And so we see the aftermath of Obito's attack, and poor Kakashi, he's just a giant mess.
Anyways read and review as always.
Rin left Kakashi there for the moment, whirling and rushing towards Naruto, crouching next to her daughter, hand glowing green as she held it over the blonde's stomach, the wound healing itself up at least somewhat.
"Thank Kami it's not too deep."
"I'm sorry mom."
"Don't." Rin shook her head, "Don't you dare apologize for what just happened."
"If I hadn't been so-"
"Don't. The best of us let our guards down sometimes." she turned to Karin, "Karin-chan. How are you feeling?"
"Drained."
"That's understandable. You were amazing." Rin's voice was firm, "Without you who knows what would have happened."
"Thank you Rin-san." Karin's cheeks flushed with pride.
"Don't thank me." Rin let out a slow breath, "You both need to be checked over much more fully than I've done though." she carefully slid her arm under Naruto's legs, the other supporting her back as she lifted her, "Karin-chan can you stand?"
"I think so." Karin gave a determined little nod before glancing towards Kakashi, "Will Kakashi-sensei be okay?"
"He just needs a moment," Rin let out a breath, making her way into the hospital, "Thankfully the room next to Sasuke and Itachi is empty."
"Is Itachi-san okay?" Naruto frowned, "I got him home in time."
"Sakura's been in charge of his care for most of the time, she's done brilliantly and he's recovering very well." Rin reassured Naruto, "It's taken a while but he's recovering, he's going to be fine."
"Good." Naruto closed her eyes, resting her head on her moms shoulder, "I need to unseal Kurama, he cut me off from him, blocked me."
"Of course." Rin carried Naruto to the elevators, giving Karin-chan a small smile when the girl leaned against the wall, "Press the button for the third floor."
"I know Rin-san. I've spent enough time up there lately." the red haired girl did as she was told, and soon enough they were on the right floor and Rin led the way to an empty room, setting Naruto down on the hospital bed, "Right, you two stay here a moment, I need to send a message to Tsunade-sama and Jiraiya-sama."
"Okay mom." Naruto shifted slightly, glancing at Karin as the red haired girl sat down on the edge of the bed before flopping backwards and groaning, "Are you okay?"
"I feel like I've been sucked dry."
"You were so cool." Naruto grinned slightly, "I think you did something my mom used to do-I've never been able to."
"I've never done it before. I was just completely terrified." Karin twisted so that she was led on her stomach, draped over Naruto's legs, "You were hurt and you looked so... and he wasn't letting you go so I just-"
"Made badass Chakra chains."
"It was pretty cool." Karin conceded. "How are you feeling?"
"Achy and pissed off." Naruto shifted, "And I'm gonna get rid of the seal he used to block me from Kurama-the only reason I didn't lose my shit is the fact that it's not as strong as when Kabuto used it on me."
"Because you have a better seal now?"
"Yep." Naruto nodded, quickly unsealing some ink and a brush from her arm and looking down at her stomach, "First I may need to wipe away the blood."
"Y'don't say." Karin groaned, "I gotcha." she moved over to the sink, tugging off her lavender jacket and running it under the water before moving back to the bed, handing it over, "I have a dozen of 'em, doesn't matter if one gets kinda ruined."
"Thank's Karin-chan." Naruto carefully wiped the blood away, drying it with the other half of the jacket before she got to work placing the removal seal. "I'm so lucky you were here."
"Nah, I visit most days-"
"Visit who?"
"Sasuke-kun."
"Wait?" Naruto paused mid stroke, focusing on Karin, "As in he's not here visiting Itachi but here-"
"Yeah." Karin nodded, "Right you didn't know, apparently the Mangekyou turns you blind with excessive use but that can be fixed by transplanting someone
elses Mangekyou into your eyes or whatever-Sasuke pointed out that he and Itachi both had Mangekyou's so it would make sense for them to switch eyes."
Naruto blinked, "That... is both gross and super smart. Are they both okay?"
"Yeah, the operation was two days ago-Rin-san is being super careful about their recovery so they've both got blindfolds on at the moment."
"Didn't Kakashi-sensei use his transplanted Sharingan like, right away?"
"Yeah but that was a battle situation and Rin was very specific that if either of them tried to take off the blindfolds before she said they were ready she'd murder them."
"She would too." Naruto laughed, "Without hesitation."
"Well duh, she is your mom." Karin laughed as she flopped back onto the bed.
"At least they're both okay. I hope they're working on their relationship-"
"They are." Karin shrugged, "Sasuke's been real determined. They both find it difficult at times I think but he's determined to get his big brother back so I
think things will work out."
"Huh." Naruto focused on Karin for a long moment, "So you're no longer tormenting Sasuke-kun then."
Karin's eyes widened and she flushed slightly before sniffing dramatically, "He's been slightly less unbearable than he used to be and since you weren't here and Sakura-chan was busy someone had to act as emotional support, which by the way, thanks for landing me with that role."
"Hah." Naruto grinned, "You've been nice to him."
"This doesn't mean I like him! Sasuke and I have a special relationship built on annoyance and loathing-"
"Karin-chan!"
"He upset you, I can hold a grudge!"
"Kami Karin-chan." Naruto was giggling, and it felt good after the tension of the day, like a release. "You're evil, you know that?"
"Of course I am." Karin huffed the words, "And it is my plan to make Sasuke-san suffer for the rest of his life for being a dick."
"Except for when shit gets real?"
"Obviously. I might be a bitch but I'm not that much of a bitch."
"You're a good person Karin-chan." Naruto closed her eyes.
"Yeah yeah, just don't tell Sasuke-san that I find him semi-bearable now."
"I'm sure he'd be very pleased about it." the blonde giggled, before her head turned when the door to the room opened and Kakashi slipped inside.
He was deathly pale, tense and she could feel the grief and pain rolling off of him as he moved towards Naruto and Karin. "Are you girls okay?" his voice was tight, "I'm sorry I didn't get you out of there right away I-"
"You froze." Naruto whispered, "It's okay Kakashi-sensei. It was your first time seeing him since you found out who he was."
"He's so different."
"I wouldn't know."
"He hurt you." Kakashi's gaze flicked down the the bloodstains on her clothes, to the partially healed wound in her stomach.
"Yeah."
"What happened? How did you even-"
"I went home to Wave to visit. He... showed up." Naruto looked down at her belly, continuing with the seal removal, "I.. was stupid. I found his stupid mask in moms old room and I panicked and I rushed to make sure everyone was okay and he was there at the table with them. He... he said he'd wanted to know more about her life after..." she gave a small shrug. "I was freaking out-he was with my family I... if he wanted to kill them I'd be too slow to stop him even with all the strength and power I have. Things got a bit crazy and then he had a kunai to Aunt Tsunami's throat."
"I'm sorry." Kakashi shook his head, joining the girls on the bed, resting a hand on Naruto's foot, "He blackmailed you into coming home with him didn't he?"
"He figured the best way to make sure mom agreed to talk with him was if he had a hostage." Naruto laughed bitterly, "Made me seal away my Chakra-I had a fail safe but that takes a minute to work so no good with someone as fast as him. And of course there's Kurama's chakra but he came prepared." she activated the removal seal and relaxed when she felt the connection flare to life once more-
"I will rend him limb from limb for touching you I will tear him to shreds!"
"I know Kurama. Kami it's good to hear your voice again."
"That fucking Uchiha will pay I swear brat-"
"I know. I know. Next time we'll go straight to full power, screw keeping it as a secret weapon."
"The fox okay?" Kakashi's voice drew Naruto out of her thoughts and she lifted her head to look at him.
"Yeah, I just got rid of the seal he used to block us."
"Good." Kakashi closed his eyes, a heavy fog of pain lingering all around him, and Naruto moved instinctively, ignoring the pulling sensation from her wound as she shuffled around so that she could grab his arm and drape it over her shoulder, tucking herself into her sensei's side.
"Don't blame yourself." she whispered the words, "None of this is your fault Kakashi-sensei."
"I shouldn't have frozen. I shouldn't have... I should have gotten you kids to safety... should have attacked him, anything other than what I did-"
"Kakashi-sensei you're talking to the girl who kept his survival a secret from you for like, forever because I was scared, I'm not gonna blame you."
"You know you kids are the best thing to have ever happened to me right? You and your mom Naruto-chan."
"Good to know." Naruto tucked her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and letting out a soft yawn, which Karin copied a moment later."
"You two should sleep." Kakashi spoke up, "You've both been through a lot."
"I'm fine." Naruto protested, "Mom's sending someone to get Baa-chan I should stay awake."
"We can always wake you when Tsunade-sama arrives." Kakashi coaxed, "And you Karin-chan."
"No arguments from me. Those weird chain things took it out of me."
"Chains?" Kakashi's voice was suddenly interested, "What chain?"
"I dunno, I was scared and angry and they burst from my hands and wrapped Obito up."
"I dunno if he could bust out at all but he didn't... then again he wasn't leaving until he saw mom so..."
"Adamantine Sealing Chains." Kakashi whispered, "Like Kushina-nee. If I remember right they can cut off access to Chakra, without that he wouldn't be able to Kamui away, but I'm not sure mind you."
"That makes sense." Karin shifted on the bed, getting more comfortable, "I know I've never used 'em before. Guess that's something for me to learn huh?"
"Definitely." Kakashi nodded, "We can work on it once you've recovered from your Chakra exhaustion." his fingers ran absent-mindedly through Naruto's hair as he himself shifted so that he was sat with his back against the headboard of the bed, Naruto still snuggled into his side and Karin draped carelessly across the bottom of the bed.
As the girls breathing both evened out Kakashi awkwardly managed to kick some blankets over Karin's sleeping form and to pull the rest of them over Naruto, who snuffled in her sleep.
They'd have to send word to Wave to check in on Tsunami, Inari, Tazuna and Kaiza, Rin wasn't going to be happy when he told her exactly what had happened.
Not that he could blame her.
Obito had stepped so far over the line that it was horrifying, going after Rin and Naruto's family in the hopes of forcing her to speak to him.. that was unquestionably twisted and no matter how much he wished he could Kakashi found himself really struggling with defending the boy who had saved his life.
Obito had changed so much he was almost unrecognizable... and yet Kakashi had revered him almost to the status of godhood since his supposed death-Rin and sensei and Kushina-nee had all told him that it was unhealthy, his obsession with living up to Obito's memory, his sacrifice, and he knew they were right of course but that hadn't stopped him.
Now though...
What was he supposed to do? A part of him stubbornly refused to give up on the memory of Obito, of the bright boy who had once been so kind hearted that he'd help old ladies cross the road and rescue cats from trees-usually ending up covered in scratches and grinning nevertheless.
How could he accept that that Obito was gone?
But then he thought about Naruto, so broken and hurt by Obito.
About Rin so filled with fury and hurt because of his actions.
He didn't know how to handle any of this.
He couldn't hate Obito the way Rin seemed able to, he couldn't seem to truly connect his Obito with this twisted broken Obito.
No matter what happened it was going to end in pain, all Kakashi could do was hold onto those he cared for and weather the storm.
