Her we go, a little later than planned, but it's here now, the last installment. The trilogy piece, to "What the f?" and "Genjutsu"
I own nothing -literally, you sue and all you'll get will be bubble gum and my hamster.
Living.
CRASH!
Obito sleepily opened his eye and blinked rapidly as harsh sunlight hit it searing into his head. He stared at the offending object that had dared to wake him up, it was a lamp. He continued to stare at it confused, until he realised that the lamp wasn't Kakashi's and it certainly wasn't his, he didn't even own a lamp. Obito sat up grumpily running a hand through his spiky black hair and yawned widely. Glancing at the window he was standing before it a second later, leaning out and screaming at the woman below.
"Hey you old hag, what the hell did yah throw a lamp through the window for?"
The woman stopped shouting and blinked; she raised her skinny little fist and shook it. Obito wondered how she'd had the strength to throw the lamp in the first place. What kind of a person carries a lamp around this early anyway?
"Stop that infernal racket," the old woman shrieked now brandishing what appeared to be a walking stick and looking very much like she'd like nothing better than to beat the black-haired shinobi round the head with it. Does she even realise I can kill her from here, Obito wondered absently.
"What racket?"
"What racket?" the old woman shrieked in disbelief, Obito winced at the extra volume and pitch the skinny old witch had managed to inject into her voice. "That alarms been going off for three hours!"
Alarm? What alarm? It's too early for my alarm yet… Oops.
The clock on the stand by the bed Obito was crashing in in Kakashi's spare room read 10:00 and was indeed being very loud. Obito scratched at the back of his head while grinning embarrassedly, "Sorry lady," he yelled down to her then ducked when the cane came hurtling towards his head.
Kakashi's going to bill me for the window I just know it, Obito sighed turning off the alarm clock, and I'm late.
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Obito skidded to a stop in front of his friend who glared at him impatiently.
"Obito you're late."
Obito's eye widened before he grinned, he'd caught the note of teasing to Kakashi's admonishment. "Well, you see, there was this old lady who was having a bit of trouble with a lamp…"
Kakashi sighed and rolled his visible eye, "Enough, its just one lame excuse after another with you isn't it Obito?"
"What?" Obito shrieked in indignation waving his arms wildly at his friend, "You just wait till you see your window."
Kakashi gave him a strange look, "If you broke a window, you're paying for it."
Obito's face dropped, I knew it! "I can't," he then retorted brightly, "Tsunade won't give me missions remember?"
"Hokage-sama," Kakashi corrected, "and she won't give you missions until we determine your skill level."
Obito grinned, "Well if I was a chunnin when I died then I'm guessing I'm a chunnin now."
Kakashi snorted, "Yes but you were also a thirteen year old boy when you died and now look at you."
Obito's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline, "Are you calling me a girl?"
"No you idiot," Kakashi snapped whacking the black-haired shinobi round the head, "I'm saying you're an adult now."
"I knew that."
"Of course you did, right we've got all day to get this done."
Obito paled, "Get what done?"
Kakashi grinned a predatory grin that if he hadn't been wearing his mask would have exposed his teeth. "You and I are gonna fight."
Obito grinned as well and slipped into the Uchiha fighting stance, Kakashi blinked, it had been a long time since he'd seen that stance, Sasuke never really used it. He lazily took out his Icha Icha book and idly flipped a page one handed.
"What are you doing?" Obito asked from several meters away, Kakashi swallowed his surprise trying not to let it show on his face, when had he moved back?
Kakashi slowly moved his hip slightly, a soft tinkling sound filled the air, Obito grinned, "If you don't come at me with the intent to kill, you will never get this bell."
Obito laughed and attacked.
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The two shinobi lay panting in the middle of a much abused field, craters and great flame-seared patched littered the surrounding area which was dotted with smashed trees. Some two hundred meters away an orange book lay abandoned, its well-worn pages gradually becoming saturated with the remnants of the mud that Obito had created with an earth-style jutsu in an attempt to block Kakashi's movements.
Kakashi could not remember when he had been forced to drop the book and use both hands to defend himself from the Uchihas' attacks. He decided that it had sometime during Obito's great fireball technique, and briefly wondered when Obito had gotten so strong. His friend was at least at his own level now, strong and experienced enough to become a jounin.
Obito used his hands to push himself forwards, elevating his head and torso to look down at the silver-haired ninja beside him.
"Weird or what?" Obito commented. Kakashi simply raised a slim eyebrow in response. Seeing that his friend was apparently not going to be actively contributing to the conversation anytime soon, Obito continued, "I definitely wasn't that strong when I died, I didn't even know half of those jutsu's and I wasn't that strong or fast, but its like now my body just knew how to do it."
Kakashi frowned, the fabric of his mask creasing as he chewed at his lower lip in thought. Obito briefly wondered if anyone, besides him, had ever gotten close enough to the man to notice this little habit, then decided that sensei had probably known, Minato-sensei and Kakashi had always been close, way before he and Rin had joined the team.
"You know we made a lot of noise, it's a wonder no one came to investigate," remarked Obito thoughtfully.
"Hokage-sama, ordered us not to be disturbed," Kakashi mumbled, "I have to report the results to her soon."
"You'd better go and do that then," Obito exclaimed cheerfully, "Wouldn't want to be late now, remember what she did to Jiraiya when he was late with news she wanted?" The speed at which his friend got to his feet told the black-haired ninja that yes he did remember. Obito chuckled; the white-haired Sannin had looked so funny with a banana poking out of his nose.
Kakashi glared down at the noise, he winced slightly as the movements pulled at many sore muscles, bruises, cuts and was that a broken rib? Scowling he waved at his friend before trudging off in the vaguest direction of the Hokage-tower.
Grinning Obito got to his feet and dusted himself off, wincing as he did so, his black trousers and jumper were filthy, he still wasn't wearing the Uchiha fan on his clothes, Tsunade had warned him against it. Grumbling slightly he hobbled over to where Kakashi's book lay, the man had looked so dismayed when he had dropped it, picking it up, Obito passed to look at the cover and paused when he read the name. Jiraiya? Intrigued, Obito flicked to the first page of the book, scanning the words his face turned bright red and he hurled the book down into the mud once more, "Bleurgh."
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"Enter."
Kakashi pushed open the heavy doors and walked into the Hokages' office trying not to limp too much. It had been an agonising walk here as his chakra had been too low to travel in any more pleasant, and faster, way. Tsunade raised an elegant golden eyebrow at his state and Kakashi dully wondered why he'd even bothered trying to hide it, still if the Hokage was going to ignore it, then he would to.
"Report." Tsunade's voice broke through the air sharply, seated at her desk, her elbows resting on the wood, her chin supported by her knuckles she gave off a calm aura. Shizune standing beside and slightly behind her was the perfect picture of serenity, Kakashi suppressed an urge to snort for both these appearances were probably deceiving, Shizune, though adorable as a person, was almost permanently clueless, and the Hokage herself was probably drunk. Out of everyone in the room, Kakashi was forced to conclude, Tonton the pig was probably in the best shape for this report right now. To that end he began his report by tilting his head slightly in Tontons direction, ignoring the expression on Tsunade's lovely face knowing that she knew exactly what was running through his mind right now.
When he had finished detailing the fight and recounting what Obito himself had said at the end, Kakashi stood in his customary slouch and brazenly stared out of the large windows.
Tsunade frowned, "It's as though he kept learning when he died, and as he also seemed to keep maturing, I'd say that he's probably at the level that he would be now if he hadn't been killed. Kakashi do you think he'd make a capable jounin?"
"He hasn't had any experience of leading mission, but he has the power and the knowledge."
Tsunade nodded, "In that case I'll elevate Obito Uchiha to the ranks of jounin and send him out on a few missions with you and your team to let him find his feet again."
Kakashi nodded and turned to leave, after only a few steps he stopped and half turned, "Hokage-sama, what do you intend to tell people, you've managed to keep the people who know about his return quiet so far, but he's going to be recognised soon."
Tsunade nodded, "I'll call a shinobi meeting and explain the situation so there will be no problems."
Kakashi silently left the room.
"Oh and drop by the hospital to have yourself checked over," came the amused call.
Letting the door swing shut, Kakashi blanched, no way, but maybe he'd tell Obito he was ordered to go.
It had been two days since Tsunade made the announcement that Obito Uchiha was alive and returned to the village. Obito had blushed and stammered the entire way through the presentation, a fact, Kakashi had noticed, that did not go unappreciated by the villages kunoichi population, added together with Obito's apparent good looks and it seemed that, once they were over the shock that a dead shinobi had returned to the village twenty years later, they were more than happy to have the Uchiha back.
The only person who did not seem to be pleased was Sasuke, the teenager kept cold black eyes trained on Obito the entire time that he was renewing old acquaintances and friendships.
Another person who had not taken her eyes off the man was Tenten, although Sakura was reasonably sure that she was the only one who had noticed. The girl had kept her brown eyes on the handsome face since she arrived in the hall with her team.
But now it was Kakashi who kept his eyes trained on the tall figure as he sprinted down the road to join the group, who had Kakashi thought angrily, had been waiting for four hours, well Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura had, he'd only been waiting for twenty minutes, but that wasn't the point.
Grinning Obito jogged up to join them, dressed in a black outfit with the Uchiha fan on the back, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Sasuke, who scowled and turned away.
"Sorry I'm late guys, there was an old lady who needed help with her shopping…"
"Oh god, you're as bad as Kakashi-sensei," groaned Naruto.
"Actually he's worse, sensei, was four hours late, Obito was four hours and twenty minutes," remarked Sakura with a slightly murderous glint in her green eyes.
Obito blinked, "Four hours? Oops."
Kakashi sighed, "Now that you're finally here, after we've been waiting for ages…"
"AGES?" screamed Naruto and Sakura, even Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"You've barely even got here yourself," shrieked Sakura.
Kakashi shrugged before shooting a laughing Obito a death glare, "Any way we have a mission."
"Alright," yelled Naruto enthusiastically, "Come on A rank."
"Yes it's an A rank, we need to get to the Hokage tower, so we can be briefed on the specifics."
"You're late!"
"Sorry, Tsunade-baba, it was my fault," Obito said sheepishly, scratching at the back of his hand with one hand.
Tsunade scowled at the black-haired shinobi, before ignoring the reference to her advancing age; usually Naruto was the only one who got away with calling her that. She addressed the five shinobi lined up in front of her, "This is an A rank mission, within the borders of Fire Country. Mercenary ninjas from the land of Rock have been hired to steal a scroll from the Daimyo of the Land of Lightening. Unfortunately they succeeded; ninja from Hidden Cloud pursued but in accordance with the treaties had to back off when the thieves entered our borders. You will retrieve the scroll and take it back to the Hidden Cloud team at the border."
"How long ago did they enter Fire Country? And where did they enter?" Kakashi asked, trying to calculate times and distances.
"They entered at the pass of Hanika two days ago; we received word that they were around the village of Nukito yesterday, which indicates that despite a hard chase through Lightening Country they were still making good time."
Kakashi nodded, "So if they're trying to get back to Rock they'll have to take the Northern road. Do we know their numbers?"
Tsunade nodded, "We hear that there were six of them. Loss of life is acceptable on this mission," she paused slightly, "On their part of course. I expect you back within four days. Good luck shinobi."
The five ninja bowed and silently left the room.
"Okay, we'll set up an ambush along this stretch of road," Kakashi said, indicating a narrow dirt road leading into a gorge in front of them, "the walls will provide cover giving us the element of surprise along with the high ground with which to attack from."
The three Chuunins nodded, but Obito looked dubious, "They'll see the advantages of this stretch as easily as you did though, what if they spring the trap?"
"They'll be so worried about the pursuing Cloud ninja's that they won't be concerned with what's in front of them."
Obito still looked sceptical, but answered in the affirmative anyway.
Kakashi crouched and gestured for the team to imitate him, "This is how we'll do it," he said and picking up a twig, proceeded to draw a rough sketch of the gorge and road in the dust. "Obito, you'll take Naruto and Sakura and station yourselves here," he gestured to the far end of the gorge on the right hand side. "While Sasuke and I will wait here," he stabbed a point in his drawing, close to the gorges opening on the left hand side, "and drive them towards you, where you'll quickly knock them out. Got it?"
"Ah man! How long we gotta wait?"
Obito watched with interest as the twitch in Sakura's forehead got steadily more pronounced. Naruto's volume had been growing throughout the hours that they had been waiting, Obito suppressed a grin, the teenager was just like he used to be.
"I'm REALLY bored!"
"NARUTO!" Sakura had snapped, she launched herself at the blonde with madness in her eyes and death in her fists, only to be brought up short as a strong hand caught her wrist halting her attack.
"Naruto, if the enemy hear you they'll never come through here and then we'll fail the mission got, so keep it down to a dull roar would yah?" Obito sighed; he supposed he had to protect the kid. He let go of the pink haired Kunoichi's wrist and settled back down on the grass to wait. Three feet in front of him, through a screen of dense bush, the grassy plain dropped off into a sheer three hundred meter drop into the gorge. Behind him he could hear the two teenagers begin what sounded like the beginnings of a fantastic argument over who was being the loudest. Obito tried to tune them out and concentrate on the road, waiting for Kakashi and Sasuke to drive the ninja towards them, but leapt to his feet a second later when a terrific bang was heard.
"What was that?" yelped Naruto and joined the other two ninja in surveying a great plume of dust and debris rising into the air at the entrance to the gorge. The road through the gorge curved slightly and the entrance was not visible from their vantage point.
"I'd say an explosion," said Sakura shakily.
"Where Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke are," yelled Naruto leaping forwards. Obito caught him by the collar and hauled him backwards. Tripping over his own feet, Naruto landed on his but. "What did yah do that for? We gotta go help them."
"No, not yet. For all we know either Kakashi or Sasuke set off that blast to drive the enemy over here, we must be ready, if they're not here soon, then we go," Obito replied tensely.
Naruto grumbled but readied himself to attack.
After five minutes however, it was obvious that Kakashi and Sasuke were not driving the enemy ninja down towards them, and Obito lead the two Chuunin p the ravine towards the site of the explosion, he had cautioned them to stealth and was keeping a tight rein over Naruto. "We don't want to go charging in until we know what the situation is."
Now they were creeping up through the branches of the heavy tree cover that could be found at the mouth of the ravine. Once they were within range Naruto and Sakura hung back slightly while Obito surveyed the area; the explosion had blown away an area of the road and the surrounding trees, leaving a large but shallow crater, there were five ninja in the craters centre, four of which were unknown, the last was Sasuke, there was no sign of the other two enemy ninja or Kakashi. Switching his attention back to the group in the crater, Obito saw that Sasuke was on his knees surrounded by the enemy Rock ninja, one said something to Sasuke that Obito didn't catch. Sasuke simply levelled a patented Uchiha glare at the man and said nothing; the ninja scowled and cuffed the black haired boy to the dirt.
Obito narrowed his eyes and returned silently to the two Chuunin crouched on a concealed branch behind him. "I can see four Rock ninja and Sasuke in the middle of a shallow crater dead ahead about two hundred meters," he whispered.
"Where's Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto.
"And the other two Rock ninja?" Sakura looked slightly pale.
"We have to assume that Kakashi's been taken out, we can't rely on him, we also have to assume that the other Rock ninja are waiting for us," Obito's dark eye bored into the two teenagers until they nodded. "Okay, we'll attack fast; I'll get Sasuke while you two cover me, if I manage to incapacitate or kill enough Rock ninja then we'll stay on course with the mission, if not, sprint into the trees and return to Konoha, don't wait for any of us, got it?"
Naruto and Sakura nodded once, "Yes," they both said quietly.
Obito swore and dragged the younger Uchiha to his feet again; he hefted the teenager against his shoulder and kept running. Beside him Sasuke was silent, eyes alert for pursuit but filled with pain that the strain of running was putting on his damaged leg and ribs. Obito glanced at the boy, he would have carried the Chuunin, but his shoulder had been damaged and he couldn't lift him.
They had been running for around ten minutes Obito estimated, since the attack back at the road. "Pursuit?" he asked the black haired teen. Sasuke shook his head. Obito stopped forcing his legs forward and gingerly lowered the boy against the thick trunk of a tree. Sasuke manoeuvred his leg until it lay straight and then lay back and watched Obito.
Obito used a kunai to cut away the remains of Sasuke's black trouser leg until the knee exposing the damage underneath. He pulled bandages out of his pouch and wet them with some water from the bottle at his waist; he bound the leg up tightly then moved to examine the boy's ribs. Probing gently with his fingertips he pulled back when Sasuke hissed in pain. "I think they're broken and I can't do anything for that right now, "Obito said worriedly. The teen only nodded.
The attack on the Rock ninja had failed; Obit had felled two of the four ninja with the first stroke, streaking into the middle and slashing their throats with a kunai before anyone thought to react. However, the remaining two turned out to be very strong and one of them ripped through the flesh and muscle of his shoulder with a katana. Obito fell back and landed awkwardly on the ground when the remaining Rock ninja arrived, outnumbered, Obito signalled a retreat to Naruto and Sakura, who dived for the trees, just before they disappeared though, Naruto spun and launched at a smoke bomb at the group. Obito kicked up hard from his position on the ground, and was pleased to feel that he had made contact with both feet. In the ensuing chaos as each Rock ninja knocked over another, Obito grabbed Sasuke and ran.
"We've got to get back to Konoha Sasuke," Obito said reaching out to help the teen.
Sasuke batted his hands away and defiantly pushed himself up till he was standing. He glared at the older man and began to walk in a hobbling shuffle.
Obito stared at him for a moment, then asked, "What the hells your problem?"
Sasuke ignored him and kept walking. "Have I done something to upset you?"
Sasuke paused and turned to face him, he scowled, Obito glared back. "What are you doing?"
Obito snarled and almost spat "nothing" at the boy until he realised the significance of the question. "With regards to what?"
Sasuke shot him a withering look, "What are you doing here? How are you even here? And why the hell are you staying here?"
Obito took a deep breath and tried to process that. "I don't know how I'm here Sasuke, but I am here because Konoha is my home, and what do you mean why am I staying here?"
"You were told about what happened to our clan?" Obito nodded slowly. "Then why aren't you doing anything about it?"
"You mean about Itachi?" Sasuke glared. "Because revenge is never the answer, I know that sounds cliché and everything but it isn't. More people get hurt going down that route than any other. And besides I don't know if I could even find or defeat Itachi, and I don't know if I'd want to."
"What do you mean you don't know if you'd want to?" Sasuke spat, "My brother deserves to die!"
"Your brother?" Obito asked eyes wide.
"Yes, why did you know him?" Sasuke asked still glaring daggers at the older man.
"Yes, I did. He was my cousin." Sasuke blinked then opened and shut his mouth several times. "You're Mikoto's son?"
Sasuke nodded, then took a step forwards, "You're my cousin?"
Obito nodded and grinned. "Yeah."
Sasuke hesitantly smiled back, "I thought I was all alone," he whispered.
"You've got me now, and I promise I won't leave you."
"You won't?"
Obito shook his head, "Sorry kid it looks like you're stuck with me."
"I'm not a kid," Sasuke snapped.
"Ok, and about our clan," Sasuke looked up, "You're right, maybe he does deserve to die, but that isn't our call to decide that, it isn't right. If we could decide that we'd be monsters. However, his names in the bingo book right? So that decisions already been made by his crimes, so if we find him, we'll take him out if we can."
Sasuke grinned.
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"Where have you two been? We were really worried."
"Sorry Sakura, we're a bit late aren't we." Obito grinned at the pink haired girl.
They had arrived at Konoha's hospital and been ushered in to a room where Naruto and Sakura had been waiting for them.
"We were just about to come after you," Sakura said, "we would have done earlier but Tsunade-sama said to wait."
"She knows we failed then?" Obito asked apprehensively.
"She does indeed," said a voice from behind him, Obito jumped and spun around to see the blonde Hokage herself standing there with her hands on her hips,
"Lady Hokage," he squeaked out before regaining his composure.
She looked amused, "Report."
"We located the Rock ninja's and split up to engage, but the first team was taken out by the enemy and it was all we could do to recover one member of team, we were outnumbered, and we lost Kakashi. So I request permission to go and find him."
"No need Shinobi, Kakashi is fine, we received a message from him a few minutes ago, he's ok and in the chaos that you created managed to make off with the scroll and deliver it to the Cloud ninja at the border, so congratulations – mission success."
The four ninja could only gape at her as their failure turned into a triumph before their eyes.
"Oh and Obito, congratulations, I'm instating you as a full time Jounin," Tsunade smiled at the dumbstruck ninja.
"Thank you Hokage-sama."
Tsunade left the room, her high heels clicking on the hospitals floor.
"Way to go Obito!" cheered Naruto.
"Shut up idiot," Sasuke said absently.
"What was that?" yelled Naruto launching himself at the black haired teenager.
Obito caught the blonde and shoved him back slightly wincing at the pain in his shoulder as he did so.
Sakura's sharp eyes didn't miss it, "Right the two of you need those injuries sorting," she said briskly.
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Obito blinked as he stepped out into bright sunshine, he flexed his newly healed shoulder and stepped out onto the path only to fall to the floor as someone collided with him.
"Oh I'm so sorry."
"It's fine," Obito said wondering who was lying on top of him.
Whoever it was got to their feet and yelped, "Oh Obito, I'm really sorry, are you hurt, I heard you got injured on your mission…"
"Tenten, it's fine I'm ok," Obito said cutting her off in mid-ramble, "Are you ok?"
"I'm fine," she said with a slight blush. "Congratulations, by the way, on your Jounin promotion."
"Thanks," Obito grinned, "hey you wanna go get some ramen to celebrate?"
Tenten nodded enthusiastically. "So what have you been up to?" she asked as they made their way to Ichiraku's.
"Oh you know just living."
End.
Well that ones all over now, please review.