Meat sizzling fills their stomachs with hunger. Her fingers tapped on the table impatiently, chopsticks ready to reach out the first cooked piece but so was Chouji. She had to get one before Chouji, otherwise he'll gobble everything down. Argh.
"The scar- I can try to heal it."
Ino was forced out of her meat trance. Sakura was offering to heal his scar. Obito's scar was unique and it presented him in a way, why was Sakura being nosy?
"Scars are the reminder of my past. I'd rather take it to my grave."
"Are you single?" Tenten raised her eyebrows suggestively. She was probably teasing.
She checked Obito from the corner of her eyes without turning her head. He smiled at Tenten.
"Pursuing someone. I'm not good at communication so it's a bit harder."
Ino gulped. Could it be the reason he decided to become a creepy stalker? Because he was bad at communicating?
"How did you two meet?" Sakura asked, eyes staring at the two curiously.
Ino decided to avoid the question, brought a glass of water to her lips and used extra care to waste time.
"It's a bit complicated, maybe some other time." He chuckled in embarrassment.
"What's complicated? Don't tell me something more than a simple friendship is going on." Kiba insisted on knowing, eyeing the two suspiciously.
"Shut up!" Ino snapped, her grip tightened on the chopsticks. He should watch his mouth.
"Don't be a fool. Ino won't hide anything from me." Sakura puffed up her chest.
Ino weakly smiled, averting her gaze down at the table.
"So Sakura," Obito called, putting his chopsticks down then rested his right palm beneath his cheek supporting it with his elbow on the table as he eyed the pink haired girl interestingly. Quietly he asked. "What else do you know about Ino?"
"Huh?" Sakura blurted out at the sudden change in his attitude.
It seemed to gather everyone's attention. What was he doing by calling her out like this? Ino nudged his knee under the table to get his attention. He merely side eyed then fully ignored her existence as he waited for the pink haired girl to answer to him.
"I know a lot about her. We're childhood friends. Didn't Ino tell you that?" She was perplexed. If Ino brought someone to eat with them, wasn't it a common knowledge to inform them about her friends beforehand.
"Ah of course he knows!" Ino butted in nervously. "Ob-"
"I asked what else you know about Ino." He cut Ino off, firmly repeating his question that didn't sound like one. Amusement vanished as he seriously stared at her.
"What is the meaning of this?" Naruto glared at the guest.
Tension raised but Obito had no intention to back down. Ino finally had enough, its either he wanted to expose Ino's rant or he just wanted to judge the pink haired girl. She placed her fingers on his shoulder, then leaned to his ears whispering.
Obito's jaw tensed, eyes slant down. He sighed and after Ino was done he gave a light nod before removing his palm from his chin. A formal smile took place.
"Apologies, I'm not very good at communicating."
"I-its… Okay…" Sakura said, staring between Ino and Obito.
"He's here too?"
Heads turned to the new voice.
"Kakashi sensei! Come join us!" Naruto yelled excitedly making space for his dear teacher, the rude guest no longer a subject he would think about.
Kakashi laughed, however his eyes went to Ino then Obito. She couldn't have brought a criminal to eat with her friends. Does she not realize how dangerous it was? Or maybe the said man threatened her. He sat down, giving an eye smile to Obito who by now was done with the brats and their teachers.
"So Obito, what brought you here?" Kakashi asked.
Ino weakly shook her head at Kakashi, she knew Obito was closer to his limits and she had no reason to find out what he would do when he passed those limits.
"Well Ino suggested we meet my friends so I thought it's only right to meet hers too. Don't you think Kakashi?" He answered lazily.
"Ino said that?" Kakashi was surprised she would go to this level.
"Ask her. She's here." His hand reached inside his pocket, nearly pulling a cigarette pack howbeit pulled his empty hand out. Eyebrows curling in frustration.
It wasn't hard to see Obito has dropped his formal tone. The kindness he was barely putting together was nowhere leaving a mockery of the situation in his behavior.
Ino avoided Kakashi's eyes. She had nothing to explain to anyone. Kakashi said he would stay out.
"Obito, how about I steal a few moments with you after this." He pointed at the food, a friendly request it seemed.
"Awesome, I was wondering the same thing." Obito's lips curled up from the corners, eyes brightening up.
Ino didn't understand what Obito had in mind. She was sure the two times they came across Kakashi, Obito remained frigid and refused to acknowledge the other so what did he want to talk about suddenly. And why he was more friendly to Kakashi compared to others.
Naruto and Lee started to converse, while Kakashi gave them his attention.
And with that Obito had completely withdrawn from all conversations, knees constantly bumping hers unintentionally.
--
"Why are you her friend?" Kakashi asked, kids left to complete their day and a promising talk came sooner. The two men were behind the restaurant, quietly enjoying the breeze uneventfully to avoid unnecessary attention.
Kakashi eyed the man who finally pulled something out. It was a cigarette pack. It didn't go unnoticed how the man was fidgety in the restaurant unable to give in to his bad habits but now seemed very calm as he inhaled the poison addictively.
Obito stepped forward, standing by Kakashi's side making sure he was visible and not a single detail of his could be missed by Kakashi- not like the masked man had been ignorant or anything.
"Does it bother you?" Asked Obito in a raspy voice. His eyes pinned on Kakashi unblinking as if waiting for some excited exchange of words.
His confidence irritated Kakashi, knowing he has been torturing the girl about his students age and appeared relaxed. He was mocking them for being unable to protect the stubborn girl. However, Kakashi won't let him have it easy and mock him upon his face.
"It does, for Ino is around Sakura age. Its disturbing to see someone my age flirting with a younger girl like this."
Obito scoffed. "Love has no limits, Kakashi. Ever fall in love?"
"Creeping up on younger girls is no way a sign of love."
"Creeping? Am I missing something or are you accusing me of something?" He grinned, teeth appearing between his lips in a provoking way. His cheeks glistened in amusement and happiness.
Kakashi curled his fist. "Stop playing around, you know what I am talking about."
A wicked laugh slipped through Obito's lips as he whiffed the smoke, then slowly breathing it out, before turning indifferent. "Kakashi, since you decided to come out like this I'll be honest with you. I'm not her stalker."
Kakashi raised his palm in front of him, however Obito shushed him. Lips curling down leaving all impressions of amusement. "Believe whatever you want, I've been watching you two since the beginning and I'll keep watching till one of you gets smarter and bothers to let me explain — not you though. It's her problem so if I've to explain it to someone it's her. Not you."
Kakashi was quiet. He didn't expect Obito to be this straight forward. It left him speechless but what was worse was that Obito actually knew what they were thinking. It was dangerous for Ino to pull something against someone who knows your every step. But if he knew Ino found out he was the stalker why he was calm and watching them instead of taking action. What was he waiting for? He must know that Kakashi won't stay quiet and help the girl, yet he was talking with this unwavering confidence that left Kakashi questioning a lot of things. Could it be Ino was mistaken?
"Whatever you're planning she has people behind her to protect-"
"Friends that don't understand her heart? Or a teacher who won't spear a look at her broken soul? Who exactly, Kakashi?"
Kakashi blinked, his words made sense in a twisted way. Ino was hiding all this from her friends… Because she doesn't trust them… No one noticed except Kakashi himself. If Obito knows all this… Everything was under his control long ago yet… Ino was safe. Something was wrong, it's hard to believe Obito was blameless for the stalker stamp.
Kakashi was pulled out of his thoughts as the man in front tapped his shoulder, cigarette done and stubbed on the wood floor.
"Time is limited, no matter how much I love watching the two of you making a fool out of yourself, she's in danger. If you actually care, do something instead of listening to what an insecure little girl has to say." His breath smelling of cigarette made Kakashi frown yet he held his ground.
"Then why didn't you tell her this from the start? If you know she thinks of you like that- why not comfort her with the truth." He didn't understand, if only Obito would give something away with his answer.
"She never asked. If she were a civilized human and asked, I would've been very honest with her. But she thought she's smarter, I did like to see how smart. Anyway it was nice talking to you but you see I've some unfinished business."
With a puff the man was gone. Kakashi sighed. Headache. Why can't people be straight forward, Ino was making things hard by being secretive. If she could just go ahead and tell Tsunade then everyone will protect her with that catching the stalker would be easier but she just had to make things complicated. First of all he needs to inform her what he heard from Obito and let her decide what she wanted to do even though it was annoying.Her worst mistake was her lack of trust around the people she grow up with.