Too Many Things to Complain About, Where to Even Start!

The alley suddenly fell silent.

A few stray cats had somehow climbed onto the wall. They crouched by a gap, licking their paws and flicking their tails.

"Kakashi? Bring him in?"

Obito's voice turned strange and conflicted.

He spoke more quietly than before, the ends of his words lifting slightly, as though he were turning the idea over and over.

For the first time in their conversation that day, he sounded almost normal.

His feelings for Kakashi had never been simple. Kakashi had been his closest companion in their youth, an indispensable part of the team he and Rin had shared.

Once the Eye of the Moon Plan succeeded, the world would fall into an eternal dream.

In that dream, Kakashi would be happy. His father would not have killed himself, Obito would not have sacrificed himself, Rin would not have died, and their three-person team would stay together forever.

That was the ending Obito had planned for Kakashi.

He had never considered bringing Kakashi in, never considered dragging him into this mire.

He wanted Kakashi to live in the sunlight until the day Infinite Tsukuyomi descended.

That was what reason told him. But deep down, Obito desperately wanted to fight alongside Kakashi again, working toward the same goal!

He hesitated before speaking. "Kakashi is loyal to Konoha. He wouldn't..."

Yongye cut him off with a sneer. "Kakashi is loyal to Konoha? What the hell good is loyalty? In Konoha, pedigree is everything. How did his father die?"

Obito fell silent.

Yongye pressed on. "Tell me, does Kakashi want revenge? Are Danzo and Hiruzen Sarutobi afraid he'll take it?"

Obito remained silent.

The mask hid his expression, but his hands clenched behind his back.

He did not need to answer. He knew better than anyone.

As a boy, Obito had