Rotted Rowan

Kakashi

Beta:

(ง ⌣ ~ ⌣) ง

Before Obito returned to Konoha, he had to make sure she was okay. He teleported to Amegakure while Madara cleaned up at the Summit—no way that old fart needed his help after he took care of Minato—and he went directly to where he felt Naasica's chakra.

Kisame was the only one in the room. The two had met a few times over the years.

"Hey lover boy," said Kisame.

"Hey big blue," said Obito. "How's—How's—"

"Madara patched her up," said Kisame. "She'll be fine, if a bit stiff."

Tension Obito hadn't realized he had been holding eased out of him as he sighed.

Kisame grinned. "You look like shit."

"I feel like shit," Obito admitted honestly. He was shaky, nauseous, and dizzy. Part of his shinobi training meant repressing the majority of his emotions.

Especially his kills.

He wouldn't—

He—

"I killed Minato," he whispered. His own teacher. He hadn't even really thought about it. Hadn't even consciously made the effort. As soon as Minato paid more attention to Madara than Obito behind him he just—he just moved. He used the Chidori Kakashi created and he murdered his teacher.

There was... nothing to it.

He almost killed her. He almost killed our Naasica, Obito numbly thought. Kakashi would understand, he thought. Kakashi had to understand.

Us or them.

Us or them.

That's what Kakashi and Naasica told Obito. He chose wrong before but not now.

Minato or Naasica.

He chose Naasica.

Konoha or Naasica.

He chose Naasica.

The world or Naasica.

He chose Naasica.

That was it. That was all there was to it. He loved her and Kakashi more than anyone else. He didn't need to think about what he did because it didn't matter. He'd make the same decision again in a heartbeat.

Obito stumbled over to her bed, sitting down beside her. He reached out a hand to carefully cup her cheek, then winced when he saw the dried blood on it.

Kisame placed a large warm hand on his shoulder. "You going back to Konoha?"

"Yeah," Obito whispered, staring at her sleeping face. "She's—she's really okay?"

"She'll be fine," Kisame assured him. "She's your little oni-hime, right?"

"Right," he said faintly. "Our oni-hime."

Kisame stared at Obito for several seconds.

"... Can I ask you something?" Kisame asked.

Obito shrugged. "Sure?"

"What's the safe word?"

"What?"

"No way she doesn't use one," he explained. "But she won't say what she uses."

Obito let out a strangled snort, suddenly chuckling. He didn't know why he found that so funny in that moment, but oh was he grateful for it. "What do you think it is?"