Yay! next chapter here! Only one left to go, leastways, I'm pretty sure its only one...
Please Read Review, or Kakashi's book shall come to eat you. (Sai's abs are on vacation)
Note: I don't own Naruto or else, things would be very creepy.
Now begin!
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Gai approached Rin and took her hand.
"I am glad that you have returned, my sweet cherry blossom," he said kissing her hand. Obito shuddered, and Kakashi flung the remains of his sandwich at Gai.
"What do you want Maito-san?" demanded the annoyed masked nin. Gai shot a look of defiance at his greatest rival.
"I have come to alert you of a mission we have been assigned to," answered Gai.
"By we," said Rin, "You mean, us and you?"
"Yes my lovely blossom, you, me, and those other guys," said Gai. Rin had the same reaction as Obito, she shuddered.
"What's the mission?" asked Kakashi, standing up and brushing the sandwich crumbs off his shirt.
"We have reason to suspect that one of our patrol squads has been killed, as we have received no word from them in a week," said Gai getting serious.
"Right," said Obito. "How bout we meet at the bridge in a half hour, I need to get ready," he said.
"Sounds good to me," answered Kakashi, who behind his hand whispered to Gai. "But why don't we get there an hour from now, cause he's always late,"
"I heard that," said Obito. "C'mon Rin, we can go back to the apartment together," said Obito. Rin was now staring at him with a peculiar look on her face. Obito offered a hand to pull her up from the couch. Rin took his rough hand, surprised by how callused and strong it was.
"I guarantee you, a half hour," shouted Obito over his shoulder as they left the house. When they had gotten out into the street, Rin was nervously, wringing her hands.
"Obito… you're not going with us…are you?" she asked. Obito gave her the weirdest look yet.
"Why on earth wouldn't I come?" he asked. Rin shuffled awkwardly bowing her head.
"That's what they said," said Kakashi in the silver moon light on the bridge. Rin wavered uneasily, clinging to the railing.
"Never?" she whispered like a gasping fish.
"No, Obito will never be a ninja again," replied Kakashi quietly. Rin swayed uneasily and a strong arm from Kakashi steadied her. Tears were beginning to run down her face. Then with a sob she embraced him tightly, burying her face in his shirt. She had known he was hurt bad, but…this bad? Rin hung onto Kakashi tighter, knowing if she let go, the rising tide of darkness would swallow her whole. Kakashi made no sound, his body tense, but she could tell the way he felt about this. And in the darkness on the red bridge, the two swayed as the tide got higher.
Obito continued walking, unable to figure out, why Rin was asking him that. She seemed to be completely different now, wringing her hands fearfully. They reached the apartment in record time, Obito still striving to meet the half hour deadline, to prove them wrong that he could be on time. As Rin walked in the door to the apartment, it was hard to believe this was the same place she had been last night yelling at Obito to turn his music down. As they clomped up the stairs, Anko opened her door.
"Earlier than yesterday Obito," she said with a grin and then she saw Rin in Obito's wake, and her grin was replaced with a look of utter confusion.
"Anko, this is Rin," said Obito. "My teammate, remember?" he asked. Anko blinked as it dawned on her.
"Rin?" she asked. Rin nodded.
"It's good to see you, again," said Anko. "What a strange world this is…"
Obito headed up the stairs and Rin unlocked her door. Anko still stood in the hallway shaking her head. Who would've thought…
Obito was waiting outside for Rin when she finally came down. And when he saw her, he almost had a bloody nose. He looked away refusing to be overcome, he pulled off his jacket baring the Uchiha crest and thrust it at her.
"Here put this on, or you're gonna freeze to death," he told her resolutely. Rin refused. "Then put something else on," he demanded. What she was wearing was more like what Anko would wear, in a bad way. Rin folded her arms.
"Why?" she asked.
"Because you're…" Obito waved his hands trying to say it without saying it. He opened his eyes. Rin was clad in something that looked vaguely like what a chunin named Kurenai often wore, except, well less of it. The Uchiha turned his back to her, and wished futilely that he had a Kleenex. Rin shrugged and stalked back into the apartment. When she came back out, she was wearing a sleeveless back top and a skirt, with slits up both sides for maximum movement, over a pair of leggings. And a bandanna wrapped around one forearm. Obito nodded.
"Better," he answered. Rin was still watching him, noticing his shuriken holster, his pack…
"Then you're serious?" she asked again. Obito looked over at her, with a look that showed he sort of knew what she was talking about, but wasn't quite sure she was talking about it.
"About…?" he asked.
"Coming on the mission," she answered swallowing. He raised an eyebrow.
"Should I not be?" he asked turning the question on her. Rin didn't answer him. They reached the bridge and hour later than they had said they would. Kakashi rolled his eyes.
"I want my money back," he said. "You're guarantee is no good," he said. "In fact we showed up an hour after you left, and we've been waiting for a half hour."
Obito pointed an accusing finger at Rin.
"I blame it on her," he said. She just smiled charmingly.
"Yeah right, Uchiha-san. My lovely Rin-chan would never make us wait so long," cooed Gai with big pink hearts in his eyes. Obito rolled his eyes.
"Okay, now I shall call roll," said Gai and this time Rin, Kakashi, and Obito all rolled their eyes. "Firstly, the better of Hatake-san, and best ninja in this village, Gai Maito, the handsome devil," he read. "Here," he answered himself. "Secondly, the most beautiful kunoichi in all of Konoha, my lovely Rin-chan," he said.
"Present," replied Rin blushing.
"Thirdly, the so-called ninja genius, Kakashi Hatake, who can't hold his own next to me," read Gai.
"Here," groaned Kakashi.
"And last, but certainly not least," said Gai. Rin closed her eyes and hoped it wasn't Obito, although he was the only one it could be. "Our dearest of friends, the infallible Uchiha, may his health be great, Obito Uchiha," said Gai.
"Guilty as charged," answered Obito.
"Allllllright!" yelled Gai. "All present and accounted for! We're good to go!" They marched off the bridge and out of the gates and into the forest to start their mission.
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To be continued...
You're just dying to know what's up Rin aren't you? Muhahwhahhahah!
you'll have to wait and see.
-Hammy Uchiha
