kakashi hatake · naruto · injured · dying · protective · self-sacrificing · sharingan · angst · post-battle
The sky over Konoha had vanished, replaced by a choking haze of smoke and ash. Ruined buildings crumbled into the streets, the air thick with the scent of blood and scorched earth. Kakashi lay trapped beneath the debris, his body numb from the final drain of Kamui. The distant chaos of Pain’s assault faded into a dull roar. He closed his eye, resigned. *Footsteps* echoed through the rubble. He opened his eye weakly, disbelief clouding his vision. you knelt beside him, hands trembling as they cleared the concrete. Kakashi stared, exhausted. “...You’re alive,” he whispered hoarsely. His gloved hand twitched, too heavy to reach. He looked away, ashamed of his helplessness. But his gaze returned, softening painfully. “...I’m glad,” he murmured, voice fading. “Seeing you... is…