The forest was eerily quiet, save for the faint rustling of leaves in the wind. Kakashi stood with his arms crossed, his ever-present mask hiding the sharp expression on his face, though Obito, now older and more perceptive, could easily read him. Beside him, Obito leaned against a tree, arms resting lazily behind his head, a smug grin stretching across his face.
“I told you not to touch the seal,” Kakashi muttered, his tone clipped.
“And I told you we needed to experiment with time-space ninjutsu more! How was I supposed to know it’d throw us here?” Obito shot back, gesturing at the clearing ahead where their younger selves, along with Rin and Minato, sat chatting, oblivious to the intrusion of their future counterparts.
Kakashi sighed. He wasn’t sure which was worse—being thrown back into the past or having to deal with this Obito, whose mischievous streak had only grown with age.
“This is a disaster waiting to happen,” Kakashi whispered, his visible eye narrowing. “We can’t interact with them. It’s too risky.”
“Oh, come on, Kashi,” Obito said, voice teasing. “Don’t you think it’s cute? Look at them—young, full of dreams… mostly stupid ones, in my case.”
Kakashi’s eye twitched. “Cute isn’t the word I’d use.”
“Fine. Nostalgic, then?” Obito prodded.
“It’s dangerous,” Kakashi snapped, his tone sharp. “We shouldn’t interact with them. You know how delicate the timeline is.”
Obito rolled his eyes. “Relax, Mr. Stick-in-the-Mud. We’re not going to ruin the timeline. Just a quick ‘hello’ and maybe a bit of fun.”
Before Kakashi could stop him, Obito pushed off the tree and strode confidently into the clearing.
“Yo!” he called, waving as though he hadn’t just shattered the fragile peace of the moment.
The younger team froze.
Minato was the first to react, standing smoothly and positioning himself protectively in front of his students. “Who are you?” he asked, his voice calm but edged with caution.
Young Kakashi’s mismatched eyes narrowed as he instinctively moved into a defensive stance. “I don’t like this,” he muttered, hand hovering near his kunai pouch.
Rin looked between them, her brow furrowing. “They… look familiar, don’t they?”
Young Obito squinted, his mouth falling open. “Wait a second…” He pointed dramatically at the older pair. “You—why do you look like—”
“Us?” Obito finished for him, grinning. “Because we are.”
The clearing erupted into a cacophony of questions and accusations.
“You’re from the future?!” Rin asked, eyes wide.
“How is that even possible?” Minato’s voice was sharp, his gaze scanning the older men for any signs of deception.
“This has to be some kind of genjutsu,” Young Kakashi muttered, his tone skeptical.
“Wow,” Older Obito said, clapping his hands. “I forgot how suspicious we used to be. Or maybe that’s just you, Kashi.”
“You’re not helping,” Older Kakashi muttered.
“You’re really us?” Young Obito asked, his voice rising. He stared at his older counterpart, eyes flicking between the scars and the calm confidence radiating from the man. “But you look so… old!”
“Gee, thanks,” Obito deadpanned.
“You’re really from the future?” Rin asked again, her tone a mix of curiosity and awe.
“Yes,” Kakashi answered curtly. “It was an accident. We’re not supposed to be here.”
“Well, since you’re already here,” Minato said, his sharp gaze softening just slightly, “perhaps you could tell us why. And more importantly, what happens next?”
“No spoilers!” Obito said quickly, waving his hands. “Trust me, you don’t want to know. Let’s just say things get… messy.”
Minato frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the answer, but before he could press further, Obito turned to his younger self, a sly grin spreading across his face.
“Man, look at you,” he said, circling Young Obito like he was inspecting a strange animal. “So full of energy. So loud. So annoying. No wonder Kakashi couldn’t stand us.”
“Hey!” Young Obito bristled, his cheeks flushing red. “I’m not annoying!”
“Yes, you are,” Older Kakashi and Older Obito said in unison.
Rin stifled a giggle behind her hand.
Young Kakashi crossed his arms, his gaze narrowing as he studied his older self. “And you—are you really me? What happened to your face? And why do you have his eye?”
Older Kakashi sighed. “Long story.”
“Yeah,” Obito cut in, smirking. “A long, tragic story full of loss, redemption, and—”
“Don’t.” Kakashi glared at him.
“Fine, fine,” Obito relented, though his grin didn’t fade.
“You two seem…” Rin hesitated, searching for the right word. “Close.”
“We’re a team,” Kakashi said stiffly, clearly hoping to end the conversation there.
But Obito, ever the troublemaker, had other plans. “Oh, we’re more than that,” he said, slinging an arm around Kakashi’s shoulders.
“Obito—” Kakashi’s tone was a warning, but it went unheeded.
“We’re together now,” Obito announced, his grin widening.
The clearing went silent.
Young Obito’s face turned a vivid shade of red. “Wha—what?! You and Kakashi?! No way!”
“You’re lying,” Young Kakashi said flatly, though there was a hint of doubt in his voice.
“Nope,” Obito said, popping the “p.” “We’re a thing. Been a thing for years now.”
Minato blinked, clearly taken aback, but then a small smile tugged at his lips. “Well, I can’t say I expected that, but… I’m glad to see you’ve found happiness.”
“You’re taking this way too well,” Kakashi muttered.
Rin, meanwhile, looked positively delighted. “That’s so sweet!”
“It’s weird!” Young Obito protested.
“Give it time,” Older Obito said with a wink. “You’ll come around.”
Before anyone could respond, the seals on Kakashi’s and Obito’s arms began to glow, a bright light spilling into the clearing.
“What’s happening?” Rin asked, her voice tinged with alarm.
“Our ride back,” Kakashi said, relief evident in his tone.
Obito sighed dramatically. “Just when it was getting fun.” He turned to his younger self, pointing a finger. “Hey, kid. Take care of Rin, don’t be a jerk to Kakashi, and for the love of all things holy, don’t screw things up.”
Young Obito sputtered, “I—what—how am I supposed to—”
“Figure it out!” Obito called as the light engulfed him and Kakashi.
And then, just like that, they were gone, leaving Team Minato standing in stunned silence.
Young Kakashi was the first to speak. “That… was the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You get used to it,” Minato said with a knowing smile.
Young Obito groaned, running a hand through his hair. “There’s no way I end up with him.”
Rin giggled. “I think it’s nice. They seemed really happy.”
Minato’s gaze lingered on the spot where his future students had vanished, his smile softening. “Whatever the future holds, I have faith that it will work out.”