scared of the stars

chapter 3 - Kakashi

It was late. The sun was peeking up from the trees while paying its goodbyes for now. Most of the kids had returned home from playing with their friends, and the only kids who stayed out where genin who had late missions. The teenagers and adults were all either at their homes or out drinking with comrades. Intoxicated laughter echoed through the streets, and every now and then, a brawl would ensue.

Kakashi was the odd one out.

He was standing beside the memorial stone, not particularly thinking about anything, yet not fully gone into his emotions either. Those who didn't know him well would mistake his look for something distant, a glazed expression resembling that of the dead. Those who did know him well, on the other hand, they knew that deep behind his dark eyes was longing. A heavy longing mixed with anguish. He was still in grief, and no one knew if he would ever get out of it.

He touched the stone, something that had become a daily ritual since the war ended.

No, scratch that. It was something that started when he was thirteen and thought Obito had died.

How pathetic wasn't he? He was supposed to be a ninja, but let his emotions take over the second he remembered his past best friend.

He chuckled darkly to himself and shook his head. He would see them again, eventually. Once he died he would join his dead teammates, and everything would be back to normal.

He had cheated death once before, during Pains invasion on the hidden leaf. Maybe that was the wrong thing.

He turned around to leave, not wanting anyone to see his solemn state. It was almost night, and the only things that clutched to the day were the orange beams clutching to the sky.

Then, a heavy thud came from behind him. He jumped around, retrieving a kunai and moving up to uncover his left eye, though he froze when he remembered his Sharingan was no longer there. He furrowed.

Someone laid in front of the stone, face against the earth and dirt covering his hair. He took a wary step forward, not letting his guard drop for even a second. He tried to listen out for any footsteps from the shadows but came up with nothing. He couldn't sense any chakra either other than that from the body in front of him. He leaned down and gently pushed the person's shoulder, trying to wake him up. He wasn't moving.

A groan vibrated from his throat, making Kakashi freeze. It didn't sound threatening.

Kakashi sheathed his kunai and used both of his arms to turn the man around. He was heavier than he looked. Dirt was covering all of his features, making it nearly impossible to see what he looked like. It hadn't rained and there was no soil beneath them. It was beyond him how he looked so tattered and dirty. Maybe he was a ninja who had used a teleportation jutsu to get here.

Kakashi wiped his cheeks and forehead, trying to get it off, though he eventually gave up and used his own shirt instead, not caring that it was getting dirty.

He stilled, staring down at the face that now was clear as day. He recognized that nose, those cheeks, and lips. The scars that covered half of his face were as clear as they had been the last time he had seen him. He hadn't managed to put the pieces together earlier, because of the white hair, but now he felt stupid for not recognizing who it was.

«Obito?» He whispered, not daring to talk out loud in fear his voice would fail him.

The man didn't respond, though his even breaths alone comforted Kakashi.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Obito was supposed to be dead. Kakashi had himself seen his body turn into ash in front of him. This had to be someone else. A lookalike maybe. Did Obito have a secret twin brother he didn't know about?

Now he was squeezing his shoulders, needing every reassurance possible to know he was fully there.

It hadn't even taken him a minute to get Kakashi to the hospital. People jumped out of the way, staring at him bewildered. He didn't have time to stop and apologize. This was an emergency, and he needed the best of the best.

While still holding Obito with both of his hands, he kicked open the door to the office he knew Sakura stayed at most of the time.

«Sakura, you have to look at him!» He simply said, not caring for the rude glances thrown his way by fellow nurses and doctors.

«What?» Sakura answered, looking at him deadpan. Kakashi didn't have time for awkward pauses and instead ran up to her, showing Obito's body to her. She looked down, no stared for a few seconds, then paled at the realization.

«Isn't this-» she started, but Kakashi interrupted her.

«Yes. It is. Now please check on him!» Kakashi ordered and begged at the same time.

Sakura commanded for a few fellow doctors to prepare a room while inspecting Obito's face. She opened his eyes and checked how his pupils dilated, took his temperature and checked his puls. When a room was ready they moved him onto a bed, and to Kakashi's displeasure, he was kicked out for disturbing the workers.

His initial shock was disappearing, and he was finally able to fully comprehend what was happening. Or at least, the fact that someone who looked exactly like Obito was here. He didn't have enough information to know what was going on, and he silently begged that Sakura would have some answers.

After an hour - and several scowls from people who got annoyed at Kakashi tapping his foot repeatedly - Sakura finally came out from the room. She had a board in her hands and was frantically writing, not looking at an anxiety-filled Kakashi.

She sighed to herself and finally gave him a look.

«Well,» He asked and stood up, trying to look through the window into his room and on her board at the same time.

She looked at the other people around, her agitation oozing out of her as obvious as Kakashi's worry.

«Come with me.» She ordered and walked to her office.

Luckily, no one was currently inside. They sat on opposite sides of her desk. She placed the board on the table facing him.

«I'll start with answering the question you have so obviously been wanting to ask me. Yes. He will be okay.» She said. His shoulders slumped by his relief, but before he could thank her she stopped him. «I have more to say, and ask. Firstly, where did you find him?»

He recalled what had happened only an hour ago and told her everything as detailed as he could. He left out the part about him sulking, but it was something she, unfortunately, managed to fill in for herself.

«We have no records to compare these to. We don't know his blood type or if he has any conditions. This can be someone who looks exactly like Obito, and we won't be able to know. Please, Kakashi, don't get your hopes up.»

She was pleading but trying to disguise it with practiced calm. Kakashi had been her teacher, of course, he knew her well enough to see through her.

«Does he have any injuries?» Kakashi asked, wanting good news again.

She scanned the board and shook her head.

«Other than a few scratches and... the ones we were already aware of when he was alive, no. Not a single broken bone, no concussion or damage to his brain. For now, everything seems fine, though of course things may come up if he wakes up.»

«When he wakes up» Kakashi corrected.

Sakura didn't say anything, only gave him a pitying look.

Then, the door opened and a man ran in, breaths uneven.

«He is awake!» He said but was pushed to the side by Kakashi running out of the room and towards Obito.

Kakashi's heart started pounding faster with anticipation. He could feel the adrenaline pumping through him, making him run faster than he had since the war.

He barged into the room Obito laid in and stilled when he looked at the bed. At the man sitting upright. He felt his legs weaken, and if the bed hadn't been right beside him, he would have fallen to the floor.