.
.
Uchiha Obito wakes before his alarm.
He shuts off the clock radio, then pads barefoot toward the bathroom. The sun hasn't risen yet, and everything is shaded in a blue-gray hue outside. Silently Obito opens the medicine cabinet and methodically shakes open his medications - an antidepressant, a migraine prophylactic, and a pain pill for the lingering neuropathy he has in his face, arm, and leg. Closing the medicine cabinet, he looks briefly at his face in the mirror before dry-swallowing the pills, grimacing a bit before turning on the tap of running water.
"Yo," Kakashi says. He's waiting for Obito outside the apartment steps. Obito walks down the metal grated stairs, wearing the standard shinobi flak jacket in Konoha's colors. He doesn't wear the forehead protector, though - it feels dishonest and it makes him slightly uncomfortable.
"What's today's mission?" Obito says.
"VIP escort to the Fire Kingdom's periphery. Easy enough. Sensei is going to meet us at the gate."
They hitch their packs and walk.
The sun is starting to rise, its pale rays starting to peek over the lingering shadows. Minato is there, and he gives them a cheerful wave as the join him.
They called it a second life. Second chance, new beginnings. A way to redeem themselves; a miracle. Whatever it is, Obito has adjusted to his new life in the village. Even if his crimes were forgiven, he still has a need for atonement.
xXx
.
His throat tightened the first time he spoke to Sensei in the village.
"Sensei, forgive me," Obito said, and his voice cracked. "I can never forgive myself for what I did, for hurting your wife and child. I understand if hate me. I can't help but hate myself."
Kakashi watched. Minato stood, the slight spring breeze catching his hair. He smiled and patted Obito on the shoulder.
"Water under the bridge," Minato said. Obito lifted his eyes.
"Sensei?"
Minato's eyes closed into two happy crescents: "I know Kushina would be the first to offer forgiveness, and my child is already grown, and quite fond of you."
Obito's eyes grew shiny with tears. "Sensei-"
Kakashi clapped Obito's back. "You always were a stupid crybaby."
And Obito laughed, wiping his eyes.
Now the three of them are a team - a formal team of equals, no longer tasked with watching him. He's accepted as a part of the village - people smile when they greet him and no one is afraid of him. "This doesn't feel right," Obito had said to Kakashi, in a low voice. "By all rights, the villagers should shun me after what I did."
Kakashi sighed. "I think you need to go up on that antidepressant," Kakashi said.
xXx
.
They call themselves Team Minato, just like they did during their genin days.
They work their jutsus in tandem, Kakashi flanking their target on one side while Obito runs toward the other. One blink, and Obito's kamui swirls, Minato flash-stepping beside them and neutralizing the threat.
Afterwards, they sit at the base of a tree, eating a few rice balls and sharing a canteen of water. Obito is screwing back on the cap when a thought suddenly occurs to him. "Sensei?"
Minato looks up. "Yeah?"
"I just realized, Sensei. Physically we're all the same age."
"You just now figured that out?" Kakashi says, and Minato laughs. Obito glares and blushes.
"It was just an observation," Obito says. He tosses a stick on the ground and puts away his canteen.
They're coming back from the mission, Kakashi and Minato and Obito, and as they trudge heavily through the forest path toward Konoha, they see the shape of another three-person team walking toward them: Naruto and Hashi and Uchiha Madara.
"Look, it's my dad!" Naruto says, and Minato waves at them.
"Hello," Hashi says to Kakashi. Kakashi nods.
"Yo."
Obito's eyes track toward Madara's. Madara looks back at him stonily.
"Yeesh, that guy is really intense, isn't he?" Kakashi says, after they pass.
"Who?" Minato says.
"Uchiha Madara. Who else?"
Obito tosses a rock, walking a little ahead of them.
"You okay, Obito?" Kakashi asks. Minato looks at him, worried.
"I'm fine," Obito says. He keeps walking. "C'mon. We're almost home."