Summary: Sometimes you need to repair something so that it would live. Sometimes you take what you have and form whatever you can. Sometimes… Sometimes you need to crush something for it not to be broken. And built it anew. So yes, he failed. His utopia has fallen but he survived. And if he survived, everything can happen – once again.
Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Naruto or any characters but my OCs. It's written for fun entirely.
Warnings: The story is rated M for a reason. There will be graphic depictions of violence, gore even, especially in the beginning, mentions of abuse and whatever else the crazy part of my head can come up with. Eventual gay and lesbian relationships, as well as straight relationships. Probably nothing too erotic, I'm not good at these and pairings won't be the main focus anyway but if you want, you can suggest something, I'm open for propositions. Oh, and it's going to be rather long, I have about five parts planned so far, so bear with me.
Prologue
A Harbinger
[Harbinger
1.A person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another.
2.A forerunner of something.]
Did you know?
She stands before him like all these times before, waves her hand and there's a smile and hey, Obito, you're late again!
Once, there were two priests travelling through a forest.
Not alone. Never alone. There are others and he sees them as if it was yesterday. A man, sun-kissed hair and blue eyes, and calm smile he could never quite forget. A boy with silver-grey hair, indifferent dark eyes and this annoying mask on his face. And her.
They were from the Temple of Fire in our country, coming back home after a long journey to a village far, far away from the Temple.
(She's beautiful, isn't she?)
They were thirsty and hungry but kept going. A very important festival was to start soon. Before that, however, they had to pass a treacherous river.
Petite and delicate, and as warm as the sun. There's a surge of fierce protectiveness because she is always there for him, the most important person in his life (because he can always count on her smile and he's sure there will never be other). It's sweet and calm, and oh so innocent, the want, the desire for her to just be happy.
Of course, it was not a danger to them. They could use chakra, so passing the river would be easy enough. Coming to the river they realised one thing – there was a woman on the same bank, a civilian, looking at the water, and she wasn't strong enough to pass it on her own.
Skin like alabaster, perfect, there is nothing as pretty as her face, with chocolate hair flowing in the wind, with a kind smile and laugh like little bells and it's just simply crazy, how much he loves that laugh and that smile. Healing abilities and they suit her so well, that fragile girl with great dreams of peace.
The elder priest took her in his arms to the other bank and left the grateful woman there. Then, he went forward, soon to be joined by the younger one. The young priest was angry at the elder one. 'Why', he asked, 'did you help the woman?'. At that time, no priest could touch a woman, it was as forbidden, as going against the will of the Head of the Temple.
The older priest only looked at him. 'I have left the woman near the river', he said. 'Why are you still carrying her with you?'.
He looks at her eyes and stops, frowns. Her eyes, what were they? (He can't, he just can't remember and why, why?) Shouldn't there be happiness, he's sure there once was but now these eyes are dark and broken, despairing with quiet 'I'm sorry', delicate smile, this empty smile, with dark red liquid in the right corner and it pours out, down and down to her chin, dark contrast of blood on dead-pale skin. Purple signs like bloody tears, droplets on broken perfection and why, why, why did it have to happen? So many questions.
Let's make each other a promise, okay? So that we would be like the elder priest. Let's let the past stay in the past or this war will never end.
(Something sharp in his chest, oh so very sharp.)
He remembers. He'll never forget.
I can't.
-o-
He looks at the Uzumaki girl, her eyes wide, familiar but alien at the same time. Bodies, scattered around like broken puppets, just toys crushed under his wrath, start to cool, well-known hitai-ate covered in dirt and blood and there is a metallic smell in the air hovering around like a caricature of home. All this. Just war. Just world.
- Tobi – says Hozuki harshly, angry grimace showing off sharp, shark-like teeth. – It was uncalled for! What the hell you think you're doing!
Uzumaki girl closes her eyes and hugs tightly the Hikari kid. There is an anguished look on both of their faces, light of water in terrified eyes. Only Hozuki is looking at him defiantly, mad and unbelieving and Uchiha can't stop himself from scoffing.
- It's war – he says clicking his tongue, normal indifference gone. Obito doesn't really understand it, how easily annoyed and angered he has become, strong will and control fading in the background of fierce rage.
He changed, the Fourth War changed him in more than one way, just like Rin's death had done all these decades before, and he can't say yet if he likes it or not.
(There are violence and blood, blood, blood and he wants only to catch the mop of these light blue hair and hit, hit until red scattered on the pale skin and brain mass is left on the cold cave walls.)
There must be something showing on his face or maybe in the black eye because Hozuki yelps suddenly and jumps back in fear, wide irises looking at him, panicked and unbelieving.
- They were innocent – whispers Uzumaki, her eyes now closed tightly and voice trembling. Hikari kid cries openly, tears staining girl's coat wet.
- There are no innocent shinobi – snarls Uchiha and the three cringe. For a brief moment, there's nothing but tense silence.
(And then the red cloud is gone, and, suddenly what, why was he doing it, three silhouettes standing, panicked, the only allies he has for a time, it's ridiculous.)
He struggles with a hot ball of anger in his gut, with heaviness in his chest and calm returns. He sighs.
- We need to go – he says, something soft and sharp at the same time cutting through his mind. They don't move and heaviness in his chest triples without a reason.
- We need to go – he repeats, eyes black and apathetic, and his allies look at him and slowly nod. They leave the clearing, signs of battle left far behind them.
- I hate war – mutters the kid. – I hate shinobi.
Uzumaki takes him in her arms, whispers soothingly in his ears, Hozuki not even two steps behind with Uchiha leading the way.
- It will be stopped – says Uchiha. – The war, the world, the pain. We'll build it anew.
No one says anything more.
(And yet it whispers, oh whispers, not unlike once Juubi did.)
Dark clouds are gathering in the sky above, thunder in a not that far distance and first rain droplets meet the earth. At the same time in one village far in Fire Country, trees whisper, the wind blows. A woman takes a cup in her hand and suddenly it cracks, precious liquid pouring out on her clothes and table.
She looks, sighs and then swears loudly, tired look on her face.
Notes: This project is more of a way to practice my English that anything else. It's going to be a long story focused on Uchiha Obito with some twists and changes, mostly a journey of an anti-hero, a villain even. Some of you may be disappointed because it's not going to be Uchiha Obito we know from the anime – the one that changed and left Madara due to some words said by Naruto. Don't get me wrong. Naruto has a great gift and really can change people's hearts. However, with Uchiha clan curse of hatred, so deeply rooted in their minds and hearts it seems impossible for Obito to turn on Madara/Kaguya just like that. If Sasuke, an avenger, full of hatred, could be against all of them almost to the end, if Madara would be exactly the same, as well as many other Uchiha we met along the way like Fugaku and the rest of the clan before the planned coup, I just can't believe he would change so quickly.
You could say it's an AU. Everything till the Fourth Shinobi War is the same but it changes dramatically during that time. Some of the dates may also be a bit different to fit the plot better. There will be a few of OC but they won't play that big of a role for most of the time.
Just wanted to warn that I'm not a native speaker and it's my first story in English, so sorry for all the grammatical errors!
Wish you a good read and if you like it – review! Also, I don't have a beta reader, so if you want to be one, just tell me!
Signing out,
notwhitenorblack