Chapter 20: Swelling Fire

A/N: As of 6/21/2022, I made some minor updates to the chapter, including grammatical/formatting corrections.


Why? Why would Minato-sensei send an Earth Style user to the Land of Lighting? He's smarter than that. He wouldn't purposefully and needlessly put me in harm's way, right?

Such intrusive thoughts plagued Jitsuko's mind even weeks after returning to the Hidden Leaf Village following her close brush with death at the hands of a lightning-style user of the Hidden Cloud. She didn't want to blame Minato since she should have been more mindful about the elemental matchup, but that didn't stop her from wondering – why. Something just wasn't right, and she knew it.

She recalled the morning her teammate Hideki interrupted her earnest meeting with Obito by the pond to respond to an emergency mission personally issued by the Hokage. Jitsuko immediately felt that something was off about Minato as soon as they stepped into his office as he would occasionally glance her way with a specific look in his eyes while instructing the team of the mission– though she had suspicions that this 'emergency mission' was just a cover-up to get her into Minato's office without rousing suspicion. After receiving orders, the team scattered while Jitsuko stayed behind, returning a serious look to Minato which confirmed that something was undoubtedly occurring behind the scenes.

Minato summoned her to his office under false pretenses to provide sensitive intel – regarding the Uchiha clan.

When Jitsuko stopped Obito from being crushed all those years ago, she simultaneously prevented the Nine-Tails from being released into the village. She knew that the Nine-Tails was controlled by the Sharingan, which caused fierce distrust between the Uchiha clan and the rest of the village after the incident. This boiling hatred was why the Uchiha were planning an uprising and consequentially lead Itachi to massacre his clan to prevent civil war. Jitsuko thought that because of what she did, the village avoided that entire catastrophe - that was until she met with the Fourth Hokage that morning.

There was still great tension among the Uchiha clan – an ancient hatred that spanned since long before the Hidden Leaf was established. This hatred has only expanded over time, and Minato was beginning to catch on to it. With few options, he knew that he could turn to Jitsuko for potentially valuable knowledge with her 'foresight.' She decided that now was the right time to reveal to him the secrets of the Uchiha clan.

It was then Jitsuko discovered - she didn't completely prevent a massacre or uprising, she only rearranged when it will occur.

Minato broke the news after Jitsuko explained everything she knew about the events that led up to the original clan downfall. He was shocked to learn that the clan had planned to overthrow the Hidden Leaf if not for the village's Uchiha execution orders, but even now, there was still too much apprehension between the village and Uchiha clan. Jitsuko inhaled a quick gasp, realizing that every life in the Uchiha clan was at dire risk. If this wasn't stopped, another massacre was likely to take place - a clan once again assassinated for power, for traditions, and for differences of opinion. Everyone in the clan deserved a second chance. But this needed to stop, now.

Jitsuko was to return the next day to discuss possible alternatives to genocide, but a man with the Uchiha emblem on his sleeves stopped her with urgent orders from the Hokage to report to the village gates to leave for the Land of Lightning immediately. That was weeks ago, and she still needed to rendezvous with the Hokage about the Uchiha Clan. She couldn't wait any longer. Who knew when the massacre would happen!

As Jitsuko jerked her upper body up in the hospital bed in stark realization, clutching her bandaged chest from the sting of the wound caused by the sudden movements, she then decided that she needed answers. Now.


Jitsuko knocked on the door to her best friend's house that night. Obito had plans to visit her at the hospital the next morning, but she just couldn't wait. It took all the strength she had to drag herself across the village to his house, but this was urgent. A deep hole in her chest wouldn't stop Jitsuko from reaching her goal. She hoped that her knocks wouldn't wake his grandmother when the door slid open, revealing the young Uchiha as his entire face lit up from seeing her.

"Jitsuko! Those nurses let you go early? Seems a little late for discharges, though. What's up?"

Obito caught on to her anxious expression that told him she wasn't supposed to be out, and he quickly ushered her inside.

With their legs crisscrossed, both of them sat on his bed across from each other. Jitsuko rubbed at her temples dreadfully, trying to collect her thoughts and organize what had to be discussed.

"What's going on?" Obito asked in a mild tone, trying not to disturb his sleeping grandmother.

"Obito, we need to talk," she said solemnly. Obito's cheeks flushed at all the different implications behind her words.

"Your clan… do they… ever get together and… do anything?" Jitsuko already knew that they did, but she wanted to hear an Uchiha's side on the matter.

Obito's eyes closed and he tilted his head nonchalantly, his eyebrows slightly creased in annoyance. "Yeah, ever since I became a Chunin, people from my clan have been bugging me to go to these dumb meet-"

He cut himself off, but Jitsuko already knew why. The Uchiha were to keep those meetings secret, but she already relayed to the Fourth Hokage that the clan periodically group up to discuss political matters, including their growing disdain for the village. She was aware of a great deal about the Uchiha, but not everything. She needed Obito to share more with her.

"You need to tell me what's been going on at those meetings. Anything is helpful."

Could you have been any less subtle, Jitsuko?!

Obito blinked at his friend, surprised that she knew about the clan meetups, but his expression soon switched to troubled contemplation. "I'm not supposed to say; the things they say there aren't allowed to spread to people outside the clan, that's what they tell me, anyway," he stated begrudgingly, his eyesight focused on the wall.

"Obito. Please." Jitsuko's soft plea caught his attention as she looked up at him with genuine distress in her eyes. She wasn't being manipulative. Obito saw real urgency on her face. Jitsuko's beautiful face, he thought, finally succumbing to her benevolent request.

"Well, I'll admit that I don't go to too many of those meetings anymore. I guess the higher-ups sort of lost track of me and stopped caring if I showed up. It's 'cause they think I'm one of the weakest in the clan… so what good would I be there?" Obito asked rhetorically, his voice slightly raised in resentment. His face lowered with his fists trembling as they tightened to where the bones in his knuckles were clearly visible.

"Whoa, hey." Gentle hands softly enveloped his tense ones as Jitsuko directed his attention back to her face. "You and I both know that's not true. Especially since you have the strongest willpower anyone's ever seen. Our brush with Madara is proof, and as your witness, I'll back you up if anyone thinks to give you any trouble! Besides, if anyone says that about you, you can just burn their house down. That doesn't sound weak to me!"

Obito's eyes lit up with such delight at her answer; Jitsuko couldn't help but return his happiness as she leaned in and planted a sweet kiss to Obito's cheek, prompting the Uchiha to tense in surprise; the scorching heat from his cheek almost seemed to burn her lips.

She elusively inhaled a swift breath in alarm over what she had just done as a matching blush effortlessly forced its way onto her cheeks as well. She quickly diverged the conversation before an uncomfortable silence could develop.

"So, about the meetings you did go to… did they ever talk about anything, well, scandalous?"

Obito's confused face flustered her.

"Or maybe anything suspicious? Anything that would put the village at risk?"

Smooth, Jitsuko.

He stared at her for a moment, arching a brow. "Where did this even come from? There's something going on with you that you aren't telling me, isn't there?"

Jitsuko's heart sped up at Obito's continuously impressive deduction skills. "N-No, Obito! I mean, my best friend's in the famous Uchiha clan, it's only normal to want to learn more about them!"

Obito shot her a quiet and stern glare before he closed his eyes. He took a deep, slow breath then snapped them open to reveal his Mangekyou Sharingan and studied her intently.

"O-Obito, what are you-"

"You're lying to me."

"What? What makes you think that?"

"I see it in your heartbeat."

Jitsuko took a sharp intake of breath, stunned at the idea that Obito could sense her heartrate with his new Sharingan abilities. She then sighed, seeing how avoiding the truth was no longer an option.

"Obito, I'm sorry… the truth is, Minato and I have been talking about your clan, and we think they're plotting an uprising against the village. People will die if we don't figure something out soon."

Obito looked almost offended by the statement, his luminous crimson eyes scrutinizing her through the dimness of his room. "How could you think that about us? They may look down on me Jitsuko, but Uchiha deserve respect!"

Jitsuko tried shushing Obito back to an inside voice as he refused to quiet down. "You really think my entire clan would betray the village like that? Betray our comrades? Even Minato-sensei thinks that about us?" his voice lessened in intensity while dejection took its place after each question. She managed to catch a glimpse of tears pooling in his eyes from her accusations. Obito would never admit it, but he had an extremely sensitive soul. Her view on his clan cut him deeply.

"Oh, Obito… no," she cooed, not even realizing she placed a reassuring grip on his thigh, Jitsuko's only focus was trying to get him to understand her. "Uchihas are something so special. If I'm honest, I'm actually kind of jealous that I'm not one."

Obito's face softened as the images of the Uchiha symbol etched in her clothing flashed through his mind again, causing a fierce blush to develop on his cheeks even as she continued speaking.

"Not all Uchiha think that way, but some do. But that's why I'm here. I'm trying to get answers so I can save the Uchiha clan. Minato-sensei and I think they're in danger and we want to help them. You guys are our comrades, after all."

Obito's eyes widened, his eyebrows raising in a soft realization that she truly does care for the wellbeing of the Uchiha clan. He felt a little guilty; Obito knew better than to doubt Jitsuko's intentions.

"We need your help, Obito. Please tell me everything you know about your clan."

The remainder of the night was spent discussing his clan in detail. True to his word, Obito didn't know much about the subjects discussed at the Uchiha meetings, but his insider intel was enough for Jitsuko to return to the Fourth Hokage with confidence the next day.

Unbeknownst to the both of them, ominous eyes watched the talk from afar, their grip on a nearby railing tightened in vexation until the metal rod bent under the immense pressure.


"So that pretty much covers all I've heard from them."

"Really," Jitsuko mused, thinking out loud. "So some Uchihas think they're better than every other clan? That doesn't surprise me – the Sharingan really is something to be reckoned with."

Obito's eyes went downcasted, his mind in serious contemplation. "Yeah, but from what I hear, these guys take that idea to the next level. It's as if they obsess over it – like nobody else matters to them but our clan." He then blinked, raising his head back up. "They act like nothing can get in their way – not even the village. I heard one of them say that once."

Those must be the Uchiha who run the clan meetings, no doubt about it.

The conversation then began to die, and Jitsuko found herself hunching over with her elbow resting on her thigh and hand propping her chin up as she stared at her best friend with such an intrigue over his clan. She leisurely shifted her posture only for an unexpected pang to fill her torso followed by a sharp yelp to leave her throat, alarming Obito into advancing on his knees from his spot on the bed over to her, his hands grasping her shoulders in concern.

"Jitsuko, what's wrong?" he asked with urgency in his voice. Then it struck him that she had left the hospital early. "Why would they discharge you when you aren't fully healed yet?"

"They didn't, Obito… I had to sneak out."

"What?" he said in disbelief, still holding her shoulders. "You need to stop doing things like that! You're supposed to take it easy on yourself, remember?"

One of Jitsuko's palms laid flat on her cheek, leaning into it. "I couldn't help it. I just couldn't take staying there anymore. Besides," she hummed, the blush on her face now more pronounced. "I… really wanted to see you."

At that, Obito's grip on her shoulders subconsciously clutched tighter, the pink flush on his face was in the back of his mind as flustered nerves dominated his senses.

Jitsuko was surprised when Obito said his clan viewed him as one of the weaker ones - sometimes it felt like he didn't even know his own strength. His strained grip on her bad shoulder sent jolts of pain down her arm. Soon, it became too much for her to bear.

"Could you… please be careful when you touch there, Obito? My shoulder hasn't healed quite right, either."

Obito had been so preoccupied with the wound on Jitsuko's chest that he totally overlooked the injury on her shoulder. His grip on them eased considerably, and then his hands brushed down to her elbows, absentmindedly stroking her upper arms downward along the way before his fingers clutched her hands in distress.

"We need to get you back to the hospital right now," he stated with a strained voice. He was midway from standing up before Jitsuko's soft voice froze Obito where he stood.

"Wait, Obito – the Hokage's office is closer to your house than it is to the hospital. I need to be there early tomorrow. Do you think I could, you know, spend the night here? For old time's sake?"

She could barely see Obito's face in the dark, but she could tell from his expression that he was hesitating because of Jitsuko's condition, but he ultimately gave in. He couldn't say no to her face.

Pleased, Jitsuko rested her head on his pillow and laid down on her back – the best position to keep the wound undisturbed. Taking Obito's spot on his bed surprised him; she always stayed in the spare room. Immediately, she caught on to his awkward uncertainty.

"Sorry, I know this spot's yours. I just-" Jitsuko inhaled deeply to try to drown out the pain of her injury. "-need to rest for a second. Until then…" She patted the spot next to her, a gesture to signal Obito to come lay down beside her. He nervously complied and mirrored Jitsuko's positioning on his back, the both of them staring up at his ceiling as if the stars were visible from the inside of his room.

The silence that followed was the first real silence Jitsuko had shared with Obito in quite some time. The only discernable noise came from the synchronizing pattern of their breathing.

"You positive that you don't need to get back to your hospital room?" Obito asked in a gentle whisper, clearly still worried about her.

"Are you trying to tell me that you want me out of your bed?"

"N-no, no! Nothing like that! I'm just, kind of… tense, I guess."

The truth was, he was more than just a little tense. He was downright nervous, but he wasn't sure if he was more nervous about Jitsuko's injury, or more nervous about sharing his bed with her.

"Really? Tense about what?"

"You know." He avoided her direction while gesturing around the professional bandaging on her chest.

Jitsuko chuckled. "Who needs those silly nurses anyway, when I have you?"

The positioning of Obito's head stuck to facing the ceiling out of anxiousness, but his dark eyes still attempted to shift in her general direction while the arms resting at his sides grew tense.

"If I somehow reopened my wound, I could just get you to use your 'extraordinary' bandaging skills again and I'll be good as new!" she remarked absentmindedly in a joking manner.

Obito remained silent, trying to keep his composure but the excessive sweat pouring off him indicated that he was failing, hard.

"But maybe we'll have more wrapping this time around – if there were a next time, I mean," Jitsuko added, realizing how awkward this conversation must have been for him. "Not saying there will be, hopefully."

Obito almost lost it. Thinking about what he did for her in the tent – what he saw, and the intimate action that followed soon after proved too much for him to handle. The air around him became stifling from the thick tension surrounding him.

Jitsuko didn't notice this, however. She interpreted the silence as rather comforting. Being around her best friend always brought her inner peace.

"I know I thanked you for it already, but I really want you to know how grateful I am for you, Obito," she purred, a hand sliding from her stomach to the side where it brushed against his before slowly and wordlessly lacing her fingers with his.

Jitsuko was quick to notice the immense amount of sweat coating his hand, prompting her head to turn to Obito, his line of sight stubbornly glued to the ceiling above.

"Obito… are you… am I… making you… uncomfortable?" Hurt was evident in her voice. Obito always made her feel so secure – only for her to be a source of stress for him. At that thought, the intertwining of their fingers reluctantly began to unravel.

Obito's mind was blank – short-circuited by the thought and touch of her, until the sense of the lessening grip around his fingers snapped him back to reality.

"Wait! No, Jitsuko, you're not. You make me anything but uncomfortable," he muttered while sheepishly guiding her hand back to couple with his.

Feeling the warmth of her fingers interconnected with his brought a profound sense of security and tranquility upon him. Only when he felt that emptiness of Jitsuko's touch leaving him did Obito discover - he needed this.

Silence struck the room again. With the tension lessening, both of them couldn't help but allow their heads to ease into the same pillow, exhaustion conquering his once uneasy mind.

In the midst in savoring the calming atmosphere beside Jitsuko, Obito's mind began wandering to the last time they spent the night together. It was that morning when he experienced the feel of his first kiss. The discordant emotions coursing through him while sharing that tender moment with her was inexpressible. Obito's nerves prompted the kiss to be uncoordinated and rather sloppy. He cursed at himself for being such a fumbling mess when it came to her. Not to mention the brief moment of horror that had gripped him when Kakashi saw what he hoped to be a private, intimate moment with Jitsuko. The mortified look on Kakashi's face would haunt Obito for the rest of his life.

Still, he found himself daydreaming about that morning, and even though it was plastered with awkwardness, he still felt the remnants of her touch on his cheek and lips, a touch that soothed him in a way that only hers could…

Eventually, Jitsuko heard the sound of steady, relaxed breathing from the Uchiha lying next to her. She kept him up so late that the glowing sunrise began to peek through his window, enough for Jitsuko to glance in his direction and see his face in deep relaxation as he succumbed to sleep, her hand still connected with his. She wasn't expecting Obito to fall asleep so soon.

She was about to hoist her exerted body up discreetly as to not disturb him and lay down in the guest room, until he tossed over, furling his free arm across Jitsuko's stomach to fasten tautly onto her waist while his leg swaddled over hers, latching himself entirely onto her in his sleep-induced state. Obito would never admit it, but oftentimes he'd doze off with his pillow huddled at his side with a secure grip around it to simulate the feel of Jitsuko's body, much like how he was clasping at her currently.

It was such a comforting sentiment to him, but developing such a habit has its consequences; Obito would surely faint from blushing if he learned of how his subconscious joyously allowed intimate contact and carnal attachment to Jitsuko without hesitation.

Oh my god, was all her mind could process upon Obito's unintentional embrace. It was her turn to become flustered.

Relax, Jitsuko. Relax! Obito's just sleeping. He doesn't mean to do this… but… I kind of wish he did.

Obito's body began to feel chilly, and she was rather frigid herself. Taking advantage of the miniscule wiggle room, Jitsuko maneuvered her foot to hook the clumsily folded blanket perched at the edge of his bed to her free hand to drape it snugly over both their bodies. Afterwards, her free arm hovered in place, contemplating its next destination.

She was unable to resist the urge to caress her palm gently across Obito's unscarred cheek before running her fingers through his dark, spiky hair. She was pleasantly surprised when Obito's body responded with a deeper inhale of air followed by a subtle, comforting squeeze to her waist that pressed Jitsuko tightly against him, as if he were soothed by her touch. She didn't dare move.

If Obito wakes up and sees us like this, he'd be a panicking, discomposed mess. Jitsuko exhaled through her nose in modest amusement. Still, I don't want him distressed. I should really try to get up –

He abruptly pressed his face against hers and began nuzzling into her cheek, sending blooming waves of pleasing warmth in Jitsuko's chest.

maybe I could stay for just a few more minutes.

Allowing Obito to fall asleep first left Jitsuko alone with her thoughts. When she came to this world, she never imagined that she would be sharing a bed with her crush – no, scratch that. He was more than her crush. Jitsuko loved Obito, and if the kiss they shared previously was any indication, Obito had deep feelings for her, too. When their lips made contact that morning, Jitsuko was sure that he requited that rapturous sentiment – but she still found it too hard to believe. To think that she stood even a chance against someone like Rin while she battled with her for Obito's affection – and won. It felt as if she was coiling into a cocoon and reliving her most desired reality in the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Still, the two of them made no moves to confirm their feelings as official. Jitsuko was nervous to, just in case this truly was just some cruel dream that she would be waking up from soon. Doubt soon filled her mind about what she should do about her best friend. She was so terrified of her heart shattering – a fear she had dragged along with her ever since she met Obito.

Then, Jitsuko peeked at his face one more time. Instantly her worries and doubts felt as if they were melting away, dissolving and leaving no trace the longer she gazed into Obito's unwound but masculine face. It was then Jitsuko decided that if the Uchiha Clan situation clears without issue, she will make her move. She will make it her goal to explicitly declare that she is in love with Obito Uchiha, – or Jitsuko would at least try. Maybe. If she didn't chicken out first.

No. Don't think like that, Jitsuko, you can do it!

She looked to her slumbering friend again for extra reassurance.

This was a serious decision – an action that Jitsuko pleaded would end with the transitioning of being in love with her best friend, to being in love with her boyfriend.

Satisfied with her resolution, Jitsuko squeezed Obito's limp hand while shuffling even closer to his slumbering form. Her head tilted toward him and her forehead made gentle contact with his – their noses brushing together so subtly that it tickled. She had to leave soon to converge with Minato, but Obito's vulnerable expression and position combined with the intoxicating scent of her life-long friend convinced Jitsuko to stay for just a bit longer.