Sakura doesn't like to think about her mark.

(or that the name written in semi-legible cursive on the curve of her ribs belongs to a dead man)

Everyone is born with a mark, a name. Or a least gets one at some point in their life. Although there are some who get none at all. The mark represents the person they are most compatible with. Whether that compatibility be for offspring or about personality, no one knows. The more romantic and less blunt explanation is that the mark symbolizes a love that can never be tainted, never broken, that the mark shows us the one person who is our true love and without it, on can never be truly happy.

(she laughs when she hears the last part, and thinks about happy and markless Naruto head over heels in love with gentle and dead mark Hinata)

Sakura remembers the first time Kakashi, her teacher at the time, saw her mark. She remembers how his eyes (eye?) widened, flashes of fear, guilt and finally familiarity (she was confused at first why that particular emotion was present, did her teacher know her soulmate?) course through the only visible eye. He chokes out a flimsy excuse of being late to meeting somewhere, and disappears for the rest of the week.

(she finds out years later that Kakashi spent that time in the cemetery, silently asking for forgiveness from a former and very much dead teammate)

At this point, Sakura knows that the name on her ribs is a corpse, a man who died in the Third Shinobi War, squashed under a boulder and missing his left eye.

So when Kakashi finally tells her (not Naruto, not Sasuke, only her) about how he obtained the Sharingan, she can't look him in the eye for awhile.

(in her mind, a dark voice whispers thief)

(she ignores it)

(and she doesn't nescessarily disagree)

Sakura ignores the gasp of shock that escapes Kakashi when Tobi's face is revealed, and rushes forward to land a punch on the enemy. She expects to fall straight through his body and hit the area behind him but when Kakashi shouts out her name in a desperate panic, Tobi seems to stiffen and lose all focus he had on his jutsu.

And just like that, Tobi flies backwards at the force of her punch, crashing trees before a landing against a mountain.

Or, what was left of a mountain.

Sakura should feel a swell of pride, she just landed a hit on the asshole who threatened to take everything away from Naruto. His happiness, his acceptance, his friends, his love.

(she isn't too concerned with what he could take away from her, after all, all she has left is her life)

But for some reason, the cold feeling of dread and hurt claws at her chest and she screams.

She screams because she knows why she feels this way,

and she can't bring herself to hate it.

When he returns, hes eyes zero on her and steps closer. She doesn't hear Naruto screaming for her to move or Kakashi begging the man to stay away. She barely registers Sasuke appearing by her side to sweep her away to safety. All she can hear is his name.

(ObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObitoObito-)

Shes alone with him now, stuck somewhere, trying to find Kakashi, Naruto or Sasuke. He keeps glancing at her, even when he knows she notices, taking in every detail of her face, her hair, her eyes.

Because he knows he doesn't have much time left.

She knows he doesn't have much time left.

But they both stay quiet, focusing on each other when they believe the other is not looking and thinking of ways this could have gone differently.

Because she can't just forget what he had done.

And he just can't forget about Rin.

The only time they speak is when hes falling apart, crumbling into dust, and dying. It's non-verbal but they both understand.

He looks at her with sad, apologetic eyes and if she looks deeper, she swears she sees a bit of happiness.

He apologizes, for doing what he did, and not being able to love her.

It takes a few years for Sakura to forgive the first part, but her heart immediately accepts the last.

His notices, and feels his dead heart break a bit.

And then he's gone.

Years after the Fourth Shinobi War, Sakura sits in the arena and watches the new generation take the Chuunin Exams. Naruto, now the 7th Hokage, stands next to Hinata, holding her hand as they watch their son compete. Kakashi was hiding somewhere near, most likely watching as well and Sasuke sits on the rooftop.

When Naruto catches his son cheating, she feels a slight burn where her mark sits. She stands up, startling Ino and Temari who sit besides her, and runs.

She finds him in a hidden training area, the one Kakashi and his team used when they were younger.

He stands with his back to her, head tilted towards the sky. When she calls out his name in a soft, stuttering voice, he turns.

The first thing she notices is that his Rinnegan is gone, replaced with a single strap of black cloth to cover the empty socket.

He smiles at her, sheepish. Rubbing the back of his head. Immediately she sees the bright and clumsy boy Kakashi would talk about when they reminisce together of what have been.

(of what should have been)

She worries about how for a moment, too paranoid to believe that this was true.

How was he here?

But he looks her dead in the eye, with all the shyness of a teenage boy and she relaxes.

"Hope you don't mind," He says softly, voice carrying the wind.

"How..." She doesn't finish her question, trailing off as she looks at him more closely.

"Orochimaru has been experimenting again with Reanimation Justsu," He starts. "Sasuke has been helping him a bit, something about paying back his debts..." He stops when he sees her teary eyes and frowns slightly.

"Listen," He says softly, "I understand if you never want to see me again, I mean I would too if I was you..."

She sighs softly. closing her eyes and pinching her nose. When she feels like she won't beak down at the sight of him, she looks up and offers him a small smile.

"Would you like some tea?" She asks.

He smiles brightly and nods.