Chapter 79: Settling an Old Score

Normal P.O.V.

While Sasuke and Kushina battled Madara for Naruto's mind, the fight between Kakashi and Obito raged on. As if in sync, the two former teammates threw punches, kicks, and fired off powerful jutsus. Even though both agreed to fight to the death, only one held back; not wanting to kill the man he once called his best friend. The other, not sharing the same sentiment, made sure that every attack landed would be the final blow. However, the longer their battle raged on, the more frustrated the older raven-haired feline became.

Obito thrust his hand forward, releasing sharp, wooden branches, to pierce Kakashi's chest. With his Sharingan, Kakashi dodged the attack to get close enough to land his own attack. With him being in close range for his attack, Kakashi thrust his fist forward, aiming for Obito's face. Obito's quick reflexes caught the fist without taking any damage. The two struggled against the other while glaring into the others' eyes.

"You know what really pisses me off, Kakashi?" Obito asked. When Kakashi didn't answer, he continued, "You. You're what pisses me off. First, you steal the heart of the girl I loved. Next, you basically killed her. Then, you use my Sharingan to make a name for yourself. Every time I heard your nickname: The Copycat Wolf Ninja, I would feel my blood boil. Knowing that both you and I are still alive while Rin is dead pisses me off. If you asked me, neither of us should have lived. Both of us should have died so Rin could live,"

"Obito, how many times do I have to say this: things didn't happen the way you think they did. Rin she~"

"Committed suicide by jumping in front of your Chidori after she became a Jinchūriki? Is that what you were going to say?" Obito finished while still glaring at his opponent.

"How did you know?"

"Kakashi, you're insulting me now. Don't you remember what I said? I saw the whole thing. I was there when Rin was kidnapped. I saw how you followed them to try and save her. But you were too late. She had already been turned into a Jinchūriki before you could save her. However, in an attempt to save herself, the world, and you, she used your Chidori to commit suicide. She even thanked you for trying to save her.

Kakashi, I saw her tears. I saw her fear. I saw her hope that you would save her before it was too late. But when that didn't happen, I saw her desperation. She was such a kind and gentle person. She was everything to me. She was everything to me, but I was nothing to her! Even in my "final" moments, as I laid dying under that boulder, she rejected me for you! You were all she could think about! And what did you do? Reject her! You rejected her and you were the reason she ended up dying! That is a crime I could NEVER forgive you for!"

Kakashi stood and stared at Obito, with wide eyes; not knowing what to say. After all, what could he say? For years, Kakashi went through depression and guilt at knowing he was the reason his teammates died. He wasn't strong enough to protect Obito. Obito sacrificed himself to protect Rin and him. He promised Obito, on the one good Sharingan from his former best friend, that he would protect Rin. But he wasn't even strong enough to do that. In the end, after Rin passed on, Obito ended up coming to their rescue again, and killed the people responsible for kidnapping and turning Rin into a Jinchūriki. Now that he knows the truth and gravity of their situation, it was all too much to handle. Kakashi's head spun in circles. He felt dizzy, disorientated, and lost. For them to win this war, he must kill his best friend. He must face the reality his best friend will die again, but this time it will be by his hands and for the final time.

"What's the matter, Kakashi? Do I have your tongue?" Obito smirked as his ears and tail wiggled in excitement, "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment. To finally get my revenge on you and create a world where Rin could have lived in a world of peace,"

"There can be no peace with a disturbed mind like yours," Kakashi finally spoke.

"Says the true villain of this war. Well, why don't we take our battle elsewhere? After all, I don't want anyone else interfering when I finally finish you off,"

Kakashi nodded silently. Neither of the two released their hold on their other as Obito activated his Kami attack. However, Kakashi turned his head slightly to give his students one final glace before he was pulled into another dimension, "Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, I leave the rest to you three,"

.

Both rivals fall to the ground as they appear in the other dimension. It took Obito a moment to recover, but Kakashi readied himself. As the silver wolf backflipped, he landed on the ground gracefully with his Chidori readied. Still trying to shake off the initial dizziness, Obito watched as Kakashi approached him with wide eyes. However, the attack never landed. Confused, Obito looked up at his former teammate with a smirk.

"My, my, my. You continue to insult me, Kakashi. How can you, knowing both my feelings about you and my plan for this world, still have hesitation in your heart?"

Only the sounds of Kakashi's raging Chidori and his heartbreaking filled his sensitive, drooping ears. "Obito… I don't want to fight with you. Please, let's end this. This entire battle, you've mocked Naruto for his beliefs and how much he cherishes his friends. But you failed to remember that you were once like that.

I remember a boy who was full of life, love, and determination. Just like Naruto, you dreamed of becoming Hokage and being recognized and honored. You trained harder than anyone I knew back then, even more so than Guy. You did anything you could to fight and protect those closest to you, just like Naruto. Having that lively fox as my underling always brought life back into my life.

After you and Rin died, I remembered waking up in a hospital bed, alone. My father had committed suicide, and there was no one left for me to cherish, besides our sensei. However, after his death, things spiraled for me. I wanted to die. I wanted to join all of you. I didn't want to be in this world alone anymore. But I found the strength to continue onward and do everything in my power to protect those around me. I wasn't going to let everyone's sacrifices be in vain. Unfortunately, my depression started to get the better of me again and I almost ended it. That is until Lord Third convinced me otherwise. He told me that the last remaining Uchiha, a little girl who resembled Rin, and Naruto Uzumaki: the son of our sensei and Kushina Uzumaki, were being assigned to my tutelage. It gave me something to hang on to again. This was my second shot at doing things over again. In the beginning, things were rough between the four of us. But eventually, we became more than a team. We became a family. It was as if I was looking into a mirror. Sakura was Rin, Naruto was you, Sasuke was me, and I was our sensei. Our team was alive again. You may not believe me or know this, but I really did think of you guys as my family. If I could do it all over again, I would have been the one to either be dying under that boulder, or I could have become that Jinchūriki. But I can't turn back time. The only thing that I can do is move forward. The same goes for you.

Obito, please give up this nonsense of revenge. You can come back to the village, and you can try to achieve your dreams of becoming Hokage. You can still go back to being the person you once were. Naruto will help you remember what it was like to love life. He can help save you, just like he did for me. We can help you Obito. I don't know anything else I can say to you to make you believe that I'm telling the truth, but please… at least consider it,"

Even the sounds of Kakashi's heartbreak and his Chidori were drowned out by his pleading. Kakashi knew that there was not a lot that he could do. Hell, he didn't even know if Obito heard a word he said. But if any of his words even toughed the raven-haired feline in the slightest, then he wouldn't feel so much like a failure. Unfortunately, a sinister chuckle and a sense of dread washing over him confirmed his worst fear.

"How touching of you, Kakashi Hatake. But you fail to understand something. I DO understand Naruto's mind. That is why I want to negate everything he says and does!" Obito shouted as he stood up and walked towards Kakashi with his Chidori-filled hand going through his chest. A sinister chuckle echoed in Kakashi's ears. His palms were sweaty, his knees weakened, his anxiety spiked, and his breathing labored as he stared into the evil eyes of his former best friend.

"How does it feel, Kakashi Hatake? Does this bring back memories? Memories of Rin being on the receiving end of your attack? The fear and desperation on her face as she felt your hand rip through her chest. The feelings she had knowing that you were the last person she saw; the same person who ended her life," Kakashi's eye remained wide as he listened to Obito's words. The feeling of his mind being lost, and his anxiety spiking did little to reinstall his nerves. Seeing this Obito continued, "You're pathetic, Hatake. But I suppose I'm the more pathetic one for ever thinking you were better than me," he sighed as he stepped back from his opponent, "You're also wrong by the way. To think that I would start this war over both Rin, and you are incorrect. I started this war over the heinous society that this world thinks is the law.

We were children, Kakashi. Rin, sensei, you, and me. We were just children tricked by our parents and tradition to become shinobis: children of war. From the time I could walk, my parents and the other Uchihas did everything in their power to make sure that every Uchiha child would be the best. We had to be the best. We even had to be better than each other. So, without thinking or realizing the gravity of our situations, we were tricked into believing that this was the only way to live. Don't tell me that you never thought it strange that adults praised children who wanted to participate in their fucked up system, but degraded those who didn't?

The adults used us as weapons, they transformed us into Jinchūriki, just like they did Rin. The night she and you went up against the Hidden Mist and they turned her into the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki, they planned to unleash it as soon as you both arrived back to the Hidden Leaf. Rin knew this and that's why she committed suicide. She knew that she was a weapon in this terrible plot of war caused by the adults. She understood that she had to protect her village, the same village that sent children into dangerous battles that they may not come back from. They expected this of us at such young ages. They gave praise to the naive children who entered the academy, especially the younger and stronger they were. None of the villages gave a shit about any of us. They didn't care those homes, families, lives, villages, and loved ones were torn apart. Every one of us had to make terrible decisions based on this fucked up system. None of us are no different from the other. All of us were puppets in this game called life. There is nothing in this delusional world to ever make it worth living,"

"You're not wrong…" Kakashi spoke as he dismissed his lighting attack. "In fact, I agree with everything you just said. I made this realization after that night with Rin and the Hidden Mist. After I was allowed to go home from the hospital, I returned to an empty home and just washed my hands. I remember scrubbing them until they were raw. To the naked eye, my hands were clean, but to me… I couldn't get them clean enough. I remember crying because the blood wouldn't wash off. My hands were stained with Rin's, my fathers', and your blood. I felt trapped, isolated, and insane. If it wasn't for sensei, before he died, I would have gone insane. In fact, I have no doubt that I would have become you and came up with a plan like this to destroy our society's system. However, there is one thing you are wrong about,"

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"There is one reason that makes this all worth wild. The friendships and bonds that we form. That's what makes all this worth wild. Do you remember Naruto's words from earlier? He said he would give anything to protect his comrade. Because, to him, having comrades is what gives him the strength to keep going. His comrades are the reason he pushes himself so hard. He wants to protect them. Forced to be the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki on the same day as his birth, Naruto understands the very society that you seek to destroy. However, he knows that he cannot do anything about it at this current moment. That is why he wants to be Hokage, just like you.

With him as the new Hokage, Naruto will possess the ability to change this world and its system. He will do away with children being forced to become weapons of war. No, he doesn't want to eliminate the Academy. But he does want to transform it into a place for young shinobi to hone their skills without the fear of them dying when they graduate. Someday, he hopes to have children of his own. He told me that it would tear him apart knowing that he had to bury any of them or someone else's children because of wars started by adults. It is not our children's burden to pay for our mistakes. That is why he strives to accomplish the same goals as you. You and he are no different, Obito,"

"LOOK AT ME, KAKASHI!" Obito shouted as he points to the hole in his chest for emphasis, "Tell me what you see here? Nothing. There's nothing but a hole in my chest. I don't have a heart anymore. I can no longer feel pain. This hole in my chest, which has been there since the day I almost died under that boulder, was caused by the harshness of this world. The lack of love and compassion from the war-driven adults caused me to become empty and uncaring. And as you've said, it almost did the same with you, Kakashi. However, I can change all of that. In this genjustu dimension, you can have whatever you desire. The family we once were. The happiness you used to know. You can have it here. The emptiness you once felt in your chest can be full once more," As Obito spoke, images of a younger Obito, Rin, their sensei: Minato, his father, and himself appeared; smiling as if they were back in the past. "You've suffered so much. Why not stay here and get rid of all that pain, suffering, and emptiness. There's no need to mourn when you can have all this right here. What do you say?"

Kakashi took a deep breath before pulling out a kunai and swiping at the images, making them vanish into thin air, "Those times are over. Everyone except you and I are dead. Let's not soil their memories with illusions. We should be preserving them in our memories. Rin and Minato-sensei sacrificed their lives to save our village. You can stay here and pretend by yourself. I, on the other hand, will not ruin their sacrifices with cheap imitations. Just know that no matter what you do or think, that hole in your chest will never be filled!"

"You're being naïve! The only way to achieve true happiness is by dismissing one's reality and getting rid of those painful memories of our comrades!"

"Obito, do you remember the rules from Minato-sensei? He used to say that "In the ninja world, those who break the rules are scum. However, those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum,". After our family died off, I lived by those words every day of my life. This nonsense of replacing our comrades is no different than us abandoning them!"

"How dare you call me less than scum!" Obito shouted as a genjutsu version of Kakashi and himself appeared.

The real versions watched as their genjustu versions battled it out. Across the dimension's plain, the imitations battled it out, just like the real ones would have. Sounds of weapons colliding echoed throughout the plain as the reals stood completely still and glared at the other. Finally, the two imitations came to a stop in between the reals. The imaginary Kakashi landed a blow to the imaginary Obito's chest.

"Enough of the genjutsus, Obito. This has gone on long enough," the real Kakashi said as the two imagination forms disappeared.

"Hm. It seems that there's nothing I can say to change your mind. Very well then. It seems that all I can give you is death," Obito sighed as he got ready to form some hand signs.

"And I shall do the same for you," Kakashi added as he did the same.

At the same time, with their Sharingans readied, the two former best friends, ran towards the other. Both unleashed combinations of ninjutsu attacks while dodging what they could. Kicks, punches, attacks with their elbows, and almost every part of their bodies were used in the brawl between them. After a while, Obito gained the upper hand and kicked Kakashi backward. The silver wolf rolled onto the ground until he finally stopped himself.

He grunted as launched himself off the ground when he saw Obito coming down on top of him. Obito tried to use his foot to slam into Kakashi's torso. However, the silver wolf was quick on his feet. While in the air, Kakashi unleased more kick and flip attacks. Both summoned their weapons (Kakashi a kunai and Obito a long, thin black sword from his palm). Together, they attacked the other while incorporating more kicks and flips. Obito managed to get the upper hand and kicked Kakashi away from him. To help even the odds, Kakashi summoned two more kunai.

The two ran towards the other and collided once more. Kakashi used his kunai to block every one of Obito's attacks. Getting frustrated with not being able to land a single hit, Obito charged at Kakashi harder than before. Their weapons collided again, but this time Obito had a trick up his sleeve. He let up on some of his pressure before summoning another sword from his other palm. With his two swords, Obito knocked Kakashi's kunai out of his hand.

"I'm borrowing this," he smirked as he used Kakashi's right hand to form some hand signs. When they were complete, he kicked Kakashi away from him and took a deep breath, "Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu!"

To counter this, Kakashi performed his own hand signs before slamming them onto the floor, "Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu!"

The impact and heat intensity of Obito's fireball, made most of Kakashi's Mud Wall crumble. However, by adding more chakra to his defense, Kakashi was able to withstand the attack successfully. However, it was no time for celebration. Kakashi's eyes widen when a bomb tied to a kunai appear. The blast blew Kakashi against his Mud wall. Taking this chance for attack, Obito appeared behind his opponent and readied his sword to attack. Kakashi caught the raven-haired feline off guard by emerging from the ground and grabbing both Obito's writs. Obito managed to get free and summon another sword.

"This must be the real one," Obito thought to himself as he thrust his sword forward.

But was again surprised when the Kakashi in front of him disappeared into a lightning form and the real Kakashi summoned his Lightning Blade to finish off his opponent. The raven-haired feline yelled in pain as he was electrocuted. The force of Kakashi's Lightning Blade sent Obito flying back towards the ground. Luckily, he was able to recover and used his legs to launch himself towards a determined silver wolf.

As the two approached the other, Kakashi's mind drifted towards Naruto. As their fight continued, Kakashi thought of how inspiring Naruto's resolve and strength are to everyone around him. The fact that this young fox, the same one who was ridiculed and abused for a choice and power not his own, possesses the ability to change just about anyone; an ability more powerful than any jutsu ever created. Kakashi remains in awe every time Naruto uses his words instead of his fists or power to win his battles. Naruto Uzumaki, the son of Lord Fourth Minato and Lady Kushina Uzumaki, the vessel of the all-powerful Nine-Tailed demon: Kurama, and the future Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, will, in fact, be the one to change this world.

"Naruto… everywhere you go, you and nothing short of an inspiration. In my short 31 years of life, I have not accomplished nearly half of what you have done in 16 years. I do not envy you. I revere you and will do anything to help win this war; including killing Obito!"

For his final attack, Kakashi thrust his Lighting Blade into Obito's chest, causing both to stop. While the two were still connected, Obito gasped as he threw up blood over both the ground and Kakashi's hand. Depleted and victorious, Kakashi dismissed his Lighting Blade and dropped his kunai before the two separated. As Kakashi placed his hands on his knees, Obito kneeled on the floor.

"It's over, Obito," Kakashi panted while looking through the new hole in his opponent's chest.

"You son of a bitch. I let you win this round, but the war is not over yet. I'll see you on the other side,"

And with that, Obito used his Kumai jutsu to travel back to their reality. Once his former friend was gone, Kakashi fell to his knees and panted. Although the current battle between them had been won, Kakashi still felt as if he'd lost. Ready to return as well, the silver wolf used his own Kumai juts to return home, but not without his thoughts drifting towards his deceased family.

Back in the real world, the war between everyone else raged on. Everyone was attacking the Ten-Tails and Madara when Obito and Kakashi reappeared.

"Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto called out. "Sasuke, we have to go save him,"

"Right! Go Aoda!"

"Yes, milord,"

Gamakichi and Aoda advanced forward. Sai leaped off Gamakichi's head and landed by Kakashi's limp body. After Sai grabbed Kakashi's limp body, Naruto extended his arm and grabbed them. With his strength, he pulled the two on top of Gamakichi's head.

"Kakashi-sensei, are you alright?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah… just really weak…" he answered weakly.

"Gamakichi, Sai. I'm trusting Kakashi-sensei to you. Please take him to Sakura-Chan," Naruto commanded as he jumped onto Aoda's head with Sasuke. The couple watch as the two leaves with their sensei, "Sasuke, we need to defeat Obito. He's the key to both the Ten-Tail's full recreation,"

"What do you suggest?"

Naruto smirked as he punched his left palm with his right fist, "Beat the shit out of him,"

Sasuke chuckled at Naruto's simple plan, "I expect nothing less. Aoda, advance,"

"Yes, Lord Sasuke,"

On the other side of the battlefield, Madara watched as Naruto and Sasuke advanced towards Obito with an annoying sigh, "I had hoped to fight Hashirama before becoming a Jinchūriki. Oh well, it seems that I don't really have a choice in the matter. It's time to fulfill your role, Obito,"

Madara held up his hand to activate his jutsu. Obito screamed in pain as long, thin, black rods pieced the younger feline's right arm and turned his skin black. Despite the pain, Obito managed to stand while holding his useless arm. Half of his face turned into Black Zetsu's and made it appear to be stitched together. Again, despite this, Obito managed to put his hands together to complete the ritual for awakening the Ten-Tails.

As Obito continued with the ritual, his hair turned completely white, and his mind wandered to his former team members. His younger self, along with Rina and a younger Kakashi appeared. They smiled at him before turning their backs to him and started walking away. Subconsciously, Obito reached towards them but stopped when he felt his sensei's hand on his shoulder.

"Things won't always be like this. Don't give up. You love Rin, right Obito?" the younger Obito nodded, "Then fight for her. Show her how you feel. The only thing standing in your way is you,"

"You're wrong about that, sensei. She loves Kakashi," he sighed.

"How do you know?" Minato smiled.

"What do you mean? Look at them! How could you not see that!" Obito yelled as he gestured towards them. When Minato turned in the same direction, Obito hung his arms at his sides and let his shoulders drop in defeat, "I'll never be as great as Kakashi,"

"You don't have to be. The only person you should be in competition with is yourself. Kakashi may be a strong and talented shinobi, especially for his age. However, his strengths and goals are different than yours. Kakashi isn't looking to be better than anyone else. He just wants to be stronger than he was yesterday. You should learn to do the same. That will be the only way you can become better, is by being better than you were yesterday. As for Rin, I know it's hard seeing the two of them together. I won't doubt that it does seem as if she has a crush on Kakashi instead of you. However, have you ever stopped and thought it was because she doesn't know how you feel?" Minato said as he continued to smile.

"What do you mean, sensei?"

"Obito, let me tell you a story. When I first met Kushina at the Academy, it was love at first sight for me. However, for her? Well, let's just say she wasn't fond of me at all. In fact, she called me weak and girly,"

"What?! No way! Sensei, you're like one of the strongest people I know! How could she think that about you?!" Obito gasped.

"It's because I was very passive as I child. I knew I was strong nor girly, but I never had to prove it by picking senseless fights or challenging random people. I only demonstrated my strength and skills when necessary. If anything, I wanted to avoid conflict as much as possible. Violence was never the answer for me,"

"Weird way of thinking for a strong shinobi,"

"Exactly. I was always teased and ignored because of this. However, it never bothered me because I knew my strength and worth. I didn't need anyone's validation, not even Kushina's or my parents. So, when Kushina would tease and berate me, I just let it wash over me. It didn't change the way I felt about her. I knew that she never really meant those things about me.

What she said, she said it from a place of hurt. You see, when she first came to the village, she was harassed and challenged for being an outsider, the current Nine-Tailed Beast's vessel, and her lovely red hair; all traits that I found beautifully wonderful about her. She was a strong Kunoichi, and she had to prove that every day of her life. So, I knew that she would never view me as strongly until she saw me in action. It still didn't change my ways, but I knew that I wanted to show her my strength; I just didn't know-how.

Anyway, one night I finally got my chance. You see, she had been kidnapped and I went to rescue her when no one else did. That night, I got to be her hero. She saw me in a new light and even apologized for the hurtful things she said to me. We've been together ever since. That's just our story, Obito. The one you create with Rin could possibly be completely different. But you won't know that if you give up,"

"Wow sensei. I never knew that,"

"Obito… you said you wanted to become Hokage, right?" he nodded, allowing Minato to continue, "Then continue to get stronger and don't give up on Rin until she says. You don't know what's in her heart nor does she know what's in yours. I can see from here that she cares deeply for you. To me, that's her way of waiting for you to show her how much you care about her. In the meantime, I want you to start focusing on finding your own strength. If she feels anything close to what you feel for her, she will become naturally drawn to you. This is a good lesson for you to learn and grow with. The more comfortable you are with yourself, the better you and Hokage you'll become,"

Obito turns his head from his sensei with wide eyes and a smile. No matter what he was going through, Minato-sensei always knew what to say to help him find his way, "Sensei, do you want to become Hokage?"

Minato gasped at the question before nodding his head with a smile, "Yes. I want to become Hokage to protect those I cherish, especially you three,"

"Alright then!" Obito smiled, splitting his face in two, with his fist out towards Minato, "You become the next Hokage and I'll follow you. Together, I know we can change the world for the better,"

Minato offered a brighter smile before bumping his fists with Obito's, "You got it,"

As the memory faded, Obito gasped as he felt a kunai slice through his chest. With wide eyes, he came face to face with his deceased, shocked sensei.

"Sensei…~"

"Obito… is that really you?" Minato gasped as Obito's body fell to the floor.

"Otousan * (1)!" Naruto yelled as Sasuke and he appeared.

"I thought I told you that the Flying Raijin mark never disappears, Obito," Minato said sadly.

"Is it over?" Naruto asked.

"It would seem so. All we have left to do is seal the un-reborn Madara to end this war,"

"Sounds easy enough. Alright guys, let's~"

"What makes you think that you've won, my little traitor cousin?" Obito grunted while lying on the ground.

Everyone gasped as the Ten-Tails' body started to move before escaping from Hashirama's seal. Using his Kumai Jutsu, Obito pulled his body and the Ten-Tails towards each other, along with everyone else. Thinking quickly, Naruto extended his chakra arms to save Minato and Sasuke from being drawn into them.

"What's happening?" Sasuke asked.

"It seems that Obito shook off Madara's control and weaved the signs from the beginning," Naruto answered.

Everyone watched as the Ten-Tails and Obito's body merged into a white glass-like sphere. After a few moments, the sphere began to shatter until a transformed, gray-skinned Obito emerged.

"That's… The Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki!" Naruto announced.

Obito reached up with his right hand and tore off a hard, spiked part off his face. With little effort, the piece shattered and fell to the ground. He looked down at his body before turning his attention to the battlefield below him with a smirk.

"Alright… now… let the real fun begin!"

Author's Note:

Hello, all you lovely readers. I just wanted to let you know that, for whatever reason, some of my Naruto names and spelling are not appearing in my Word Document. I tried to go back through and edit it, but it didn't seem to work. However, I managed to still spell them correctly, but I don't know why Microsoft Word isn't letting me add them back into my dictionary. So, if you found some misspellings, I apologize in advance.

Foot Notes:

Otousan- Father