Rin's mood may have improved overnight, but that is solely dependent on the source of her interaction. When she speaks to Deidara, her behaviour is unusually buoyant, gleeful and somewhat energised.
But they all disintegrate when she is forced to communicate with Tobi.
And despite throwing furtive glances at him every so often, Rin does not seem to notice that her attitude is worsening the tension between all three team members.
When Deidara takes flight as temporary respite, he scours the sky for a direct path to the infamous forest.
Roughly five kilometres northwest of their location, the vast expanse of an eerie looking forest stretches across hundreds of kilometres. It is marred by thick fog and heavily drenched in a skin-prickling darkness.
And as much as he would like to fly his way to Cascades, (the town where the three tails supposedly resides), the current windy conditions mean it is too risky to cross by air.
x
"It is called the Forest of Death for a reason."
Rin is forceful yet fearful. Her attempts to dissuade the two Akatsuki members fall into the noxious winds.
The forest, surrounded by overgrown weeds and vines, lacks a paved pathway that will inevitably compromise their safety. There is a soft bizarre like breeze that crosses their path and carries with it a strong stench of blood.
"I'm not too sure if I want to go in there," she says fearfully.
"Don't be stupid, woman. It's the closest way to get to the village, hm," Deidara says.
"Why can't we just fly?"
"The wind is too strong we'll get knocked off. Don't be ridiculous, you're with two-" he glances at Tobi, "one very powerful ninja so count yourself lucky."
"That was uncalled for, senpai," Tobi says archly.
"You're either coming or you're not. We're not waiting around all day for you to make up your mind, hm," Deidara says.
Reluctantly, she trudges after in exasperated silence.
The unusually cold temperature, the intensification of a portentous breeze and the darkening of their surrounding - something does not bode well with her mind.
The silence is ruthlessly deafening, as if she is locked away in an isolation cell and deprived of all social contact.
Why aren't those two saying anything?
As if the forest is mocking her thoughts, she hears an unnatural trickling sound to her left.
Frantically, she shuffles toward her teammates and knocks into a squealing Tobi.
"Oh for crying out loud you two," Deidara growls.
They are silent thereafter. The musky scent of the forest turns dangerously potent, until their breathing is erratic and the idea of oxygen deprivation sinks in.
Then she is first to sense it. A sudden cold, disturbing chakra slithering towards them.
It is over before anyone could make out what happened.
Rin is on the ground and bleeding profusely from her side, whilst Deidara is clutching his shoulder and narrowing his eyes dangerously in her direction.
"Why did you do that?" he yells angrily.
He lets out a broken groan in between each word, a remarkable act that merges with his furious shouts.
"You'd be dead otherwise. There was no time to think," she answers weakly.
Her hand hovers somewhere below her bloodied abdomen.
"Senpai, are you okay?" Tobi asks anxiously.
"Don't worry about me she copped the bigger blow," he replies curtly.
Tobi's gaze is transfixed on the gash across her abdomen. But when she shuffles to cover it, his watch abruptly breaks.
"What the fuck was that anyway?" Deidara says.
"I don't know but I could sense it from several meters away. It appeared as quickly as it left," Rin replies.
Her voice is faint and uncertain.
She still recalls the grotesque chakra, and the way it slithered through the atmosphere, unnoticeable, and carrying a sense of chilling dread in its wake.
"We need to get out of here before it goes dark. I've heard about this place, people get lost in here forever," she continues.
Deidara stands.
"Thanks for the advice,' he answers sardonically.
Then he turns from her, but not before he gives a brief smile that speaks gratitude.
"Tobi, do me a favour and help her. As much as I regret saying this, we need to listen to what she has to say and get out of here before it goes dark."
At these words, Tobi's vexation is palpable.
"Just hurry up and do it. I can't stand pretty boy finding excuses to tell me off for being slow," she says.
Her tone is pointed and unnaturally pitched.
Tobi does not speak when he moves in to help her, however, he shows explicit signs of apprehension that seems to fortify the heightened atmosphere between them.
In usual circumstances, severe injuries that involve punctured organs will inevitably force one's body to pass out.
Rin, whose mind has disconnected itself from her body, is avoiding this typical circumstance.
Unfortunately, this avoidance is inevitable when Tobi's proximity overlaps with hers. In other words, he is forcibly keeping her awake - she may never wake if she succumbs to the unconsciousness.
But the silence between them is an additional factor of discomfort and awkwardness.
Eventually, the need to keep things friendly overtakes and she decides to break the torturous silence.
"Tobi, thanks for helping me. I really appreciate it."
"Unless you want to walk by yourself I suggest you keep quiet," he answers coldly.
x
Twenty minutes into their resting time, Rin manages to stitch her wound. Yet despite its raw and angry appearance, she does not succumb to the throbbing pain, nor the headache that has inconveniently latched to her.
Instead, something else catches her attention.
Her watch scans the riverbank and locks onto Tobi. He is sitting a fair distance away on the same stretch of grass. And despite his wariness, his gaze attunes to his left outstretched arm.
When Rin tracks his watch, her eyes interlock onto a dripping red substance that evokes a deep level of agitation.
Patiently, she awaits the opportunity to ease the enraging unease.
As Tobi makes his return to Deidara, Rin calls to him.
"Tobi, I need to ask you something."
He stops abruptly and slowly faces her, as if he is deliberately taking all the time in the world.
Silence.
Then, he is standing tentatively before her.
"I cannot show you if you are towering over me like that," she beckons him to her level.
Hesitantly he complies, until he is close enough for her to take the upper hand.
Without giving him time to react, she grabs his left arm and slides the sleeve of his cloak to reveal a small but deep gash along his arm.
"It's not good to hide your wounds," she says softly, "I'm always watching."