Author's note: Sorry about the wait, but this is the last chapter! This ended pretty fluffy, but sue me; I'm a fluffy gal. I don't own Naruto, nor do I own this song. It's "Bluebird" by Ikimono Gakari, and you may recognise it as one of the theme tunes from shippuden. Enjoy!

She did wake. She was outside, with the cruel night air whipping her into consciousness. Her hands and legs were caught in rock, and she stood as though crucified. A warm body was at her back, trapped by the stone ninja in the same way she was. Kakashi was alive for now, at least. He was also awake; responding to her gasps and struggles with a typically calm air.

"Won't help," he told her. "The rock leeches chakra, so don't bother trying to punch out either." He sounded so composed, even though he had been screaming at her to run not long ago. As her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see the thugs with their lit torches and bloodthirsty grins. They had already planned to relax that night, so an execution it would be; with drinking and feasting to accompany their torment. After the others had enjoyed the food and sake enough and grown sick of the half-moon night, they would kill their prisoners like some sort of after-dinner show. With a shiver Sakura realised she was still wearing the yukata, and her milky legs were almost frozen numb. She shook with cold, and Kakashi twisted in a vain attempt to see her properly.

"I'm so sorry for this," she whispered.

"Don't be sorry! This isn't your fault," Kakashi reassured her, trying to show her his smile.

"If I hadn't fought them- if I'd thought things through, then we wouldn't be about to die. If I'd just done what he told me, I'd never have broken out in the first place."

"Then I'm glad you didn't do what he said. I'm glad you were able to break out of that genjutsu, even if it means we're gonna die now rather than later. At least you see me for what I am, and not for what that man wanted you to see." Kakashi spoke with such vehemence, Sakura couldn't doubt his words.

"Of course by your refusing I'll never get to hear you sing…" Kakashi added with mock regret.

Sakura actually giggled. "You idiot- why are you so hung up on me singing?"

"Well, why don't you sing if you can? If you do have a gift, why not use it?"

Sakura thought about how to word her answer. "I guess I don't sing for the same reason I didn't punch those guys until the end. Because until they saw my chakra like that, all they saw was a little girl who can heal, but probably can't fight worth a damn."

"You do it to be underestimated?" Kakashi clarified.

"Well, yeah. I know my voice is annoying sometimes," Sakura grimaced with embarrassment as she said this, "but why should I have to prove to everyone else that it can sound nice? It helps make me just as underestimated, so I only sing when I really have to; just like my chakra punches when I'm outnumbered."

Kakashi considered this for a moment before nodding slowly. "Makes sense. But seeing as we're totally going to die anyway, do you think the last I thing I hear could be your voice?" Kakashi was glad his back was to her so he didn't have to look her in the eye.

Sakura blushed; feeling like Hinata did around Naruto. "I don't know what to sing," she said shyly.

"Sing anything you like," Kakashi encouraged, "Whatever will make you feel better."

"You're not allowed to laugh," she warned.

"Trust me; I'm not in a laughing mood."

Sakura took a deep breath, trying to block out the talk around her. They were quieting down, which meant she and Kakashi would soon be dead. So why not sing? It did make her feel better, and it was only Kakashi she was opening up to. She never wanted to be underestimated by him anyway. She'd wanted to prove that she was strong and capable, that she turned out just as good as Naruto and Sasuke. She wanted him to see her for what she was, and she wanted him to be the last person she sang for.

And so she straightened her back as best she could under the circumstances, licked her lips and gave up her last secret.

Team Recovery had been chasing the swift rogues for days, and it finally seemed they were catching up. Shino's bugs didn't stray as far from the group as they did before, and Kiba said their scent and tracks were fresher. Hinata hadn't been able to spot them yet, but the hilly area made it difficult for her. And so they were all still hoping. They were so close; they had to reach them in time. But the closer they got to the others, the closer the others got to the border and freedom. That was why the Konoha ninja pushed forward without pause, sprinting at full speed to retrieve their friends and punish their captors. And they were well and truly snapping at their heels by now. The moon afforded limited visibility for attack, but at least they were all more ready for confrontation than their enemies would be. It would happen as soon as they could get a clear indication of their location…

Kiba and Akamaru would have been at the front of the group had their group not included an impatient Naruto. As it was they came second, scouting out suspicious scents and sounds before they became problems for the rest of them. Their sensitive canine ears were alert for the sound of footsteps, flying kunai and the clash of metal. But the sound that met their ears was none of those, and caught them completely unawares.

"You said if you could fly, you'd never come back down…" The voice was still a little way's away, but it was clear and pure and sort-of familiar to the boy and dog.

"…You only have eyes for that blue, blue sky."

Kiba held up his hand for the others to quiet. "I can hear singing up ahead. It might be them."

"Singing?" Shizune and the others were puzzled, but still sped up. They must be close.

"You've yet to learn what sadness is, and are now just grasping what pain is like. Even the feelings I have for you must be expressed in words…"

"I can hear it!" Ino cried from further back in the group. "That's definitely Sakura!"

"Well I guess she really can sing then," Kiba decided as the others strained their ears to hear the notes that echoed around the mountainous forest.

"They're okay, they're okay…" Naruto was chanting the words under his breath like a mantra. Though usually the most laid-back (apart from Shikamaru), it was clear the danger to his teammates was having an intense effect. Hinata was close and observant enough to notice this, and gave him a brief smile and even briefer pat on the shoulder as they both sprang from the same branch.

"They are okay, Naruto," Hinata assured him, ignoring her bright red cheeks. "I can see it."

"As you awake from a dream into an unknown world, spread your wings and take flight!"

Sakura found it did help to sing. It quickly drew the attention of the brutish shinobi around her, but she got over any nervousness about that after awhile. She had accepted that when her song ended, so would their lives. But she continued to sing at the same tempo, leaning her head back against Kakashi's and staring up at the starry heavens.

"You said if you could fly, you'd never come back down. You only have eyes for that blue, blue sky. You know if you can just make it through, you'll find what you seek. So keep trying to break free, to that blue, blue sky…"

Kakashi's shifted his head to place it beside hers.

"To that blue, blue sky…"

She could feel the soft fabric of his mask against her forehead.

"To that blue, blue sky…"

Her last note faded and died on the cool autumn wind, and for a moment nobody moved. Then the others began to shake themselves from their reverie, moving forward once more. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut and tried to bury her face in Kakashi's flossy hair. God, she hoped they killed her first. She knew it was a morbid thought, but she didn't think she could bear seeing Kakashi, her Kakashi, killed beside her. And he had become her Kakashi. During that horrible time she realised she cared for him; wanted to protect him just as much as he protected her. She even-

The touch of cold steel at her neck made her gasp, and she inhaled Kakashi's soft, sweet scent. She could have sighed with relief had she not been terrified at the prospect of dying at eighteen. It would be quick, it would be painless. It would be before him.

"Sayonara, Kakashi-san," she whispered into the Jounin's ear. Her voice was calm and she refused to let the others see a single tear. Crying on her sensei's shoulder was the old Sakura.

Aoi was the one holding the blade to her neck. He was still smiling, but she couldn't see it.

"It seems you were The Cherry Nightingale after all," he mused.

She didn't know what that meant, but she didn't care; and not just because of some genjutsu this time.

The cut lengthened and she bit down on her lip and tried to stop Kakashi struggling before he dislocated his shoulder. "Won't work, remember?" She told him.

"Doesn't mean I'll stop trying," Kakashi shot back, voice rough. Not his Sakura…

The death-stroke never came; Aoi's hand sprang away with a kunai in it. The clearing was raining knives, and then other ninjas. The Leaf-nin struck the bandits with a speed and ferocity that was frankly terrifying. Kakashi gazed at the scene in front of him, unable to believe his eye until the Earth-user fell and his rocky restraints crumbled. Sakura and he dropped to the ground and weakly tried to get circulation back in their limbs. The fight was short and fierce and practically ended before it had begun. Naruto and Kiba the brawlers swept up the stragglers with ease. Sakura almost felt put-out that the others had accomplished the task so easily, when not only had they failed before; but actually gotten captured in the process. But she knew they had not been fighting to save their friends then, and adrenaline and rage was probably doing most of the fighting now. The last ninja fell and it wasn't even Aoi; for all his words and skills, he had died just as easily as his comrades. Only when safety was completely assured did Sakura allow herself to feel all the emotions she had been to block before.

They had come for them after all.

"Oh, Sakura!" Ino dropped to her knees in front of her friend and hugged her tightly. As she did, she poured a little of her strengthening chakra into the girl's back. Sakura returned the embrace, letting tears splash onto Ino's purple shirt as the shoulder of her own robe grew moist with hers.

"I knew you'd come for me," she managed to say as Ino sobbed. Neither of them were acting like the eighteen year-old ninjas they were meant to be out in the field, but some things were just more important sometimes. The two had had their ups and downs together, but it didn't change the fact that Ino was thanking every god she knew that Sakura had been found in time. Kakashi too, of course.

"Sakura!" Naruto cried, elated. As the pair broke apart Sakura felt herself swept off the ground and into a bone-crushing bear hug.

"Naruto," Sakura wheezed, trying to keep her robe in a modest position. She staggered when he put her down, and put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself.

"Hey," she said, grinning at him and the others who had come for them. Her friends, her teammates. Kiba and Shizune were clapping Kakashi on the back, Hinata was actually smiling without blushing, and Shino was collecting the kunai that could be reused.

"We thought we were gonna be too late for awhile there," Kiba remarked, leaning against Akamaru as though it were just another day in Konoha.

"No we didn't; we knew you guys would have each others' backs," Naruto defended. He'd never admit to any doubts he might have had, and Hinata would never tell.

The two liberated ninja met each others' eyes. They had had each others' backs, when it had counted most. Kakashi wasn't sure why he suddenly felt embarrassed about it though. He looked away first, though he wanted for those green eyes to tell him she was okay.

"Was that really you singing, Sakura?" Sai asked suddenly. Everybody paused to listen as Sakura blanched.

"Yeah, it was. Are you gonna make up some random insult about it?" she remembered enough of her first meeting with Sai to be wary of any opinions he might share. Her jaw tilted defensively.

"No. I was just going to say that you sang well," Sai never lost his placid nature.

The others relaxed, glad that Sakura hadn't exploded so soon after being rescued.

"Well, we should head back to Konoha as soon as possible," Shizune began, all-business now. "The Hokage will want to know you are safe."

"Just a second," Sakura cried, trotting off from the clearing as the others dealt with the enemy bodies. She trudged up the hill to the small opening, slipping inside. Kakashi watched her go, wondering what she was doing. Was she going to collect some of the treasure, or just knock the walls down and bury it all? He leaned against a tree to wait for her. The others didn't bother asking him to help; he had done his fair share for awhile.

The jounin thought about what it would be like getting back to civilisation. The days of captivity had felt like weeks, and he wasn't sure it would be as easy as going to the hospital for a few days. He was worried about Sakura for one thing. That had been her first time as a prisoner, and she had the extra horror of being a prisoner of the mind. He was also worried that he was worried about Sakura. He had never really been scared for her before. Not because he had been confident in her skills, but because she always had Sasuke or Naruto or himself to take the worst of what came their way. But now he was feeling more than just concern for a teammate. Even though they were safe now, he still felt an ache when she left his sight. It was probably just guilt over letting her get caught, right? He refused to admit to himself that it was anything more than that.

"I'm back," Sakura called. She had changed the silky blue robe for her normal, dirty, lovely mission clothes. Tightening her forehead protector, she nodded to Shizune and they began to move out. Allowing the breeze to clear her head, she tried to resist the urge to glance back at Kakashi. Her feelings for him had just been because they were about to die. Breaking the genjutsu had made her emotions come back stronger than ever, so she had felt things that were never there. Like how Kakashi could make her smile even when they were both so totally doomed. Or how he could be so fast and deadly in a fight, but still hold her so gently when she was terrified and lost. He made her feel nervous and protected and mature and beautiful. But when they returned to Konoha she would have to force those feelings down or they would make things awkward between them. There was no way the famous copy-nin could feel the same about her, anyway.

"You changed your clothes," said copy-nin noted as he drew level beside her. Blushing, caught in the act of thinking about him, she kept her eyes forward and took on an all-business tone.

"Of course I did. You think I was going to go back to Konoha in that blue thing?"

"I liked that blue thing." Kakashi said before his internal-editor could stop him. Sakura's blush deepened and he fought to remember whatever he had actually wanted to say. "I just meant it was a nice yukata, is all. Obviously your mission clothes are more practical." At this rate he was going to say something he wouldn't be able to take back, and everything would become weird between them. She had leant against him because he was the only one around. She had pressed her cherry-blossom hair against his cheek because she had thought they were both going to die. She couldn't be reading anything into that now, if she ever had. She was eighteen and well on her way to surpassing him one day. She didn't have to know her old pervy sensei was looking at her with more affection than he ever had before.

But she seemed to know anyway, because she placed her hand in his as they ran. And he left it there. He hoped it would never leave there, because that seemed to be where it belonged. She squeezed his gloved fingers and suddenly Hatake Kakashi had Hope; a terrifying sort of Hope that demands you place your entire heart on the line for it. But he let it stay, too. For how could this be wrong? How could they be wrong, when they had known each other for six years in every relationship conceivable? The future was just offering them both the chance to be something more to one another.

He had heard her song, and realised he had been singing its harmony his whole life.