Prince Obito had always enjoyed leaving the castle and going into the village, even though he never left the carriage. He knew how people saw him, he'd heard the rumors and the whispers and the insults. But it was nice to get out and see how the common people lived and interacted with one another. And ever since that girl smiled and waved at him, he looked forward to it even more. Ever since that first wave, he searched for her. He could sense the kindness behind her smile and could tell that it was genuine. He also couldn't help but think that she was quite beautiful.
He often saw her with another girl and a boy that looked to be his own age. He was a bit jealous of the aggressively handsome white-haired boy at first, but he knew what pining looked like by now and he knew that the boy longed for the other girl.
It had been about six months since that first wave and he and the girl hadn't gone one visit without waving to each other since.
In fact, he often wondered if she hoped to see him as much as he always hoped to see her.
He and his father, King Madara, were on their usual trip into the village market and after about an hour he still hadn't seen the girl. He couldn't help but wonder if maybe she'd caught a glimpse of his scars and decided that she didn't want to continue pretending to be nice to him. He felt quite heartbroken about it for a few minutes, before changing his mind and deciding that she wasn't like that. Something had to be wrong. And he couldn't spend the next two weeks worrying about her or tricking his own mind again.
The King was often busy greeting villagers, listening to their problems and helping them in any way that he could. He was a good king. He'd always enjoyed being hands-on and cared deeply for his people.
Obito couldn't bother him about the girl while he was busy, though. His father had asked about the waving after the second or third time, and Obito couldn't keep himself from blushing and going on and on about her to him. His father suggested he get out and talk to her. But Obito was just too embarrassed to let her see him. She might be too disgusted or afraid of him and he wouldn't be able to pretend that maybe she liked him anymore.
Obito had one friend and that was his cousin Itachi. Itachi was a year younger than him, but he was very protective of Obito and always had been. Almost to a fault.
He would've come along with Obito to the village, but he spent his weekends retraining himself to fight and to use a katana. He didn't need them much, though, he'd already developed his skill. He could create illusions, provided his opponent looked him in the eyes, and torture them in ways they could never have otherwise imagined and the pain they experienced was physical.
Obito knew that everyone knew about his scars, but they hadn't ever seen them, they'd only heard rumors. The rumors were always wild, but much more tame than the actual truth had been.
The truth was, when Obito was just four years old, a strange man had kidnapped him. But for some reason, the man had so much contempt for Obito. He wouldn't stop calling him an abomination and saying that he was tainted and dirty.
Such hateful words from a grown man to a small child.
He made his way easily through the castle, killing guards silently as he made his way to Obito's room.
Once he had the boy, he took him to a boat and started off toward Guilder.
Obito could always recall how cold and foggy it had been. And he had a very vivid picture in his mind of the giant wall that seemed to appear out of nowhere once they were close enough for it to no longer be obscured by the fog.
He couldn't remember how they'd gotten to the top, though. All these years later, and he often found himself racking his memory for that missing piece, but it remained elusive to him.
And then, once they'd reached the top, the man picked Obito up. And without another word, hateful or otherwise, he threw him over the edge of the cliff.
Obito hadn't even had time to consider struggling. And the cliff didn't drop straight down right away. There was quite a bit of rocky hill before the sheer dropoff.
So Obito hit. And he hit hard.
He could still remember very clearly when he felt the most pain he'd ever felt, before half of his body went completely numb.
He could still taste the blood in his mouth. He could still remember trying hard to see from his right eye and realizing that it was no longer there. Crushed, along with the rest of that side of his body.
He remembered thinking about his mom and how he should've stayed awake to hear one more song from her.
He remembered thinking about his dad and how he should've let him join in on the nightly routine with them. Just once.
He remembered thinking about how sad they would be and wondered if they would have another baby and be happy again.
And all of that was before the dropoff.
Funny how quickly one's life flashes through their mind.
And then he realized that he was no longer rolling.
He was falling.
He'd made it about half way down before time nearly stilled.
He could see his father standing at the end of a boat and it seemed to be flying across the water.
And once it reached the shore his father and several other men were standing underneath Obito, waiting to catch him as he slowly fell to the ground now.
But that was his fathers skill.
Slowing time.
He could slow one person, or a group, or the entire world if he wanted to.
Once Obito was in his fathers arms, he remained slowed in order to stop from bleeding out.
To him it felt as though they'd reached the castle and Lady Tsunade in no time at all.
And he remained slowed all through the miracle she'd performed on him. That was her skill.
She fixed him up internally, but there was nothing that she could do for his outward appearance. He would have to live with the scars, which she assured him would build character.
Whatever that was supposed to mean.
Obito often recalled that night. He wasn't sure why it always popped into his head when he was feeling stressed or anxious. It almost calmed him down. As if he were telling himself that nothing could be as bad as that night and that he had survived that, so surely he could survive anything.
Including talking to that girl. He just wasn't looking forward to waiting another two weeks for another chance.
Fortunately, he saw the white haired boy and the girl with the long hair walking towards the market. The girl wasn't with them and they were walking closer to one another than they normally did. He noticed that the boy usually walked a distance behind them, but today he seemed to take the place of the girl without effort.
Surely his father wouldn't miss the carriage if he borrowed it and asked the coachman to take him somewhere else for a bit.
The coachman was more than happy to support Obito in his efforts and took them straight over to the pair of teens, almost blocking them from proceeding any further into the market.
They'd clearly been caught off guard, but it didn't take long for either of them to catch on that the prince had looked forward to seeing Rin as much as she looked forward to seeing him.
Obito drew back the small curtain inside the carriage, but only slightly so as not to show his scars. By now he was good at it, he knew exactly how much of his face to show.
He cleared his throat quietly and leaned forward into the window so that he could see them both clearly. "Excuse me," he said timidly. "Um… The girl that's usually with you. Is she alright?"
Kakashi smiled as he looked down at Shanan who seemed positively delighted that he was asking.
"She is. Just home faking an injury at the moment. Who's asking?" Shanan asked facetiously as Kakashi nudged her playfully with his elbow.
He hadn't been expecting her to ask him that and for some reason it made him feel a bit embarrassed. "It's… I'm… Prince Obito," he said as he recoiled back into the carriage a bit.
Shanan smiled softly at him again. She was only meaning to bring him out of his shell a bit, but there was probably a reason Rin liked him, so she decided not to tease him too much. "Pleased to meet you, Your Highness," she said with a deep curtsy.
Kakashi bowed along with her and then held his hand out to make sure she stayed steady as she straightened.
"What are you two called?" Obito asked them quietly.
"I'm Kakashi Hatake,'' he said with another slight bow, "and this is Shanan Takagi," he said as she curtsied to him again.
"And… the girl. What's she called?"
Shanan smiled up at him again, his shyness was adorable and she was sad Rin wasn't here to see it. "That would be my cousin, Rin Nohara, she's almost seventeen. How old are you?"
He sat slightly forward again and looked at the girl. She and Rin were clearly related. Their hair was similar in color and they were both probably the most beautiful girls he'd ever seen. "I'm seventeen... Do you think Rin will be back the next time I visit?" He leaned back again as he couldn't help but smile to himself as he said her name. He was glad to finally know.
"She will. She was just being kind enough to give Kakashi and I some time alone," she said as Kakashi blushed. He'd gotten used to her being shy around him the more she started liking him, but now that she was helping Rin, she didn't seem to care if she gave herself away. "I can wave at her for you, if you like."
"We can tell her you said, 'hello,'" Kakashi assured him.
"Maybe next time you can tell her yourself instead of waving. I think she'd really like to talk to you for once," Shanan informed him.
He sat quietly for a moment as he considered it. He thought that she enjoyed their little ritual, but would she actually like to speak to him?
He looked down at them and gave them a quick nod. "I'd really like that too," he said. He definitely worried that she would completely and utterly reject him, but he also knew that he couldn't just pretend that her feelings were mutual forever. And her companions didn't shy away or say anything rude under their breaths when they talked to him, so maybe she would actually enjoy it.
Another two weeks passed and Obito couldn't help but feel extremely nervous as they made their way to the market. The King had plans to do what he normally did, which was to mingle and help whoever he could.
By now he'd heard about Obito's little adventure with the two teens and knew of his plans to finally talk to the girl he liked.
But Obito was nervous. He assumed she was the kindest and the sweetest of her group, but he still couldn't shake the fear in the back of his mind that she would find him grotesque and monstrous.
As soon as they pulled into the market, he spotted the group waiting eagerly off to one area that seemed as though it didn't have very many other villagers in it. His dad was kind enough to hurry out of the carriage and let Obito be on his way.
Though, he waited a few extra minutes to give the signal. He didn't know what he would ever say to her.
To Rin.
He'd said that name a lot over the last two weeks. Before, she was just called her, but now she was called Rin. And he couldn't stop calling her Rin.
Finally, after a few minutes of sitting there and psyching himself up, he gave the order and the carriage was stopped in front of them in almost no time.
He had to go through another round of encouragement and the coachman even joined in on quietly helping his inner monologue until he sat forward. He slowly grabbed a corner of the curtain and took a deep breath before pulling it back.
And there she was.
Rin.
She was standing in the front and she was already beaming up at him. Was that for him?
"Prince Obito," she said as she curtsied. "I'm so glad to finally meet you and speak with you."
Obito couldn't help but look down at her longingly as he wished he had the courage to get out and speak with her fully face to face. Or even invite her into the carriage. He had so many thoughts running through his mind as he finally heard her voice for the first time. It was so soft and sweet and better than he'd ever imagined.
And she said his name…
"Hello, Rin," he said shyly. He couldn't stop smiling, but he felt too foolish to let her see that he was.
"Thank you for asking about me last time. I really was alright," she said as she looked over at Shanan and Kakashi as they held hands.
Ever since that day, they'd been much more open about their feelings for one another and were well on their way to making it official. But for now, Rin was glad to see them in the hand holding stage of their relationship and was happy to have helped them get there.
"I'm… glad you were just pretending. I'm happy to see you. And finally talk to you." He'd also noticed the handholding between the other two and immediately wished that he could try holding Rin's hand.
"Kakashi, will you walk with me to look at the new material at the fabric shop? I can already see a pattern I like and I must have a closer look," Shanan said as she pulled Kakashi off towards the markets.
Rin gulped a little as they left her alone. But Obito seemed a bit relieved as he pulled the curtain back a bit more.
"I like your cousin and her friend. They're kinda funny."
Rin giggled up at him. "Shanan can be a bit abrasive until you get to know her, but yeah, she is pretty funny. Kakashi's the first guy to see that, and he also has a really good sense of humor. I'm really happy for them."
"Then I am too," he said as he looked down at her.
"Prince Obito?"
"You don't have to address me like that. Just Obito, please."
"Oh," she said as she smiled. "Obito, then. Do you think that… that maybe I could come and sit with you for a while?" she asked tentatively.
Obito pulled away from the window slightly as soon as she said it.
"That's ok," she continued. "You don't have to–"
"Yes, you can come in here." He wasn't sure why he'd said it. He still worried that she'd run away in the instant she saw him. It was dark inside the carriage, but she'd still be able to see him just fine. But before he could change his mind, he was already at the door. It was almost as if his body were doing things his mind didn't want him to. As if his heart were the one that was suddenly in control.
Rin was a bit surprised he'd said yes to her so quickly. She hadn't really had time to ready herself, but she suddenly filled with anticipation as he moved from the curtain to open the door for her.
It was pretty dark inside and he was still standing out of her view as she moved closer to step inside.
Once she was in front of the door, he reached his left hand out to help her up. And when she touched him without hesitation, he couldn't help but wonder if she would've done the same had he held out his other hand.
He would soon know.
He guided her into the carriage and she didn't look at him right away. She seemed to be surprised at how spacious it was as Obito sat back in his seat and she sat across from him.
He couldn't take his eyes off of her as she traced the carvings around the window with her finger and smiled at the intricate wood workings.
"My father used to do this," she said as she smiled over at him. "He may have even built this carriage, you know?"
She didn't seem to react in any particular way once she finally looked at him. Her voice didn't change, her smile didn't fade and her eyes didn't widen. She looked at him the same as his parents did.
"Is that right? We've had this carriage for a long time. I've always really liked the carvings. Especially this one," he said as he leaned forward and traced his favorite section by his window.
Rin sat forward to examine the one he was showing her and smiled even bigger as tears filled her eyes. She brushed his hand as she pointed to a small symbol right next to where he had his finger. "See this part? That was my father's signature symbol." She put her hands on her cheeks as she gushed over it. "It's been so long since I've seen it."
"Does it mean anything?" he asked curiously.
She nodded gently and smiled again as she looked at him.
"Kindness."
This became their new routine.
Everytime Obito would come to visit with The King, Shanan and Kakashi would go into the market alone together and Rin would spend time with Obito in his carriage.
They talked about anything and everything. They made each other laugh.
He'd even finally told her about what had really happened to him as a small child and she wept for all of the pain he'd endured from it. Even just thinking about how scared he had to have been at such a young age, or any age, being taken like that, not knowing what would happen and then going through what did happen.
She'd cried so hard for him that he ended up having to comfort her with a hug in order to get her to calm down. Which of course, he didn't mind doing as it led to a lot of blushing from both parties.
It didn't take long for Obito to decide that he had to ask her to be his. He felt like if he didn't do it then he was going to burst. She made him feel warmer and lighter than anyone had ever made him feel. She was the most genuine person he'd ever met and the most beautiful. Even more so than Shanan, he thought.
He loved her. Very much. And he thought that she might love him too. In fact, he was so sure of it that he couldn't stop smiling.
Now that he'd decided, on their next trip, all the way to the village, he couldn't hide his complete and utter exhilaration. He'd even practically kicked his father from the carriage so that he could hurry up and see her. And when they pulled up to them, he could barely contain his excitement as he helped her in and bid Shanan and Kakashi farewell.
Rin could sense that he was in high spirits as soon as she saw him and couldn't wait to find out why.
"You seem really happy today, Obito," she said with a smile.
"I am really happy. And, Rin, I think…" his confidence was starting to falter a bit as he spoke, so he decided he better get it out quickly. "I hope that what I'm about to say will also make you happy. I think it will."
She looked at him curiously with the same smile on her face. She certainly had hopes for what he might say, but she didn't want to assume anything.
"Rin. Now that I'm eighteen, I'm allowed to choose a bride. And–"
"Me?" she asked as she beamed at him. "You want to choose me to be your bride?"
He smiled softly as he blushed while rubbing the back of his head nervously. "Well, yeah. I just really love you and… only if you want to."
Rin nodded enthusiastically at him with tears in her eyes. "I do want to!" She threw her arms around him and kissed him suddenly as she fell completely into him.
He'd been taken by surprise at both the hug and the kiss, but he wasted no time in wrapping his arms around her and returning her affections as he matched her eagerness and passion. He thought she'd say yes, but he hadn't expected her to be so visibly excited about it.
After a few minutes they pulled away from each other and Obito brushed the hair from her face and caressed her cheek softly with his thumb.
"We have to wait until you're eighteen too, but we can still be secretly promised until then. Is that alright?" he whispered hopefully.
Rin nodded again as she leaned her forehead against his. "I'll wait as long as you need me to, because… I love you too, Obito," she said as she pressed her lips softly against his once again.
She was sure she loved him before she'd ever even met him, so she was truly floating on air right now as they kissed and promised to love each other forever.
She was sure she loved him before she'd ever even met him, so she was truly floating on air right now as they kissed and promised to love each other forever.