Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything or anybody except Tomoko, her family, and Nagareboshi Cafe. Any concepts/ideas mentioned in this fanfiction that seem to be borrowed from another media/piece of continuity - note that I don't mean to plagiarize anything or anybody in any way! This fanfic was made for entertainment purposes, not for pissing off others! So yeah!
The theme for this chapter is a song dedicated to my most recent anime muse, being Theishter - Anime on Piano's cover of You Can Become A Hero from My Hero Academia. It's been awhile since I've had a show that I've actively wanted to binge without anyone prompting me to, and considering the many feels from the actual anime and who's at the center of this chapter, I found it fitting. This song in particular is a little late in the timeline of Vy's life for Tomoko to actually play, but that doesn't mean the sentiment isn't there.
On the other hand, a certain theme that does come up in-story is a piano cover of Spice from Shokugeki no Soma, the original song sung by Tokyo Karan Koran. Now, I know what you're thinking. A fanservice-y, food anime? Well, I got in because of the food, but stayed because of the characters. And with its third season out, I wanted to honor that. Tomoko didn't get to see the second and third seasons as Vy, but she did follow the manga and does remember the characters fondly. And with such an amazing first ending song for the series, why not?
I'll actually point you to Kyle Landry's version for the actual performance while the chapter theme uses Theishter's cover — mainly since Theishter's cover came out long after Vy's death, so she would've only heard Kyle's to play. That doesn't mean I'm going to leave Theishter's cover out, because the soft tones really deliver in what I think is Tomoko's mood in this whole thing. The original song is also great, so feel free to check it out! Some of the lyrics do show up in here! As a last shout-out, there is an full-sized, english version of the song done by Lemon and Kuraiinu on YouTube, so check them out as well!
Please enjoy!
Chapter 48: You Can Still Be A Hero
It was Obito who asked first.
"…Hey, Tomoko-chan?"
We were still in the middle of the large window/clothes shopping spree around the shopping district when I heard it, and considering Rin, Kakashi, and Guy were all at the head of the group talking about something, I was the only one who could hear it in the first place.
I turned my head, trying to make continuous eye contact and not glance over at Obito's missing arm and eye. "Yes?"
The Uchiha rubbed the back of his head with his right hand. "Th-Think we could…um." He made a circle in the dirt with his sandal while glancing away.
Hm? Hisako blinked, pausing her forging another Keyblade to bash a random memory. What's going on this time?
I stopped walking so that the others could go on ahead, blinking. "What is it, Obito?"
A sheepish smile was my answer as Obito continued to fidget. "Th-Think we could…uh, talk? Alone?"
Oh. An Oblivion Keyblade proceeded to materialize in Hisako's hands.
I immediately nodded my head while walking over to gently poke his cheek. "Sure," I said, ignoring the perplexed look on Obito's face.
The chatter up ahead of us had stopped as Rin was the first one to turn back and blink. "Obito? Tomoko-chan?"
"Sorry, Rin-chan, think you could go ahead with the guys and buy something you all like?" I pressed my hands together in a form of apology, trying not to sweat. "Obito and I need to talk for a bit!"
"Eh?" Rin didn't even have time to gape before I bowed in her direction while grabbing Obito's hand. "Wait, Tomoko-chan!" Then it was really skedaddling out of there, so to speak, since Obito's frantic hand-waving during the whole spectacle was a sign that we needed privacy.
And no, whatever you're thinking of, get it out of your head. Now.
Friends always needed help when things happened.
Uchiha Obito wasn't sure whether to be surprised or accepting of Tomoko-chan's casual attitude. If anything, what really surprised him was how she immediately pulled him away from their friends, towards a place that he could only assume was good for some peace and quiet, never looking back.
Maybe that explained the uncertain doubt bubbling in his chest, because the tension laying into the air wasn't helping anything.
"We're here," Tomoko-chan said quietly.
He tried not to jump at the sound of her voice, only to look up from his sandals to blink.
Three stumps in the center clearing. The blue, kunai-shaped Memorial Stone. The mountain view.
"Tomoko-chan," he said softly, almost a whisper with the wind blowing in his face. "You took us to the Third Training Ground?"
The girl glanced at him before letting go of his hand and nodding, head turned up towards the sky. "It's the only place I could think of, Obito. Since I don't think anyone uses it at this time, and…" Tomoko turned to him, scratching her cheek. "This was where Team Minato came together. I kinda wanted to honor that with everything that went on lately."
Obito blinked.
Oh…yeah, huh? He looked around, already breaking out in an uneasy smile. The afternoon sun seemed almost welcoming with the gesture. "Th-that's true, huh?" Obito chuckled, reaching over to rub the back of his head, hoping she didn't catch the cracking of his voice. "Thanks, Tomoko-chan."
The civilian girl simply inclined her head at him, worry already lining her face. Uh oh. "Obito…"
He tried not to fumble, but instead found himself rooted to the ground. "Wh-what?"
Tomoko sighed before reaching over to grab his hand again, gently tugging him over to a nearby tree. Obito tried not to stumble and instead found himself being pulled along, almost tripping on a tree root before standing under the cool shade. The wind did help alleviate some of the shameful heat flooding him, but the situation was still what it was. He gulped.
Is this the prelude to the storm or something?
"Obito…" Tomoko-chan sighed again, letting go of his hand to instead take a few steps to stand in front of him, inclining her head. "Is there something wrong? What can I do for you?"
"I…" Words were leaving him, and not in the good way. Obito was at least hoping the panic wasn't showing on his face. "I…"
Tomoko-chan stared at him sympathetically, stepping back. Did she notice? "Just take your time, Obito," she said softly. "We don't have to talk if you don't feel like it."
She noticed.
"N-No, Tomoko-chan!" The vehement yell surprised him just as much as her, because both of them ended up jumping. When did the adrenaline start running? "I-I need to talk to you about this! About…" he faltered, closing his only eye with shame. "About…"
A soft breath sounded, and Obito already knew it wasn't his. "Kannabi?" Tomoko filled in with the same soft voice.
Wait, wha—
Obito snapped his eye open only to see the girl smile almost wryly. "Kakashi told me his side of the story this morning. And I'm guessing you want to tell me yours?"
"Yeah…" the tension was still there, but not as heavy anymore. Obito breathed. "Yeah…but not just Kannabi."
"…?"
She doesn't know…
Obito fumbled again, trying to find some way to voice his thoughts. At least, find a way that wasn't what his subconscious had in mind.
Why is this so difficult…!
Tomoko looked at him, worry in her eyes. "Obito?"
"It's just…" Obito threw his hand up in the air, already hating the thoughts running through his head, but the words were already leaving him.
"Why aren't you looking at me in the eye anymore?"
It was as if Obito had taken a metaphorical hammer and thrown it at the girl, because Tomoko immediately lurched back, turning white. "Wh-what?" she said breathlessly. "O-Obito, wh—"
But the words were already spilling out for all their worth as fire started running through his veins like he was burning. "Ever since we came back from Kannabi Bridge, it's as if you've been avoiding me, Tomoko-chan!" Obito shook his head, already feeling frustration bubble up in his throat. "Not as many hugs, a lack of your usual music, and you've been backing away just like that!"
The girl's eyes were now as wide as saucers.
He wasn't even sure when he started yelling, but it was coming out and he didn't know how to stop. Everything was spilling out, and he couldn't put a sock in it because he didn't have one. "Why are you not looking at me like before? Why are you not treating me the same way anymore? Am I not your friend anymore? All because…" A lump found itself in his throat as the idea was already making his eyes start to burn. "Because of…of…" He waved his only hand in the air, trying not to cry. "Because of this?"
A sharp gasp. "Ohmigod, Obito, no!" was all he heard before a force barrelled into his chest just as his vision started to blur. The pain barely registered as Obito found himself gasping for breath, his back colliding with the tree behind him.
Wh…what?
"No, Obito…no, nonono, no. It's not that…it's not that at all…"
Something warm was covering his front. Obito looked down with his right eye, only to nearly take a step back at the sight of a black head of hair resting against his shoulder, accompanied by the feeling of something wet.
Oh kami, d-did I…
Tomoko pulled away before he could respond, shaking her head while swiping a hand over her eyes. Then, she looked up at him, tear stains already on her face as a shaky smile greeted him. "I-It's not you, Obito…it's not, okay? It's me. It's my fault."
"Wh-What?" Obito breathed, already starting to feel the air knocked out of him.
This was different. Something was wrong.
Tomoko shook her head, shoulders shaking as her blue eyes turned glassy. "I-I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable like that…I didn't intend to make you feel bad." She shuddered, hands immediately going up to clutch her Wayfinder necklace. "It's just…it's just me…not knowing what to do when seeing you like this."
He blinked. "Huh?"
Tomoko hung her head, no longer meeting his eyes as she shivered again. "Wh-when you came back from Kannabi, I-I just didn't know what to do…what to say, all because one of my best friends had just lost his goddamn left arm and eye!"
Obito tried not to lurch back, but still found himself blinking because Tomoko-chan just cursed. The civilian just cursed.
And even then, Tomoko continued, her voice shaking. "I-I was happy to see you alive, don't get me wrong, but…but…" A whimper left her. "I-I couldn't just say, "Everything will be okay," because that's just goddamn bullshit right now…! O-Or just go on and pretend that nothing happened! Y-You were hurt, and I was just fumbling inside on how to help you! I couldn't look you in the eye because I was afraid I would do something wrong! That I would hurt you! I-I just…I just…"
Tomoko let go of her necklace to instead jump and bury her face into his right shoulder, arms wrapping around his torso like a vice. "I'm sorry, Obito. I'm sorry for making you feel like that."
Everything hit him like a large bucket of ice water.
As if to mock him, Kakashi's words from so long ago came back to his head.
'Obito died by rockfall, Rin got stabbed, Minato-sensei…got impaled, a-and I apparently got killed by an enemy.'
The realization was quick.
Tomoko-chan saw me die.
That was all it took for Obito to return the hug fiercely with the one arm he had left, shaking his head. "Tomoko-chan, Tomoko-chan, T-Tomoko-chan, don't cry…!" The apologies couldn't leave his throat because it was already closing up. "D-Don't cry…!"
The sudden wetness dotting his jacket wasn't helping. "I-I can't just…just do that, y'know!" The civilian whimpered again. "It's kinda too late for that…!"
He was already sinking to his knees, bringing his friend down with him as he buried his face into the shoulder of her blouse. "O-Oh man…" Tears were coming to him too. "Kami…"
"Uwaaaaah…"
Obito shuddered before clutching Tomoko even tighter, shaking his head. "Tomoko-chan…I'm sorry," he choked finally, voice scratching his throat. "I'm sorry."
"D-Don't apologize, Obito!" Tomoko's voice was almost loud in his ears despite the sobs cutting through the sound. "I-It's not your…It's not your—!" She hiccupped.
The dam burst.
They both proceeded to hug one another and cry.
Obito didn't know how long they knelt on the grass like that, underneath the tree shade, but they both seemed to be setting each other off over and over before anything could really be accomplished or even said.
It was only when the air started turning a little cold that he finally had the strength to pull away, emotional strength almost completely sapped in exchange for a small smile. "W-Well, that could've gone better."
Tomoko-chan smiled back, red rimming her eyes as she used her hands to wipe at her face again. "Y-Yeah…fair enough…I-I'm sorry for crying on you."
Obito shook his head, chuckling wryly. "I'm sorry for putting you in a bad spot. It's been rough for all of us."
"I can see that," Tomoko said, almost forlorn as she finally looked up at him, her eyes darting between making eye contact and staring at—
Oh. Obito raised what was left of his left arm, smiling sheepishly. "It…it doesn't hurt as much, if that's what you're thinking."
Tomoko went silent, instead raising a hand towards the limb. Not enough to fully touch it, but be in reaching distance. She paused before making eye contact, blue eyes misty. "C-Could I—"
"If you want," Obito said duly, already resigned to the incoming questions. "J-Just not too much, please."
Tomoko nodded before carefully touching his upper arm, and Obito almost flinched from how soft the touch was. It wasn't searching, like Ayukawa-sensei's prognosis yesterday, or tight, like Rin's grip from this morning. This touch was gentle, almost ticklish, with how the civilian prodded his left shoulder with her hand, before sliding down and stopping at where his sleeve tied things off to cover the bandages.
It was caring.
A moment of silent passed again.
"…I'm sorry, Obito," Tomoko said finally, letting her hand fall. "I-I can't trust myself to say something — heck, really anything — else but that because I'm just terrified of making things worse, but…" she shook her head before lurching forward and burying her face into his jacket once more, arms going around his middle. "I'm sorry, Obito. I'm sorry."
Obito sucked in a breath to instead reach over with his remaining hand, resting his palm on the girl's head. It wasn't exactly the first thing he wanted to hear, but he would take it. "…Th-there's nothing to be sorry about when it's not your fault, Tomoko-chan. What happened to me wasn't your fault." Unintentionally, a chuckle left him. "A guy caught me off guard, but at least I'm one-arming it all."
Another moment of silent.
"Obito," was the deadpan mumble.
"Yes?"
"Please tell me you didn't make a pun out of your situation." Tomoko raised her head from his jacket, only for Obito to blink at the large pout covering her face. "Because I swear I could've heard, "one-arming it all," when all you need is lots of huggles and music from me."
Obito didn't know whether to blink or laugh. And the pun wasn't even intended. "…Did you just say huggles?"
"I meant what I said," Tomoko said firmly before proceeding to make a burrow for herself out of his jacket. "…Ninja," was the suspicious mumble that followed.
Obito took the latter option and threw his head back to laugh loudly, the sound for once not forced. He reached up to touch her shoulder. "You still stay with us anyways," he mused.
"…Yes," Tomoko agreed. "Yes, I do. Stay with you, I mean. And I don't plan on leaving you or Kakashi or Rin. No matter what. Never ever. You're stuck with me until the end."
If it wasn't the time for his heart to swell in happiness, it certainly was now. Obito laughed again to hide the first signs of tears in his eye, the air lighter as he tried to gasp for air. "Thank you, Tomoko-chan," he said finally, patting the girl's head. "Thank you."
"Of course, Obito." Tomoko pulled away to beam up at him before standing up and tugging at his hand. "Do you want to head back now, or—wait," she paused, loosening her grip on his hand to blink. "Do you still want to talk?"
Now I can see how Bakashi started to like you, Tomoko-chan.
Obito smiled before leaning back against the nearby tree with a soft, hoarse chuckle. "Can we?"
Tomoko was already nodding eagerly before sitting down on the grass scooting over, not enough to lean against his left side, but enough for reaching distance. "Do you want me to start things off, or do you?"
"L-Let me then, Tomoko-chan," Obito said, before closing his eye and taking a breath. Half of the weight on his chest was gone, but the emotional exhaustion was still there, lingering in his head. He then took the new few minutes to regulate his breathing, trying to form some script or line of thought that would be coherent. Tomoko stayed quiet, but her presence was enough. Then with a final sigh, he opened his eye to stare at her. "Wh-where should I start?"
Tomoko blinked. "Maybe with the bridge?"
Obito held back a wince. Straight to it. Okay then.
Tomoko seemed to have noticed what happened before flushing an embarrassed pink, hands thrown in the air. "Y-You don't have to take my suggestion if you don't want to, Obito! This is your thing, so if I'm making you uncomfortable, please let me know!"
"T-Tomoko-chan, it's fine!" Great, now he was getting kinda embarrassed too. "Just—" he breathed in slowly. "Give me a minute."
Tomoko immediately closed her mouth.
Obito breathed again. "Well, I-I'll just go with the short version."
"Okay," Tomoko said quietly.
Obito leaned back against the tree a little more. "…The bridge did end up going a full-out 'Boom' like we all wanted. Basically, complete success. It…It was just…" he tried to push the images of the blood out of his head. "It was only on the way home that we had trouble."
"Obito," he tried not to jump at the sound of his name, and looked to the side only to make eye contact with sympathetic blue eyes. Tomoko inclined her head while lightly touching his left shoulder. "You don't have to go into all the details if you don't want to. Not to mention, confidentiality and classified information."
"I-I know that," he said firmly, shaking his head. "But I'm going to try anyways. I-I need to get this out."
Tomoko blinked, doubt swirling in her eyes, before letting her hand and the subject drop.
Obito breathed again. "A-Apparently, even when we destroyed the bridge, Iwagakure shinobi nearby noticed the explosion and…" he gulped, the memory of the glares running through his mind. "W-Welp, they weren't exactly happy. We ended up running, all of us, while Kakashi's ninken served as a distraction." Obito didn't miss the spark of recognition in Tomoko's eyes at the mention of Kakashi's summons. He went on. "I-It worked for a while until they started catching up. It was…wait a minute," Obito blinked before reaching into his jacket pocket, feeling for a moment before finding a grip on the star.
"Obito…?"
Tomoko's eyes widened as soon as he pulled out the blue-orange Wayfinder to hold up towards the sky. "Your lucky charms came in handy, Tomoko-chan," Obito said softly, a crooked smile coming up on his face. "Saved all of Team Minato, really, from being smears on the grass."
The same blue eyes darted between him and the charm, the civilian's mouth falling open.
"But…" Obito lowered his hand to clench the star tightly. "There were too many to hold off. K-Kakashi lost his eye first, covering me. That's…that's how I got my Sharingan." He didn't miss how Tomoko tensed up near him. "A-And then, when Rin was healing him and I was covering them both, a guy snuck up on me and…well," he paused, raising his left side. The missing appendage past the elbow was enough to take in. Obito shook the remains of his left arm with a grim smile. "That happened."
The last thing Obito was expecting was for big, pearly tears to bubble in Tomoko's eyes again. "Oh, Obito…" she covered her mouth with her hands.
Obito didn't even have the emotional strength to laugh at that point, dropping the grim look for a small smile. "I'm grateful I'm alive, Tomoko-chan, don't worry. It…" he paused again, pocketing the Wayfinder charm once more. "It was because of this arm though, that we had to retreat. And then—" his throat was closing up at the memory, but Obito tried again. "And then—"
Tomoko-chan was already putting a soft hand on his shoulder, carefully wiping at her eyes in the process with her other hand. "The whole, "Kakashi of the Sharingan," thing happened?" she filled in gently.
"Yeah…yeah…" Obito closed his eyes, putting as much willpower as he could muster into keeping the tear ducts dry. "I-I don't know if Kakashi told you, Tomoko-chan, but…but he was willing to sacrifice himself."
The warmth on his left shoulder immediately left him as another gasp rang in the air. "Wh-what?"
Obito threw back his head to laugh softly. "It's ridiculous, huh? There was no way in hell I could let that happen. Rin and I agreed on it, really. And after everything Judai-san told us…" He shook his head vigorously, not even caring how the straps of his goggles were scratching the sides of his neck. "There was no way. We all promised you that we'd come home. And…and we made it home." Despite the talk, Obito decided to omit the part where he yelled at Kakashi about Tomoko's feelings. It wasn't exactly the right time to say it, and the girl had already worried enough. He raised his right hand only to clench his fist. "But…but…"
As soon as his right hand started shaking, a small, petite hand reached over to grip his. Obito didn't miss how it was shuddering while holding onto him. "Now you don't know how to move on?" Tomoko said in the same soft tone, the sound almost airy. "You don't know how to move forward?"
Obito nodded, unfurling his fist to grip Tomoko's hand in return. "I-I don't exactly have two eyes or arms anymore, Tomoko-chan. A-And I kinda broke my promise to you and Kushina-san about everyone coming back uninjured…" He shook his head. "I-I just…I don't even know why I'm telling you this, Tomoko-chan, because you're a civilian and all, and I wouldn't be surprised if you're scared shitless about this, but…" Obito huffed another breath, the amount of air not even something he cared about anymore. "I-I just don't know what to do! What I can do! I-I'm not…" He tried not to choke again, but the effort was weighing on him. "I-I'm not…"
I don't know if I can be a ninja anymore. If I can be Hokage anymore.
Warm arms encircled his neck, and Obito blinked as soon as his forehead landed into a warm shoulder. "Obito…"
Huh?
"Obito, Obito, Obito," Tomoko-chan continued to hum his name softly, a hand gently untangling some knots in his hair. "Take a few deep breaths, okay? Follow my lead."
He paused.
Tomoko inhaled. "Breathe in…"
He did. A few seconds passed.
A soft exhale followed. "Breathe out."
Obito did.
Tomoko-chan continued to run her fingers through his spiked hair, and the close distance let him feel her soft smile. "Feeling a little better?"
He only had the strength to nod.
Tomoko-chan let out a soft sigh of relief before resorting to petting his head, an awkward sort of tension in her shoulders. "I…I don't know what exactly to say in this situation because I'm not a ninja, Obito. I wish I could, sometimes, but I'm not." For some reason, Obito was expecting that response. Probably because of knowing the civilian for so long, or just how honest she could be. What he wasn't expecting was for Tomoko-chan to pull away from the hug and look at him fiercely, a kind of fire in her blue eyes. "But it's okay to not feel okay right now. You went through a lot, and now you're here. You're alive, and with me and Kushina-nee and everyone else back in Konoha, and not buried underneath some kind of rock. That's something to remember, and it can be a lot to take in."
He blinked. "Y-Yeah…"
And…was that understanding in her eyes?
Tomoko smiled before pulling him into yet another hug, brushing a hand through his hair before he could entertain the idea more. "And because you're alive, it's not like everything is over. There's other ways to be a ninja, even without an eye or arm."
Obito inhaled sharply from the shock before trying to speak. "H-How do you know that, Tomoko-chan?"
Tomoko paused, her hand stopping with the motion, before huffing a soft breath through her nose. "Call it a combination of a feeling and reading lots of books in the library." And as soon as the pause ended, the girl was brushing his hair again, distracting Obito from his current thought process. "Hand signs, for example, don't always need two hands. You could easily do something with just one."
Obito blinked away the first signs of tears. "R-Really?"
"Minato-san does it too, doesn't he? Hence his Jounin title? All of his fast teleportations must have started somewhere." Tomoko pulled away a bit to smile at him, and the glint in her eyes was soft, almost knowing. "And there's Papa and Uncle Sakumo too, Obito. There's already some people you can go to for help on this."
He found himself slowly grinning back. He…he actually had a chance. Even if someone might say otherwise. But before Obito could stop himself, the depressing words were already leaving his mouth. "Yeah…yeah…though I have no clue on how the Clan will handle this…this whole mess."
Who would want to take in a one-armed Uchiha with just one Sharingan?
The last thing Obito was expecting was for a frown to show up on Tomoko's face. "Obito," and then his cheeks were being squished as the girl's eyebrows furrowed in clear discontent.
What?
"Don't worry about the Uchiha Clan right now." She rested her forehead against his, and he was too frozen to respond. "You're a hero, Obito. You, along with the rest of Team Minato, blew up Kannabi Bridge, a place that was so important to the enemies plaguing Konoha. You came back from such a tough mission, alive. That's the important thing." Tomoko exhaled softly, and the close distance allowed him to feel the warmth of her breath. "You're here, you completed your mission, and you're safe and sound. You're alive, breathing the same air as me, and you're here."
Tomoko-chan pulled away to stare at him with warm blue eyes.
"It doesn't matter what the Uchiha Clan says. The fact that you're alive right now is the most important thing that no one can take away from you. Not the Clan, not even me. It was all you." The girl squeezed his cheeks softly. "Don't forget that, okay? And if the Clan says anything, you don't have to worry about someone taking you in. You'll always have a home at Nagareboshi. Papa, Mama, Uncle Sakumo, heck, even Kakashi and I wouldn't mind another house-mate."
The tears were already bubbling in his eyes again as he nodded, full grin on his face.
Fugaku's face wasn't even in a blip in his head anymore.
"Yeah…yeah…"
Tomoko hummed appreciatively before wrapping her arms around his neck for another hug.
Despite a gut feeling in his chest saying otherwise, Kakashi found himself tapping his foot almost impatiently while in another clothing store. Rin was looking around again with Guy, but all he felt like doing was heading outside and not dealing with this "new clothes"-smell that was only succeeding in making him antsy.
It had been almost 2 hours, so where was Tomoko and Obito?
Nothing should've happened…right?
His question was soon answered when the nearby doors creaked open, the soft tinkle of bells following.
"K-Kakashi? Rin-chan? Guy-kun? Are you guys in here?"
Tomoko.
He was already standing tall to quickly walk over in the direction of the sound, passing through racks and racks of clothes before laying eyes on her.
The slight tinge of red rimming hers and Obito's eyes didn't give him the best of feelings.
Instead of jumping on the first thought he had, he sighed. "Let me guess. Don't ask?"
Tomoko and Obito glanced at each other before nodding immediately. Kakashi didn't miss how Tomoko let go of his teammate's arm in the process.
Kakashi sighed again. "Do we still need to get more clothes, Obito, Tomoko?"
For once, Obito was the one to speak up, blinking owlishly. "Uh, sure?" Kakashi noted the soft crack in the Uchiha's voice, but let it drop again for the sake of keeping up the pleasantries. "I mean, did you guys find anything while we were gone?"
"Hn," was his answer, and Kakashi turned around. "Rin! Guy! Did you guys find anything?"
"J-Just a minute, Kakashi!" The sound of fumbling followed before footsteps rang through the store, and Rin and Guy emerged from the aisles. Surprisingly, Guy wasn't carrying everything for once, only handling the large jackets and occasional shinobi gear while Rin was holding all the light articles. The medic puffed for a moment before glancing at the group and beaming. "We have some things. I think this is Obito's size?"
She fumbled with the clothes in her arms before holding out a navy hoodie. Obito inclined his head before taking a step forward, eyes wide at the orange accents on the cloth. With a closer look, the hoodie looked like a near replica of Obito's current jacket, only with asymmetrical sleeves, the left being significantly longer than the right. "Is this…?"
Rin smiled around the load in her arms. "We would just have to bandage up your left side, but the fabric is soft, Obito. It should be easy to pull on and off. And that way, you can still preserve your old jacket's spirit!"
Obito stared at the garment in his hand, eye darting between it, Rin, and everyone else in the room.
"Obito-kun?" Guy started quietly, his usual cheery voice toned down.
Obito blinked before looking up, something smoldering in his eyes. "This is great. Thanks, Rin, Guy."
Tomoko blinked before reaching into her skirt pocket and pulling out a wallet. "Do you want to go pay now, Obito, or try those on first and keep looking?"
The Uchiha glanced at Kakashi, and he shrugged. "Whatever works for you. We have time today."
"…You sure about that?" Obito interjected, mouth in a thin, doubtful line. "Wouldn't the Third send some kind of ANBU after us by now—"
"Nope." And then Tomoko was in-between them both, hands outstretched to keep them separated. If Kakashi didn't know any better, this was an echo of Team Minato's early training sessions. "Mama chewed Hokage-sama out, so nope. We're not thinking about Hokage-sama right now."
Kakashi frowned. "But Tomoko—"
The girl frowned. "Nope! There's been enough negativity in the past few days. So," she gestured to with her outstretched hands. "Nope! Hokage-sama is fine. We are fine. Nothing bad should be happening." Tomoko glanced at him with fire in her blue eyes. Kakashi found a shiver running up his spine from the likeness to Aunt Hikari alone.
"Nothing at all." Tomoko accentuated finally.
That's some strong denial.
Guy threw his head back and laughed. "How positively youthful of you, Tomoko-chan!"
Rin giggled as soon as Obito turned away to snort.
Kakashi blinked, sighed, then walked over to push Tomoko's arms down and grab her hand. "Alright, alright, I get it," he muttered dryly. "Let's just get this shopping done already."
Tomoko just beamed in return.
Kakashi quietly noted how she didn't let go of his hand, even when finding and buying things for everyone, until they got back to the cafe.
Tomoko-chan, are you sure about this?
Huh? I found myself pausing while tying the back of my kimono obi in front of the bathroom mirror. About what, Hisako?
Hmmm, how to put this? My other self proceeded to rub her right thumb and index finger together, random thought bubbles popping up and disappearing with the notion. I know concerts are your thing, dear—
Hence why I'm going with the Sailor Moon Kimono Dress for concerts right now, Hisako.
Not the point. Hisako sighed before grabbing a thought to reshape it into a tiny Shadow Heartless. Why she chose a Heartless of all things to make, I wasn't sure. The little thing proceeded to squirm anyways. Urgh. Looked and seemed slimy enough. Anyways, I know I don't question you a lot on this stuff, dear, but the war's not over yet. You still possibly have to deal with Madara sooner or later—
Oh dear. That was why the Heartless was there, wasn't it.
Hisako. I reached for the nearest hair ribbon, only to blink at the blue color and put it back. I kinda don't want to think about Madara right now.
My other self paused. Why? You know the next thing in the timeline now is Rin's possible kidnapping and forced creation as the Three-Tails Jinchuriki. Not to mention, the obviously strong denial game you were playing back in the clothes store at the thought of the Hokage. Is it because—
Hisako.
She immediately went quiet.
I finally found the white hair ribbon I was looking for, and proceeded to tie up my right hair strand in the usual bow. Could you hear me out?
…You know I always will, dear. I know how you think. So, don't worry.
Thank you, Hisako. I took a breath before glancing over myself. Thing is…I guess I'm being a bit selfish right now. Not thinking about those things, I mean. Madara, Rin-chan's eventual status as a Jinchuriki, all of it.
Hisako immediately squashed the squirming Shadow in her hands to blink. Is it because of Kannabi, Tomoko-chan?
Not just Kannabi, Hisako. I breathed in and out again. Just the fact that…that…
Tomoko-chan, your hands are shaking.
I blinked, then raised my hands enough so my kimono sleeves would slide down my arms. And sure enough, my hands were shaking, almost violently, might I add, and I gripped them tightly for the sake of making it stop. I took another breath.
Team Minato is home, Hisako. They're okay, they're alive, and they're…
'They're still suffering,' right?
I took another breath before letting my hands fall. I have to give something back, Hisako. Back to them, my friends who did more than Vy ever did and came back. To my friends, who still have hell to tread through as ninja. I don't want to ruin the moment with the idea of Hokage-sama looking into our shared memories again or Madara. I just want to enjoy this while it lasts.
My other self sighed softly before taking another thought bubble and forming Wayward Wind, Ventus's Keyblade. Despite the reverse grip, Hisako didn't seem to mind, swinging it for a moment before nodding and letting it fade away into wisps of memory. I understand, Tomoko-chan. The reply was soft, motherly even. And I'm proud of you.
I blinked while reaching over to put a hand on the bathroom doorknob. For what?
You're being more selfish. I was worried that you'd go on Vy's path again, and worry yourself sick to the point of forgetting about yourself. Being too selfless and all. Hisako smiled. This just proves that you're learning. And I'm proud of you for that.
My breath caught in my throat. Hisako, why does it seem like you're…
What?
Why does your voice make it sound like this is one of the last things you'll say to me?
Hisako smiled quietly. You're just imagining things, dear.
Hisako…
My other self shook her head, laughing softly. The grin she was giving off eased off some of the worry, at least. Sorry about that, I was getting philosophical for a moment. Guess your memories of Leo rubbed off on me.
Hisako, then—
I love you, Tomoko-chan. I always will. Now go out there and give your friends the greatest concert you can offer, okay?
And before I knew it, my other self softly closed the door to her side of the library, leaving me to myself, the bathroom door being the only barrier between the tiny room and the rest of the house.
Hisako…
My other self didn't answer. She was probably long gone, doing something else in the library.
With a sigh, I twisted the door only to face a familiar green dress. I looked up, and met Mama's eyes, warm and understanding.
"Ready to go, Tomoko-chan?" she said quietly.
I allowed myself another, deeper sigh.
Hisako probably needed to think on something. She did have to clean up a lot of my mental messes during Kannabi, after all.
"Yeah, Mama," I replied, already picking a song from the library in my head. "Is the food already out and ready?"
"With Sakumo-kun ready to serve the team and your Papa ready at the cello to start anytime," Mama finished, and it was only at that moment I noticed her twirl her violin bow. The soft rosewood almost glistened in the evening light, and I found myself smiling. "Let's go, hm?"
Mama offered her hand.
I took it.
"Let's give them a good concert, Mama."
"Let's do it."
We walked towards the door together, opening it and heading down into the cafe. Once the spotlights started shining on us, I tried not to focus on the stares of my friends while heading to the stage.
The grand piano waited in the center of the cafe, almost sparkling in glee as soon as I neared, and Mama let go of my hand as soon as we were standing on the stage itself.
I picked up a nearby microphone stand, carried it over to where the piano was, and lowered it so that it would be level with my sitting height. Then it was sitting down myself, taking the time to breathe for another few seconds.
It was about time to show them, my Team Minato, how they were the Spice I needed in my new life.
I pressed the first keys, and around the climax, started singing. Just for them.
"I don't need a single thing;
I don't need,
Expensive things,
Or flashy jewelry.
Let's gather around the dinner table,
Setting spaces for,
Yesterday's mistakes,
And uncertain tomorrows.
Y'know, I don't need a thing;
I don't need,
Exquisite flavors,
Or fancy presentation.
Even if the taste of tears,
Is salty –
In the end,
If you can still smile,
That's spice."
Author's Notes: I have to start this section off with a huge apology because I did not mean for this chapter to take so long. School was a lot to get through, and I still have finals in two weeks, but it doesn't change the fact that everyone had to wait a little over a month to get this, and I'm sorry.
Another reason why this took so long is because of the specific talk between Obito and Tomoko. Losing an eye and arm can be very real things that can happen in real life, and I wanted to be as respectful as possible to the people who had this happen to them. Also a lot of time went in my trying not to be ableist, since I've talked enough with Lang and Beta from Catch Your Breath to have a clue in how ableism can really get to someone. Now, I'm a cisfemale, allistic, neurotypical, demi-heteroromantic, and demisexual person, so I can't say I fully understand the things others go through. That doesn't mean I'm not going to try educating myself on these subjects for the sake of respecting those that struggle with these very real problems.
So, as a full announcement, from this chapter onwards, flashbacks will not be in the italics and underline formatting I've had before, instead in just italics, just to be simple and sweet. I'm actually editing everything else right now for the sake of keeping up this new formatting, since the old one was not that inclusive for those with visual impairments, and editing everything right now takes a lot of time out of a schedule I need to keep on track with college life as an undergrad.
And, well, that's really it from my end. Nonetheless, I have to give the usual, and heartfelt as always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed Civilian Pianist up until this point. You all know who you are.
As of today, November 29th, 2017, CP has 975 reviews, 1,402 favorites, and 1,675 followers! Thank you all so much. :)
This is T, signing out to handle the rest of this Fall Quarter and brainstorm Chapter 49!