Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto in any shape or form.

Prologue: To Bring back Time

It was over.

The die was cast when humanity's only hope withered away, as if he wasn't anything significant. Uzumaki Naruto, the flamboyant boy who held so much pride within him, had the Kyūbi extracted from his body. It didn't matter how formidable the Fourth was with seals, it couldn't restrict the vexed Nine Tails in its confinement any longer.

The Allied Shinobi had lost.

Everything had become hopeless.

Hundreds of thousands had fallen prey to the two infamous Uchiha. No one survived: they all perished under the wrath of the Uchiha duo. Corpses littered across the battlefield along with hundreds of titanic craters that scattered throughout the wasteland, forcing the geographic landscape near the Land of Fire to reshape.

What had gone wrong? What miscalculation had they made? Were they too naïve to overlook the circumstances when Madara waged war against them?

It didn't matter now. No one can save the world from its inevitable end. Madara and Obito had prevailed, with the sun just over the horizon. It's as if the universe was rejoicing over the matter. Golden rays of light shone behind Madara, highlighting him as the omnipotent one, as he stood on top of a miniature mountain of lifeless bodies, with his hand firmly on his hip.

His keen obsidian orbs scanned across the desolated area he had destroyed and redefined with his own two hands. Everyone was dead, or dying, and Madara was content with that. However - 'That chakra... hm, he's still alive.'

Not too long after, he was accompanied by his sole comrade, the man who helped with his conspiracy and his long desired wish: Tsuki no Me Keikaku. Obito Uchiha - once a Leaf Genin, and now an S class criminal - jumped to his stead, focused and tensed.

"So you've sensed it too," Madara quickly glanced at Obito. The man looked disturbed, unsettled and wary. He couldn't blame him, his presence still remained to lurk someplace else, not too far from their location. "Well, aren't you going to finish him off?"

The younger Uchiha glared at his mentor who couldn't quite conceal his mirth. With a nod, and absolute resolve, Obito disappeared in thin air.

~O~O~

The lone silver-haired Jōnin was down on his knees; head up high to the unforgiving heavens; left hand bitterly balled into a fist; lips parted as if he wanted to speak.

His sharingan scanned around idly, failing to register anyone's chakra. He knew he wasn't the only one alive, but he couldn't sense nor whiff out anyone else's presence. And he also speculated that if there were any survivors they weren't exactly friendly.

We lost, huh?

Thick grey smoke lingered around Kakashi like dancers gracefully dancing on stage. However, it wasn't as gracious as it appeared to be in the atmosphere. The Jōnin felt suffocated, the smoke clogged up his throat and cemented in his lungs like tar. The dirt which spun around with the wind approached Kakashi at a harsh pace, and the tiny bits which found its way on Kakashi's eye stung like thorns prickling into exposed flesh.

It no longer mattered to the Jōnin, though, he could barely feel anything anymore.

Kakashi's left hearing was permanently damaged; his right onyx eye was crushed; his right arm was twisted until it snapped. He remained knelt down as if he was asking for forgiveness for his failure, but in truth he couldn't move anymore. His body was conquered by fear and his Will of Fire had burnt out.

Another war led him to another excruciatingly painful failure. What has he done these past few years? Didn't he try to make things right again, with his new squad? Oh yeah. He failed them as well.

No matter how much he wanted to wail and spit profanity out, he was subdued by the travesty of war and by Madara's ominous presence spewing all over the area. Kakashi knew Madara was more than exceptional, but he didn't anticipate that the result of this war would be against their favor. Numbers should have outweighed Madara's fighting prowess and visual techniques but, instead, it heightened his eager to fight more.

The Gokage fell disgracefully against Madara; it was such a distasteful sight. It was as if they had obediently bowed down at his feet and worshiped, acknowledged, him as God.

The next to fall were the Shinobi Alliance. Without their leaders they couldn't find strength within them; their purpose to serve and protect were ripped out by Madara.

After Madara's onslaught only one person remained in the Alliance. The man who had many regrets since adolescence. The man who faltered when his students needed him the most. Out of all the courageous people in the Alliance, Kami picked him to live.

Due to the prolonged days of war; Kakashi was no longer garbed in the usual Leaf Shinobi attire - it had tattered in the midst of war. Instead he was left with nothing but his fishnet shirt that clung onto his masculine body in vain, and sagged navy pants that could tear off any minute. The mask had been long gone too - he didn't realize it until now.

What can he do?

Nothing.

Kakashi could no longer see the meaning, nor the will, to live and cling desperately on for his whimsical existence. Even if he did survive, what could he possibly do?

Nothing!

Even with the different methods he concocted in his mind upon tackling the current situation, there was only one - inevitable - outcome: hopelessness. Kakashi knew he had been naïve throughout this entire time - depending solely on Naruto to fight against forces of evil. Yet he was too blind to see it.

"What a suiting stance for trash like you." A coarse voice vibrated through Kakashi's flesh. He didn't dare to turn to his side to meet Obito's weary mismatched eyes. "Can't trashes like you turn to look at me?"

Surreptitiously, Kakashi's only functioning eye quickly glanced at Obito, he stood a good six feet away from him. Neither uttered another sentence, their eye communicated in a manner that they could almost interpret each other's thoughts. "You don't want to do this," Kakashi murmured under his breath, averting his eye away from him.

"And what makes you think that?"

It couldn't be helped he needed - he wanted - to face his former comrade and look into his eyes. Guilt swarmed back into his conscience when he saw Obito stood stagnant just a few feet from him. Although Obito had won the war he still wore a solemn face that didn't show any triumphant signs, just more sorrow.

Kakashi licked his chapped lips as he tried to suppress his poignant regrets accumulating at the back of his mind. Then he spoke, slow and forced: "Rin wouldn't want to see you like this."

"How could you possibly know what Rin would have wanted?!" Obito barked uncontrollably. "Mission or fault, you killed her! You broke your promise!" He stomped towards the helpless Jōnin and grabbed his thin fabric fishnet shirt, then he yanked him closer to his face. "I am doing more for her. You-you-"

"...Should die?" Kakashi finished, unfazed by the overwhelming anger accumulating within Obito. "I can't say I don't agree with that, but-"

Obito's iron clad grip tightened as he pulled him closer. The pungent scent of blood on their clothes assaulted their nostrils relentlessly. The blood still smelt fresh on their clothes with a hint of burnt ashes. Although Obito and Kakashi had familiarized themselves with blood; the potent mixture of salt and iron, ash and sweat that lingered around them, still struck sharply into their senses.

"What?" Obito sharply whispered, clutching harder onto his shirt.

"Do you really think Rin would want to see you, after you killed thousands of people?" Kakashi asked as he daringly stared into Obito's eyes. The vulnerability inside Obito was still present, Kakashi could sense it. "...It would seem you've reached an impasse, Obito."

The young Uchiha's stoic face fell at a rapid rate, his concealed emotions he held inside him, in vain, leaked out. "...Rin, wouldn't want this?"

"It's ironic in a sense," Kakashi mused out loud, avoiding Obito's question. "You wanted to protect everyone from harm's way. But in the end, you're the one who inflicted the damage."

"Shut up!" Obito roared. It was as if Kakashi had slapped him into realization. The bitterness welling up at the tip of his tongue felt vile, and so he resorted to biting his bottom lip to suppress his guilt. "Don't dare account the things in the past!"

Kakashi's only functioning arm rose from his side and gripped Obito's wrist, then he pushed him away from him. "Isn't that what you're doing?" he grunted as his knees fell onto the rough surface. "You can't live away from the past - so you resulted to Madara's devious plans."

Obito closed his eyes shut, trying to drown out Kakashi's voice because he knew he spoke the truth. He wanted to burst and release his final wrath on his former comrade but he was reluctant. His will restrained his fury and aided him to listen, listen more attentively, without the influence of his budding anger feeding him to become a prejudice.

The weather had calm down after the rough night of fighting. The skies were still quite grey but it was beginning to lighten up to a light blue hue with hints of white clouds. Wind currents have died as well, everything seemed to have stood still.

"You were the vaunted Black Sheep of the Uchiha!" Kakashi had finally burst, his voice seemed stronger but strained. "Why didn't you come back to the village, Obito!?"

"Sh-"

"You were running away from Rin!" the sentence sliced through Obito like a sharp knife through butter. "You couldn't face her! The truth can never be altered, Obito! She died in the Third Shinobi War to protect the village we love!"

The Jōnin couldn't be calm anymore, he couldn't just wilt back onto the ground again. He needed to at least try, for the last time, to reach to out to Obito. Even if it was the last thing he could ever do. He gritted his teeth together as he used his hand to push himself up again, the muscles in his thighs gripped together and twisted in pain but Kakashi wasn't going to make allowances. He refused to acknowledge the pain in his legs, and without acknowledgement his legs will not betray him.

"I tried to reason with you, Obito. All because of Rin and our time together as Team Minato!" Kakashi's calm face seemingly disrupted and contorted in anger. For the first time Obito saw his rage seep out.

Kakashi needed to vent his frustration out and hopefully shatter his former comrade out from his turmoil. He couldn't just watch Obito take his life away without trying to accomplish something.

"You just made Rin's death in vain!" The silver-haired Jōnin vociferated, knuckles white as snow, with his hand curled into a fist. "You-!"

The sentence made an abrupt halt when Kakashi's fist connected to Obtio's left cheek. The power that ignited Kakashi's fist was his last drop of strength. The punch was vehemently strong it made Obito stumble backwards, in a dazed state.

"..You killed the one thing she loved the most - her village!"

The pain throbbing in Obito's cheek became numb; his heart felt heavy, like his diaphragm had started to contract harder than usual as his ribcage strangled his heart. "Stop-"

"Yes, stop this pitiful sight already." Madara deadpanned.

~O~O~

The Uchiha stood quite a distance from the two. Sadly the distance that made Kakashi feel at ease was soon closed when Madara catapulted himself next to Obito. Kakashi's eye tightened as fragments of broken stones were fired directly at him - his arm up in defense wasn't much help at all.

"I guess it is true," Madara sneered with mockery at the sole survivor. "The weak are the last to die; you've just proven my theory right."

"Madara, what are you doing here?" Obito questioned sharply, glaring at him without hesitation. "I'm the one who shall handle this."

Kakashi tried to remain stood but, despite his desperation, his knees and the muscles that were tensed became weak. 'Shit!' Gravity pulled his body down without further notice, he fell - for what seemed to be the hundredth time - on the rigid ground. The impact his knee caps made on the ground resulted his skin to slowly tear off, showing all vulnerability with his open wound underneath his navy pants. "Tch!"

"Well, by the looks of things you're not handling anything, Obito." the mentor pointed out nonchalantly, arms folded to show dominance in the field. "I suggest we don't waste anymore time."

In the most microscopical detail Obito's face wrinkled as his face scrunched into a ball of frustration; Kakashi's voice still rang fresh in his mind, "..Give me some time to think."

"You've had time - twenty years." Madara was apathetic, like he always was in his youth, and he wanted to hurry and grasp his dream. "My eye, Obito, give it to me."

Eye?

"Don't tell me you're having second thoughts because of this-this... weakling." he scoffed.

Kakashi's hand balled into a fist to try to suppress his anger. He couldn't recall the last time he had been graciously insulted. Since he was the prodigy of his generation, the feeling of humiliation was very much alien to him. And yet here, in this battlefield, he was being openly insulted without any hesitation. Nonetheless, he had no room to complain. After all, he was inferior against the other Uchiha, to bluntly put - the Madara Uchiha.

"I'm not giving you your eye back, Madara." Obito finally answered, clear and strongly put. "Because, I'm not creating a world where the fake Rin exists."

The younger Uchiha walked steadily to Kakashi's side, stretching one arm out as a shield against Madara. He could sense the venom forming in Madara's mouth by the second - even the atmosphere changed around them, it turned solemn again. "I-"

"Surely you jest!" The older Uchiha laughed. "It's already too late to turn back, Obito! The path I set you off is a one-way road!"

"...Who said I'm going to turn back?" Obito crookedly smiled after his response. "You're right, there's no going back in this world. We've killed everyone."

"So why do you oppose me now?"

The answer was simple in Obito's eyes. All he's wanted to see again was Rin's smile, but the sins he's committed has been proven to be fatal and treacherous. Rin wouldn't want to see him after everything he's done. She wouldn't smile or jump for joy after he had stained his hands with more blood any average ninja should handle.

Rin was his dream. Her acknowledgment was all he had ever wanted. Therefore the answer was simple -

"Because Rin's dream lies in this world."

Kakashi's body shook along with his scarlet orb - he actually managed to reach out to Obito from the realms of darkness he was in. Obito had come to a clear resolve after acknowledging what Rin's purpose in life was. He actually listened to what Kakashi had tried to drill into his head since the mask of deceit had shattered.

Obito's feelings were now pure, he finally reached an unambiguous conclusion: he wanted to protect Rin's dream to protect the world and village she dearly cherished. The conclusion was evident that Obito's emotions were no longer miscible.

"You-" Kakashi croaked harshly, voice was on a thin thread, his voicebox was starting to give up along with his body. "...Obito."

Madara's facial expression didn't change, that small smile filled with mockery was still there. "Ah, and this is why you're the worst Uchiha to have ever surfaced," he stated, chuckling derisively. "Your heart can easily be tugged by women."

He wanted to tip him over again and coax him back to his side. After all, he still needed him. However, there was no denying it - the Uchiha brat had come to his final resolve and he can't be persuaded back again.

"So, you choose oppose me then, yes?" he tutted as he shook his head nonchalantly. "Fine, but Obito, it's not nice to not give something you've borrowed back."

That something is-

In a blink of an eye Madara swooped down low and appeared in front of Obito quickly - lightning fast, like Minato - with enough room to draw his hand out. "I shall be having that back." he grinned.

There wasn't any time to move nor react - it was too late - for both of them to respond. Their eyes widened in surprise but their bodies locked itself and binded together on the spot, refusing to move an inch.

Madara's index and middle finger snatched the Rinnegan out of Obito's eye socket, and placed it into his own right socket. "Ah, you were too slow, Obito."

The eyeless Uchiha stumbled back away from Madara with his hand placed on top of his empty, bleeding eye socket. He didn't anticipate such quick movement from the other Uchiha. To be frank, he was still in shock.

"Now then,"

"Kakashi!"

Sapphire blue Susano'o rose from the ground - in its skeletal form before it evolved it its armored plated form - with Madara as its user. "Shall we begin?" His Susano'o roared across the wasteland, twin swords spawned into its hands, ready to attack the traitor and survivor.

"Obito!"

The Jōnin helplessly limped to reunite with his comrade. He could feel Obito's stance weaken at the growing Susano'o in front of them. There was only one option they could resort to.

No words were spoken. They possessed the same eye. The same power.

"You're nothing but a traitor," Madara commented before he clapped his hands. "Death shall be the penalty for your disloyalty!"

Both arms of the Susano'o raised.

Their fully formed sharingan swirled dramatically in sync.

The arms flew down, full power and speed to the ground, shattering the crumbled surface even more.

Both of the Mangekyō sharingan sucked onto their scarce chakra, greedily sucking their lives in exchange to send the attack to another dimension.

"Kamui!"

~O~O~

The outcome of the battle remained vague for Kakashi. He was still dazed from the silver light that shone in the midst of their battle against Madara's Susano'o. Though the outcome was pretty clear - it was crystal clear - they had lost and died, Kakashi remained bewildered.

Everything was pitch black and cold. Was he dead? Or maybe he had become blind for overusing his sharingan. It was odd that he could still sense the chill in the air piercing and sinking its fangs into his bare skin.

Was hell rumored to be this cold? Actually, it was said to be scorching hot.

"Maybe I'm in Purgatory and I need someone to pray for me," a grim smile surfaced on his face. "Hah, then again, who would pray for me?"

"Are in you in that much of a rush to meet Death himself?"

Wait. Did he just hear that? Someone spoke and said something about meeting Death. Well, accounting everything that has happened that wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Kakashi!"

That voice. It may have been quite raspy and rough on the edges but Kakashi was familiar with that voice. However he couldn't follow it, he was stagnant. Moreover, he wasn't even sure if he was still in possession of his body anymore.

Click!

The darkness somewhat evaporated before Kakashi's eyes. It was replaced with a white room - with no doors or windows, just a room. The Jōnin peered over his shoulder and saw no one. He was all alone in the empty, white room. What exactly happened?

More importantly, where is he?

Kakashi stretched his arms out and flexed his fingers with ease. He then tried stretching his legs out and it functioned just as well. His broken limbs were no longer damaged; it was back to normal. His hearing was a good as before, as sharp and tentative as before. But his original eye didn't regenerate back, he was still in the possession of one borrowed eye.

"Are you done inspecting, young man?"

It was that voice again. That calm, soothing voice echoed throughout the room with great fluidity. The voice was still unknown, despite Kakashi turning all the way around numerous times.

Have I gone crazy?

"Turn around again, Kakashi."

Obediently he spun around without hesitation, almost immediately his eye bore into the two people standing in front of him. "...Obi-you're alive." he whispered in disbelief. He took several steps forward till he was close enough to see that Obito was in fact stood in front of him, and was not a mirage. "W-What happened?"

"I think I'm the man best suited to answer your question."

Kakashi's gaze turned to the man who towered above him, causing him had to crane his neck to make eye contact. "...Who are you?" his voice small and more hesitant to what he initially expected. "Do I know you?"

The man had deep wrinkles embedded onto his peach-skin face, with a long goatee, and short spiky grey hair that was spiked up to the top. He also had horn-like protrusions above his eyebrows, as well as a red Rinnegan marking on his forehead that struck Kakashi's eye.

"Most likely - I am the infamous Sage of Six Paths."

"You...!" Kakashi gasped with his eye gaping wide.

"Was what I also said." Obito remarked. "He's the real deal, Kakashi."

"Indeed I am. No ordinary man can call the dead back. Fortunately for you, I'm no ordinary man."

Kakashi felt obliged to show his respect to the Sage, so he keenly bowed down in front of him. "Thank you very much, I appreciate your kindness!" his head lifted up slowly, eye tightened with questions. "But I doubt you brought us from the dead to... this, just to chat." Eyebrows burrowed together as he stood back up on his feet, waiting for his response.

The man nodded truthfully. He held onto his long beard and ran his fingers through it. "You're right. I do want something in return."

I knew it.

"Prophecies were foretold about this war. But, I guess, they made one miscalculation -" his wrinkled finger pointed directly at Kakashi as his eyes stared at him eagerly. "Your existence and survival."

"W-What?!" he stuttered, bewildered.

"I thought I knew the outcome of this war because of Fate but you, Kakashi Hatake, your existence altered the outcome. And there had to be a reason for Fate to twist and let you live longer than the Child of Prophecy - Naruto Uzumaki."

"...I know nothing of this!"

"Of course you don't, most people don't. However, you do know that you want to change the past and your mistakes."

The Sage stared at the Jōnin who flinched at his statement, the eye alone sent signals of the man's urgency to change the past. It didn't matter what twisted sentences would come out of his mouth; the truth was already told.

"I can simply want, but I can't have," Kakashi mused, "Second chances don't exist. No one can bend time and travel back."

"I thought I already made it clear that I'm the Sage of Six Paths."

The silver-haired Jōnin didn't know what to think: was this all a joke, or humiliation, to make his failures more evident to him than before? To make him feel the ache in his heart, throb and pound harder than it ever did?

Or does he speak the truth? Can he really send him back through time?

"Kakashi, listen to the Sage, he's much more powerful than you think." Obito interjected, arms folded with a stoic face. "Beside it's either go back to the past or stay dead in the dark."

"At least one man understands me. Though it befuddles me because out of the two of you, I thought Kakashi would be the man who would understand me."

Kakashi remained dumbfounded with the situation unraveling before his very own eye. Though he couldn't completely understand, he knew that having another chance to simply change the past was better than being dead. "So, you want us to go back in time?"

He bit his lower lip for the Sage's response, he just hoped he didn't misinterpret the situation. Everything was still vague in his mind.

"Not the both of you."

"W-What do you mean?!" Kakashi stuttered, tongue-tied, and bewildered. "We're the only survivors!"

"Young man, I may be powerful but there's a limit. I can only send one of you back in time. The other has to sacrifice his remaining power to the other, so your chances of surviving won't be slim."

"What happens if one doesn't give their powers to the other?" Obito questioned with an arched eyebrow.

The Sage hummed for a second, eyebrows knitted together as his hand stroked his long white goatee. "Well, the person who travels back in time will have their body torn up into pieces."

Kakashi grimaced at the Sage's calm response. The risk in order to travel back in time seemed too dangerous. However, the will was apparent in Obito's eyes: he has the intention to travel back in time to change the events that transpired. Events that happened without their knowledge and events that were caused by his own hands.

They all need to change.

The silver-haired Jōnin remained frozen and speechless, his eye scanned the white room that felt so restricting around them. He opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. What trash would volunteer to travel back in time and mess things up again? He had his chance to redeem himself and prove to himself that he wasn't trash.

At the end - he failed... miserably.

Obito's eye also tightened as he quietly mused among himself. Then, after casting a small smile at Kakashi, he triumphantly stepped forward in the middle of the Sage and Kakashi. He cleared his throat before he spoke, "I'll be the sacrifice."

What?

Did Kakashi just hear that right? Obito to be the sacrifice? Did he lose his mind when they died?

"Obito!" he interrupted, "It's your job to go back to the past and make things right! You were right, there's no place for scums - like me - to ask for second chances."

The Uchiha glared at the Jōnin with irritation, but his lips curved into a faint smile. Softly he gripped Kakashi's shoulder for either comfort or indication to stop talking. "And you're also right: Rin wouldn't want to see me after this."

"What be your answers, young men?"

"I'll be the sacrifice," Obito clarified sharply. He selfishly took on the burden without speaking to Kakashi to negotiate halfway. Not that there's anything to say between them, they practically wanted to kill each other in the battlefield.

Kakashi stepped forward next to Obito - both stared at the Sage with their remaining weary eye - and nodded quietly in agreement. "Fine, but I still think you're best suited for this." he mumbled.

The Uchiha Black Sheep silently held his hand out to the Sage who had a black staff stretched out with both hands. He glanced at Kakashi who mirrored his action, secretly Obito smiled at his comrade. The look of determination was vivid in the eye he lent Kakashi. It was clear to him that his comrade was better suited for the job. He possessed the same eye as Naruto Uzumaki - the eye of determination with the Will of Fire burning with an eternal flame.

"I have no regrets with my final decision." Obito whispered to Kakashi. "You will possess my powers and become stronger. You'll have my eyes. We'll finally be able to become one and protect Rin."

"Obito-" Kakashi bitterly replied as he tried to compose himself from choking back tears.

"Kakashi Hatake, grab the staff. I shall bestow a new kind of power that only you will possess."

Kakashi's hand clasped around the thin black rode tightly with his eye closed. "The honor is mine, Sage-sama."

"You, Kakashi Hatake, shall have a Kekkei genkai running in your blood. With the new power I'm about to bestow within you, I have no doubt you'll succeed. However, with this power and the Uchiha's combined, it won't be easy to control."

Obito raised his head up high with a smile plastered on his face, '...You'll be able to protect Rin, Kakashi. I know you can do it.'

"Do you still wish to accept?"

"Hai!" he answered quickly, almost stunning the other two. He felt the responsibility and trust within the rod, and the hardship waiting for him in the past. However, he felt calm and tranquil about the situation - Obito and the Sage had faith in him and that was enough to suppress the doubt hovering at the back of his mind.

"Then, Kakashi Hatake, I shall trust you to change the past. Change the horrid outcome that lies in the future."

"I shall do my best!"

"Remember this well Kakashi - if you fail you will spend your days in Hell, and you will be enslaved forever. That is the consequence of traveling back through time."

Kakashi nodded quietly and proceeded to grip the rod with his might. "I shall accept the consequences for my failure. No matter how cruel it may be."

"Obito-boy, place your hand on Kakashi's shoulder and close your eyes."

The young Uchiha complied and, gracefully, placed his hand on Kakashi's rock hard shoulder. He smirked when he felt Kakashi's shoulder stiffen, his breathing became more restricted and heavy. Before Obito closed his remaining eye, he glanced at Kakashi. "Relax, baka-Kakashi." he playfully teased.

"I am calm. Speak for yourself, your hand is trembling." Kakashi replied with a smirk curling at the end of his chapped lips.

'...The bonds within these two is strong. The emotions Kakashi will bear will either overwhelm him or help him through the long exhausting hurdle he's about to face.'

"Alright. It's time. The time has finally come for me to cast this jutsu." The Sage's grip around his staff tightened before the sharingan on his forehead spiraled into action. "Kakashi, Obito open your eyes and use your Kamui at the sharingan on my forehead."

In sync both Obito and Kakashi's eye opened with their full-wheeled sharingan intact, their tomoes swirled at a rapid pace clockwise, slowly curving into a fully developed Mangekyō sharingan wheel. Their pupil shook at the sight of the sharingan also swirling on the Sage's forehead as its ruby red color slowly turned into a strong purple with black rings dilating from the center.

Mangekyō Sharingan!

Rinengan!

Another eye blinding white light shone behind the Sage as the white walls that surrounded the three dissolved into nothingness, leaving tiny disintegrated white shards. The silver-haired Jōnin felt the staff in his hand disperse into small ashes, and Obito's hand somehow felt like it hovered above his shoulder. He couldn't feel anything and the white flash had blinded his line of vision, his third sense was the only thing he could rely on.

"I trust you, Kakashi Hatake, to change the ways of Ninja."

Kakashi couldn't respond back to the Sage despite his attempts to open his mouth and speak. It would only take around seventy-two facial muscles for him to reply, yet he couldn't seem to find the strength to utter one single word.

In the blink of an eye, the piercing light vanished with a small thunderclap and darkness overwhelmed Kakashi who still couldn't move his body. 'Shit..!' The air around him thinned and oxygen started to become scarce, greedily Kakashi filled his lungs with oxygen before he exhaled deeply. Slowly, his senses started seeping in and he could feel Obito's hand still firmly on his shoulder.

"K-K-ahshi." Obito struggled to pronounce his name with very little energy he had inside him. He could no longer open his eye, he was pretty sure his sharingan wasn't intact anymore, and his chakra was on a whim. He knew was about to perish in any moment, he knew yet he didn't falter. Instead, with his remaining strength and will, he clutched on harder on Kakashi's shoulder for reassurance.

In an instant Obito felt his body disintegrating into the fathomless atmosphere. He didn't want Kakashi to hear his last words with a pitiful tone, he didn't want Kakashi to think he was scared of death.

Before his body scattered Obito opened his mouth and whispered, "Protect what Rin loves most."

"Obito!" Kakashi automatically screamed as his eyes snapped open with both of the Mangekyō sharingan swirling dramatically into obsidian orbs. But the Jōnin couldn't move his body to cling onto Obito desperately. He couldn't function, feel or move.

Obito's presence no longer lingered around the atmosphere; he was gone. His strength and powers had been inherited into Kakashi for his benefit.

Kakashi felt the darkness cloaking around his flesh with a tinge of coldness injecting into his body. Breathing became difficult and it wasn't long until the Jōnin started hyperventilating. 'I... What... What's happening?'

Golden rays of light preyed upon his naked obsidian eyes and blinded him once more in the spot. Kakashi daringly tried to stare back at the light but his eyes refused to open. The numbness inside him became faint and his body started moving at his own accord once more.

Open your eyes.. and walk to the light!

Kakashi grunted stubbornly as he tried to peel his eyes open in order to stare straight into the light. 'I must...!' The Jōnin's teeth dug into his bottom lip - strong enough to make it bleed - and his hands curled into a ball to muster up the strength radiating inside him. '...I will!' Both eyes snapped open, revealing his new onyx orbs, at his own will.

Now walk towards the light.

Breaking free from his own restrictions that bound his own body to be stagnant, Kakashi moved his left leg forward, then his right, until he reached the apex of the golden light glowing in front of him. With a sigh of relief the Jōnin's posture relaxed and straightened, granting him to become more stable.

Reach out... Reach for the light.

Kakashi stretched his arm out desperately to the light and grabbed the thin air and the light along with it. The light spiraled in a clockwise windmill motion with strong suction to another dimension. The man drugged with fatigue felt his body being sucked along with the light, but he complied and stepped forward to accept whatever challenge was ahead.

Go and change the outcome, boy.

Protect what Rin loves most.

A/N: I hope this chapter somewhat entertained you guys. It's the first time I've written like this. XD I have tried to harness my writing style during my hiatus (I hope I didn't fail!) Anyway, I apologize for any mistakes! I shall try to write better in future chapters. :D

Oh, a cool story recommendation for you guys!

Uchiha Shuffle - Duesal Bladesinger

Chaos stirs as Uchiha Sasuke switches places at the worst possible time. A Road to Ninja story.

It's an awesome story with a cool concept and I highly recommend you guys read it!

Till I write again,

Exciled3