Obito pulled down his mask as they rounded the bend, the village coming into sight. It had started drizzling, pushing them forward at a quick pace. Mako adjusted herself on his arm, leaning in more intimately as her shoes clacked loudly against the ground. He smiled to the guards weakly who winked at him and chucked as they walked past.
"Are they laughing at my hair?" He pulled gently at his pink locks. Despite being such an eye sore, the pink hair was a decent disguise. No one took him for the silver haired Shinobi of the Sand, which kept him free to walk right through the gates of villages. But it made him feel like a girl. Especially the way his mother ooh-ed and ahh-ed over it.

She even went out and bought him this bright green yukata that had Sakura blossom all over the bottom.
"No." Mako said sweetly. She was elegantly dressed as well; her kimono a vibrant black with red dragons dancing up the arm. Despite her short brown hair, she looked dainty. "You're walking through the village with a beautiful woman."
Obito raised a brow, looking down at her. "What? You're a beautiful-"
"Watch it."
He chuckled, tugging her closer. "Do you know where we're going?"
Mako nodded. "The compound is in the other side of the village. On the southwest side."
Obito straightened, craning his neck. "There's a lot of people here. Festival?"
Mako let out a low hum. "I didn't think there was." Loud cheering erupted from the east.
"There is something. That's for sure."
They headed down the main street until the came to an inn. "Let's get a room before we start."
Obito nodded. Guiding Mako through the inn doors.
III
Their target was 48 year old Heigo Masuda. A man who had a nasty habit of stealing Wind country goods and bringing to Rain to sell at a high price.
Their job was to take care of the problem. The man lived in a small gated compound that had guards littering the almost the whole village. They didn't seem to be much of a threat, but they wanted to kill only their target.

They made their way silently across roof tops, sliding down to the ground, pressing against the compound walls. The moon was shining brightly, giving them plenty of light. Obito looked around the corner, Obito holding up two fingers, silently halting Mako. Two guards stood at the entrance, lazily talking to each other. They would be easy to incapacitate.
"Kid." Barely audible but it rang in his ears loudly. He felt her tense. Two more guards were coming around the opposite corner. He flicked his hand and she silently dashed to the other side. He watched as her front elbow crashed into one man's face, sending her body moving forward. Using that momentum she spun, sticking her leg out and crashing her foot into the other man's face. They both fell with soft thumps. Obito waited for the other two to round the corner where he struck the first with an inverted strike to the neck, and the second striking in the solar plexus hard. Two more thumps in the silent night.

They cautiously moved forward. They dodged guards and other residents with ease, only stopping once when they heard an uproar from some where in the distance. Obito took a shaky breath when they reached Masuda's lodgings. Mako didn't wait for his signal. She slipped up the side of the house to the roof silently. Obito hated this part. He stood in the deep shadows waiting for her. He adjusted his mask and began to fidget with his small gourd strapped to his waist. It was twice the size of his fist with just enough sand to cover him if need be. Or, as they might need tonight, a quick get away.

He listened and heard nothing. But nothing could be heard over the sound of his blood pulsing in his head as he counted the seconds she was gone.

It felt like an hour, but was only three minutes, when Mako slipped back down next to him. She nodded and they slipped back out of the residence, leaving only a few grains of sand.

III

"I think you were wrong." Mako called over the onsen wall. Obito sank deep into the water.

"I'm never wrong."

She snorted. "I think...I think the Chuunin exams are going on here."

Obito hummed, closing his eyes. "Is that so?"

There was a loud splash. Obito didn't bother moving. "You know she's here." He shrugged. "Obito!"

He opened an eye wearily. "What?"

"You should go find her?"

He rolled his eye, closing it. "She's busy."

"Oh, please. Not for her hero from sand."

Obito ignored her tone. "She's with her team."

"She'd ditch them for you."

"Mako."

"O-bi-to." She grabbed his shoulders, shaking him playfully. "You know you want to."

Obito rolled forward, dipping under the water in a flip. Even under water he heard her squawk as she fell in. He surfaced, flinging his hair in her direction. She did not look amused.

"Ma-ko-chan!" He grabbed her, shaking her slightly "Do you like that?" He let go, not looking at her flushed face. "Go back to your side." There was a part of him that felt that this should be weird. That he should feel somewhat awkward around her.

Mako lifted herself out of the hot water. Obito turned back around. He heard her footsteps as she made her way to the entrance. "But...you do want to see her, right?"

"No." He said firmly. She chuckled as she walked away.

It had been a few years since he'd last seen Mina. Yes, they still sent letters back and forth but they had become farther and farther a part as the months went by. Shorter in length (which was saying something for Mina). Obito wasn't even sure if he'd recognize her if he saw her on the streets.

Obito sighed, sinking deeper into the water.

"You should go find her."

"No."

III

"Oh my! Your hair!" Obito wanted to murder Mako. They needed to leave. But no. Instead of putting as much distance between them and Rain, he was standing their awkwardly in the streets, in a bright green yukata as Mina squealed in delight, standing on tip toe to pull at his pink hair. He had his mask up and his glasses 'shielding his eyes from the sun.' And Mina from his blush. But he knew she had to sense the butterflies trying to escape his stomach as she dropped down to her heels. Her beautiful blue eyes shining with amusement. "So...you guys-are here for the exams?"

"Just traveling." He tried to say coolly. He hoped she didn't think he sounded like half the idiot that he felt when he said it.

"I'm sure." She winked before taking a step back. Obito locked his knees.

She was just so pretty. Her face was longer than he remembered, and her neck was long and slender. He wanted to touch the soft wisp of hair that escaped her messy pony tail. He had to keep his hands in his sleeves, crossed over his chest, gripping his forearms. He couldn't really tell much more about her-her chuunin uniform left everything else to his imagination.

Her toes are adorable.

"Why did you dye it?"

He shrugged. "Classified?"

Her impish smile was making his heart beat faster. "Nope."

"It is."

"He lost a bet." Obito almost jumped out of his skin at Mako bouncing behind him. She giggled. He turned and lifted his glasses and glared. "We need to leave soon." She looked behind her. "Real soon." It was the winking guards from before. They were staring at him, talking to themselves.

"I told you that an hour ago!" He hissed at her. Mina made a soft coughing sound, making him turn round quickly. He grabbed Mina's shoulder turning her, fingers tingling, forcing her to walk with him towards the gate, Mako in tow. "Listen, I'm sorry-"

"I get it. Confidential. I never saw you." He smiled under his mask. His hand didn't leave her shoulder. She had nice shoulders.

"Thanks." He said softly. She smiled.

"Obi-!" Mako hissed, but Obito had already felt it. He was spinning on the ball of his right foot, a Kunai slipping from his sleeve and-

A hand grabbed his wrist, a finger pressing hard into his wrist making him drop the kunai. He grabbed his attackers lower forearm and ducked in, pulling the person over him. The attacker easily flipped, still holding Obito's arm, spun him around, pinning the young man's arm behind his back, a kunai pressing flat against his neck. Obito jammed his left elbow into the attackers ribs, grabbing the falling kunai pointing it at the attacker.

Fingerless gloves caught wrist. There was a low chuckle. "Not bad."

Obito froze. He looked up to see Kakashi smiling at him. "So you are Mina's little friend." His eyes flicker and Kakashi's eye crinkled. "What did you do to your hair."

Obito was mortified. He opened and closed his mouth but no words came out. Kakashi let go of him, which his hands fell limply to his sides. Kakashi-Ka-ka-shi- picked at his hair. "I almost didn't recognize you, with your hair, though I'm not entirely sure what color your hair is originally, (a dirty blond maybe) but anyway, as you walked away, I recognized your chakra." Kakashi might have attempted to wink. He leaned in with his masked side of his face. "Almost had me." His voice was almost a sing-song.

What did you do to your hair? Echoed in his head. A shaky hand tugged at his fading pink locks.

Kakashi chuckled. "I was never able to properly thank you, young man. You saved my life." Kakashi ruffled his hair. His fucking pink hair. Obito opened his mouth to speak when Kakashi's eyes widened. "I know!" He exclaimed softly, tapping his fist into his open palm. He reached down and pulled something out of the pocket on his hip. It was a small orange book. "For my savior." Kakashi smiled, holding out the orange book, bowing deeply. With shaking hands, Obito gripped the tattered book. "This is my prized possession. Keep it safe."

"Hata-"

"Wait!" Kakashi snatched the book out of his hands and flipped it open, pulling out something from in the book. A photograph. Kakashi winked. "Can't have my bookmark."

Obito's eyes saw a flash of pink. And he felt sick. A picture in his most prized possession. Kakashi was talking but he didn't hear it. He still loves you mom...

"Hatake-sama-" Obito bowed. "There is something I must-"

"You better get out of here." Kakashi's voice dropped suddenly. Obito snapped back to reality. He saw the guards walking quickly towards them.

"Obito, we have to go." Mako said quickly.

The book was back in his hands. "Good luck, Obito-kun."

Mako dragged him away and soon they were running out of the village, the orange book clutched tightly in his fingers.

III

They stopped in a small village for the night half way to Suna. Obito got first shower and scrubbed with sand and water the pink out of his hair. He tried not to think about what happened. He tried not to think of Mina, and how pretty she was. He tried not to think about his father. About Kakashi. About his mother. About the photograph.

About how Kakashi was still in love with his mother. And how he'd never thought about it. He was always so focused on her-he-

He punched the tiled wall, making it crack.

"You better not be breaking shit in there!"

Obito turned off the water and grabbed his towel.

"I should have told him. I should have said-"

"You didn't have time. We had to get out of there or we'd been dead." He wrenched open the door to see Mako standing there, frowning. "You'll tell him next time." Obito brushed past her before moving towards his pack, pulling out his regular clothes. He quickly dressed and rolled on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He listened to the water. She took fourteen minute and thirty-two second showers. After six minutes he rolled over, grabbing his pack, pulling out the tattered book. He frowned as he glanced it over. "Icha Icha..." He murmured as he flipped open the front cover, reading the flap. He stopped reading after four sentences and just stared blanking at the page. "What?" He sat up, flipping the book open to a random page and skimmed.

He set the book down in his lap and stared at it. His- this is his most prized possession?

"So, you're going to read it?" Mako had come apparently come out of the shower. He looked up at her, not sure what to say. He looked back down at it, then to her and then slowly closed it.

"Mako, it's porn."

She stared at him for a moment. "What?"

He turned to her. "This is porn."

She blinked three times before she burst in laughter. He watched her as she collapsed on her bed, in nothing than a towel, laughing loud enough for anyone in the little village could hear.

"That's-that's fantastic!" She howled between breathes.

His lips quirked before she shook her head, looking down at the book. The bind was almost non existent it had been opened so much. The pages were loose and seemed to threaten to pop out of their seams. What looked like flickers of blood littered the outside pages. This book seemed to have seen a lot of action. Over a lot of years.

Obito started giggling, before he too laughed all out.

"There comes a time in a boy's life where he must have a heart to heart with his father-" Mako choked out. Her words sent her into a fit of giggles. "And so your father just handed you a porny book and said 'this is my prized possession!' Priceless!"

Obito smiled, running his fingers lightly across the bind. Too bad he doesn't know.

III

Obito placed the book (he was half way done) inside bag as he slipped his mask off as his hand grabbed the front door. He slipped inside and started pulling off his shoes when he heard his mother.

"Oh good! You're home! What luck! Dinner is almost ready!" She poked her head out of the kitchen and smiled at him.

He threw his shoes in the corner, his footsteps quite as he entered the kitchen. He sat down at the small table. She was bustling over a large pot, moving from the cabinets, to the spices, and the refrigerator and the pot, humming softly.

"How was your mission?"

"Classified." He said distantly, watching her, trying to keep his mind from going to the picture.

She sighed dramatically. "Of course! But-did something happen? Your hair's not pink anymore..." She tried not to sound hurt.

"Classified." He watched her pour something into the pot. He wondered where Kakashi would fit into this scene. He tried to find out where he'd be in the kitchen. Would he lean against the door frame? Maybe the counter, holding his book, making small comments at his mother prattled on about something at the Hospital. Obito stared at the table. We'd have to get a chair out of storage...Before he could stop himself, the words stumbled out of his mouth. "Mom, have you ever talked to Kakashi? Like, since...me?"

She froze for an instant, before continuing her work, moving towards the fridge. "Why do you ask?"

The picture burned in his mind. "I'm just-curious."

She didn't speak for a while. He watched her pull out some kind of root, chop it finely and toss it in the pot. She didn't look back at him.

It felt like a rock was nestling itself in his stomach the air in the room tensed. "Well?"

"No." She said curtly, setting her ladle down hard on the counter. "Not since we moved."

"You-you could, you know." He tried to make it sound casual, but it came out so forced he mentally kicked himself. "You could, write to him...tell him...you know...you're alive."

She spun around. "Obito-"

"And-" He swallowed thickly, the words rushing out of his mouth so quick he almost didn't catch them. "Andyoudon'thavetotellhimaboutme." He looked away from his mother, who's eyes started to shine. "If...if you don't want to that is..." He shrugged, looking down at the table. "If-if it means anything."

Her hands were on his face, forcing him to look at her. "Oh, Obito..." Her eyes were shining, and she was biting her lip. "There is just a lot that you don't understand."

"Why don't you tell me?" He tried to pull his face away, but she held it firmly. "I mean-he doesn't even know if you're dead-"

"It's complicated."

He rose to his feet, making her fingers slip. "If this is that bullshit about that Uchiha guy, then you shouldn't even let that bother you." He said bitterly, moving to the stove, picking up the label and stirring the contents that were threatening to overflow. "I could take him." He looked back at her quickly before looking back at the stove, turning the burner down.

"Sasuke is not someone to be taken lightly."

Obito laughed bitterly. "And neither am I! I'm the son of Sakura Haruno, I not only have super strength, but I know tactical strategy better than anyone else in this village." He gently placed the ladle down, turning to her. "And I'm the Kazekage's apprentice. If it came to a battle in the sand, I would not lose."

"And if you were somewhere else?" In two steps she was in his face. He took a step back, his heels pressing against the stove. "He is older, and has much more experience than you do. And if I hear you are starting fights with Sasuke Uchiha-" Tears started rolling down her face. "And you died-"

He stood straight as a rod. "I wouldn't die."

"Men have died by his hands. I would die if I heard my baby was slaughtered by him." She looked away, pressing her lips tightly before looking back at him. "If Kakashi found out that you-about-that we have been here, Because of him. Because I was trying to protect us. And him. He'd try to kill Sasuke for destroying his opportunity to raise son. His blood." She took a deep breath. Obito felt that she wasn't really talking about Sasuke anymore. After a few moments she spoke very softly. "We couldn't stay in Konoha because you wouldn't have made it to three days old. And whether you died, or were alive, Kakashi, your father, would have fought in your honor. And he would have died. He would die." She took a shaky breath. "Because that is how Kakashi is. Loyal to the end."

"You don't know he would die." Obito said just as lowly.

She took a step back and he took a heavy breath. "I didn't want to take that chance." She sighed deeply. "And now I fear it's too late."

He reached behind him and shut off the heat. He pulled her into a tight hug. "It's never too late."

She returned his hug with a tight one. "I may have made mistakes with you. With us. But it was my judgment call. It's my decisions. And it's too late to try to fix things."

"It's never too late, mother." He whispered again, rubbing circles on her shoulder blades. After a few minutes, he pulled back, "Come on, mother, let's eat."

She took a step back and looked at him. "What brought this on?"

He turned quickly, moving to pull bowls out of the cabinets. "Nothing."

"Obito." She said in a warning voice.

"It's-it's classified."

She gripped him hard in the shoulder. "No it's not."

"Mother-"

"Obito Haruno-" She looked at his face and gasped. He wished he hand his mask up. "You saw him didn't you!"

His pause said everything. "Mother."

"Oh god. Did-did you."

"No..." He looked away. "I didn't-" Which was true, technically.

She picked up the ladle and held high. "You will tell me the truth."

"I was-we-Mom, that really is classified." She rose it higher and he shielded himself. "We were sent to Rain to take care of something and on our way out I saw him." He said quickly. "We couldn't stop, we had to leave or else-" He didn't finish. She closed her eyes, her shoulders shaking.

He snatched the ladle out of her hand and shoveled what she made into his bowl, and grabbed utensils and moved quickly to the table.

She hadn't moved. "Would you have?"

"Would I have what?" He looked up at her from mouthfuls of food.

"Talked to him."

He didn't hesitate. "The next time I see him I will tell him my name." He looked back at his food. "My full name." He shrugged. "I don't think it's fair to him." His hands were shaking slightly. "He has a little family here and he doesn't know about it. What he does with that information is up to him, but I think he has the right to it." He didn't look up at her. He heard her move around the kitchen, and the chair opposite of him scratch against the hard wood floor.

"If I was a stronger person, I would do the same." She whispered.

And they ate in silence.

III

Kakashi trudged up the stairs to his apartment, breathing in the fresh Konoha air. Another Chuunin exam down...He smirked as he reached the top of the stairs. And certainly an interesting one. He wasn't sure which was better. Mina-chan's face getting caught with some boy, the boy realizing he was caught with a girl, or the look of utter embarrassment as he touched his pink hair. Kids...He smiled to himself, walking down the hall towards his apartment. It must not be his real hair- His thoughts stopped at he spotted a small parcel on his door step. It was about two feet long, and slightly lumpy. It was a deep brown paper lightly tied.

He scooped it up. He unclenched his hands as his fingers almost went through the paper. He watched it skeptically as he opened his door and slid in.

He flicked on the lights and unwrapped the paper, freezing at the sight.

It was a single Sakura branch, covered in bloomed blossoms. He ran light fingers over the petals, his heart clenching.

"Sakura..." He moved quickly to the kitchen, looking for something to put the small branch in. He almost thought of dumping Mr. Ukki when he found an old dusty vase. He placed the package on the counter and rinsed out the vase. He filled it almost to the brim and looked at the branch. He dumped out almost all the water and set the vase down. With tender hands, he scooped up the branch and slid it into the vase, careful of it's blossoms. He examined it for a while and tightened his lips. It was almost perfect.

He grabbed the paper and started to crumple it up, pausing as something hit his toes. He looked opened the paper and raised a brow. "Sand?"