Back to the past, Believe it!

Ch.33 A long abandoned conversation

Kakashi had thought about what Obito would've looked like. But it was never with him alive. It was either if they managed to get the rock off of him or... In a casket.

"I want to speak with you. Without your mask." Kakashi clenched his fist and looked at his old teammate. "Whatever you say Kakashi." His old friend finally responded after a long silence.

To Naruto's surprise it hadn't been the voice of Tobi or Madera. It had been his own. Obito's voice never got as deep as Kakashi's. But it was probably because he was crushed by a bolder.

Obito removed his mask. As Naruto expected he didn't have another eye yet. Which was good. It would be easier if Obito decided to fight. But his usual spiral scars were covering his right side of his face. Kakashi's face hardened. Obito's face was healed. The scars are the only thing left behind from the incident.

"I don't know how you knew I was here, but I can only assume it was the Minato look alike." Obito stared into Kakashi's eyes. Naruto looked back at Obito. "Yea, it was him who told me you were alive in the first place." Kakashi stared at the motionless figure of Obito.

"It doesn't matter, I suppose. What are you here to do?" Obito finally said while putting his mask back on. Kakashi looked at the ground for a minute. "To bring... To bring you back to the village." Kakashi finally said looking at his old friend. Had they ever been friends?

Obito stood still. Just as Naruto expected. He thought they were here to fight him. "Bring me back? Why would I want to go back." Obito chuckled to Kakashi's dismay. It was finally time for Naruto to step in.

"Your being used. You should know that." Naruto said while walking up to Kakashi's side. Obito said nothing. "If you already knew why continue this stupid plan?" Naruto inquired. His own gaze had sharpened.

"How do you know of it?" Is all Obito said. "A little Birdy told me." Naruto responded sarcastically. He didn't like Obito but... He didn't want someone like himself to suffer when they didn't have to. "Madera will kill you in the end. When he had completed his plan." Naruto stopped for a moment. "No, more like Zetsu's plan." Naruto looked at the bewildered Kakashi before continuing.

"This is all in Zetsu's favor. Not your own or Madera's." Naruto waited for Obito's response.

"Zetsu? Isn't he?" Obito stopped his out loud rambling. "He is not Madera's will. In fact you could say it is Kaguya's" Naruto answered Obito's questions. "I will not say who Kaguya is. Only that she is not someone you want to know." Naruto stood his ground.

Obito stood still. Naruto could see Obito's eyes narrowing. Obito had listened to him and believed him. But now it's a question within Obito's own will.

"I won't hold anything against you. Anything you've done. But just come back." Kakashi finally managed to say he looked at Obito.

"I highly doubt that." Obito responded as well but didn't continue.

Before Naruto could blink there was a Kunai thrown at Kakashi's arm and leg. And Obito was disappearing. Naruto let Obito dissolve into nothing and grabbed Kakashi before he fell to the ground.

Kakashi hissed in pain but said nothing. Their encounter had been a failure. Naruto set Kakashi onto the ground. He definitely wasn't an expert in medical Ninjustu so he had to pull out the Kunai and wrap bandaging.

"Did we fail?" Kakashi said staring blankly at the ceiling. Naruto considered his question for a moment before saying. "No, Obito just needs time to think. He doesn't understand." Naruto smiled slightly at Kakashi. He knew Kakashi would be fine in a couple of minutes. Thats just who Kakashi was. "I wish he didn't need to think." Kakashi said before closing his eyes. Naruto nodded.

Shikamaru followed Asuma and Kuranai until they were back at their original base camp.

He had been silently dragging guy this entire time.

"We need to call backup." Asuma finally said. Kuranai nodded. "I'll go get some medical Nin."

"Please be careful." Asuma said to the retreating figure.

Shikamaru hoped he could prevent their deaths. He didn't want them to relive the same pain they did in the future. Nothing could justify just how guilty Shikamaru felt. It would be about an hour before ninja and medical ninja arrive, nothing unusual should happen until then.

Naruto felt his heart relax once Kakashi was standing up. "Don't let this get to your head." Naruto said as he followed Kakashi out the door. Kakashi shook his head. "Don't worry about me Naruto. I'm supposed to be your teacher. Naruto's eyes widened before he smiled. "Yea whatever." This had been a long day.

A couple days later.

Naruto had been sitting in a tree branch looking over the village. Everything was fine. Their younger selves would go into the academy sooner than they had expected. But nothing worse. Naruto thought non-stop about the encounter with Obito. Soon he would have to track him down all over again.

Before he could go to a different angle of the village. He felt Obito appearing beside him. Naruto's eyes widened. "Obito?" Obito had been without his mask.

"What's your name?" Obito finally said. Naruto's eyes softened. "Naruto." Obito looked at Naruto with a calculating gaze. "As in, Minato's son?" Obito finally understood the reality of the situation. "Yes I am." Naruto smiled. "Then. You came back in time...?" Obito's eyes were dark. "Yes I did. Had it not been for you, I would've never had to." Naruto looked at the brightening sky. "Yet... You chose to try and spare me? Not kill me in revenge?" Obito looked away from Naruto.

"That's not how I am. I had a friend who left the village. I was around 12 when he left. The day I finally got him to come back. We were both 18."

Obito looked quietly at Naruto. "Then what happened to me? What made you have knowledge of all these things?" Obito finally asked.

"During the war... You confronted Madera about your suspicions of betrayal... He killed you once he became the Jinchuriki of the ten tails." Naruto looked solemnly at Obito. This time. He could see his gaze. It had been conflicted and sad.