A. N. : Blame mapplepie and their many time-travel stories for inspiring me. Though you can only really blame me for the turn this took. Uh, warnings for death and survivor's guilt induced thoughts I guess.

Kakashi blinked.

His eye hurt, his head hurt, and the memories running through his mind didn't help at all. He was sitting in that accursed forest near Kannabi, Obito in front of him.

His eye hurt, and that was the only reason he entertained the idea that this wasn't just another of these dreams.

"Are you alright ?" asked Obito – Obito, alive and earnest and nothing like the twisted man Kakashi had faced on the battlefield, and if this was truly reality, then Kakashi would do anything to protect this.

He analysed the situation quickly. The pain in his skull and Obito's eyes meant they were near where Rin had been taken. Just another proof it wasn't a dream, he guessed – his dreams never dropped him there, either forcing him to watch his stubbornness drive Obito to leave on his own, or skipping directly to the cave-in.

Obito was still looking at him worriedly, his hands hovering close to Kakashi's head. Oh, so he had just finished taking care of Kakashi's eye.

"I'm fine. Let's go."

He would change the future. He would protect Obito's dreams and make sure Rin stayed alive. He had to take this chance, no matter what.

(He vaguely remembered the future Obito grabbing him by the collar, mangekyou sharingan swirling, shouting something at him with so much rage – but shouting what, Kakashi had no idea.)

(His head hurt.)

When he rose to his feet, he still didn't have a plan. Only an unflinching will and the faint whisper of his mind saying this is it this is what you always wanted. Obito nodded at him, probably thinking Kakashi's determination was turned towards saving Rin. It wasn't wrong, not really, but at the same time it couldn't be further from reality.

Saving Rin this time around was such a small thing.

The Iwa ninja was as fast as Kakashi remembered, and even with both his arms immobilized by Obito, he managed to avoid a fatal blow. Which meant Kakashi's first idea for changing the future was out. Turning around to finish him was too risky – he was most certainly faster than Kakashi, and if he decided to cause the cave-in while Rin was still under the influence of a genjutsu, things could turn out to be much, much worse than originally.

Kakashi wasn't leaving anyone to die if he could avoid it, not this time, not ever again.

When they ran away from the falling boulders, Kakashi made a decision.

He was anticipating the rock in his blind spot, was anticipating to fall down – he landed on his knees. When Obito ran to him, tried to throw him out of harm's reach –

Kakashi pushed him away.

The action felt so right it was almost painful.

(How many times had he thought about it, thought about trading places with Obito, thought about dying in his stead ? Always, said his mind, and he couldn't even really disagree, could he ?)

(If I could only change the past –)

Obito's eyes, his face, full of shock and hurt and fear – and he really cared didn't he, no matter how much of an ass Kakashi was to him – Kakashi carved it in his memories.

(Ah, right, that was –)

(You disgust me ! Why don't you try fixing the world if you're so sure I'm wrong ?)

Obito stumbled backwards with despair written all over his face, and Kakashi smiled at him, the brightest smile of his life.

–

Obito screamed.