"Shit," Sakura swore under her breath, "They're gaining on us."
They had long since entered the woods, and as quickly as they traversed the tree tops, the shinobi behind them had only caught up. The sounds of footsteps on the great boughs of the trees only grew louder. A kunai quickly hissed through the air, grazing Sakura's cheek.
CAW CAW CAW!
The squawking of a raven and its subsequent flapping of wings broke the silence of the forest. Both Sasuke and Sakura's eyes snapped in the direction of the noise, finding a lone raven flying parallel to them.
"Follow that ra-" before Sasuke could finish his order, Sakura had already turned sharply in the direction of the raven.
Itachi...where will you take us now...?
...
The sun had not yet risen over Konoha, but Kakashi always enjoyed rising early. He cherished the silence before the village woke up, it was when he could truly focus on his thoughts. But today, he was making an intentional stop at Haruno Sakura's house.
"...Huh...," Kakashi wondered aloud, "Sakura's been gone quite a while now..."
He held the scribbled note in his hand, the one he had found nailed to Sakura's door. The hospital was still functioning thanks to Tsunade's work, so it wasn't that he was worried about her absence... it was just strange. She had never left this long before without a mission...
The tentative return date she had scribbled on the note frantically was soon approaching. As her teacher, she knew she was a capable kunoichi, but he still worried about her, especially as she had been so recently abducted to try and coax Sasuke out of his unknown whereabouts...(unsurprisingly, it had worked, and unsurprisingly, she didn't need his help...)
Regardless, he would soon begin investigating where she had disappeared to in order to send a hawk to bring her back. At least to confirm her health, if not anything else.
...
That night, the raven had led them to a small clearing under an outcropping of rocks near the border of the Land of Frost. It was shielded from the elements and very secluded, no doubt it would be difficult to find them there. Sakura started a fire, then unpacked their belongings, gently helping Sasuke to his sleeping mat near the fire. Exhausted from their hasty retreat, they both fell quickly into deep sleep.
That morning, Sasuke awoke before her. He was an early riser, he had always been. Tired of Sakura having to care for their camp, he felt well enough to lift himself from the mat and go gather firewood and hunt for food himself. He had not made it but a few meters into the darkness of the woods when he froze at the sound of the familiar raven.
It sat perched neatly on a branch so close to him. Something about the bird seemed unearthly, and he immediately knew this was no ordinary raven. This *has* to have something to do with my brother...
Sasuke reached out for the raven cautiously, before a large shadow crashed down before them. Black and brown feathers flew frantically and the air split with squawks and caws as the raven quickly flew into hiding. Where the raven was perched lightly on Sasuke's wrist, now sat a large messenger hawk with a scroll tightly bound to its leg.
As much as Sasuke had a natural inclination toward hawks, today he sighed at the sight. This raven...he had seen it twice now, both in times of dire need. It was a curious predicament, and he had his thoughts about it...Unfortunately, he had gotten so close to the raven, and now it was gone...
He gently brushed the feathers along the hawk's face, and it cocked its head at him affectionately. He untied the scroll from its ankle, taking it close to read while the hawk remained clawed around his wrist.
No doubt from Kakashi, he knew before even reading it. And he was right.
"Uchiha Sasuke," it read, "Haruno Sakura is nowhere to be found. Is she with you? If so, please send her back to the village, her assistance is urgently needed. -Rokudaime, Kakashi"
He curled the scroll back, walking with the hawk back toward their camp.
Why did his heart suddenly feel so heavy? As if the note itself had been a curse, planting a stone in the depths of his soul, weighing it down. Deep down inside he knew exactly why. Because this letter signaled that Sakura would return, and once more, he would be on his journey alone.
But he couldn't admit this to anyone, or even to himself at this point...
"Morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura smiled happily as she unpacked her medical supplies, "Where did you go?"
"...You have a message. From Konoha," Sasuke held up the hawk in one hand, and held out the scroll in another. Sakura hesitantly grasped the parchment, reading it quickly.
"It...looks like I'm being summoned," Sakura's eyes never left the page, but Sasuke could sense that she was unhappy for more reasons than simple inconvenience.
"Ah."
"...I'm not done healing you, yet..."
Sasuke remained silent.
"...I...I guess I'll just return," Sakura murmured, and Sasuke stiffened at her remarks.
"...I'll come back for you, okay?" she told him solemnly, "We just have to decide on a time, a place to meet..."
"You're sure you'll be able to return?"
She was a little surprised at his question, but thought quietly to herself. Maybe he had a point. What if the medical assistance the Rokudaime was requesting took longer than she thought? What a stupid thought...
"I'll convince him somehow," she smiled, "...I have an important promise I've made, that I won't let this sickness take you. And I won't let you down."
...
He saw the determination in her eyes, and he believed her.
Yet...who had she made the promise to?
Naruto?
How could he have known that he was ill? It didn't make sense.
But he wouldn't question it. She would help him, after all that he'd done to her. He'd done nothing for her, been nothing good for her...he felt guilty for feeling pleased that she would not discontinue his treatment despite having to return to Konoha.
"...But...will you be okay here, alone? I don't know how you're feeling, all I know is that your alveoli aren't collapsing as rapidly now..." Her voice was soft with concern.
"I'll be fine," he stated bluntly, "Just go. And return when you can."
"...Hai," she nodded, "I'll go get my things..."
He watched she packed her supplies, slowly and unhappily. And he knew what he had to do.
...
Kakashi entered his chambers that night only to find his windows open and curtains blowing in the chilling night air. His kunai drawn in his pockets, he checked around the room only to find everything normal. Everything normal, except the shadow behind the curtains...
Pulling back the drapes quickly gave only a bird's screech, and Kakashi found a lone messenger hawk perched coolly on the windowpane. Kakashi sighed, cursing his experience as a shinobi for making him so paranoid...these are peaceful times.
He unbound the note tied to the raptor as it waited patiently for him to read it. It was simple parchment, but held together by a wax seal, a familiar red and white fan. Sasuke...
"Kakashi," it read,
"Please send Haruno Sakura for medical assistance immediately.
-Uchiha Sasuke"
He sighed to himself. What had the young Uchiha done this time? Why did he possibly need medical assistance so urgently? Sakura hadn't even returned to the village yet, and he was already asking for her back?
He scribbled a note quickly:
"Uchiha Sasuke," he wrote, "What urgent medical assistance do you need? Sakura is the village's number one medic, so I can't just send her away so quickly. Please explain. Rokudaime."
The truth was, he could absolutely send Sakura to Sasuke any minute. Tsunade had covered the hospital wonderfully the past week and seemed to enjoy it much more than retirement. It wasn't that he couldn't send Sakura, it's that...
He wanted to know more. He knew how much Sakura cared about Sasuke, and he had a hunch that the Uchiha felt similarly toward the pink haired girl. But why had he told her that his journey was only for him, if he would so quickly ask for her back? He needed to know...so he clipped the scroll to the hawk, sending it off into the starry blackness.
When Kakashi attained the reply only a day after he had sent his message, it wasn't what he was expecting. Not only that it was longer than the first, but it was vulnerable, for Sasuke...
"Kakashi,"
"It is not any of your business, but if you must know to send Sakura, then I will tell you. My brother was not ultimately killed by me, but by an illness that I am now falling victim to it as well. Without Sakura's aid, I will be dead soon. I ask that you not turn a blind eye, as the other Hokage have, toward all that now exists of the Uchiha.
Uchiha Sasuke"
His mind made up, Kakashi stood. Of all the Hokage, he would not be the one to let the Uchiha clan down. He not only had an obligation to his dearest friend, but also to the ANBU that had once worked under him. And he himself had lived with the Sharingan...he might as well be one of them. And there was no way in hell he was going to let it end with Sasuke.
"Uchiha Sasuke," he wrote,
"I will send her back to you immediately. Take care of yourself until she arrives. Kakashi-sensei"
...
"Sakura, you don't look well," Kakashi pointed out as she entered the office. She had returned late that night, the guards had informed him.
"...Y-yeah," she avoided his gaze, instead watching the floor.
"...What's troubling you?"
"Ah, nothing...you summoned me, Kakashi-sensei? What can I do for you?"
"It's been weeks over your tentative return date," Kakashi held up the note she had nailed on the door, "...Of course I had to summon you. What if you needed assistance? What if you had been captured by some lunatic?"
"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura laughed, then stammered, "I-I can explain, I had urgent business to attend to - "
"No, I know exactly why you've been gone so long," Kakashi interrupted her.
She paused. "You do?"
"You've been with Uchiha Sasuke."
Her breath caught in her throat.
"How did you know?"
"Because he told me."
"He did?" The shock hit her like a ton of bricks. What had Sasuke told Kakashi?
"Hai."
"I need to return to him."
"...You can't be gone from the village so long, our hospitals need you."
Her lip trembled slightly and her head fell.
"Unless that is, your medical services were more urgently needed somewhere else. And it sounds like they certainly are..."
Sakura looked up in shock, but before she could reply, he scribbled something on the mission scroll, tying it up neatly with string. "...Alright," he stood abruptly, "...As Hokage, I need you to embark on a very important mission for me. This will most likely take you away from the village for a very long time. "
She took the scroll, reading it frantically then gazed up, completely baffled, to meet her sensei's amused visage.
"You...you...want me to find a cure for Sasuke's ailment?" she stammered, "That's your mission?!"
"Hai, hai," he chuckled, "Sasuke is one of my favorite students, after all. I can't deny his request to have you back."
Her eyes widened in shock. He had personally requested her?
"I would be very upset if his condition were to overtake him...the village still needs his protection, and his absence would definitely spell the end of the future for the Uchiha clan," Kakashi continued.
"That's why you, my favorite student, need to tend to him. Do whatever it takes to make sure he lives - "
He was interrupted by Sakura suddenly throwing her arms around her old sensei's back. He paused, smiling to himself as she embraced him.
"...Thank you, sensei...I won't let you down..."
"I know you won't. That's why I chose you, of course."
Well, that, and you and Sasuke deserve this time to reconcile...because I know something still exists between you two...
"If you need to communicate, Sasuke still has his hawk," Kakashi reminded her as she took a step toward the door, "...And for more information on the Uchiha clan, you might try the compound, yes? I understand a library is still intact within the baseboards of the unit..."
"Do I have permission...?"
"...Hai. As Hokage, I grant you have access to any records you need."
She smiled thoughtfully at him, "Thank you again, sensei..."
He saluted her facetiously and the door clicked shut.