Promises Remembered

Part 2 Chapter 10

A/N I always feel like there are things I want to say that I forget until well after I've posted. Thank you for all the awesome and helpful and conflicting ideas! lol To be honest, I'm still not sure what I am going to do. I am currently working on a few inspired scenes that will probably end up in a deleted scenes chapter at the end but I had to write them. IDK yet. But don't worry. I am getting back into the swing of writing. I am hopeful I will have it finished by the time my posting catches up with what I have written. I really love this chapter too. Let me know what you think of my changes to canon! 

Part 2 Chapter 10

Kakashi

Day two-thousand nine-hundred fifty-two without her

He knew if he used the Mangekyo again, it would be the end. But he had to save Choji. He had to make it to Tsunade. If Pain wasn't defeated, there was every chance his son, and everyone else that had evacuated, would be killed. Kakashi didn't know how, but something must have changed.

Exhausted, dying, he didn't care. All he cared about was protecting his son. So he used the last of his chakra to ensure Choji got to the Hokage with his information. All he could do now was hope his son would be safe, that Sakura was safe.

Maybe Naruto would come back.

He didn't know.

He was dying.

He pictured his son as he'd seen him that morning, smiling brightly as he ran off to the Academy. The first time he successfully stood on water and the jubilant, proud grin he'd worn for days. He saw him as a chubby, giggling toddler chasing around excited ninken. The first time he'd held him...

He saw her, his Sakura. Peeking up at him with that beautiful smile on their wedding day. Flushed, mouth open in the throes of pleasure. Heavily pregnant, absolutely glowing, pressing his hands to her belly to feel their son move. With her seal activated, saying goodbye... begging him to never leave their son.

'I'm sorry, Sakura... I'm sorry, my love. I failed you. I broke my promise. I couldn't stay... I did the best I could. I hope you'll forgive me.'

Darkness.

That's all there was.

Empty darkness.

Until it wasn't. What?

There was a campfire. Not knowing what else to do, he approached. Closer, he realized there was someone there. For one painful, fleeting second he imagined it was Sakura. But then the shadows shifted with the flickering fire and the figure turned slightly. It was a man, and when the flames illuminated his face, Kakashi saw that the man was his father.

His heart leapt in his chest, mixed emotions he hadn't let himself dwell on in decades suddenly overwhelming him.

What did it mean that it was his father here waiting for him? Surely if Sakura were actually dead, she would be waiting for him. Did that mean she really was going to come back? And now... he wouldn't be there waiting for her. Heart breaking just a little bit more, he sat beside his father.

"Now that we're both here... will you tell me your story?"

What? His story? Was he serious? "Nice to see you too, Dad." Catching his tone, Sakumo looked over at him curiously. "It's been almost three decades since you killed yourself, and that's the first thing you say to me? Tell you my story? How about you?"

Now that he was here, face to face with the man, Kakashi found he had a lot of big and conflicting feelings about him. "Before any story time, where are we? Why are you here? I am assuming that since my wife isn't here, she must still be alive after all. Do you know anything about that?"