I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.
The Truth
Obito's his skin began to flake off leaving him as himself after a minute. He began to fall and Ryuu let his Susanoo fade, forming his wings and shooting forward, catching Obito and then laying him on the ground.
"Why would you...catch me?" Obito asked.
"You were falling," Ryuu shrugged.
Just then, Sasuke sprinted out from between the Tailed Beasts, sword drawn, but slowed to a stop, Naruto stopping beside him as they saw Ryuu standing beside him.
"Why aren't you..." Sasuke began but stopped as Kakashi appeared, driving a kunai down at Obito.
Ryuu caught his hand, stopping him and making him look up at Ryuu in confusion.
"The man we've been fighting is dead," Ryuu stated. "Your old friend Obito Uchiha is back. Right, Naruto?"
"He's not an enemy anymore," Naruto stated as Minato appeared beside Kakashi and Ryuu.
"Go and help the First Hokage with Madara," Ryuu said.
Naruto's eyes widened as he remembered that they would still need to seal Madara. Then, he nodded and he and Sasuke left.
"I think you were younger than Naruto is now," Minato said. "Do you remember all the missions we went on? As a Medical Ninja, Rin did everything in her power to protect the two of you. She would have never wanted to see a situation like this. I'm sorry I couldn't protect Rin."
"Rin..." Obito said. "Rin was my only light and hope. After I lost Rin, the world as I saw it changed. It became a pitch black hell. There's no hope in this world. I took Madara's identity and walked the world. but all it did was confirm my belief. Even with my Sharingan I couldn't see anything. There was nothing to see."
"I don't know anything for sure either," Kakashi said.
"Then...my new path is-"
"Without a doubt, your path is just one of many," Kakashi said. "And, it may not actually be wrong either. I've thought this world was hell too. I thought you were dead. Then, shortly after I lost Rin. And then Minato Sensei. But, I thought as long as I had your Sharingan and words, I could see it."
"And what you saw was Naruto?" Obito asked. "How can you be so sure his path won't fail?"
"No, he may very well fail too, of course," Kakashi said standing beside Obito.
"How is Naruto so different from me?" Obito asked. "Why do you go so far for him?"
"Because, Naruto is less likely to fail than the current you," Kakashi stated.
"Why is that?" Obito demanded.
"Because if he falls, I'll catch him," Kakashi stated. "He would never give up on his dream or on reality. That's the kind of guy he is. And the way he forges ahead draws other toward him. He makes you want to reach out when he stumbles. And the greater the support behind you, the closer you can get to your goal. That's the difference."
"Do you really believe that such a thing is possible, in this pitch black hell?" Obito asked.
"I believe you could have seen it too, if you had tried," Kakashi said. "After all, we have the same eyes. If those you trust gather around you, hope can take a physical form, and become visible. That's what I believe, Obito."
"Perhaps," Obito mumbled.
"You two go help Naruto," Ryuu said, making both look at him in confusion. "I want to talk to Obito as someone who experienced the same things as him."
Kakashi nodded and he and Minato turned and leapt to the top of the pit. Ryuu turned back to Obito, who was staring at him.
"You were right before," Ryuu said. "You and I are exactly alike. We've both killed many people. We've both experienced the same pain. And we've both seen this world as Hell. But that simply give me the right to tell you, you were wrong. As someone who went through the same thing as you, I know, you were never trying to change the world, you were trying to hide from it. You were trying to curl up in a corner and pretend Rin never died. But you can't do that. It won't change anything, and no dream will ever make the pain go away. But, that doesn't mean you have to suffer forever. I've decided that you deserve a second chance."
He held his hand out and a ball of light fell from the sky. Obito's eyes widened as he watched it fall, then it slowed to a stop, hovering just off the ground before it grew, expanding until it formed a silhouette. Then, the light faded. Obito's eyes widened. Standing before him, was Rin, exactly as she had been.
"This is...This is a Genjutsu," Obito said. "It's not possible."
"Obito," Rin said, sadness and hurt on her face, as well as sympathy.
"Why don't you cover up your Rinnegan, and take a look through the eye that's immune to Genjutsu?" Ryuu suggested.
Obito's hand slowly reached up, trembling with the effort, and covered his Rinnegan. His eyes widened.
"Rin," Obito breathed, tears welling up in his eyes and spilling over instantly. "But...how?"
"All this time you were trying to create a Genjutsu that would create an illusion of her being back," Ryuu stated. "But from the moment I awakened them, my Mangekyo Sharingan have possessed the ability to create Genjutsu that is real. Rin is technically a Genjutsu, yes. Or rather, her being brought back to life was. But she's here to stay now, because the Genjutsu cast by my Mangekyo can become reality if I so desire it to."
"Obito," Rin smiled. "I've been watching you."
Obito's face filled with shame but Rin smiled, shaking her head.
"It's alright," Rin smiled kneeling beside him.
"How?" Obito asked.
"Because now you're your old self again," Rin smiled.
"Not quite yet," Ryuu said resting a hand on Obito's head.
Obito began to shrink slowly, wounds mending themselves and his pants shrinking with him. Finally, it stopped and Obito sat up, the exact same age as he was when his body was crushed.
"I'm...I'm a child again?" Obito blinked looking up at Ryuu, who had blood running from his eyes and looked ready to pass out.
"I've given you back the life that was stolen from you," Ryuu said, eyes threatening to close. "Your right side is still Hashirama Cells because I turned you back to just after the incident."
His legs buckled but Rin and Obito caught him, both transferring him some of their chakra, stopping him from going into a coma.
"Thank you," he smiled sitting down. "That power takes an extreme toll on my body."
Obito nodded as Fu landed beside him, holding out her hand. Ryuu took it, syphoning off some of her chakra before letting go and sighing.
"Thank you," Obito smiled. "I'll never be able to repay you."
"Your chakra level is still where it was at the beginning of this battle, you're still as strong as an adult," Ryuu said. "However, when this war ends, your power will regress to where you were the day Rin died."
Obito blinked in surprise before nodding. Obito stood, turning to leave but Ryuu caught his arm. Obito turned to look back as his old Uchiha outfit from before the accident formed over his body.
"One more thing," Ryuu said, taking more chakra from Fu. "There's someone else you need to speak with."
"Who?" Obito asked, staring at his clothes, partially lost in memories.
Ryuu snapped his fingers and several white tentacles burst out of the ground, wriggling around in the air before spiraling together, forming the Zetsu that had rehabilitated the both of them.
"You?" Obito blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"After what happened with you, he felt guilty, so when he saw it repeating itself with me, he decided to try and atone for his sins," Ryuu said. "He's on our side now. Now, yours, as well."
"Hello Obito," the zetsu said.
"What are you talking about?" Obito asked. "What's repeating itself?"
"Tobi, tell him what you told me," Ryuu said, looking at the zetsu.
Tobi nodded.
"Back when I was working with you, Madara was using the other Zetsus to orchestrate Rin's kidnapping, being turned into the Three-tails Jinchuriki, and then her death," Tobi explained, Obito and Rin staring at Tobi in shock.
"It was all, planned out, by Madara?" Obito blinked.
"Yes," Tobi nodded. "The original Zetsu and I were supposed to wait until the precise time before telling you and taking you out of that room until you would arrive just as she was killed by Kakashi. After, as time went on I watched you grow darker and darker. And I felt horrible for what I had done to you. Because I really did consider you my friend. Then, the circumstances around your past repeated themselves around Ryuu almost perfectly, and I knew that you would try to draw him over to your side. So I set out doing small things to help him. I made sure that he got information that would help him in his missions, I got him things he would need, and I secretly guided him. At least, until the war. During the war, he tried using his Hashirama Cells to access the Zetsus' communications methods. I noticed him before any of the others and kept them from finding him while I told him everything. He thanked me for all I had done, and then agreed to allow me onto his side. I'm sorry Obito. But, I couldn't turn against my friend again. And I wanted to make things right. I had hoped that Naruto and Ryuu could save you."
"And they did," Obito smiled. "Thank you for telling me the truth. Now, I believe Ryuu and I have a zombie to kill."
Ryuu nodded, having just finished taking chakra from Fu for the second time, standing as she regenerated and looked up at him.
"Sorry to have to do that again," Ryuu sighed.
"Don't be," Fu smiled standing. "It won't kill me, and you need it more. I'll stay with these two. You go deal with Madara."
Ryuu nodded and looked toward the Tailed Beasts.
"Put some distance between yourselves and them," Ryuu said. "Madara will be coming after them soon. I don't know how, but I know."
Fu nodded and Ryuu flew into the air, Obito using his Sharingan to copy Ryuu's wings and followed. As they flew, Ryuu looked over at Obito and grinned.
"What?" Obito asked.
"Kakashi's going to freak," Ryuu grinned.
Obito's eyes widened and then he grinned and nodded
"Let's go see our friends," Ryuu said and Obito nodded again, smiling.
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