Chapter Forty Six

Men and women of all sizes poured into the leaf village from a hole blown in on the east side of the gate. The intruders were all dressed the same head to toe in the same pants, shirt, mask, and cape that covered their faces. Their choices of weapons all varied on their personal preference; they didn't miss a beat once their feet touched the ground, they took off sprinting into the village. The reapers began attacking the people, it didn't matter their age or gender the reapers had their orders and it was to bring the village hidden in the leaf's to their knees.

The black ops and group of shinobi who were specially trained inside the waterfall village's training grounds responded well to the invasion at first. They were able to keep the flood of intruders within the first few blocks, but Malachite had planned on this. He used his own men as a trojan horse, they were just a diversion. Malachite knew due to Commander Haruno and her training the leaf village was much stronger and couldn't be taken down so easily, he knew sending in simple shinobi would not do the job.

Naruto and the rest of team seven were running towards the fire when another explosion sounded in the north, Naruto could see a smoke outline rising into the darkened sky. He turned to his teammate, Sasuke who looked just as confused.

"What was that?" Raiden wondered out loud what everyone was thinking.

"Whatever it was-" Carver turned in the direction of north. "-it isn't good."

"It never is." Raiden sighed as his new team ran north knowing most of their already scarce forces were at the east side keeping the reapers at bay. Carver turned, seeing multiple shinobi jump around them one caught his eye due to his silver locks.

"Where is Sakura?!" Carver called out to Kakashi, the masked man turned to team seven,

"She isn't joining this fight." Kakashi answered thinking back to how he left her safely in his bed.

"What?" Raiden laughed. "Have you met her?"

"So, she is someplace else in the village then." Carver muttered to himself.

"Where is Itachi?" Iruka asked beside Kakashi. "I know he isn't officially a leaf shinobi yet, but we could really use his help."

"He is helping." Sasuke said, "He is with Naruto's parents getting the villagers down into the tunnels."

"Oh good." Iruka sighed.

"But that's not." Carver gasped quickly halting to a stop, Raiden ran into Carver's back. He peeked over his shoulder to see what was going on.

"Oh, come on!" Raiden whined.

"What the hell are those?" Kakashi asked, there was a cluster of those same creatures that had once tried to bring down the leaf along with other villages, but Sakura, Carver and Raiden stopped them. Naruto stared at their human like form, their thick mismatch skin pigment. Sasuke cursed looking at the creature's arms that almost appeared as if someone had sharpened their very bones into deadly blades.

"Not these things again!" Raiden whined to anyone who would listen. Kakashi glanced over at team seven, where had these things come from?

"What do they want?" Kakashi pressed for answers.

"Well they're not here for warm hugs." Carver took a step back seeing the wandering creatures had spotted him and his team.

"Run!" Naruto yelled as the creatures roared to life, saliva dripped down their razor teeth as they jerked their way towards the leaf shinobi.

"If you run then you will lead them right into the heart of the fucking village!" Dawn shouted jumping to Carver's side.

"Oh, you guys are still here?" Raiden said seeing Diem.

"Carver-" Dawn turned to him, "-get everyone and get to the east side and stop the Reapers from getting in."

"What-"

"Diem and I can handle these things."

"Are you insane!?" Iruka yelled. "You two cannot-"

"We are Sakura's Commanders-" Diem smirked, "-give us a little more credit than that."

"Where is Sakura?" Carver quickly inquired, Kakashi snapped his head around.

"She is going after Malachite." Dawn breathed. "That is why I need you all to get to the east side of the village and back her up."

"But-"

"Go!" Dawn snapped.

"Fuck!" Carver cursed turning on his heel, Kakashi was already feet in front of the moving group as his chest burned with rage. He had told her to stay inside his apartment, there he knew she would have been safe!

"Ahh!"

Team seven skidded to a stop as TenTen and Hinata flown past them.

"Hinata!" Naruto turned running after his girlfriend. "Hey, are you ok?" Naruto softly picked her up.

"Yeah." Hinata breathed.

"I'm fine too!" TenTen picked herself of the dusty road. "Don't worry about me!"

"S-Sorry." Naruto awkwardly laughed.

"What the hell happened to you?" Carver asked not seeing any reapers running after them.

"I might have used a little much gunpowder in an explosion..." TenTen smiled.

"You almost blew up my girlfriend!?" Naruto shouted.

"This isn't the time!" TenTen rolled her eyes. "Where are you guys headed?"

"Here." Carver answered. "Why?"

"Because we have been trying to make our way south of the village." Hinata said.

"What?" Sasuke shook his head. "What for?"

"That is where Sakura and the leader of the Reapers are." Hinata said,

"Son of a bitch." Carver realized. "This whole thing was a decoy."

"Yeah." TenTen rubbed the shoulder she had fallen on. "We figured that out when the Reapers began to turn and run."

"Fuck my life!" Raiden yelled into the air feeling hot. "We just fought our way here and it wasn't even the right fucking place!"

"Let me take a wild guess." Kakashi turned his head. "They are inside the arena?"

"That is what we think." TenTen nodded.

"What are we waiting for!?" Naruto said, "We have to go and back up Sakura!"

"Yeah." Raiden agreed looking over his shoulder, "We don't know how long Dawn and Diem can hold off those things."

----

Carver, Raiden, Kakashi and the others following jumped over the arena's wall landing gracefully on the top. Kakashi took in a breath inside his lungs as he began searching out her hair.

"Guy?" Kakashi tilted his head seeing a few shinobi standing on the roof of the stadium.

"Kakashi!" Guy turned, a massive smile blooming over his child like face. "Your still alright!"

"Of course-" Kakashi turned to Iruka and team seven, recalling the fact he died the last time the reapers invaded their home. "-is that why you have been glued to me?"

"What?" Iruka laughed as he felt himself begin to sweat under Kakashi's gaze.

"No!" Naruto brushed with a wave of his hand. "There is strength in numbers! You taught me that!"

"Uh-Huh." Kakashi said.

"What are you all doing up here?" Carver wondered seeing other sensei such as Asuma and Kurenai.

"We just got here." Kurenai said,

"This is what we stumbled upon." Asuma gestured with his head towards the main floor of the arena were the main battle was taking place. Carver peeked his head over, his heart rolled inside his chest and his knee gave out.

"Carver!?" Naruto rushed to his side. "What?!"

"No..." Raiden breathed gazing down onto the field.

The two sides had separated like oil and water and now were facing each other with a line of strangers placed in between them.

"What?" Sasuke questioned not understanding, he turned back to the ground floor. All he saw was leaf shinobi, Tsunade, Sakura facing a group of masked reapers, Malachite and a line of people who were not masked he did not know.

"It can't be..." Raiden breathed as his stomach rolled over feeling sickened, like he had just downed one to many vodka shots.

"What-!" Kakashi reached out but missed Raiden as he jumped down, Carver quickly followed with Kakashi on his tracks. Sakura felt her ex-soldiers running up behind her, she held her arm out stopping them from running any further.

"Sakura-" Raiden quickly whispered; excitement coursed through his veins.

"No." Sakura's voice was brassy as she refused to pull her eyes off Malachite. Kakashi moved past Caver and Raiden, placing himself in between Sakura and Tsunade. Feeling her beside him Kakashi felt himself slightly relax. Kakashi's eyes locked onto her, he was not pleased she was outside of his bed right now. He was already piecing together the lecture he was going to give her when this was all over.

"Kakashi Hatake." Malachite grinned taking in the mask man, Kakashi turned to the blond he couldn't recall who this person was or how he knew him. "The one that got away."

"That is the leader of the Reapers." Sakura informed Kakashi, "Also known as the man who resurrected you and used you as a personal chew toy."

"I see." Kakashi nodded looking at person Sakura has been hunting down for so long.

"You were one of my favorites." Malachite directed in Kakashi's direction. "One of my most popular collections too. You never lost."

"Never lost?" Naruto wondered.

"That's right!" Malachite chuckled to himself. "You may not remember your special time while under my control."

"Remember what?" Kakashi questioned.

"Well you see, every year we hold a tournament, kind of like a game of ours to see which toy is the strongest-"

"Toy?" Naruto shook his head, what was this guy talking about?

"Yes." Malachite's sly smiled caused Naruto to look towards Kakashi, making him understood what these 'toys' were. "The great copy ninja never lost a battle."

"You held fights between the people you captured and forced to be under your control?!" Tsunade spat with a quick shake of her head.

"Of course." Malachite smiled, "How else would you spend a Thursday night?"

"Sakura-" Carver ignored the leader of the reapers and Tsunade, "-are they...?" He cut himself off, unable to finish building his own sentence.

"Yeah." Sakura breathed looking at the line of six people facing her and the leaf shinobi behind her. "They are alive."

"But-"

"Who are they?" Iruka wondered with a deep worried frown on his face.

"They kind of look like..." Naruto trailed off as he tilted his head trying to remember his messy memories.

"That's because they are." Raiden looked over at Naruto.

"Who are they!?" Sasuke snapped feeling extremely agitated from being out of the loop.

"You're looking at the members of the Nine." Carver's deep voice held dread and a little joy.

"The Nine?" Tsunade breathed turning her head to gaze at Carver. "As in your team that all died?" Tsunade asked Sakura who nodded as a response.

"Looks like they weren't dead after all." Sakura glared into Malachite's tainted brown eyes. All these years, all the times Carver, Raiden and herself went to the Nines burial site to mourn their death, their fallen tears fell onto empty grave plots. The reapers removed their bodies without Sakura, Carver or Raiden ever noticing.

How long has Malachite had them in his corrupt grasp?

How many 'tournaments' had they been forced to participate in?

"No..." Carver breathed as his eyes widened.

"What?" Naruto shook his head, "What is the matter?" Naruto thought for sure this was a good thing, their friends were somewhat alive. All they needed to do now was take down Malachite and free their friends from his mind control. The cold look on Carver's face made Naruto and the surrounding shinobi unsettled.

"What-" Kakashi went to question until another explosion erupted in the west.

"This is a trap." Carver breathed pulling his eyes onto the back of Sakura's head.

"What?" Tsuande quizzed.

"This is the Iron Village." Raiden realized; tears found their way to his eyes as he pulled his attention onto Sakura who moved to strike. Her domes blossomed from the earth, but only was able to wrap around two of the returned members of the Nine, the others moved to attack her by Malachites demand.

"Sakura-!" Kakashi dashed forward to back her.

"Kakashi!" Carver turned hearing roars of creatures pouring into the leaf village from the unguarded side of the village.

"Carver-" Naruto yelled over his shoulder as he was running towards the fight, the two sides coming together spilling blood, soaking the dry dirt due to the hot sunny days.

"This is a trap!" Carver yelled, he needed to get to Sakura's side.

"What are you saying!?" Tsunade shouted, punching a masked woman in the face.

"This assault is planned out like the Iron Village!" Carver informed.

"What does that-?" Tsunade shook her head not caring about a village that no longer stood, this wasn't the time to reminisce!

"Tsunade, the Iron Village was a plan designed to bringing Sakura down. Think about it, the Reapers coming in from the west side of the village and then out of nowhere more of their creatures are sent in halfway across the village!?"

"Then he appears." Tsunade muttered, "He finds Sakura and reveals your team-"

"Now he has sent in more of those things, they will be here soon, and they will-"

"Take down everyone here, giving Malachite the advantage, he needs to kill her." Tsunade breathed understanding Carver's cold washed appearance. "Get to Sakura!" Tsuande ordered, "I will pull shinobi to respond to the break in the gates!"

"On it!" Carver flipped; his eyes grazed over the two domes. Two people with glowing trapped red eyes pounding on the dome's walls demanding to be let out. Carver's heart clinches seeing a woman, a little younger than he glares off in the direction he knew Sakura to be. Her long purple hair still held the braids Sakura placed in them the day Carver, Raiden and Sakura buried her. The second woman cracked the side of the dome, Carver paused for only a second to see if she was going to have the strength to break through.

"Calm down Octavia." Carver muttered at the silver haired woman who spat into the distance. Carver's heart fluttered seeing her distant face, she was how he remembered her. Her mature yet petite face with pale full lips with matching pale skin, he would run his fingers over her soft back for hours just getting lost in the feel of her body lying on his. Her side bangs covered her right eye as it flowed down past her shoulders. She wore her black tank top with a red jacket, she never looked so good.

"Hey!" Raiden yelled ducking the swing of a sharp blade. "That is rude!" He commented backing away from one of the returned members from his team. She had long but choppy maroon hair. "Piper!" Raiden grabbed Naruto's arm pulling him out of Piper's reach.

"Who the hell are these people!?" Naruto breathed, sweat coated his skin as he gasped out of breath, sweat coat coated his skin.

"Well-" Raiden said, jumping out of another members path of destruction. "-they are our team so did you think this was going to be easy?" Raiden laughed.

"Not really." Naruto sighed.

"Where is Sakura?!" Carver said, jumping behind Piper quickly pinning her arm behind her back as he placed a chakra seal on her, making her useless inside a fight.

"I don't know." Raiden breathed locking eyes with dirty blond. "Finn, now I know your probably still mad at me for sleeping with-" Raiden jumped from Finn's tunnel of flames.

"They can't hear you." Carver reminded, "They don't know who you are, they don't remember who they even are so talking to them is pointless."

"I can still try."

"Where is Sakura?" Carver pressed.

"I don't know." Raiden repeated, "But I know Kakashi is with her."

"Are you sure?" Carver asked, feeling a little better knowing he was beside her.

"Yes." Raiden said. "She and him went to deal with fucking Malachite and his butt buddy. That is why Naruto and I are holding off the Nine from getting to her."

"How many more of them are there!?" Naruto called trying to catch his breath as he watched two more people walking towards them.

"Three are down." Carver answered.

"Great!" Naruto groaned, "Just three more to go and we can go back up Sakura!"

"What about those things-?"

"The black ops are holding them back." Carver answered, "Tsunade was also able to pull Minato, Kushina as well as Itachi to respond to the creatures coming into the village while we stay here and deal with this area."

"My parents are the ones dealing with those things?" Naruto turned, his gut tied itself in a knot at the thought of his parents facing blood hungry creatures designed to be endless killed machines.

Naruto just got them back...

"Don't worry." Raiden smiled, "If anyone can take on those things and live to talk about it, it's your folks they are about as strong as you are."

"Yeah." Carver agreed. "I wouldn't worry too much about them, Itachi is also there backing them up."

"Where is Tsunade then?" Sasuke wondered.

"Don't know." Carver sighed, "I haven't seen Tsunade in a bit, I have been taking down Reapers in order to get to you guys."

"Awesome." Sasuke sighed looking around his village feeling like this invasion would have no end.

Kakashi and Sakura stood back to back as reapers surrounded them, Sakura's eyes were locked through the crowd onto Malachite who was so close. He was not leaving the leaf village alive again, today was the day the reapers were going to come to an end.

"Sakura?" Kakashi called, feeling her behind him but wanted to hear her voice.

"I'm here." She updated him; she knew he wasn't happy she moved from the safety of his apartment but what could he expect from her? Did he think she would willingly sit by while the virus of a person was finally within her reach?

Sakura ducked the swing of a silver blade, Kakashi turned instantly concerned feeling her move behind him. Gripping his standard issue kunai tight he flung it into the reapers neck. Sakura stood, quickly taking in the dead man in front of her and then turning back to confront Kakashi.

"Not fair." Sakura almost held a pout on her face, causing Kakashi's heart to swell with admiration. He felt the urge to buckle under her enchanting gaze and fetch her anything she could ever want and deliver it to her on a silver platter.

"Wh-What?" Kakashi found himself laughing in the middle of a bloodied battle ground.

"That one was mine."

"Be faster next time." Kakashi smiled under his mask, seeing Sakura's competitive side leaking out.

"Stay on your side of the fucking fight!" Sakura snapped with a smirk on her lips as she turned her attention on the masked shinobi closing in around them. She took three, four, five reapers down without blinking. If she could feel Kakashi behind her, this would be like a sunny walk in the park. Sakura smirked, turning her head and pulling a kunai from the pouch on her leg.

Kakashi's lighting blade echoed around him, blue light glowing in the night as he struck down the oncoming men and women. From the corner of his eye, a silver spinning kunai reflected the light off his jutsu. It flew into the head of the nearby reaper before him, Kakashi sighed as the woman dropped dead.

"Really?" Kakashi questioned.

"What?" Sakura wondered innocently.

"You really needed to get even?"

"Even?" Sakura furrowed her brows looking confused as a playful smirk baked across her lips. Kakashi shook his head turning back to his side of the fight ignoring the fact, but only for a moment that Sakura was in the lead for most kills.

----

"Granny!" Naruto shouted a warning, seeing Malachite running her direction while her back faced him. Naruto pushed himself forward, his feet brushing the ground as he dashed towards his hokage.

The putrid smell of chalky burnt bone choked Naruto making him gasp for air as he pulled his arms around Tsunade, gripping her into a hug as he directed himself between Tsunade and Malachite, all the while Sakura watched from the corner of her eye.

Naruto tightly squeezed his eyes, he waited for pain to enter his body as he smelt the soft fragrance of Tsunade's honey shampoo and felt the warmth her body brought him.

The wet sound of a blade running into a living body echoed inside Naruto's ears. Tsunade turned her head hearing the similar sound but felt no pain.

"Naruto!" Tsunade gasped seeing the bright blond hair, but Naruto's head was turning with a confused expression blooming across his handsome face. He felt no pain, or was it the adrenaline from the battle that blocked out the pain receptors?

"Sa..." Naruto gasped; his stomach dropping as if he was sitting on a roller coaster, vomit threatened to roll up his esophagus. Naruto blinked a few times praying the pink hair before him would vanish from sight.

Sakura stood facing Naruto with wide eyes; her lips parted as Malachite's blade shoved through her lower abdomen. Her chakra naturally flowed to the injury, but she already knew it would fail at healing herself, she had Malachite's poison flowing through her blood stream.

Tsunade's mouth hung open as the battling world around them faded from sight, all Tsunade or Naruto would do was watch as her sweet red blood dripped through her parted lips, down her chin and onto her neck.

"Sakura..." Tsunade found her voice breathed out, she went to move forward but Sakura's smile refroze Tsunade.

"It's going to be ok." Sakura's voice was fragile, almost getting wrapped up inside the sounds of the nearby fighting but Naruto and Tsuande were able to catch them.

"What do you-" Naruto frowned not understanding, he didn't get another moment to think about her words. Sakura flipped around; the blade that penetrated her body sliced through the right side of her torso tearing it wide open.

Horror filling their eyes they watched Sakura turn around and plummet her blade into Malachite's chest, she shattered the orb controlling the returned members of the Nine, as well as slicing the side of his beating heart.

"Re-Reaper." Malachite gasped, staring into Commander Haruno's blaring eyes. "W-Was it wo-worth it?" He knew Sakura couldn't be healed by chakra, her injury to her body would most likely be fatal if not treated right away.

Sakura responded by pulling a kunai from the pouch on her leg, she slammed it into the side of Malachite's head as a spring smile blossomed across her face all her mind could think about in this moment was, rule number one for the zombie apocalypse: double tap.

"Brother!" Naruto turned hearing a familiar voice shout out, a tall man with long brown hair tied back came running towards them. Naruto knew this man to be Malachite's brother and second in command of the reapers. What was his name again?

Naruto couldn't recall it, since at the time of meeting this man, a chakra sucking seal was placed on him and Sakura almost killing them both.

Tsunade watched as Malachite's lifeless body fell backwards off the roof, his sword removed from Sakura she fell to her knees. Naruto quickly got in front of her, blocking her from the new leader of the reapers.

"No!" The brother screamed seeing his brother's body, "Reaper, I will-"

"No, you won't!" Naruto said getting in the way. "I have a bone to pick with you!" Naruto smiled, knowing Tsunade needed to get Sakura to the hospital and treat her wounds.

"Who are you?" Tsunade breathed,

"I am Jadeite, Commander of the Reapers." The man spat out, pulling a twisted blade into sight. "Move out of the way of the Reaper and you might just live to see tomorrow!"

"Go to hell!" Tsunade spat moving to Naruto's side.

"It's your funeral." Jadeite shrugged, with a wave of his hand creatures crawled onto the building, shattering glass as they used them for steps.

"What-?" Tsunade breathed watching them spill around them.

"Any ideas Granny?" Naruto whispered watching as they became surrounded.

"Nothing that would get Sakura to the hospital in the time she needs." Tsunade muttered back.

"Well..." Naruto breathed glancing back at Sakura who held her gushing side, this was the second time she has thrown herself in front of a sword in protect him. "...we need to make time."

"It isn't that simple!" Tsunade snapped.

"In honor of my fallen brother-" Jadeite spoke, catching the leaf hokage and Naruto's attention. "-I am going to crumble this village into the dust!"

Tsunade gasped seeing a large glowing ball hovering over Jadeite's head. It drooled lighting out its sides.

"What the hell is that!?" Naruto yelled out.

"Run!" Sakura yelled, pulling herself to her feet. A creature jumped to attack her, but she was able to get out of its reach but a fraction of a hair. Sakura pushed Naruto and Tsunade off the building as Jadeite through the massive fireball that would incinerate the building and anything standing on it. Naruto and Tsunade jumped off the building as Sakura found herself falling.

The sky lit up against the flames, Kakashi turned his attention in its direction feeling the heat rationing off in his direction. The returned members of the Nine he was keeping at bay had all collapsed, due to being freed from Malachite's control.

"What was that?" Carver wondered, looking away from his unconscious teammates face and towards the glowing sky. Kakashi ignored him seeing a blur of pink falling to the earth, his body turned moving on its own free will. "Where are you going?!" Carver called out.

"Cover the breaches inside the gate." Kakashi said as he ran towards the flames.

"Fine!" Raiden huffed, "Do you want me to get you some iced tea while I'm at it?!"

Kakashi ran through the village, jumping over crumbled buildings and bodies that were beginning their decaying process. Kakashi paused for a moment, his eyes scanned over Malachite's body which laid unmoving inside the shadows of two broken building.

Kakashi grinned, seeing the silver kunai still lodged on the right side of his skull. Kakashi pulled his eyes away, running around the back of the building he saw her laying in the chard grass as the building before them burnt in the night air.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called out to her, "You took down Mal-" He tilted his head moving closer to her, she laid unmoving. Kakashi's mind races with answers as to why she would be lying here, had she used to much chakra during this battle? Had she finally hit her wall and needed to sleep for the next three days?

He wouldn't mind laying with her in his large bed for three straight days, in his mind he was already putting together meal plans that he could make her, and picking out movies to binge watch.

Sakura's eyes slowly moved hearing the crunch of footsteps coming towards her. Who had come to finish the job? Was she going to see the face of the person who was finally able to claim her life as their career defining trophy? Sakura felt her heart clinch seeing Kakashi's masked face. No, she didn't want him here.

Sakura had enough medical training to know what her next step was, she didn't want him to be the one to discover her body. She knew the pain of holding the person you love as they take their last breath and the toll of feeling their heart stopping it's beat of life, she didn't want her lifeless eyes to be scared inside his mind like his was for her.

"Ka-Kaka-" Her voice gargled with warm blood that pooled into her mouth.

"Sakura?" Kakashi breathed, he felt the color drain from his face as his eyes landed on the massive wet injury on her torso. "What-" He breathed with a shake of his head he quickly moved to kneel beside her until a sharp pain echoed across his skull stopping him inside his tracks.

Tear's pressed against Sakura's eyes for she could not move to help him.

(Song Choice -- John Cale - Hallelujah)

Kakashi opened his eyes, feeling the drywall inside his head begin to crumble and crack under the sight of Sakura laying in the grass dying. Black dots filled his sight as he struggled to take in breaths. In a hot white flash, everything came flooding back wetting his fingers that had been out reached for months.

Kakashi gasped in deep breaths as the day he kissed her inside the dark forest while her chakra was blocked off quickly snuggled itself into his long term memory, he remembered falling so deeply in love with her. Kakashi looked up towards Sakura, he felt his heart swell with emotion. He understood now why he was so ready to leave the leaf village to be with this woman.

Kakashi dropped to her side as his hands reached out, pressing down painful pressure against her side in an attempt to stop her bleeding, Sakura cried out from the pain.

"I'm sorry." Kakashi breathed, blinking back the tears he felt behind his eyes. He recalled the moment he looked at Sakura and he knew she was the woman he wanted to marry; he fully believed she was his soulmate. "Sakura-" He pulled his eyes to her face, her skin looked almost gray has she stared up into the dark sky. "-hey!" He yelled, pulling her dulled eyes onto him. "Sakura, you're going to be fine." Kakashi said, his shoulders and arms felt like jelly, it didn't matter how hard he pressed against her soft flesh, Sakura's blood slipped between his gloved fingers rushing to sweet freedom.

"Kakashi..." Sakura gasped out, "...stop."

"No." Kakashi shook his head, looking into her eyes. "I remember."

"Re-Remember?"

"You." Kakashi smiled under his mask. "I remember everything." Sakura frowned hearing this, she didn't want him to remember their time together. "I remember first seeing you inside Tsunade's office, I can remember our missions together. I remember our Christmas-"

"Ka-"

"I remember picking out that ring for you." Kakashi said, "I wanted to take you out to dinner, have you to myself for a whole day and I planned to watch the sunset with you, then I was going to get down on one knee and ask you to marry me."

"I love you." Sakura gasped out through the pain racking her body.

"I love you too." Kakashi smiled, "That's why you have to be strong just a little longer, until I can get you to-"

"No..."

"Sakura-"

"Kakashi-"

"You're going to be fine."

"I am not." Sakura smiled, "But you are."

"No." Kakashi shook his head, pressing harder against her body trying to keep as much blood inside her as possible. Sakura bit down on her jaw, for a moment she thought her teeth might crack from the amount of force she was placing on them.

"Stop!" Sakura cried out, "Please!"

"I can't, you'll bleed out if I-" Kakashi's voice froze into his throat reading Sakura's face. Kakashi was a smart man, he may be one of the smartest people inside the leaf village but in this moment his brain refused the reality before him.

Using all her remaining strength she was able to shift through the pain that was engulfing everything she was and lift her arm. Kakashi watched as she pulled the chain from under her shirt. Sakura could feel her body was done; it wasn't coming back from the damage dealt this time. She held no more fight left inside her; she wasn't afraid to die, she was just sorry she was leaving him behind.

"Ka-Kashi, will you-"

"No." Kakashi cut her off, removing one of his blood-soaked glove, he wrapped it around Sakura's hand which held her engagement ring Kakashi gave to her before his death. "We are not doing this. You're going to make it; I am getting you to the hospital."

"Kakashi, I am not-"

"You are." Kakashi said removing his hands from her wound and reached under in order to pick her up.

"If you move me, I will bleed out in seconds." Sakura said looking into his panicked eyes.

"I-"

"I love you Kashi." Sakura repeated as tears filled her eyes.

"No." Kakashi shook his head wrapping his arms around her shoulders and leaned over pulling himself closer to her. Kakashi blinked back the tears but they spilt over as he pulled his mask down. Sakura quickly scanned over his exposed face, "You were supposed to be my wife." He breathed moving to hug her once more, burying his face into her neck.

"Thank you-" Sakura smiled, "-for being in my life, you are my best memories."

"Sakura." Kakashi caught his voice before it could squeeze out inside a cry.

"I'm the one who is blessed." Kakashi cupped the side of her face, he used his thumb to wipe the tear that slid down her cheek. "I am sorry I wasn't around for more of it." Its broke Sakura's heart to see pain scribbled across his face in this scattered manner. Kakashi leaned forward, placing his lips against hers. Kissing her didn't feel normal, her lips feel chapped and not buttery soft like usual. Her lips weren't warm like they were a few hours ago inside his apartment, and the taste was an overwhelming metal iron. Kakashi didn't care though, he kissed her like it was the first time he ever kissed her.

Kakashi sniffed pulling away only to wrap her inside a tight embrace, his cheek pressed against the side of her head. After a moment he looked down at her open eyes.

"Sakura?" He breathed, brushing the side of her face with his cold fingers, leaving an imprint of her blood on her cheek. Her eyes didn't move at the sensation of his touch against her face or the sound of his deep voice. "Sakura?" Kakashi repeated, sitting up looking over her body.

Kakashi studied Sakura until his stomach turned sour and vomit demanded an invitation to be let out into the open. Kakashi shoved his face into her pink hair, "No!" His body quaked with the ragged cries that ripped apart his chest. He pulled her tighter against his body, as if he would protect her and keep away death itself.

"No-No-No!" He cried pulling her off the ground and into his lap. "No!" He cried into the night lit by burning flames; his eyes filled with hot tears as he went completely still and silently waited with his ear pressed against her chest. "NO!" He cried after a minute; Sakura held no heartbeat. "Please." He begged towards the sky as tears fell down his face. "Don't take her too, please no...I can't...I'm not strong enough."