Dear Reader: Okay, so honestly, while this may be my most alerted and faved story out of all my stories, I'm more used to the KH section in terms of canon and writing. The words come off the page easier and I'll admit that I had to force myself to write this out in some of my free time, so much that I wrote eight different versions of this and I still wasn't satisfied with the outcome. I guess what I'm trying to say is, "I hope the end result isn't as shitastic to you as I feel like it is to me at this point, and sorry for the long update."
-AJ
PS: Monday is approaching for some of us, and/or has already attacked the rest of us. The only thing we all really know about this day is that it probably hates us, too. Have a great week. -.-'
Chapter 5: To Lose You Twice
Part 1/2
The mist thickened around the duo like a blanket, shielding them from the intruder that followed closely behind from a vantage point above. Kakashi felt suspicious that someone else was nearby, but he hadn't voiced it to Obito just yet as they vigilantly paced. The only echoes heard in the quiet were their footsteps over the damp, rocky earth, and occasionally, Obito's whining.
The Uchiha's steps weren't too far behind Kakashi's, but he sidled closer whenever thoughts of his older self potentially watching them crept into the forefront of his mind. Amidst his pessimistic pondering, his concern for Rin and Minato increased, along with a sudden self-loathing of what he might've done to each of them if he allowed time to progress…
Rin… what if…? What if I'm the reason she's dead…? And sensei… and…? He couldn't shake the thoughts.
Eventually Obito squatted, ducking his head while he gazed at what looked to be a familiar rock. It felt as if he had a sudden Déjà vu… "Geez, it feels like we've been walking in this spot forever…"
The silver-haired boy in front of him slowed his pace, glancing at the black rocks on the ground. One had a crack in it—nothing too distinguishing at first glance…. However, upon further inspection, Kakashi saw that it resembled the shape of an arachnid. He'd thought this the last seven times he'd observed the rock in passing earlier…
Correction.
Eight… he'd seen that small rock eight times, and he released an annoyed 'tch' sound once he finally comprehended this. "That's because we have been walking in this spot for a while," Kakashi stated. "Over and over again…"
"Think it's a jutsu?" Obito asked.
Of course… "Rin would've spotted this sooner," was all Kakashi voiced in reply. He appeared to be speaking more to himself than to his teammate, almost as if the idea of getting caught in a jutsu as simple as this one miffed him.
"Wonder where Rin and sensei are…" Obito's voice sounded exhausted and inattentive whenever he spoke. As he scratched his chin, he said, "I hope they're okay."
His teammate had yet to spare him a glance while he scanned the foggy terrain. "It wouldn't matter if they weren't. We'd still have to complete this mission."
Obito groaned, rising to his feet in a sudden rage. "Don't you care about anything besides completing missions?! Would you care at all if they…?!" He swallowed the saliva collecting in his mouth, too tired to argue with Kakashi over something he suspected he already knew the answer to.
It would solve nothing at this point.
Kakashi began to glance up, seeing an open area on the cliffs they had run down earlier. It's as if we haven't moved at all, even after all that running. "…On the field we don't have time to care. We're shinobi; we leave that behind in order to focus on one thing: the mission."
The Uchiha took note that Kakashi hadn't answered his question per se, but he didn't push the subject further. "…How do you think sensei and Rin died?"
"You die in the future, too," he reminded Obito, although Obito knew the truth. "But I don't know. I…" He pivoted his head to the right, peering towards the rock again. "Maybe your cousin did it…"
Both boys deliberately glanced at each other, embracing the silence.
It was Obito who spoke up first, regarding the suggestion with a nod. "Maybe…"
"And even knowing that," Kakashi said. "Even knowing that he could be reason the three of you are dead, you still feel sympathy for him? Why?"
"He's… family."
Kakashi blinked. "Stupid excuse."
Instead of getting ruffled, Obito simply shook his head. "No, it's not."
"It is."
"It's not."
"Why?"
"Because I…" Kakashi was surprised that the Uchiha's tone was even, instead of loud, defensive and defiant. Obito sounded as if he were on the verge of breaking, not standing up for something he believed in like he'd always done before. "W-we… we've known each other for a long time, Kakashi—me and my cousin. We're really close." It wasn't technically a lie.
"I've never seen him before and I think I would've at least seen him around or mentioned at this point…"
"You have seen him around. He's always around…" Again, he was telling the truth… theoretically.
Kakashi seemed a bit intrigued now as he fully turned to face him, instead of peering over his shoulder like he'd previously done. "…How long?"
Obito furrowed his brows. "Huh?"
Kakashi's eyes rose towards the dark sky before they were level with Obito's again. "How long have you known him?"
"All my life," Obito explained, shrugging in a quick, absent movement. "I…" His face twisted into one of guilt while he tried to make up an excuse for his older self, empathizing. "He knows me inside and out; he's been there for everything…." His hands curled into fists as he bowed his head. "I'm not giving up on him, Kakashi." He was shaking now, whether it was due to rage or fear, Kakashi wasn't too sure. Perhaps it was a bit of both.
"Family is hard to give up on." The statement made the Uchiha snap his head up, seeing the boy cross his arms. "Or so I've heard…"
Obito scratched the back of his neck. "Ya know… you never talk about your fam—"
"There's no need." That was the end of the topic.
Obito gave his teammate a long and hard stare before he pressed his lips in a tight line and sighed. "Why do you do that?"
Kakashi refused to look at him, opting to gaze at the endless mist. "Do what?"
Pretend like you're okay… His brows furrowed at the statement. You shut everyone out…
When their observer above saw that they had yet to move, he tilted his head. "Time shift," the older Obito said. The fog around them diminished, revealing a platform of rocks with occasional fog creeping out of several crevices and a large forest resided nearby...
Out of their sight, miles away, a recovering Obito was glancing at the aged form of Madara, who assured him that the little Uchiha would return after he rescued his friends, and that the boy would also give him the proper gratitude he deserved.
Further down the rocky terrain that the real Kakashi and Obito were standing on, a troubled Rin and Kakashi were running from their attackers, minutes away.
"Whoa, the scenery changed!" Obito mused aloud. Although he sounded impressed, his eyes were wary and darting around, taking the modification for what it was—the work of his older self. "I think he's close by now…"
Kakashi pulled out his blade. "Or maybe he never left..." They stood about four feet from each other, backs facing while Obito pulled out his kunai.
"Hear that?" Obito asked.
Kakashi agreed with a quick, "Yeah. It's not coming from the forest," he murmured. "It's coming from—"
An explosion of water erupted from underneath them, muting their surprised gasps. During the second, third and fourth rounds of spontaneous blasts, Kakashi was flung to the left of the field, his body skidding along the rocks with harsh thumps until he rolled to a stop. Obito was launched further off towards the direction of the forest, hitting his left arm against a tree so hard, his shoulder dislocated, and he collided with the earth in a grunt of intense pain.
The Uchiha grimaced when he pushed himself off the ground and sat up, reaching up to clutch the popped area as he scooted to rest his back against a tree. "Kakashi?" he called, seeing some water dripping from his spikes splatter on the ground. After another strain of breath, he sucked in his bottom lip and touched his elbow in an attempt to try to push the bone superiorly back in place. He was wincing and shedding a few tears as he did this, even going so far as voicing, "Shit-shit-shit," numerous times until he fully forced it back into the socket, and once the agonizing task was complete, he sighed and plopped on the ground, catching his breath.
"K-Kakashi," he called again. He didn't want to lose his only remaining teammate during their mission, and he could hear what sounded like clashing and occasionally profanities being thrown around. When he crawled back over to the rocky terrain, his eyes enlarged. "Kakashi! Rin!" They were surrounded by hidden mist shinobi, severely outnumbered.
Thinking they were his teammates he'd been traveling with, Obito mustered up some adrenaline and ran forward, lifting two fingers. "Fire style!" he yelled. "Fireball Jutsu!" He shot a fireball in the direction of some of their enemies with a spurt of his breath.
On the other side of the field, Kakashi was pushing himself off the ground. His clothes were a bit tattered from being scrapped against the rock earlier, and the fabric was immensely soaked from the random bursts of water—just like his hair. After hearing Obito shout, he had just enough time to glance up to see some hidden mist shinobi dodging an attack, and a very surprised version of himself and Rin gazing in shock—not from the large fireball headed their way, but from the only person they knew who used that technique…
"O-obito!" Rin called. She looked horrified, as if she'd seen a ghost, and when Obito saw that his jutsu was going to hit his comrades, his reflection matched hers. Just before the collision, the future Kakashi moved to grab Rin and push her out of harm's way, only to have Rin step back a fraction of a second before the silver-haired boy's arm could make contact with hers. It was a deliberate movement, one that could prove fatal.
The future Kakash's visible eye widened as Rin whispered a regretful apology to him, and pushed him out of harm's way within the same action. He landed with a thump to the left, and he was quick to jump to his feet after the blast had diminished. "Rin!"
He paused, relaxing his shoulders when he saw that she was safe, until he saw her rescuer. "Me…?" Is this… is this a time travel mission…? How come I don't remember it? He couldn't recall. Momentarily, he froze gazing over at the Uchiha. O-obito…? He watched his friend die… He had his Sharingan to prove it. Seeing him again, fully healed… the boy felt his eyes begin to sting.
"Two of them," one of the mist ninja said. "Must be a clone."
"A clone would've disappeared with the slightest push," another one said.
While they spoke in surprise, Rin pulled herself free from Kakashi's grip. "You should've let me die," was all she forced out. "It's the only way to protect the village."
Kakashi didn't understand. "What…?" This wasn't the Rin he knew. His Rin, his teammate wouldn't have said something so… The girl beside him looked like she knew nothing of the optimistic hopefulness that Rin always seemed to carry… And what he hadn't understood was that he had spared her from something he believed to be an attempt she performed to save his future self, when in reality…
He'd unknowingly saved her from performing a suicide attempt she'd been contemplating since becoming a jinchūriki.
"Get ready," both Kakashi's said. Once the hidden mist ninja gathered around them to prepare an assault, the three of them stood back to back, forming a trinity defensive formation.
Before the real Obito could move to help, a hand touched his left shoulder—the same shoulder that he'd previously dislocated and he'd pushed back in. It was still stinging from before. "I'd advise against helping if I were you," his older self explained, increasing the pressure on the area just to hear his whine. "It's pointless."
"Kakashi!" he heard Rin shout. She wasn't sure why there were two Kakashi's and a dead comrade on the field, but she knew it'd be the last time she'd see the three of them.
Meanwhile, Obito tried to tug himself free from the harsh grip of his older self, feeling the man bruising him with a simple touch. "Let go of me!" He grabbed the man's wrist, feeling like a helpless child when the man stood in place like a statue, focused on the battle in front of them.
Even when he pulled out his kunai and gutted the man, no blood was produced, and he didn't seem harmed. He didn't even flinch…
"What the hell are you?!"
"You can't save Rin," the man said simply. His diction was morose and frank. "She's already accepted it."
"What are—?" He yanked himself again. "You talking about?!" Obito tried to pull away once more, and in a final act of defiance, he began slicing at the man's wrists and the very hand that held him. "Damn it! Just let me go!" No blood again, he thought, waiting to see splotches of crimson. Why can't he bleed…?
Maybe this is a nightmare…
Maybe none of this is real.
"Even if you save her, she'll never truly be rescued." He'd spoken it softly, as if he were speaking an afterthought aloud. As he felt Obito stop struggling, he said, "You'd accomplish nothing except the destruction of the village if you save her now." I could intervene, but you need to witness what's happened…
Obito dropped his arms to his sides, gazing up at the man. "What do you mean?" He ignored the increasing sound of electricity in favor of asking the man, "What's wrong with Rin…?"
The man peered down at him, slowly lifting his free hand—palm up—towards the direction of another blue blast. "See for yourself."
Dark eyes darted towards his teammates to see Rin lying on the ground with her eyes closed in front of the other Kakashi, who had water spilling down his cheeks.
"R-Rin…?" Obito murmured. She was still, incredibly so… "Rin?" Obito took a step forward, only to have his older self hold him in place as a reminder not to move. Because of this, he glowered at him.
"What did you do to Rin?"
Using his free hand, the man touched his chest. "I'd never harm her."
"Bullshit."
"Is it?"
"…Is she alright?" Did she pass out? He glanced over at her again. She isn't moving.
Before he could ask his older self what happened, one of the mist ninja said, "Damn it! He did it… he really killed her!"
The words made Obito stiffen. "K-Kakashi…"
"Don't be so quick to judge," the older, wiser advised.
Obito's eyes transfixed on Rin's lifeless form. "He… killed Rin…?"
The real Kakashi was now standing a distance off in a state of horror after what he'd witnessed Rin perform during their defensive assault against the hidden mist enemies…
It all happened so fast…
He remembered flipping to avoid an aerial assault from a foe, landing in a rush, only to turn and see his future self…
But I saw her, she… she jumped right in front of him—of me… He dropped the kunai he was holding while he sank to his knees. Rin…? But why would she…?
"After all the trouble we went through to get her!" another ninja groaned in frustration.
The future Kakashi, who committed the grim act of injustice, fell to the ground as well, lowering his head. "Rin…" he whispered in shame.
Obito was shaking his head in disbelief from where he stood next to his older self. "No way…" Tears flew wildly out of his eyes as he repeated the action, voice rising. "This isn't real!" He gazed up at the man beside him. "Is this another trick?!" He grabbed the man's cloak. "Tell me this is fake!"
The man simply stared down at him.
"T-tell me this is just a mind game," Obito begged in a rather pathetic whisper. "S-say… say something, damn it!"
"…Would you like it to be real?" the older Obito asked, and his younger self heard a bit of sympathy in his tone. "Reality is only as real as you'd prefer…"
Obito's nostrils flared as he huffed. "You're not making any sense!"
"Rin doesn't want what she's seeing to be real either," he concluded. He'd sent her on the last mission Team Minato would ever have together.
"W-what is Rin seeing?" Obito asked. When the man chuckled, he shouted, "Just answer me!"
The distorted voice Obito had heard him use during the time they met Naruto in Konoha had returned as the man said, "When we died last. It's worth watching." He'd spoken it in the plainest of ways, like small talk at the dinner table.
Further off, the real Kakashi heard what sounded like wood snapping near the edge of the forest and his eyes darted in the direction of the noise. His eyebrows lifted in sudden incredulity at the alarming sight. "O-Obito…?"
The future Uchiha was wearing a dark robe to cover his form. His long dark hair was unkempt, and the entire right side of his pale skin seemed to be permanently scarred—resembling clay that hadn't been giving the proper smoothing before it dried in it's completed state. Seven white spikes were sticking out of his neck region until they slowly swirled into a mask around his face, leaving only his glowing right eye—his Sharingan—exposed.
The mask looked all too familiar, except the color…
It rivaled the same orange one their target had been wearing…
Kakashi stood, watching his other self pass out on the field before his eyes zeroed in on the man standing beside his teammate—the real Obito—near the other side of the forest. "That shape…" It's...?
Their conversation from earlier flooded his thoughts.
"W-we… we've known each other for a long time, Kakashi—me and my cousin. We're really close… You have seen him around. He's always around…"
Kakashi seemed a bit intrigued now as he fully turned to face him. "…How long?"
Obito furrowed his brows. "Huh?"
Kakashi's eyes rose towards the dark sky before they were level with Obito's again. "How long have you known him?"
"All my life," Obito explained.
"All your life," Kakashi murmured to himself. "You…" The conditions of their mission—and their very lives—had now changed. "Obito…" An agonized cry engulfed the field and Kakashi quickly glanced back over at other disoriented Uchiha.
"I should go," the older Obito said to his younger self. "See you soon." Before the little Uchiha had time to blink, the man was gone and he immediately touched his shoulder. The entire time the man had clutched him, he could feel multiple fingers, several grips holding him, and if he were to take off his shirt, he'd see the purple and black indents of many unidentified digits surrounding the throbbing area.
As he heard another scream, he snapped his head over the terrain to see what looked like… like…
Obito squinted. "What the hell…?" All he saw was a person in a black robe rushing forward and slicing through an enemy with what looked to be branches. "He's… made of a… a tree?" He shut his eyes the moment the unidentified attacker sprouted more dark limbs from his arms, piercing them into the chest of his foes. He heard screaming, that was certain, but eventually the voices died out.
Obito didn't care for them anyway; all that mattered was Rin.
Yes… Rin.
She was dead.
That's how she died, Obito thought. Kakashi killed her… not… not me? He shouldn't have felt so relieved, but he did. Another part of him seemed tremendously disturbed in knowing Kakashi would perform such an act of cruely… Then again, the same sentiments could be said for his older self. Obito thought the man to be a maniacal plague at this point.
With his eyes closed, he could see images of Rin, the things he hadn't seen when he was speaking with his future self in the mist earlier. Blood was pouring from her mouth, her brown eyes were wide from her trauma, and Kakashi's hand had gone straight through the left side of her chest.
"Kakashi," he murmured, not realizing the world around them had faded to a lush, green field with the sun beaming down on his face. "You… you killed her?"
"Obito!" Kakashi called him. He sounded enraged.
The Uchiha barely had time turn his head before Kakashi rushed him, tackling him to the ground. "You!" He gripped him by the collar, using his right hand to point his father's blade at his throat while he shook him. "It's you! You're our target!" His weapon of choice pressed further into the Uchiha's neck. "You probably knew about all of this, didn't you?! And sensei covered for you because he didn't want to kill you!"
Obito blinked, giving his teammate a 'you can't be serious' look. "Rin just died," he murmured, narrowing his eyes. "She's dead because—!" He punched the silver-haired boy right in the face, knocking the boy off him. "Because you killed her!"
"I didn't!" Kakashi argued back. "I'd never—!"
"Oh yeah?!" Obito lunged at him, but Kakashi was quicker, evading him with a pensive jump back. "Even the hidden mist ninja said they saw you!"
"That was the future me!" Kakashi reminded him, blindly charging forward. He took a quick swing at the Uchiha, missing when Obito ducked.
The older of the two managed to falcon punch the silver-haired shinobi in the stomach with all the rage he could muster. "It's still you," Obito whispered into his left ear. He never retreated, keeping his fist firmly wedged in his challenger's abdomen while Kakashi stood there in shock. After a second or two, the silver-haired boy recovered, and he lifted his blade, preparing to stab him in the back, although he sensed it would be in more ways than one.
"You're the traitor here," Kakashi spoke up with a bit of venom in his voice. "Not me."
"I haven't betrayed the village yet," Obito said.
"And I haven't murdered Rin yet," he countered.
Neither of them attacked.
Neither moved until the realization in their eyes forced them to.
They both decided to retreat, and once they were a good distance away, they plopped on the ground with their glares still intact.
Kakashi wiped some blood from his mouth, tasting the iron on his tongue. He was sure his abdomen was bruised, and what he voiced surprised him. "…Nice punch." There was a sullen calmness that washed over them now.
Although Obito was glowering ruefully, he grunted. "Thanks…" It wasn't like the younger to compliment him. He slowly brought his knees up to his chest, propping his forearms on them while he watched Kakashi prop one leg up to do the same. Both were wincing slightly from their wounds, but neither seemed to care. It was hard to feel most of their external injuries, when the deepest wound had been so emotional and critical compared all the rest.
Seeing Rin die was a deep gash that could never truly be healed, even if they were to see the real her again during their mission. The damage was done, and they were permanently scarred.
"Sensei and The Third said not to tell you and Rin…" He sniffled a little, using his forearm to wipe some mucus from his nose, but he kept his eyes trained on the grass, observing a ladybug on one of the thick blades. "They knew something like this would happen." They also said to remain calm, but I can't do that, not after that—after knowing Rin will…
I love her.
She's everything.
Kakashi nodded, processing the information while he observed the way Obito's shoulders trembled—and the way the older sucked in his bottom lip to keep his emotions at bay. "I… I didn't kill her on purpose, Obito."
Their eyes slowly met. "I keep seeing images of your arm going straight through her chest," Obito reminded. "How could you not mean that, Kakashi?" He noted how uncomfortable the younger looked while they sat, and how neither one of them had said something to belittle the other.
It was a pleasant change of pace, albeit disheartening that it came to be so because of Rin's unfortunate circumstances...
Kakashi's gaze appeared distant and he lowered his head. "I saw…"
Obito's glare faltered when he saw a single tear drip from Kakashi's face and fall to the ground. "Kakashi…? What did you see?"
"She jumped in front of him—in front of me on… on purpose…" When he lifted his head, Obito saw the horror and despair in his eyes. "She..." He was shaking his head in swift movements. "I didn't kill her."
The Uchiha's brows furrowed. "Rin wouldn't—"
"I saw her!" Kakashi snapped. "I've got no reason to lie about this..." he murmured, peering down at the grass. His voice was uneven; nothing lax about it, and Obito could see the tips of his fingers trembling slightly.
Kakashi was frightened.
"…I believe you." As Obito wiped some fallen tears from his cheeks, he saw Kakashi doing the same, and the duo sat in silence, occasionally sniffling.
"…Obito?" Kakashi whispered after a while.
"Yeah…?"
"Did your future self tell you why she did it?"
"No, but I wish he had." Obito sighed, rubbing his eyes. "It'd make knowing why easier—"
"Would it really?"
"…No," he admitted, his shoulders sinking. "I'd still feel like this."
"Same." Kakashi had so much to ask Obito now—about the left eye he saw glowing from his future self when the disfigured Obito charged the field, Rin's suicide, and more importantly, Minato's absence—but he was interrupted from asking anything of this due to a familiar voice.
"Kakashi! Obito!" Rin called.
Feeling a bit haunted, their eyes darted towards the east to see Rin running towards them in the distance over the fields.
"Rin," both boys breathed out in disbelief. They were too spooked to move, but the further she ran to them, the more they processed that she was real, and she was theirs, not from the future like the last one they'd encountered… Her eyes were red and puffy from having cried earlier with her future self, and her clothes were a bit ragged. Spots of crimson were occasionally found on the fabric of cotton, along with scrapes on her pale skin. Even the way she ran towards them was lagging and frail—as if she'd just survived an apocalyptic event—and fragments of fatigue and remorse became more prominent within her smile the closer her feet carried her…
But despite how battered she looked—how visibly shaken she appeared—she was there.
Rin—their Rin—their teammate—was alive.
That's all that mattered.
Once their brains fathomed this, both boys slowly, simultaneously stood, taking small steps towards each other during their sluggish walk to meet her with Obito on the left and Kakashi on the right. "It's really her," Obito murmured, astonished—heartbroken at knowing her fate. He couldn't tell if he were grimacing from already knowing her fate or from his wounds, but either way he felt too overwhelmed.
As they paced, Kakashi agreed with a light 'hn' sound.
"…Can you keep a secret?" Obito asked. He wiped at his eyes for any stray water, not wanting to upset Rin any further than she already looked.
Kakashi scoffed, but he was doing the same action as the Uchiha for good measure. "Better than you…" Obito appreciated the taunt, feeling slightly like his old self again—if only for a moment.
As Rin finally approached, she spread both arms, bringing them both into a hug before either of them could ask her questions. She huddled them close to her, bowing her head while she closed her eyes and felt their breaths on her ears.
Heartbeats… she thought. They were thumping as much as hers—beating erratically against her chest. Both breathing… both alive… but are they my teammates?
"Please be real," she whispered. Her voice sounded hushed and a little desperate for some of this mayhem to make sense. She couldn't lose them again, not after seeing… Obito…
Over her head, both boys met eyes once more, an understanding passing between them. Their secrets were safe, just like Rin.
Because of this, they slowly returned her warm embrace, wrapping their arms around her and they knew if they had time, they'd finish their talk later.
She feels real enough, Obito mused fearfully. He was afraid she might vanish.
Kakashi shared the same sentiments. Rin…
"We're real," Obito murmured, hearing her sniffle. She wasn't crying, but her eyes had begun to water.
Rin responded by holding them tighter. "I'm not letting any of this happen."
"Letting what happen?" Kakashi asked.
"Our future," she explained. "It's not… We can't… No one deserves to die. We can change everything once we go back, can't we…?"
"So my team's not here," Rin whispered, meeting eyes with her older self. "Then where are they? I haven't been on this mission yet…"
"I'm sure you'll be reunited with them eventually," Minato explained. She peered over at him to see him giving her a compassionate smile.
"Y-you do?"
He gave her a nod, touching her shoulder. "You said so yourself you haven't been on this mission before, so that means everyone you know is going to be all right once you find them."
Her smile began to match his own, and a warmth wash over them. "You're right..."
He removed his hand from her shoulder, using it to scratch his chin while he chuckled nervously. "Might you tell me… how you arrived here, Rin?"
She blinked in surprise, and for a brief second an image of him wearing an apron while he prepared a meal for his team made her recall that her sensei had two sides. Minato on the field was shrewd, ruthless and someone to be feared, but the Minato off the field was a loving man whose only concern was everyone else's wellbeing over his own. Those actions—that nervous, sincere chuckle, and the chin scratch reminded her of his other side… "Sensei, you don't remember?" she asked.
"Ah, no," he admitted. "Which leads me to believe that our memories might've been erased after we returned home."
Her perplexed expression matched his own. "But why…?"
Minato shook his head. "I don't know The Third's reasoning, but I trust his judgment. It's best not to dwell on things we can't change."
"Rin?" Obito called her, breaking her from her thoughts.
"On things we can't change," Rin whispered, releasing them and taking a step back. "But… what if we can change it?" She met their gazes. "What if we can change everything?"
"It's not part of the mission," Kakashi stated.
The brown haired girl was giving him an offended look as she spread her arms, trying to reason with him. "Do you…? Do you want us to die, Kakashi…?"
He closed his eyes, turning his back to them while he folded his arms. "That's not what I—"
"Then why disagree after knowing all this about us? After knowing…" She flinched at the memory. "I…"
Rin watched in horror as Kakashi desperately tried to move a bolder off the fallen Uchiha, even going so far as helping him.
"Don't…" was the simple request. "It's okay, Kakashi, Rin…"
Her future self was nearby, covering her hand over her mouth as her eyes began to sting. "O-obito!" She shut her eyes and turned her head once she saw him cough. Streaks of red trickled out of his mouth and the real Rin knelt, taking his hand.
"Obito," she whispered. This is why Hiruzen said he received a memorial…? she thought. For… She burst into tears when she felt him squeeze her hand in return. For saving me and… and Kakashi…?
"Rin," Obito called her again.
"I saw…" Rin bit her lip, eyes drifting to the grass as she sank to her knees and sighed. Obito knelt with her, watching her closely. "I saw something I never want to see again…" Her eyes were glazed over in distress and she refused to meet Obito's gaze. "And all you care about is the mission, Kakashi?"
She remembered how he easily brushed off her future self being kidnapped during Obito's final mission, and how he and Obito separated once her future self had.
"I'll go with you, Obito," Rin insisted. She was following him as he ran, keeping up as he raced through the trees. She'd never let him go this alone. This was Obito, her friend—her teammate.
Obito quickly shook his head, keeping a steady pace. "You said you haven't been on this mission yet, and things could get dangerous." Over his shoulder, he said, "Besides, sensei said you weren't allowed to help because it's not technically your mission yet." He stopped on a large branch, catching his breath while he eyed her with a wide grin. "And Rin…?"
"Yes?"
With a scratch of his head, he shrugged. "It's just that… if anything happens with both of you there... I don't wanna lose you twice, Rin," was the last thing he said before running off.
She smiled as she watched his retreating form. "You won't," she whispered to her friend, knowing he hadn't heard her. Her smile faltered as she remembered what Hiruzen said about her and Obito's deaths.
Did this mission mark the end of both of them?
"No," she whispered, rushing after Obito. She wanted to scream his name, but thought better of it, not wishing for any enemies to overhear her.
"Obito," she murmured frantically, her brows furrowing. "Don't find me." She suspected that her and Obito's future self were about to die, and her eyes began to sting. "Just let me stay kidnapped," she pleaded to herself. "Just let me die."
"Kakashi," she whispered. "How could you leave at a time like this…?" If only he knew what was about to commence. And to think that she was harboring feelings for him that she hadn't spoken… She tried her best to help, but in the end, she couldn't stop it from happening, and for that, she felt useless.
Rin flinched again when Obito called her, but she couldn't let go of the memories she now possessed—the confessions she heard.
"Rin," Kakashi told them both. "Obito loved you—that's why he gave his life to protect you..."
She took in this information with her back against the tree they were squatting on, while her future self seemed to somehow find a bit of resolve as she shouted, "Then you should know my feelings for you—"
"I tried to abandon you."
Rin closed her eyes at the memory, nodding. "Don't abandon your teammates," she wisely advised. It was difficult to get over loving someone, especially when the feelings weren't reciprocated, but Rin was now fully aware that Obito cared for her as much as she cared for Kakashi…
But unlike Rin's future self, she'd keep those feelings for the silver-haired shinobi a secret, and frankly she wished the emotions to dissipate altogether. The thought of confessing her love to him—mere seconds after Kakashi had told her about Obito's feeling—left a bitter taste of regret in her mouth. I probably thought we were both going to die… I probably thought it wouldn't matter if I told him…
It still didn't sit well with her to say what she did, but it didn't sit well with her to know that Kakashi had left them, either. "Those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as scum," she whispered, remembering the future words of wisdom. "But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum…"
Kakashi winced, refusing to respond. He knew more about the situation than Rin had and he suspected that if the mission were completed, if the older Obito were killed, then there'd be no need to change anything—because these events that he were probably only in place due to interference from the man they'd been tracking—or so he suspected. He only wanted to complete the mission now for this precise reason—in order to protect what he'd been taking for granted: Team Minato.
He just hadn't been able to explain that to Rin earlier, unsure of how. Every time he looked at her, he felt as if she were a ghostly presence.
It was Obito who came to Kakashi's defense. "Rin, I can't believe I'm saying this, but Kakashi cares, okay? He really does." He ignored the barely audible hitch of breath produced by his teammates; opting to absorb his focus on those brown eyes he cherished the most. "Kakashi cares… even when it seems like he doesn't."
Rin wondered if she'd stepped into some sort of alternate universe. "Obito…" She sensed a shift in dynamics, not only from them but herself as well. Because of it, she found herself smiling fondly at them. "Okay."
Obito blushed, forcing out a long sigh before he plopped down on his back and peered up at the sky, forgetting about his shoulder pain. "…Wonder where sensei is." He carefully wipe at a teardrop that had managed to trickle down his cheek.
Rin seated herself when she saw Kakashi slowly do the same. He looks nervous to be around me.
Silently, both teammates laid on the grass to mimic the Uchiha's position. Their heads were near his and the alignment formed a trinity while they gazed at the clouds. The breeze seemed to comfort them, if only for a while.
"…What did you see, Rin?" Obito eventually asked.
"You… died," she whispered. And you gave your eye to…
"I'll become your eye… I'll see the future for you…"
Rin blinked in a vague manner. "The Minato-sensei from the future saved Kakashi and I but he came too late to save you…" There were other details, of course, but none that she wanted to voice. She preferred to keep the conversation to a minimum for now…
"We saw you… die, too," Obito forced out, gulping. He'd worded his sentence carefully, knowing Kakashi was sharing his same thought: We saw you commit suicide. After raising both brows, he scoffed in disbelief. "How come it took watching us die to get along…?"
Kakashi's answer surprised him. "Because we didn't know how better off we were until…" You know… he finished.
Rin was still smiling, however sad it appeared. "I'm proud of you," she mused aloud. "Both of you."
Obito couldn't help but grin, albeit uncomfortably. "Thanks, Rin."
Kakashi agreed with a light hum of approval. "…I'm not letting either of you die." He knew Obito was alive, but he'd made a silent pact with the Uchiha not to inform Rin. He'd spoken the confession in a whisper, adding, "Not sensei or anyone else for that matter."
Obito lifted his hand in the air, as if he were reaching for a cloud. Once he the wind kissed his fingertips, he whispered, "I say we change it."
"And get rid of your cousin in the process," Rin added.
Kakashi closed his eyes, taking in the light breeze that engulfed them. "How are we here without sensei's teleportation jutsu…?" He suspected it had something to do with being marked.
"I don't know," Rin answered. "I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore to be honest, not after… This is a lot to take in."
"It is," Kakashi established.
Obito's smile faltered. "I just hope sensei's okay, wherever he is..." The three of them sat up simultaneously.
"We should set up camp here," Kakashi suggested.
Obito agreed with a nod, giving him a quick thumbs up. "I can't remember the last time we slept." The jutsu from before—the one that had given them Déjà vu on the cliffs—they'd been walking it for nearly two days before Kakashi had finally noticed.
Rin took their conversation in with a fatigued look, but she watched with immense joy as they sat up and began to regulate which times either of them should be look out. Sensei, she mused, moving to inspect their wounds so she could heal them. You should see them.
You'd be proud of their teamwork.
…
Replies to Guest Reviews
Guest Sept. 19, 2015: Yeah, but the Jiraiya scenes will take a while. Minato's watching Naruto and Mizuki in the cliffhanger. I tried to fit the Minato/Naruto scenes into this chapter, but the final length didn't mesh up and so I just made them both separate chapters. As far as holding back the deaths, I've always suffered from death anxiety at an extremely young age so I don't like to hold back on the topic no. Thanks for reading!
Guest Oct. 4 2015: Wow. I think this is the longest review I've ever gotten and while I appreciate you not flaming me, I do think the story could use improvement—there's always room for that. I don't know if this is coming across as pessimistic or not, but sorry if it is! I'm glad you had different emotions for different scenes, though. I like Team Minato, and the characters that make up this team are Minato, Kakashi, Obito and Rin, so she will be in this story. I'm not set on writing on a one-shot for this section, but who knows? That could change. :) I do enjoy writing about those three. I also hope that you don't expect a reply as long as yours o.O That review alone could be a portion of one of my chapters lol But thanks for reading both my fic and my profile page! And I'm so happy to hear you liked my interpretation of Naruto.
Guest Dec. 31 2015: It's updated! I don't think it's that depressing to be honest. Then again, I'm the same chick who can watch the Titanic and ask why the hell Rose didn't just switch out laying times every once and a while on the door she climbed on so that Jack could've lived? But that's just me and hey, what do I know…? Thanks for reading!
Guest Feb 28 2016: Aw, don't worry it only took me like— *looks at last update date* nearly six months to update this again (holy crap) . And you usually avoid them? Me, too lol The irony of me writing sitting down and trying to write one. Mission not accomplished so far lol And I'm so happy you like the Naruto/Minato scenes. I loved to write those scenes so thanks so much!