Chapter 20: Face-offs Part Two: Fall of Tobi

As soon as he'd sensed the chakra signature, realized what it actually was and pushed passed the illusion Kakashi ran. He defeated some rogue along the way but he fought to get to the Uchiha compound and to his old, thought to be dead, teammates side. He wasn't sure how the boy, man now probably, was still alive, how he had survived after taking such a devastating blow to his body and after giving up his eye; but Kakashi knew that it was him. That Obito was back in the Village Hidden in the Leafs.

When he got to the compound he found Itachi going head to head with the man that was his childhood teammate. Then, just before Kakashi could hide in the shadows, watch for a bit longer to truly confirm and process what he was seeing, Kakashi watched as Itachi kicked the mask off the man's face.

"You bastard." Kakashi heard Obito scream, watched as he prepared to use his specialty and attack, but before he could get through and injure Itachi, Kakashi moved and blocked the man's attack.

"So the traitor appears, I'm surprised Kakashi, you made it into ANBU. Tell me, lose anymore..."

"Enough Obito, what are you..." Kakashi said, all the while fighting to keep his emotions in check and his mind focused. Regardless of how it was this man had survived, how he had recovered from what he had suffered as a child, this man before him was no longer his teammate. How could it be when the boy he had once known had wanted to become hokage; to protect, not destroy, the village.

"I'm here to get what I want and to set the shinobi on the right path. No more blood need be shed."

"Kakashi-san, are you..."

"Hikari, Itachi, if you don't mind, I'll take this fight." Kakashi said with a sigh as he lifted his hetai and revealed the highest level of the sharingan.

Granted it's power wasn't like Itachi's, how could it be when each sharingan had it's own specialty. Kakashi was aware of this fact, he knew that Itachi was as well knew the truth, and he was now hoping that instead of asking for an explanation now he'd give him the time Kakashi needed to face his old childhood friend and end this fight once and for all.

Sighing Hikari stepped back, she looked at the surroundings and then she began to check if it was safe and then the others appeared. They appeared to be made out of some sort of organic substance by what Hikari could tell and justly told Itachi.

"Hatake-san, we will cover you, please take care of this swiftly."

"Hai, taichou." Kakashi responded seriously, all the while noticing how Obito's laugh had grown dark and twisted.

"What happened to you Obito? Why..."

"You don't have the right to judge me Kakashi, not after what you did to Rin." The man growled as he readied his special move. Sighing Kakashi did the same and soon they were on a different plane. One filled with derby and blood.

"This is the perfect place for a low level like you to die."

"Obito, what happened to you? You used to want to be the hokage of the village; and now you're trying to destroy it? Why?"

"Shut up!" The man roared as he charged forward with a kunai in hand and aimed at Kakashi's eye.

It was amazing to Kakashi how his long, thought to be dead best friend was reacting now. He'd been so much like Naruto and so unlike most Uchiha. In fact the only other Uchiha that Kakashi could think of that was as care free and childlike was Shisui Uchiha. Even then however, he was nothing compared to his old comrade.

"Obito, this isn't you; you love the leaf. What would Rin say if..."

"Shut up you murder! You killed her!" Obito snarled, taking Kakashi by surprise and hitting him on the side. Hissing Kakashi mentally cursed at himself and jumped away while trying to assess the damage he'd taken. He couldn't afford to slip or to fall for Obito's words.

"Obito, it's not what you think. Rin, she was forced to become the host of one of the chakra demons. She knew that the other villages would use her as an excuse to start a war; she didn't want that for Konoha." Kakashi said, all the while going through the same fire style hand signs that Obito had begun.

"It doesn't matter what she wanted to prevent, you should have saved her! You swore you'd protect her!" Obito growled as he went trough a series of hand seals and summoned a large fire ball. Instantly Kakashi summoned a water dragon and braced himself.

Kakashi knew that right then and there he would be forced to relive his past; that like he had had no choice in the past, he now had no choice. Kakashi knew that he would need to end the life of one of his best friends a life that he had never known that was still alive to begin with. Nonetheless he had his village and his family to protect.

"So you will act again, become the monster you were to Rin then, you'll be to me now? So be it then Kakashi." Obit growled as he released his chakra and attacked Kakashi without hesitation.

It was hard, Kakashi wasn't expecting it to be easy, but this was something he knew he needed to do. If not for his own redemption but for the sake of the family he'd come to build and the one who had saved him. Yes, there times that his confidence was broken, trials that made him feel as if though he'd failed yet again; but when Izakura had been born and she'd looked to for him just as much as she had for her own parents Kakashi knew that he wouldn't be able to fail anymore.

"I didn't kill Rin on purpose Obito, she choose her path for the sake of the village just like sensei Minato did." Kakashi tried to explain desperately but his words were not heard.

Instead Obito charged, he gathered deadly chakra in his weapons and went in for hand to hand combat. Though it was true that in their youth Kakashi was slower, that could never beat Obito in hand to hand, things were different now. With all the loss he'd suffered, Kakashi had turned his focus to training, to being a better teacher and making sure that when in a tight spot he'd be able to protect all of his students and not just save most.

"You've grown."

"I had do, there are those that need my support." Kakashi said without humor and full of confidence. He had helped Naruto, had got the opportunity to watch him grow into one of the best hokage's that the village had ever seen and now he was going to make sure that it stayed that way.

"No matter, you failed us all, and you'll fail them as well." Obit growled as he landed yet another blow on Kakashi. However, instead of watching the man fall, Obito froze in place and tried to desperately release the large amount of electricity that was suddenly running through his bod.

Kakashi had known his friend and teammate, knew that he was probably even better than when they were children when it came to hand to hand combat and so had decided to test his theory. Instead of forming a chidori on the palm of his hand he gathered the chakra within him, and the instant that he'd taken the hit, had been cut, Kakashi had used his chakra to throw the current into the weapon and into his own teammate.

It was one of the most painful experiences of his long life. The way the electricity was burning his nervous system, he could feel how it scorched his chakra pathways, and how much it was scaring but Kakashi knew that he couldn't let Obito go on with his plan, to take the niece he never knew he could care about so much. Therefore, if sacrificing himself would save his family and their futures then he had not problem doing so. Furthermore, he had complete faith in Hikari, and Sakura to help him heal. It wouldn't be the end of his carrier, it would only be the beginning.

"I'm sorry Obito, for then and for now." Kakashi whispered just as he'd been pierced with a kunai. As soon as he felt the impact, Kakashi released the chakra he'd been holding inside and watched as the electricity flew out of his wound, into the kunai and straight into Obito.

The smell of burning flesh was everywhere, and though Kakashi wish he would get rid of it he knew the smell would stay with him for several days. Immediately Obito's hold had loosened, he'd let go and fallen back and when he hit the ground Kakashi pulled the kunai out and widened his eyes at the whole in place of where his heart had once been.

"Obito, what..."

"I lost my home, my hope for all of the shinobi world. We're all a bunch of murders and with the chakra demons we'll all be able to live in a dream. A place with..." Obito sneered before coughing up blood.

It didn't matter what he was made of anymore, he had no more power, his chakra was low, and though Kakashi didn't have the strength in him to claim the life he knew he should, he still forced his body to move. Then, just before he could land the killing blow Hikari-san stepped up to him and stopped him.

She'd been watching from the sideline the entire time, had seen and heard what the two were talking about. Without hesitation she healed his wound and took the life of the comrade that Kakashi had been trying to claim. She'd known that it would have been a heavy burden on his shoulders, a weight too great for his heart and so as she healed him she purred.

"His blood is not on your hands Hatake-san. I am the man's death bringer, and you are the one who tried to save his life." Hikari tried to sooth the man but by the look in his eyes she knew that it would still be a cross he would insist on carrying the rest of his life.

"You must allow your body to rest, breathe Hatake-san and only move once you have reseted." Hikari instructed while turning to her mistress husband. His eyes were cast out toward the opposite end of the outskirts.

"Hikari-san, Sakura is..."

"Hai, we shall perceed." Were her only words before the two turned and left in the direction in which they knew Sakura and Izakura were at. They weren't alone, Izakura was in battle by the feels of it, but Hikari-san did not tell Itachi. She knew that as soon as they were within range, that he could sense it for himself, then they would up their pace and strive to reach the battle in time to aid.

Izakura and team vs. Kisame and Konan

We'd been going back and forth for a while and the entire time I hadn't signaled for Masumi-sama to interfere with the fight. Normally I would have, well Ka-san would have instructed other wise but I wanted to catch the monster off guard and I wanted to end this quickly. Naruto-oji-san was in battle now, his chakra too far away for any of the other shinobi to notice unless he accessed the Kyuubi's chakra. Which considering what the akasuki wanted wasn't a good thing...

"You're not holding back today either." Sneered the mist rogue as he dodged my attacked and tried to take my chakra from me. Dodging the swing of his sword and sensing another powerful chakra close by I sighed and placed distance.

"Masumi-sama." I called and instantly the large silver tiger was at my side. Narrowing his eyes Kisame of the mist growled.

"Calling for your mothers summoning animals will..."

"You will not disrespect my summoner rogue." Masumi-sama hissed before she released her chakra and send a powerful and deadly fire jutsu to him. Kisame dodged, he laughed and then went through several hands signs before sending out two large water dragons.

Quickly, and without thinking I jumped out of the way, all the while watching as Masumi-sama did the same and as she jumped over the rogue only to attack the woman with blue hair. She I knew to be the second in command of all of Akatsuki, the one who followed the leaders every word and the one who helped direct the others. Narrowing her eyes at Masumi-sama she then send out several paper sharpened kunai. Masumi-sama tested them out and when she bled she hissed and burned the rest to ashes.

I must heal you. I called but Masumi-sama shook her head.

"Heh, not so tough when the odds are against you huh runt?" Kisame taunted as he charged toward me again. Narrowing my eyes I upped my sharigan and then used it to perform a perfect wind jutsu without any hand signs so that right before he could get to me he was send flying back.

"She has grown in strength." The woman noted as she caught the mist ninja with her paper cranes and then proceeded to charge toward me. Masumi-sama was about to stop her, to interfere again when all of a sudden the mist rogue pushed her back. Sighing I braced myself, I was about to let her get close for hand to hand when out of no where a large fire ball stopped her in her tracks.

"Leave Iza-chan alone." Growled Shin as he jumped from out of the shadows with katana in hand. Beside him stood Daiske, his eyes narrowed and hands at the ready. Clearly it'd been him who had send the fire ball jutsu and clearly they knew way better than I gave them credit for.

"Just staying at the compound huh?" Daiske taunted as he turned and widened his eyes in Masumi-sama's direction. She had the mist rogue trapped, was aiming for his throat but waiting for what he would do. She wasn't at the advantage, at least not completely.

"Did your mom..."

"Iie." I responded before turning toward Masumi-sama and nodding my head. Upon doing so Shin, Daiske, and myself attacked the woman while Masumi-sama finished the mist rouge ninja off. There was no screaming or growling; there was just the sound of tearing flesh and then the scent of blood filled the air.

"I'm not easy to kill." Kisame coughed after the sound of tearing flesh stopped. In turn Masumi-san watched, she seemed to have relaxed a bit and that was when Kisame of the mist pushed her into a tree. Cursing, and with nothing but a single look from me, the boys ran, they threw kunai and worked to finish him off while I got to Masumi's side. Without thinking I left a clone behind, I had it charge in the woman's direction while I healed.s

"Masumi-sama!"

"I am well young one, however that woman has fled." She noted as she stood.

Focusing I looked for Naruto-oji-san's chakra, I looked for the woman's chakra, and when I realized she was running straight toward him, that Naruto-oji-san was already in battle and alone, I knew that I needed to move; that I needed to get to his side. Sighing I turned to the boys.

"Make sure he's dead, take his weapon as far away from his body before you even try to get rid of him and then follow my chakra. I need to help Naruto-oji-san." I said seriously. It wasn't surprising to find them hesitating and worried but when they nodded and got to work I was relieved. This wasn't their fight, it was mind, and I would not allow for anyone else to get hurt.

"Ready?"

"Of course." Masumi-san responded before we both turned and ran in the direction of Naruto-oji-san and the two akatsuki leaders.

A/N: I wanted to show a scene with Sasuke and and everyone fighting their own battles but I wasn't sure how to go about it. Eventually the scenes will be written and added on the one-shots I'm putting together related to this trilogy. If you have a specific one you want me to write let me know :) Also thank you for reading, and please don't forget to review! :D P.s sorry for the wait ^^'