Watch My Back As I Move On

Chapter 56: Spirit in the Material World

"Kakashi-sensei, I entrust you with Kabuto." Sakura said, leaning the fainted Zetsu on a tree as she stood up. Kakashi merely gave her a nod. With that Sakura ran for Itachi and Pein. For the sole purpose of freeing them from the jutsu.

Sakura watches Itachi's movements from a tree with her chakra suppressed. She found an opening and immediately lunged at him. Her eyes widened when Itachi turned and sent a punch straight at her face, sending her a few meters back. Itachi's guard perked when he saw a puff of smoke in place of the Sakura he just punched.

Itachi jumped back just as the ground under him cracked and gave up. He turned only to see Sakura looking at him with intense eyes. "Where did you bring Itachi?!" Sakura roared, her emerald eyes glistening with anger. Just then, Itachi smirked. Itachi was engulfed in a puff of smoke. As the smoke disperse, a silver hair can be clearly seen. "Kabuto!" Sakura shouted, tightening her fists to the point that they bleed.

"Such sharp eyes you have there." Kabuto slyly said, taking his glasses from his pocket. "You're merely a clone." Sakura stated, glaring at Kabuto. "Yes, I am a clone. Nonetheless, I'm of the same level as my original self. " Kabuto stated, taking a step forward. Sakura stared at Kabuto intently.

Sakura's eyes never left Kabuto's. She sent a wave of her chakra throughout the area. She lunged at Kabuto with unbelievable speed the moment she sensed Itachi from deep within the woods, unconscious.

The clone's eyes widened, unpredicting Sakura's enraged punch. Wih that, the clone turned into a puff of smoke. Sakura took no time to waste and headed for the woods.

Sakura panted, desperately searching for Itachi. "S-sa--" a voice weakly said. Sakura quickly turned, only to see a hand being engulfed by the tree. Doing as she was instructed, Sakura focused a small amount of chakra into her palm. Quickly, she touched the tree, causing it to wither away, like in the genjutsu.

Itachi's fatigued figure fell from within the tree. Sakura caught Itachi just before his figure touched the ground. Sakura lied Itachi's head on her lap. "It wasn't.... a genjutsu. Free them....before it's too late." Itachi weakly said as his fatigued onyx eyes stared at Sakura's emerald.

Sakura wasted no time and healed Itachi's wounds. "Itachi, right now, Zetsu is unconscious. Kakashi-sensei is currently protecting Zetsu and the kids from Kabuto. Please, I'm giving you half of my remaining chakra. Please, help them." Sakura said, tears falling, making Itachi's eyes widen. Sakura's hand lied on top of Itachi's chest. She wasted no time to send a wave of her chakra into his system. Itachi stared at Sakura as she did her job.

A few seconds later, Itachi gripped Sakura's hand as he sat up, stopping what Sakura was doing in the process. "Sakura, it's my turn to protect you. It's my turn to fight for you. The moment you and Naruto-kun stated my worth, that is the only moment I decided to free myself, to live for my younger brother. So please, burden yourself no more." Itachi stated poking her forehead like he does his little brother with a small smile on his face. "Be careful." With that said, Itachi stood and walked away from Sakura, leaving Sakura to stare at him with tear-filled eyes. "Thank you." Sakura whispered.

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Kabuto laughed at Kakashi's idiocy of sending Sakura away. "What can a mere spirit do?" Kabuto calmly asked, smirking at Kakashi. "So you knew?" Kakashi asked, not taking his eyes away from Kabuto for even a second. "Of course. Once you are killed with the jutsu activated, your spirit will lurk the material world. Within 15 days you will pass on. Apparently, you were killed 10 days ago. You better savor your remaining times in this world." Kabuto cunningly explained.

"I'll savor it. I'll spend my remaining times regretting not being a sensei to Sakura when she needed me the most." Kakashi stated, glaring at Kabuto. "So you do realize your mistake." A deep, yet familiar voice said, making Kakashi and Kabuto look his way. "You couldn't have forgotten about me, now could you, Kakashi?"

To Be Continued...