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prologue

"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura. Yup, you make a pretty picture right now. I really love you guys..."

The fight was finally coming to an end.

Kakashi watched from the sidelines as Sakura's punch sent Kaguya flying backwards, and Naruto made the switch between them. Kaguya was now absolutely stuck, sandwiched between Sasuke and eccentric blonde. Their arms were extended, and they seemed to be moving towards the goddess at a snail-like pace. Just one touch would seal the woman, one touch to send her back where she came from. They were so close to saving the world.

Kakashi wasn't normally the type of person to naïvely hope for a good outcome, but their victory seemed so certain. His heart was soaring. He was so proud of them. Watching his adorable little students work together so flawlessly was the best thing he'd seen in a long time.

Although that really wasn't saying anything, no one had seen anything particularly great while the war was going on. Kakashi recalled how his little team used to be like when they were Genin- annoying little kids, with no idea of how the real world was. Kakashi had hated the idea of becoming a teacher, but he had no regrets now. Now, they were Kakashi's pride and joy.

Team 7 finally had her- they got Kaguya. Kakashi's eyes widened in anticipation as Naruto and Sasuke's hands neared their target. They were so close to ending this.

Until... they weren't.

Kaguya teleported herself into the freezing dimension just before Naruto and Sasuke could seal her away. Kakashi hadn't thought she would be able to do that- she had seemed so... stuck.

Kakashi's heart dropped to his stomach. All three of them had landed by now, Kakashi himself was standing on solid ground.

The four of them were silent, now. Kaguya hadn't even returned yet, but they knew what was coming. They were resigned. That jutsu had been their last hope, and the setup had been perfect. They had just sentenced themselves to death. The people in the outside world would keep living a genjutsu forever, the tree slowly sucking the chakra out of them until they all died. That was their destiny. Neji Hyūg always maintained that you could never avoid your destiny forever. His destiny had been to die for his cousin. He fulfilled that. And now, the four people standing in a circle had just locked themself into that destiny. There was nothing else they could do.

Kaguya came back, as she always did. Reappearing from the whole she tore in the dimensions, she looked down, kimono and snow-white hair billowing out behind her. She looked like a beautiful disaster, Kakashi decided, feeling the intense pearls of her eyes bearing down on him with a disgusted expression. She was glaring scornfully at the four of them, all standing in a circle and staring up at her. "Pathetic." Black Zetsu spat, hidden in Kaguya's sleeve. "Kill them, mother." He said. He didn't have to ask twice, Kaguya began preparing her All-Killing Ash Bones to finish the job, just like Black Zetsu encouraged her to do.

All four of them turned to look down at their feet, heads bowed solemnly. Remembering while they still could. This was that one minute where their life flashes before their eyes. Sakura, Kakashi and Naruto were recalling all of the people and all of the happy memories they shared.

Naruto grabbed the hands of the people next to him, Sakura and Kakashi. He squeezed them, providing the them with emotional support. The two of them opened their eyes to stare at Naruto, then Sakura linked her arm with Sasuke, and Kakashi put his hand in Sasuke's shoulder. The two of them were surprised that he didn't shrug them off. There were unshed tears brimming behind both Sakura and Naruto's eyes. They'd seen many horrors over the past few weeks, and now it was all going to end so terribly. For a minute, they'd actually thought they were going to make it, they were going to save the ones who were left.