Black Sand Island has an ominous yet alluring vibe. It is a world suffused with unique beauty that is heavily shrouded in the depths of an everlasting darkness.
The sand is soft, smooth and heaven to the touch against bare skin, but visually, it is deceptively grotesque and immoderately coated in an inky black colour to rival the swallowing gloom of a black hole.
Nonetheless, the beauty is enticing and enthrallingly sinister. It stretches all the way into the ocean and gives off a blackish appearance to its waters.
The surrounding region consists of giant rock formations that are strongly reminiscent of Cascades' mountainous area. Except, the trees are dead and the surface of land are parched and empty.
Mid afternoon does not resemble the brightness of sun. Their surrounding is a darkened night sky with an unmarred canvas of zero stars. Perhaps it is the ubiquitous presence of black sand and black waters?
No, the sky is true black. The purple sheen is gone and the moon shines an agonising multitude of shadowy shades that looks oddly bleak.
Atop the highest cliff sits a patchy white lighthouse that sends a strong beam of black light into the ocean. And when the illumination hits the waters, it disappears into the empty blackness.
"I don't understand," Rin says quietly.
Her gaze hovers on the dematerialising light.
"Why is the light black?" She continues.
When she looks to Obito, he is staring back in bewilderment.
But she does not speak. He cannot see it.
When she tentatively brushes the surface of water, her fingers retract in alarm. The temperature is warm.
"Do you feel it?" She asks shakily, "the water's temperature?"
Obito is silent but he eventually complies and repeats the same action against water.
"Cold," he answers flatly.
I don't know how to comprehend this place," she says quietly.
He does not reply, so she stands there in silence and forcibly dilutes her mind from the impending feelings of unconsciousness.
The black-grey lines against her skin is the starkest it has ever been, and disturbingly, she can see how it is cutting into her skin rather that sitting innocuously atop it.
Only when the winds strengthen that Obito speaks.
"Let's go," he says discordantly.
He takes her hand and guides her away from the silent recoiling waters.
They sit beneath a large arch formation that provides little protection against the coldness. However, they are shaded from the raw howling gales.
The quietude between them continues, until the shrieks of nature subsides and Rin is shuffling closer to Obito. For reasons beyond interpretation, he is looking resigned, as if the exhaustion marks that are attached to every line of his face has aged him at least five years.
When she reaches for him, he startles from an apparent reverie and pulls her in for a possessive embrace. Though he is warm, something does not bode well with her.
When she attempts to break from him, he allows the physical separation of only several inches before he grips her arms and holds her in place. The fear is so flagrant across his face, she does not resist.
Only when she relaxes does he finally look relieved.
"Obito, this island, you said you have been here before. How did you know about it?"
Her question contains a passive motive that has nothing to do with his travels. He knows something about this island, and already he is looking uneasy with the underlying question.
"Brink of death," he replies vaguely.
When Rin looks troubled, he hastily continues.
"You can only see and access it if you are or have been on the brink of death," he pauses and stares restively at her, "I almost died from that boulder," he finishes.
Perhaps she is subconsciously dismissing the correlation between this island and death or that she finds his knowledge of this place intriguing, but her curiosity takes over.
"You couldn't see it before when we were on Lake Sand," she mumbles.
"The island is located at the exact same spot and never moves, so like I said, those who are or have been on the brink of death can see it," another short pause, "Although, it seems to appear in random locations as an illusion to people who are currently on the verge of death," another brief hesitation, "Also, not everyone who meets that near death criteria would be able to see this place. I don't know why."
She lets the explanation sit. Even with Obito's extensive knowledge of this strange world, there are many things that even he cannot answer.
But some questions are meant to have an explanation.
"Appears to those who are or have been on the brink of death," she says slowly, "You know, don't you?"
He watches her impetuously before that gaze widens in denial.
"I don't know-"
"Are you really saying that?" she interjects brokenly, "You look at me like this, my physical state, and you're telling me you don't know?"
Her tone turns irascibly hard as she forcibly stems a bout of furious tears.
"You knew everything didn't you?"
The harrowing silence sinks deep. It is a perfect resemblance of their surroundings and the way it epitomises the emptiness of this island.
"Of course I knew," he answers eventually, and his voice is barely above a quivering whisper, "Did you really think I would ignore your presence when you appeared?"
"You planned for this from the start?" She asks shakily.
He does not immediately speak, but when he does, it is full of agonising reluctance.
"Akatsuki is not an organisation that just accepts anyone."
"It was you all along, you purposely made me a part of your team so you could keep an eye on me," she states incredulously.
He remains silent but his demeanour does not show traces of denial.
She glares at him.
"Your act of hostility was uncalled for and don't you tell me that it was entirely because of your assumptions regarding my regret towards our relationship," she continues lowly.
On instinct, her earlier supposition of his reluctance to pursue their relationship runs deeper than just his feeling guilty for taking advantage of her amnesia.
"No, it wasn't," he answers contritely.
Of course not. They could have easily been friends yet something else other than his refusal to deny her of affection played a role in barring him. He knows something but his unwillingness to disclose hurts.
"You know I don't belong here," she whispers dismally.
"I know," he answers coldly, "and I want to rip him apart for dragging you back into this hell."
She watches him with inconsolable resentment.
"Did you know I was going to turn out like this?"
"Yes."
"Yet you kept watch with such pretentious hostility and emotional distancing," she says dispiritedly.
"Yes, a selfish act," he replies gravely.
"If you knew this was going to happen then what difference does the distance and the hostility make?"
He closes his eyes in resignation, as if she has finally backed him into a corner and she is seconds from understanding the truth.
"The further I stayed away from you, the longer your memories remain repressed, but it never worked out that way did it…" he trails off helplessly.
"How does that even-"
"Of course he never told you, he'd lose such a talented medic if he did," he interrupts pointedly.
Obito hesitates, an enormous attempt on his part to contain the blaring infuriation.
"You're supposed to be a medical machine, deprived of all memories in order to faithfully serve, that is the point of the forbidden resurrection jutsu," he says, "So there are flaws because if the person being resurrected associates with someone who they were close to in the past, their memories will return." A pause. His stare is transfixed on the dreary rocks of this cold cave before he finishes in bitter contempt, "The closer the association, the faster the memories return."
A sickening air of apprehensive silence follows this revelation. Rin does not comment on the despondent explanation, but she feels the uneasy bodily responses.
"I cannot…" he starts in begrudging dissatisfaction.
His eyes shut hard in terror. It is a mimic of the frustrating actions of his clenched hands that are clinging rigidly to his hair.
"Obito, I'm in this too-"
"Don't you ever say things like that!" he interjects sharply.
"No! Listen to me," she pries his arms from his head, "I wanted it too so don't put all the blame on yourself."
He looks up at her but his gaze remains entranced on something behind.
"But I knew…yet I still did it anyway, I don't know…"
He is looking thoroughly bewildered, so lost and deprived of any direction. The extent of his love for her is something she can never elucidate. He knew of her fate, yet he opened up to her, knowing full well his actions will consequently destroy her.
On her end, death is inevitable. She died once she can die again, but perhaps the death of one's emotion is greater than that of physical demise. To her, Obito is already dying.
When she moves to embrace him, his distress slowly dissipates, until he is no longer looking frantic and lost. Then she takes his face and gently kisses him.
He barely responds, but the very minimal reaction she gets speak a thousand tender words. The need is insatiably profound.
When she breaks from him, the world around blurs and the familiar piercing pain resurfaces. But the pain is strangely surreal, as if it is there but she is not feeling the agony associated with it.
"Rin, you promised you'll watch over me so please don't stop doing that, okay?" he says fearfully.
Obito's gaze is transfixed on something behind her, albeit her attempts to track his watch is futile. He is already holding her arms steady, an increasing level of apprehension evident across his features.
"Obito-"
"You promise?" he says again with more force.
The agony is flagrant but she gets a sudden jolt of instinct that it may not be the real Obito speaking.
"I'm going to make this world a better place for you, I promise you that," he continues, "I'll get us there, and we can definitely get out of this hell."
He finishes on agitation, and not even the obvious petrified gaze she gives him can detract from his sudden derange state. His expression is now insinuated with desperation, and an impassive look of ruthlessness that is ready to decimate those who stand in his way.
When she attempts to withdraw from him, the frenzied look escalates.
"Obito," she cries softly.
And as sudden as it appeared, the mania vanishes with a look of deep despair.
"Rin-"
His voice is drowned by a low neigh. The unexpected sound swiftly turns her, and not even Obito's firm grip can stop the movement.
The black stallion hovers close.
"Rin…"
She turns to him sadly.
He has been distracting her from the stallion.
"I'm so sorry, Obito."
This time, she forcibly withdraws herself and makes a stand.
"Rin, no! Please, no!"
He quickly rises in an attempt to take her arm. But she is too quick. She gives him a brief knowing glance then follows the stallion out into the open skies.