Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 4: Marred by the Past

"Die!"

Naruto smirk fell off his face when he saw the incoming Chidori (Lightning Release: One Thousand Birds) being moments away from spearing him in the chest. Not wanting to experience the lightning jutsu a second time, Naruto immediately leaned back fast enough so that the hand encased in lightning was just inches away from electrifying his face.

Letting himself fully fall to the ground, he used both hands to support himself on the dirt and performed a double mule kick to send his future sensei into the air. He was about to jump into the air to perform Sasuke's variant of the Omote Renge (Front Locus) - the Shishi Rendan (Lion's Barrage).

But before he was able to do so, something yellow flashed in his way and gripped his shoulder tightly. It was then he saw the serious face of the shinobi who would be the legendary Fourth Hokage of Konoha armed with steel blue eyes and a prominent frown.

"Kakashi..." Minato yelled at the silver-haired figure who was falling back down being accompanied with two Minato clones suppressing Kakashi's limbs, "what the hell are you doing?"

Landing back onto the earth, Kakashi let out a dog-like snarl at Naruto who looked just as confused as Rin was. He said angrily, "I don't care if our new teammate happens to be another Uchiha but he shouldn't replace him by being called Obito."

"Huh?" Minato muttered confusedly, a statement that was internally echoed by the two other members of Team Minato.

Kakashi took a couple of deep breaths and within seconds erased all visible emotions just like Itachi. Then, he spoke with a whisper that was clearly heard by all. "Sensei, you said a week ago that the dobe survived and was going to be back on team."

"Indeed, he's right here. With us." Minato patted Naruto's shoulder for emphasis. Naruto tilted his head at his father in agreement.

"No… he is not him." Kakashi glared at Naruto with such hatred that reminded him of one other person. "Remember Sensei, I can sense chakra. Although his chakra is similar to the dobe's, his chakra feels very different." Then his gaze moved to Minato, "Unless you can explain why his chakra is so different?"

"That's classified." Minato snapped back as he remembered the orders from his Kage. No one knows a lot about the mysteries of the Mangekyo Sharingan considering how rare the advanced form of the dojutsu was unlocked and the Uchiha clan are very hush hush about it. Hokage-sama said that if what Obito said was true - unlocking the Mangekyo Sharingan changed his chakra - he didn't want the knowledge to get out to other villages to know that it was possible for an individual to change their chakra signature. Because if they did, they could learn some secrets on how to manipulate their signature to be just like any Konoha shinobi and easily infiltrate Konoha. And Obito-kun would be a prime target for any village for experimentation.

He let out an internal sigh as he could already visualize how many issues would pop up within the next couple of years because of Obito's reappearance. And not just outside the village too. A part of his mind whispered to him how much headaches the Uchiha Clan was going to kindly provide him in the near future.

"Then can you explain why he acts so different?" Kakashi said bitterly as he continued his questioning.

"Kakashi! Everyone would act different after being buried under a rock slide alive! And Obito was lucky enough to survive and be with us today."

"No! This person is NOT Obito! Obito is...he is...a freakin dobe. He is shorter. He definitely wears goggles. Definitely does not read scrolls in his free time. Wears stupidly bright orange and not a silent hawk on the tree. And does Obito does NOT come early for crying out loud!" The not-really-future-cyclops screamed to his teacher while his eyebrows were twitching in a rather sporadic manner.

"He IS Obito." Minato replied sagely as he rubbed his forehead in distress. He didn't really see the problem with Obito having a different chakra signature. Maybe Obito's supposed death hurted Kakashi more than I thought?

"No he is not Obito!" Kakashi barked.

"Yes he is!" Minato countered.

"No he is not."

While Minato and Kakashi was arguing about the identity of the Obito that was slowly evolving to a no holds barred fighting match, Naruto let out a small flinch when he realized why Kakashi reacted the way he did.

The textbook definition of chakra was that it combined both physical and spiritual energies. Considering that this Kakashi is a sensor who probably remembered all the little intricacies of Obito's chakra signature, feeling Obito's new chakra that also had my chakra mixed in made him feel like I am a very different person. It doesn't help that I don't like a love sick puppy to Rin. But still, he should have more faith in his teammates! But most importantly, did sensei ever say he was a sensor? Did he not tell me, or is this a deviation in the timeline? More questions to answer...

He let out a growl when the Obito part of him cried in sadness. The one person who Obito acknowledged as a friend and rival displayed his open hatred of him. Another part of him whispered that Kakashi was going to hate him just like…

Destroying that train of thought, Naruto used a shunshin to quickly leave the training ground quickly with a semi-determined gaze. So how am I supposed to blend in with Team Minato. Damn it! I need to integrate back into the team so I can find Madara. Now I can't even look for the damn guy when Sensei will be suspicious of me!

Flashes of dying friends blurred in Naruto's mind before settling on one image. He remembered every detail of the moment that would put the Sharingan to shame.

A man with crimson Sharingan eyes staring at him with his face inches away from his own, while his mouth was dripping vast amounts of blood. As the tomoe in the Sharingan slowly rotated one more time, Naruto could only remember how the man's mouth moved to form a word but no sound came out. Live. His mind supplied to him.

Naruto always dreamed how his friend's final words could have sounded, if Madara didn't destroy Sasuke's vocal cords with a Senpo: Inton: Raiha (Sage Art: Yin Release: Lightning Dispatch) aimed at the neck.

It was a dream that haunted Naruto most days since the take-down of Madara.

Naruto vowed that he would kill Madara in this time period to stop all the misery and destruction the older Uchiha's machinations had and will cause. And he would make sure his new Sharingan would remember every detail of it.

Unknown to Naruto, his black eyes quickly evolved into their Mangekyou form as if the eyes themselves agreed to this vow. But what would have been more concerning if a bystander saw Naruto was the hint of madness that lurked in those crimson eyes.

~ o ~ X ~ o ~ X ~ o ~ X ~ o ~ X ~

When Rin received news from Minato-sensei that her teammate, Obito, somehow survived and was now safely in Konoha, she was absolutely thrilled. And a little anxious when she was going to meet up with Obito.

Like the rest of Team Minato, she despaired that one of the few people she was close with had passed on to the next world in a horrible manner. But unlike the rest of the team, she believed that it was her being kidnapped directly led to Obito's death.

She was helpless against the Iwa shinobi who kidnapped her and forced Kakashi and Obito to abandon the mission to save her. Although she was proud that her medic-nin lessons prevented her from giving out any crucial information during the genjutsu integration, she still felt weak and very much a burden on the team.

After the failed mission, Rin retreated into the hospital where she would continue her long time job of healing patients. However, her sanctuary of stability crumbled when she could not properly diagnose a patient's condition without seeing Obito's dead body. In the end, her boss forced her to take a week off to recover.

It didn't help one bit.

Some days would end in nightmares that would illustrate Obito screaming in pain under rocks while bleeding everywhere while others would show a bloodied Obito staring at her angrily as he mouthed the words "traitor". Although she did go to see a psychologist in hopes the pain would fade, her life felt absolutely miserable. With no Minato or Kakashi for help (since they were also dealing with their own guilt), Rin was left suffering on her own with a massive posttraumatic stress disorder.

After Minato announced Obito's return one day, Rin ran around Konoha as fast as she could to find Obito. But to her disappointment, the cute boy was nowhere to be found. She wanted to say so many things to him: to apologize for being weak, to thank him for all the support he gave her, to say that she couldn't accept his feelings so he could find another to love, and much much more. It was a catharsis of emotions that made Rin try day after day to find Obito whenever she had time so she could just say something to him. But she never did. It was like as if sensei's words were a dream and Obito never survived the rock slide. Only the reassuring of the elderly folks who Obito helped recently continued to convince her that she was just unlucky and missed him.

When the team finally got back together, everything that was on the tip of her tongue evaporated like air. She could only stare blankly at the handsome figure that was Obito Uchiha. The piercing coal black eyes paired with a familiar Uchiha smirk. The angular chin and wavy black hair with some strands of white mixed in. The fashionable battle kimono that hugged every contour of his body while he walked towards them like a cat prowling on a hunt. Only one thought ran through Rin's mind as she was completely stunned by the new Obito. Oh my god! Obito became a hunk! Kaaaaaaaa!

It was until her sensei, Minato, started yelling which broke her attempt to "overly" analyze all of the changes Obito had made within the month, that she saw Kakashi glaring at Obito. What was supposed to be a happy reunion evolved into a shouting match between sensei and Kakashi while Obito was becoming increasingly alienated.

When Obito disappeared, Rin also left without the knowledge of the two other males. She was determined to make her amends known and then she would find a way to become stronger. A lot stronger. Only then, will Team Minato will be back together. Like a happy family once again…

It's such a shame that a simple plan will be broken beyond repair whenever an unpredictable individual such as Naruto gets involved in the equation.

~ o ~ X ~ o ~ X ~ o ~ X ~ o ~ X ~

Appearing at his home, he looked through the window to see Tsunami happily preparing tonight's dinner while whistling a catchy tune. When he was about to open the red door to grab a bite to snack on, images of his dying bloodied friends invaded his mind. Unconsciously activating the red dojutsu, his grip on the door handle was getting tighter. He felt agony flow through his veins as the images continued to run rampant in his mind with pictures of bodies of children being buried, villages burning, and great leaders beheaded in front of hundreds. Ignorant of the now destroyed door handle, emotions flashed through Naruto's eyes before landing on regret.

Haku… you said that I can only be strong if I have precious people. Yet I failed. I'm still weak. If you were with me now...would you frown at me for agreeing with Madara? I think...I think the more I'm living with the sins of the past. Everyday, I-I slowly believe Madara was right. I-

"Uchiha-sama." A voice broke out of his thoughts that originated behind him.

Naruto quickly turned around to see a stoic clan member of his new clan. Quickly destroying any trace of emotion on his face, he raised an eyebrow visible for the man to see.

"Kagami-sama wishes to see you immediately."

Naruto quickly glanced back to his house to see Tsunami stopped chopping the daikon to questionly look at him. Quickly giving a reassuring smile and wave, he received a bashful smile in return before continuing to dice the vegetable. Turning his head to look at the distant family member, he nodded his head in agreement like any Uchiha.

Communication between the two individuals was wordless since both were fluent in the Uchiha language. With a couple of grunts, hns, and facial movements, Naruto agreed to allow the man to escort him through the lively Uchiha district to a familiar house for a meeting with the Clan Head.

As the man opened the wooden entrance for Naruto to enter, Naruto could only remember the words Madara said to him when he mockingly stepped on the dead body of his best friend.

"You ask why I am willing to do this stupid idea of creating a false reality when you are already blinded by the reality before you. How ignorant. This world is full of things that don't go as you wish boy. The longer you live, the more you destroy that childhood naivety Uzumaki. You might be an adult under the law when you adorn that headband but you are still blinded by your illusions. You aren't a real shinobi; you are merely a child playing as a shinobi. Open your eyes! Realize that reality is made upon the emotions of pain, suffering, and emptiness. Only then you will realize how much the world has taken from you...and how powerless you are to stop it. That is why Hashirama failed. He was still blinded by the illusions of reality all the way till his death and thus could not bring peace. Instead, he brought more war when the world needed less."

When he entered the courtyard, Naruto saw a stoic four year old Itachi Uchiha stare back at him with the single tomoe Sharingan eyes.

"Only an Uchiha blessed with the Sharingan can break through this illusion and see reality for what it really is. It doesn't matter what age or how strong the Uchiha must be. This is what the Sage of Six Paths gifted to us. Not eyes that allows us to understand jutsu at a fundamental level or allows us to easily utilize genjutsu with a single glance. But rather eyes to see how the world truly is. But while few are blessed with these gifts, only the very few individuals who embrace this reality unlocks the Mangekyo Sharingan and gives them the chance to change it for the better. Amaterasu. Tsukuyomi. Susanoo. Kamui. Kotoamatsukami. Izanami. Izanagi. These are the powers that the Sage has given us in hopes that we can finish his work and establish peace across the Elemental Nations. We are the Sage's instruments. The Uchiha. Not the Senju. Not the Uzumaki. And definitely not the Hyuga. We are the chosen ones granted this noble power at a price. If we sacrifice our vision, we allow the rest of the world to see our vision triumph over reality. This is why I carry out the Infinite Tsukuyomi. To ensure no one can ever suffer like my Otouto."

Naruto simply stared back stoically with his own tri-tomoe.

Itachi turned off his Sharingan and let a small smile come to his face. "Hi nii-san!". He quickly ran towards Naruto and hugged him. "I'm glad your back. Kaa-san said that you wouldn't come back for a long time. But now, you're here! Can you please teach me a new fire jutsu?"

"Maybe later." Naruto said as he also turned off his own dojutsu. Following Obito's memories, he patted the once feared Uchiha Itachi on the head. Itachi pouted like a chipmunk at his request being denied while Naruto thought it made the boy look cute. Then he just realized he called a future S-ranked ninja cute. I think I may need to see a psychologist soon. Seriously, to think I would say cute and Itachi in the same sentence. Though, I'm glad I am not saying YOUTH every 30 seconds or so...

"Itachi, let Obito-kun talk to your Jiji. Get in here and help me set up the table!" A feminine voice from the house called out.

"Okay kaa-san!" Itachi hugged Naruto tightly one more time before dashing to the house - allowing Naruto to continue his reflection as he slowly followed Itachi.

And now the Sage himself has given me the chance to create peace. Maybe Madara was right in the end, it would be impossible to create a world without pain. He may be a bastard, but he was always a great philosopher at heart. But the question is...is it worth it anymore? If someone like the great Hashirama failed to bring peace...then how can I do it without the world becoming a lie? Second chances don't mean anything if I also fail.

No...let's take baby steps first before I start jumping through trees. I need to protect Konoha first. Then I can have children who won't suffer like I did in my childhood if I stop the Fourth and Fifth Shinobi War from breaking out. And staying with Team Minato won't help my goal either. Maybe I should just screw up the whole timeline since my presence has already done a great job of doing it with Inari. If Shika was here, he would know what to do…