CHAPTER 17: The Past and the Presents Collision

Kakashi became even more confused. 'Great. I'm talking to a madman who escaped from a mental institution.' he thought as he deadpanned at this man until he thought of the possibility that this man was pretending to be crazy.

"No, I'm not crazy," Princeps said out of nowhere, which makes Kakashi flabbergasted. 'The way he's acting it's as if he's reading my mind. Is he a Yamanaka? No...he doesn't have light blonde hair, so how does he...'

"Didn't I just tell you, I am you, and you are me but from the past? You can't read my mind because I'm not letting you into my mind. You need permission."

"I sure as hell didn't allow you to read my mind."

"Your defense is weak in the mind. That's why it's easy to read it," he said with an eye smile. As if it's the most obvious thing in the world. It irked him but then he remembered, that this is what he did to his students so he should suck it up a bit. However, the treatment he is receiving is pure mockery!

But he needed to calm down, although the body he is stuck in, is an arrogant brat, which just so happens to be him. He needed to calm down. He was a seasoned shinobi, an ex: Hokage, and he survived two wars. [A/N: Hun you died in one of them but lived again, cause Nagato decided to be Kami for one day.]

"Ok, so why are you here, Princeps?"

"To warn you~," he said with playfulness.

"Warn me?" Kakashi asked with a raised brow. He didn't expect this man, Princeps to bring him to this place to warn him about something.

"Just to let you know, Kakashi. This place is inside your mind. The deepest part of your mind." he said with utter seriousness. Now, this scared him. How is a man, living inside his mind, and in a palace this big too?! Looking at his reaction, Princeps laughed.

He told him to calm down, before complaining about why Azazel had to do this to Kakashi. Until he concluded that Azazel was probably super mad that he had to reincarnate him or them more than 100 times and just did this to teach them a lesson. Impatient bastard.

Even so, Kakashi listened to his complaints in case he did slip up, and he did. He heard him utter the name Azazel, so he asked him who he was. Princeps simply told him not to worry about his existence as it wasn't the time yet. Kakashi wasn't very confused because this man would give him half-baked answers. Much like himself.

The similarities between him and Princeps were a lot, which made him slowly believe that they were indeed the same person, just from a different time. But he decided to brush it off because it was completely bonkers. Till he remembered that he, has been reborn into the body of his past self.

'Perhaps the sentences spouted by this crazed man are true. But how is he living inside my mind?'

"To answer your question Kakashi, I am trapped inside your soul, not your mind." Kakashi ignored his words because he was getting annoyed at this man for constantly reading his mind. Did privacy not exist anymore?! [A/N: Courtesy of the creep Edward.]

"Nope!" Tick marks appeared on Kakashi's forehead, smiles, hands, arms, and everywhere else. Princeps just laughed at his misery.

"Anyways, What do you mean?"

"The cycle of rebirth and tragedy has plagued us, followed us for centuries. It was all because I disobeyed Him that I and my reincarnations are cursed to live a life filled with sadness." Listening to this Kakashi didn't know what to feel about it. He wasn't even sure if this man was a product of his mind or if he is being cast by a genjutsu, but during this age, Kakashi is only known as a prodigy and the son of Sakumo, not a high ranking official.

He squinted his eyes and then widened them. Sakumo is still alive and he had a lot of people that wanted to kill him. Perhaps his dad attracted a dangerous person, and is using his son to lure him into a trap?! 'Kai!' he thought aloud.

"It won't work, kid."

"Since you won't let me out, things will get a little bit messy. So let me out. Now."

"No. I must warn you to be careful with your memories. If you don't want any pain being inflicted on you or doubts about your own identity please don't look into the past too much. Or cause psychological stress on yourself ok?' Kakashi listened to his advice and was about to ask him something before everything went dark. He could feel his body move again.

He opened his eyes to find the 3rr Hokage sitting right next to him. 'Where is my dad?' he tried to say but his mouth couldn't move.

'Damn.'