"Kabuto!"

Obito's rage carried in his voice. Kabuto dropped what he was holding and looked behind him, his heart thumping erratically when he saw the doom that loomed behind him. He'd never seen so Obito so indisposed; he was shaking with rage, and Kabuto knew why.

"I suppose you found out," he replied, not even bothering to cover his deception now that he had been discovered.

"How dare you do that to her- Just what did you intend to do with her?!"

"Honestly? I wanted to use her to take you down off your pedestal. I knew that you don't care about anything else except for that woman. I don't see why—She's pretty plain, isn't she?"

Kabuto ended up against the wall, Tobi's hand around his throat. Beneath his mask, Kabuto could see sharingan and rinnegan pointed at him in a lethal glare beneath that swirled mask. "She is not someone you can speak so casually of," snarled Obito, lifting Kabuto off his feet.

"Heh!" choked Kabuto, grabbing onto his hands, "Do you want to kill me? You need me!"

"I could handle it myself," Obito reasoned, "You've already animated me an army, and Madara has awoken. There is only need to control them, isn't there?"

"You'd have no idea what you are doing," hissed Kabuto, "You'd fail. Your ultimate dream world would cease to exist. Then what? You'd die. Rin would turn back into dust, and you'd never be able to see her again." His grip tightened, and Kabuto choked, "Can't you just be thankful? If it's like this, she can also be by your side-"

"It's not the same!" bellowed Obito enraged, "I wanted to create a world where Rin never would have died in the first place! You violated where she rested and yanked her from the afterlife to be reborn as the undead- In a world full of hatred that I have yet to cleanse!"

"Calm yourself- I-It's too late to turn back the clock, r-right? You should focus more on what you're going to do once Rin finds out what you've become."

Hesitating, Obito narrowed his eyes and demanded, "I've become? I am the Savior. I have done nothing to be ashamed of."

"That's not- That's not what those Konoha shinobi will tell her."

". . ." Obito was silent as he contemplated what Kabuto was saying. He recalled Itachi's visit from earlier: how he hadn't taken anything he knew about, and Kabuto wouldn't share information.

". . . Itachi took her, didn't he?"

"Exactly," Kabuto rasped, desperate for a good breath right about now, "Itachi. . . Itachi took her back to the Alliance. I'm sure Kakashi has already seen here, and spoken to her."

Obito digested Kabuto's words. Somehow, he knew that Itachi's interference had gone against Kabuto's plans. He wondered if Itachi had planned it himself; if he'd somehow found out before him. If he had, what was his intention in taking Rin back? It couldn't have been out of good-will to reunite her with Kakashi and Minato. Even if Itachi loved his Konoha, it just didn't seem like a hassle he could afford lightly at this time.

Then what was his plan? Obito was actually worrying about the image Rin would get of him from Kakashi and from the others. He knew what he'd become, and what they saw him as. His heart had been left an empty shell, ever since she . . .

Obito shut his eyes tightly. Damn it! He hadn't wanted this. During a crucial time like this, the last thing he needed was for his feelings for Rin to get in the way. She wasn't supposed to come back to life, not like this. Kabuto had violated her eternal rest and now she would misunderstand unless he did something.

He also saw, within his grasp, a chance to see her and to hold her again. She was real and physical, and so close. There were so many things he wanted to say to here if he saw her again. He'd never confessed properly to her, and he'd never been able to apologize for being unable to protect her.

'Rin. . .'

Opening his eyes, Obito's eyes lit up with a smile. "You're right. . . You've done be a huge favor, Kabuto. If it's like this, I can tolerate the snail pace that the old man is moving at. I was growing tired of hearing 'patience is a virtue' from his mouth. Thank you."

Kabuto felt relief wash over him. Obito was letting him off the hook? Oh, thank his lucky days! "I-I'm glad you see it for what it is," he remarked, "So—Can you put me down?"

Obito's mangekyou sharingan swirled to life, and Kabuto stiffened when the activated djotsu pointed at him. "Obito- What are you-?!"

"Accept this as a token of my appreciation . . .," came the venomous words, and Kabuto knew he was a dead man.

His screams echoed throughout the hideout.

His blood splattered the ground.

Dropping the mangled body, Obito left it in the dirt and walked over to the pebbles Kabuto had been using to control his puppets. Sensing the energy signals of each one, he was able to identify Rin's. Just like he remembered, her chakra was warm, caring, and strong. If it was her, maybe her radiance would make him feel warm again?

Obito noted how her location corresponded to what Kabuto said, and that he'd deactivated her. "It's not right to let sleeping beauty wait too long," he muttered, and stood up. He hadn't told Kabuto, but he'd learnt the hand seals necessary. He knew he could release Rin from whatever command Kabuto had programmed into her and give her free-will. But before he woke her up, he'd get her back . . . even if it meant he had to use kumui and transport right into the bear's den.

Itachi didn't know how long he'd sat beside Rin's body, waiting for her to turn back into dust or to reactivate. He'd eventually allowed himself to rest his eyes. He'd shut them and leaned his head back against the table, one of his knees drawn up and arm dangling over it. People walked past outside, but nobody entered the room; Itachi had picked a very secluded location.

From the present, his mind drifted. He thought of his brother mostly. Itachi had learned that Sasuke had forgiven him, and had rejoined his former team. It brought him great relief to know he was back where he belonged; where he was safe, and surrounded by those that loved him. He'd lost his way for a while- that was Itachi's fault, of course.

Still, even if Sasuke had forgiven him, it was hard to approach him casually as a brother would do. The two tended to stay at a distance. Sometimes, Itachi felt Sasuke's eyes upon his back. He wasn't sure if his brother longed for his attention, or was cautious of him. Either way, it wasn't easy to go back to their childhood at this point- Itachi could never freely poke his brother's forehead now that so much history was between them, even if he longed to do it twice a day, every day.

The thought brought a slight smile to his face.

In the next moment, his eyes snapped open and his mangekyo sharingan activated.

"Che!"

Leaping to his feet, he turned and saw him just as his kumui faded. Narrowing his eyes, Itachi remarked, "Obito. . ."

"Are you calling me that now as well, Itachi?" questioned the fellow Uchiha, and Itachi noted that his own mangekyo sharingan was activated as well; he meant business, after all.

To his remark, Itachi had no reply. Glancing to Rin, he knew that was what Obito had come here for, but he couldn't believe how brazen he was! "Do you realize where you've teleported?" he asked, though he had a feeling he did.

"I'm well aware . . . that I've come willingly to a suicidal mission," he replied, to which Itachi's eyes widened. Suicidal? Did he-? Obito smirked at his smile, and offered a short laugh, replying, "Rather, that is, for anyone but me."

Glancing to the side, Obito saw her. He hadn't expected to be as breathless as he was; completely stunned, rooted to the floor. Itachi could've used it to his advantage, had he been able to see his face.

'Rin. . .'

Even in this state where she looked like the dead, her skin cracked and grey, she was beautiful to him. It had been too long since he had last seen her face. He saw her often in his dreams; she looked just like she had in his dreams, and he dreamt of her often. He had the overwhelming urge to activate her just to see how she blossomed to life. To see her smile, and to look at him and call his name.

Obito took a step forward, his hand outstretched towards her.

Itachi immediately jumped into action. He didn't spare any punches. Blood trickled from his eyes as he activated amaterasu, much to Obito's shock. He'd risk blindness to keep him away from her?!

"Shit-!" Obito was engulfed by the inescapable black flames. He stumbled back and disappeared into them. Itachi took his chance and rushed to Rin's sleeping form, pulling her into his arms and rushing from the room. In this place, unless Obito had a death wish, he couldn't chase them.

He escaped to the center of the building. There was the most open space, but also the most people. There would be no hiding. He knelt down with Rin, his vision cloudy from the blood. He wiped it onto his sleeve, grimacing.

"Itachi. . .?"

Looking up, a person he hadn't expected to run into stood there: Sakura Haruno. She looked down at him with concern. "Itachi, your eyes-"

"I'm fine," he replied, "It'll heal in this form. But-" Looking down at Rin, he glanced behind him and then shoved her forward Sakura.

"Take her."

Forced to hold her body, Sakura heaved under the weight of the other female. "What?! Why?! Hey- How come she is-?"

"There's no time," Itachi hissed, turning sharply and narrowing his eyes, "I feel him coming- Is he really so distraught that he'd-?"

"Itachi, who?" Sakura fretted.

She got her answer when Obito appeared from his kumui. He ran straight at Itachi, kunai drawn as they flickered with lightning. Itachi ran straight at him as well, disappearing into a cloud of crows right before the impact and appearing behind him.

"I-It's-!" Sakura yanked Rin's body up and dragged her backwards, out of the way. She summoned up her slugs to protect them, forming a barrier around them to keep them out of harms ways as the two battled. It was just what Itachi had wanted.

"How come you're so insistent that I not take her back, Itachi?" Obito demanded, landing on his feet and turning to face him again, "Could it be, you've become attached?"

"You're attempting to belittle me, but I know that you're so distraught beneath the surface that you made the mistake of teleporting here."

"Che!" Obito narrowed his gaze and send a fireball jutsu at him. Itachi dodged it easily.

"I wouldn't let Kabuto use her, and I won't let you, either!" he bellowed, enraged.

"If you know how it is, why even bother asking if I'm attached?" replied Itachi, the two circling eachother. Obito sent another attack at him, a particularly violent one that charred Itachi's left side.

Sakura watched as the two of them fought. It went on and on, and Sakura wondered desperately why no one was coming to help. "Damn it! Naruto, Sasuke, where are you two?!" she hissed, clasping her hands, ready to summon a clone to alert them. When she sensed movement right beside her she stopped and gasping, her attention torn.

Instead of the corpse that had been beside her, there was a young woman that was completely alive. She no longer looked decayed, but rejuvenated. Sitting up, she rubbed her head and complained, "What-? What happened?"

"You. . . Who are you?" Sakura asked, "And when did you. . .?" Could they just come back to life like that, Sakura wondered? Had someone activated her?

"Oh!" Rin pointed up into the air as the two, locked in battle, flew past. "Itachi is-!"

"Itachi?" Sakura asked, looking back up. Itachi came smashing into the ground in front of them, tossed by one of Obito's jutsus.

Rin scurried to her feet and hurried over to him. Itachi recovered quickly and pulled himself off the ground and to his feet, but Rin grabbed onto his arm worriedly none-the-less. "Itachi! What's going on?!" she cried, and Itachi yanked away from her. He stared at her in alarm, remarking, "Rin! When did you-?!"

Obito landed on the ground away from them, staring at Rin with just as much astonishment as Itachi.

"Kabuto must've activated you, but why now-?" Itachi mused, to which Obito whispered, disbelief in his tone, "Kabuto is dead. . ."

Itachi shot a look at the enemy, demanding, "What did you say?"

"I killed him, for his transgression against Rin," Obito stated, and raised his mask, revealing his face,"I didn't activate her, either."

'She came back to life by herself?' Itachi thought to himself, a furrow appearing on his brow, 'How is that possible. . .?'

"Itachi," Rin asked, looking over at Obito now, "Who is that. . .?"

Immediately, Obito's face fell. He stared hard at the two, before his voice (which cracked, but it was so barely audible that Itachi barely caught it), "Her memories were wiped, huh. . .?"

"It's no one, Rin," Itachi said, and shoved her back towards Sakura, "No go. You'll get hurt."

"Itachi. . .," Rin whispered, her eyes still fixed on Obito. Itachi felt concerned when her tone suddenly became so fearful, and looked back at her. "Itachi- I saw him-," she continued to whisper, her face as white as if she'd seen a ghost, "In those dreams, I told you about, I-"

Itachi felt his stomach drop. Could it be, those "visions" she'd been having, were recollections of her traumatic past? He could see the gears turning in her head behind her eyes. He could see how she was struggling to make sense of a jumbled mess that was repressed.

Obito had a hopeful look upon his face. Even if he looked at everyone else with such contempt, he looked at Rin with all the gentleness in the world, and a welcoming nature. "Do you remember me now, Rin. . .?"

Rin continued to stare. Itachi feared she'd remember. "You're. . .," she began, but stopped, not quite remembering. Not quite yet. "I- I don't know, but your face-"

"Sakuraaaaa! Itachi!"

From above, Naruto and Sasuke had appeared, and looked down at them from the floor above, "Are you guys okay?! Hey! It's that asshole! What the hell is he doing here?!"

"Rin, let's go!" Obito urged, extending his hand, knowing he had to leave fast before those two joined, "I'll fill in the memories they've stolen from you! I don't know what lies they've told you, but don't trust them! They're just using you!"

Rin's face became troubled. She frowned and asked, "What do you mean?" Itachi could tell it was paining her to try and remember. She grimaced and held her forehead.

"Rin," Itachi hissed, and drew her to his chest. He covered her ears and buried her face in his chest. Resting his chin on top of her head, he whispered, "Don't listen." He grabbed the side of her face and forced her to look up at him. He caught her gaze and held it, demanding, "Look only at me, and listen to only me, you hear? You trust me, right?"

"Of course, Itachi. . ."

"Hey, asshole! You wanna fight?!" Naruto leapt down from the upper level, followed by Sasuke.

"I'm afraid I didn't come here to play with you, Naruto," Obito replied, looking over at him casually even if he was completely irritated that he hadn't been able to retrieve Rin. He lowered his mask and immediately vanished into his kumui, making Naruto shout, "Hey! Don't run away yet! Come back here!" He made a swipe at him, but Obito barely managed to escape with all limbs intact.

Once it all settled down, Itachi slowly released Rin. She frowned, considering all she had been told by the mystery face that looked familiar, and wondered what he had meant by "using you" and the "lies" she was being told. She looked up at Itachi in concern.

"Itachi," Sasuke cut in before she could ask, "You're up to something, aren't you? What's going on?"

Itachi turned and looked at his brother. Both brothers held eachother's gaze silently, and eventually, Itachi heeled. He gave a heavy sigh and replied, "It's a long story. I'll fill you in once we're somewhere private."