Chapter Seven: The Eye of the Storm

AN: Hi everyone! Sorry for the long wait, I'm currently drowning under a ton of work so the next chapters are sloooowly being written. Actually I cut the beginning of the next chapter to make this one because it was way too long, so here's a little calm chapter which is a little insight into Sakura's mind. I hope you like it, and don't worry, I haven't given up the story, the next chapters will be published progressively! Thank you for your patience and have a nice reading.

Sakura was drying her pink hair absent-mindedly, rubbing the towel on her head, her eyes wandering on her image in the mirror. She looked tired. That day at the hospital had been quite difficult. Early in the morning, as she had arrived at her post, she had been informed that Tsunade had asked for her. When she had entered her shishou's office, she had been genuinely surprised as the blonde hokage seemed to have grown older overnight. She looked terribly sad and tired, and she seemed to have been drinking several glasses of sake.

"Tsunade-sama, what's wrong?"

"Fukasaku found Jiraiya." Tsunade had whispered.

Sakura's heart had stopped, and she had rushed at Tsunade's side.

"Oh God, I'm sorry…How…How are you feeling?" she had asked, concerned.

Tsunade had raised her honey eyes to her and smiled softly.

"I'll survive, Sakura. Thank you for your concern. I…I just wanted to ask you a little favor."

"Anything."

"I need some time alone today. I wanted to know if you felt like you could manage the hospital by yourself today, as I taught you."

Sakura had gulped. Of course, she had thought that Tsunade had really fallen on her head, and that there was absolutely no way a sixteen year old kunoichi could run an entire hospital all by herself. Yet Tsunade had seemed to read her thoughts.

"Daijoubu, Sakura. I have faith in you, you are more than capable of doing it. In addition to that you won't be completely alone: the other medic nins will just be under your orders but they will help you take care of things. And if there's a real emergency of course, you can call me. But…I just need to…you know, have a little time to myself."

Her voice had died in her throat and she had seemed to hide her tears by taking a gulp of sake. Sakura's heart had tightened and her own eyes too had started to water. That had been the second time she had seen Tsunade so sad. She loved that woman like a spiritual mother, and she hated seeing her so down. That was why she had decided that she would do her best to allow her to grieve in peace, just for one day.

Slowly, she had reached out and patted Tsunade's shoulder gently.

"You can count on me, Tsunade-sama."

The blonde hokage had sniffed and without looking at the young woman, she had raised her hand and laid it above Sakura's hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you. It means a lot to me. Could you leave me now, please?"

Sakura had clenched her teeth and her face had saddened.

"Of course. Please call me if you need anything…"

"I will…Thank you Sakura."

That had been the start of the worst day of Sakura's life.

She had kept running throughout the entire hospital, as the nurses and other medic nins had kept soliciting her. She had bathed, fed, cleaned, drugged, healed, she had signed up an entire pile of papers after barely reading them, and she hadn't even stopped to grab something to eat. She wanted Tsunade to be proud of her, and she had worked like a beast for long, harassing hours, so much that she had ended up mixing the numerous patients in her head. In addition to that, she had to struggle all day to shut her mind off, as the latter kept drifting to one specific person.

Naruto.

Did he know? How was he going to react? Did Kakashi know? How was he going to tell him the news?

As she was brushing her hair, Sakura sighed. She had to stay rather late at the hospital, and she had just come back an hour ago. She had just spent twenty minutes under the shower, worrying. Now, she was biting her lip.

She hadn't heard anything from Kakashi…

It had been several weeks since she had found shelter and comfort in Kakashi's embrace. That night, she had felt immensely sad and hopeless. Earlier that same day, Naruto had been rather harsh with her, telling her that he just didn't want to talk to her. Even though Sakura understood that he was suffering a lot, she had been deeply hurt. Naruto had never, ever talked to her that way, let alone looked at her with such coldness in his eyes.

That cold, steel look...

Sakura's fingers clenched around the mantle of the hairbrush and she winced while a very specific face drifted through her mind. It was a handsome face, framed with deep dark hair, but with icily cold eyes boring through her.

Sasuke…

Yes, at that precise moment, when Naruto had told her that he didn't want to talk to her, she had felt just as though Sasuke had infiltrated Naruto's body and sent her off again. That night, she had felt as though something had broken within Naruto, and she was was losing him as she had lost Sasuke. She had felt as though she was suffocating, and she absolutely had to talk to someone. Even before Sai, Sakura had immediately thought about Kakashi. She knew that Sai would be devoted and attentive to her, but at that moment, she really needed Kakashi's calm, solid presence. She needed to nestle in his strong, protective arms, and she needed to feel those arms squeeze her tight against his beating heart.

Yet she had promised herself she would not cry in front of him. She hated herself for being so emotional. As a matter of fact, she used to cry often, and it made her feel weak and ridiculous, especially in front of men. So when she had knocked on Kakashi's door that night, she had sworn to remain strong and not turn into a noisy heap of tears and snot. When Kakashi had opened the door and embraced her in his arms, she had already found it extremely difficult not to burst into tears as the man was tenderly holding her face into his chest and squeezing her hard in his strong, bare arms. However, she had managed to control herself. She had breathed his characteristic, calming smell, which was mixed with the perfume of his shower gel.

And then she had seen the picture of Team Seven on Kakashi's bed.

She had taken the picture in her hands.

Her eyes had drifted over Sasuke's lost face, then Kakashi's crinkled smile…

…and Naruto's pissed off face.

There, she had truly realized how much she loved Naruto, and how much the idea of losing him after Sasuke was unbearable. Naruto was her best friend, they had grown up together, and at that precise moment, she had hated herself so much for all the harm she had done him. Her heart had flooded with so much emotion she had thought she was going to collapse.

That's when she hadn't been able to stop herself.

Feeling the sobs crawling up her throat, she had tried to muffle them in her hand, but of course Kakashi had heard her. Sakura's heart warmed, and she smiled in front of her mirror when she remembered the way the silver-haired man had engulfed her whole in his arms, how he had pushed her face deep into his chest as though he wanted to swallow her in his heart. He had devoted himself to her, entirely, unconditionally. He had told her it was okay to cry, and he had shushed and caressed her tenderly while Sakura was drowning his chest under her tears. His words, his tenderness and his soothing voice had made her cry even more, but Kakashi had just held her tighter, with patience and protectiveness, keeping her held close to his heart.

Actually, Sakura had been truly touched that not only Kakashi did hold her in his arms for the entire night, but he also told her the truth. She had been touched by his apologies about having failed her back on that day on the hospital roof. He had looked at her right in the eye and confessed her that himself was lost, but that he would find a way. And that promise had meant so much more than empty words such as "Everything is fine, don't worry". Kakashi had been true to her, and Sakura was grateful to him for that.

As a matter of fact, Kakashi's words and tenderness had been particularly efficient. He had succeeded in giving her hope, and she had followed Tsunade's orders to the letter, leaving Naruto in peace, letting Kakashi work with him. Along with the regular reports he made or sent to Tsunade, Kakashi had always made sure Sakura was also informed of his progress, and the pink-haired kunoichi was very grateful for that too.

Little by little, her hope had grown, and she had been so happy to sit again next to Naruto at Ichiraku's. She had observed him carefully. He still had that strange, unusual glow in his blue eyes, he had lost some weight, but she had recognized her best friend.

The last time she had seen him, she had died to hug him and cry in his strong shoulder, but she had restrained herself, and instead she had laid a gentle kiss on his cheek. Then she had left for the hospital with the memory of Naruto's beautiful, sincere smile that had created a nut of warmth and happiness into her heart, following her all day.

Sakura sighed and threw the brush aside before rubbing her tired eyes with her fingers. She couldn't stand not knowing what was going on, but she knew that sooner or later, Kakashi would let her know. She just had to be patient…

Just as she was telling herself that she wasn't known for her patience, she heard someone knock on the door. Her mother went to open, and Sakura heard her exclaim in delight at the sight of their visitor. Both exchanged a few words, and Sakura's mother shouted:

"Saaaakura-chaaaan! Kakashi-saaaan is heeeeere!"

Sakura started and let her brush fall on the ground.

"Sensei?!" she wondered.

She passed her head through the door and shouted back.

"Okay I'm coming down in a minute!"

She heard her mother insist for Kakashi to come inside.

"Oh no, no really Mrs Haruno this is so nice of you but I will just be fine out there see, with the stars and..."

"Tatatata! Come on young man, don't be so shy, there's still some tea left. Come in!"

"Anoo...Oh look, there's a bird over there…"

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle. Kakashi was really cute when he was embarrassed, and her mother would always insist for him to come inside when he came by to see Sakura. She would sit him on the couch and cover him with biscuits and tea, and then she would keep blabbering, and her father would keep making terrible jokes. Yet as Kakashi was as patient and polite as an angel, he would remain there, sitting and smiling like an idiot, laughing politely and trying to drink his tea while Sakura's parents were busy arguing. More than once, Sakura had surprised him casting her such an imploring look that she had giggled in her hand before flying to his help and pretending they had to meet Naruto and Sai at Ichiraku's.

Hearing her mother's endless chirping, Sakura dressed up quickly and got down the stairs and into the living room.

"Hello, Kakashi sensei!" She said, happy and relieved to see him.

"Yo, Sakura-chan. I was wondering if you would have a walk with me?"

Sakura realized that Kakashi looked tired and worried.

"O…of course, sensei", she replied, her throat tight.

"Will you two be dining outside? You're most welcome to eat with us, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi rose on his feet and took Sakura's mother's hands into his own, bowing slightly.

"That's adorable of you, Mrs Haruno, but I think we will be eating outside. Don't worry, I'll walk Sakura back home. Not that she needs me to defend herself though; your daughter is stronger than I am!" Kakashi chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

Sakura's mother laughed and nodded before shooing them out.

"All right my dear children, then off you go and have a good time" she said while winking to Sakura in a particularly suggestive way.

"Oh dear god..." Sakura said.

Kakashi laughed awkwardly and both got down the stairs to the street that was passing down Sakura's house.

There, Sakura sighed.

"I'm sorry sensei, she is still convinced that you are her future son in law..."

Kakashi wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders and giggled.

"Ma, it's okay Sakura-chan, I'm used to have that effect on women…AND men, for that matter!"

Sakura chuckled and wrapped her arm around his waist, resting her head against his side.

"You big show-off", she said with a smile.

Now that she thought about it, the two of them were so close that from an outside point of view, their relationship could indeed be seen like a little bit more than just friendship. Yet Sakura had never felt that way for Kakashi, and she knew Kakashi had never felt that way either for her. They were close and they had come to hang out a lot together, sometimes hugging or just wrapping an arm around the other. Kakashi, although he always remained rather discrete in public, was a very tender man. He had long arms that would come around Sakura's body and engulf her completely into his chest. Sakura had noticed that he liked tucking her nose right into the center of his chest, against his sternum, which explained that sometimes she could barely breathe when he held her so tight her face was squashed between his pectorals. As a matter of fact, it seemed to be a very distinctive feature of Kakashi's hugs, as she had often seen him embrace Naruto like this. Sakura sometimes wondered whether Kakashi hadn't become way tenderer towards Naruto and her after Sasuke had left. She knew how much the man blamed himself for letting him go, and she thought that maybe that had made him realize how much he loved them. Maybe Kakashi had realized that if he had just hugged Sasuke sometimes, if he had been warmer and more attentive, he could have stopped him from leaving.

Anyway, because Kakashi was so tender and caring, Sakura had often found herself longing to be in his arms when she felt sad or lonely. That was why she had once started wondering about her feelings for Kakashi. After all, she had always thought that the man was elegant and reliable, and that he ought to be very handsome under his mask. Yet after thinking it through, she had come to the conclusion that she loved Kakashi as the older brother she never had. Just like Naruto, even though the two of them had never talked about it, Sakura adored curling into the silver-haired man's arms because he had the power to make her feel safe, protected and loved. She was grateful for that relationship: it gave her the feeling that no matter what, Kakashi would always be right by her side, all her life, and it was a very comforting thought.

In addition to that, she had never really got over Sasuke.

She winced again at the thought of the raven-haired man and shook her head to change her thoughts. Kakashi sensed it and he squeezed her shoulders a little tighter.

"You okay?"

"Yep! I'm just a bit cold but it's okay."

"Oh, I'm sorry, here, take my jacket." Kakashi said, taking his green uniform off.

"No, no it's okay, really, sensei!"

"Hush now. Who's going to fix my ass up when I get back from a mission if you get sick?" Kakashi said while wrapping Sakura's thin shoulders in his jacket.

"Well, it will give you the opportunity to meet the other medic nins, you know? Those who work in a tall, white building called Konoha's hospital?"

"Aww, Sakura-chan, you wouldn't let your old sensei die alone in one of these gloomy, cold rooms now would you?"

Sakura frowned and raised her eyes up to her friend.

"Don't say such things, Kakashi, you know I hate it."

She suddenly looked very serious and upset, and Kakashi didn't like that look in her eyes. He suddenly remembered that Sakura had a particular fear of her loved ones dying alone, and he felt stupid. Looking around and noticing that the street was almost empty, he wrapped his arms around her and tucked her face in his dark blue shirt.

"Ma…Okay, okay forgive me…You know how my jokes can be terrible right?"He whispered, squeezing her shoulders very tight and burying her face in the hollow of his chest.

"That one was particularly bad, sensei" Sakura answered.

Kakashi raised a hand up to her head and pressed her face further in his chest.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

Sakura let out a muffled sigh.

"t'sokay…"

Kakashi laid his masked lips on top of Sakura's head, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He held her tighter, making sure his warmth was seeping all the way to her bones, and he frowned, thinking about how on earth he was supposed to tell her how much the ANBU agent had screwed everything up without having her blow up the entire country.

As she felt his strong chest swell under her nose and lips, Sakura's heart tightened.

"What's wrong, sensei?" she asked, her voice muffled in his shirt.

Kakashi gave her a last squeeze before letting go of her and kissing her forehead.

"Let's go get some beers and something to eat first, shall we?" Kakashi said, forcing himself to smile.

Sakura didn't insist, and they went to the little grocery store by the end of the river where they used to stop before they went to settle down and talk under the stars. It was like a ritual between the two of them. Once or twice a month, they had got used to meet each other by the river, making a fire, having a snack and a couple of drinks, and talking and laughing together. It had all started two years ago, when Kakashi had stumbled upon a pensive Sakura by the river one evening. Closing his book, he had come to sit by her and asked her whether she was okay. She had smiled at him and told him that she liked that spot. As a matter of fact, it truly was a beautiful place: it was a small peninsula on the extremity of Konoha, surrounded by the river which was calmly streaming down through the forest. She had told him that she liked coming here and dream. They had spent hours talking, and Kakashi had asked her if she was hungry, proposing to go fetch some food. That is how they had found out that they both loved these moments together, and the ritual settled down implicitly. Kakashi was a patient listener, and Sakura had often ended up crying in his arms under that particular tree.

Once they had bought all they needed, in addition to non alcoholic beers for Sakura who was still underage, they sat down and Kakashi got busy lighting the fire. Then they leaned against the tree, and Sakura laid her head on Kakashi's shoulder. That, also, was an implicit agreement. Sakura would always make sure she couldn't see Kakashi's face while he was eating or drinking, and the silver-haired man was grateful to her for that.

They sipped they drinks, looking at the stars, not saying a word.

After a moment of silence, Sakura cleared her throat.

"So...I suppose you heard that Jiraiya-sama's body was found, didn't you?"

Kakashi sighed.

"Yes I heard that too…"

He took a breath and closed his eyes.

"…and so did Naruto who was with me when that damn ANBU agent told me."

Sakura coughed on her beer.

"Are you kidding me?" she said, turning her head towards Kakashi but still not looking at him.

"I wish I was..."

They both remained silent for a moment. Kakashi waited, but Sakura didn't scream or get mad. Actually, the young woman could feel that Kakashi was sad and worried, and it made her forget her anger.

"How did he react?" Sakura whispered.

Kakashi had a sad smile.

"He didn't..."

He was turning the bottle in his long hands, his head low, his legs bent in nonchalant angles as he was leaning against the trunk as though it was the only thing that kept him from falling backwards and just sleep without ever waking up again.

"He didn't say a damn word."

He sighed.

"He just shut himself deeper than he has ever done since that shit all started."

Kakashi drank a gulp, and Sakura closed her eyes, devastated.

"I was so close, he whispered, God I was so close. You should have seen his eyes, Sakura. For just a moment there I saw it. I saw his pain, and hell, it's so enormous he could barely speak. It was just as if he was trapped behind these eyes. Just a few more seconds and he would have collapsed in my arms. Just a few more seconds..."

He took another gulp, and when he lowered the bottle, his face was twisted in a silent growl.

"...and that bloody idiot just screwed it all up. God it had been a long time since the last time I wanted to kill anyone so badly. I mean what the hell was he thinking?! And why did Tsunade send such a cretin?"

Sakura lifted Kakashi's arm and pressed her body closer to his own. Kakashi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her.

"I have no idea… I…I think she might have been particularly upset, maybe she didn't specify to the agent that it was classified information…" she suggested.

"Ma, come on, ANBU agents are highly trained and intelligent individuals. How can you be stupid enough to just break out to a guy that the corpse of a man he loved like his grandfather has just been found, and thus that there is no more doubt about the fact that he is dead? I mean come on, he just said that like if he was telling Naruto what was for dinner for crying out loud!"

"Well I don't know…I thought ANBU agents were trained to forget their emotions…I mean look at Sai…"

Kakashi sighed. Of course she was right, and having been ANBU himself, he knew the secret organization's ways much too well.

"Have they brought Jiraiya back to Konoha yet?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi shook his head.

"No… Fukasaku is on his way from what I've heard."

Kakashi finished his beer, laid the bottle down next to him and pulled his mask back up.

"Where is Naruto?"

"Well…, Kakashi answered, After we learned the news yesterday, he just rose up on his feet and left. I told the ANBU agent that he should definitely avoid crossing my path again if he didn't want to die a slow and painful death, and I ran after Naruto. I thought he was crying but…He was just like a pillar of stone. I had to actually catch him by his shoulders so that he would look at me and talk to me. But he just told me he was going to go home and sleep, and that he needed to be alone. He…You know just a few minutes ago we were both laughing our hearts off…But there he just…It felt just as if he was dead inside. Just as if that blessed, tiny moment we had together had just vanished like a bubble of soap."

He sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

"I took him home anyway and put him to bed. I told him that I was there for him and that he could call me if ever he needed someone to talk to, or a shoulder to cry on. He didn't answer. Oh Sakura, you can't imagine how much I was dying to take him in my arms. He just curled up on himself and closed his eyes, and he looked so…lonely. I would have given anything to just lie down beside him and put his face in my chest…Just to let him know that I was there. I wouldn't have said a word. I would just have held him against me."

"What stopped you?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know…He seemed so far away. I didn't want to suffocate him whereas he had asked me to leave him in peace. So I just adjusted the covers on him, I caressed his hair and I got out. I returned to spending the entire night sitting like a crow on his roof, as well as the entire day today. I'm telling you that damn roof has got to have my bottom printed on it. "

"He hasn't been moving at all?"

"No…Just like a month ago when he spent three days locked up. I feel like everything just went back to point zero, and that I have to start all over again."

Kakashi sighed again.

"Anyway…I have left Pakkun with him tonight so I could have a shower and talk to you. How have you heard about Jiraiya?"

"Tsunade-sama told me this morning…"

Kakashi's jaw clenched.

"How is she?"

"I've never seen her so sad. She even asked me to take the hospital over today so that she could be alone." Sakura answered.

"Oh? You took the hospital over by yourself ?" Kakashi asked, surprised.

"Yeah."

"So how did it go?"

Sakura sighed and turned her face to hide it in Kakashi's collarbone.

"Awful. I was so anxious that I made so many mistakes... I even forgot a bucket full of vomit right in the corridor and one of the nurses bumped into it while she was getting out of a room…"

Kakashi chuckled, smiling down fondly at his Sakura.

"Oh, my poor sweetie..."

"Stop laughing, you mean sensei. I really tried to do my best today but it was really too much alone."

Kakashi caressed her hair and rested his cheek on it.

"I'm sure you were very good in spite of your mistakes. It was your first day as chief medic, anyone would be anxious and a little overheaded, don't you think?"

"Pff…Says the man who became jounin at nine years old." Sakura answered in sulky voice.

Kakashi giggled again.

"Maaa, don't be so hard on yourself. Everyone follows their own path. And I'm very impressed by the young woman you have become."

Sakura smiled and blushed slightly.

"Really, sensei?"

"Of course. We need to have you work on having more faith in yourself, you know?"

Sakura sighed.

"Mmh...I don't know…Anyway, I knew that was going to be a horrible day but…You should have seen Tsunade-sama. She looked so devastated, it killed me to see her like that…I just had to do something for her."

Her voice died in her throat.

Kakashi closed his eyes and squeezed Sakura against him while laying a kiss in her hair.

"It's going to be okay. She's very strong, she will get through this. But like for Naruto, we have to be there for her. No one should endure that kind of thing alone, and I'm afraid Naruto really hurt her feelings by ignoring her own pain."

"Mmh…You're right…I will show her that we're here for her. I mean…That must be difficult to be the Hokage, no one dares to… you know…Just comfort you."

Kakashi remembered when he had hesitated to put his hand on Tsunade's shoulder when Naruto had just stormed out of her office. Indeed, he didn't dare, because he thought she was his boss. Yet now that he thought about it, maybe it would have helped her a bit to feel that Kakashi wasn't only her subordinate, but also her friend.

None of them said another word for a moment.

"I don't want Naruto to see him." Kakashi blurted out suddenly.

Sakura, knowing he had his mask on again, shifted against him and raised her head to look at him.

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean …Just…Just imagine the state in which Jiraiya must be. You have seen what they did to Asuma…Just try to picture to what lengths they had to go to get rid of one of the legendary sannins."

He shook his head and his face contorted behind his mask.

"I don't want him to see this. I don't want him to go through this, no one should."

Sakura put her hand on Kakashi's shoulder and squeezed it slightly, a sad glow shining in her eyes.

"I know sensei, but you cannot deny him the right to see his body. Jiraiya sama was like his grandfather, and as Naruto was the closest thing Jiraiya sama had to a family... If Naruto wants to see the body...and he will...we cannot stop him. That would be wrong on the legal point of view as well as on the human one. Plus, I think it might be necessary to…you know…make him accept his death."

Kakashi raised sad eyes towards her and sighed. Sakura's heart clenched at the sight. She wrapped her arms around her silver-haired friend's neck, burying her face in his shoulder and patting his beautiful hair.

"It's going to be hard, but he won't be alone. I'm pretty sure I will be the one in charge of the autopsy…And I promise you I will do my best to make the body...look less awful…before Naruto sees it."

Kakashi didn't say anything for a moment. Then he sighed.

"Come here…" he breathed out.

He lifted Sakura to pull her in his lap. He wrapped his own arms around her and both of them just held on to each other, not saying anything. They both felt as though they were standing in the eye of a particularly strong storm, and clinging to each other made them feel stronger. They were both focusing on providing their warmth to the other, like two lost and nervous animals seeking comfort in times of doubt. Kakashi tangled his hand up into her hair and caressed her while he buried his masked nose into her soft shoulder, breathing her flowery scent.

"If it can reassure you a little, sensei, you have been doing a wonderful job these last weeks."

"That was not enough..." Kakashi whispered.

"Of course it was. We're almost there Kakashi sensei, that damn ANBU agent didn't break anything in the end, he just postponed the moment when Naruto will finally accept to grieve."

"Sakura, this will not be that easy. Naruto has shut away deeper than ever. And seeing Jiraiya-sama's mutilated body…I'm certain the worst is yet to come."

Sakura remained silent for a short time. She could feel Kakashi's heavy, worried heart.

When she was a little girl, seeing Kakashi anxious was rare. He was the rock, the pillar to which everyone could always cling to. To every problem, he had a solution. No matter the enemy, no matter the danger, Kakashi had the incredible capacity of keeping his head cool and think with extraordinary acuity and rapidity. That's why in the rare occasions she had seen Kakashi anxious, as when he thought Zabuza was going to kill his genins, she had herself felt lost and nervous because her pillar was weakened. Yet as she grew up, as the man and her friends helped her become a prouder, stronger woman, she had started seeing Kakashi more as a human being than as a heartless robot. She had come to understand that the best way to make Kakashi nervous was to threaten the people he loved. Yet generally that was also a very dangerous thing to do, as it had the power to unleash Kakashi's anger, which was legendary. They said that of you actually made Kakashi angry, the last thing you would ever see would be a blood and grey murderous stare lurking at the core of a fantastic dance of lightning bolts.

Kakashi was strong, calm and constant, yet as the years had gone by, Sakura had figured out hidden features of his personality. During the evenings they spent together, the man had always remained discrete, never truly telling Sakura about the tragedies of his past. Yet, he had come to slip out some details which had given her an insight of the lonely and regretful soul hiding behind the eccentric, kind and always late man. She had found out that he had a lot of demons concealed behind his mask, yet he never, ever complained. He never talked about himself, yet on the other hand he would always lend an ear and a shoulder to Sakura when she needed to talk. He would dedicate himself to take care of the people he loved. He would just put himself aside to jump in the path of the weapon threatening a person, should that person be friend or colleague, brother or stranger.

That was why Kakashi was such a touching hero.

That was why Sakura now felt the incredible urge to carry a little bit of that fantastic man's burden, just for a moment, so that he could recover his breath and then resume being such a beautiful, precious friend to them all.

"It's going to be all right, sensei. We will be there for him. As you said, we will get through this together. I'll be strong, like you have always been." she said.

Kakashi's eyes widened a little. He sighed and smiled fondly, deeply touched by Sakura's words. He squeezed her in his arms and kissed her hair.

"You are already strong, my Sakura chan. I'm proud of you, and I am the one who is lucky to have you by my side."

Sakura didn't say anything, but her heart filled with warmth and she smiled, nuzzling her face into Kakashi's strong neck like an affectionate cat.

As for Kakashi, he kept holding Sakura to him while letting his eyes wander in the horizon. The night was fresh and calm, and the last leaves were falling from the high trees. The hairy and lush forest had turned into a gigantic city of nude, majestuous trees waiting for the gentle warmth of spring to come and wake them from their peaceful slumber. The appeased river was reflecting the stars, but in the quiet water, the jounin was seeing something else.

He was seeing fire, blood and pain.

He closed his eyes and focused on Sakura's warmth to try and forget that threatening voice nagging him in his heart, whispering in the darkness.

The worst is yet to come.