*Mushu voice* I LIIIIIIIVE!

Well, that's some long wait.

I'm just going to apologize, take a deep breath and yell: "Hole freaking cow!" I have no words how to express the hope of 913 followers, 748 people who fav'ed and the 798 reviewers, all added to the PMs I've received. Seriously, you guys are the best! *HUGS!* It feels like I'm feeding on your love and anticipation. Maybe I am :D

So I thank *takes another deep breath*: WhiteFang001, Dreamy-Girl2016, LordAzrael1, aewea, Wolf Guard Miestwin, fluffpenguin, Bindi-fox, Suzululu4moe, Prescripto12, Ominous Rain, AlternativeFutureFan27, AlteraWinter, Guest, IIII, Deep in the Night, Emolio, 333, Rain of the Forest, kuchiyose, Katie, Lord Redshocker, cassa1, jam99chgo, Guest (2), waywarddragon and AkaneShiro for their reviews for the previous chapter!

Also, special thanks for Wolf Guard Miestwin for helping me with some plot-points in this Chapter :D

In these last months I've been kidnapped by Alexander "Non-Stop" Hamilton; I felt so helpless when I looked at this incomplete chapter, but I could never be satisfied if I waited for it any longer, so I looked around at the million things I haven't done, picked up a pen and wrote my own deliverance (pumping myself with Naruto AMVs and favorite episodes :P)

Let's start with the answers! I'll be brief...

WhiteFang001: Just you wait... ;D

jam99chgo: here it is! :D

: I think Minato will lay off the 'parties' until the war is over, 'cause they seem to bring only bad luck. :I

Suzululu4moe: yeah, that might be a problem... hmm... Either fate will play its part regardless, or the Timeline will be thrown completely out of whack by the shifted baby-boom and all. Or the Hokage will try some experimental Fuinjutsu and tell Han to get it or leave it. Who knows ;)

ArturoLJ50: OwlxRaccoon? Probably XD Though they've had some... disagreements...

penymae: I didn't mean it like that! D: Rin's brain worked along the lines of 1) Adults = harm and 2) Obito is not supposed to be there, suffering. By logic, only Kakashi could gently pull her out of that. I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough :C

Rogue3: This is an AU of an AU. In this universe, Kakashi never became Rokudaime; it was Naruto. Hence, both Kurama and Kakashi refer to Naruto as the "Rokudaime". As for the "forget about it" argument... I don't see why they would forget. :I

Since y'all probably ignored this chunk of text, lo and behold: Chapter 48!

Word count: 11.490 words.


Chapter 48: Decompression

Kakashi was torn between face-palming, releasing the seal on that violet scroll on Sandaime-sama's desk with no explanation and laughing hysterically.

The first was much more tempting.

He was still a Konoha shinobi, and as such he obeyed his Hokage regardless of whatever his inner demon snarled. Laughing would be disrespectful to his leader: he just wanted to keep Konoha safe by keeping the source of Kyuubi chakra – aka Okugi in a fucking scroll – sealed until Kurama and Kakashi identified it.

For all he didn't wish the burden of future knowledge on the Sandaime, he also didn't want that knowledge to become reality. And much of the explanations they should be giving – such as the inexistence of the 'Sealer's Company' – was directly linked to their whole time-travelling business.

'…We should tell Hokage-sama about-'

'No.' Kurama raked his claws on Kakashi's mindscape, a cringe-worthy sound that made the chuunin grit his teeth. His possessed Shadow Clone just scowled, arms crossed, and tapped impatiently on his elbow. 'No one will know about time-travel.'

Kakashi had no need to hear the bijuu's well-rehearsed argument again, but it did not mean he agreed with him on every point. Keeping everyone in the dark and making Hokage-sama waste resources on finding the 'Masked Sealer's minions wasn't worth keeping the timeline predictable for them – besides, weren't they supposed to change it?

More people they trusted knowing about their future couldn't possibly be that detrimental, could it?

"We think Okugi is inside that scroll, Hokage-sama."

It was a wonder Kushina didn't recognize his chakra. Or maybe she did, but just its Kyuubi part – Kurama's chakra dwarfed by far Older Kakashi's human-sized reserves.

At least both her and Hokage-sama identified his containment seal as an Uzumaki one – Whirlpool Oblivion, in which Kurama had been in when he was moved from Mito to Kushina. It couldn't last more than two weeks under onslaughts of bijuu chakra, but the version Okugi was sealed in was imperfect. He would have broken out that same day (night?) if Hokage-sama hadn't redrawn its design.

(Which was a dangerous feat that wouldn't have worked with a bijuu with millennia of experience in breaking out of Fuinjutsu.

Such as Kurama, as he kept grumbling in their shared mindscape.)

Sandaime-sama glanced between Kakashi, Kurama and the scroll, his hands hidden under his robe's large white sleeves. "He might not be the same Okugi you know," he warned. "I've asked you to identify his chakra; it will take another day to prepare an area to unseal him safely."

Kurama rolled his eyes. "Hokage. Whatever those humans did to Okugi is nothing compared to what I will do to him."

'Kurama, you're not helping.'

Sandaime-sama's facial expression remained stony as ever, but his chakra churned in worry.

Kakashi looked at the seal on the scroll and steeled his spine. "Hokage-sama, I think staying inside that Fuin is hurting Okugi. He won't attack us if he's freed in a familiar environment."

"Konoha's safety comes above all else, Kakashi-kun," the old man reminded him – as if he would ever forget that.

"Such trust in our skills," Kurama scoffed. He walked closer to the scroll, already forming a few hand seals for Fuinjutsu Release. The Hokage's hands shifted under his large sleeves. "Even if what little of his brain had been meddled with, I'll handle it."

'Kurama…' If he dared pull anything against Hokage-sama…

The bijuu's borrowed hands stayed locked in the Ram seal. He raised an eyebrow at the Sandaime, whose eyes narrowed on him. The old man made no move to stop him, but his disapproval and distrust was clear – the fact Kurama stopped at all was suspicious, but the bijuu had already showed his temper when he couldn't have his way.

And a bijuu rampage was exactly the thing they did not need.

The Hokage office was sealed so tightly it was impossible not to hear the chakra humming in the walls, as if a hundred fans were spinning all around them. Both the Sandaime and Kurama had experience in casting chakra-binding Fuinjutsu – the bijuu had proved it during his fight against the Hachibi – and Okugi was sure to be weakened by the Whirlpool Oblivion.

Kakashi was fairly sure Kurama was right about Okugi recognizing them – there wouldn't be much of a problem from his older self.

It was Kurama they had to worry about.

At last, with a reluctant twist of his lips, the Hokage nodded.

"Fuinjutsu: Release."

The Whirlpool Oblivion seal shone a blinding red, hissing at the foreign chakra unraveling it and Okugi's pushing against its bounds. Gradually, more and more of his chakra leaked and soon flooded the sealed Hokage office.

Kakashi's chakra thrummed in response to Okugi's, a comforting echo he embraced with all his being.

His older self half-leapt half-flowed out of the Uzumaki seal and pooled in front of the Hokage's desk, flat on his stomach and panting. His white fur covered uneven patches of skin on his gaunt physique, ribs evident as if he'd been starved for a whole week.

But nothing concealed his relief when he looked at the familiar walls of the Hokage office and closed his eyes into smiling crescents, tilting his head to the side to look at him from the floor.

Familiar chakra latched onto Kakashi's. "Hey, Chibi… welcome back."

Something hot and heavy stirred in his chest at the sheer nerve of the 'man' who disobeyed orders to turn back, got captured and made Kakashi worry himself into a frenzy for almost a week just because he could not stand idly by when his friends were in danger.

"Idiot." Kakashi crouched down and hauled Okugi's head to his chest, holding tight onto his irregular fur and squeezing the life out of him. "Idiot," he repeated, both to the time-traveller and himself.

Okugi huffed out a laugh – or a whine, it was hard to tell – and laid limply in his arms, alive.

Kurama was suspiciously silent, just staring down at the two Hatake, but for now Kakashi just let his concern melt away. He'd worry about the bijuu later, if he posed a threat.

About ten seconds later, the Hokage cleared his throat.

His steely gaze made Kakashi straighten his spine. He refrained from rubbing his itching eyes. Okugi barely kept his head halfway up to look at the old man.

"Okugi, you've willingly deserted your team to infiltrate enemy territory in what was – by all rights – a suicide mission." The Hokage stood ramrod straight in his chair, effortlessly staring down at the half-demon. "Report everything from the moment you left the Uzumaki ruins."

Kakashi's fingers twitched. Okugi was in no condition to give a complete report right then and there – he had to replenish his chakra first, and without chakra he would be dead; surely Hokage-sama could see that.

However… he, too, wanted to hear what his older self went through to reach them.

Okugi's head lolled to the side. "I… took off into Tsuchi no Kuni's direction… to find Chibi and Rin. Didn't bother with hiding… my tracks. Didn't sleep." His tongue poked through his fangs as he peered at the Sandaime through half-lidded eyes. "I found Kushina's camp. They had… trouble with an Iwa outpost. I blew it to hell. Continued… and continued… Got found by an Iwa patrol."

Kurama tapped his elbow, his arms still crossed. His expression betrayed nothing more than annoyance, and as Kakashi delved into his mindscape he only understood the bijuu was severely pissed off.

"I killed each of 'em… 'cept one." Okugi blinked slower now. "There was a… traitor with Yamanaka jutsu…"

A Yamanaka working for Iwa? Kakashi flexed his fingers behind his back, struggling to keep a straight face. Just how far-reaching were the ripples they caused since day one? How many more would there be?

Would they be enough to avoid the end of their world?

The Sandaime had muted his chakra enough that Kakashi couldn't tell what he was thinking behind his stony expression, not without aggressively probing with Kurama's chakra. The ANBU inside the office had much more difficulty in keeping their energy in check. Although, to their credit, they didn't move from their guarding spots.

Older Kakashi let his eyes close, so heavy his eyelids were. "I… thought I'd go to Iwa, but… well…" He swayed again and moved his shoulders into a tired shrug, grinning a little. "I'm here, Hokage-sama."

Wait… 'If you were captured by Iwa-nin, how did you get anywhere in Hi no Kuni?'

Okugi shrugged again.

"Where was he kept?" Kurama's voice promised agony and hellfire in the nearest future. It wasn't meant for his older self, right?

"He was kept in an hostile shinobi base to the west, near Konoha," was the Hokage's answer as he narrowed his eyes on Kurama's possessed clone. "It seems that the teams Danzo sent to Tsuchi no Kuni's border have not managed to retrieve Okugi before he, too, was captured."

All three of them stared at the Hokage.

He leaned back in his chair. "A team of his operatives have failed to subdue a group of ninja presumably linked to the Masked Man, but managed to report back to Konoha."

Kurama curled his (borrowed) lips into an appropriately disgusted sneer.

Kakashi carefully turned away from his future-memories.

"Those enemy shinobi had sealed Okugi and brought him to their base, where Jiraya and Kushina retrieved this scroll and brought it back here to be safely unsealed." The old man stared at Kurama. "Considering your familiarity with his men's methods and Okugi's chakra, I've summoned you here to identify him. Danzo has informed me of this development as soon as possible. As for the rogue Yamanaka, her body has been brought back here, identified and destroyed."

Kakashi breathed out. It would make enough sense to be believable if Danzo wasn't involved. 'What do you think?'

"…the Yamanaka have confirmed it." Okugi's upper body slumped on Kakashi's legs. He was dangerously light.

Just how close was he to chakra exhaustion – and death?

Kurama snorted disdainfully, his arms crossed. "Do you actually believe him, Hokage? After all he has done to get his hands on Okugi?"

The Hokage narrowed his eyes.

Kakashi wrapped his arms around Okugi's ribs. Prolonging things with Sandaime-sama would get them – most likely – nowhere, or locked away until the end of the war because of Kurama's irritable nature.

If it was any other decision, the Hatake would gladly leave it up to the bijuu.

But Okugi laid limp in his arms, and his spine poked into Kakashi's abdomen.

Never let it be said Kakashi let his friends suffer when he could avoid it.

'Kurama, this won't get us anywhere.' He jabbed his chakra towards the time-travelling bijuu. Kurama snapped his head to the side to glare at him. 'There will be another time to argue with Hokage-sama. Okugi needs to refill his chakra now. We're not risking his life.'

For a moment it seemed Kurama considered not arguing.

The illusion was shattered when the bijuu turned to the Hokage and roared, "How can you be so blinded by your sentimentalism? That warmongering bastard you call 'friend' will not hesitate to bleed you dry, should it sate his thirst for power!"

"I'd appreciate it if you did not tell me how to lead my village." The Hokage had not moved a muscle. "I'll see to a proper punishment for his insubordination after-"

"After the war has ended, I know." Kurama rolled his eyes. "What will you do then? Slap him on the wrist as if he had knocked over a vase in your house?"

Kakashi wordlessly lent Okugi a chunk of his chakra. This argument would surely take a long time.

The man's eyes narrowed further. "Must I remind you I should do something about your insubordination as well? I figured you were not a slave to your own wrath, but a rational being."

His fists clenched, Kurama leaned forward, his (borrowed) teeth bared under the mask. The ANBU quietly shifted closer. "You mistake my anger for imprudence, and ignore your own idiocy in letting Danzo scot-free. I am merely reminding you of your duties, Hokage: treason is punished by death."

The Sandaime's glare hardened, his lips curled as if he was barely holding in a certain comeback. "Is that so."

It was not a question.

Kakashi shivered at his chilling tone. Not even Kurama's simmering anger could compete with the Hokage's. 'Kurama, please, we need to be on the field to keep the world safe. Arguing with Hokage-sama-'

His possessed Shadow Clone looked at him. "I'm not here to bow and obey to another human," Kurama lowly growled, ignoring all the ninjas who were listening to him. "I'm not here to let that man win and claim my power for himself." His features twisted into a sneer. "Nothing will change if you don't push for it, Kakashi."

'It won't,' he agreed, frowning and gripping Okugi tighter, 'but pushing Hokage-sama into a corner will make all we've done worth nothing. We could change nothing if we're locked away, and we must stay in Konoha.'

Kurama stared at him. The bijuu's chakra churned and roiled, clearly unhappy with his reasoning, but luckily his common sense won out – or maybe he wanted to have words with Okugi first. "Believe what you will, Hokage," he ground out, "but do not deny reality because of your sentimentalism."

Said that, Kurama dispelled his Shadow Clone and resumed his silent fuming inside Kakashi's mindscape.

The ANBU's chakra considerably slowed. Kurama was without a body until he forced his control over Kakashi, and that gave them a split-second more to protect their leader.

Hokage-sama exhaled through his nose and looked down at Okugi. "If a summon takes off into enemy territory without my explicit order of his own will, the summoner is bound by law to correct such behavior as soon as possible."

The way he said 'correct' sent another shiver down Kakashi's spine.

"If this offence is repeated, I will be forced to delegate your correction to a trusted Konoha-nin unlinked to your summoner." Okugi tensed in his arms, curling up onto his lap. "Considering the length of your absence, I should be doing it right now."

"I dare you try, Hokage."

Kakashi ignored Kurama's snarl.

The Hokage leaned forward. "However, Okugi, you have helped Konoha's assault on a heavily armed Iwa outpost instead of sneaking into Tsuchi no Kuni. Because of this, I will grant you one last chance to stop jeopardizing your own safety and disregarding my authority. Do you understand?"

Okugi peered up at the old man, about to either faint or fall asleep. "…I do, Hokage-sama."


Kakashi, Okugi and Kurama left soon after and Hiruzen sighed.

Bijuu rampage averted. Barely.

He leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose. Konoha would lose an important asset whichever way he acted – something he couldn't let happen with Suna's fragile allegiance, Iwa's obstinacy and their tension with Kiri.

Telling Kakashi – along with Kurama and Okugi – of Danzo's true involvement would have been disastrous.

Konoha needed both the bijuu and Hiruzen's teammate. They needed both the strength of the Kyuubi imitator and the strategies of the councilman currently trying to make questionable decisions behind his back.

He had already given Danzo a chance to stop antagonizing Kurama.

He had just covered for him, risking a bijuu rampage.

No more.

Hiruzen took a sheet of blank paper, wrote a message for his teammate in sharp strokes and dried its ink with a quick jutsu. "Jackal." The ANBU kneeled in front of him. The Hokage folded the paper and handed it to him. "Bring this to Shimura Danzo. His presence is required here immediately."

Jackal nodded and shunshinned out of the room.

The Sandaime looked at the piles of scrolls on his desk. He would handle them later, after he finished discussing (or rather, arguing) with Danzo about ROOT.

Those shinobi – who Danzo always handpicked, from all ranks and even the orphanage – were strong, but ruthless. Obedient, but inflexible. They would carry out their orders to the letter and feel no remorse, but they were unable to change their objective even when the circumstances demanded it.

And worst of all, Danzo used them to go behind Hiruzen's back, multiple times.

Controlling Okugi was not worth risking the safety of each citizen of Konoha.

The half-demon had yet to harm the village directly. All he had done up to that point was either to ensure his own safety (by henge-ing in human form) and Kakashi's (or Kurama's?) or to satisfy his own curiosity (by following ROOT agents to meet with Danzo).

Hiruzen's teammate thought making Okugi a weapon was worth risking Konoha's safety over and over again.

Unacceptable.

As Hokage, it was his duty to stop all threats to their village: if Danzo's leadership of ROOT posed a danger to Konoha, Hiruzen had to intervene however he saw fit.


Kakashi stepped into his own apartment – dusty because of his neglect – swiped a largo cup of instant ramen from a cupboard and, grabbing it from both ends, bounced his (and Kurama's) chakra back and forth, steadily cooking it.

Okugi dragged himself to his low table and slumped down. His ribs were still painfully evident, and even with a bit of Kakashi's lent chakra running through him he looked just as bad as before. Kurama withdrew all his chakra without a word, and no amount of kicked-puppy-eyes got Okugi any bijuu chakra.

Kakashi's hands tingled with the heat radiating from the ramen cup. He opened it with a quick jerk of his wrist and laid it in front of Okugi's nose, already going back to his kitchen to grab another for himself. His older self had shoved his whole muzzle in the cup, slurping noisily at its delicious chakra-imbued contents.

Kurama twitched from his place in Kakashi's mindscape.

"So, Hatake." His deep voice cut through their link. "What was going on through that empty skull of yours when you decided to endanger the fate of the whole world by unnecessarily getting caught by ROOT?"

Okugi kept assaulting his ramen like a man possessed. His hunger overrode his worry at Kurama's anger, which in turn made Kakashi's gut churn. Just how much chakra did his older self use to try breaking free?

When Kakashi returned to his low table with hot ramen and chopsticks, Okugi spoke up telepathically. "You were in danger."

"If that warmonger had been faster than us, you'd be either dead or sealed indefinitely." Kurama growled lowly. "He would have used you – and don't you dare tell me he couldn't have forced you. You couldn't even break out of that sloppy Whirlpool Oblivion within a week."

"To be fair-"

Kurama slammed his claws on the mindscape, making Kakashi almost drop his chopsticks. Okugi stared longingly at the other cupboards. "A week, Hatake! First you gallivant off without a care in the world to Iwagakure, get caught by disguised ROOT shinobi, and for what?" The bijuu advanced with a snarl, stabbing Okugi's chakra with his own. "Even if we had failed to leave Iwa, you'd have been here to change the future!"

The half-demon glared at Kakashi, who had no intention of being the medium between two arguing time-travellers again. He got up and tried to get everything still edible out of his fridge and onto the table, so Okugi wouldn't look so starved.

"If you both failed to leave Iwa," he growled out, "they'd have sealed you away, and used my younger self as a bargaining chip to force Konoha into surrender. If Sandaime-sama did surrender, what would Oonoki have done to Minato-sensei? To Kushina-nee?" This time Okugi's chakra sparked against Kurama's, curling into the air between them like heavy fog. "There would've been no saving anything."

"So little faith in your – and my – abilities, Hatake." Kurama leaked his Killing Intent throughout Kakashi's apartment. He shivered and felt his ANBU guards scrambling to its four corners to erect a barrier.

Kakashi did his best to block out everything – their words, their chakra, their lashing anger and dripping concern.

Because that was what it boiled down to, wasn't it? They worried for each other.

They thought up plans to save the people closest to them in their destroyed future – for different reasons, of course – and continue living, to prove to themselves they were enough to spare others the pain of what they had seen.

At least, Kakashi knew it was true for his older self: having his memories latched onto him was wearing him down, but it gave him enough insight to understand what were his real reasons – even when his overly-cheery façade masked them.

Kakashi laid on the low table all the unspoiled meat and vegetables and noodles he could find and cook – all four plates and two bowls clinking as Okugi shot him a grateful nod and a smile before digging in.

Oh, his arguing with Kurama continued – they finally tried to keep their chakra down when they noticed the barrier around his apartment – but Kakashi found it a bit easier to ignore them as their argument turned to white noise.

Let them growl at each other all they wanted, declassing Kakashi's existence to a mere variable in their plans – a pawn to move around, chasing after the enemy king across the chequered board in endless circles, just one step away from checkmate.

The chuunin slurped up the last of his ramen, got up and grabbed a rubber balloon as he made his way into his bedroom, with the time-travellers' argument carrying on into his mindscape.


Rin laid back on one of Kushina's purple couches with a soft smile.

Jiraya-sama and Kushina-nee had brought Okugi back just a few hours ago. While the Sannin disappeared to some place unknown, the redhead dragged both Kakashi and his summon to her apartment and proceeded to bring the whole team under her roof.

Where did she even get all that energy? It was truly a mystery… not that Rin was complaining.

One of Kushina's Shadow Clones had gone grocery shopping and nearly bowled over Obito, who was taking off his sandals when she barged in. Her original self had taken hold of various kitchen utensils and whipped up ramen – of course – for everyone but Okugi, who instead got grilled steak so he wouldn't have to Henge to use chopsticks.

A tired grin was all Okugi offered Kushina before wolfing down his meat.

(Kakashi had shot a concerned look at his summon, but said nothing.)

Rin glanced at the summon to her right, who was lounging on the rightmost couch facing a wall. He had it rough too – because he wanted to bring them back. It warmed her heart Okugi cared so much, but a shiver ran down her spine at the thought of what could have happened if he actually reached Iwa and was locked up like them.

He couldn't have blown up the whole village with his ball-of-chakra jutsu – similar to Minato-sensei's Rasengan, but much more powerful and long-ranged – because Kakashi and Rin were there. How would he have found them? How would they have fled?

Kakashi made a few wry remarks about his 'I'll-just-wing-it' approach, to which Okugi grew more and more silent until he lowered his gaze and muttered, "I didn't want to lose you too."

Rin reached to her right and scratched behind his ears. Okugi leant into her touch with a purr, his eyes closing and his tongue poking through his fangs.

Team Minato had claimed the couch facing the window, while Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee sat close on the one facing Okugi and the kitchen. The pleasant smell of ramen and steak loosened Rin's muscles, making her sink further into the purple sofa. She was back home…

…but she couldn't leave everything behind, no matter how much she wanted to.

Rin and Kakashi had scheduled four meetings with two different shrinks – Turtle was to 'evaluate' her, although she spoke to Owl first – once per week, until they had to go on another mission. War was picking up again, Owl had told her, and many teams had to go on missions far above their own rank to fill the gaps in patrols and combat units.

To 'speed up' their recovery, the two members of Team Minato would face their fears either through Genjutsu or Yamanaka mind jutsu.

Rin was not looking forward to it.

"Oh, and I can teach Rin-chan some Suiton, dattebane!"

She snapped to attention. Kushina was grinning at her, pointing her finger at Rin's chest. "Ne, Rin-chan, while Minato-baka and Obito-kun do their training I can teach you some Suiton tricks, ya know? There's this lake in Training Ground 25 that's ideal for Suiton practice, what do you think, dattebane?"

"Ehm… I… I'd like that, Kushina-nee…" She glanced down and at Kakashi, who was sitting on the other end of the couch.

Kakashi tilted his head. "We can try ninjutsu combinations after Obito's cleared out for… field duty."

"It's just another two days, Bakakashi!" Obito lightly elbowed him in the ribs, his grin a tad too strained. "Aren't you always pushing to get more training?"

The younger boy rolled his eyes. "I'm not practicing Raiton near a lake."

Especially not with both Kushina and Rin working on water. The iryo-nin put her left hand on the Uchiha's shoulder and he turned. "25 is a big Training Ground, Obito-kun – we can train there at the same time."

"And I'm not leaving Chibi on his own either," Okugi added with a grin, resting his head on the left armrest. Kakashi sighed at the nickname. "If I recover soon enough, we could spar together…"

Minato-sensei choked on the tea he was drinking. He shot a mild glare at Kakashi and Okugi. "You're not throwing trees at each other."

Rin and Obito stared at them. "Trees?"

Kushina's grin widened and she leant to the left, covering her lips from Minato. "Throw 'em when he's not looking, 'Kashi-kun. I'll say it was me."

The iryo-nin giggled at her delighted tone. Obito shot concerned looks at both kunoichi, though his hand was covering the shit-eating grin surely plastered on his face.

Their sensei shook his head and sighed, dragging his free hand over his face. "Please, don't. It was only luck Hokage-sama didn't summon you for an earful…"

Obito burst out laughing. "When- When did you even do that, Kakashi?"

"During your visit to the Poison Swamp." He shrugged. "We were training. Okugi wanted to throw boulders at me-"

"-and you decided to throw trees-"

"-because we needed to either dodge or destroy whatever we were thrown at-"

Minato raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't it about enemy-nin using the environment to attack?" He brought his tea cup up to his lips and drank it.

Kakashi nodded and his eyes turned into smiling crescents. "That, too."

They settled contentedly into the couches. Though they really shouldn't have been throwing trees and rocks at each other, Rin couldn't find it in herself to be worried about that. They were alive and fine…

She glanced out of the window and lowered her gaze to her lap, frowning. It was late evening now, with Konoha shrouded in darkness but for a few lampposts and the windows of some people who were – like them – staying up at night. She should get going, before her parents worried even more.

Rin bit her lip. The problem was…

She didn't want to return.

That same afternoon, after their Welcome Back Picnic, she had finally knocked on her home's door. She wasn't wearing her brown shirt and pink apron-skirt – those had been lost to Iwa, along with her medikit, poisons and weapons – but a small chuunin vest, a navy blue t-shirt with Uzumaki swirls on the sleeves and shorts of the same shade of blue. Owl had given her a new headband, which she had tied to her forehead.

The moment her mum opened the door, she threw her arms around her daughter and cried into her shoulder.

It wasn't unlike what Minato-sensei and Obito-kun had done, but the pressure onto her scarred back made it hard to focus on her relieved parents. They didn't know where she ended up, she reminded herself. They would ask questions she had to be ready to answer.

They didn't like her answers.

When Kaachan heard what happened – what she endured – she told her to quit. To stop being a kunoichi, an iryo-nin, to retire from the Shinobi Corps before it brought her either to insanity or an early grave.

Touchan suggested Rin work at the Konoha Hospital, much safer than the battlefield, where his daughter would be safe from Konoha's enemies and her talents would still be put at use for every shinobi who made it back.

"What about those who don't?" Rin had screamed at them, the mere idea of leaving her team behind twisting her stomach. What about her comrades, her teammates, her friends? What if they couldn't make it back? What if her absence brought them to an early grave?

There would be another iryo-nin, Touchan argued, but Rin's mind was filled with the scars running up Kakashi's bloodied body and she knew Konoha was short on field medics – there would be no iryo-nin taking Rin's place, and her parents wanted her to leave her friends to die.

They bled together. They shared happiness, relief, laughter, worry, pain and sorrow. They were more of a family than her parents would ever be.

Those were Rin's parting words to them as she slammed the door behind her and bolted to Minato-sensei's apartment, where she huddled into a corner and sobbed until she had no tears left to shed.

Rin fiddled with her thumbs, watching her scars stretch like a thin cobweb on her skin. She wanted her parents to understand she would never leave her friends – she hadn't meant to hurt them. She had no idea she had it in her to say anything so horrible.

An apology would not be enough.

But how could she…?

"Ehm, Rin-chan?"

"Hmm?" She blinked at Obito's face, hovering close to hers, and blushed. She hadn't even noticed… and why was Kushina-nee holding Minato-sensei's neck in a chokehold? "You were saying?"

He scrunched up his nose. "You… really didn't hear?" Obito scratched his rosy cheek, chuckling. "Eh… Minato-sensei bought a house – he and Kushina-nee were moving in there after the war, but…" here her teammate shrugged, looking to his left for help from Kakashi.

The younger boy leveled an unimpressed stare at the Uchiha – just enough to make him squirm – before looking at Rin. "It's supposed to be sensei and Kushina's house, but Minato-sensei asked us if we all wanted to move in."

Rin's brief gaping was completely justified.

"It'll be good for all of us," Okugi added, his tails swinging lightly on the right armrest, his fangs bared in a grin. Rin tried to ignore his patchy fur. "Chibi here will get some company for once-" Kakashi rolled his eyes, "-Kushina and Minato-sensei will stay very close-" the woman burst out laughing at her fiancé's spluttering, though a light blush dusted both their cheeks, "-and Obito will stay away from the other Uchiha."

"And you get steak."

Okugi nodded sagely at Kakashi's deadpan. "Perfectly cooked steak. It's near Training Ground 21, too!"

It sounded like their perfect home. How long had Minato-sensei and Kushina-nee been planning on moving into that house? It was too good to be true: near a Training Ground to satisfy Kakashi's need to train, away from the Uchiha Compound, big enough for all of Team Minato to move in and – hopefully – not step on each other's toes.

Rin could also postpone her inevitable meeting with her parents after her outburst earlier that day.

Staying close to her teammates was only a bonus.

With a pleased smile gracing her lips, Rin nodded. "Let's move in."


Two days later, all their most important possessions had been moved to the newly-bought Namikaze-Uzumaki home.


Obito took a deep breath.

This was it.

A gentle breeze rustled the leaves around him. Training Ground 25 closed over his team's heads, the thick canopy blocking most of the sunlight. Okugi was lounging on a sunny rock on a rare grassy clearing, with Kakashi, Rin and Minato-sensei sitting nearby. Minami was right in front of Obito.

The tokubetsu jonin rattled off a sequence of hand seals Obito couldn't have followed without his Sharingan. She frowned at him. "Are you ready?"

He nodded before he could think it through. He didn't need more worry than what was already churning in his insides thank you very much-

In between blinks, his friends disappeared.

Completely normal, he assured himself, willing his shoulders not to tense quite so much. He could even see a weakness in Minami's Genjutsu – around Okugi's sunny rock, the air rippled as if it was just above a bonfire.

He didn't dispel the Genjutsu. Maybe it was put there to see if he would panic when he felt unfamiliar chakra playing with his brain. Maybe he just saw through it with his Sharingan.

Rolling his eyes – just a tiny bit – he advanced further into the woods.

It took three seconds for five Iwa-nin to jump out at him.

Obito cursed and leapt back. The ground under his previous position cracked and- there! One, two, three spikes of earth, advancing-

Another Iwa-nin slashed at him with a wakizashi. He ducked and dashed to his right. The spikes and three enemies followed him, the other two were right in front of him, both with kunai in hand.

He would not go down without a fight!

The chuunin clamped his hands into the Tiger Seal and jumped up. "Katon: Great Fireball!"

Obito turned on himself in midair, blowing his jutsu into a wall of fire swirling around him. The air trembled before his flames, his eyes watered, and some Iwa-nin screamed.

Genjutsu, he reminded himself.

As soon as his twisted fireball stopped, the two kunai-wielders rushed to meet him as he fell. Obito barely brought up his own kunai in time to block both. His Sharingan showed him the ripples in the Genjutsu, but he paid them no heed and focused on defeating the illusions.

They landed on the scorched ground. A third Iwa-nin came at him, fist black and covered in chakra, cocked back to strike his jaw. Obito Kawarimi'ed out of their reach and spat another fireball at the nearest enemy – the ninjutsu-user of the earth spikes, hiding under a tree.

Her scream died down after a few seconds, but it kept ringing into Obito's head.

The remaining kunoichi flashed through some hand seals. "Suiton: Tidal Wave!"

A huge wall of water rose from the bloodied ground and crashed down on him.

The chuunin shouted into the illusion. Bubbles of precious air were lost to the Genjutsu, and Obito clamped his mouth shut, swimming up to the surface and reminding himself each time that this. Was. Not. Real.

He used chakra to kick himself out of the water and hurled a handful of kunai at the three illusions over him.

Two of them were struck in the chest and fell down like birds shot down by arrows. Obito leapt on the nearest branch to avoid the stone fist aiming straight for his face.

The Iwa-nin reappeared beside him. Gasping, Obito let himself fall down the branch. It shattered and its splinters rained on his head and sodden clothes.

There was no rest on the battlefield. He had trained for this, damn it!

Obito took a deep breath, reached for two kunai in his weapon pouch and dodged to the side to avoid the illusion's stone fist. He gritted his teeth.

With a burst of chakra, the Uchiha dashed at the Iwa-nin.

His dark brown fist – hardened by chakra, Doton – swung high to break his nose, but his Sharingan saw it and he ducked a hair's breadth under it. He angled his kunai to stab his femoral artery.

Blood spurted out the Iwa-nin, darkening his uniform and splattering on the sodden clearing and on Obito's face and goggles, forever burned into his memory.

Cutting off a shout, the man stumbled back and pressed his hands to the still-spurting wound. He raised his head and exposed his throat – just a second, to look into his killer's eyes.

A second too many – Obito slashed at his throat, a large splatter of blood dripping off his chest onto the stained blades of grass.

The illusion twitched, bled some more, and died.

Panting, Obito looked down at his… messy handiwork. It would surely hunt his recently-surfaced nightmares, but a part of him wanted to shake Minami's hand for creating so many details in a Genjutsu.

The other wanted to puke. Badly.

He closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath. First, he needed to dispel… this.

"Kai."

The world rippled around him. The genjutsu-blood staining his hands, face and chest was gone, as well as the burnt bodies littering the small clearing – but his weapons were real, and they remained.

His team was not there.

His heart skipped a beat- but they couldn't be in danger, could they? They were deep inside Konoha, with Minato-sensei and Minami-san nearby… Surely, he'd have noticed anything wrong? Surely, the kunoichi would not have continued her Genjutsu simulation if there were enemies nearby?

Gulping down his fear, Obito walked up to the sunny rock. He tightened his grip on his kunai.

Clink!

He turned. There! It was-

"Rin?!"

Rin was fighting two- two Kumo-nin! How did they even get here?!

Obito quickly shot down any other questions popping up in his head – his friend was in danger! He kicked himself off the ground and sent a hail of kunai flying towards the Kumo-nin.

The taller one relented in his attack to deflect some of them. He sent a glare in Obito's direction. "Uchiha," he spat, and dashed in front of him with a burst of chakra.

The chuunin ducked just in time and shot up to punch his chin. A puff of smoke enveloped him and a dull stinging in his knuckles informed him he just struck a log.

He leapt forward to reach his teammate. "Rin, what happened? Where are Kakashi and Minato-sensei?"

"There are more Kumo-nin there," she gestured to another part of the forest, from which Obito could feel familiar chakra. Rin turned to him. "Obito, we must-"

The branch they were standing on shattered into splinters.

Mid-leap, the taller Kumo-nin slashed down at him with a wakizashi. Sparks flew when Obito brought up his kunai to block the attack. His free hand locked into the Tiger Seal as he breathed in and focused chakra into his lungs. "Katon: Great-"

The man spun in midair and kicked him in the ribs, hard enough to hurtle him into a tree. A pathetic flame escaped his lips, his lungs now empty. Obito clung breathless to the bark and saw a shadow over him.

He pushed himself off with a burst of chakra and narrowly avoided getting his skull being kicked in. His kunai sliced a thin line near the enemy's knee, making little drops of blood drip on Obito's leg. Splinters rained on the spot he had just occupied and the Kumo-nin formed hand seals.

Wait, was that- "Suiton: Wild Water Wave!"

Obito barely Kawarimi'ed away in time before a stream of high-pressure water pierced a hole through his ribcage. He saw his opponent's chakra, molding itself into another jutsu – but where was the other?

Where was Rin?

There, on ground level, and-

"Rin!"

The shorter Kumo-nin, the one Obito had forgotten about, had his kunai poised to strike-

With a snarl, Obito dashed at him, caution be damned, and locked eyes with him. A link, a connection, so he could force him to back off and stay still so Obito could stab him. His enemy's eyes widened – yes, he was damn right to be afraid – and he jumped at him, straight for the kill, kunai in hand.

The chuunin stabbed him right through the throat, and blood-

-turned to water.

Water Clone.

He rolled further into the wet grass, thrown by his own momentum, and bent his legs, ready to spring again into-

"Stop!"

The Kumo-nin stopped.

At Minato-sensei's voice.

Kakashi, Okugi, Minato-sensei and Minami-san jumped down the tree canopy just then with a couple more 'Kumo-nin'.

Just… Just… What the fuck?

"Your test ends now, Obito." Sensei smiled at him, but his chakra churned. "You pass."

Obito blinked, bewildered. How was he even supposed to answer to that? "S-So… the, uhm, they…"

"We're Konoha-nin," the 'Kumo-nin' he had injured told him. He patted his wound. "No hard feelings, I hope. Minato-san asked us to add… let's go with realism, to this test."

"It's because fighting in a controlled environment is one thing," added Minami-san, crossing her arms, "but finding yourself ambushed is another." She rolled her eyes. "Of course, it's unlikely you'll find yourself alone to fight a team of enemies so long as you stay a chuunin, but you showed some semblance of level-headedness at the beginning. Not much when you thought Rin was in danger, but…"

Obito raised his hands in front of him to stop her. "Wait, wait a second. You're saying that this-" he gestured at the disguised Konoha-nin, "was the true part of the test. And I've worried for nothing."

"When it's all real, it won't-"

"What the fuck?!" His shout echoed in the forest. He turned his Sharingan to the blond man. "Sensei! Why did you even come up with- with that thing?! Rin was in danger!"

The medic-in-training frowned hesitantly. "I wasn't-"

"And where the hell were you? Were you watching just because?"

Kakashi sighed and face-palmed. Minato-sensei looked both contrite and affronted, with his lips pressed together and eyes narrowed. He stepped over some kind line, again.

With jonin-speed, Minami grabbed Obito by the scruff and shook him. "Listen, kid. You're supposed to be a shinobi, not a liabilityget it together."

Minato stepped forward and pried the woman's fingers off his jacket. He shot a mild glare at the tokubetsu jonin. "Obito, we had to test your battle readiness so you can still be part of our team. You have aimed to kill and that is what you're supposed to do during a real fight against enemy-nin." He locked eyes with his student. "Do you understand?"

The chuunin glanced at his friends, then looked down and nodded.

With a small sigh of relief, Minato smiled at him. "What about we go to the hotsprings to relax a little?"


Kakashi did not fidget.

Although his naked skin crawled like a hundred kikaichu under so much attention, he did his best to ignore every lingering stare. It was against everything shinobi should do: be ready to fight or flee, stay out of sight, stay alert and deal with all threats.

Now he was supposed to keep only a towel – which he had discarded before soaking up in that warm hotspring water – and don't hide away from those stares.

Kakashi was a shinobi first and foremost: how the hell was he supposed to do that and relax?

He lowered himself until he was nose-deep into the water.

At least Minato-sensei just glanced at him – repeatedly, with his chakra nearly boiling with rage, but Kakashi preferred it over the pitifully guilty glances Obito subjected him to.

This was getting ridiculous.

Okugi sloshed over to him and settled between him and Obito. "I have an idea."

'No.'

"You didn't even hear me out, Chibi." Okugi turned his vulpine head to pout at him.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. 'I don't need to. The answer's always no.'

He let out a pathetic whine.

Four of the other six men on their side of the hotsprings turned. They noticed Kakashi's scars – everyone did, of course – and wisely decided not to say anything. But they were always watching and eavesdropping, just waiting for him to break down – they weren't even being discreet about it.

Okugi even dared use their attention to pressure him into listening to him, after all his stupidly heroic deeds backfired and got them worried sick.

His ears drooped like wilting leaves. Another whine.

Kakashi huffed. And he was supposed to be the more childish one? 'Spit it out.'

Lo and behold, the time-traveller grinned and puffed up what remained of his wet fur. "Take Obito back to the changing rooms. Go into an empty one."

'We're not making out.' Kakashi's eyelid twitched. He was not acting out any Icha Icha scenes, especially with Uchiha Obito of all people.

Okugi ignored him. "Let him ask about each scar and tell him."

Though the prospect of scaring Obito half to death was enticing, Kakashi had no intention of laying belly-up under his teammate's scrutiny. He'd need to talk about his experience – which he had no desire in doing – and his feelings.

And assure Obito it was not his fault it happened.

He'd have to talk about his and Obito's feelings, together.

'…You're kidding me, right?' Kakashi poked their telepathic link – his older self's chakra didn't offer as much resistance as he expected. It wasn't vibrating as if holding in a laugh, or even hiding some more sensible truth.

Was he being honest?

Okugi circled Kakashi's naked torso and stared at him. "You've got all my memories, don't you?"

The chuunin stared back, unimpressed.

"Then you know how much easier it would have been, had I spoken."

For a second, Younger Kakashi wanted to deny it – to say there was no use telling people about his troubles – but a lifetime of silent suffering crashed into his mind.

The weight of words unspoken, love and care refused and so, so much heartache carefully hidden away and never addressed until-

Until… until there was nothing left, and his only choice was to lay his soul bare and hope it would be enough for Obito- no, for the hollow husk he had become – to stop this madness and the endless suffering he had caused.

He shuddered.

"The only way to keep it truly together is to speak." Okugi patted him on the head with a sodden tail. Kakashi glared at him. "Unless you and Kurama want a Yamanaka roaming in our head-"

"Don't even dare, Hatake."

"-you've got to do some speaking yourself."

Kakashi rubbed his eyes – damn if they itched – and kept them closed. He already had his therapy sessions with Owl to 'do some speaking'. 'And I should be talking to Obito about it because…?'

"Leaving him out of this won't be good for team dynamics." Okugi shrugged, lowered his muzzle and blew a few bubbles into the water. "I know Sensei will know… eventually… but we've got to keep the team together." He bared his fangs in a humorless smile. "Kannabi Bridge is coming, after all."

The chuunin stiffened.

The first piece in a row of deadly dominos. After its removal, Konoha would be saved.

Right?


Obito was busy wallowing in his self-pity and mentally – sometimes physically – slapping himself when Kakashi walked over, trudging through the water looking like he'd rather vault over the fence of the hotsprings with Tsunade-sama on the other side.

The water of the pool was far from clear and his teammate took care in hiding his arms and chest as soon as possible, but Obito knew. The Sharingan did not let him forget.

"Obito."

The Uchiha looked around almost frantically – he was not talking to him, was he? Maybe he wanted to see Minato-sensei, because he was their sensei and had the innate power of all sensei to see right through his students, so Kakashi must- "Yes?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes. Stared into his soul. "We must talk."

"What?" Kakashi, talking, with him? About what? A third of him was dying to find out what happened to his teammates because of him, while another just wanted to cover his ears and rock back and forth. The remaining part radiated annoyance – Kakashi wanted to talk now? After that horrible nightmare of a test? "You didn't want to."

Foot, meet mouth, again. Obito nearly sunk into the water at the unimpressed look Kakashi gave him. Minato-sensei wasn't even pretending not to eavesdrop and glance disapprovingly in his direction.

"I didn't say I wanted to. I said we must." The younger chuunin jerked his head toward the changing rooms on the other side of the pool. "Meet me there."

Without another word, Kakashi quickly swam away, grabbed his towel and strode into the rooms and out of sight. The other men glanced at them and lost interest, while Minato shot a worried – or relieved? – look toward the building and smiled awkwardly at him.

Okugi… Okugi emerged from a spot very close to Obito, nearly making him shriek and jump out of the water. The weird summon nudged him with his muzzle toward the stalls and nodded before dunking his head down and leaving without a word.

He didn't have any other choice. The Uchiha braced himself with a deep breath and abandoned the warm, comforting water to face his teammate.


Kakashi was a chuunin since he was six, so he knew how to come up with a sound plan even when short on time. In the thirty-eight seconds it took for Obito to find him, Kakashi had draped a second towel on his own shoulders and planned their 'talk' like a mission report.

His time-travelling self told him to speak – he didn't tell him to talk it out bit by bit, excruciatingly slowly just to spare Obito's hurt feelings.

He wanted to know? So be it.

The waterworks started around his retelling of the moment of their capture.

"It's my fault," Obito said, already choking on tears, oh joy.

"No, it's not." So Kakashi continued.

He described their hell through hearing, smell and touch – he told of razor-sharp barbs tearing into his skin and blood pouring out of his veins until it was all he could smell, of Rin's screams and pleas in the all-encompassing darkness and the smell of her lifeblood, her skin, burning.

He ignored Obito's occasional comments – if he stopped now there would be no continuing – and showed him the marks on his skin, the scars, and told him of a cracking whip with metal studs biting into his flesh and the taste of his own blood when he bit his tongue too hard, because shinobi endure and reveal nothing to the enemy.

Another sob from his teammate. "Stop, please," he whimpered. "I- It's- I can't."

"What can't you do?" Kakashi probably failed at keeping his tone neutral, but he was telling Obito everything, he was doing the damned effort to recall those days and tell him what happened, and Obito couldn't even listen without crying? "You wanted to know? I'm telling you, now."

There was a drop of disapproval and 'please, be nice' from Okugi. Kurama was silent, but he was eavesdropping all the same.

Obito rubbed tears out of his eyes and tried to look into Kakashi's. He kept glancing at the scars on his chest, since those on his arms were covered by the towel. "I- I-" he gestured shakily at Kakashi. "I- I did that."

"Unless you actually cut my arm to ribbons-"

"Stop it!"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at his outburst and blinked. There was water dripping in his eyes.

(He was not crying.)

Obito had jumped up to stand over him, bare-chested, with his stupid orange goggles pushed up on his forehead and the look of someone who's had enough of getting talked over. "Stop talking about yourself like that. Stop talking about Rin like that! You're-" he looked down, to the side. "You're insufferable, you know? You're not just- just a ninja, or a tool."

"You're my friend."

Friend.

They were friends.

Kakashi lowered his gaze, away from Obito. His comrade, his teammate, his friend- or so he called him. Were they, really? Were the two of them really worthy of that title?

Or was Obito friends with the other Kakashi, the one who has lived through enough strife and death to last a hundred lifetimes?

What was he even supposed to say? 'Now that I want you to tell me what to do, you do nothing?'

Kurama and Okugi were both unhelpfully silent.

Obito grabbed his shoulders, tightly, as if Kakashi hadn't just told him how much it hurt. He seized the Uchiha's left bicep and focused there his Lightning chakra. Not enough to zap him, no – he wasn't about to electrocute him again, after all this time – but enough to warn him of the line he has crossed.

Tears fell on his cheeks. He sniffed. "Kakashi. If I hadn't been an idiot and just let Okugi deal with the other shinobi, you and Rin would not have-" Obito took a deep breath and shook his head. "It's my fault. I'm training so that there won't be a next time of- of that."

Kakashi raised an eyebrow at him. "You can't know that."

"Please, Kakashi, just… let me hope, ok? I… I need to believe that."

Obito looked so miserable – with just a towel, still wet with hotspring water and tears, his eyes puffy and his lip pulled into a trembling pout – that Kakashi just nodded. Sometimes he forgot that other people didn't follow logic all the time. Sure, hope was a tantalizing mirage, but it didn't necessarily lead to a better outcome.

Kakashi craved certainties like other people craved hope. It was just his luck that his life was in a precarious balance every breath he took.

"I can't read you, not like- like Rin or Minato-sensei do, so you have to tell me." His teammate stared into his eyes with his Sharingan. "Are you alright? Are you going to be alright?"

Was he?

The Kannabi Bridge mission was coming. Danzo was still plotting in Konoha's shadows. Kurama and Okugi disagreed more often than they agreed, and they were quickly running out of time.

How long until they slipped up for the last time? How long until his teammates and comrades paid the ultimate price?

Kakashi forced himself to keep looking into his teammate's Sharingan and furrowed his brows. "I will try."

Obito copied his expression – barely restrained anxiety, a deep despondency that could not be rooted out by the harsh truth – and lowered his eyes. His grasp tightened and Kakashi forced himself not to unleash his Lightning chakra just yet.

His teammate shook his head and slowly relinquished his grip, holding his gaze instead. "Ok," he breathed. He nodded to himself. "Ok."

Kakashi stayed silent as they returned into the hotsprings.


The next day (Day 1)

Owl didn't tap his pen on his clipboard. All ANBU had their quirks – some more disturbing than others – but making unnecessary noise was not one of his.

"So you have told Uchiha Obito of your experience?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, I did."

The ANBU jotted down the name. "Do you feel better after it?"

A shrug.

Owl waited.

Silence.

He wrote "No opinion" on the lines after the question.

"What is the frequency of your nightmares associated to your experience?"

"Two, three times a week." Another shrug. The chuunin rubbed his eyes, which had bluish eye-bags under them. "Sometimes I forget them."

Owl wasn't too sure about that. He reported his answer anyway.


"Every night," the girl mumbled. She shuddered and curled into a fetal position on the plush armchair. "I- I believe I'm back there, and I'm burning."

Turtle wrote down her answer. Not even for the kids there was mercy. "Are the therapy sessions with operative Falcon working?"

Rin's lips quivered.

The ANBU crossed the square "No".


(Day 2)

"You're living in the same home?"

"We are."

Anko whistled. A gentle breeze blew through her ponytail, carrying the shouts of one Uchiha Obito trying to wrestle Kakashi into the nearest lake. Minato-san kept watch over them like a silent guardian. "Wow. Does Obito start food-fights with Kakashi or…?"

The blond man huffed out a laugh, swinging his left leg down the branch on which he was perched.

Their furry cushion rumbled with laughter, sweeping his tails over the un-kept grass. Rin chuckled at the image but waved it away. "Kushina-nee would throw him out of the window if he did that again."

"'Again'?" The violet-haired kunoichi was grinning from ear to ear.

Okugi mirrored her expression. "Obito was searching for chocolate and had a bag of flour in hand when he saw Chibi eating the last chocolate bar, never breaking eye contact."

"Ooooh." Anko's grin widened. "Invite me next time they do that."

Kakashi and Obito kept splashing water at each other in increasingly odd ways – though it seemed that the former was using some sort of depowered ninjutsu to "spar" with his teammate. Anko was almost sure they haven't heard them, busy as the two boys were trying to dunk each other into the small lake.

That looked fun.

(And a cool way to "train", too, if someone were to ask her.)

The young chuunin got up from her cozy resting spot on Okugi's fur and stretched. Both members of Team Minato tilted their head at her as she stripped to her skintight mesh-shirt and underwear, smirking. "I know a trick or two in water fights."

A sound similar to a snicker escaped Okugi, who curled further around a grinning Rin.

Minato-san face-palmed and Anko took off running towards the lake, laughing.


(Day 4)

"When do you feel safer?"

Kakashi shrugged uneasily and rubbed his bloodshot eyes. "I like staying in warm water."

Owl scribbled "warmth" and "water" on his clipboard. Kami, was Hokage-sama actually making him go through two weeks of psychological sessions with his target? "What about your teammates?"

"I like it when they're safe." The Hatake crossed his arms, breathed in and tilted his head. "Safe-ish."

"What do you mean by that?" Owl couldn't help but feel a bit defensive – he was making his damn hardest to make sure the kid and his team were safe, and he doubted it? He should just come out and tell Hokage-sama he didn't want an ANBU team nearby at all times.

Kakashi raised his hands in the universally infuriating 'I come in peace' sign. "I just acknowledge that I've already been attacked inside Konoha. I'm leaving nothing up to chance."

Neither was Owl, stuck as he was with Raccoon, Falcon and Ox. "That would explain the… added Fuinjutsu around your new residence."

The Hatake eye-smiled.

Owl wrote "Heightened paranoia" on the blank list of changes.


(Day 5)

Minato-sensei, Kushina, Sarune, Orochimaru and Team Jiyo had left either for the Iwa front, the Mizu coastline or some brief mission in Hi no Kuni.

Kakashi and Obito had accompanied Rin to her parents' house.

She was a bundle of nerves and almost refused to tell them what had happened to create a drift between her and her parents, but who could she trust if not her teammates? Either way, this was something Rin needed to solve and she preferred having level-headed backup rather than make a scene like last time.

The iryo-nin-in-training breathed in and knocked twice.

No answer.

There were two weak chakras behind it, looking at her through the peephole.

"Kaachan, Touchan, please… I'm sorry."

The door was thrown open by her mother.

Her normally tied-up hair were let down, ruffled and unkempt. Her gaze held such heavy melancholy that Rin struggled to hold it. "Are you?" she asked, eyeing her teammates standing behind her. She sounded so tired.

The kunoichi could see her father in the hallway, waiting. "I am. I- I don't-" She breathed in. Her teammates were by her side. "I didn't mean those horrible words I said – I was angry because I can't leave my team alone when I know I can help them, and- and even suggesting that I-"

"Rin," Kaachan softly said, looking at her without the hatred and betrayal she had always imagined in her nightmares. The chuunin sniffed as her mother reached for her cheek with her hand. "Rin, I can't say I understand it, but I respect your decision."

She blinked tears out of her eyes and leaned her head into her mother's hand. "…Really?"

Touchan was just behind Kaachan, looking contrite and deeply distressed all at once. He glanced once at her two teammates before focusing on her and opening his arms. "If it's what you feel is best-" they gently wrapped their arms around each other, "-we will support you." His hold tightened the slightest bit, as if she were made of cracked glass. "Just be careful."

Then he shot a mock-glare at Kakashi and Obito. It soon melted into a pleading look. "Keep her safe."

With a serious nod, the two chuunin promised.


(Day 8)

Kakashi pressed his palms into his eyes as if that would stop their agonizing throbbing.

'Isn't it supposed to stop?' When was it the last time he woke up without feeling his eyes and his whole brain relentlessly pounding? Was it two weeks ago, or more? He couldn't remember.

Kurama shrugged. "I'm not a miracle-worker, Kit. It's either this or nightmares – which do not exclude this kind of pain."

The chuunin flipped off a random wall of the room he shared with Obito, Rin and Okugi. Kurama muttered something probably just as rude, but Kakashi couldn't honestly care less. He was not in the mood to argue. His left eye was probably more bloodshot and swollen than the right one, as he had noticed when he looked in a mirror some time ago.

Two days ago, Owl had even stepped out of a tree and dropped in when the chuunin was alone to examine his eyes. After a few stinging chakra-pokes in his tenketsu, the ANBU told him to stop focusing chakra to his eyeballs to 'ease the pain', because it only made things worse.

He dug the heels of his palms into his eyes. Fuck. Not even the Chakra Beta-blockers Sarune-san had suggested worked. His chakra flow was just that out of whack.

He dragged himself out of bed, didn't bother to check whether Obito was asleep or not – his drool wasn't exactly the most pleasing thing to look at – and sidestepped Okugi's tails before leaving the bedroom and padding to the stairs leading down to the kitchen.

He passed in front of the bathroom and stopped.

There was crying from inside.

A cursory chakra-check confirmed it was Rin.

Should he knock and ask if she was alright? Or should he leave her alone? Maybe he should. He would only make matters worse. Minato-sensei and even Obito were better options than him.

Or maybe Rin would appreciate his presence?

Or maybe… 'Uhm, other me? Okugi?'

There was a sleepy yawn echoing in their mindscape. "Why d'you wake me, Chibi? It's like fuck-all in the morning…"

'I…' He didn't wake his older self to make a fool out of himself! 'I think Rin wants some comfort.'

When Older Kakashi offered no answer, he added, 'I'm not good at comfort.'

"…Tell you what." Okugi's form swayed into view from their shared bedroom. "I'll go if you'll go."

'But I can't comfort her!'

"Rin likes a good puppy pile once in a while." An infuriating smile pulled at the time-traveller's 'lips'. "Or you could wake Obito up instead."

The throbbing in his skull only increased at that, almost drowning out his consciousness in a dark oblivion. Kakashi held his head in his hands. 'Please, Okugi. I can't do this right now.'

His older self must have felt – or seen – his suffering. Did he know what it was like? Even if he did not, his concerned expression bordered on pitying as he silently walked over to him, in front of the bathroom door. "If you need me, I'm in here."

Kakashi nodded and left to find his Chakra Beta-blocker pills.


(Day 10)

"Any improvements?"

The boy groaned and covered his eyes with his forearm. "You should know, Owl-san."

Owl shrugged. He had already barred the "No" square. "Do you believe there's any correlation between your nightmares and your pain problem?"

"…Probably," he eventually confirmed, most likely grimacing under that mask of his, "But it hurts even if I've been awake for twenty hours. It hurts more when I wake up, so it could be phantom pain or something similar."

The ANBU hummed. "Tell you 'inner conscious' to stop messing around your brain with his chakra when you're asleep and let's see the results in two days, Kakashi."

The chuunin looked at him but did not object.


"Do you think the therapy with Yamanaka-san is useful?"

The girl hesitantly nodded. "Hai, Turtle-san. The nightmares… aren't as bad."

His pen hovered over the blank line on paper. "Can you be more specific?"

"I… I feel some control over them." She fidgeted. Her eyes roamed over the aqua-green walls. "Sometimes I can end them the way I want. I can…" Rin looked down and shifted on the bed. "I can defeat them in my head."

Turtle nodded and almost wished he didn't have to keep his mask on just so he could smile at her. She definitely needed a friendly face instead of an ANBU mask. "That's very good news, Rin."

"But…" her face fell. "Other times, instead of me, it's… it's my friends, burning." She blinked furiously as her eyes became moist. She brought her knees to her chest. "I try to save them, but I…"

While her breath hitched as if she were about to sob, Turtle crossed a "seven" out of ten on nightmare management.


(Day 12)

Minato was still in his jonin uniform – minus the muddy jacket – when he found two little bottles that weren't in his medicine cabinet a few days ago. "Kakashi, come over here a minute."

Obito, Rin and Okugi kept eating lunch in the kitchen as Kushina told an embellished tale of their urgent run to the Mizu coastline to deal with a group of nukenin. His student peeked in from the corner of the hallway. "Yes?"

"Are these yours?"

Kakashi eyed the bottles of Chakra Beta-blockers and anti-inflammatory pills and nodded. "They're supposed to lessen the strain on my eye tenketsu."

"Ah." At least it wasn't anything related to the Kyuubi imitator. One less thing to worry about. "Are they working?"

Rubbing his still bloodshot eyes, Kakashi sighed. "Kurama says it's a delayed aftereffect of the Shadow Moth Seal and I just have to put up with it for another week, at least."

Minato ruffled his student's silver hair, earning a scowl and a half-hearted slap on the wrist. He smiled thinly. "Good thing you're not going on any missions until then, right?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes.


(Day 14)

Kushina and Rin were talking about their earlier Suiton training session when the door slammed open.

"Aaaaaaargh," said the culprit, kicking off his sandals and trudging over to the dining table.

Kushina threateningly waved her ladle at him, her face the unnerving picture of cracked calm. "Wash your hands first, or I'm sealing your mouth shut for the rest of the day."

Obito scrambled to the bathroom on the ground floor.

Biting her lip and grinding some healing herbs in her ceramic mortar, Rin asked, "Isn't that a bit too much, Kushina-nee?"

"The rest didn't work, so…" the woman shrugged and kept stirring her pot of… something different from ramen. Probably. Kakashi wasn't exactly the best informed in kitchen dishes, and that day Kushina was 'experimenting'.

Minato-sensei was toiling over some sort of Fuinjutsu – it looked like a Barrier Seal to both Kakashi and Kurama, with the Hiraishin formula mixed in – in front of the couch, surrounded by scrolls, books and a fair amount of ink and brushes of different sizes.

Kakashi was lounging with one of sensei's books on the nearest armchair, because Okugi had claimed the couch for himself to sleep. He rubbed absently at his eyes and squinted at the Cobweb sealing design. Kurama snorted and launched into a long-winded tirade about the ineffectiveness of that class of Fuinjutsu.

All was calm.

Then Obito reappeared.

"The Elders," he spat the title, "want me to come back to the Compound, just 'cause I have the Sharingan." Obito threw up his hands, stomping. "They never wanted me before, and now I should stay there? I'm never coming back there, why they fuck can't they understand?!"

"Language!" The chuunin narrowly dodged an incoming wooden spoon, which clattered down the hallway instead of smacking him in the face.

Minato rose up from his cross-legged position on the ground, dusted himself off – belatedly noticing the ink smears on both his hands and pants – and smiled. His chakra was positively bubbling, as if he had just waited for this moment. "I have an idea to make them stop."


Is this the longest Chapter I've done here? Looks like it.

It also contains a two weeks montage 'cause I wanted to 'show not tell', and... it turned out kinda ok? I also hope at least most things make sense?

I just have this annoying perfectionist/procrastinator aspect of my personality that always listens to the part with performance issues. I just feel like I should always do my best, ya know? *ducks head and hides under a blanket*

I have also reached 221.590 words and I'm speechless. Ermegard. I should be doing something nice for having written so much. I'll think of something... XD

If you want to tell me something, either review or send a PM - I'll be happy either way! :D

(Or passive-aggressive. Man, do I have performace and perfectionist issues.)

Until next time! ;D

Shiiroi Kitsune21