"I've always fear that day would come when his brothers-in-arms would knock on my door and tell me that he left." she started as she looked at the people attending. "That one day, the life that we built together would come crashing down."
Sakura bit her lip as she looked at the casket in front of her; her greatest fear being realized. Then she looked at the people in attendance. In front are their most trusted friends - the ones that they trust with their life - then their most respected superiors. And there are also some who are their colleagues, while there are also a number of people who judged them for their relationship.
"When Kakashi and I started seeing each other, there are a lot of people that had something to say about it. Some said that he was too old for me, that I was too young for him. That there are too much history between us that our relationship cannot be genuine." her eyes fixed on the couple of people towards the middle. "But it is true. Kakashi truly loved me, and I loved him too. I love him still."
Sakura paused, taking a deep breath to steady herself. She felt the weight of their stares, some filled with empathy, others with judgment. "Kakashi was more than just a shinobi to me," she continued, her voice shaking in sorrow. "He was my mentor, my friend, my partner, and my husband. He saw me for who I was, not just the girl with a crush or the apprentice trying to prove herself. He saw my strength, my flaws, and he loved me for all of it."
She could see their friends nodding in agreement, their eyes filled with shared grief. Naruto and Sasuke stood side by side, their usual rivalry replaced by a solemn solidarity. Even the stoic Tsunade had tears glistening in her eyes. Sakura felt a surge of gratitude for their presence.
"When he asked me to marry him, I was the most ecstatic person in all of the Five Great Nations. Not because I'm going to be permanently attached to a famous name or because I was finally going to get married. But because I get to spend the rest of my life to the one person who I never have to be perfect to."
Sakura's voice broke slightly as she continued, her emotions overwhelming her. "Kakashi had a way of making everyone around him feel seen and valued. He had an incredible ability to find light in the darkest of times, and he always knew how to make me smile, even when I felt like the world was falling apart."
She glanced at Naruto and Sasuke again, remembering the countless missions they had shared, the battles fought side by side. "He taught me what it means to be strong, not just in battle, but in life. He showed me that true strength comes from love, compassion, and understanding. Kakashi lived his life with a quiet dignity, never seeking glory or recognition, but always giving his all for those he cared about."
"And I wanted to give him everything." she choked on her own tears, as she cannot held them back anymore. "Because he deserves everything. Many of you ostracized us because I chose to become a housewife, a mother... but he never asked for those things. I wanted it. I wanted to give him a home that he can return to after a grueling mission; something to look forward to."
Sakura wiped at her eyes, her hand trembling slightly. The room was silent, save for the quiet sobs of those who loved Kakashi dearly. She took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "I wanted to give him a family, a place where he could find peace and solace. I wanted to show him that he was worth more than just his duty as a shinobi."
She could see the understanding in some of the faces around her, while others still held their reservations. It didn't matter now. Nothing ever matter now.
"That... that last mission, I felt that there was wrong. That something is wrong." Sakura's voice trembled as she forced herself to continue. "I felt it in my bones, but he reassured me, like he always did. He told me he'd be back, that he had something special planned for our anniversary." She paused, choking back a sob. "But deep down, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off."
"I didn't want him to go." she covered her face with her hands as the grief wracked her again. As if it was the first time she heard about his passing. "I don't want him to go. For once, I want him to be selfish. To be with me. We are going to be a family. We are going to have a little Hatake soon." one of her hand fell to her barely noticeable bump. "I told him that we need him more than the village. But... but he said he can't abandon the village when it needed him. That he was doing it for our kids. That he is just trying to make the whole a safer place for them."
"He wanted our world to be a place where children will get to be children. To give his kids the childhood he never got. And he promised... he promised me, that he will come back." she looked at the casket again. "He did, but all I got is a corpse."
Sakura's voice broke, and the room was silent except for her quiet sobs. Her small form shaking as her grief threatened to overwhelm her.
The silence was heavy, each person present feeling the weight of Sakura's sorrow. Their hearts are breaking for the woman who seemed so lost in midst of tragedy that had befallen her.
"I just wanted you back." she murmured, and if not for the microphone near her, no one would have heard her. "I just wanted you to come back to me. I just want my husband back." She lifted her head and looked directly at her mentor. "Why did it have to be him on that mission? I pleaded, I needed him. Now he's gone. And I want him back. I need him back. I just need him back."
The room remained silent, enveloped in a profound sadness that mirrored Sakura's raw grief. Her words echoed through the hearts of those who knew Kakashi, each one feeling the loss in their own way.
"I need him back." she continued to chant, the profound need inside her is burning through her system. Her words are like prayers, but no matter how hard she tried, no one can bring a dead man back.
Sakura's voice trailed off, her words swallowed by the oppressive silence. The weight of her loss felt insurmountable, a chasm that no amount of comforting words or gestures could bridge. Her shoulders shook as she gave in to her grief, and the room seemed to hold its collective breath, sharing in her sorrow.
Naruto stepped forward, his usually vibrant energy subdued by the solemnity of the moment. He pulled Sakura into a hug, her face pushed in his chest and his arms curled protectively around her.
"I just love him so much," she sobbed. "I love him so much that it hurts."
Naruto held her tightly, his own tears falling silently as he offered what comfort he could. "I know." he simply said. "We know."
"I need him, Naruto." she stuttered. "I need him here. Why did he have to leave? I need him here. With me. I need him alive!"
"I know." he murmured again, patting her back. "We all want him back."
"I love him."
"And he loved you too. Until the very end, he loved you. Your name was the last thing that he murmured before he died. He loved you too. We all know that he loved you too." he reassured his friend. "He loved you more than anyone can love you. In his eyes, the sun and moon rise and fall for you. His own world revolved around you, that's why he made the ultimate sacrifice, for you and for your child."
Sakura's sobs became more pronounced as Naruto's supposed comforting words just reminded her of her loss. Everything around her turned gray, as if the color was leeched off when he died.
Because frankly, her heart died with him.
Naruto just held her, trying to appease his bestfriend. But how can you console a woman whose heart had been broken beyond repair? So he just held her, until she stopped shaking. When she did, he whispered softly in her ear.
"We have to bury him now." he whispered. "Go. Say your goodbyes."
Sakura nodded weakly, her body still trembling with the weight of her grief. She pulled away from Naruto's embrace and walked slowly towards the casket, her steps heavy and deliberate. Each step felt like a mile, each breath a struggle. She reached out and placed her hand on the polished wood, her fingers tracing the grain as if it were Kakashi's skin.
"Kakashi," she whispered, her voice cracking, "I don't know how to live without you. You've always been my strength, my light in the darkness. But I'll try. For you, and for our child, I'll try."
Tears streamed down her face as she leaned forward, pressing her forehead against the casket. "I promise to tell our child about you, to keep your memory alive in their heart. They'll know how much you loved them, even before they were born. They'll know what a brave, kind, and wonderful man their father was."
Sakura closed her eyes, feeling the cold, hard reality of the casket beneath her touch. It was a stark contrast to the warmth and life that Kakashi had always exuded.
"I love you." she murmured, hoping that he is hearing her in the afterlife. "I love you so much. I promise... I promise that we will meet again. Wait for me, okay?" she traced his face through the glass that separated them. "And if reincarnation is real, I'll... I'll you sooner, so that I can love you longer. I love you so much." She kissed the glass, imagining that it was him that she's kissing but the cold that seeped through skin broke the illusion.
He's gone. And he is not coming back.
Sakura's tears fell onto the casket, mingling with the earth. She pressed her hand against the glass one last time, trying to imprint the feeling of connection, however cold and distant, into her memory. Her fingers trembled as she traced Kakashi's face, her heart aching with the realization that this was their final farewell.
"I love you," she whispered again, her voice barely audible. "Always and forever."
With a deep, shuddering breath, Sakura straightened up and stepped back, her gaze never leaving the casket. The pallbearers, with solemn respect, began to lower it into the ground. Sakura felt her heart sink with it, the finality of the moment hitting her like a tidal wave.
Naruto and Sasuke stood by her side, their presence a silent source of strength. Tsunade moved closer, her hand resting gently on Sakura's shoulder. The crowd watched in respectful silence, each person feeling the weight of their collective grief.
As the casket settled into its resting place, Sakura knelt down, picking up a handful of soil. She let it slip through her fingers, watching as it joined the earth below. "Goodbye, Kakashi," she murmured, her voice breaking. "Until we meet again."