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Hatake Kakashi died with his hands on a Kunai and Obito's names on his lips.
Before he closed his eyes and he saw the end of the war and that was enough for him. They had won. All the life that was sacrificed didn't go to waste.
He could rest knowing that the future was in good hands with the next generations. His students.
The silver-haired jounin could finally join the others in the purelands.
This time Kakashi would be the late one. He hopes Obito won't laugh at him too much. The irony.
Hatake Kakashi opened his eyes to the place he had sworn to never set foot again.
The wooden ceiling and the damp aura of gloom and death thick enough to cut with a knife. He was back in the Hatake Compound.
'Get him out of here.'
With a body too small and lungs too tight. He couldn't breathe.
He sat up and could hear blood rushing to his head as his heart pounded. His hands clutch his head as tears start to pool over his eyes.
The taste of ash and bile was in his mouth and he felt his stomach churn and the itch to throw up was present.
He was going insane.
In the dark of night, a lone scream of a child resounded on the empty walls of the Hatake Compound. A voice so young yet it contained so much anger, grief, and mourning that the air itself seemed to chill.
When Kakashi woke up again to the same sight and small body, he wasn't able to stop the sob that came over him.
'He was supposed to be dead. He wanted to be dead.'
To find his place at the purelands with Minato-sensei, Kushina-neesan, Rin, his father, and Obito.
But he was again in a body too small.
He continued to stare at his hands which were too small, not enough callouses, and softer than they had ever been.
He hated it.
Kakashi doesn't know what's going on. Whether this was an elaborate illusion or the Gods' decided to make entertainment out of his life.
The pitter patter of rain pouring to the roof filled the empty silence in the room. He tilted his head to the clock and saw that it was past 11 in the morning. He didn't care.
Kakashi's head was filled with static and he continued to stare.
Then he had enough. He grabbed the kunai he always had under this pillow and leveled it above his extended right arm. Aimed right at where the radial artery extended and with blank eyes was ready to end this illusion or mockery of the Gods.
But then loud rackets echoed from the front gate of the compound.
Instincts honed by years of battle, adjusted him into a battle stance as he left the bed. Swiftly moving beside the door to have quick access in case the intruder enters the room.
His grip on the kunai was tight enough to whiten his knuckles. He pressed his ears to the wooden walls and heard loud footsteps.
Not heavy enough to be a fully grown person, a genin? Too loud to be capable. Not even a ninja who wants to be found is this loud. Civilian?
When the intruder was now in front of his door he caught scent of the person and identified their chakra.
The earthy scent of rain clung along with hints of forest that was part of a person living in Konoha. Scent of fire and their fiery chakra that he only ever felt in Uchihas—
The door slammed open and before the person on the other side could even do anything, Kakashi moved to slam the person down to the floor.
Kunai pressed against their throat as he kneaded their stomach and pinned both of their hands on the side.
Killing intent filled the room, enough for someone to choke and taste the blood in the air.
"Who are you?"
His voice was almost a whisper but it was enough to gather attention as bloodlust dripped from it.
Kakashi's head was static again and his right eye twitched in pain as he focused his chakra to activate Obito's Sharingan. But it had no Sharingan to activate and instead, Kakashi's left eye burned and he could feel blood swell and trickle down his face like tears.
When he managed to focus enough on the intruder he saw twin sharingans with a single twirling tomoe looking at him with fear.
"Ka-Kakashi! Wha—"
In front of him was Obito. Obito with his still childish face and orange goggles. Too young and still untarnished by madness and the wickedness of this world they lived in.
Obito, who looked like he just newly activated his sharingan. Because of Kakashi.
He let go and backed off as if he was burned by a katon. His kunai clanked as it landed on the ground.
Kakashi tumbled and crashed into the tatami mat with trembling hands. Face pale as his stomach churns.
Cold sweat trickled off his face as he looked at the haunting features of the young boy staring at him with worry. Face confused and scared of the newfound abilities that the Sharingan gave him.
Then understanding flashed through his eyes and Obito cheered loudly with arms punching through the air in his celebration.
All the while, Kakashi was trying to learn how to breathe.
Obito snapped out of his celebration and returned to fret over him. Clearly unsettled by how his normally arrogant and apathetic teammate is acting.
"Kakashi a-are you alright? Do I need to get Rin? Minato-sensei? Hey Bakashi—"
The Uchiha's worried rambling was cut when Kakashi threw himself towards the older boy, hands tightly gripping the rough fabric.
Sobbing and his tiny body trembling as he clung to the ghost of his past. Kakashi doesn't know what is going on, whether this was real, a figment of his imagination, or if this was hell.
All he knew was that Obito was here and he was hurting again because of Kakashi.
"O-Obito I'm s-sorry d-dont leave". He cried as he tasted salty tears mixed with blood stain his lips.
They stayed frozen with Obito cradling the smaller boy with wide eyes.
This was something impossible. Kakashi has always been something larger than life. Standing tall and proud, not a genius but the genius.
But now sobbing into his arms, he could now clearly see just how small the younger boy was. It reminded Obito that his arrogant teammate was younger than him. Younger by years.
The Uchiha doesn't know what is wrong with his teammate and whatever Genjutsu was cast on Kakashi. But he continued to tightly hold on to the silver-haired boy shivering in his arms. Fragile as glass.
He had volunteered to find the younger boy when the punctual and up-tight boy didn't show up in time. He didn't expect to be greeted by this scene.
Minato-sensei would surely be following after him in about an hour or so. So what Obito needed to do was comfort Kakashi before their sensei could arrive and see just what was wrong with Kakashi.
But mark his words. Obito will kill the person responsible for this if there was.
Sharingan bleed red as the promise was made.
Time turned back and the gears of fate stopped. Turned to golden dust that fell upon the obsidian floor. What should have been shall be.
Some mistakes get made
That's alright, that's okay
In the end it's better for me
That's the moral of this story.