Another couple of days have passed; the effect of his presence fade slowly but also noticeably weaker day by day. Kakashi's sight was getting dimmer as he barely managed to read. He asked the vampire to edit and annotate on the parchments that his blond lover has left behind. He only have the time to do so in the morning, after breakfast, as his lover would have send a shade clone to visit him during lunch if he could not show up by person. Although the village was at peace, his lover was young and inexperienced, the daily administration consumed most of his precious time. His lover was getting thinner, and so was he.

Kakashi caught the vampire's cold hands as the latter approached the small chest of wood drawer that his young, not that young actually, but younger kohai made for him. He thought he was losing his sight, but on the other hand, the vampire was fading away. "Sasaki-san?" he raised his brows as he now managed to see the frown on the vampire's face.

"Seems I am fading away," the vampire answered in a carefree manner. "Where were we yesterday?"

"Chapter 50," the man answered, knowing clearly that there wasn't much that they could discuss, regarding the vampire's health status. "This chapter surprisingly went quite smoothly, I guess he has some time to revise it before bring it up. He learnt it from Jiraiya-sama, no one, normally, except me can barely read his rough scribbles."

"Don't worry," An smiled. " He wasn't the worst and I believe I have good penmanship, so I am certain that Naruto- kun would have understand, let along side the editor. "

"It's a relief, as I barely can see, don't even think I can write at all." He looked outside, seeing the blur of blue sky and white cloud, "I have so many nearly-death experience, I never felt so longing. My feeling longing around the two poles. I want to end faster, as feeling my body decay day by day is dreadful. Yet, every day I wake up, I am glad, grateful that I managed to get up. Seeing the blond first sight in the morning makes my day…"

"I understand," An nodded in agreement. "I remembered the first time when I met my assistant, a random man who was kind enough to take me home to treat my wound. The physician that was kind enough to take care of me carefully, no matter he already knew what I am… The soft blond hair reflecting the warmth of the sun, the blue orbs reflect the ocean that I love most…."

Kakashi pulled a soft smile. It was the vampire's true emotion that really convinced him. He accepted the story, partially because of the way the vampire acted when he talked about his close clan members and his beloved assistant. A monster with a heart could be still considered as trustworthy. He felt that he could take risk for the last time, letting the vampire to help out, to finish his task as the editor for the first but also final book that produced by his lover and he.

An dropped the pen back to the ink pot and stretched his arms, made a soft, but still polite yawn. The silver vibrated along as he moved. Black lines have lined along his arms and collar, but he ignored about it. He never asked for them to be remove and asked nothing other than blood when he felt the thirst. He knew that Kakashi has only a week long, and he wanted to see till right at the end of it. He, oddly enough, missed the young Kakashi who would have called him "Okasan" then "Niisan"… He sighed softly as he noticed wood rose from the empty space between their beds.

Kakashi noticed too, but he did not speak neither. "Kakashi." The said man turned and faced the window. His blond lover was sitting on the window sill, blocking the crimson sunset, as if he was glowing.

"Naruto," he called as he smiled softly. He could sense his kohai behind the woods, but that would not be his concern for now. Nothing would be more important than his lover. This was unusual for him, but as his life candle shortened, he wanted to be selfish for once.

"Kakashi," the blond replied his lover softly. Instead of bring out the small parchment of his writing, he bought out as rather large pile.

"This is?" the ex-sensei questioned as he raised his brows in doubt.

"The story endings," the blond answered, "I just don't know how to finish it… and that… I don't want to lose you either, Kakashi. I have written so many of time, hoping I can read chapter and chapter with you… and pick one with you… I just… I don't know datte-byo."

"I am here," the older man sighed softly. "No matter what, I'll be always with you, Naruto. Just like the time when I was in ANBU. You didn't know that was me, but I will be here for you. You might not aware of my presence, but I will be with you."

"I know, Kakashi. You'll be always in my heart. But I just hope that the story could extend the time that we can still spend."

"I guess it's about time?" the older man suddenly spoke after a cold silence. "Sakura talked to you?"

"Yes…"

"Ah… I see. Th-" the man answered calmly. "Then, please tell me the endings and let me to pick the one that I like, will you?"

"Sure."

As they talked, An turned his head and moved away from the wood barrier. He did not want to know what would be happen next as he would like, or at least, he hoped, that he would be able to go back into the world that he used to be in, the world with his students, clansman, and most importantly, his assistant, Kazuhiko.

"Senapi knew that all along," the mokuton user whispered .

An nodded softly in agreement, as both of them were sitting on An's bed, waiting for the pair to finish. This mokuton user looked way older than An' remembered and this person in front of him was calmer than the one that he saw everyday. "He always knows what to do, isn't he?"

"That's true," Yamato countered. "Senpai always knows and always instructed me to do random things. Yet, he was always right and that everyone in ANBU respect him. I so wished that I was the one who got hit last time."

"I guess everyone who cares would think the same," An shrugged his shoulder. "But with Senju's cell, it won't be a problem for you."

Yamato widened his eyes as he was certain that no one would have told this vampire about his cells that was inserted. Even though some of the senior members of the shinobi force and council knew about this, not many would have known. He wanted to ask how he know, but he felt that it sounded a bit stupid. He decided to keep his mouth shut and not answering the vampire.

An chuckled softly as he remembered the mokuton user that he knew, also rattled like a cat easily. "You were him and he was you." He stated. "No matter what you have or not have been through, you and him are the same. He was my student, where I found him in a ruin of a laboratory. He now then become my taicho of my own personal unit, which I am pleased to have such talent as a privilege of a leader."

"That's sounds like ANBU," Yamato said in monotone. "We are the Hokage's special unit."

"Similar," An nodded, "doing all the dirty work for the sake of the others, no?"

"Yes, but no…"He opened the wand door to welcome the pinkette as well as the other ANBU members. They all worried and came to see their Hokage and also sensei

"Are they alright?" the raven in white gown asked. "Dobe is willing to let go?"

"I guess he is," Yamato answered. "He has just began the final chapters."

"Tch," the raven turned and stayed outside of the room looking at the white hospital wall in deep thoughts. He could see through the wood barriers without problem, but there was not anything that he wanted to see.

The other raven with paler skin stood in silence without his usual grin. Everyone were standing there nervously where the vampire finally spoke, "life must go on and as shinobi, don't you have enough experiences to learn?"

"We're as heartless as you, vampire," the raven ANBU taicho spoke with spirals showing in his crimson eyes. "He is our mentor."

"As far as I can see, you…" An paused and decided not to hold his words, "but you are humans. Even vampires, we have an end note. Nothing is for eternal. Just cherish them while you can." He concluded.

The rest of them said nothing, but only the pinkette medic stayed. "We'll see you later, Sakura," said the paler raven as he put on his porcelain mask. "Sasuke and I still have meeting to attend."

Author's Note

Time travelled so quickly that I did not aware it has been another month YOY so here's a delayed update.

Yanvi