Work Text:
The streets of Konoha were buzzing. No matter how hard he screamed, the noise drowned him out. Obito stared impassively as the crowd roared-
As the Kyuubi roared-
As everything fell apart-
A yellow flash flickered. "Nice try, Obito." A proud grin. "If you keep improving like this, I'm sure you'll be a wonderful shinobi." Obito grinned back. "Yeah! I'm gonna be Hokage, and everyone's gonna know who I am!" He pumped his fist.
It hovered there for an infinite second.
Obito lashed out, nearly catching his sensei. "It doesn't matter who you are. Why attack the Leaf?"
Failure again, but an empty victory: Minato would never again challenge his plans, never again walk with his squad in the vibrant streets of the village hidden in the leaves-
"What're you doing? Ichiraku's is this way, 'ttebane!" Kushina smiled at him, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the ramen shop. He smiled back. She turned red as a massive paw came crashing down-
All his fault, all on his command, leaving no trace of one of the closest things to a mother that he'd ever had-
The streets of Konoha were buzzing. A figure sat hunched by a memorial stone, pathetic shell giving pathetic excuses. Obito watched, impassive.
What kind of world turns heroes into withering, faded shadows?
Kakashi and Rin were in trouble. Obito ran, and ran, and ran, with the kind of stamina that could only come from an entirely inhuman makeup, or an entirely-too-human emotion.
The road cycled. He was getting nowhere, but his teammates are in trouble, they're going to-
The buzzing streets swallowed him whole. In the darkness in front of him, two figures started coming into focus. Kakashi, Rin-
Kakashi's hand protruded from Rin's back. He pulled it out with a sickening sound.
Kakashi fell to the ground, faded away, became nothing more than a mask-
And Rin stood there, hole in her chest, hole above her heart, and Obito's wild heartbeat fell silent. She turned to him, face twisted in an expression of rage she'd never worn in life. "Obito, you're LATE!"
The Uchiha woke up, keening, grief so strong that it escaped his throat and echoed through his Kamui dimension. The plan- the pain- emotions choked his thoughts, but, as the minutes passed and they began to settle, he forced them into nonexistence. His emotions had to die for the plan. Everything would be better that way. Once he destroyed this hellish reality and replaced it with his own, and everyone would be alive again. It took him far too long, but he kept repeating this mantra, this truth. For the plan. For Rin. For Minato-sensei, for Kushina, for Kakashi. For the Infinite Tsukiyomi.
And finally, his emotions died down (died once again).
Obito scowled. He couldn't remember how he'd fallen into such a deep sleep; not that it mattered. He wouldn't allow it to happen again. Not until it was time for his infinite dream to encompass the entire Shinobi world.