Chapter 17: A Night Out

A/N: As of 6/16/2022, I made some updates to the chapter, including extra details on the environment as well as some minor tweaks in the dialogue.


The space inside Jitsuko's home remained dark and vacant, undisturbed by even the most basic of human contact. The only source of light emerged when she swung the door open to allow the luminescence of the moon produce a vague outline on the furniture as she tiredly navigated to her room. Her team had just returned to the Hidden Leaf Village after a lengthy escort mission to a neighboring land. It wasn't particularly hard, but she didn't get back to the village until way after midnight. After peeling off her gear and getting changed, the sight of Jitsuko's bed almost made her cry as she plopped down onto its soft surface and buried her head ardently into the pillow.

Finally…

A dreamy sigh passed through Jitsuko as her body melted into the plush surface, happily surrendering herself to the sweet embrace of sleep…

*knock knock knock knock*

Her tired eyes snapped open at the sudden noise coming from the door.

"This better be worth it," she stated with not even a hint of amusement in her voice. Judging from the frequency and force of the knocks, it sounded urgent.

Opening the door revealed her best friend as he gleamed down at Jitsuko with such an exhilarated expression. He didn't even try to hold back his wide, toothy smile as he greeted her with enthusiasm.

"Jitsuko! Jitsuko, you have to come with me! You need to see this!" Obito said above a whisper. He hardly tried to keep his voice low since it was so late - the excitement in his tone overshadowed any shred of concern he would ever have of that.

"Obito," Jitsuko began as she lazily rubbed her eye. "You know I'm always down to hang out with you, but at four in the morning?"

Her question failed in retracting Obito's grin as he reached for her hand to pull her outside with him, unable to wait any longer.

"Wha-? H-hey, Obito!" she huffed and resisted his grip by pulling back into the doorway. "I'm in my PJ's, I can't go anywhere in these!"

It wasn't that she couldn't leave the house in her pajamas; she'd done it before, but the nightwear Jitsuko decided to put on that night was a tad revealing. She had on a tank top with the words, 'I'd rather be sleeping,' with matching short-shorts that had sleeping clouds strewn across them. She was clearly outgrowing them as part of her navel was exposed to the chilly night air, but she couldn't bring herself to throw it out as it was her backup for when she didn't feel like washing her clothes. Jitsuko was beginning to regret not doing it earlier, as Obito's excited demeanor had finally convinced her to leave with him right then and there.


Obito eagerly led her to the middle of the sparring field at the training grounds, finally letting go of her hand as he started his usual warm-up stretches.

"Uh, Obito, if you wanted to spar, you could've at least let me grab my weapons… or wait until even birds were awake," Jitsuko stated in a tone that was half irritated and half playful.

Obito shook his head roughly between exercises, the smile never leaving his face. "Not this time, Jitsuko! I can't wait to see the look on your face after I show you what I got!"

When the two of them would have sleepovers, it wasn't uncommon that they would pull all-nighters. There were also some nights where they would train together way past 3am, but Obito never made a special trip to Jitsuko's house to wake her up to go somewhere this late before. Not to mention, she hadn't seen him this darn excited in a long time. What he had to show must really be good.

"So I've been showing up here every night to work on a new jutsu, and I think I finally got it down!" he exclaimed in his usual loud tone, the volume of his voice no longer a concern.

"Seriously, you better be able to shoot liquid gold out of your mouth to justify getting me out of bed," she joked as Obito pretended to be unamused.

"I'll do you one better! Check this out!"

A light pink flush dusted Jitsuko's cheeks as Obito got within inches of her, clasping the bare skin of hrr arms and eagerly positioned hrt at a certain spot on the field before letting go to walk a few feet away, his back facing her. She watched as Obito lifted both arms to form hand signs before hearing the signature sound of his Sharingan activating as he inhaled deeply.

The air was still for only a moment before a blinding orange light pierced through the darkness of the night. She initially thought that Obito was just showing off a bigger version of his Fireball Technique, but that was when Jitsuko realized that these flames were different. She watched as the fire coiled into a tight spiral as it left Obito's mouth, the vortex expanding the farther it traveled away from him. Even the flame he used seemed different; it was stronger, more precise, and deadly. It was stunning. If anyone were to be caught in this whirlwind of flames, there would be no escape; it would be over for them. The atmosphere around the two of them became an alluring, radiant orange as his potent flames blended so naturally with the night.

At that moment, Jitsuko couldn't help but admire the signature crest of Obito's clan that was etched into the back of his clothing. The Uchiha really are a formidable clan. She felt so incredibly lucky to have one as her best friend. She couldn't imagine having one as an enemy, but then she remembered that the literal leader of the Uchiha clan was out to personally kill her only a few months before. She quickly pushed those thoughts to the side once the ravishing flames of Obito's new jutsu began to die down.

When the raging inferno finally subsided, Obito swiftly turned 90 degrees with his side facing Jitsuko as he reached to lift up his goggles with one hand, with the other landing on his hips. Obito's posture was straight, and his face was full of confidence and pride as he opened one eye to look at her, his satisfied grin never leaving his face.

Jitsuko stared at him in awe as the remnants of his attack left numerous patches of fire scattered across the training field, the glowing flames in the otherwise dark area illuminating and highlighting Obito's features. That was when she really took in just how handsome Obito had become. She always considered him to be an objectively attractive person in terms of traits – as many Uchiha were, but Obito had matured dramatically. His adult physique and facial features reflected his physical and mental growth; every part of him emitted power and was rich with masculinity. Jitsuko's cheeks flushed profusely until Obito walked closer to her and grasped at her arms in excitement.

"So, whatcha think? It was worth coming out here, wasn't it?" he said in a knowing and cocky but endearingly prideful tone.

"That was…"

He gleefully stared at her in anticipation for an answer.

"It was…"

Amazing? Powerful? Skillful? Obito excitedly thought to himself as he hastily tried to guess what her next words were going to be.

"It was beautiful, Obito!"

Obito's expression fell slightly at her description of his new jutsu. Beautiful? My attack is anything but girly! he initially mused. Though the more he thought about it, the more he started to see what she meant as he turned to watch the remaining flames crackle on the training grounds. Fire is inherently breathtaking. The way he changed his chakra form to increase the concentration and intensity of the flames really was a spectacular sight.

"…Yeah," Obito murmured as he turned back to look at Jitsuko.

"It really is beautiful," he voiced softly while looking directly at her with a gentle expression, as if he were speaking about more than just his flames.

The two of them exchanged warm looks for a moment as the low flames continued to smolder. Bits of glowing ash descended delicately in the air, giving the atmosphere a sensual glow around them.

"Have you… thought about any names?"

Obito suddenly got flustered and began blushing heavily, but he wasn't exactly sure why.

"N-names? Names for what, exactly?"

"For your new jutsu! What are you going to call it?" she asked, grinning innocently.

"Oh, right! You know what, I haven't given any thought about that," he muttered somewhat sheepishly. "But now that I think about it, I want to name it something cool, something that will strike fear in shinobi across all nations just from hearing its name! Sort of like how you named your new jutsu… what was it? 'Elemental Peacekeeper?' I want something like that!"

Jitsuko chuckled at Obito's excitement over the unique opportunity to label an entirely unheard of jutsu. Not every ninja had that privilege. She then pondered for a moment.

I've seen Obito use this in the show before, but not until he was well into adulthood. I never realized just how powerful it was until I got to see it up close, either. What a frightening jutsu! What did Obito call it in the show? Ugh, it's been so long…

Jitsuko then thought about the jutsu itself and what made it stand out from other fire techniques.

Wait, I know!

"…What about… Bomb… Blast… Dance…?"

Obito blinked at her in silence for a moment. "Bomb Blast Dance? What's so special about that?"

"Well, uh… just think about how it looks! The flames are concentrated like a bomb, it covers a wide area like a blast… and it's so mesmerizing… like a dance," she trailed off with a particular softness in her voice.

At first, Obito was skeptical about labeling his proclaimed terrifying jutsu with a name that had the word, 'dance' in it, but then he thought about it and how the name matched the characteristics of his jutsu remarkably well. Satisfied with her answer, Obito looked back to Jitsuko with a charming smile.

"Bomb Blast Dance… you know what? I like it! Good one, Jitsuko!" he praised and planted his hand on her shoulder. She didn't have the heart to tell him that it was technically a name that he came up with in the original show, but she blushed at his adoring recognition anyway.

"I don't know if I can spar with you now that you have such a powerful jutsu, though! How could I even compete with something like that?" she remarked in a rhetorical manner, the excitement in her voice matching his.

"Hey, don't doubt yourself, Jitsuko! Your specialty is protection, remember? There's gotta be some way that you could block and counter me." Obito looked up at the starry sky in thought. "What about those earth hands you summoned to bury Madara's statue? And during our fight with –"

Obito paused abruptly. Thinking back to what happened at the hideout still frightened him, specifically everything that happened with Jitsuko. He recalled her summoning the elemental hands to protect him from Zetsu, which was ultimately what got her captured. Obito still felt responsible for what happened to her, and it showed in his diminishing expression.

"…How's your shoulder been…?" he asked with guilt heavy in his voice. Their encounter with Madara left Jitsuko's shoulder severely damaged from when she shielded Obito from his attacks. It had been months since that incident, but pain still shot through her arm and back any time she'd move the wrong way.

"It still kills. It could be worse, though. At least my arm didn't fall off, right?" She chuckled lightly; her response only made Obito even more sullen.

Jitsuko immediately noticed her best friend's change in demeanor.

"Hey, where's that obnoxious enthusiasm my Obito's known for?" she asked playfully and gently bumped his arm with her fist as he looked back down to her. That's when he noticed the scantily clad pajamas Jitsuko had on; she clearly wasn't expecting to be going anywhere that night. His eyes instinctively shifted down to her exposed navel but he immediately glanced to his side in shame of what he had just done as a feverish blush invaded his cheeks.

"I didn't mean to drag you out here on the spot," Obito muttered as he refused to look up at her, the blush never leaving his face.

"Uh, yes you did! I kept trying to tell you to hold up for a second but you insisted we left right there!"

Obito's lids grew heavy, feeling guilty for not being able to control himself in front of her. He was just so proud and excited by his new achievement; his first thought was to show her as soon as possible.

"- but I'm glad we did. That really was amazing, Obito."

Jitsuko's soft words snapped Obito out of his cumbersome thoughts. "Really?"

She nodded eagerly. "Thank you for the incredible sight. It's really brave of you to develop something so different. I appreciate being one of the first to see it."

"Jitsuko…" he stated softly, his voice full of appreciation for her support and praise as he looked up to her face again. That was when he also noticed the bags under her eyes from him disrupting her precious sleep.

"I should bring you home." Obito glanced at the words written on Jitsuko's top before a small smile formed on his lips. "After all, you'd rather be sleeping." He then winked playfully as she lifted her hand over her mouth to stifle a hearty laugh.

She loved sleep, but she loved Obito more.

"I don't know if I can go back to sleep now. Your new technique really 'fired' me up!" Jitsuko started to laugh even harder at her own pun as Obito happily chuckled with her.

He was so pleased that she shared the same joy about his progress as he did.

Their laughter finally died down as the air became still and silent. Jitsuko watched the surroundings return to complete darkness as the remnants from Obito's attack finally extinguished.

"It feels a little creepy out here. How about we go for a quick walk?" she offered comfortably in the direction of her friend; his face was unreadable in the dark but that didn't stop her from seeing a firm nod, one that read, 'I'm all for it!'


Not even a cricket stirred inside the village as lazy footsteps pattered across the ground. The silence between the two of them was familiar and comfortable. As his arms crossed behind his head, Obito gazed up at the stars while walking alongside Jitsuko.

Unbeknownst to her, his mind still fixated over what happened between them at Madara's hideout only a few months ago. The two of them were so preoccupied with getting Rin back to the Leaf that he never got to properly discuss with her about what happened that day. If he were honest, Obito had also been intentionally avoiding bringing it up because he was rather ashamed of what happened.

He didn't know exactly how to bring it up, but now, he had the perfect opportunity to do so.

"Hey. I wanted to talk to you… about what you did for me that day."

Jitsuko's pace slowed a little as she looked up to her best friend, his arms still crossed behind his head. His lips pursed as he focused on the night sky, as if he were intentionally avoiding her face.

"What do you mean, Obito? What day?"

Obito shut his eyes in discomfort; he was hoping that she wouldn't make him explain what day he was referring to. "I mean the day we found Rin. The day we were up against Madara. He could've really messed me up… if it weren't for… well… I just wanted to…"

He squeezed his eyes shut again, harder this time, and panicked as he felt his confidence drain from his body while a new, hostile emotion took its place.

"Jitsuko, you shouldn't use yourself to protect me!" he snapped, his scolding glare landing on her injured shoulder. "You almost died because of me! Just, why would you do it? Why would you sacrifice everything, just for me?" he asked rather accusingly. He had been asking himself these questions for months, and he couldn't take it anymore as it finally boiled up to the surface.

His sudden change in demeanor was a little jarring, and he hadn't meant to come off so strongly, but he was so horrified by remembering the look of sheer agony on Jitsuko's face and being coated in her blood that day, because of him. Obito felt personally responsible for her pain and suffering, and he didn't think he was worth her life. He was almost angry that someone as wonderful as her would throw everything away for a nobody like him. He didn't know what to do with these negative emotions, and he unintentionally displaced them onto her.

Why would I sacrifice everything for him?

The answer to his question… it's actually quite simple.

"Because, you're my everything, Obito…"

Jitsuko heard the words slip out of her mouth before she could truly process what she had just said. Her hand slapped over her mouth in an instant as she registered the meaning behind those words. Her heartbeat pounded against her chest, absolutely appalled by what she just whispered to Obito as he stopped in his tracks on the small bridge they were walking over. Jitsuko stopped walking a few feet after him, completely terrified of turning around to face him, her hand still covering her mouth.

After a few more excruciating seconds, she felt herself turn to scan his reaction - Obito's stance was tense with his arms stiffening at his sides. Her eyes hesitantly shifted up to his face where she watched as his dumbfounded expression met with hers. The awkward silence that followed was suffocating. Jitsuko didn't even try to conceal her blush as she tried to ease the thick air around the both of them.

"What I mean by that, is… that… I…" Jitsuko sighed. She had no excuses. She meant every word that came out of her mouth. Her eyes slowly averted to the water under the bridge they were standing on, the feeling of embarrassment overwhelming her chest.

The stillness in the air persisted as Obito tried to process the meaning behind her words.

I'm… her everything? Jitsuko was willing to lose everything for me, and she's completely okay with that? She really values me that much?

The unthinkable notion played in his mind as he, still frozen in place, tried to make sense of the sentiment. He'd always known that he was willing to sacrifice everything for Jitsuko's wellbeing, but he never truly processed that she returned those feelings just as strongly. He had himself convinced that her version of protection didn't extend past defending him attentively with her jutsu, but her actions clearly showed that the feeling of self-sacrifice and protection, no matter the cost, was mutual. She truly would give anything to keep Obito safe.

Jitsuko really thinks I'm worth dying for.

Obito couldn't ignore the blooming feeling developing in his chest because of her.

It felt wonderful.

Jitsuko heard light footsteps approach before Obito stopped to lean over the railing, watching the calming flow of the water with her as the moon reflected off the gently rippling surface below.

After a few moments, he began grasping at his sleeve, toying with the material between his fingertips in silence.

"Just promise me that you'll never do anything like that again," he asserted softly.

"I can't," she replied just as softly.

Obito exhaled out his nose in a strangely content defeat.

"I know."

The air grew still again, and after another moment of excruciating silence, Obito finally managed to express what he truly meant to tell her.

"Thank you, Jitsuko. For everything."

His sudden display of vulnerability caught Jitsuko off guard. She was certain that he was going to react negatively toward her answer, which is assuming that he didn't run far away from her first. The last time she expressed such intimate feelings to him, Obito asked for some time to himself. Thinking about having to go through that pain again terrified Jitsuko, but instead, he was showing her the opposite reaction, one that was just as vulnerable as hers.

Obito was genuinely thanking Jitsuko. He was thanking her for protecting him that day. He was thanking her for enduring that excruciating mission with him. Obito was thanking her for being his friend, for always being there for him, for lifting him up and giving him the courage he needs, and for never giving up on him.

Jitsuko silently turned her head to Obito, his gaze still observing the dark pond below. She watched his eyes steadily move toward her direction as if he sensed her watching him before he slowly turned his head to return her gaze.

The expression on his face was soft. Gentle. His eyelids slightly lowered as he studied her face. No smile adorned his lips but the vulnerable look on his face told Jitsuko that his heart was full of cherishment for her.

It looked… loving.

Jitsuko scanned his serious but affectionate gaze before her eyes traveled to the goggles resting on his forehead. These ones were new. The bright orange goggles Obito was known for around the village got left behind in Madara's cave in their haste to bring Rin home. When he finally realized they were lost, he sulked for days. She absolutely hated seeing him this way, so she decided to make a trip to a specialty shop that sells top-notch goggles and bought a brand new pair for Obito's 18th birthday. Needless to say, he was over the moon for the gift.

His old goggles were sturdy, but he had worn them for most of his life. They were tarnished from use and were hard to see through from the numerous scratch marks riddled all over them. It was about time for an upgrade. Obito caught Jitsuko's gaze on his goggles as he lifted his hand to grab ahold of them in acknowledgement before a smile formed on his lips.

"They look pretty great, don't they?"

A playful smile surfaced on her face at Obito's question. "Yeah they do. Someone really cool must've gotten those for you."

Obito chuckled as he fiddled with his new goggles, until the band suddenly slipped off his head and began falling to the water below. Jitsuko acted quickly and caught the goggles by their strap with her foot before they could hit the water as she gripped the railing tightly to balance herself.

Thank goodness for these ninja skills!

While fetching the goggles from her foot to her hands, Obito rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Guess I'm not used to them just yet. Fastening the strap's kinda different with these ones."

Jitsuko's slightly smug smile returned shortly after. "They aren't too complicated for you, are they, Obito?"

"What? No way! There isn't a single pair that I couldn't pull off!" Obito announced as his thumb pointed to his chest confidently.

"I can see that! I just watched how you 'pulled off' these ones without even trying!"

"H-huh? Hey, that's not…!" Obito paused for a second before growling and feigning irritation. "Get over here, Jitsuko! I'm gonna make you regret those words!" he shouted teasingly as one hand tried to grab onto her while the other reached for his goggles in her hand.

"Nu uh, no way, you lost your goggle-wearing privileges, mister!" Jitsuko joked as she evaded his grasp and started running off the bridge to the clearing a short distance away, with Obito giving chase.

"Get back here or I'll show you no mercy!"

"Oh no! Whatcha gonna do, Bomb Blast Dance me to death?"

The two of them laughed as he continued to chase her, a light blush dusting their cheeks. Jitsuko ran until she started approaching a pond – one that felt strangely familiar.

Is that…?

Her thoughts were distracting enough for Obito to catch up with her and he playfully tackled Jitsuko onto the dampened ground just by the water's edge.

"Gotcha! Now admit your defeat and hand them over!" Obito teased smugly as he held himself over her with both of his legs pressing into her outer thighs, pinning Jitsuko to the ground with no escape. He made a point to lift his hands to his chest, his fingers forming the first part of his fire-style jutsu as a playful way to threaten her into giving up.

Jitsuko stared up at Obito with a genial but competitive look in her eye as the moist ground underneath her began to soak into her nightwear. Unfortunately, the sudden uncomfortable wetness on her back was enough for Jitsuko to concede reluctantly to his demands.

"Okay, alright, fine – you win this round, you big dork," she teased and directed her hand to Obito's, inviting him to seize his goggles and claim victory.

Obito closed his eyes and smiled in smug satisfaction of his win as he reached for his prize. "I was expecting more of a fight from you Jitsuko, but when you're up against the future Hokage, that's –"

The next few moments were a whirlwind of motion as Jitsuko suddenly lifted herself up and shifted her weight onto Obito before he could finish his taunt. The next thing he knew, Jitsuko had Obito pinned to the ground as she straddled his waist with her weight resting on his abdomen; her good arm held herself up as she firmly planted her hand on the ground next to his head. Obito opened his eyes in shock, trying to process what in the world just happened to him as Jitsuko dangled the goggles above his face.

"Well? Aren't you gonna take back your goggles, 'Lord Hokage?'" she taunted back, unable to suppress her wide, smug smile as she peered down at the stunned Uchiha.

Obito hadn't even realized it, but getting ambushed caused his shinobi reflexes to kick in and triggered his body to respond by activating his Sharingan.

"H-hey, that – that's not fair! You cheated!" He darted his crimson eyes all around him, struggling to come up with excuses. "I – I had my eyes closed! I would've seen that coming a mile away if I had my goggles!" he stuttered as he defended himself, desperately trying to save the pride that was lost from being blindsided by his best friend.

Jitsuko huffed out through her nose in amusement from seeing Obito so flustered from her surprise attack. He watched a humorous smirk form on her face and he couldn't help but return her feelings with his own quiet grin.

After a moment of silence, one of them finally let a snicker slip from their upturned lips, leading to Jitsuko and Obito erupting into a wholehearted and uncontrollable laughter over the entire exchange. Once their laughter finally died down, she peered down at Obito, her body still atop his.

"I'll settle for a tie, then," she voiced more seriously as she moved the goggles from Obito's face down to his hand. As Jitsuko passed down his goggles, his hand brushed against hers and stroked her palm before he instinctively curved his fingers around her pinky and ring finger in an accidental slow caress. Jitsuko and Obito tensed up from the contact as they both finally registered the situation the two were in.

Even though Obito awakened his Mangekyou Sharingan months ago, he was still not accustomed to the new abilities he gained from it. It wasn't until Jitsuko was on top of him did he realize that not only can he sense her chakra, he can also now sense finer details like her heartbeat. He inadvertently studied Jitsuko's heartrate as it sped up dramatically from his touch.

Her eyes shifted their focus from their joined hands up to his chest; Obito simultaneously followed her gaze as they slowly traveled from his chest back up to meet his crimson eyes.

Obito's breath hitched at the sight of Jitsuko's eyes. They looked so striking under the moonlight. He felt his own heartrate quicken from the reminder of just how stunning she was.

The two of them froze there, absolutely petrified and unable to determine what to do next. Jitsuko watched Obito as excess amounts of sweat started rolling off his temples; the blush invading his face was so red and prominent that she could easily see it in the fading moonlight. That was when she became entirely aware of the unbearable burning in her own face as she abruptly stood up and lifted one of her hands to hide her face in embarrassment.

Jitsuko didn't know what to say. What could she say after an exchange like that?

Obito's body shifted to a reclining position with his legs bending at the knees, the blush never leaving his face.

The image of him sitting by this pond felt oddly nostalgic.

After some contemplation, Jitsuko decided to walk quietly over to Obito and took a seat next to him with her arms wrapping around both legs, her chin resting on her knees.

"I hope that I… didn't hurt you, Obito."

Obito shook his head roughly, being unable to speak or meet her gaze.

Unsettled by his uncharacteristic silence, Jitsuko tried to think of something – anything that could put his mind at ease and forget about what just happened as she combed the moist ground with her fingers in deep thought.

"Well, I'm glad that the ground's so soft, I would've gone back to the hospital with some serious lashes from falling if it were any harder…!"

Not even a peep from him.

You're making it more awkward, Jitsuko!

Wait, I can still save this! What if I said…

"But maybe if I did, I could've shared a room with Rin…! Then we could have been, like, roommates…?"

Rin? Yes. Remind him of his crush at a time like this. Really, Jitsuko?

At that, Obito finally peeked in her direction with a perplexed look on his face.

"You know, Jitsuko…"

She panicked at Obito's reluctance.

That was a stupid idea!

"…you really are weird," he declared, staring at her with a snarky expression before a refreshing smile formed on his lips.

Jitsuko inwardly sighed in relief seeing that Obito could stand looking at her again.

"Besides, I don't think Rin's room can hold two people, not since they moved her to that rehabilitation place."

"Oh, that's right! I totally forgot Rin's at the next stage of her healing. How's her rehabilitation going?"

"I gotta say, rehab's no joke. It takes a really strong person to be able to get through something like that, but I know Rin's got what it takes."

Jitsuko studied Obito's face intently for any signs of blushing as he talked about Rin, only to find none.

"Have you been visiting her often?"

Obito grinned proudly. "Of course I have! Any chance I get and I'm there! She needs someone to help her get through the day."

She unfittingly chuckled in an attempt to drown out the ache quickly forming in her heart. "Well, isn't that a surprise."

"Don't turn into Kakashi on me, Jitsuko!" he jested, raising his brow at her. "He said that exact thing to you on our last mission together, remember?"

"Yeah, right before that Akito guy caught and came this close to destroying us!" Jitsuko then laughed nervously. She wasn't certain if by 'destroy,' she meant kill or if she was referring to how he almost destroyed her bond with Obito. "That was probably the wildest mission I've ever been on, aside from Madara, of course."

Obito nodded firmly in agreement.

"But I did learn a lot about Kakashi that day…" she murmured, remembering the personal talk with him a short time ago.

"I… learned a lot about you, too…" Obito whispered before he could stop himself.

Jitsuko's eyelids lowered solemnly as she turned her attention to the reflection of the sunrise appearing on the pond. "Rin forgave me for how I treated her. You don't have to worry about me ignoring her anymore."

Obito smiled at that. "That's not the only thing I learned about you that day," he added as he joined her admiration of the scene emerging over the water.

Jitsuko broke her gaze off the sunrise as she directed her attention back to Obito in confusion.

What else did Akito tell him?

She would never forget the day Akito revealed her secrets, but he didn't spill all of them. Some of Jitsuko's secrets she actually spilled herself.

Is he… talking about…?

She stared at him slightly wide-eyed; Obito took her silence as a request to continue voicing his thoughts.

"What I mean by that… is, while we're talking about Rin,"

Jitsuko's shoulders faintly slouched in disappointment.

"I learned that day that you thought that I… loved her."

What Obito said perked her back up.

What does he mean 'thought'? I know for a fact that he does…?

"I was wondering how you knew about that, what made you think that about me and Rin." Obito said as a statement more than a question.

Scenes from the show and everything Obito went through for Rin quickly flashed through Jitsuko's mind. "Just a woman's intuition, I guess," she uttered despondently and switched her posture to mimic Obito's reclining position with her good arm holding her up at her side, watching the sun finally peek over the trees.

Obito's eyelids lowered in deep thought, as if he were contemplating saying more.

A couple more moments passed as a modest breeze swept through the area around them.

"It could be… that you were right," Obito began; his words drew Jitsuko's attention from the horizon back to him as he continued to look out in the distance.

"I did love Rin."

She nodded in silence, eyes downcasted.

"Or… at least I thought I did…"

Wh…what?

"Back then I was so sure, but…"

"But…? You guys didn't get into a fight, did you?"

Obito faintly shook his head.

"Is it that she… doesn't feel the same way?"

Another headshake from Obito that was just as solemn as the last.

He felt apprehensive about what he wanted to say, but something inside Obito was influencing his body without him even realizing it. His left hand subconsciously fidgeted and started inching away from him.

"Obito… what happened?"

As Jitsuko looked at Obito intently waiting for an explanation, she watched a deep redness surface on his face, his eyes still looking out at the view; but he seemed to be looking straight through it.

"…but then…"

Obito's voice was low, subdued.

"I found…"

"…the light of my life…"

The world seemed to pass by in slow motion as Jitsuko tried to comprehend the meaning behind his words. She and Obito were lost, each deep in their own thoughts over his extremely sensitive revelation.

After all this time and Obito… doesn't love Rin? There's someone else? I don't understand. Obito loved Rin to death. How could anyone possibly replace her? Not to mention, who? Who could Obito love more than -

Jitsuko was pulled out of her thoughts when the chill from the wet grass on her fingers became overshadowed by something warm.

Something calloused, but gentle.

Tense, yet protective.

Fumbling, but certain.

It took her a few moments to register that her best friend had delicately enveloped his hand over hers, his fingertips cautiously stroking the back of Jitsuko's fingers as if he were silently seeking her approval. As if on instinct, her hand flipped over to intertwine with his, their fingers linked and fit together like a lock and key.

The two of them sat there in absolute silence for the longest time, their hands never separating.

Utter disbelief gripped Jitsuko's entire being as her heart thumped wildly against her chest; she couldn't grasp what was happening between her and Obito at that very moment.

The two of them have held hands in the past as a means of reassurance and support; it was an implicit way to declare that they have each other's back, but this embrace was different. It was tender. It was silently telling her something. Something she had been wishing for, ever since she came to terms with the feelings Jitsuko had for her best friend.

I… I can't believe it. Obito… he's talking about… me…? But it's so unlike him to actually make any moves, it's why he chickened out from asking out Rin in the show. Well, he is older now – and maybe letting it slip that he's my everything gave him a firm enough push to do it…? I wonder… if I'm his everything, too…

Jitsuko was the first one to try to make eye contact as she tilted her head in Obito's direction. He was still looking straight ahead; she couldn't see part of his face, but she saw a lone bead of sweat rolling down his cheek as a vibrant red engulfed his face all the way up to his ears. Poor Obito looked so nervous.

Jitsuko began stroking the back of his hand with her thumb with a distinct fondness as she felt him jump slightly at the sudden tender touch. As if he understood her wordless concern for him, Obito shifted his attention back to Jitsuko, though he already was concentrated on her, even if she didn't realize it.

No words were spoken. Jitsuko attentively examined Obito's face as he looked down at her with such a vulnerable expression, his onyx eyes telling her that he was so afraid of doing something wrong. Her own eyes softened, and she stroked his hand more firmly as a sweet, nervous, reassuring smile made its way to her lips. Her heart began to fill with a pleasant warmth as she watched Obito's face relax and return Jitsuko's gaze with just as much fondness in his eyes as hers had.

The body language she and Obito were silently conveying to each other was potent. There was a strong feeling of intimacy and understanding in the air between the two of them.

This is your chance, Jitsuko. Do it now -

"O-Obito… I –"

Not a moment later, the radiating warmth of the sun instantly vanished and goosebumps emerged on Jitsuko's exposed skin from the chilly morning air and lack of sunlight. She directed her attention to the source of the blockage and to her surprise found one of her teammates standing upright on a small hill in the foreground.

"Jeez Jitsuko, there you are! We've been searching everywhere for you, and here you are about to make out with a guy? Didn't think you were that type of girl, to be honest. Ya think you know someone…" her teammate trailed off as Jitsuko quickly stumbled to her feet.

"Oh shut up, we weren't doing anything, Hideki! Just go away, I saw enough of you on our last mission."

Jitsuko's teammate only stared at her, his eyebrow raised.

"Wait… don't tell me there's another one already…" she asked begrudgingly as she pinched the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger.

"Welp, looks like I got nothin' to say to you, then," Hideki shrugged in a smug way that never failed at getting on Jitsuko's nerves.

Her face locked into a blank stare as she reflected on how she got a grand total of zero hours of sleep last night, but after everything that happened between her and Obito, Jitsuko would happily neglect sleep all over again.

"Let's go, lovebird – and try not to sleep on the job," Hideki remarked as he eyed her clothes once before he turned and walked away.

Jitsuko eyed his back in mild annoyance as she shifted her focus back to Obito, his face still red as if he'd just got caught doing something scandalous.

"I have to go… I'm sorry about that, and sorry about him," she voiced sheepishly as she offered her hand and helped Obito to his feet, his trembling hand was sticky and moist from the nervous sweat coating his palm.

The two of them stood there awkwardly, trying to figure out what to do next; the barriers of being best friends was breached and neither one of them knew exactly what to do. They needed time to process everything that happened that night.

"I'll… see you around?" Jitsuko offered him an anxious grin, and Obito returned with an exaggerated close-eyed smile that looked even more nervous.

"Y-yeah…! I'll see you… tonight, maybe? On my roof?"

She nodded eagerly, this time flashing him a genuine smile. "Don't burn any houses down with your new jutsu while I'm gone - my big doofus."

At that, she finally parted ways with Obito as she ran to catch up with her teammate.

"We need to stop somewhere and get you dressed. You're embarrassing me."

"Gosh, you're so bitter today! You aren't jealous, are you, Hideki?"

"Oh, jealous of what, how short you are?"

The sound of the two of them bickering grew faint while Obito stood by the water's edge as he watched Jitsuko leave; his eyes focused on her back as he absentmindedly imagined what she would look like with the Uchiha symbol on the back of her clothing. He immediately shook off those thoughts as another fierce blush covered his cheeks from thinking of such a thing.

Obito couldn't help it. He had always been a very future-oriented person; such thoughts were like second nature to him. It seemed like so long ago when Obito finally accepted his feelings for Jitsuko, but he was certain about it. The two of them had been through hell and back together, and he was pleasantly aware that those deep feelings for her only continued to intensify.