A/N: Quick note. So I forgot to add a few tiny details in the previous chapter. Basically Kakashi took off his Hound mask and he still has his black cloth mask up. I added those edits in the previous chapter. They're small changes, but you can check if you want. 😄 There's a couple other tiny changes, but not worth mentioning.

Thats it. Enjoy!!

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Kakashi's POV

I pace backward, watching Obito leap towards me with his sword already unsheathed and carving through the air. I move on instinct and throw whatever I have in my hand to distract him: the yakitori skewer.

It flies toward him, pointy end aiming for his face. I see him shift his gaze to it, getting confused for a split second, then wave his sword across to knock the yakitori off trajectory. I take the opportunity and rush in, grabbing his sword arm by the wrist and tackling him down to the ground.

Obito lands on the floor with a grunt and I pin him down with his arms outstretched. He holds tightly to the sword he still has in his hand, and tries to move his arm, but I push it back down. I squeeze his wrist.

"Drop the sword, Obito," I command him.

Obito squirms his body underneath me, twisting and turning, trying to break free, but I hold him down with my bodyweight. He growls, then glares up at me with a snarl. "No," he seethes.

I squeeze his wrists tighter, just enough to make him wince. Then in one quick movement, I twist his wrist inward and press on a pressure point at the base of his hand. His grip weakens immediately and the sword drops from his hand. He looks up at me in surprise as I grab the sword and fling it away behind me. I pin his wrist down again.

"Grahh!!!," he gasps, swinging his head side to side as he tries to break free once again, but I hold him down.

I wait for him to tire and give up. It takes a while, to my surprise– Obito is a lot stronger and full of energy than I remember. But in a pinned down position, he'll tire quicker than me. Finally, he curses under his breath and scowls as he looks up at me.

I grin, satisfied with his frustrated expression. I can't help but gloat. "Well that's rude, Obito," I say, smirking down at him. "You could at least say 'hi' to me back."

Obito's eyes widen, then he narrows his eyes into slits and yells, "Well, we're enemies, Kakashi Baka!" He spits. "Of course I would try to kill you."

I hum with amusement and wipe my face. I study him as he glares up at me. I can see little traces of his emotions playing on his face– anger, frustration, planning to get free...

I chuckle to myself, then I sigh and say to him, "Just give up, Obito– I have the advantage. You're pinned down with no weapons."

Obito tightens his lips petulantly, then tries a few more kicks and twists, but it does nothing. He huffs, then turns his face away in defeat.

I smile to myself with amusement. Obito has always been so expressive– Seems like he still is. But it looks like he's learned to conceal his emotions a bit better over time. As a kid, he would probably be crying by now. Perhaps it was the assassin training...

As I'm studying his face, I can't help but notice how much he looks the same, yet slightly older and more mature. He still has that beautiful dark hair framing his face– it's longer now, but still very nice. And his cute round cheeks are gone, replaced with a strong yet slender jawline. But the biggest difference is his eyes. There's a sharpness to them, more focused and intent. Unlike he was when we were kids. His eyes were brighter, more clear and unguarded back then.

I feel a small twinge of regret in my heart. I wonder what's caused the change in him. Although, I'm sure I aged a lot in these past 10 years as well. It's been such a long time...

"Uh... Kakashi...," Obito says in a weak voice.

I blink myself awake and focus my attention to his face. He's looking up at me now, studying me inquisitively. Then I see his eyes widen a bit, then quickly avert to the side and... Wait. Are his cheeks turning a tiny shade of pink?

Obito says something, almost too soft to hear. "...Could you stop staring so close to my face? And could you um..." His eyes shift to me, then he moves his eyes down slowly.

I knit my brows in confusion and follow his gaze downward. My vision leaves his face as it trails down along his slender neck to his pale chest, then down to his abdomen where I have him pinned down with my body on top of him...

My brain freezes and I stop. My eyes grow wide as blood rushes to my face.

Oh my god!! Is Obito... naked?!?!

I jump up and spin around, stuttering and waving my hands, "Oh my god!! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!! Obito!! I– I didn't notice! I– I...!"

I keep yammering a string of apologies, the whole time I feel like smacking myself across the face.

This is so embarrassing. It's one thing when you are an accomplished soldier and captain. But when you are also an inexperienced, honest to god virgin, that has spent practically your whole life avoiding people and building relationships... accidentally lying on top of someone naked, especially your long time crush, you're going to have a hard time.

I hear him behind me, scrambling and retreating into the blankets. I gather up some poise, preparing myself to act normal and professional, then I spin around, only to blurt out, "WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!?!"

I look up at the ceiling and hit myself in the head. Great going, Kakashi. Calm down. Just act natural, for chrissake...

Obito peeks up at me from under the blanket, holding it tight around his body. His long hair fluffs around his head, and he looks away as he yells and rambles, "Well... it was raining! And I got drenched! And I couldn't go anywhere else. So I came here, to hide out, dry my clothes. And it was cold! And...!" He shuts his mouth and looks up at me.

He does a loud audible gulp, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. "Wait. Why are you here? How did you find me?"

I blink a few times, caught off guard by his question. It was so sudden, after listening to his loud, rapid rambling. And why is he looking at me so suspicious?

"I just found you by accident," I explain to him. "I come here sometimes, for the peace and quiet. So I can be alone and read my book."

He stares at me for a long moment, as if trying to figure me out.

"You don't believe me?" I ask.

"Um...," He studies me some more, pursing his lips. Finally he frowns and says, "Well, why should I? I'm sure all of you imperial goons are out there looking for me. I have no reason to trust you." He points out, looking up at me warily.

His mood just changed, I observe. A second ago, he was so flustered and embarrassed, avoiding eye contact. But now he's on high alert.

Then I'm reminded of our situation. Here I am, a member of the emperor's guard, whose sole duty it is to protect the empire. And here he is, the assassin who just attempted to kill the emperor.

Obito is in a tough situation right now. He's cornered on all sides, on enemy ground, with no weapons or armor. I can strike him down, if I wished. Or worse, capture him and bring him to the palace, where he will be tortured for days, bled for information. And once the capital is done with him, they will execute him publicly.

My heart constricts at the thought. Even thinking about that possibility makes me sick. There's no way I can let that happen. But what should I do?

I think to myself for a moment, running a hand through my hair to ease some tension. This is a delicate situation and everything rides on me. I take a heavy breath and I notice him shift his eyes curiously as he watches me.

I prop my hands on my hip and show him a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Obito, I'm not here to hurt you. And I'm not going to turn you in either."

Obito blinks, his mouth parting slightly. "Why not?"

"Because... I... ," I start to say, but stop myself.

Obito stares at me, hanging for my next word. I study his face as my jaw tightens, I close my fingers into the fabric on my waist.

Because... what? I ask myself. Because I love you, Obito? Always have, ever since childhood? C'mon Kakashi. You can't tell him that.

I let out an exasperated sigh and let my head droop, then I look up at him and say, "Because I won't."

Obito continues to watch me, still heavily suspicious. I see him move slightly, in what appears to be a more defensive stance, and his eyes quickly flit to where his sword was flung behind me just moments ago, then back to my face. His actions were so subtle, almost miniscule to an untrained eye, but I noticed it.

He doesn't trust me. I tell myself. Well why would he? We're not best friends anymore.

I feel my stomach twist, but I have to help him. He may be my enemy and helping him escape might be a bad idea. But there's no way I'm letting him get captured. I have to get him to trust me.

I let out a sigh and reach into my pocket. I see him trace my movement with his eyes, ready to spring for an attack or flee to the exit. I give him a stern look, then slowly pull out the other yakitori skewer I put in there earlier. His eyes focus on it, and he knits his brows in confusion.

"It's been a long night," I say to him. I calmly walk towards him and offer the yakitori stick. "Here. You must be hungry."

Obito stares at the meat skewer presented to him, hesitating and unsure. But I can see his eyes dilating a little bit, his lips curling as he makes an involuntary gulp. I refrain from chuckling at his expense. Despite his efforts to keep his emotions hidden, I can see he's hungry and he wants the yakitori stick.

I roll my eyes in amusement and grab his hand to put the yakitori stick in his palm. "I'm not going to kill you with it, Obito. I can tell you're hungry, so just eat it." I stand up straight and take my original spot a couple feet away in front of him.

He looks up at me, pouting his lip slightly. "Fine," he grumbles. "But you don't have to be so pushy about it." He awkwardly takes a bite and starts chewing. He continues on with heavy sarcasm, speaking between chews, "...And you did try to kill me with the other one."

I scoff, but I can't help it when I start chuckling. I grin at him underneath my black cloth mask and he looks at me with a little smile. For a short moment, it feels like we're still best friends and no time has passed at all.

As he finishes the rest of the meat skewer, I wait for him in silence. He fiddles a little bit with the leftover stick, then pauses and asks hesitantly, "So... what are you going to do with me?"

I look down at him and meet his eyes. "I'm going to help you escape."

"Why?" He asks, with clear confusion in his voice.

"Because I want to." I tell him, resolute.

Obito opens his mouth for another question, but I cut him off. "Look, Obito," I say to him, looking him dead in the eyes. "You can either stay here and get found by the guards, who will either capture you or kill you on the spot. Or you go out there and get captured by our many guards on patrol or shot down by our archers."

He stares at me, his face blank and unreadable. But I see his lips twitch a little bit, forming a thin line.

"I'm not allowing further argument," I say sternly. "You can trust me. Believe me. I'm your only chance to escape."

His eyes shift to study me, thinking and considering his options. I hold my breath as I continue to watch him, watching me. The air in the old dusty room seems to grow tense and heavy.

Please, Obito, I plead to him with my eyes. You have to trust me. I don't want to watch you die. I don't think I can live with myself...

The image of Obito getting shot down by arrows or dying by execution flashes in my mind. My heart wrenches and the word escapes from my mouth.

"Please..."

He tilts his head slightly, still watching me, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he makes a slow intake of breath and says, "Ok. What do you need me to do?"

I let out a giant sigh of relief and smile at him, satisfied. I walk over to the window where his wet clothes are still hanging on the wire and I look down into the city below. I squint my eyes to look into the distance. It's still dark outside, but I can see the many guards walking about, lit by the light of the full moon above and the lanterns of the street.

I say to him offhandedly, still watching the streets below, "There are guards all over the place right now, there's no way we can sneak around for the next few hours. We just have to wait."

"Wait for how long?" he asks.

"I don't know," I admit to him. "But we have a better chance of getting out of the city during the day time. I can hide you among the citizens."

He stares at me for a long moment, not saying anything. I walk over to him and kneel down to look into his eyes, our faces inches apart. "Just stay here and lay low. I need to check on something to make sure your escape will go unnoticed."

He stays quiet watching me, but I notice him bite his lip nervously. I let myself look at his lips for a second. I spot a bit of his teeth, pulling at the soft skin. His lips look so cute and soft...

I stand up abruptly and start walking toward the exit, my heart racing. "I'll come back in a couple hours," I say to him with my back turned, speed-walking out of the room. "Just stay here and wait for me."

I leave the room, rushing to exit the school from where I entered. The whole time my heart keeps buzzing in my chest, I struggle to keep my thoughts clear as I focus on the task at hand.

I have to check on the escape route through the tunnels and I have to figure out a way to hide Obito so that I can take him there through the city. But my mind keeps calling back images of Obito.

His soft pink lips, his delicate slender neck, his smooth exposed chest...

Concentrate, Kakashi!, I snap myself awake. Now is not the time for your harlequin romance fantasies!

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Obito's POV

I can't believe that just happened.

I stare blankly at the doorway where Kakashi just left, trying to make sense of the things that just occured. And my traitorous heart can't seem to stop doing cartwheels in my chest. It was beating fast the whole time Kakashi was here. I'm not sure if it's from adrenaline at being caught by an enemy or because it's Kakashi himself.

It's because of Kakashi. I assert to myself. And why can't I control my rapid heartbeat?

I had nowhere else to go after I fled from our fight, after I figured out that Hound, the Emperor's bodyguard, is also Kakashi, my childhood best friend.

He's the one person I ever loved, the one person I've tried to forget. And now he's my enemy, standing in the way of accomplishing my goal, my life's purpose.

All my plans, my preparations I've so painstakingly labored over the past few weeks leading up to this mission, are now thrown out the window.

This is such a mess...

I was running through the rain, jumping along rooftops, and trying to get as far away from Kakashi as I could. All the while, I couldn't stop crying and sobbing, gasping for air. I was so confused, not knowing where I was going, while my heart felt like it was being ripped to pieces.

It's been so long since I've felt like that. So long since I've let myself feel anything. I forgot how much it could hurt.

As I was running from the palace, I somehow ended up here at the old sword academy. I'm not sure why. Maybe the memories of this place still brings me comfort, reminds me of when I was safe and carefree. When I was with Kakashi. As I was running through the dark, maybe my body sought out this place because it knew I needed a familiar place where I can heal my wounds.

So I spent the next couple hours pulling myself together, refocusing my mind and remembering my training. After I calmed down, I decided to get some rest and figure out a way to continue my mission when I woke up.

But then Kakashi found me.

How did everything get so messed up? First, the emperor's bodyguard is Kakashi, and then he found me here alone and naked, of all things! How embarrassing. No one, other than my parents when I was a baby, has ever seen me naked.

Before I can stop myself, the images and sensations of the recent memory shoot forth in my mind.

Kakashi... lying on top of me as I'm naked underneath him, doing that same smug grin I remember so well, that I can see even with his ever present black mask. His weight on top of me, his body heat and warmth. Then his eyes analyzing my face and trailing down my neck to my chest, then lower...

Heat flushes through my entire body as I recall the recent memory. And my heart still hasn't stopped beating ridiculously fast. It's like we're kids again... when I couldn't control my emotions, and my heart couldn't help fluttering every time Kakashi looked at me.

I place a hand over my chest and take deep meditative breaths. I have to get a hold of myself; I'm a trained assassin for christ-sake. I can't let myself get carried away by my feelings and stupid hormones.

Thank god Kakashi isn't here anymore. It was so hard to keep up my calm, stoic demeanor in front of him.

But enough about that– I have to leave and find another place to hide out.

I stand up swiftly and move towards my clothes hanging by the window. I take my pants and underwear from the hanging wire and wring them out of excess moisture. They are still a bit damp, but it will have to be enough.

I put on my underwear and pants and do the same thing with my long sleeve shirt, and leather straps for my arms and legs. I left my throwing knives behind in the room where I fought Kakashi. I'll need to restock on weapons later.

I expertly wrap up my hair in a tie behind my head, forming a long ponytail, while my bangs naturally fold out and hang loose around my face. I used to wear my hair short when I was a kid, but now I like it this way. It also helps to hide my face.

I pack up the rest of my belongings: my sword, the tatty blanket, the wire from the window, and I get ready to leave. As I turn to head towards the door, my thoughts wander to the things Kakashi said to me before he left.

"I'm going to help you escape."

"You can trust me. Believe me."

"Just stay here and wait for me."

"Please..."

I close my eyes as I feel the dull ache in my chest, the same one I've been harboring ever since I stopped meeting Kakashi by the sakura blossom tree so long ago, the same one I tried to ignore for so many years.

The cold air leaking into the room through the window gets caught in my lungs. I take a slow shuddering breath, then I open my eyes and continue on to exit the school.

I know Kakashi told me to stay and wait for him. But no matter how much I want to, and what my heart tells me otherwise, I can't trust him. For all I know, he asked me to stay and wait so that he could bring more guards to surround the school and capture me.

He's a soldier working for the capital; a dog raised to serve his master, the empire. He may be my friend from childhood, but we're not friends anymore.

Even if there's a small possibility he still cares about me, he shouldn't. It doesn't matter what we might feel for each other– we're still enemies. And I can't allow myself to get caught up on useless things like childhood crushes. I still have a mission to do and I can't let anything get in my way. The Uchiha are depending on me and I'm so close to finishing the job. There's no way I can fall apart now.

I wrap the tatty blanket around my back and wear it like a cloak to hide my sword that I have strapped to my back. I casually reach down on the ground and grab some mud to smear on my clothes and face. If I'm seen, I want to look like a useless beggar, in case any of the soldiers on patrol notices me.

I creep along the shadows of the buildings, avoiding open areas and the lights from the streetlamps. I blend in with the dark dirty areas as much as I can. It seems like there are a lot more guards on patrol than usual.

I sneak past a couple buildings, then I hear a few voices approaching from down the street. I leap into a nearby alleyway, narrowly dodging a loud drunk being escorted by a couple guards. I hide against the wall as I watch the group pass by.

The swaying drunk lets out a loud groan. "Awe... *hic* Why the heckk...do we have tuh... go ho-home so ear-rly??" The drunk asks, his limbs move like jelly as the guards carry him along.

"Sir, there is a new curfew," says one of the guards. He grimaces and props up the drunken man by his elbow. "No one is allowed outside past sundown. It's the commander's new rule."

"Pffft!" says the drunk. He waves his hands in a boneless manner, almost hitting the guard in the face. "But it was a party!! The emperor's birth *burp* day!!! An... it's my right to drink until I pass out. Psfhhf..." Then he passes out and the guards grunt as they lift him up, then carry him off down the street.

So there's a new curfew set in place, I wonder to myself. Seems like what Kakashi said earlier is true and the city is adding more layers of security. It will be harder for me to sneak around, especially since the guards were told to keep everyone off the streets past sundown.

Where should I go? I can't go back to the school in case Kakashi comes back and brings a bunch of guards with him. Maybe I can hide in the alleys?

As that thought passes through my mind, I hear a couple guards walking down the alley behind me. I quickly climb up the wall and pull myself up onto one of the many wooden beams connecting the two buildings of the narrow alleyway. I lower my body on top of the beam, hiding myself from view in case they look up.

I hear them talking as they approach and continue walking below me.

"How many times do we have to check these dank alleys?" One of them asks, annoyed. He kicks down a pile of garbage, littering the floor with more smells. "Ugh! Disgusting."

"I don't know," says the other one, with a bored tone. "But Captain Fuu mentioned something about the assassin blending in with the citizens to come in through the gates. He might still be around."

"Oh!," the first one chirps. "I bet we'll get an award if we find him!"

"Yea... maybe," the second guard agrees. Then I hear him sigh and drag his feet as they both pass right underneath my beam. "But it's kind of a drag to be working so late. I just hope we find him soon so my wife will stop complaining that I work so much..."

The first one scoffs and slaps the other one on the back. "That's because you work so much to avoid your wife!"

They both start laughing and continue walking down the alley. I watch them disappear around the corner and I listen to their retreating voices getting further and further away. I let out a small breath of relief and carefully lower myself down from the beam. My feet hit the floor with a light thump as I soften my landing in a crouch.

I stand upright and think to myself quietly. Seems like the alley ways aren't safe either. And if the streets and the old school are off limits, that doesn't leave me much options. Maybe it would be better for me to hide out somewhere outside the walls. But I need to find a way out of the city.

I turn around and look up towards the south. I can see the giant walls overlooking the city and the walls to the south seem to be the closest. The south gate is where I entered into the city earlier this afternoon and it's the one most familiar to me. Perhaps I can sneak out through that way again.

I make my way through the shadows toward the south gate.

......

It takes me about a half hour to get close to the south gate.

I could have come here a lot quicker, running down the street and killing a few guards, but that would be too risky. I'm vastly outnumbered and lacking in armor and weapons. So instead, I crept behind buildings, used the trees and rooftops when there were soldiers blocking my path, and one time I had to jump inside someone's window to avoid some crazy racoons. Good thing most of the citizens are asleep, so I didn't disturb anyone.

I see a building that is suitably close enough for me to hide behind and check out the south gate. So I run up to the wall and press my back to it, then I creep along the side until I can peek around the edge at the south gate a few meters away. My stomach drops.

Holy crap! Kakashi wasn't kidding about the archers.

A few meters away there are about a dozen guards patrolling around the perimeter of the gate and another 20 or so standing on top of the wall with bows and arrows. All of them have full samurai gear with armor and weapons.

I turn away from the view of the death trap and lean up against the wall. Shit. I'm trapped inside the city. I have nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and I'm in complete enemy territory. I have no allies here.

I slide down against the wall and rest on my haunches. I hang my head in defeat. At that moment, it dawns on me how hopeless this all feels. How will I kill the emperor now? This was my first mission and I utterly failed.

I was prepared to die after finishing my mission. I thought, once I killed the emperor I would either escape with no one knowing what happened, or I would fight to the death as I was running away... Probably at the hands of the emperor's bodyguard, Hound.

A bitter chuckle rises up from deep in my belly, my heart clenching in my chest. What a tragic end that would be. If that happened, I wouldn't have seen Kakashi again. I wouldn't know it was him, if he killed me.

Although I'm not sure if my situation right now is any better...

"Hey you!"

I look up. There are two guards standing at the other side of the building, looking straight at me a few meters away. They must have walked around the building, doing their usual patrol route, and saw me. How could I be so reckless?

"Who are you!? And what are you doing out past curfew!?" yells one of the guards.

I stand up straight and hold my cloak against my body, careful to hide my sword and assassin outfit. My heart starts pounding, filling my body with adrenaline. I notice them start whispering to eachother.

"Look. He has long black hair..."

"Didn't the assassin have long black hair?"

Oh no. I have to think of something quick. But they caught me by surprise, I don't know what to do. Panic starts flooding my senses and my voice comes out weak.

"Um... I," I start to say.

"He's with me," says a third voice.

I turn around to find the source of the voice and see Kakashi, with his Hound mask on, coming towards us from the street. He has a lazy vibe to his walk, taking his time as he approaches us. The guards perk up when they see him and start bowing at the waist.

"Hound, sir," they both say. Then they straighten up and one of them explains, "We were just doing our rounds and noticed this uh... gentleman here. He looked very out of place..."

Kakashi walks up to me and casually drops his arm around my shoulder. He pulls me close. "He's a new recruit for the palace," he says, nonchalant. "I told him to wait here for me."

"A new recruit?" One of the guards asks. They both slowly look me up and down, noting my tattered cloak, muddy face, and clothes.

I awkwardly speak up. "Uh yea. I came here to wait for Kakas– Hound...," I correct myself, "but I slipped on the floor and ruined my clothes." I fold my arms in front of myself to convey an embarrassed appearance. It doesn't take much effort.

"I see...," the other guard says, still suspicious.

Kakashi lets out a lighthearted laugh, then he pulls me closer around the shoulders. "Oh Tobi, you're so clumsy. Alright. We should get going. C'mon now." He spins me around and grabs me by the wrist to lead me away.

The guards watch us leave with confused looks on their faces. Kakashi turns to them again and says before leaving, "Great work you two! Continue as you were." He waves goodbye to them.

"Yessir," they respond with a bow. Then they turn away and continue their patrol.

Kakashi continues leading me farther and farther away from the south gate. I look down at his hand on my wrist, then up at the back of his head. "Kakashi, where are you taking me?" I ask.

"Somewhere safe," he answers sternly. But I picked up a little shakiness in his voice.

I feel a light flutter in my heart after he said that. Then I look down and I can't help it when a blush fills my cheeks. I let him continue leading me away.

I don't know why, but I'm relieved to see Kakashi here. He's still my enemy and I shouldn't trust him. But for a brief moment, I let myself smile a little.

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A/N: Hi guys! I hope you liked this chapter. 😂 I'm rather happy with it and I'm excited with where this story will go. The ending isn't quite worked out in my head yet, but I'm not worried. This story will probably be around 20 chps...? 🤔

FYI, I might not update this story for a while... maybe. 🤔 It depends on my mood. I might which gears back to Master Thief for while, or alternate between them. We'll see. Or I might update my other books. Hm... 🤔

Also, I feel like I'm getting slower and slower with my updates. Ahh I blame twitter. 😅 Such a wretched, addicting place, filled with new kakaobi food everyday. Lol I'm slowly weaning off twitter to a more healthy level though. Hopefully, I can write faster again soon. 😚❤

Till next time. Thank you for reading and stay safe. I love you all! 🥰🥰❤❤