A/N: New chapter, here we go! I'm pumped and excited and a lot of things I don't understand. Also, this is technically the 30th chapter of this story (if we exclude the author's notes, etc.) so it's a big one.

Hope you enjoy.

I'm not strong enough to stay away.

Can't run from you. I just run back to you.

Like a moth, I'm drawn into your flame.

Say my name, but it's not the same.

-Not Strong Enough by Apocalyptica

Can't Run From You

Things were obviously different at work with Obito gone- that had become all too clear.

But things were different at home too.

Obito still woke up first, went through his workout as usual- unwilling to dare break routine- and was back in the apartment before Naruto had even begun to stir. So, when Naruto did wake up, he was welcomed by a freshly made hot chocolate and Obito's poor attempt at breakfast. With all his skill outside of cooking, he couldn't even whip up something simple. It was funny but the whole situation was unsettlingly domesticated. It didn't suit Obito to play the role of a housewife and Naruto could tell he hated every moment he wasn't in the office.

By all accounts, Naruto had pretty much moved in on a temporary basis. He hadn't been home since Obito returned other than to retrieve suits for work. It wasn't something they'd really discussed. It just happened. Naruto showed up at Obito's apartment after work and Obito never asked- well, told- him to leave. So, before any of them noticed, their temporary arrangement was in place.

Obito first realized it when he woke up one day, pulling himself away from the snoring idiot, to head downstairs to the gym. On his way through the apartment, he started to see some subtle- and some not so subtle- differences from its usual state.

The way Naruto's socks, shoes, shirts and other items of clothing were carelessly dumped around the living room without much care. The way his shoes were plopped right in front of the door- tripping Obito up every time- no matter how many times he moved them. The way Naruto's scent had started lingering in the air. The blonde had never stayed long enough to have any real impact on the living space but now he'd certainly left his mark.

Still, having him there was oddly grounding.

A center that Obito could focus on.

The way it should be.

Naruto had been working on his plan long enough- thinking it over again and again in an attempt to figure out if he was just being stupid or if he was actually on to something. It was risky- a whole lot more risky than Zetsu's plan to get a security guard to help them- but he didn't have a shred of doubt in his mind that it was worth all of the risk.

He was Naruto Uzumaki after all.

He didn't tell Obito about his plan and he felt guilty about it. But he knew that Obito would brush it off and tell him to stay out of it. They hadn't really discussed the court case at all since he came back. In fact, they were getting on just fine by dancing around the issue and pretending it didn't exist. Naruto may be able to pretend it wasn't happening, but that was completely different. If Obito wouldn't accept his help, then he'd just give him no choice.

He was a stubborn brat after all.

…

So it was on his lunch break that he called everyone to meet him at a glum little café a few blocks from Uchiha Enterprises. He wasn't dumb enough to do it alone. He knew he'd need help. But he didn't know if anyone would help him. Not to mention, he couldn't just go ahead and ask just anyone for help. In the end, he narrowed it down to five.

To his surprise, four actually turned up.

"The hell are we doing here, dobe?" Sasuke hissed, glancing around the café with such disdain that one would think the place was diseased. "I was supposed to be at soccer practice."

"Weren't you bragging not long ago that you didn't need to attend practice?" Itachi chimed in, pushing his kid brother into a seat before he could try and argue. "The company team can survive without out you for one day."

"Well shit me breakfast." Tayuya blurted out, glancing between the two Uchiha with narrowly disguised surprise. "You guys actually came, huh? I thought me, blondie and pinky were gonna be the only ones."

"Did you just call me 'pinky'?" Sakura snapped from across the table- that famous vein appearing on her forehead. The moment Sakura and Tayuya had met; they'd taken an instant disliking to one another. Naruto didn't know if it was some kind of female rivalry or just a clash of personalities but, either way, it was horrifying to be stuck in the middle.

"Would you prefer 'dimwit'? How about 'airhead'?"

"Naruto," the younger woman muttered out of the corner of her lips, eyes still locked on Tayuya fiercely, "can I have a word with you about your choice of friends?"

"There's no time for that." Itachi spoke up, saving Naruto from the pressure of having to choose between two fiery, scary women. His words were relieving and Naruto struggled to hold in the breath he wanted to let out. "Sasuke and I came because you said you had an idea to help Obito."

"Where's Zetsu?" Sasuke asked curiously, finally tuning in, despite how bored he looked. "Shouldn't he be here?"

"I text him but he hasn't shown up." Naruto mumbled dejectedly. He was naïve enough to think Zetsu would show up for sure and it was a horrible feeling to be proven wrong. Still, he forced a smile onto his face as everyone stared at him expectantly. "Anyway, we all know about Obito and the court case and stuff-"

"Well, how the hell does Foreheadasauras there know?" Tayuya cut in with a sneer, gesturing Sakura's way like she was some kind of germ. Maybe getting them together wasn't such a smart idea after all.

"Naruto filled me in 'cause we're best friends." Sakura countered, earning nothing but a mocking scoff in return.

"We need as much help as we can get." Naruto explained in his defence, already crumbling under the looks he received from the two Uchiha, "Anyway," he dropped his voice to a murmur, "we all know that the only way to save Obito is to get our hands on the financial records."

"Except we don't have any access to the books." Sasuke pointed out with a huff. "Not even Itachi does- and he's a Senior Manager and son of the CEO. It's even harder now that it's all been labelled as evidence for the prosecution."

"Which is why Zetsu came up with this plan before he left to get a security guard to help us get hold of 'em."

"That's illegal." Itachi said matter-of-factly. Though, thankfully, his voice lacked the negative judgement his brother's did.

"I know but we're desperate." Naruto whined. "The security guard thing didn't work out though. We tried with a couple of them but it fell flat on its ass."

"I do hope none of them are likely to report you."

"Why would they?" Sasuke sniped, always happy to one-up Itachi at any point. "They'd cause more trouble for themselves by reporting it. It's not like the security and cleaners have any loyalty to the company anyway."

"But if you couldn't get security on board," Sakura spoke up curiously, "does that mean you're planning to…?"

"Break in?" Naruto breathed out before he could stop himself- finally releasing what had been building up in his chest ever since he came up with it. It was insane and stupid. The looks he got from the four of them was only confirmation of that. But still, he just couldn't stomp it down and discount it as a valid option entirely. What else could he do? "Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking."

"You're kidding, right?" Sasuke drawled, eyes narrowing in something close to loathing. Kind of the expected reaction. It didn't really bother Naruto as much as he thought it would.

"Naruto, isn't that kinda risky?" Sakura whispered- almost hesitantly- like she didn't want to crush his hopes. But he just shot her a grin to put her at ease. "And, I mean, the chances of you getting caught are like-"

"I know, I know." He conceded, running a hand over his face. "I wanted Zetsu to disable the CCTV for me like he did that time Obito hit Shisui-" Tayuya let out a small laugh at that, "and then I wanted some help getting in to make some copies. Then I'd bring them back to Itachi to look over and stuff."

"How would you even get in?" Sasuke interjected, just as Naruto reached into his pocket with an almost nervous smile, pulling out a small…"Please tell me that's not a keycard." The Uchiha groaned.

"It's not a keycard?" Naruto offered sheepishly, suddenly feeling a lot less confident and sure of himself with Sasuke seething in the corner, Itachi pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh and Sakura just gaping at him. Only Tayuya seemed fine with it. Then again, theft didn't really seem below her. She was only working for Uchiha Enterprises because she blackmailed the boss.

"The idiot actually jumped the gun and stole company property." Sasuke muttered, glancing at his brother in search of back-up. "He didn't even wait for us to tell him how stupid this whole idea was. He just went and stole security clearance."

"Naruto," Itachi began, taking a deep breath in a poor attempt to remain 'fair' and 'diplomatic', "I understand how important helping Obito is to you. It's important to all of us, but clearly you specifically. But, you need to understand that getting caught would make things much worse, and not just for you, for him too."

"Oh." The blonde mumbled, smile fading. He'd expected as much.

"That said," the Senior Manager pressed on, snapping up everyone's attention before the glimmer of hope could completely fade, "if a copy of the financial records just happened to fall into my lap, then it would be my duty to study it and bring it to the attention of anyone it may concern. After all, it would be negligent of me to just let something so important float around like that."

"Are you serious right now?" Naruto asked, a grin stretching across his face, ignoring the sour look Sasuke shot him. "You're not messing with me? You actually mean it?" The small smile and nod were the only confirmation he needed. Hope restored.

"Then all I need is help getting in."

"What about CCTV?" Sakura asked, seemingly a little more relaxed with Itachi's approval.

"If Zetsu won't answer my calls then I'll just have to show up and make him listen."

"This is the dumbest thing I have ever heard in my life." Tayuya announced firmly, finally breaking her contemplative silence to voice her loud opinion. No direct insult to Naruto as a person- could've been worse. Still, Naruto found his heart sink again.

"Oh."

"So, I'm on board." And then it soared again. Tayuya had a determined smirk on her face and a fiery gleam in her eyes. She was serious. "Obito and I haven't really been the best of buddies but he's a helluva lot better than that brat strutting around with a rod up his ass. Let's get the asshole back!" Naruto was so happy; he even let the insult slide.

"I still dunno, Naruto…"

"Look, pinky," Tayuya snapped, practically snarling across the table, "if you'd rather run along and play with your dolls, that's probably for the best. This table is reserved for badasses the likes of which only come from Uchiha Enterprises. You don't fit in here, Princess."

Naruto stared on in horror, the sudden urge to duck under the table until the fire died out almost overwhelming. He glanced at the two other men for help but- damn Uchiha- they seemed pretty unfazed.

"That's it!" Sakura retorted, slamming her palms on the table as she pushed herself out of her seat. "You think just 'cause I don't work at Uchiha Enterprises that I can't compete with you? I'm not only going to help Naruto, I'm going to wipe the floor with your smug face!"

"Bring it on, you pirate's dream."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura demanded with a scowl.

"A pirate's dream, pinky," Tayuya smirked- a real ugly smirk- and pointed to Sakura's…"A sunken chest."

"Oh, my god." Naruto muttered, trying to tune out the flaring argument before it scarred him for life. He knew he wasn't the most authoritative of people, but he'd thought that being mentored by Obito would have given him some ability to control a small group of people long enough to make illegal plans. Turns out he was wrong.

"Well, that's three." Itachi pointed out, somehow making himself heard over the barrage of insults Sakura and Tayuya were launching at each other. "We'll leave Zetsu to you. The only one left is…"

"Forget it." Sasuke shot it down before it could go any further. "Not a chance. Don't even suggest it."

"Would be a nice way to break the boredom, little brother."

"It's not happening."

"How about a bet?"

"I…what kind of bet…?"

"I bet you can't do it." Itachi suggested, his smile making it clear that he already knew he'd gotten his way. "Prove me wrong and I'll complete any forfeit you come up with between now and then- no questions asked, no arguments. You say it, it happens."

Sasuke took a moment, studying Itachi to see if he was serious or not, before glancing over at Naruto.

"Alright, I'm in."

And, just like that, Naruto was feeling on top of the world once again- the best and most hopeful he'd felt since before Obito was fired. He had a plan. He wasn't alone. They had a shot and they were going to do whatever they could to make it work.

'Just wait, Obito,' Naruto sighed contently, vaguely acknowledging that the two women were still arguing with one another, and that Sasuke and Itachi were mulling over possible bet forfeits, 'we're gonna get through this. I promise.'

"His opening statement is dragging on far too long." Was the whispered critique in Obito's ear, effectively distracting him from Kakashi's endless monologue. And, with a headache beginning to pound on the inside of his skull, Obito couldn't help but hum his agreement. Kakashi had been addressing the court room, and the jury, for a whole lot longer than was tolerable.

"What have you got planned?" Obito muttered out of the corner of his mouth, watching Kakashi casually make physical contact with one of the jurors. Establishing a personal connection- well-played. A charming smile- nice touch.

"About two minutes of lip-service." That earned a cocked eyebrow. Perhaps his new representation wasn't so great after all…

Obito had dumped his old lawyer. Not that he had the choice of keeping him anyway. Uchiha Enterprises had its own legal team and Obito's previous lawyer had been too closely connected to them to keep. Besides, the man hadn't really been much help through any of the depositions anyway. So, a change had been necessary.

The new lawyer was young and different, but his skills had yet to be demonstrated. It was a large gamble but, sometimes, risks were simply needed to get by. Pein had quite the reputation and he didn't come cheap. So there was no reason for him not to be worth the money.

"He finally shut his mouth." Obito said, watching Kakashi finish up and take his seat. He hadn't listened to much of it- opening statements rarely had much substance worth listening to. They were just tools to get the simple-minded jurors on your side as early on as possible. Pein seemed to agree with him, judging by the bored sigh as he climbed to his feet and confidently stole the spotlight.

"Ladies and gentlemen," he started boldly, instantly commanding respect with a dominant air Obito hadn't realized he possessed. It was impressive, "Mr Hatake would have you believe that things are black and white. That you're either good or bad. But, as adults, we all know that the world doesn't operate that way. Right and wrong are subjective."

'Get to the point.' Obito thought to himself, glancing over at the attentively-listening men and women. At least they seemed interested.

"So, as determined as Mr Hatake is to throw mud around, we aren't here to discuss what kind of person Obito Uchiha is. He could be the scum of the earth, but that doesn't make him guilty. The law is not subjective. Not here, anyway. What you need to decide is whether or not you truly believe that Mr Uchiha has broken the law to such an extent that jail time is the only punishment suitable. And I am here to prove to you that that's not the case."

And that was it. Pein took his seat.

It was short, simple and pointless- just as Obito knew it would be. However, it seemed to have some effect. Enough to capture their attention, at least. Perhaps Pein was worth the money after all.

…

"I was under the impression that Mr Uchiha wasn't interested in a settlement." Kakashi stated casually, glancing at Obito for just a moment before tearing his gaze away. He hadn't been able to look his former friend in the eye throughout the whole of court that morning. Now they were in a private room, it was no different.

"The problem for us isn't the idea of settling," Pein countered, "it's Obito serving jail time. I can dig up at least eleven similar cases in the last decade- all of which were resolved with a fine, not a prison sentence."

"And, if you recall," Obito interjected, never the kind to let people speak for him, "I was against accepting your offers, not against making ones of my own." Kakashi looked at him then, with downturned eyes full of regret.

"What you don't get is that this isn't like other cases. Madara Uchiha and now Obito too. Uchiha Enterprises keep finding themselves in this position. It isn't an isolated incident. As such, a fine just isn't sufficient. No half-decent prosecutor would say otherwise."

"And yet you've shown yourself perfectly willing to decrease the sentence."

"The problem for me isn't the idea of settling," Kakashi echoed, without a hint of smugness in his tone or on his face, "it's Obito avoiding jail time." But, even as he said it, it sounded half-hearted and empty. Like Kakashi himself couldn't even pretend to believe the words he was spouting. And if he, as an experienced lawyer, couldn't feign belief, things really were pitiful.

"Then this meeting's over." Pein declared, motioning for Obito to follow as he turned to leave. "We'll just have to rely on the jury's verdict, Kakashi."

…

If he was honest, Obito had been expecting it since the moment he caught glimpse of Kakashi in the court room that morning. The regret was written all over his usually placid face so obviously to him that it was almost blinding. He'd seen Kakashi triumph in court many times in the past and he'd never forget the focussed, determined look the man would get on his face from the moment they started to the moment they left. But that look never once showed itself throughout the entire day. He seemed distant and distracted.

He still got up with all of that well-polished confidence and captivated the jury as he made his arguments. The points he made were still flawless and he never once hesitated as Uchiha Enterprises' treasurer- Kakuzu- gave his evidence. But Obito could see the remorse nonetheless. It was in the eyes, mostly. There was no one in the world more experienced at wearing a mask than Obito- so seeing through the mask of another was child's play for him.

So, after discussing what approach Pein was planning to take their next day in court and going their separate ways, Obito wasn't too surprised when Kakashi approached him in the quiet of the bathroom. He tried to make his entrance seem casual- like it was a coincidence- but Obito's eyes saw through it all.

"Pein's good." Kakashi offered as a conversation starter, awkwardly lingering by the doorway as he watched the scarred man wash his hands in the sink. "Better than that guy you had before. I got the feeling you'd do better representing yourself during those depositions." He tried to make it light-hearted, but it sunk before it swam.

"I may not have attended law school," Obito began, switching the tap off with a sigh, "but I do know that you shouldn't be speaking to me without my lawyer present. If this makes its way into the court room, the question of witness tampering might be brought up."

"Technically, I shouldn't be on the case anyway." Kakashi shrugged as Obito dried off. "All you have to do is tell them we've had a past and I'll be traded in for someone else."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because it's us." The man said simply- like those three words held all of the answers. He was probably thinking back to all the years they'd known each other. The bullying and teasing in school, their eventual friendship and the time that followed, and that night as well. But Obito wasn't looking back. His eyes were focussed on the future.

"You're no different from any other lawyer." He retorted coldly. "So switching you out for another would just drag this thing on unnecessarily."

"Look," Kakashi sighed, resigning himself, "I'm not here as a lawyer, I'm here as your friend." Obito cocked an eyebrow at that, humming questioningly, but otherwise kept his thoughts to himself. "I can't drop this case or go easy on you, Obito, but the least I can do is explain what happened properly."

"It doesn't matter to me what happened." Obito announced firmly, shaking his head like he'd just heard a terrible joke. "And your explanations aren't really important, since nothing you say means anything. I've been watching you all day, Kakashi. Your mouth keeps moving but you don't believe a word that comes out of it. You've been trashing me in that court room, but your heart wasn't in it. Why should I care for the explanation of a man who doesn't value his word?"

"For Rin." Kakashi murmured, almost pleadingly. Obito shook his head again.

"You really do open your mouth so carelessly. It's no wonder you're living a life of regret."

"You're not going to blame me for what happened?"

"Why would I?" Obito countered indignantly, not sure what it was that kept him talking instead of walking right out the door. There was no point in chatting with Kakashi. It wouldn't gain anything. There was nothing his words could achieve that his fist hadn't already during that deposition. "That's the way the world is. What would criticizing reality gain us? What has it gained you? The past isn't important. It never has been."

"But you don't understand," Kakashi pressed on, "you need to know how things really went down- for Rin's sake."

"You're the one who doesn't seem to get it." Obito shrugged, stepping forward to finally get out and go home. "I don't care." He whispered as he passed Kakashi and pushed his way out of the bathroom so he could finally leave the stress of court behind for one day.

Kakashi's attempts didn't matter to him.

Shisui's awkward passing near the entrance didn't matter to him.

And his memories of Rin didn't matter to him.

Obito Uchiha was leaving the past where it belonged- where it deserved to be.

"About time you got back!" Naruto shouted from another room the moment he heard the front door open and close. "I got held behind with work and I still beat you to it!"

"Something came up." Obito said vaguely, shrugging off his jacket as he stepped in the living room to find an eagerly-awaiting blonde crashed out on his couch, watching some loud action movie. Coming home to Naruto was still odd and sometimes stressful- especially if he was already struggling with a headache- but it wasn't like he could get rid of the kid.

Or like he really wanted to. "I see you've been shopping." He pointed out, nodding to the bowl of popcorn Naruto was cradling in his lap. There was no way there was any popcorn in his cupboards- none that was edible anyway.

"Yeah, you have no food." Naruto said with a grin. "So I used the card you gave me to get some stuff."

"If I find one soda in this apartment, I will skin you alive." Obito threatened, loosening his tie as he made his way over and fell gracefully onto the couch next to his impromptu housemate.

"Good, 'cause I already drank them all." Naruto shot back, nudging him cheekily.

Obito could only roll his eyes.

"How was work?"

"The usual," the blonde shrugged, "how was court?"

"The usual." He shrugged, already able to see the annoyed pout in his mind before it actually appeared on Naruto's face. He was teasing, yes, but only because Naruto should have known better than to answer a direct question so vaguely. If the answer wasn't important, Obito wouldn't have bothered asking. So, with a huff, Naruto backed down and answered fully.

"I got assigned a new client today who's probably gonna give me plenty of trouble but it's nothing I can't handle. Kagami's hardly been at the office lately, I think he's overworked without Zetsu. He should have at least found a replacement before firing him. That's just common sense. Beats running round trying to do his own work and all the amazing stuff Zetsu somehow got done."

Obito had to hum his agreement there. "Aoba thinks I'm trying to beat him to the Junior Manager position so he kinda declared war on me. He even raced me to the break room at lunch just so he could claim to be 'one step ahead'."

"Something tells me he feels threatened."

"Probably 'cause I got a higher sales record than him this month." Naruto shrugged, trying to downplay it for Obito's sake. But, as always, the Uchiha saw through him. Naruto was yearning for the praise he used to get when Obito was his boss- the praise he'd been starved of for weeks. Thing was, Obito wasn't his boss anymore, so he didn't know how to go about getting it. Bragging about your success to your boss- who is directly affected by your work- is different from running home and bragging to someone it has nothing to do with.

"You beat Aoba, huh?" Obito murmured thoughtfully, knowing full well that Naruto was waiting with bated breath. "Aoba's, arguably, the best on that floor. It's no wonder he's sparking up a rivalry with you now you've beaten him."

"Yeah." Naruto whispered. Obito scoffed, reaching over the back of the couch to run his fingers through the kid's hair.

"Well done, Naruto." He said in a tone usually saved for the office- and sometimes the bedroom, "I'm proud of you." The change in the blonde was almost instant. The biggest grin slowly spread on his face as he happily lapped up the words he'd missed hearing and relaxed into the touch on his head. Obito moved his hand down until it was cupping the back of Naruto's neck, giving it an encouraging squeeze before pulling away.

"Yeah, well, it's no big deal I guess." Naruto said, stumbling over his words in an attempt to hide the feeling blooming in his chest. When Obito rolled his eyes, he knew he'd failed at covering it up, but he couldn't bring himself to care. "You're gonna hate this movie, by the way."

"Why's that?"

"Cliché plot, female character with no other purpose than providing eye-candy, dumb one-liners, that sorta thing." Naruto listed, remembering all the things he'd learned about Obito's taste in entertainment.

"I guess I can put up with it just this once." He shrugged, reaching over to snatch some popcorn from the bowl before Naruto could stop him. "As long as there are no obligatory multi-cultural gangs that make no sense in reality."

"If they're 'obligatory' then you know they'll be in."

"Well, just don't sulk when I complain about them."

They settled in to watch, nothing else to do or say. They didn't have any work to do. No meetings to prepare for. No need to strategize to beat Fugaku anymore. So it was just them and something as simple as a boys' movie night. Something so oddly normal that it didn't really suit Obito- not that Naruto cared. It was nice.

And it wasn't until Obito rolled his eyes and voice his objections when the multi-cultural gang did appear that Naruto realized that he'd been distracted. As always, Obito had deflected to avoid answering the question he'd been asked earlier. At first, Naruto didn't want to bring it up. He wanted to let it slide to avoid shattering the peace- but that was probably what Obito was expecting.

"You never told me how court went." He eventually pointed out, once the popcorn was almost gone.

"It went fine," Obito said absentmindedly, "it was just the first day. Opening statements, initial summary of evidence, first questioning of a couple of witnesses- that sort of thing. Pein is surprisingly good. Hiring him was the right move."

"Anything interesting happen?" Naruto asked. "I mean, besides being in court for a case which could potentially ruin your life and all."

"Not really." Obito muttered, deciding not to share his bathroom encounter with Kakashi (as odd and dirty as that sounded in his head) with the kid just yet. "I'll tell you some other time."

"Promise?" He rolled his eyes at the childish question.

"Yes, Mr Cuddle-Monster," he drawled sarcastically, "I promise."

"You're the cuddler!" Naruto protested, and it wasn't the first time he'd used it as ammo in an 'argument'.

"I do not cuddle," Obito retorted with a sigh, "I huddle for…warmth. Besides, you're practically a limpet in the mornings."

"You have bed sheets and covers more expensive than my entire apartment and a heating system I would kill to have." Was the surprisingly well thought out response he got for all his trouble. "So that 'huddling for warmth' is a load of crap and you know it. I get it, you're embarrassed. You don't want me to tell the football team in case they call you a girl, right?"

"Some of us have actually grown up since Highschool."

"You're telling me!" Naruto grinned, like he'd planned it all out. "Sometimes I feel so dirty being with you…y'know, 'cause of the age difference." That earned him a dangerous scowl, a warning not to step any further into such dangerous territory.

"I'm not that much older than you," Obito argued, loathing any mention of the difference between them, "it just seems like it because you act like a childish brat."

"And you act like a bitter old man."

"Call me old again and they won't find your body."

"You wouldn't."

"I'm already in court for blackmail, adding murder to the list isn't that great a step."

"I'm serious, stay away from me!" Naruto shouted out, struggling to get the words out in-between laughs as he threw the plastic popcorn bowl at Obito and bailed the couch to try and find somewhere safe in the apartment to hide. Okay, so maybe he really was a little childish sometimes but that didn't stop tears of laughter streaming down his face as he desperately fled to avoid Obito's true wrath. Besides, he knew that secretly, Obito liked him just the way he was.

Obito didn't have court the next day so, after Naruto headed off to work, his life felt sourly empty. He headed to Pein's firm for a brief meeting about the tactics they'd use on the next court date- which gave him the perfect excuse to dress up in a suit, just like he'd gotten accustomed to over the years. It was good, provided him with a distraction, but short-lived. He had an entire day left to kill before Naruto's return that evening.

And that thought made his blood run cold.

When had he become so dependent on Naruto Uzumaki?

The only other person he'd really been dependent on before was Zetsu- and only because Zetsu pretty much managed his entire life for him for years. It was actually that line of thought which gave him an idea of how to spend the rest of his day. He'd been hesitant to do anything since he got back, but he managed to talk himself into it nonetheless.

…

So, it was a couple of hours later that Obito found himself lingering outside on a restaurant in the busy streets of Konoha. It was a fancy place. Real fancy. It was really no surprise that Zetsu was in there- he was a foodie after all.

He waited and waited.

Until, finally…

"How can someone so slim fit so much food inside of them?!" Someone shouted in disbelief, someone amongst a group of people stumbling out of the entrance with satisfied smiles on their faces.

"Oh, please!" A familiar voice retorted from the front of the group, scoffing as though it were the dumbest question he'd ever heard in his life. And then, with a deadly serious voice, the man turned to the group and said, "You'd be very surprised by what I can fit inside of me."

Obito sighed, rolling his eyes as he slipped his hands inside his pockets and turned to watch the group pad their way out onto the street. No one but Zetsu could come out with such a comment in such a dead-panned way. There was no mistaking it. And, sure enough, there was Zetsu, leading the group to their next 'adventure'.

That was, until the assistant caught sight of Obito, froze and frowned. He murmured something to the group of foodies, sending them off on their way, before turning to his former boss with a, 'are you kidding me?' look on his face.

"Yo, Zetsu." Obito greeted, pulling one hand out of his pocket to offer an awkward wave. Zetsu's eyes narrowed almost coldly. It didn't suit him.

"I can literally count the number of times you've approached me outside of work on one hand," he announced simply, "and none of them ended at all well. One of them even ended up with me in hospital!"

"I did apologize."

"Yeah, and I got stitches. Wanna guess the amount of fucks given?" Zetsu challenged.

"Okay, so you're obviously pissed." Obito surmised, stepping closer to avoid being overheard. The last thing he wanted was a loud argument in the middle of the street.

"Oh, you think?"

"Zetsu…"

"You left!" He hissed bitterly. "You got fired and you kept it from me. Me! You've never kept anything from me before and you suddenly decided it was time to start? I tell you everything and you tell me everything. Or you at least let me figure it out so you don't have any choice but to tell me."

"I'm sorry." Obito murmured softly. For once, he didn't have a well-constructed argument or the words to gain the upper hand. Just a sincere apology that he wouldn't dare utter in front of anyone else. Zetsu's face softened briefly before he hit Obito in the chest.

"Don't do that." He protested firmly. "Don't make that adorable face of yours, with those big eyes and that cute pout, and say things in that deceptive voice. You're not playing fair, Tobi." And that was when he slipped up and slurred his words.

"Are you drunk?" Obito asked, cocking an eyebrow as he got just a hint of the smell of alcohol on his assistant's breath.

"It…" Zetsu began, closing his eyes as he rolled his head from one side to another, "it's possible."

"Zetsu, it's not even noon."

"You've never been a foodie, okay?" Was the poor argument he made. "We meet up, we stuff our faces with quality food and we get pissed. That's our thing. Don't go criticizing me for drinking in the morning, Mr I-deal-with-my-emotions-by-bottling-them-up-until-I'm-emotionally-constipated-and-then-run-off-while-my-super-awesome-assistant-is-left-all-by-his-lonesome."

"That was…" Obito's eyebrows lifted up, a smile tugging at his lips, "kind of impressive while drunk."

"A little time apart and you've forgotten how awesome I am." Zetsu pouted.

"Why don't you refresh my memory?" Obito offered, reaching into the inside of his jacket to pull out the slip he'd picked up that morning specially. "Maybe, over lunch?"

"I've just eaten."

"You can fit in more. Just come with me."

"Where?" Zetsu asked suspiciously, eyes studying the slip as well as his fogged brain could.

"You think I'd take you anywhere but the best?" Obito asked mockingly, handing the slip over, watching as Zetsu's eyes lit up with childish excitement.

"Hokage Mansion?"

"Still mad at me?"

"Yes." Zetsu huffed, grabbing Obito's hand to pull him along the street determinedly. "But get some ridiculously-expensive food and some alcohol in me and then we'll talk."

"That's what I like to hear."

"Less talking, more walking, Tobi!"

Naruto and Zetsu- with all their 'feelings'- almost burst into tears upon seeing each other. Or, at the very least, that was what it looked like to Obito. They hugged and talked about how much they missed each other and proceeded to make jokes about Obito and the whole thing was sickening. A complete mess of emotions, and love and a bunch of other stuff that made Obito feel uncomfortable. But, as irritating as it was, there was something close to sweet about it.

"Just because you're as emotionally deep as a puddle of dying cow's diarrhoea doesn't mean we have to be." Zetsu snapped accusingly, still managing to conjure up such an appalling mental image after all he had had to drink. Naruto burst out laughing. All at Obito's expense. Why had he convinced himself he missed Zetsu?

"If you're going to be like this all night then I'm sending you home." He warned with a defeated sigh, knowing that would never happen.

"Nope!" Zetsu giggled, already making himself comfortable. "We're going to get wasted together and play a good old game of Truth or Dare. And, considering how much I've had to drink, you two might wanna hurry up and start on the alcohol!"

"I'm so in!" Naruto declared, rushing into the kitchen to round up everything and anything that had even a trace of alcohol in it. In his hurry, he didn't even pick up anything to mix it with. Pure alcohol was the goal.

"I don't get a say in this, do I?" Obito dared to ask, yanking his tie off as he resigned himself to the inevitable.

"Not a chance, Tobi." There it was. "Tell you what though, you can give out the first dare of the evening if it makes you feel better."

…

The rest of the night was a blur. It was a good thing it was Saturday the next day, otherwise they'd be screwed. Naruto didn't have work, Obito didn't have court. They'd need the lie in to recover from the truly evil hangover that was bound to torment them. Other than that knowledge, the night had gone surprisingly well.

As per Zetsu's instruction, they all did get drunk. And the game of Truth or Dare quickly dissolved into the most abhorrent of dares imaginable. They all ended up pretty much naked in Obito's living room, spinning a bottle and firing challenges at each other. True to form, Zetsu's first dare was sexual.

Obito had to call Sasuke (the usual victim) and leave him the dirtiest message he could manage. He had to pull out all the stops and do what he could to make it sound like a genuine, one-sided phone sex conversation. Naturally, he completed it with flying colors. And Naruto had to cover his lap with a pillow to hide how much it affected him. The blonde also made the mental note to try out phone sex next time he and Obito were in their separate homes. The things the scarred man could do with his voice alone were amazing.

Zetsu, at some point, ended up walking down to the lobby naked to ask if some made-up lost possession had been turned in. When challenged about his nudity, he merely claimed to be a nudist before shaking his ass for all to see and casually strolling back up to the apartment.

Naruto had to piss over the balcony further into the evening- all Zetsu's doing- and he'd get bonus points if he managed to hit someone from such great height. Well, being the determined and very drunk young man he was, he earned those bonus points pretty damn quickly.

Things went downhill from there.

Something to do with a spatula, glue and Zetsu's face. Naruto ended up stuck upside-down in the bath; it took Obito and Zetsu combined to get him out. It got worse and worse and yet, with their incredible luck, the cops never did knock at their door. They were left uninterrupted (excluding when Sasuke called to demand an explanation for the damn message) until they eventually called it a night and crawled into Obito's bed together.

And when Obito woke up in the morning with a drilling headache and an idiot plastered to either side of him of his body, he found himself incapable of summoning the strength of energy to head off for his workout. With a sigh- one which sent throbs through his skull- he laid back down and went back to sleep.

Fuck the world. It could wait.

Next Week-

"We're gonna get caught!"

"Just shut up and let me handle it."

"Why are you taking your clothes off?!"

A/N: A reunion chapter between Naruto, Zetsu and Obito needed a drunken game of Truth or Dare. Some of you pointed this out to me quite a while ago and have been requesting it. After the amount of times it's been mentioned that they used to be a common thing before Obito's change, people have been asking for these three to get together for one. So, I did it.

Most of the dares are based on ones either myself or my friends have had to complete at some point. Being competitive has its downsides. Especially when alcohol is involved.

Anyway, I know Kakashi has become almost hated in regards to this story, so I could resist throwing him in there, trying to get his side of the story across. So, what does everyone think? Is Obito really over Rin or what?

Until next week!