Something Precious

Chapter Twenty

"You! Karui! Get an attack team together and get to Kakashi's company's last known position. Shizune, I want you to prepare a medical unit to go with them and then make room for possible injured!" he ordered and everyone obeyed immediately, the crowd of shinobi dispersing orderly.

"An attack team? Do you really think that's necessary?" asked Sasuke.

"Yes. I just got a gut feeling about this okay? Now lets go." he grabbed Sakura and entered Tailed Beast Mode and he ran as fast as he could to where he could sense Kakashi's company fighting, their numbers dropping. He left Sasuke to simply follow behind since he was fast enough on his own, but nonetheless the Uchiha strayed a little behind since he was never quite able to match Naruto's speed.

The sounds of fighting rang in their ears as they quickly approached their destination. Naruto made clones to take care of the Zetsu that were littered around. When they broke through the trees they saw the ground was littered with the bodies of both the white Zetsu and their allies. Doing a quick scan of the bodies Naruto was relieved to not see Kakashi's among them. His relief however was short lived.

As he looked up he made eye contact with the Sixth Hokage who was locked in battle with no other than Obito Uchiha himself. Obito followed the eyes of his former friend and saw Naruto standing there with Sakura still in his arms and Sasuke by his side. He smirked at them. No, he smirked at him. Then he drove his sword right through Kakashi's torso. Naruto could see even from that distance, that it had hit a vital artery.

The next moments were a blur for Naruto as he fought and somehow finally killed the nightmare of a man. He remembered vaguely wondering why Madara and the Ten-Tails weren't with him but those thoughts were deemed unimportant as his gaze rested on his teacher dying on the ground amongst the mud and bloodied bodies.

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura." called out a weak voice.

"Sensei. . ." Sakura had tears in her green eyes. She kneeled down and tried to use medical ninjutsu to heal his wounds to no avail. The blade had indeed punctured a vital artery and he was bleeding out, the life fading from him with every drop. "No Sensei, you can't die now." she sobbed helplessly, her hands already covered in the warm, thick, crimson liquid.

The sounds of fighting around them died out as the last of the Zetsu were defeated by the clones of Naruto. All shinobi were watching helplessly as their commander said his last words. Naruto knelt on Kakashi's other side as tears spilled from his usually bright blue eyes. He couldn't even use six paths mode to heal him. He had just used it in a battle a few days before and it needed at least a week to recharge before he could use it again.

"You can't leave me too. Not after everything I've lost." Naruto pleaded. He took Kakashi's hand and grasped it tightly the two of his as if that alone could save the man. "Please stay." he whispered quietly, almost inaudibly. Kakashi looked at his students with affection and pride swimming in his coal-coloured eyes.

"I'm so proud of you. All of you. Sakura," the kunoichi couldn't look up at him, her whole being bent on healing his wound. He put his free hand over hers. "That's enough now. We both know that there is nothing anyone could do now."

Her tears were now a constant stream. "Don't say that that Sensei, I won't give up on you." she promised and her flow of medical chakra intensified in her desperation.