"I've got you in every time period, Sakura. I promise to always be here to protect you".

Those words echoed in my head for months. The voice was soft, caring, and full of love that made me believe it was true. Yet, I had no idea where it came from or who had said it or why. I began chalking it up to my head injury from the explosion that took out a chunk of the forest a few months ago. A tree having fallen while I was running and knocked me out. I had some really weird dreams while being unconscious, but even those didn't compare to the reality I was met with when I woke up finally.

Three months I spent hospitalized after a week and a half of my team searching for me. Nobody understood what happened after the explosion, nobody knew what happened to me or how I seemingly disappeared from the face of the earth for that short period of time. It was all one big mystery, one that everyone had tried to sort out over and over again once I was found lying on the floor of Lady Tsunade's office one morning seemingly unscathed.

"I've got you in every time period, Sakura. I promise to always be here to protect you".

I just wish I could remember who said it...

"Good Evening, Miss Haruno" A female nurse poked her head in the door before entering. "I've been sent to check your vitals. I won't take long so you can rest". The woman was probably the most kind of any nurse I had ever worked with, but she was much too worried and addressed me like I was a stranger. I let it slide though, since I had only been awake for a few hours and she had no idea what state I really was in mentally. So I simply nodded, letting her do what she needed.

I wondered who would be the first person to visit me when the hospital released the news that I woke up. It was late in the evening, the clock reading eleven, so unless Lady Tsunade was alerted nobody would know until visiting hours in the morning. I'm sure it would be Naruto. The minute the blonde spazz heard about it he would be on his way to be his loud energetic self and ask me a million questions that would end with me knocking him upside the head.

"All done. You're looking to be pretty healthy for someone who just spent three months in a coma". She attempted a joke, which I gave her a small smile. I still couldn't believe I had been out for that long...although in only a few hours I wasn't expected to wrap my head around that. From a medical standpoint I shouldn't have been told anything until I was deemed mentally fit for the information, but because I was who I was I got told whatever was necessary.

The nurse collected her things, closed the curtain next to my bed and turned down the light in my room for the night so that I could get some rest, but sleeping for three months straight made me not want to close my eyes ever again. I felt like if I did that I would slip back into it and even though I knew it wasn't likely, I was admittedly a little afraid. So instead, I spent some time trying to rack my brain for answers, coming up blank on anything but that single thought over and over again for what felt like hours, but when I looked at the clock only thirty minutes had passed and I was just as clueless as I was before using up whatever brain power I had left.

I couldn't even remember why there was an explosion. I just remember the splintering of trees around me and Kakashi-Sensei telling me to run, but what was I running from? Were we on a mission? I could at least get those answers from him whenever I saw him next.

My next thought was interrupted by the sound of my door opening. I felt like I should pretend to be asleep just in case it was more poking and prodding attempting to be done by doctors now that I was up. I closed my eyes and got comfortable before the curtain could be moved to let in the person on the other side of it.

I expected them to walk away and leave me be but instead the sound of a chair moving against the floor and next to the bed echoed in the small space. A hand grabbed mine gently and I felt the warmth of the persons skin on mine as they rested their other hand on top of it. I didn't recognize the feeling, but it felt familiar and comforting and I almost started to fall asleep just from the feeling of sudden peace, until they spoke...

"I can stay longer this time, I managed to sneak past the nurses without detection...or maybe they're sick of fighting with me and still letting me in anyway. Either way, I promised I would be here every night and look at me being on time consistently for once".

I felt like I stopped breathing. The way my heart was beating I swore he could have heard it. Why? Why was Kakashi sitting here holding my hand? He came here every night? I wanted to open my eyes but I didn't want to ruin his moment...and I was a bit curious to hear more from him.

"I hope you wake up soon, Sakura." He squeezed my hand. "I wish I could have protected you better. I failed at protecting so many people in my life. I've lost so many...I don't want to lose you too".

I could hear the pain in his voice. I know Kakashi had lost a lot of people, I don't know the extent of it and I might never understand the weight of his loss, but him saying that as if losing me would equal the same pain made my heart heavy. I wanted to say something and console him, nothing would make it better but knowing I was okay seemed important but before I could open my eyes I heard it again...the words that haunted the back of my mind.

"I've got you in every time period, Sakura. I promise to always be here to protect you".

Kakashi's voice. Deeper than the one in my head, but the words were the same. I couldn't do anything to stop myself from opening my eyes and meeting his, which widened as he tried to process what was happening.

"What happened to me, Kakashi..."