He stared unseeing in the grey. Before him stood figments of his past. Yellow. Black. Red. Haunting flashes of color. Blue. Red. Green. Eyes glazed with hate, contempt, love, and caring. People wonder where his mind goes, why he is always late.
Time means nothing to those whose lives dwell in the past. At all hours, he sees them. As he drinks coffee in the morning, they are there. When he is out on missions and doing unspeakable things, they are there. During the shower he takes to remove the blood and grime and memories from said missions, they are there. No matter what he did, had done, or will do, they would always, have always, and will always be standing before him.
While most would be afraid at seeing the dead or angered with being haunted, he was neither. He saw no reason to fear old friends, beyond the grave or not. He saw no reason to be angered by said old friends wishing to stay with him – either out of love or hate.
Not that they would ever speak. It did not matter to him. At first, when he initially saw them, yes. In fact, he had almost screamed himself hoarse when he originally caught a glimpse of Obito that first morning.
Now though, he was content with the company.
Who else can say that their friends loved them so much that they still visit, going to far as to past the barrier to the land of the living? Not many, he can assure you.
He knows he is most likely crazy. In fact, he faithfully believes that he is completely delusional. After all, why is he the only one to see such visions, ones of old friends long lost?
But he strives on such facts.
They are the whole reason he became such grand shinobi. How else would he have been able to face death countless times during his daily life? How else would he have been able to face life again after more and more of his partners died in combat?
It is because he knows that when that final cut bleeds its last drop and he breathes his last breath from shaky lungs there will be those he loves and those who have loved him will be waiting to welcome with open arms.