(posted 11/22/2020)
In the end, the trio decided to go to the meeting. It was supposed to be quick and informal.
Tobi looked all around the Hokage tower as the team walked through its curved halls. Even without the Sharingan, he could see all the place's vulnerabilities. They were run thin by the recent attack and the ongoing war.
Sending most of the village's forces out may have been necessary to deal a final blow to Kiri, but the consequences were felt here. In the lack of personnel roaming the halls. In the exhausted guards at the front gate.
Some leaders might have postponed the second round after Kiri's surprise attack, but Hiruzen had seen it for what it was—a scare tactic. A way for Kiri to use the minimum force for maximum effect. If he'd become tentative and held back, the matter would likely still be unresolved.
His lone concession was keeping the Kyuubi close. Leaving their home presence lacking was a risk. But it had turned out to be the right risk. This time.
The team arrived at the Hokage's office. There were no guards present, but the door was firmly closed. A voice came from within. It was immediately recognizable.
Orochimaru.
"Wait," Tobi said very quietly, throwing out his hand to stop the other two.
"What's your problem?" Kakashi hissed.
"Just do it. I'm the adult here, so shut up."
"Yeah? How old are you?"
"Listen." Tobi tilted his head to the side. He spoke in a barely audible tone. "Orochimaru is bad news, no matter what timeline it is."
They listened. Orochimaru sounded annoyed. The flow of his complaints had not been interrupted by their whispering. In fact, he got louder as his agitation grew.
"It is tradition. Something familiar to bring people comfort. A return to things as they were. He may be the face of our victory, but he is also the face of the war."
"If that was my primary concern, I would have named Tsunade," Hiruzen said. He sounded surprisingly calm against Orochimaru's insubordination. "But if I did that now, she would refuse. My decision is final." He raised his voice to call out. "Come in, you three."
They walked in cautiously. Orochimaru ignored them. His posture was stiff, distracted. He clearly wanted to stay and argue some more. Tobi stood beside him, placing himself between the snake and the other two.
Hiruzen acknowledged the team with a nod. Then he looked at Orochimaru. "That is all. Why don't you enjoy the rest of your time off? Take care of your teammates. They need you now."
There was an uncomfortable beat of silence as Orochimaru stared the Hokage down.
But then he relaxed. He was about to turn away.
Tobi grabbed his wrist. He pushed up his sleeve.
Nothing. Orochimaru's skin was smooth and unblemished.
Orochimaru pulled his arm away in annoyed surprise. "What are you doing?"
Tobi gave a mischievous grin. "Just checking for hidden weapons. It kinda looked like you wanted to skewer the Sandaime."
"O-Obito!" Rin stuttered.
Orochimaru frowned at him. He gave one last glance at Hiruzen, then stormed out.
Tobi relaxed. This Orochimaru was not him.
Hiruzen sighed. "That was not necessary, Obito-kun. Though, it was impressive you managed to catch him off guard. He must be really disappointed."
"Is it alright to leave things like that, sir?" Kakashi asked.
"It's nothing for you three to worry about. Still, I'd advise you not to pester a man whose ego has already been bruised."
Kakashi stared across at Tobi ominously. Tobi shrugged. Orochimaru was a problem. But for now, it wasn't his problem.
Hiruzen folded his hands on the desk. "Let's put that aside. How is your team doing? Are you recovering well?"
Rin nodded. "Yes, sir. Kakashi can go without a sling, as long as he doesn't push himself. Obito still can't use his doujutsu, but his cuts are healing well. The field medics decided that any damage done could wait for now. It doesn't seem to have changed at all."
"Do you think he will be able to use his Sharingan again?"
"It's difficult to say, but yes. If his eye can be surgically repaired, he should go back to complete or near-complete capacity. But the recovery time might be long, and he shouldn't overuse it."
"I am sorry the Medical Corps is in such disarray right now. The attack was bad timing in more ways than one. Tsunade has even said she's retiring as a shinobi completely, and no one can seem to convince her otherwise. There's bound to be some level of disorganization. If we had more help, you all could have been back on track more quickly."
"That would have been nice," Rin said. "But I don't mind looking after my team. Besides, we've won. We don't have to patch people up and throw them back out anymore. There will be time for everyone to heal. Tsunade-sama, too."
"Yes. We've won." Hiruzen leaned back in his chair. "I meant to speak with your team about this earlier, before the attack threw everything off. As you know, I will be stepping down soon. It will be an adjustment period for everyone, but especially those directly affected by the shift, like you three. In the coming months, you will not be asked to do anything in particular besides rest and heal. Still, I thought I'd give you a chance to have any questions or concerns addressed. Is there anything you would like to know?"
"Do I have to keep training with Fugaku?" Tobi asked. Rin and Kakashi shot him looks.
Hiruzen laughed a little. "Considering your promotion is finalized and cannot be revoked by him now, that is up to you. Still, I think it would be smart to continue. My advice is simply talk to him when he returns. He will be willing to accommodate your needs while you are healing. He may be strict, but he is not a fool." Hiruzen looked around at the others. "In fact, you should all seek out supplemental training whenever possible, now that we are moving past the war. Everyone will be watching you, expecting great things from the Hokage's team. It is a real sort of pressure. One that, I admit, my own team has not been immune to."
Tobi imagined his young, ignorant self ask if that was why Orochimaru was being passed over as the next Hokage. But he was not that ignorant—and neither was his younger self, anymore. So he said nothing.
"I have a question," Kakashi said.
"Yes?"
"Now that the war is over, there will be a lot of internal missions coming up, right? Patrols and bringing supplies back, that sort of thing. Will we be allowed to take on any of these missions?"
Hiruzen tilted his hat back to look at Kakashi, slightly surprised. "As soon as you're medically cleared, you're free to take on any mission you want. But as Rin-chan said, it may be quite some time before the whole team can participate. It will… be better for Obito to remain here until he gets his strength back."
Tobi noticed more regret in the old man's tone than the situation called for. He immediately grew suspicious. There was something to this story beyond his supposed injury.
Time to play the eager rival.
Tobi put a fist to his chest. "There has to be something I can do! Sure, I can't use kamui right now, but I'm feeling a lot better. I can carry supplies or deliver messages. I'm not sitting around while Kakashi is out helping everyone!"
Hiruzen sighed and adjusted his hat once more. "I suppose now is as good a time to tell you as any. We believe there was more behind Kiri's attack than simply throwing our forces into disarray. That was the main goal, and they would have counted any additional damage as a win… but there is significant evidence you were also a target. You're lucky you weren't too outnumbered, and that Kakashi stopped them from carrying you off."
"They want revenge for the Sanbi, don't they?" Kakashi said. Tobi looked back and forth quickly from Kakashi to Hiruzen, feigning surprise.
"They want to eliminate a proven threat," Hiruzen said. "Since then, it's been brought to my attention that they've put a bounty out for Obito in the latest Bingo Book. In a way, the three of you have always had that risk over you. But this time, it isn't about your connection to Minato. This is an entry solely for him."
Tobi muttered a curse. He should have guessed. Obito never told him the specifics of what happened in Kiri that day, but of course they would target him if they connected the dots of his identity.
"This isn't a cause for undue concern," Hiruzen assured them. "Many of our finest shinobi can be found in the Bingo Book. In fact, you can consider it a sign of how far you've come. But this creates two problems for the immediate future. First, being newly entered always brings with it a little extra attention. Eventually the less savory elements out there will move on, but for now, going out is a higher risk for you. Second, you need to recover. When your kamui works again, this will not matter very much. Now that you know, you can avoid getting caught unawares like this moving forward."
"I… understand," Tobi said.
"You two need to exercise caution, as well," Hiruzen told Rin and Kakashi. "I don't recommend either of you taking a solo mission for now. But, if Kakashi is cleared, you may take on a mission together. I will speak with the interim lead at the hospital about finding an Uchiha medic to see Obito."
"Thank you, Sandaime-sama." Rin bowed.
Hiruzen inclined his head. "If that's all, you may go. But do not hesitate to come back if you have any other questions. Minato will return soon, and then I'll be nothing but an old man." He chuckled.
"Thank you." Kakashi bowed, then turned to walk out of the office briskly.
"Kakashi!" Rin called and trotted after him.
"Thanks. I'll be careful." Tobi said, then followed after them. He wasn't sorry for an excuse to get out of the Sandaime's line of sight.
They fast-walked down the circular hallways, Kakashi leading with long, furious strides.
"What's wrong, Kakashi?" Tobi taunted. "Jealous that I beat you to a Bingo entry?"
Kakashi whirled around, fury radiating from his every line. But Rin got to him first.
The sound of her slap connecting with Tobi's face reverberated in the empty hall.
Tobi was too stunned to react. He stood still with his mouth slightly open, cheek stinging.
"Did you know this would happen?" Rin demanded. "Did you both know?"
Kakashi stood beside her and glared, as if daring him to protest.
Tobi blinked out of his shock and looked away from them."…We didn't know. Things have changed so much—it wasn't like this before. But I should have guessed. I should have known."
There was not much else he could say while they were still standing in the Hokage tower. Even understaffed, one never knew when someone might be listening in.
Someone…
Realization struck Tobi sharply. He looked behind him at the hall, the rows of doors that curved along the tower.
He wanted to know what the Bingo Book said. Depending on how detailed its contents were, there was a chance information about him had come from the inside. An ever-watching presence that would take as much interest his meteoric rise as Kiri.
He'd been so lost in memory that he'd forgotten the less-than-rosy aspects of the past.
It was a complication… but it could also be an opportunity.
"What?" Kakashi asked.
Tobi turned back to them. "Let's have an unofficial team meeting before Minato-sensei gets back. We can lay out everything we know and figure out what we want to do moving forward. We'll have to start making more of our own plans after he's Hokage, anyway."
Obito remained tense as Yahiko examined the Bingo Book.
Two days of sleep had given him more than enough rest to jump away if he had to. But he wanted to know what that entry said.
Yahiko began reading aloud. "'Uchiha Obito. Tokubetsu jounin of Konoha. Current age, thirteen. Student of Namikaze Minato and Uchiha Fugaku.'" He paused at the names, then continued. "'Previously a mere footnote to the Yellow Flash's notoriety, he developed a doujutsu ability known only as 'kamui' in response to his capture by Kumo during the second phase of the Third War. Accolades records confirm he endured torture at the hands of Kumo's Interrogation Squad without revealing any information, at the age of twelve."
Yahiko's voice got quieter. Obito wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all, or run away, but he was too transfixed to do either.
"'He was retrieved by Namikaze, and earned the name Flash's Shadow after the two successfully raided Kiri's infamous prison. Witnesses claim Uchiha stole and released the Sanbi by himself. His ability to warp through solid objects and over distances mimics Namikaze's own space-time jutsu, but exact mechanisms and weaknesses are unknown. Approach with extreme caution.'" Yahiko lowered the book. "Kiri has a large bounty out for his live capture, under suspicion that he may possess the Sanbi. They have a separate bounty just for his eyes."
"Now do you understand?" Kie said. "For all we know, he could have been the reason they sent hunter-nin to Konoha. Ame will be next if we don't get rid of him. Everyone in the world is out to find the Sanbi."
"He does not possess the Sanbi," Nagato said.
There was an uncomfortable pause. But no one questioned him.
Yahiko turned to Obito. "Are you really the person this page is referring to?"
"His picture's in it right there," Kyuusuke murmured.
Obito took a steadying breath. He wiped his sweaty palms. "Yes. All that stuff is true. Technically. But—I didn't know they had a bounty on me! I didn't mean to put you all in danger. I'll leave right now if you want me to. I—it's no use, anyway. The hunter-nin aren't here anymore. I can't catch up to them now."
"They probably chased him here in the first place. And we almost got caught in it without realizing," Kie said.
"No." Yahiko looked at Obito's page again. "I can smell a liar a mile away. The kid's telling the truth. But what's up with this designation? 'To'? Is that a misprint?"
"What? Let me see that." Obito reached for the Bingo Book. To his slight surprise, Yahiko let him have it.
It was creepy to see his registration picture staring up at him in a place like this. Obito examined the page and quickly saw what Yahiko was talking about.
Squad Assignment(s): 7, to (unknown)
Obito underlined the section with his index finger, but that didn't help him understand it any better.
"It's not a misprint," he said carefully. "But I don't know how it's in this book, when I didn't even know about it until a few days ago."
"Most of the information in Bingo entries comes from inside sources," Kyuusuke said. "That's why it's not officially distributed in many countries. If it's on a form or document somewhere, it'll find its way in."
So maybe Minato had already started the process of making their new squad official.
Obito felt a pang of guilt.
"I don't know what to do," he murmured. "I'm out of leads and time, and now I know all of Kiri wants to gouge my eyes out. Probably should have guessed that sooner."
Yahiko looked toward Konan and Nagato. "What do you guys think? You've been quiet over there."
"We shouldn't get involved with this," Konan said. "I don't think Kiri will come back any time soon. We should let him go and leave it at that."
Nagato glanced at Konan, then Obito. "I wish we could help your friend. It isn't likely, but if the Hunters come here again, we will find them. If that happens, we may chase them off so quickly they misplace something that doesn't belong to them."
Konan smiled, and Yahiko grinned.
Kyuusuke shrugged. "Okay, fair enough."
Kie pressed his lips together, but didn't argue. He took his hand off the hilt of his sword and relaxed his stance.
Obito rubbed the back of his head. "Thanks again for saving me. I mean, for not leaving me for the Hunters to find. I've been an idiot. Is there anything I can do to pay you guys back?"
"The Yellow Flash," Yahiko said without hesitation. "Rumors that he's the next Hokage get stronger every day. Make sure he keeps us little guys in mind when he goes swinging all that power around, alright? After all, a man can't escape his own shadow."
Konan had laughter in her eyes when she turned to Obito. "If you know Jiraiya of the Sannin, tell him hello for us."
"Huh?"
Yahiko took the Bingo Book from Obito and put it in the pouch on his belt. Then he turned to face the pouring rain.
"You asked if we hated outsiders. It's a lot more complicated than that. Sure, our first priority is Ame, and we want this place to become better. But I think someday, we can make the world better, too. Jiraiya-sensei is the one who gave us that dream." He turned to smile back at him.
Obito gave a puzzled frown. "I saw him not long ago. His team was called back from the front for a while. But I'm not supposed to be here, so I don't know how to tell him I met you guys."
"Ah, that's alright," Yahiko said. "We're making a name for ourselves. It'll reach him someday."
"Here are your things." Konan put his pack up on the table. "Sorry we couldn't be of more help. You should leave now, if you're able to make it back."
"I think I can. Thanks." Obito picked up his worn pack and hitched it onto his shoulder.
He still felt a little confused. He wasn't sure how all the dots connected between this Akatsuki and the one he'd heard stories about all along. But that was a problem for another day.
Obito's heart sank at the prospect of going home empty-handed. But it was bad enough he'd stayed away this long. He didn't trust Tobi to deal with Minato or the Sandaime.
Aware that everyone was watching him, Obito didn't make any signs or movements. He just took a breath and dropped down into the floor.
To play it safe, he jumped to the rocky hill on the very edge of Rain where he'd first emerged.
He waited for a beat to see what effect the jump had on him.
Tiredness washed came on quickly in a wave, his whole body sapped of energy at once. He stumbled a little, and had to brace himself on a boulder.
But it wasn't as bad as the last time. He was gradually getting used to the strain, just as he had every time he'd stretched the limits of his ability before.
Obito sat down to rest behind a large rock jutting from a ledge, giving himself cover on two sides. His stomach growled loudly, so he dug some tack out of his bag to gnaw on.
He ate enough to stop feeling shaky. It was late afternoon. Obito stood and slung his pack over his shoulder.
He paused. Just then, he got the odd sense he was being watched. Obito looked around at the desolate hill, the distant abandoned village, the scrub grass.
Then a white form started to emerge from the side of the ledge, making him backpedal wildly, gravel slipping underneath his shoes.
Obito gripped the strap of his pack hard when the figure became more recognizable. The being was eerie and completely devoid of features, save for the lines of its body that were shaped like white clay twisted upon itself. The lines came together to give it an offset spiral instead of a face.
"It is you!" the thing said, though Obito couldn't see how it spoke. "What is it they're calling you now? The Flash's Shadow? What a weird place to find you. You must be the kind of shadow that walks on its own."
"Who are you?" Obito pulled a knife from his leg holster.
The thing put a hand on its chest as if flattered. "Most people would ask 'what', not 'who'. But you can call me Tobi."
"What? Is that some kind of joke?"
"Is it?" The thing tilted its head. "Not that I know of, but I'm not an expert in what humans think is funny. I'm here because I heard you were looking for something."
Obito narrowed his eyes. "Where did you hear that?"
The thing considered for a moment, tapping on its creased chin. "My boss has a lot of ears everywhere. Not literally," it added, waving its hands beside its head, fingers splayed out. "He's a normal human. Sort of. He's an Uchiha like you."
Obito's breath grew short. His grip on the knife nearly went slack, and he tightened it. "Is your boss Madara?"
"Eh?" The plant being stepped back. "You can read minds? Amazing! How did you do that? You're not even using the Sharingan!"
Somewhere beneath the alarm bells ringing in his mind, Obito was beginning to understand. His older self had used Akatsuki. But Naruto insisted that Madara had used him.
The two things were likely connected. Which meant whatever Madara wanted with Akatsuki, he didn't need Obito to do it. Just this weird Zetsu creature lurking around Rain.
Obito slashed his hand through the air. "Leave this place alone. These people are just trying to make something better for themselves after years of war and hunger."
"Isn't that what everyone wants?" The Zetsu spread its arms wide. "Madara wants that, too. What a coincidence, right? We've heard about you for a while, and you know about us, which is extra interesting. Meeting up like this must be fate! Why not talk to him?"
"No," Obito spat. "I don't have to explain anything to you, and I'm not following you anywhere."
He tried to think fast, but his thoughts were going around in circles. Go home. Face Madara now. Maybe he could go. But he only had one, maybe two jumps left before he'd have to rest again. And there was so much he didn't know.
"Aw, that's a problem," the Zetsu said. "I wouldn't mind bringing him to you, but he can't move very far. Anyway, you've got nothing to worry about, right? Rumor is you can escape anything."
Obito took a step backward, his foot dislodging several small pebbles.
The creature hummed and crossed its arms. "You know, in person, it's pretty obvious you don't have the Sanbi. Could it be sealed inside this book you're looking for?"
Obito's mouth went dry. He wanted to make some kind of retort. But he didn't want his words turned against him.
"Thing is, regular objects don't make very good containers for the bijuu. Unless your plan was to send it back with Kiri all along? It'd make a pretty good time bomb. But I guess you wouldn't be looking for it then, would you?"
"Tell him—" Obito faltered. "Tell him to leave this country alone. If you want to talk, I'll talk. But later. It's too risky to take any detours right now."
"You're a strange one. You know who we are, you want to talk, but you don't want to take my offer right now? You want me to tag along until you're ready to come back? I've always wanted to see what Konoha is like."
"You'd have to catch me first."
"Not true!" The Zetsu held up its index finger. "I travel pretty fast, myself. Plus, I know where Konoha is. You live with the Uchiha, all penned up together, right? It shouldn't be hard to find. We can hang out until you're ready to chat!"
Obito glanced back again. "I can't trust you. If I go, you might follow me anyway. Besides, people like Madara never just want to chat."
"No, no! I promise." The swirly-faced creature held a hand out to him. "Don't get the wrong idea about your own importance. We just want to know what you're about. Besides, Madara isn't what he used to be. I bet you could take him down by yourself if you wanted to."
Obito knew he needed to get back home and regroup, figure out what to do next. But Madara had some kind of plan for Akatsuki. For the world.
There wasn't a lot he could do about those plans now, not without backup. But maybe he could give the ancient Uchiha something else to chew on. Buy them some time.
"Well?" Swirly-face didn't have a mouth, but its tone suggested a sly smile.
He could distract them. Throw them off. He could deliver a message, and leave on his own terms.
"Fine," he said. "But I'm in a hurry to get back home. Don't think it will go the way you want."
"You got it!" the Zetsu saluted him.
A/N: I meant to get this chapter out sooner since I will be traveling soon, but it took a little longer to work on. I really wanted Obito to meet Madara while he was outside the village, but I was worried it would be tough to justify. This is what I came up with. :^D The intrigue compels me.
('But Blaize,' I hear you say, 'I was with you on identity swapping, but this is just too outlandish!' Yes, I'm sorry, but also consider: I really wanted to do it.)
So I will be traveling for Thanksgiving (my partner and I are going to the beach to avoid family gatherings, and we'll be making our own food and staying away from people generally). It'll probably be longer before the next update since I'm not sure if I'll feel like writing or not. I'll be going with the vacation flow.
I hope others of you who will be celebrating (or not) have a safe and happy time. See you later!