Obito
Kakashi casually leaned against a wall, his hands buried deep in his pockets, while his gaze was fixed on the house in front of him. Over the past four weeks, he had made it a habit to occasionally pick up Obito from home—a small quirk that he enjoyed. Yet Obito remained unimpressed, continuing steadfastly on his way, helping the older folks in the neighborhood carry their groceries home. Kakashi watched him quietly, staying in the background.
With a smile, Kakashi observed how Obito interacted with people—friendly, helpful, and full of warmth. His thoughts drifted to the past, and a quiet wish began to grow within him: If only he had done things right back then. Kakashi had never truly seen who Obito was, never recognized that the Uchiha was a person of rare kindness. Instead, he had always criticized him, viewing him only through the eyes of a Shinobi. Obito had never received the chance he deserved.
This time, Kakashi wanted to do things differently. He wanted to let Obito into his life as a friend. After the Fourth War, he had bid farewell to Obito as a friend, but now he had a second chance—a chance he was determined to seize. Kakashi had learned painfully how important friends and comrades are, and he was resolute not to make the same mistake again. He truly wanted to be Obito's friend, with all the warmth and loyalty he deserved.
However, he knew that he must not be too lenient with Obito. Obito should still aim to surpass Kakashi. He needed to train hard to become strong and be prepared for the future. The same applied to Guy. Although Kakashi would have liked to be kinder to him, he had to continue to push and motivate him to train with full intensity. Kakashi wanted to harm neither of them but to make both strong enough to face future challenges.
There was also another concern, though it might be unfounded. Kakashi often thought of his father, who had been at the front for four weeks now. He didn’t know how he was faring. His father was an outstanding Shinobi, both feared and respected. Kakashi knew his worries were probably unfounded, but the urge to control everything and keep his loved ones safe never left him. He wanted to have all the important people close to him so he could protect them. But he had to accept that not everything was in his hands and that he couldn’t control everything.
In recent days, he felt his anxiety and inner pressure steadily increasing. This feeling was all too familiar; it had often overwhelmed him in the past and frequently ended in panic attacks, especially in his youth. Over the years, he had learned to cope better and developed strategies to calm himself. Today, he meditated when this oppressive feeling arose and found inner peace. Yet, he knew he had to be careful not to put too much pressure on himself. The feeling of being responsible for everyone remained stubbornly persistent.
Kakashi pushed his thoughts aside as the front door opened and Obito stepped out. He called something into the house as a farewell and then set off. It didn’t take long for Obito’s gaze to fall on Kakashi. Behind his mask, Kakashi smiled broadly and waved casually. Obito, on the other hand, rolled his eyes slightly but approached him nonetheless. “What are you doing here again?” he asked with a hint of a frustrated smile.
With a casual shrug, Kakashi began to walk alongside Obito. “Good morning to you too,” he greeted him relaxedly. “I just wanted to make sure you’re on time for training today. It might actually be beneficial to be punctual today,” he explained, slipping his hands back into his pockets.
For a moment, a confused expression crossed Obito’s face as he looked at Kakashi. “Why is it so important today?” he finally asked, furrowing his brow.
Kakashi sighed, although he had already suspected that Obito had forgotten what was happening today. “You really forgot, didn’t you?” he commented with a mischievous smile.
Obito crossed his arms and pouted indignantly. “Just tell me what’s going on today,” he demanded, clearly annoyed.
Kakashi chuckled softly and eventually relented. “Today we have a training match against another Genin team. We’re up against Guy, Genma, and Ebisu.”
“Oh right, Minato-sensei mentioned that. I actually forgot,” Obito said with a slight grin, casually waving it off. “I don’t need to worry about it; we’ll handle them with ease.”
Kakashi raised an eyebrow and grinned behind his mask. “Don’t underestimate them, Obito. Especially Guy. He’s been training hard lately.”
Obito shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. “Pah, I’m not impressed by Guy. I’ll take him down easily.”
Kakashi rolled his eyes. “If you say so,” he murmured and dropped the subject. He remembered the Chunin Exams all too well—Obito had had no chance against Guy, and he suspected it would be the same today. Guy’s Taijutsu was far beyond Obito’s level. However, a defeat could prove useful. Kakashi planned to cheer Obito up after such a loss and show him where he could still improve. A victory over Guy would also provide a perfect opportunity to motivate Obito and further focus his training.
Rin, on the other hand, wasn’t ready for the fight yet. In recent weeks, Minato had focused intensively on improving chakra control, and Kakashi found the exercises quite dull. To avoid drawing attention, he had bravely participated in the monotonous drills. Had he stuck to his usual training regimen, Rin and Obito would have been suspicious of him.
So, Kakashi used the evenings after training to continue working alone. In addition to these intense sessions, he continued his training with Orochimaru, who relentlessly pushed him to his limits. Although the Sannin was a tough opponent and often frustrated Kakashi, he didn’t get discouraged. He knew he would eventually overcome Orochimaru and was determined not to give up.
Now, Kakashi pushed his thoughts aside and refocused on Obito, who was indeed walking beside him and not getting distracted by anyone else. Kakashi had expected the Uchiha to be distracted by someone else, but it seemed important to him to stay with him. He wouldn’t have minded making the others wait, but this was fine too.
“Say, Bakashi, is your father still on a mission?” Obito suddenly asked, kicking a stone ahead of him.
Surprised, Kakashi raised his eyebrows and looked at Obito—he hadn’t expected this question. “Yes, he’s still at the front,” he explained calmly. “He’ll probably be away for a while longer.”
Obito glanced briefly at Kakashi and leaned back with his arms behind his head. “Are you all alone at home? It must not be very pleasant to be alone in the house. I mean, it’s not like I’m afraid or anything, but it can get pretty lonely.”
Kakashi smiled slightly behind his mask. He was surprised that Obito was concerned about him; although they had never had the best relationship, the Uchiha clearly had a big heart. Kakashi shook his head reassuringly. “At the moment, I’m staying with Minato-sensei. My father didn’t want me to be alone at home for so long. Although I don’t mind—I actually enjoy being alone.”
“Oh, that’s good,” Obito replied and turned back to the stone he was attentively kicking ahead of him.
Kakashi furrowed his brow; it seemed like the Uchiha had something else on his mind. “Why do you ask?” he inquired, curious about what else Obito wanted to say.
Obito shrugged and gave the stone a solid kick. “I was going to ask if you wanted to come over after training. My grandma usually cooks too much and would definitely be happy to see you. She loves having visitors.” Kakashi stopped in surprise and looked at the older boy. Obito also stopped, turned to Kakashi, and tilted his head slightly. “Did I say something wrong?”
Kakashi smiled slightly behind his mask, shook his head, and resumed walking. “I’d be happy to have dinner at your place tonight. Minato-sensei won’t mind.”
Obito resumed his step and walked beside Kakashi. “Then I’d be glad to have you over tonight.”
Kakashi nodded in response, and they continued walking in silence. He hadn’t expected Obito to have such thoughts, but he couldn’t deny that it touched him. If he had accepted help from others when he was younger, things might have turned out differently. But there was no use in dwelling on it. Now, he had a chance to do better.
They walked the rest of the way to the training grounds in silence. When they arrived, Minato and Rin were already waiting for them. After a brief greeting, Minato clapped his hands. “Let’s not waste any time; the other team will be here soon. We’ll start with the usual warm-up exercises, and then we’ll begin the individual matches.”
He then turned to Rin. “You stay on standby in case someone needs medical help. Treat bruises and cuts immediately.”
“Hai, Sensei!” the three replied in unison, starting their warm-up exercises. Meanwhile, Kakashi’s thoughts drifted back to Obito’s surprising offer. He wondered how the evening would turn out. Socializing had never been his strong suit, even though he had improved somewhat over time. He still valued his peace and moments alone. But this time, he wanted to engage, hoping to deepen their friendship.
While they were still in the midst of their warm-up, the other team arrived. After a brief greeting and clarifying the details, the individual matches began. As expected, Kakashi dominated his early fights against Ebisu and Genma, though Genma held his ground surprisingly well. Kakashi had intentionally held back a bit, and Genma managed to keep up for a while—no wonder he had become a respected Shinobi.
As Obito fought Guy and, as Kakashi had anticipated, had no chance, Kakashi stood next to Minato, whose gaze was intently fixed on the fight. After a while, the blond Sensei broke the silence. “Guy is truly an exceptional talent in Taijutsu. If he keeps this up, he’ll one day be the greatest Taijutsu fighter ever.”
Kakashi nodded in agreement and took a sip from his water bottle. “Trust me, he’ll continue to train hard and become the strongest Taijutsu fighter. He already showed his strength in the last Shinobi World War. Guy would have given his life to save us all.”
Minato’s gaze shifted to Kakashi, and a curious sparkle appeared in his eyes. “In the last World War? Was that the Third, or… were there others?”
Kakashi sighed softly and crossed his arms over his chest. He hadn't yet spoken about the Fourth World War. After their last detailed conversation, he had only revealed more about Obito's and Rin's deaths, as well as the Kannabi Bridge mission. But he hadn't mentioned that Obito had survived, let alone the exact circumstances of Rin's death. Kakashi knew the time would come when he would need to open up and reveal more of the truth.
“No, it was during the Fourth World War. We were pretty much at the end when Guy decided to go all in. And he showed what he's capable of,” Kakashi explained, turning his gaze back to the fight. At that moment, Guy landed a precise kick to Obito’s legs, sending him to the ground in defeat. Guy cheered joyfully while Obito struggled to get up and stomped away angrily. Kakashi smiled at the scene.
Minato turned his gaze from the two boys to Kakashi and smiled. “It’s your turn to fight Guy now. We can continue our conversation later, tonight,” he suggested.
Kakashi turned to Minato and shook his head. “That will be difficult; I’m invited to dinner at Obito’s place tonight.”
Minato raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You want to spend the evening with Obito? Didn’t you just tell me that you shouldn’t be too nice to him?”
Kakashi shrugged casually and grinned at his Sensei. “A dinner together won’t hurt. Besides, you could use a relaxing evening with Kushina. Enjoy the time together.” He turned back to the arena and felt Minato’s amused head shake. For now, he had to focus on the fights, and he was actually looking forward to his match against Guy. It had been far too long since he had fought him.
**********
Obito walked sulkily beside Kakashi, kicking a stone ahead of him. Kakashi had his arms relaxed behind his head and was silent. Eventually, Obito shot him a reproachful glance. “How is it that you win every fight?”
Kakashi shrugged slightly. “I told you not to underestimate them,” he replied dryly, casting a brief look at the Uchiha, who snorted indignantly.
“You didn’t have to show off in front of everyone like that,” Obito retorted, crossing his arms stubbornly. “Next time, I’ll show them, and then I’ll beat all of you. Just wait until my Sharingan awakens—then no one will stand a chance against me.”
Kakashi sighed and leaned his head back slightly. “Let’s wait until you have your Sharingan. You don’t have it yet, and until then, you’ll keep losing,” he teased, ignoring Obito’s angry protests. As Obito continued to fume, Kakashi suddenly wondered: How would Obito awaken his Sharingan this time? And more importantly, when? Kakashi was determined to ensure that the Kannabi Bridge mission would go differently than before. This could mean that Obito would awaken his Sharingan either later or, who knows, maybe even earlier.
“Hey! Are you even listening to me?” Obito called out indignantly.
Kakashi flinched slightly and turned to the Uchiha. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”
Obito sighed and waved him off. “Never mind. Come on, we should hurry, or my grandma will scold me for being late and having to keep the food warm for so long.”
They quickened their pace, with Kakashi casting a reproachful glance at him. “It’s your fault we’re running late. You’ve been dawdling and sulking the whole time.”
“Oh, shut up, Bakashi! Why did I even invite you?” Obito sighed in frustration as he turned onto the street leading to his house.
Kakashi chuckled softly and followed Obito to his house. “Serves you right. Now I’m looking forward to the dinner even more.”
Obito stopped in front of the door and turned to Kakashi. “I know, my grandma always makes the best food.” He said this proudly, opened the door, and called into the house, “I’m home!”
Kakashi stepped inside after Obito, closed the door behind him, and glanced around the hallway. It had been a long time since he had been here, and he could hardly remember the décor. However, he knew that the home was always welcoming and cozy. Obito’s grandma was a warm-hearted woman with a big heart just like her grandson.
After they had taken off their sandals and walked into the living room with the adjoining kitchen, Kakashi saw Obito’s grandma setting a plate on the table. She cast a reproachful look at Obito. “Where have you been so long? The food is going to get cold. Can you…” Her words faltered as she saw Kakashi. Her expression immediately softened into a friendly one, and a warm smile spread across her lips. “Hello, Obito didn’t tell me we were expecting company.”
Kakashi gave a slight bow and smiled under his mask. “Please excuse me. Obito invited me spontaneously this morning because my father is currently on a mission. He didn’t want me to stay home alone.” He explained this with a glance that defended his teammate.
Obito blinked in confusion, surprised that Kakashi was defending him so unprompted. Obito's grandmother smiled reassuringly. “That’s alright, I’ll just quickly set a place for you. Don’t worry, we’ll make sure you’re well-fed,” she said kindly and went to the kitchen.
Kakashi watched as she retrieved a plate, cutlery, and a glass. As she returned to the table and set the place for him, she glanced up briefly. “You must be Kakashi, Obito’s teammate. He often talks about you and how strong you are.”
“Grandma!” Obito exclaimed, horrified, before she could continue.
Kakashi looked at Obito, whose cheeks were slightly flushed, and raised an eyebrow. With an amused smile, he turned to him. “Oh, is that so?” he teased.
Obito avoided Kakashi’s gaze while his grandmother chuckled softly and looked at the two boys. Before anyone could say anything, Obito went to his place and sat down. “Didn’t you just say the food is getting cold? We should start eating.”
Kakashi sat next to Obito and gave him a look. “I think we should discuss this again after the meal.”
With a frustrated groan, Obito buried his face in his hands. Kakashi couldn’t help but smile; it had already been worth accepting Obito’s invitation.
*********
With a jolt, Kakashi sat up in bed, his eyes wide open and beads of sweat on his forehead. He looked around the room in confusion, taking a moment to orient himself. His gaze settled on Obito, who was crouched beside him, looking worried. Sleepily, Kakashi rubbed his eyes and began to relax.
Gradually, Kakashi realized where he was. After dinner, they had talked for a long time in the pleasant atmosphere; Obito’s grandmother had been warm and friendly, making Kakashi feel immediately at ease and lose track of time. Eventually, Obito’s grandmother had insisted he stay, so Kakashi had agreed and stayed in Obito’s room.
Kakashi sighed and gave a reassuring smile, though his mask hid it. “Everything is fine,” he said to calm the worried Obito. Kakashi had had a nightmare about the Kannabi Bridge mission—about Obito lying under the rock and giving him his eye, about his promise to look after Rin, and his ultimate failure.
“Everything is fine? You were tossing and turning and screaming in your sleep,” Obito said with concern, getting up to leave. “I’d better get Grandma.”
But before Obito could run off, Kakashi gently grabbed his wrist and held him back. “It’s alright, Obito. Don’t worry, this happens to me often. It’s nothing to be concerned about.”
Obito stared at Kakashi for a moment, then his shoulders slumped as he asked quietly, “What were you dreaming about?”
Kakashi looked out the window at the moon, avoiding eye contact with Obito. “It was about my father,” he began softly. “When he’s on a mission, I always worry about him.” It wasn’t a lie, but not the whole truth; as a child, he often had nightmares where his father didn’t come back.
Obito was silent for a moment before he sighed quietly and sat down beside Kakashi. “I have nightmares sometimes, too,” he admitted. “Mostly about my parents or that my grandma will leave me. Does that sound childish?” He laughed awkwardly, scratched the back of his head, and then rested his hands in his lap. “But I think it’s normal. We don’t have anyone else. You only have your father, and I have my grandma. Without her, we’d be all alone. It’s only human to be afraid.”
Kakashi looked at Obito in surprise, seeing a new, vulnerable side of him. He smiled gently and turned his gaze to the Uchiha. “Don’t worry,” he said soothingly. “You’re not alone. After all, you have a team now.”
Obito stared at Kakashi with wide eyes, then smiled broadly. “That’s right! From now on, we’re a team.”
Kakashi lay back and closed his eyes. “We should get some sleep now. We need to wake up early tomorrow.”
Obito stood up and took a step toward his bed before turning back to Kakashi. “Do you think you can fall asleep again?”
“Of course, don’t worry. Sleep well!” Kakashi replied, turning onto his side. He heard Obito slip back into his bed. Kakashi sighed softly and turned his gaze to the wall. It would take a while for the images from his dream to fade, but he didn’t want to disturb or keep Obito awake.
The day, and especially the evening, had been a pleasant experience for Kakashi. He was glad to have spent time with Obito, and it made him hopeful that they could truly become friends. This time, he wanted to do better and not push Obito away. With Rin and Minato, their team could really become strong. Kakashi was determined to do everything he could to make that a reality.