a/n: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone! I promised something as a gift for everyone, and according to the poll I put up, majority wanted me to write a new Naruto fic, so here we are! It's dimension travel, as I told you. I had fun writing it, hope you enjoy!

Kakashi wakes to claustrophobia, compressed under a heavy mass that pushes too hard and jagged on the whole of his body. Never has Kakashi been so grateful for his mask, as it does a decent job filtering dust and debris from the sliver of fresh air that slips through the fabric.

Still his lungs ache for breath.

His entire frame shudders in an inadvertent attempt to break free. Sluggish arms shove blindly outward until, at last, they greet the view of clear blue sky.

When he rises, he's like a corpse dug free from the ground, rubble crumbled around the sides of him, while dirt and grime coat his entire being.

Kakashi hacks for a few moments, to clear his dry mouth and regulate his breathing. Then he systematically categorises his injuries, referencing them with the last thing he remembers.

The injuries match up perfectly – or rather, he should say, almost perfectly. It technically falls short because he should actually be dead.

At the cost of his own life, he'd given Akimichi Chouji a chance to relay his findings to those still opposing Pain. That final kamui he'd used had drained the last of his chakra reserves until he'd exhausted his own life force along with it – meaning he shouldn't be conscious at all.

And yet, here he is.

Kakashi climbs out from his coffin of rubble, joints cracking with his movements. He stretches his sore limbs, mentally notes his weapons on hand, and then lets his eyes scan over the terrain.

He's in the middle of a rocky plain. It's … definitely not Konoha. It's not even the barren lands of Konoha razed to the ground, because the surrounding scents are all wrong. Konoha smells of trees and ash and the distant taste of salty seas as the breeze carries over the scent of the sulfuric shore. There's something metallic and dusty here instead, and the sea isn't close enough to contribute a trace.

Kakashi sighs, ruffles pebbles out of his hair, and fixes his headband. Then, after judging the levels of his reserves, bites into his thumb.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu."

In a swirl of chakra, Pakkun appears. There are commands on the tip of Kakashi's tongue, but the moment he notes Pakkun's behaviour, his mouth snaps instantly shut.

Pakkun is on high alert. He's in a low stance, hackles raised and looking so ready to attack. His eyes are sharp, instead of the droopy, lackadaisical stare he shares with Kakashi on lazy days, gaze roving heavily over Kakashi's figure.

There's no recognition, or perhaps there is, but masked by animosity and offense.

Kakashi calms his breathing and forces aside his impulse to react.

Pakkun's lips curl back to show teeth. A low rumbled builds from the back of his throat. Aggression.

Cautiously, Kakashi lowers himself, hands slack by his sides. "Pakkun," he says tersely.

The pug's dark eyes snap to his own. Kakashi tries not to think about why Pakkun is reacting the way he is – except Kakashi's mind can't help but rebel against him in worry. Pakkun is pack – is family – and has been for longer than anyone else Kakashi has left. He's been with Kakashi since he'd lost Sakumo, lost Obito, Rin, and Minato. He's seen Kakashi at his best and at his worst, and stayed faithfully loyal all these years.

Slowly Kakashi holds out his hands to the glowering pug, palms upward, blood still pooling around his thumb.

Pakkun approaches cautiously, nose twitching. He cocks his head, gives Kakashi another intense stare, then trots a circle around the man.

He's tense still, but notably calmer.

"Do I pass the test?" Kakashi asks finally, voice deceptively cheerful, eye following the pug's every motion.

"I want a second opinion."

"Getting senile in your old age?" Kakashi presses gently, testing his limits. But his hands are obediently flipping through handseals once more. He carefully focuses on his ninken's unique signatures and lets his chakra pull. There's another puff of smoke, and seven more bodies appear before his form.

Like Pakkun, they immediately jump to attention, legs bent ready to lunge.

"Is this a thing now?" Kakashi asks offhandedly, though his eyes don't share his tone's humour.

The dogs stare – at him, at each other, at Pakkun.

Bisuke takes the plunge. "B-Boss?" he stammers out in disbelief.

"I would hope so," Kakashi replies, trying to understand their confusion.

There's a weight on his shoulder suddenly, and Pakkun is there. "Kakashi," he says meaningfully. Which, apparently, is cue for the rest to pounce on him. Kakashi braces for the fall, back digging into stone as his ninken cover his front. There are wet noses and damp paws and rank breaths assaulting his senses, and everything feels like home.

The dogs are speaking all over each other and sobbing something indiscernible. Kakashi presses a hand to his temple, and then digs out the buried pug through layers of fur. "Pakkun, report," he commands, and feels pleased when the rest fall silent as per usual procedure.

Pakkun is never one for affectionate gestures, preferring to express it in his discreet ways. Yet today, the pug leans deeply into his hand. There's silence for a second, before Pakkun looks at him once more, emotions roaring inside his dark eyes.

His answer is blunt, "You died."

"Oh," Kakashi thinks, and realises his ninken probably felt the snap of his contracted bond with them, because the dead have no chakra to keep their ties strong and lasting.

"You've been dead for fifteen years," Pakkun explains.

"Okay?" Kakashi thinks, and wonders how he time-traveled into the future because he certainly doesn't feel any older.

"You died too young. You were hardly fourteen," Pakkun laments.

Kakashi sputters out loud. "What? Fourteen?"

Fourteen is barely a year after Obito pushed him aside and died to save Kakashi's life. Fourteen is when Rin was kidnapped and Kakashi shoved his chidori through her chest. Fourteen is when Kushina was pregnant, and she gave birth to a healthy young boy, only for her and Minato-sensei to die preventing the Kyuubi from running amok.

Fourteen is fifteen-so years earlier than his death by Pain's doing.

"Pakkun," Kakashi says firmly, nudging the dogs aside for him to sit up, "Tell me what happened. How did I die?"

Minato had summoned the pug with Kakashi's blood shortly after Kakashi's death. Mostly as courtesy to inform the summons of the teen's death – not that they need to be told to realise.

It turned out fourteen-year-old Kakashi had been going through Minato's notes in his spare time, and when he realised Rin had been turned into a jinchuuriki, realised she had been turned into a weapon unable to control the beast's release, Kakashi had performed the Shiki Fūjin and ripped the Three-tail out of her – at the cost of his own life because he'd promised Obito to keep her safe no matter what.

But the Bijuu are creations composed of pure chakra and come in a set, and the Shinigami has no jurisdiction upsetting the balance of the world by taking one away. They can be sealed away or chained down, but only as long as they remain in the world together with their brothers, and not far away in death's plane where the Shinigami resides.

And so it was unceremoniously released back into the world shortly after.

"And Rin?" Kakashi asks softly, remembering his own failure.

"Safe," Pakkun replies. "Escaped during the demon's rampage. But she wasn't able to recover your body," he explains, while he presses a paw down on Kakashi's flowing veins and beating heart, as if convincing himself of the man's existence.

"Good," Kakashi murmurs to himself. "That's fine," because he hadn't been able to do the same for her, her body gone when oblivion receded its hold on him.

That night is spent camping outdoors, keeping warm with doggy cuddles. Kakashi doesn't have the heart to dismiss his ninken, who clearly miss his presence, and he thinks they might be the only comfort he has in this strange new world – because this world is certainly not his own. He'd pondered over the dilemma with the dogs, but hadn't gotten anywhere – they make good listeners, but contributors, not so much. Their only response is to sniff him all over, and settle with a 'Kakashi is Kakashi,' and go back to sleep.

Kakashi wonders if the sentiment 'Konoha is Konoha' works the same way.

But he doesn't head towards the village. Their Kakashi is dead, and he's just a ghost of someone who had been better than him, who hadn't failed their best friend and family in every way possible. He's no replacement for that competent Kakashi.

So, instead he wanders, like a pup-toting vagabond. He wanders and listens and compares this world to his own.

There's no talk of clan massacres within Konoha, only rumors of conflict between a certain clan and the village. There's not much mention of Orochimaru either, but Kakashi hears whispers about an Otogakure and an attack on Konoha a few years back.

The Akatsuki are also present, but they're a peaceful bunch who try to end conflict and war through means which don't involve capturing Tailed beasts. The Akatsuki are stationed mostly in Hidden Ame, and in the quick peek Kakashi takes at them when he travels through the country, he learns that they're made up mostly of members different from memory.

It's an unexpected but pleasant change because Kakashi doesn't want this world to suffer in Pain's hands like his had.

Meanwhile, in the twilight hours, Kakashi pushes himself to near exhaustion to test the limit of his kamui. He had an inkling early on that maybe activating this dimensional jutsu in his final hour had somehow pulled him over, so perhaps he can replicate the effect.

However, despite many tries, every attempt fails, and Kakashi has to wonder if there is anything to go back to in the end? His last moments were to a demolished Konoha, a losing battle, and a never-ending death count that had already swallowed up half the entire village.

It's months later before he finally decides to abandon the idea of returning. Pakkun gives a discreet sigh of relief that Kakashi doesn't miss, because he'd seen then pug's beady eyes watching him silently, feigning sleep, whenever Kakashi attempted his experiments.

But Pakkun doesn't say a thing.

His ninken are really too considerate; Kakashi knows as well as they do that if he had succeeded, they would've had yet another Kakashi ripped too soon from their lives once more. Still, they understand him too well, older or not, to realise he'll never feel complacent if he gives up without even trying.

As gratitude, he buys them all treats that have their tails wagging for days.

His mundane life drifts onwards without much change after that.

Eventually, Kakashi strolls through the Land of Tea, mostly because there's nothing else to do. There, while sipping on some chamomile tea in a quaint little teahouse, dogs crowding his ankles, he finally decides enough is enough, and changes course towards Konoha the next day.

Kakashi – their Kakashi – is still officially dead, though. So Kakashi buys some temporary hair dye and colours his hair brown. He shuffles through his sealed scrolls for false identification. He has one on hand because he's always prepared, and all the better that it's one of his simpler disguises. It takes half a day to gather the appropriate material – contacts, makeup, and clothing.

The brown spikes are combed down, purple makeup obscures the scar down his left eye, and impervious black contacts block his sharingan. His look is complete when he discards his well-used mask, and standing before the full length mirror is Sukea, travelling photojournalist.

He smiles to himself, recalling those peaceful years before Konoha's invasion or endless enemy attempts at snatching Naruto and his fellow jinchuuriki, when his genin were still young and gullible and had time to concern themselves over nonsensical things like his possible features under his mask. It has been far too long since Sukea had made an appearance.

His ninken give him a final round of slobber and then obediently de-summon themselves. Pakkun is last to go, with a stern look hiding a burden of fear, because there's every chance this Kakashi will disappear abruptly as well in a heroic sacrifice, just like the other. Kakashi gives him a loving scratch behind his ears, but give no promises – he's long learned he never manages to keep any, despite his best efforts.

He follows well-memorised routes in his journey to Konoha, so familiar and worn to the heart that Kakashi can navigate them by instinct alone. The sight of his beloved village before him, whole once again, is healing indeed. When he's stopped by the Gatekeepers for identification, Kakashi's wandering eyes can't help but admire the village now that the smog of explosion and death no longer haunts its splendor.

He patiently waits as the chunin, Kotetsu, flips through his papers, while Izumo watches Kakashi attentively. Kakashi knows there's nothing wrong with the paperwork, because they'd been created for the purpose of undercover missions – good enough to pass the test for other Hidden Villages as well as their own.

Kotetsu nods, reaching under the table for another document. "Extended stay for vacation, you say?" he confirms, "and will you be applying for work, Sukea-san?"

"Just relaxing, Shinobi-san," he says, in the soft tones he uses for Sukea, but not the forced pitch. It's harmful to his throat for an extended period of time. He holds up his camera, worn but well-kept. "My hobby is my job, but I'm not looking for scoops this visit. Perhaps some nature scenes…"

The men nod agreeably, because their Konoha is definitely one to boast about for beautiful scenery. "All is in order, Sukea-san," Kotetsu says, handing him a pen. "Just sign this and you'll be on your way."

Kakashi bows and turns smoothly, letting the scents of oaky trees hit him down to the core. He's home again; there's no place he would rather be.

Kakashi finds a decently priced hotel in the tourist district soon after that. He lingers in his room to shuffle his nonexistent luggage to a favourable order, and to inspect the cleanliness of the bedspread, before he finally admits to himself that he's trying to delay the inevitable. It's not long after that, Kakashi decisively wraps his scarf back around his neck and sets out to face the world.

His feet bring him to the main road quickly enough. It's a long, wide strip of smooth pavement that leads straight to the Hokage Mountains. Kakashi lifts his head and admires the stone monuments – four, opposed to the fifth of Tsunade-sama, or the none when Pain bulldozed it completely to the ground.

Kakashi swallows, and pulls back up Sukea's carefree smile.

–Which then falters when a teen turns from around the corner, tall, blond, and orange. He's chatting obliviously to his fellow year-mate, the Inuzuka, Kiba. They're loud and rambunctious, and their gaze slides right past Kakashi. It's expected because they don't know Kakashi, and they know Sukea even less.

Naruto's eyes are the crash of blue waves, so free and unburdened to flow carelessly through the world. There's none of the desolation Kakashi remembers on the orphan of his world, who spent his childhood scorned about something he had no knowledge about. But they're still harden through hardships, because Naruto is a shinobi, and a child doesn't need to suffer to understand suffering, and the shinobi world is paved with war and death.

Naruto's voice is fading behind him.

Kakashi's fingers curl around his camera.

His stomach is rolling, and Kakashi decides food is in order, rather than acknowledge the fact that it's from anxiety instead. His feet take him to Ichiraku, and it is his determination that takes him past the open stall and down a block further. In the end, he stumbles into a small family restaurant called Touka, and orders all his favourites in an attempt to stir his appetite.

The eggplant miso soup arrives first, followed by the broiled salt saury and rice.

Kakashi takes his time eating, unhindered by his usual mask. Then, when he's finished his meal at last, decides to take a picture of the restaurant's exterior, because why not? He has plenty of film to spare.

"Planning to promote the restaurant?" someone speaks from behind him.

Kakashi stills as the voice echoes down his spine and roots him to the spot. There are certain people whose voices Kakashi never forgets. Obito's is long gone, replaced by the record of his breathy final words, so muted and wheezy that Kakashi can swap it with the rush of wind past his ears sometimes. Rin's is one of anguish as she repeats his name over and over again while his chidori swirls in her chest. Minato's voice ranges through an entire spectrum, from his overprotective cries, to his strong Hokage speeches, and the voice which oozes his love for anyone who hears it.

This voice presently is still Minato – using that tone he does when he's tentatively intrigued.

Kakashi doesn't know why he's so surprised at Minato's presence when he already had an inkling that the man was still alive.

He turns his head slowly, smile pressed on his lips. His mind flips through a list of benign responses. "Just preserving the memory," he answers at last, and then finds himself staring.

Minato has aged. It's been fifteen years. Unlike the preserved memory Konoha has of their Yondaime, this man is in his mid-thirties, laugh lines beginning to crease around the eyes. But he looks lively as always, friendly and involved with his people. Kakashi lets his eyes flicker towards the man's signature white cloak, and then he purposefully shifts it into a startled expression.

"Oh!" he says, fumbling to bow awkwardly, "Hokage-sama! I wasn't aware- that is- ahaha-" He trails off and runs a hand through his hair gracelessly in embarrassment. "I apologise for my rudeness. It is a pleasure to meet you, Hokage-sama."

There's a small quirk on Minato's lips. The man holds out a placating hand. "Namikaze Minato, the Fourth Hokage," he introduces himself. "I didn't mean to startle you…"

"Sukea," Kakashi offers, "I'm a photojournalist."

"Is that so?" Minato murmurs, remarkably interested. But then again, Kakashi never knew about his sensei's hobbies outside of sealing and the shinobi arts, and he had died too young to share them with him. "May I ask where you're from?"

Kakashi waves a hand carelessly. "Oh, here and there. I travel from east to west, looking for a scoop." He pauses deliberately and adds with a disarming grin, "but just vacationing this time. No scoop."

Minato's own grin is like a shining sun that leaves Kakashi a lungful of fresh air. "Just finding Touka is a scoop itself," he shares. "They're known for their traditional meals."

"It was delicious," Kakashi agrees.

"Oh, what did you order? I should try it sometime," Minato carries on. "Your favourites?"

"Mmm," Kakashi agrees absentmindedly, "Eggplant miso and broiled saury."

As he speaks, he can't help but wonder why the Hokage himself is still talking to a nobody like him. It feels past the point of courtesy small talk, and surely Minato has work to do? Kakashi doesn't want to admit that he's losing confidence in his ability to act natural in front of his old sensei, who's so much warmer and relaxed than those last few months after losing Obito, losing Rin, and losing Kakashi to the darkness in his soul.

"Sounds good," the Hokage admits, ignorant of Kakashi's inner turmoil

Minato's Anbu guards are peeking at him, judging his danger to their Lord Fourth's life. Kakashi can feel their chakra slithering over his figure, prodding and testing for henge or illusions. But Kakashi's disguise is completely natural, save for hair dye and contacts. They won't realise a thing.

"It certainly was."

Kakashi watches Minato dither before him. It's like the man doesn't know whether to continue the pleasantries for politeness sake or move on because he clearly has work to do. Finally, he turns to Kakashi, and reluctantly says, "I probably shouldn't take up your time. I don't know much about photography but I hear there's a frame of time for the best shots."

Perhaps, but Golden Hour has long past, and to be absolutely honest, Kakashi doesn't care a thing about it. "I'm just taking them for my own viewing pleasure," he reassures the man, least Minato feels any guilt over the issue.

Minato smiles and says pleasantly, "Well, I would definitely love to see how Konoha is captured through your eyes."

Kakashi – Sukea, rather – is no professional, and only a man Minato just met, and yet the blond is capable of making him feel so proud of his line of work. The man can end wars through his friendly words alone, Kakashi is certain.

"I'd be honoured."

"No need for such formality," Minato replies sunnily, "We're just two men sharing a common hobby."

"Of course," Kakashi nods, and again tries not to think about how little of his sensei's interest he'd known before. The barriers he'd hide his heart behind truly made him miss out on a lot. He'd never known Minato (or Obito, or Rin) as well as they knew him because he'd never let himself try until it was too late.

The realisation gnaws on his stomach, and Kakashi wants nothing more but to race off to the memorial stone like habit and whisper apologies to unseen ghosts who can't give him false lies of forgiveness.

His feet shuffle.

The observant shinobi that he is, Minato notices immediately. Instead of Kakashi's anxiety, he merely assumes it's from impatience due to keeping Kakashi from his photos.

"Well then, as pleasant as it is to talk to you, unfortunately I have work to take care of and shouldn't dawdle. I suppose I'll see you around, Sukea-san?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. I'll see you around," Kakashi responds obediently.

And then Minato is leaving, ripping something tightly guarded in Kakashi's heart along with him. It's an illogical feeling because Kakashi has been hoping Minato leave since the moment he'd arrived, but now that he is, Kakashi can't bear it.

The camera lifts without his consent. His fingers twitch, wanting to capture the moment and immortalise the golden being in a form much more fitting as Hokage than the young twenty-year-old who'd held the hat too short of a term before his untimely demise. He wants to hold onto this memory and never let go.

But anything pointed at their Hokage make the Anbu worried enough.

Kakashi sighs and makes to lower the camera. Minato turns at just the right moment.

"Oh, candid photo?" he asks pleasantly, without distaste at Kakashi's near creeper action, and it's no wonder people love this man.

Kakashi shakes his head. "Not without your consent, Hokage-sama," he says. "And I think I'll probably stick with nature."

Maybe Minato hears the disappointment in his tone. The man taps his chin thoughtfully, and then decides to take the long way back to the Tower, not that he tells Kakashi, but then again, not that Kakashi needs to be told. "Konoha is brimming with nature. Ah, I know! I have an idea." He leads them down the trail that branch into training grounds. He glances regularly at Kakashi from the corner of his eyes as he keeps up with small talk.

Kakashi responds with casual answers and burns the image of Minato into his mind because this is probably the only time he'll get. Being Hokage is a busy position, and it's already surprising Minato has as much time as he does to spend on Kakashi presently.

When Minato finally leads Kakashi onto a training field near the center of the grounds, twin voices call out in delight.

"Sensei!"

"Minato-sensei!"

Then they notice his company and correct to "Minato-sama."

Kakashi freezes. He blinks to refresh his vision, but the sight before him stays the same. Suddenly he's held down by sins he never could forgive himself for, weight crushing him like the whole of the memorial stone – or the boulder that took Obito's life. Except, Kakashi's certain he's awake and his eyes are functioning properly, so why is Obito there with Rin?

He's certain his breathing is manual by this point, diaphragm forced by his continuous command to contract and expand. Kakashi works up a blithe smile the same way.

Minato is watching him carefully, with a face that seems to hide disappointment, because like the doting teacher he is, he probably expects Kakashi to recognise his students and their stellar achievements. Kakashi isn't even from this world, and his knowledge is only from what he picked up; he doesn't know the battles they've fought, or the fame they've attained, or why Obito is even alive.

Kakashi bows. "Hello, I am Sukea," he greets them, throwing all regret and ache and guilt to the far corners of his mind, as usual, in a vicious cycle of repressing and postponed mourning.

His smile is earnest, but his eyes are hollow.

Rin follows suit in a bow of her own. "Nohara Rin," she replies.

Obito's response is a little less practiced, and more of a stretch forward than anything polite. It's just so much like him, and so much like the man Kakashi imagined the unruly teen to grow up to be, that his throat clogs.

"Uchiha Obito."

Kakashi nods wordlessly and looks over at Minato.

The man startles from his thoughts. "Oh, yes. Rin, Obito, do you two mind showing Sukea-san around? He's a photographer. Konoha's forests certainly have the best view, but it can be a little dangerous on his own."

"Of course," Rin says agreeably.

"Why?" Obito pouts and stares at the woman so sulkingly that Kakashi has a feeling he's just ruined his plans for a date.

Kakashi thinks of his four years on Team Minato, and then Obito's Academy school years, the Uchiha constantly red cheeked and shy around Rin, never able to tell her how he felt. "I'll be fine on my own," Kakashi decides.

Minato looks away and scrubs the back of his neck, while Rin blatantly elbows Obito in the ribs.

"Ow. I mean, yes," the man corrects and holds his face straight, as though he hadn't just been chastised.

Minato beams.

Kakashi suppresses a grin or a grimace or a longing ache at the play in front of him - he doesn't really know what the emotion is, to be honest, and isn't ready to dwell on it. He merely dips his head into another bow, and give a grateful but detached, "Thank you, then."

Minato finally leaves after that, but now Kakashi is stuck with the other two people in his life who stir the same emotions in his broken soul as the blond. He can't tell if his luck is good or just that bad.

Obito is tall, Kakashi thinks distantly, when the man takes steps towards him, because the Obito in his mind is forever the teen of thirteen years, stagnated in the appearance he was lost to the world. In actual fact, 'short' is probably more appropriate, since the man is near equal in height and teen Obito had always been a few inches taller than Kakashi in the past.

His left eye is closed; hollow, Kakashi knows without seeing, because Obito's left sharingan is safely in his own skull, where it'd saved the lives of himself and his comrades multiple times. Around the right side of his face, the skin is marred with deep creasing scars. Kakashi thinks of the weight of boulders on trapped limbs, and is thankful Obito's movements are so natural, without the stiff pull of artificial appendages.

Kakashi stares a little too long.

"What are you looking at?" Obito growls, conscious of his own disfigurement. "Never seen battle wounds before?"

"Just curious about the stories behind them," Kakashi lies barefacedly, because fairy tales involving caves and falling rocks make him nauseous. But there definitely had to have been a divergence somewhere in this world's timeline before this Kakashi swapped himself for Rin's sacrifice, because somehow Obito is still alive.

It turns out there wasn't.

"From the war. There was a rockslide. Pushed a friend out of the way and saved-" Obito begins, faltering off before he finishes.

Rin picks up with, "and saved our teammate's life."

Obito's voice rips through the clearing, loud and ravaged as if trying to overpower the woman's praise. "Saved?" he laughs bitterly, sounding so anguished that Kakashi can't help but notice Obito sounds just like him. It's wrong because Obito should be the opposite of Kakashi – happy, bright, and forever optimistic. "Not the time that counted. If I came back earlier – just a second earlier, I could've stopped him from making that stupid decision and figured out another method together, and Kakashi wouldn't be-" he choked. "H-he never even got to see I was still alive..."

Kakashi swallows the lump in his throat, holding himself stock-still. If he hopes hard enough, perhaps his presence will be forgotten entirely, and they won't inadvertently turn towards him, faces still carved with anguish and make Kakashi see how he still manages to make them suffer even when he's absent from their lives. He'd made them suffer as a teen by being a blunt and insulting teammate, he'd made them suffer as Jounin by letting Obito take his place in death, and he's still making them suffer even in death; Kakashi is a horrible teammate through and through.

Still, Rin and Obito are shinobi, distressed or not. They quickly catch themselves, and it's a well-practiced action to repress, repress, repress. It's a relief but also wretched to see them act so much like him.

"Anyways," Obito harrumphs, moving on, though the shakiness in his voice is still detectable. "Stop staring. Just because you have a prettier face doesn't give you the right," he retorts harshly. It's more of a compliment than an insult, but Kakashi doesn't think Obito realises.

Trust Obito to lighten the mood, unintentionally or not.

The anchor in his stomach dislodges an inch.

Kakashi presses his lips shut from emitting any sound. Rin seems rather content to let her shoulders shake silently as she walks away from them. It takes a second to register their responses, before Obito presses a hand over his face, horrified, mind finally catching up to his own words.

"Shut up," Obito demands, finger pointed rudely at Kakashi.

He holds up his hands in surrender. "I said nothing."

"I can hear you think it."

"Oh?" Kakashi resolves to think about it even harder.

.

They lead him to the forest after that, Obito taking large strides as if trying to outpace his embarrassment before it can catch up with him. There's a patch of greenery adjacent to some of the larger clans that serve as middle grounds, publically owned by Konoha. It's not as dangerous as Minato's words seem to suggest, unless Kakashi counts the possibility of being viewed as a loitering figure too near these prominent clan lands. So, Kakashi diligently follows after Obito and Rin, lest he brings attention to himself.

Not that being by the two's side isn't eye-catching, because these are the Hokage's students, and surely Kakashi is a distinguished figure to merit being personally guarded by two of the Hokage's most trusted, or so they would think.

Kakashi curses Minato's kind-heartedness sometimes. But that's how the man is, so full of love for everyone around him, and always eager to see the best in everyone and eager to help. He wouldn't trade his sensei for anyone else.

In the forest, Obito and Rin keep to a casual pace, slow enough for civilians to meander along comfortably. The plants are overgrown, sculpted by wind and sunlight and lack of human interference. The trees grow tall and sturdy, vines curling their torsos like delicate streams of magic.

Kakashi kneels by the curling roots. His camera is in hand as he leans towards a spark of white wildflowers that peek through fuzzy moss; he holds such a passionate focus that the two shinobi leave him be. Never noticing how his eyes stray far from the ground to linger on their mingling forms instead.

The daylight, filtered through the branches, illuminates Rin as she orbits lightly around Obito, her steadfast sun. Obito is relaxed as his gaze follows after her, looking so comfortable in his skin, being, and identity. He's nothing like the teen with loud gestures to hide hunched shoulders in a world where he doesn't feel like he fits in.

Kakashi's hand lifts in an unconscious motion to preserve the sweet scene he never thought he would ever have the chance to see. The shutter clicks and the two trained ninjas snap towards him.

Kakashi pulls a sheepish grin. "You look good together," he offers truthfully. They always had and always will.

Obito and Rin flush but deny nothing, and it warms Kakashi to know they've allowed themselves to love, nothing like the withdrawn, shattered man that Kakashi himself had become after their consecutive deaths.

"Sorry, we promised sensei – er, Hokage-sama – to show you the sights, didn't we?" Rin says hastily, and breaks away from Obito to hurry towards Konoha's impressive trees. "Konoha has some native flowers you won't find elsewhere," she continues, busying herself with the tour. "You see here, this flower can only be found in Fire Country. The humidity, especially because of our proximity to the shoreline, makes it ideal to grow."

"They're a unique colour," Kakashi says absentmindedly, feigning interest.

"Yes. There's actually a mutation in the gene, you see. They used to-"

Kakashi follows dutifully, eyes straying to the familiar sights, letting her calming tones flow across his heart.

"-Ah, quick!" her voice suddenly jumps.

Kakashi turns with a quick twist, head revolving, posture low and balanced. His gaze sweeps across the area to confirm her safety, before finally focusing on her, sharp eyes relaxing back to usual lazy half-lids.

"Hmm?" he asks and allows his shoulders to drop.

Rin cocks her head at him. There's a barrage of blinks, like she's trying to clue him out. But in the end she turns her back to him and points across the clearing. "Over there. Quick, before it flies away."

In the distance there's a hawk standing on a low level branch, beak gracefully pruning the feathers under its wing. It's a shot of a lifetime if Kakashi catches it in the right frame.

He thanks Rin with a cheerful, "Good eye!" and slowly slinks his way over.

He can feel Rin's eyes burning into him as she watches a professional photographer at work. The career path is so different from that of a shinobi that it's almost unthinkable. In a Hidden Village, those who strive towards a career in the ninja arts hardly ever pay attention to the other professions available, stuck in the mindset of two limiting choices: shinobi or civilian.

Kakashi does his best to live up to expectations. He puts on a concentrated face as he aims and adjusts the lens. He'd done his research for his Sukea identity to have a flavour of authenticity, but the truth of the matter is that his motions are all pretend.

Thankfully Rin and Obito don't know enough to realise.

Rin is still staring when Kakashi returns to the two. There's an itch in Kakashi's chest at this relentless focus, so he deflects her with a cheeky, "Like what you see?"

Obito bristles at the blatantly flirtatious words.

Rin's reaction is unexpected of the shy girl Kakashi once knew. She laughs out loud, like tinkling bells, and it twitches a genuine smile from Kakashi. He adores the sight of her happy because it veils that horrid nightmare of her yelling his name in increasingly bitter snarls, blood dripping down her cherry lips.

"Well, you certainly have a pretty face," Rin says agreeably, and gives a playful wink.

Obito gapes, then frowns, then glowers at them both. Kakashi chortles at the indignant face.

"Rin! I didn't mean it like that," the Uchiha laments, and dramatically buries his face firmly into his palms. "It's prettier, not pretty," he tries, in a hasty attempt to defend himself. It's not really all that effective. He turns a teary face to the woman, and the whine pulled from his lips is like a well-worn blanket, warm and fuzzy. "Rin."

"No need to feel jealous," Kakashi tells him.

"Jealous?! Who's the one here with the girlfriend?"

"Who's the one who's just been praised?"

"Boys, you're both very pretty, okay?" Rin reassures them on autopilot, and then freezes for a moment at the ridiculousness.

Obito sees her unnatural motion and scrambles to placate her. "You're still prettiest to me, Rin," Obito declares, completely serious.

She giggles.

Kakashi knows Obito is not lying the slightest, and feels sick because the dam of regrets in his heart is filling up too quickly once more. With his own two blood-tainted hands, he'd ripped apart this star-crossed couple too soon from his world.

.

Like proper escorts, Obito and Rin graciously take him all the way back to his hotel. Kakashi gives them a muted smile and tries not to race from their sights, because fleeing is for cowards – especially when he's fleeing from the heart-wrenching sight of their ignorant bliss.

They've only been walking down the main road for half a minute before an older woman barrels towards them, a large canine at her heels. Her eyes gleam with anger, but any attempt to shuffle aside to let her rage past them is lost when she hones in on Kakashi.

"You with the camera," she snarls, taking several terrifying steps towards Kakashi. He recognises her wild mane of brown hair, those fierce judging eyes, and crimson clan marks on her cheeks. Inuzuka Tsume is not a force to be reckoned with – especially with her ability to make shinobi shrink into themselves with her voice alone; a skill that only blossomed with a rambunctious child like Kiba as her son. Kuromaru presents an intimidating image himself, with his lips pulled back in a snarl, his teeth are clearly visible. "Stop right there, you pervert!"

Kakashi is a self-proclaimed pervert. Publicly proclaimed too, considering his tactless decision to openly read porn. Sukea, on the other hand, is mild-mannered, soft-spoken, and owns no Icha Icha.

Kakashi hold his hands up innocently, camera dangling around his neck. "I'm sure this is a misunderstanding," he says quickly, but Tsume's fists close around his green coat.

She drags him by his collar, so intimidatingly close to his face that Kakashi tries not to breathe.

"I'm sure it is," she scoffs and glares straight on. Kakashi shifts his line of sight downwards, lest she notices the edges of his contacts, but the motion only makes him look contrite. "You thought you got away with it, huh? Don't underestimate me."

Kuromaru's nose is jabbed into the spine of his back to hold him in place, a low growl in the dog's throat.

"I can explain?" Kakashi tries, though what there is to explain, he doesn't really know.

Rin, the amazing woman, saves him. "Wait, wait. Tsume-san, what is going on?"

The woman's nose twitches and she throws Kakashi to the ground where he doesn't bother to get up.

"What's going on is that this peeper's been hanging around the bathhouses with his camera," she accuses, slitted eyes looking down on him as Kakashi stares wide-eyed back. "I'll break that camera of yours."

"But," Kakashi murmurs weakly, hugging the aforementioned item, "I've only been in Konoha since this morning. I've got papers!"

"And Sukea-san's been with us the whole day," Rin adds tentatively.

Obito just laughs, chortles echoing down the street. "Did you just track the wrong person? I never thought I'd see the day. Best trackers, huh?" he says, cheekily childish. There's something about Obito that makes mothers and grandparents unable to hate him, despite his behaviour. Kakashi thinks it's karma from the years of good deeds Obito did for the elderly during his teenage years.

Tsume snarls fondly at him, "Shut up, brat."

"So," Kakashi drawls uncertain, "can I get up now?"

Kuromaru is on guard beside him, paw pressed warningly over his thigh, watching his every movement.

Tsume holds out her hand. "Camera," she demands, before Kakashi can consider any silly idea like the fact that she was planning to courteously help him up.

"It's my life," Kakashi moans dramatically. "I need to make a living. Please don't break it."

The woman is unimpressed. "I'll break you if you don't hand it over," she threatens, and Kakashi promptly does so, eyes pulled impossibly wide and frightened.

"Come on, we said he was with us the whole time," Obito complains. "We can vouch for him. You just don't want to admit you were wrong."

Tsume glowers at the Uchiha before resuming her actions and flips through Kakashi's recent pictures. There's one of Touka, too many on greenery and wildlife, and the prized moment between his former teammates, talking softly, heads close together, looking too pure for this cruel bitter world of war and hatred. Nothing incriminating, thankfully.

Tsume harrumphs and flings the camera back. From the back of his throat, Kakashi whines at the mistreatment.

"Fine," the woman says at last. "I apologise, you're free to go." She spins on her heels before thinking better of it and whirls back, finger pointed at his chest. "You better not think about peeping though, because you can bet I'll find out."

With a mock salute Kakashi agrees without a pause. "Yes ma'am!"

"I'm so sorry about that, Sukea-san," Rin tells him when the Inuzuka is well out of hearing range. "It's nothing against you. The bathhouse's just usually quite on guard about perverts…"

She trails off and Kakashi thinks about Jiraiya-sama and his research. Only to then realise the Toad Sage is possibly still alive and well. The recent news of Jiraiya's death in his world is nothing more than a nightmare in this one. The anguished faces of Naruto and Tsunade-sama are memories of a past that will not occur for a long time to come.

"Does that mean I look like a pervert?" Kakashi asks pitifully.

"It must be that pretty face of yours," Obito jeers.

"Tsume-san probably just saw the camera and assumed nothing good about it. We don't get a lot of photographers around here," Rin explains.

Kakashi mournfully stares at the device and shakes it weakly. "No wonder Hokage-sama gave me escorts."

"I'm so sorry Konoha is brimming with perverts," Rin says into her hands, sounding so ashamed it startles a chuckle from Kakashi. He's fully aware just how many perverts reside in their beautiful village; Naruto's famed Orioke no Jutsu does a fine job of rooting them all out.

"Closet perverts, you mean."

Rin closes her eyes in pain. "At least closet perverts don't peep with the gallant righteousness of Jiraiya-sama."

Kakashi doesn't even need to pretend he doesn't know who that is, because everyone knows of Konoha's Legendary Three.

Perhaps after yesterday's act of discrimination against Sukea and his camera, the moment he leaves his hotel the next morning, Rin and Obito are suddenly there to greet him a good morning, and to continue their service.

When they turn towards him, smiles on their lips, arms open and welcoming to include him by their sides, Kakashi is transported to his teenage years at the training grounds. He can see their teenage selves beckoning him towards them, ready to start training, as Minato-sensei stands tenderly behind their backs. He remembers their soft faces, and that open slot for him to step into to complete their four-men cell – and then he remembers the sullen teen who had scorn that all.

Kakashi stills by the doorway, trying to wash away memories of the past. Then with a will summoned from false strength, he swallows with a dry throat and smiles airily at them.

He approaches amicably, a receptive gesture his teen self had always failed to do (but it's fifteen years too late now, and it doesn't make up for a thing).

"Good morning, you two. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks light-heartedly. "Can't get enough of me?" he teases because taunts distract and provoke, and he can always count on Obito to follow up on them.

Obito does, true to form. Fifteen years have changed nothing. "Quit flattering yourself. You're lucky Rin cares enough that she doesn't want you mistaken for a pervert again."

"Are you sure you're not keeping an eye on me in case I really am?"

Obito narrows his eyes. "Are you confessing to being one?"

"Ahh, of course not," Kakashi says, and shoots them an innocent grin.

Rin is starting to look doubtful and startled all at once, like she can't believe this easy-going man has tendencies to view naughty novels and giggle at naked curves. Kakashi gives her a wink and strolls merrily onwards. He definitely doesn't acknowledge Obito giving him a wary once-over, obviously contemplating how to shield his girlfriend from this eccentric photographer.

Kakashi knows his Sukea persona is slowly edging its way back to his original personality. It's not so much from lack of ability, than a small allowance of indulgence for himself, because he doesn't want to be such a foreign being in front of these two. He sees their interactions, and aches to fall into place side-by-side with them, where he belongs.

But even if he does become Kakashi once more, it's not likely they'll realise, either. He's fifteen years older than the Kakashi they knew, and his own life experiences (and countless losses) have distorted all the old behaviours Team Minato was used to.

The truth of the matter is that Kakashi will still be a stranger, even if he tries not to be.

"Is there anywhere in particular you would like to see today?" Rin asks as they wander down the winding village roads, seemingly without a destination in mind.

"Well, I had my full of nature scenes yesterday. I was thinking about documenting the buildings…"

Obito is staring at his face, unnervingly focused. He's most likely trying to assess the genuineness of Kakashi's suggestion, because what sort of person chooses to looks at buildings all day? It's not until Rin elbows him for being rude, that he remarks, "That's boring."

Kakashi partially agrees, but he also remembers the devastation that befell Konoha, the complete and utter loss of all following Pain's opening attacks. With a village this large and powerful, it's unbelievable it could so easily be ruin in its totality.

"The newer buildings, maybe," Kakashi only says aloud, rather than admit how he never learned to appreciate his blessings until too late. He carries on blithely, "However the architecture of compounds belonging to older clans tend to have structures unique to the particular period they were built. For example if you look at the roofing…"

He jumps onto a tangent about things he knows little about – he knows some details from researching for various undercover missions, but his knowledge for shinobi arts and human anatomy are far superior. Still, Obito knows even less, so it works out regardless.

He gives dull explanations of the use of certain materials, the curvature of the irimoya, and iconic designs throughout the ages.

"Huh, now that you mention it, I think there's something like that in the Uchiha compound," Obito finally says, to show he's been listening, even though in truth he'd lost interest three words in.

Kakashi doesn't call him out on it, mostly because that had been his intention. "Exactly."

He pauses. There is a question simmering in Kakashi's mind since the first moment he swept his eyes over Obito – after the sting behind his eyes and the ache in his gut had subsided. It is a minor worry for those who don't know about the strictness of the Uchiha, but Kakashi grew up in Konoha, and he knows the Uchiha traditions well. Now that the topic of the Uchiha clan has been brought up, it gives Kakashi an opportunity to ask without it seeming out-of-the-blue. So Kakashi adopts a contemplative expression, then asks curiously, "… Say, you are an Uchiha, right?"

"What are you trying to say?" Obito bristles. It's an expectant response because Kakashi still remembers Obito's darkest hours as a teen, feeling unable to live up to the Uchiha name; he was the oldest Uchiha to awaken his sharingan, and Kakashi knew at one point he'd feared he never would.

Kakashi plasters on a harmless expression. "Nothing, nothing! I just noticed that all the Uchiha I've seen in the village so far bear the clan symbol somewhere on their clothes, and I don't see one on you…"

"Oh. That." The stiffness in Obito's posture loosens. "It's… something like a statement," he admits after carefully observing Kakashi's reaction. He gives a shrug. "You probably don't realise, but there're actually a lot of Uchiha who don't wear it."

This never happened in Kakashi's world. "A statement? For what?"

Obito walks wordlessly by his side for a couple seconds more. He purses his lips as if contemplating how much to reveal, but in the end the man shrugs and waves his hand meaninglessly. "Eh, it's public knowledge," he says at last. "Basically there was a bit of disagreement within the clan. Our different generations didn't agree on things."

It's fortunate that there's already a bushin in the library, because surprisingly, Obito is tactfully vague.

"Obito led a rebellion with his younger cousins. It was very valiant," Rin adds, noticing Kakashi's stoic response. Her follow up is just as nebulous, and Kakashi has a feeling it's deliberate as well. These two have grown a lot from their naïve teenage selves. It's disappointing to realise he had missed this growth with their deaths; it stings just as much as the thoughts of missing his own students' growth, when they scattered to apprentice under other teachers.

Obito gapes at Rin's words and hastily reassures Kakashi. "I didn't start the rebellion! I just supported it. Besides, sensei knew about it."

"Are you sure that's the stance you want to take? I hear girls like bad boys," Kakashi jokes to play up his indifference. Truthfully, he wants to interrogate everything about this divergence from his own timeline. He counts an appropriate minute for Obito to sputter and Rin to chuckle, and then finally permits himself to casually ask, "What was the disagreement about, by the way?"

"Uhh… traditions." The explanation means nothing, but surprisingly it also means everything for those who understand the Uchiha clan.

The Uchiha have a prudish approach when it comes to interacting with those outside the clan, taking pride in the fact that the Uchiha helped establish Konoha. They believe themselves superior. With their powerful doujutsu, this isn't far from the truth, except for the fact that jealousy and fear build quickly from a disproportionate distribution of talent, and the Uchiha don't have the self-moderation to temper their arrogance. Never mind that the awe and reverence they receive already puts them at an untouchable distance from the rest of the village; the chasm between them and Konoha only grows wider with every passing decade.

In his own world, everyone had felt the swelling discord between Konoha and the Uchiha clan since the release of the Kyuubi. The relationship was already strained, and knowing that the sharingan had the ability to control the Bijuu, the fallout was inevitable. There'd been whispering within the Anbu division that the growing distrust was only an excuse for the Uchiha to act out on a long-planned coup d'état. And there were whispers that the Uchiha massacre had been a cover-up for that impending scheme. But the Third had banned all talk of it, and even the Council elders had labeled the topic untouchable.

Following that logic, the Uchiha massacre was most likely avoided in this world precisely because of Obito's rebellion – because of course sociable, outspoken, optimistic Obito would disagree with the posh ideals of the Uchiha clan (and Minato-sensei would do whatever he could to assist) –, which only helped the Uchiha clan develop stronger bonds within the village they lived.

Then, is it a leap of logic to wonder if Itachi had exterminated his family for Konoha's sake? Without Obito's reckless drive and Minato's support, a coup d'état could've very well been imminent, and who in the Uchiha clan loved Konoha enough to go against this act of civil war?

Kakashi thinks of the young man Itachi had been, the gentle, peace-loving kohai who served under Kakashi's own Anbu squad, and his sudden reassignment into Danzou's Root just days before the massacre took place.

Suddenly Kakashi can't bear to be near the Uchiha Compound anymore.

He lets his steady steps slow, forcing Obito and Rin to glance his way. With a look of sudden epiphany, Kakashi snaps his fingers and points towards the Hokage Mountain where the stony heads of the past Hokage all line side-by-side.

"I almost forgot, I'd planned on checking that out when I noticed it at the village gates. It must have taken ages to carve out such realistic caricatures."

The words are sudden, but it brings a smile of understanding to Rin's face at Kakashi's interest, because the Mountain is Konoha's pride and joy. "Do you want to do that instead?" she asks compliantly.

"Why not?" Kakashi agrees.

Obito's quiet retort is honestly not all that discreet. "Thank goodness," he murmurs, "I thought we would be stuck staring at old houses all day."

He makes it too easy to tease.

"We'll be staring at rocks all day instead!" Kakashi says cheerfully.

Obito's eye twitches and it's glorious to witness.

.

Those who've lived in Konoha all their lives know that the series of stairs leading up to the Hokage Mountain is the most tedious walk ever. It is not the only way up to those rocky figureheads, however. There is actually a trail that curves from above the Mountain, through a dense thicket of trees, that leads to the same location. It's a more arduous journey for those not used to traversing through nature, but the route is definitely more riveting for the eyes.

It's no debate that with a photographer in tow, Obito and Rin chooses the scenic course.

Kakashi purposely steps on all the branches he can find to hear the satisfying crack under his feet. Obito winces each and every time, because as a shinobi he's used to instinctively avoiding disturbing the sounds of nature as he makes his way through forests, and honestly expects the same from his companions. Rin is doing a fine job though, good on her.

Kakashi just hums obliviously, and carries on, despite Obito's piercing, accusatory glare.

Other than that, the journey is pleasant.

Then suddenly, Obito and Rin's breaths pull to a sharp inhale to replenish their lungs in preparation of danger. They slip into taut stances in anticipation of an incoming threat. The only reason why Kakashi doesn't do the same is because he studiously holds himself back from reacting.

From their peripheral senses something squirms their way. It's elegant and plentiful, and blends so well with nature, except Kakashi fell into this world amidst an aggressive war and his senses are still high-strung and ready for the unexpected.

Obito is baring his teeth in frustration, like he knows what is going on.

From the bark of the tree, a pale white hand emerges, so gracefully and soundlessly that Kakashi is reminded of Tenzou and his Mokuton abilities. It's infinitely worse, if their talents fall in the same realms, because Konoha is surrounded by forests and the intruder will certainly have the advantage.

Before their eyes, a white figure seems to bud off the tree, until it's capable of standing on its own. It's human-shaped, but entirely white, with golden eyes and mossy green hair.

"Found you."

Obito's eye narrows a fraction. "What do you want? How many times do I have to tell you I'm not coming back," he says. Obito speaks casually, but Kakashi can see Rin inching into formation her teammate distracts the white being.

"You don't have to come back, you just have to do the right thing." It grins at Obito like a familiar friend, but Obito is clearly having none of it.

"I told you, Madara's plans are delusional and I want no part in it. Go away!" he demands. "Stop bothering me."

"We can't have that. You don't understand." The voice echoes through the forest. A few identical beings surface from the ground, looking much like clones.

It's not that they look slow, but there's a dimness to their glossy golden eyes that makes Kakashi doubt their ability to think individually and act with thought-out decisions; so it's startling when they shrewdly take advantage of their numbers to shoot out abruptly and try to separate the three of them.

Kakashi hops quickly backwards.

He expects Obito to falter – to hesitate just a second too long between assisting the love of his life, or 'civilian' Sukea. Except, there's no consideration at all as Obito races in front of Kakashi to defend. There's a trust between Obito and Rin that hadn't been there before; Obito has a deep and strong confidence in Rin's ability to take care of herself, built up through their years of teamwork and co-dependence.

A kunai digs into white flesh as Obito slashes through the clone-like intruder. It wobbles, stumbling backwards, but then gets up again and lumbers forward without a pause. There's no blood. In fact, Kakashi notices how the white skin seem to easily knit itself back together before his very eyes, slow but surely.

Kakashi frowns thoughtfully.

Obito steps in front of Kakashi once more, weapons curled in his fingers.

"What are you planning," Obito calls out to the main body of the enemy. "Why are you white again? Where's that black half you had last time?"

"Busy," it says nonchalantly, safely behind his army. It tilts its head, looking so innocent. "We have a lot of work since you won't help."

Kakashi has no idea what Obito is talking about regarding a black half, but he does know something about the white (or he think he does, at least). Truthfully, Kakashi noticed briefly, when Obito had been distracted with Rin, that the skin on Obito's right arm had been abnormally white. He knows the boulder that had crushed thirteen-year-old Obito must have left damage – so does the fact that these beings share the same material as Obito's arm mean that Obito had been saved by these beings?

Obito mentioned a Madara, didn't he?

Clearly this Madara had expected Obito to repay him by doing his bidding, but he'd underestimated the fact that Obito submits to no one.

Kakashi digs into his pockets and pull out hidden shuriken. When Obito notices, he blinks in surprise, never expecting a photographer to be armed.

"Don't worry about me. I can't be a travelling photojournalist if I don't know how to get out of scuffles from bandits," Kakashi tells him.

"They're more dangerous than bandits," Obito rebuts before Sukea can get himself killed.

Kakashi only smiles. "I know a trick or two," he says nonchalantly, and then throws the shuriken in unhesitant succession, barest of chakra aiding its soar. It strikes all on target, straight into their kneecaps, causing the white creatures to fall to the ground.

It doesn't keep them down for long, not that Kakashi expects it to. His only goal is to let Obito realise he doesn't need to focus as much attention on defending Sukea; Kakashi just wants the man to take care of himself than to worry about him.

Obito stares for a second longer before pulling out a kusarigama from his pouch. "Okay," he says a last, hand twirling the chain. "But stay back. Do not engage unless you have to."

Then there's a burst of dead leaves beneath his feet as Obito soars. Chains clink as metal coil, snagging a stray enemy as he rushes past it. He's already slashing another with his sickle. With a flick of his wrist, he sends his hostage ramming into a third, kunai racing closely behind their backs, and Obito himself just seconds afterwards.

Rin is holding them off remarkably well as well. She's wielding a tanto – Kakashi wouldn't call her a kenjutsu master, but she's no amateur either – slicing smoothly through these unnatural beings.

"Understood," Kakashi agrees belatedly to Obito's absent figure, and mentions nothing about how he will happily break those orders in a heartbeat if it looks like him or Rin are in the slightest bit of trouble. As it is, Kakashi fingers are already continuously throwing out shuriken at just the precise moments so these creatures can't touch his precious teammates.

No wonder the being grows enraged.

In a blink, there's suddenly one before him, slipping out from the ground without a sound. It pounces.

Kakashi retreats, flipping over the hit until his feet touches tree trunk and he's standing ninety-degrees from gravity to observe the fighting below. He isn't there for even a second, before his instincts scream at him.

Suddenly there's another white being emerging from behind him, slipping free from within the tree. It comes out with its chest wide open, like jaws trying to devour him whole. Kakashi jumps, but it moves even faster. He thinks it's only trying to trap him at first, but the moment contact is made, Kakashi can feel himself weakening as it swiftly absorbs his chakra.

He growls deeply.

Unfortunately, this catches Obito's attention.

"Sukea!" Obito calls, eyes wide. Kakashi curses to himself, because he can't allow Obito to get distracted – especially when it appears to be Obito who these beings are after.

"I'm fine," he shoots back. His arms strain harder to pull together, even while the jaws try to snare them by his sides. It takes a lot of strength, but in the end, Kakashi manages pull his hands close to cast the right handseals. "Katon," he cries.

Fire roars from his body, charring everything in contact.

The white being loosens its grip with a wordless shriek and drops back unseen into the tree, taking Kakashi's stolen chakra with him.

Obito is eyeing Kakashi with suspicion now, but hasn't deemed him enough of a threat that he forgets about the true enemies. Kakashi is equally pleased and gutted. But he shows none of his emotions, holding his own guard now that Obito and Rin realise he can actually fight.

He slips his feet from the mockery of a stance he held before to one of true form. He darts behind a group of these beings, spinning on his heel as he delivers a heavy kick. The moment one topples, he launches it upwards, explosive tag slammed on its back. It explodes in the air, showering smoke and debris. It's the perfect cover for Kakashi to slip unnoticed behind yet another being. He snags a stray kunai from the ground and slashes it mercilessly across the neck, chakra aiding his speed as he zips between falling victims.

Obito's chains rattle nearby, jerking enemies out of balance.

Then, a foreign voice echoes from behind them, sounding too jovial. "Let me join the fun!"

"Guru guru. You're here too?"

It seems to laugh at Obito's despairing words as it jumps in to join the fray.

It looks different from the other beings – Guru guru is the perfect name for it because of its swirl of a face. It almost reminds Kakashi of the orange mask of his world's Tobi of the Akatsuki, except Kakashi is certain this is its actual appearance rather than a mask.

"I thought we were friends! Why are you doing this?" Obito cries out, frustration evident in his tone.

Guru guru doesn't know how to read the mood. It only cheerfully informs Obito, "Ooh, you have a bad memory, Obito! We told you last time, didn't we? We're going to make the world a happy place to live."

"The dead don't have to stay dead in the dream world," the other reminds him knowingly.

Obito's hand curls over the hollow hole of his left eye. The being takes a perceptive step forward.

"Obito, don't listen to him-" Rin begins hastily.

But then, "Rin, Sukea, stand back," Obito roars. "Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku (Great Fire Annihilation)!" He takes a deep breath and exhales a sea of flames, so much more destructive than a mere fireball.

Kakashi can see his rage and anguish fueling the lethal attack.

A burnt, ashy smell wafts through the smothering forest, and most of the beings are gone – though demolished or slipped back into the woodworks, Kakashi doesn't know.

The original white being is still there, however. It's half merged with the tree, shaking its head at the man. "Obito is a bad boy," it murmurs disappointedly, then vanishes fully.

The three let out a sigh, but their forms are still tense.

Good thing too, because he's not actually gone.

In the next second, there's a burst of motion from all around. The beings shoot out from beneath their feet, between the three of them, trying to separate them once more where they can no longer watch each other's backs. The unique one is facing Obito head on, and there's an ominous feeling in the air that ties Kakashi's sight to his best friend because he'd failed him once already and he won't fail him again.

The creature unwhirls into wide open tendrils that curl downward like clawing fingers. It looms over Obito, sun cast on its back. The white fleshy material shadows over the man, and Obito blends too well into the darkness, lost in the impervious black as it drops lower and lower, closer and closer, trying to swallow him whole. What Kakashi sees instead is the descent of a crumbling boulder, large and unforgivingly fast as it drops down on Obito. He sees a young teen with a gentle gaze and an acceptance of death because he'd done his duty to save his obstinate teammate.

Kakashi sees his failures flash before his eyes once more.

"Obito!" Kakashi howls, and the name rolls off his lips so easily and fittingly, and it's only registered to Kakashi now that he'd been avoiding speaking his best friend's name all this time.

Obito's feet are held down by white, snarling roots ripping from the ground like a mockery of tree sprouts, but so much more deadly. He's twisting and pulling to no avail. There's a tendril curling around his wrist that he's biting off with his teeth.

At Kakashi's cry, his eye finds Kakashi and something about him makes Obito still.

Perhaps it's the feeling in how he calls his name, perhaps it's the heart-wrenching stare that Kakashi's subjects him to, or perhaps it's the swirl of chakra in Kakashi's hand, flowing with white lightening as birdsong deafens their hearing.

Kakashi's chidori crashes into the white being, tearing its flesh. There's a hole torn into its side and it intelligently retreats, wobbling unsteadily away from Obito's form. Kakashi shows it no mercy as he charges in to obliterate it completely.

"Watch out!"

There's a tug on his scarf and Kakashi allows himself to be pulled back, inches away from being skewered in the shoulder from an attack from a different white being. He follows through with the momentum and gracefully flips himself further, a nod sent at Rin's assist.

Then the white beings are sinking into the ground again, and Kakashi has no way to track them. He tries to anyways, because they dared to hurt his precious teammates.

He takes a step forwards.

"W-wait-" Rin stumbles to call out.

Kakashi turns and notes the brightness in her eyes, the wobble on her lips, and her stuttering breath as her gaze holds him tight. Obito is not any better, but murky with daze. Kakashi swallows and realises that he's blown his cover. He doesn't want to be here when the stupor wears off and realisation strikes.

Rin is already reaching out towards him, one step, two steps, so swift she'll be on him before he knows it. How does she do that, reappearing before his eyes so quickly he doesn't notice until she's suddenly in front of him (and there's a chidori in her chest)?

"Kaka-" she starts, so utterly familiar.

Kakashi flinches backwards.

Before Rin reaches, he's already gone in a shunshin that scatters leaves and smoke haphazardly in his wake.