Rewind

Team 7 had to remain with Tazuna for nearly two weeks. Not that they minded. They helped around when needed; they'd listen to Obito's stories and train with him whenever they had time. 

Kakashi would usually be somewhere meditating but didn't hesitate to go with them if they were to leave with Tazuna, not that he was of any help; even there he'd just sit and meditate.

"Hey, Kakashi," Obito called out, "Why are you meditating so much? You barely gave us a hand," he protested.

"It's not my mission, isn't it?" Kakashi replied, still meditating, "But to reply to your question... I'm gathering energy for sage mode. I can sense my environment so much better in this state." 

"You know... we wouldn't mind a hand here." Obito looked at him, but Kakashi didn't move. The Uchiha lowered his head in defeat, returning to his team and Tazuna.

"He has some nerve!" Obito growled, placing a stone in the wrong position.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked if going to help out.

"It's Kakashi! He is here but doesn't even try to help out," the Uchiha grunted. "I can't wait to take him home, and he's there like no big deal."

"Why was he kicked out in the first place?" Sasuke asked as the kids looked at their teacher.

"I'm not supposed to say it, but since you are convinced into helping me fight the village for him, I'm getting to be honest with you. He had a tailed beast inside him, and before Minato-sensei became Hokage, he had to welcome a second tailed beast. The leaf got scared and decided they weren't safe with Kakashi around. They were already hating his father for saving his team rather than a mission, and you know, a jinchuuriki of two beasts was too much.

"That's totally unfair!" Naruto pouted, "If anything, he was saving the village!"

"What's a tailed beast?" Sakura asked, and surprisingly, Naruto was the one to explain.

"My mom said tailed beasts are chakra. They have animal forms with several tails depending on who they are. Like she had the ninetails, which was a nine-tailed fox. She said she woke up one day without it. But they never threatened to kick her out!" 

"You're right. Tailed beasts are chakra. They have immense power, and if let loose, they can destroy villages with one swing of their tails. Back then it was Kushina that had the nine tails, but then it was passed to Kakashi. Right after the third ninja war, Kakashi got kidnapped, and the three tails were sealed inside him. The village was already scared of the kyuubi, but having two tailed beasts was unthinkable. Kaksshi decided to leave the village so there wouldn't be a civil war. He sacrificed everything just to keep the leaf safe.

"That's just sad. He didn't have a choice in the matter, right?" Sakura asked, turning to look at Kakashi, peacefully meditating.

"Not indeed. We don't know who sealed the kyuubi inside him, but the kyuubi asked Kakashi for help, and Kakashi is still helping him. The war and the past are something that define humans in their thinking. The status plays a huge role as well. I don't know if the village will accept him back; however, I'm ready to fight to have him back."

"Now that everything's clear... I want to do it too!" Sakura looked at the others with determination. 

"For once, I agree," Sasuke smirked.

"Of course! My mom was a jinchuuriki too! I know how he must feel. He saved us all, right? Because he left, we are alive. That's why he's my hero from now on!"

Obito couldn't ask for a better team.

When the bridge was finally ultimated, Team 7 and Kakashi got on their way home. The village was waiting for them. But the closer they got, the more tense Kakashi got. The path to the village, the gates. It was where he said his last goodbyes. 

"Hey," Obito called out to him, "don't worry. We will protect you.

"Thanks." Kakashi shrugged but still looked intimidated. 

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke quickly ran inside the walls of the village, but Obito got stopped by a pair of Anbu. 

Kakashi looked once more at the village. Everything was different from what he remembered. Buildings were the same, but the air coming from it was much less stressful. The Hokage Mountain had a new Hokage face watching over the village; people chatting and children yelling could be heard. It wasn't something he was familiar with. He wasn't familiar with kids just being kids.

"Kakashi? Are you okay?" Obito asked, "You're breathing too fast.".

Kakashi didn't answer; he didn't even look at Obito. He was completely focused on the village. 

Obito's sharingan spun to life, but the chakra detected wasn't moving. He was suppressing it once more. It was annoying but also scary to know Kakashi didn't trust anyone enough to let his chakra flow. The amount of energy spent in suppressing chakra was immense. Chakra basically allowed them to do everything; suppressing it meant putting chains on himself. 

"I shouldn't be here." Kakashi stepped backwards, panic taking over. His chakra unleashing into his body in response, "They can't know I'm here," he clenched his fists, shaking. 

"Of course they can! Kakashi I'm here, remember? Either we stay here or we leave. But I'm not letting you go alone." Obito grabbed his hand, grounding Kakashi enough to keep going. 

It seemed that not everyone recognized him. Maybe because Kakashi was just walking, hidden behind his hair, maybe because no one actually looked at him. 

A kid slammed hard against him, and he didn't seem intimidated when Kakashi helped him out; neither did his parents, who kindly bowed to him in appreciation, telling their kid to slow down. 

Maybe the village did change, and he was just overreacting.

"Absolutely not!" Danzo nearly yelled when Minato proposed Kakashi's return to the Leaf: "He's a jinchuuriki of multiple beasts right now! Five of them! How can you even propose something like that, Minato?!" 

The rest of the council was shocked. Minato had to tell them about the bijuu within Kakashi; it was a detail to be known. He expected resistance, especially from the Uchiha clan and Danzo. It was always them that bickered for the bijuu. But to everyone's surprise, Fugako leaned against the chair.

"If the Hokage feels safe enough to keep him within the village and believes he needs protection, the Uchiha clan will provide that."

"Fugako-san," Obito looked at him in disbelief.

"Our clan knows what the fear of others can cause. We had been antagonized because of the actions of our ancestors. We got to see that it wasn't all about power, and we managed to start working with the village to be one. Kakashi Hatake had it worse. He was directly kicked out. We understand he possesses 5 bijuus, but we never heard anyone complain of any bijuu attack on their villages that weren't their own. Kakashi never gave us a reason to believe he's a threat to the hidden leaf village and...I owe him. He saved my son from certain death. That's enough for me to repay him," Fugako proceeded to explain. 

"I agree," Nara nodded. "I don't have any reasons to believe Kakashi will try to destroy the village or use the bijuu against us. However, it is unwise to send him back out. He's alone with 5 bijuus and enemies after him. If he falls into the hands of others, then catastrophe will strike. I vote for him to stay."

"I agree with Shukaku." Inoichi nodded. "I had the chance to interrogate the Hatake. He has secrets that he kept away from me but that had something to do with the bijuus. The bijuus seem in harmony with him, and Kakashi doesn't have any threats against us. He's tired, and I honestly don't understand how he's still walking."

"Besides," Hizashi raised up "The kyuubi's chakra seems to work side by side with Kakashi's. He's not repressed like the rest of them."

"He mastered Kyuubi's chakra?" Minato asked, surprised.

"I am not sure. I never met the jinchuuriki of the eight tails to understand if he actually did. But the point is, if he was here to destroy the leaf, right now he wouldn't be sitting in prison like that. He can use Kyuubi's chakra to get out; he could have attacked the village right when he entered. He didn't. And his chakra is being suppressed rather than used. It gives me the idea he's trying to hide."

"And based on that, you believe him?" Danzo asked, "Bijuus are liars, manipulators. You can't seriously think the kyuubi suddenly got good.

"You're right," Minato crossed his arms. "The bijuus are liars and manipulators. But Kakashi Hatake isn't. Our actions against his father should have turned him against the leaf. He could have turned against the leaf when we kicked him out, but he didn't lose it. He willingly left to avoid a civil war. Kakashi is not a liar and manipulator.

"Mhm," the head of the council waved his fan. "So I guess in the end, it's up to the civilians to decide. The council, by what I'm hearing and looking at, goes in favor of releasing Hatake Kakashi and reintroducing him to the village. However, we can't afford the civil war, Minato. If the civilians want nothing to do with him, he has to go.

Minato nodded, finding himself back at the day he had to tell Kakashi he couldn't stay. 

But this was worse than the last time. Kakashi was held by Anbu members and treated as a criminal. And things weren't going in his favor. The village was made aware of the collection of Bijuu they gathered, and it was even worse than seeing them learn Kakashi had two Bijuu. The worst part was how Kakashi looked simply tired and in need of huge sleep rather than all of this; he needed warmth and food. 

The revolt against Kakashi was loud. No one really wanted him back, especially not now. They were finally in peace, and they wanted nothing to do with new enemies for the sake of one person. Obito's eyes landed on Kakashi; he immediately spotted the panic attack, and he honestly couldn't bear it anymore. 

"Quiet!" He yelled out, making civilians go silent and look at him. "This isn't fair!" He told them, "I get you're scared; believe me, I do, but...kick one of us out for choices made by someone else? I don't know why he became a jinchuuriki; I don't know why it was him that had to take in the rest of them, but I know that Kakashi did everything in his power to protect us. While you all stayed in your cozy homes, with your families and grandparents, he was out there fighting alone. The country that swore to protect him the moment he was born turned their back against him like it was no big deal! You killed his father! He saved you and still it wasn't enough. But what if he avoided the war? What if he returned without your loved ones? Then what? He'd be antagonized for that as well?" Obito asked.

"This isn't the village I know. The village I know is the one that gave asylum to everyone that needed it. Bravely protected those that needed it and went on missions to protect people from other villages. Then how can we turn our back on someone of our own who is desperately in need of help?" He clenched his fists. "Just look at him! Does it look like he is willing to destroy you all? He could have done that years ago. Please. Give him a chance to prove you wrong. Give him a chance to prove that he's here for the sake of the village." Obito pleaded, getting on his knees and pleading with the crowd. 

The village did see Kakashi, but everything Kakashi was showing was fear. He was trembling, and tears were falling down his cheeks. 

"I want him here!" Naruto screamed in front of the crowd, "Kakashi-san saved me! He saved Sasuke too! So that means he's a good guy. 

"Yeah!" Sakura stepped forward. "He couldn't afford to fight. He shouldn't have used his chakra, but he did to protect us in our first mission against Zabuza Momochi. Sasuke was dying, but he used the Kyuubi's chakra to heal him and make him survive. He doesn't even have scars!"

"If he stays, I'll stay," Sasuke simply shrugged. Drastic but effective.

"I want him here too. He saved me when the mist tried to seal the three tales. It was supposed to be me, but he saved me." Rin stepped near the students. "He gave me a chance to do something good with my life. I know Kakashi; he's not a bad person. Quite the opposite.

"And he saved me when I settled myself on destroying the ninja world." Hikari joined Rin. "I wanted to destroy the world because of the things they did to me. Kakashi changed my mind, and I...haven't repaid him yet.

"As mentioned... the Uchiha clan accepts him back." Fugako confirmed in front of everyone.

"The Hyuuga as well," Hiashi nodded, joining the Uchiha. 

Every clan actually joined the acceptance of Kakashi.

Some civilians were still uncertain.

"I want him too," a boy stepped forward. "I don't know him, but...he avoided me getting hurt a few days ago." He smiled, remembering the encounter.

"Living off food pills is just wrong. He needs to come to my shop for a good bowl of ramen." Ichiraku stepped forward. 

It wasn't hard to convince the rest. 

"When someone takes the first step," Kurama grabbed Kakashi's attention, snapping him momentarily off his emotions, "for those that cannot take it by themselves. Obito's done that," he smiled. 

"Krama..." Kakashi looked at him. "We cannot stay here. Everyone's in danger. The masked man...we saw his power. No one stands a chance against his jutsu," he panicked. "Obito doesn't know it."

"Not indeed. But that's why this moment is important. Obito knows there are things you are telling him. He knows if something were to happen, he'll be blamed for it. But he trusts you and he trusts the will of fire. He understood it before anyone else. It doesn't matter how powerful you are; you don't stand a chance if you stand alone. He's not afraid of the enemies because he knows he doesn't stand in this alone. That's why...I know the future will be better. Now it's your turn to trust Obito in return, trust the village, and your friends.

Kakashi blinked. He was free from the chains holding him down, the anbu gone. Team 7 was hugging him; his friends were hugging him.

Trusting them was going to be hard. Trusting they could survive was hard. But for now, at least for now, he could trust them enough to relax. 

"Kakashi!" Obito screamed, grabbing him. Kakashi didn't understand why, but his body felt too heavy. His chakra flared lightly before everything went black.