He lay on his bed, anxiously attempting to drift into the sleep that his memories were successfully keeping him from, white hair plastered to his face. The twenty three year-old tossed and turned, like a boat floating out in the middle of a treacherous storm, trying desperately not to drown in the vast ocean that was his past.

He drifted in and out of consciousness slowly, wanting so hard to just dream. To lose himself, if only for a few hours. Stretching his mental arms to grasp for that glorious thing called slumber, bending over backwards to claim it, coming just within reach of it. He was close, oh so close…

And just as he was in reach, sunlight bombarded it's way through his window, shrieking relentlessly at him to get up.

Kakashi Hatake sighed, raising one lazy eye to glare balefully at the offending light. He knew that trying to go back to sleep now would be completely and utterly useless.

Useless, useless, useless…

He chuckled somberly as he made his way to the bathroom to take his morning shower.

The irony.

After showering, and trying futilely to relax his tired muscles in the hot spray, getting fully dressed and filling his stomach (breakfast in his line of work was always top priority), he was ready to leave and finally start work again, to be saved from his cursed hell.

But not before he went to check his hair in the mirror, of course. As he walked over there and saw himself coming closer, he realized something very important, something that both startled him and brought down his already low spirits.

He had forgotten to put on his hitai-ate.

Any other day this wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest. He made it his job to check his hair regularly before leaving, in cases such as these. But last night and today were different.

Today instead of having one eye open he gazed out with both, which most of the time only gave him a slight headache. But this time it did not. That, or his mind was too focused on his sharingan to pay any attention to it. The red eye rarely bothered him, never really had - except, as mentioned before, on days such as these past few hours.

As he gazed into the mirror an angry and useless red eye glaring back at him, his heart squeezed with a hand wrought of guilt. His sharingan, which on the best of days felt like a well, yet undeserved gift, now seemed to be showcasing more along the lines of a stolen treasure.

Illicit.

He turned away from the mirror angrily. Kakashi knew he would call in sick today. He simply wasn't feeling well at all.

Scratch that. He felt just damn nasty.

The profound Copy-Ninja nearly went deaf on the phone, when, upon picking it up, had to suffer through the Hokage going on and on about having already giving him a day off, and him needing to get his, and quote: "Lazy-one-eyed-Icha Icha-loving-perverted-ass back to work!", and shouting further obscenities in his ear.

She kept on rattling about how it was his job to work as a ninja, and that she was the Hokage, and he better damn well do anything she says, and that if he didn't bad things, horrible things, were going to happen (something about not being able to pay for gambling debts?). He could have sworn on the Yondaime's grave that sake popped up in this equation at least twice.

She was still babbling on when Kakashi finally hung up the phone. He was just too tired to deal with her, even if the resulting consequences would be regrettable.

The ex-ANBU needed to lie down, his body needed the rest. He wasn't physically sick; it was his heart that was ill. Ill because of the red gaze that had trapped him this morning, his kekkei genkai in the mirror, glaring at him accusingly. Another flood of regretful memories had come boiling back to the surface, and he didn't want to deal with the result.

He languidly made his way back to his sparse bed, flopping down on it with all the graze of one of his stature.

And as he lied there on his bed, his soul in agony and having to deal with one horrible case of unwanted nostalgia, a single thought crossed his mind.

Kami-sama, I was so damn useless!

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Dobe.

That was the first thought Kakashi had of the raven-haired boy that was assigned to his genin team. He had noticed him in school sometimes, listening silently as many of the kids laughed at him while he attempted sorry excuses for jutsus, trying his best to look cool and strong, but always failing miserably. He watched as the other children picked on him and played little pranks. He realized with some disbelief that most of them were his own clan members. Pushing him around, tripping him up, giving wedgies, and shoving his face into the restroom toilets. Punishing him because he wasn't making his family standards - Uchiha standards. He was the black sheep, and he had to pay for that.

The black sheep in question didn't just sit back and let this happen though. Of course not.

The young Uchiha would lash back, fighting with everything he had in him. Punching, kicking, and screaming curses until he was blue in the face. But none of it mattered. It never worked.

Kakashi witnessed all this, saw it with his own dull eyes, but never said anything.

Why should he?

The boy was training to be a ninja and had to learn to fight his own battles. He couldn't always be rescued - especially during a mission. He had to learn to be tough and to deal with his own problems.

It wasn't like Kakashi cared anyway. How could he when he had eradicated himself of all emotion? So he turned a blind eye to it all.

And yet….

Sometimes the Hatake heir felt a small urge to help the young boy. Wanting - for reasons he couldn't even justify - to race to his side and defend him. To kick his prosecutor's asses, and tell them to stick it where the sun don't shine, and to befriend the black sheep, to be befriended by him - at times he came pretty close to doing so.

He stopped every time though, quietly reminding himself that he didn't care and it wasn't his problem. To leave it alone. Years later he would realize it was his subconscious trying to keep the promise he made.

"I will not be useless again!"

But he very much had been.

_____________

When the teams were being picked, Kakashi wasn't the least bit surprised when he was placed in the same group with the Uchiha dobe and some other girl he hadn't paid much attention to (Rain something or another - he couldn't be bothered to care). In fact he was expecting such a turnout, him being the top of the class and the raven boy being dead last. He knew how team selection worked. Even still, the white haired boy let out small sigh of relief, he had been afraid they wouldn't be teamed up…

He had been afraid they wouldn't team up?

Where had this nonsense come from? He didn't feel - let alone be afraid. Ninja's couldn't afford to be afraid!

Kakashi decided not to dwell on the matter for no good would come of it. However, as the other boy walked over, eyes on him, the future Jounin's heart started to do something it hadn't in nearly a decade.

It began to beat.

Sure, it pumped, but that was just for keeping him alive. To have blood flow through his body making sure all his other vital organs continued on, that was it. Pumped. Not beat like this. He never had an adrenaline rush because he couldn't get excited enough - or rather he never really got excited at all.

Yet this black sheep, this Uchiha, this - this loser somehow had miraculously caused it to do so, a steady thrum beneath his chest. And they hadn't even spoken two syllables to each other in all the years they spent together at the academy!

Said boy sat down next to him, arms stubbornly crossed, with a look on his face that clearly stated he didn't want to be here. He completely ignored Hatake, making his dislike rather obvious.

This little revelation caused a tiny pang in his heart.

The raven's name had never really stood out to Kakashi before, just another Uchiha, but since discovering the affect this boy had on him, he was sure he'd never forget it.

Obito.

_____________

Not a ninja!

In the first few weeks of being an official genin, Kakashi was beginning to realize just how incompetent Obito really was.

There were certain rules that they, as ninjas, knew to follow. Ninjas were stealthy and took orders without complaint, they're always on time, put all effort into missions, even the simple ones, and they never, never, ever show emotion.

These traits were most certainly not Obito.

Said raven was loud and whiney, constantly late, never took much of anything seriously, and a big, fat, cry-baby.

Obito Uchiha was the perfect definition of: Not a Ninja.

If it had been up to Kakashi he would've sent him back to the academy to teach his own class:

"What Exactly Not to Do 101"

He had complete faith it would turn out to be a rousing success, what with the sensei having practically a PhD on the subject. But since their Jounin sensei Minato was much too lenient with him, Kakashi took it upon himself to scold the black sheep every chance he got, and to entertain the pleasure of having the raven spew curses at him in return. That was their relationship.

Kakashi showing off just how much better he was and pointing out all of Obito's mistakes, and Obito doing his best to prove Kakashi wrong. They fought in everything.

To Kakashi, at this time, the idea that he liked all this attention -that he liked Obito, and only mocked him ceaselessly just so he would get his notice, was purely idiotic.

Months later he would come to regret it.

_____________

It was his first day as an official Jounin. His first day that he was supposed to lead a team of his own into battle. He would've been excited if he hadn't been purged of all that was sensation.

Minato-sensei and Rin (who, for some reason, he didn't really like) had both given him presents to congratulate him on his new status. Of course the Uchiha had nothing to offer, even went so far as to point out that he never would, but the new Jounin was expecting as much.

Still.

Even though he would never admit it, it had hurt. Much more than he had thought it would. So Kakashi told him, in that expressionless voice of his, that it would have been useless in any case. And anyway, he'd just be extra baggage.

Kakashi then turned away and headed in their destination, ignoring the tiny pang in his heart. It was suppose to be his day. His time to shine and show the world what the son of the infamous White Fang could do. To prove his worth and make a name for himself. Like his dad had. It was to be his best mission yet and he would not be useless.

He almost immediately wondered why even set foot out the house.

_____________

"I believe that the 'White Fang' was a true hero!"

Those few words were like field of mines in Kakashi's heart. Setting off every time he thought about it. Exploding into giant billows of smoke and fire, beginning to crack the wall he had built up around it, tearing it down from the inside.

What Obito had said to him, the accusation that defied every belief Kakashi had set up for himself, had struck a chord within the Jounin.

Kakashi stopped on the thick tree branch - one covered in different shades of green moss. It was impossible for him to continue the mission. Not without Obito who had aborted the assignment for Rin.

Rin. A girl who had always been there, but one he never really did see.

Couldn't. Wouldn't.

All that had been on his mind was Obito.

Obito!

Kakashi did a one-eighty and headed back.

_____________

Familiar feet walked down forbidden halls in the Hatake compound, stopping right in front of an all too familiar door. A very memorable navy blue sleeve, with an orange ring on its cuff, reached into the pockets of equally familiar navy blue pants and pulled out a well-known hand barring an unfamiliar key.

The hand then placed the key inside the entry. Its wrist protector, with the Konoha leaf symbol etched it to it, slid onto it's back as it turned the key and cracked the door open. Letting some of the things that had been locked away free…

__________

He must have gone on autopilot again because he could not recall the trip to find Obito, or even getting there. Yet what he did remember was being exceptionally thankful.

Glad even.

He was extremely glad. The fact that he was glad hadn't bothered him for the very reason he was glad. He was glad because if he had not gotten there when he did, Obito would be dead.

Kakashi slashed his blade across the Iwa nin's chest, causing him to fall - but not to die. The raven was expectedly surprised.

After giving a lame excuse to a flabbergasted orange goggled Uchiha - something about not leaving this up to a crybaby - the two fought the invisible Chunin. It was difficult and Kakashi nearly died, only managing to get away with his left eye being cut into blindness. Obito taking the enemy out not a millisecond after achieving his bloodline limit.

The Sharingan.

As they frantically headed towards the base that held their third team member, the Jounin obtained an adrenaline rush. He was excited - ecstatic. For surely with Obito's power and his own skills they would be able to save Rin without a problem.

Kami-sama had he be wrong.

________________

"Are you alright? Rin…? Kakashi…?"

Kakashi moved his aching body to sit up. He didn't remember anything after the rock had hit him in his newly-blinded left eye and sent him deep into unconscious. As he turned his head to answer Obito's question he froze. He went stone cold still.

Instead of seeing the immense bolder that crushed his comrades right side he saw that door. The door.

The door that lead to his father's room.

The door he has nightmares about almost every night.

The door he couldn't even remember opening to see deceased father.

The door he had long since boarded up and avoided in his own home.

The door he had locked away all his memories and stashed away all emotion.

That door flew wide open setting everything confined behind it loose. Everything.

It was then that he realized that Obito had open the door.

The door that led to his heart.

He was in love with him, Obito Uchiha, and now it was to late.

Kakashi Hatake cried.

He could barely remember much after Obito gave him his eyes. He made a promise that he didn't keep. He vaguely remembered fighting the other Iwa ninja. He woke up to find Minato-sensei beside him, who explained that he had come to help. Letting Kakashi know he had once again been useless.

He can only nick and pick at memories from the war. He had somehow obtained the title "Kakashi of the Sharingan". His earlier ambitions of making a name for himself coming back to bite him in the ass.

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Kakashi chuckled darkly at the sardonic irony. Should've been named "Useless Kakashi of the Stolen Sharingun" he mused depressively.

And then he just let everything go.

If one were to look for the Sharingan wielder on his day off or on a sick day (which really, let's face it, no one did) you could often find him curled up in a ball on his bed, much like he was now, with a crazed look plaster on his face. He would seem somewhat empty. His eyes would be red from endless crying and despair, his hand clutching at the place where his heart had once occupied. But it had long since broken and shattered into minute pieces, the remains left for no one to pick up.

On days like these Kakashi futilely wondered why he had not already followed in his fathers footsteps.

Thoroughly.

Tobi Here! Sorry guys that i didn't update sooner! I have been finished with this part for about a month now, it was just that my beta's went missing and in NEEEDED them. I finally caught up again with one of them. I hope you guys enjoy this final chapter to my two-shot! Something i finished YAAAY!!!! Please comment! I love hearing what you have to say---Flames or not! Just your honest opinion ^^!