AN: heyyy, realized too late that in the last AN i said Pensage, and not Pensmoke, so sorry about that!
Anyway, new chapter!
Chapter Five: Sensei
"Hello, Fugaku." They said with a deep voice before turning around to reveal a mask, a sharingan swirling within.
"Obito." He replied simply, the boy's eye widening.
"I am Madar-"
"No, you are Obito Uchiha. Why did you fake your death and leave the village." Fugaku demanded as he glared at the boy, standing unflinching at the killing intent.
"I didn't fake my death, Madara-sama saved my life and trained me! Unlike you and the others, he saw my potential!" The boy lashed out, his voice no longer impossibly deep. "Together, we will bring eternal peace to the world! A world where no one dies!" He exclaimed angrily, eye swirling into a four-pronged shuriken, causing Fugaku's glare to intensify as the tomoe in his sharingan enlarged while three dots appeared in the iris.
"I was hard on you because I saw your potential, Obito. And Minato always knew you were strong." Fugaku stated seriously. "You could go blow for blow with the Hatake on your team, and he was praised for his genius. We knew you had potential, but you were taken before we could nurture it.
"You have been fed lies, Obito. Death is an inevitability, and a world where it doesn't exist is nothing but an illusion. The Infinite Tsukuyomi is a trap. Someone tampered with the Stone Tablet, the difference in writing is clear when examined closely. I will show you what the Tsukuyomi entails."
Suddenly, the space around them rippled until they were in a reverse world…
"What is this?!" Obito demanded, face no longer hidden by his mask.
"This is the Tsukuyomi, an unbreakable mangekyo genjutsu that is hereditary for my family's branch. If one of my son's suffers enough to awaken the mangekyo, it is more than likely that one of them will also hold the ability. Here, the world is controlled by the caster, with time flowing much faster than it does on the outside. I have trained with this genjutsu for years and can easily hold it for over a hundred hours." Fugaku explained calmly, he was in no rush.
Obito lunged at him, but caught nothing but air as the world bent around them once more. Looking around frantically, he found himself watching Kakashi plunge his lightning wreathed hand through Rin's chest. Screaming in rage as tears streamed down his face, he tried attacking his former friend, only to find himself frozen in place.
"Do you know why that happened, Obito?" Fugaku asked as stepped into view beside him. "The report given by Minato and Kakashi states that Kiri had sealed ths Sanbi inside Rin, and were going to release it when she returned to Konoha. They allowed Kakashi to save her, and chased them back to Konoha. Rin tried convincing Kakashi to kill her for the sake of the village, but he refused, so she jumped in front of his attack." Fugaku explained to a silently crying Obito. He hadn't known, he didn't even think of looking into it when he put the Mizukage under his control…
Again, the world warped and they found themselves at the memorial stone, watching a silent Kakashi stare at the monument with haunted eyes.
"He does this every day for hours on end. Put yourself in his place. What if the roles were reversed and he was the one to be lost at Kannabi Bridge. Can you imagine the feeling of killing the one you promised to protect, your hand inside their chest, drenched in her blood?"
The world rippled, and Obito felt his body moving at incredible speeds toward a Kiri shinobi, until suddenly, Rin jumped before him. Unable to stop, he could only scream in horror as he felt his hand pierce her chest as her fearfully crying eyes stared into his own. "Obito…"
"Kakashi relives this every day. He tortures himself. His father committed suicide and he found the body, Rin committed suicide by his hand, his sensei committed suicide to seal the Kyubi that you released. He is surrounded by death, and yet he didn't become a terrorist to create an illusion of his lost loved ones." Fugaku stated while watching Obito try in vain to remove his hand from Rin's limp corpse.
"You could have aided them in this battle you know, and Rin would have survived. You could have easily killed the Kiri shinobi, and had Kakashi summon your sensei. He could have stabilized the seal and Rin wouldn't have had to die. You could have been with her. Instead, you watched her die, and further soiled her memory by causing the death of your sensei and numerous Konoha citizens. All to create an illusion of her. She would be disgusted." Fugaku said disdainfully.
As the world faded and Obito found himself in a black void staring at Rin. Immediately he hugged her. "I'm sorry! I should have saved you! I should have come back sooner! I never should have left you!" He cried, at the lack of response, he pulled back and found her eyes hollow and lifeless.
"It is an illusion, Obito. Rin is dead and she cannot come back to life. This is what the Infinite Tsukuyomi promises. A cheap trick of our fallen loved ones. I too was enthralled with the prospect, Obito…" Fugaku admitted as the world faded to show three smiling individuals. A stern looking Uchiha man, a kind Nara woman, and a perfect mix of the two in the form of a smiling young woman.
"They all died during the second war." Fugaku said. "And I would give anything to have them back." He said seriously as Obito rounded on him.
"Then why did you give up! The Infinite Tsukuyomi-"
"Is an illusion, Obito!" Fugaku snapped as he leveled a glare at the crying teen. "It is not real." He said in a much sadder tone. "I didn't give up, I moved on, and let them rest. I will return to them when my time comes, but until then, all I can do is live for them." He continued.
"M-Madara told me of a jutsu created by the Nidaime-" Obito tried.
"Ah, yes. The Edo Tensei." Fugaku interrupted. "And what of the body needed for the jutsu? Is it worth another life for a temporary moment with Rin?" Fugaku asked.
"Yes." Obito said instantly.
"And what would Rin think of that?" Fugaku asked pointedly, Obito looking down but staying silent. "You have been played, Obito. Manipulated by Madara, who himself was manipulated." Fugaku said as he contorted the world to display a being made of pure darkness with yellow eyes and a sharp malevolent grin, making Obito's eyes widen with recognition.
"This entity has been appearing to members of our clan since it's conception. Saying that it is the manifestation of the person's will, and pushing them to get more power, to obtain the fabled rinnegan. The Clan Head's personal journal has detailed accounts of members of our clan interacting with this entity, and every single one is the same. The entity pushes them to obtain more power, until it ultimately kills them." Fugaku said gravely.
"It altered the Stone Tablet to say that the Infinite Tsukuyomi would save the Uchiha, but the original description of how it would only bring darkness and suffering is still there. Which would you believe? The warning written by our ancestor, the Rikudo Sennin, or the false desecration of the malevolent entity that clearly has an ulterior motive?" He asked, Obito's eyes wide.
"How was Madara-sama manipulated so easily…" The teen said horrified.
"Madara was many things, but above all, he was an egomaniac." Fugaku began as he formed the world to have them standing on the pier looking over the lake within the Uchiha Compound. "He was strong from a very young age, and never had to fight for anything in his life, but he fought anyway. He fought for destruction, not protection. His own father wrote that Madara was on a path of darkness, and that he hoped he would one day see the light." Fugaku explained.
"He was strong, powerful, and believed that there was no one greater than himself. So when an entity approached him saying that it was the manifestation of his will, of course he would believe it, for only he was so great to have his very beliefs create life." Fugaku scoffed, Obito's face slack in mute horror at the truth of the man's words.
"What have I done…" Obito trailed off hollowly, jumping slightly at the hand that appeared on his shoulder. Turning his head, he met Fugaku's calm and understanding gaze.
"You were taken advantage of, by a man you thought you could trust. You are young, Obito, and you were even younger when he started manipulating you. People make mistakes, it is only human.' Fugaku soothed.
"What do I do? Madara is dead, I've been manipulating entire countries! Oh god… Minato-sensei. I- all I wanted was peace…" Obito spiraled as Fugaku gripped his shoulder.
"Peace is a fickle thing, Obito. The brighter you are, the darker the evil becomes to fight against you. True peace is not possible, there will always be violence and war, all we can do is our best to keep the balance. Peace and anarchy are two sides of the same coin, and both are equally important. Without one, there cannot be the other. If one is allowed to reign, then the other will grow to push it back, and that is all we can do. Stop the rising darkness, and keep the balance." Fugaku explained to a quiet Obito.
"What do I do? I tried to destroy Konoha, I'm a missing nin, I've killed so many people!" The boy cried.
"I don't recall you trying to destroy Konoha… that was Danzo." Fugaku started calmly, Obito's eyes widening at his words. "And last I checked, you were merely held captive by Danzo." He continued.
"B-but… everything I've done, you can't trust me I-"
"Obito, you were blinded by grief, it is something every Uchiha encounters. We don't just feel our emotions, we are our emotions. Someone took advantage of your pain. You cannot be blamed for that." Fugaku soothed.
"Does this mean…" Obito trailed off hopefully.
"If you wish. If not, all I ask is that you don't act against Konoha. If you do, you will be put down." Fugaku said severely, Obito nodding with wide eyes.
"I-I would like to come back… if you'll have me." The boy said with a weak smile. Fugaku gave him a small smile and nodded.
"Of course, Obito. Now we have all the time in the world, tell me how you have improved. Madara may have had his issues, but I'm sure he taught you many things." Fugaku said as he sat down on the pier, Obito following a second later as he began recounting what had happened over the last few years.
. . .
Suddenly they were back inside Fugaku's office, and the Godaime flicked on the light, illuminating the steadily darkening room while Obito stumbled and leaned against the edge of the window.
"That was not how I expected this going…" Obito muttered, making Fugaku raise a brow.
"Were you going to attempt to kill me?" The man asked as Obito blushed and removed his mask.
"No, I was just going to try to get you to work with me, and if you refused, place you under genjutsu."
"That wouldn't have worked, only the strongest of genjutsu are effective on me, such as Tsukuyomi." Fugaku replied dismissively. "What would you have done if both of those failed, try to kill me?" He asked with a smirk as he sat at his new desk.
"No…" The teen said with crossed arms and sat across from him. Maybe.
"I'm glad we were able to not resort to violence. Killing my nephew is something I am not keen on doing." Fugaku said, his words making Obito's eyes widen.
"I'm your nephew?" He asked, receiving a sharp nod.
"I only discovered that you are my sister's son two years ago, she never told anyone as it was illegitimate and she feared the clan's reaction. She died shortly after your birth. I only found out because I found her personal diary." Fugaku explained.
"Do you know who my father was?" Obito asked hopefully.
"I do not, but it was an encounter she had when she was stationed in Uzu." Fugaku explained.
"I'm half Uzumaki?" Obito asked, shocked.
"There were more Clan's than just the Uzumaki in Uzushio, but it is more than likely. It would explain your large chakra reserves and the ability to survive long enough to be rescued with only half of your body. The Uzumaki were known for their vitality." Fugaku said.
"No wonder Kushina-chan liked me so much… oh god, I killed her." Obito said, gripping his hair while his body was wracked with guilt.
"What's done, is done, Obito. Move on and redeem yourself. Her son is still alive, you could be there for him." Fugaku said, the boy nodding slowly.
"I've got to tell Kakashi everything, he deserves to know." Obito said seriously.
"Very well, that can be done tomorrow." Fugaku responded. "For now, let us return to the compound, you have gone under a lot of mental strain with the Tsukuyomi and need rest." With that, he stood and left the office, gesturing to the teen to follow.
. . .
It had been a few months since the announcement of the Godaime Hokage, and Yumi had been training tirelessly. The artificial chakra pathways to his byakugan were now completely stable, his max distance was now over three kilometers in a radius, and seven when focused in one direction.
When Hiashi and Hinabi asked about his training, and this came up, they were in shock. Creating artificial chakra pathways was something only medi-nin were known for, and to have that distance at such a young age was unheard of.
His bow training was also coming along nicely. He was learning how to channel chakra into the arrow to boost its speed and penetrating power, but his arrows were too poor quality and he was still too small to use the large bows of his ancestors, which had their own chakra arrows. He hated being small.
The biggest area he had made leaps and bounds of progress in, was fuinjutsu. He had taken to the art like a fish to water.
According to the Yondaime's book, he was currently a level four Seal User. Impressive for his age as the average shinobi was generally level two, but it wasn't good enough for him. There were ten standard levels, and ten more master levels. He was determined to become level twenty.
He was currently in a clearing in the forest surrounding the Hyuga Compound viciously tearing into one of the large trees with his chakra tipped fingers, gouging holes deep into the wood as he did his best to better his attacks.
Suddenly sensing someone appear directly behind him, he spun on instinct and jabbed his hand forward. He helplessly watched as his hand entered the chest of the raven masked ANBU with no resistance as horror pooled in his stomach- before it was quickly replaced with relief as the form of the ANBU faded away. It had only been an after image, the real thing was standing just out of the way.
"Good reflexes." The distorted voice of Karasu said, humor in his tone. "You are to report to the Hokage within the next five minutes." With that, he disappeared.
Shakily taking in a breath, Yumi steadied his heart and calmed down. He thought he'd just killed a fellow Konoha nin, and likely would have had they not been so quick. Shaking it out of his head, he straightened his clothes and tightened his now black hitai-ate. He wanted to make a good impression on the new Hokage, and not appear like a child playing dress up.
He was also wary of the Godaime.
He was Uchiha, and the Uchiha and Hyuga had never had a good relationship. Clearing his mind, he performed a flawless shunshin, and appeared before Akiko's desk within the Hokage Building.
"Ah, Yumi-san, Hokage-sama is expecting you, go on in." She said with a smile. Bowing to the young woman, he steeled his nerves and knocked on the double doors before entering the Godaime's office.
. . .
"Thank you for coming promptly, Yumi-san." Fugaku greeted with a nod as Yumi stepped before his desk and gave a bow.
"Hai, Hokage-ue, how may I be of service?" He asked respectfully.
"Sandaime-sama left some notes on you and your skills. He was going to assign you a sensei when you were six, but I feel it would be better to nurture your growth as soon as possible." The man began.
"As such, I will be assigning you a Jonin-sensei. However, as you are so young, and we are in a time of relative peace, you won't be on a team and will not be permitted to take missions above D rank until your Jonin-sensei says you are ready, understood?" The man asked.
"Hai, Hokage-ue, thank you for this opportunity." Yumi answered with a short bow as he forced down his excitement.
"I will be honest with you, the Jonin I have chosen as your sensei is young, not as young as you, but he is still only twelve." Fugaku revealed. "Teaching you will be practice for when he is old enough to take a full Genin team. This is going to be as much of a learning experience for him as it will be for you, but I have complete faith in his ability." He explained, Yumi nodding simply.
"Karasu." Fugaku said, and immediately the ANBU was standing beside the shorter Yumi. "You may remove your mask." The man allowed. Nodding, Karasu removed the porcelain mask to reveal a handsome, square faced boy.
"Yumi-san, meet Shisui Uchiha, your Jonin-sensei." Fugaku said. Turning to the grinning boy, Yumi bowed.
"Glad to meet you, Shisui-sensei, I am in your care." He said.
"You too, Yu-kun!" Shisui said happily.
"Shisui, this is to be your main focus, alongside your own growth and training. You will only take missions when it is absolutely necessary, understood?" Fugaku asked, the boy nodding sharply
"Hai, Hokage-sama." He answered with a wide smile.
"Dismissed."
AN: Obito is redeeming himself! Does Fugaku have Talk no Jutsu???
And Obito is half Uzumaki?! Yup, honestly just thought it was cool, and it surprisingly makes sense.
As for the stone tablet stuff. Eh, if that's not how it is in canon, I don't really care. It's how I'm writing it.
And Shisui is Yumi's sensei! *le gasp* Who saw that coming?!
Anyway, hope you like it.
And thank you yochan123, for your kind words!