"We're lost," Deidara says.
He halts in his tracks and Rin almost hits into him.
"But how do you know?" she asks.
"Tche!"
Deidara points to a familiar path that leads to the riverbank.
"I'm going to quickly check by air. If the wind has died down we'll just fly our way out," Deidara says, "You two stay here, don't go anywhere," he adds sharply.
Then he flies above the forest and disappears from sight.
It takes half a minute for Rin to register that she is completely alone with Tobi. Again.
When she turns to him, his body language exhibits quite blatantly that he is probably thinking the same thing.
Hurry back Deidara!
Patience wears thin when she is stranded in an awkward situation with snail pace time.
Should she say something?
It is not like I'm obliged to diffuse the awkwardness between-
But the rustle of leaves cut her thoughts. Perhaps Deidara has returned?
Yet instead of anticipating a blonde man in a black and red cloak, she senses a disgustingly bizarre chakra. It slithers in rapid like successions and forges dangerously close to the area where Tobi had been seconds ago.
"Tobi!" she cries.
His absence is now conspicuous.
In one swift move, Rin aims her kunai at the foreign chakra. It glides past in a blur of distortion and hits the tree trunk on the opposite side.
PSSSSSSHHH.
The chakra deflates and oozes a grotesque blackish liquid.
Her breath, laden with fear and agony, initially dissolves in one audible sigh. But her mind is suddenly wary of Tobi's continued absence.
"Tobi! Are you here?" she calls uncertainly.
No answer.
She scans the vicinity, then marks the meeting spot with her kunai.
About fifty meters from the rendezvous zone, something sparkly catches her eye.
The element is suggestive of fairy dust - from the way it floats innocuously to its gentle mesmerising motion. It phases her mind from reality and forces her to reach for its beauty.
"What is this?" she utters.
Then it moves and she is following its sway.
Further it floats amongst the trees, until the warmth suddenly dissipates and she tunes into reality.
By her standing point, she sees the pile of human bones, amass in the thousands. And it is the movement that catches her attention - a perfect reminiscent of the sacrificial pit she had encountered earlier.
Millions upon millions of crawling termites.
Then she feels it. The coldness. The rotting feeling of death. The slithering sound. It is that same disgusting chakra.
Without further comprehension, she makes a dash for it. The poorly stitched wound on her abdomen tears at the trauma of her sprint. But she does not submit to the pain. She cannot allow the chakra to touch her.
And she keeps running. Past the branches and vines that slash at her skin and into the thinner areas of the forest.
Ahead, she is relieved to see the mark of her kunai.
Frightened, trembling and breathless, she slides against the tree and presses a palm to her face in alleviation.
But something else catches her concentration, and this time she is prepared.
It is not the same fairy dust but a soft golden orb that floats and entices her with its warm, radiating energy.
She will not be fooled this time.
She takes out her kunai and shuffles to the circling orb.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," says a voice.
At the sound, she jolts back in fright and lets out a hysterical screech.
"Tobi!" she cries anxiously, "Where were you?"
In the ensuing moment, the orb vanishes.
"That doesn't concern you," he sneers.
"Yes it does! Deidara told us not to leave this spot," she snaps.
"You're one to talk," he answers mockingly and she has the incredible urge to throttle him.
What a jerk! The more she converses with this idiot, the more she hates him.
"That's not the point! It's best if we stay together in case we get lost," she says heatedly.
"What makes you think I want to stay with you, let alone risk getting lost with you?"
"Why you…"
"Why are you getting so riled up for?"
"You could have at least helped me fight that thing off before," she says shakily.
Since when did she start losing her composure so easily?
"Why should I put myself in danger? Besides, you were able to fight it off anyway."
She forcibly swallows the teeming rage that threatens to overflow.
Right now she does not care if Deidara comes charging back. Her mind is so thoroughly marred by the fury and humiliation, she is uncertain as to whether she will lash out if she does not turn away.
"I don't know what your problem is but I think you're a massive jerk."
"I don't care what you think of me it's not my problem," he shrugs.
"You're unbelievable! I regret helping you. I don't know why I always feel the need to look out for you but you know what don't expect that from me anymore!"
He shrugs insouciantly. His demeanour is so relaxed, she is unsure if he has taken something. It seems to contradict the fluctuating levels of apprehensive emotions that are now evident through his chakra.
"I never asked for your help," he replies quickly,
For the first time, Tobi is sounding equally annoyed. His voice seemingly cracks at the last sentence, as if his childish voice is not really his actual sound.
"Why are you like this?"
Are you afraid, Tobi or do you simply have something to hide?
Resentful as her feelings may be, she finds his bizarre hostility intriguing - as if she is playing a game without any rules.
In the past month with the duo, not once did she question her teammate's mysteriousness. Tobi's unfriendliness may have also deterred her from dissecting him any further than just what is behind that mask.
She speculates his hostility may be a deliberate act to conceal something. His earlier relaxed demeanour by the riverbank seemed too natural.
Perhaps this is the final test. If she can take this hostile behaviour from Tobi, she can take on anything.
But Tobi is more than just a person exhibiting hostility towards her. His presence consistently evokes an alien-like internal strife within, as if she is seeking something from him but is uncertain of what it is.
When he does not speak, Rin closes the distance between them.
She still has a duty.
"What do you have against me anyway?" she breathes.
He does not immediately speak, but when he does, it is unusually tense.
"I don't have to have a reason."
"So you hate me," she states bluntly.
He does not answer, but his apprehension is palpable.
She takes several uneasy steps forward and halts inches from him. The surrealism of being so close hurts her subconscious. It is personal. Confronting.
"You may not like me, but if you get to know me better, I'm sure we can work cooperatively," she says softly.
"I'd rather not," he answers coldly.
"Then why are you still standing here?" she frowns.
In the proceeding silence, the surrounding sounds of rustling leaves and chirping insects intermesh into her own wandering thoughts.
Rin lets the discomforting quietude flow, the puzzling atmosphere to aerate and the confusing tension to adjust.
Uncertainty blurs her mind. She is no longer following any logic, nor connected to any commonsensical judgment.
"Your thoughts are hurting you," she whispers.
Then her hands are on either side of his arms.
Without questioning her actions and without understanding the rationale behind it, she pulls him down and brings him forward into a gentle embrace.
Tobi does not reciprocate, nor does he show any signs of withdrawal.
But the rigidity in his body dissolves, and that in itself signifies his act of resignation.