Please don't let this be a dream or some cruel joke. Please, please, please.

Kakashi sat in the hallway, outside of the exam room, in everyone's way praying, that the girl was Naruto. His grief over the boys death must have messed with his head in a big way if he thought that some strange girl was Naruto. The dead didn't rise. It was simply an immpossibility, but gods he wanted to believe. He wanted to believe that the boy had somehow known how much they had all missed him, and had wanted to give back the will of fire that had seemed to be snuffed out with his death.

He knew that it was stupid and childish to be so selfish, but gods he hoped he was right. He would die without Naruto. They all would.

Sakura came out of the room a few minutes later with a strange look on her face. It was'nt exactly a happy look but at the same time it was'nt an unhappy one. She walked over to and spoke to one nurses before giving him her undivided attention and smileing a bit. It had been a while since she had seen her former sensei and even though the current circumstances were'nt ideal, it was still good to see the man.

"Kakashi-sensei..."

Kakashi looked at her, a lost look on his masked face. "Is it him? Is it Naruto? Is there any chance at all?" Kakashi asked anxiously as he laced the fingers of his hands together and waited for Sakura to answer.

Sakura was'nt sure what to tell him. The girl's body was in a deplorible state. She was suffering from severe malnutrition, dehidration, her body was badly damaged, the organs on the brink of total failure. But if they could reverse enough of the damage then it might be possible to tell who the girl was. Though in her heart she knew. She would never mistake Naruto, no matter what form he was in. And there was no doubt in her mind that that girl was her Naruto.

She had checked for the demon's chakra, and found faint traces of the Kyubbi's chakra still circulating in the girl's body though the demon itself was strangely absent. And the blood test that Kakashi had ordered done in a hurry, had just come through several minutes ago, indicating that the girl was Naruto without a doubt. But because of Naruto's current state she didn't want to get Kakashi's hopes up. If Naruto died again, it would kill him.

"We...don't know anything yet, but you'll be the first to know when we figure it out. Why don't you go on home and sleep." She said gently as she dropped down to one knee in front of him and smiled. Kakashi growled at her. He knew that she was just trying to help him, but it was irritating to have her treat him like a small child for whatever reason.

"I'm not leaving. That girl is Naruto, I know it and I'm not leaving without her." Kakashi snapped irritably. Sakura sighed and placed her hand over the small swell of her stomach and Kakashi's expression softened as he sighed and placed his hand on top of hers and tried to imagine what she was feeling right now, with a little one on the way.

"I'm sorry Sakura. I'm sorry. I just can't bear the thought of leaving Naruto alone, if that really is him...then I need to know." Kakashi said more gently this time, and Sakura sighed and pulled the results of the blood test out of her pocket and held it out to him. He got that anxious look on his face again and took the paper from her and opened it. His mis matched eyes nearly popping out of his head before he started to laugh hysterically.

"Oh...my...fucking...god-" He wheezed as he leaned back against the wall and put and arm over his eyes. Sakura giggled.

"That damn punk...he found a way back-" Kakashi snorted as he let his arm fall away from his eyes and looked at Sakura.

"It's really him?" He asked uncertainly, Sakura nodded her head. Joy flooding her heart.

"Yes. It's really Naruto." Sakura said gently as Kakashi slowly uncoiled his body and got to his feet and helped Sakura up.

"Oh god...can you imagine- How bad off is she? Tell me the truth Sakura, she's going to live right?"

"I honestly don't know. It will be a few days before we know anything as far as her health goes." Sakura said soberly. Kakashi nodded his head in understanding and sighed.

"Would it be okay if I posted several guards to keep others out? I might also take up temperary residence in her room." Sakura smiled again.

"Your the Hokage Kakashi, if that's what you want then I'll help arrange it." Sakura said. Kakashi looked at her and nodded again. He already had a decent idea of who to assign as her temperary bodyguards. Shikamaru, Shino, Sai, and Neji would be the best choices. They would have to figure out just how badly her body and mind was damaged and if a lot of that damage could be repaired before they introduced her to the rookies again.

"Alright, I know just the guys for the job, can I trust you to keep them out of her room until she's ready to be seen?" There was no point in letting the others get their hopes up if the girl only ended up dying again. Would'nt that be disappointing. He thought as he opened the door to the room and stepped inside after asking Sakura to have Lee round up the ones he wanted there and then closed himself in the room and cringed when he saw the oxygen mask over her face, the I.V, the tubes and machines monitering her body, and giving her the things that she so despratly needed to stay alive.

He walked over to her bed and sat down and took one of her hands and noticed that Sakura had cleaned and bandaged the long slender fingers and evened out the broken and torn nails on both hands. Such maticulous care. Kakashi thought as he subconciously brought her hand to his masked lips and pressed a kiss to her bruised knuckles and thought about how terrible it must have been for her to wake up in a coffin and have to dig her way out of the ground.

"You must have been so scared... So lost, and lonely..." He paused and closed his eyes in pain as he tried to imagine what had gone through her mind as she had lay in the ground. Had she screamed and pleaded for someone to let her out? Had she cried?

Of course she had, it was normal to feel frightened in such a situations. The only question that was on his mind now was, would she forgive them for putting her in that situation in the first place? Would she forgive him for letting her out of his sight? For not being able to protect her before or now?