A/N: I went back and corrected Itachi's age. He was four when the third war finally broke out, and I was a year off. I really wish Kishimoto made a timeline. Word count is ~6.7k.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Chapter 9 - Chasing Blindly

'… Strange.'

That was what Obito thought as he looked on at the scene before him.

He had moved into Minato and Kushina's apartment ever since he was released from the hospital, but had essentially been living on his own for the first month. Kushina had inexplicably ended up in the hospital(well, he assumed that the reason had to do with the Kyūbi, but he had yet to make certain of that fact) while Minato had started spending more and more time out of the house. Obito was still unsure of where the man went as his sudden absence had not happened last time, but the raven attributed that to his brief hysteria from a month ago. It was very well possible that Minato was trying to make sure that Obito could remain a Shinobi, as the mentally unstable were usually denied the right of becoming part of the force—it presented far too many complications and risks for the council to take that risk, especially for the black sheep of the Uchiha clan. It was also likely that Minato was doing something else, but Obito had no other idea on the matter so he had eventually shrugged it off and went on with his usual habits.

That was possibly the reason why the scene before him seemed so… Odd. It wasn't a bad sort of odd though, not in any way, shape or form. No, it was just different, something foreign to Obito, and it made him feel a mix of pity and disgust for his younger self. He was once a lonely, pathetic child indeed.

Kushina hummed happily from the other room as the sizzle and smell of food wafted into the dining room, where Obito and Minato sat, the latter with a freshly brewed cup of coffee i one hand and a newspaper article in the other. It was so domestic, so normal, so…

So very much like a family.

It left Obito with a full feeling, making him hyper aware of the emptiness he wasn't aware he had. His team was, certainly, his family, but this… Obito had never felt this. He had his team, and they were very much like siblings to them, but being here in this environment made him feel like… Like a child with his parents. He wasn't even aware that he had craved the love of a mother and father, as he had once been convinced that Rin was worth destroying everything, and that all he needed was his team in order to be happy again.

'Apparently not,' he thought quietly as he sipped at his cold glass of orange juice. The only things that he truly felt the atmosphere was missing, were… Rin. Kakashi. The rest of his team should have been there, he couldn't help but think, as they were his family.

Naruto.

He winced slightly at the thought. In a way—if he allowed his condemning thoughts to drag him into that part of his mind—he was robbing Naruto of something precious. He was taking the boy's place, this position as the "son" of the family dynamic. This thought only brought back his initial wishes, his original thoughts on the whole idea of time travel and the fact that he had come back.

The raven wasn't nearly as depressed and… Averse to the idea or situation as he once was, but it was an accepted fact in his mind that he was not the best person to travel back into the past, for multiple reasons. One, first and foremost, was his tendency to cling to the past and dwell on unimportant topics—his current train of thought being a prime example. Two, the fact that he truly didn't feel like he rightfully deserved the chance to see his loved ones again, not when he was the cause of their deaths. Especially when Naruto was possibly the most deserving individual in regards to seeing his parents, the people he never got to truly meet thanks to Obito. Three, he was not the revered child of prophecy, and plain and simple should not try to tamper with what is construed as "fate." He wasn't the little ball of sunshine, Naruto, who could even make the most corrupt of individuals turn a new leaf. … No pun intended.

His current situation coupled with his damning thoughts didn't particularly help, in all honesty. He couldn't help but feel that it was Naruto who was supposed to be here, eating with his parents, chattering away about nonsense as he came to truly know the great people that had brought him into the world—

"Obito?" The raven blinked, slightly disoriented, as he turned his attention outward, only to be met by the gazes of Minato and Kushina. He looked at his sensei, whose eyes shone expressively with curiosity and mirth. "I know I made the orange juice, but it doesn't taste that strange, does it?"

Feeling strangely antsy, the Uchiha spluttered slightly before shaking his head in firm denial. "Wha—! No, it doesn't, I was just, I mean…"

Minato laughed as a teasing grin formed on his Kushina's face. "Are you sure of that? You looked kinda constipated there, 'ttebane."

Obito groaned, feeling the unfamiliar feeling of embarrassment cause his cheeks to turn a shade darker. He could act easily as Tobi for kami's sake! Tobi!

Seemingly deciding that they had teased the boy enough, Kushina slid a plate of food over to Obito with a grin. "Alright alright, we'll stop teasing you." She sat back in her seat and huffed pridefully. "Time to eat! I put extra effort into this since it's the first time Obito's here with us, so I'm sure you'll like it!"

The raven looked down at his rather generous helping and unconsciously wiped a hand across his mouth, wary of the potential of drool being present. Toast, slathered in butter and jam, freshly cooked. Fluffy scrambled eggs sprinkled with salt and pepper, accompanied by bacon, cut sausages, and an assortment of cut fruit. It was different from what he was used to, as he had always been served sparse helpings of miso soup with rice and pickles when in the orphanage, and had ultimately become limited to simply rice when he had gotten his own home. The smell was unbelievably tantalizing, however, so with an absolute absence of trepidation, he picked up his fork and dove into the meal.

It was indeed strange, his mind decided to settle for. He had always been so at ease with the red-head and blonde, though he had never truly noticed it until now. His cheer always had a hint of being forced, contrived, whenever he was out and about, but being with his team or the two before him… He always relaxed. His words flowed more smoothly, he was far more at ease than he usually was, and he could actually have fun.

'This is what it means to have a family,' he realized, both nostalgic and surprised at his little revelation. He had always superimposed his idea of a family on his team, not entirely believing them to be one but dearly wishing that they were. It turned out that the barriers he had once constructed were unneeded after all; his family was always there.

Maybe this time around he could be a sort of brother figure to Naruto? He wasn't quite young enough to be a son to Minato and Kushina (not to mention the mental age difference) but that didn't mean that he had an absence of respect for the two, and he did see Minato as a role-model at some point—almost a father. He wouldn't be infringing on their family, and he was certain that Minato and Kushina, being orphans, would be glad for Obito to become a sort of uncle or brother to their child.

The raven smiled as he considered it. He had been thinking irrationally earlier; this family, Minato, Kushina, and their son, were some of the brightest and happiest people he knew. They wouldn't push him away, and Naruto would never think to blame Obito for half the things he was pinning on himself.

'So,' he thought quietly, as he watched Minato eat contentedly as the man listened to Kushina chatter about random topics. He couldn't help but imagine a small, orange-clad boy with sunshine golden locks sitting in-between the couple. Behind him, a disgruntled-looking Kakashi and a beaming Rin. 'A family, huh?'

Obito found, with little surprise, that he actually rather liked the idea.

Team Seven was walking on their way to the Hokage's office to report in on their most recent D-Rank completion. It was a nice day, not a cloud in the blue expanse of the sky, and the temperature was a comfortable one, accompanied by the occasional, refreshing spring breeze. All was good in the village, civilians mulled about, Shinobi stood as the ever-watchful and devoted protectors of the village, some in uniform and some out. It was peaceful and very much like Konoha.

Kakashi's lower eyelid twitched.

Yes, it was very much like Konoha, so despite the rather pleasant weather and ambience that day, he was unable to enjoy it. Well, it wasn't as if he really was the type to enjoy it anyway, but today he was especially ignorant to everything around the trio of Chūnin, and that was because his eyes were busy burning a metaphorical hole on the bridge of his teammate's nose.

For a while, now, Obito had been completely silent. During their D-Rank to re-paint the walls of an apartment, the boy's usually boisterous and non-stop-chatter disposition was nonexistent, and the team had proceeded to go through a full five hours without so much as a single word exchanged between them.

When Obito had been in the hospital, Kakashi had realized that the raven was the one who kept conversation going in their group, the one who kept things lively. After the "event" and once Obito rejoined Kakashi and Rin on D-Ranks, he had been more withdrawn, sure, but he still had some semblance of normalcy—the upbeat attitude he had before, and the manner of which he wouldn't shut up.

Kakashi didn't miss it, though. No, he was rather glad that his teammates opted instead to keep conversation sparse… At least, that is what he had thought a couple weeks ago. But when the sparse conversation took a turn for the worse, becoming complete-and-utter stifling silence, it began to unnerve him. At least Rin was still normal, and the fact that she would attempt to strike up conversation with both him and Obito was enough to attest to that. Sometimes Kakashi felt bad about ignoring her and would give a small nod or glance in her direction, but sometimes he wouldn't even notice. At some point, he had gotten so focused on the fact that Obito wasn't doing what he was supposed to do, which was, as backwards and twisted as it sounded in Kakashi's mind, to be an annoying idiot that would stop at nothing in trying to best everyone and prove himself.

But he didn't. He remained silent most of the time, broody, just like his family. Sure, Kakashi had thought that the boy was annoying before and often times made jabs at the fact that Obito was nothing like his elite family. But somehow, a silent, broody Obito? It made the silver-haired Chūnin reach levels of irritation that he hadn't thought possible before.

At some point, Kakashi had begun staring at Obito—much as he was doing right that very moment—to try and silently convey his discontent. Because, honestly, Kakashi was not the type to convey feelings through sappy words; Shinobi were supposed to look underneath the underneath, supposed to realize facts and come to conclusions based on the smallest hints. So, he continued staring, which eventually evolved into a heated death-glare, and kept this up the entire time the team walked to the Hokage's office.

Obito didn't notice.

Kakashi inwardly growled—he wouldn't express his discontent outwardly, he was a trained Shinobi and it was foolish for him to wear his heart on his sleeve like his teammate did—was supposed to do—as he studied the Uchiha. Some form of his conscience told him that he was acting foolishly, that it would be so much easier to simply ask Obito outright what was going on. It truly would be, if Kakashi were to consider the situation logically.

The fact of the matter was that Kakashi was unused to Obito behaving as he had been lately, and as such, it was throwing him off. That much he could admit to. It was supposed to be Kakashi who was the silent, brooding one, while Obito grew irate and noisy at that fact, with Rin trying to mediate whatever fight their disagreements usually devolved into. But Obito was absent lately; there were times he was there but not really there.

Kakashi's fists clenched as he finally looked away, putting unnecessary force into each step he took.

A month. A month, and still, Kakashi was no closer to finding out the truth. Wait, no, it was more than a month, and still, no answers. Truth be told, he was not a very curious individual and would've been perfectly content to ignore Obito's sudden change, if it wasn't so drastic.

However, though selfish it may be, Obito's sudden change in demeanor ruined their team's dynamic in the silver-haired boy's eyes—it ruined Kakashi's illusion of happiness and content.

… No, that wasn't quite the phrase for it. Kakashi couldn't really say he was happy, though he was content to leave things as they were. He was actually rather safe with the precarious position he had placed himself in as a member of Team Seven, and he had no wishes to change it.

What Obito's change did was make Kakashi think back to times he didn't want to remember. Not in the usual way though; he had mostly gotten over the fact that Obito had apparently tried to commit suicide, and it unearthed dangerously unstable memories for Kakashi. It was simple to bury those thoughts as the silver-haired boy had done many times before, so no longer was that a major problem.

No, the problem lied someplace else, not in his past, but in the present. Before, though Kakashi always held respect for respect for Minato, tolerated Rin, and could more or less ignore Obito to keep the peace, most of it was still a rather detached relationship that he had constructed with his team. He wasn't willing to create stronger relationships and he was fine with that; all he really needed was himself, and Minato and Kushina were… Well, he had labeled them as friendly acquaintances before.

However, Obito losing his "annoying" personality threw a wrench in that plan, and destroyed Kakashi's carefully crafted barrier to his team. He could no longer simply ignore the boy, couldn't ignore Rin, and couldn't push Minato and Kushina away. The fact of the matter was that Kakashi… cared. He actually cared about them, and that was a fact he had been trying to shut away and remain ignorant to.

Shaking his head, he shoved away his haywire emotions and thoughts for later speculation. He wasn't quite ready to confront the facts of his feelings, not when the increase of conflicts along the border indicated a potential war starting. War. War meant loss, and Kakashi wasn't quite certain he could take it if he opened his heart again, only to lose everything. Again.

Obito's changes had a logical reason to them, of that, Kakashi was certain. He simply wasn't sure what this reason was, and as much as he would prefer to continue ignoring it, he couldn't quite do that. All he could really say for certain was that this change in his teammate left him discontented, and he felt as though he were grasping for familiarity, the usual pattern and routine that he had carefully crafted in his years as a Shinobi. Obito's sudden change set off alarms in Kakashi's mind,many more than just one or two. It might've been curiosity despite his usual lack of it, though he severely doubted something so devoid of importance would affect him so. It might've been his honed senses that picked out the minute details, the fact that Obito seemed to be hiding something and that thatalone was suspicious. It might even have been a sense of worry—whether it was for his own stability, his team, or Obito himself, he wasn't quite sure—that gripped at him.

Regardless, though Kakashi wasn't innately a curious individual, there were times when he needed information. In times like these, it was a simple process to default into his "mission mode," which usually went along the lines of closing off his emotions and preparing to gain as much information as possible through any means necessary.

Immediately, his thoughts trailed to a conversation he had with the young Jōnin commander, the other day.

He had been searching for Minato, and instead, found Shikaku, and promptly greeted the man before asking him about Minato's whereabouts. The commander replied in his usual lazy drawl, saying that Minato was still researching. Kakashi, of course, inquired about what exactly it was that Minato was researching (and felt slight horror at the thought of his sensei's "research" possible being a rendition of Jiraiya's own "research"), to which Shikaku replied simply.

"He's still researching about Kaguya."

Then it clicked.

At that moment, Kakashi had remembered that "Kaguya" was the name he and Minato had forgotten, it was the name Obito shouted in the hospital.

The silver-haired Chūnin frowned slightly as his thoughts deviated from his teammate and sensei, instead settling on this new tidbit of information. Was this "Kaguya" a threat to Konoha? Obito's encounter with this person indicated that Kaguya was at least dangerous, if not a direct enemy of their village. How powerful was this individual? Unfortunately, Kakashi couldn't really judge this Kaguya's ability or power by assessing his teammate, because although Obito was considered weaker than him before, Kakashi was no longer able to read the boy. All he knew for certain was that Obito was hiding something, and it unnerved Kakashi that he couldn't read his teammate for clues, at all. He wasn't sure if what Obito was hiding was only the truth behind the event from a month ago, or if his suspicious feeling about Obito being more powerful than he let on was more than just a suspicion. Even their spar on Obito's birthday was much more than Kakashi had expected; never had the raven been able to keep up with him in a Taijutsu-only match. Heck, before, he couldn't keep up with Kakashi in anything, especially not to the point where said boy fell unconscious due to a simple spar with the raven.

With narrowed eyes, Kakashi returned his attention to the source of his inner turmoil and frustration—his teammate. There was no point in skirting around the issue any further, and it was best to confront it head on.

He was going to get his answers.

Obito knew that he had been receiving some odd looks (and glares, in Kakashi's case) throughout the entirety of the D-Rank their team had just completed. The glares and glances persisted even during their walk to the Hokage's office, and as soon as they had left after reporting in, the raven braced himself for what he knew was coming.

He knew that this precarious situation was mostly his fault, but he couldn't help it, in all honesty.

No longer was it natural for him to behave silly and happy-go-lucky unless he was purposefully trying to act as "Tobi," but even that persona was a little… much, for the boy known as Uchiha Obito. No, after his years of training and lurking in the shadows, his "default" was to remain silent and inconspicuous, hardly detectable. The fact that his mind was wandering didn't help, since, without his conscious effort to appear normal as Obito by his team's standards, he automatically reverted to his conditioned reflex—to all but merge with the shadows.

It was a grave error on his part, but in a way, he couldn't quite bring himself to care. Yes, he cared for Kakashi and Rin, but at the moment, they were safe. The suspicions of two Chūnin were nothing in the face of the possibility of Kushina's health failing due to his presence—and whatever changes he incurred on the time's stability. It was fitting, in a way; him, Uchiha Obito, possibly the only Uchiha with the exact strain of Mangekyō of his where he could control space, was now mucking through time as though shearing grass. He would have laughed outright if he wasn't currently pinned by Kakashi's irritated and suspicious gaze.

"What is going on, Obito?"

And so it begins.

The raven gave a noncommittal shrug, casually stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Whaddya mean, Kakashi? I think we've already talked about this before, there isn't anything—"

"That's bullshit and you know it," Kakashi deadpanned in a familiar manner. "You've been really different lately, always zoning out, not paying attention—though not in your usual way. You've been… Brooding. Actually, now that I think about it, you've been like this ever since whatever-the-hell it was that happened a month ago!"

Obito blinked, somewhat surprised at how many words Kakashi had just spoken.

"Obito, please," he turned to Rin, who looked uncharacteristically downtrodden. "We… We just want to help. You told us to trust you before, and now…" She looked up at him with guilt-tripping, watery eyes. "Please, trust us."

The raven looked between his two teammates, one that was strangely worried(which was completely out of character for him, leaving Obito shocked), and the other using a teary-eyed plea that should be illegal. He groaned quietly before letting out a small laugh. "… This isn't fair, you guys. Two against one? I call foul."

"It's about Kaguya, isn't it?"

Obito snapped to attention and whirled around to Kakashi, his laid back attitude dissipating immediately. The other two members of Team Seven actually flinched back slightly, not having expected Obito to react so suddenly to the name.

After a few moments, Obito could swear he saw a smile form under the mask of the silver-haired Chūnin. "So, it is."

"… Where?" Obito asked, voice low and commanding. He ignored the wide eyes of his two teammates. "Where did you hear that name?"

"Why does it matt—" Kakashi was cut off.

"Where?" Obito felt anger and frustration bubble forth. What had happened? Was the situation already out of his hands? When exactly did he start losing the bare minimum of control he had? What if—kami forbid—Kaguya actually returned to the past, with him? Maybe it would be better that way, that would mean that she wouldn't terrorize Naruto and everyone else—no. That wasn't the point. How was the pseudo god involved with all of this? She wasn't… Obito's eyes widened in horror. '… What if she's the reason for Kushina-neesan's…' It was a horrid thought. His mind thought of many, many possible theories, possible outcomes, and he didn't like a single one.

"… Obito," his head snapped to Rin, who was wide-eyed and—was that fear? "O-Obito, please. Deactivate your S-Sharingan."

As though burned, Obito flinched back, looking worriedly at his two teammates. Kakashi was tense, clearly ready to strike if anything happened, and Rin was on the defensive. He could feel the slight hum of chakra behind his eyes, making them burn. He closed them, taking a few, deep, calming breaths, and when he allowed his eyes to open once again, they were back to their onyx color. He had slipped, again. Some emotion training was in order, it seemed, if his knee-jerk reactions caused him to activate his Sharingan on a moment's notice like this.

"Sorry… Sorry about that," he stated quietly, releasing a sigh. He turned to Kakashi, a stern look in place. "Please, Kakashi, tell me where you heard that name. I need to know."

The Hatake's shoulders relaxed slightly, and he stared at Obito for a few moments, coming to a decision. "… Minato-sensei has been looking around for any info on this 'Kaguya' person that he could. I heard about it from Nara-sama."

Obito swore under his breath. "But where did Minato-sensei hear about it!?" His tone was desperate, and fully conveyed his worry—

"From you," Rin quickly replied. She flinched at the intense look the Uchiha gave her, before he schooled his features again. "… You don't remember? At the hospital, after you were taken in, you—you shouted about everything being a Genjutsu, and mentioned 'Kaguya'…"

Obito stared. Just stared.

Then, he sighed, pushing away his embarrassment and exasperation(was he that out of it at the time?) as he held a tired gaze to the expectant looks his friends shot him. "… Sorry. I can't tell you." It made him feel… Wanted, feel needed and appreciated that his teammates seemed to have such a strong amount of worry for him. He felt safe, for lack of a more descriptive word, and he actually did feel the slightest amount of guilt at the fact he couldn't tell them—not much, as the secrets he held were for them. He couldn't tell them.

Kakashi and Rin looked as though they were about to protest, but Obito held up a hand and narrowed his eyes, effectively stopping them in their tracks. "I can't tell you guys yet, but I promise that I will tell you eventually. When I'm ready to tell the truth, and when you guys are ready to hear it." He paused briefly before slinging an arm around both of them in a bit of an awkward hug. Kakashi stiffened at the act, as did Rin, before the latter relaxed into the hold. Obito closed his eyes. "I can't tell you guys, but… Just know that you guys mean a lot to me. A lot, a lot."

Rin giggled as she reciprocated the gesture, and Kakashi, surprisingly enough, awkwardly patted Obito and Rin on the back while letting out a dismissive grunt.

It was to the boy's ire, and Obito's and Rin's amusement, that his ears were tinged a red rivaling Kushina's crimson locks.

That evening as Kushina was busying herself in the kitchen making dinner, Obito decided he should inquire about exactly how much his sensei had found out. The Uchiha inwardly berated himself; certainly he had been out of sorts and panicked, but his years of training should have kicked in. Most of the time, even when in a hysterical state, it was natural for him to hold back on certain information—locations, techniques, names—and yet he had made a grievous error within the first day of him being in the past. He supposed that he might've been acting too harsh on himself, since, to be fair, he was more than convinced at the time that all of this was just an elaborate Genjutsu. The last thing he was worried about was divulging information, especially when the thought of an illusion taking the forms of past loved ones came into play. His eyes slid inconspicuously to Minato who, at the moment, was working on a new Fūinjutsu formula, completely unaware of his student's inner turmoil and steadily growing anxiety.

"… Minato-sensei," Obito finally began, causing the Jōnin to pause and look up at him with a questioning look. "I have a… A question."

The blonde gingerly placed his brush on a folded napkin before turning his attention back to Obito, a small smile in place. "What would that be, Obito?"

Obito gulped once, before turning a hard stare to his sensei. "What have you learned about Kaguya?"

If he hadn't been searching for it, he wouldn't have noticed the way Minato's smile faltered slightly, and would've missed the telling twitch of the man's hand. As it stood, the blonde kept up the now-forced smile with startling ease. He shrugged. "Not much. Why do you ask?"

'Because it's dangerous. Because you know almost nothing about what's going on. Because you shouldn't be trying to go up against a veritable God!' Obito bit his tongue, keeping his words to himself. It would give his sensei ample opportunities to point out holes in Obito's already unstable story, and he couldn't tell the truth yet. He had taken too long to reply, apparently, because Minato continued.

"Obito," he called, causing the time-traveller to look back up at the blonde. Minato's smile was gone, instead replaced by a deathly serious gaze—there was worry in those eyes, however, and the otherwise oppressive air was lessened slightly. "Please. I need to know what happened in order to help you, in order to do something about…" His voice fell below a whisper. "… About Kaguya."

Obito scowled, automatically slipping into his true age with ease. "No." He hadn't meant to let his childish mask slip so much, but evidently, he had, if Minato's widened eyes and slackened jaw were any indication.

He didn't care.

Not when it involved the potential deaths of his loved ones, no. He didn't care.

Uchiha Obito realized, however, that he was trapped. He could no longer say that what he had experienced was a dream, because Minato already suspected it to be a Genjutsu—with the revelation that he had actually shouted that name in the hospital, he realized that his "dream" story was full of even more holes than he had first thought and could no longer be his go-to—and in all honesty, he was shocked that the man hadn't simply confronted him about the issue sooner. It spoke volumes on the implicit trust Minato seemed to have in him, though misplaced it may be. Of course, Obito couldn't go ahead with the theory of his suffering being due to a Genjutsu, because then it would lead to questions on who it was that placed the Genjutsu on him (again, already suspected to be Kaguya), and why Obito hadn't seen fit to report the utmost truth to begin with. He couldn't say that he was threatened to keep it a secret, either, because that would raise unneeded alarms, and Konoha's resources were already stretched thin due to the impending threat of war.

The exact reasons for his secrecy were rather simple in all actuality, though he couldn't tell them as much because it would raise questions on how he came to know such information. While he knew that the White Zetsu spores were not yet being used as they had been in the future (he vaguely recalled Madara telling him that they were still in the experimental stage, and Obito didn't feel the grossly familiar presences anywhere in Konoha) and Black Zetsu was not yet "created," as such, would not be showing himself anytime soon. He still had Danzō and Orochimaru to worry about, however, and Obito couldn't chance over-involving his team to the point that they only hastened their deaths. Obito had to at least deal with one of the major threats before telling his team, so that the eventual damage control would be more manageable. He wasn't a god, and though his Kamui could give him veritable omnipotency, there was only so much one man could do against high-Jōnin to Kage-level Shinobi while still playing defender for his loved ones.

He inwardly sighed. After so many years of fighting on his lonesome, it was unimaginably difficult to reincorporate "teamwork" into his hardened routine, into his ingrained habits. It was easy enough to reacclimatize himself with his teammates since, well, they might as well be his family, and their current tasks were measly D-Ranks with no looming threat over their lives. C and B-Ranks, however… Once the war finally started, Obito knew that he would be in trouble.

"… I have my reasons for withholding information from all of you," he stated warily, starting to feel the pinpricks of nervousness as Minato kept a firm gaze on the raven. Obito sat back in his chair, mindlessly tapping his finger on the table before him. "And there are many, of varying importance. I will divulge the truth eventually, I just ask that you… That Team Seven trusts me."

Obito waited, shifting uncomfortably under the intense stare of his sensei as he waited for a reply. He was worried that, perhaps, his behavior and demeanor paved the road for a different thought altogether—betrayal. A spy. It wasn't something he had first considered, but considering their profession, he was surprised that that wasn't one of the first suspicions he raised. It was rare that hell was raised while suspicions remained quiet. For a few moments he was subjected to Minato's unwavering gaze, before the man finally nodded, to Obito's surprise.

"… I understand."

The Uchiha's eyes widened, and his jaw dropped. He had expected much; his sensei demanding that he tell the truth now, being asked for at least some facts, or being sent to the T&I department—the latter was one of his less-optimistic thoughts. "Y… You aren't going to inquire—"

"No." Minato shook his head. "You yourself said that you will tell us—all of us—when the time comes. As long as you do not forget those words, I see no reason to press further." He smiled slightly, leaning back into his chair. "After all, you never go back on your word. Isn't that right?"

Obito stared at the blonde, somewhat disbelievingly, before nodding with a smile. "Thanks, Minato-sensei."

"Of course," the man smiled back briefly, before his face turned deadly serious—the transition was so sudden that Obito felt his back straighten as an automatic response. "That doesn't mean that I am not worried, Obito. The only reason why I see no need to press the issue is because you don't seem quite as disturbed about the situation anymore, and… I trust you."

His gaze hardened slightly, his eyes sparking with an intensity that Obito had only ever seen on the night he battled the man as Madara. "Understand, however, that should this Kaguya show up again, I will demand answers—not just as your Jōnin sensei, but as a Jōnin of Konoha." Unbidden, the raven felt a shiver ghost up his spine. "If a threat to my village is presented, then I will expect your full cooperation."

The threat was there, Obito could feel it. Despite himself, he smiled warmly at his sensei in response—it was a certain level of pride that this man, so loyal to those he loved, and yet, so strong as to make usually-difficult decisions on the spot. Some may consider it cold-hearted and callused; Obito, someone with over thirty years of life experience, knew that what the man before him had was a quality worth only the highest grade of utmost respect. And Obito, despite being a solid eight years older, had nothing but respect and adoration for the man, the Yellow Flash, the man who would become the Yondaime Hokage. It was with some level of pride that Obito realized the truth behind his sensei's words, that Minato deemed Obito of a level of mental strength and understanding high enough to not crumble under the intensity of the threat, to be able to withstand his own ideals—to treat him as a near-equal, despite being his student.

Finally, the Uchiha nodded, his eyes reflecting his understanding and loyalty to the man before him. The man who was one of the only two that Obito would willingly sacrifice his life for if it meant their happiness.

"Of course, Minato-sensei," the raven replied easily with a growing smile. "And I trust you, too."

It was on a morning not too long after the little confrontation that Obito finally decided he had enough of waiting.

It had been a normal morning, coupled with the usual feelings of safety and happiness that accompanied breakfast with Minato and Kushina. In the midst of it all, however, Kushina collapsed to the ground, breaking out into a cold sweat and trembling. She had glanced to Minato, who only nodded once before picking her up and carefully lying her down on the couch. They exchanged a few words before he disappeared in a flash of yellow—Hiraishin, possibly to go alert the Hokage, send out a message, something.

The man had left Obito and Kushina alone, and the raven's inhibitions fled immediately. He needed to do something about this, especially when it was very well likely that this was due to his very presence.

"… Kushina-neesan," he carefully maneuvered himself so he was kneeling next to her, and she turned her head slightly, her eyes unfocused and dilated. "Kushina-neesan, what's wrong? Can you hear me?"

Kushina nodded as she gave him a shaky smile. "Yeah. I… I'm fine, Obito. Minato just had to go get some medication for—" She paused. "… For my stomach pains."

Having already confirmed that she could hear him, he pressed on. "I need you to tell me how long this has been happening." Kushina stared at him questioningly, and he placed a hand over her's. "Kushina-neesan, please. Tell me how long this has been happening for."

The red-head blinked owlishly. "Um… Almost two months, now…?"

Inwardly, Obito cursed. Two months. That was definitely around the time he had come back to the past. Shaking his head, he pushed that thought to the side, deciding that he needed more information. "Tell me the truth, Kushina-neesan. Tell me what is happening, what exactly is happening."

She tensed slightly as her smile wavered. "Like I said, it's just stomach pains, Obito. It's nothing too—"

"I know that you're the Jinchūriki of the Kyūbi," Obito divulged, ignoring the sharp intake of breath the revelation caused. His hand tightened around hers. "I might be able to do something about your health, but I need to know what is going on."

Her eyes darted to the side, and silence fell between them as Kushina dove into her thoughts. Obito waited patiently, until she turned to him with hardened eyes. "… The Kyūbi has been…" She paused before shaking her head. "… No, not the Kyūbi, but… But something is wrong. Not too long ago, I ended up in the hospital as you know—it was because I was dragged into my mind-scape."

Obito's eyes narrowed but he continued listening with rapt attention. "He was… He was injured, beaten. His chakra levels were low, and…" Kushina licked her lips, eyes drifting to her stomach. "… He was free."

The raven's eyes shot up beyond his hairline, feeling utter fear and worry that he hadn't felt in years. "… Free?"

"Yes," the red-head nodded minutely. "But he… He didn't attack. He seemed almost… Surprised? And most of all, he was strangely…" Her brow furrowed as she worried her lower lip. "… Absent of hatred."

The fear Obito felt immediately dissipated as a thought formed in his head. An idea. It was impossible, it had to be, but what else could explain this? Sadly, he had far too little information on his situation to make an accurate guess, but…

He nodded once, blinking as his eyes changed into their blood-red, and the world seemed to slow down around him. He needed answers, needed them as soon as possible, and for that, well… He had to speak to the Kyūbi himself.

Kushina gasped as she took in the Uchiha's eyes, tightening her own hand around Obito's. "It's… True…" The raven gave a small smile as she cupped his cheek, worry and sadness evident in her gaze. "Obito… What happened?"

The Uchiha shook his head. "Later, Kushina-neesan." Then, he locked his eyes with hers.

And everything went dark.

When Obito opened his eyes, he was not surprised to find himself in his 31-year-old form, standing in a dark abyss, knee-deep in still water.

At least, it was still for a moment. Almost as soon as he felt it—the malicious presence, however subdued it may've been—it suddenly erupted, waves of potent chakra whipping at him, forcing him to heighten his senses as he jumped across the surface of the water to dodge the cancerous blades. When he was a sufficient distance away, he turned to face the source, and was met by slitted pupils situated in blood-red eyes. Orange fur, matted with blood, stood out in the darkness of the abyss as a bright beacon, rage-induced chakra swirling around the beast's form like a cloak.

It was the Kyūbi.

"You," the great fox uttered lowly, eyes sparking with utmost hatred and anger. Despite being injured, he was no less an imposing force than he had been during the Fourth War, and his utter loathing for the raven was palpable—Obito could feel the beast's urge to tear into and kill him. Still, the fox did not move from his spot, instead staring down the Uchiha with a most potent glare. "You DARE show your face to me, you swine! You Uchiha scum!"

Obito nodded once. "Kyūbi." He then directed his attention to his surroundings, looking for the familiar visage of the woman whose mind-scape he was in.

"How dare you come here. How DARE you come here, with your tainted ambitions and ill-wanted goals!" The Kyūbi roared as his waves of chakra caused the water to grow turbulent, his tails ripping through the air in frantic motions. "And yet, even in death, you STILL stand in the way!?"

Obito, having confirmed that Kushina was not present and was under the light Genjutsu he had placed, turned to face the beast with a grim smile. He was met with a snarl promising utmost pain and misery.

"So…" The Uchiha began conversationally. "You came to the past too, huh?"