And I Struggle
Once he finished with teleporting Madara's shield away, Gai was able to execute his attack and soon enough, they'd beaten the old Uchiha and they began the work of ensuring he stayed dead. It was rough, merciless work; but it would be worth the stains. Leaving the corpse behind, Kakashi and Gai turn around just in time to see Obito, along with Sakura and Naruto, reappear.
"Kakashi!" Sakura cried.
Sighing, the gray-haired man curved his eye. "It's alright." He told her. "Everything's over."
Tears welled and she laughed. "Good," she said "I'm glad."
Kakashi began to chuckle, just as elated as his student to see that this threat, one threat to their village was finally gone. However, his heart was suddenly pierced through by a sharp feeling and he fell to his knees, interestingly, he was not the only one.
"Kakashi! Obito!" Minato-sensei yelled as the world began to blur around the edges. Clawing at his neck, Kakashi wheezed painfully as a dull ache began behind his eye. Had he finally done it? Had he pushed his reserves over the edge? Would he be dead once and for all? Would Kakashi-would he finally join his teacher and friends in the afterlife?
A strong, feminine hand gently tugged loose the grip he had on his throat. "Hold on Kakashi-sensei," Sakura soothed; "I can fix this..." her voice wavered and Kakashi wondered if she believed her words. He didn't (or at least he didn't want to).
Not unlike the first time he died, Kakashi awoke in a darkness that was illuminated by a single fire-like light. Across the flames, he saw Obito; but it was not the Obito he'd seen just moments before. No, he looked whole and hale-the Obito he could have been if he'd lived. Staring more intently at the other ninja, Kakashi was jarred from his assumption when he saw that dark-haired man only had one eye.
A slow grin rose up on his face. "Finally surprised you, huh?"
"You've surprised me a lot lately," Kakashi quipped. Instantly regretting it when he saw the way his old teammate winced. "Sorry," he murmured.
Obito laughed. "You're apologizing! Wow! I never thought I'd see the day!" Letting the pokes wash over him, the jonin marveled at how much the man before him felt like the boy he once knew.
"I'm pretty sure I apologized for getting you crushed by a boulder as well," Kakashi muttered.
The shinobi averted his gaze. "So," he coughed; "This place?"
"It's the middle ground between death and life," Kakashi answered.
He gained himself a skeptical eye. "How do you even know that? I thought I was the one who almost died." Obito remarked.
The gray-haired man shrugged flippantly. "Oh I came pretty close lately as well-actually in a similar situation too." Curving his eye up into a smile, he continued; "I used up all my chakra like this time too."
His falling into a waiting hand, Obito smirked. "You'd think you'd be a master of that sharingan by now-not mastered by it."
"Mah Obito, I'm not an Uchiha-just a genius;" he replied smugly.
A soft smile eclipsed his old teammates face. "Same old Kakashi," he sighed. "A jerk."
"That's me," Kakashi agreed.
The other ninja laughed. "So, did the sharingan give you a lot of trouble; once I got to thinking about it, I realized it might have been better to leave you half-blind."
Popping up his forehead-protector, Kakashi let his dual gaze bore into Obito. "It wasn't easy and I struggled-struggle-but I'm learning and adapting and I think I can say I wield it just as well as some of those Uchiha used to."
"Smug aren't you?" Obito snickered. "I had wanted to come back to you guys, you know, but Madara..." he trailed off and with a wistful look, he implored "What do you think it would have been like if that boulder hadn't crushed me?"
Kakashi's speculated on this for years. He's considered how it would have affected their team, Rin's kidnapping, Minato-sensei's appointment to Hokage, their teacher and his wife's death, the way Naruto was raised-all of it. But in all his years, he's also come to realize he can't dwell on the "could have beens" it would drive him mad.
"Different," he answered; "Maybe better, maybe worse, but I've learned what's done is done and you can only improve."
The dark-haired shinobi exhaled, eye a little sad even as he smiled. "You're right," he agreed. "When you go back-"
"You're coming with."
The other man shook his head. "No," he told Kakashi, "I'm not." Scowling, Obito said "What's waiting for me there? Execution, Kakashi, all the things I've done-they aren't excusable. Ever. Period."
It hurt to know Obito wouldn't return with him. To know that he was finally the only survivor of his team. Yet he knew it was for the best. The jonin nodded and exhaled. "I know," he concurred. "I just wish..."
"Listen," the other ninja called gently. "Just because I'm gone doesn't mean I'm not watching." He pointed to his empty eye-socket. "I don't have this, do I?" Once Kakashi shook his head, Obito went on "As long as you have my eye, I'll stay with you; forever at your side-watching your back."
It's a heart-felt sentiment the jonin could never hope to mimic-he hasn't the passion-but he did his best to give Obito his gratitude. "Thank you;" he whispered.
"Obito."
The men startle and look to see their old teacher smiling at them.
"It's time to go," Minato told him.
"Right sensei," the now older man agreed.
(And as a light beamed into the darkness, calling Kakashi home, he swore in the shadows he saw not the Obito of now, but the Obito of his youth trotting beside his old teacher into the next plane).
He woke up with tears spilling from both eyes. "Goodbye Obito," he murmured.
"Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura sobbed; her body collapsing over him as she hugged him close. "Don't die again, okay?" She pleaded.
Wrapping an aching arm around her, Kakashi smiled beneath his mask and despite his own sadness. "I won't," he relented. "I'll stay here with you for a while longer."
"C'mon Sakura, we need to start packing up to head back to Konoha;" It his tiredness, Kakashi didn't know who was speaking; but it wouldn't matter. Soon enough, he felt himself fall back into the darkness of unconscious and knew no more.
The next time he returned to the world of the living, he was alone and in a hospital bed. Sitting up, he took stock of how painful it was and how much it would hinder him in his escape. Coming to the conclusion that it isn't too awful, Kakashi swung his feet over his bed and went to escape when-
"You're up, I see."
Head swiveling around, he bobbed his head in acknowledgement. "Tsunade."
"You died there for a bit."
Kakashi shrugged. "Mah, it's nothing new."
The blond woman frowned. "Another time and you'll be gone for good;" she asserted.
"I'm good at proving people wrong," Kakashi reminded her.
She tosses a file his way, catching it, his eyes scan over with a keenness only know to genius's. "Did you just come up with these numbers?" He inquired.
"Try last week you brat!" She snapped; "You've been out nearly two!" Stocking over, she taps on the paper punctuating them with a severe hiss; "The numbers don't lie Kakashi! If not death, you'll never be a ninja again!"
Kakashi frowned. "I get it," he grumbled. "No more dying."
"Use the sharingan again," she growled; "I dare you."
He lifted his gaze and stared the blond down. "I have to," he insisted; "It's the only way I'll improve as a ninja."
"I want to remove it."
"No."
The Hokage threw her arms up. "It's going to kill you Kakashi!"
"So be it," he replied stonily. "I promised Obito he'd see the world with it and I don't plan to go back on my promise."
The woman appeared at a loss. "Please," she begged. "This suicidal mission won't accomplish anything."
"It's not a death wish," he mumbled; turning his head to the window, he notes the blueness of the sky. A perfect day to watch clouds...a perfect day to train. "I've always beaten the odds, proved everyone wrong; why can't I do it this time to?"
He heard her approach; he felt her put a hand on his shoulder. "Everyone's luck runs out sometime Kakashi," she whispered. With that said, she left.
He didn't stick around much longer.
It's several weeks later, fully recuperated, Kakashi left his apartment for the first time. Walking down the street, he expected to go straight to the training ground and get himself back on track, but as he passes a fruit vendor; a woman bumped into him.
"Oh-" He steadied her and looking down, he realized it was Kurenai and her daughter.
He blinked, the baby from her mother's arms, gazed unrepentant up at him. "Kurenai."
She smiled. "Finally up, are you?" she teased; "I heard that you almost died on your last mission."
Kakashi shrugged. "Yeah, that's right." It's not like it matters anymore.
The dark-haired woman was silent for a moment. "I also heard that Obito died as well," she whispered as they began to walk down the street.
The jonin swallowed past the lump. "It's nothing new, I've been living with his death for years."
Tickling her baby's cheek to gain a burble, Kurenai doesn't speak right away. "It doesn't mean you don't miss him-he was your teammate."
"Yeah," Kakashi agreed. Looking to change subjects, he inquired "So how's your's and Asuma's kid doing?"
"Why don't you find out?" She questioned with a smirk, before Kakashi knew how to stop it; the baby was dropped into his arms. Holding her heavy weight, he was made to stare into the tiny face of a future ninja. "Is it worth it?" He murmured.
"Is what worth it?"
"Having something you know could be your downfall."
Kurenai leaned in closely, finger slipping into the hand of her daughter. "Of course," she said; "It's worth it if it means I get to have a little piece of him-even if it might not be forever."
"Thanks," Kakashi whispered as he gently put her baby back in her arms. "Thanks for talking with me."
Seemingly perplexed, the woman nodded and smiled. "See you later Kakashi," she called.
"See ya," he echoed.
Hurrying for the training fields, Kakashi came to his decision. The sharingan would stay. He would not rid himself of it to be safer. To live longer. No, what mattered was that Obito was with him-always at his side watching his back just like he had promised in the in between.
Smiling up at the sky, Kakashi remarked; "Aren't you lucky I ran into Kurenai today? Or I might have actually gone through with making an appointment-if not tried to take it out myself."
No one answered him back, but Kakashi liked to think the beam of sunlight that glared in his face with a passing cloud was Obito letting him know he approved.
So, obviously I don't know how the latest bit of Naruto is going to end-though, I do believe Minato will end up dead again and Obito will finally die. But that's the end of this fic! What do you guys think? Are you thinking an epilogue is the way to go?
Also, don't forget to vote on my poll for my next story idea! If I do write a epilogue, the poll will close upon its posting.
To reviewers, The Goliath Beetle, Prescripto13, Crazyanimefan, Tdbanks316, Sleepykittyqq, Harvestangel99, YamiB1999, TheInkBender, Corvus corax alba, VampireDoll666, and Sonea Storm Shadow; thanks so much guys! You all rock :) And to my fourteen followers and favoriters, I appreciate it!
Thanks for reading everyone and pretty please review!
P.S. in the downtime between this chapter and my next fic (or the epilogue if you guys agree to it) you can check out my Avatar: Last Airbender fic, Rift, a short Zuko-centric piece.