Mending The Past To A Better Future

Chp 31.Interlude 1.0

Approximately Nine Years Ago

"Do you know that guy?" Shisui heard one of his clansmen murmuring to another one. He turned his head slightly and followed their rather obvious gazes to a silver haired boy standing on the edge of the compound with a brown haired girl with purple stripes on her face.

"Duh!" One of the kids exclaimed with orange goggles. They were older than him, but not by too much. "He's one of my teammates."

"Dude, you're so lucky!" One gushed. "Kakashi is the strongest ninja in our age group, and I heard he's an apprentice to Namikaze-san."

"Lucky," the little boy scoffed. "You're never lucky if you're working with him," his tinny voice full of disdain. "All the teachers do is praise him when he's not even that good. He can't do the Uchiha clan's prized fireball jutsu!"

"Obito, you can't do the clan's fireball jutsu either," One of the older kids pointed out, to which Obito flushed angrily.

"Shut up!"

"Obito's just mad 'cause he likes Nohora-san, and Kakashi is always hanging out with her," one of the boys said slyly, nudging Obito with his elbow.

Before Obito could get mad, Shisui intervened. "Is Kakashi the one with the cool silver hair?"

"Cool?" Obito spluttered the same time one of their clansmen yelled, "Yes!"

As if hearing their conversation, Kakashi looked over at their group, prompting the brunette next to him to do the same. She waved excitedly, and Shisui watched as Obito waved a hand back, his cheeks staining red.

Huh. It seemed like Obito liked this young girl. Nohora-san then, he concluded.

The duo made their way over to their small cluster of clansmen, and Shisui felt himself sizing up the silver headed boy, who was only marginally taller than him. It must've been the hair, Shisui couldn't help but think. It had to be. The way it defied gravity gave him a few extra inches of height.

"Is it true that his dad killed himself?" One asked, and Obito, to Shisui's surprise, audibly hissed.

"Shut up, idiot!" He scolded. "Don't talk about that, okay?"

"What's your deal, Obito?" The taller boy jeered. "I thought you didn't like him."

"I don't! But that's still a mean thing to talk about, especially if he doesn't want to bring it up. He's just a kid!"

"Are you really choosing someone whose family is shamed over us? We're your clan, Obito."

Shisui knew that it was technically considered dishonorable to commit suicide, but Obito was right. Kakashi was just a kid, just like the rest of them.

"Oi," He snapped suddenly. "He's coming over here so don't be rude."

"Shisui-kun, you don't even know Kakashi," They laughed.

"So? Doesn't mean I don't know how to be tactful. Plus, you don't know him either. Why should you be talking about him and his family?"

One of the boys bit his lip fearfully. "Do you think he killed his dad because he wanted to be the strongest one in his clan?"

Shisui opened his mouth to yell at them, but then held himself back. That was what he had done, wasn't it? He let a teammate die because he was jealous of them. He turned away.

"Don't be dumb," Obito said. "Bakakashi is mean and rude and angry all the time but he's not... he wouldn't do that."

"Wouldn't do what?"