Summary: Naruto does not have gotten the reputation of being the most surprising ninja for nothing. To keep up this reputation, the blond often lands himself in unusual situations that ask for the most unusual solutions. However, caught in a clash of jutsu while fighting Madara to the bitter end, and waking up in Obito's body buried under piles of stones was not something even Naruto thought possible. How will Naruto take care of the upcoming threat of Akatsuki and Madara in a past he does not know, while starting a new legend for Uchiha Obito? How will he use this second chance?

Beta: Beloved Daughter. Thanks a lot Beloved! :D

My dear wonderful readers! ! As always, I want to thank you for your many wonderful comments! I tried to answer nearly all the questions just before uploading this - my fingers are tired lol - but if I for some reason have missed your, let me know. And if you have another question, let me know as well ;). I know that it has been some time since the last update, but I'm busy busy busy! I currently have a short intership for university at a hospital. Very interesting, but it does mean less writing. Luckily I have some wonderful people reminding me to update, so here you go!

However, before I move onto next chapter, I want to thank AngelsFallBeforeUs (on deviantart) AKA Animecrzylove (on ) for making a fanart for me! :D I was honestly surprised that I recieved some! It excites me nonetheless of course! For those who are curious, the link is on my profile (at the bottom) :D

At the same time I would like to remind people (and especially a certain someone I received a flame from) that when you write some critiism to please make it constructive critism. I am not saying that I'm a terrific writer and able to write masterpieces, seeing as I do not have the skills nor the time, but I am trying my best and I always appreciate tips when it comes to writing. To the flamer in particular... I'm not forcing you to read this "shit" as you called it, nor am I ashamed of writing it. If you don't like something, stop reading, thank you very much. Also, when writing a flame, please don't use an anonymous review, seeing as it gives the impression that you try to avoid a response.

Now I promptly ingore the other insults and thank a certain reviewer who was kind enough to give me an extra boost after having noticed the flame (I would have send you a PM but you disabled it). You are very kind for reminding you that people do like the story a lot. It are people like you (and the other encouraging reviewers) that make me want to continue the story even when I'm feeling tired or am stuggling. Thanks. :)

Now enough babbling from my part!

Let's get back to the story with a very short summary: So Naruto got stuck in Obito's body, got dragged to Konoha by Minato, has made a seal to hide his memories/chakra/fuzzy, then got in a fight with Kakashi and then accidenty awakened the sleeping Obito. After having talked Naruto/Obito woke up again, sharing the body. Obito was stuck for a moment with having the mere body control of a baby, Naruto still didn't have his chakra, not to mention that the other Shinobi are suspicious of the seal and unsure about what to do. That covers the most important things? So let's move on!

Enjoy!

Chapter 11: Gaining Support

~Minato~ A day after Obito regained consciousness ~

"No."

The voice was strong and determined, with an underlying tone of disbelief and anger.

'There is no way that I will allow that.' Minato thought, practically boiling with frustration as he looked at the man he had always looked up to.

He wasn't really angry with the man – well he was, but he couldn't blame the man for what he had said – because even though his emotions were peaking, Minato was still able to think rationally. From his own experiences in life, Minato knew that it was totally understandable for the man to be concerned about Minato's student. He was the Hokage. It was his responsibility to make sure all threats were taken care of and to protect the village that he loved.

But that didn't mean that the Sandaime couldn't be wrong though.

Two furious blue eyes were practically boring into the calm darker eyes of the elder.

The tension in the room was great. One could probably cut it with a kunai if they wanted to.

The two men stood across each other, the desk between them, as if it was acting as a symbol to show the position of power they were in.

Both of them stood tall, showing the other that their resolve in this argument. The Sandaime's pipe lay forgotten on the desk, discarded as soon as the Sandaime saw the other man step into the room. Minato stood with clenched fists that slowly unclenched in an attempt to appear calm, but he was well aware that the current Hokage was not fooled at all.

After what felt like ten minutes of silence, the elder man sighed and rubbed his forehead, having taken off the hat he usually had on. It now lay on top of the desk in front of the man, as if it was showing that he was still in charge.

But that still didn't mean that he wasn't wrong.

It was a custom between a Hokage and the chosen successor. For the same reason, the ANBU had left the room, leaving the two men to their private conversation. It was a show of trust and allowance to speak up their mind, which was exactly what he was doing.

"Minato-k…"

"He is not dangerous, Hokage-sama." The blond didn't shout, nor did he hiss in anger, but there was an icy tone in his voice that even made the Hokage feel slightly uncomfortable.

He stood on very shaky ground with his future successor right now. Said successor was a very good ninja, in control of his emotions in even the tightest situations when needed. However, now was not one of those times when it was necessary.

The Hokage gave Minato a look and tapped three times on the desk to regain his attention. "He has a seal in his mind. He has two personalities. He has been gone for months. Who knows what could have happened to him? He could be…"

"He is not dangerous." The blond repeated, cutting the respectful honorific off, which was something he normally never did. Though the Sandaime normally didn't threaten to destroy the life of a precious person either.

The lips of the Sandaime thinned. "I am very aware of your opinion Minato-kun. I don't like this either. Obito-kun is a very good boy, strong and determined. Even in times that I lectured him on behavior, I could clearly see the Will of Fire present in that boy. Still that does not mean that he currently is an unknown factor. Putting him in confinement may be harmful in your point of view, but we will be able to provide some help for him."

"It might take years." Minato objected. "You have seen what that place does to ninja."

"Many have been cured."

"Many have gone crazy. By the time he comes out of there, his Will of Fire will be gone." Minato objected icily, knowing very well that the man in front of him had a soft spot for the Will of Fire.

Minato didn't twitch as he saw Hokage's eyes sharpen before studying him carefully. The man was anything but unobservant and the blond knew that he was more than aware of what Minato was trying to pull. That didn't mean that he wouldn't agree with the blond though.

"Don't misunderstand my reason for summoning you here Minato-kun." Sarutobi told the ninja, his tone turning slightly more authoritative. "I was saying that I was considering the option. I was not ordering you to put him there. I have asked you to come here to discuss possibilities and your own opinion. I have already talked to Inoichi-san about his findings. So calm down and tell me what you found."

Minato kept silent, eying the man in front of him carefully. Alright, so maybe he was right about the fact that Minato might have become defensive a bit too quickly.

That didn't change the blond's opinion in the slightest, though.

Both of them relaxed ever so slightly and the tension between them dropped to a more comfortable level. On an unspoken agreement, Minato sunk down in one of the two chairs in front of the desk, while Sarutobi walked around the desk to sit closer to him.

There was another staring contest between the two, but this time without any glaring, and this time it was Minato who broke eye contact with a sigh.

"He… Hokage-sama, you have to understand. The seal is not a harmful one. Its only function is to hide memories in his brain. There is of course the possibility that there are some harmful memories being hidden, but you know as much as I do that Obito would be one of the last to fight against Konoha."

"Blackmailing can go far."

"He is loyal." Minato reassured him.

The man hummed in agreement and momentarily stared out of the window. "I can easily admit that he is one of the most likeable of the Uchiha."

Minato couldn't help but snort slightly on that comment. "At some moments he can be the most naïve and even the most annoying one as well, but somehow his presence can be almost addictive. Certainly in more depressive situations like…" He didn't finish the sentence, but there was no need to tell the man that he was thinking about the war. The Sandaime nodded in agreement.

"I never really understood how he managed to keep so positive, certainly not with the whole Uchiha affair going on…"

The blond's eyes glazed over as he thought back to the times that he had stumbled across a crying Obito, who had desperately tried to hide his own tears from him. Obito's bonds with his family were not good. There had even been a time where Obito had almost been disowned, which was why Obito had been so focused on obtaining his Sharingan. Obito had never told the rest of his team though, seeing as it was taboo in his clan and he preferred not to focus on his problems more than necessary, which would explain the happy attitude he nearly always showed.

"Speaking about the clan, do you want to keep it quiet?" The blond suddenly asked, referring to Obito's return. Minato knew that the team he had been travelling with – a team of ANBU – had been ordered to keep quiet. While Minato knew that they would, he wasn't sure what the man in front of him was planning.

"What would you do Minato?"

The blond was surprised by the question. His surprise must have showed because there was an amused twinkle in the Hokage's eyes.

"You will take up the title soon. What would you do?"

Minato turned pensive for a moment before speaking.

"I would keep it quiet for the moment. From what information I have been able to gather, most of the clan has made it clear that they don't care about the 'loser'." Minato said, looking angry as he remembered their reaction upon hearing the news. The Uchiha clan actually seemed to be angrier that Kakashi received their precious eye than anything else, except for the few who had been close to him. He knew that Obito's aunt and uncle, who had taken him in after the death of his parents, were devastated at the news of Obito's death, but their happiness wouldn't currently make up for all the trouble that would come with the news of Obito's survival.

No, the best thing to do was to wait. He glanced at the Sandaime.

'Maybe it would be better for me to solve this in the first part of taking up leadership'. He thought, feeling slightly pained at this thought.

The first few months of the new reign of a newly appointed Hokage was a period of time in which the previous Hokage would assist the newly appointed Hokage with his duties – though Minato knew that he would be always open to Sarutobi's advice.

It was this period that was often filled with the biggest changes for the system. There were a lot of changes that Minato had in mind himself. He was more than aware that council thought that he was getting soft – and wanted to take advantage of it.

"I would wait for a while and then discuss his wishes."

The Hokage eyed him carefully and smiled, making Minato wonder if he knew what he was thinking.

Sarutobi eventually hummed in agreement. "I agree with you, but we have to get back on track Minato-kun, because it is not only the hidden memories that worry me."

He leaned forward, arms leaning on his legs as he directed his attention to the seal-specialist. "Tell me, Minato-kun. What else could the seal hide?"

Minato frowned. "Besides memories? Possibly a part of his mind. That…" He paused as he suddenly realized something. "Spiritual Chakra." He breathed. "If his body is fit enough…"

Everyone in the Shinobi world was aware of the fact that chakra was a product of spiritual energy and physical energy mixing together. However the proportion of both variables was often not the same. No matter how much someone pushed themselves physically, there was a certain limit at how much chakra one produced. This was because little physical energy was needed compared to how much spiritual energy was needed to produce chakra.

Obito, while currently not being in perfect shape, was fit enough to produce a lot more chakra than his previous level if only if he had the spiritual energy to do so.

However, the presence of spiritual chakra – especially if one was unaware of it - could be very dangerous.

"But even if this is the case…" Minato started carefully, trying to prevent jumping to conclusions. They were both aware that they were talking about very rare cases, but seeing as they were ninja they tended to extra careful with the 'what if's' .

"Then the seal I put on him will make sure that his chakra pathways won't overload. Even if there is a sudden increase in his chakra, it would be converted into harmless energy." He reminded the man.

"Indeed, but that is not the thing that worries me. I myself have come across only a few people that could hide spiritual chakra that way." The Hokage confirmed and reached towards his pipe. He took it, but didn't light it.

Minato looked at him questioningly, having a bad feeling about what Sarutobi was about to say.

"These were people that are forced to share their own mindscape with another source of energy." Sarutobi slowly said and sighed, staring at the blond directly into his eyes.

"Jinchuuriki."

Minato froze.

'Jinchuuriki? Obito? No way.' Minato objected automatically and shared this doubt.

"He would have never survived that. Only the Uzumaki are able to accept the burden of Kyuubi's chakra from each other without being killed and even then the ritual takes nearly six months. Kushina told me herself." He muttered. "The only chance that a new Jinchuuriki would survive is if it were an infant with undeveloped chakra pathways…"

"His medical examination has shown the presence of damaged pathways, yet they are slowly recovering."

"That… the chance of this being the case is so small that it is practically impossible." Minato argued. "I haven't seen anything in his mind that showed the presence of a demon either."

"It could be hidden in the seal." The Sandaime offered, causing Minato to frown.

"Then a very good Seal Master would have made the seal to hide such a presence. I would have to take another look."

"Inoichi has put a limit on the mind jutsu for at least three weeks, maybe even longer unless it is absolutely necessary. The latest entry was strenuous, seeing the condition he was in."

Minato nodded and looked him in the eye. "No, we don't want to fry his brain..." He agreed. "Still... Obito a Jinchuuriki?" He repeated, still not convinced.

"Even if it were – which I don't belief is the case – which demon would it be?" He questioned, indirectly challenging the man's theories.

The Sandaime shook his head, unable to answer the question. "I agree that this is all very unlikely. I actually don't believe it, but we have to keep our minds open. If I remember correctly, you were the one that said that nearly nothing is impossible. Look at you now, Yellow Flash."

Minato chuckled at that. "Indeed." He muttered, before his expression turned into a pensive one. He certainly had a lot to think about.

'One thing is clear: I will have to keep an eye on him.'

"So what do we do, Hokage-same?"

"We do what Inoichi advised. Let him regain his memories, but keep an eye on him. He is loyal to Konoha and probably won't become a danger to the village, but I am more concerned that he will become a danger to himself."

Minato sighed.

"I still clearly remember the first time I met him. The moment that I saw him laughing awkwardly after he failed to pull a prank, I just knew that he was going to be trouble, but I never imagined him to be this much trouble."

~ Naruto~

It had been nearly two weeks.

Nearly two weeks since Obito had accidently awakened while having control – or more specifically he had nearly no control at all – and Naruto was getting annoyed.

They were constantly watching him. Watching him nearly every moment he was consciousness.

There was a very naïve part of his brain that had secretly hoped that they wouldn't be keeping an eye on him like his more realistic thoughts had told him.

That they had something else to focus on or that they would trust him enough to… he didn't actually know what he imagined would happen. He had just hoped he would get more privacy.

Unfortunately for Naruto, this was not the case. It was like they were stalking them, afraid that he would disappear or go crazy if they didn't keep an eye on him.

Some moments, Naruto felt like they thought he was a spy.

He had to admit that he liked the attention at first – a lot even. He thoroughly enjoyed spending time with his father most of all. The smiles he received, the moments that the blond ruffled his hair in an affectionate manner.

Even spending time with his former sensei was enjoyable, though he was acting awkward from time to time, as if Kakashi was trying to do something but was constantly changing his mind. Naruto could see it by the looks he had been giving him when Kakashi thought he didn't notice. Obito and he had decided to give him time though. He would mention it when he was ready and otherwise they would just have to kick his butt again, after they had done some training.

So the first few days were wonderful. But after three days waking up with a cheerful Minato standing next to his bed to let him know that breakfast was ready, Naruto and Obito started to realize that he hadn't had a real moment of privacy besides 'falling asleep' or going to the toilet.

Naruto even mentioned to Obito that he suspected that they still kept track of his chakra signature in these cases and Obito – who was nearly naïve when it came to his friends – couldn't disagree with him.

Once the realization was there, it was difficult for them not to notice.

If Minato wasn't hanging around and training him – he was back more or less back to his original level before the accident – then Kakashi coincidentally pop up. If not Kakashi practically acting like his shadow, then Rin came to have dinner with him and to heal any strains that the training put on him.

He appreciated their concern, but it was getting on his nerves. He had so many things to do and so little time. He needed those damn clones!

'You know, after you said that you could fight SS-class ninja like Madara, I thought that slipping away wouldn't be that difficult for you.'

Naruto's eyebrow twitched as Obito spoke up from his mind. During the last two weeks, the two of them had found out how to communicate in their thoughts. It had relieved Obito from a lot of boredom and made Naruto feel less guilty about being in charge all of the time.

'Kyuubi agrees with me by the way.' Obito told him smugly.

'Sure he does.' Naruto grumbled. 'I would be able to slip away in three seconds as soon as you get that damn gate open.' He jabbed back. 'I already modified the annoying seal on the back of my neck, which took a whole night by the way, so bother me when you have made yourself useful.'

Obito snorted. 'Tch…I'm trying, geeze. No need to get your panti…'

'Obito.' Naruto cut him off. ' Please just continue trying alright? I'm sorry but I'm just getting so antsy here. Why can't Kakashi just leave me alone for a second?'

'Well, he surely never acted like that before. He was always very obsessed with the rules, so maybe he needs a replacement.' Obito joked as he continued to do whatever he was doing.

"Always the obsessions." Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Obsessions?" A voice inquired.

Naruto turned his head toward Kakashi, who was leaning against the other side of the tree they were sitting under. The teenager was slightly roughed up, having had a spar with Obito just half an hour ago. A muscle in his neck protested against the movement, letting him know that he had been testing his limits as well. Rin would probably come by soon and heal their bruises. Even though it wasn't necessary, she always insisted, especially when it came to Obito.

It reminded Naruto much of Sakura. Though she usually would give him a lot of bruised cheeks as well.

"Obito?"

"What?"

"What about obsessions?"

Unsure as to why Kakashi was so interested about his mumbling, the black-haired ninja smiled sheepishly at him. "Yeah, you know… obsessions?"

"Yeah… What about it?" Naruto blinked as he received an unimpressed and inquiring stare that he recalled his future sensei often giving him. It was moments like this that made Naruto realize that the young boy in front of him would eventually grow up to be the scarecrow that he had looked up to.

"Err…"

Kakashi stared at him before he turned away, staring at the top of the trees that rustling in the wind. Naruto followed his example, deciding that Kakashi was letting it go. He took a deep breath to relax his body and started to prepare for a quick visit to Obito to see if he was booking process with the damn block on his chakra.

'I'm not.' Obito dryly told him.

'Well, I will come and help then.'

'I'm still trying, don't be such a pushover.' Obito complained.

'Don't be such a cry-baby.' Naruto replied, not really meaning it.

'Tch, scaredy-cat.' Obito jabbed back with practiced ease.

Naruto smirked mentally.

'Teary-eyes.'

'Whisker-face.'

They continued to exchange insults without actually meaning it, both releasing some tension they were starting to feel with the pressure that they felt.

'Dobe.' They both ended up saying at the same time and chuckled slightly.

Just before Naruto thought that he was ready to slip back into his meditative state he was distracted when Kakashi suddenly spoke up.

"I'm sorry."

'Huh?'

Obito shared his confusion as well and Naruto wondered whether he should pretend to be asleep. The tone that Kakashi had used was pretty meaningful though – plus Obito mentally chided at him for even thinking about ignoring an apology of Kakashi of all people. So Naruto guessed he would have to face it. If Kakashi decided to share his inner conflict, then he should grab the chance he got before he changed his mind.

Ignoring Obito's grumbling, Naruto lazily opened his eye and glanced at his silver-haired teammate. "What?"

Kakashi's lips thinned for a moment before he sat up and looked down at him. "I'm sorry." He repeated firmly.

"For what?" Naruto inquired, not sure what he was apologizing for.

The ninja looked slightly annoyed by the confusion that he showed but answered nonetheless. "I'm sorry for not listening to you on the mission. I'm sorry for being such a…" He took a breath and continued. "…stuck-up prat all the time." Kakashi glared slightly as he saw his teammate's eyes widen at the name he called himself.

"I apologize for being obsessed with the rules the whole time."

Ah, so that is where it came from, Naruto decided. 'He must have wondered whether I was talking about him.'

For a while, he simply stared at his future sensei as he let Obito mule about the apologies he got directed at him. Had it not been so serious, Obito would have probably been laughing that Kakashi had just insulted himself, but he was surprisingly quiet. Naruto was not going to decide how to react for this occasion. Kakashi was clearly uncomfortable with waiting, but didn't push him.

'Are you alright Obito?' Naruto asked, knowing that the boy was still sour about a few points in their history together.

There was a moment of silence before Obito spoke up. 'Yeah I'm fine; tell him that it is fine.' The original black-haired ninja was clearly trying to brush away the annoyance and frustration that he still felt.

"Apology accepted."

Kakashi's eyes widened slightly at the blunt reply and Naruto promptly closed his eye again. It was easy for him to forgive his sensei.

Even though he had looked through the memories of Obito – and Obito his – as soon as the Uchiha had awoken they had become more distant. More like seeing them occur as a bystander instead of it being you. Plus he had spent a lot of years with the man and though Kakashi certainly had his faults, he had helped Naruto a lot and for that Naruto could only be thankful.

'Are you coming or not?' Obito asked, clearly trying to distract himself from what just happened. He would think about it when Naruto was done visiting.

'I'm trying.'

"Why?"

Naruto frowned when his focus was once again disrupted. "Why what?" He returned as his only eye glanced dryly at his sensei.

"Why do you forgive me so easily?"

"What are teammates for?"

That silenced Kakashi for a while, but he still wasn't satisfied. "You only saved me because you thought it was your job as a teammate?" He asked up, sounding somewhat bitter.

"What?" This time Naruto was confused. "No." He answered for Obito, conveying the offended tone that it had carried.

Naruto tried to look Kakashi in the eye, but the ninja wasn't looking at him. Instead, the silver-haired boy was glaring at the space in front of him, his face twisted in a troubled frown. The sight made Naruto promptly give up on trying to meditate. It was clear that Kakashi needed to talk and the time-traveler was planning to make sure that he did.

"I did what was right." Naruto told him.

In reality he was slowly letting Obito take charge of the conversation, following his directions and relaying his answers. It was odd to act like that but it was not as difficult as he had assumed. It wasn't really only following verbal instructions either. There was subtle way of communication through the mind that allowed Naruto to pick up emotions, images, thoughts, and intentions from Obito. It had taken a while to practice but they were getting there.

'Thanks Naruto.'

'No problem.'

Obito glanced at Kakashi, frowning slightly as he was clearly ignoring him. He contemplated on calling him names, but he felt that Naruto disapproved to that method, so he moved for another approach. He was going to make sure that his friend would stop with that annoying hovering of his, so that they were finally going to get some peace.

But first he had to make sure that the ninja wouldn't ignore him.

"What is really bothering you K'ashi?"

The nickname caught Kakashi of guard and he turned to the boy next to him in surprise. He studied the teen's expression carefully before he visibly relaxed.

"How are you able to be in control of your body?" He questioned, ignoring Obito's inquiry.

This question surprised the two of them, especially Obito who had not expected that people would be able to see the difference between them. Somehow it made him feel good that the difference was clear though and that Kakashi seemed to prefer 'him' to Naruto. Meanwhile, Naruto sighed mentally, understanding the feelings that Obito felt, but was slightly disappointed by the preference.

'No brooding Naruto.' He reminded himself, to which Obito winced.

'Sorry.'

'It's alright.'

"My other 'Me' is following my… instructions?" It sounded more like a question. "We figured this trick out over the last two weeks and I have been practicing so I can guide him somewhat. It's difficult to explain." He waved his hand to dismiss it.

"Still, what is bothering you?"

There was a moment that the two simply stared at each other, Obito waiting patiently while Kakashi was pondering how to say it. He slowly moved up his headband, so that he could stare at him with his Sharingan, which made Obito shiver slightly. It was still so odd to see his Sharingan like that.

Whatever they had been expecting, Naruto and Obito both hadn't expected him to be so blunt though.

"Do you want your eye back?"

'Wait… WHAT?'

Obito was clearly taken back by the question, which made him accidently slip back into the mind. Naruto was caught of guard by the loss of support, which weakened the arms he had been leaning on, causing him to land on his back. He soon regained his bearings easily enough though and stared with a knowing look at the teenager who was now, crouched on his feet next to him.

The moment that Kakashi looked in his eyes he tensed up again and his eyes became more wary.

"No!" Naruto answered quickly, ignoring the look he had received.

"I wasn't asking you."

Naruto mentally flinched at the tone, but tried not to let it bother him too much.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto tried, while comforting the panicking Obito as he regained his posture.

"I can see the difference you know." Kakashi muttered as he stood up.

Naruto's eye saddened and he felt a sense of rejection from the sentence alone. "Interesting." He said, brushing it off once more.

A troubled flash of emotions appeared in Kakashi's eyes but it quickly disappeared. With a huff, the boy glared up at the sky as he spoke. "I want the old Obito back. It was him who gave me his eye."

"I'm not going to make the decision for him." Naruto told him with a glare, feeling offended by the unspoken assumption.

"Then do what you did before."

"Obito was caught of guard by your subtle question. We can't do it right now." Naruto cut back, annoyed that Kakashi thought that it was so easy. He never realized that his sensei really had been a prat when he had been young.

The jab made Kakashi scoff at him, before he glared at Naruto and challenged him. "Why don't you want to merge Scar?"

'Scar? They name me Scar of all things?'

"What are you talking about?"

"You are the one in control. It is because of you that you have two personalities."

Naruto remained silent at the accusation and moved to stand up as well. Kakashi didn't tense to indicate that he wanted to fight, but Naruto was not going to be caught unprepared if it suddenly came to it.

"I'm still Obito." He told the young teen, not really lying. After all, he was physically, he reminded himself.

"You are a part of Obito." Kakashi protested. "I have heard what happened. You are just a fragment that came into existence after the mission."

Naruto felt angry with the young boy in front of him at first, but then forcefully calmed himself. It was difficult to forget that the boy in front of him, no matter how wise and knowledgeable he currently was and would be – and had been – in the future, he was still a boy. He was clearly upset with what happened, but Naruto was not going to let this… brat tell him what to do.

"You don't know anything." He growled at him, catching the silver-haired ninja of guard. "You assume that we can just merge and that everything will return to normal. Don't try to object." He told the teen as Kakashi opened his mouth to probably do just that, not really realizing that his posture changed into a more authoritative one.

"The fact that you offered back your eye tells me enough. You also refer my near death" – Kakashi winched. "…as 'the mission'. Deal with the mistakes that happened. Don't blame it on yourself and don't take out your anger on me Baka, because I am part of him no matter what will happen."

Naruto turned his back on Kakashi and angrily walked away.

'I'm sorry Naruto.' Obito quietly spoke up from his mind.

'Just please be quiet for a while? I will find a place to hide and help you with that damn block.' Naruto grumbled as he went through a couple of hand seals and let the wind take him away.

~Kakashi~

'I didn't mean it like that.' Kakashi thought with a touch of guilt and surprise as he mentally repeated what Obito – or at least Scar – had just told him.

Kakashi was not sure what to do as he watched him go. When Obito reached the end clearing though, he suddenly realized that he was actually leaving. His eyes widened with regret and he raised his hand out to him.

"Obito wait!" There was a slight panic in his voice as he made a move to go after him. Unfortunately, unknown to him, Obito had already finished the hand seals and flashed away, leaving Kakashi behind.

Surprised by the unfamiliar jutsu that Obito suddenly could perform, he was too slow to follow him and looked helplessly at the empty space where Obito had just been.

Kakashi silently cursed at himself for letting Obito escape and for acting out of hand. He was a ninja damnit! Why had he let his emotions taken control over him? He hated feeling this twinge of guilt too, because Scar had been right. Kakashi did wish that he didn't exist, because it would mean that everything would be back to normal. If he only had kept his mouth shut about the eye then-

"Kakashi-kun."

The silver-haired ninja swirled around and came face to face with his sensei, who was staring down at him with a stern expression. He immediately felt even guiltier, knowing that he had just said things that he shouldn't have. He had honestly been surprised by the emotions that had just taken control of him. Normally he wouldn't have ever said so many things without properly thinking about it, but when it came to Obito everything seemed so difficult.

He winced. "I'm sorry."

The blond man still glared slightly at him.

"You called him Scar."

"I realize that."

"You know that you shouldn't separate them Kakashi."

The teen was about to agree, but he still felt angry and clenched his hands. "But I can tell the difference." He whispered to his mentor.

"They are both Obito."

"They feel different." Kakashi still objected.

It was difficult to describe the difference though. Scar surely looked like Obito and acted like him a lot too, but there was a feeling… an itch that Kakashi couldn't define. He brushed it aside though, assuming that Minato wouldn't understand and looked down to the ground. Taking a deep breath, he regained control of his emotions and let the mask of disinterest slip on his face. "I apologize." He said with a soft drawl.

"Don't even try that on me." The voice became even sterner, which forced Kakashi to listen.

"Look me in the eyes when I talk to you Jounin."

He followed the order easily enough.

"I will make sure that you two will talk later, in my presence." He gave him a pointed look as he added the last part. "But first I want you to understand that the eye was a gift. Obito is clearly not expecting you to return it to him. Otherwise he would probably tell you in some way."

"I just thought…"

"I know Kakashi." Minato sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Look, it is good that you finally share some of your inner conflicts, especially since your father…" Kakashi's face automatically went blank at the mention of his father, before he forced himself to let it slip from his face.

His father was not a traitor, he reminded himself.

"…practically raised you as a perfect ninja, but please be careful with letting your frustrations go all at once. Talk to me first if you feel the need to vent alright?"

Kakashi stared at the blue earnest eyes of his teacher – his mentor – and nodded.

"Hai Sensei."

"Good, now you have been summoned for a mission so meet me later at the Hokage Tower. I will check up on Obito and meet you there."

~ Naruto ~

Sitting in another clearing, Naruto finally was able to slip back into his meditative state.

It took a while for him to slip into his mind though, seeing as he was constantly distracted by what had just happened to him. He let out a relieved sigh as the feet of his mental representation touched the soft grass of the clearing. Taking a deep breath, he glanced up at the full moon that was always there and then moved towards the forest. Following his instincts, he found Obito sitting in front of a large tree that looked different from the rest. The leaves on this tree were more yellow than the others; some leaves even had a golden hue here and there.

Feeling drawn to the tree, Naruto stepped closer.

"You managed to make it visible." Naruto commented, glancing at Obito's form which was brooding on the ground.

"Yeah."

"You knew that the question was coming."

"I hadn't expected it." Obito denied. "Wait, you knew?"

"I was expecting it." Naruto confirmed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Obito protested, putting his hands on his head.

"I thought that you knew." Naruto answered. "Besides, it is your choice."

"Of course I don't want it back! I'm not going to let him roam around without a second eye that he lost because of me!"

"So it is guilt then?"

"N-no!" Naruto sighed when the answer came too soon.

"You do feel guilty." He pushed, not backing down when Obito glared at him.

"So what if I do? I'm not saying that I do, but what if? Would it matter? You actually expect me to ask my friend to give me back my eye? Is that what you think of me? Because I'm not going to do it, Naruto. It was a gift. I don't need it any more than him."

Obito seemed to be taken back by the smile that he received from Naruto. "I like that answer."

"Wait what?"

"I like your attitude, besides…" He ruffled the boy's hair, causing him to pout. "Kyuu has been muttering about fixing the eye if that is possible."

"So it might not be possible."

"Nope."

"You are awfully calm about it." Obito complained.

"Wanna know why?" Naruto asked and smirked when the teenager looked at him expectantly. "'Cause you still have your eye." He said, flicking Obito's forehead.

The black-haired boy's eyes widened as he touched his forehead.

"Think about that for a while." Naruto prodded, as he turned back to the block that stood in his way of helping out. "I have to take care of this troublesome obstacle."

Putting his hand on the tree's surface, he automatically let out a sigh of relief. This was his chakra. It was his raw, more uncontrollable and dense spiritual chakra that the body had automatically pushed away to protect itself when he arrived.

"Come back." He muttered. "It's alright."

It felt odd talking to his chakra like that, but he felt something shift under the tree's surface. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the tree, resting his forehead on the smooth surface. He suddenly felt an urge to breath and followed it without hesitation. The ninja gasped when he felt himself starting to actually absorb his chakra. He felt stronger. He was felt energetic. He started to feel hyper, the energy that he had always had difficulty to control as a child.

His eyes snapped open when the flow into his body became larger. There was too much to absorb at one time though. He wasn't sure if he was going to be able to use all of it. Gritting his teeth, he tried not to lose grip against the now burning strain that was pushing against him. He needed to push it back, he realized. He had to make sure that he could access it when he needed it, but he needed it back in storage.

"Help me out here Obito." He growled under his breath and was thankful when Obito almost immediately stood by his side.

Pushing his hands against the tree as well, Obito gasped in surprise as he felt the enormous amount of chakra that flowed under the tree's surface.

"This is your chakra?"

"Yes."

"No wonder you could make so many clones." The Uchiha muttered as he helped his friend rein in the chakra. Both of then struggled to remain in control, but after an unknown amount of pain, the pressure of the chakra flow dispersed. Pushing most of the chakra back in the tree, it seemed to grow even larger than before.

Finally, the two ninja managed to push the last amount of chakra back into the tree. Testing it, Naruto stepped back and only put one hand on the tree. He pulled a little bit of chakra back and was relieved to find that the rest of the chakra didn't crash down on him like before. Sighing in relief, Naruto flopped onto the ground. Now that he was charged with his own chakra, he was practically bouncing with energy, but he was tired at the same time.

"Wow." Obito chuckled right next to him, having followed his example. "I feel somewhat high."

Frowning, Naruto glanced to his companion. "What do you mean?"

"This amount of power…" Obito shook his head. "I take it back Naruto; no wonder you beat SS-ninja."

"Well, the downside is that we have to keep it hidden for a while. We can't run around with such a prominent rise of chakra level." He glanced at Obito. "Which means that you will have to try and make sure that it remains stored in the tree."

Obito hummed in agreement. "Do we have to do this often?" He asked, looking slightly reluctant to do it again.

"Probably. My chakra is difficult to control. Hopefully we will get better at it in time. We should be able to start training really soon." Naruto said, practically beaming with excitement.

The two of them sighed in relief at the same time at the thought of being able to train properly. They would have to work very hard, but that was not going to stop them.

"You poked my forehead." Obito suddenly spoke up.

"What about it?" Naruto questioned as he started playing with the grass.

"I used to do that to Itachi-kun."

Naruto glanced at him in surprise. He suddenly remembered a few vague memories that he had looked through. "You are his example aren't you?"

"Yeah." Obito muttered wistfully. "Even though the rest of my family mostly disliked me, Itachi-kun somehow saw something in me that he liked. I still haven't figured out what it is."

The Uchiha stilled when Naruto started laughing at him.

"Don't make me punch you." He threatened as he sat up.

Rubbing away some tears from his eyes, Naruto waved his hand in defense. "No, I'm not laughing at you. It's just that…" He stopped as he suddenly stiffened.

"What is it?"

"Someone is nearby. I can sense it now."

"How?"

"It seems that I managed to maintain some natural chakra." He said with an exciting grin. "I didn't expected that. More important though… I recognize the signature. We may have a problem though."

"What is it?"

"I recognize the signature. It's an Uchiha. We don't want attention from your clan right now."

Obito's eyes widened in understanding. "Can we slip away?"

"I know that this person won't allow that. He will be too curious if we do."

"Who is it?"

"The one that you poked on the forehead." Naruto told him and easily noticed the excitement in Obito's eyes when he realized who he was talking about.

"You will let me talk then?"

"If it can't be helped."

"Can you brats shut up for a moment? I see that you have finally managed to get your spiritual chakra back. About time." Kyuubi complained with a low growl. "Now, as much as I despite your sort Uchiha, I agree with the brat that you would be the best to talk with him. Naruto would probably ruin it otherwise." He plainly ignored Naruto's protest.

"No need to be so rude Kyuubi."

"I wouldn't be if you two weren't so damn loud. Now get going, you two are even more annoying when you are together and even worse with your chakra back. Why must I be the one that gets stuck with two hyper ape-monkeys?" The demon muttered the last part under his breath.

Obito stared with wide eyes at Naruto who grinned at him. "Let's go poke his forehead, Obito. Though remember that we can't be too obvious about our identity. We don't want to gain the attention of your family yet." Naruto warned as he closed his eyes.

Nodding seriously at the warning, Obito closed his eyes and tried to think back to the sensation that he had felt once before. A pull appeared in his stomach and before he knew it, they opened his eye. Naruto was able to keep his face blank, while fighting against the facial expressions that Obito's reaction provoked, and he glanced towards the direction where he felt the familiar chakra come from.

'This chakra is awesome.' Obito told him, feeling much stronger.

'Don't let it get to your head.' Naruto chided him, before he fell silent.

Naruto didn't turn his head toward the bush that the young Uchiha was crouched behind as he calmly spoke up. He calmly remained in the lotus position he had put himself in and smirked mentally when he felt the chakra signature drop to a nearly unnoticeable level.

The young Uchiha was clearly trying to remain hidden.

'I taught him that!' Obito boosted in a prideful manner. 'He even got better at it than I was.'

'Well, let's show him that you didn't teach him well enough.' Naruto teased as he spoke up.

"Are you going to spy on me all day?"

~ End Chapter ~

Coming up: Itachi-Obito confrontation! How do you except that to work out? Hehe.

Once again thank you for the wonderful support! I would be very happy to receive some feedback from you guys (flames are ignored, constructive critisims and comments very much appreciated) , thank you very much :)

Hope to hear from you soon and till next time!

~Dreamyin