Bye, Obito-kun

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"Pst, did you hear? The Uchiha clan was massacred," a boy whispered to his friend.

"Look, that's the last Uchiha," another boy pointed out.

Sasuke bristled. He got enough of the attention and pity from the villagers, and now he has to deal with the gawking in class too. He was released from the hospital, and given leisure by the Academy teachers. Everyone tried to approach him, comfort him, befriend him. The weaklings, they were just going to slow him down from killing that man.

Naruto ran into the classroom, shouting about Hokages for all the world to hear.

He looked at Sasuke and shut up.

Sasuke glared right back, and did he just see a spark of happiness, empathy in Naruto's cerulean eyes?

He frowned, lacing his hands in front of his mouth to cover his expression, and thought.

Naruto is an orphan too. His glare sharpened. Naruto was always alone, what would he know?

Don't try to suck up to me just because we both have no parents, you've never experienced their love to feel the same loss as I did. Oh, now you're coming over because you think we're equals and should be friends?

Sasuke felt a fist collide against his jaw, knocking him off his seat and hitting his back against the stone floor.

"OI YOU TEME! DON'T GLARE AT ME!"

Sasuke's fists curled and he leaped back to his feet, drawing his fist back and punching Naruto to the ground. His lips twitched automatically, "Dobe."

Naruto's eyes widened, then he jumped back onto his feet. "DON'T CALL ME DOBE!"

"Hn. Usuratonkachi."

"Grrrr!"

Sasuke couldn't hold back his smirk. He didn't want to admit it, but he'd have preferred Naruto's hostility over everyone else's sympathy.

"Grr you teme! Stop smirking like th-"

"NARUTO! GET BACK TO YOUR SEAT!" It was Iruka.

Sasuke hn'd.

"Yes, Iruka-sensei, that's what I've been trying to get him to do," Sakura, once again, tried to get on sensei's good side. Teacher's pet. Sasuke snorted disdainfully.

"Ow ow ow ow!" Naruto yelped in pain as Sakura grabbed the end of his ear and pulled him back to his seat.

Sasuke could have sworn Naruto sounded happy from Sakura's brutality. That masochist Naruto.

What he didn't notice was that Sakura had been ignoring Naruto over the past months and now she was starting to turn back into her former, bossy self.

Coincidentally right after his clan's death.

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Two days ago...

Obito's hand reached behind him and lifted a jar of Sharingan, sending it to his alter dimension. Then, he spared a glance at Sakura, and suddenly felt very awkward. "Aha-ha, Sakura-chan, you don't have to work so hard," Obito commented at Sakura trying to dissect a Sharingan.

He was a little sickened, it felt like Sakura was dissecting his eye. Man, I must have corrupted this girl a bit too much..But that's her own fault, she was reminding me too much of my old self it was pissing me off.

"I need to do this, Obito-kun," was Sakura's reply. She didn't look up from her experiment.

Obito crossed his arms. "Hmph!" Inwardly, he grinned. There was no doubt in the future he would need a scientist for the Tsuki no Me plan, someone who could restore fallen comrades or power up their abilities. Perhaps even invent new jutsu that could end the war in one blow. Yes, there was going to be a war. Obito knew people would oppose the Moon's Eye Plan, those fools. They're the filthy rich ones who exploit, eat the poor, kill babies, and slaughter for dirty money. The few ones who weren't, had simply lived happy lives, or were masochists, or made new friends to fill the void. Obito shook his head. No one could fill Rin's void.

"I can't figure out the Sharingan's trick. Judging from the feel of my chakra diagnosis, the pattern looks like a summoning seal but in a way it's not because it's just a differently shaped eye! I think I might comprehend it if I implant it in-" Sakura shuddered. "Nevermind!"

Obito chuckled. "Did you really think I was going to force you into switching your lovely green eyes for my family's scary demon ones?"

Sakura kept quiet.

Obito clicked his tongue, "Oh c'mon! I'm not that evil!"

"You'd be surprised," Sakura said, pulling out a mirror and frowning at her haggard appearance.

Obito blinked. "Right. As I said earlier, you should take a break. You brought this onto yourself." Obito frowned thoughtfully. "By the way, I..uh...don't think I can..." He looked bashful. "I can't spend time with you anymore afterwards."

"WHAT?!" Sakura dropped everything she was holding and faced Obito. "Why?!"

Because Itachi agreed to join Akatsuki if I stay away from Sasuke and Konoha? "I have dead-people stuff to do, you know, trying to get into heaven and all. Besides, once you get a jounin-sensei," I'll get discovered in two seconds. "He will be suspicious of your sanity, since you're the only one who can see me."

Sakura looked about to cry.

Obito's heart wrenched. "I know how it feels, losing the people you love. But tell you what," Obito weight the pros and cons of letting her in on his secret, and figured it wouldn't hurt to drop a hint or two. It might help his cause in the long run. "About this Heaven place I'm working on, I'm trying to bring that peace to Earth. So that no one ever dies again, and the ones who did will come back to life. There will be no more evil...But a world of just victors, peace and love...everyone will become one big happy family." He chuckled at her awestruck eyes, "Trust me, it's real, and completely possible."

Sakura started brushing her fingers through her hair, "I believe in you, Obito-kun..."

But to enjoy it, you'll have to form bonds. "Sakura-chan, popquiz! If the Hokage orders you to assassinate your friend, would you do it?"

"No!" Sakura blurted out. What the heck? "Of course not! Hokage-sama would never do that."

"The Hokage here won't do that, but other villages would encourage you to, so I want to bring peace to the world," Obito chuckled her worshiper-fangirl-look, "But keep your answer in mind, Sakura."

He smiled nostalgically. "Those that break the rules and regulations are scum. But those who abandon their comrades are worse than scum." He looked at her with a new sense of appreciation. "Heh. Even now, I'm not giving up on Rin and Kakashi."

Obito-kun is so damn cool! "I wish you were alive," Sakura said.

"In the end, I'll come back to life," Obito promised. "Then you can introduce me to your friends." He sniffled, rubbing his forearm to his goggles. "It's the dust in my eye."

Sakura's lip quivered. She pulled on her goggles to hide her tears too. "I'll miss you too."

His gaze hardened. "Don't overwork yourself anymore, Sakura-chan. There's no need to worry about the revival of the Uchiha clan...I have it all under control. Someday, I will return to retrieve you; it's a promise," he held out his hand, extending his index and middle finger.

Sakura snapped out of her trance. It's the Seal of Reconciliation. Iruka-sensei makes everyone do it after a spar. She copied his motion and held her hand to his.

She didn't physically feel it, but she saw it, their fingers hooking, like binding a promise.

Then, Obito grinned goofily, "Have a normal life! Kids like you should have fun." He sheepishly rubbed behind his head as his image slowly faded out."Um, until we meet again then!"

She didn't see him again for another nine years.

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