IDIL's Note: Hello all! I decided to write this in hopes of exploring a possibility. It has been suggested that young Kakashi was much like young Sasuke. However, I'm writing this in hopes of displaying a potential other side to that, in which Kakashi greatly resembles Sakura. You guys will have to let me know how I did. :) Please review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

He sits in the chair beside the hospital bed and watches her sleep.

It's been a week since he found her, her right wrist all bloodied up from the kunai she had slit it with. She has yet to wake up in his presence, and he's starting to worry that he won't get to see her for a while; he's leaving tomorrow. His eyes fall to her hands, which are clasped together beside her head. Her left hand looks flawless, but deadly. Her right hand looks fragile, but hopeful. A hospital bracelet is tied around her right wrist, just above the bandages that cover her wounds.

The doctors say that she'll be ok now, but he wonders if that can really be true. For a moment he looks out the window and into the sunlight, and he finds himself flooded with feelings of guilt and incompetence and hopelessness. He sees his reflection in the window, looming over her figure, and feels sick to his stomach. He's still the same piece of scum he was when Obito was killed. He's still unable to fulfill his promise. He's still useless to her.

Kakashi knows that part of what's happening to her is his fault. He knows that she did this to be with Obito, and Kakashi knows he's at least partly to blame for the boy's death. He also knows that she did this as a last resort, because she felt she had no other choice to deal with the situation, and he feels even worse; it means that he hasn't been looking after her at all, that he hasn't been paying attention, that he hasn't helped protect her. And because of that, he almost lost her.

He doesn't know how he can ever hope to make up for what he's done; he's failed, completely and utterly failed, both of his teammates now. He's sent one to his death, and one on her way to it. He's not scum; he's much worse than that.

Kakashi glances back down at her and is surprised when he sees her large sepia eyes staring back up at him, her face all but covered beneath the blanket as though she is afraid of peeking out and greeting the world. He wants to say something like, "Feel better?" or "Glad to see you're awake", but all that comes out in the end is, "I failed."

Rin keeps looking up at him with those eyes, cringing as she hears his statement. She knows he's referring to Obito's promise, and she feels a little anger bubble up in the pit of her stomach, despite herself. She wishes she could make him stop repenting for something that wasn't really his fault; she wishes she could stop hurting him, but the promise gets in the way; she wishes he hadn't found her; she wishes she were with Obito instead. Rin wishes many things at once, but settles for wishing away the pained look on her teammate's face. "It's not your fault," she whispers, her voice hoarse.

He shakes his head. "It is. I'm sorry." He hopes his words can make up for what he's done, at least to her heart. She gives him a small smile and moves to sit up. "It's ok," she tells him, taking his hand in hers, "I'm still here."

He nods, and for a brief moment he smiles, grateful for the fact that she's still here, that she's survived. His face settles back into a frown soon enough. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Kakashi's stare bores through her soul, and Rin looks away, fiddling with the edges of her medical bracelet. "I didn't want you to worry."

He's not sure what the sudden ache in his chest is, but he thinks she may have just broken his heart. Even after all this time, even after all they've been through, she still loves him too much, and she still doesn't hurt him or maybe trust him enough to tell him what she's thinking. She's still trying to protect him, he knows that, and he feels terrible about it. She shouldn't be protecting him. She shouldn't have to. It's supposed to be the other way around.

Once again, he realizes, he's the one who needs to be saved. It's so ironic; he's the strongest on their team, and yet, he's always the one being protected. He's sick of it.

His free hand clenches into a fist at the thought, while the other gives the hand that holds his a squeeze. "You should tell me about these things. It's not right to keep everything bottled inside like that, especially if it leads to this," he motioned to her right wrist. "I want to help. I'm sorry if you felt like…you couldn't talk to me about this."

She shook her head, leaning forward and pulling him into an embrace, "No, I'm sorry…I didn't want to tell you," she pulls him closer, tears building in her eyes and soaking his shirt, "I…I was worried you'd hate me if I told you…"

He feels even worse. She had been afraid to tell him because she thought he'd hate her? Did he really seem so cold? Well, if she felt that way, then he would now do everything in his power to show her he wasn't like that…she didn't have to be afraid of him or his reactions…he would still be there for her. He tightens his hold on her, resting his chin on the top of her head. There was a time when he would not have been caught dead doing such a thing, but he needed to make sure she understood, and desperate times called for desperate measures. Now, he no longer even felt ashamed comforting her like this; he didn't even care if one of the nurses would have walked in on him right now. For the first time, all that matters is her, because she's all that he has left, and he'll be damned if he loses her. "That's just stupid," he tells her bluntly, "You can tell me anything. You have to. I'm here to help you, here to protect you; that's my purpose."

Her breath hitches in her throat at his statement, and for the first time in a long time, she feels happier that he's around. She turns her face to look up at him, but from the way they're positioned, all she can see is his collarbone. She smiles, although she is still startled. Had she heard him right?

He senses her surprise immediately, and releases a little of his hold on her so that he can look at her face. Indeed, her expression looks startled. He sighs, a little annoyed that it's so hard for her to believe that he's sincere, and he explains, "You and Obito…you both have been saving me, protecting me all the time, even though I'm supposed to be the strongest of us three, even though I'm supposed to be the leader. It's my turn now to return the favour, to be strong for you, to protect you."

This time, much to her surprise, she doesn't get angry when he says that. She doesn't try to talk him out of repenting for a mistake he never made, for a death he never caused; she doesn't try to tell him that he doesn't need to overdo it when fulfilling his promise. In fact, her thoughts are not even on that wavelength. She just simply beams up at him, feeling truly happy, truly hopeful for the first time in months, and once again takes his hand in hers, planting a kiss on the top of it. "Thank you," she smiles up at him, and Kakashi feels as though maybe he's getting better too.

He feels powerful; better, prepared for anything and everything life may throw at him. Throw at them. "You need to rest," he says, and she nods in agreement, lying back down on the hospital bed. He notices that she doesn't let go of his hand. He thinks that's a good sign; it must mean that she's relying on him more already.

-

Sakura grimaces as she reties his arm bandages. Naruto's in the hospital…again.

She feels sick and sorry as she wraps the white bandages around his wounded arms. Even though he's been in the hospital plenty of times…this time it's different. This time it's worse. This time it's because of her.

He had gone to try and bring Sasuke back, to fulfill his promise of a lifetime, only to be beaten to a bloody pulp. He hasn't woken up for a couple of days, and she's getting more and more worried by the minute. And more and more guilty.

It feels like she's let her whole team down, all because she's still not strong enough. Still the weakling, still the handicap. Naruto is still protecting her, still fighting her battles for her. Kakashi is still hoping for her to finally bloom into a strong and respectable kunoichi. Sasuke… she wasn't strong enough to save him, not tough and brave enough to keep him in Konoha. Despite how much she's grown in the past year, she's eons away from their level, and she can only hope that in the coming years, Tsunade will be able to turn her into a powerful medic.

She nearly breaks the vial of medicine in her hand from frustration. She's already lost Sasuke. She doesn't want to lose Naruto as well. She fills a syringe with the medicine in her grasp and hands it over to the nurse that's just come in to administer the shot. "He'll be just fine," the nurse smiles at her. "Give him a few more days, and he'll be up and running like nothing's happened."

She looks up at the nurse and nods, unable to fake a smile. "Is there any permanent damage?"

The nurse's smile widens. "Nope, everything seems to be ok! It's a good thing he's a fast healer!"

Sakura is sitting in the chair beside his bed now, and manages to give the nurse a small smile. At least there's a bit of good news. "You might want to step outside, get some fresh air, Sakura-san," the nurse suggests, leaving the room, "It's a beautiful day today."

She looks out the window and sees that indeed, it is a beautiful day. The sun is shining with all its might, the birds are chirping at their windowsill, and even the trees look green. Even so, everything seems so dull. All the colours seem faded, seem sadder. And then her eyes focus on the window itself, and she vaguely sees her reflection in it. She can't help but notice how her colours seem washed out too; her pink hair doesn't look so bright, her red dress looks more crimson, and her green eyes appear glassy. Before her, she sees a weakling, a nuisance. Then the sunshine outside gets even brighter, and her reflection lights up as well. Her colours look healthy and vibrant now. In her red dress, she sees not failure, but success. In her pink hair, she sees not weakness, but strength. In her green eyes, she sees not anguish, but hope.

She's finally getting the opportunity to see herself for what she could be, for who she is. She is finally made aware of her full potential, seeing it before her for the first time. There is no longer a frightened girl in the window, but a fearless kunoichi. She grins happily at the female before her, and decides she rather likes the new image. She decides that's what she's going to be when she's grown up. The brave solider in the window, not the helpless teenager in the chair.

Naruto wakes up right then, but she doesn't notice him immediately. He sits up, watching her stare at the window, and he realizes that there is something different about her. Her entire aura is changed. When she finally notices that he is awake, she looks over at him and he is stunned by what he sees. In her eyes he sees passion, determination, and what those in Konoha can only describe as the will of fire. She grins at him, overjoyed that he is awake just in time to see her become someone new. Someone better. "I will protect you," she declares firmly, "From now on, I will protect all of you."

His eyes soften. "Sakura-chan…"

"You've all fought for me countless times, protected me countless times, saved me countless times. It's my turn to become strong and do the same for you."

He's surprised by her declaration, but knows better than to try to talk her out of anything. When she gets that determined looks in her eyes, he knows that there's no stopping her. It's a quality of her that he's always admired. It's what makes her strong, it's what makes her herself. So he doesn't try and tell her that she's strong enough already, he doesn't try talking her out of anything, and he doesn't try to explain to her that no matter how strong she gets, he will always be there to protect her. Instead, he simply grins back up at her, and in that loud voice of his, exclaims, "Do your best Sakura-chan! We're all cheering you on!"

-

He feels strong.

She feels strong.

He looks down at her now sleeping figure, and notices that she's fallen asleep with a smile on her face. He'll do anything to protect that smile. Do anything to protect her. Rin.

He continues to beam up at her in that way that gives her hope, and she realizes that she'll do anything to protect that smile of his. Do anything to protect him. Naruto.

He's sure he can do it; she gives him his strength.

She's sure she will succeed; he gives her her strength.

No more being afraid Kakashi he tells himself, no more running away. It's his turn to repay the favour; he will protect his team (what's left of it) from now on.

No more being afraid Sakura, she tells herself, no more running away. It's her turn to repay the favour; she will protect her team from now on.

It's up to him.

It's all on her.

He will not fail.

She will not fail.

He will save them if it's the last thing he does.

She will save them if it's the last thing she does.

Because he loves them.

Because she loves them.