"I will murder you!" Mako was being held back by Hachiko and Temari, who both looked at him with disappointment.
He'd been back for a week. Three days that his mother wouldn't allow him to leave the house until he told her where all the blood had come from.
She sprayed him down with the hose since she wasn't completely convinced it wasn't his. She was put on even higher alert when the Kazekage showed up at their front door with Shikamaru and Ino who were there in the Hokage's place to give him a medal and a years supply of instant ramen in gratitude for saving one of his most valued Shinobi.
Luckily, Shikamaru and Gaara weren't saying who and Obito was able to act like he didn't know who the guy was. And Ino couldn't pry it out of Shikamaru, which seemed to not be very suspicious.
But what was he going to do with all that ramen?
A letter came the fifth day from Mina only saying
Obito!
He wanted to burn it but couldn't bring himself to.
He just wanted everything to get back to normal.
And Mako trying to punch him in the face seemed vaguely normal.
"You said nothing!? What is wrong with you!?"
Obito was worried that his teammates would let her go. "He-he was dying."
"Even. More. Reason!"
Hachiko sighed, letting Mako go. "She's right."
Temari let her fingers slip as Mako came charging. Obito put up a wall of sand, but Mako ran up and over it. She took to choking him.
"You. Idiot!"
"My mom's at least happy that my healing was adequate." This didn't stop Mako.
"Which is quite surprising." Hachiko said mildly. "You usually can barely heal a sprain."
Obito forced a light sand coffin around Mako, forcing her to release her grip. "Guy's-"
"Father-" Mako snorted.
"Kakashi had been stabbed, I counted, like twenty seven times. And that's if they didn't stab the same wound twice. Couldn't worry him about me."
Mako pointed at him. "You are not allowed to go on solo missions ever again."
Temari coughed. Making everyone turn and look at her. "Which-might be an issue..." Obito and Mako looked over at their sensei. "You two have been accepted to take the ANBU test."
Mako jumped, breaking the coffin. "But-but Obito's only-"
"He's actually been ready for a year." Temari said, not looking at a gaping Hachiko. "But he wanted to wait for you."
Mako looked at Obito, but he ignored her.
Hachiko was shocked. "A-ANBU?"
Mako spun to look at their teammate. "Hachi-"
"You were going to join ANBU with out me?"
"Hachi-chan!" Mako said, throwing her arms up at their teammate. "You-you said you-you liked healing and working with Sakura-san in the hospital-so-so we can do stuff while you're-" Obito put a hand on her shoulder, silencing her.
"ANBU will get you killed." Hachiko stalked to Mako, staring down at her. It was then that Obito realized how much taller he'd gotten than Mako. And Hachiko. "Killed Mako. Like Shin."
"Hachi-"
"Shin!"
Obito looked over to Temari, who was looking away.
Obito watched as Hachiko raised a hand before dropping it and stomping away.
Mako was running after her.
Temari and Obito stood in silence for a moment before Temari walked over to him, handing him two identical scrolls. "Shin was our fourth member before you." Temari looked away. "He- got hit with a Kunai that pierced his lung. We couldn't get him home fast enough. Hachiko-she was so excited when your mother promised to train you all in healing. She-she didn't want to see it happen again."
Temari-sensei patted him on the shoulder. "She'll come around. She'll be happy for you. Just give her some time." She let her hand slip. She turned to walk away and she turned. "I think what you did was right, kid." She nodded. "If it didn't feel like a good time to tell Hatake. Then it wasn't. You've got plenty of time."
Obito nodded. "Thanks."
III
Hachiko held up a hand. They were sitting at his restaurant. He had been half writing a letter to Mina (promptly ignoring the whole Kakashi ordeal), half eating. "You guys go and join something stupid and dangerous." Her voice was clipped and shaky. "And when you come back half way dead, I'll be here to bring you back." She nodded to herself. "I'll join the hospital staff. Your mother can't save you both."
Guilt stabbed Obito. He'd have to tell his mother. He opened his mouth to say something, but Hachiko spun on her heel and was storming off.
Obito looked over to Mako, who was staring at the ground. "That...could have gone better..." Mako nodded dully.
"But it could have been worse.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed scroll. "For you." She took it with a mumbled thanks. She then reached into her own flak jacket and pulled out a letter.
"Came this morning. Didn't read it."
He mumbled his thanks before she walked off silently.
III
Ino was suspiciously absent from the house when he entered. She usually hung around for a month or two.
His mother was sitting at the kitchen table, strumming her fingers loudly.
"Temari said you had something to show me."
Obito froze, squishing up his face as he turned to face his mother. "Nothing gets by-"
"What?" She jumped up and cornered him in the hall. "Why did she come all the way-"
"We live on her way-"
"-here to tell me-"
He pulled out the still unopened scroll. She stared at it, mystified. He shrugged, "Open it. See what it says."
There was a pause before she carefully unwound the scroll.
She was silent for a few moments before Obito prompted her. "Well?"
Her eyes were glossy and a bright. Her lips were pursed and her hands were shaking slightly. "Oh baby..." She smiled brightly and pulled him into a hug. She squeezed him tightly.
He again noticed that she was getting shorter than him.
She pulled away, twirling in the kitchen in a similar fashion that she did when Ino was here.
"Dear Obito Haruno!" his mother said with mock seriousness. She slipped out of her chair as he reached for the letter. "We are pleased to inform you of your selection into the highest order of Shinobi that Suna has to offer." with every enunciated word, she waggled her eyebrows.
"It's an acceptance into being able to try out-"
She rolled her eyes. "Oh please, they tell everyone that but if they are going to consider you, you're already in." She moved away from him as she continued to read. He was on her heels as she slipped from the kitchen. She ducked and dodged his attempts to grab the letter. "Please report to substation 9-Oh!" her eyes were gleaming with excitement, "what's 'substation 9'"
"Mother!" He cornered her and went to reach for the letter but she grabbed his hand, pressed down on a pressure point between his pointer and middle finger, and pushed him down, making him cringe and fall to the floor. "Sounds mysterious!" She waggled her fingers the best she could holding the parchment. "Please report to Substation 9 in two days for initiation."
He bit his lip. If he moved,she only press down harder, or move to another pressure point and/or use her strength. He always forgot that she had been a ninja. She was a ninja. And a feared one at that.
She looked away from the letter and blinked. "You'll never survive if you let a old woman like me get the best of you." she sounded so cheery.
She slowly released him. He fell on his butt. "I could have killed you, if you weren't my mother."
She rolled her eyes. "Doubt it."
He shrugged, flexing his wrist. "Crazy wom-"
"Obito." His mother said softly. He glanced up at her skeptically. Her hands were at her sides, her hands tightly wrapped around his letter. "Obito, I'm very proud of you." She smiled down at him. "You're so young, yet you've accomplished so much."
He smiled softly up at her. "Thanks." He picked himself up of the floor and stood square with his mother. His heart almost stopped as he looked down at her.
When had she gotten so small?
She smiled brightly at him, cupping his face. "Congratulations."
He shrugged. "I figured you'd want to kill me. Getting into ANBU, and all."
She shook her head. Her eyes were bright again. He felt a lump in his throat. When did she get so small? "No. I'm so proud. You're a big boy and can make his own decisions." She pulled him down and kissed his forehead. She pulled back and laughed, "When did you get so tall?" she pulled him back a bit, looking him over. "Almost fourteen and already taller than mom." She shook her head. She ruffled his hair. "But not by much."
He shrugged as he swallowed the lump. She wasn't much shorter. A few inches maybe, but he still looked down.
She patted his cheek. "Go wash up and go to bed. A new adventure is about to start." He nodded and quickly moved towards the bathroom, closing the door before looking back.
III
Sakura listened to the water run for a few moments. She sighed, running a finger through her long hair before moving back to the kitchen. The smile threatening her lips wouldn't go away. She knew she should be worried, but she couldn't help but be so proud. She knew Kakashi would be proud too.
She dumped out her cold tea and thought about making another pot. She brushed it off, setting the letter on the counter before wandering to her room. She focused on the water. Her son had a strict routine in the shower, seven minutes and fifteen seconds since he was eight.
Kakashi was nine minutes and four seconds.
She knelt next to her bed, pulling out a box. It had been a while since she thought of Kakashi. She didn't dream about him the night before (from what she could remember) so it'd been almost a full eighteen hours. She pulled out a pen and a piece of paper and scribbled a note. He's made it into ANBU. A little later than he planned, but I think he waited for his team. You'd be so proud. He's so wonderful.
She paused, swallowing thickly.
Perhaps, since I'm such a coward, he'll find you. He'll tell you everything.
I'm so, so sorry.
The shower cut off. She slid the letter in the box-a box filled with so many identical, unmailed letters-and slid the box back under the bed. She was up and moving towards her dresser as Obito exited the bathroom.
"Obito." she called. He paused, looking over to her questionably. She smiled warmly. Kakashi would be so proud. "I want to give you something." She opened the drawer and moved some of her clothes. She pulled out a white, porcelain mask. "Now, I don't expect you to use it or anything, but I feel you should have it." Obito was next to her now, his hair dripping slightly, a towel tight around his waist. He was lankier than a man in ANBU should be. He lacked the proper power (though not necessarily strength). But he had speed, quick reflexes and his father's knack for strategy. She handed over the white and red mask "It was the White Fang's." She grinned at his shock and slightly questionable gaze. "Your grandfather's."
He gasped. She handed it over and he took it gingerly, eyes shinning with wonder.
"I remember you father wanting to throw it away-but couldn't get the courage to do it." She stood back to survey her son. He held the relic so carefully in his hands, turning it over and memorizing each scratch and chip. "So I took it." She crossed her arms. "He wasn't-is not a very...sentimental person." Besides his books, and his few pictures...
Obito did something he never did-he bowed deeply at her. "Thank-thank you, mother."
She waved it off. "It's not a big deal-"
The next thing she knew she was pulled into a bear hug. "Thank you. I will do them both proud."
She patted his back. "I know you will." she pried her self back. "Now go put some pants on."
He blushed crimson, quickly back away. He slipped the mask on his head sideways before exiting the bedroom, scooping up his clothes he left in the hall as he went.
Warmth spread through her chest as she heard his door click shut. She shook her head fondly before eying the floor under the bed. She listened for her son before crouching by the bed again and pulling out a fresh piece of paper.
III
Obito, freshly pants, collapsed on the bed. He fingered the mask on his face before pulling it off to properly examine it.
"So this was my Grandfather's..." he murmured. It did look old-but not that old. It had seen quite a bit of life. Faded blood stains that you could never get out without repainting. Scratches, some deeper than others. But the original paint looked fresh. "I wonder if it's blood?" he studied the wolf's face for a few moments before slipping it back on his head sideways.
He bent over the bed and fumbled through his pants pockets. The letter from Mina was still sealed, though slightly crumpled. He knew, knew, what it was about. But he didn't want to know.
He sighed, calming the butterflies in his stomach before slipping the white mask over his face and tearing open the letter.
Obito,
Things have been crazy. I can't say too much, but 'apparently' the famous Copy Ninja was tattered back together from some strange kid from Sana who uses sand.
I haven't been around too much, I don't want to rouse suspicion, but from what mom has said, he's been asking dad all about this Suna kid. But that could be dad over exaggerating. He's worried about what would happen if Kakashi puts the pieces together. He doesn't know if he'll have a heart attack or just die from shock. He doesn't know if that's before or after he goes to Suna (remember this is Naruto Uzumaki we're talking about).
He's already out of the hospital, (though Lady Tsunade has put a bounty on his head to bring him back since he's still pretty injured) and he came to find me!
Asked me if he was the same boy that was always hanging around me. Before I could say anything he just walked away.
He's so strange.
Anyways,you HAVE to tell me how it was! I bet it was pretty anticlimactic, to be honest.. Well, the whole saving his life not, but after with him all...not dead and whatever.
Write soon, but come back to Konoha sooner! You haven't been here in ages! I bet you're pretty tall-I'm getting tall-I'm running out of paper.
~Mina
Regret was filling him as Obito sighed. So he's asking about me...Obito reached under the bed and pulled out his small old shoebox. He released the seal on it and tossed Mina's letter in there with all the rest. He stared at them and frowned. Well...I sure didn't get his anti-sentimentalism... he smiled at his small-well, large-box of letters.
He'd write her back tomorrow, though he hated to tell her he'd probably wouldn't be back in Konoha for a while.
III
Kakashi leaned back against the wall. He was perched outside the Hokage's office. He figured he'd give him another forty five minutes before slipping through the window.
He pulled open his book and stared at the pages. But every time he blinked, he saw that damn Suna kid and his bright green eyes.
"Hmmm..." he leaned his head back and closed his good eye, letting his mind focus on what his Sharingan eye saw. It wasn't much, but there was something about that kid that was familiar. "Hmm...Obito..." he usually hated people with his old teammates name-he always felt that they couldn't hold it properly. Not like the real Obito.
But that kid...
"Hmmm..."
"Dammit Kakashi-sensei! It's been two hours! Hurry up and give that report!" Naruto was screaming from the window.
"Hmmm..."
"Don't make me get my clones!" Naruto's threat, though not a hollow one, wasn't very threatening.
Perhaps our paths will cross again...Before the Hokage could do any damage to himself, Kakashi jumped down and walked causally to the window
...Obito...