Illusions and Reality

Uchiha Obito was dead. He had been dead for three long years. He was now sixteen. Obito's heart had stopped beating, his lungs ceased to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and his left eye saw nothing…ever since he saw his former comrade push his Chidori through Rin's chest. He could still remember the fear on her face and the barely-concealed tears. Her face…her lovely face was now still. Rin had not loved him, Obito knew that. She had loved Hatake Kakashi, the young man who had vowed to protect her. It was him who killed her. Obito closed his eyes and tried to suppress the anger that surged within him. He wasn't angry with Kakashi. He was angry with reality. Somehow in his heart, the young Uchiha knew that his former friend had been forced to kill Rin. He had seen Kakashi cry, something that he hadn't seen before in their years together. Obito was angry that Rin's death was the sacrifice for peace, just as his "death" had been. Vividly he remembered Madara's words. "Because you were hurt, others were saved…am I wrong?" Obito remembered the pain, the agonizing pain that had rendered him useless, unable to protect anyone. He had been certain that he would die…but he hadn't. He had lived and Rin had died.

Obito would have rather died in her stead. She wasn't supposed to die. Kakashi….he was supposed to protect her. Tears had coated both their faces from her death. Nande, he had thought. Nande? His rage and sorrow had slaughtered people. Obito never thought that he would be able to commit such an act. He had, and that hadn't changed the outcome. Rin was still cold. Both of them had been drenched in blood. In their enemies' blood. He remembered holding her, her long hair coated with blood, wanting to hear her voice again. Sometimes in silence, Obito could still remember Rin's voice, her laugh, and her smile. "Rin…just once more…just once more, I'll create a world with you in it." Obito would create a world where peace and love would exist, and no meaningless sacrifices and death would have to be made.

The grief and sorrow that etched his voice that day still echoed in his mind. Reality…I hate it, Obito thought. You were right, Itachi. Although Itachi had been a child when Obito had last seen him, his clan had been proud of him, seeing the greatness within the child. But they hadn't foreseen Itachi becoming a pacifist from the war, the war that had taken so much from the shinobi world. Obito had refused to believe that Rin had died until he touched her still neck, just like the time had had disbelieved her to be injured. "People live their lives bound by what they accept as correct and true. That's how they define "reality". But what does it mean to be "correct" or "true"? Merely vague concepts… their "reality" may all be a mirage. Can we consider them to simply be living in their own world, shaped by their beliefs?"A part of Obito had died when his love had died, and that part would never return.

He had become Uchiha Madara shortly after the Third Great Shinobi World War. New lives were born and old lives were steadily forgotten. Obito had watched his former village from afar, seeing it forgetting the death and sorrow that had once plagued it. His clan had forgotten him. Minato-sensei and Kakashi had forgotten Rin. Obito remembered what Madara had once told him. "The longer you live…the more you realize that reality is just made up of pain, suffering, and emptiness... Do you understand? This applies to everything in this world. Where there is light, there will definitely be a shadow."

I will create a world where there will be no peace, no war, no sadness, and no happiness. Everyone…everyone will just be…and exist, never fading. Obito stood on top of the Hokage Mountain. As a boy, he had wanted to be Hokage, but that dream had died with Rin. Rin's death had caused him to see the reality before him, and to past beyond the illusion of sacrifice and peace. Now his dream was simpler, more humble…more like a savior of the world, because of her. Wait for me, Rin. You'll be with me, Kakashi, and everyone. Just wait…my love.