widened and he covered his nose with hand. The mask couldn't help him with the disgusting stench that spread in the air. He studied the decomposing body parts in detail. Most of them were unrecognizable. But then something caught his attention. One of the arms had kept part of its skin intact from the explosion. Kakashi grabbed it to take a closer look. Naruto turned around, suppressing the urge to vomit from the sight. As if the stink wasn't enough.
The Copy nin lifted the cut off limb and the sun rays lighted it up. The skin on it wasn't pinkish, nor beige. It wasn't even yellow or brown or any kind of hue that a human skin could take. It was perfectly white. Dirty and rotting but white. That wasn't Sakura's arm. The body in the coffin wasn't Sakura's. She was indeed alive.
Kakashi dropped the limb in the coffin and crawled back from the hole. His eye was widened and suddenly the Copy nin burst out in laughter. Pure, honest laughter. Tears were running down his face and he kneeled on the ground, bowing his body. His hands were clenched in fists and his knuckles were almost white from the strength he put in this wring.
"She's alive…", his voice was trembling and weak, "She is alive…", he repeated without lifting his body from the ground. Naruto was watching him shocked. The Copy nin's laughs turned into sobs and they transformed into open crying. His whole body was jerking and shrieking. With every sniff and sob his fingers dag deeper into the ground, "She's alive…and she's with him…", he groaned almost in pain.
The Jinchuuriki ran his fingers through his hair. There was nothing he could do to help him because he was feeling the same desperate frustration and relief. He lumped heavily on the ground and buried his face in his knees. Suddenly he felt light as if a huge rock had fallen from his shoulders. Sakura-chan was alive and breathing. He didn't know what was she doing with Sasuke but he intended to bring her back. For the Uchiha was maybe too late but for his Sakura-chan – no. Tears welled up in his eyes and soon they rolled down on his cheeks. There were no words to express the alleviation he felt right now. No words.
He felt someone placing a hand on his shoulder and the Jinchuuriki lifted his reddened crying eyes. Jiraiya was smiling at him compassionately and the young jonin threw himself in the arms of his master. The Toad Sanin hugged him tightly and patted the sobbing boy on the back.
Tsunade watched the mess around Sakura's grave. Anger burned in her caramel eyes and she grabbed the collar of Kakashi's jonin vest, pulling him up on his feet, forcing him to look at her. The man standing before her eyes was a total wreck, "What the hell happened here?", she growled angrily.
Suddenly Kakashi raised his look at the Hokage and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, giving her a bear hug, "She's alive…", he exclaimed and shook the Hokage, gripping her for her upper arms, "She's alive."
Tsunade looked confused at the disinterred grave and then her gaze averted to Kakashi's again, "We need to take you to the hospital." , she announced blankly, "I think you may have hit your head during mission and suffer a severe brain concussion or that you experience a rare form of post-traumatic stress. Either way I'm taking you to the hospital.", the Hokage pulled him after her but Kakashi refused to go. Tsunade growled annoyed and poked him in the neck gently with a glowing finger. She caught him before he collapsed on the ground, "Naruto get a hold of yourself. You and Sai are coming to my office right now. You have an explaining to do." The boys nodded and the blonde one glanced at Jiraiya who grinned encouragingly.
Sitting in the comfortable armchair in her office the blond kunoichi bit her lip and then whispered, afraid to speak up the words that were on the tip of her tongue, "What the hell are you saying, Naruto…", Tsunade massaged her temples with closed eyes.
"It's true. I saw her with my own eyes. I talked to her, baa-chan.", the Jinchuuriki was standing before the desk, nervously shifting his weight from one foot to another.
"…"
"We should go and save her.", the blonde exclaimed and looked at Sai, expecting a supporting reply from him too. But the black-haired boy remained silent with blank expression.
The Hokage opened slowly her eyes, "Naruto. After I heard the whole story I can assume that she's not there against her will. I still need to consult with Kakashi about that one because he met her before you two.", she sighed heavily. The conflicting feelings in her heart were killing her. She was happy beyond description but at the same time the tiny worm of doubt was eating her from the inside. What was her student doing with Konoha's enemies? "You're dismissed. I need to think about what action it's for the best to be taken.", she murmured and waved her hand at the boys.
"Ne, baa-chan…What happened to Kakashi-sensei?", Naruto turned around and asked over his shoulder before exiting from the office.
"He's at the hospital. I gave him a sedative to calm him down. He should be sleeping right now.", the Hokage answered distractedly.
The Jinchuuriki nodded in understanding and closed the door behind him.
Sakura pushed out roughly from the tree branch, leaving cut marks on the bark from her chakra. She could barely breathe from the compressed anger in her body. The kunoichi increased the pace more, leaving Sasuke to fall behind. She had no idea where they were going but she just couldn't stay in one place. They thought she was dead. They all thought she was dead.
How? Why would they do this? Wasn't her leaving enough for them? Why didn't they tell her? Naruto and Kakashi looked devastated. She could only imagine the desperation, misery and blame they had felt during those three months. The Copy nin had dark shadows under his visible eye. And what did he say? He witnessed her death? How could he let himself be fooled? Sakura pushed out even harder from the branch and jumped forward. Not noticing the moss on the rind of the next branch, her foot slipped, the kunoichi lost her balance and fell down.
Shifting in mid-air, Sakura managed to twist her body so she didn't hurt her head. The collision with the ground was hard and her legs bended from her own weight and her body slumped down heavily. The pinkette cursed loudly and gripped her knees with tears of frustration and pain in her eyes.
The female jonin wiped out her tears and tried to stand up but the piercing pain in her knees made her fall down again. A quiet curse slipped through her lips and her face frowned in pained grimace. Her legs hadn't fully recovered yet and the shock damaged her tendons again. She dropped her arms defeated and her shoulders shrieked convulsively. What was she supposed to do now? The look on Kakashi's face was still haunting her. The betrayal, the sadness, the relief, the anger, the love, the hate…she noticed every small flickering feeling in his tired coal eye. How long had he been watching her before revealing himself? Did he see her little game with Sasuke? Oh, God. She could only guess what he thought of her now.
A hand on her shoulder startled Sakura and she looked up terrified with wide open eyes and tears pouring out of her emeralds. When the kunoichi recognized Sasuke her expression changed and she furiously swayed her fist at him ignoring the pain in her knees. When he avoided it she growled and jumped over him in attempt to bring him down to the grass floor but the piercing ache that stabbed her tendons only caused her to fall and hit her face at the ground. She turned around to stare at him with a small trickle of blood pouring from her nostril.
"You son of a bitch…", she growled at him, "You knew everything… and you didn't say a thing…", her voice was soaked with hatred and abhorrence. Sasuke only averted his gaze. The kunoichi wiped out the blood with the back of her hand, "I hate you…", she whispered in low voice, "You should kill me now because if you make the mistake to let me live, it will cost you your life in future.", her green eyes were burning, shooting flaring arrows at the Uchiha.
Sasuke sat on the grass next to her and looked at the ground, "I didn't know…", he murmured under his breath.
"As if I'm going to believe you.", Sakura narrowed her eyes in detest.
"…"
"I should have guessed that much, tho.", she continued with self-mockery in her voice, "If I was considered dead, they wouldn't send a search party after me.", Sakura laughed soundlessly, "Probably everything was just a part of the plot. Me entering the tournament although that I didn't applied, most likely my victory was staged as well. Right?"
"…"
"I can't believe this.", Sakura shook her head, "You played with my life. I was nothing more than a pawn for your personal amusement with the necessary jutsu to heal your eyes.", the kunoichi looked at Sasuke, "Why me? Did you even really acknowledge my skills and improvement or you just did this for fun? Did you hope that if I accepted and went back to you, I might probably fall for you again so you could completely use me for your sick purposes, or maybe you thought that I was still blindly in love with you…?"
"…"
"Answer me you low-down, self-centered, arrogant prick!", Sakura slapped him through his face, forcing him to support himself on his arm. Her lips were trembling, and a sob escaped them.
The Uchiha lifted up his eyes and looked at her, "Take it all out on me."
The kunoichi knitted her brows and gritted her teeth. She aimed her fist at Sasuke's face. The punch made him fall down completely on his back. She crawled to him and punched him again, straddling his legs. The pain in her knees was nothing compared to the ache in her heart. Sakura didn't enhanced her fists with chakra, she didn't need any. With every hit that she landed, her sobs increased as well as her tears. The speed with which she was punching him slowed up and she started panting. The skin on her knuckles was torn and they were covered with her own and Sasuke's blood.
Sakura raised her fist for one more hit but her hand stopped inch away from his face. She burst out crying and her fist loosened, exhaustedly dropping on his chest. The tears were rolling on her cheeks, falling on Sasuke's face. The man lifted slowly his arm and wrapped it around Sakura's shoulder. The girl collapsed on top of him with face buried in his chest. Her body was convulsing from the sniffs and the sobs. The Uchiha swallowed the urge to groan from the ache he was feeling from his broken nose and fractured facial bones. He stroked her still wet hair gently and whispered comforting words.
Sakura shifted and lifted her head from his chest, looking at the man below her. His face was covered in blood and at some places there were black-blue-purplish spots forming. She frowned and sat up, still straddling his legs. The guilt made her body temperature rise and she averted her gaze, mumbling, "I'm sorry. I guess you really didn't know everything." The kunoichi wiped out her tears with the back of her hand and as the salty drops touched her torn skin on her knuckles, she hissed.
Sasuke took her hands in his and caressed them lightly, "Do you love him?"
Sakura looked at him confused with flushed face, "Who?"
Sasuke smiled as much as he could without causing any more damage to his wounded face, "Kakashi. I saw you kissing him in the middle of your fight."
The kunoichi let her gaze fall down and she closed her eyes taking a deep breath, "I don't know. We're friends."
"So what?"
His simple question made her look at him shocked, "It's complicated.", Sakura freed her hands and placed them on his cheeks, "I don't want to talk about it. Whatever that we had, it's lost now anyway.", her palms glowed green and she knitted her brows concentrating, ignoring the pain in her knees.
Sasuke smiled and closed his eyes letting her to heal him, "As you wish."
Once the healing was finished Sakura sat on the ground and focused her attention to her knees. During the three-month period she spent in the hideout, there was not really an opportunity for her to work over them. Saving her chakra was her top priority. The kunoichi massaged her tendons with glowing fingers, feeling the comfort that spread through her legs. Without averting her gaze she asked, "Where are we heading?"
The question was followed by a deep sigh, "Depends on your condition. Can you walk?"
Sakura bit her lip and shook her head, "I should be fine in a day or two…"
"Good. So then, we're staying here. I'll go get some firewood and something to eat. You stay put.", Sasuke turned around and walked slowly away.
"Hey, Sasuke.", Sakura lifted her eyes and shouted after him. The boy stopped and turned around, "Do you think it's safe for you to go back to the hideout?"
The Uchiha thought for a second, "I can try, why?"
"Well, I still need weapons, my first aid kit and some clothes…", Sakura pulled the hem of her camisole down, hiding her bare legs.
Sasuke bit his lower lip thinking, "Ok, I'll go and check if everything's cool, I'll get your bag. I need to inform Tobi we won't be here when he gets back."
Sakura nodded reluctantly, would he tell about her fight with Kakashi?, "Be careful."
"Can you get some firewood and food by yourself or …?", he scratched his neck.
"I'll be fine. Don't worry.", Sakura smiled.
"Be back tomorrow. If you don't have any sign from me by the end of the second day, consider me dead and you'll be on your own.", the young shinobi turned around without looking at Sakura and disappeared between the trees.
The kunoichi rubbed her upper arms in desperate attempt to warm herself up but the cold night air was surrounding her, freezing the blood in her veins. She should have asked Sasuke to bring her some sticks. Sakura let her breath out, observing the steam that came out from her mouth. At least there wasn't any wind. Her stomach rumbled and she knitted her brows. Yes, she should have definitely asked him to help her.
Suddenly a foretelling rustling sent chills down the kunoichi's spine. Was it Sasuke? Or Tobi? Maybe Zetsu? Oh, God. What now? She wasn't in condition for a fight, even less with enemies like them. The pinkette gripped tightly the stick she had found earlier and held her breath, sharpening her senses, looking for some small chakra signature that could possibly tell her something about the other person. Another murmur of the leaves startled her and she felt her mouth drying and lump forming in her throat.
"Show yourself.", she managed to shout with fake confidence. A dark shadow crept out of the trees in front of her. The man was tall, with slim figure and hands nonchalantly put in his pockets. Sakura's heart jerked and her voice cracked, "Kakashi?"
The shinobi stepped closer to her and kneeled down so he could be at the same eye level as her, "Hello, Sakura."
His tone was calm and quiet. That was definitely not good. The kunoichi swallowed the lump in her throat, "What are you doing here?"
He chuckled, "I wanted to ask you two questions." Her pupils widened and she bit her lip.
"…"
"Did you come here by your own will?"
"…yes.", she whispered averting her gaze from him.
"I expected you to show some reluctance in answering at least if not shame. But it's o~kay… Second question.", the Copy nin smiled sarcastically under his mask, "Why?"
"…"
"Does the silence mean that you don't know or it means that you don't wish to tell me?", Kakashi sent her an barely visible, due to the darkness, eye crease.
"…It means that I don't know how to start.", Sakura lifted her gaze and stared at his face.
"From the top, please."
The kunoichi closed her eyes, ran fingers through her ruffled hair and rubbed her arms to warm herself, taking a deep breath. She felt something covering her front. Her eyes snapped open and she saw Kakashi's vest in her lap. The pink-haired girl looked at him puzzled. He just averted his gaze as if it wasn't a big deal, "Thanks.", Sakura smiled at his fine gesture, putting on the jonin vest.
"It all started on the day of the last challenge. I was still in the hospital.", she began with cracked and unsure voice, "Little before you came in to visit me, Tobi was in my room.", Kakashi's eye narrowed but he said nothing, letting her to continue, "He threatened to declare a war against Konoha unless I went with him to help him heal one of his comrades who had problems with his eyes. Later I found out, during our "negotiation", that it was Sasuke.", the girl choked at the memory and cleared her throat, "He said that he'd kill every kid and elderly in the village. At first I considered telling Tsunade-shishou and risking with his threat but then I thought, "Would he really bluff for such thing unless he could actually do it?" He had told me to meet him at midnight the same day to tell him my answer.", Sakura closed tightly her eyes, trying to ignore the burning feeling in her nose, "At that time I had to think about winning the challenge, about the problems I had with you, about my injury which could cost me the victory and our lives and then that fucking Akatsuki. My head was a mess. I was aware that if left Konoha and healed Sasuke, I'd commit a dreadful treason against my village..Tsunade...Naruto...you..."
"You got that right.", he murmured under his breath.
Sakura frowned feeling the first tear escaping her eyelid, "The only thing that I could do was to go there and hope that I would gather enough intel on the Akatsuki members so I could further in time use against some of them."
"You hoped that you'd be actually able to take care of them only by yourself?", Kakashi's voice was highly-pitched than usual.
Sakura sniffed and snorted, "Yeah, sure… I hoped that I would be able to take care of Sasuke once I got him to drop his guard down around me. At least I owned that much to Naruto."
The Copy nin frowned, "You are well aware that you would have been killed in an instant if you had tried it."
"Most likely. I would be killed once I'm in no use of them as well so what's the difference? At least I would have done some damage, right?", Sakura snuggled in his vest, avoiding his stare.
"…"
An awkward silence spread between them and Sakura wiped out her tears, clearing her throat to break it, "Did you get my letter?"
Kakashi's body jerked and he nodded, pulling out the shabby page from the front pocket in his vest. Sakura observed him curiously as he waved it in front of her face, "How could you leave without saying a word?..."
"I…wasn't allowed to tell about this to anyone…", the pinkette's heart shrieked and the tears poured again from her eyes.
"Do you know what I went through when I found the letter, thinking that you have left only moments ago. When I rushed to your apartment, sensed your chakra in it and saw it exploding right before my eyes…When they found your body, no, the remains of your body…", his voice betrayed him and Kakashi silenced for a second regaining his composure, "I blamed myself. Because I let you leave in the morning, because I didn't wake up in time."
Sakura bit her lip, tasting the blood in her mouth. She couldn't held her sobs back anymore. A silent yelp escaped under her breath. The kunoichi looked up in Kakashi's eye, "I'm sorry. I didn't know… I'm sorry." Her voice faded away, not having the strength to talk anymore.
The Cop nin closed tightly his eye. She had indeed asked him that morning about Tobi. But she said that it was only a bad dream. He should have foreseen that or at least notice that something was off with her. The blame he felt only got stronger and a curse escaped his lips, "Damn it.", he pulled Sakura to him, wrapping his arms around her. The girl hissed sharply in pain and the silver-haired jonin quickly looked at her, "What happened? Did I hurt you?"
Sakura shook her head, "I fell from a tree and my knees took up my weight."
Kakashi let her ease her back on the tree trunk again, settling himself next to her, "They still cause you trouble?", the pink-haired medic nodded slightly, snuggling her face in his chest, hugging him around the waist.
"You mustn't tell about this to anyone, even the Hokage.", Sakura murmured, clenching her fingers.
"But…"
"Promise me."
"If you don't come back to Konoha, you'd be charged for treason against the village when they found out about you. And Tsunade already knows that you're alive.", he whispered.
"Kakashi…I healed Sasuke's eyes. This is already a treason.", the kunoichi closed tightly her eyelids.
"But there is a possibility that they'll drop the charges…If I testify in your favour…"
"You won't be allowed.", Sakura interrupted him, "Your opinion won't be taken under any consideration due to the fact that you were once my jonin sensei and current team leader."
"But if I talk now…"
"If you talk now, you may cause a bigger problem. They may think that you are my accomplice and what's more important – Tsunade-shishou won't believe you.", Sakura pulled back so she could stare at him.
"Why wouldn't she?!"
"Because it's about me!", she hissed angered at his stubbornness, "She doesn't trust your judgment when it comes to me. She said it herself.", the pinkette sighed, "And even if she believed you, you would most likely give her empty hopes, Kakashi. You would give everybody empty hopes. I've sank too deep in the mud this time. You can't clean me up. In the end I'll drown and I don't want to drag you with me.", the girl buried her face in his chest, sobbing.
The Copy nin patted her on the head, "Don't think about it for now.", he smiled under his mask tightening his embrace, pushing the worrisome thoughts in the corner of his mind, "Tell me, why are you alone in here?"
"Sasuke went to take back my stuff from the hideout.", Sakura sniffed.
"That idiot. That's the dumbest thing he could have done in that situation.", the silver-haired jonin frowned, "Leaving you alone in here without weapons or even fire to warm you up. If you were really that important to him that he'd kidnap you, protecting your life is the least thing he could do…"
"Actually, he intended to stay but I asked him to bring me some clothes…", Sakura smiled apologetically, "I said that I'd be fine by myself and that I could gather firewood alone…"
Kakashi shook his head in disbelief. The kunoichi pushed gently out from his firm chest and gaze at his masked face. Her hand slowly reached and pulled down his mask. The Copy nin looked at her speechless. The girl smiled brightly and caressed his cheek. That was the first time she had seen him bare-faced under the moonlight. He looked even younger despite the dark shadows that were surrounding his eyes. Sakura drew closer and kissed him on the cheek, "I missed you."
The silver-haired jonin released the breath he was holding and his head hung. His arms cupped her face and his thumbs wiped out the wet traces of the tears. When he lifted his coal gaze the small flickering spark could be seen in his deep eye. "I missed you too." Kakashi cleared his throat and scratched his neck with his fingers, "Um, do you want to talk about…what happened…before you leave?"
The medic smiled widely, "I don't regret it."
"Neither do I, although I should.", Kakashi chuckled, "You really took me by surprise back then, tho. When I opened my door and saw you there wearing your robe naked in slippers… That image is forever burned in my mind. Along with other things but that stands in the lead of the ranking…"
"What other things?"
"The sound of your fart during the formal lunch with the Kages, the…"
Sakura pinched him for the arm, "Stop it.", she giggled embarrassed but then her expression changed, "When I got out of the bathroom and noticed the clock on the wall that night and saw that I had only two hours to spend in Konoha I realized where I wanted to be. I didn't actually care what I was wearing. I meant what I wrote in the letter. I will always remember it."
"You also told me that you'll regret only one thing.", Kakashi whispered, caressing her cheek, "That you would not have the chance to do it again. Did you mean that as well?"
A slight blush appeared on Sakura's face and she thanked the night for hiding it from Kakashi's perceptive stare, "Yes.", her voice came out not louder than a whisper but she saw the eye on the man before her lightening up.
"Somewhere I read a saying: "Leave no regrets behind.", if my memory serves me right.", Kakashi smiled and the kunoichi caught herself staring mindlessly at his features again.
"Whoever said it must have been a very wise man.", Sakura replied with smug expression.
"Wise indeed.", the Copy nin drew closer and pressed his lips to hers.
The kiss was gentle but hungry at the same time, eager and sensual. Sakura let herself to be swept away by the warmth and the safety that his body offered. The passion that burned her insides was making her mouth dry and the girl pulled back an inch to stare at the man before her and lick her lips. She needed his touch on her body, his kisses, she needed to feel his fingers buried in her scalp, ruffling her pink hair. Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her chest as much as she could to his. The kunoichi felt him slipping his arms behind her back and legs. With one swift motion her put her down to lie on the cold ground.
The pinkette grabbed the collar of his jonin top and pulled it up in a sign for him to take it off. Kakashi immediately obeyed despite the low weather temperatures. Sakura bit her lower lip smirking, absorbing the view of his naked torso. She pulled him down and pressed her lips to his, deepening the kiss. The medic let her hand travel over his firm chest and examine every inch of his bare skin. It was smooth and warm. She felt his lips parting slightly above hers as he moaned quietly when her fingers pinched his nipple. Sakura felt it hardening under her hand.
The Copy nin grabbed her wrist and leaded her hand out of its way to his second nipple. He heard the girl's chuckle and his face curved in a smug expression. The jonin took off his gloves and gripped tightly Sakura's thigh, burying his fingers in the soft skin, caressing it roughly, making his way to her bottom. Kakashi bit her lower lip and sucked it gently. A soft groan escaped the medic's throat and her body jerked under the man's.
Suddenly the Copy nin pulled back and looked at her flushed face. The girl reached up to pull him down but he shook his head, "Sakura…What are we doing?"
The kunoichi winked few times, trying to realize what he had asked her, "I think it was pretty much obvious what we were doing…"
"No. What is this to you? Few stolen moments? Last time, you did it because you thought that you may never see me again and now what's the reason? What am I to you, Sakura?", he whispered looking deeply in her green eyes.
The girl swallowed the lump in her throat that had suddenly appeared. She wasn't ready to answer that question. It wasn't the right time. Not when she didn't know if she would survive another day, week or month. "Kakashi, I… The reason why I did this isn't because I was afraid but because I didn't have the time to think. I had time only to feel. And what I'd felt was what I did. I wanted to do it. I wanted you.", her voice hitched and she averted her gaze, "And… I want you now."
The Copy nin's eye widened and he opened his mouth to reply but a tale telling noise from the bushes behind them interrupted him.
"Just friends, ha?", the voice of Sasuke was filled with sarcasm, "Sakura… Sakura… You haven't changed. Still chasing after something that you can't get…"
The girl gasped startled for air and gripped tightly Kakashi's forearm. The Copy nin stood up, putting on his top.
"I didn't think you were stupid enough to follow us here, sensei.", the Uchiha's face curved into a mock expression.
"I didn't think you were stupid enough to let her by herself.", Kakashi laughed and pulled up his mask, watching Sasuke dropping the rucksack he was carrying.
"Oh, Kakashi.", the younger shinobi laughed, "Whose act is more foolish? You coming here without backup or me leaving Sakura alone for few hours?"
Sakura's body tensed at the tone in Sasuke's words. He was trying to pick up a fight and in her current state she wouldn't be of much help to Kakashi, "Sasuke, don't.", she whispered, slowly getting up on her feet with pained grimace, "He won't say a word. He was just leaving."
The Uchiha giggled, "Yeah, sure. Leaving."
"What are you going to do, Sasuke?", the Copy nin reattached his pouch to his belt and reached for a kunai, "Kill me?"
"I'm thinking about it.", the dark-haired shinobi smirked.
"Oh, boy. Aren't we cocky?", Kakashi laughed, ignoring completely the worried look that Sakura shot them.
"Kakashi, just go.", the kunoichi whispered pulling the Copy nin's sleeve.
Suddenly Sasuke attacked the silver-haired jonin with his katana. The blade stack at the tree trunk where Kakashi's head was just seconds ago. The White fang's son rushed away from where Sakura was standing, afraid that she might get involved in the crossfire. The Uchiha survivor shot a fire jutsu at him, forcing him to counter it with a water one. The battle was intense and almost on par. Sasuke's sharingan was giving him the advantage in this situation and he used it as well as he could. The kunoichi stood with held breath in her lungs and shaking body. The nails were cut deep in her palms, tearing the skin, allowing a small trickles of blood to flow down from the wounds.
Kakashi clashed his kunai with Sasuke's katana. Both of them jumped back and the Copy nin rushed in the woods, taking advantage of his momentary distraction. Before turning his back he shot Sakura one last look over his shoulder and after that he disappeared in the darkness. The Uchiha made a step after him and then cursed, not sensing his chakra anymore.
The kunoichi let her breath heavily out and slid down on the ground with her back eased on the tree trunk. Her heart was beating fast, strongly, her pulse was irregular and her head was pounding from the blood rush in her brain. Fear. That was what she felt. Fear for Kakashi. The day of the second challenge replayed in her head, forcing the memories of the genjutsu to resurface in her mind. Tears welled up in her eyes.
Sasuke watched her, shaking from the sobs. He had fought Kakashi before during those six years and she had never reacted that way before. Were her feelings for him that strong so she was losing her composure after just seeing him in a battle? Or was it because he was his opponent? Either way. He at least had the answer to the question why she had left Kakashi that letter.
The Uchiha picked up his bag and threw it in Sakura's feet, "Dress up. Or you'll catch a cold. I'll prepare the fire." He turned his back at her and walked into the woods to get some sticks, leaving her to herself for a moment, to deal with her own ghosts. She needed it.
Almost as much as he did.
The air trembled and twisted, forming a slowly expanding vortex in the middle of the dark hospital room. Slowly Kakashi's body emerged from it and the Copy nin let out a deep exhausted breath, supporting himself on his knees, half-kneeling. Suddenly out of nowhere the lamps lightened up and a blond kunoichi gripped his throat, flinging him on the bed.
"I want explanations, Hatake.", the Hokage clenched her teeth, "And they'd better be good.", her hand released the coughing jonin and she made a step back so she could take a good look at him. He had fought.
"…"
"Speak.", his silence drove her out of her skin, "Where have you been?"
"…"
"Fine.", the woman reached to his ankle and gripped it tightly, twisting it to the side. A dull crack was heard and the silver-haired jonin cried out in pain, "At least now you won't be going anywhere when the sedatives wear off.", she lisped before walking out of the room.
Kakashi cursed under his breath and frowned at his broken ankle. That wouldn't heal for a month at least and of course she won't allow him to receive any treatment from the medic nins. He should have known that she'd find out eventually. The man closed his eyes and settled more comfortably in the bed. He could try and escape in the morning. But for now he needed a rest. The new use of Kamui he had found out few weeks ago was tiring and putting too much of a strain on his eye and body. But he had no other option. He had to go after Sakura. And now he was sure that the pounding in his head, the broken bones in his ankle and the trickle of blood that was pouring down from his nose under his mask, were worth it. If he had stayed behind he wouldn't have known that she was blackmailed and forced into joining them. Not that him knowing made much of a difference.
The Copy nin's face curved in a smug grimace. No. It made huge difference. The doubts that she had abandoned them for Sasuke, had faded away. "It was worth it.", he murmured smirking and let the restless slumber to take him away, drifting him to the same forest he left few moments ago…
"They're heading north.", Zetsu whispered behind Tobi's back, "Do you want me to confront them?"
"No. Let them be.", the orange masked shinobi replied quietly, turning his head in his direction. When he returned his attention to the man standing before him, Tobi's mask was lifted up, "I'm sorry, what were you saying?"
The shinobi hiding in the shadows stirred annoyed but when he spoke his voice was calm, "How long are you planning to keep me in this dusty, cave?"
"Just a little bit more. I still need to finish my work with the Leaf. Sasuke's part is essential in my plan. And if he cannot use his eyes, he's useless to me. Your time would come as well. I have promised you to get your revenge for that girl as well, haven't I?", Tobi let out chuckling quiet laugh and turned his back to the man in the shadows, "Zetsu, let's go. We need to see what happened with those two imbeciles."
The Akatsuki members walked leisurely through the cave entrance and sealed it with a jutsu.
TBC