"Itsuko! The village is under attack. They need your help. They're being overwhelmed! You need to turn back now." Kurama was yelling at her at this point. He had been trying to convince her to turn back for the past five minutes, but she had completely ignored him. With his experience, he knew that if Itsuko were to go on ahead, what she was about to witness would destroy her. Kurama knew why she was like this; he knew why she was frantically trying to reach out and find Kakashi. But he also knew that she was in denial. Currently, she wants to be there to save her lover from what was inevitable.

Wherever they were having this secret meeting, it had kept Itsuko away. Scouting, abilities, nothing seemed to help her secure their location. All she could rely on was her instincts. But that didn't get her very far until a few hours later. It was already noon by then. Kurama had gone silent. He knew very well nothing he said would have mattered now.

It was out in the empty field filled with beautiful flowers. Upfront, she could make out Kakashi's figure along with two others. Her heart was racing so fast it felt like it would stop beating. "Kakashi!"

"Ah, the guest of honor has arrived. It looks like we should take our leave Sasuke." A deep distant voice said. It seemed so familiar but so foreign to Itsuko. But at that moment, she couldn't be concerned with anything other than Kakashi, who was severely injured. Instantly, she felt a fire set inside her. She was going to make them pay for what they've done.

Upon sensing her anger, both men knew it wasn't going to be an easy escape, but they needed to get away if they were going to survive.

To the other male's surprise, Sasuke spoke first. "Why don't you introduce yourself to my dear sister Obito?"

Hearing the name put Itsuko in a sudden wave of shock. He was dead. Obito was killed back then, and she knew it. There was no way that was Obito.

Sasuke took the opportunity to unmask the man before escaping. Cursing under his breath, the man laughed, realizing how foolish he had been to think the young Uchiha was going to follow through with their plan. He just wanted to survive and achieve his own goals. Nothing else mattered to him.

"Obito? No way, he's dead." Itsuko stared at the man in shock. He had facial features similar to Obito. It would explain why his voice sounded so familiar. But she couldn't believe it. Itsuko's disbelief was apparent to the man. He didn't know what he should say. This wasn't exactly a pleasant reunion. "I didn't die."

Without another word, she rushed head-on against Obito. She threw everything she had at him, backing him into a corner to use his Sharingan. He had to if he wanted to live. But, at the same time, this let her enter his head. She could no longer harm him here. It was his territory now.

"You betrayed us. Do you know how much pain you put all of us in? You lived, but you let us believe we were dead! How could you do this to us after everything we've been through together?" It wasn't the reunion she imagined to have with her old teammates. She had always thought she would be happier to see them that she'd be able to live freely and enjoy time spent with them again. "And now you conspired with Sasuke to kill Kakashi..? How could you?"

"He's a murderer. He killed Rin! Open your eyes, Itsuko. He's the real enemy here. He's the one that ruined our team. He was always the one spoiling things. Or maybe you're on his side because you're just as good as he is, a heartless murderer." Obito stood, not moving an inch. The bright child who dreamt of being Hokage would have never betrayed his team this way. He would have never lived quietly doing who knows what?

"Don't taint his name. You're not Obito." Itsuko mumbled under her breath. She had easily broken out of his tricks and applied her very own. They were never in his territory. It was an illusion all along. Killing him off was simple now. She had seen it all. The way he worked with the Akatsuki, his hate towards Kakashi, his betrayal. It was enough justification for her to end him. He wasn't the Obito she cherished anymore.

And with that, he felt no pain. He felt nothing at all. He felt more alive than he had been for the past years. The feeling of freedom hit him. He was finally free from his grudges. Attacking Kakashi and defeating him did nothing of this sort. He still felt bitter. Never once in his life would he have thought that death was all he sought all along.

"Kakashi! Kakashi! Can you hear me? Please hang in there. I'll heal you, alright? You'll be okay." Itsuko, on the other hand, who had finally gotten Kakashi back, was now about to lose him again. His vital organs were bleeding out too fast. Despite that, she refused to give up. Instead, she poured whatever she could into healing him.

"Itsuko..." Kakashi managed a weak smile. He raised his shaky hand, reaching for her face once more. Tears escaped Itsuko's eyes, but she completely ignored it. Instead, she repeated over and over, "You'll be okay. You'll be fine. It's going to be okay."

She didn't lose even a bit of focus, no matter how much tears streamed down her cheeks. Healing Kakashi was all that mattered to her now. She couldn't lose anyone else again. Not anymore. Not after losing everyone else.

"Itsuko... Please stop it. It's okay. I know the time has come..." Using his thumb, he managed to wipe her tears. "Itsuko, listen to me...Please..."

His every word made her sob harder. But by now, she had to stop healing him. He had gotten her attention. "I don't regret anything I've done in this life. I got to meet you, become your boyfriend, that's more than enough for me. But, if...if I'm allowed to, in my next life, I want to meet you again. I want to fall head over heels for you all over again. I want to watch the stars with you again, wake up next to you again...I want to be yours again, be loved by you again...I'm sorry I couldn't stay with you any longer. I love you, Itsuko."

With the last bit of energy he had, he pulled her into an embrace. A tear was escaping as he let out his last breath. Itsuko was sobbing heavily now. She screamed so loud that she could no longer scream. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't feel anymore. Was she supposed to live on? But how could she?

It was an injustice. It hurt. Nobody lived. So why was she still alive? She killed. She was the monster. She was the one with no control. She was the one who always sinned. She was the sinner. It hurt her to live. Every breath she took tore her lungs apart. Every beat of her heart tore its muscles apart.

"I love you too, Kakashi." That was all she managed to say. Itsuko could barely hear her own voice, she only hung on barely now...