They finished the project the next day, the first two done. Kakashi did not seem surprised, nor did he seem to be done with Obito.

"If you are so smart, why do you not try?"

Obito was startled out of his dark thoughts by this question posed to him by the silver-haired boy beside him.

"I..., It is not that I do not try," Obito began, "It is more, the teachers and all of my classmates see me as a lost cause, so while I get high grades, nothing is made of it. My grades are not the highest, but they are high, but they're not low, they're almost in the middle but I do not get C's, low A's, high B's, sometimes middle A's. Especially in English, even if it is grudgefully given."

Kakashi listened intently, his dark eyes seldom leaving Obito's.
"Strange...," was all he said, turning his attention elsewhere.

Obito drifted back into his thoughts, thinking of the monster in his bag, the notebook on his desk, the pencil just out of reach, the knife in his pocket, the games back in his room, the way Kakashi studied him, the way his listened.
Unconciously, he had grabbed and was tightly gripping the pencil. Something, Kakashi didn't fail to notice, nor did he miss the way Obito's eyes slid to his bag and beneath the desk. He wondered, but he did not voice it, intent upon watching instead.

Obito wanted and knew he wanted, but he did not know what to do. It would be a simple thing. Just a trip to the bathroom. Between classes... Simple... Just a small thing. That's all. Nothing of import. He sat, thinking about it through the rest of the period. There was only one class left.
Dimly, he heard the bell ring. He mechanically put his things away and shouldered his bag, his feet making his decision for him, taking him to the bathroom. It was empty. He had already reached into his pocket, his hand closing over the small pocket knife stashed there. Staring at it but not really seeing it, he flicked it open, pushed up his sleeve just a little. He pressed the cold metal to the warmth of his wrist, relishing in the sensation, the cut was unfelt, the blade so sharp, but the blood that welled spoke for itself. And then there was someone in the room with him, they smacked the knife away from his wrist, he was clenching it tightly.
Words were yelled but he heard naught, a peaceful smile upon his face. He felt the cold water being run over his cut, the slightly gentle way whomever had burst in wiped the blood from his arm. Slowly, he came back to himself, utterly shocked to see it was Kakashi. He was glaring at him.

"Huh?"

"What do you think you're doing?!" Kakashi all but yelled, his face strangely close to Obito's own.

Obito fumbled for words that wouldn't sound as if he were mad. Spluttering as Kakashi eventually waved his nonsensical words away.
"We can get to that later. Now, can you get through the rest of the school day?" he had taken Obito by the shoulders, gently.

Obito nodded.
"Good, wait for me after your last class. We have some things to do and discuss."

Numbly, he realized he had plans with Kakashi after school, then he realized what Kakashi had seen, what he had done. He knew these things, but none of them really registered. His mind was..., blank. The pain, the pent up everything had finally bee released with that cut. He felt..., not good but it wasn't bad either. It was..., peaceful, in a way.

He went to class, sitting there silently, mechanically doing the assignment, then leaving, just barely remembering his locker and having to wait for Kakashi.
As he waited, he absently began writing a new poem.

'Deep red,
Light red,
A faint line of remembrance.
It's all the same.
What was
And cannot be taken back.
Release in the moment,
Regret in the future...
Always the same, but always gone back to.
The darker the red,
the healthier one is,
however, if one is so healthy...,
Why is a cut or a multitude of them necessary?
Why does one want to see that red?
Why can one not stop oneself?
When everything goes red...,
Where is the escape?'

He hadn't heard him approach, but Kakashi had read over Obito's shoulder, he kept his face emotionless however.
"Come with me," Kakashi told the goggled boy, taking him to his house, a slightly long, silent walk.

Kakashi led Obito to his room, which was neat with little in it.
The silver haired boy returned with two bottles of water, handing one to Obito who still had not said a word.

"Why am I here?"

"Because. What little I have learned of you, I do not understand your earlier actions. I do not like things I do not understand. And..., you could be my rival, I do not have many I could claim that of."

"Those don't seem like very good reasons," Obito responded dully.

"They are good enough!" Kakashi snapped, fixing the black-haired boy with a cold stare.
Said boy took hardly any notice however, staring at a space upon the floor without really even seeing it.

"Tell me why."

"Isn't it obvious?" Obito laughed weakly.

"Maybe..., but I would like to hear you say it."

"Death. That is why. It is my desire. To cut, to bleed, to die," Obito responded, his eyes finally rising to meet Kakashi's fierce stare, though his eyes were blurred by tears unshed.

Kakashi softened on the inside, but none of it showed outwardly.
"To die, you would have to cut much deeper and vertically rather than horizontally."

"Don't you think I know that?! If I were permitted to die, I would have by now!" Obito snapped, some of his fire, some of his rage, back if only for the moment.

"What... do you mean?"

"For some reason, no matter what I try..., I always wake up, perhaps sick, perhaps paler, but always I wake," Obito intoned, staring off at the wall to the right.

"Then why bother trying? Why not live as if the next day could be your last?"

"Isn't it obvious? Because I cannot! I will not be permitted to die, even if it is not by my own hand! I do not desire life! Death is what I seek! It has been for years! But no! I am never given what I seek while countless thousands who wish life are granted death instead!" Obito growled, close to shouting and the tears closer to falling.

Both boys were silent for a time.

"For whatever reason, Obito Uchiha, I am drawn to you, therefore, I will do my best to keep you here until I understand what this is."

Obito's eyes widened. He thought he knew, it was rumored Kakashi had no friends, and never had. Maybe, maybe it was true? And he'd never experienced friendship, either side. But if he'd never had friendship, he'd never had more. As Obito attempted to process this, Kakashi had gone on speaking.

Minutues passed before Obito realized Kakashi was waiting for his response.
"Wh-what?"

"You should go home unless you plan on sleeping in that spot."

Obito's cheeks colored and he hastily muttered that he would go and he all but ran to his own house. So many thoughts were running through his mind, he was surprised when he laid down that he fell asleep in minutes.