So...this is the first time ever I wrote fanfic. SO please be kind. I proof read it but there may be several mistakes since english is not my native lnguage.

I recommend listening to 'Angel With A Shotgun' from the Cab before you start reading since the song is the sole reason for this story.

Then enjoy and please leave some review and critique if you want:)

„They say before you start a war

You better know what you're fighting for.

If love is what you need

A soldier I will be."

- The Cab, Angel with a Shotgun

There she was, layingng unconscious at his feet. Gently he cupped her face and softly stroked her wet cheek. His heart broke at the tragic sight.

Back when she was a little Genin he had saved her the first time when his other two students went at each other with the intent to kill. He didn't mean to intervene so he could teach them a lesson. Tsunade would have been able to reduce the damage and heal them up. But suddenly she had started moving and time itself stood still. He saw how Sasuke and Narutos eyes widened in shock and he knew they wouldn't have been able to stop. So he had acted on instinct and jumped in between at the last second. He threw the two boys each into a water tank, then he turned to his pink haired, crying student and assured her that everything would be fine.

Later he would tell himself that he had reassured her because she reminded him of Rin. Of course she reminded him of Rin in some ways but that was not why he had given her his famous eye crinkle. No, he just couldn't stand to see her cry.

And then Sasuke had left town and he had watched how Sakura broke for the first time. The second time was when Naruto had left her too.

He knew he wasn't the best Sensei to her. She had reminded him too much of Rin and how he had not only failed her but Obito too. He was not proud of himself but he couldn't handle being near her too much, so he had concentrated on Sasuke and Naruto instead. Of course that was no excuse. He had seen how her self esteem sunk lower and lower with each mission. At the same time he saw the strength of her heart and how willing she was to go to her limits for the ones she cared for.

When she asked Tsunade to take her in he had been worried but he also believed in her and her strength, so he stepped back and let her grow without him holding her back. There were times when he wanted to approach her. Sometimes he would see her in training ground three all beaten up and bloody and crying. But he knew she had to do this on her own even if he wanted nothing more than to protect her. So he watched from a distance how she broke every day a little more and how she put the pieces together at the end of every day. Without him noticing he began to adore her and once he noticed he was utterly disgusted with himself.

And then, after three long years she had blossomed in a beautiful strong girl. She was stronger than Naruto or Sasuke could ever be, he was sure of it. She had endured heartbreak for three long years and turned out emotionally stronger and also a littler harder if not even colder. And then Naruto returned and he saw how life crept back in in her beautiful jade green eyes.

The first time he saw her true strength was when Naruto and Sakura had to take the bell test again. It would be an understatement to say that he was surprised. But what surprised him even more was her coldness towards him on their first mission together after all this time. Every time she looked at him he could see all the hurt and betrayal she felt. That was when he knew that he made a mistake in leaving her alone. She had obviously needed him, he realized a little too late. It hurt him that she behaved so cold towards him but he understood. He had given her the feeling that she wasn't good enough for two years and then went to seemingly ignore her for three years more.

He tried not to let that rattle him too much and ignored the building pull he felt towards her. Untill she went after them and told Naruto that she loved him. It had made him unreasonably angry seeing her kissing Naruto. After all she had always loved Sasuke and now to turn so suddenly to Naruto was just weird. At least that was what he told himself. And then they had stumbled upon her comrades who should have been with her and when he realized what she had been planning, dread had flooded him before he sprinted off without looking back.

All he could think about was losing Sakura. In his mind he was taken back to when Rin had ran towards him until his fist had protruded from her body but instead of it being his fist it was Sasukes' through Sakuras body. He cursed and pushed himself to run even faster. And then he saw them, saw how Sakura stood behind Sasuke and shivered. He was shocked that first: she had been able to sneak up on the Uchiha and second: that she really was going to kill him. Then he noticed her hesitance, cursed silently and moved even before Sasuke moved a muscle.

He had been so angry that his own student tried to kill his comrade with a jutsu he had taught him. They fought for a while but when he was exhausted because of his Mangekyou and he saw Sakura attempting to kill him again he could do nothing than watch as he tried to reach her in time. He felt utterly panicked and not just because she was his student but because he couldn't stand the thought to lose her and never being able to see her again. And when Naruto saved her he felt relieved and so damn grateful. At the same time he felt unspeakably shocked as he realized the nature of his feelings. He could not believe that he was slowly falling for her, he was fourteen years her senior, damnit!

But he had no time so sort out his feelings or approach Sakura and ask her about hers. Because the war started and he had to think about all the lives he was responsible for. Then suddenly everything went wrong and Obito was back, everyone was lost in this Genjutsu, Sasuke was back and fought with them.

He had never been more proud of them when they fought once more together and he saw how far they had come in all this time. But after they had defeated Kaguya Sasuke and Naruto hadn't had enough and wanted to end it for once and for all. Of course Sakura couldn't let them so Sasuke took her out.

He stared down at her face and cringed at the pain he could see even though she was unconscious. That was when he knew he was a goner. Anger filled him and he lifted his eyes to Sasukes dead ones. In this moment he decided he would do anything to win Sakuras heart and make her the happiest she could be.

„They say before you start a war

You better know what you're fighting for.

If love is what you need

A soldier I will be."

- The Cab, Angel with a Shotgun

So I went and edited this one. I read over it again and damn there were still a few mistakes, whoopsie:D