how did this even happen...

[mooneye]

It wasn't a bad sort of place. Lots of things to do and people to see. Plenty of freedom to dart over the rooftops and down the alleys--or out of the village and into the woods and rocky wild places beyond. Obito liked Michi no Sato.

He had stopped for lunch and was eating at a table outside the restaurant, watching people walk past. The food was good. The cold breeze was nice. Ah, yes. Years and years trapped in a cave with a crazy old man and a bunch of plant monsters--it had left him really able to appreciate the little things.

[ooc: here is an AU Obito in his twenties. Got through the time with Madara, and Rin's death, but didn't go completely evil after all of it...]

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[itachi_san]

Itachi closed his eyes and sighed.

"... probably..."

[sparkplug_chan]

"At least I didn't throw you over my shoulder."

[itachi_san]

Itachi could convince his mind to stay strong. But his body... he could only force it to do so much...

"Point..."

[sparkplug_chan]

"I may not be -your- Sasuke but... close enough. Have a little more faith."

[itachi_san]

He nodded, tiredly.

[sparkplug_chan]

She just shook her head then finally moved to set him on his feet so she had a hand free to open the door. "You can prove your ability to get into the house."

[itachi_san]

He was unsteady on his feet, but used the door frame for support. He'd used far too much chakra, drained far too much energy. He could hardly stay awake, yet alone standing, but if Sasuke insisted... then he would do it. He would be strong for Sasuke. And nothing else would matter.

He walked into the house under his own power.

[sparkplug_chan]

She followed him, satisfied he could get at least -that- far, and she swept off into the house after closing the door once he was clear of it.

Not that she was entirely altruistic in her motives, of course. "Mom! Itachi needs you!" And then Sasuke was headed off to her room. She needed to think.

[proudofmybaby]

The call lured her out of one of the side hallways, most of her splattered with paint from what she'd been working on. Her eyes widened as she got good look at her son and she cursed, yanking off her gloves. "Oh baby what happened?"

[itachi_san]

Clearly, she wasn't.

As soon as Sasuke was out of sight and Mikoto reached the entryway, Itachi collapsed.

[proudofmybaby]

Cursing softly, at both her children, she rushed forward to collect her son, checking to see if he was even still conscious as she headed off to his room with him.

[itachi_san]

Fortunately, it appeared that he just fainted. Though, for being in the temperatures they were in, he did feel a bit warmer than expected.

After about ten minutes or so, he started to come to.

[proudofmybaby]

She was staring down at him, still paint splattered but she'd doe her best to change him into something warm and clean without smearing it all over him. "Itachi."

[itachi_san]

He looked back up at her with black eyes. It took him a moment, but his sharingan eventually activated.

"... I was on my way back."

[proudofmybaby]

"You're exhausted to the point of collapse." She put her hands on her hips. "Eyes off this instant young man. If you don't have the energy to walk, you don't have the energy to see."

[itachi_san]

"It's all right, really..." he tried to brush off her concern as he pushed himself up in bed. "It was just a more eventful walk than I anticipated."

There was a lot to explain, and he summarized it in far too few words. Running into an enemy. Talking to Sasuke with genjutsu.

[proudofmybaby]

Her eyes narrowed. "You. Flat. Now."

[itachi_san]

Itachi had almost forgotten how convincing she could be when cross...

He carefully eased himself back down, his sharingan deactivating as his head hit the pillow.

[proudofmybaby]

"Better." She stared down at him for a moment. "Now. Explain. Properly."

[itachi_san]

"... I was on my way back, and I stopped for some tea at a small cafe. There was a man there, cousin Obito... alive. We... talked for a little while. I didn't know it all those years ago, but he was the masked man I made a deal with that night... the one calling himself Madara. But this man, though, was from a different world. A world where... I found a way to stop the massacre from happening, where I... well..."

His voice trailed off. He really didn't want to think about that right now. It was enough of a wound. It didn't need any more salt rubbed into it.

"I... I left... We almost fought. Sasuke found me right after that... She... demanded answers. So I gave them. The mangekyo... I showed her everything I had the strength to show her..."

He glanced away.

"But I was really just... trying to convince myself... that's all. That... that night... that I really did do everything I could have done... But... but maybe, I didn't..."

[proudofmybaby]

"You did." She leaned down, resting her hand on his forehead. "I watched you. If anything, the differences lay not in you, but in the people around you. There is no way to know what else happened that was not to do with his Itachi. It might have had nothing to do with you, some point your cousin made." She stroked his cheek. "And even if you made the same choices as his Itachi, it's possible that his reactions might have been different, isn't it? It's not all on you. It never should have been."

[itachi_san]

He leaned into her hand.

"I... I took it upon myself, Mom. I had to... I had to protect the Village. I had to stop war from breaking out. I had to save Sasuke... And you, and father, you told me to never waver. Never question my decision..."

He felt a tear slide down his cheek. He didn't quite understand why they said that to him back then. But he did now. He had to be strong. He couldn't have doubt. Because what he was ordered to do... would break a weak man. Easily...

"I... did... I'm sorry, Mom..."

[proudofmybaby]

"Hush now my darling. I'm proud of you, of how strong you've been. Never ever doubt that. I don't blame you. I'll never blame you. There are people I blame and I promise you you'll -never- make that list, understand?"

[itachi_san]

He was quiet, hesitant. When he spoke again, his voice was full of shame.

"... I promised Sasuke. But... I don't know how much longer I can be strong, Mom..."

[proudofmybaby]

"Strength isn't all in the body baby." She rested her hand on his cheek, then slid her hand to rest over his heart. "You'll never be weak because even through all this, you still love purely, don't you? You haven't stopped being able to do that, even after all this. That's strength."