The strategists: Rin and Kurenai (not including a few, unhelpful, loud suggestions from Obito and Gai).
The actors: Obito, Gai, Rin, and Asuma.
The behind-the-scenes: Kurenai.
It was time to go forward with Plan G, considering Plan A through F all failed, horrendously. Essentially they were variations of the original plan that Rin and Obito had, with minor tweaks: Get Kakashi to open up. They used a mixture of their friend group, as to not arouse suspicion, to corner the Hatake, try to casually mention feelings and such. Needless to say, it took the boys Plan A through D to realize the girls were better at subtly talking than they were, and E and F were handed to Rin and Kurenai. Still, Kakashi avoided them like rotten apples in an orchard.
Somehow, someway, every single time, Kakashi would find a convenient excuse to disappear ⎼ not even very good excuses, but excuses nonetheless ⎼ and vanish before they could get a protest in edgewise. Other times, it seemed they would blink, or get distracted for a second, and he was gone again. Rin and Obito even tried to confront him during training, one-on-one and together. Kakashi acted like he didn't hear them until Minato called for their attention again.
Hence, Plan G. It was their boldest, riskiest, most daring plan yet, and it had to work, or else they were out of ideas.
Originally, Plan G had been Rin's first idea. However, she was reluctant to share, having rathered find an alternate way that wasn't so deceptive. After trying to converse with Kakashi clearly wasn't getting anywhere, though, Kurenai convinced her that she was a kunoichi, and being deceptive ⎼ even to teammates ⎼ was a part of the job. So, Rin relented, and Plan G was set into action.
Today was execution day.
For a week in advance, they had stalked Kakashi's movements and daily routines. Or, at least, they tried to. It was simple enough to follow him through the village when he was buying groceries or, oddly enough, gazing almost longingly at bookshelves (but never buying anything). However, sometimes, Kakashi would turn a corner, or pass by a crowd, and he'd be gone without a trace. No one knew if he was that good, and had detected them, or if he was that secluded, and enjoyed his privacy so thoroughly. Most suggested it was a combination of the two.
Either way, they had a general estimate of his whereabouts today. Kakashi should be buying groceries again. He would be in the village, likely finishing with his shopping soon.
"And we're all clear on the plan?" Rin asked. She was given firm nods by those around her. Even Maito Gai seemed serious, and she didn't think he had the ability. Then again, this was Kakashi they were dealing with, Gai's self-proclaimed rival as of the past month. Everyone here ⎼ Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, Obito, and herself ⎼ they all cared about Kakashi deeply. That was why this plan was going to work. Everything was going to be okay. It seemed to be her mantra, as of late.
"Then let's move out. You all know your positions. Get ready, and, most importantly, make it believable," Rin said. A chorus of "Hai!" greeted her, and then they scattered into the Forest of Death, except for Gai, who darted for the village at breakneck speed.
へのへのもへじ
Gai sped through the Forest of Death and whizzed across the rooftops of the village, until he reached the marketplace. He paused, looking for the familiar spike of gray hair… Where was he? Where⎼ There! Gai leapt down to the ground and rushed towards his rival, who carried a brown bag of groceries.
Kakashi must have sensed his presence, for he turned before Gai could even get out a word. "Gai?" He asked. "You seem to be in a hurry."
"Kakashi!" Gai gasped. At least he didn't entirely have to pretend to be winded. "We need your help, please!"
Kakashi furrowed his singular, visible eye. It was still unnerving, getting used to that one-eyed stare of his, but Gai always knew better than to ask. That same stare was scanning him, now, noting the tears in his green jumpsuit, the flush to his cheeks, the almost panicked look in his eye. That he didn't have to fake either. Kakashi was so different now it could be frightening, at times, and he worried greatly for his rival.
"What happened?" Kakashi demanded, with the voice of an experienced Jonin. Gai swallowed and swung his arm wide, pointing behind him, to the Forest of Death.
"We were training together, and we were attacked! Kakashi, you have to help. I couldn't find Minato-sensei a-and you were the first one I saw and ⎼ and please, come with me!"
"Is someone hurt? Who attacked you?"
"It's Rin!"
The bag dropped to the ground. Groceries spilled out onto the road. Kakashi didn't seem to notice. His voice was dark, and terrifying, when he said, "Take me to her."
Gai gulped, nodded, and spun on his heel. Kakashi was hot on his heels. But Gai couldn't help but notice that there was something… wrong, with Kakashi's aura. It was unnerving. It wasn't quite killing-intent, but it was just as volatile, explosive, dangerous, and it had a tinge of panic to it. Gai supposed Kakashi had every right to be panicked, considering he didn't know this was just a little performance they had set up, but Kakashi never panicked. Never.
"Gai."
That tone again. Gai suppressed a shudder. "Yes?"
"Tell me what happened."
Gai nodded and gathered his thoughts. He remembered what he was told to say. "Rin asked me to train her in taijutsu. I gladly accepted, knowing I could help a fellow shinobi and teammate of my great rival⎼"
"Gai."
"R-Right, sorry." Gai cleared his throat. "I took her to the Forest of Death to train, and we were attacked. A rogue ninja must have been hiding there. I didn't see any village markings, so⎼"
Suddenly, Gai had to dodge a punch thrown at his jaw. He spun away, alarmed, and came to a halt on the first tree branches of death's forest. "K-Kakashi? Why would you⎼"
"You just left her there?" Kakashi shouted. Never before had Gai heard the Hatake raise his voice. He cringed away.
"No, Rin is safe! The ninja is… I ⎼ I don't know. O-Obito showed up and told me to go get help, s-so I did, and…"
Kakashi swore, and he swore loudly, before taking off into the trees again. Gai fumbled to catch up, kicking off with a burst of extra speed. Kakashi's glare nearly stopped him in his tracks. At least, this seemed to be more of the Hatake that they knew ⎼ this cold iciness, but where did such hatred in his eyes come from? Surely it couldn't be directed at Gai?
"Go get real help, Gai," Kakashi commanded. "If Rin is hurt, she's going to need a medic, and my skills are average at best. I'll handle whatever Obito couldn't."
Maybe he noticed the stricken look on Gai's face, because Kakashi's eye softened, if only for a moment. "I'm just worried. Go. We'll be alright."
"Y-Yes, of course. Take care, Rival." Gai turned, sprinting the opposite direction into the trees. He made sure he was out of sight before he began circling around. There was no real need for a medical ninja, and he wanted to see how their plan played out. Given how strangely Kakashi was acting, Gai was more than worried. He had never seen the Hatake care so vehemently like that, to the extent of lashing out at an ally. Gai could only pray that their plan went smoothly, and that Kakashi would come to terms with the fact that, as much as he would care for his friends during a mission, they wanted to care for him outside missions, too.
He just hoped that taking such drastic measures to show Kakashi that they cared wouldn't backfire.
へのへのもへじ
From her bird's nest, hidden high in the trees, Kurenai whispered into her headpiece, "He's almost here! Rin, how's the genjutsu holding up?"
"Just dandy!" Came Rin's static voice. "Asuma looks like one rogue ninja, alright."
"And Obito?"
Obito said, "Looks like I just got in a fight with that old cat lady."
"Perfect. Rin?"
"Dead as a doornail!" Rin chirped. "Or, dying as a doornail, I guess."
"That'll do." Kurenai shifted in her spot, bright red eyes watched the white blur approach. "Alright, everyone, places! Plan G is moving into Phase Two in five, four, three, two… Go!"
へのへのもへじ
Kakashi felt like he'd just been hit with his students' signature attacks all at once. All the energy, the fear, the adrenaline ⎼ it left as soon as it had come. His one working eye processed the scene before him in slow motion, like a Tsukuyomi.
A rogue ninja, much older, much more rugged, stood with a bloody kunai. He looked a little worn down, but like he could still put up a decent fight.
Across from him was Obito ⎼ standing, but barely. The Uchiha was panting heavily, and bleeding. It seemed like the only thing keeping him on his feet was sheer determination. But it was no wonder, seeing as who it was he was protecting.
Rin ⎼ oh, god, Rin. She was on the ground, a puddle of blood around her. If she was breathing at all, she was struggling through each breath. Instincts told him she didn't have long, and, if Obito continued to fight alone, he would be suffering the same fate quite soon.
Kakashi's brain kicked back into gear. His teammates, his family, his pack, they were danger! He needed to help, he needed to fight, needed to move.
"Obito!" He called, rushing forward to help. "Rin!"
Obito turned at the sound of his voice, and Kakashi realized his mistake (another mistake, on top of a lifetime of them, and yet it hurt just as much as the rest). When Obito was distracted, the rogue ninja lunged, kunai angled perfectly to strike down his last teammate. Kakashi was too far away to help.
"Obito!" He screamed. "Look out!"
Obito turned just in time to meet the kunai face to blade. The child screeched, and blood erupted from one side of his face. His hands flew up to clutch at what Kakashi could only assume to be his eye, but the action fell short. Obito fell to his knees, and then he collapsed entirely, blood pooling around him. He moaned weakly in pain, once, twice. Rin didn't look to be breathing.
Silence. From both of them.
The rogue ninja shifted, holding his kunai defensively. Kakashi didn't notice. He was staring at Obito and Rin's bodies, their blood staining the grass, staining his hands. He failed them, again. Obito and Rin were dead, because of him, again. He lost his family, again.
At least, this time, he had someone to take it out on besides himself, for a time.
Kakashi felt cold rage burn through him. He turned his eye to the rogue ninja, who briefly seemed to falter, but regained confidence and stood his ground.
"You're going to wish you had never been born," Kakashi said, letting the darkness consume him anew.
He reached for his headband.
へのへのもへじ
"You're going to wish you had never been born," Kakashi said, in a voice that was not his. Something was wrong, Rin thought, very, very wrong. She could feel Obito's involuntary twitching beside her, something that only happened when he was truly afraid but trying to hide it. Even Asuma seemed unnerved. She wondered what Gai thought, when there was no doubt he was watching their plan unfold into something that very much was not in the plan.
Kurenai's voice crackled to life in all of their headpieces. "Guys, something isn't right. I don't think I like⎼"
At the same time, Asuma blurted their failsafe, "Shogi! Shogi!"
It didn't stop Kakashi.
へのへのもへじ
Kakashi reached for his headband. The rogue ninja had a voice that seemed eerily familiar, but he was too far gone to recognize much of anything other than bloodlust. That man was going to pay dearly for what he had done to Kakashi, to Minato-sensei, to Konoha, for taking away two of the most precious people the world would ever see.
He lifted his headband. Pain exploded behind his eye, causing him to stumble, but he didn't drop. He pushed through it, and the inky blackness dotting his left eye became clearer, with an intensity that had been returned to its rightful owner the moment he woke up in this godforsaken past. Maybe Obito's ghost had once again lent him the power of the Sharingan to get revenge. Hopefully, afterwards, Obito's ghost would take Kakashi with him before he left for the afterlife.
First, though, he had someone to slaughter.
へのへのもへじ
At Asuma's terrified cry, Rin and Obito scrambled to their feet. Gai jumped down from the trees, Kurenai doing the same on the opposite side of the clearing. Their efforts didn't really matter.
When Kakashi lifted his headband, the bloodlust knocked them all to their knees. The killing-intent froze them to the spot, closing their throats in terror ⎼
⎼ except for Kakashi, who was on top of Asuma faster than the eye could see.
⎼ except for Asuma, who shrieked.