A/N: Hi everyone! Finally chapter 26 is out and this time I will dedicate two chapter in this story to pre-Ajiouhyougen and Koigokoro. Mostly because I always have wanted to write about KakaSaku in what I believed would have happened after NARUTO chapter 481 (if it was about KAKASAKU that is (≧∇≦) lol ). So I have ignored much of what have happened so far in the manga/anime (don't want to spoil anything if you haven't read/watch so far yet).
Some of you maybe recognize some of it and I can tell you it's taken from Sakura's or Kakashi's memories/flashbacks of Ajiouhygen/Koigokoro, but it's slightly more updated version of it. :3
I deeply apologies that yet again this chapter is posted without a beta, so forgive me and try to bear with it, because there will certainly be a lot of mistakes and grammar wrongs in this one. If anyone with good (native) English skill (mostly grammar and spelling) are feeling that she or he want to help me I'm most grateful. ^^
Anyway, read and enjoy! And please, don't forget to leave reviews! Reviews makes me happy~!
Take Care! (^o^)/
Disclaimer:I don't own Naruto!
Chapter Twenty Six – This Is War
Eight years ago-
As the silver haired shinobi rushed through the tree branches, he had only one thought in his mind;
'Let me be in time!'
Ignoring how the twigs was hitting his face, he sprinted on, feeling Sakura's chakra nearby as well as the person she intended to kill.
Everything was his fault. If he hadn't told her those thing he had told her back then, then maybe she wouldn't put this burden on herself. He should have known better back then.
A sudden shout, brought the silver haired man back from his thoughts and he recognized that shout as Sakura's. He had to hurry.
He suddenly closed in to an old temple ruin and it was then he saw them. Sakura giving him a good punch in his guts, but he disappeared with a *poof* and he could see Sakura's astonish face expression.
"You may have improve, Sakura, but you still lack something..." Sasuke's voice sounded clear and filled with venom and the silver haired shinobi watched as Sasuke came up behind Sakura's back.
Blue and white sparkles along with a chirping sound, told the silver haired man that Sasuke had no intention to keep Sakura alive. As fast as he could, he jumped towards Sakura and Sasuke, who was delivering his killing blow.
Everything felt like it went in slow motion.
The silver haired man was reaching for his pink haired former student to push her away from Sasuke's chidori, but he was too slow and he watch as Sasuke struck his chidori covered hand into Sakura's shoulder, leaving a gaping wound, but at least missing any vital parts.
Sakura fall to the ground hitting her head pretty badly on the stone flooring of the bridge, knocking her unconscious.
Breading heavily the silver haired man looked devastated at the unconscious form of Sakura, he had been too late yet again.
"Sakura!" he called and began to take one step towards her, but got stopped by a cold voice.
"Hatake Kakashi," Sasuke's unemotional cold voice said and the silver haired man glanced at the raven haired 'boy'. "One move and this time I will not miss..."
"Have darkness blinded you that much, Sasuke?!" Kakashi said and watched how Sasuke's mouth became a thin line.
"Are you trying to lecture me again?," Sasuke said while looking at Kakashi with one eye that was dripping blood. "Don't try to act like I'm still your student."
"I don't want to kill you, Sasuke!"
"But I have been dying to kill you, Kakashi!" Sasuke's gaze became harder and he began to laugh coldly.
Kakashi starred chocked at the black haired madman in front of him and it was clear that this was not the same Sasuke he had taught three years ago.
Giving the unconscious Sakura a short glance, he was determined that he would be the one to take the burden from her.
"Then you give me no other choice," Kakashi said and uncovered his sharingan. "I will end it here and now."
"I was about to say the same thing," Sasuke said with a smirk and suddenly something raised out from his body, covering him like a cloak.
'Is that, Susanoo?!'
"I will crush Konoha," Sasuke said still glancing down at Kakashi with cold empty eyes. "So don't stand in my way."
Seeing that Sasuke's Susanoo's hand began to transform a crossbow, Kakashi embraced himself of the attack that would follow, but noting came.
Instead he found Sasuke on his knees, coughing up blood as well as holding his hands to his face.
Not really understanding what had happened, still Kakashi didn't waste any time to ask and took his opportunity to strike while Sasuke was on his knees. This was the biggest chance he had to bring Sasuke back alive to Konoha.
As he was about to hit Sasuke unconscious, someone suddenly appeared out of no where, between him and Sasuke, forcing Kakashi to back away.
"I'm sorry to have to interrupt this heart-warming meeting," the person in front of them said and Kakashi frowned. "But this fight ends here..."
"Madara," Kakashi growled low and pulled up a kunai from his back pouch, ready to strike any moment.
"So eager to die for the sake of a corrupt world," Madara said and glanced at the direction of Sakura. "I will give you a choice and I think it would be wise of you to take it, if you want me to spare more then one life...
Or maybe you don't care for the girl, who as we speak, are bleeding out..."
Looking back to the unconscious Sakura, he had little choice.
"As you probably understand, I have no interest in you or the girl. I'm only here for Sasuke, so if she dies, it's none of my concern," Madara told Kakashi, whom glanced back to Madara. "It's your choice. Live and save the girl or you both will die here..."
"Fine," Kakashi said and dropped the kunai to the ground. "Sasuke is yours..."
"Excellent choice," Madara said and put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Let's go, Sasuke..."
Saying nothing, Sasuke let himself be absorbed by Madara's doujustsu and was out of sight.
"I will see you again on the battlefield and then you will not stop me from taking Kyuubi," and with that Madara was gone as well.
Kakashi then turned around and rushed back to Sakura's side and began to check her vital signs.
She had lost so much blood and her pulse was faint, but still there and he could tell she was fighting even if she was unconscious.
"Hold on Sakura, I will take you to Konoha now," Kakashi mumbled and took her in his arms and then he suddenly noticed the other girl laying there bleeding from a wound in her chest.
Her hair red as the blood streaming out from her and she was watching him.
"You should hurry," she said faintly. "Otherwise she won't survive..."
"But you..."
"I was a friend of Sasuke, an enemy. You should leave me to die," she said a matter of factly.
"Just the more reason to bring you with me," Kakashi said and looked down to Sakura in his arms, squeezing her unconscious form closer against him.
'Forgive me...'
As Kakashi was about to turn around, he felt someone approach them and the leafs of the trees rattled as a person jumped out from the trees.
"Kakashi-sensei!" the person shouted and forced an unseen smile from the silver haired man.
"Naruto! Quick, help me with this girl!" Kakashi called and the blond haired young man hurried over to Kakashi.
"What have happened to Sakura?" he asked devastated as he came closer to them.
"Sasuke," was all Kakashi could say and Naruto looked grim at Sakura's form.
"That bastard," Naruto growled.
"Please, take that girl," Kakashi said and nodded at the red haired girl not far from him. "She probably have important information about the enemy and she is wounded, so she is coming with us to Konoha."
"But what about Yamato-taichou?" Naruto asked, while lifting up the girl onto his back. "Shouldn't we inform him about this?"
"Cut my thumb with your kunai," Kakashi told Naruto.
"What?!"
"Just do it!"
Mumbling something inheritable, Naruto pulled out a kunai from his back pouch and cut his former teachers thumb.
Forming the necessary signs, Kakashi put down his hand on the bridge parapet and a small cloud of smoke arose from the spot and a pug with droopy eyes looked at them.
"Kakashi, what is it?" the pug asked.
"Pakkun, I need you to inform Yamato, that Naruto and I are heading back to Konoha and tell him also to take care of Sai, Lee and Kiba. You know where to find them," Kakashi told the pug who nodded.
"See you later then," the pug Pakkun jumped down from the parapet and then he disappeared into the bushes, leaving Kakashi and Naruto to stare at the still slightly moving bushes.
"Should we leave, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked and the silver haired shinobi nodded in confirmation.
"Let's hurry."
~oOo~
Entering the still under construction village of Konoha, Kakashi and Naruto rushed to the area where the "hospital" had been set up.
"I need Shizune!" Kakashi called out and a young medic exited out of one of the many tents surrounding the area.
"Shizune is not here, but I can...-" the young medic began but was cut of shortly by Kakashi.
"No, I need Shizune," he barked out and the young medic looked a bit shocked, but took courage yet again.
"Sir, you need to calm down a let me take care of-..." yet again she was cut of by the silver haired shinobi who had a deadly glare at the young medic in front of them.
"Just fucking tell me where she is and I will go there myself!" Kakashi growled low and Naruto try to hide the shock he felt because of his normally compose teacher.
"She-she is at Hokage-sama's tent," the young medic said and followed Kakashi with her gaze, as he walked passed her.
"You can help him with the other girl," Kakashi told the girl as he walked passed her and saw in the corner of his eye how Naruto gave the red haired girl to the medic and how he apologized to her due to Kakashi's behaviour.
Closing in to the tent of Tsunade, Kakashi flipped up the flap and watched how Shizune was sitting beside of the fragile looking Hokage, as she took her vitals.
"If you have noting important, you have to leave," she muttered, still focusing on her task at hand.
"Shizune, it's Sakura," Kakashi finally said loosing the sternness in his voice and Shizune stopped what she was doing.
"What happened?" she asked as she rushed towards Sakura in Kakashi's arms.
"She got hit by Sasuke's chidori and hit her head," Kakashi told Shizune who already had a glowing hand over Sakura's head, to check any brain damage, before she travelled down to the open wound on her shoulder.
"You stupid girl," Shizune mumbled and removed her glowing hand. "She will be fine. But she has lost much blood and all our blood resources is very limited at the moment, especially now when she can't chew by herself..."
"Then I will give her some," Kakashi suddenly said and Shizune looked at him a bit surprised. "We both are O-types, so she will be fine with mine."
"If you are willing to give her some, she will recover faster," Shizune said and looked at Sakura that was still in Kakashi's arms."We will fix a tent to Sakura to stay in and I will heal the last of Sakura's wound. That's what we can do for her at the moment, the rest is up to her. .."
"I wish I could do more," Kakashi mumbled, more to himself.
"You have done plenty for her and she should be lucky that she has you as her team leader," Shizune said with a small smile. "She will pull this through!"
~oOo~
It had past two weeks already and when he hadn't been busy with the duties he had been "forced" into, he had been sitting in the corner of Sakura's tent watching her breathe slowly, just as he did now.
He was feeling like a wreck, he hadn't slept or eaten properly in those two weeks and he was note sure how much longer this life style could continue, without him passing out from either exhaustion or starvation.
"Sakura," he mumbled silently and suddenly he saw a movement out of the corner of his eye.
She had finally arisen from her unconsciousness, but she had been forced down again by a silent scream of pain from her shoulder.
"You shouldn't force yourself," he said calmly to her and saw how she turned her head slowly to look at him.
"Sensei, where am I?" she asked with a hoarse voice.
"You are in safety, in Konoha," he told her and began to walk towards her. "You have been knocked out for two weeks. I-... We were worried about you..."
He knelt beside of her futon and he could see that she had a troubled expression in her face.
"Why did you bring me back, Sensei?" she asked him.
The question made him a bit stunned and all he could do was just glare at her for a moment.
"That-... That's a stupid question, Sakura. You are my team mate, of course I would bring you back," he told her and saw that look he had seen in many others, even in himself when he had been younger. A look that told him that she had given up on her life.
Was Sasuke really worth to die for?
" You are really selfish, Sakura," he suddenly snapped, feeling suddenly angry with her. "You didn't even consider your friends feelings before you start to chase Sasuke!"
Seeing how her fist began to clench into her blanket, he knew that she was about to break.
"YOU SHOULD JUST HAVE LEFT ME THERE TO DIE!" she shouted. "I don't care anymore. I don't care..."
He glanced down to Sakura and suddenly felt the urge to slap some sense into her, but seeing how she began to silently cry, he then felt sorry for her and a feeling to hold her tightly against him accrued suddenly.
He slowly began to reach out to her, but was interrupted by a voice at the tent entrance.
"Senpai..."
He moved his head towards the entrance and was faced with the new captain to his team.
"They are waiting for your orders, Hokage-sama," the brown haired man said to Kakashi who frowned.
"Please, don't call me that, 'Yamato'. It's not like I really asked for this position," Kakashi said while raising from his spot on the ground. "You aren't weak, Sakura. Sasuke has already passed beyond his own darkness and is no longer need of our help..."
He saw how she stopped to cry and glanced at him. Their eyes met and the way she looked at him made his heart sank, because dose eyes already told him what she would say.
"Just leave me, Sensei. I don't want to see you here anymore," she said, eyes as empty as they had been they day Sasuke had left Konoha almost three years ago.
He left her tent without a word and Yamato nodded at Sakura with a faint smile and then left after Kakashi.
~oOo~
One week later and Sakura was wandering up and down the streets of Konoha. She had been released from her prison called medic tent five days ago and Shizune who had been tormenting her with various medical utensils during her stay, hadn't been very found of Sakura when she had three days after she had woken up, tried to leave the tent without telling her first.
Sakura had just come to the outskirts of the hospital area when Shizune had noticed her missing and Shizune had come rushing towards her and dragged her all way back to her tent.
Muttering something that she had began to behave similar to her teacher, Shizune had then forced Sakura to stay two more days just because.
In which Sakura had found most annoying, but there was no room to argue with Shizune, who was too busy with both her new roll as head medic for the medic division in the war, as well as taking care of Tsunade who still was in coma and now with Sakura who was behaving like a big baby, Shizune would certainly explode by the pressure.
Sakura knew that Shizune didn't need anymore trouble and especially not from Sakura herself, an equally skilled medicnin, so Sakura change tactics to make Shizune's mood to be to the better and it hadn't worked at all, because she still had to stay those two days extra.
But she had gotten some surprising information out of Shizune and that was why Sakura was walking up and down the streets of Konoha to build up her courage.
Courage she suddenly lost when she stood outside of the big tent entrance that led to no other then the Hokage himself.
Breathing in deep she took a step forward and pulled the tent flap aside and she immediately regretted her choice.
Eight heads was turned towards her and she suddenly felt very small as she was glared at.
At least one was smiling amused at her own embarrassment and that was Shikamaru's dad. That man always found a reason to smile even in the most heated moments and his son was very much the same.
"Is there anything you want, Haruno-san?" one of the councils member Utatane Koharu said and looked sternly at Sakura's slightly quivering form.
"I-I wish to speak to Kakashi-sensei," she said and heard how the second council member Mitokado Homura huffed beside of Koharu.
"As you can see we are in the middle of a meeting and we wish that you don't disturb Hokage-sama and us," Homura said.
"I'm- I'm sorry. I will leave you then," Sakura excused herself, cheeks burning red as she turned around to walk out.
"Sakura, please stay," Kakashi's voice suddenly called out. "I have some matters to discuss with you."
"But our meeting!? We haven't even discussed the main topic yet," Koharu told Kakashi, who was still watching Sakura's embarrassed form at the tent entrance.
"I will call you back in two hours and then we will continue this meeting," Kakashi told Koharu, who pulled her lips into a thin line of aggravation. "You can all dismiss."
Homura went out first, followed by Koharu and the others, last one was Shikamaru's dad Shikaku, who whispered something to Kakashi making him glowering at Shikaku.
Nodding his head at Sakura in a greeting, Shikaku too was out of the tent.
"You wanted to talk to me," Kakashi suddenly said, making Sakura jump slightly in surprise. Cheeks burning bright red again.
"Well yes, I wanted to talk to you," Sakura finally said and glanced around her to make sure it was only the two of them.
"Okay, go on then," he said and began leaning in his chair, while looking at her.
"I'm- I'm so sorry!" Sakura shouted out and began to bow her head low in front of a surprised Kakashi. "I didn't mean to say all of those things I did back then and I'm very grateful that you helped me to recover!"
Stun into silence, all he could do was to gap like a fish on dry land. He hadn't meant it for her to find out that he had been the person to give her the blood she needed, as well as staying by her side day in and day out for two straight weeks.
"You are welcome," he said and felt a small blush creeping over his cheeks, so he looked away from her bowing head. Not that she really could see him anyway. "And you don't really have to be so formal. Just a 'sorry' and a 'thank you' would have been just enough."
"But you are-..."
"I'm your team captain and a- friend," the last word he said with a bit of hesitation.
Sakura had raised her head as he had utter those words and she looked at him and he looked back.
Somehow she was stuck in his gaze and when he cleared his throat, she looked away blushing.
"Well, I'm still grateful for what you did, because you didn't have to do it," Sakura told him and saw in the corner of her eye how he began to raise from the chair.
"I would do anything to protect someone important to me," Kakashi told her and suddenly he was in front of her and she began to blush even deeper.
Why she didn't know and she couldn't even explain it. But when his hand come to rest on her shoulder, she was forced to look up and she forced herself to push down the blush that was yet again trying to make itself known.
"If that was all, can I discuss my matter now?" he asked and she nodded stiffly.
Thankful that he seemed not to notice her blush, she moved away slightly from him, making his hand on her shoulder to drop back to his side. Now she was curious to what he wanted to talk about. So Sakura made him know that by straightening herself a bit and with an all business face, she looked at him.
"As I believe you already know, Shizune is the head medic in the up coming war, but she is also responsible of the treatment of Tsunade-sama," Kakashi began and Sakura nodded her head. "So that will be a problem in the medic division of course."
"So you are actually asking me to stand in as a head medic while Shizune is treating Tsunade-sama?" Sakura asked and she didn't know if she would like the answer.
"Well, yes I do," he said and saw how Sakura's shoulder slump slightly. "But it won't be that often. The big treatment Shizune needs to do is only one time in a week, so the other times you will be in another division, fighting together with the others."
"That was what you and the others were talking about when I interrupted?" Sakura then said and she could see a small smile forming under his mask.
"You have always been a clever girl, Sakura," he said still with his typical smile that was more of an eye crinkle. "And you are the only one of the same level as Shizune, if not higher."
To hear a compliment from him was not that unusual, but Sakura felt like this was a compliment that weight heavy on his tongue and should be cherished, after all he hadn't praised her openly since the chuunin exam.
Sakura beamed, well in her heart she beamed, because she wouldn't dare showing him how she really felt about that comment. It would only give him a reason to make fun of her and she hated when she was made fun of, but worse was when they called her weak. She was not weak and she wanted to prove it to everyone around her that she was strong.
"So what do you say? Will you do it?" Kakashi asked her and she crossed her arms over her chest, in a fashion that she was thinking of what to do, but she already knew what she wanted.
"If it will help Shizune to lessen her burden, then of course I will do it!" Sakura told him with a business look on her face yet again.
"I'm glad to hear that," Kakashi said, yet again with his typical smile.
Seven years ago-
Waking up with an almost silent scream, Sakura pushed herself out of the comfort of her pillow.
Breathing erratically, she glanced around her surrounding, seeing that she was alone as always.
Gaining control of her breathing, she finally let out a deep sight and fall back in to her pillow.
Why was it always like this?! She have had the same dream since just after the start of the war and tomorrow it would be one year ago since then.
Always seeing him.
He and his cold red eyes, looking at her like she was someone to erase from the past. Looking at her like she was nothing at all.
And he had killed her, again and again and again.
It was no different this time either. He had stood there and watched her bleed out on the ground, while she still was begging him to come home.
Sakura pulled the blanket over her head and suddenly she heard the door to her room slowly open.
"Sakura, are you sleeping?" a soft female voice called out.
"No, I'm awake, mum," Sakura's muffled voice come from underneath the blanket.
"I heard you scream. Is everything alright?" Sakura's mother asked and Sakura felt how the mattress sagged a bit beside of her. "Is it that dream again?"
Her mother Misora, was still young only 36 years old, but the life hadn't been nice to her.
Her long pretty hair that one time had been as pink as Sakura's, was now a dull colour of pink with silver in it and she had far too deep wrinkles around her mouth and eyes, but at least that meant that she had been laughing much during the years that had past.
Her mother had done everything in her power to let Sakura have a good childhood, but as Sakura had grown older and she had decided that she wanted to be a ninja (even how much her mother had begged her not to), her mother had become more strict with her and Sakura had began to behave more cold towards her mother.
At least two times in a week if not more, Sakura was screaming things to her mother like she didn't understand anything about her and she should mind her own business, because she would never understand.
But even if Sakura's mother didn't understand what she went trough everyday, she at least tried to keep up with Sakura's training and it had been a couple of embarrassing meetings with Kakashi-sensei during there weekly shopping round to Yamazaki's grocery store.
But when Sakura had began to train with Tsunade, Sakura had put a stop to her mothers curiosity, mostly because she didn't know how Tsunade would react to her mothers questions that was more like an interrogation.
But as Sakura had reach her 15th birthday, she had become much stronger and her mother had noticed it by the various bent spoons or broken chopsticks that was left after they have had a heated discussion during dinner.
After that her mother had stopped slightly to show her over reaction concern for her every time she left for a mission. Sakura had felt more comfortable around her mother, with only a "Be careful" when she left and a "Welcome home" when she come back.
Things had become quite much better in the Haruno household and it felt like Sakura had somehow become much closer to her mother, that was until Sakura had been attacked by him, as well as the start of the war.
After that her mother had been roaming the rooms of their new built home like a ghost and Sakura had barely stand it to be in the same room as her mother as she was waiting for the dispatch orders.
Pulling down the blanket from her head, Sakura glanced up to her mothers slightly worried face.
"Was it?" her mother asked again and Sakura nodded stiffly.
Her mother had over heard her when Sakura had told Hinata about it six months ago, when both of them had been granted leave for just two days. Sakura had still been angry with her mother even after she had left for the front again, but she had forgive her eventually.
"What time is it?" Sakura asked still with sleepiness in her voice.
"It's still early, so you should go back to sleep," Misora said gently.
"But I have to leave early today to go to the front and I want to talk a bit with Ino before that," Sakura mumbled still a bit sleepy, but she had so much she wanted to do before she had to go back to business for another six or seven months.
"I understand that, but you should rest some more, so you have strength to walk all that way to the camp," Misora said and tucked Sakura in with the blanket.
Sighting in defeat, Sakura gazed up to her mother and met her deep hassle eyes. The only thing that still showed a sign of youth.
"Okay, okay. I will try to sleep some more then," Sakura then said and turned her head away from her mother.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" her mother suddenly asked.
"About what?"
"About that dream. It's seams like your dream have gotten worse since last time you were home," Misora said and Sakura looked back to her mother.
"No, it haven't and no, I don't want to talk about it," Sakura told her and turned around from her mother. "Please, let me sleep now."
"Okay, I will let you," at Misora raised from the bed and walked towards the door, but then she stopped. "If you ever want to talk about it, I will be here for you, always..."
And with those words she left the room and Sakura after tossing and turning, she finally fall asleep.
Sakura woke up later to the sound of the busy street outside of her window.
Children were laughing as they run around all over the street and then it was the crying of the smaller children who was too small to run around whit the older children as they played ninja.
It was always the same. Every since the beginning of her life and she had grown up to dislike the bustling of the street. But know it was a welcome wake up call and it was thanks to it that she knew that she had slept for too long.
"Shit!"
She flew out of her bed and began to search on the floor for her binding, but apparently her mother thought that she would be nice to wash it along with her other clothes and Sakura who had not brought any spare clothes with her just because she wanted to carry a light backpack with her.
"Shit-Shit-SHIT!" Sakura roared in her search for clothes in her closet, but all she could find that probably would still fit her was a baby-blue sun-dress with small pink flowers and white laces around the edges as well as the shoulder straps.
She remembered that she had wore it on Neji's 15th birthday party after Ino had forced her into buying it, telling her that she would look gorgeous in it. She had looked like a child, compare to Ino's white plain sun-dress.
Pulling it out of her closet she pulled it over hear head, noticing that it was sitting a bit snug around her chest (something she would have appreciate a couple of years ago), otherwise the length was pretty much the same.
Racing down the stairs and pulling her booths on, while calling to her mother that she would run over to Ino. But she got no answer back.
Figuring that maybe her mother had walked out to do her one time of a week shopping at Yamazaki's, she opened the door out to the street and run flat into something.
"Oh, Sakura, you are awake," her mothers voice said kindly.
"Why didn't you wake me up?" Sakura muttered and pulled away from what she had run into and noticed with a blush who it was. "Ka-Kakashi-sensei!?"
"Yo," was all he said and lifted his hand in a greeting, before it fall down into his pocket again.
Sliding over to her mothers side, Sakura leaned into her mothers shoulder.
"Didn't I tell you to not bother Kakashi-sensei ever again," Sakura whispered to her.
"He was already here when I came back," Misora told Sakura who began to frown.
She couldn't believe her mother. Kakashi had always tried to avoid her home as much as he could, because her mother couldn't stop to torment him about Sakura's training.
"What do you want?" she asked him suspicious and he began to smile to her.
"Well, I want you to come with me today," he told her very straightly.
"But I'm suppose to leave for the front today," Sakura said and began to frown more.
"Not today, you are coming with me on a side mission to the northern district of Hi no Kuni," Kakashi explained, making Sakura raise an eyebrow.
"The northern district? I thought Yamato was in charge of it?"
"He is, but they suddenly encounter trouble along the way," Kakashi said.
"Big enough that they need the Hokage and me, an average fighter?" Sakura said with a bit of humour. "How hard can it be to evacuate a smaller village?"
"Apparently hard enough that they need our help and both of us know that you are more then an average fighter," Kakashi told her and she began to blush again. "I will fetch you here today in four hours."
"In four hours? Knowing you, it will probably be in five or six hours," Sakura smiled teasingly at him.
"Then you don't know me that well," Kakashi said with a smile and turned to Misora. "I will see what I can do about it."
"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Misora said with a low bow.
Smiling at her, Kakashi turned around to walk away, but he abruptly stopped and turned back towards them.
"Sakura, maybe you should consider to change clothes before we leave today," Kakashi told her and Sakura glared at her mother who smiled faintly back to her. "Even if the dress is very nice on you."
"I will change, so don't worry about it," Sakura told him, blushing slightly. She didn't want him to she her in this dress, it had been embarrassing the first time she had wore it and it had been among close friends back then.
"Well, see you later then!" and with that he was gone, leaving only a small swirl of leafs.
"I hope my clothes are finished," Sakura told her mother, who was on her way to the house and Sakura followed.
"Yes, more or less. They only need to be hanged up to dry and with this weather they will be dried in no time at all!" Misora told her daughter as she put the groceries on the kitchen table.
"And what did Kakashi-sensei mean about that?"
"About what?"
"Don't pretend that you don't know," Sakura told her mother.
"Oh, you mean that. Well, I just asked if he could find another place for us," Misora said as she putted in the meat in the refrigerator.
"Why? You have always lived in this area and I know for sure that you forced Yamato to fix us a house in just this area," Sakura said.
"Oh, I didn't force him. I just asked him nicely if he could help us out a bit," Misora said and turned to look at Sakura. "And aren't you suppose to be at Ino now?"
"Ah, shit! I forgot!" Sakura burst out and rushed towards the door.
"Don't forget that we will have dinner before you leave!" Misora called after Sakura who was busy to put on her boots.
"I won't!" and with that the door was snapped shut behind Sakura.
~oOo~
"I can't believe Ino forced me to stay this long. My mum is going to kill me!" Sakura muttered to herself, as she hurriedly walked back to her home.
Arriving at her home, Sakura crashed through the door and was met by her mothers stern look.
"Didn't I tell you to not be late?"
"I know and I'm sorry. Ino didn't let me go until her mother literally bent her away from me," Sakura told her mother who looked like she didn't believe her.
"Go in and take a seat, we have been waiting for you," her mother told her and Sakura raised an eyebrow.
"We? Who we?"
"Well, me and Hokage-sama of course," Misora said and watched how Sakura stiffened slightly.
"Don't tell me you invited him here?!" Sakura hissed to her mother.
"Should I not have done that?" Misora asked. "He was standing outside our home for one hour and offering him dinner when my daughter is late, was the smallest thing I could do."
"But still, he is- was- He is the Hokage," Sakura groaned. "Don't you think it's weird for him to be here?"
"Well, no. I have known him as long as you have, so I don't think it's weird," Misora said. "Even if he is the Hokage, he still is your friend and that won't change."
…
The dinner had been uneventful (well as uneventful as it could be when Kakashi was around) and as always, he had wolfed down his food when neither Sakura or her mother had been watching, earning a surprised look from Sakura's mother.
"Do you want some more?" Misora asked him and was about to rise to give him some more.
"No thanks. It tasted really great, but we should leave now," Kakashi said and raised from the table. "We have a time limit until we have to be there."
"We do?" Sakura looked up to him.
"Yes, we have to be there before noon tomorrow," Kakashi told her and she too raised from the table.
"Then we must hurry!" she burst out and rushed to the door.
"Sakura, haven't you forgot something?" her mother asked.
"Like what?"
"Well, maybe to change your clothes?"
"Oh, that. And I hope my clothes are dried," Sakura turned around and rushed up the stairs and left Kakashi alone with her mother.
"You are fortune to have her as a daughter," Kakashi told Misora, who had began to clean of the table.
"I would almost say the same, but I have to say instead that we have been fortune to know you," Misora said to Kakashi who looked back at Sakura's mother. "Without you maybe my little girl wouldn't-..."
"Sakura is strong, she would never die and I won't let her either," he said and saw how Sakura's mother smiled at him.
"I can see that you care much for my daughter," she said still smiling and Kakashi looked away from her, due to what he had said.
"Well, I do care for all of them. They are after all my responsibility," he told her and he could feel how Sakura's mother was still smiling at him.
"Of course," she said and began to wash the dishes. "Sakura's father was about your age when I met him, I was madly in love with him. He was my first and only love."
"What happened to him?" Kakashi asked, trying to keep away from talking about himself.
"As far as I know he is buried somewhere deep under the snow in Tetsu no Kuni," she told him. "He was an ANBU and he was killed when I was three months pregnant. He was so happy to know that he would be a father and we was suppose to marry the month after he died."
"Does Sakura know this?"
"Oh god no. I was trying to get her away from the ninja world, by telling her lies about her father. Telling her things like he was just a normal person who decided to run away with someone else," Misora continued. "But I guessed I was mistaken. She is just as stubborn as her own father and watching her getting stronger and the passion she has for what she is doing, reminds me so much of her father it's scary and it does scare me sometimes."
Kakashi glanced back to Misora, who was wiping her eyes with her sleeve.
"I'm sorry. I didn't meant to make you upset," Kakashi said and she waved her hand at him.
"No, it's fine. I just haven't talked our thought of him in years," Misora told Kakashi who still looked a bit concern. "You have to promise me, Kakashi-san, that you will protect my daughter and stay by her side no mater what..."
There was a silence in the room, as Sakura's mother and captain looked at each other.
"That's a promise I will keep until the day I die..."
~oOo~
After what have been hours of silence during their march, Sakura could no longer stand it.
"I can understand your silence if you would read your books, but you are not reading now and I can't stay that silence as long as you," Sakura finally told him.
"We are at war. So this is plenty of reason for us to stay quiet," Kakashi said calmly.
"But this is still not enemy territory."
"Better safe then sorry," was all he said and Sakura huffed.
"And by the way, you have suddenly come awfully close to my mother. Is there something going on between the two of you?" Sakura asked and Kakashi stiffened. "If there is, I swear to god I will break you like a twig if you hurt her..."
"Then you don't have to worry about me hurting her," Kakashi told her. "There is nothing going on between your mother and me. She is just a worried mother who turned to me, your captain, when it comes to her daughter who are at war."
"Tsk, she always worry so much. She should understand by now that I'm not the same as I was before," Sakura mumbled and crushed a soldier pill between her teeth.
The sound it made went like a cold shiver along Kakashi's spine and he understood that Sakura was irritated.
"Maybe we should stop to refill our canteens? There is a stream up ahead," Kakashi said and hopefully a small break would make Sakura's mood better and she would stop asking him about what he and her mother had talked about, because he himself was too embarrassed to even think of it.
He was not that kind of person who would get an "OK" stamp in the forehead and especially not from someone's mother. It had made him a bit uncomfortable, but never the less he would honour Misora's wish about keeping her daughter safe, because that was what he too wished for.
Finding the stream and checking its quality, they both began to refill there canteens.
"Even if a break is nice, it won't make me stay away from asking about you and my mother," Sakura told him and she could see his shoulder slump slightly.
"Well I would have figure that much," he said with a sight. "After all you are too similar with your mother on that one thing."
"Don't put me in the same category as my own mother, she is far worse then me," Sakura told him and saw how he smiled slightly under his mask.
"Well, let's just say that I promised your mother to help her and she told me to not tell you," Kakashi said and put the cork back on the canteen. "That's why I will not tell you."
"What! That's so unfair!" Sakura exclaimed. "What did my mother tell you that are so secret that not even my teacher can tell me?"
"I'm your captain now and who knows? Maybe she told me about embarrassing things you did in your childhood?"
"She wouldn't dare!" Sakura looked alarmed as she said it. "She didn't do it right?"
"I wouldn't know. I promise her to not tell you after all," Kakashi said with a small smile.
"You evil man!" Sakura told him and slapped him hard on his arm, as he chuckled heartily.
…
Two hours before noon, they arrived at their destination, feeling both stiff and tired.
"You must have run your asses off," a voice said in front of them and both Kakashi and Sakura smiled at the person.
"It's nice to see you too, Yamato," Kakashi said and grabbed his friends hand in a greeting.
"I'm sorry to have forced you all the way here, when you are needed somewhere else, but this little village have been messing with us for a while now," Yamato told them.
"Messing with you in which way?" Sakura asked and Yamato looked at her.
"They have been attacking us with various farmer tools and last night some kids half heartily, put fire to our tent," Yamato explained. "Lucky none was hurt."
"Lucky indeed," Kakashi said. "Lead me the way, Yamato."
"Yes, sir!"
Following Yamato, Sakura and Kakashi glanced at each other as the entered the small village.
Suddenly a tiny old lady crashed out from one of the houses, her cane waving furiously above her head. Hadn't it been because of this mission, it would have been a laughable seen.
"So you have come with reinforcement, have you!" the old lady's squeaky voice cried out. "We are not leaving our homes, when will you rascals stop buggering us!"
"Did you send for us because of this old lady?" Kakashi asked Yamato, who looked troubled.
"She have giving us more trouble then any of the others have," Yamato told Kakashi, who was watching the outraged old lady walking towards them. "But all of them are really stubborn and they won't let us meet this village leader."
"Why not?" Sakura asked from behind them and Yamato shrugged his shoulders.
"We don't really know."
"Maybe something have happened then," Sakura mumbled and glanced to Kakashi.
"Only one way to find out," Kakashi said and glanced calmly at the old lady who was still waving her cane over her head while calling them names, as she was on there way towards them. "Excuse me, dear lady..."
"Don't 'dear lady' me, you despicable rascal!" the old lady said with narrowed eyes and swung her cane towards Kakashi's head, who calmly grabbed it, just inches from hitting him hard on the head.
The old lady as well as Sakura (for other reasons), stood awestruck and glanced at Kakashi who calmly still was holding on to the cane, not even with a single expression on his face.
"I would appreciate if you don't hit me, before you have even heard what I have to say," Kakashi said and his voice was kind, but his face expression was that of a stone.
"What-What is it you want then?" the old lady asked and Kakashi let go of the old lady's cane.
"I wish to speak to the village leader, it's important matter," Kakashi told her.
"But I don't even know who you are. How can I let you talk to him then?" she said and narrowed her eyes at Kakashi.
"Who I am, is of no importance," Kakashi said and the lady was narrowing her eyes even more and at this point it would be impossible to talk to the village leader. "But I have a special person with me and she can help your sick and wounded if so requires."
The old lady's posture changed slightly from tensed to a bit more relaxed, but she was still on her guard.
"And for what reason would we trust you?" she asked.
"I have no reason to give you," Kakashi finally said."But I can assure you that we are not here to harm any of you."
The old lady was still watching them with narrowing eyes and Sakura knew that they would be chased away by the old lady's bad temper. They would be fleeing like dogs; tails behind their legs.
The old lady was about to open her mouth when someone called behind them.
"Obaa-chan!"
All of them looked towards to the one who had been calling.
"Kaito?! Didn't I tell you to stay inside!" the old lady scolded the young man who was walking towards them.
The young man Kaito, suddenly fell down to his knees in front of Kakashi, who looked surprised at the his action.
"Please forgive her, Hokage-sama!" Kaito said and bowed his head down to the dirt and Kakashi at once began to look uncomfortable.
"Please stand up," Kakashi said clearly embarrassed.
"Hokage-sama?!" the old lady said surprised. "Kaito, are you sure it's really him?"
"Yes, I remembered seeing him when I was in Konoha six months ago," Kaito said and raised from the ground. "I'm certain he is the Hokage."
The old lady looked from Kaito and back to Sakura, Kakashi and Yamato.
"Come with me,"
…
Closing the door behind her, Sakura stepped out to the brisk night air.
Looking around her, she saw a familiar silhouette at the riverside and she decided to walk over to there.
"How is he?" the person said even before she could sat down on the slightly wet grass.
"He will survive," Sakura said and accepted the outreached water canteen. She drank greedily from it and it was then she understood how thirsty she really was. "But if we had been a day later, he would have died. He was lucky."
"I see..."
"But I don't understand how he could be poisoned with that kind of poison," Sakura said and gave the canteen back to the person beside of her. "I have only seen it among our own..."
"Then it must mean that they are moving faster then we first anticipated and this guy just happened to be at the wrong place," the person said and glanced to Sakura, who was looking exhausted into the starry river. "Is he able to move?"
"Not a chance that he is moving by himself for awhile now," Sakura told the person beside of her and she turned her head to look at the person.
She could see the unruly silver hair shine in the slight moonlight that shone down on them and she could see the troubled face of her nowadays captain.
"Could he be transported on a wagon then?" he asked.
"He is still weak, but I think he can," Sakura said and he nodded still looking troubled. "Kakashi-sensei-..."
"You should rest. It's a day tomorrow after all," Kakashi suddenly said and raised from his spot beside of her, while putting a hand on top of her head. "You did good today, Sakura."
Even if she was tired she couldn't help to smile up to him.
"Thank you, sensei..."
~oOo~
The next day she was already moving towards the battlefield and it was lonely to walk this pat alone. Even if Kakashi hadn't been of much a company, she still missed the presence of him.
Actually any friendly presence would be sufficient at the moment.
Sighting she looked up to the blue sky and saw some darker clouds in front of her and she hopped it was not rain clouds, but with her luck it was most likely it.
Seeing dose clouds, she hopped it wouldn't reach the people of the small village that was now on their move to a safe place closer to Hi no Kuni's capital.
Unfortunately, Yamato and his team had only found an open cart, but with the help of the villager they had at least built some kind of roof that would be protecting the leader from the sun, but not from heavier rain.
The rain was Sakura's biggest worries when it came to the village leader. In his condition his body temperature shouldn't get too low and she hopped that the ninja with the most medical skill in Yamato's team, would do as Sakura had told him.
As a medicnin, Sakura's mind could never really rest. It was always too many "what if" and she knew that she really should take those thoughts aside, because if she had done what she could do, the rest was really up to him- or herself.
Stopping suddenly in her track, she jumped behind a bush, pulling a kunai out of her back pouch.
Waiting. Waiting for what would come her way.
"Hello, little girl~!"
Looking down to her right, she saw a white Zetsu emerge from the ground just inches from her.
Jumping away from his hand that was about to grab her ankle, she landed in front of the bush and felt how her spine went stiff.
Glancing behind her, she was surrounded by at least 50 white Zetsu.
'How is this possible?! They are not suppose to be this far up north!'
Kakashi, who had been the one to make sure Sakura took this route to avoid white Zetsu (who was suppose to be further south of this position), had some how figured out Sakura's location.
Sakura found it hard to believe, but there was still much they didn't know of these Zetsu'.
"We can't let you go any further, little girl~," one of the white Zetsu said with a sing-song voice and Sakura glanced towards that Zetsu.
"Do you know who I am?" Sakura told them.
"Of course we do and that's why we are here," another Zetsu said and Sakura turned her head to look at him, gripping firmly the kunai in her grip.
"Then you know I can pulverise you to dust," Sakura told them and glanced around her again.
"But can you really take on us all at the same time?"
"Only one way to find out," Sakura said with a grin.
She knew these Zetsu' was weak, but they were many now and their battle technique had always been to attack in sheer numbers.
If she would die here and now, she would die fighting to her last breath.
One... Three... Seven...
They fell down to the ground like leaves around her and she danced around their corpse, as she cut down several more.
Fifteen... Twenty...
Their blood covered her face, hands and ground, as their body's began to pile on top of each others.
She felt how exhaustion began to take over her and her movements become a bit sluggish as she cut down ten more.
Not enough sleep and pushing her chakra recourse to her limit the other day, was what made her feeling like this and these Zetsu' was making everything worse.
Around twenty was still surrounding her and she felt how a knee touched the slightly stony ground.
"Oh, already down for it, little girl~?" one of the remaining Zetsu' taunted her.
"Far from it," Sakura said grinning as she forced herself to stand.
Taking a new grip around her kunai, she prepared to attack them head-on, it was either to be killed like a dog or die trying.
As she was about to charged full speed ahead, her face was suddenly covered with the blood of the Zetsu in front of her and she saw to her surprise how blue crackling sparks emitted from that Zetsu.
The dead white Zetsu fell to the ground and Sakura gaped slightly at the sight in front of her.
Fist and face covered in blood, but his gaze was soft when he looked down at her.
"Kakashi-sensei, why-?"
"Let's finish this, Sakura," was all he said as he pulled out a kunai just when he was about to get attacked by a white Zetsu.
He stabbed the Zetsu in the head and continued his way towards the next one.
Sakura watch in awe as he more gracefully then she ever had seen him before, kill one after another.
How insanely it may be, she had to admit that he was beautiful as he moved around the Zetsu'. How the still bright sun made his features shine, almost look like he was descended from a higher power.
And maybe he was. If he hadn't showed up at the right time, she would for certain have died in her own blood.
"Sakura, need a little bit of help here!"
Pulled back to what was real, she rushed over to Kakashi's side and killed two Zetsu' that came up behind Kakashi's back.
Pushing her back against his firm one, she couldn't help to smile.
"Never thought you would come rushing for me," she said as she saw him glance down to her.
"Why wouldn't I?" he said and killed a Zetsu who came to close to them.
"Don't know, but I never thought of you like that kind of person," Sakura told him and threw a kunai at a Zetsu to the left of Kakashi and punched the life out of the one in front of her.
"Really? But wasn't I the one to teach you; 'those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash'," stabbing the last one in his chest, Kakashi turned around to Sakura. " I'm not going to take back my own words, not when a very dear friend of mine is in danger.
I shouldn't have sent you on this route all by yourself..."
"It pains me that you don't think more highly of me," Sakura said and turned away from him. "You know I'm stronger then most shinobis."
"I'm not questioning your ability as a shinobi. I know what you are capable of doing, but I also know that your chakra recourse was limited due to helping the village leader," Kakashi told her and watched as she kicked some smaller stones.
"How did you know I was being attacked by them?" Sakura asked him.
"I didn't. But I got news from one of our scouts that a group of White Zetsu' was on the move at your direction," Kakashi said and Sakura glanced at him. "I didn't want to take that chance that they would not move towards you. So I left Yamato in charge and run as fast as I could..."
"I'm glad that you did," Sakura finally said with a sight. "I was down to my very last bit of chakra and I was prepared to die. But with you showing up, I can live to fight again. Thought I don't know if that's something I should be looking forward to-..."
Feeling how she suddenly was pushed into his firm chest, face first and a hand on her head that was tangling her already messy pink tresses.
She could hear his heart hammering against his chest and to her this sound was calming and it meant that Hatake Kakashi was a human, not like the heartless and lackadaisical man she had thought was a robot as a child.
Now he stood in front of her, holding her awkwardly into his chest and she didn't know how to react to this.
"You know I will always come to your aid," he suddenly said and Sakura glanced up to him from her position. "No matter what it is, I will be there until the very end..."
Feeling how she began to blush, she pushed her face deeper into his chest.
"Are you hurt?" he suddenly asked and concern was visible in his voice.
"No, I'm just fine. I'm only a bit tired," she said and removed herself from his one arm embrace.
"Then you should rest," Kakashi told her, but Sakura shook her head.
"I really should hurry to the camp. I don't have time to rest," Sakura told him and turned around to face Kakashi when she felt that her blush was gone, because she didn't want to give him a reason to tease her.
"You are our best medicnin we have. Loosing you, means loosing the war," Kakashi said and took her hand.
"You have Naruto,"
"Naruto are only one person. He can't do everything by himself," Kakashi looked at Sakura and she turned away from him. "Sakura, looked at me."
Turning her head towards him, she was meat by a swirling red eye and everything turned black in front of her eyes.
~oOo~
Nightmares.
Everything had began with nightmares.
She was yet again bleeding out on the ground, begging the dark haired man to come back home and he was just watching her indifferently with his red eyes.
Finally he stabbed her. Again and again and again.
It would never stop, this nightmare.
She could hear herself screaming, yet she couldn't wake up.
Why was she stuck in this hell of her own nightmare?
But suddenly as a tide wave that washed in over the shore, the images of the dark man began to grow faint until only a vacuum of darkness was left and Sakura felt herself began to breathe slower.
What have felt like many hours of torture, was finally over and what was left of that darkness was a small dot of light hovering above her.
As the darkness spoke out to her, the small light increased itself and swallowed her along with the darkness.
Next she woke up with a gasp and it felt like she had been drowning when she got air into her lungs.
"Take it easy, breathe slowly. That's it," a voice beside of her said and she felt how someone held an arm around her shoulders. "It's normal to feel out of breath afterwards."
Glancing beside of her she finally got the silver haired man into vision.
"Kakashi, what did you do to me?" Sakura asked with furrowed brows.
"I took away your nightmares," he finally said and Sakura's brows furrowed even more.
"What?! I didn't ask you to do that!"
"No, you didn't, but someone else did," Kakashi told her and suddenly Sakura's face shone with realization.
"Oh, god. Was that what you meant with, 'I will see what I can do about it', when you talked to my mother!" Sakura burst out. "I can't understand why my own mother did this behind my back and even to involve you in this."
"You don't sound very pleased," Kakashi suddenly said.
"Pleased?! How can I be pleased when the people I thrust do this to me!" Sakura furiously stood up, but was forced to sit down again when her head began to spin. "One thing when my mother doesn't tell me, but you!
You could have at least told me, before you decided to use your sharingan on me! I thrust you with my life, you know!"
"I'm sorry, but your mother are very concern for you," Kakashi said and looked at Sakura who was not looking at him. "She didn't want to see you in agony every night and neither I..."
His last words made Sakura turn her face to him confused.
"I know you had nightmares after what happened with- with Sasuke. After all, I was the one beside of you until you woke up and even then you had nightmares, I didn't do anything back then because I thought it would go away, but I guess I was mistaken."
Feeling suddenly ashamed that he actually had seen her tossing and screaming in her sleep, she looked away from him yet again.
"There is nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone have nightmares, some just worse then others," Kakashi told her, hopping it would make her feel better.
Breathing in deeply, she turned around to face him again.
"What you did to me, will it-... Will it make it stop." Sakura asked and this time it was Kakashi's who turned away from her.
"It's never a guarantee that it will, but it worked for me. That's why I wanted to try it on you," he said and Sakura gave him a surprised look.
"It worked for you? Do you even have nightmares?" Sakura said and then she hide her face into her pulled up knees, because of how stupid it sounded.
"Well yes I do. After all, I'm a human too," Kakashi told her and saw from the corner of his eye how she blushed in a deep crimson colour.
"Sorry, I didn't mean-,"
"I know what you and Naruto thought of me when you were younger. So I'm not taking offence, " Kakashi said teasingly and saw how Sakura push her face even more into her knees.
"Anyway thank you, for everything," Sakura said honestly and felt how he putted his hand on top of her head.
Something he had done as far as she could remember and it brought her back to old less troublesome times.
Times she wished she could relive again.
"Anytime, Sakura. Anytime..."
Next Chapter: Kill This Love
Mini information;
I do recall the first time that I ever mentioned Sakura's mother was in chapter 1 of Koigokoro back in the beginning of 2011 (spoiler alert) and that was before Kishimoto-sensei in the anime introduced her parents even more, so that's why I have been able to "play" a bit with Sakura's mother and even father.
Sakura's mothers name in my story is Haruno Misora (美空) which means pretty or beautiful sky and the background to that name is that the day she was born, was a day which Konoha was able to see northern lights due to a very could January. :3
And her father (Kudou Ryuunosuke) have been mentioned by Sakura as a man who left her mother before Sakura was born, which Misora tells Kakashi that he actually died on a mission as an ANBU captain during mysterious circumstance...
But enough of this!
And as always I do really appreciate your reviews and the support you give me and also everyone who fav's, read and alert it! Thank you!