Notes: Hello! Yes, another Soulmate AU. I'm not sure how many chapters this one will be.. I have an outline written up, but based on my "main" fic I've been working on for a few months now - sometimes I'll have what I think is a very clear cut idea but then when I actually get down to writing it, I either get rid of most of it and write something else, or it turns into this huge unruly thing. Regardless, I've already figured out how this one will end, I just have to figure out how to get there. Enjoy! : )

Seeing Red

It was a chilly autumn evening, and Kakashi Hatake had been on guard duty for the last eight hours. Everyone knew it was more so for show than anything else; Konoha's Yellow Flash needed no one's help staying safe. Appearances needed to be upheld though, so there Kakashi stood. Nearly concealed in the shadows, he listened as his sensei turned hokage had meeting after meeting delegating missions, appeasing various high ranking clan members, and receiving mission reports as squads ranging from Genin to Anbu arrived back in the village.

After a discussion with one particularly irksome council member, Kakashi watched as Minato walked over to a bookshelf along the back wall of his office and grabbed an apple. As he took a bite, Kakashi couldn't help but notice how sweet it smelled from where he stood, and thought longingly about the days when he could tell from just a quick look what apple his sensei had brought with him each day.

It had been a little over five years since Obito's death, and Kakashi had found out in the most painful way possible how dark and lifeless the world seemed when one could no longer see any colors.

For five years, infinite shades of grey dominated his vision. He eventually adapted to it and was still one of the top shinobi in the village, but oftentimes he still struggled with the most simple of things - such as picking out produce when he went to the market, and not completely isolating himself in his tiny apartment when he wasn't on duty.

As he looked away from Minato, who was about halfway finished with his apple, and towards the window along the wall opposite himself - the apple flickered a muted red for a moment. Kakashi's eyes snapped back to where they'd been focused just a second ago, but everything was the same dull shades of grey he'd long grown accustomed to.

He stared hard for several more moments, but nothing happened.

"Hokage-sama."

Minato looked up at him quizzically, a raised eyebrow encouraging Kakashi to continue speaking.

"Your apple.."

Before Kakashi could finish, Genma appeared in the room and Minato stood up from his chair, tossing the remnants of the apple into the bin by his desk.

"Genma, report."

"Hokage-sama, it's time."

Minato motioned for Kakashi and Genma to follow him. They left through the window and traveled swiftly by roof top until they reached the Hokage's home. There was a flurry of activity going on throughout the large estate, and as Kakashi observed their surroundings he had a startling realization.

The sky. It looks.. Dark blue? How -

"You two will stay with my wife while I make sure the safe house is ready to go."

"But sensei, I-"

"Later, Kakashi."

Kakashi gave a curt nod of his head, knowing it was pointless trying to speak to his sensei at that moment in time. Kushina had finally gone into labor, and there were last minute preparations to take care of before transporting her to the birthing suite that'd been built specifically for her.

Not that anyone expected anything to happen - it was a closely guarded secret that the Hokage's wife was also the nine-tails jinchuriki, and Kushina had far superior control compared to previous hosts of the fox. After the losses of Obito and Rin though, Minato didn't want to take any chances.

A short while later Kakashi found himself alone, keeping watch high up in a tree outside while Kushina labored in the building below. He kept a keen eye on his surroundings, but failed to stop himself from looking at the sky every now and then.

At first he thought he'd somehow imagined the color of the apple, but when he realized he could truly see the night sky in all of its glory for the first time in half a decade.. He knew it hadn't just been wishful thinking or a trick of the eye. But how was that possible? He shouldn't be able to see any color besides grey, and the last five years more than proved the decrepit scrolls he'd poured over shortly after Obito's death to be accurate.

Yet, tonight.. He saw more than just grey. It should have been impossible. When a person's soulmate died, so did all of the color in their life. He knew that to be true.

Kakashi sighed and closed his uncovered eye. Maybe he should go in for a checkup after all, or go back to the library and see if there were any more materials he could reference regarding life after the death of a soulmate. He had full clearance now that he was in Anbu; perhaps it was time to take a look through the restricted archives in the basement.

The autumn air was brisk, yet despite the slight breeze keeping him cool Kakashi knew it wasn't the reason the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He opened his eye to find his sense of sight assaulted by all of the colors he could suddenly see. Pulling up his hiate-ate, he observed the yellow lights from the street lamps dotting the roads in the distance; the various shades of red and orange coloring the leaves of the light brown tree he was standing in. He held up a hand and stared hard at the creamy color of his skin, the faded black and blue of his uniform.

He didn't know what, but something was definitely wrong.

Kakashi stood up, and as he mentally prepared himself for both Minato and Kushina's ire, he heard a terrible wailing and shouts coming from below. He jumped down to the ground, but when he reached the door he was blasted backwards and flew back first into the tree he'd left just moments ago.

Groaning and attempting to gather his wits about him, Kakashi pushed himself into a crouched position. He briefly felt a terrible heat, and the killing intent that suddenly filled the area was nearly overwhelming. He raced forward again, only to be met with the sight of an enraged Kyuubi and over a dozen Anbu intent on stopping the fox before it caused too much destruction.

Kakashi's eyes widened. He had to get to Minato, now.

Wasting no time, he shoved the door open and sprinted as fast as his feet could carry him to where he sensed the chakra signatures of his sensei and several others. Upon opening the door to the delivery room, he slowed as he saw several medics bent over Kushina attempting to heal the gaping hole in her abdomen, and his sensei chasing after a masked man through the massive gap in what he knew was a wall just an hour ago.

Kakashi called out as he passed the group huddled together, "What happened? Will she be okay?"

One of the doctors turned away from the group, "She's suffered heavy blood loss and multiple injuries. If we can stabilize her, we'll bring her to the hospital where we'll be better equipped to take care of her. Fortunately the child was not injured. As for what happened though.. I'm not totally sure. One moment she was in the final stretch of labor - we'd just delivered the baby and were about to take care of the umbilical cord. The next, .. A masked man just suddenly appeared as if from thin air, and he did something that caused the nine tails to be released!"

Kakashi felt his features harden, and after nodding his head he dashed through the same hole he watched Minato and the mystery man go through a minute ago.

Kakashi was moving so fast through the trees, it took all of his concentration to ensure he didn't overshoot and miss the branches completely as he sprinted ahead. He attempted to ignore the blurring colors of life all around him in favor of focusing on where he sensed Minato and the other man were currently located, but there was no stopping the sharingan from catching it all and imprinting it into his memory as if it were a camera and his mind was a scrapbook.

Finally Kakashi came upon a clearing and saw the masked man towards his left, and his mentor on the right. As Kakashi attempted to get near Minato, the masked man appeared to take an interest in Kakashi - completely disregarding his sensei and turning slightly to face him.

"I was hoping I would see you tonight, Hatake Kakashi."

Kakashi pulled out a kunai and dropped into a defensive stance, and the man threw back his head and laughed while dodging the projectiles Minato launched at him with ease.

"There's no need for that."

The man turned further so that he faced him completely, and Kakashi nearly dropped his weapon. Staring back at him was the same Mangekyou Sharingan that he saw sometimes in his own reflection during an intense battle. But that's impossible, Obito had been crushed. There's no way anyone could have salvaged his other eye.

"KAI!"

The man started chuckling, "Oh, it's not a genjutsu or a henge, my dear Kakashi. I promise you."

Faster than he could comprehend, the man sprinted forward and stopped just in front of Kakashi. Leaning in so close Kakashi stopped breathing, he pointed at his masked face, "If you show me yours, I'll show you mine."

Kakashi knew that this was likely the best opportunity he would get at catching this stranger off guard and ending the battle before it truly began, but he was frozen in place. If he thought things were colorful before, it was nothing compared to this.

Whereas before everything was muted, like looking through a dusty window; now it was as if he were in a kaleidoscope of colors. Everything was so vivid and vibrant; after five years of dull shades of grey dominating his vision, it almost hurt to keep his eyes open.

He couldn't see it thanks to the mask covering his face, but he could tell the man was highly amused.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

Kakashi could only nod dumbly, still trying to comprehend how this was even possible. He was so lost in his thoughts, he failed to notice the man had begun weaving hand seals.

"Kakashi! What are you doing?"

Hearing his name was all he needed to start moving again, but much to his confusion the intruder sighed and turned his back on Kakashi - seemingly more interested in attacking the hokage than the younger man behind him. Waiting for an opening, Kakashi hung back and watched as the two men fought.

Minato easily dodged every attack sent his way, but the man quickly closed in on him. When the two were no more than a foot apart, Minato suddenly faltered for a fraction of a second too long - eyes wide and mouth opened in shock and the man took advantage of his momentarily distracted state and swung a leg out to sweep him off his feet. He kneeled over Minato for a moment, before looking back at Kakashi and getting back up to his feet.

Kakashi watched as the man approached him again. With every step closer, Kakashi felt his stomach flutter as their surroundings became more and more radiant. But how could that be? Obito was dead. If this man hadn't somehow knocked out his sensei, he'd begin to wonder if he was being haunted by Obito's spirit or something.

He threw several kunai at the man, and watched as they seemingly went straight through him and hit trees on the other side as if he weren't even there.

Before he had a chance to re-arm himself, the man was in front of him in a flash, again much too close for Kakashi's comfort.

Kakashi tried to back away but ended up stumbling into a tree. The man grabbed his wrists and with a surprisingly strong grip, held them over his head against the tree with one hand.

"Stay still," The man ordered before reaching behind himself with his other hand. Kakashi watched him deftly undo the ties that held the mask in place and lean forward to pull it off of his face. When Kakashi saw his face he nearly fainted from shock.

"How.. I- You- You were-"

Standing so close he could feel the man's warm breath fanning over his face, was Obito Uchiha.