Obito sighed as he snapped his goggles into place, staring at his reflection - as the image of himself stared right back at him. His covered eyes betrayed the sadness and frustration he was trying to hide, despite his best attempts to bury it beneath layers of false happiness and warmth.

I haven't felt warm since that night... He thought, before grimacing and grinding his teeth together. Stop thinking about it! It's not going to happen again, it cant - it won't! I... He hunched over and slammed his eyes shut as they began to sting from the threat of hot salty tears, a burning sensation that seemed to slowly seep out from his heart - trying to escape him from the nearest available outlet.

He gasped and stood himself upright, raising his goggles to wipe the back of his hand across the moist lashes beneath. No more. Not today, not ever - it's done. It's over. This is a new day... A new day, with a new mission and a new... He paused suddenly, his eyes widening as he remember the reason he was supposed to have left early this morning.A new captain... Kakashi... He hurried to gather his things, once more snapping his goggles into place before bounding out the house without even saying goodbye to his mother. He dashed through the streets of Konoha, determinedly making his way to the meeting he should have left for long ago. He ran out into the woods and leapt into the branches, soaring into the air gracefully as he hopped from branch to branch and tried to make up for lost time.

"This is bad!" He muttered, as he dashed through the treetops. I spent too long thinking about what was... He thought to himself. He shook his head and focused on his current task of trying to push himself faster.

"I'll be dead meat at this rate!" He cursed, driving himself forward with determination and extra speed. Will I make it?He thought desperately, not looking at the next branch closely enough to see the treacherous tangle of vines waiting to ensnare him. His eyes widened as his foot fell into the unseen trap and he was launched forwards, a brief cry of shock escaping his lips before he collided with the ground. He rolled through the dirt, groaning as he finally came to a halt after just a few short feet. He took a moment to catch his breath, before turning his face upwards to meet with that of the team mate who had just placed their foot in his path.

"Did I make it?" He rasped, staring Kakashi in the eye with a desperate last shred of hope.

"No. You're late Obito." Kakashi said flatly, his cold and intense eyes boring into Obito's own. Kakashi unfolded his arms and shifted his weight as he stared down at Obito, as if contemplating whether to help him up. "When did you think we were supposed to meet up? When becoming a full-fledged ninja, following the rules is common sense right?" He continued, a mocking edge to his otherwise serious tone. Obito glanced at his sensei, who had as yet made no move to acknowledge his arrival. He looked back to Kakashi and flustered briefly, before he raised a hand and waved it back and forth in apology.

"No, you see, while coming here, I ended up having to help an old lady who had too much luggage cross the street. And something was in my eye..." He said, shifting his position so that he was sitting more comfortably and lifting his goggles - before beginning to rub his eyes in emphasis of his claim.

"Yeah, right. That's a lie, isn't it?" Kakashi accused, the amusement gone from his voice as he glared down at his team mate. Minato glanced back with one eye, checking that the two headstrong teenagers weren't seriously fighting. He looked on for a moment, quietly observing in the brief yet long pause - before smiling lightly and interrupting their usual petty squabble.

"Don't say that, Kakashi." He said, turning towards his slightly younger team. He looked at the silver haired boy, who currently had his back to him as he bent closer to his team mate. Then his gaze shifted to the young Uchiha that was seated upon the ground before him, who was determinedly keeping his gaze upon the eye-drops in his hands. "You helped the old lady, didn't you, Obito?" He asked. Obito tilted his head back and began to apply his eye-drops, successfully managing to avoid eye contact with the whole group.

"I even carried her luggage!" He said happily, ignoring the hard glare Kakashi was throwing him. He applied drops to one eye, tilting his head right back and staring straight upwards as he let the solution settle. Then he blinked a few times, before squinting his eyes shut completely.

"Sensei, you're too soft on him." Kakashi said flatly, straightening himself as he looked over at the blonde. Minato turned away, his eyes closed as a faint soft and thin smile played upon his lips. Obito tilted his head back once more to apply his drops to the other eye, trying to ignore Kakashi completely, but failing - as the silver haired boy continued. "If he keeps acting up like this around people, they'll just be in trouble, right?" He asked, glaring at Minato's back. Obito winced as he shut his eyes tight, trying to block out Kakashi's usual pre-mission speech.

"Those who break the rules and regulations are regarded as trash." He said coldly, his eyes hard as he watched Minato glance back at him once more. "Right?" He asked, causing Minato to chuckle lightly, while Obito silently began to fume. He sat on the floor and raised one hand to his eyes, using the back to rub at his right eye and using his free eye to glare up at his silver haired team mate.

"Can't you ever be nice sometimes?" He whined, closing his eyes and deliberately cutting Kakashi's blank expressionless eyes from his sight. "You're always bitching about these 'rules' and 'laws,' and its getting damn annoying!" He snapped, feeling his frustration rise. "What matters is discipline!" He said loudly and confidently. Minato discreetly watched the two teens, ready to step in should they get any further agitated with each other - though Rin beat him to it, as she stepped forward to intervene.

"Now, now. Cut it out, you two. You're on the same team, you know?" She said, trying to calm her two team mates.

"Rin, you're too soft on him." Kakashi said, barely gracing her with a backward glance over his shoulder Obito got himself up off the floor and dusted himself down as Kakashi's shoulders slumped slightly, as if he felt rather dejected all of a sudden. "Today is a very special day for me..." He said in a slightly quieter tone.

If he hadn't of launched straight into one of his rant's when I got here, I would have just apologised for being late!Obito though, lightly balling his hands into loose fists. It's not like I was deliberately late! Its just that I was... His expression turned blank, as he hurriedly cut off his thoughts.

"Y-Yeah, that's right." Rin said, blushing as she gave up on her attempts to ease the tension in the air. Obito decided to play dumb, seeing as he had already stated his reason for being late.

"Why is that again?" He asked, smirking slightly as Kakashi turned back to glare at him heatedly. He couldn't help but press Kakashi further, seeing as his feathers were already ruffled - he might as well have a little fun. His expression cleared, as Minato walked over - signalling they should begin moving out with a nod of his head in the direction of the neighbouring fields.

"Starting today, Kakashi is a Jounin, just like me." Minato said, letting Kakashi and Rin lead as he explained things to Obito - due to their arriving early, they had already heard everything anyway. Obito snapped his goggles back into place and brought up the rear of the group by following after his sensei.

"So, to make the mission more efficient, we're going to split into two teams." He continued, facing forwards the entire time. "Since Konoha's military power has reached an all time low now..."

"Split up? Then..." Obito cut in, more interested in their grouping for the moment than the actual mission. Minato glanced back at the younger, his blue eyes locking with Obito's goggle covered onyx ones. Obito held his breath, wondering if he was possibly in luck for once - and that the plans might have changed.

"Yeah, that's right..." He said, confirming Obito's thought's. Obito had to yank hard on his self-control to not release his heavy sigh of frustration and disappointment. Minato didn't notice the flash of coldness in his student's eyes and continued on with his confirmation. "With Kakashi as the captain, you'll form a three man cell, and I'll be alone." He said, turning his back on the Uchiha to face forwards once more.

"Didn't we talk about this before already, Obito?" Rin asked, turning to look around Minato so she could see Obito behind him. "Didn't you get a present for Kakashi?" She added, glaring at him slightly as though she already knew the answer. Obito silently cursed at himself, feeling awkward and uncomfortable at her probing. He averted his gaze and looked out across the fields, a frown adorning his features as he thought about the present that was still sat on his bedroom dresser.

"Sorry, I wasn't listening..." He muttered to himself, though from the glare Kakashi threw over his shoulder he was loud enough for the silver haired boy to have overheard. Minato smiled as Kakashi came to a halt, walking over to the teen and holding up a slightly odd looking weapon.

"This is from me. It's a custom made kunai. It's a little heavy, and the shape is kinda irregular, but when you get used to it, it's really easy to use." He said, carefully tossing the kunai into the air - for Kakashi to catch by the handle.

"Thanks." Kakashi said, as he caught hold of his new weapon. He didn't even have a chance to store the gift, before Rin was rummaging through her backpack to find her own gift for him.

"This is from me. Here!" She said, blushing slightly as she drew out a small object. "It's a special medicinal pack for personal use. It's been improved, so it's very easy to use." She added, smiling brightly as she offered the pack to Kakashi.

"Thank you." He said, as he took the gift from her. Obito had been watching in half interest, one eyebrow raised at Rin's obvious blushing and also at Kakashi's obvious obliviousness to it. He blinked blankly when he noticed the group had all turned to look at him expectantly. He blinked once more, when he noticed Kakashi's outstretched and expectant hand. His eyes narrowed as he noticed the thin outline of a smirk beneath the Jounin's mask.

"W-What do you want exactly?" He stammered awkwardly, before letting his frustration taint the rest of his reply. "I didn't get anything for you." He said firmly, his voice rising a little as Kakashi's hidden smirk lingered a moment longer - although it quickly vanished at his bold statement.

"Well, whatever. It's not like you'd give me anything decent anyway." Kakashi quipped, his eyes narrowing just enough for Obito to notice. Obito's hands balled themselves into light fist's once more, as he grit his teeth together and prepared for the next stinging comment. "Anything you would have bought would just become useless luggage." He said calmly, his cold eyes hard and devoid of feeling. Obito felt his control slip, as he glared at the silver haired boy.

"How the hell you ever became a Jounin, I'll never know!" He sneered, pointing at Kakashi with disgust.

"You're one to talk." Kakashi quickly replied, his small hidden smirk returning as Obito dropped his hand and hung his head. Bastard... why is he pushing this so far today? Why can't I just..?His body trembled slightly, as Obito fought for control over his thoughts and emotions. He gathered his anger and raised his head, pointing at the masked boy before him once more.

"I am Obito Uchiha of the Uchiha Clan, and one day I'm going to surpass you..." He declared, pausing to take a step closer to his team mate. "...once I awaken my Sharingan!" He said, slightly quieter now that he was marginally calmer. Kakashi stared at him for a long moment, taking in his determined stance and tone.

"The Uchiha clan's supposed to be a group of elite's, right?" He asked calmly, watching Obito's eyes flash with the first spar of true emotion since he arrived. His smirk grew slightly, as he cruelly continued. "I guess they expected too much of you when entrusting you with a title like that." He drawled, sounding almost bored as he taunted his team mate.

"What?" Obito growled, his fist shaking as he tried to restrain his temper. He narrowed his eyes at the confident smirk he could see beneath the other boys mask, taunting him further. Bastard... I may not be as brilliant as all the other Uchiha yet - but there's still time for me to shine yet! He thought, leaning closer to Kakashi as he opened his mouth to give his own snippy reply. Rin looked between the two, before jumping in the middle of them - her head snapping back and forth as she pleaded for a truce.

"Stop it, you two!" She begged, her eyes wide as she looked into the cold eyes of both Obito and Kakashi. Minato released a small unnoticed sigh as he looked on, watching the two fight over nothing for a moment longer - before deciding to bring an end to their bickering.

"Okay, can I explain the mission now?" He asked, a small frown in place as he watched his student's turn towards him. He looked away, debating the distance they had left to cover as he continued. "We're almost at the border." He said quietly. Obito and Kakashi reluctantly ceased their argument, calling a ceasefire in their squabble - temporarily at least. They grouped together around their sensei, who produced a map from his backpack and flattened it out on a rock in the middle of the field.

"Got it? It's this line." He said, pointing to the area that they were to focus on. He glanced around, a small smile gracing his lips as he watched his students study the map and absorb the information. "Right now, the Earth Country is invading the Hidden Grass village." He said, trailing his finger along the line that represented the border between the two lands. "Of course, the enemy are Hidden Rock shinobi." He added, looking up at his team.

"We have information that they have over a thousand ninja at the front line already." He explained, glancing at each of his students before looking back down at the map once more.

Think Obito, think! Show them you know what this means!Obito told himself, his gaze unfocused as he thought about the possibilities. "They're advancing a lot faster than before." He said, looking up at Kakashi. The silver haired boy nodded, completely serious now that they were focusing on the mission once more.

"The Fire Country also borders with the Hidden Grass village, so if we wait, it's going to be too late." Kakashi added, receiving a confirming nod from each team member. Rin stared at the map, seeming hesitant as she began to speak.

"Based on the way they're advancing, their backup must be pretty smooth as well, right?" She asked, looking up at Minato for confirmation. He nodded his head at her, pleased his team were able to co-operate so well despite their differences.

"Well, our mission this time is here: Kannabi Bridge." He said, leaning down to point at a bridge which had been distinguished as the weakest point of defence. "In order to strike back at the enemy, we need a lot of man power. To be able to do this, we, the select few ninja, are going to sabotage them." He explained, tapping the bridge's location on the map for emphasis as he briefly looked at each of his students.

"The bridge..?" Kakashi muttered, understanding the situation but sounding confused for a moment. He looked over at Minato before he continued, sounding more confident in his theory. "So, this is a sneaking mission?" He asked, his sharp yet cold eyes focused on the blonde. Minato looked at each of them in turn, before nodding his head in confirmation. Obito felt his stomach flutter, at the excitement and fear he felt building within himself.

"Yes. Team Kakashi, your mission is to infiltrate the enemy's back line, then to blow up the bridge they're using for supplies before withdrawing." Minato explained, his gaze firm as he locked eyes with each of them. Obito stared into the elder man's crystal blue orbs, before he had to turn away - feeling uneasy as a familiar sensation swept through his body.

"Yes sir!" Kakashi and Rin confirmed, while Obito answered with a slightly disgruntled, "Right!"

What is this feeling...? Obito thought to himself, as his fingers discreetly clenched themselves into the fabric of his trousers. He looked over at their sensei once more. "What about you, Sensei?" He asked, trying to sway his uneasiness by finding out as much as possible about the mission. He held his breath as Minato's bright eyes flickered over to him and locked with his own onyx orbs.

"I'll engage the enemy's front lines, in order to divert them away from you guys." He said, pausing briefly before turning to look at Kakashi. Obito released his breath in a low and long sigh, which went unnoticed by the rest of the group. "well, this is Kakashi-kun's first mission as a captain, so we'll go together towards the border, but once we're there, we'll split up and begin our mission." Minato said, turning to face Rin as he held his hand out into the centre of their small circle.

Obito gulped as he extended his own hand, reaching forward to place his own hand over Minato's. His finger's brushed against the blonde's, before brushing with Kakashi's own - as the silver haired boy placed his hand over his own. Obito looked from Minato to Kakashi, feeling a warmth he had felt only once before rush through his fingers from the brief connection. Rin's hand rested upon the top of them all, as they confirmed their orders.

"Yes, sir!" They said. Rin was the first to let go, immediately going to pick up her backpack and prepare for their departure. The other three all dropped their hands at once, following her example and going to collect their own things so they could set off. Obito remained where he was for a moment, before walking over to his things and beginning to check his equipment - though all he really did was move his hands, as his mind was thinking on other things. He jumped when a quiet voice made it's way to his ears.

"You seem distracted..." He turned his head slightly, seeing a familiar person organizing their equipment as if they hadn't just spoken. "Are you okay?" They asked. Obito averted his eyes, continuing to ready himself for their departure.

"I'm fine Kakashi." He said, deliberately keeping his voice just as quiet as the other boys.

"Are you sure? I didn't mean to upset you, you know I didn't mean it..." Kakashi said, a barely noticeable trace of regret in his tone as he continued to act as if he weren't talking to the Uchiha. Obito discreetly inclined his head, knowing Kakashi would understand the gesture to be a nod of confirmation and would not press the issue further. "Good... I would hate to have hurt you." Obito ignored the comment, though he did flash his captain a brief hint of a smile - enough to convey that he heard the other boys words at least.

"You know..." Kakashi muttered, placing his hand on Obito's shoulder and leaning closer as if to ask for his opinion on something. "You can always make what we do later tonight your gift to me..." Obito felt his throat constrict, the urge to laugh and cry at once almost overwhelming him. He glanced back, a small twitch pulling on corner of his lips upwards.

"I wouldn't want that to be labelled as useless luggage though, captain Kakashi sir..." He said, watching as Kakashi pulled away slightly. "But... I guess it can be a present... if you like..." He added, before looking down at his belt and adjusting it slightly. He felt Kakashi's grip on his shoulder tighten briefly, before he removed it completely and walked around him.

"I'll hold you to that..." He said, as he headed over to Rin and began to help her quickly sort through her medical supplies. Obito watched them for a moment, before his eyes trailed over to their blonde sensei. The man was watching him closely, his sharp blue eyes having obviously picked up on the quiet exchange. Obito swallowed hard, his mouth going dry as he felt his heart beat more forcefully in his chest. He watched as Minato turned away, gathering the last of his things up from the floor and then glancing back at him a final time before he headed over to help Rin and Kakashi. Obito hung his head and closed his eyes, hiding the sadness and frustration momentarily as he tried to get a grip on himself.

"Obito." His head snapped up at the sound of his team calling his name, his eyes flicking over to the group. "You ready?" They asked. He nodded and headed over, once more bringing up the rear as they set of towards the border.

What is this..? Why is it so confusing..? Why do I feel so... He forced his thoughts away, locking away the memory - of a night that he had been told to forget. But he would not. He would not abandon the memory of feeling the heat that had passed between them, when he had drunkenly kissed Minato Namikaze... and some day, he would make the man admit that he had not only enjoyed, but returned it.

A/N:~ Wow. I am in love... I am pleased to present - the first Minato x Obito, I know that's not necessarily saying much because if people wanted it then there would be some by now - but I think it is awesome!

I have tried so hard to get info about Minato's age... but it's just not happening - the best I can gather is that Obito is 13, Kakashi is 13 and therefore Minato is near his OWN death as Naruto is 13 in the first ever season, while Kakashi is 26 and therefore it must work out about that sort of time...

OK - enough crazy from me... I really hope you like this, personally I love it! I would really like to see it continued! A lot of this involves fine detail work, but i want to inject enough little bits in, that I can totally change the actual storyline from here...

I am really really really keen to hear your thoughts on this, should I keep going? should I just not go there? please let me know... I am soooo excited about hearing your replies! Please review, this is really important to me... please - please review!

My love to you all x