Friendship Face-Breaking Fist

"..."

Kakashi lowered his head and said nothing.

A long time passed.

Tobi spoke quietly. "Kakashi, kill me. If I die by your hand, I suppose that's my fate."

At those words, Kakashi fixed his dead-fish stare on Tobi. "No. Why are you making me face another choice this painful?"

"A Tailed Beast had been implanted inside Rin! Once she returned to the village, it would burst out and destroy Konoha! She asked me to kill her, but I couldn't do it! Then, while I was gathering my Lightning Cutter—"

Kakashi looked at his right hand, as though he had returned to that moment, his entire arm covered in red blood.

"Rin ran into it herself..."

"Stop talking. I told you, I know!"

Tobi snapped at him.

Over the years, he had long since learned the truth about what happened back then. Otherwise, he would never have gone to Kirigakure, taken control of the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, and kept the blood mist policy going.

He had left an entire generation of the village's shinobi decimated, sending it straight to the bottom of the five great villages.

That was his revenge.

But no matter what, he could forgive neither Kakashi nor himself.

"If I'd arrived just a little sooner, maybe I could have stopped everything..."

Tobi's voice was filled with despair.

Kakashi trembled slightly at his words.

"You... were there?"

"Yes, I was. I saw you pierce Rin with my own eyes. If I hadn't killed those Kirigakure shinobi, how could you have lain there unconscious until someone rescued you without coming to any harm?"

Tobi fell silent for a few seconds before continuing. "You weren't the one who killed Rin. This twisted shinobi world killed her. Why do you think I joined Akatsuki?"

"I'm going to change the Ninja