Some people won't love you that way you love them.
The words of his late father echoes through Kakashi's mind as he saw Sakura in the arms of Uchiha Sasuke.
"I thought you already let go of that love, Sakura." Kakashi whispered. His lone visible eye cannot take its gaze away from the two people. One deserted his friends and village for revenge, the other trampled his heart the way that he never thought possible.
When Sasuke leaned to capture the pink-haired woman's lips, Kakashi can't watch anymore. He turned and walked away from the scene, his cold heart that she warmed, in tatters.
If only he had not put his heart out in the open, if only only he did not wear his heart on his sleeve for her, he would be hurt this way. We will not experience the same pain he felt when he found his father's dead body again.
What Kakashi did see when he turned away was Sakura slapping the raven-haired man. After the man kissed Sakura without her consent. He would have been proud of her strength as Sasuke stumbled on the ground with the force that was behind the slap. But he wasn't able to see that as he walked away.
Kakashi looked coldly at the pink-haired woman when she came to his house the next morning. Acting as if she had not broken his heart.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Kakashi?" The woman asked nervously. "Did I do something to your dogs?" She added, as if humor will piece his heart back together.
He cannot believe the audacity that Sakura must possess to be able to face him, early this morning as if she had not cheated on him the night before. With stern eyes and cold voice, he said. "Get out, Sakura."
He watched her eyes narrow at him. He was never rude to her; he always showers her with affection and kindness. He never once raised his hand or voice at her. That is how he love her. And then, she will just cheat on him?
"What did I do to deserve your ire?" She asked him; confused. "Did I really do something to your dogs?"
He would prefer that Sakura hurt one of the ninkens, as the dogs would at least fight back.
"You are really asking me that, Sakura?" he growled, he can't believe the woman. "I'm not stupid. I may be old, but I am not stupid."
"Hey!" Sakura shouted at him; annoyed. "I never said you're old, or that you're stupid. But I don't know what I did to anger you."
"She doesn't really want to admit her faults." Kakashi thought darkly.
He stared at her with his lone eye. It was the stare that he reserves the enemies that he faced. His murderous stare is the last thing that his enemies saw. And that is what he viewed Sakura now, an enemy. Not the one who plans to destroy the village he protected, but his heart.
She is now stuttering while saying his name. A sick, twisted satisfaction coursed through him at her fear. He knows that there is darkness in his heart, but he never thought that it would be this dark for him to be satisfied that the woman he vowed to protect above all else is afraid of him.
"Get out, Sakura." he said in a low, dangerous voice. "Before I drag you out. We're done."
"You're dumping me?" Sakura asked, tear started to form in her eyes. "What did I do?"
"Stop the act, Sakura. I saw you last night!" he told her in calm anger. And then, he saw the guilt in her eyes.
"You saw me with, Sasuke." her voice low.
"Yes. So, stop pretending like a good little girl. We're done."
"Can't you just let me explain first?"
"What is more to explain, Sakura?" he asked. "That you still love him, that the childhood crush you had for him didn't diminish. And even after two years of being together, in the bottom of your heart, he is still the one that you are waiting for? I know that Sakura. I'm not blind and I'm not stupid. So, get out!" He shouted. He can feel his heart crumbling again. And he refused to give her so much power to hurt him like this again.
"Ka-Kakashi, please." Sakura is openly crying now.
Kakashi's heart constricted at the tears that she is shedding right now. But if he listened to her, it doesn't matter if she lied, he would believe her. And he cannot let her do that. He had eyes; he understands what he saw. So, he grabbed her arm tightly and drag her out of his house. "Don't ever come back." And slammed the door to her face.
Naruto and Pakkun tried to talk to him, but he refused to listen. He cannot believe that Pakkun is siding with her. While he ignored Naruto. Naruto will always protect her, even if she is on the wrong, he cannot let the blond-haired man who looked so much like his departed sensei to sway him.
That is until Pakkun confronted him again.
"Pakkun, what's the matter?" Kakashi asked, a frown creasing his forehead.
"Sakura's in critical condition, and it's because of you!" Pakkun barked. "You need to go to the hospital now and fix this mess."
Kakashi's eyes widened, the gravity of the situation hitting him. Without another word, he disappeared in a swirl of leaves, racing towards the hospital with Pakkun at his side.
As Kakashi arrived at the hospital, he saw the commotion and urgency in the air. Pakkun, still by his side, pointed him toward the room where Sakura was being treated.
As he was nearing the blond boy with his hands on his face, he saw Tsunade stepped out of the room. His world started to turn as she said, "Time of death: 3:10 PM."
Kakashi stood frozen in shock. The reality of what had transpired hit him like a tidal wave. He had driven Sakura to this point, and now she was gone.
The hospital corridor felt like a suffocating tunnel, closing in on Kakashi as the weight of his actions pressed down on him. The words of his late father echoed louder than ever in his mind: "Some people won't love you the way you love them." Oh, how wrong his father was. He pushed Sakura away, but she loved him as much as he loved her and now, she's gone.
He couldn't shake the guilt and regret that clawed at him. Sakura, the woman he had loved, was now lost because of him.
Naruto, who had witnessed Sakura's tragic end, turned to Kakashi with a mix of grief and anger. "This is your fault. You pushed her to this."
Kakashi's usually composed demeanor crumbled. He sank to the floor, his body weighed down by the consequences of his actions. The truth of his anger and pride laid bare, and the cost was Sakura's life.
Naruto's words, though fueled by anger, struck a chord of truth. Kakashi couldn't deny the responsibility he bore for the tragedy that had unfolded.
But he cannot stay there, slumped on the floor. He needs to see her one last time. His last memory of her is her tear-stricken face.
As he moves towards the door, Naruto blocked his way. "You will not see her."
Naruto's eyes bore into Kakashi with a mixture of sorrow and anger. "You don't get to see her now. Not after what you've done. You pushed her away, treated her like an enemy, and now she's gone."
Kakashi, usually quick with his words and actions, found himself at a loss. The reality of his actions struck him with a force he had never experienced before. His heart, once shrouded in layers of protective ice, now felt like it was melting into a pool of regret and despair.
"I know I messed up," Kakashi admitted, his voice barely audible. "But I need to see her. I need to say goodbye."
Naruto's gaze remained unwavering. "You had your chance to be with her, to listen to her. You cast her aside like she meant nothing to you. Now you have to live with that choice." Naruto's eyes now watering. "I was fine with an incomplete Team 7, Kakashi. Now it's gone. She's gone. You killed her!"
Naruto's accusations pierced through Kakashi like a blade. The weight of guilt pressed harder, and he felt the sting of truth in Naruto's words. The bond of Team 7, once strained, had now shattered completely.
The tears in Naruto's eyes mirrored the anguish in Kakashi's heart. The teacher had failed his student, and in doing so, had lost someone dear to both of them.
Kakashi, with a heavy heart, nodded in acknowledgment of Naruto's pain. "I understand, Naruto. I messed up, and I have to live with that."
But Naruto wasn't done. "Do you? Do you really understand what you've done? She loved you, and you pushed her away. You treated her like she was nothing. And now she's gone!" He shouted, not caring if the whole hospital is now listening to them. "If you only listened to her, you'd know that the only reason that Sasuke was holding her was because he surprised and tackled her. That after Sasuke kissed her without her consent, she slapped him so hard that he stumbled to the ground. You should have listened to her, before you drive her away!"
Naruto's words hit Kakashi like a revelation, tearing through the fog of his own guilt and self-pity. The truth unfolded before him, and the weight of realization bore down on him like a heavy burden.
"I didn't... I didn't know," Kakashi stammered, his voice a mere whisper, barely audible amidst the chaos of the hospital corridor. The gravity of his assumptions and actions began to sink in. The pain etched on Naruto's face mirrored the remorse now etched on Kakashi's.
"Because you didn't want to listen! Because you did not give her the chance to explain!" Naruto accused him. "Did you even know that she killed herself with the rasengan? Do you even know that she can perform that?" Naruto continued to ask him the questions that he didn't have the answer. "She killed herself in front of me!"
Kakashi did not know how to answer the blond. All he knows is that he messed up. And he can never make it right.
Naruto's anger began to mix with his grief as he looked at Kakashi, a once-respected mentor now seemingly oblivious to the consequences of his actions. "You let your pride blind you, Kakashi. You let your assumptions destroy everything."
As Naruto turned away, Kakashi's mind was a tempest of regret and self-reproach. He felt a profound emptiness, realizing the depth of his mistakes.
His feet directed him inside the room, without Naruto obstructing the view, he can see the white cloth in the middle of the room. As he reached the hospital bed, he removed the cloth hiding her from view. Sakura's lifeless form lay still, a haunting testament to the consequences of his hasty judgment. Regret flooded Kakashi's heart as he looked upon her, realizing the depth of his mistakes.
He bent to the bed, hugging the body that is slowly turning cold. His tear flowed freely. "I'm sorry, Sakura," he murmured, his words choked with sorrow. "I should have listened. I should have trusted you."
He cupped her pale face in his hands, willing her closed eyes to open. "Sakura!" he wailed; holding her body to her chest. The broken sobs echoed through the hospital.
The hospital room seemed to close in on Kakashi as he clung to the lifeless form of Sakura. His tears fell without restraint, merging with the profound grief that engulfed him. The weight of his mistakes pressed heavily on his shoulders, and he couldn't escape the realization that he had driven the woman he loved to this tragic end.
"I'm so sorry, Sakura," he whispered again, his voice cracking with sorrow. "I should have trusted you. I should have given you a chance to explain."
But his words were met with the deafening silence of the room, a silence that echoed the finality of Sakura's departure. He had lost her, and the pain was insurmountable.
As he held her lifeless body, memories of their time together flooded his mind—the laughter, the shared moments, and the love he had felt for her. It was a love he had failed to protect, a love that had slipped through his fingers because of his own pride and assumptions.
Kakashi's grief turned into a storm of self-loathing. He had let down not only Sakura but also himself and the ideals he once stood for. The once-protective shell around his heart shattered, leaving him vulnerable and exposed to the harsh reality of his actions.
The hospital corridor outside the room remained hushed, as if the world itself mourned the tragedy that had unfolded within those walls. Naruto, still outside, shared in the collective grief, his anger now softened by the shared loss.
Kakashi gently laid Sakura's body back on the bed, his fingers lingering on her cold skin. With a heavy heart, he stood up, feeling the weight of his decisions bearing down on him. He walked out of the room, leaving behind the lifeless form of the woman he had failed to protect.
Naruto, who had been waiting, looked at Kakashi with a mix of sympathy and lingering anger. "It's your fault." He said. "And don't you dare take the easy way out, I'll make sure that you'll live. You'll live through this and regret your actions forever." The man who never planted a seed of hatred stared at his eye. Promising that he will do whatever it takes just to scorn him.
Kakashi, numb to the world around him, met Naruto's gaze. The weight of Naruto's accusation and the shared sorrow hung heavily in the air. The resolve in Naruto's eyes was unwavering, and Kakashi understood the promise behind those words.
As Naruto continued to glare at him, Kakashi nodded solemnly. "I deserve whatever punishment comes my way. I have to live with the consequences of my actions."
Naruto's expression remained stern, but there was a flicker of something deeper—a profound disappointment and a determination to make Kakashi confront the gravity of his mistakes.
"You will live, Kakashi," Naruto affirmed, his voice laced with a mix of sorrow and determination. "You'll carry the weight of what you've done for the rest of your life. Sakura's gone because of your pride and assumptions, and you have to live with that."
Naruto stepped aside, allowing Kakashi to exit the hospital room. The once-respected mentor now walked away with the burden of guilt and the echoes of Naruto's warning ringing in his ears.
As Kakashi left the hospital, the world outside felt different—colder and more unforgiving. The reality of his actions began to sink in, and he found himself navigating a path of self-reflection and remorse.
Days turned into weeks, Tsunade is the one who prepared for Sakura's funeral. They buried her a few days after she departed, he wasn't there. For the wake or the funeral. He cannot face his friends, or Tsunade.
Kakashi roamed the village like a ghost, avoiding the gazes of those who once held him in high regard. The condolences from villagers felt like accusations, and the weight of guilt pressed down on him at every step.
He became more recluse. Pushing away the people he once called friends. His house almost looked, unlived as he was often found in Sakura's grave. Bottle in hand, while crying restlessly on the ground.
The passing days blurred into a haze of sorrow and regret for Kakashi. The village that was once his home now felt like a haunting reminder of the life he had lost. The laughter and camaraderie of Team 7 were replaced by the oppressive silence that surrounded him.
The once-revered ninja, known for his cool demeanor, found solace only in the company of his demons. The bottle became both his companion and his adversary, a means to drown the guilt that consumed him and a reminder of the self-destructive path he had chosen.
Naruto, who still harbored a mix of anger and pity for his former mentor, kept a distant eye on Kakashi. He couldn't shake the feeling that, despite the pain Kakashi was going through, it was a fraction of the agony Sakura had endured in her final moments.
The villagers, too, grappled with conflicting emotions. Kakashi, once their protector, had become a symbol of fallibility, a reminder that even the strongest could crumble under the weight of their own mistakes.
Tsunade, the Hokage, watched as the man she had trusted with the lives of many faced the consequences of his actions. The loss of Sakura had left a void not only in Kakashi's heart but in the very fabric of Team 7.
One day, as the village slowly attempted to heal from the wounds left by Sakura's departure, Kakashi found himself at her grave. The flowers, once vibrant, had started to wither, mirroring his soul.
Naruto, unable to bear the sight of his former sensei's downward spiral, approached Kakashi with a mix of concern and frustration. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, Kakashi-sensei."
Kakashi, his eyes bloodshot from a night of heavy drinking and crying, looked up at Naruto. The pain etched on his face was palpable. "I don't deserve forgiveness, Naruto."
Naruto sighed, realizing that breaking through the walls of Kakashi's guilt would be no easy task. "She wouldn't want you to destroy yourself like this."
The statement hit Kakashi like a kunai to the heart. He remembered Sakura's laughter, her warmth, and the way she had fought for him even when he had cast her aside. The realization that he had become the very thing he despised—an agent of pain and suffering—was almost too much to bear.
He unconsciously gathered chakra in his right hand and the blinding light of chidori erupted.
"Kakashi, don't you dare pull a Sakura on me!" Naruto shouted. Falling into a deep sense of deja vu. Sakura was drunk and crying that day, and now so is Kakashi. The only difference was Sakura's rasengan and Kakashi's chidori.
Kakashi froze, the chidori crackling dangerously in his hand. Naruto's words cut through the haze of grief and self-destruction, reminding Kakashi of the pain he had caused, not just to himself but to those around him.
Naruto, despite his anger, approached cautiously. "Put it down, Kakashi. This won't change anything. It won't bring her back."
The two men stood at a painful impasse, the electricity of the chidori casting eerie shadows on Kakashi's anguished face. The weight of the situation hung in the air, a palpable tension that mirrored the turmoil within Kakashi's soul.
"Maybe it's better this way," Kakashi murmured, his voice strained. "Maybe I should pay for what I've done." he whispered. "It's all because of me."
Naruto's eyes widened in shock and fear. "No! It's not better this way. Sakura wouldn't want this. And hurting yourself won't bring her back. You need to face what you've done and find a way to live with it."
Kakashi's grip on the chidori wavered as he looked into Naruto's eyes. There was an unspoken understanding between them, a shared pain that transcended words. Naruto had lost a friend, a teammate, and a mentor, and Kakashi had lost the woman he loved.
Finally, with a heavy sigh, Kakashi dispersed the chidori. The crackling energy faded, leaving behind a sense of emptiness. He sank to his knees, the weight of the world on his shoulders. He will add another death on Minato-sensei son's shoulders.
He got up. And walk away from the grave.
"Where are you going?" A sense of foreboding run through his spine.
"Home." He answered without looking at the man.
Naruto watched Kakashi walk away, the heavy burden of guilt still etched on his former sensei's face. But he can't just let the man walk away. So, he decided to follow him. He looked at the grave first before following the silver-haired broken man. "Don't worry Sakura-chan, I'll knock some sense into his head." He promised.
But once again, Nauto was too late. As he approached Kakashi's house, a fading electrical light can be seen through the windows - similar to the light that Chidori emitted.
Naruto runs at the house and kicks down the door only to see himself face to face with Kakashi's broken, bloody body. A huge hole can be seen in his abdomen.
Naruto's heart sank as he took in the scene before him. Kakashi lay on the floor, blood seeping from his wound. The stench of burnt flesh lingered in the air. The room, once a sanctuary, now felt like a chamber of despair.
"Naruto..." Kakashi's voice was weak, barely audible. The pain etched on his face mirrored the turmoil within his shattered soul.
"Why did you do this?" Naruto's voice wavered between anger and desperation. He had just saved Kakashi from one form of self-destruction, only to witness another.
Kakashi managed a faint smile, though the pain in his eyes remained. "I can't escape the consequences, Naruto. It's my penance."
"Penance?" Naruto's frustration bubbled to the surface. "This isn't penance. This is giving up. Sakura's gone, and now you're throwing your life away. Do you even care about the people who still need you?"
Kakashi's gaze drifted away, a haunted look in his eye. "I failed her. I failed all of you. There's nothing left for me here."
Naruto's fists clenched, his conflicting emotions boiling over. "You're not the only one who lost her, Kakashi. But you're the only one who's acting like it's the end of the world."
"She's my world; my whole universe." Kakashi choked out. Blood dripping to his lips.
He knelt beside Kakashi, desperation in his eyes. "You have to live with what you've done. Killing yourself won't change anything. It won't bring her back, and it won't make things right."
"I don't deserve to live," Kakashi whispered, his strength fading.
Naruto grabbed Kakashi's shoulders, shaking him. "Sakura wouldn't want this! She wouldn't want you to give up. You have to face the pain, the guilt, and find a way to make amends."
Tears welled up in Naruto's eyes as he pleaded with his former sensei. "Sakura already left me. Don't leave me!" Naruto shouted.
But Kakashi's light is fading, his chidori pierced the most vital organs. He doesn't want to be found and someone will bring him back. He wants peace. He wants to see her again
"Kakashi!" Naruto sobs were the last thing he heard as darkness consumed him.
Naruto's cries became louder as light faded from Kakashi's eye. Pakkun suddenly appeared and sniffed Kakashi's face. When he realized the reason why the blood contract was suddenly voided, he howled.
The dog's anguished howl was heard by the village. Those who are closed with Kakashi recognized the distinct voice of Pakkun, and they immediately went to Kakashi's abode.
What Tsunade, Asuma, Kurenai, and Iruka found were a scene they cannot forget. Kakashi's lifeless body was being cradled by Naruto while Kakashi's ninken's howled in anguish.
Tsunade's eyes filled with tears, it wasn't long ago that she lost her exceptional student, now it's the Copy Nin she lost.
"Kakashi?" Iruka called out to his friend. He cannot seem to get his feet to move, he doesn't want to believe the reality that he is seeing. But Naruto's tears were a clear message.
"Asuma, bring him to the hospital." Tsunade's voice wavered. "We are going to bury him next to her."
Like with Sakura, its Tsunade who arrange Kakashi's funeral. The procession was somber. The village, not long ago, lost one of its best medic and now its best protector.
Tsunade, with a heavy heart, stood before the open grave Kakashi, next to Sakura's. The irony of burying them side by side, casualties of their own choices, hung in the air like a shroud.
Naruto, who had insisted on carrying Kakashi's body, gently lowered him into the grave. The ninkens, Pakkun, and the others howled in unison, a mournful chorus that echoed the pain of losing their master.
The villagers watched in silence, their faces reflecting the collective grief that enveloped the once-vibrant village. The legacy of Team 7, now reduced to memories and gravestones, left a void that seemed impossible to fill.
Tsunade, her voice heavy with sorrow, spoke a few words in honor of Kakashi. She acknowledged his strengths, his flaws, and the sacrifices he had made. But she couldn't ignore the choices that led to this tragic end.
As the first pile of earth covered Kakashi's resting place, Naruto's hands trembled. The reality of losing another important figure in his life weighed heavily on him. He felt a profound sense of loneliness, a void that not even the title of Hokage could fill.