Warning: handholding.
Also, Kakashi Suffering Level: 9.9999999999
This chapter was difficult to write, and I blame Obito. There was actually going to be even more of him, originally, but other things happened. Next chapter, though...
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Remember to act normal! Kurama said sharply, just as Minato's Hiraishin brought them to a bamboo forest which Naruto had never seen before. Despite the reminder, it still took all his self-control not to immediately bust out his full bijuu mode when Obito came lunging out of nowhere, his fist aimed for Kakashi's face.
Naruto caught the punch easily and glared at the Uchiha, who looked so similar and yet so different from the real version he'd known. Kakashi had frozen for a moment when Obito attacked, and while he quickly recovered himself after, Naruto knew he was still extremely tense.
"Oi!" Naruto snapped. "What's the big idea?"
"This doesn't concern you, Naruto," Obito said tersely. "Move aside. I need to give him a piece of my mind."
Naruto drew in a deep breath and silently counted to ten. "No."
"Stop it, Obito," said an unfamiliar voice, as a brown-haired woman approached. She was very pretty, and her eyes were sad but kind.
She looked so similar to the girl from Obito's memories that Naruto knew she had to be Rin.
Obito scowled and pulled back, and Naruto let go as well. He turned to give Kakashi a quick glance, and was alarmed to see him completely stunned.
Naruto hesitated, knowing that it was risky to do anything unusual while the parents and Kakashi's old teammates were all present, but with Kakashi looking like he might run away at any second…
I'll give you a suggestion, Kurama said. Just act like the lovesick fool you are and you might just get through this without blowing your cover.
Naruto's hand, which had been going for Kakashi's shoulder, changed course and gently laid against Kakashi's cheek.
It was a good distraction, as Obito immediately started making choking noises and Rin gave a soft "Oh!" of surprise. Kakashi snapped out of whichever memory his mind had wandered into and blinked at him, startled by the intimate gesture and the chakra Naruto had transferred to him in that moment.
"You okay?" Naruto asked softly.
Kakashi was acutely aware of everyone staring at them. "Ah – yes, sorry. I was just surprised."
"W – wuh – WHAT?!" Obito exclaimed, and Kushina immediately whacked him.
"This is a stealth mission, you idiot!"
"But – " Obito sputtered, though quietly this time. "They're being all… you know!"
"Yes, Obito, I'm well aware that my son is romantically interested in Kama-kun," Kushina said, her tone very dry. "It's also one of the first things he said when Sakumo caught them trying to sneak into his house."
"In fact," Kushina added wickedly. "When we got home and busted them in our house, they were practically—"
"Muuuuum!"
"Kushina-san!"
Kushina cackled at their horrified expressions, then gave Obito and Rin a small shove towards Kakashi. "Now stop being awkward and go catch up. Good luck grilling him with Naruto there, though!"
"Naruto," Kakashi sighed, giving him a small glare. It was easier than looking at Rin and Obito, who were still staring at him like he could disappear at any moment.
"What?" Naruto huffed, raising his eyebrows meaningfully at Kakashi in hopes that it would somehow communicate Kurama's plan. "I've made it no secret that I like you."
"Time and place, Naruto," Kakashi groaned, slapping a hand to his forehead.
"Hm? Seems fine to me," Naruto said, briefly activating Sage Mode to scan the surrounding area. "Yup. It's just us."
Kakashi couldn't tell if he was genuinely oblivious, or only pretending to be. From the looks on Obito and Rin's faces, neither could they. Obito was still trying to wrap his head around the concept of Naruto's love declaration, so Rin spoke up instead.
"Is it really you, Kama?" she asked, hesitant. "I couldn't believe what the missive said until I saw it for myself, but…"
Kakashi saw the tears in her eyes, and wished he hadn't looked at her face.
"I guess," he said vaguely, looking away.
"What do you mean by that, huh?" Obito burst out, incensed. "Where the hell have you been all these years? Why didn't you tell us you survived? And what the FUCK did you think you were doing when you—"
"I don't remember, alright?!" Kakashi snapped back, hands clenched into trembling fists. "I don't have an answer for you! I don't even know what happened!"
Obito stared at him, anger and suspicion only too evident in his red eyes. "Not even what you did before you—" He scowled and turned around sharply. "Fine! There's no point in talking to you. I'm going on ahead."
"He's angry now, but he'll get over it eventually," Rin's smile was strained, but the sincerity in her voice was real. "It's alright if we don't find out what happened. I'm just glad you survived, Kama."
You really shouldn't be, Kakashi wanted to answer. You don't know what I've done.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, abruptly turning away. "For everything."
He walked quickly ahead of their group, ignoring Rin as she called out after him in confusion.
The illusion world was swiftly transforming into a living nightmare. It was already impossible to face her without losing his composure, but to see her as she could've been – as she should've been, if only she had lived…
Obito was watching him. Kakashi tried to suppress the panic rising in waves within his chest, but it grew stronger and stronger with every step he took.
Naruto appeared at his side in a flash and grabbed his right hand, holding it tightly.
There was little Naruto could say to him with everyone else within earshot, so he just interlaced their fingers and hoped that Kakashi would understand his meaning.
Minato had already returned to the village to fill in for Sakumo's absence, and the remaining group was very quiet as they headed to the place where it had all happened. Kakashi and Naruto fell back a little so Obito could take the lead, and Rin joined him as the only one who knew their destination as well as he did.
Naruto didn't let go of Kakashi's hand the entire time, and gradually Kakashi found it easier to breathe. Everything about their current situation was still as awful as ever, but maybe, just maybe…
Kakashi squeezed the hand holding his, and silently made himself a promise.
"What… what the hell is this?" Naruto stared at the scene before them with wide eyes.
Unlike the lush landscapes they had seen along the way, this area was entirely barren. It looked as though the earth itself had been violently ripped open, a deep chasm stretching as far as the eye could see. The gorge was so wide that Naruto knew he would never be able to leap across without giving himself a big boost with chakra, and even then it seemed daunting.
He looked around at the others, but none of them seemed surprised at such a sight. Kakashi's expression was mostly neutral but for a slight frown.
Naruto swallowed, and let go of Kakashi's hand to step closer to the edge, peering down. It was a straight vertical drop on both sides of the chasm, and even as he strained his eyes he could see nothing in the abyss below. Feeling rather dizzy, he stepped back again and looked around them.
"Minato tried dropping a Hiraishin kunai down there," Kushina said grimly. "But it never hit the bottom. It just vanished."
Sakumo's face was very pale, and he said nothing.
"And that's why nothing was ever found." Rin's voice was barely a whisper. "Kama broke his tanto in an earlier battle, and he left it with us before he…"
She buried her face in her hands, unable to continue.
"Sensei forbade us from trying to go down there," said Obito, who was glaring down into the fathomless depths. "He feared we might never make it back up again."
Kakashi realised Naruto's intention a moment too late.
"I'll just take a quick look, don't worry!" Naruto said, yellow-golden chakra flaring to life, and leapt.
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"Naruto!"
Kakashi lunged forward to grab him, but the tips of his fingers only brushed helplessly against the back of Naruto's jacket. He lost his balance from the momentum and very nearly fell in as well, but Obito yanked him back with such force that Kakashi practically flew backwards.
He scrambled back to the edge and looked down, but only saw a distant flicker of gold as Naruto kept going further and further into the depths. Kushina had activated her chakra chains and was trying to pull Naruto back up, but he was too far away. She was yelling at the top of her lungs and Sakumo was holding her back from jumping in as well, but Kakashi could not understand a single word.
His own panicked scream echoed endlessly within his mind, and his whole body was paralyzed by fear.
What would he do if Naruto never returned? He couldn't endure this world without Naruto by his side. All his failsafes were meaningless if Naruto remained forever out of reach. They were supposed to solve this together, and he had to do something… he had to…
Kakashi's eyes darted around at the others, and he shakily got to his feet.
I have to find him.
Sakumo suddenly turned to him, eyes widening as he read the intention in Kakashi's face, and cried out for him to stop.
Kakashi took a step forward—
"Miss me?" Naruto said lightly, reappearing in a flash of gold. Kakashi stared at him, then at the gudoudama platform beneath his foot, dazed.
Naruto herded them all away from the edge, then paled rapidly at the expression on Kushina's face. She drew in a deep breath, absolutely livid, and Sakumo quickly backed away as she began yelling.
In the end none of them could calm Kushina down, and she carried on until the disturbance in her chakra alarmed Minato enough to teleport in and check on things. Only after many apologies from Naruto and a lot of placating words from Minato did she finally end her tirade, and they all collectively breathed a sigh of relief. From the dark look she gave Naruto, however, it was evident that he would not be out of trouble for a long time to come.
Kakashi would've felt a lot more vindicated if he wasn't also being reproached by his own father.
Sakumo had pulled him aside while Kushina was yelling Naruto's head off, and quietly asked Kakashi just what he thought he was doing back there.
"I…" Kakashi looked away. "I'm sorry. I panicked."
"You were always very level-headed," Sakumo said, watching him closely. "It's not like you at all to jump in without a plan."
Kakashi bowed his head and said nothing, exhausted from the neverending lies.
He was startled when Sakumo abruptly pulled him into a tight hug, and stood there like a statue as Sakumo spoke.
"Do you know, Kama? A parent's greatest and most desperate desire is for their child to live a long and happy life. That was all I ever wanted from you – not the missions, not the training… None of that truly mattered, when all I wanted to protect was your life and your happiness."
Sakumo drew in a shaky breath. "And yet I was the one who sent you to die."
Kakashi opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
"I'm sorry, Kama. I've failed you so terribly. I wasn't there to save you when you needed me, and I never got to watch you grow up. I have no right to ask anything of you, but…"
Kakashi's arms pressed gently against his father's back.
"Don't give up your life again," Sakumo whispered. "Please."
His father was so warm, so solid, and his voice was so familiar.
Kakashi closed his eyes. "I… I'll try my best."
He felt so real.
"I've really missed you, Dad."
And yet, he wasn't.
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Kakashi was tempting fate when he thought his failsafe would be enough to cover all the possibilities.
The alt version of Naruto doesn't have Six Paths Sage Mode, and Bijuu Mode on its own can't fly. But even if the others did know he had Six Paths Sage Mode, like Kakashi did, there's still the fact that they don't know what's down there and there's no way to be certain if he can come back up again.
By the way, that's the first time Kakashi has called Sakumo "Dad" since they landed in the illusion world.
What did Naruto see in the depths of the chasm? Stay tuned to find out. ;)