Naruto: Re

Section I: Reunion

Chapter One

The moment the boy had departed from the cave, Madara cracked his solitary eye open.

"What will you do with your freedom, Obito?" the old man murmured to no one in particular. "Will you shape your own fate, or will destiny choose for you?" He snorted as he directed one of the Zetsu into position. "Let's observe the proceedings, shall we?"

[NRE]

Obito flew through the treetops, faster than he ever had before. He had been sitting in a cave trying to recover from being crushed by a boulder, and out of nowhere, Zetsu tells him that Kakashi and Rin are in danger. Gurguru helped him get out, and Madara did not stop him, both of which he was grateful for. Now he was racing to their location. Madara had said the Sharingan's power was greater with both eyes, he just needed to get to Kakashi, then they would protect Rin.

Mid-jump, Obito's mind blanked out and he found himself skipping across the ground, bouncing off tree roots. Jumping back to his feet, he tried to regain his bearings. The trees were different than the ones he had just been jumping through and rain fell on him.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud.

Before he could hear Zetsu reply, an image faded into his mind, right were his missing eye should have been. Blood, mud, and rain splattered as the person whose eyes he was looking through whipped around, cutting through a shinobi wearing Kiri forehead guard. A glance over his shoulder, he could see Rin, following at a slower pace.

Again, Obito's mind blanked out, this time keeping his balance, and he found himself kneeling on a hilltop overlooking a battlefield. Kakashi and Rin were surrounded by enemies. He could see Rin's mouth moving, pleading with Kakashi.He could read her lips as they formed every word, but two words stood out from all the others: "kill me".

It was almost imperceptible, but Obito could see the myriad of emotions in the young jonin's eyes as she said this. Fear and resignation. Horror. But underneath it all, he could see resolution. It became clear for what when he shoved her aside and activated chidori.

He's keeping his promise, Obito thought. Genius, prodigy or whatever other title one could tag to Kakashi, he could not defeat those shinobi on his own. Obito gritted his teeth. His friends were in danger. He had to help them. Without thinking, Obito found himself standing in the field, his hand sticking in a Kiri shinobi's chest.

"What are you doing?" Zetsu asked.

"People who abandon their friends are the worst kind of trash," Obito replied.

The Kiri shinobi stood dumbstruck as they processed what had happened. Walking to his friends, Obito remembered what Madara had said on how he survived.

Let's see...

Grabbing Kakashi and Rin, both of whom were surprised at his sudden appearance, he tried to recall the experience of being crushed under the boulder. To his relief, he put them at the treeline.

Neat, he thought, I'll have to learn that trick later.

Both of his friends looked at him in shock, not recognizing him.

"Stay here, Rin, Kakashi," said Obito. "It's my turn to protect you, now."

Jumping down to the foot of the hill, he focused through his eye. Black flames spouted out, blanketing the battlefield. Feeling the technique drain him, he stopped it and leaped into the battlefield, landing into the middle of a grouping of survivors.

Instinctively, Obito generated a wooden blade from his prosthetic arm and grabbed the nearest enemy. Even without the killing intent that Obito was casting off, the bloody eyes, murderous gaze, and living armor opening up were enough to scare his victim to soiling himself.

Driving the wooden blade into the man, Obito snapped it off and threw his victim at the man's friends, where the corpse suddenly, and violently grew, skewering six of them. The spines that made up the mask slammed shut as he turned to face the survivors. Three of them bombarded the boy with kunai and shiruken, while their companions began furiously signing.

"Suiton: Water prison jutsu."

"Suiton: water chains."

Just as the two shinobi released their jutsu, Obito had already landed behind them, skewering them as he caught the swordsman mid-swing. With a psychotic grin, Obito used the strength of his living armor to crush the man's wrists and wrench the blade free. A brace of kunai flew past him. With his newly acquired weapon, he decapitated the screaming man and leaped at the blade throwing shinobi. The first two went down with slashed throats and no resistance. Their friend signed and pointed at the berserking Uchiha.

"Raiton: lightning-"

The incantation was cut short, along with the offending appendage.

Searching for more targets for his rage, Obitio found himself surrounded by four foes. He could only flinch as they all simultaneously plunged their weapons into his torso.

"Two katana, a jian, and a blade-staff." Obito noted, chuckling. "That tickles."

Glancing at the nearest attacker, Obitio activated his Sharingan and plunged the man into a personal hell with Tsukuyomi. Swinging his arm around, he caught the next Kiri shinobi in the chest, caving the bone into her internal organs.

Whipping his hand back, he barely missed his next victim's head. Guessing where he was going, Obito settled for impalement, stabbing him with a wooden blade. The last of the four gave up his sword for loss and slid back as Obtio spun to hit him.

"Suiton: Water cannon jutsu!"

The jet of water slammed Obito back, nearly knocking him over, if not for the soggy soil lacking the necessary traction. With a grunt, Obtio ejected the blades from his body. Snatching the blade-staff from the air, he threw it like a spear, sinking it to the hilt on a fleeing ninja.

The remaining Kiri ninja surrounded Obitio, some already signing their techniques.

"Get the prisoner and her friend," one shouted. "We'll deal with this one."

Budding a quick array of stumps, Obtio took the departing shinobi down with a wooden dart apiece. Seeing his men fall to the ground, the leader looked at Obito. Matching his gaze, he tried to control his breathing. The display had obviously done a number on him.

"So I'm guessing you're from Konoha." the leader said, chagrined. "I never figured they had someone like you among their ranks. To tear through squads of Kiri elite…what are you? Senju? I haven't heard of Mukton user since your first Hokage."

"The dead have no need for names," Obitio said, smiling under his mask. He looked at the assembled shinobi, those still standing, cackling like a madman.

Focusing out of his eye once more, Obtio swept his sight around, incinerating all but the leader, who managed to escape his field of view by falling into the swampy ground. When the technique ended, a number of corpses burned in the mud and blood oozed from around his eye.

The leader emerged from a mound of mud, steam rising from his shoulders.

"I didn't make it to jonin by being weak," he growled.

"Obitio, you're going to-" Zetsu began.

"Shut up!" Obito hissed, signing quickly. "Katon: grand fireball jutsu!"

The Kiri jonin dove to the side, flinging a pair of kunai.

Rather than dodge, Obito slapped the blades, activating the explosive tags attached to them, the blast sending him careening through the air. Dragging himself to his feet, Obito cursed his lack of attention. His Sharingan had deactivated from the sudden exertion of chakra he had inadvertently use to protect himself. He glared at the enemy as he stepped over his fallen comrades. Refocusing, Obito tried to use Ameratsu again, Zetsu screaming as the last of its chakra was sucked out of him to fuel the black flames. The Kiri shinobi flinched, but calmed when he saw the technique sputter out inches from his face.

"It seems your black flames are limited," the Kiri jonin said. "A shame. For you that is. I think it's time to end this."

A sudden crunching noise interrupted any further action. The jonin looked at the lightning wreathed hand protruding from his chest as it flickered out.

"Yes," Kakashi said, pulling his arm free. "It is time to end this." Withdrawing his hand, Kakashi let the jonin fall, splattering mud when he hit the ground. For a while, he stared at Obito, which became awkward really fast, then Obito remembered the mask. The infernal covering failed to withdraw as it had before, and was dry. Dryer than it should have in a monsoon. Raising his hand, he pulled the mask off, the cover breaking apart in his hand.

"Hey, Kakashi," said Obito cheerily. Kakashi's eyes widened.

"Obito? Is that really you?"

"Come on, who else would be pulling your butt out of the fire? How's the eye working out for you?"

Rin landed next to her teammates.

"Hi, Rin." Obito said, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. To his surprise, bits of Zetsu were falling off.

"You're really alive?" She asked.

As Obito remembered, Kakashi went to business. "It won't be long before this many dead nin are noticed, especially after your...display." Following Kakashi's lead, the trio jogged out of the clearing. The trees offered little protection from the elements, so they began looking for a cave. When they were sure that they were reasonably safe, Kakashi went to his questions.

"Where were you?" Kakashi demanded. "If you were alive, why didn't you report back?"

"It's…it's a long story," Obito sheepishly replied.

"I think we have time now."

"No we don't," Rin said. "You have to finish me off."

Her teammates stared at her as if she had grown a second head.

"Why!?" Obito asked, breaking the silence. "We just saved you!"

"You don't understand," she replied. "They sealed the something inside me-"

"We can work-"

"Let me finish!" Obito flinched at the sharp tone. "On top of their normal seal, they put another one, which will release it as soon as I'm in Konoha."

Obito felt helpless. He had just gotten back to his friends, and now Rin was saying that she had to die. No! He had come too far to give up this easily.

"Sensei will know what to do," Kakashi said.

Obito frowned as he fell into thought. "But how do we get to him, and him to Rin, without setting Rin's secondary seal off?" he asked. "Can we at least get her to the Land of Fire?"

"I have a better idea. And it fulfils all the conditions we require and is closer, too. It's a friendly encampment we have near the coast."

"Of course!" The Uchiha resisted the urge to slap himself upside the head. "Sounds like a plan!"

"Can you move, Obito?" Rin asked.

"Well enough," he replied confidently.

Kakashi nodded. "We'll rest here for an hour then move out." The three of them slumped against the walls of the cave, Rin hugging to Kakashi. Obito felt a pang of envy, which he promptly squelched.

[NRE]

Hearing his connection to the Zetsu he had paired with Obito die, Madara sighed. The boy had an astounding amount of luck on his side. Still, while it was a good plan, he did not necessarily hang too much on this plan working. Too many variables and moving pieces to be a sure shot.

He just had to fall back to his original schedule. Sure, he had inadvertently given Konoha another tailed beast. Sure, he had tipped some of his hand early with the boy, but the chances of someone believing that he, Madara Uchiha, was still alive were dubious at best. The possibility of anyone in power letting that information out to the open were practically non-existent.

Above all, he was immortal. What were a few more years to him?

Taking a deep breath, Madara absorbed the energy he had stored in the statue, revitalizing himself, dispelling the gimmick that hid his other eye. The original Zetsu gave the Uchiha a confused look as he stood up.

"Let's move our base of operations," Madara said. His eyes shifted, the spiraling pattern whirring to life, casting a red glow on the room. And then the hideout relocated to another part of the Elemental Nations.

A/N: Okay, for those of you curious, this is initially going to be a one-shot. I have pages of notes and a complete, if rough synopsis written down for this. However, I want to get more progress for both Apocalyptian Saga and Finding Yourself before really working on it.

I'll post an update when that happens.

(11-JUN-2019): Woohoo! The promised update! And I got at least one of those things mentioned things accomplished before I got around to this story again, which shall be henceforth titled Naruto: Re.

A bit of forewarning: this is something of a hard reset AU, primarily working off of the benefit of hindsight to reshape and reorder canon. Expect a number of details, big and small, to be somewhat altered or reordered. If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, then now might be a good time to hop off this crazy train.

Some changes currently in the books:

As obvious, Obito is returning to Konoha, and Rin survives her kidnapping.

Madara's plan has different reasons, and his character have been altered to reflect this (as some of his dialogue already indicates).

General balancing for both pacing and balance, with the intent to expand to the roles of the Konoha 12 (among others).

I'll try to keep you updated as the details become relevant. Feel free to ask questions, as it's been well over two years since I've comprehensively read or watched Naruto. I'll let you know whether to differences from continuity are intentional or accidental. Now, on with the show.