A/N: I've been having difficulties with a few things. My uncle passed away a couple of weeks before my birthday, which was on June 23. It was hard losing him, especially for my aunt. We share the same birthday so we tried throwing her a surprise party to make her feel better. She was happy, and we were glad that she was. She does miss my uncle dearly though, I mean, we all do.

Anyways, this is an important announcement. I know I promised more chapters, but because of my uncle's recent passing, I've been having a hard time writing new updates for my stories so this will be the last chapter of this story. I will be writing a sequel, but that will be much later. I am working on a stories currently and I will only publish one of them. The poll is on my profile page, so I would appreciate if you'd see which one you'd like to read first. Thanks, and I'm dearly sorry for having to end this story here.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Masashi Kishimoto

Mistake

Chapter Seventeen: The Last

Sakura was unable to recall most of what had happened once she and her squad arrived in Konoha. It was all a blur and due to her chakra depletion and lack of strength, she literally was having difficulties seeing the things and people around her. Her memories were hazy, but she could vaguely remember being brought into the hospital and hearing her former mentor's demanding voice rumble beneath her. What was it that he had said? She truly did not know, but she was certain that whatever he demanded was what brought her to this hospital bed.

And for the following few days, she remained trapped in the hospital, the nurses and doctors never allowing her to even budge. They continued to give her many medicine capsules and pills to ensure her health and her currently fragile body was always encased by a warm bed sheet. Sakura knew how bad of a condition she was in, but she chose to not mind it anyways. She just wanted to go home to her apartment where no one would be able to seek her out. If her chakra hadn't been so depleted, then perhaps her shishou could have possibly discharge her and set her free.

But knowing that her chakra was depleted, that her immune system was steadily failing, that her ribs hurt everytime she tried to move, she would be chained to this hell hole for a long period of time. There was nothing anyone could do but to give her medicine and try to make her see the bright side of things.

Naruto, Sai, and Yamato would come by to visit often. Naruto would always tell stories and complaints about his experiences with working alongside Tsunade. Since he was learning how to take on the role of the Hokage, Tsunade thought it was imperative that he tagged along. Judging from the amounts of wailing, Sakura was certain that Naruto was having a very difficult time understanding the system.

Sai, as usual, would never peep a word. From time to time, he would mention bits and pieces from his trip to Suna for the ANBU training, but the events were out of chronological order so she could never put the entire story together. While Naruto yapped about and Sai kept his lips zipped, Yamato simply sat still, giving her reassuring squeezes on the shoulder every now and then. He never spoke, but when he did, it was always soft and comforting. Yamato and her weren't the closest of friends, but she was grateful for his presence and kindness. Although she did not know him very well, he was an outstanding teammate and was a huge factor of Team Kakashi.

"Don't worry, Sakura," he would say. "You'll be out of here soon."

Surely, he was the most normal out of all of the people she knew.

And then there was the most peculiar — Kakashi Hatake.

Sakura couldn't remember the last time she had seen that masked face of his. He hadn't visited, not once, not that it bothered her. She knew that he was under a lot of stress and only seeing her would probably worsen his state. If anything, he was afraid of facing her, for whatever reason he had in mind. She just did not understand that man.

The both of them started out their last conversation bitter, and then it only worsened and ended with a sour period of silence. She regretted yelling at him, but she had been frustrated. There was pent up anger boiling deep in her chest and it was all suddenly let out. She was contemplating whether to notify him about her being attempted to rape, but she knew that would simply throw him off the edge. It was difficult holding in all of her tears, but she already promised herself that she would be strong.

The little crybaby girl that people knew no longer existed. Sakura wanted to prove that she was worthy, powerful, and dependable. She had relied too many times on her comrades in the past, and normally she was the one being rescued. It was all unbearably humiliating.

Groaning silently, she positioned herself on her back and stared at the blank ceiling above her. "Dear Kami," she muttered, "let me out of here."

"Now isn't that a peculiar remark?"

She nearly jolted at the familiar voice. Quickly, she propped herself up, trying her best to ignore the pain shooting through her limbs. The pink-haired kunoichi stared at the woman standing by the counter across from her and watched as she retrieved a few capsules. "Shishou," she exclaimed.

"You seem surprised," chuckled Tsunade, walking toward her bedside. "You didn't notice me?"

Sakura felt her cheeks burn slightly. "As stupid as it sounds, I'm afraid not."

"Well your chakra system is slowly recovering," noted the blonde, quickly scanning the documents clipped down onto her clipboard. "I would expect minor setbacks, concerning your sensory skills and perhaps your vision. Are your eyes hurting at all? Is it hard to see?"

"No," said the girl, slowly.

"Good, good. That means your recovery is speeding up a bit. Now, how much is the pain on a scale from one to ten?"

There was a short pause. "Six and a half."

"Then I suppose we'll continue giving you your medication for the next week. From the likes of it, I surmise that in less than a month you'll be able to get out of here."

Sakura nearly cringed at the given information. "Great."

With a tired groan, she settled back down beneath the covers and closed her eyes. She listened to the silent shuffling and piling echoing in the crummy hospital room. Her lips pressed together distastefully when a strong medicinal scent permeated her nostrils. After years of working as one of Konoha's most well-recognized medic nin, she had grown accustomed to the odors of disinfectants, death especially. Everyday, they lost a minimum of five to eight patients, and with the amount of dangerous violence growing around the fire country, the death rate was only steadily increasing. The scent was nothing compared to the other vile things she had smelled in her line of work, but having to smell it constantly bothered her.

She honestly did not like the idea of losing her patients. She'd get attached to them as she checked up on them daily, chatting it up and going on and off about families, missions, and relationships. But if they somehow didn't manage to make it, her heart clenches and twists, causing her so much pain. Her peers always reminded her to avoid making attachments to her patients because they had only two fates. Either they would live and continue living their wonderful life as it is, or they would die in the cruel hands of this world.

Death was always clinging to the walls of this hospital, as if it was trying to give her a friendly reminder that death is a constant, unending plight. And it was nerve wracking having to work under these conditions. It was scary seeing parents, siblings, and loved ones crying over the lost soul of their beloved.

But it was even scarier when her friends were suddenly pushed through hospital doors on a gurney, when her coworkers demanded that she needed to hurry over and assist them, when their lives were put into her own paling, shaking hands. If they sustained an injury that failed to heal, it would be her fault. If they were unable of continuing their career as honorable shinobi, it would be her fault. If they passed, it would all be her fault. Thoughts like these often plagued her mind and sent her insides squirming about.

Letting out a quite sigh, Sakura turned onto her shoulder, her beryl eyes fluttering open to stare out the open window. She refused to think. No more.

Suddenly, there was a click and she heard the door open. "Oh, Sakura. Before I go, Naruto came by my office earlier and said he'd be visiting in a couple of hours. Apparently he's just waiting for Sai's and Yamato's shift at the ANBU facility to end."

They lapsed into a short period of silence before the door began to creak again.

Sakura bit her bottom lip softly. "Have you heard from Kakashi?"

"Not for a while, no…" It was apparent that Tsunade noticed the dropped honorific. "Why? If it's an important message I could have it delivered to him—"

"No," interrupted Sakura, curtly. "It's nothing."

There was a hesitant start of words, then a pause, and finally the door was shut. It was unbearably silent once again and Sakura felt her eyelids droop a little.

"Why did I even bother asking…"

~ X x . . . x X ~

"Oyaji, can I have another round of sake?"

Kakashi ignored the stranger sitting next to him as he groggily wailed his order and continued to do his paperwork. Writing and signing important documents in a pub located in the outskirts of the village was probably not the best idea he ever had, but he needed a drink and the cabinets in his apartment were completely empty. Besides, he practically grew up drinking alcohol in this bar. He was almost sure he had gotten used to the rowdiness and musky scent. None of it ever bothered him.

"Hatake-san, this isn't your workplace, ya know?" The middle-aged bartender leaned over the counter top and tapped on his forehead protector.

The jonin shot him a quick one-eyed glance before grabbing his bottle and swallowing another swig. He resumed scratching down some words as his unoccupied hand began to drum rhythmically against his thigh. "Yes, but it's not as if I'm not paying you for my purchases," he drawled. "I'm just a regular customer resuming his regular visits."

The bartender nodded silently and smiled in response, then went to answer another customer's call. The man was a nice guy and Kakashi knew for a fact that he had already gotten used to his solitary personality. He wasn't exactly a regular customer, but he often stopped by during his days off, or when Genma dragged him down to it.

Kakashi was easily recognizable, considering the fact that he wore a mask and that his hair was an odd shade of silver. Fortunately, he was an expertise at avoiding unwanted attention and slipping out of unnecessary trouble. After years of eluding Naruto when the boy was in need of ramen, he was certain that his skills have sharpened. It had been a good simple workout, he supposed.

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck as he leaned back slightly. He really needed a break from work, from this village, from everything in fact. It was rather frustrating trying to hold in all of his stress. All he wanted was to escape all of the familiar faces. Everywhere he went, someone confronted him, telling him that they were concerned about his well-being. He just needed time away in order rebuild all of those barriers he had put up long ago. Kakashi knew very well that his emotional state was becoming unstable and it was truly ignominious.

There were plenty of reasons why he chose to lock those emotions up. They were painful reminders of the terrible, degrading human-being he had been in his past. He had let both his past and current team down, for Kami's sake. Obito died, sacrificing his life for both him and Rin. Years later, Kakashi managed to screw up and killed Rin, and he knew for a fact that somewhere, he had disappointed and angered his best friend. He had also failed Team Seven. He was unable of stopping Sasuke from deserting the village and the Uchiha's absence had been hurting both Sakura and Naruto ever since. They eventually parted ways and found their new mentors. It was as if they left him in search of new, better teachers.

To this day, bloody images of his dead comrades plagued him, terrifying him to the point where he had nightmares for consecutive nights. Remembering all of it now simply put a sour taste into his mouth.

His head suddenly began to pound and he winced. Releasing an irritated breath, he stacked his documents, reached into his pocket to pull out some loose change, and dropped the money on the counter. He stepped off the stool and turned on his heel, eager to get home where he could release all of his pent up anger.

"So quick to leave, Hatake-san?" came the bartender's curious call.

"I just remembered I'm late for an appointment," he lied.

No, I need to get the fuck out of this hell hole and calm down.

Slouching into his familiar lazy posture, he strode out of the bar, the fresh nature air soothing his strained lungs. He pulled out his trademark book and held it close to his masked face and continued to walk slowly back to his apartment. People looked at him as he passed by, but they only saw him as the regular, idle Copy Ninja who was making his daily travels around the block.

They didn't know that he was crumbling deep within.

They never saw the cold look in his dark, sole eye.

They weren't aware of his breaking heart.

~ X x . . . x X ~

After two hours of contemplating on his current dilemma, Kakashi decided that he would go to the Hokage's tower and seek out Tsunade. He spent a majority of those two hours taking a long, hot bath and laying around in his bed. He was trying to sort out his conflicts and the most-despised "drama", and as always, he was only capable of thinking of one solution. A break from all of this tedious work was all he ever needed, so making a quick visit to Tsunade's office would surely make it happen.

Knowing the blonde-headed beast, however, it probably wouldn't be easy. She'd bombard him with unending questions, concerns, and who knew what. It was definite that making this plead would be a hassle, but he was in desperate need of it. Kakashi just couldn't stand all of the predicaments. He had handled many before with swift ease, but this was simply one too many.

In a nick of time, he arrived at the tower. As he climbed the endless flight of stairs, familiar faces greeted him and he returned with a friendly wave. He didn't want to spend too much time lounging around, but he also didn't want to give his fellow peers the cold shoulder. Yes, he was agitated, but taking it all out on his comrades would be something he would never forgive himself for doing. He was well aware that he was a huge role model towards both his juniors and seniors, and doing something such as that would disappoint all of them.

Moments later, the jonin found himself standing in front of his designated location. He wasted no time waiting and began to push the door open, knocking first to notify the Hokage about his presence. He felt her sharp eyes fall upon his figure as he bowed his head slightly in respect. "Tsunade-sama," he addressed politely.

"Kakashi…it's almost been a week since I've last seen you," said Tsunade, observing him from head to toe. "You do realize you still have a mission report to give me, am I not correct?"

He felt his sweat become beads around his temples and gave a sheepish smile. His hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a couple of folded documents. Her hands snatched it away from his and she unfolded it with a suspicious frown. "You didn't have Yamato or Genma do your reports for you again, did you?"

"Not this time, no," he answered subtly.

Truthfully, he wasn't quite fond of writing mission reports. They were often time consuming and he'd much rather spend that time reading his favorite novels. Normally, because he was such a good friend, Genma volunteered to do the work for him. Otherwise, Kakashi would hunt Yamato down and persuade him to do it. Yamato was an easy man to trick, but sometimes he did feel bad for using him like so.

"Well this is your chicken scratch," started Tsunade. "It's sloppy and wrinkled, but knowing you, it's probably the best effort I'd ever get out of you."

She placed the papers on top of the rest of her collected folders and leaned further back into her chair. Her index finger traced circles around the open tip of her sake bottle, gathering the remaining drops of alcohol. He watched with little interest as she began suck on her fingertips and wondered just how much alcohol she consumed each day.

"Now, is there a reason why you have come here?" she suddenly questioned, settling back into her seat.

He rose a single brow, still recovering from his broken trance. "Pardon?"

"The Great Copy Ninja doesn't just appear out of nowhere unless he is in need of something," elaborated Tsunade with a tired sigh. "So go on, out with it. Do you want more money? Vacation perhaps? Or do you need me to reprimand Naruto again—"

"I want to go on another long-term mission."

"You are Naruto's former teacher. You should be the one consulting him about…" Her words trailed off as her mind slowly processed his plead. She could only blink for a few minutes before giving him a skeptical stare. "Wait. You what?"

"I want to go on another long-term mission," repeated Kakashi with a lazy shrug.

"Another?" echoed the blonde-haired woman. "But Kakashi, you've already had a recent long-term mission. I know you want to take missions every now and then, but this is just ridiculous."

Kakashi shook his head. "I understand, Tsunade-sama, but my mind is already made up."

She folded her hands on her desk and slumped a little, humming thoughtfully to herself. "This is downright ridiculous…"

He stood patiently in front of her as she began to spread out her papers, her blue eyes quickly scanning the written information. His gaze trailed to the ceiling where his mind started to delve into deeper thought. He had to be honest with himself, he was having some concerns over this. Leaving the Hidden Leaf abruptly would definitely bring curiosity to the crowd, especially his friends and teammates. Kakashi didn't want to worry them, but at the same time, he didn't want to keep worrying himself.

"Hatake, just how long are we talking about?" questioned Tsunade.

"At least a year," he replied quietly.

A year of being alone would give him a chance to deal with his own emotions. He would be able to rebuild those broken barriers and start anew. He would be able to forget everything unwanted and most importantly, forget that he ever had feelings toward Sakura.

Just thinking about her set his body on fire. It felt so good, yet so painful knowing the fact that she did not feel the same way about him. It was obvious that she thought of him no more than a friend. Although they had shared warm, affectionate moments, he wanted to forget she ever existed for only a year, perhaps even two. His mind was set in the wrong place and he knew that whatever he wanted was never going to be reality.

Kakashi was her former sensei, for Kami's sake. He wasn't supposed to be lusting after his student, nor love her. In fact, he wasn't even the right man for her. There were plenty of willing, young boys out there that were willingly wanting to take her out on a date. She deserved better than him, a broken, unforgivable shinobi.

She deserved something more, and staying here only to see her frequently would never do him any good.

"The only long-term mission I have that's available and appropriate for you is yet another two-year mission," Tsunade announced, her authoritative tone capturing his attention. "It takes place in Iwagakure. Old man Tsuchikage is in need of a voluntary ANBU agent to instruct his trainees in their facility. You will be provided with a suite in one of their finest inns and the room is prepaid. I'm assuming that once you finish your daily work, you will be able to do as you please. Since our ties between the Great Hidden Villages have been restored, you won't be considered much of a threat. And considering that you're the famed Copy Ninja, you will have a majority of the village's utmost respect."

"Hmm," he hummed rhythmically, taking his time with analyzing the given information.

"I recall that you were a past member of our ANBU facility when you a teenager, younger even?"

He nodded. "Yes. Because the system was restored to its natural power, I rejoined a while back, but I haven't been very active. The most I've done was scouting the areas around our village."

"Well, you're still young and suitable," noted the Hokage. "Are you willing to accept this offer?"

"I can't turn down something I came for, now can I?" murmured Kakashi, giving her a blunt glance.

"I suppose you can't," she drawled, hanging her head a bit. She toyed with her pen for a few moments before proceeding to signing the Tsuchikage's letter. "Alright, the latest time you should leave is by tomorrow night, so I'm giving you today to—"

"Is there a possibility that I could leave tonight, instead…?"

Tsunade seized writing and glanced up at her visitor. She was ready to laugh at him as if it was some kind of silly joke, but as she looked deep into his single eye, the realization that he was dead serious dawned upon her. Holding a hand to her forehead, she chuckled uneasily, "You're killing me, Kakashi. You really are."

"Can I?" he repeated, more pertly.

"You're more than welcome to," she said reluctanly, "but I just don't understand. You really want to leave without any notice?"

His eyelid slid closed for a short second and he took in a deep breath. "That is correct."

"Oh fuck me," she ground out sourly. "This better be for a good reason, Hatake."

"If it's enough to make me want to chew my insides out, then I assure you it's for a good reason."

The words left his mouth unbidden and he instantly glanced Tsunade's way, ready to apologize for his rude behavior. Before he could even muster up a sentence she waved her hand, dismissing his remark. She understood that he was having a difficult time.

He was still feeling a tad bit guilty. However, after looking at the woman once more he grew aware that she was not going to accept an apology any time sooner. He bowed his head, now prepared to leave the tower and head home to pack for the upcoming journey, and turned to walk towards the exit. His gloved hand reached for the bronze knob and gripped onto it. The knob turned and the door was pulled open, revealing a dimly lit hallway.

"Kakashi, before you go…I must ask you something."

He sighed and stopped in his footsteps. "And that is?"

"Have you…visited Sakura in the hospital yet?"

Kakashi wasn't going to lie. "No, Tsunade-sama."

"I see," he heard her murmur.

He shifted his weight over to his left foot and cleared his throat, "How's her condition?"

"She's doing just fine. Although, her sensory skills may be a bit on the downside." There came a gentle laugh. "You know, she asked me if I've heard from you lately. It's funny how you showed up a few hours later. What a coincidence…"

The silver-haired man only hummed in response. He honestly didn't know what else to say.

"Kakashi…I know you don't want to walk around and say your goodbyes, but I really think you should visit her. She's injured, lonely, and there is still time before Naruto and the rest of your team shows up." Kakashi did not respond and kept his back turned to her. Tsunade let out a deep breath and continued her lecture. "I don't know what happened between you two that made you so distant, but I really think that you should pay her one last visit before you leave tonight. It's the least you could do."

His lips pressed together tightly. "I won't make any promises."

Kakashi left with not another word being said, shutting the door with a soft slam behind him.

~ X x . . . x X ~

After a small period of time passed since he had departed from the tower, he started to realize that he was walking aimlessly around the village. Even after his realization, he continued to take random path to another as if his body had a mind of its own. He had no intention of going home just yet. There was still much more time to pack before sundown. There was still more time to do things before he had to leave for his mission.

But…what was there to do?

Kakashi slowed to a halt and gazed tiredly at the tall, white building glaring over him. He wanted to scold and slap some sense into himself, but for some reason a part of him wasn't surprised. In the end, he ended showing up at the goddamn hospital anyway.

Scratching the side of his head, he took one last look in front before leaping out back where he knew Sakura's room was located. He was truthful about not personally paying her a visit, but he would watch her from afar just to check if she was doing well. He'd often observe from the tall tree sitting in the middle of the courtyard, sitting on a sturdy branch with his back against the large tree trunk, his favorite Icha Icha novel in hand.

He'd notice that Naruto, Sai, and Yamato would visit her often. They'd make her smile, laugh even, and tell her far-fetched stories about their recent travels or jobs. From time to time, Ino and her team would drop by to give her a new bouquet of flowers from the family Yamanaka flower shop. Lee, Guy, Tenten, and Neji visited her as often as Naruto and them did. As always, Lee and Guy would make complete fools of themselves while Tenten and Neji apologized for their teammate's silly behavior. Sakura, of course, never seemed to mind. She appreciated their company and the smile on her face told him so, yet he still couldn't help but feel that she was still unhappy.

Leaning back slightly, he searched and found the window to her room. It threw him off that the window was still open during this hours, especially since it was beginning to grow windy and cold. But nonetheless, he took his chances and made his way up. He silently peeked into the bedroom, recognizing the heavy scent of disinfectants and the sickly.

Sakura was spotted laying in her bed, her back turned to him, the thin covers pulled over her shoulder. He wanted to flee. He was scared, nervous even. What if she didn't want to see him? What if she was still mad? But as the questions ran frantically through his mind, he held his composure and reminded himself that this would be the last time he saw her before he took off for another two achingly long years.

Carefully, Kakashi settled on the windowsill, one leg hanging off while the other rested comfortably with the rest of him. He looked her over silently, noticing her unusually pale skin and disheveled pink hair. Her sickly condition was evident in her weakened figure. It made him wonder if she would make a swift recovery once he was gone. Would she be alright?

He almost laughed at himself. What was he thinking? Of course she was going to be just fine. She was Sakura, his strongest female student who was willing to do anything for her comrades. She wouldn't give up just like that. He knew she wouldn't.

"Kakashi…how long are you just going to sit there?"

Kakashi froze and watched as the pink-haired patient adjusted her position so that she would be facing the ceiling. Her emerald orbs flickered at him and he could only blink in surprise. "I thought Tsunade told me you're incapable of sensing one's presence," he wondered silently.

Her frown deepened and she mouthed Tsunade's name a few times. She fell into deep thought as she stared at him. "So Tsunade forced you to come here, is that it?" she asked, her tone somewhat disappointed.

He exhaled and ran his fingers through his coarse silver mane. "If I didn't want to be here, then I wouldn't be here. Sakura, you should know that by now."

"I…I'm sorry…" She chewed on her bottom lip, her arms slithering out from beneath the covers and folding on top of her stomach. "I just thought you didn't want to see me."

His lips parted and a sharp pang of guilt shot right through him, leaving him completely hollow. Sighing, he stepped off the windowsill and trudged slowly to her bedside. He knelt down and sighed, cursing himself for what he was about to do. His gloved hand hesitantly reached for hers and took hold of it. They were cold, but oddly comforting at the same time.

Stroking her skin softly with this thumb, he said, "But I'm here now, aren't I?"

Tears began to form at the corner of her eyes and her breathing hitched. The grip around his hand tightened and he could feel her body trembling. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry," she sobbed quietly. "I'm sorry for making you mad, for hurting you…I'm sorry for everything."

Kakashi shushed her with gentle, reassuring coos. He felt even more guilt pool into him as she continued to cry, her face nuzzling into his arm resting on her bed. "It's not your fault," he sighed. "I'm not mad at you. It's okay…it's okay."

Minutes began to tick by and her crying eventually seized. He kept his hand on hers to assure her that everything was alright and observed meekly as her face reemerged from his sleeve. She laid still and he sat still, for who knew how long. There was a comfortable period of silence and it made his heart rate speed up a bit. Kakashi glanced at his former student and saw that her cheeks had flushed red from the embarrassment of breaking down.

Her eyes darted from side to side, her eyelashes fluttering as they did so. A familiar, sweet pomegranate-strawberry scent began to intoxicate his lungs, filling him with a sudden desire to stay. He knew he was going to miss her especially once he left.

"Naruto and the rest are going to be arriving soon," she mentioned in a murmur.

Kakashi paused to look at the clock, then out the window behind him. It was time to go.

He shakily rose to his feet, not yet ready to let her go, their fingers unwinding from each other. Sakura confusedly gazed up at him as he straightened himself awkwardly. "You're going not going to stay and wait for them?" There was an obvious hint of plea and letdown.

Kakashi forced an eye crinkle. "As much as I want to stay, I've got places to be, things to do…I actually might even be late for a reunion with some old friends."

Sakura was unconvinced and wasn't going to buy his excuse, but she gave him a small nod. "Well you should get going then. You might get a scolding of a lifetime from for friends if you go any later," she attempted to play along.

He simply stared at her, a billion thoughts reeling through his mind. Suddenly, as his fingers hooked onto the edge of his mask to pull it down, he knew deep down inside that he was really going to get it this time.

The silver-haired jonin bent over and placed a tender kiss on her warm lips, catching her off. It would be the last kiss they'd ever share, the final affectionate moment they'd ever have.

And it would be the last time she'd see him.

After sluggishly pulling away, he turned on his heel and brought his mask back up to the bridge of his nose. He breathed in heavily as he climbed through the windowsill, his hands holding the frame from both ends to keep him steady.

"Kakashi, I…" He took one more glance over his shoulder to see her conflicted, puzzled face. She had no words to say, and he had no time to waste.

"Goodbye, Sakura."

Kakashi leaped out of the room and was out of sight before the door slammed open. Naruto marched in with a box of takeout food, Sai and Yamato filing in behind him, and pulled a seat over to sit next to Sakura.

"Sakura-chan! We brought you your favorite food!" he sang as he placed the box on a nearby table. His jubilant facial expression changed as soon as his big blue eyes fell on her. "Sakura-chan, are you…crying?"

"No, no," she answered hurriedly, wiping her tears furiously away. "I was just tired, is all. It was boring…just waiting for you guys to come along."

"Well it's not going to be boring anymore!" boasted Naruto, pulling Sai and Yamato to his side, causing the two of them to stumble. "We've got a whole bunch of things to tell you about! Yamato-senpai knows a lot of juicy gossip — isn't that right, Yamato-senpai?"

"Uh, yeah," Yamato stuttered. "But a majority is somewhat inappropriate—"

"Inappropriate? Who cares!" smiled Naruto.

As Naruto forced all of the stories out of Yamato, Sakura couldn't help but stare out the window the entire time.

~ The End ~

Once again, please, please check out the poll on my profile page and reviews are definitely appreciated! Thanks for sticking with me the whole way through, I love you all. I hope you'll do the same once the sequel is out! (: