A blinding light, and then darkness. This was the end.
With a groan, Obito closed his eyes, and opened them again. There was no difference between his eyelids and this cold place. He was dead this time, he was sure. Was this all death was? It really was like closing your eyes... a dream would have been preferred to this.
"Rin..." The name came to mind instantly, as his heart filled with sorrow and remorse. The gentle friend he remembered flashed behind his eyes briefly, and he could hear her girlish laughter echo in her memory. "If you can hear me... I'm sorry."
There was no reply from her, and for a moment Obito was alone, quietly reflecting on his life. There were faint sounds in the distance, which he didn't notice until they became distinctive enough to identify. So many voices, tiny and straining to be heard, screaming so softly that at first they sounded like the wind.
"Killer..."
"Murderer..."
"Monster..."
Obito shuddered. The voices were approaching him, growing louder and more distinct, and the sound became so intense it created a physical presence. The entity seemed solid, black, and smelled like rotting corpses. Obito stepped back, away from the demon, as it lurched slowly for him.
"Uchiha..." It spat the name like a curse, and Obito felt the weight of his crimes bind him to where he stood. Unable to move, the demon towered over him, and he felt its foul breath on his skin hotly. It unhinged its jaws, as if to devour his soul.
"I'm sorry." Obito could not struggle as the thing wrapped a tar-like tongue around his neck. It tightened like a noose, as if to pluck his head off first. "If you can hear me, I'm sorry."
There was a moment of intense pain, and Obito shrieked as he felt his flesh tear apart. But there was another blinding light, and this time when it settled he was no longer in the dark. There was a pond, and a bridge, and he was laying on the soft grass next to it. His head was rested in a person's lap, and delicate hands were working over him as if they were using medical jutsu. Obito flinched.
"Oh, so you're finally awake."
Those hands. That voice. Obito sprung up, in shock, his heart pounding. There was a familiar girlish laugh, and he turned to see the child brunette, with her hands clasped together gleefully. Her fingers brushed her lips as she smiled at him, the corners of her brown eyes gently turning.
"Rin..." Obito croaked, his body trembling. "Did you... hear me?"
Rin's smile wavered, and her eyes darted down. "Well... I did." She shuffled her feet. "Obito..." Her eyes searched him now, and he felt her peering into everything he did. Suddenly, Obito felt ashamed, knowing that Rin would never have wanted things to go the way they did. With death there was clarity he didn't have in life.
"It shouldn't have been like this." He said, looking at his hands. "I did everything I could to give us another chance. I followed Madara's will, and succumbed to his curse."
"You caused a lot of suffering." Rin remarked, fidgeting slightly. "But I saw why. You don't have to hide your motives from me. I... I forgive you."
"I don't want you to." Obito settled to his knees. "I want you to punish me, for what I've done. I don't deserve this place." His mind raced with all of the horrors he created during his life. If Rin was here, then he had somehow found heaven, and it was no place for a man like him.
He felt two hands on his shoulders. "Look up." He did so without hesitation, not daring to disobey the one who actually deserved this afterlife. He was surprised to find her face so close to his, and she caught his lips with a kiss.
Her fingers traced along the scars of his face, smoothing them until there was nothing there but fresh skin. She pulled herself close to him, and smiled. Obito wanted to kiss her again and never let go, but he painfully restrained himself. This wasn't the ending he had deserved.
"I can't, Rin..." He turned away, unable to look at her.
"I told you, I forgive you." Rin repeated. Obito shook his head.
"There is much worse I have done."
The young brunette sighed. "Yes, I know." She admitted, "But I wanted to make this memorable. Before I said goodbye."
"What? Goodbye?" Obito balled his hands. "You mean, I'm going to...?"
Rin hesitated, but nodded. "You will repent for what had been done." She confirmed, "But when it's all paid for, you will be forgiven."
"Huh," Obito mused, "So that's how the afterlife works?"
"It could be a long time." Rin reminded him.
Defeated, Obito gave her a small grin. "You've always been there to get me out of danger." He said.
"Don't worry about it." Rin returned the expression. "After all, it's my job to take care of you."
She placed her hands over his, and squeezed them encouragingly. He saw her smile once more before his vision faded, and eventually everything went black.
At first, there was nothing.
Then there was pain.
Which led him to hell.
Obito didn't know how long he suffered, but after what seemed like an eternity, he felt himself laying in the grass again. When he looked around, he was back at the pond with the bridge, but this time there was no one else. He stood up, and swiveled around to see if anyone was waiting for him.
"Rin?" Obito called hopefully, and wandered over to the bridge. He peered into the water, seeing a few fish swimming, and noticed his reflection. Staring back at him was his younger self, looking confused.
"Obito, over here!"
He looked up, to see Rin standing on the other side of the bridge. With her hands behind her back, she rocked back and forth and beckoned him with her smile. Behind her, Obito saw Minato-sensei, as well as Kakashi looking surly as ever.
"Rin! Kakashi! Minato-sensei!" Obito grinned widely. Tears stung the corners of his eyes, which he wiped away with his sleeve.
"What a crybaby." Kakashi sighed, but there was a familiar teasing tone from a life long lived in those words.
"C'mon, Obito, you're late again!" Minato scolded.
Without needing another invitation, Obito adjusted his goggles and sprinted to the other side. His eternal dream had begun.