A world with you in it - 1
Summary: Obito and Kakashi are the best two-man team in the Leaf, but their unexpected failure to complete a mission puts the peace so arduously won after the Fourth Shinobi World War under serious threat. (AU in which Rin was not originally part of team Minato and Obito was not Tobi.)
About this AU: Rin was not originally a part of team Minato so, after meeting Madara, Obito returned to the Leaf as soon as he was healthy enough. Regardless of this, Madara found a way to proceed with his plan so that canon events happened in mostly the same way, except that Obito was not Tobi and fought on the good guys’ side. I will eventually go over these things in the story. This explanation is just so you’re not confused about what’s what until then!
Basically, I wanted to write something that involved telepathy and where Kakashi and Obito got along. I’ll leave it up to you guys to decide if everything else is okay or not. X)
I.
He knew her without ever seeing her. She was a voice in his head, a thought not his, a lifeline to home and warmth and a safe haven when danger was all around him. He was completely and utterly besotted with her. If only he knew who she was.
Obito shifted in his seat to face his friend and teammate. “Kakashi, you could ask that kid Tenzou to look into the mission records to find out her name, couldn’t you?”
The identities of the members of the ANBU Black Ops were highly classified. Kakashi and Obito were currently on a regular mission that did not require them to wear masks, but they had been a part of the organization for years and still did not know more than the codename of the girl from the Intelligence Division who had been receiving their reports for the past three months.
Kakashi stared, unimpressed. For a good, long moment, he did not dignify the question with an answer. Then he deadpanned:
“You do realize we’re in the middle of an A-rank mission, don’t you? Now is hardly the time to talk about such things.”
Obito huffed like a genin fresh out of the Academy after a scolding by his jounin instructor. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he hunched back into his previous position, sitting at a dirty little table in a dirty little bar, waiting for their mark to exit the restroom where he was no doubt engaged with some perfumed beauty.
Kakashi was right, of course, though he could not help but feel personally slighted that his best friend could not be bothered to put aside their mission for one second and help him with such an urgent matter. After all, considering their combined skill sets, their assignment might as well have been a D-rank. All they had to do was capture the wealthiest business mogul in the Land of Hot Springs - some guy called Shigeki, of all the stupid names - and only a lousy detachment of six Mist ninjas stood in the way of their success.
If Kakashi did not always insist on being so cautious about everything, Obito could have used his Mangekyou Sharingan to slip next to the man and kidnap him hours ago. They could have been well on their way back to The Leaf by now, reporting mission success to the lovely girl who was their telepathic connection to the Hokage’s office and who currently occupied the whole of Obito’s thoughts.
The young Uchiha let his mind wander from the wretched den of corruption he found himself stuck in. The air was heavy with tobacco smoke and the stench of old sweat, whatever few beams of light made their way inside past the boarded up windows revealing years of dust sent flying by the raucous activities of the low life of this backwater town. Pretty servers carrying trays full of glasses and bottles weaved their way among the tables, sashaying hips tantalizing any who cared to look their way. Obito’s gaze happened to find one girl who had light green eyes and off he was, wondering if his girl would have light eyes too. They would probably be blue, since that was the most common eye color for members of the Yamanaka clan and everyone knew that the Intelligence Division was basically one big Yamanaka hangout. How tall would she be? As tall as that server girl? Was her hair short or long, fair or dark?
A slap to his shoulder, courtesy of Kakashi, brought him back to planet Earth. His attention whipped back to the restroom door, only to find that the man whose picture they had been given at the Leaf village was currently crossing it, adjusting the collar of his shirt and pulling his tie a little tighter around his throat. He stopped by the table where a pack of illustrious board members from his company sat to retrieve his jacket, gulped down the last of his drink and then made his way towards the door, alone.
“Thank god... Finally!” Obito mumbled.
His friend chuckled lightly. It was not every day that Obito could get such a reaction out of him while they were out on a mission, so he counted it as a sign that Kakashi was as fed up of the prolonged watch duty as him. While he tracked the location of their target’s bodyguards, Obito decided he may as well go for broke.
“You know, one little Kamui is all it would take...”
This time, Kakashi did not make him wait for a response. “Yeah, all right. As soon as we’re outside, go for it. Somewhere we won’t have to worry about civilians.”
Obito could have smacked him over the head for that. Two hours ago, Kakashi had said it was too risky to use Kamui, that there was a chance that the Mist ninjas might recognize the technique and associate the kidnappers with the Leaf. Now he was not even arguing! They could have avoided the whole detour to the bar and their depressing waiting game if only Kakashi had let him act back then.
“Why do we always have to do things the hard way?”
“Why do you always have to be such a pain in my neck?”
“Shut up,” Obito said, feigning offense. “You and I both know you love me.”
Kakashi’s sigh was that of one who was world-weary. He dropped enough coins on the table to cover the expense of the drinks they had ordered but not touched and pushed his friend off of his chair. “Right now, I really don’t. Come on: let’s get this over with.”
Obito let Kakashi take the lead. He kept watch over the left half of the enemies they could see, as per usual whenever he and Kakashi were on a mission and had to go up against a group. At the same time, he tried to make sense of the direction in which they were going.
“Hey, Captain. This isn’t the way to the inn,” he realized.
“Are you sure?” Kakashi’s voice was tight. Obito had been the one to scout the town earlier, while Kakashi tracked down their mark.
“Not unless he’s staying in a boat. He’s headed for the docks.”
The wind blew chillier as they approached the waterfront. Although it was spring time, closer to summer, the weather this far north was always a little harsher than they were used to in the Leaf. Still, neither ninja let the cold disturb them to the point where their efficiency would be compromised. No shivering would give away their presence and jeopardize the successful outcome of their mission. The next time they had to come to these parts, though, Obito figured he would pack cloaks and scarves right next to the first-aid medi-pack. He would not underestimate the northern winter a second time.
Following after the mark in the shadows left by whatever few streetlights were on was not difficult. Given the general state of disrepair of the buildings in this part of town, there were plenty of hiding spots along the way. The Mist ninjas were also staying fairly close to the businessman, so it was easy to keep sight of the six of them at once.
When it looked like they had reached their destination - a terminal for cargo ships - Obito and Kakashi found a hiding place that allowed them to observe whatever would happen next, kneeling behind one of the large rectangular containers used to carry goods over sea.
There did not seem to be anyone else around this part of the docks other than the six ninja and their target, but by now Obito had abandoned his idea to wrap up the mission as quickly as possible with Kamui. His and Kakashi’s orders were to capture the man, first and foremost, but also to gather whatever information they could find about the corrupt dealings he was involved in and who else was collaborating with him. If the out-of-the-way terminal they found themselves in did not meet all the requirements to accommodate a secret meeting, Obito would give up his left eye. The only one he still had.
“What do you make of this?” he prompted Kakashi, sure that his friend would have reached the same conclusion as him.
“Yeah. Sorry, it looks like your date with that cute Yamanaka will have to wait a little longer.”
“Hah!” Obito grinned. “Well, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder and you know how I’ve always needed all the help I could get when it comes to girls.”
From his position crouching next to him, Obito could hear the slight huff of air against cloth that meant Kakashi had laughed once more. What a rare day this was turning out to be, he thought. Kakashi must have inhaled more alcoholic fumes than he thought back at that bar or something.
“You are kind of hopeless,” Kakashi confirmed. He sounded like he was about to add other similarly disparaging remarks, but then the darkness of the pier was sliced cleanly by a blade of yellow lamplight coming from an opening door.
Obito directed a measure of extra chakra towards his eye, enough to sharpen his sight but not so much that any sensors who might be among the bodyguards would notice. He was hoping to see the features of whoever was at that door protected by the backlight, but he had no such luck. The most he could see thanks to his Sharingan was the faint green tint of the newcomer’s underdeveloped chakra system.
“Whoever that is, he doesn’t look like he’s trained in the ninja arts,” he let Kakashi know.
Their businessman vanished inside the house after that, closing the door behind him and letting the dark blues of night wash over the cold pier once more. Kakashi and Obito nearly groaned aloud as they settled into their new surveillance post, huddling close together behind the metal container for warmth.
“What do you think? One hour until we see him again this time?” Obito started to joke, but the frown on Kakashi’s face gave him pause. “What is it?”
“I think I’d like you to talk to your new girlfriend sooner rather than later this time,” he said.
After all the years he had known Kakashi and all the life-changing experiences they had lived through together, from two world wars to the trials of mentoring genin, Obito was usually very adept at deciphering the meaning behind his friend’s half sentences, but this particular reply surprised him.
“Back to plan A?” Obito asked.
“Back to plan A,” Kakashi confirmed.
“Huh,” Obito pondered. Being the rash one of the two, he certainly had no complaints regarding Kakashi’s change of heart. “All right then!”
Activating his Mangekyou Sharingan, Obito took Kakashi into his pocket dimension, then teleported himself to the top of a narrow pole for electric wiring he had spotted behind one of the Mist ninjas. Neither move seemed to draw the attention of their enemies, disproving his earlier guess that there might be sensor types among that team.
His new vantage point afforded him a panoramic view over that corner of the docks, the perfect starting point for an attack designed to take out the enemies efficiently. Just then, however, a dull roar broke the quiet of the night, coming from somewhere out at sea.
A chill that had nothing to do with the weather electrified Obito’s spine as he heard it. For a moment, the ground beneath him did not look like flat cement, but rather a desolate battlefield of jutting rocks. The shadows swaying nearby to the rhythm of the tide ceased to register as ships, their tall masts looking more like deadly tails and tentacles reaching skywards from white monsters with infinite chakra stores, ready to wipe out all ninja from existence.
Obito blinked through his daze and the illusion passed as if it had never been. Had he been a lesser ninja, his distraction might have cost him his control over the chakra that secured him to the pole. As it was, he was able to keep his cool long enough to snap back to reality and realize that it was only the sound of a ship’s horn that he had heard.
He did not pause a second longer before acting. As he jumped down, kunai at the ready to take out the closest of the businessman’s detail, he looked off to the side, just past the furthest bodyguard away from him and opened a portal for Kakashi to slip through and launch his own attack.
The battle was short lived. Even had the strike not blindsided them, none of the Mist ninjas had the skills to match their assailants. While Kakashi tore through the enemy ranks with Chidori lighting his way, Obito systematically took out his own allotted half of the guards, phasing through their mostly blind attempts to retaliate as necessary and therefore incurring no injuries. By the time it was over, the two Leaf jounin looked at each other and made their way to the house that their mark had gone into, not expecting any further opposition. The cold was all but forgotten with the adrenalin of sudden activity pumping through their veins.
“See? Easy as pie. I told you we should have done this sooner,” Obito could not help but comment.
Kakashi rolled his eyes as he got closer to a window, ducking out of sight of anyone who might be inside and pressing an ear to the gap where it connected with the rest of the wall.
“You’ll get to call the shots when you’re team captain,” Kakashi said. “Until then... Oh!”
Obito reacted immediately to Kakashi’s gasp, so he was not too far behind the other as he sprinted towards the door of the small house and kicked it down.
They made it inside just in time to see the bright glow of a depleted seal rapidly fading along with a burst of green fire consuming the scroll that most likely contained its support of ink sigils. A quick scan with the Sharingan revealed that the house before them had only the one room, no stairs leading to any upper floors or trapdoors to access any basements. The only two windows that might have otherwise allowed passage out of the house were shut and locked with iron bars. And no one was inside.
“Uhh... we didn’t just imagine that they came in here, did we? Where the hell did they go?” Obito exclaimed.
Kakashi sighed, giving the room a second look with his own Sharingan blazing, knowing beforehand it would yield no different results.
“I guess you spoke too soon when you called this easy. They’re gone.”
Continue...
About this AU: Rin was not originally a part of team Minato so, after meeting Madara, Obito returned to the Leaf as soon as he was healthy enough. Regardless of this, Madara found a way to proceed with his plan so that canon events happened in mostly the same way, except that Obito was not Tobi and fought on the good guys’ side. I will eventually go over these things in the story. This explanation is just so you’re not confused about what’s what until then!
Basically, I wanted to write something that involved telepathy and where Kakashi and Obito got along. I’ll leave it up to you guys to decide if everything else is okay or not. X)
I.
He knew her without ever seeing her. She was a voice in his head, a thought not his, a lifeline to home and warmth and a safe haven when danger was all around him. He was completely and utterly besotted with her. If only he knew who she was.
Obito shifted in his seat to face his friend and teammate. “Kakashi, you could ask that kid Tenzou to look into the mission records to find out her name, couldn’t you?”
The identities of the members of the ANBU Black Ops were highly classified. Kakashi and Obito were currently on a regular mission that did not require them to wear masks, but they had been a part of the organization for years and still did not know more than the codename of the girl from the Intelligence Division who had been receiving their reports for the past three months.
Kakashi stared, unimpressed. For a good, long moment, he did not dignify the question with an answer. Then he deadpanned:
“You do realize we’re in the middle of an A-rank mission, don’t you? Now is hardly the time to talk about such things.”
Obito huffed like a genin fresh out of the Academy after a scolding by his jounin instructor. Crossing his arms in front of his chest, he hunched back into his previous position, sitting at a dirty little table in a dirty little bar, waiting for their mark to exit the restroom where he was no doubt engaged with some perfumed beauty.
Kakashi was right, of course, though he could not help but feel personally slighted that his best friend could not be bothered to put aside their mission for one second and help him with such an urgent matter. After all, considering their combined skill sets, their assignment might as well have been a D-rank. All they had to do was capture the wealthiest business mogul in the Land of Hot Springs - some guy called Shigeki, of all the stupid names - and only a lousy detachment of six Mist ninjas stood in the way of their success.
If Kakashi did not always insist on being so cautious about everything, Obito could have used his Mangekyou Sharingan to slip next to the man and kidnap him hours ago. They could have been well on their way back to The Leaf by now, reporting mission success to the lovely girl who was their telepathic connection to the Hokage’s office and who currently occupied the whole of Obito’s thoughts.
The young Uchiha let his mind wander from the wretched den of corruption he found himself stuck in. The air was heavy with tobacco smoke and the stench of old sweat, whatever few beams of light made their way inside past the boarded up windows revealing years of dust sent flying by the raucous activities of the low life of this backwater town. Pretty servers carrying trays full of glasses and bottles weaved their way among the tables, sashaying hips tantalizing any who cared to look their way. Obito’s gaze happened to find one girl who had light green eyes and off he was, wondering if his girl would have light eyes too. They would probably be blue, since that was the most common eye color for members of the Yamanaka clan and everyone knew that the Intelligence Division was basically one big Yamanaka hangout. How tall would she be? As tall as that server girl? Was her hair short or long, fair or dark?
A slap to his shoulder, courtesy of Kakashi, brought him back to planet Earth. His attention whipped back to the restroom door, only to find that the man whose picture they had been given at the Leaf village was currently crossing it, adjusting the collar of his shirt and pulling his tie a little tighter around his throat. He stopped by the table where a pack of illustrious board members from his company sat to retrieve his jacket, gulped down the last of his drink and then made his way towards the door, alone.
“Thank god... Finally!” Obito mumbled.
His friend chuckled lightly. It was not every day that Obito could get such a reaction out of him while they were out on a mission, so he counted it as a sign that Kakashi was as fed up of the prolonged watch duty as him. While he tracked the location of their target’s bodyguards, Obito decided he may as well go for broke.
“You know, one little Kamui is all it would take...”
This time, Kakashi did not make him wait for a response. “Yeah, all right. As soon as we’re outside, go for it. Somewhere we won’t have to worry about civilians.”
Obito could have smacked him over the head for that. Two hours ago, Kakashi had said it was too risky to use Kamui, that there was a chance that the Mist ninjas might recognize the technique and associate the kidnappers with the Leaf. Now he was not even arguing! They could have avoided the whole detour to the bar and their depressing waiting game if only Kakashi had let him act back then.
“Why do we always have to do things the hard way?”
“Why do you always have to be such a pain in my neck?”
“Shut up,” Obito said, feigning offense. “You and I both know you love me.”
Kakashi’s sigh was that of one who was world-weary. He dropped enough coins on the table to cover the expense of the drinks they had ordered but not touched and pushed his friend off of his chair. “Right now, I really don’t. Come on: let’s get this over with.”
Obito let Kakashi take the lead. He kept watch over the left half of the enemies they could see, as per usual whenever he and Kakashi were on a mission and had to go up against a group. At the same time, he tried to make sense of the direction in which they were going.
“Hey, Captain. This isn’t the way to the inn,” he realized.
“Are you sure?” Kakashi’s voice was tight. Obito had been the one to scout the town earlier, while Kakashi tracked down their mark.
“Not unless he’s staying in a boat. He’s headed for the docks.”
The wind blew chillier as they approached the waterfront. Although it was spring time, closer to summer, the weather this far north was always a little harsher than they were used to in the Leaf. Still, neither ninja let the cold disturb them to the point where their efficiency would be compromised. No shivering would give away their presence and jeopardize the successful outcome of their mission. The next time they had to come to these parts, though, Obito figured he would pack cloaks and scarves right next to the first-aid medi-pack. He would not underestimate the northern winter a second time.
Following after the mark in the shadows left by whatever few streetlights were on was not difficult. Given the general state of disrepair of the buildings in this part of town, there were plenty of hiding spots along the way. The Mist ninjas were also staying fairly close to the businessman, so it was easy to keep sight of the six of them at once.
When it looked like they had reached their destination - a terminal for cargo ships - Obito and Kakashi found a hiding place that allowed them to observe whatever would happen next, kneeling behind one of the large rectangular containers used to carry goods over sea.
There did not seem to be anyone else around this part of the docks other than the six ninja and their target, but by now Obito had abandoned his idea to wrap up the mission as quickly as possible with Kamui. His and Kakashi’s orders were to capture the man, first and foremost, but also to gather whatever information they could find about the corrupt dealings he was involved in and who else was collaborating with him. If the out-of-the-way terminal they found themselves in did not meet all the requirements to accommodate a secret meeting, Obito would give up his left eye. The only one he still had.
“What do you make of this?” he prompted Kakashi, sure that his friend would have reached the same conclusion as him.
“Yeah. Sorry, it looks like your date with that cute Yamanaka will have to wait a little longer.”
“Hah!” Obito grinned. “Well, they say absence makes the heart grow fonder and you know how I’ve always needed all the help I could get when it comes to girls.”
From his position crouching next to him, Obito could hear the slight huff of air against cloth that meant Kakashi had laughed once more. What a rare day this was turning out to be, he thought. Kakashi must have inhaled more alcoholic fumes than he thought back at that bar or something.
“You are kind of hopeless,” Kakashi confirmed. He sounded like he was about to add other similarly disparaging remarks, but then the darkness of the pier was sliced cleanly by a blade of yellow lamplight coming from an opening door.
Obito directed a measure of extra chakra towards his eye, enough to sharpen his sight but not so much that any sensors who might be among the bodyguards would notice. He was hoping to see the features of whoever was at that door protected by the backlight, but he had no such luck. The most he could see thanks to his Sharingan was the faint green tint of the newcomer’s underdeveloped chakra system.
“Whoever that is, he doesn’t look like he’s trained in the ninja arts,” he let Kakashi know.
Their businessman vanished inside the house after that, closing the door behind him and letting the dark blues of night wash over the cold pier once more. Kakashi and Obito nearly groaned aloud as they settled into their new surveillance post, huddling close together behind the metal container for warmth.
“What do you think? One hour until we see him again this time?” Obito started to joke, but the frown on Kakashi’s face gave him pause. “What is it?”
“I think I’d like you to talk to your new girlfriend sooner rather than later this time,” he said.
After all the years he had known Kakashi and all the life-changing experiences they had lived through together, from two world wars to the trials of mentoring genin, Obito was usually very adept at deciphering the meaning behind his friend’s half sentences, but this particular reply surprised him.
“Back to plan A?” Obito asked.
“Back to plan A,” Kakashi confirmed.
“Huh,” Obito pondered. Being the rash one of the two, he certainly had no complaints regarding Kakashi’s change of heart. “All right then!”
Activating his Mangekyou Sharingan, Obito took Kakashi into his pocket dimension, then teleported himself to the top of a narrow pole for electric wiring he had spotted behind one of the Mist ninjas. Neither move seemed to draw the attention of their enemies, disproving his earlier guess that there might be sensor types among that team.
His new vantage point afforded him a panoramic view over that corner of the docks, the perfect starting point for an attack designed to take out the enemies efficiently. Just then, however, a dull roar broke the quiet of the night, coming from somewhere out at sea.
A chill that had nothing to do with the weather electrified Obito’s spine as he heard it. For a moment, the ground beneath him did not look like flat cement, but rather a desolate battlefield of jutting rocks. The shadows swaying nearby to the rhythm of the tide ceased to register as ships, their tall masts looking more like deadly tails and tentacles reaching skywards from white monsters with infinite chakra stores, ready to wipe out all ninja from existence.
Obito blinked through his daze and the illusion passed as if it had never been. Had he been a lesser ninja, his distraction might have cost him his control over the chakra that secured him to the pole. As it was, he was able to keep his cool long enough to snap back to reality and realize that it was only the sound of a ship’s horn that he had heard.
He did not pause a second longer before acting. As he jumped down, kunai at the ready to take out the closest of the businessman’s detail, he looked off to the side, just past the furthest bodyguard away from him and opened a portal for Kakashi to slip through and launch his own attack.
The battle was short lived. Even had the strike not blindsided them, none of the Mist ninjas had the skills to match their assailants. While Kakashi tore through the enemy ranks with Chidori lighting his way, Obito systematically took out his own allotted half of the guards, phasing through their mostly blind attempts to retaliate as necessary and therefore incurring no injuries. By the time it was over, the two Leaf jounin looked at each other and made their way to the house that their mark had gone into, not expecting any further opposition. The cold was all but forgotten with the adrenalin of sudden activity pumping through their veins.
“See? Easy as pie. I told you we should have done this sooner,” Obito could not help but comment.
Kakashi rolled his eyes as he got closer to a window, ducking out of sight of anyone who might be inside and pressing an ear to the gap where it connected with the rest of the wall.
“You’ll get to call the shots when you’re team captain,” Kakashi said. “Until then... Oh!”
Obito reacted immediately to Kakashi’s gasp, so he was not too far behind the other as he sprinted towards the door of the small house and kicked it down.
They made it inside just in time to see the bright glow of a depleted seal rapidly fading along with a burst of green fire consuming the scroll that most likely contained its support of ink sigils. A quick scan with the Sharingan revealed that the house before them had only the one room, no stairs leading to any upper floors or trapdoors to access any basements. The only two windows that might have otherwise allowed passage out of the house were shut and locked with iron bars. And no one was inside.
“Uhh... we didn’t just imagine that they came in here, did we? Where the hell did they go?” Obito exclaimed.
Kakashi sighed, giving the room a second look with his own Sharingan blazing, knowing beforehand it would yield no different results.
“I guess you spoke too soon when you called this easy. They’re gone.”
Continue...