Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Also this is filled with spoilers, if you're not current to the manga, especially anything after 598, stop now!

A/N: This is a story inspired by the current manga chapter 600 and the previous chapter (599) Read and Review, please. Thanks!

It had been years since he had let himself think of her. But he knew, even without a clear thought in mind, why he had started the war. He remembered how he felt when he learned of her death. It wasn't until months later that he found out the whys and the hows, but he always checked up on them secretly. He blamed himself. He thought he could trust his 'friend' to protect her with his life.

So why then, was she dead, and he was the one to survive?

It was like that boulder again, the weight in his chest, and the newly healed sharingan eye morphed to the legendary mangekyo eye.

It was because he knew that if he was there, he would have saved her. If he was there, he would have given his life, just like he thought he had done for Kakashi. The pain Obito felt was indefinable at the time. Such grief, it awakened a power only given to those who killed their most beloved friend. But now, now there was only anger. Anger and an overwhelming need to complete this self-imposed plan.

He had prepared years for this war. It was meticulously planned and plotted out. Every trick and technique was practiced and perfected. Allies were made, and weapons were stored away for safe use. All for this. All for this moment.

He stared across the wide expanse of fallen and crushed rock. It was so similar to the last time Kakashi would have remembered him. He smirked thinking of that time and the lies his once friend told him. He said he would protect her,but that was a lie. Because he was weak and all talk. The pain he felt when he thought of Rin was long gone. Now, all that remained was a twisted sense of irony.

"Obito…" his old teammate said.

He would rather his mask have stayed intact, but it was of little consequence when it broke. In truth, it was never his intention to take 'revenge' on the Leaf, even though many would believe otherwise. He simply wanted to create peace through the ultimate genjutsu, the Moon's Eye plan.

"You can call me by that name, if you want, but it has no meaning to me now."

"Ka-Kakashi," Gai said concerned. They were at war against a dangerous foe and he was worried for his friend. There was no time for him to be sentimental. It could cost them everything if they gave in to such emotions. Kakashi snapped out of his stupor at Gai's call.

"That time… did you survive?" Kakashi asked. There was a long pause where no one spoke. Kakashi asked another question. One that was on the tip of his tongue. "If you were alive… Why, until now... why didn't you come back?"

"Whether I survived or not, isn't important," Obito stated. "But yeah, if you really want to know... It's because, you let Rin die."

That sentence fell from the once masked man's mouth like a curse. It repeated in Kakashi's mind and he lost himself in the regret and guilt he always felt when remembering Rin. Gai clenched his teeth and fists while preparing to fight. He was ready for anything.

Obito chuckled at the way his enemies reacted. "Don't be so hasty. And don't make that face, Kakashi…" he smirked.

Hearing his own name from his old friend jogged him from his shocked state once more. Kakashi remedied his features back to that of a shinobi's again. Emotions have no place on the battlefield. He reminded himself this as he glared at his former teammate.

"Aren't you going to blame me?"

"It's pointless to blame this useless reality," Obito told them. Naruto, who had been watching, was becoming antsy through this whole conversation. He didn't understand what was going on, but... apparently his sensei did. He knew this man, this Obito.

Gai was concerned for Kakashi, and Kakashi… Well, he didn't need Obito to blame him, because he already blamed himself enough. Now faced with the fact that his old comrade was bent on destroying the shinobis' current way of life, he thought he was doing an admiral job of not falling apart right there.

"I'm not interested in this world, since it's going to disappear."

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto said, then he tried to pull him back to the fight with encouraging words, but it didn't work. Gai too tried, and even as a huge fireball was headed towards them, Kakashi didn't so much as flinch. He was too lost in his own mind, and how the Obito he remembered was nothing like this new one. The fire came closer.

"Kakashi!" yelled Gai.

But before it reached them, one large tail was protecting them. It was the Kyuubi.

And then suddenly there was another…

Madara.

With two foes now, Kakashi and Gai decided to take on Obito, while Naruto and Bee went against Madara.

Obito was usually good at keeping the memories at bay, but seeing Kakashi so distraught with every offense and defense, it brought her back to the forefront of his mind.

He could see that Kakashi was thinking the same thing. Obito wondered what she would say of them fighting like this. But he let that thought go quickly, because he knew.

She would have been furious with them both, but mostly... mostly with him. Obito knew Rin would sooner fight with Kakashi in this war, than beside him, even if in Obito's mind, it was to prevent the kind of death Rin met. He didn't think she would understand that he just couldn't let go of the anger he felt.

His anger was so great, and he couldn't blame Kakashi, but the world he could blame, because it was either blame the world and create change, or accept what had happened and die.

"Gai, stay out of this for now."

"Wh-what?"

"I don't want anyone else to die from my mistakes," Kakashi said.

"I'll help out in another fight, then..." Gai said reluctantly. Kakashi nodded but otherwise ignored him.

Then, he turned to Obito and spoke again. "Obito... I've learned a lot from my new team. The old Obito would have found it amusing, I'd imagine..."

Kakashi took a few steps forward, as Gai turned to leave. The sounds from Naruto's fight were loud in the distance, throwing dust up into their field of vision. Gai disappeared into the cloud of brown with a heavy heart.

The two old friends stared at each other, looking directly into one another's eyes. Two red, one black, one purple. "Sasuke was a fool like me. Stubborn… and angry all the time," he said looking at his gloves. "Naruto, on the other hand... He was always so upbeat and into playing jokes. He reminded me of you a lot." Kakashi smiled.

Obito stood there, neither moved nor angry, just listening.

"And then there's Sakura. She was always the hardest for me. I ignored her most of the time... I told myself it was because she didn't have as much potential, but that was wrong. It was because of the similarities. My own guilt too, I guess.

"You've met her. She's a medic too. She's always been in love with Sasuke, but he never acknowledged her. Sound familiar?" Silence rang though for a moment only broken by the shouts of another battle further away in the landscape. "When he left, it was just like after you died. I had to watch it all over again. Watch another girl's heart break and be just as powerless to fix it."

Obito's face pinched with annoyance. "Enough!" he shouted.

"It's true, though," Kakashi sighed quietly.

"You will not deter me with your sentimental memories! I will see this plan through to the end."

"Then today we'll both be meeting up with Rin again, huh?" Kakashi said with a smile.

Obito paused and then smiled back, "I look forward to see you try."

The two fierce shinobis battled it out. In the end they were both bleeding and breathing heavily. Obito was angry, even more so than before. He just wanted Kakashi dead so he could continue his plans. Kakashi refused to die though. He said to him, "If I die, you do too." And Obito was beginning to believe he was right. But there was still so much he had to do for the Moon's Eye plan to be complete…

"This is pointless…" Kakashi said to him. Only a few meters separated the two of them now, but neither could attack at the moment from the overuse of the mangekyo and wounds that had been inflicted on both men.

"Then give up already, Kakashi."

Kakashi breathed hard and decided it was time to end this. Without any further thought he charged up a chidori and aimed right for Obito's heart. He was quick but Obito was able to maneuver and when Kakashi went past him, Obito wasn't ready for the clone that had popped up out of nowhere to deliver the kick to his face. The real Kakashi then aimed his chidori-coated hand back at Obito, who was lying on the ground. Obito let it pass through him and jumped back to a standing position.

"Katon!" they both shouted and leaped away as the flames descended.

Obito flickered to behind Kakashi , who had just landed on a narrow cliff side, and with a quickness only a true Uchiha possessed, he stabbed a simple kunai into Kakashi's back. Kakashi realized what happened as glanced down at his now blood saturated shirt. He felt the very real pain, and knew that it was Obito's doing, in fact he was still there. Still behind him, holding the kunai... Obito twisted it and got a sick satisfaction from the garbled choking sound Kakashi made.

"I always knew you were all talk, Kakashi. What happened to you taking me down with you to meet Rin?"

One hand came up from his side, and without thinking, he said, "Don't worry. You'll till get to see her, Crybaby Obito." Kakashi touched the tip of the kunai that was protruding from his stomach and infused it with chidori.

Kakashi's lightning traveled through the metal of the kunai and with what little strength he had, he knocked Obito back into the rock behind them. The pain radiated out from his stomach and into his extremities, but he knew he had succeeded. He knew they would both die. Kakashi's other hand held another kunai infused with chidori and he plunged it back around his own body and through Obito's neck. With a mangled cry, he let himself fall.

Kakashi collapsed in a heap on that narrow rock ledge. His eyes stayed open long enough to watch as his old friend, Obito's eyes widened. The mismatched gaze of his staring into nothingness, blinked in panic and surprise as he keeled over and fell from the cliff.

Kakashi closed his eyes, and waited for what would likely be his death, but first unconsciousness.

Obito, however, was falling. He saw pictures of his life overlapping on the blur of sky and rock. He saw what was once meaningful and important, waste away to meaningless jibberish. He wondered why, at the end, he was still hanging on to something that was so far lost to him. Why was he thinking of his life in the Leaf?

Why did he suddenly feel like fighting Kakashi was wrong?

Why did she have to die?

Rin.

Tears fell from his eyes and glittered in the air like diamonds as he continued to fall, but they stayed perfectly still in the air.

Then, just like that, impact…

It was foggy when he came to. Like waking from a dream...

His eyes opened and he blinked... once, twice.

It was calm here he realized. He wasn't sure if that was normal. Was this where he'd always been? Was this what he was used to? Wasn't there something before this?

He couldn't remember. Looking at his hands he saw that he was just a boy of… thirteen, his mind supplied.

He felt like he should have been bigger than that, though. And as the idea came, he watched as his hands shift repeatedly from that of a boy's to a man's, before finally shifting back to the younger's. For some reason, he felt that if he had the choice, he would have wanted to be younger again.

"It's confusing at first, isn't it?" somebody said.

He turned his head to the side and saw it was a girl who had spoken.

"Hmm," he thought aloud. He sat up, only now realizing he was laying flat on his back. "Yeah."

He looked around once. It was vast and a soft white. There was a fuzzy feeling to the place, but to him it felt stark too. It was a puzzling place, but he felt her eyes on him and when he looked back at her, he almost fell over.

She was smiling at him softly. It was such a gentle and bright smile that he couldn't look away. He felt himself blush, but still he stared.

This girl.

"I was wondering when you'd be getting here," she said with a wink.

He continued to look at her intrigued by what she meant. He didn't know why, but she seemed familiar to him. She seemed important too somehow. He was frozen watching her, but he didn't know why.

"You see, I've been waiting a long time for you to show up," she scolded lightly still with that smile on her face. He took this time to look at her.

He noticed she had brown hair, brown eyes, and interesting purple marks on her cheeks. Her hair wasn't too long. It hit just above her collarbone.

As he watched her, the girl's face turned sad. He didn't know why, but he wished she would smile again, because she was so beautiful when she did.

Then she was kneeling in front of him, quick as a flicker. His eyes popped open upon their closeness and he wondered why he knew about flickering… Was he a ninja?

Before he had a chance to check for a forehead protector or ask, he heard her voice cut through his mind's chatter.

"You're crying."

"I am?" he asked staring at her and how close she was. Suddenly, he wanted to pull her to him, but he didn't. He didn't understand still what was going on, who she was, or even who he was...

She smiled and wiped a tear from his cheek, and he let her as he continued to stare at her.

"Oh. I just made it worse, didn't I?" she spoke as the tears on his face went from just a trickle to a stream.

"It's okay," he said and leaned into her hand, bring his own up to trap hers to his cheek.

She smiled looking at him. "I really missed you, Obito."

His eyes went wide upon hearing his name. He was Obito. Yes. He remembered. His name was Obito.

And she was Rin. He remembered and the next thing he knew he was smiling and launching his self into her arms.

"Rin!"

He shook with tears of joy, and her arms came up around him for comfort as his own closed in around her. Then, bringing himself away he grabbed her arms and looked at her. Just looked for a minute, studying her carefully. He knew that what she said was true. She was waiting for him. She was probably wondering where he was. He felt guilty for not being there to greet her in the afterlife.

'Don't be sad, okay.' he heard her say but her lips didn't move, so he disregarded it.

"Rin, I did some horrible things. I don't even know if you know, but I did and I'm sorry, I just…"

"I know… I do," she said. "I've been keeping my eye on you, so there's no need to say anything, okay?" the girl said playfully.

"But Kakashi?" Obito questioned. She was in love with him. How could she not be mad? He was pretty sure he had killed him...

"Don't worry about me," said a voice. "I always knew you were a crybaby." It was a silver-headed man who stood before them a few feet away. "After everything, I think I would have found a way here, even if it wasn't you to do it."

Obito looked at Rin to see her still smiling at Kakashi. "My boys... I missed you both. I'll admit, it's not the best ending, but I'm so glad to see you both."

"Rin," Kakashi said with a soft smile. He appeared to be older and still wearing that mask. Obito rolled his eyes, but they both silently made amends there in that moment for any wrongs they had done in the last lifetime.

"Come now, Kakashi, Obito," Rin said. "I want to see how your students are going to save the world."

Kakashi followed Rin and Obito was dragged along.

"Ugh," he groaned.

"Oh stop. At least, we've had some entertainment here," Rin said to her moping teammate. "The Uchihas' were all very impressed by your plan, if that makes you feel any better."

"I couldn't care less what they think."

"Right. Kakashi," Rin said with a silent request. He seemed to understand. He nodded and walked on ahead to leave them alone.

"I've got some other people to greet anyway."

Obito watched him walk away and disappear into the void of white.

Rin picked up his hand and placed it against her cheek. Obito looked over at her and stared at the three different colors. Her skin tone, his, and the purple of her cheek marks… He had always thought she was beautiful, but given up a long time ago on ever being happy, because for him, his happiness was her.

His fingers trembled as he focused on them. The warmth of her cheek, even in this place, he could still feel it somehow.

"It's not the same as it was, Obito. We can't change what happened. Only what will be. I know you know that. That's why you did what you did, right?"

His silence was answer enough.

"There's a lot different, but... I hope that there are still some things that are the same, too?"

Obito just stood there. She let go of his hand and it fell from her face.

"After all," she continued. "Don't think I've been sitting here pining for you."

He looked at her then quickly, struck by the notion. It was something he never considered. He never in his wildest imagination, thought she could have had any feelings towards him. Nothing more than that of a friend.

"I'll have you know," she said turning away from his eager eyes. "There have been many Uchihas and other young men that have had their eyes on me here, and no one to protect me other than Minato-sensei."

Suddenly, it all clicked in his mind. His mouth opened and he felt inexplicably nervous. Then, he spoke carefully, quietly, "But… you said you've been waiting for me, right?"

One hand came up to scratch behind his head as he waited for her response.

Rin turned back around and lifted her eyes to look at Obito's dark orbs. She could tell he had found himself again. He was no longer the lost confused boy from a few moments ago. There was that same spark in his eyes that she remembered and something new. It was like he knew a secret, some kind of knowledge she didn't. Rin watched as his lips quirked up into a smirk, before turning into an all out smile.

She was stunned by how young he looked and how carefree. Rin smiled back at him with a noticeable blush.

"I did say that, didn't I?" she spoke with her eyes all alight.

He took a step towards her. "You're right." He looked her over, noticing how she blushed even more when he did so. "Some things are very different," he said staring at the way she reacted to his proximity.

"Different… but still the same too," Rin said, because she knew he still loved her. And he for the first time, he could see that she loved him too. When it happened he didn't know. Was it before that mission? Was it in her grief of his supposed death, or was it here in the afterlife? He didn't know and honestly, he didn't care.

"Rin…"

Obito lifted one hand to her face and traced her tattooed cheek. She was waiting patiently for him to say something more, but instead he brought his face down to hers, and kissed her.

Rin was a bit surprised, but more than anything, she was happy. She was happy because their love, though it was cut down before it even had a chance to grow in the material world, was somehow strong enough to persevere into the afterlife. This kiss… was like a celebration, a homecoming, and a greeting all in one.

It was like it always should have been.

They stopped after a moment and Obito spoke first. "I can't believe after all this time, I finally get to kiss you." He sighed once for all the years they were apart. "I missed you so much, Rin. How can you forgive me after everything I did?"

"That's easy," she said to him. "Because I love you. That makes it very easy to forgive."

Obito froze staring at her and he swallowed the lump in his throat. Rin leaned in and hugged him. They were closer now than they had ever been. He looked down at the girl in his arms. He thought, 'If this is all some kind of genjutsu, I don't care, but God, I hope this is real.'

"I know what you're thinking, Obito, and yes, this is real."

"How…"

"You'll learn eventually how everything works here. Thoughts are easier to read, because everything is connected. Everyone is connected."

"So then, you already know?"

She smiled but her eyes were sad. "Sometimes, even here, what one desires and the truth can be hard to distinguish."

Obito nodded in understanding. He needed to tell her, so she knew. He looked at her and their eyes met. Obito smiled at her in that way that only he could. When Rin blushed and stared at him hopefully, biting her lip, Obito wondered how he could be so lucky after everything.

He shrugged his shoulders and said, "I love you. I always have. I- I love you, Rin-chan."

She sniffled and tried to be calm, but it was useless for Rin to try to reign in her emotions.

"Obito-kun!" she called to him before wrapping her arms around him and jumping into his arms. Then, after a long moment she pulled away and took his hand. "Later," she winked which startled the boy. He blushed and she smiled at him. "We can catch up more later, but now… Kakashi's team, and Sensei's son, they need all the help they can get."

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