"What?" Rin says incredulously, and she is backing tentatively from him.

Tobi does not answer, instead he moves to stand before her, so close that his height intimidates.

"You think I don't know why you're really here?" he whispers dangerously, and he bends down so that his head is levelled with hers.

Feeling suddenly claustrophobic, she shifts away from him, her hands now clammy and skittish from being so high-strung.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she says waveringly.

Although composed, she cannot dismiss the sudden swell of panic that is filling her chest.

What does he know?

"I'm talking about Orochimaru's precious spy," he says coldly as Rin instantly pales.

"W-What?"

Her voice falters fearfully, but she forces herself to look straight at him.

"I'll give you two options. You either explain or you die, it is that simple," he says satirically, and this time she can sense the raw anger that is infiltrating his chakra.

Does he really think she would stand there and obediently select from his narrow-minded options? She may appear open and guileless but when it comes to ethics, she will not hesitate to retaliate.

Subduing the meteoric heartbeat that is threatening to explode, she inhales sharply to quell the shaking.

"You'll have to coerce an answer out of me," she says firmly.

"Don't make me force you," he answers threateningly.

Rin is not in the mood to battle, but something tells her that she cannot leave without a fight. And although she is highly adept with elusion, her offensive battle tactics are basic. The weakness does not deter her from the possibility of fighting someone she cares so deeply about, but at this moment, Tobi's seething fury has pushed that emotion to the back of her mind.

She lifts her chin.

"I'm guessing you won't let me leave, so I'll just have to battle my way out," she says indifferently.

"You really think you can take me on?" he sneers, folding his arms across his chest.

She frowns at the patronising remark. She has never seen Tobi in battle before. His evasive skills may surpass her in superiority, but he must have some other weakness she does not know about. Perhaps in offensive techniques?

Unfortunately her prediction is rather off.

Cautiously she approaches, and although basic in her attacks, testing the waters is never a wrong move. As her hand reaches for him, he suddenly sidesteps, so quickly the word of confusion escapes her before she could process its meaning.

"What?"

In that moment, Tobi turns and grasps her arm, bringing her movement to a complete halt before hauling her towards him so that their bodies are inches away from collision.

"You'll need more powers than Orochimaru to defeat me," he says icily, and his fingers dig into her arm.

She winces at the pain and instantly he loosens his hold, though his grip remains firm.

"Hmph. So you just act stupid," she says gruffly.

He ignores her.

"I win," he says softly, and he yanks her down into a sitting position beside him, "Now tell me, why did you not accompany us to capture the three tails?" He continues.

Why?

Because my heart broke when you chose…

She cannot even bring herself to think of the reasoning. Pathetic excuse, but it is the cold hard truth and there is not a damn thing she can do about it.

Rin looks away, her face buried in her knees as she exerts all willpower not to shout at him. But her senses are mocking her and she is angry, angry for the recklessness, the selfishness and for drowning herself in her own despair.

She inhales deeply, disgusted at her body's inappropriate reaction to Tobi's close presence. And she shifts several inches from him, bringing her knees closer to her chest in a feeble attempt to conceal all sources of embarrassment.

"I had other things I had to do-" she begins indifferently.

And instantly she is squealing in terror. Tobi launches forward, grabbing both her wrists in a painful grip and leaning in so close, his mask is alarmingly close to her face. Through the eyehole, a blood red eye becomes apparent, momentarily debilitating her with trepidation.

"Don't you lie to me," he says caustically.

The situation is far too much for her weakened mind to handle. She shuts her eyes as an involuntary scream rises to the surface of her throat. She waits and waits but it never escapes. Somehow it took the pleasure of drowning itself in a pool of her own sheer terror. In all the years she has lived, never in her life has she felt so afraid, tormented and broken than she does now.

She opens her mouth to speak but all that comes out is a pathetic plea.

"Please no."

And she is whispering frantically, her eyes widening in apprehension before a flood of frightened tears obscures her vision. She is afraid, so afraid of that ominous shadow cloaking his demeanour. The foul nostalgia of the ruthless encounter she had with his genjutsu several nights ago resonates sickeningly before her. And she knows its presence, recognise its familiarity. The way it carries itself in a discordant manner, unforgiving to the fragile emotions exhibited before it. And she desperately wants to reach out for Tobi, to bring that gentleness forth, to guide him back to her, but she too is lost in her own emotions.

"You and…" she stumbles on her words.

And then as if it is the most natural thing, her head collapses forward and she begins to weep. Silently, softly and pitifully.

There is a long forlorn silence stretching between them before a shuffling noise followed by an audible sigh breaks the quietude.

The sound does not perturb her, nor does it affect the heated flow of tears now gushing from her eyes.

Please stop crying, Rin.

But she cannot so she lets it fall, digging her fingers viciously into the hard earth until the pain cuts through and her breath hitches in an attempt to stem the tears.

And she suddenly falls quiet, her mind and body instantaneously braces itself for whatever interrogation that may befall her. But these feelings become a distant thought when she averts her watch to a pair of soft dark eyes gazing at her with increasing sentimentality.