And there it was: the denial Kakashi knew would come if he left even the slightly chance for it. It wasn't like he could blame Naruto. He'd just barely learned about his master's death, and now he had to learn about his teacher's. Kakashi could think of so many things he wished he could tell Naruto to somehow make it worth it. That the village had defeated Pain, the they'd overcome in the end...that he really had just spent a long time in bed. But Kakashi knew better. He'd know the consequence before he'd taken the action, at least for the most part.

Telling his student about his death after the fact wasn't something he'd been able to predict.

"No, Naruto. It wasn't..." There was anger in his voice, but not for the ninja he was speaking to. He was furious at this place for ever putting them in this position. He was furious with Pain for killing him in the first place.

He was furious with himself for being too damn weak to have died that way.

"It wasn't something I could recover from. I died, Naruto."