A/N: Hi guys. So... I decided to make Obito's hair long. 😅 Its just that when I think of teen Obito, he has long hair. Plus I think it fits with the type of hairstyle people had in ancient Japan. 🤔 And just Obito's hair is changing, everyone else's is the same.

I'll add the change to the previous chapters. Its just a small detail, it doesn't affect the plot at all. Lets just say he wears his hair tied back in a ponytail and he has his usual long bangs (long hair version).

Thats all for now. Enjoy!! 😁

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Kakashi's POV

A clash of swords and whirling of fabric. Feet dancing in circles and zigzags, moving in perfect tempo and rhythm of heartbeats.

I grin within my mask, exhilarated with the fight. This assassin is pretty good, he's able to match and counter my attacks with ease. It's such a shame- I have to get rid of him.

Using the steel plates of my gauntlet, I block the slash of his sword. I relish in his gasp of surprise, then I smirk as I yank his sword down and fling it away.

I come in to slash him across the head and break the mask he wears. He narrowly blocks my attack with the knife he pulls from his forearm.

But, it's too late.

My sword connects and I watch him scramble away as pieces of his mask fall down to the ground.

I dive in for an attack, but he whirls around and lands a kick to my chest. I fly across the room. My back hits something hard and I hear a loud wooden crack as I fall backwards. Dust and splintered wood shoot up across my vision, disorienting me. I shake my head awake and I hear a loud yell, quickly coming towards me. I look up just in time to see...

Obito-?

A flash of a memory hits me at that moment. Obito is running towards me on the grass. He's smiling wide and carefree with his beautiful raven hair flowing with the wind. I can hear his blissful laugh echoing around us through the trees.

Why am I thinking about Obito at this moment?

I blink and the memory is gone, replaced with the reality of the assassin rushing towards me. His dark eye, now exposed from the broken mask, is focused on me with determination. His dark hair, free and waving through the air, and his sword slicing down above me.

"Wait. Wha-?" I say.

I jump to the side, narrowly avoiding his downward attack. I clamor away to create some distance between us. The whole time my mind is racing and my heart is stinging in my chest.

What was that? I just saw a vision of Obito. And the image of him lined up with the assassin perfectly.

Raven colored hair, dark eyes, and the familiar sword style...

My eyes widen as I spin around. I focus on my opponent as he jumps up onto his feet and gets into a fighting stance- the same one I taught Obito so long ago.

My thoughts burn and I swallow on reflex. This- This can't be real!

I gaze at him, stuck with horror and confusion, as my heart lurches in my chest. Time seems to stop as he throws his knives at me and I dodge all of his attacks, using the same technique only he and I share.

It's an automatic response, I don't even have to think- my body moves on its own. The entire time, my mind is breaking.

And the assassin... He's growing desperate, flinging his knives at me. His moves, growing sloppy, less precise and methodical. And I dodge each one, letting my body twirl through the air.

His actions and change of attitude... Does this mean it's really him? Has he realized the same thing with me?

I land on the ground and watch him. His stance is faltering. I feel my heart constricting in my chest. On instinct, I step towards him.

"Obi...?" I say.

He cries out and shoots these wires towards me. I easily dodge each one, cutting them down as I flip through the air.

I land on my feet and slowly turn towards him again. We lock eye contact and I can see with his one eye that he's shocked and confused as well. He seems to be breaking.

It's Obito. My Obito- I'm sure of it! I have to reach out to him somehow. I have to stop this fight. I have to tell him everything. I have to tell him...

My feelings...

But why can't I speak?

Before I can say anything, there is a loud boom of thunder and the lights shut off. I look at Obito in the darkness and step towards him, but he immediately steps back and rushes out of the room and escapes.

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It's been about a couple hours since my encounter with the assassin. I've played and replayed the scene in my head and my suspicions have never been clearer:

The assassin that was sent to kill Minato Namikaze, the emperor whom my sole duty it is to protect, is Obito, my childhood best friend and the one person in my whole life I've ever had romantic feelings for.

And still do.

I can't stop thinking about the way Obito looked at me before he ran away...

His eye, the only part of his face that I could see, exposed from his broken mask, focused on me with disbelief, then tearing up with anguish. Then I hear him cry out and shoot the grappling wires at me.

I close my eyes, willing the image of Obito to disappear. I can't help but wonder what he felt at that moment, when he figured out who I was and realized our cruel fate.

I have to know what he felt.

I stand at the side of the war room, watching the commander of the city guard, Commander Shikaku, pacing back and forth around the table at the center. There's a giant map of the city on the table, showing the various sections and walls of the city.

Each of the city patrol captains are here: Captain Fu, Yugao, Kosuke, and Torune. If there is an access point of where Obito came in, surely one of the captains would know.

The other people here are the royal guards, the people I've selected to be in close proximity to the emperor: Genma, Raidou, Yamato, and Gai. These four men act as my back up, they protect Minato when I'm not around.

Because of the recent attack, we are all here to set up our preparations. As we speak, the city is going on lockdown, making it a lot harder for anyone to enter the city or leave. And we have more guards on patrol, keeping watch on the streets for anything or anyone who looks suspicious.

And... they're looking for the assassin.

I wonder if Obito is still in the city.

Commander Shikaku scans over the map at the center of the room. He crosses his arms, then looks up, fixing an intense glare at each of the captains. "Now tell me, how the hell did an assassin get so close to the emperor? We tightened security, didn't we?"

"Yes we did, sir," says Captain Fu. "For the Emperor's birthday, we added more patrol units around the main square and the city walls."

The other captains nod their heads in agreement. Captain Fu nods as well, then continues, "We made sure to put extra guards at the gates and we checked everyone who came in- Just a bunch of merchants coming to the city to sell things for the party. There's no way anyone suspicious would have snuck in."

I remain quiet as I observe the room. Captain Fu is in charge of the city entrance to the south. That's the entryway closest to the city main square, where merchants come and go from nearby villages to sell their wares. I would say, it's the most commonly used entryway into the city.

It's also the closest entrance to the old sword academy.

When we were kids, Obito and I would often come into the capital through the South Gate when we attended the sword academy together. I wonder if Obito came into the city through those gates. It's a familiar route for him to use, but to stroll right in from the city's busiest entryway? That's pretty ballsy.

"Well. Then how did he get in?" Commander Shikaku asks.

The room grows silent. The captains shift uncomfortably in their seats and the commander just looks at each of them, staring them down for an answer. A few of them hold their ground and keep eyes with him, others look away in shame.

It seems like the whole city already had more security than usual. And despite all that, Obito was still able to get in.

It's unsettling to know we have a breach in security this large. An assassin was able to get that close to the emperor and we were almost too late to protect him.

It's a glaring disappointment over all of us and I can tell, all the captains can feel it. But for some reason, I can't help feeling impressed.

Hmm... I muse to myself. You've gotten a lot better in my absence, Obito. I wonder what else you've learned without me.

I smirk within my mask and look up as Captain Yugao, the leader of patrols to the East Gate, speaks up.

"Perhaps the assassin knew of an alternate route into the city?" she says, as she holds her chin in a thinking pose. "There was that one rebel group that was able to infiltrate through the old sewer systems just a few years ago. Maybe the assassin knew of it."

"Impossible," says Captain Torune. "Those tunnels were torn down after we captured the rebel group and executed them."

I tighten my jaw at the mention of that rebel group.

They were known as the Red Cloud, and the members wore black cloaks with the symbol of a red shape on their shoulders. They were able to sneak into the city, by blasting through the old sewer tunnels underground and creating a secret passageway into the city. They planted an explosion within city walls and escaped in the middle of the night. I led a small team of my best soldiers and followed a few Red Cloud into the forests nearby. We tracked them down to one of their hideouts and captured them.

I was proud of that mission. It's what elevated me to be a "hero" in the city, back when I didn't wear this mask and take on the alias of "Hound." I found out later, the leaders of that rebel group were tortured for information, and all the other members were hunted down and executed.

It's a dirty part of history for the capital, but it's because of victories like this that the citizens of this place are kept safe. The government remains stable.

"Hound? Did you get a good look at the assassin? Do you have any idea who sent him?" Commander Shikaku suddenly asks me.

I turn my attention to the group. All of them are staring at me waiting for answers- a description of the assassin, an analysis of his fighting technique. Any information I have would help us stop another attack. After all, the assassin is still out there and he might come back to finish the job.

I feel my mouth open inside my mask, ready to speak, but I hesitate. For some reason, I can't make the words come out.

I'm the chosen protector of Emperor Namikaze and I am the one person who fought the assassin first hand and survived. I have information that will benefit the group.

But what can I say? That I know who the assassin is? That he's my childhood best friend?

But it doesn't matter. I don't know who Obito is anymore, what kind of dark or shady things he's done since we were separated. And now he's an assassin, whose job it is to kill the emperor.

And yet, I can't speak. Obito is a stranger to me now, but I can't betray him so easily. And not to mention...

My feelings.

I have to tell them something though. It would be strange of me, an accomplished soldier that once held the rank of captain, to not give a description of the assassin I just fought.

I tighten my lips into a frown inside my mask, preparing my emotionless battle strategy voice. "The assassin is male and has jet black, long hair and is roughly 5.9 ft in height. He's fast and agile with a lithe yet muscular figure..."

My thoughts trail off as I call back details of Obito's physique.

Actually, Obito has grown up to have quite a nice body. Athletic and flexible, firm and nicely toned in all the right places. I can tell with that tight black outfit he was wearing. Too bad I couldn't study more of him, since he was moving so fast. And I wish I could've seen more of his face...

I blink myself out of a daze as I notice the commander and all the captains still staring at me.

I feel blood rush to my face. Did I just get distracted thinking about Obito's body in the middle of a strategy meeting?

Good thing I'm wearing this Dog Mask.

"Ahem," I cough, clearing my throat and forcing down my embarrassment. I continue as calmly and professionally as I can. "I don't have more details on his appearance. He was wearing a jet black cat mask, but it's not particular since it seems like he took one of the many kabuki masks sold for the play. And he uses a katana, knives, a grappling hook, and smoke bombs. Not unusual weapon choices for an assassin."

Commander Shikaku scratches the back of his neck and sighs, but he nods his head in understanding. "You're right. But if we're looking for the assassin in plain clothes in the city, he won't be carrying his weapons. And knowing his height and hair color will help."

"Not really," says Gai, who suddenly speaks up.

Everyone in the room slowly swivels their heads to look at his direction. He was quiet the whole meeting and now he has something to say?

Maybe it's important.

He remains leaning against the wall and shrugs, "There's only a few people here who don't have black hair," he points out with a smug grin.

I refrain from sighing inside my mask. It is true, but blatantly obvious. Why point it out?

"Thank you, Gai...," says Commander Shikaku, lacking enthusiasm.

Gai makes a deep bow of his head, grinning satisfied with himself. I spot the other palace guards on the other side of him on the wall, Raidou, Genma, and Yamato, just shaking their heads in exasperation. Yamato comes over to pat Gai on the shoulder, still shaking his head with a sigh.

"Alright, everyone," Commander Shikaku says. "If that's everything we have to report, return to your posts. Dismissed."

I nod and lean away from the wall to exit the room along with the others. My thoughts roam in my head as I walk down one of the many hallways of the palace. I inevitably start thinking about Obito again.

I wonder what he's doing right now having failed his mission. And now the city is on lockdown, it will be harder for him to move around freely if he wants to attempt his assassination again. And it would be nearly impossible for him to escape without detection.

So unless Obito knows the secret passageway out of the city, he's not going to get out any time soon.

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After doing my rounds in the palace and ensuring the safety of Minato and his wife, Kushina, I end up wandering around the city.

It's something I do once in a while after the day is over. I allow myself a little bit of time away from the palace to look around the shops. Usually it's during the late hours, but I find the city rather beautiful and peaceful at night.

As I'm walking, I think about the meeting with the commander and all the captains. The physical description I gave them of Obito is the truth, but it won't help them find him if he is still in the city. As Gai said, there's only a few people here who don't have black hair and Obito's height and build is not something that stands out.

If Obito is smart, he can just lay low and blend in with the citizens, but it will only be a matter of time till he is snuffed out and captured by the guards. I cringe to myself when I think about what the capital would do to him when they find him.

If they find him, I tell myself.

I let out a sigh inside my mask. I should be rooting for the guards to find him, but a big part of me hopes that they don't. It's silly, choosing a childhood crush over my duty as one of the chief protectors of the capital. But I also don't want Obito to succeed in his mission. Emperor Minato is my friend, not to mention the leader of this government. If he's killed, anarchy will ensue.

I let out another sigh as I keep walking amongst the shops. As the shops start to close, I go to my usual place and order a couple meat skewers from the yakitori stand that's open late at night. I keep wandering around, occasionally waving to some guards on patrol on the streets. And as usual, I end up going to the old abandoned school.

It's a shadow of what it once was, with patches of grass and overgrown weeds. And the building itself looks like it's barely standing, with creaky wood doors and dust covered windows. The place should've been knocked down years ago, but it has the unfortunate, or fortunate for me, reputation of being haunted. It's funny, but the people in this city are superstitious. No one wants to displease dead spirits.

I love to visit this place when I have free time. It reminds me of the best time of my life, when I was with Obito.

I go around the old building, using the trudged down path through the grass that I use often. I take off my dog mask and tie it to the sash around my waist, then I pull down the black cloth mask I always wear to put the two yakitori skewers in my mouth to hold them by my teeth.

Once the two skewers are secured, I jump up to grab onto a ledge on the second floor. The first floor is dirty, not to mention claimed by a family of raccoons I don't want to bother.

I pull myself up, then creep around the creaky floorboards that I know are there. I smile serenely to myself as I start eating the first skewer, and think about returning to one of my favorite spots in the city.

Time for me to relax and rest up on the roof of the tower. I can read my book up there under the moonlight, all alone with no one to bother me.

I walk silently past one of the old classrooms, feeling a breeze come in from the inside. Which is odd...

Then I notice something at the corner of my eye.

Furrowing my brows, I take a couple steps back and peer into the room. I notice...

Wait. There's some clothes hanging up by the window. And the windows are open...?

I go inside the room, pulling my mask back up and walking to the clothes. They are a black cotton material and hanging on some wire. Plus, they are still wet and dripping onto the wooden floor.

How weird. This school is supposed to be abandoned. Whose clothes are these?

"Mmphf..."

I freeze up. That noise... There's someone behind me?!

I hold my breath and slowly turn around. I focus my eyes through the poorly lit room and see there's someone on the floor, tucked under a blanket, near the farthest opposite wall. They have long black hair and their back is towards me. And it looks like they are sleeping.

Oh. It must be a homeless person.

I let out a little breath of relief and turn to leave the room. Then something else catches my attention.

Propped up against the wall, close to the sleeping person's head is a...

Sword?

My eyes widen and I feel the little hairs at the back of my neck rise. I walk slowly toward the person, feeling my heart racing in my chest.

Then there's a loud creak under my foot.

I stop.

I feel the blood drain out of my body as the person on the ground slowly turns over on their makeshift bed, to face me. I watch in horror as I see them slowly crack their eyes open and look up to see me. Then his eyes shoot open in surprise.

"Uh hi... Obito," I say with a gulp.

He springs onto his feet and grabs his sword. I jump back, preparing for his attack.

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A/N: Hi guys. I was going to call this chapter "City Lockdown" but decided to change it to what it is now. Its a wise choice I think. 😅

I hope you guys are staying safe out there. 🥺🥺

Also, I'm adding a few new familiar characters. (Gai, Yamato, Shikaku, Genma, and Raidou, etc...) I know it seems late to introduce them, but it feels boring just to add soldier A, B, and C. I'm not sure how much I'll use them, but we'll see. :3

I'm kind of in the zone for this story. I'm getting a lot of ideas, so my next update for this one might come faster than usual. And don't worry. I'll work on Tobi, Master Thief after. 😁

As always, thank you for reading! I love you all! 🥰🥰❤❤