14 - ||

Minato held his student tighter, tears forming in his eyes. "I'm so sorry, Obito. I'm sorry that it happened this way. I'm sorry I was too late to save you and Rin. I'm so, so sorry." 

Kushina knelt down beside her husband, leaning into his side in a show of silent support. Behind the mask, she could see one red Sharingan eye flicker over to her. Obito's hand twitched at his side and reached clumsily upward. At first, Kushina thought he was trying to grab her hand, but when she went to accept the gesture, he pulled away and kept reaching up toward his mask. The boy's bloody, shaky fingers slipped against the orange mask, but it was obvious enough what he was trying to do. As gently as she could manage, she removed the mask from his face. 

Her throat was tight, but she wanted to say something comforting as she soaked in every detail of Obito's pale, scarred face. Unlike the last time she saw him, there was no anger or hatred in his eye, nor a scowl on his face. Though it seemed to take an immense effort, he managed a small, shaky smile. It pretty much broke Kushina's heart on the spot. 

Unfortunately for all of them, they had one more loose end that refused to wait for a more opportune moment. 

"Excellent timing, Lord Fourth." Danzo hobbled toward them, leaning on his cane. He was sporting a few decent cuts and bruises, but remained regrettably alive. "I caught this man in the process of abducting your son and attempted to apprehend him, but he loosed the Kyuubi and nearly escaped. It was only your quick action that prevented him from succeeding in his actions."

Minato did not let go of his dying student, but his expression darkened. "Enough of your lies, Councilman. I am well aware of who is behind my son's abduction." 

"I'm not sure what kind of accusation you're making," Danzo countered, playing up the "I'm a harmless old man" persona. He hunched as he supported all his weight on his cane, shrinking into himself to look less intimidating. 

Likely having realized that Kurama was in fact not going to crush them, the rest of their group arrived to back them up. At first, Kakashi glared dangerously at Danzo, but his expression shifted instantly as he took in the sight of Obito bleeding out in their sensei's arms. He wasted no time rushing to their side, dropping to his knees as the Sanbi's chakra faded from around him. He reached out like he wanted to do something to help or comfort his former teammate, but his hand stopped a few inches from making any contact with him. 

Obito managed a shaky laugh that turned into a wet cough. "Just hold my hand, Bakashi." 

Kakashi didn't hesitate to comply, grabbing Obito's limp hand with both of his own. Tears streamed down his face, openly showing emotion in a way he was never comfortable with. Despite the obvious torrent of emotions, he managed another glare in Danzo's direction. 

There was a brief, incredibly satisfying moment where Danzo looked shocked, and then furious to see Kakashi alive. He seemed to contemplate each of his possible next steps, before letting out an incredibly weary sigh. "So that is how it is going to be. Very well." He straightened up. "I don't know how you managed to survive and recover so quickly, Kakashi. You should be dead." 

Kushina didn't give a shit about what else the elder was going to say. "You piece of shit!" she snarled, rising to her feet. "You–you–Kidnapper! Traitor! Bloodline thief! Steaming pile of trash, rotting turd, asshole!" 

Behind her, Kurama snorted at the stream of insults. He held back, waiting for the chance to make a move, providing an intimidating backdrop to the conversation.

"I see we're skipping the pleasantries, per usual," the elder scoffed, unable to hide his uncertainty as he glanced up toward the now silent Kyuubi. "Then let's not mince words." He sneered at all of them. "You should have never been allowed to wear the hat, Minato. Under your watch our jinchuuriki has become corrupted. You are blind to the threat that the Uchiha pose to our village. You are too soft in your policies, and unwilling to do what needs to be done. Konoha will not thrive under your leadership, not without her strong roots to support her. She needs–" 

"I am going to eat him now," Kurama interjected, taking a menacing step forward. 

Minato carefully shifted his hold on Obito so Kakashi could support him. Then, he rose to his feet and held up a hand. "Wait," he commanded, before turning to face his old mentor. "Did you finish the seal?" 

Jiraiya nodded, looking confused. "Yes, but what…?" 

When Minato held his hand out expectantly, his master handed it over. He winked at Kushina, and almost made her swoon, then disappeared in a flash with his trademarked speed. The motion was so fast and fluid that she almost missed it. It was the Councilman's surprised grunt that alerted her to where her husband had gone. He slammed the finished seal right over the elder's stolen Sharingan, then stepped aside. 

"What have you done?" Danzo clawed at the spot where the seal had been applied, but it had already taken hold. The intricate linework criss-crossed over his eyelid, down to his cheek bone, and up to his forehead. The red of the Sharingan dulled. 

"He shouldn't be able to use that same forbidden technique to save himself," Minato reasoned, then motioned toward Kurama. 

The bijuu grinned deviously, then leaned his massive head forward and bit the Councilman clean in half without wasting another second. The top half disappeared down the fox's gullet, while the bottom half dropped limply to the ground with a sickening plop. It was horrifyingly gorey, but Kushina couldn't find the will to feel bad for the late Councilman. Honestly, it was a far quicker death than he deserved. 

"Er, you know I support you whole-heartedly, kid," Jiraiya commented, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly, "but you realize you just executed a village elder without a trial, right?" 

Minato smiled sharply at his mentor. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, sensei. The Kyuubi killed Danzo. I'm just sorry I didn't make it in time to save him," he lied. 

"Babe," Kushina breathed, "I don't think I've ever been more in love with you than I am right now." 

If it was a more appropriate time, she would have kissed the life out of her husband. 

"Sensei, you need to get back here," Kakashi called weakly, reminding them that it wasn't time to celebrate yet. 

Minato rushed back toward his students and returned to his kneeling position next to Obito. He looked over the prone teenager critically, his expression heavy. Then, he and Kakashi caught each other's eyes, and Minato shook his head almost imperceptibly. 

"You need to do something!" Kakashi insisted. "Get Lady Tsunade, or–" 

"Don't," Obito wheezed, doing his best to glare at his former teammate. "I've been almost dead before, I know what it feels like. It'd be too late for me even if I didn't deserve to die." 

"That's not–you don't–" Kakashi was clearly struggling to form a proper response to the declaration. 

"I do," Obito insisted, failing to hold back a wet cough. "But it's ok. You don't have to be sad, you can still live for both of us with my–oh."

"Danzo took your eye, I'm so sorry, Obito." Kakashi looked ashamed. "Maybe Kurama can–"

As if on cue, Kurama made a disgusting retching sound that reminded Kushina of a cat hacking up a hairball. She grimaced at the wet plopping noises that followed as the fox did indeed regurgitate a small mound of macerated flesh and blood onto the ground. He wiped at his snout with the back of his paw. 

"The damn thing was going to give me indigestion," he grumbled, using the point of his claw to pick at something between his teeth. 

Kushina didn't know if that was true, or if the bijuu could even eat or digest things. It actually made her a bit worried about what would happen to Naruto when the Kyuubi retreated back into the seal. The Kyuubi's "meal" wasn't going to be in Naruto's stomach, was it?

Fugaku warily approached Kurama to retrieve the newly evacuated pile. Even though he knew Kurama was their ally, and that he'd personally helped the man's family, it was still nearly impossible to not be intimidated by the Kyuubi's presence. He kept an eye on the bijuu, never fully turning his back even as he reached down to sort through the mess. He grimaced as he dug around in the pile, looking appropriately disturbed by the turn of events. Eventually, he pulled out a small object, shaking off bits of goop and blood. Thankfully, the Sharingan seemed to be undigested, despite whatever speedy bodily process the bijuu had started with the rest of his prize. 

It was unclear whether or not the clan head would return the Sharingan to Kakashi, or if he was planning on reclaiming it. She wanted to beg him to give the eye back to Kakashi, who was already going to lose enough tonight, but she wasn't sure how to ask for another highly demanding favor from the man. It had been one thing for Kakashi to possess a gifted Sharingan when Obito was considered a war hero, but it was a whole other can of worms to think about the implications now. 

Fugaku must have felt the weight of her stare, because he turned toward her suddenly, completely stone faced with a bloodied Sharingan between his fingers. He glanced between her, Kurama, and the very depressing, partial Team 7 reunion. Kakashi watched the Uchiha patriarch intently, his remaining eye wide and desperate. 

"The pathetic, forlorn expression is unnecessary," the clan head sighed, "you can have it back later." 

He didn't look thrilled about the decision, but Kushina knew he'd keep his word. She shot the man a grateful, genuine smile. 

"Tomato Head," Kurama snorted, catching her attention. "The Uchiha boy released the seal that had been placed to keep my chakra separate from Naruto's. And then he retrieved the key and unlocked the seal completely." 

"He let you go?" Kushina asked desperately, hoping she understood correctly. Even when she'd realized that Obito wasn't controlling the Kyuubi, she wouldn't have guessed that he'd helped the bijuu. What finally changed his mind? 

Whatever it was, she was grateful. They couldn't have known exactly what Danzo had done to the seal, but they'd expected that it had been disrupted. That must be why Minato couldn't use the marker he'd integrated into it to find Naruto's location. 

The Kyuubi grunted affirmatively. "The assistance was useful for making our escape," he admitted reluctantly. "But I did most of the work!"

Kushina looked past Kurama, to where Minato and Kakashi were still sitting vigilantly at Obito's side. Neither of them would have missed Kurama's rumbling explanation about the last minute change of heart. She was grateful that at least in his final moments, Obito was on their side. He'd done something good . For them. For Naruto. She was immensely curious to know what made the change happen, but she didn't get the chance to ask.

As if being purposefully avoidant, Kurama shook himself, then huffed, "Catch the brat." 

Without any further warning, the Kyuubi's chakra started to recede. Kushina rushed forward, her arms outstretched. As soon as Kurama's influence faded, she lunged forward and pulled her son into her arms. Naruto was limp, unconscious after the ordeal, but his vitals were strong. He was alive, and there wasn't a single scratch on him. 

"Thank you for protecting him," she murmured to the fox, knowing that he would be listening. 

She cradled Naruto against her chest, kissing him all over. As far as she could tell, he was perfectly fine, just exhausted. Kurama's chakra had protected him from harm and hadn't caused any damage. They would still have him checked out by trusted med nin, of course, but at least for now he seemed stable. 

Minato looked torn between checking on his family, and tending to his dying student. Kushina motioned for him to stay put, removing the conflict for him. She approached the trio quietly, not wanting to disturb the scene. She knelt down next to her husband, settling Naruto against her so his head leaned on her shoulder. He snored softly, unaware of the death and destruction around him. Minato leaned over and gave the toddler a kiss on his forehead, looking relieved to see their son safe once again. 

Kakashi was still desperately clutching one of Obito's hands, so Kushina grabbed the other one with her own. He didn't seem to have the strength to do more than twitch his fingers in her grip. 

The Kyuubi's presence had unsurprisingly drawn a crowd, which was quickly closing in around them. Kakashi tensed up and glanced around anxiously, shifting his body as if to shield Obito from view. He didn't seem to want his teammate's identity revealed, and Kushina found herself unable to disagree with the sentiment. It was probably selfish, and a bit treasonous, to keep the information to herself, but she didn't really give a shit. Even after everything the kid had done, it felt wrong to let his heroic legacy become tainted. Maybe it was more for their sake than his, to remember and honor the boy he used to be, and help themselves pretend that he was different from the masked villain that had tormented them. Maybe Obito didn't deserve to be remembered as anything other than a traitor and a murderer, but she didn't want anyone else to make that decision besides them. 

Obito didn't have any living immediate family. The grandmother that had mostly raised him passed away just a year after her grandson was declared KIA. That meant that her and Minato, and Kakashi, were all he had left. So it should be up to them to decide how his story would be told. 

"I'll buy you some time to say your goodbyes and decide how you want to handle this," Jiraiya offered, gesturing for the Uchiha clan head to follow him. 

The two of them kept their word, intercepting the Sandaime and his forces that had come to investigate and back them up. Kushina didn't know what he was told to give them a little privacy, but she was grateful for it. They definitely didn't have much time left. 

Obito clearly knew it too. His only remaining eye was full of tears, and starting to become hazy and unfocused. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything. I was so stupid. I'm sorry." 

Kakashi, who was also in tears, murmured, "You're still such a crybaby." 

It was unclear whether or not Obito heard the affectionate insult. He was no longer focusing on any of them. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm–" he wheezed. "Sensei, it hurts. Everything hurts." 

"I know," Minato soothed. "It won't hurt for much longer, I promise." 

Kakashi flinched violently, averting his gaze. His shoulders shook with uncontrolled sobs. 

Obito coughed and gasped once, and then his entire body relaxed, as if invisible strings were cut. "...Rin?" He managed another shaky smile. "Bakashi, Sensei, Rin's here. We're finally all together." 

Minato placed a gentle hand on his student's pale cheek. "Yeah, we're all here, Obito. We've got you, go ahead and rest." Kushina squeezed the boy's hand in silent agreement. 

Even if Obito was no longer able to fully see or hear them, he seemed to know they were there. He closed his eye and smiled serenely, looking at peace, before taking in a drawn out, shaky breath. It was the last one he'd ever take.

Notes:

...sorry?

I know we're ending the main part on a downer, but it kind of lost a lot of the impact when I tried to continue on about the random wrap up and stuff in the aftermath :') And of course Minato won't have any lasting guilt for ultimately delivering the final blow nope definitely not. There will be a happy ending next chapter, I promise! I can't do sad endings. Oh and I didn't actually forget about Zetsu this time like I did with my last long fic. He's not gonna get major screen time or anything but I at least remembered that he needs to be dealt with haha.

Ok yeah the part where Kurama eats Danzo and then spits up the Sharingan is a little silly, but honestly this whole fic is a little silly so it happened lol. Gotta balance that angst somehow!

I knew pretty early on that Kurama was going to play a role in talking Obito into changing sides. I don't think he would be able to do it outright without his/Naruto's memories but he's certainly come a long way. He definitely didn't give two shits about saving Obito, but he's smart enough to know when he's backed into a corner and needs to take unconventional action. I loved the idea of the "evil Kyuubi" being the one to save the world through the power of friendship. And it honors his connection with the Naruto from the other timeline. Yay character growth!