CHRISTMAS IS UPON US MY DUDES

MERRY CHRISTMAS IN ADVANCE

Only due to pure luck did I manage to post this today lmao, the holiday season is wild this year. I hope you're all having a blast! And even if you're not celebrating Christmas, hopefully you'll still have a great time!:D

Have this heap of exposition that was beta-read by the magcal Sanatoria! She just posted an amazing Obito-centered fic that you must check out if you're into that whole introspection biz. Basically Obito meets... other Obitos :')

(Chapter title from Katie Melua's "Tiger in the Night")

Chapter VI - dream beyond control

Obito was told he would be released after a few days. If his body were like a regular person's, there was little doubt he would not be discharged so quickly, so Obito didn't complain. What he did have trouble with, and could barely keep his tongue behind his teeth for, were the tests. Apparently, now that he was awake and thus without the protection unconsciousness brought, everyone was more than a little eager to analyze whatever foreign material was implanted in his body, and he couldn't exactly refuse. That wasn't how this world worked. Trauma or no trauma (he still frowned internally each time it was implied)—it was an unknown substance that could potentially be dangerous, and since Obito was reasonable, he didn't resist. Even if reasonable didn't always translate to willing.

Minato and Kushina were sympathetic—the former discussed this matter on Obito's behalf with the authorities, but the most he could win was a lessened number of those tests. It wasn't much, but Obito was still beyond grateful.

Truthfully speaking, despite his sour mindset, he didn't have much to hide, not regarding his bodily modifications at least. What Obito was concerned about was them (everyone) potentially wanting to take a step beyond simple analysis. He'd most likely have to show his teeth in that case. Or have Minato do it.

God, he was awful. But it was necessary. If having to depend on his sensei was what it took to have his mind a safe distance away from any prying eyes, then so be it, self-damnation or not.

(He wondered how long that tactic would work. How long Minato would keep them at bay. How long his fight would last. How long before he turned against Obito, too.)

In the meantime, Obito compartmentalized his thoughts. Mostly about the ever-rising problems. Again, while he was bound to a bed, he couldn't do anything else, and he certainly couldn't risk sneaking out. Besides, he needed the time to muse over his current issues, anyway. In his previous life (previous?true?fake?), there wasn't a puzzle he couldn't solve, not a question he couldn't find the answer to, so Obito was rather confident about his chances. Still, those matters kept nagging and eating him from the inside every passing minute, and Obito knew that unless he figured them out and removed them from the equation altogether, they wouldn't let him rest.

So he busied his mind.

The first issue on Obito's list was the one concerning his will, namely chakra suppression and freedom of speech. He concluded the two matters were most likely connected, and, honestly, he did not like the implications one bit. So far the only idea that seemed plausible was the presence of an Individual Curse Tag. Sure, Obito had had one for years—courtesy of Madara—and only had it removed at the very end, but never had it actually hindered his movements of any sort. It had mainly been there so Obito couldn't abandon the Moon Eye Plan, but since he had had no intention of doing so, it hadn't been a problem for a good while.

But now… Obito wondered. If these occurrences could be blamed on a Curse Tag, then he could stem three theories—either his seal in this world was a modified one, or it wasn't, and Madara simply had more control over it, seeing as how the old man was still very much alive. Or it was a combination of both.

Begrudgingly, Obito had to admit that the third one appeared most likely, given the nature of those two troubling events and how his luck had been faring so far.

So, in conclusion, getting the damned seal off was at the top of his priority list, and it was a feat that could very well cost him his life.

Obito wanted to rip his hair out.

It would be a shame to ruin Kushina's work, though.

Since there was nothing he could do in his current state and without having a very carefully crafted plan for how to not die, Obito decided to instead adjust his story to fit this circumstance. It wouldn't end well if he somehow appeared unable to speak in a middle of a conversation, and then have people coming to their own conclusions. Obito didn't put it past some of them to figure out he had a seal. That was a revelation he would prefer being left unknown. Obito knew for certain there was no other way to remove this tag apart from piercing his heart, so the involvement of others would be more or less useless in that regard. It would bring him a lot of unwanted attention, though, and that was something Obito wished to avoid.

So all he had to do was not slip up. And that required a lot of planning ahead.

That was one matter.

The other was the one concerning his Mangekyou.

Minato hadn't asked about his eye after that little conversation, nor did it seem he had mentioned it to someone. It was quite likely he had little to no knowledge on the stages of the Sharingan, given that it was the clan's secret, after all. No doubt originally (always and forever) Minato had learned about it when Kakashi had awaked his, but, again, not even a full week had passed here since he did so, so it was probable Kakashi himself wasn't aware of it yet, not entirely at least. But Obito himself hadn't mentioned his evolved doujutsu after that time to anyone. It would be logical and fitting to his persona to seek out Fugaku—it would seem a bit unlikely if Obito, the clan's black sheep, had vast knowledge on the infamous prowess or wasn't curious to learn about it. However bothersome that interaction may be, Obito had to admit, it would be a necessity.

Initially, Obito had intended to keep his Mangekyou a secret. That plan went out the window the moment he revealed his doujutsu to Minato (couldn't lie, not again, again and again), but Obito didn't curse himself too much for that. After a while of deliberation, he had decided it had been a good decision. Or, at least, if he played his cards right, the most preferable one. For one, Kamui was his most prized technique—it was difficult to imagine fighting without it (apart from when he wanted to die), so, in this case, he wouldn't have to hide it. Not entirely, at least. No one needed to know about his pocket dimension (it was better for them), but other than that… He saw no harm in it.

That was, however, the only clear pro. Everything else was… a bit more complex.

Like Kakashi and his own Mangekyou.

When was he not complicated, though?

Speaking of Kakashi, Obito was rather pleasantly surprised when on the day of his release, Minato brought Kakashi with him. After their last encounter, Kakashi had stayed away from the hospital, and Obito had opted to just give him space. Rushing things would bring him no good, so Obito simply hoped Kakashi would eventually face him again. Or, well, would have Minato drag him along.

Whatever the case was, Obito didn't complain.

Minato had brought him a change of clothes awhile back from his apartment (still there? Why? Sentiment?), and Obito decided he was in need of some new ones. Apart from having slightly grown out of them (slightly, only slightly), it was… disturbingly odd to wear his old clothes. They were so painfully familiar, and yet cold, strange, unwelcoming. As if they knew he was an impostor. Someone who had no right to wear them. Someone who imposed on them. Or maybe that was all in his head. A lot of things were in his head nowadays. And in general.

''I think I need some new clothes,'' Obito spoke without thinking too much. For some reason. Talking excessively had always been a problem, but he had thought that (like everything else) had been bleached out.

(The aching familiarity felt like venom—he was becoming delusional.)

(Had he ever stopped?)

''Well, in that case, why don't you do a bit of shopping with Kakashi right now?'' Minato suggested light-heartedly. ''I'm sure the Hokage wouldn't mind you re-accustoming yourself with the village before heading to see him.''

Kakashi snapped his head to gape at his sensei, while Obito stared. No doubt Minato saw the tenseness between his two students and decided to attempt to at least slightly shift that. It was a sharp offer—Minato put the power of accepting it in Obito's hands, and the way he suggested Kakashi going along was so simple, as if the most natural thing in the world, so much so that if Obito had been anyone else, he would have missed the silent tenseness. Heaviness. Desperation.

Or maybe it was all in his head.

A lot of things were, nowadays.

...Kakashi still hadn't run off. Maybe because his body refused to move, but. Nevertheless, a good sign.

And so, Obito flickered his gaze to his tense teammate before shrugging.

''Sure, why not?'' he spoke while adjusting his plain new eye-patch. It felt strange—he hadn't had the chance to wear one before. Obito didn't like it. ''I'm in no rush to know my fate, either.''

He made it sound playfully grave, which caused Minato to grin almost apologetically.

''Well, I'm not gonna miss this place.'' Obito nodded, looking over the room. Then, he began making his way to the exit, glancing over his shoulder at his teammate. ''You coming, Kakashi?''

Did he have a choice? Really?

For a couple of seconds Kakashi stood frozen, disheveled thoughts seemingly raging in his mind (obvious, obvious, too obvious), before his shoulders slumped. He turned a bit to face Obito, yet failed to meet his eye.

''...Lead the way.''

It felt strangely warm. Like chamomile tea. Obito didn't like chamomile.

He flashed his sensei a thankful smile and left the room, Kakashi loosely following.

~.~

Obito's re-accustoming with Konoha wasn't exactly what he had expected.

Not that he was surprised, though. He couldn't be.

The sun was already setting, casting a gentle orange over the village he was so painfully familiar with. He could remember living here—still a child, still so very young and cruelly innocent. Running around these streets, more often than not in great hurry, helping old ladies at that turn, and that one, catching a rather ferocious cat in that tree over there, oh-so-very occasionally leaping across these roofs, slipping on some, visiting shops, stands, chatting with people, looking at their blurred faces—everything was so painfully familiar, and yet.

The colors remained faded.

It was terrifying to realize that the more he wandered these streets, the more everything seemed fake. Like cardboard cutouts, moving only how the screenwriter dictated. As if a faraway dream that threatened to slip away from his grasp at any moment with such ease it left Obito shaken. Genjutsu didn't have this particular effect—it was constructed in a way the victim wouldn't feel it (if done correctly, of course). Genjutsu also weren't this… detailed. He could see every crack in the pavement, every passing person's expression, every movement, hear every sound, every chirp, every step—it was almost too much. But they also never felt this distant.

Obito was afraid to tighten his hold, focus more, for it seemed it would fade in a heartbeat. This horrifyingly serene dream.

His Konoha had been destroyed. Had been rebuilt. Had changed. His Konoha hadn't been his for a long time.

No matter how Obito regarded the people he had vowed to protect, he couldn't accept this place. This wasn't… This wasn't Konoha. Not his. Never was, never will be. These villagers were strangers, these streets were a maze, these sounds were foreign.

Seeing the place he had lost, abandoned, in all its illusionary glory pulled at Obito's heartstrings painfully. He didn't want to feel this detached from his hometown, however faded it might have appeared, but he just… couldn't help it. Obito's vision was glazed and he doubted even the Sharingan would have changed anything.

As much as he wished, Obito couldn't accept this place as real. Not yet. He wondered whether that would change. Or even could.

So instead, he focused on the one thing that, at this moment, held him bound to Earth.

The pair had been walking in tow for around ten minutes aimlessly in absolute silence, and Obito was beginning to mildly panic (no, he was merely concerned), since now that he was actually alone with Kakashi, he had no idea what to say. Or, rather, how to start a light conversation. He knew the best approach would be something casual, something to put Kakashi at ease, and Obito figured for that goal the most fitting demeanor for him would be something to his old (very, too much) self. But nothing seemed appropriate enough, and he was quickly running out of ideas. Konoha? No. Minato and Kushina? Not… not yet. Himself? Definitely not. Kakashi was obviously not going to speak up first, either, so that left the duo in quite a bind.

Finally, Obito couldn't take the thick atmosphere anymore and spoke the first thing that popped to his mind:

''...So how's that eye doing?''

And immediately deliberated hitting himself.

''It's... fine,'' Kakashi answered, quieter than usually, with a weak shrug. Then, he gingerly glanced at Obito, his gaze lingering on his eye-patch, though soon enough he lowered it again. ''Do you... want it back?''

Obito swore there had been a rock in his path because he did not just almost trip over nothing. That did not happen.

''I'm sorry, what?''

After receiving silence as confirmation that he hadn't misheard it, Obito stared flabbergasted at Kakashi, his feet moving automatically by this point. He wasn't sure where he had expected such a conversation to go, but definitely not where it went.

(Had Kakashi really been this damaged? Had Obito really damaged him so much?)

(That wasn't difficult to believe.)

Kakashi's expression was tense. Almost… ginger. What was he expecting?

''...You really are an idiot, aren't you,'' finally, Obito declared in astonishment. ''Why would I... It was a gift, or did you forget already?'' He moved closer and lightly punched the other's shoulder. ''You don't get to give it away, Bakashi.''

The name rolled off his tongue easily, like a long-forgotten habit. Damp, dusted, slightly too torrid, but with a sense of familiarity. One that hadn't been there before. He tried to make it sound reassuring.

That never had been his forte.

(The feeling of the strange detachment was beginning to slowly seep into his focus, but he managed to shove it away.)

Kakashi hadn't quite managed to conceal a flinch at the unexpected contact, but didn't shrink away, either. Perhaps Obito was merely seeing what he wanted, but Kakashi now appeared faintly less rigid.

''...Sorry,'' he murmured. ''I'll keep that in mind.''

''You better,'' Obito huffed in response. ''Anyway, we'll talk more about that later. I wanna know what I missed.'' A pause. The atmosphere in the village felt different. ''The war's coming to an end, isn't it? People seem more... relaxed.''

Kakashi hummed with a nod.

Goddamn you.

''Anything big happening in celebration? Maybe the Hokage is finally stepping down?'' Obito made sure he sounded joking, anything that would kick-start a conversation that didn't involve traumas, past or present.

Kakashi cast a weird look in his direction.

''Actually, he is.''

Obito appeared surprised.

''Well? Who's gonna be the next one?"

His teammate actually stared at him (somewhere above, just a bit, too much, not enough), seemingly somewhat interested to see his reaction.

''Orochimaru.''

Obito froze in his tracks.

...What?

He blinked dumbly at his companion.

Kakashi had to be kidding. He had to be, but there was no way he was. This was Kakashi, the young and troubled Kakashi. He was serious.

What?

This is wrong, this is so wrong, this is so damn wrong, what the actual—

''...How the hell did that happen?'' Finally, Obito found his voice. He didn't attempt to hide the complete aversion from his tone.

''I don't know,'' Kakashi answered with a shrug, also stopping a bit further away. Luckily, the streets during this rather late evening weren't crowded. Obito figured they'd be receiving a lot more odd glances if that wasn't the case. ''They didn't tell us why they decided on him.''

''But you… I mean, the jounin, did they already vote?'' Obito asked almost desperately, because the last thing he needed was this.

Kakashi merely nodded.

It was indeed hilarious how things here somehow kept getting worse.

''This is such bullshit,'' Obito sneered, clenching his hands. ''That bastard is nowhere near being fit to be Hokage, who in their right mind thought that'd be a good idea?''

Danzou, that's who. Not that he's in his right mind.

That failed to explain this situation, though. The man from the beginning had wanted Orochimaru to succeed the Sandaime, but it hadn't worked because he was the only one. What had happened in this place to change that?

''You probably shouldn't be so expressive,'' Kakashi mused out loud. He was right, most likely, but Obito didn't care.

''It's not my fault the world turns upside down the moment I'm gone,'' Obito grunted in response, crossing his arms.

The look in Kakashi's eye softened and he turned away. He seemed to shrink in a bit on himself, his crooked hitai-ate now completely obscuring his expression. In that moment, Kakashi appeared small and far too vulnerable. Obito cursed himself.

That had been a poor choice of words.

''It really does,'' Kakashi spoke in a murmur. Obito hadn't expected such an answer. Neither had Kakashi, apparently, judging from the sudden stiffness.

A lump formed in Obito's throat, one he couldn't quite swallow. He told himself it was too soon to touch that particular topic, much, much too soon. That, and the other one. Those were matters that had to be left for a later time, when Kakashi was at least a little more comfortable in his presence. Now Obito had to push, push, push it down.

So after a pregnant pause, he pretended nothing had happened.

''...Anyway, I seriously don't think that snake was chosen because of how great he is,'' Obito shook his head and started walking again.

''That's a dangerous thing to say,'' Kakashi warned, the softness in his voice not yet completely gone, but now a tinge a curiosity painted it. ''Why are you so against him?''

''...Let's just say I have a bad feeling,'' Obito opted to answer vaguely, staring somewhere in the distance. ''When is he gonna be inaugurated, anyway?''

''In a month, I think.''

Well then.

This whole conversation had been a mess. At least Kakashi was somewhat talking to him, though. Obito took that as a win.

This new issue certainly required most of his attention now. Not only that, it shot up to the very top. As if he didn't have enough problems fighting for first place. But this one had an actual deadline for solving it, and the steps to cracking it weren't so damn obscure, unlike all the other matters. Obito really had to write his priorities down as promptly as possible.

Preventing Orochimaru from becoming Hokage certainly made it into the top three.

Perhaps the first thing Obito had to do was figuring out how exactly had this even become an issue.

(This couldn't have just been time-travel, no, of course it had to be dimensional too, because why the hell not)

Obito hadn't been lying when he said this whole matter seemed off. He was rather certain Hiruzen had once upon a time vehemently shot down Danzou's suggestion about choosing Orochimaru for the role of the new Hokage, so this whole matter reeked of something rotten (because there was no way the snake was actually decent in this dimension, that would be ludicrous). Obito himself had a vast amount of experience in this specific area, so he would know. But again, there was simply not enough data to go on, so the first order of business regarding this issue was just that—information-gathering. Also a field Obito was quite skillful in. Afterwards, adequate actions would be required. Namely those that would uncover Orochimaru for the snake that he was.

All within a month. Manageable.

Obito had definitely been in more complicated situations.

...

The two never entered a store.

Ta ta taaam

Oh those precious bois, gah! I'm already itching to write more of them interacting, it's just so fun.

The next chapter will be... not from Obito's POV? Something different for a change, huh

Till next tiiime