It's Not Too Late, It's Never Too Late

by Malakia

Sentinel!Guide!AU. It was finally time. Time for the Uchiha to end and another step in Obito's plan for the world. But always, in the back of his mind, was his Perfect Match Guide that still tried to stop him. They might only be able to talk in little snippets through their bond, but Obito knew that they would never agree with him and had no plans to try and even hunt down.

Obito's heart beated wildly in his chest as he ran through the tree branches of Konoha's forest. His teeth were bared gleefully in an unseen manic smile that spread across his face. His one eye was wide, seeing everything he passed. Nothing escaped his vision, the sharp color and texture of the leaves, the bark, and even the grass below in the light morning fog.

The mask he wore, his filter for some of his senses, was now doing nothing to stop the onslaught. He could smell and taste the forest around him, the tang of vegetation with the sweetness of the occasional flower patch. Not far, he could hear the rushing water of a stream, the chirping of birds and bugs, and the rustling of the grass and leaves as the wind blew. He could even hear how his long hair whipped behind him.

He kept his chakra repressed, both for safety and to not activate his Sharingan, but he could practically feel it shifting in him and he even imagined he could feel the tendrils of all the chakra from the forest. He didn't even have his senor abilities activated.

The outfit that covered his entire body felt itchy and confining. He wanted to shed it and feel the dew and breeze on his person in hopes to try and calm the vibrating of his skin. Yet he restrained himself, as that could cause him to Zone Out. He couldn't afford such a costly indulgence, not when he was a day away from Konoha, when he was so close to starting his former Village's downfall.

When he had been fourteen, he had almost started it. He had the Kyuubi in his reach and it frustratingly had slipped through his fingers. It had been a good test and lesson though, even if Obito had been upset by the failure. Plus there was the pleasant consequence of the Village slowly turning against the Uchiha.

So Obito waited; waited and watched.

To keep from focusing too much on the Village, he had turned his attention towards other plans. With Zetsu as a Pseudo-Guide, he had managed to infiltrate a chunk of the major villages in most of the elemental countries and started work on his Akatsuki organization.

But Konoha was always in the back of his mind like an open wound. He sometimes would come back and schemed in its shadows, witnessed the corruption in its roots, and still he waited for the right opportunity. And it practically fell into his lap by a happy accident when Itachi Uchiha found him.

The young Uchiha didn't know it was Obito and thought the older man was Madara. Obito did nothing to deter the idea either, as he had taken the name as a mantle, and especially when Itachi offered him a chance to remove a potential obstacle in his plans: kill the entire Uchiha clan at the expense of sparing the village. The former Uchiha wasn't about to say no to that.

Yet he had to wait a few more weeks after their first meeting as all the plans were pulled together. Tomorrow night though would be the night, the night when the Uchiha would finally be rid of.

'But their your family,' a soft, but strong, male voice whispered in the back of his mind.

Obito's heart squeezed a little at the voice, but the dark haired man gritted his teeth and pushed it aside. 'I have no family,' he hissed back as he pushed himself harder over the treetops.

The little voice didn't respond and for that Obito was thankful.

He hated it as much as he loved it. It had always been there, in the back of his mind, since childhood. It gave him strength when he felt like he was at his weakest, comforted him when he needed it the most, was there for every accomplishment he had, and soothed him as he laid dying under that boulder so many years ago. It was the voice of his Perfect Match Guide.

But it's also why he hated it. It was a reminder that somewhere out in the world was his Perfect Match, someone who was an unseen threat to his plans even if they didn't know them fully. This world was just too cruel and he needed to change it, even if it took drastic measures. His Guide though seemed to have other ideas and always tried to remind Obito of the weak, naive child he once was.

Thankfully, it wasn't a constant. The voice only appeared when Obito's emotions were heightened and raw. And still then it was like listening to bits and pieces of a conversation. Their Sentinel-Guide Link wasn't fully formed, wouldn't be unless they met each other.

Yet if the snippets of conversation they had were anything to go by, his Guide wouldn't understand. He was naive to the way the world actually was. It just fueled Obito more to change everything, so his Perfect Match could keep their ignorance and live a better life.

As he continued to race in the trees, he ignored the ache that sat in his chest. He would be a fool to deny that he longed to one day meet his Guide. As a child, he always imagined that day, wondered what it would be like. But then he saved Kakashi from that boulder, followed by Rin dying, and Obito saw the world for the first time. It was just a terrible, broken mess.

So with Zetsu by his side, he would change it. He would make it so there was no more war, no more children were to be slaughtered, and promises weren't just feeble ideas. He would fix it.

And if his Perfect Match couldn't understand that, then he would do it without the other.

He looked around and narrowed his eye when he noticed he hadn't spotted one of his new markers that had been forced to make, that indicated how close he was to Konoha. He had to make the them because sentries had been getting too close to his old ones. That had only been a week ago, and he had yet to fully learn the newer ones.

He cursed himself at his own carelessness and moved to backtrack. He could have easily used his Kamui to be at Konoha's doorsteps but there was something about the build up to events that really got him going. It was like a high; the anticipation that slowly built in his gut and heightened his senses.

Zetsu had reprimanded him on more than one occasion for it. But Obito liked to imagine, if Madara was still alive, that if he told the old man what he felt, he would receive a smirk while the late Sentinel's eyes lit up with understanding, and it made Obito think it was okay to indulge.

So while he didn't necessarily mind the set back, it still annoyed him, more for the fact that he had been momentarily distracted to even notice.

He didn't follow back through the same trees he had come, so when his foot touched a branch that sent an electric shock, it shook him to the core and made him shout in surprise. It almost caused him to crash to the ground when he misstepped on the next branch.

He barely was able to catch himself on a low branch and had to bite his bottom lip hard to stop from crying out as his muscles stretched and tensed. The nerve endings felt like they were on fire when he landed, the impact itself jarring him since he hadn't used his chakra to soften the landing.

His whole body was shaking with his breath coming out in heavy pants. It took all of his willpower to not fall on all fours and to stay kneeling on one leg. He closed his eye so not to focus on the bark in front of him that might make him Zone Out. Yet the impulsive act almost cost him because he couldn't block out the sound of his frantically beating heart or the other noises around him.

He gritted his teeth, the grinding sound loud to his ears. Everything was thunderous, suffocating. He picked tried to pick out the distinct sounds, but every time his attention came back to the focal point of his heart. He could feel the pull of just listening to it and wanted to be drowned and washed away.

When his body began to sway, he realized what was happening and reacted on instinct. He caught his tongue in between his teeth and bit it as hard as he could, until he tasted the copper tang of blood.

The pain made him gasp and he snapped his eye open as his body fell forward a little. He caught himself with gloved hands that dampened the rough bark on his skin. Now being able to see and still taste his blood, he was able to pull himself back.

Once sure footed, he rose. He was aware of each movement, each pull of his muscles, even the ones that were now dulled from the pain. It felt like he moved in slow motion as he turned back towards the tree that he had previously stepped on.

His eye took in every detail of the bark, its gnarled shape and grooves. Like most the trees in the forest, its' roots were thick and dug in deep into the ground while its' top was thick and full of dark leaves.

He pressed his lips together and narrowed his eye when he tried to sense anything else that was different, including in its chakra. Only he came up short since it looked and felt like any other tree in the forest with its chakra alive and full and mixed together overwhelmingly. A well thought out gift from the Shodaime Hokage.

The forest around Konoha was full of the first Hokage's chakra, effectively hiding the Village from invading enemies. If one didn't have a chaperone who was from the Konoha, or knew where to look for the hidden markers, than it was impossible to navigate. There was just so much chakra in one area that even the best sensor wouldn't be able to find the Village.

So that begged the question why and what happened to Obito when he stepped on the tree branch. He hadn't imagined it since in his current state he could notice even the smallest difference in everything.

He pondered a moment. He had time before tomorrow night and if worse came, he could always use Kamui. 'But I could fall into the Zone at any moment...' He took a deep breath and tried not to focus on the smells but on the actual intake to calm himself. It helped, if only a little.

He lifted his head high. 'But I need to know what that was!' With that in mind, he jumped down from the branch.

This time he used his chakra to reduce the impact of his jumps as he ended up at the bottom of the tree. His body still shook a little, breath coming out in soft pants, and it took all of his concentration to not prioritize on one of his senses. He shook his head sharply before he slowly approached the tree, and took notice that there wasn't even a difference in the scent and taste in the air around it.

It wasn't until his foot fell next to one of its' roots, not even touching it, that he felt the air practically vibrating between the two objects. It was like it was calling to him and it made his eye narrow even more as he looked down and observed it for a moment.

Then he turned his gaze back to the tree trunk. Based off his foot, he carefully raised a hand to bring it forward. Like he thought, he was only a few inches away when he felt the same thing but now with a bit more definition.

It was fascinating that even through his heavy glove, he could feel it. It vibrated but now there was a sensation; warm and pleasant but solid. It made him want to feel it more.

Obito scrunched his nose when he made to pull his hand back. But there was a brief moment of hesitation, as if it didn't want to move before it finally gave way.

"What the actual fuck?" he whispered when he stared down at his hand. He still felt the sensation like it was trying to bury deep in his skin, making it tingle with a phantom touch. And while that was interesting, it wasn't what caught his attention. His hand wasn't shaking anymore.

He continued to stare at it with a wide eye as he moved it around.

His glove didn't feel confining or agitating, he wasn't even hyper aware of the air around it. In fact, this was probably the steadiest he had seen it in many years, maybe not since his childhood when his Sentinel abilities started to show. Even Rin, who was his Pseudo-Guide before Zetsu, couldn't stop the tremors fully.

Obito breathed out, almost breathless, at new development, unsure what to make of it.

As he continued to watch his hand, he began to notice the tremors and heightened awareness slowly returned before it was back to the way it was before.

He licked his lips, shivering at the simple motion, as he dropped the appendage to his side. He eyed the tree in front of him again as he processed the new information. 'Seems to almost Guide related. But how can a tree have that?' He shook his head because the idea itself just seemed to be ridiculous.

But... there was something appealing in the idea of having that sort of steadiness before his fight with his former clan. What's to say there wouldn't be a moment where he might Zone Out? He had killed before but never so many at once, on this level. And with Zetsu not by his side, it could be a problem.

'On the other hand,' he contemplated still eyeing the tree with a tilt of his head, 'there are too many questions.'

He bit his bottom lip and, after a moment, decided it best he waited. He would return when he had dealt with the Uchiha and hopefully gain the answers to his questions then.

He turned away slowly, or at least an illusion of one given his state, when he heard movement by his foot. He snapped back around and processed, a bit too slowly, that the roots were moving.

His body moved instinctually as he stepped back to jump away. Only the roots had moved faster than he anticipated and some had ended up behind him, causing him to trip. "Fuck!" he yelled as he waved his hands around to keep his balance.

He would have done it too, but the damn roots kept moving. He snarled as the roots overlapped with his feet and he couldn't escape. And what's worse is that the could feel the impression of the connection between him and the tree but not fully enough since the roots never really touched him.

He started to form hand seals to burn the roots away when the ground shifted and he suddenly found himself falling backwards. He cried out with frustration as he managed to turn midway and, to catch himself, placed both hands firmly on the trunk.

The effect was instant.

He gasped as the electrical feeling shot into his appendages but not actually hurt him. In fact, he wanted to press more into it as it felt fantastically warm and pleasant. The sharp tingle only lasted for a moment before it settled and moved like water through his hands. It seeped into his muscles, blood, and bone until it established itself there solidly. Anchored into his very being, like it was meant to be there.

He could have pulled away then, there was still time for him retreat before he lost himself. But he had gotten a taste of something wonderful. He wasn't even sure what it was. All he knew what that he wanted more and it seemed whatever it was, was more than happy to give it to him.

The feeling started to travel slowly up his arms and he watched as they stopped trembling. Like his hands, the sensation molded into his appendages, securing in each and every part of him. They felt stronger and steadier than they had been in years. His clothes didn't bite at his skin, nulling the urge to remove them.

And still the feeling spread, like he was slowly sinking into a warm pool. It moved to his chest first and made work to calm his frantic heart. Obito's breathing evened out as the muscles in his chest began to release and relax, and made him gasp as if he had just been saved from drowning. Once the sensation had settled there, it then moved in two directions, one toward his legs and the other to his head.

The one going up, travelled along his neck, and spread through his face. It was so pleasant that Obito closed his eye as his muscles went lax and his mouth hung open a little. He savored it so much he almost missed how is senses were reacting.

Everything wasn't overwhelming. He was still aware of everything around him, but it wasn't so sharp, or loud, or strong. He could take it all in at once without having to focus shortly just on one thing and then the other to get the full picture in his mind.

With the mask on, it reduced the taste and scent in the air. He wanted to take it off so he could let his senses breathe but then that would mean removing his hands from the tree, and he did not want to do that. He was also certain that if he opened his eye, everything wouldn't be so bright but he could still take in all the details without Zoning.

In his head, his mind, for once, wasn't buzzing and constantly thinking. It felt calm, centered, and even a little airy.

Around him, he could no longer sense chakra like before, the environments or his own that hummed through his skin. In fact, it felt like it was evening out inside of him. 'Amazing,' he marvelled silently, almost tempted to activate his sensor abilities to see if that had changed- but only just.

When the feeling anchored fully in his body, he unexpectedly realized how heavy and worn his limbs felt. He mouth and eye felt dry, and his stomach ached- almost nauseous- like it was trying to eat itself. He tried to remember the last time he slept, ate or drank. It was destressing to him when he realized he couldn't recall.

And with that thought, his body just seemed to break.

Before he could stop, his knees buckled and gave way. Obito let out a painful groan as he fell fully against the trunk and then slid down. It wasn't even that hard of an impact but it felt like the simplest touch could shatter his bone.

'Oh sweet Sage,' he thought as he settled into the roots, body to weak to even move. 'What's happening?'

He whimpered as it took all of his energy to just open his one eye. He was greeted by dark bark and hissed when he tried to turn his head.

He somehow managed it, but only enough for his eye to be able to look upward. As he suspected, while he could still see the individual leaves and how the morning sun rays would outline their veins, he didn't feel the pull of Zoning Out. He could just take it all in without a fuss. While he could take the details, he could see the bigger image and recognized where light was coming through the gaps of where branches and leaves didn't cross. Normally, it would have taken a lot of concentration to do something like that. He wished he had his Sharingan activated to capture it. He could finally see the full picture and enjoy it.

Or would have if his head wasn't pounding so much and it felt like he was dying.

With the side of his head in the bark, his mask had gone askew. He now had the full scent of the wood and flowers- 'And why in fuck did that smell so good?'

It was calming and felt safe. At the same time, it made his mind sharp and centered if he took time to recognize it. But his head wasn't aware of anything except how it felt like his body was shutting down. He was also more focused on not letting his eye close.

It was a losing battle, as his eyelid drooped further and further with every blink. When it finally did fully shut, he swam in the darkness for a brief time. And just as he was about to succumb to its blissful embrace, he felt it.

It felt like something just clicked in his head. It made a connection, and something latched onto his thoughts. He didn't even try to struggle- couldn't- as he was pulled closer to... whatever it was. Then slowly thoughts were starting to come to him, thoughts that were not his own.

He couldn't quite grasp them yet, and wouldn't be able to as his mind was slowly being pulled deeper and deeper into unconscious. Yet he did manage to catch one final thing before he did.

He heard two voices. One his own, unbidden; the other Obito recognized as his Perfect Match. Both of them spoke at the same time, saying the same thing, and it echoed in his mind before he passed out.

'I finally found you.'

The next time he awoke, it was to the subtle feeling of movement. He didn't even realize it at first, the steady rise and fall of something beneath his head. The first thing he was more aware of was the fact it was solid but soft.

He didn't open his eye, because for the first time in a long time, he felt warm, focused, and cared for. The world, that he was aware of, didn't assault his senses, didn't make his heart beat uncontrollably with pain, and there were no lingering visages of nightmares.

It felt like he was wrapped in a warm blanket, or at least something around his shoulders and waist. He took a deep breath and once again smelled the scent of wood and flowers but with an added layer. It was somehow both deep, cozy, and inviting. Like a field of flowers in the middle of the forest. He sighed and tried to snuggle deeper into it, against the soft cloth.

There was the sound of a deep giggle with quick movement of the cloth beneath his cheek. 'So cute,' he heard a voice say in his head, more solid and strong than he heard it before.

Instantly, Obito's body tensed as his eye snapped open. He didn't move at first, as he took in seeing, much to his horror, his orange, tiger striped mask laid on the ground next to the person he was laying on. Then his eye traveled to see the expanse of the person's chest his head was on before he felt his ears heat up.

"Oh wonderful!" a strong, male voice said cheerily about him. A voice Obito had only heard his head before. "You're awake!"

Obito snapped his head up, still laid on the person's shoulder, and felt his entire face go hot.

Tanned skin, a strong jaw with a kind, warm, bright smile, and soft dark eyes made up a handsome face that looked down at him. A few dark bangs hung loosely around their uncovered forehead and face. Most of the person's hair though was seemed to be long and fell over his other shoulder and his back. The strands looked smooth and soft, and made the former Uchiha wonder if they felt like silk if he touched them.

The smile on the man's face widened and it made him look impossibly more handsome.

But the face was familiar to Obito and it made him acutely aware of who now held him. It was a face he had seen only when Madara showed him certain memories, during Obito's training, before he died.

In those recollections, the man before him did not smile and his eyes were not so kind. Everything were set with grim determination mixed with tinges of sadness. He also did not wear a brown, short sleeved kimono shirt, with mesh armor underneath, that was held together with a red obi, and navy pants. Instead it was red armor with a forehead protector and a huge scroll strapped to his back.

It was the face of the Shodaime Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

Obito liked to think that reacted as anyone would be expected to when they saw a face of a dead man.

He screamed and wretched himself out of firm arms. He didn't get far, tripped over his own feet and landed flat on his back. His Sharingan activated as he took in all the details of the man before him and snapped an accusatory finger at him with a wide eye and hot face. "Y-You're-!" '-the Shodaime Hokage! Supposed to be dead!'

Yet he couldn't get the words out, tongue tied, and his mind raced a mile a minute to the point it started to hurt.

Hashirama didn't help the situation by appearing more calm than he had the right to be. He had moved to kneel on the ground, arms outstretched with big eyes filled with worry. But then his face relaxed and he lowered his arms. He smiled gently and chuckled sheepishly. "Yes," he began as he raised one arm to rub the back of his head. "I guess seeing me is quite a shock."

"You 'guess!?'" Obito shrieked, still pointing a finger at him and Sharingan spinning. His voice raised an octave at the end and nearly cracked. He still was unsure what was even happening.

The Senju barked out a laugh- loud, bright, warm- with his head thrown back a little. When it slowly died away, he looked at Obito again. "Yes," he said with a nod, not in the least bit put off as he moved and reached out to the younger man. He took hold of Obito's hand first before he came to kneel again next to him.

Obito didn't have time to wonder why he didn't put up a fight when the man moved. The moment their hands touched his breath hitched at the solid grip and watched as the other man opened his palm up and laced their fingers together.

Hashirama's hands were callused and large, but warm, gentle, and soft. They were words the former Uchiha would never associated with the other man, having only seen those hands be used in the context of battle and war- making seals and holding weapons. It was a fascinating dichotomy for a man known as the "God of Shinobi."

"You still with me?" Obito's eye snapped up to Hashirama's face at the soft call. His chest grew tight as the man looked at him with a tilt of his head, eyes bright with amusement but assessing. Obito found he couldn't respond, but the older man seemed to understand.

"Focus on me," he ordered. But it didn't sound like an order with how gentle he spoke, but too firm in tone for it to be a request.

'Not going to be a problem,' Obito thought as Hashirama pulled the younger man more towards him and into a seated position.

The older man barked out a laugh again as he brought up his free hand over Obito's chest. The Sentinel watched as soft green chakra formed over the area. The muscles there loosened as a cozy feeling began to spread through them.

"Are you alright?" Hashirama asked, making Obito look at him again. "You're severely malnourished," he chided gently as he still worked. Obito felt the other man's thumb of their conjoined hands move over his skin soothingly. "When was the last time you ate? Slept?"

The former Uchiha tried to get his brain to work, but it was rather hard to do when his sense of touch was completely focused on their hands. Even when Hashirama's healing chakra pulled away, the older man still held them together and placed them in his lap.

Obito closed his eye to the sight and slowly felt his Sharingan began to go away. His head still throbbed as he tried, once again, to process everything. Blocking out his sight made it easier to do when now all he could hear was his breathing.

But that wasn't the only thing he was hearing, he realized. He could still make out the rustling in the trees, the sounds of the wild life, and of the stream nearby. What he didn't hear though was how loud they were. He was aware of them but it was as if they were at a lower level, a manageable level. More importantly, he couldn't hear the beating of his heart, or even Hashirama's heart for that matter.

It was... nice.

"Am I dead?" he rasped, tongue thick. It was the only explanation he could think of on why he his senses weren't being bombarded.

'But why isn't Rin here? Why the Shodaime Hokage?'

"No," Hashirama's voice cut in his thoughts in a sorrowful whisper. "No, you're very much alive."

Obito gasped and snapped his eye open when he felt something touch the right side of his face. Hashirama's free hand touched the area, thumb gently running over Obito's scars. For some inexplicable reason, the tired, sad look in his eyes made Obito's chest tight.

"...But it was a near thing," the Shodaime admitted.

Obito frowned and, while it took a moment, he pulled his face away. Hashirama made no move to stop him, even when Obito pulled their hands apart.

"Then I'm in a genjutsu," Obito figured as he pushed himself up to stand. It wouldn't be the first time the illusions felt so real.

It was a struggle to get up, even when he noticed his body wasn't shaking like it normally would. His muscles protested at every movement while, at the same time, they felt stronger than ever before.

Hashirama's hands were on him a moment later, one on his shoulder and the other on his elbow. Obito would never admit how thankful he was for them as they stood, or how much his body leaned into the older man's touch.

He expected the other man's hands to pull away when they stood, but then Obito swayed on his feet, so the Shodaime still kept one hand on his elbow.

The younger man wrinkled his nose and turned his head to one side with gritted teeth. He hated how his body reacted to such a simple touch. He wanted to crowd himself against the Senju's body and just soak in his presence.

'This is certainly one of the most convincing genjutsu I have ever been in.'

"It isn't an illusion," Hashirama spoke softly.

Obito's snapped his head toward the other man, blinking rapidly. He thought maybe he had said his thought out loud, but then realized a quick second later he hadn't.

'How-'

'Hello.'

His body stiffened a little as his breath caught. He stared with a wide eye at the Shodaime, who hadn't spoken a word but whose voice he clearly heard in his head.

A dark scarlet color filled Hashirama's cheeks as he ducked his face to the side a little. The older man gave a small smile as he glanced at Obito for a moment before he looked away again and began, "I suppose you know when either a Sentinel or Guide turns twenty-six, they stop aging if they haven't found their Perfect Match..."

Obito swallowed. Yes, he was aware. He was only a few years off from being twenty-six himself. They were very rare cases, since most Perfect Matches found each other before then.

Hashirama's grip on his elbow tightened as the Guide slowly raised his face. It was still red and Obito watched with rapt attention when he slowly licked his lips.

'I never found mine,' Hashirama stated simply in Obito's head.

It felt like a chill had gone down the Sentinel's spine, as the realization- the acknowledgement- finally sank in. This was his Perfect Match. The fucking Shodaime Hokage, a man who was born generations before Obito, started Konoha, saved said Village, and was viewed as a god by the rest of the world, was his Guide.

Now he really wasn't sure to make of the whole situation.

It felt like it couldn't breath as he continued to stare at the older man, because sweet Sage, what else could he do?

Hashirama's blush darkened as he brought up his other hand and took one of Obito's. It was like a vice grip.

"My brother and I both agreed that I couldn't be Hokage forever," Hashirama quietly as he still met Obito's gaze, "when I first took the mantle. It might have caused uneasiness to have such a long standing leader, since I never knew when I would find my Sentinel."

Obito bit his bottom lip and saw the point. It would have, considering how many years Hashirama would have to had been alive since he was Obito's Guide. People in Konoha were still disgruntled with the Sandaime having returned to his seat of power after the death of the Yondaime, and he was an old man.

"But the Village needed a founding leader," Hashirama continued. "And since I was voted for the position, I took it.

"But after a time- after everything," his voice grew tight and spoke of heavy regret, "I abated my position to my brother.

"Tobirama's Sentinel had died before the Village had been established." Here, his eyes tightened for a fraction of a second with a flash of pain in his dark orbs. "And he was one of the best Guides I knew. I never doubted that Konoha would do well in his hands."

Obito scrunched his nose. He had the sense of mind to not mention that some of the problems faced now in the Village were caused by the Nidaime Hokage.

Hashirama's tilted his head to the side with questioning eyes, and it reminded Obito that his thoughts weren't just his thoughts anymore. But rather than explain, because there was really no time to explain the events that the Guide would not be aware after his supposed death, the former Uchiha moved the conversation along.

"So you became...," Obito questioned uncertainly, "a tree...?"

The other man's face turned full red as an embarrassed smile formed on his lips. The hand on Obito's elbow fell away and he brought it up to rub the back of his head. "Actually," he let out a nervous chuckle, "I was just taking a nap."

Obito's eye nearly popped out of his head and his mouth dropped. "A nap!?" he asked incredulously.

"Well it was supposed to be!" Hashirama quickly explained with a frantic wave of his free hand. "But then when I tried to wake up, I couldn't! I mean," he fell a bit calmer, "I would become conscious from time to time." Here, he ducked his face again and glanced at Obito from under his lashes. "But it was usually when I was talking to you."

Obito startled a bit at that and the Guide bit his bottom lip.

"It was never actually enough to pull me awake, though," Hashirama went on. He then turned his gaze down at their joined hands and his eyes softened. He smiled a little as he squeezed them together. "At least... not until you found and touched the tree."

Obito's face grew hot as his heart rate picked up. He looked off to the side with every intention to hide the effect at seeing Hashirama's happy gaze. Like Obito was the best thing to ever happen to him.

And with breaking the eye contact, it finally gave Obito time to take in his surroundings.

He blinked and looked around. He was still in the forest but everything wasn't so sharp or loud. It was like when he looked at the leaves before he passed out, or taking in all the sounds when he spoke with Hashirama just now.

Instead of a rush of information, he could calmly see everything, focus his hearing on certain things, and not taste or smell the vegetation as thickly as before. He didn't feel the need to compartmentalize on focusing on one sense and then another to gain a full picture. He could do it all at once and form plans at the same time. It sharpened and put everything into perspective while at the same time broadened it all.

'So this is what it feels like to have a Perfect Match Guide,' Obito marvelled as he continued to look around.

'Amazing, isn't it?' Obito looked back at Hashirama to see the other man studying him with a small but kind smile and no blush. It made Obito sort of uncomfortable, because he wasn't sure if the Shodaime was talking about what Obito was sensing, or about the Sentinel himself.

Taking it as the former, Obito swallowed before he went to agree. "It is." He paused a moment, thinking,

'Is this how it's like for you?'

He really had only Rin and Zetsu to go off by for information like this before. He hadn't bothered to ask Zetsu, and he had only asked Rin about it once. She couldn't really explain it though, so he had left it be for another day.

There was a sharp pain in his chest as he remembered there would never be another day.

He pushed the feeling down though when Hashirama shook his head. 'No,' he stated, surprising the former Uchiha. 'To put it simply, I guess, our senses aren't as heightened, duller even, as yours. We can't see all the little details like a Sentinel can. But we just see things... differently.'

This made Obito pause and tilt his head. 'How?'

Hashirama chuckled a little and squeezed their hands again. 'Let's just get used to our senses being evened out,' he encouraged. 'Then one day, I can show you.'

Obito gave a satisfied nod as he found himself smiling at the thought. He looked forward to it.

It was odd to feel it, the smile, since he hadn't smiled in so long. He couldn't remember the last time he had. He felt the scars on his face twist and he wondered what he looked like.

Shaking his head of the thought, he decided he wanted to look around a bit more before he and his Guide- his Guide!- talked some more. He looked up to the treetops to look at the leaves again and, only then, did reality come crashing down.

His eye widened as chill when down his spine at seeing how much light was now coming through the branches. "The rendezvous! Did I miss it?"

He made a move to break free of Hashirama's grip but the hold on him tightened. He looked back down, not to see the kind face of his Guide, but the hardened look of a warrior. This was the face of the man he knew from memories, lips pressed firmly together with narrowed eyes that could penetrate his very being. This was the face of the man that saved Konoha- the Shodaime Hokage.

It didn't take a genius, or to read his thoughts, to figure out why he looked at Obito that way. The smile the Sentinel wore dropped away to be replaced by a look that was completely blank. He kept himself from thinking and observing to give nothing more away.

The Shodaime's eyes tightened and almost looked pleading if it weren't for the hard stare. "Don't do it," Hashirama whispered as his grip became tighter, almost to the point of hurting. "You don't have to do this."

Obito sneered. "And what?" he challenged. "Let the Uchiha go through with their coup?" He wretched his hand away, missed the touch instantly, and hated himself for how Hashirama let out a pitiful whine as he tried to reach for it back. Obito took a step away so it wouldn't happen.

"They're your family!" Hashirama insisted as he stepped forward to follow.

Obito took another step back, and the older man froze and looked devastated from the former Uchiha's next words.

"I have no family!" the Sentinel hissed. Obito forced his gaze away so not to look at the Senju's face. This argument wasn't going to be so simple though. But with his mind now sharp, it only took a split second for him to come up with a new plan of approach.

"Weren't you the one that always said to protect the Village at any cost?" he argued as he looked back at the Shodaime.

The other man winced at took a step back like he had been slapped.

The Sentinel lifted an eyebrow. "Then what is one clan," Obito continued casually, "to the cost of the lives that could be lost?"

He felt some small satisfaction when he saw Hashirama's lips press together. He knew his words dug right under the Shodaime's skin and stopped himself from at least smirking. Then Hashirama's eyes hardened even more.

'Stop it.' Obito nearly jumped as he heard the hard voice in his head. It was commanding and unyielding. 'Just, stop it. It won't work. I see what you're trying to do.'

'And what am I trying to do?' Obito asked nonchalantly even as he gritted his teeth. He didn't bother to wait for a response as he gave a wide berth to step around the other man and go pick up his mask.

He startled though when Hashirama suddenly moved and came right up on him. With both his hands, the Guide grabbed the former Uchiha by the shoulder, hard, and held him firmly in place. Obito had nowhere else to look but at the Senju as he the other gazed at him with a steely expression. But the Sentinel kept his face calm as he raised his head up defiantly, even though the unexpected proximity made the younger's man heart rate pick up.

'You won't be able to manipulate me,' Hashirama's voice spoke firmly. 'This isn't the right way.'

Obito almost sneered as his chest suddenly burned and his throat constricted. 'Then what is the right way?' he demanded, all but shouting. His sudden fury was too cold for that. 'When there is another war? When more children's blood will be spilled!? When friends turn against each other and promises mean nothing!'

Since he never actually spoke the words he wasn't panting heavy. But that didn't mean his breath wasn't coming out short and weighty as he tightened his hands into fists to stop them from shaking.

Surprisingly, Hashirama's grip never lessened but his face drooped and softened. 'No,' he agreed softly. 'No, I don't want to live in a world like that.' He ducked his face as his hands slowly moved down, grip still firm, to hold onto Obito's elbows.

Hashirama's eyes tightened. 'But killing so many, shouldn't be the way to handle it. To solve the problems.'

Obito's nose scrunched as his upper lip curled back. '...You're a coward.'

Hashirama gasped as his head snapped back. He stared down at Obito with wide, dumbfounded eyes. The former Uchiha couldn't stop the utter hatred that burned through him at the look, some for the Senju's naivety but more for that fact at how badly he must have hurt his Guide.

'You've been asleep for too long to understand that that is the way of the world now,' Obito continued as he pushed through the hate. He tried to break out of Hashirama's grip only to find it had gotten stronger. 'The world is broken and killing the Uchiha is just a step to fix it.'

He watched as the Senju began to shake and face became pained. 'Then please,' Hashirama begged, 'help me understand! Tell me everything and, together, we can fix it. Without the need for more violence and bloodshed.'

Obito let out a thick, bitter, bark of laughter. He bowed his head and closed his eye with small chuckles still escaping. 'How can I even begin to get you to understand?' he pondered. 'You, who protected the Village you created with the idea of children growing up safe and sound? And still believe in it? But that's all it was. An idea.' He shook his head before he looked back up. 'Madara was right. You're too naive.'

At the name, Hashirama stopped shaking. For a moment he looked confused and Obito had to remember that he might not know that Madara was once alive, had survived their last encounter. The Sentinel and Guide had talked in brief snippets during the younger man's training but Obito had never mentioned former Uchiha leader by name.

But then the other man shook his head and the steely look returned to his eyes. '...I don't know how, but I now see those are Madara's words,' he accused, his grip tightening until it now actually hurt. 'Those aren't yours. You would never say something like that.'

'I've changed! I've seen the way of the world and I say what's now true!' Obito took a step into Hashirama's space. 'You're the one who thinks that ridiculous notion of peace through nonviolence when the world is too gone for such thing!' Before the Shodaime could even respond to the accusation, Obito finished,

'If you truly think peace can be achieved through other means, then you truly want to live in the world I described! That is the world now! If you believe in that world then finish what you started with Madara and kill me!'

As the words rang in both their heads, he expected to be questioned on if what he truly believed was the only thing he could do. He even anticipated a fight, and readied his chakra to activate the Mangekyo for Kamui.

What he hadn't seen coming was the momentary silence that engulfed them as Hashirama stared at him with wide eyes. Then, ever so slowly, the Guide's face crumbled and tears started to fall down.

Too shocked at the sight, Obito didn't resist when he was suddenly pulled forward and wrapped in the Senju's unyielding embrace, one arm around his waist while the other went to the back of his head. It only made him stiffen.

Then he felt Hashirama place his face into the Sentinel's hair as the older man pressed Obito's face into his neck. The former Uchiha couldn't stop himself as he breathed in his Guide's scent and savored it. He hated how much he wanted to just sink into the other man's body at that moment, just as much as he wanted to wretch himself away.

'Don't say that again,' Hashirama begged, voice broken but commanding even in their shared minds. He pressed his lips into Obito's hair and the younger man could feel the tears falling into the strands. He squeezed Obito to the point where the Sentinel thought he might break in half. 'Don't ever say that again.'

Hashirama began to shake as a few sobbing gasps escaped his mouth. But Obito made no move to comfort him, even if every sound and movement shook him to the core. That still didn't stop his mouth though, as it twisted his lips around in a painful clench, while his eye began to sting from forming tears. He closed it to try and stop them, plus to block it everything out. He wanted to disconnect every sense he had at that moment so he just wouldn't feel.

He hated this weakness, because it still showed some part of him that cared on a personal level. He tried to carve it out, burn it, destroy it, but nothing seemed to work. It always came back at times, like a festering wound. How was he supposed to save the world- supposed to be able to make the sacrifices of human lives- if Hashirama's cries, a man he had just met even if he was his Guide, broke him inside.

Both of them remained quiet and in their positions for a few minutes. Carefully, Obito allowed himself to indulge in Hashirama's arms but never tried comfort and held his pleasure away from the other man. It would only give the Shodaime fuel to use against him. He didn't even dare try to connect further with his Guide, in fear he might break if he did.

But he couldn't stop at how he pressed himself further against the other man and the Senju only responded by tightening his arms.

Slowly, Hashirama's sobs and shaking began to die away until there was nothing but the heavy breathing. Obito thought that surely this would be the part where the Shodaime would pull away and they would end up in some sort of fight as the man tried to protect Konoha from the younger man. But the Guide had ways of surprising him as he merely spoke out loud one word that shattered the former Uchiha's carefully built world,

"Obito."

The younger man's eye snapped open and he bit his bottom lip so not to groan. Never had his former name sounded so sweet, even if the voice was thick and heavy.

And while he would love nothing more than to hear it again, he gritted his teeth to keep his resolve. 'Madara,' he corrected in his head because his throat was too tight to speak. That was his name now; Obito died the day Rin did.

"No," Hashirama pronounced. It surprised Obito at how dark and resolute the one simple word was.

When the Shodaime pulled away, the former Uchiha did the same but just enough for their heads to move back. They finally looked at each other and the Sentinel's eye widened. There was no hard face like he expected but dark eyes were solemn and determined even with the messy tear tracks.

"No," Hashirama repeated, "that is not your name."

Obito gritted his teeth and, for a split moment, hated the fact he had told the other his former name when he thought he was on his dying bed. The pain and emotions had made their bond open to where they could talk fully rather than only for a few seconds. Hashirama had never given the name at the time and the younger man could understand why for many reasons but the Sentinel had confessed his own.

'It is,' Obito insisted.

"No." The hand on the back of Obito's head tightened into the strands. It was such a juxtaposition when Hashirama then rested their foreheads together gently and closed his eyes.

Obito stood very still and watched, enraptured, taking in all the details of Hashirama's face now that it was so close. He was tempted to use his Sharingan but even without it he thought he would never forget it. How the shadows played across his Guide's features, the tear tracks that should have looked horrible on others but didn't on the Senju, long lashes, and the hint of freckles on dark skin that ran across his cheeks and nose. All of it he memorized like it would be the last time he would see it.

He was somewhat soothed by it as he observed. So much so, he didn't even realize when their breathing had gotten into sync with one another. In a moment of weakness, Obito allowed his eye to close to just bask, if only for a brief time, in the presence of his Guide, to satisfy the small need to be close to him. But a moment turned into something longer, and before he knew it, his body was relaxing on its own accord and his arms came to wrap hesitantly around the other's waist.

When he had closed his eye, Hashirama's conscious had pulled on his. He tried to resist at first, but it was half hearted at best. He wasn't sure what to expect but it wasn't to have the Shodaime slowly open up his Guide abilities to him, or to intertwin their thoughts and senses together. Staggeringly soon, Obito couldn't find where his own thoughts began and Hashirama's ended.

He was seeing the world like he normally would, with all the sharpness and accuracy. He could picture it all in his mind and he knew those were his Sentinel abilities but, until that moment, he never actually saw them. For in his head, he saw something he could only call chakra, even if it felt like it was something more, and how this... essence were all interlaced together.

Like at the stream, he could hear frogs catching bugs but now he saw how the insects chakra infused with the frogs to give it energy and food. It was like that all around the Guide and Sentinel. One cause led to another, even in the wind that blew. It was wild and free but tameable since it was just the course of life. The former Uchiha even sensed his and Hashirama's chakra dancing and combining together as they melded their senses on a deeper level than before. He briefly wondered if this was why the Guide could control Mokuton so well while Obito struggled with his.

It was terrifying and exhilarating. Save for actual sight, all his senses were Hashirama's and all of Hashirama's senses were his. They shared their surroundings without actually speaking in their minds or out loud. In their observations they picked up on things the other lacked, like how the Guide showed the connections the chakra shared between everything and how Obito pointed out the smallest detail of the sounds, taste, and smells around them.

But still they could go deeper; Obito felt it. If they truly wished to, they could share their feelings and memories. Nothing would be hidden from the other if they did and, being honest with himself, that was just a little too much for the former Uchiha at the moment. So he refrained and, thankfully, Hashirama respectively didn't try to go deeper either. But he could feel the moment Hashirama began to speak out loud, for the words formed in in the Senju's head first before they were echoed from his mouth.

"Your name is Obito Uchiha," the Shodaime whispered, his breath ghosting over Obito's face. The name made the Sentinel stiffen but not enough to open his eye and break away. "You love to laugh and smile. Love to help those who can't defend themselves or in need of help."

Obito's eye brows furrowed together as long buried memories began to resurface. It was sluggish and hazy at first before they became full pictures. Images of old pranks, of loud, boisterous, happy laughter, and of helping the elderly and children came to mind. Always being late for things because someone needed help or older children were bullying the younger. How because he was an Uchiha and orphan, he never really had many friends but he remembered the relieved smiles of his classmates whenever they needed a helping hand or laughed at one of his pranks.

He suddenly recalled his pranking habits was how he met Kushina-nee-chan, who was just an unfortunate victim when he was trying to get the grumpy owner of a convenience store. She had chased him all over Konoha until she finally caught him and made him pay. But somehow though, he had endured himself to her that day, and when she wasn't on missions she would always take him out for ramen or spend time with him.

The memory, along with the others, made him smile wistfully. His chest and head felt light and airy but his body felt strong.

"You trained very hard," Hashirama continued, making Obito focus. "Every new ninjutsu learned, every taijutsu move mastered, was an accomplishment."

Obito felt his head sink lower until his forehead rested against one of Hashirama's cheeks. He felt his body began to shake as he remembered. Recalled how excited he was to learn how to be a shinobi. The training he did with Rin, Kakashi, and Minato-sensei. How determined he was to rise above his rival and how much he loved Rin smiling and congratulating him as he learned something new.

"And you did all on your own." Hashirama's voice sounded wet and thick as his hold tightened. "Proved how strong you were even when no one would help you, especially your family.

"But you were still proud of your clan. But unafraid to show your emotions, to show your love, because why hide something so powerful?"

The words struck a nerve in Obito that stabbed right at his chest. He had said those words, once. In a brief conversation with his Perfect Match when he was frustrated at why the Uchiha hid their emotions.

But in the context of Hashirama's words, it made Obito whimper and hold on tighter to the other man. He remembered the villagers always looking at him first with contempt, then with huge smiles when he helped them with a task. How they would always comment on how much better and friendlier he was than his kin. His younger self would laugh and try to correct their way of thinking. Because, no, the Uchiha did love the village fiercely. They were just taught never to show it. A silly notion in his child mind.

Because how could they say that when children like Itachi and Shisui would follow Obito around from time to time in the Village and help out with bright eyes and smiles?

"Your dream is to be the first Sentinel Hokage," Hashirama rasped right into his ear as he carefully lowered them to the ground, hands and arms tightening further around the former Uchiha. "And I know you can do it. Because you're strong and brave, and never waiver in what you believe in."

It felt like a jolt went down Obito's spine and settled deep in his gut.

No one but Rin ever believed he would be Hokage. When he shouted it from the roofs, villagers would smile at him placatingly and his family normally rolled their eyes at him. Even after everything, there was still some childish part of him that still wanted to be Hokage.

Now, here was a person- his Perfect Match- telling him that it wasn't just some pipe dream. That he could still do it, against all the odds and all the things he had done in wake of his death.

Something tight in his chest that had slowly been unflurring finally broke, something that he buried deep there and only resurfaced now after all the good memories and encouraging words, and he gasped.

He almost missed the stinging sensation in his eye but he could never miss the thick roll of tears that fell down his face. One from the corner of his right eye and down his cheek; the other from his missing left and down the bridge of his nose. He gripped Hashirama painfully when he began to shake but refused to let go. The older man made no move to try and get him to, instead just pulled him in deeper.

The sounds that tore from his mouth were broken and gasping. When was the last time he had cried like this? Probably not sense Rin's death.

The thought tore a new hole into his soul and he cried harder. Because how could he be strong, like his Guide said, if couldn't even save the girl he loved? 'How can you say that!' his poor mind cried in confusion, even as he sobbed and shook his head. 'You don't even know me! I couldn't save one person! I'm weak!'

"You aren't," Hashirama promised fiercely. He held Obito impossibly tighter, fingers laced into the younger man's hair more. "But war is horrible and you have seen things that you should never introduced because you were so young."

Hashirama was quiet for a moment until Obito felt a pair of lips kiss the top of his head. 'I don't remember much about the night that your Rin died,' he spoke in their minds. It made Obito flinch at just hearing the name. 'All I remember was hearing your voice. Screaming. You were so angry.

'But I do remember how you screamed about how Kakashi had killed Rin. But does that make sense? Because he always honorable enough to keep his promises and he made the biggest one to you on... on the night you supposedly died.' His voice strained at the last part, like he hated to recall it.

And part of Obito recognized that Hashirama was right. Because for all the bastard Kakashi was, he still kept his promises and was the younger man's best friend. And he had come back for them during that awful Kannabi Bridge mission. Didn't that speak for something? Why would he kill Rin after that?

He tried to recall the memory of that night without the horrible feelings. It was hard, especially when it came to seeing Kakashi's hand sticking through Rin's chest.

Instead of focusing on Rin though, he looked to Kakashi's face and even half masked he could read it. The tiny tells of devastation, disbelief, and anger. Surely, someone wouldn't have those that had intentionally killed another person.

But then there was another part of him that wanted to deny it all. 'You're tricking me!' he cried out but made no motion to move. 'You want to stop me!' His head began to pound as he battled himself, the waves of confusion that happened as two sides tried to fight to find where the truth was. 'Because if that's true, than all the things I've done- all this things I have tried to fix- up to this point are for NOTHING! They are pointless and unforgivable!'

"But not unfixable." The Sentinel resisted at first but finally Hashirama pulled them both away enough so that they could look at each other. The Guide's eyes looked tired and worn with the tear trails starting to flake on his face. Obito doubted his looked any better because it hurt when he forced himself to open his eye while he still sobbed.

"I don't know all the things you've done," Hashirama comforted with a quiet voice. He raised one hand and gently wiped the tears on Obito's face. "But it's not too late."

'How can you say that?' the younger man tried to understand. His head hurt, light headed while his body felt heavy. 'You don't know that.'

"But I trust you." The one simple statement made Obito feel weak and strong at the same time. He shook his head to try and dissuade the notion as fresh tears fell.

Hashirama only smiled, so warm and comforting, that the younger man knew the Senju believed his own words. "But I do," he insisted as he continued to clean Obito's face. "Because you're my Sentinel and there is nothing you can't do."

The younger man hiccuped brokenly. He couldn't look at the face of his Guide anymore, but rather than pull away, he hid into the man's chest. The other man seemed to welcome him readily and greedily, if the little laugh he let loose was anything to go by as he wrapped his arms around the Sentinel without a second thought.

Caught in the embrace, Obito's senses could focus on nothing else by Hashirama. The man bled into his being without overwhelming him and made him want to believe. Made the Sentinel want to believe that it wasn't too late. But there were voices in the back of his mind, voices that sounded eerily like Madara and Zetsu, that reminded him that the world was still broken, still needed to be fixed.

'We can find the answer together,' Hashirama's voice cut in and the former Uchiha held him tighter. The voice that just now saved him from listening to his darker thoughts. 'There are always different ways to find the best answer. You've only been told one for so long that you haven't looked at any other options.' The Guide gave him a quick squeeze. 'Who knows? Made you'll find something better.' He giggled a little at the end and Obito couldn't help but have a small smile.

But then he sobered up as he assessed himself on the matter. He bit his bottom lip as he buried himself deeper into Hashirama's chest. Obito wasn't under any delusion about what he was. He was a very broken man, who was been driven only by one goal. Even if that meant to remake the world in drastic means that involved death and destruction.

But now here was his Guide that offered a hand and broke into Obito's carefully erected barriers like the sun. Brought out his younger, impressionable self that still believed that the world was a good place and could be saved by other means. But with Hashirama shining so bright and drawing Obito back from the brink, the Senju showed all of the Sentinel's horrible, jagged, broken pieces and how terrified the younger man was to deter off the trail that he was blazing for himself.

In response to his thoughts, Hashirama just tightened his hold and kissed the top of Obito's head again. 'I'll be there,' he vowed solemnly, 'to hold you when you're scared. To catch you if you feel like you're breaking. But I need you to trust me.'

Obito closed his eye and let the words wash over him. No promise had sounded sweeter. And while he still held his doubts and fears, the idea of trusting this man seemed better than anything he had heard before. He trusted so little, but so far his Guide had broken all of his expectations. 'I...,' he began more to himself as he swallowed. His chest expanded with warmth as everything slowly sank in. 'I... I want try it, want to believe it.' He decided right then, that they would try it Hashirama's way and see if it worked, if it could work.

He took a deep breath and used Hashirama's scent to center himself. When he finally pulled away, he looked up at his Guide feeling strong. His mind was sharp and senses at the ready. The younger man's mouth was set firmly while his eyes were wide and determined. It was opposite of Hashirama's, who wore a little smile with bright eyes and waited for the Sentinel's decision.

Obito licked his chapped lips, nearly missing how Hashirama's eyes widened for a fraction of a second while he followed his tongue. It almost made him want to laugh but he had more important things to worry about. "Alright," he finally spoke, voice thick. Hashirama smiled more since he most likely already understood but Obito still elaborated. "We'll- We'll try. I'll tell you everything. But..." He he closed his eye and swallowed as took a deep, shaky breath while the Senju waited patiently. "But first, first we have to stop a massacre."

When he opened his eye again, the blinding, beautiful smile Hashirama gave him made Obito truly believe that, for once and without the influence of others, he had chosen the right thing to do.