Kakashi buried his face into the pillow. Everything hurt, his body ached, his head hurt, and his heart kept fluttering awkwardly, and that hurt too. They said it should all clear up as his chakra pathways healed. His head would take longer, possibly years. Blown pathways, it felt so much worse than chakra exhaustion. Kakashi wasn't even sure if anyone could survive that. However, he had an awful talent for surviving.

The pain in Kakashi's head made it difficult to think. He slept a lot, causing him to lose track of days and weeks that passed. Kakashi had no idea how long he had been in the hospital. While his stay wasn't comfortable, he wasn't conscious most of the time.

Kakashi had heard of Kogetsu-sensei from his time as Rokudaime. She had been the department head in the hospital specializing in traumatic brain injury, but she retired two years ago. Kakashi couldn't recall meeting her personally. That wasn't to say he never did, but the meeting didn't leave an impression.

Kakashi flopped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling. There was no light coming through his window, indicating it was night time. He heard soft breathing nearby and turned to see his childhood teammates sleeping in chairs by his bed.

This was either a genjutsu, coma dream, head injury, or time travel. Kogetsu-sensei perpetuated the head injury theory. He held plenty of respect for her services to Konoha's TBI Unit that she had founded. Still, Kakashi knew what he experienced in his life. The memories he had were not fake. Even without the Sharingan, he recalled them with clarity. So it was either a genjutsu, coma dream, or time travel.

If Kakashi were in a coma, he would have expected to see a Yamanaka helping him leave. A Kage can't be sidelined for this long. Maybe for a week at most, allowing the body to recover as it deemed necessary, but Konoha produced the best healers in the world. There was no way they would allow him to stay adrift for so long. Between Sakura and Ino, he should have woken up by now. That left genjutsu or time travel.

Kakashi had been assuming this was a genjutsu because it had seemed the most reasonable at first. But every day, the theory fits less and less. The information they asked for was meaningless. The people that were asking had long since been dead. Then there was the pain he was in. Pain is expected in a genjutsu, but typically it's torturous, not a healing pain.

On top of that, he was often unconscious. What type of genjutsu user would allow his victim to remain unconscious most of the time? It would disrupt a genjutsu. But Kakashi was hesitant to cross it out because that meant only time travel remained.

Time travel existed. Kakashi had experienced it once himself. Though it had been contained to a specific geographical location. He suspected Sasuke could time travel at will, but neither was willing to experiment with that. There was too much unknown. And honestly, Kakashi didn't want to change anything. Things turned out well in the end. They were finally experiencing peace. Yes, it was disappointing that so many did not get to see that peace, but would they hinder what was achieved if he kept them alive? Obito himself had been a significant player in bringing it about. If Kakashi saved Obito from the darkness, would that damn the whole world? Kakashi was the Rokudaime; he could not put his personal feelings above the needs of Konoha. Did Konoha need for Rin, Minato, and Kushina to die? Did it need for Obito to be twisted into the dark enigma he became? Could Kakashi turn his back to their cries for help and let them die, knowing there would be peace in the future? Were they necessary sacrifices? How terrifying was it that he sounded like Danzo right now?

Kakashi groaned and sat up. His head was too full, and he wished he could run from all the questions. Kakashi's eyes met Obito's, and guilt filled him. This Obito would be offended at his thoughts. He would call him scum, trash, friend-killer Kakashi.

"You're awake," Obito whispered and glanced at Rin, making sure he hadn't disturbed her.

"How long?" Kakashi's voice croaked. His hand went to his throat as Obito got up. Obito took a cup of water from the small table and offered it to him. Kakashi accepted it and drank it down greedily. He watched as Obito adjusted the pillows so he could lean back and remain upright. Obito then pulled a tray over and removed the cover.

"Just over a day. Shorter than the last time. They said it means you're getting better," Obito said, his voice still hushed. He peeled the lid off the soup and traded Kakashi for the empty glass. Obito filled the glass up again and returned it to the tray. Kakashi watched with fascination. Obito moved around as if he could predict every need Kakashi would have. Like he just knew what needed to be done. It was odd.

"You need to drink the broth. It's just miso, but the nurses said it would help. We gotta get you back on your feet before you wither into nothing," Obito urged.

"You're exaggerating," Kakashi muttered, but obediently took a drink of the cold soup.

Obito gave him a critical look, "You can't see yourself."

Kakashi couldn't remember the last time someone looked at him with such concern. The fact that it was coming from Obito made it more surreal.

"They had a sliced apple on the tray for you. We thought you were going to wake up a couple of hours ago. Anyways, I sealed it so it wouldn't turn brown."

Kakashi blinked, "You wasted a sealing scroll on an apple?"

Obito blushed as his face pinched into an angry pout, "Do you want it or not?"

Kakashi didn't. He wasn't sure he even wanted the soup, but the kindness and generosity Obito had displayed left Kakashi feeling unbalanced and obligated. "Yes, please."

Obito smiled, and Kakashi decided he could handle eating a few slices of apple for him. A small puff and a sliced apple appeared on the tray. Sure enough, Obito wasted a sealing scroll on him. It was the most thoughtful thing anyone had ever done for him. Kakashi would have to buy Obito a scroll to replace it and another as a thank you. Kakashi put the soup down and reached for an apple slice.

"I was umm...thinking," Obito started, and he looked embarrassed again. "When they release you well, I mean...they would release you sooner if you weren't ya know...going home alone. I already take care of my Grandma. She doesn't walk too well anymore. So she wouldn't know you were there. And it wouldn't be much different, ya know? Cause I already take care of her, and you could get out of here sooner."

This wasn't time travel. It was dimensional travel. Obito was offering to take care of Kakashi like Obito takes care of his grandmother. He takes care of his grandmother? How bad did Kakashi look that Obito compared him to his grandmother?

His face must have been really expressive because Obito stood up and pushed him back against the pillows. "Don't pass out on me, Bakashi."

Kakashi still had the apple clutched between his fingers as he stared up at Obito. "That's an unexpected offer, but I don't think the Uchihas would allow it."

"They don't have to know," Obito argued, his voice rose in volume. "It would be a secret."

"They're Uchiha, they would know," Kakashi countered.

Obito's face turned into a bitter sneer. "Ya, they would know." He sat back down, pouting.

Obito really had wanted to take him home, Kakashi realized. "Why would you want me around anyway?"

Obito turned to look at him aghast. "You gotta stay alive, so I can beat you, and you need to see me become Hokage." Again Obito's voice volume jumped, and Kakashi heard Rin stir.

Obito would never become Hokage, and Kakashi lost Obito's eye before he could show him that he had achieved Obito's dream in his honor. Kakashi felt his eyes water at the heavy loss over this kind of child. Here he was considering sacrificing Obito for the sake of peace, and Obito had been planning to bring him home and nurse him back to health.

"Ah, Kakashi, are you in pain?" Obito must have noticed the tears.

Kakashi rubbed his wrist over his eyes to wipe the tears away. "Just dust."

"Oh. That happens to me too," Obito said, causing Kakashi to give a raspy laugh.

Thank you guys so much for the well-wishes regarding my surgery. It was extremely successful! I'll find out in a few weeks if I managed to push back open heart surgery for another few years or not. I think I did!

I really love this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed it too. Let me know what you think!