#sorry rin you're dying here cause you died in canon

[robo--homo]

kkob fae!au: the village of konoha is surrounded on all sides by twisting forests. The woods provide food, medicine, shelter- but they also take what's not carefully guarded. Never wander off the paths. To Obito, Rin and Kakashi, it's a whole host of terrifying wonders.

Insert the fae; Madara, or a kelpie, or who knows what. Bonus points they're in the woods taking on responsibilities they think they have to, trying to hunt, trying to destroy the dangers, trying to provide for the village. Obito awakens his family's True Sight just in time to realize Kakashi's going to be taken, and is left to beg and bargain to be taken in his stead.

Kakashi spends months searching for the faery that took him, Rin faithful at his side until it leads to her death at their hands, too.

Flash forward ten years: Kakashi has been all but convinced his childhood best friends died to any number of natural reasons, nevermind his certainty that it was all his fault. He doesn't really remember anymore, himself- he was gone for days at a time, and it's too easy for kids to get lost in the woods. Just one more tragedy on the small scale.

Until a masked stranger starts watching him from the edges of the trees.