Kakashi POV

We walk through the tunnel for a while, making a few turns left and right as we follow the river. Eventually, we get to the cave, where the river veers a different way, which I know leads to a waterfall, then a lake outside the city walls.

I reach into my bag, which I prepared earlier when I left Obito at the school, to bring out a small lantern, a flint, and a small vial of oil.

"We must be more careful with our footsteps here, Obito," I tell him. I pour the oil and strike the flint with my knife to light the small lantern. "It's dark, and we no longer have light from above from the city storm drains. And we don't have the river to follow anymore."

Obito tightens his lip uneasily. If hearing about the complete darkness ahead scares him, he's doing his best not to show it.

I hold the lantern out ahead of me to light the way. The cavern ahead looks pitch black, with slight reflections off the shiny rock from the lantern caused by the damp temperature of the air.

After a moment, I walk to him and speak sternly, "It would be best if I hold your hand." I reach down and grab his hand.

Obito's mouth falls open slightly, and he pulls his hand away like he just touched the fire in the lamp. "H-hold my hand?" he gasps.

He looked perplexed; his breathing quickened as I could see the mist coming from his nose and mouth in a faster rhythm. I narrow my eyes at him, curiously reading his expression under the blindfold.

Is he... blushing? In the dim lighting, I can't be sure.

After a moment, he turns away. His long hair, still damp from the river, cascades to add a shadow over his face, concealing it from view. I purse my lips, confused.

It must be my imagination...

"Yes," I affirm to him. I grab his hand again, holding it tightly as I pull him into the cave.

"Ah- Ka-kakashi..!" he stammers. I feel him resisting and trying to pull his hand out of my grip. "Is this really necessary??"

I continue ahead while holding the lamp in front of us to watch our footing. I keep my hand tight around his. "The path gets narrow up ahead. There are sharp jagged edges on the walls, and sometimes cracks or rocks on the floor that can make you trip and hurt yourself."

Obito laughs, his carefree voice flooding the narrow cavern, although it has a sarcastic edge. "I can handle a few rocks in my path, Kakashi. As I told you before, I can move around just fine in the dark. I was trained to move in the shadows; I'm not going to trip or slam my face against a wall--"

"Or...," I interrupt him, turning to look at him unamused. "The ground under your feet could be unstable or loose with rocks, which can make you fall on your ass and slide down into one of the cave's many bottomless chasms."

I feel the strength of his hand, trying to pull out of mine, slacken. He coughs and straightens up his shoulders. "Ok, fine." His hand tightens around mine, and I notice him inch a little closer. His movements are a bit uneasy, as if unsure where to step. "But I'm following your advice only because it's sensible. I can definitely move around by myself with this blindfold. I don't need anyone to hold my hand."

I blink a few times. Then I turn to the side to hold back a sudden bout of snickering. I can feel him staring in my direction under the blindfold, unamused.

I don't doubt Obito's capabilities, but I can't help smiling. A light fluttery feeling swells in my chest.

"Of course, Obito," I say, smiling. And I lead him into the cave.

.......

We wandered like that for a while, together in silence with the cave's darkness around us. I paid careful attention to the floor, once making an abrupt stop and calling out, "Wait!" with Obito following my exact instruction when I noticed a sheer drop into the abyss right in front of us. I sighed in relief and felt a gentle squeeze in my hand from Obito, a silent 'thanks.' I hid a small smile and redirected ourselves to a safer path.

There weren't as many pitfalls as I thought there would be- or narrow walls- but I couldn't help feeling extra careful when leading Obito through the cave. I felt protective of him, despite being his enemy.

As we continued through the cave, thoughts about our current situation flooded my mind.

I know there is a possibility that Obito is memorizing this route in his head. Even without his eyesight-as he not so delicately keeps reminding me-he is still a fully trained assassin. I don't know what he is capable of, what tricks he learned over the past ten years we were apart. And I know it's his mission to kill the emperor, which would result in the fall of the government, which has allowed this country to have peace for the past few years.

For all I know, he's memorizing the path in his head to use later... Or worse, leak this information to his guild of assassins who would use it to infiltrate the city for a coup.

Even so, I'm still helping him escape because...

Why am I doing this?

"Yo, Kakashi."

I'm pulled out of my thoughts hearing Obito's voice. I didn't realize... I must've grown silent for a long time.

"What is it, Obito?"

He thinks to himself for a moment, weighing his words. His hand tightens against mine. "Have you ever thought that maybe the new government might be wrong for the country?"

I stop in my tracks. I hesitate as I turn to look at him.

What is with this question all of a sudden?

"Obito...," I say to him, a warning. "If you're uncomfortable with the silence, we can talk about anything."

A small smile grows at the edge of his lips. The dim lighting makes his expression a bit mysterious, plus the blindfold hiding the rest of his face. He says casually, "I was just wondering about your opinion. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He shrugs.

I stare at him, trying to figure him out. Is he trying to test my loyalty? My resolve to protect the capital?

I turn away from him and continue leading us forward. I decided to give him a noncommittal answer.

"I don't know. But so far, the government has kept its citizens safe and prosperous for the past few years. Even a small amount of peace is worth protecting."

He hums, not agreeing or objecting, then says, "Even if your government told you to kill a group of people who were just protecting themselves, just because they were growing stronger and threatening the empire's well-being?"

I open my mouth to reply but hesitate. I can tell he's challenging me for sure now, to see if my allegiance to the empire can be swayed. As Emperor Namikaze's head bodyguard, it would be convenient for him if we joined sides.

I'm already helping Obito escape... this is already a violation of my vow to protect the empire.

It's a dangerous topic, one that I can't give in. Although, I also want Obito to trust me and know I care about him. In some way, at least.

"I am a soldier," I say finally, hoping he will accept this answer. "I have to follow orders to ensure the capital's survival."

I turn to him, giving him a neutral yet pointed look. I say candidly, "As someone else who follows orders, I'm sure you can understand."

Obito purses his lips, weighing my answer. Then after a few beats, he shrugs again and smirks. "You make a good point."

I nod and turn forward to continue leading the way. Obito says he agrees with me, but I can't shake the feeling he's hiding something.

We approach a steep slope up ahead. As we get closer, I notice a dim glow of light coming from above. I look up and see the exit to the cave. My face brightens at the sight.

"Finally," I say with relief. "The exit is right up ahead." I pull us forward, making Obito stumble at the sudden lurch.

"Ah! Watch it, Bakashi! You almost made me trip."

We get to the bottom of the hill. I look up and notice the climb is far steeper than when I first saw it from further away. I tentatively place my foot on a shallow step, testing the rock for balance. It shakes slightly under my foot.

"Careful of these steps, Obito. There are sharp rocks and loose gravel-"

"Move aside, Kakashi," Obito says, chuckling. "I can see the light up ahead through the blindfold. I can just go towards it." He walks up the steep hill, quickly finding his balance on the loose rocks.

I watch him move up the hill. Seems like he's got it handled. "Ok, then." I smile to myself and start catching up to him.

"Man, am I sick of this cave..." Obito says under his breath. He gets close to the top, where there is a steep cliff face in front of him- around 20 feet high.

I'm a few paces behind as I watch him prodding forward with his hands, touching around the rock right in front of him, before feeling a spot above his head where he can hoist himself up. He lifts himself up and then follows with his feet to find small openings in the rock as footholds to climb up. He continues climbing with no problem at all.

I smile to myself, impressed as I watch him climb up effortlessly. I guess Obito can move just fine without me. I start chuckling. Well, it was nice to hold his hand for a while... I snuff out the light in the lantern and return it to my pack. I get ready to climb right behind Obito.

Obito gets to the middle of the cliff, smiling toward the glow of sunlight coming from above. He reaches up for another rock to hold when suddenly, the rock he's stepping on starts to crack under his weight and slips out from under his foot. He falls backward and screams, "Grahh!!"

At his scream, I look up and see him falling through midair, about to tumble down the steep hill into the sharp rocks below. I gasp, "Obito!"

I lunge forward with my arms open, desperate as my instinct takes over. All at once, my heart leaps into my throat, and thoughts of losing Obito- of seeing him slide down the steep hill, then falling off the edge into the dark abyss fills my mind.

I run and catch him just in time. He lands in my arms with a grunt, knocking the air out of my lungs. I set my feet firm on the steep hill, holding us both steady.

"Obito, Obito! Are you alright?" I say over and over again.

"Ahh...," Obito whines. He twists, then stiffens up in my arms, struggling to move his right leg. "Dammit," he winces. "I think I twisted my ankle."

My eyes widen and I look down at his foot. My heart is still beating fast. "Are you serious? So you can't walk?" I set him down carefully, so he could stand on one leg. I keep his right arm over my shoulder and hold him around his waist. He's breathing heavily and groaning.

Obito huffs. "Shit. And the exit is just above that cliff, isn't it? Tch." He tries flexing his foot and winces again. He breathes uneasily. "Just give me a minute, Kakashi. I can climb over."

I stare at him for a few seconds, utter bewilderment on my face. I stutter, "Y-you... you want to try climbing over that rock again? When you almost-?" I start shaking. All the adrenaline and worry at almost losing him suddenly crashes over me. I feel the urge to yell at him.

He peers at me, looking concerned. "Kakashi, are you alright? I didn't... break your arms or something, did I?"

My eyes focus on his worried face; somehow, it helps me calm down. I breathe in and out, feeling my heart settle, then I smile inside my mask.

My hand tightens at his side. "You idiot...," I say, relieved. "You almost died, and you want to keep going? And with an injured foot?" I start chuckling to myself.

"Oi," Obito says, sounding annoyed, but I can hear the tease in his voice. "I can climb over this rock, Bakashi. Just give me a sec..."

I shake my head, still smiling. "Nonsense. I'm going to carry you instead." I step in front of him and maneuver him around to pick him up

"What? Wait-! Ahh!" He squawks as I put him on my back like a piggyback. "Oi-oi! Kakashi! This is-"

I stand up with his arms secured around my shoulders, and I wrap his thighs around my waist. I smirk to myself and give them a slight squeeze.

Nicely toned thighs. I'm going to save that information for later...

"Hmm... you're a lot heavier than you look, Obito," I say nonchalant. Good thing he can't see my face since I'm grinning happily to myself.

He huffs and sputters for a few seconds, trying to think of a comeback, maybe? I smile even more.

He finally blurts out, "Are you saying I'm fat?"

"Of course not, Obito," I reply, smirking.

I approach the cliff wall and feel around for safe spots to climb up. I say with a stern voice, "Hold tightly onto me, Obito. I don't want you to fall off and twist your other ankle."

"Y-yea sure...," Obito mumbles. I can feel his breath over my shoulder, the warmth of his arms and legs wrapped around me. He speaks again, almost too low to hear. "J-just hurry up and put me down somewhere... It feels weird being carried on your back..."

I chuckle and start my climb up.

........

After carrying Obito up the small cliff, we leave the cave. It was just a few more steps through a narrow cavern until we were outside, met by the fresh forest air.

I continue to walk down the dirt path, taking us further away from the cave. I'm worried that Obito might slip on the rocks, but I also want to create some distance from the cave entrance, so Obito wouldn't know its exact location once I take off his blindfold.

I walk a few more minutes till we reach a river brook. I carefully set him down to sit on a large stone, and then I remove his blindfold. He blinks a few times to get used to the sunlight.

I stand back to stretch out my limbs. He's quiet the entire time.

I look at him curiously. "What's wrong?" I ask.

His eyes focus on the forest leaves on the ground. He tightens his lips into a thin line. "I can't go back home," he says calmly. "Not yet."

I knit my brows, confused. "Why not?" I say.

He continues to look at the floor with a solemn expression. He replies, "I can't go back. Otherwise, I'll be seen as a failure and rejected from my..." He bites his lip and corrects himself, "the assassin group who raised me. I'll be disowned... A pariah..."

He lifts his head slowly to look me in the eyes. There's a bitter smile at the edge of his lip, and he says, "Or worse, they'll see me as a traitor and kill me."

I stare at him for a while, the weight of his words hitting me with a huge weight on my heart. I can't let Obito be discovered by the empire, and he can't return home until he completes his mission. It's a brutal situation for Obito on both sides, and I'm stuck in between because I can't let anything bad happen to him.

I look down and study his injured foot. Surely, Obito will need about two weeks to heal completely. He may be able to walk in a few days, but there's no way he can infiltrate the capital and fight off the guards like that, not until he's at full capacity.

"Kakashi," Obito says.

I look up and notice him watching me. He shows me a rueful smile and adds, "You've done enough for me. I can take care of myself from now on."

He sits up from his spot on the rock, getting onto his feet. He staggers over to me, then hesitates. He chews his lip, unsure what to do.

Is he about to say something? I wonder.

Then Obito smiles, but there is a forlorn presence about it. My eyes widen at his expression. He lowers his head in an awkward bow and says, "Thanks, Kakashi. I... appreciate all your help."

I swallow my throat, suddenly feeling my heart sink. "It was nothing," I answer.

He smiles again, this time more cheerful. He says softly, "Maybe... if we weren't... we could've..." He pauses, then shakes his head. I stare at him sadly.

He sighs and then looks at me once more. He says, "Goodbye, Kakashi. Hopefully... we won't see each other again."

He turns away quickly and winces as he puts weight onto his sprained right foot. He starts to walk away. Each step he takes is affected by a slight limp, which I can tell he's trying to make it seem less severe than it actually is.

Watching him, I can tell he won't last out here in the forest with that limp. He can stay near the stream to get food and water, but there's no way he can gather materials to build a fire or shelter. Not to mention we are still close enough to the capital... Even if he's clever enough to survive in the wilderness alone, he might be discovered by a scout or one of the night guards who patrol this area.

I feel myself being torn again between my allegiance to the capital and to my feelings for my childhood friend- someone who I barely know anymore, yet I can't seem to leave alone.

I was never able to forget Obito, not when other people tried to get my attention, or even when I became a captain, when my life seemed to be going the right way. I could never stop remembering Obito and how precious he was to me back then, no matter how much I tried.

And now he's here again, as my enemy.

But... in the past 12 hours of meeting each other again- from when I broke his mask, finding him in the abandoned school, and then walking together through the caves- there's something about him, about his behavior, I can't explain.

It's been ten years, and Obito may be a deadly, hardened assassin now, but there's something about him that feels the same. There is the presence of danger about him, even his obvious disdain for the empire of course, but I sense a small glimmer of hope about him.

It's just a feeling, but...

As I watch him move away, I quickly run through scenarios in my head. Perhaps, if I can find him a place to hide, I can have more time to...

I nod to myself, making a decision, and I catch up to him.

"Obito," I say, placing my hand on his shoulder. He turns to me, confused.

"I know a place where you can stay for a while," I tell him earnestly.

Obito blinks a few times, knitting his brows with confusion.

......

Obito's POV

I hold on to Kakashi's back as he takes me toward the head of the river brook, which leads to a great waterfall. The air is thick with mist, and the sound of crashing water, as he carries me up the hill alongside the cliff face toward the waterfall. As we approach the waterfall, Kakashi takes me into a hidden hollow concealed inside the rock face, and a secret grove of trees welcomes us.

I gawk at the beautiful sight of them and look upwards toward the canopy overhead. I can see the sunlight filtering through the leaves, some birds chirping along the branches as Kakashi continues to carry me underneath.

I clench my hands tighter together, as I have my arms wrapped around Kakashi's shoulders. The feeling of him carrying me is overwhelming, having him so close and in my arms... I try to push down the feeling of giddiness that wants to escape, to remember my training, and stay impassive and calm. I'm not a starry-eyed child anymore.

But I can't help the feeling of floating, of my heart buzzing with happiness, it's difficult to breathe. I haven't felt this way in a long time, and it almost hurts. It makes me afraid.

I thank the gods Kakashi is facing away from me, so he can't read the expressions on my face right now.

He carries me past the gathering of trees and into a small narrow tunnel in the rock face. Through the tunnel, he brings me to a small cave with the opposite side showing the inside of the waterfall. He sets me down on a rock to sit on.

I look around in awe. We are currently located behind the great waterfall we saw from outside. And the grotto is of a decent size, and I can see more tunnels at the back of the small cave, leading further into the mountain.

"How did you find this place?" I ask, still looking around the small cavern.

Kakashi gets down on one knee and moves closer to my right foot. I look down and notice him undoing the laces of my boot. "Oi! Hey, what are you-? Ah! Ow, ow!!"

Kakashi carefully pulls my boot off and places my bare foot on his knee. He feels around the back of my ankle and muses softly, "Hmm... That's good. It's not broken, just sprained."

Kakashi slowly moves the sole of my foot around in soft circles while massaging the back of my ankle. He continues to do so as he answers my first question. "I found it a few years ago, and this place is almost a perfect secret. Only me and a few palace guards know about this place."

I watch him as he massages my ankle. A light blush fills my cheeks as I feel his hands soothing the soreness away. I try to ignore how good it feels, thanking the overall dim lighting of the cave- minus the light coming through the waterfall, and keep up the conversation. "O-oh, is that so...? Why them?"

Kakashi stays silent for a moment, using the pads of his fingers to massage up the back of my calf muscle, adding pressure here and there. My breath grows heavier, with my heart pounding as I try to keep myself calm. He adds, "When I was a captain, my team and I followed a group of rebels here. This used to be their hideout. That team of mine now serves as the royal palace guards."

I knit my brows, stunned to hear this new information. I never heard of another rebel group that was enemies of the empire... And now they're gone? What happened to them?

I wait to hear more, but Kakashi doesn't elaborate. Instead, he straightens my leg to do one final stretch, causing me to chew my lip and wince slightly from the pain, then he carefully lowers my foot to the ground. "That should ease some of the swelling. But you shouldn't put weight on it for at least a day or so."

He gets onto his feet and turns away to untie the lace on his pack. He says casually, "I'll leave this here for you. It has the lantern, the flint, and the oil vial here so you can stay warm until I come back. And there's some food too." He hands me the bag, then readjusts his outfit.

I look at him, puzzled, then I open the bag to study the items inside. The oil in the vial looks like it's enough to light the lantern for another night, and the food- a couple of rice cakes- should feed me for a couple of days. And did Kakashi say he would come back...?

Then I knit my brows in confusion. Why is he...?

"Kakashi?" I ask with an unsure voice. "Why are you doing all this? You already helped me escape, why continue helping me?" I look at his face, trying to read his mind.

Kakashi continues to adjust his armor and gear as if he didn't hear me. I'm about to repeat the question when he stands up, thinks to himself for a long moment, then looks at me with a rueful smile.

"Maybe there's something wrong with me because I can't keep myself away from you," he says.

I stare at him blankly, utterly confused.

"What?" I ask.

His eyes widen as if caught off guard. Then he suddenly coughs and looks away, mumbling off a few words. "Ah, it's nothing. Nevermind. Forget I said anything."

More confused than before, I watch him turn away and start walking toward the exit out of the grotto. He says hurriedly, "I'll come back later to bring you more food and supplies. And don't try and wander off, alright? We're still rather close to the city's walls. You might be seen by a scout."

He stops and turns toward me. There's an odd expression on his face that I can't figure out. He smiles wearily and says, "Just get some rest. Your ankle needs it." Then he leaves.

I nod dumbly as I watch him exit the cave. "What was that about?" I ask myself out loud. "He can't stay away from me? How weird... And the way he acted after he said it was weird too."

I continue pondering as I take a breath and carefully lower myself to the ground. I find a comfortable position to prop myself up against the rock and also keep my right foot straight and relaxed. My thoughts start to wander, and I think about my current predicament.

In a few days, the news of my failed assassination attempt on Emperor Namikaze's life will travel back to my village, and the Uchiha will send a messenger to find me and see what's going on. That's just what I need... the Uchiha breathing down my neck.

If I can't finish the mission, the Uchiha will see me as a fuck up and never trust me to handle something like this ever again.

This is a mess.

There's not much I can do about my situation right now. I'm injured and stranded somewhere outside of the city walls. I don't know my current location, and I'm practically being detained by one of the capital's high officials...

Although a friendly one, I think to myself, recalling how tender and soothing Kakashi's hands were when he massaged my ankle.

I force down a blush and try not to think of such things. Kakashi said he will be coming back at night time, and I'm not sure what he's doing. But judging by his actions, it's safe to say he's not going to turn me in anytime soon. Or kill me.

You still can't trust him, Obito... I remind myself.

I let out a long, heavy sigh and fold my arms across my chest to keep warm. I let my eyelids fall closed, preparing myself for a long-needed sleep. I guess the only thing I can do now is rest and heal up and wait and see what Kakashi is really planning.

I'll be ready, just in case.

___________

A/N: Hi guys! I'm sorry it's been a while since I updated this story. I have part of the next one written out, but I'm not sure when it will be done. My life has been rather busy lately, but I hope in a month or so, I can continue writing regularly again. 🥰🥰

I'm still interested in finishing my stories, so I hope not to make you guys wait too much longer.

As always, thank you for reading! And have a great day. 🤗💞💞