Chapter Text
Kakashi is utterly exhausted.
He had never had large chakra reserves to begin with (why Obito thought it was a great idea to give him the Sharingan, he would never understand) and his continuous use of the dojutsu was only digging his grave deeper.
Literally, in this case.
The strange, orange-haired man was just too powerful. The techniques he was using - Kakashi had never seen anything like it! And he had copied a great many techniques in his time.
Half buried as he was in the ground, the man felt helpless… but there was still one thing he could do. If nothing else, he could at least help his comrades.
Even if that meant he would die doing it.
Sorry, Obito. I think this is as far as I go.
For the final time, Kakashi the copy ninja activated his gifted Sharingan, opening a hole in space to swallow the rocket and successfully save Choji.
Then everything went black.
For all of his suicidal thinking, Kakashi never actually gave much thought to what the afterlife would be like. He was certain it wasn’t supposed to be this, though.
He was in his room. No, not his apartment, but his childhood room.
It had been ages since he was last in it. The memories seeping from every crevice had threatened to drag him under until, eventually, he hadn’t been able to take it anymore and decided to just move out.
He hadn’t looked back since.
In the present, this place was nothing more than a dilapidated mess, overgrown by weeds and shrubs because its last heir had abandoned it along with whatever was left of the Hatake clan.
Now, though, it looked pristine. As if someone had raked it through with determination, a commitment to cleanliness.
That was better than explaining the truth - that it was only that clean because anxious compulsion had driven Kakashi to scrub the floors with vigor, every night, to stop the blood underneath from seeping through.
It never did.
No matter how much he cleaned, the room kept stinking of blood, and the haunting echo of a man’s kind voice filled the halls.
‘I can’t think about this now.’ Kakashi had to snap himself out of his head. At this moment, there were more important matters to attend to - like the fact that he was somehow in the past. He was a logical man (sometimes too logical), but the evidence was damning and he couldn’t deny it.
Everything was just as it had been all those years ago, not a single item out of place. It was like he had traveled back in time… but that wasn’t possible, was it?
Kakashi hurried to the bathroom for the final piece of confirmation - and there it was. In the mirror, his twelve year-old self stared straight back at him, eyes wide in disbelief. When he touched his face, so too did his mirror image.
So it was true. This was real.
But now what?
The next thing to figure out - he knew he was in the past, but just when was he? How far had he been thrown back?
Suddenly, an awful dread crept up his spine. Slowly, Kakashi turned to look at his desk where his calendar sat.
He was right.
This day was one he’d never forget… because it was the day of his first mission as a newly-promoted Jonin: Kannabi Bridge. It was the day his life was simultaneously ruined and saved, though he would only come to realize the latter many years after the fact. At the time, with the wound of loss still fresh and throbbing, he had thought it would never get better.
Kakashi sat down with a heavy feeling in his heart. Maybe, maybe he had been sent back here for a reason - to right his wrongs or whatever it was. But would it be alright for him to change the past, irrefutably altering the future, both his and everyone else’s? This repentance would be entirely selfish… and yet the silver-haired man found himself not caring.
He wasn’t doing this for his sake. How many times had he sat at that memorial stone, grieving in silence with even the rain joining in, wishing for a second chance? Hoping for Obito to still be alive.
Now here it was. Hesitating would be doing his dear friend a disservice.
He had promised to see the future for Obito, but if he planned everything just right, he wouldn’t have to… because Obito would live and be able to see it for himself.
Mind made up, Kakashi scrambled for ink and a scroll. So many plans (and contingencies for those plans), but so little time. Fortunately, the sun hadn’t yet risen, and knowing Obito, they wouldn’t be able to depart until well into the morning.
Don’t worry. I’ll save us all!
Kakashi may have overestimated his abilities, or how much time he truly had (old habits die hard), or both.
By the time he arrives at the gate where they were supposed to meet, everyone is already there - even Obito.
And no one was more surprised at that than the Uchiha himself.
“Ha, Bakashi! This time you’re the late one!” That didn’t stop him from gloating about it, though.
“I guess I am.” When Kakashi doesn’t respond with his usual bite (in fact, he even finds himself smiling underneath his mask), it throws everyone off. Obito starts to look concerned.
“Bakashi? Are you okay?”
He’s followed by Rin, “Did you get enough sleep last night? You look tired.”
Damn! Not even a few seconds into his time travel adventure and he’s already being too suspicious! “I don’t know what you guys are talking about. I’m the same as I always am,” Kakashi managed to change his tone to resemble that of his younger self a little bit more - bratty, stern, defensive - but it still came out a little wistful.
Unconvinced, even Minato joins in. “They’re right, Kakashi. As team captain, we need you at your best for this mission.”
“What’s with you all?” They had a right to be worried. “I’m telling you I’m fine!”
Luckily, they seemed to take his desperation for indignation. Or maybe Minato just didn’t want to light any short tempers today because he drops it. “Okay, okay,” he said placatingly. “Now that Kakashi’s here, why don’t we get going?”
At that, Kakashi immediately sobers up, years of training sliding in the grooves of his joints and forcing him rigid. The atmosphere quickly changes from lighthearted to serious as the group prepares to embark on one of their first real missions. Even though their sensei was with them, it didn’t change the gravity of the situation - it felt like their baptism to being true ninja. They couldn’t fuck this up.
The silver-haired boy nods tightly. “The bridge isn’t too far. We should be able to make it there before nightfall,” he briefs the other members of his team. “The plan is to get there by mid-afternoon, destroy the bridge, and be on the way home. A quick in-and-out.”
Rin hums consideringly. “Sounds simple enough.”
Kakashi almost chokes at that. Yes, in theory, the mission was supposed to be easy. The village wouldn’t have sent two chunin and a newly-promoted jonin otherwise. He hopes that was the intention, anyway, because the alternative (that the village had sent them out regardless of the difficulty of the mission, cannon fodder to be sacrificed at the altar of war) was too cruel to think about.
If only she knew…
No, it didn’t matter.
This time would be different. Kakashi would make sure of it.
He turns a sharp eye to the brunette. “Don’t let your assumptions get to your head. Even if it was an easy D-rank, you should always have your wits about you,” he says, perhaps a little too harshly. But he needed her to understand. She had to understand that Kakashi couldn’t fail this team twice.
“No, of course not…” Rin brought a clenched fist to her chest, a little taken aback by the surly attitude. For a moment, she thought Kakashi had changed.
Obito immediately jumps to her defense. “Oi, Kakashi! You didn’t have to say it like that,” he frowned. “Of course we know to take this seriously.”
Ugh, there he goes saying the wrong things again. It seemed time hadn’t taught Kakashi anything. Why couldn’t his teammates just understand that his sharp words came from a place of good intentions? Then again, Obito and he had never seen eye-to-eye.
“I didn’t—“ Kakashi sighed in frustration. “Let’s just go. Sensei?” He looked to Minato for help.
The blonde didn’t exactly like that they would start the mission arguing, but then again, when weren’t they? He had to suppress a sigh. Children were hard work.
“If we want to continue with the plan, we should leave now, yes. We’re losing valuable daylight.”
And with that, the argument was over. While the atmosphere was still a little tense, the trio recognized that it wasn’t the time to continue to blow up at each other, so they silently gathered all their belongings and headed out the gates.
It was about to be a very bad time.
Kakashi didn’t know much about time travel, but he was pretty sure it was a bad idea to mess with past events more than was necessary. As the butterfly effect dictated, one little change could spiral into big consequences; next thing you know, everything is royally fucked and you have no idea how it happened.
For that reason, Kakashi didn’t aim high. He pinpointed just a single moment, the one that changed his life forever — the one that plagued his nightmares no matter how much time has passed since.
How could he forget?
Everything plays out like the past life he had lived. Rin gets captured, he and Obito fight over the decision to save her (it took everything in Kakashi to stay on the path and refuse), he loses his eye protecting him, and then Obito turns around and wins him over with that memorable speech. Even though he was hearing it for a second time, it was no less impactful, and he didn’t even have to pretend to be simultaneously shocked and awed.
Now, they found themselves in the cave (read: the bane of Kakashi’s existence). What he did here would determine the course of re-written history.
He just had to make sure not to trip.
“Are you okay, Rin?” Obito fretted as soon as they were able to release her from her bindings.
The girl just gave them a tremulous smile. She was clearly shaken but trying not to show it. There would be time for that later when they weren’t in enemy territory. “Y-yes. I’ll be fine.”
“If you’re okay to walk, we need to get out of this cave as soon as possible.” He received a nod in response. “It’s dangerous here.”
No arguments this time. Obito and he were finally on the same page, and the precariousness of the situation made sure of it. So, after making sure Rin was steady on her feet, the group started hurrying to find an exit. Unbeknownst to Obito and Rin, the Iwa-nin they had defeated earlier was back to cause trouble, letting his jutsu loose in such an enclosed space in order to cause a cave in.
It was finally time.
“Run!”
The three children (because that’s what they were, even if their rank said otherwise) ran faster. They were almost there - from what Kakashi remembered, and he had analyzed this day for hours and hours - when time seemed to slow down.
Now that he was looking, truly looking, it was so obvious. Up ahead, the ground was indented, making for rough and uneven terrain. Someone who was busy running for their life and concerned with a million other things wouldn’t have noticed the slight dip. Kakashi wanted to sigh in frustration. To a shinobi as skilled as him, it was such a preventable mistake!
This time around, Kakashi deliberately skipped over the shallow pit.
There. Crisis averted!
Kakashi felt the weight of the world drop from his shoulders. He almost wanted to just stop and relax after overcoming the hurdle he had been so anxious over, but suppressed it. They weren’t out of danger yet…
“Obito!” Rin’s scream had the silver-haired boy abruptly whipping his head around.
For the second time that day, time slowed to a crawl.
Horrified, Kakashi could only watch as, instead of him, Obito tripped. He tried to force his legs to move - to help his friend! - but his entire being had frozen.
(It was useless anyway. He was too far away and too chakra exhausted to boost himself.)
It seemed the universe was intent on torturing him because the sickening sound of the boulder crushing adolescent bone followed after. Fortunately, the sound released Kakashi from whatever mental lock his body had been under because it spurred into action the next moment.
By then, though, it was too late.
The silver-haired boy kneeled next to the Uchiha in a strikingly familiar scene.
Despite his efforts, nothing had changed.
Obito was still buried under the boulder, still chose to give away his Sharingan, still told them to leave knowing full well that he would die there. Kakashi was tempted to stay and have his death serve as penance, but one look at Obito and he couldn’t follow through with it.
If nothing else, Rin had to live, and there was no guarantee of that if Kakashi perished too.
So he forced his reluctant legs forward - out of the cave and into the dense underbrush, where Minato would eventually find the two of them.
Two, because their team was down one (very important) member.
The blonde noticed it immediately, but by the grim line of his mouth, he knew that there was nothing to be done just as much as Kakashi did.
They finish the mission. Just like the first time (when it had been his first time leading a squad), the victory rings hollow.
Rin parts with them just past the village gates, citing a headache. Minato lets her go with a worried “Take care of yourself,” and reassurance that they didn’t need to meet for a few days. Kakashi, though — he doesn’t let him go as easily. Perhaps he was feeling sentimental or perhaps he was just so, so tired of being alone, but Kakashi agrees to go home with Minato without much protest, something that surprises even the older man. However, knowing how allergic his protege normally is to such hovering, he doesn’t question it. He wouldn’t want Kakashi to change his mind, after all.
When they arrive, Kushina opens the door with a smile. It quickly drops upon seeing the two of them. Her boys… and the noticeable absence of a certain Uchiha who had promised to return…
“Oh, Kakashi…” He doesn’t cry, but he very nearly does when she wraps her arms around him.
She welcomes him in and he settles into their couch, ignoring their badgering.
It doesn’t take long for him to pass out.
The next time he opens his eyes, he’s back in his room again. Like it was just one big nightmare.
Maybe it was.
Except the memories were still there in his mind — the relief when he had avoided the pitfall, the sharp stab of his heart shattering when he realized that Obito had still succumbed to his fate. They were mixing with memories from a past life, almost leading him to question that it ever happened, but while there were more similarities than differences, those differences were very distinct.
And if there was one thing that Kakashi was good at, it was remembering.
(And internalizing.)
The universe was fucking with him. Giving him a chance to right his wrongs, only to take it away. And yet, like a starving man to a feast, Kakashi falls for it anyway — will keep falling for it, because he has already made up his mind.
Because if there’s a possibility of saving Obito, no matter how small, no matter how difficult… Kakashi will take it.
Determined, the boy sits up and resolutely sits down at his desk.
Plan 1: Make sure not to trip.
Result: Failure. Obito tripped in my stead.
Maybe I should just drag him with me next time? Make sure he’s never out of my sight. He probably won’t like it, but if it’s to save his life, I think he’ll forgive me…
In his third life, Kakashi allows himself to be a little more bold. Clearly, Obito is just so eager to die; therefore, he would have to respond accordingly.
Everything plays out mostly the same as last time (he was still unsure about changing too much — after all, what would be the point of succeeding if the new future was worse than the previous one?) except, this time, Kakashi watched Obito like a hawk.
Since he apparently couldn’t trust the idiot to keep himself alive, Kakashi would take matters into his own hands. Maybe the overprotectiveness would come off as too uncharacteristic… but he was so tired of watching Obito die.
He takes Obito’s hand in his.
“Bakashi?!” The Uchiha is speechless. They had just arrived at the cave when he felt the warmth of the other’s hand around his own. Sure, Kakashi had been a little… clingy since they had departed for the mission, but this was just too much! It was really weirding him out! “What do you think you’re doing??”
“It’s dangerous here. I can’t have you running around where I can’t get to you,” Kakashi says by way of explanation.
“Ok?? That doesn’t mean you have to be literally attached to me!” Obito argues back, hysterical. He breaks Kakashi’s hold on him, intending to put some space between them. Unfortunately for him, it’s at that exact moment that his foot sets off a trap.
Fortunately, Kakashi has quick reflexes. As if attuned to Obito, his hand snaps out to grab the older boy by his jacket sleeve, forcefully pulling him out of the way of the kunai now embedded in the ground where he once stood. When he’s sure Obito is safely out of danger, the quirk of a single eyebrow exudes ‘See?’ and ‘I told you so’ more than any facial expression could.
“Ugh, fine! Have it your way, then.” Obito gives up pretty easily. They still had to find Rin, after all, so they shouldn’t be wasting their time arguing.
And he really didn’t want to keep proving Kakashi right.
So they traverse the cave hand-in-hand with just a little grumbling on Obito’s end. Kakashi, meanwhile, was enjoying himself. He was still alert, of course, but he wanted to milk this while he still had the chance.
When they finally find Rin, the older boy breaks the hold again. Kakashi hurries after him; he was serious about not letting the other stray too far!
If Rin thinks it’s odd how closely Kakashi hovers around Obito, she doesn’t say.
But then the silver-haired boy takes the Uchiha’s hand again, and her eyebrows climb up to her hair. Did touch-averse, detached Kakashi just initiate contact with another human being? Willingly?
Obito tracks her gaze and blushes upon realizing what she’s staring at. How had he gotten so comfortable with holding Kakashi’s hand so quickly? He barely even noticed when it slid into his… like puzzle pieces clicking into place. Curiously, though, he doesn’t pull away. Even Kakashi is surprised. The Uchiha harbored such a fat crush on Rin (it was honestly embarrassing) that he thought the other would immediately shake him off.
The fact that he didn’t, even with Rin’s eyes on them… it made him feel warm.
“It’s not what you think! Kakashi, he’s… he’s just being paranoid,” Obito reasoned. “And since I’m such a good guy, I let him hold my hand. To reassure him. Y’know, since we need him in top condition and not distracted by his… whatever he’s worrying about.”
Finally, Rin cracked a smile. “Sure, Obito.” Something told Kakashi that she hadn’t believed a word the Uchiha said, but there was no time to think about it.
Just like the previous times, the trio are ambushed by the same Iwa-nin. And just like the previous times, he is a pain in their ass to his final breath and causes the cave to collapse.
Again, Kakashi finds himself running with Rin and Obito to the exit as their surroundings tremble. He still has the older boy’s hand clenched tight in his, practically dragging him as the other has no choice but to keep pace. However, in all his worrying about Obito, it seemed that he had forgotten all about Rin.
Her scream pierces the air and Obito immediately wrenches himself free. Like the self-sacrificing idiot he is, he jumps in and pushes her out of the way of the boulder in an eerily similar way as Kakashi’s first life (he was getting deja vu). Kakashi barely has the wherewithal to catch her as the Uchiha is, once again, buried alive.
From there, everything is the same… except Kakashi chooses not to follow Minato home this time. The sentimental feeling is gone; in its place is emptiness. He doesn’t want to burden his sensei and Kushina with his somber mess, so he wanders around instead, the weight of his failure hovering over him like a storm cloud.
He can’t believe he failed again.
He aimlessly walks around and, as if mimicking his mood, it starts to rain. He lets the drops pour over him, perhaps in an attempt to cleanse him of his misery.
It doesn’t work.
Eventually, he settles in an alley and falls asleep.
When he wakes up, he’s in his room again.
At this point, Kakashi knows something strange is happening… but what?
The past two lives, he’s gone to bed somewhere else, yet every time, he wakes up in his room, everything untouched… because it’s the same day. The single worst day of his life. If it hadn’t already been, this experience would have ensured it.
Why was this happening? And how did he make it stop?
It shouldn’t be possible, but Kakashi had no other explanations for it. He must be stuck in some kind of time loop. He has never heard of such a jutsu, nor anyone with the ability to cast it, but if space-time ninjutsu existed, then surely the idea wasn’t so far-fetched?
But figuring out what, exactly, was happening still didn’t help him out of his predicament.
Maybe… maybe if he sacrificed himself?
The last two times, he had been so focused on saving Obito. Whether or not he lived while doing so wasn’t considered, but it was kind of implied. His goal was borne out of his own selfish desire; after all, what would be the point of saving Obito if Kakashi couldn’t live too? All he wanted was more time — just a little more time with him. Was that too much to ask?
…But perhaps that was exactly what he needed to do? To atone for his sins, he must pay the price directly.
With that thought in mind, he goes in for his third attempt.
This time, he acts the exact opposite as in the last attempt. Knowing he would die this time around, he wanted to spare his teammates the heartache. So he distanced himself, as much as was possible given their mission.
The two definitely noticed. But while Rin was wise enough not to comment on it, Obito…
“Oi! Bakashi, what the hell’s your problem?!“
“…”
“Don’t give me that shit! I thought we had an understanding!” Obito grabbed him by his shirt collar, pulling Kakashi impossible close. They were practically nose to nose. "Don’t pull away from me… I have your back. Can I count on you to have mine?”
And so, Kakashi found himself back in the boy’s orbit again, despite his better judgment.
When the time came, Kakashi was ready. He had probably been ready for a while now. His heart felt lighter than it had in a long time. All along, he had lived for Obito, to keep his promise and make his sacrifice worth it. Now, he would die for him.
How fitting, he must say.
If this worked, well, he didn’t have any regrets.
That damn boulder again — his arch nemesis.
This time, he neither stopped himself from falling nor stopped Obito from rescuing him. However, at the very last second, he reversed their positions so that Obito was the one being flung away and Kakashi was the one in the boulder’s path.
“Kakashi!”
There’s a moment of agonizing pain. He could feel his bones being crushed… was this what Obito had felt all those times before? How did he even have the energy to speak, let alone give away his eye?
Kakashi certainly wasn’t as durable.
Everything went black almost immediately.
Kakashi comes to gasping and gripping the sheets hard enough to make holes. When his heart rate has finally calmed down enough, he looks around and finds himself in his room yet again. Clearly, it was still the same day.
So it hadn’t worked. Somehow, he didn’t mind that.
Unfortunately, that also meant he was still stuck in the loop.
Kakashi sighed, gripping his hair in his hands. If saving Obito wasn’t the answer and giving himself up wasn’t either, then what was? What could the universe possibly want from him now?
Hadn’t he suffered enough?
He sighed.
What else could he do different?
Kakashi wracked his brain for a few seconds. Then, a solution came to mind.
Maybe if he could find a way to save all of them, it would stop the loop…?
With his numerous failed attempts already, it couldn’t hurt to try.
He put his mask on, and with it, a facade of indifference. That last reset had been his third time, and still it hurt as much as the first. But he had to keep it together. For their sake, he couldn’t break apart.
“Ok. Let’s go back.” Unlike his last lives, he decided that this time he would try to stop the problem at its root. So, instead of arguing with Obito, he agreed. Maybe too easily, but at this point, he was past the point of caring.
“How can you— wait,” Obito sputtered to a stop. “So you’re okay with going to save Rin? You?” Rule follower Kakashi? The disbelief was clear on his face. Now, thinking about it, Kakashi can’t believe he ever let it get that bad. That sacrificing a life for the sake of a mission was ever fine.
“Yes, so let’s go already. We’re wasting time!” Now that got Obito moving, though he still kept giving him suspicious looks. What he said wasn’t exactly untrue, but his primary motive in saying it had been to get the heat of Obito’s confusion taken off of him.
Doing this meant Obito would never get his Sharingan. But Kakashi would take that trade any day (that damn eye only ever brought ruin and suffering to its users anyway). Hopefully, the older boy would forgive him.
Because they don’t argue, they’re never ambushed, and they make it to the cave in record time. No one stands in their way when they rescue Rin, so the cave is left intact. The damn boulder doesn’t come to take his friends in some freak accident. It’s crazy — how something that had ruined everything (and kept ruining things) was just absent. Like it never existed.
When they emerge from the cave unscathed, Kakashi can’t believe it. Was it really just that easy? For some reason, his heart still felt heavy, when it should feel free.
“We should contact Minato-sensei and get out of here.” Kakashi was anxious to leave and it showed.
It shouldn’t be that easy. Nothing ever went right for him.
“But what about the mission? We haven’t destroyed the bridge yet,” Obito said.
They were so close! This was the farthest Kakashi had gotten on any reset.
“Screw the mission!” Whoops. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud. Now they definitely knew something was up. Great job, Kakashi! Maybe he’d finally gone crazy, exploding like that and then talking to himself…
“Kakashi? Are you… okay?” Rin’s hesitant voice made him feel even worse about his outburst. It wasn’t their fault he was wound up so tight; they didn’t know how much danger they had avoided or just how much work Kakashi had gone through to get such an outcome.
“Kakashi…” Even Obito had stopped with the stupid nickname.
“I—“ The silver-haired boy searched for the words, but there was a lump in his throat. What could he possibly say? That he was worried they’d die again? That he didn’t want to live through another day of it after getting so far? “I just… This mission is too dangerous for us without Minato-sensei. We should regroup and figure it out after.”
There’s silence from the two. Kakashi had his head bowed, but if he had looked up, he would’ve seen the way that Rin and Obito stared at each other as if to make sure they weren’t hallucinating.
“Ok, Kakashi. If you think that’s the best thing to do, then we trust you,” Rin finally assured after some awkwardness, sounding like she was trying to calm a feral beast — or handle a delicate vase about to shatter with any wrong move.
“Yeah! You’re the team captain, so we’ll follow your lead.” Obito mimicked her tone; he had his stupid moments, but even he knew when not to argue, and his emotionally-stunted teammate (friend?) having a vulnerable moment was definitely one of those.
Even if they were only doing it to keep the peace, Kakashi couldn’t help the overwhelming relief that came over him at their easy acquiescence. “Great. There should be a place close by that we can rest and hide while we wait for sensei to finish his task.”
Maybe they would survive this after all.
Out of the corner of his eye, the flash of a blade.
…Or was it wishful thinking?
Immediately, Kakashi puts himself in between their attacker and his teammates, years of experience informing him of the ambush. Unfortunately, it does not change the fact that they are outnumbered. Or that, in using his body to block the attack, he had lost his eye.
“Kakashi!” Rin’s panicked voice is shrill in his ear. She had kneeled down next to him when he crumpled to the ground, clutching his ruined eye.
The pain was as excruciating as all the other times… but none of it compared to the lives of the two next to him. That’s why his heart almost stops beating when Obito steps in front of the both of them, hands tight (and trembling) around a kunai, brandishing it as if he stood a chance.
“Obito, don’t—“
The two clash, but the difference in ability is clear. The Iwa-nin are mocking them, evident in the way they stand back and allow the fight to continue instead of pressing their numbers. They’re playing with their food. Without his Sharingan (maybe even with it), Obito has no hope of winning. And Kakashi could not watch this slow suffering continue — he would not tolerate this farce of a battle stripping his dear friend of his dignity.
He struggles to his feet at the same time the shinobi seems to have tired of the game, disarming Obito lightning quick and moving back in to deliver the final blow.
No!
Before he realizes it, his feet are moving.
There’s a sickening squelch as the kunai pierces cleanly through skin. When the hand withdraws it, he falls forward, unable to hold himself up.
The last thing he sees is a familiar red pinwheel pattern swirling where dark orbs should have been.
In his room, the pile of plans grows.
The wear of failure is dragging on him.
But he made a promise.
…
…Even if it’s hopeless.
Even if, with every reset, it feels like he has lost another piece of himself.
Kakashi will keep trying. What else can he do?
Plan 15: Eliminate every enemy ninja before they can ambush us.
Result: Failure. At its current state, my body couldn’t handle such a feat. I may have traumatized Obito and Rin instead. Luckily, they won’t remember any of it.
Plan 23: Call for Minato-sensei earlier.
Result: Failure. Not only is he still a second too late, but I also endangered him. It’s probably best if he’s not involved.
Plan 38: Make sure Rin is never captured.
Result: Failure. We complete the mission, but Obito is still killed murdered. I made them pay.
How many resets has it been? How many lives has he lived?
How many times has he lost Obito?
He’s lost count.
Kakashi is utterly exhausted.
Countless combinations now and none of them ever worked. How many more choices were there left to make?
Standing at the crossroads of Obito’s life and death, Kakashi realized he didn’t know what to do.
Maybe he never had.
In his nth life, the boulder still falls.
Kakashi doesn’t stop it; he was paralyzed by the idea that there was no correct option.
If this had all been for naught, well…
Then he would do nothing at all.
When he wakes, it’s to a new day.