Tittle: Broken Promises

Pairing: Kaka\Iru slight NaruSaku, if you want

Summary: "I promise to be careful" "Promises break. Swear it to me."

Warning: shonen-ai. Character death, but not who you think!!

"Hatake, are you alright?" Tsunade asked silently. The jounin nodded slowly. "If you need any help, we are here--"

"I'm fine." Kakashi muttered sternly. Tsunade shook her head in both anger and pity. Of course, the 'heartless' and 'cold' copy-nin would never admit that he needed help, let alone was depressed.

...

The room was dark and gloomy. The air was stiff with tears and secrets. Why was he here? Had he done something wrong during, say, a mission? Kakashi took a seat by Naruto and Sakura. They looked just as freaked out as Kakashi felt. This is not good.

"I am glad you could come. I have some very stressful and bleak news for the three of you." Silence. The three braced themselves for the worst.

And they got it.

"Umino Iruka", Tsunade started,"was k...killed during his mission. As it turns out, the mission got ranked higher as he and his team investigated. He-He put his life before his team, and because of him, his team, and an entire village lives."

Silence. Naruto let out a deep sigh, and began to sob. Sakura held onto the young man and cried silently. Kakashi stayed frozen in place.

"Ir-rukah sensei d-d-died?" Naruto asked, hoping, praying he had heard wrong. Tsunade sighed and nodded.

"I'm afraid so."

...

The duo had left with the promise that Iruka had not died in vain. The only one who stayed behind was...

"Kakashi!"Tsunade shouted, standing up. What was the use? She knew that Kakashi wasn't going to listen. "Poor brat."

Kakashi stood in the pouring rain, glaring at that wretched stone. He knew some of the names on this stone, but his eyes read over the same one, over and over.

Umino Iruka

"No...No...No!!" Kakashi shouted, collapsing onto the floor and onto his knees. "You..." Kakashi closed his eyes as memories of his love flooded his mind.

"You shouldn't cry for those who died." Iruka said, placing a gently hand on Kakashi's shoulder and squeezing it comfortingly. "They wouldn't want you to mourn."

Kakashi shut his eyes harder as he saw the figure of his love. It was the first time they had met. Right after Obito died.

"It was my fault you died..."Kakashi whispered to the stone, the name, to the memory."Its my fault."

"When someone dies, they don't want you to remember them by their death, or all of their life is meaningless to you. Remember them by what they do and say."

"I Love you."Kakashi choked out before breaking down and crying. He got up a few minutes later, soaking wet and sullen. He reached around his neck and took off the two tags he was wearing. He gently placed the before the stone and went home, in which he lived with Iruka.

They say that when a person dies, their memory lives on in the hearts of others and the words that they tell us. On that day, not just one man died. If you where to go to the memorial stone, then you would figure out that two men died.

The dog-tags shone brightly in the gray light. The four words etched onto the metal stuck out in the rain.

Umino Iruka

Hatake Kakashi