I think this is sad, and I'm pretty sure you guys will think this chapter is sad, so why not. Thanks.

---

Kakashi would never admit it, but he was flustered and doubting himself. Maybe it was the strong words from Obito, showing him what friends were supposed to be. Maybe it was the gentle words from Naruto telling him how he could fix the mistake he had just made. Maybe it was the gentle kiss on the cheek from her before she left, as if she might not come back.

The last thought made his stomach twist in dread. The thought of her- of any of them - getting hurt, made him feel sick inside. He felt a jab of pain where he had been cut, and the moments he had shared with his team ran through his head like a freight train.

'It's healing very nicely, but make sure you don't overexert yourself and reopen the wound.' Rin's encouraging tone that seemed to heal him, even without using any medical ninjutsu.

'When you and I were wounded, Rin saved our lives with her Medical Ninjutsu! If she hadn't been there, we'd both be dead by now! Right now, saving Rin takes priority over the mission.' Obito's strong tone that Kakashi had never heard him use before.

'Kakashi, rules and regulations are indeed important. But that isn't everything.' Minato's voice repeating the very thing he had told him multiple times before, but he had neglected to take heed to his warnings.

'I have to. She's my friend, and she's yours too. You should come, but even if you don't we will get Rin back, safe and sound.' Naruto's soft, cheerful voice that managed to cheer him up, no matter what happened.

'I believe that the White Fang was a true hero Sure in the world of ninja, those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum.' Obito's voice again, speaking about his father. His father who had killed himself because of the ridicule that came with saving his comrades.

'Kakashi, your friends are the most important things. Without them, we have nothing.' His father's voice. He had forgotten about that moment, buried it away with all the other memories of his father that were too painful to remember.

He couldn't. Yet he had to. He had to save the people who had been there by his side since the beginning. The people who cared about him, even though he was so callous to them.

He swiftly turned around and headed in the direction Naruto and Obito had gone in, following their scent once he had caught it. He just hoped he wasn't too late.

---

"I can do this," Obito repeated to himself as he sat on the branch of a tall tree.

"Then let's go in rather than just sitting here talking to ourselves," Naruto mumbled, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Okay, okay." He slapped himself to help him wake up and decided he was ready to go in.

Just as he was about to go in, Naruto felt the same chakra she had when Rin had been taken. Once again, the man attacked before she could even warn Obito. Her instincts kicked in and she jumped away from the attack, leaving Obito wide open.

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The man brought his kunai down on Obito, and Naruto saw blood. Kakashi was standing in front of Obito and had made a nasty gash on the man's chest, but the man had moved just enough for it not to be fatal.

"Kakashi? Why are you here?" Obito stuttered.

"Well, I couldn't very well leave it to a crybaby ninja and a hyperactive knucklehead, now could I?" He chuckled. Naruto sent him a smile that said 'thank you' and though, for the slightest second, he returned it. Suddenly, their heads snapped to the ninja who had attacked them as he spoke in a quivering voice.

"That silver hair and white chakra blade. Could it be? Don't tell me you're the White Fang of The Leaf."

"This blade is a keepsake from my father." He held up the blade as if to put emphasis on it.

"Oh, you're just the White Fang's kid? Then there's no reason to fear you." The man said before disappearing once again.

Naruto could barely track his chakra signature, so she had no idea where he could be. Even Kakashi seemed to have trouble finding him. They were going to have to rely on sound alone.

"Naruto, go in and save Rin. We can handle this guy." Obito yelled to her.

She nodded, but before she could even move, Kakashi had thrown Obito to the ground. She didn't even have time to process it before Kakashi was writhing on the ground, blood spilling from his eye.

Now Naruto was angry.

"Where did you go? Why do you hide? Are you afraid?" She taunted, hoping he would come out, but the only response she got was an echoing chuckle.

"Go Naruto. We can get him." Obito yelled to her once again. She looked down at him to see his eyes red, not only lit up by the Sharingan but also with anger. Anger at himself for not protecting his friends, anger with the world for letting things turn out this way, but most importantly, anger at the ninja who had just hurt Kakashi. Naruto could tell he would be able to do this by himself and jumped away towards the building.

Naruto entered the fort quietly, making sure she was not seen or heard.

"You are surprisingly stubborn." He mumbled, holding up Rin's head by her hair.

Before she could attack him with the element of surprise, Obito and Kakashi barged in, practically announcing themselves as easy targets.

'Idiots' Kurama mumbled in her head.

'Oh, so now you show up. Where were you earlier when we were trying to track down the guy who just cut Kakashi's freaking eye out?' She yelled at the fox demon.

She got no answer in response.

Her attention shifted to her two other teammates as they engaged in battle with the opposing ninja. She quietly moved back to Rin and attempted to silently undo the genjutsu that she had been put under, but he must have seen her, because next thing she knew, there was a kunai in her shoulder, the tip sticking out the front. She tried her best to ignore the searing pain, but couldn't. For it to hurt this much, it must have been coated in some type of poison. The shouts coming from her other teammates weren't helping either.

She ignored the kunai and turned around. If she left it in she wouldn't be able to heal, but the poison may have halted that ability anyway, so at the moment she was focused on keeping in as much blood as possible.

"Shut up and fight him while I get Rin out." She yelled to them. She shuddered as she realized how much like her mother she had just sounded but decided now was not the time to be thinking of such things.

She finally managed to focus enough to release the genjutsu Rin was under just as Kakashi and Obito ran over to cut the ropes she was tied in.

"Kakashi. Obito. Naruto." She mumbled, her mind still fuzzy from the genjutsu.

"We've come to save you, Rin," Obito whispered gently.

"Alright, let's get out of here," Kakashi ordered them.

They helped her get up and she steadied herself on Obito's shoulder before standing herself. She had yet to notice Naruto's wound, but she decided it was the fuzziness from the jutsu and the fact that she was currently standing behind Rin.

A chuckle came from behind them. They turned around to see the ninja they had just beat getting up off the ground.

"You two made a good team, and you, the blonde, good job getting past me, not many people can do that. In the end, though, you're still all just kids." He finished before using a jutsu and running from the collapsing structure.

Suddenly the whole building was shaking as rocks began to fall.

"Run for the exit," Kakashi yelled over the noise of rocks falling and breaking.

They ran for the exit, trying to avoid the falling rocks at all costs, knowing even just one hit could knock them out, which would mean the end. They were almost to the exit when Kakashi was hit. A rock had fallen and hit him in his blind spot.

"Kakashi." Rin and Naruto yelled in unison.

Obito quickly ran back to pick up Kakashi so he could carry him, but before he could even move, he had thrown him aside and a could of dust surrounded him. When the dust cleared, they were all shocked at what they saw.

"Are you all alright? Rin? Kakashi? Naruto?" A weak voice came from under the rock.

Obito had been crushed, and he was worried about his teammates. He was so selfless he didn't even think to care about himself. That alone made Naruto tear up.

Kakashi quickly ran over and attempted to push the rock off of him.

"Don't, Kakashi, I'm fine. I don't think I'll make it. My right side is completely crushed. I can't even feel it anymore." He whispered, his voice weak.

Kakashi cursed as he listened to Obito's words and realized he was right. Rin seemed to not believe that this could even be happening at all. Naruto knew it was happening, she knew this would happen at some point, but not now. Why now? Why did it have to happen right as she was finally getting used to having someone just like her around? It hurt, even more, to know that he doesn't die, that he comes back in almost twenty years to exact his revenge on the leaf village.

"So what if I'm captain? So what if I made jonin?" Kakashi yelled in anger and anguish.

"Oh right. I had forgotten. I was the only one who didn't give you a gift for becoming jonin. I was wondering what to give you, and I just came up with something. Don't worry, it's not some useless, extra baggage. I'm giving you my Sharingan."

They all gasped in horror and shock as he revealed his gift to Kakashi.

"No matter what anyone in the village says, you are a great jonin. That's how I really feel. Please accept my gift."

Naruto couldn't watch as the eye was transplanted, but when it was over she couldn't look away from her dying friend. His eye was closed, hiding the, now empty, eye socket. She didn't even blink when Kakashi blew a hole in the roof to get them out.

"Kakashi, take care of Rin."

"Yeah," Kakashi mumbled, before pulling out his blade and charging at the enemy. Naruto made a move to help him but stopped when she heard Obito's voice.

"No, Naruto. You are still injured. He can handle them by himself. You'll just get hurt some more." His voice was soft and weak.

"You can't die. You can't. You promised mom that you would bring us all back without a single scratch. You promised." Naruto said suddenly, trying her best to believe this was a dream, even though she knew it wasn't.

"There you go again, calling her mom." He chuckled before wheezing at the pain it caused him. "You know, I never noticed until now."

"Noticed what?" Naruto asked. As long as he kept talking, he was alive.

"That bitter edge to your voice, it's gone. I remember when you first met us, you seemed wary, even after a few months you still weren't comfortable, but you finally are. I'm happy I lived ling enough to see it." He whispered, his voice getting softer as he spoke.

Suddenly Kakashi appeared above the entrance.

"Kakashi, take Rin and Naruto. Get them out of here. Enemy reinforcements will be coming. Keep them both safe." His soft voice had a hard, serious edge as he spoke to Kakashi.

"Obito..."

"Rin, go."

She gave him a hard, stubborn look. The ground began to shake.

"Rin." He ordered simply, but they all knew the meaning behind it.

She gave him one last long look before grabbing Kakashi's hand.

"Naruto, stay safe. I would tell you not to do anything stupid, but it seems an impossible request." He didn't chuckle this time. She could see the light leaving his eyes, and thoughts of his future made her sad.

She grabbed Rin's extended hand and jumped onto the top of the building. The poison on the blade had finally pushed her to her limit because she was then on the ground, the only thing she could see was blackness.

---

Wow, long chapter. At least, for me it was. Hope you liked it and I hope you cried.

Word Count: 2113