Atonement

Chapter 29

Hi guys, so uhm, I'm not sure how to tell you but this is going to be the last chapter of Atonement. There will be some kind of epilogue in the next couple of days - probably. Thank you so much for all of your comments and votes throughout the whole book, I had so much fun writing this story because of it. 

Stella x

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It was the 10th of October at exactly 5.35 pm when the sky darkened, and all hell broke loose.

Anko and Kakashi had spent the night together in his room at the Uchiha clan head house and since then they hadn't been apart for even a minute. Sometime during that night young Itachi had crawled into his brother's bed and snuggled between the two shinobi. He had been woken up by a bad feeling with tears in his eyes and had done the first thing that had come to his mind.

Find his Nii-san who would undoubtedly keep him safe.

Kakashi hadn't hesitate to embrace the shaken boy and nobody would know that he had held on to two of his precious people a little bit tighter that night.

In the morning they had had a nice breakfast with Mikoto and at some moments - unnoticed by anyone - Kakashi's hands had trembled in something akin to fear and he had quickly hidden them from the sight of the others.

Then the time traveller, Anko and Itachi had spent the rest of the day playing with Baby Sasuke and Baby Sakura. Kakashi had enjoyed every single minute with them and even if nobody else knew what was going to happen, they had noticed the tense atmosphere and had been clingier and touchier than usual.

When it had been time for Sasuke's and Sakura's nap and Itachi had promised to stay with Mebuki-san, who would watch over the two babies that afternoon, Kakashi had decided to walk through Konoha with Anko - subconsciously visiting all of his important places for what might be very well the last time.

At exactly 5.35 pm they stood in front of the memorial stone, Kakashi having wrapped his arms around Anko as she leaned against his chest, when suddenly the sky darkened to a pitch black colour and a storm arose. Kakashi was the first to noticed and when he did, he tightened his grip around Anko so hard that his knuckles turned white and his girlfriend turned to look at him confused by the sudden pain. But when her eyes noticed the paleness of his face and the thin line of sweat covering his body, her lips tightened to a thin straight line and she bit the inside of her cheek in worry.

A loud howl shook Konoha and it was as if it was some kind of signal to Kakashi because the Jounin appeared to be ripped out of his motionless state. Without spending a look at his worried girlfriend, he grabbed her wrist and formed with his other hand the sign of a shunshin.

Anko hadn't even known that he had perfected the use of only one handed seals.

The ringing of the alarm bells of Konoha greeted her ears when she and Kakashi appeared in front of what she recognised as Mebukis' house. The time traveller pulled her determined with him, still not talking to her.

Suddenly the house door was thrown open and a frantic Mebuki stormed outside only to stop when she noticed Kakashi and Anko. Panic-stricken she ran towards them.

"Kakashi! You need to help me! They are out there with Itachi-kun!"

Sakura's mother tore her fingers violently through her hair as she paced hysterically in front of the two shinobi. The children had only been gone for like an hour and only because the two babies had woken up much earlier than planned. And Itachi had been so kind to offer to go out with them but if she had known...

A cold feeling of panic and fear filled Kakashi and Anko was the only one to know of it because this grip around her wrist tightened even more, so that his nails ended up cutting into her flesh. But she didn't wince knowing that Kakashi had enough on his mind already.