Obito couldn't believe that he did it, he actually did it.
He had spent the last week being interrogated by every single ANBU under the sun, had sat down with Sandaime-sama day in and day out, giving out as much information as he could remember – not even taking a break until his eyes watered and his head was about to split open with pain – enduring the way the old man traced seal after seal on his naked skin, knowing it was the only way he would be allowed to fulfill his promise.
Enduring the cold eyes of Fugaku-kun – now the head of the Uchiha Clan, apparently – as he fought the Third over the appointment of Obito's housing, because Sandaime Hokage wanted to give Obito a small apartment in the slums, somewhere near the ANBU headquarters so he could be watched, while Fugaku-kun wanted him back in the Uchiha district, where he could be around family, and wasn't that funny? He never had a family to begin with, being a bastard and an orphan and a pariah when he was a child, but, then again, Fugaku-kun had not being head at the time, and he was never cruel to Obito when they were children…
… so when Sandaime-sama looked at him in askance, an eyebrow raised with curiosity, Obito simply nodded and shrugged his shoulders.
The house Fugaku-kun was offering has more room anyways, and a small backyard.
Still, it was all worth it, he thought, as he finished scrubbing the floors clean and changing the curtains to lighter, softer ones with small flowers in the bottom – a small 'I'n sorry' gift from Inochi-san, who had basically raped his mind the week prior, his words, not Obito's – just in time to open the door for Sandaime Hokage who smiled sadly at him and deposited a small, precious bundle in his arms.
"Hello, Naruto-chan," he cooed at the baby currently looking at him in awe, blue eyes – sensei's eyes – wide with curiosity. "Welcome home."
The baby extended a pudgy hand towards him, small fingers seizing him by the hakama.
"Puuh," he said simply in reply, taking a moment as if to get comfortable in Obito's arms before closing his eyes with a contented sigh.
The Hokage laughed, patting the younger man on the shoulder.
"He seems to like you, Obito-kun," he explained, allowing his fingers to caress the soft wisps of hair on Naruto-chan's head. "He hasn't let anyone other than me and a selected ANBU guard hold him, much less sleep in someone's arms."
Obito nodded, mute with awe.
It almost felt like Naruto-chan understood him, wanted to be with him.
He wanted to honor the baby's trust.
He cleared his throat, though, fully aware he was an adult man almost drooling over a sleeping baby.
"I…" he hesitated. "I wanted to thank you for the crib, Hokage-sama. I really appreciate your help."
The old man blinked at him for a moment, confused.
"Crib?" he asked.
Obito nodded.
"Yes, the one I found assembled on my new spare bedroom?" he explained, blinking. Mikoto-san had offered to lend him her child's old crib for Naruto-chan, since Sasuke no longer needed it, but he had refused, already feeling on the Head family's debt, especially considering the murderous frown Itachi-chan had thrown his way at the mere idea of someone taking his baby brother's crib from him.
And, he had been even gladder to refuse Mikoto-san's gift when a brand new wooden crib had appeared on what he had planned to make Naruto-chan's room the following morning. A beautiful piece of furniture that could be later turned into a child-sized bed with just a few adjustments.
He had honestly thought the Hokage had a hand on that.
Apparently he was mistaken.
"You didn't send me Naruto-chan's new crib, did you, Hokage-sama?" Obito said, his eye widening in horror. "Or the toys and blankets…"
The old man stared at him.
"I did buy some baby blankets, yes," he admitted. "And I asked an ANBU to retrieve all the belongings Minato-kun and Kushina-chan had already prepared for their baby, of course, but there was no crib among them since Minato wanted to keep the baby with him at all times."
It did sound like something his sensei would have done, it seemed.
Then…
Silence enveloped the room, broken only by Naruto-chan's soft breathing against Obito's chest.
He was not stupid and he had noticed the looming shadow following his every movement, the solemn eyes nailed to his back as he walked the streets of the city.
He had done his best to ignore them, of course, but the presence had been there nonetheless.
Kakashi.
The man who had been his rival, his best friend, the one he had trusted with his own eye, with the girl he loved.
He shook his head.
And it wasn't that he blamed Kakashi for what had happened between them – not anymore anyways – but whatever Kakashi had seen in him all those years ago was gone, broken by what Madara and his experiments had done to him, had been twisted and warped into the shell of a man he was now.
What could he possibly say to him now?
Sorry I killed sensei and his wife?
Sorry I destroyed half the village and made a whole generation of orphans just like us?
Sorry Rin will be embarrassed to meet me when I die?
Sorry Naruto-chan won't be able to live a normal, happy life because I didn't die when I should have?
No, Kakashi was better off without him, without the burden of a past full of blood and destruction he could barely remember.
He had already decided it when he told the Hokage he wanted to stay in the village.
He only hoped Kakashi took the hint already and left him and Naruto-chan alone.
He shook his head.
"Please take it away, Hokage-sama," he said softly, his throat constricted, his eye watering. "I don't think I can accept it."
"B-but, Obito-kun…" the old man tried to reason with him.
"Take it before I burn it," he snapped, interrupting whatever Sarutobi had been about to say. "I… I can't…"
The Hokage crossed his arms over his chest.
"And where will Naruto-chan sleep, then?" he asked, an eyebrow raised.
Obito huffed, shaking his head.
"I'm sure he can use my bed while I save enough for a crib of his own…" he muttered, trying to still his trembling limbs when Naruto-chan's hand on his hakama tightened and his eyes opened lightly in protest.
"Obito-kun, you don't have to punish yourself more than…"
"I'm sure the whole village would disagree with you, if you had told them the truth…" Obito hissed, burying his nose on Naruto-chan's soft hair, refusing to raise his head.
The old man fell silent.
And had he honestly thought Obito wouldn't know? That Obito wouldn't find out the Hokage had faked the reports? Making him a prisoner of the enemy that had escaped to warn the village but had been too late to stop the Kyuubi? That he wouldn't know the Hokage didn't want the information to spread over the village if only to avoid more divide between the citizens.
No, Obito knew it, and he felt the weight of those lies on his shoulders everytime someone looked at him with pity in their eyes, every time an Uchiha hissed a 'weak' as they passed him back, every time an ANBU shadowed him on his daily errands.
Yes, he knew and he hated it.
"I'm no hero, Hokage-sama…" he spat, shaking his head. "And I don't think I should be treated as such…"
Sarutobi nodded, his aged face twisting with accumulated pain.
"This is more for the village than for your protection," he said, firm. "Also, for Naruto-chan's sake."
Obito raised his face, confused.
The old man shook his head this time, his breathing soft.
"Despite my best efforts the village knows who the new Jinchuriki is," he said. "They are not pleased the Kyuubi no Kitsune was not destroyed as they feel he should have been."
"But Naruto-chan is a baby!" Obito protested, feeling dread coil and turn inside his stomach like a snake. "He's keeping them all safe!"
"And they will be less likely to express their frustrations if Naruto-chan lives with a hero," the Hokage continued, undaunted. "More so if that hero is under the protection of the Uchiha clan."
Obito bit his lip until it bled, the conflict reflected clear in his eye.
Naruto-chan cooed at him, his eyes wide on the blood now rolling down his chin.
Obito did his best to smile at the baby, nuzzling his cheek with his nose.
"If it is for Naruto-chan's safety…" he whispered, throat tight.
"It is…" the hokage assured.
Obito nodded.
Sarutobi nodded back, his shoulders relaxing.
"I will have my ANBU bring the rest of Naruto-chan's things tomorrow and… take that crib away then," he promised as he prepared to leave.
"Thanks," Obito said, turning back and forth to lull Naruto-chan back to sleep. "Oh, and Hokage-sama?"
The old man stopped by the door, his hat half-way on his head.
Obito swallowed.
"Please don't send ANBU Inu here," he said. "I'm not that stupid."
Something incredibly sad seemed to shine in the old man's eyes, but he nodded, whispering a last good bye as he left the house.
Obito took a deep breath, whispering to himself over and over again, that he was making the right choice.
"No use dragging Bakashi into my own messes, huh, Naruto-chan?" he asked with a small smile.
"Bluuub," Naruto agreed, putting a fist in his mouth.
"I knew you'd agree with me," the man laughed softly. "Now let me show you the house, okay?"